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punkshort · 1 year ago

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i'll be home for christmas | part one

Pairing: Joel Miller x f!reader

Summary: Having just caught your fiancé cheating on you, you decide to come back home from the big city to Austin for the month of December to try to figure out your next step. You had no idea you would be getting more than you bargained for with the handsome single dad who built your parents' house.

Chapter Warnings: no outbreak, modern day but Joel is 40, language, fluff, flirting, reader has a childhood nickname only her family uses, Hallmark tropes up the wazoo, soft!joel, reader's sister is pregnant, talks of infidelity, talks of divorce, alcohol use, kissing, (smut in part two)

WC: 9.1K

A/N: this is my take on a cheesy, fluffy, soft, smutty, Joel Miller Hallmark Christmas movie. It's just sweet and silly and makes me smile, and I hope it does the same for you. I also wrote this in less than 2 days and didn't really edit it much, so sorry in advance if there's any errors.

Found the pic on Twitter but can't remember the source, if you know please send me a message and i will credit them

Series Masterlist

It was the second week of December as you stood inside the airport in Austin, Texas, waiting for your luggage to emerge on the conveyor belt. You thought by coming home early, you would have avoided the holiday traffic, but you were wrong. All around you, people squealed with excitement and embraced, dragging their worn out luggage behind them as they made their way out of the bustling airport. You tried to keep the scowl from your face as you watched, but it was next to impossible, so you wrapped your Burberry scarf around your neck instead, hoping to hide your displeasure.

This was not the plan you had for Christmas. You should be in New York in a high-rise apartment in front of a roaring fireplace with a glass of wine and your fiancé - ex-fiancé - not back in Austin with your parents, who begged you to come visit for the holidays after you told them the news.

Coming home to visit wasn't your favorite thing, but you felt guilty having avoided the holidays with your family for so many years, and you would have ended up all alone in the city anyway. So you caved, using up all the PTO you saved for the wedding, and took the rest of the year off from work.

Your designer luggage stood out like a sore thumb when it tumbled down the conveyor belt. You winced after watching the impact and snatched it up quickly. Glancing around, you saw a beacon in the storm: a familiar green, glowing sign in the distance - Starbucks. The line was long, but your flight was early, so you waited and got a latte, hoping it would lift your spirits a bit before you had to face your parents.

You tapped the side of your coffee cup anxiously as you rode the escalator down to the first floor, scanning the crowd for your mom and dad. There were a few people holding up signs with names on them, and when you saw the sign that said "Bucket" on it, you cringed.

Your dad's tall, round frame came into view when the people in front of him dispersed. He looked almost exactly the same, except a little greyer. Still sporting a shockingly full head of hair and his signature thick mustache, he grinned and pulled you into a warm hug.

"Really, Dad? 'Bucket'?"

"Well, that's what we call you, ain't it?" he said with a smile. You rolled your eyes and tried to be annoyed, but you had to admit that you were happy to see him.

"Where's Mom?" you asked.

"She's waitin' in the car, didn't wanna pay for parking so we're in a pick up zone, let's hustle," he said, wrapping his arm around you as he led you outside. "How was the flight?"

"Long," you said, then gasped when the cold air hit you. "Wow, I didn't think it would be this cold yet."

"It's been a cold one so far this year," he nodded, directing you to the left where you could see your mom smiling and waving from the passenger seat of their white SUV. You waved back and grinned. Maybe coming home wasn't such a bad idea, after all.

"Hiya, Bucky!" your mom said happily, leaning out of the window to give you a half hug while your dad loaded up your belongings in the back.

"Hey, Mom," you replied. "I like your sweater."

She was wearing one of her tacky Christmas sweaters that she wore every year - unironically. It amazed you how some things never change.

You climbed into the back seat as your dad carefully exited the parking spot and joined the line of cars that were slowly inching towards the main road.

"We're so glad you decided to come home this year, you can finally see the new house!" your mom said excitedly. They had built a brand new house, and the way she provided updates and pictures to you over the phone for the past year, you felt like you had already seen it.

"Yeah, can't wait," you said, staring out the window.

"Hope you don't mind, but we're throwin' a party tomorrow night," your dad said, glancing at you in the review mirror. "Wanted to have our friends over to see the place and have an early holiday party. They'll be so happy to see you, it's been so long since you've been home, Buck."

You had been hoping to spend most of the next three weeks in bed moping and scrolling on your phone. The thought of a party and seeing all those people looking at you with pity made your stomach turn. Your mom must have sensed your discomfort.

"It's alright, honey. They won't say anything," she said softly, and you squeezed your eyes shut.

"Okay," you replied, your voice pained as you opened your eyes to stare at the passing traffic on the thruway.

You'll make an appearance for an hour, and then try to sneak back upstairs until the party ends, already fabricating a headache to blame it on.

The house your parents built was impressive, even you had to admit. It was a two story colonial with four bedrooms and three bathrooms. The open floor plan was stunning as you made your way from room to room. The first floor alone had a spacious living room with vaulted ceilings, a kitchen with an attached dining room, and a separate family room off the back. There was even a small office by the front door that you missed the first time around, and a pantry as big as your closet back home.

You cringed at the thought, reminding yourself that it was no longer your home. That was part of the problem. You had moved in with Will, and when you discovered he had been cheating on you, you crashed at your friend Melanie's place. When you tearfully told your parents the news a few days later, they asked you to come home. Just for the holidays, your mom had said. Just to give you time to figure out your next move.

"This is beautiful, Mom," you said honestly, admiring the fine details on the cabinets.

"Thank you, sweetie. Took a long time, but Joel built it just right for us," she said, beaming.

"Oh, the contractor, right?" you replied, distracted now by the backsplash above the counters.

"He's such a sweet man, he was so patient with us when we changed our minds a million times over every little thing."

"Well, tell him he did a great job," you murmured, opening and shutting different drawers.

"You can tell him yourself, he'll be at the party tomorrow," your dad said, opening the fridge to scrounge for some snacks.

"You invited your contractor to your holiday party?" you asked in disbelief.

"Sure we did. We either saw him or spoke to him almost every single day for a year. He's a good man."

"Okay," you said slowly, still finding it a bit strange, but reminding yourself that things worked a little differently in the south.

"Bucket!" you heard your sister call from the front of the house. A smile plastered across your face instantly as you rushed to the door, both of you squealing as you wrapped your arms around each other and jumped in a circle, unable to contain your excitement.

"Cassie!" you said, pulling back to look at her, brushing her sleek, dark brown hair over her shoulder. "You look fantastic!"

"Ugh, I feel like shit," she said, and you laughed, glancing down at her barely swollen belly.

"How far along are you again?" you asked.

"Twenty weeks, but I'm ready for this to be over! I'm so tired all the time, it sucks," she said, flopping down on the couch in the living room after she gave your parents quick hugs.

"Where's Josh?" your mom asked, referring to your brother in law.

"He's still working, he'll be by later," Cassie said, waving her hand. "Gives us a chance to catch up," she added with a wink.

"You girls do that, we need to go to the store for tomorrow night. Do you need anything?" your mom asked, and you shook your head, eager for them to leave so you could be alone with your sister.

"Tell me everything," Cassie said the moment the door clicked shut.

If it were anyone else, you wouldn't have been in the mood to talk about the mess that was currently your life, but you've always been able to talk about anything with your sister. You trusted each other implicitly and there was no judgement, no matter if you had cheated on a test or gotten drunk during prom, you told each other everything.

So you did. You told her how for months, you felt like something was off with Will. How he would stay out late and say it was for work, but none of his work friends ever posted about going anywhere those nights on social media. He grew more distant and you tried to ignore your paranoia, but when he collapsed into bed one night, too out of it to wash up, and you saw the lipstick on his neck the next morning, you lost it. He hardly even tried to explain himself, barely even attempted to lie, and you began to think maybe he wanted to get caught. Maybe he wanted you to do the dirty work and end things so he didn't have to. Fucking coward.

"What a piece of shit. I never liked him," Cassie said when you were finished. "He acted like he was so much better than everyone when he was here, do you remember the comments he made about the wine mom had? It was so fucking rude."

"Yeah, I know," you agreed.

"So why were you even with him?"

"We had been together since college, Cas," you said, exasperated. "I knew him before he was like that. He used to be sweet and fun. Then he got that finance job and met all those assholes and he became just like them."

"Well, I'm just glad you didn't end up married before finding out what he's really like," she said, shifting her weight on the couch with her hand cupping her small stomach. "That would have been a huge mess."

"It's still a huge mess, I have no where to live now, and I can only couch surf for so long," you said, burying your face in your hands.

"You'll figure it out, Buck. I'll help you look for places online while you're here. Maybe set up some appointments so you can tour them when you get back."

"Thanks," you said, giving her a weak smile. "That would actually be great."

"Now, on to more important things," your sister said, slapping her palms against her knees to stand.

"Baby names?" you asked.

"No! Let's figure out what you'll wear to the party tomorrow," she said, wiggling her eyebrows. "I wanna look through all your fancy designer clothes."

You giggled and stood to join her.

"Fine, but I'm still dropping baby names while you look," you replied.

After spending a majority of the next day helping your parents decorate and prepare food for the party, you finally were able to excuse yourself to shower and get ready. Cassie had picked out a Ralph Lauren lace cocktail dress that Will had bought for your birthday last year. You slipped it on, running your hands over the fabric as you adjusted the dress in the mirror. Just because he bought it didn't mean you couldn't wear it again. You snatched the glass of wine from your dresser and took a sip, trying to push the thought of him from your head as you made your way downstairs.

Cassie and Josh were already in the kitchen, munching on appetizers and chatting with your parents. Cassie let out a low whistle when you entered the room. You waved her off and gave Josh a big hug and kiss on the cheek.

"Good to see you," you told him with a smile. "All ready for the baby?"

"Getting there," Josh replied, wrapping an arm around Cassie's waist. You tried to ignore the ugly, jealous pit in your stomach as he told you how the nursery was coming along. You wasted so many years of your life on Will. Your sister was already married and starting a family, and here you were, basically homeless and starting over. Pathetic.

Family friends slowly began to trickle into the house, luckily being whisked away by your parents to give them a tour after you meekly greeted them and hid back in the kitchen. As more and more people arrived, you began to wonder how your parents kept so many close friends when you barely had a handful back in New York.

A few kids raced by you in the kitchen as you made your way to the bar to refill your wine. Even though it was loud, you could still hear your dad's booming voice as he regaled a friend with a fishing story. You wandered around a bit, trying to find Cassie and Josh so you didn't look out of place, but stopped dead in your tracks when you saw them chatting with Mr. Tanner and his son, Troy, backing away before they could see you. Troy used to have the biggest crush on you when you were kids. If he found out you were single, you wouldn't be able to shake him all night.

You eventually found yourself alone, back in front of the snacks. You picked at the chips on your plate, not really interested in eating but hoping to avoid any awkward conversations, so you kept your eyes down, scrolling mindlessly on your phone. Apparently, it wasn't good enough because you felt someone sidle up next to you.

"Those any good?" a deep, unfamiliar drawl spoke from your side. You looked up to find the softest pair of brown eyes you've ever seen on a man. Blinking, you took a moment as your gaze raked over his patchy beard and the dark, tousled curls on his head. They looked so soft, you had to resist the urge to reach out and touch them. What was wrong with you?

"Huh?" you managed to squeak out after you realized you had waited too long to reply. Idiot.

"The, uh, chips," he said, pointing at your plate before rubbing the back of his neck.

"Oh!" you said, looking at your plate, completely forgetting you even had it. "Yeah, they're alright."

He nodded and glanced around the room, unsure of what to say next. He cleared his throat and tried again.

"How do you know Paul and Martha?"

Distracted, you watched as he crossed his arms over his broad chest, stretching the fabric of his red flannel over his shoulders, pulling the material taught. You had to remind yourself to pay attention and stop gawking at this man like he was a piece of meat. Jesus, maybe you should stop drinking.

"They're my parents," you said after a moment, your eyes flicking across the room, finding them with a group of their friends with your dad's arm wrapped around your mom's shoulder as she giggled and gazed up at him adoringly.

"Oh, you're Cassie," the man said, his eyes dropping from your face to your stomach, and you swore you saw a glimmer of disappointment.

"No!" you said quickly, your hand subconsciously resting on your midsection. "That's my sister, I'm their other daughter." You told him your name and briefly explained you lived in New York and were just visiting for the holidays.

"They must be real happy, havin' you home for so long," he replied, and you shrugged.

"Yeah, it's been a while since I've come home for a visit. I was feeling pretty bad about that," you said, choosing to leave out the biggest reason you were there. This stranger didn't need to be burdened with your love life drama. "Besides, they were so excited to show off the new house," you continued, waving your arm around the room.

"Took us long enough, but it finally came together," he replied with a smile.

"Oh! You must be Joel," you said, realization finally dawning on you.

"Yeah, sorry," he said, shaking his head and stretching out his arm. "That was rude of me, don't know what I was thinkin'." His cheeks flushed with embarrassment as you shook his hand.

"My parents always have such wonderful things to say about you. The house is beautiful, I was blown away when I first saw it," you told him. "I especially love the little details on the cabinets."

"Thanks," he said with a soft smile, averting his gaze to look at the cabinet behind you. "I actually did that myself. It's kind of a hobby of mine. Closest to art I'll ever get, I guess."

"I don't think it's just 'close' to art, I think it is art. It's stunning," you told him, running your fingertips over the intricate floral design. "You're very talented."

"Well, thank you," he said sheepishly, rubbing his beard to hide his smile. You could see the blush creeping up his neck and you bit your lip with a grin, turning your head to try to give him a moment. Were you making him nervous? He was painfully good looking, could this guy actually be into you? Were you even interested? The break up was still so fresh and it had been so long since you've dated anyone besides Will, you hadn't even considered it yet.

"So, how long have you worked in construction?" you asked after a minute, discarding your plate on the counter to give him your full attention.

"Oh, my whole life. Me and my brother started the business when we were in our twenties. Only thing we were any good at, and luckily it pays the bills," he told you with a shrug, shoving his hands deep into his pockets. "What do you-"

Joel's question was cut off by a young girl with curly brown hair in a red velvet dress bouncing up to him.

"Dad! Can Uncle Tommy take me outside so we can look at the pool?" she asked. Dad? You looked down when he pulled his hands out of his pockets, palming one of the girl's shoulders to quiet her down, and noticed the gold wedding band. Of fucking course.

"The pool? Sarah, it's freezin' out," Joel said, and she grinned.

"I'm not going in, Dad, I just wanna see," she said, rolling her eyes. She glanced over, noticing you for the first time, and smiled. "I really like your dress," she said.

"Thank you," you said, running your hand down the fabric. "I like yours, too."

"Uh, yeah, that's fine. Just make sure Uncle Tommy sticks with you, alright?" Joel relented, and she clapped her hands gleefully before running off again.

"She's cute, how old is she?" you asked him, looking around the room to see if Sarah had run back to a woman who could be Joel's wife.

"She's sixteen," he said, eyeing you carefully. He hadn't thought this far ahead and hoped he wasn't scaring you off.

You turned to him, startled, having guessed she was younger.

"You must have had her young," you said, the words slipping out before you could catch them. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean that like it sounded-"

"No, it's alright," he said with a chuckle. "I did. I'm forty."

You nodded and took a sip from your glass, letting your eyes drift away, rethinking your conversation. Maybe you misread him and he was just being friendly. There was no way he would be flirting with you at a party with his kid right there. But then he cleared his throat, drawing your attention back to him.

"Listen, I hope I'm not bein' too forward, but are you here with anyone?"

You raised your eyebrows at him over your glass. There was no misreading that. Blinking rapidly, you tried to formulate a reply that wouldn't cause a scene. Was he seriously hitting on you with a ring on his finger? You put your glass down on the counter and opened your mouth to reply when your sister's voice interrupted you.

"Bucket! Come here, you remember Troy, right?"

You cringed, at both the nickname and the person in question, before slowly turning your body towards her and forcing a fake smile.

"Of course. How are you?" you said with a hug.

"Doing great, just got a new job with a law firm downtown," Troy said, rubbing his sweaty palms on his jeans and shifting his weight nervously. He began to ramble about his new job as your sister introduced herself to Joel behind you. You resisted the urge to strangle her, reminding yourself she was carrying your baby niece or nephew and that you'll have to wait until after she gave birth to kill her. She knew you couldn't stand Troy, but she probably couldn't get rid of him, either.

You stood there, draining your wine glass while he prattled on for the next twenty minutes. By the time Troy's dad walked over and ushered him away, Joel was nowhere to be found.

Probably for the best, anyway. You were getting really sick and tired of only attracting unfaithful men.

You hadn't considered how annoying it would be to have your parents hovering around you all the time, worried that you were slipping into a depression and trying to get you to join them on activities outside the house. After you felt forced to go sledding with them the day before, you decided to make yourself scarce today, which is why you found yourself at the mall in downtown Austin browsing for a Christmas gift for your future niece or nephew.

As you were looking through a storefront window, you felt your phone buzz in your pocket. Taking it out, you saw a text from a friend back home.

Sydney: You'll never guess who i just bumped into

You were typing out your response, chin tucked into your chest, when you felt someone knock into you. Startled, you looked up only to lock eyes with Joel the contractor.

"Oh!" you managed to stammer out. His deep brown eyes lit up and a warm smile spread across his face when he looked up and recognized you.

"Sorry, wasn't payin' attention," he said. "How, uh, how are you?"

"Good," you said, nodding and clutching your phone in your hand. "You?"

"Good. Was actually just thinkin' about you," he admitted, looking down and shifting the bag he was carrying from one hand to the other. "Never got to say goodbye to you the other night."

"Yeah, it was pretty crowded. I didn't realize my parents were so popular," you joked. "Is Sarah with you?"

"No, she's in school," he replied, and you bumped the heel of your hand against your forehead, rolling your eyes. Of course she was, it's the middle of the day.

"Duh," you said quietly, finding it hard to hold his gaze without getting butterflies, so you looked away.

"So, uh, I hope this doesn't sound creepy, but I asked your sister if you were seein' anyone the other night," he began, and you felt your face instantly heat up. Why didn't Cassie warn you?? "-was wonderin' if I could get your number."

"Huh?" you asked, your eyes widening as you tried to control your breathing. You glanced down at his hand again when he looked away and saw he was definitely wearing a ring.

"Thought we could go out sometime? If you're interested?" he asked, his own nerves wreaking havoc as he shifted his weight and chewed on the inside of his cheek, praying his face wasn't as red as it felt.

"Are you serious?" you asked him, narrowing your eyes. The audacity of some men!

"'Course I'm serious," he said with a nervous smile. "Thought we hit it off the other night-"

"Joel, listen. I'm not going to say what I'm really thinking for the sake of my parents and everything you did for them, but I am not interested in dating married men," you said with a scowl. He frowned, giving you a confused look before you turned on your heel and stormed away, joining the crowd of Christmas shoppers bustling by.

He looked down at his hand, making a tight fist before swiveling his head around, trying to locate you in the crowd before he lost you.

"Hey, wait!" he called out, pushing past clusters of people as he jogged to try and keep up with you. He called out your name as he got closer. You stopped suddenly but didn't turn around, causing surprised shoppers to have to redirect at the last minute to avoid running into you.

"Hey, I'm sorry-"

"You should apologize to your wife!" you said loudly, causing a few people to turn their heads in your direction as they walked past. Joel looked around nervously.

"I'm not married," he clarified quietly. You looked down at his hand again and he flexed his fingers.

"Can we get a coffee or somethin'? And I'll explain," he begged, his chest rising and falling rapidly with each second that passed as you considered your answer. "Please."

"Fine," you agreed, and his face relaxed once again.

You sat down at a coffee shop within Barnes and Noble as Joel ordered you both something to drink. As you watched him at the counter, you admired his long legs and broad shoulders underneath his brown coat and wondered what possible excuse he was going to come up with.

Oh my god, what if she died?

You rubbed your eyes, hoping you didn't just insult a widower in the middle of a crowded mall.

Joel joined you at the table and set your coffee down in front of you with a smile.

"Thank you," you said softly, fiddling with the cup and avoiding his eyes as he shrugged his coat off, revealing a navy blue V-neck sweater underneath. Your eyes drifted to the small patch of bare chest that was exposed and your stomach clenched. Swallowing hard, you forced yourself to meet his gaze, but he was staring down at his ring finger.

"I'm not married anymore, just wanna make that crystal clear," he began, still staring at his ring.

"Okay," you said slowly, waiting for him to continue. He sighed.

"We've been divorced for a few years now," he said, finally looking at you. "It was... hard. Really hard. I, uh," he scratched his beard as he struggled to find the words. "I've had a tough time lettin' go. Thought for a while we might get back together, so I didn't take it off. Then I guess I just got so used to it, I never thought... I'm sorry, I sound like a mess," he said with a sad smile.

"It's alright, I think I understand," you told him, and he looked at you with renewed optimism, encouraged to continue.

"I never took it off because I never thought 'bout askin' anyone out til now," he said. "Didn't realize how that would come across, you just took me by surprise that night and I couldn't stop thinkin' 'bout you."

You blushed and looked down at your coffee, trying to hide your smile behind your cup, but he saw it and grinned.

"Are you still in love with her?" you asked him. You didn't want to get wrapped up in something that would end up hurting you in the end.

"No," he said firmly. "I mean, I'll always care for her. She gave me Sarah, how could I not? But I'm not in love with her anymore."

You nodded as you absorbed his words, glancing around the little coffee shop before dragging your eyes back to his. He was looking at you expectantly, waiting for you to ask anything else that would make you comfortable with accepting a date from him.

"Well, thank you for being honest with me, but I'm not sure I'm ready for a relationship just yet."

Joel tried to hide the disappointment in his face as he nodded in understanding. The first time in five years he asked someone out and he got shot down.

"It's not you," you clarified. "It's bad timing. I just got out of a really long term relationship. Well, I was actually engaged, and I caught him cheating," you explained with a wince, not expecting to bring this up today. "Probably why I was so sensitive about the wedding ring," you said with a half smirk. He nodded quietly and looked down at the ring on his hand, twisting the metal around with the pad of his thumb as you spoke.

"Sounds like we've both been through a tough time," he murmured, and you quietly agreed.

You sat in silence for a few minutes, sipping your coffees and trying to figure out how to end this awkward interaction without making things worse. You were going to lie about having plans so you could leave when he suddenly spoke up.

"No pressure, but, uh, what if we just went on one very casual date?" He looked at you with those soft, brown eyes and you felt your resolve crumbling. "Sounds like we could both use some practice. You're leavin' at the end of the month anyway. Could just be fun, help get us both back out there."

You paused, not expecting that. He had a good point. It's been so long since you've gone on a date with anyone, and it sounded like he was just as rusty. Besides, what else would you be doing with your time over the next three weeks?

"Okay," you agreed softly. He raised his eyebrows in surprise, parting his lips slightly as he straightened up in his chair.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," you said with a grin. "Why not?"

Early the next morning, you heard your phone buzz on the nightstand next to your bed. With a groan, you cracked an eye open to look at the time, then reached for your phone.

"7:30? Who the hell..." you grumbled, squinting at the bright screen, your eyes widening when you saw Joel's name. You sat up in bed, fully awake now, and slid the notification over to open the text.

Joel Miller: Morning. Are you free tonight?

You grinned, flicking on your light so you could see better to respond, then you paused. Should you make him wait before replying? Would you look too desperate if you answered right away?

You shrugged, deciding to answer him. It was casual, you both knew it wouldn't go anywhere, so who cares how it looked?

You: Good morning, you're up early! And yes, what did you have in mind?

You chewed your thumb nail as you waited for his answer.

Joel Miller: This is nothing, I've been up since 5. For some reason, clients expect me to be at job sites early. How about ice skating?

You giggled and tapped out a reply.

You: I'd love to!

Joel Miller: Great - I'll pick you up at 7

Realizing you forgot to reply to Sydney the day before, you switched messages and shot her a quick answer before sliding back down under the covers to scroll on your phone.

You resisted the urge as long as you could - a whole fifteen minutes - before you typed Joel's name into Facebook. His name popped up with two mutual friends and you rolled your eyes. Of course your parents were friends with him. Clicking on his name, you scrolled down his page, tapping through photos of him and Sarah that looked out of date. He didn't seem like the type to update social media often, and his page reflected that hunch. He didn't have many pictures so it didn't take long until you scrolled all the way to the end, presumably his first photo from when he joined. It was a grainy picture of him with a huge smile and his arm slung around a woman with dark, curly hair, just like Sarah's.

She was pretty, you couldn't deny that, and you vaguely wondered why they broke up. He made it sound like he didn't want a divorce, and you figured he would have mentioned cheating since you brought it up.

You closed the app. If Joel wanted to tell you, he would.

Dragging yourself out of bed, you made your way downstairs on the hunt for coffee. Pouring yourself a cup from the machine, you burrowed into the couch, wrapping yourself in a blanket as you waited for your coffee to cool down and flipped through the various streaming services your parents subscribed to.

"Hey Buck, you're up early," your dad said as he descended the stairs and headed to the coffee.

"Hey, Dad," you said, taking a sip from your mug and wincing as you burned your tongue.

"What're you up to today? You wanna come to dinner with your mom and me?"

"Actually, I have a date," you told him, bracing for the reaction.

"Whoa-ho! Been here not even a week and you got yourself a date? Don't tell me... Troy?" he asked with a big grin, sitting down at the other end of the couch.

"Ew, no!" you said, scrunching your nose. "It's, um, Joel," you said quickly, taking another sip from your mug.

"Our contractor?" he asked incredulously.

"Yeah, we met at the party," you told him. "Then I ran into him at the mall."

"Ran into who at the mall?" you heard Cassie's voice from down the hall.

"When did you get here?" you asked as she rounded the corner and gazed at your coffee enviously.

"Just now. Who did you see at the mall?"

"Joel," you said, glaring at her. "Got something to tell me about that?"

"Oh, yeah," she said, wiggling her eyebrows. "He was asking about you at the party. I made sure to let him know you were single."

"Yeah, he told me, thanks for the heads up, by the way," you said. "We're going out tonight."

"I didn't realize he was single, I just assumed he was married because he's always got Sarah around," your dad said, beginning to zone out to the movie that was on the TV.

"He's single," was all you said, picking your phone back up.

"He's cute," Cassie said, and you blushed. "I'm glad you said yes, mom and dad already love him, so he'll fit right in."

"I don't even live here. It's a casual thing, we're just hanging out," you told her.

"Yeah, okay," she said, giving you a wink. You rolled your eyes and pinched her as you passed by.

"I'm going to shower, then maybe you can help me pick out something to wear," you told her over your shoulder, walking back upstairs.

Joel arrived at your parents' house promptly at 7, just as he promised. He pulled into the driveway, checking his hair in the review mirror quickly before sliding out of his truck and making his way up the porch. He couldn't remember the last time he felt this nervous as he glanced down a the green flannel he wore, praying he didn't miss a button or a stain. He was with his ex for so long that he could barely remember a time when he was nervous around her.

But with you, he felt the butterflies the moment he saw you at the party. You didn't notice him at first, but he saw you enter the living room and freeze in the doorway, your eyes locked on someone across the room before backing out the way you came, as if you were looking to avoid them. He couldn't catch who it was, having hardly known more than five people in the whole house, but he felt compelled to follow you. To see if you were maybe looking for a husband or boyfriend. But when he saw you alone in the kitchen, staring down at your phone, he couldn't stop himself from saying something to you.

Joel never did things like that. He always kept to himself, very quiet and reserved. He was content with his work during the day and hanging out with Sarah at night.

For the most part, he was happy. It was only at night when the loneliness crept up, when he tucked himself into his big, cold bed and tried his best to fall asleep as fast as he could, so he wouldn't lay there wishing someone who cared for him was just in the bathroom washing up.

Tommy had been encouraging him to get back out there, always offering to watch Sarah if he caught Joel looking a little too long at a waitress or a neighbor. Sarah was old enough to be on her own for a few hours, but he still asked Tommy to stop by, anyway. Maybe part of him wanted his brother to know that he was going on a date, if only so he would stop trying to set him up all the time with women he had no interest in.

Joel reached out to ring the doorbell, cringing when he noticed it was one of those camera doorbells. Paul must have installed it after the house was finished. He heard heavy footsteps on the other side of the door and held his breath, realizing he hadn't thought about your dad's reaction to your date.

Paul swung the door open, greeting Joel with a deep scowl as he leaned up against the doorframe.

"What's up, Joel?" he asked. Joel cleared his throat.

"Hey, Paul. I'm here to pick up your daughter," Joel replied, bracing himself. Paul just stared at him, breathing deeply as he looked Joel up and down. Joel wasn't a small man, but Paul had at least sixty pounds on him. He tended to have an intimidating look until you got to know him.

"Oh, yeah? For what?" Paul asked, clenching his jaw. Joel froze, wondering if there was a reason you didn't tell your parents about tonight, unsure what to say. Finally, Paul's face broke into a huge smile as he began to crack up, doubling over at the waist.

"I'm sorry, Joel, I had to," he wheezed, standing back up and clapping Joel on the shoulder. "Couldn't help myself. Come on in," he said, still laughing as he led Joel down the hall and towards the kitchen.

"Jesus, Paul, scared the shit outta me," Joel admitted, his heart racing as he rubbed his forehead.

"Beer?" Paul asked, and Joel shook his head.

"No thanks, I'm drivin'," he replied, and Paul raised his eyebrows with a nod.

"Good man, passed the first test," he said with a wink as he twisted open a beer for himself. "Hey, uh, in all seriousness, I just wanna talk with you before she comes down."

"Yeah, 'course," Joel replied, leaning up against the counter.

"I ain't sure what she's told you about the asshole she was with before, but he really hurt her. Now, I know it ain't got nothin' to do with you, what's in the past is in the past," he said. "But just keep that in mind, will you? I can't stand seein' my little girl hurt like that again."

Joel nodded solemnly, understanding completely.

"I ain't like that, I'll be respectful, I promise," Joel replied. "Besides, we both know she's goin' back to New York in a few weeks. We're just gettin' to know each other, is all."

"Yeah, she said the same thing to her sister earlier, but then she spent all damn day on the phone, pickin' out an outfit and gettin' herself ready," Paul said with a sigh. "I'm just sayin', be careful with her."

Joel felt a flutter in his chest and tried to hide his smile when he found out you had been thinking about him all day. He was glad he wasn't the only one.

"I hope you weren't waiting long," you told Joel as he backed out of your driveway.

"Not at all," he said with a smirk. "You're worth the wait. You look beautiful." He glanced down again at the light pink sweater with a small designer logo he was unfamiliar with in the corner.

You blushed and bit your lip, quietly thanking him and trying to hide your reaction behind your scarf, but he saw it. He always does.

Now that he knew you were looking forward to this date just as much as he was, he felt a little more confident.

"Did you have a good day?" he asked, giving you a sideways glance as he merged his truck into traffic.

"Yeah, did you?"

"It was alright," he said, slowing the truck down at a stop light. He turned to face you now. "Couldn't wait to see you, though."

You turned a darker shade of pink and he smiled, pleased to see that he could elicit that reaction from you, the same way you do to him.

"So, ice skating?" you said, trying to take the heat off of you. You looked at his hands on the steering wheel, noticing he made sure to take his ring off.

"Yeah," he said, pressing his foot on the gas as the light changed. "Thought you could teach me somethin'."

"Teach you? How do you know if I can even skate?" you asked teasingly.

"Just a hunch. Was I right?" he replied, his mouth turning up into a half smirk. You giggled and he felt his stomach tighten. He needed to hear that again.

"Yeah, you were right," you relented. He pulled his lower lip between his teeth and slapped the steering wheel in victory, making you giggle again, and his chest filled with warmth at the sound.

"Where's Sarah tonight?" you asked him as he pulled into a parking spot at the skating rink.

"My brother's watchin' her," he replied, disappointed that you got out of the truck so quickly. He had planned on opening the door for you.

"Does she like to ice skate?" you questioned as he led you inside to the counter to rent your skates.

"Oh, of course she does. But I usually sit it out and just watch her have fun," he said, picking up your rentals and heading over to a bench.

"You should have brought her, I wouldn't have minded."

"We don't have to talk 'bout her, you know," he said quicky, and your fingers froze over your laces.

"Why wouldn't we talk about her? She's your daughter," you asked slowly, straightening back up to look at him.

"No, I know. What I mean is, I know it ain't every woman's fantasy to go out with a single dad and all the baggage that comes with that. So, if you don't wanna talk about her, I get it," he said, casting his eyes down as he focused on tying his laces. You reached out a hand and gently placed it on top of his, immediately making him freeze at your touch.

"She's part of your life, so I want to hear about her. You shouldn't think like that, Joel. It's really not a dealbreaker for most women," you assured him, gently rubbing your thumb over his knuckles, his eyes glued to your hand as he listened. "And if it is, fuck 'em."

His eyes snapped up to yours now, then a slow smile spread across his face.

"Okay," he said softly, and you smiled, pulling your hand back, leaving him wanting more.

"Besides," you said, standing up on your skates as you made your way to the rink. "You have no idea what kind of fantasies I have."

You turned to give him a wink as you effortlessly stepped out onto the ice, holding out your hands encouragingly for him to follow. It was a miracle he was able to move his legs after that comment, but he managed just because he knew he would feel your warm hands on his again.

Joel was a quick study. He was nervous at first, you could tell that he didn't want to embarrass himself, but he did surprisingly good. Especially considering how crowded the ice rink was and how fast people were skating by. After about half an hour, he was able to skate - albeit, slowly - around the rink next to you without any assistance. Part of you wondered if he pretended to need more help than he really did just so it would make you feel good.

"So, anyway, that's basically what I do for work. It's pretty boring," you said with a sigh.

"Not boring. Marketing in New York City sounds like a dream," he replied.

"Yeah, except I work on all the behind the scenes stuff. It's not really as fun as it sounds," you admitted, not missing work in the slightest since you've been back in Texas.

"Well, d'you work with some fun people, at least?"

You paused, considering his question for a moment, before shaking your head with a dry laugh.

"Not really," you said, but he still tried to help you find a reason why you would put up with it.

"You were able to take off almost a whole month, that's pretty great. Not many places'll let you do that, can't be that bad," he offered, and you scoffed.

"It's the time I saved up for the wedding I was supposed to have," you told him sadly, and he groaned.

"I'm knockin' it outta the park tonight, ain't I?" he said, rubbing his face before almost losing his balance. You giggled and he couldn't stop the huge grin that plastered itself across his face.

"It's fine, you didn't know," you said, waving him off. And for the first time, you really didn't mind talking about it. Something about him made it easier.

"What'dya say we get some hot chocolate?" Joel asked, jutting his chin towards the vendor where you first came in.

"Yeah, that sounds great," you replied. Joel turned towards the exit without looking when a teenage boy, who was speed skating around the rink trying to impress a girl, smacked right into him, sending him flying backwards on the ice.

"Joel!" you exclaimed, rushing to his side. He groaned, rubbing the back of his head.

"Hey, why don't you watch it!" you yelled angrily at the teenager, who had managed to only stumble a bit upon impact.

"Sorry, man," the kid mumbled before taking off.

"I'm gonna kick his ass," you said, about to stand up to go after him, but Joel reached up to grip your arms, holding you in place.

"I'm fine, sweetheart," he said with a chuckle. Sweetheart. Your heart skipped a beat at the term.

"Are you sure?" you asked, your brow furrowed with concern.

"Yeah, just gimme a hand," he said, and you stood to give his arm a firm yank, allowing him to stand.

"Let's get you off the ice," you told him, ushering him carefully to the exit and finding a bench.

"Does your head hurt?" you asked, sitting down next to him. Your fingers reached up to graze the back of his head.

"No," he said breathlessly, staring at you as you continued to study him for any injury. God, you were so beautiful, he couldn't force himself to look away.

"That's good. How about your vision?" you pressed, still so focused on the fall and not seeing the way he was looking at you. But when you finally locked your eyes on his, your breath caught in your throat.

All the laughter and playful yelling surrounding you faded. You couldn't look away from his heated gaze, his deep brown eyes boring into yours so intensely, you almost forgot to blink. He brought his hand up to gently cradle the side of your face, his calloused palm meeting your soft skin. Your lips parted to accommodate your sudden need for more oxygen, and his gaze fell to your mouth.

"Joel," you whispered, and the way his name sounded coming from you was so damn sweet, it almost did him in.

"Yeah?" he whispered back, swallowing the lump in his throat.

"Kiss me."

He didn't need to be told twice.

He leaned forward, eyes sliding shut and slotting his lips against yours, deeply breathing in your scent so he could remember it tomorrow. He was determined to commit every second to memory, knowing that by morning he would be aching for you, aching for this. Against his better judgement, he pressed himself into your lips harder, unsure if he will ever get to feel like this again when you inevitably came to your senses. The idea of this feeling being taken away from him spurred him on, desperate and eager for every second you were willing to give him.

Your hand came up to the back of his neck, holding him against you as his lips massaged yours tenderly. You inched closer to him on the bench so you could tuck yourself into his broad chest. He was so warm and soft and strong that it was making you dizzy. Your fingertips stroked the curls at the base of his neck as you tentatively opened your mouth just enough to suck his lower lip between yours. The quiet noise he made when you did that made your insides clench with need, and against all odds, you felt yourself falling, completely losing yourself in him and the moment.

A startling voice over the loudspeaker announcing that the rink was closing in fifteen minutes finally snapped you out of it. You both pulled back but kept your foreheads pressed together as the world around you slowly melted back into focus. His hand still cupped your face and he lifted his thumb to gently trace your swollen lips.

"I should take you home," he murmured. At first, your stomach flipped, thinking he meant his home, but you realized he wasn't that type and he meant your parents' house.

You nodded, not trusting yourself to speak, and you sat back reluctantly, breaking away. His hand dropped from your face to the hand in your lap, his thick fingers wrapping around yours for a moment as he collected himself with a deep breath.

Finally, he forced himself to stand, still clutching your hand and helping you up. You glanced down at the floor and smirked.

"We should probably take our skates off," you said, and he chuckled, breaking the tension and sitting back down, his hand reluctantly letting go of yours to undo his laces.

After you turned in your rentals, his hand quickly found yours again, unwilling or unable to let you go as he led you back to his truck, this time making sure to open the car door for you. Thanking him quietly, you jumped up into the cab and watched him round the front of the car, running a hand through his hair and sucking in deep breath.

You grinned and bit your lip as he started the truck, swinging his arm around to grip your headrest and twisting his body to back out of the spot. It took everything in you not to scoot across the seat and tuck yourself into his side.

He let his arm drop loosely on the seat in between you as he drove down the street, one hand on the steering wheel. Your fingers inched forward, sliding your palm underneath his hand, lacing your fingers together. The corners of his mouth tugged into a smile and you drove in a comfortable silence, your hands intertwined the whole time, until he pulled into your driveway and cut the engine.

You sighed as you stared at the darkened house, already missing him and he wasn't even gone yet. He peered over at you, trying to think of a way to prolong the date, but aside from the obvious, which he wasn't going to do just yet, he was coming up empty.

"Lemme walk you up," he said finally, and you nodded, reaching for the handle of the door but he stopped you. You furrowed your brow, confused, until you watched him rush over to open the door, and you grinned, taking his hand so you could slide out of the seat.

You stared at the ground as he led you up the path to the porch, your heart pounding in your ears. You weren't sure what you had been expecting tonight, but it definitely wasn't this feeling. This was so much more.

"Well, thank you for tonight," you said as you reached the door, turning around to look up at him through your lashes. "I had a really good time."

"Yeah, me too," he said, his soft, brown eyes trailing over your face, locking away every little detail. Unable to resist, he stepped forward, his rough hand skimming around to the back of your neck. He tilted your face up, ducking down slightly to meet you halfway and brushed his lips gently over yours.

Your hands flew up to grip the collar of his flannel, keeping him pressed against you as you leaned against the front door. God, for someone who claimed to be rusty, he was a really good kisser. He was gentle and slow and it took your breath away both times. You knew you were getting in over your head, but you couldn't bring yourself to care. All you could think about was him and how badly you wanted more.

Nervously, you opened your mouth and flicked your tongue against his plush lips. He responded by parting his lips and allowing your tongue to dance with his own, his mouth applying more pressure than before as the heat flared between you.

Before you could stop it, a soft moan rumbled from your throat, causing him to pull back, panting slightly as his gaze flickered between your eyes. You gazed up at him, eyes dark and desperate, your fingers still gripping the fabric of his shirt tightly.

You weren't sure what he was searching for, but after a moment he seemed to find it because his mouth came crashing down on yours once again, this time with more yearning and desire. His tongue probed inside your mouth, licking past your teeth and in the back of your mind you realized he tasted faintly of mint and you wondered when on earth he popped a mint into his mouth but it didn't matter. Nothing else mattered except the two of you in that moment, each seeking something within the other that you never expected to find.

His chest ached knowing he would have to stop kissing you soon, or else he would never leave. He always considered himself a strong man, after everything he had been through, how could he not? But something about you made him realize he wasn't nearly as strong as he thought. Your lips were so soft compared to his, so sweet and perfect that it made him want to cry because in that moment, he knew he could never let you go.

3K notes · View notes

thewintersoldierdisaster · 2 years ago

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all my svech fics are linked below with a word count and little summary. i’ll add to the list as fics get written. hope you all enjoy 🫶🏻

* indicates smut

love me tender love me sweet* (2.7k)

after andrei’s skate cut injury, you take care of him

i love you i love you i love you like never before* (3.8k)

you surprise andrei at a home game with your daughter in tow

miami vices* (7.6k)

all-star game 2023 is in miami and you join andrei for the weekend and bye-week

little rabbit (7.2k)

the birth of yours and andrei’s first child

at the heart of all my joy* (8.1k)

andrei’s 1000th game and celebration

around the sun with you* (1.8k)

yours and andrei’s birthdays are two days apart and you celebrate them

in that lavender haze* (9.1k)

yours and andrei’s wedding and greecian honeymoon

a sunday kind of love (3.4k)

mother’s day in the svechnikov house

hat tricks and treats (2.2k)

andrei surprises you and the girls after a game

delightful menace in the air (2.3k)

andrei watches the four kids alone for a few hours and you come home to delightful chaos

thank god for giving me you* (5.5k)

andrei can only keep a good attitude about missing the playoffs for so long

9 p.m. in vancouver (7k)

on a mini trip to vancouver to watch andrei play, you suffer the worst loss of your life. andrei is your rock throughout the ordeal

svyazat’ menya* (5.5k)

andrei ties you up and has his way with you

third sunday in june (4k)

it’s andrei’s first father’s day and you and evie celebrate him all day long

golden retriever boy (3k)

when he’s on the road, andrei never misses a facetime call with you and the kids

homecoming (1.7k)

andrei comes home late one night and finds his favorite sight on the couch

it’s cold outside but it’s warm in here* (3.9k)

christmas eve at the svechnikov house is a chaotic but fun affair

high speed* (4.9k)

date night with andrei gets raunchy when you decide to be exhibitionists

count down from ten (6.6k)

when you have a medical scare, it’s andrei’s turn to take care of you

little brother (6.4k)

it’s time for baby svechnikov number four to make their entrance into the world and of course it’s chaos in the best possible way

ante up* (5.7k)

during the canes bash, andrei steals you away for some private time

1 a.m. in new york (2.8k)

andrei’s off on a road trip and you’re more exhausted than normal. once you realize why, you have to call andrei immediately

tired/wired (1.5k)

the night before the season opener, you and andrei spend some quality time together

headcanons

andrei and mini-golfing

evie’s first day of school

spending an off-day with andrei

taking the kids on vacation

andrei and a size kink*

andrei and your nickname

pet names

andrei and sundress season*

andrei when you’re stressed out

andrei and cock warming**

the babies and their crosses

girl dad andrei

andrei giving you lingerie*

horny post-game andrei*

andrei all tied up**

andrei finding out about each pregnancy

andrei getting hurt during a game

mama svech as a grandma

protective andrei*

pre-game emoji tradition

boy dad andrei

svech babies + zodiac

tattoos for the svech babies

andrei and the first date

svech family and the barbie movie

dog dad andrei

andrei and public sex*

andrei and you in his jersey*

svechnikov family halloweens

andrei taking care of you when you’re sick

andrei when he realizes you’re the one

andrei on his birthday

andrei and a dick molding kit*

andrei when evie has a crush

svech babies as adults

andrei being protective in public

svechnikov family summer break

how they met

#andrei svechnikov x reader #andrei svechnikov x you #andrei svechnikov imagine #andrei svechnikov fic #andrei svechnikov

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sleekervae · 9 months ago

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New York Romantic .6

Masterlist

a/n: Hi everyone, thanks again for your patience! This chapter is a little shorter and there's not as much dialogue as there is a lot of dancing. I had a lot of fun researching some of the dances for the Nutcracker ballet, and while I hoped to have this chapter up by Christmas, March 1st isn't so bad either 😅

pairing: Tom Blyth x ballerina!oc

summary: tom attends noelle's recital

word count: 2,759

taglist: @watercolorskyy @carolanns-world @alana4610

Tom wasn't so sure how he found himself sitting across from Noelle's family at a local breakfast eatery, somewhere along his morning Franca had insisted that he come along. And it went without saying that he was grateful for the meal, it had been a while since Tom had the privilege of eating out while on his student budget.

Maurice was an investment banker who worked for a smaller banking branch in Maine, tall with a shiny bald head, a seasoned gentleman of respectable stature with deep smile lines and wise eyes. Meanwhile Franca was an architect, a lavish yet simply dressed woman with long auburn hair, and freckles were scattered across her cheeks and nose. Chiara was a couple years younger then Noelle, her curly hair was much more reminiscent of her mother's but it was easy to draw facial comparisons between the cousins. She was a senior at some fancy private school, and whatever was on her phone proved to be much more interesting then conversation with the table crowd.

"So, Tom," Maurice looked to him as he stirred his tea, "Have you always wanted to get into show business?" he asked.

"Not at first," Tom replied, "I wasn't quite sure what I wanted to do at first, but my mum signed me up for some drama classes and my father worked in the film industry, so it all just kind of fell into place,"

"And where'd you grow up in England?" Franca asked, resting her chin on her locked fingers.

"York,"

"Oh, lovely! It's just North of Leeds, yes?"

"That's right,"

"Maurice and I were debating where to go for our fifteenth wedding anniversary, and I've heard such lovely things about that town," she said, "Alas, we settled on Marseilles and toured a bit through Southern France,"

"That sounds beautiful!" Tom awed, glancing Noelle's way, "Did you go, too?"

Noelle shook her head, "Nope, Chiara and I were manning the house for two weeks," she replied.

"It was so peaceful," Chiara added, her gaze still fixed on her phone. Maurice cleared his throat abruptly, staring down his daughter as she swiftly got the hint and put her phone away.

"Anyway," he then grumbled, "What do you want to do when you graduate, Tom? Theatre? Movies?"

"Movies, ideally. But I'd be open to wherever the wind blows me," he replied.

"I went to see his improv show last week," Noelle said, "He was really good!"

Tom shrugged, praying his cheeks wouldn't tinge, "I -- I mean I was okay..."

Noelle cocked her head down, giving him a playful glare, "Oh, c'mon. You were great. And I say so, so it must be true," she grinned. He couldn't help it then, Tom averted his gaze to his plate but nonetheless he was blushing.

Chiara scoffed under her breath, "You two are just adorable," she muttered sarcastically.

Tom watched Noelle roll her eyes, never the less her fingers fidgeted as she went to pick up her coffee cup. A sip of something to quell his dry throat sounded like a good idea, a pleasant cooling off before Tom could find himself swept up in the memory of that kiss yet again.

"Anyway," Franca cut in, "How's Bianca doing, Noelle?"

"Good!" Noelle nodded quickly, thankful the spotlight was off her for the moment, "She made it Maine just before the snow storm hit,"

"Is she gonna be back in time for the showcase?" Chiara asked.

"She's supposed to be back the morning of,"

Tom raised a brow, "Why didn't she leave after the showcase?" he asked.

Noelle shrugged listlessly, "She likes Christmas in Manhattan better,"

"-- Is Derek gonna come down?" Chiara asked, her interest seemingly peaking more than it had all morning. Derek was Bianca's older brother, as Noelle had told previously.

"I guess we'll find out," Noelle replied.

Maurice's gaze narrowed, "And if he were, what would you have in common with a twenty-six-year-old college drop out, anyway?" he asked gruffly.

Franca swiftly elbowed her husband, an urgent smile plastered to her lips as she stared him down pointedly, "Perhaps we can find something more relevant to talk about?" she suggested, turning back to Tom, "Have you been to any of the ballet recitals, Tom?"

Tom shook his head, "I haven't yet. This will be my first," he replied.

"We're so excited to see it. This will be Noelle's first big part in a production," she beamed.

Maurice nodded along, cutting into his egg-white omelette, "She's our little Sugar Plum Fairy!" he awed. None of them paid attention to Chiara's eye-roll.

Noelle grimaced, a bashful grin befalling her as Tom turned to her, "You didn't tell me that," he said.

She shrugged back sheepishly, "... Oh... didn't I?" she chuckled.

"No, you did not," he drawled back, "That's fantastic!"

"Well -- I still have a lot of practice to do before Friday, so we'll see," Noelle didn't like drawing too much attention to herself in that rhetoric. She was grateful for the opportunity, though nevertheless she knew the recital wasn't all about her.

"Are you gonna do her makeup, Chiara?" Franca asked her daughter.

Chiara shrugged back, glancing at her cousin, "Do you want me to do your makeup?"

"Of course I do!" Noelle nodded, "I'm no where near as good as you,"

"Alright, sure then," Chiara barely got the words out as she turned to her phone once again.

Maurice took the conversation again, folding his hands before his plate and twitching his nose, "Tom, why don't you join us on Wednesday? We reserved a box for four,"

"It'll be a great view of the stage," Franca added.

Tom was flattered, though he didn't want to impose, "Oh, I don't -- I don't want to intrude on you guys like that,"

Franca shook her head, "Please, it's not intruding if we invite you -- that's what my mother always used to say, anyhow," she chuckled.

"Have you bought your ticket?" Maurice asked.

"Yes," Tom replied.

"Well then, you're already set up," he told him, "I insist, and we can head out for dinner after,"

Tom turned to Noelle, her smile was bordering on confident, but she hoped that he wouldn't feel too pressured. After all, she knew her family could be a bit much and they had all only just met. But he didn't see the harm; her family was so nice and the view of the stage was promised to be excellent. And if it meant having a better view of Noelle, who was he to pass that up?

"Alright, if you're sure I'll be happy join you," he decided.

Friday was the twenty-third, and despite Christmas Day being just around the corner, the hustle and bustle of New York never stopped. Neither did the cold. It hadn't snowed again but the nefarious east coast arctic fronts swept through the streets; icicles were formed off of passing trucks and the sidewalks and roads were awash in various colours of crushed melting salts. And the cold certainly didn't deter eager shoppers to tick off last minute Christmas gifts from their lists.

Tom wasn't sure what he was supposed to wear to a ballet recital, he didn't want to overdress but he certainly didn't want to look sloppy either. His mum had shipped over some more clothes a couple weeks prior, nicer slacks, dress shirts, a couple pairs of shoes that definitely weren't ice-friendly. Nevertheless, he settled for a white t-shirt and blazer jacket sat over some dark jeans, and his trainers that at least wouldn't send him skidding with one wrong move.

The last few days had flown by rather quickly, and surprisingly, Tom always found that he had something to do. Usually hanging out with Jordan; he introduced Tom to a plethora of video games ranging from Super Mario to Zelda. It was one of the few things Tom found Jordan didn't complain about. And when they weren't inside playing video games, they were out exploring Times Square.

And this worked out quite well because when Noelle wasn't spending time with her family, she was always rehearsing. But in the evenings they would spend time together, watch more movies and just relax. Tom was practicing his cooking skills as well, nothing too fancy but he perfected how to cook salmon in a pan and boiling rice. Noelle was grateful too, especially as her muscles ached from her practice. The more time they spent together, the more fascinated they became with each other.

The campus was typically closed for the holidays, making exceptions for shows such as this. Audience members were lined up just outside the auditorium door, shielded from the cold within campus but still bundled up in long or heavy coats, scarves and hats.

Tom found Noelle's family already settled in their balcony seats, Franca spotted him first and waved him down. And just as Maurice had said, there was an excellent view of the stage from their spot. The heavy red curtain was drawn over the stage, dim mood light reflecting off the material and back on the shadowy faces mingling in the crowd.

Backstage meanwhile was a calamity mess, stage hands rushing to finish prop placement, sets, and stage cues. The ballerinas were also making their last minute touch ups, makeup, hair, tutus, dusting their slippers in rosin and some even sewing their tights and ribbons to their slippers to keep everything snug and in place. Noelle however was dawdling behind the curtain, peaking out through the sliver at the side to skim over obscure faces.

It was a delicate balance, trying to locate her family without being too conspicuous, but after a bit of searching, she spotted them. Chiara was engrossed in her phone, bathed in the soft glow of the screen, while Uncle Maurice struggled to free himself from his coat. Aunt Franca was deep in conversation with Tom, who, despite the dim lighting, seemed to blend into the shadows effortlessly, though he appeared to be holding his own in their lively discussion. Noelle's stomach was aflutter, not from the performance unfolding before her, but from the sight of Tom. Her attention was fixed on him, and the magic of the evening's entertainment paled in comparison.

"Noelle!" Stanis' voice bellowed behind her, he was storming her way as Noelle turned, "Pre-show in two minutes!"

Tom found Franca fascinating. She was a captivating woman, full of vibrant tales from her travels to exotic locales. Her stories were peppered with encounters with intriguing characters from whom she had negotiated for unique souvenirs to add to her collection. Nevertheless, Tom's anticipation grew as he eagerly awaited the start of the show. His eyes couldn't help but flicker towards the curtain, eager to catch a glimpse of Noelle as the curtain would lift. His curiosity and excitement were palpable, adding to the charged atmosphere of the evening.

And sure enough the lights dimmed down to near darkness, a single spotlight illuminating a spot on the curtains. The theater was alive with excitement as the curtains rose, revealing a beautifully adorned stage set for "The Nutcracker" ballet. Tom sat back in his seat, his eyes wide with anticipation, taking in the magical scene unfolding before him. The stage was transformed into a winter wonderland, with a backdrop of snow-covered trees that stretched up to a starry sky. The stage was lit with a soft, moonlit glow, casting a magical aura over the scene. Glittering snowflakes fell gently from above, adding to the enchantment of the setting. The dancers moved gracefully across the stage, each step perfectly choreographed to Tchaikovsky's enchanting music.

The Miniature March Dance began, and the stage came alive with the lively and charming movements of the young dancers. They moved with precision and grace, their movements synchronized to the playful notes of the music. The choreography was intricate, with the dancers forming intricate formations and patterns, showcasing their skill and talent. Tom was captivated by the youthful exuberance of the performers, as were the audience, and the dance brought a smile to everyone's face.

As the performance unfolded, Tom found his eyes repeatedly drawn to Noelle, who gracefully moved among the dancers. Clad in a celestial white gown, she seemed to float across the stage, her every movement a dance of ethereal beauty. While she was currently a background presence in the performance, Tom couldn't help but be mesmerized by her presence, captivated by her effortless grace and enchanting allure.

Next came the Arabian Dance, and Bianca took centre stage. A hush fell over the audience. She was a vision of grace and lithe elegance, moving with a captivating fluidity that mesmerized all who watched. Her every movement was deliberate and confident, exuding a subtle but undeniable aura of cockiness.

Bianca's performance was a masterclass in control and precision, her movements perfectly synchronized to the haunting melody of the music. As she danced, she seemed to command the stage, drawing the audience into her world with a confident allure that was impossible to ignore. The Arabian Dance was no easy feat and Tom had to give Bianca credit where credit was due, however he couldn't help but feel slightly unnerved as her gaze always seemed to land on him time and time again.

Soon enough it was Noelle's time to shine. As the familiar notes of the Sugar Plum Fairy dance began to fill the theatre, Tom's gaze was immediately drawn to Noelle, who had taken centre stage. She looked radiant in her tutu, rose gold detailing shimmering in the lights, her gorgeous long hair tied back in a sleek up-do, and a delicate, shiny tiara placed upon her head. She looked like a true princess, her every movement a testament to her skill and grace. Despite the beauty of the dance unfolding before him, Tom found it impossible to tear his eyes away from Noelle, his admiration for her growing with each passing moment.

Noelle, for her part, felt a mixture of nerves and excitement as she danced. She had dreamed of this moment for years, to prove herself worthy of the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy, and now that it was finally here, she couldn't help but feel a surge of nervous excitement. However, as she danced, it wasn't the perfection of her performance that consumed her thoughts, but the way her stomach fluttered with butterflies every time she caught Tom's gaze. It was a feeling unlike any other, a mix of joy, nerves, and she could see the admiration and affection in his gaze, which both thrilled and humbled her.

As the dance reached its climax, Tom found himself holding his breath, completely captivated by Noelle's performance. She danced with a grace and elegance that took his breath away, her every movement a testament to her talent and dedication. He couldn't help but think back to the moments he had seen her exhausted, bruised, and drained after long hours of practice. He could only imagine the dedication and hard work she had put in to reach this point, and it filled him with a deep sense of admiration for her. All those late nights and early mornings had led to this moment, and as he watched her graceful movements across the stage, he felt a swell of pride knowing that he had witnessed a small part of her journey to this incredible achievement. He swore he could've watched her -- become lost in her -- forever.

As the final notes of the dance faded away and Noelle took her bow, the audience erupted into applause, but Tom's eyes never left Noelle, his adoration for her greater than ever. She glanced up briefly, trying desperately not to become so overwhelmed with the applause, and her gaze fixating on Tom once more. His beaming smile was all the validation she needed in that moment.

The show progressed on, right up until the final Pas de Deux between the Sugar Plum Fairy and the Nutcracker. Tom watched among the crowd, his heart racing with a realization that took him by surprise. In that moment, he couldn't deny the truth to himself any longer. Watching her dance, he had felt something more than admiration or friendship. It was a crush, a flutter of emotions that he had been trying to ignore but now couldn't deny. Tom realized that he had developed feelings for Noelle, captivated by her everything. And if the previous few days had been anything to go by, there was a slim chance that she too felt the same way.

If only his own uncertainty wouldn't hold him back.

#tom blyth #tom blyth x reader #coriolanus snow #coriolanus snow x reader #coriolanus snow fanfiction #coriolanus fanfiction #coriolanus imagine #coriolanus x reader #the hunger games #the hunger games the ballad of songbirds & snakes #the hunger games x reader #original story #original female character #original series #imagines #imagine blog

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numinousmysteries · 11 months ago

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Dancing the Tandava (2/10)

[on Ao3] @today-in-fic

Geneva, Switzerland 2023

Their plane touches down just as the sun is rising. It’s a smooth landing that Scully manages to sleep through even as the wheels bounce on the tarmac. Mulder smiles to himself. Thirty years and some things never change.

A lot has changed, though. Thirty years ago they would have been on a domestic flight headed to an anonymous town in the middle of the country to track down the latest unexplained phenomenon to catch his attention. He would have been hesitant to wake her up, unsure if he had permission to touch her. Now, they’re visiting their 22-year-old son a few months into his prestigious research internship at CERN. They have wedding bands on their hands instead of guns holstered to their hips; hard-earned wrinkles on their faces marking their years of fighting in the darkness.

Now, he knows the best way to wake Scully up after a long flight is a gentle kiss on the smooth skin of her cheek while brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. Her hair is longer than it was when they first met and he likes how it curls softly when it hits her shoulders. She sleeps peacefully, free of the threats that once loomed over them. He loved the sharp lines of her work suits, the expensive sartorial armor she used to steel herself against the world, but he likes the softer fabrics she’s embraced recently even more. In their narrow airplane seats, he’s soothed by the gentle brush of her oxblood cashmere sweater against his forearm. So much has changed for the better.

“We’ve arrived,” he whispers in her ear, his lips grazing the thin ridges of cartilage.

“Mmm, that was fast,” she says, rubbing her eyes.

“Maybe for you,” he smiles. “For those of us who didn’t conk out the second the fasten seat belt light turned off, it was an eight-hour flight across the Atlantic with disappointing film options.”

“They didn’t have The Lazarus Bowl?” she asks, grinning.

He grimaces at her and stands up to retrieve their luggage. His knees are creakier than they used to be. He knows his back will be sore in a few hours once his muscles realize they’ve been stuck in an uncomfortable airline seat for hours. At least he travels with his own personal physician who can work out the knots with her delicate but strong hands.

“I can’t wait to see William,” Scully says as she rises to meet him and stretches her arms overhead. “It’s probably too early to check into our hotel. Why don’t we stop by his apartment first and see if we can catch him before he leaves for work?”

“Maybe let him know we’re on the way so we don’t catch him in flagrante with Hannah.”

“Mulder,” she sighs, following him down the jetway and into the terminal. “They’re just friends.”

“You’re right, Scully. Two good-looking, intelligent, young adults who work together and have palpable chemistry between them can never go from friends to something more.”

“I’ll text him,” she concedes.

William and his friend Hannah Schwartz had a spirited academic rivalry in MIT’s undergraduate physics department and it was almost unheard of when they were both offered internships at CERN. It made sense for the two to share an apartment when they moved abroad.

Hannah had come to stay with them for a weekend over the summer. She’s a petite, whip-smart brunette from New York City who, Mulder could tell, drives William wild. As they were waiting for her arrival Mulder watched William anxiously refreshing the Amtrak website tracking her train’s progress on his laptop. Mulder hadn’t seen his son that excited since the Christmas mornings of his childhood.

Even though Mulder and Scully assured William they didn’t mind if they shared his bedroom, he insisted on sleeping on the living room couch and giving Hannah his bed. He told Mulder it “wasn’t like that” between them and all his father could do was take his word for it. Mulder knew from personal experience that some relationships can’t be rushed, but he hoped, for his son’s sake, that William didn’t take the better part of a decade to realize what was right in front of him.

In the airport, Mulder pretends to impress Scully with his high school French, pronouncing all the words on the signs (even though they’re paired with English translations) in an exaggerated accent, and Scully pretends to be impressed.

“Mon amour,” she purrs.

It’s fun to travel with her without the mystery of a case hanging over their head. Even when William was growing up they didn’t vacation much, as if subconsciously making up for a lifetime on the road. They spent a few Christmases with her brother’s family in San Diego and although Bill never exactly warmed to Mulder, the two men reached a detente. It helped that William was a cute kid who got along with his cousins—and that Scully shot daggers with her eyes if Bill dared to be less than perfectly cordial to Mulder.

Outside the airport, they navigate to a taxi stand and give the driver William’s address.

“You two scientists?” the driver asks with a hint of a Swiss accent. He’s a gruff older man with a black leather jacket and bony knuckles.

“My wife here is,” Mulder says, beaming at Scully. “Why?”

“You’re headed to CERN. Figure you’re visiting physicists. Lots of them pass through here.”

“Our son is a research intern,” Scully says. “We’re going to visit him.”

“Must be a smart kid,” the driver responds, turning onto the highway. “Strange stuff going on there, though.”

“Strange how?” Mulder pipes in.

“I don’t know,” the driver shakes his head. “But you hear things. Like they’re making new black holes that could eat us all up or trying to recreate how the universe was formed in that collider thing. Seems like messing with God’s business to me.”

“It’s fascinating research,” Scully says leaning forward. “But the large hadron collider is extremely safe. The particle experimentation is occurring on a subatomic scale. I can assure you there’s no risk of a black hole forming.”

The driver nods. “Anyway, that stuff’s all above my head. Like I said, your kid must be pretty smart.”

“We’re certainly proud of him,” says Mulder. He winks at Scully and she smiles at him in return. They’re both so proud of William—their miracle baby who, scientifically speaking, shouldn’t exist had grown into a curious kid, a bright if slightly awkward teenager, and now a young man with interests and passions of his own. It’s certainly not something either of them would have imagined when they met, and it’s more than they could have ever hoped for when they first dreamed of having a child together.

A glint of sunlight catches on a small gold medallion hanging from the rear view window. Mulder looks closer and notices it depicts the Hindu god Shiva dancing in a circle of flames. He turns to Scully to check if she sees it too, but she’s nervously thumbing at her phone.

“Hmm, he hasn’t written back yet,” Scully says.

“He’s probably busy getting ready,” Mulder reassures her, resting his hand on her thigh. She clasps her hand on top of his.

William still hasn’t texted Scully when they pull up to a square building striped with gray and white brick that matches the address they gave the driver. Mulder pays the driver and retrieves their luggage from the trunk.

“Did you notice his Shiva medallion?” Mulder asks as they make their way through the parking lot.

“His what?”

“The driver had a little gold Shiva symbol hanging from his rear view mirror. You know, the four-armed Hindu god whose cosmic dance supposedly created the universe—and has the power to destroy it.”

“No, Mulder, I didn’t notice it. Should I have?”

Mulder shrugs. “I dunno. Just seemed a little odd for a guy who seemed intent on mentioning the work of a singular god.”

“He probably doesn’t even know what it symbolizes. Or maybe it’s not his car?” she says impatiently. “I’m much more concerned about seeing William.”

William’s building is exclusively for temporary CERN employees and there’s a bustle of activity in the lobby. They overhear conversations in a mix of languages, picking up the occasional technical English term dropped in. Mulder feels the contagious energy of youth and intellectual curiosity. He looks at Scully, knowing she feels it, too. They ride the elevator up to William’s floor and knock on the door.

There’s no answer. Scully glances at Mulder with concern and knocks again.

This time, Hannah opens the door, her cheeks red and her eyes ringed with tears. She’s wearing sweats and her frizzy hair is tied in a knot on top of her head.

“Hannah,” Scully says, squinting with concern. “What’s wrong?”

Hannah whimpers, fresh tears streaming down her cheeks. “William’s gone.”

#xfiles #txf #xf fanfic #msr #xfiles fanfic #x files #the x files

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sloanerisette · 1 year ago

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To Have and To Hold From This Day Forward: Chapter 2 - You Make Me Feel Warm

My second entry for Miyakari Autumn! I still plan on working on the last two and will hopefully have those posted in December! I have some good ideas but I need to make them clearer and have the time to actually work on them.

This one is a little bit shorter because I worked with a writing/dialogue exercise I saw and wanted to test myself when it came to limitations/strict guidelines in writing a piece, so I'm really nervous about it, but I hope you all enjoy! And thank you again to @sluggybasson107 and @digitalworldbound for putting on this wonderful event and letting me be sapphic as hell with my writing <3

Summary: This is just but one stop in the long road that is and will be Kari and Yolei's life: their honeymoon.

You can also find the whole thing on AO3 here!

---

“You’re still looking at the lights?”

Kari looked over her shoulder, her smile soft and warm as she locked eyes with Yolei. She nodded to the balcony, still leaning against the railing despite the light dusting of snow.

“They are pretty beautiful,” Yolei said simply, settling next to her wife. She stared out at the bustling city that stretched out for miles, all lit up for the holidays.

“I kind of want to just stand out here all night and watch. It’s so over the top compared to home,” she said, her eyes sweeping over what seemed like a forest of trees all lit up in reds, yellows, and blues.

“You’re right.” Yolei had traveled to plenty of places during her university years, but there were few places that were as grand a spectacle in the winter as New York.

“Coming here was a great idea,” Kari said, letting out a content sigh.

Yolei hummed in agreement.

“It’s been a great honeymoon,” Kari smiled, angling her head to get a better look at Yolei, offering her that same, trademark smile that always caused butterflies to swarm around in her stomach. Even after so many years, it still had that effect on her. She wondered if Kari still had that same feeling with her even now.

Yolei leaned into Kari, who nuzzled into Yolei’s arm.

“I remember when we got serious… I wracked my brain thinking of where I’d want to suggest for our honeymoon,” Yolei admitted, her cheeks starting to burn a deep crimson as she glanced away.

“So you decided to take us to the busiest city in two worlds,” Kari teased gently. Yolei couldn’t help but blush as she stared ahead.

A beat of silence drowned the world out, then Yolei swallowed hard, “Did you ever expect to end up here when we first met?” she asked, hoping the light tone of her voice undercut the seriousness of her question.

“I used to believe I’d end up in a similar place. That one day I would get married, have a child, and teach when I didn’t need to stay home all day,” Kari explained.

A taxi driver laid on their horn, sound blaring through the borough, rising all the way up to their hotel room, and it mingled with English Christmas songs that were playing from an old, tinny speaker at a corner store.

“But you’re happy that it’s us, right?” Yolei suddenly blurted out.

Kari smiled, a light pink dusting her own cheeks as she looked down at her wedding ring to admire it. She twisted it with her right index finger and thumb, her smile growing the whole time.

Yolei sighed, “I wish I didn’t think like this, but I can’t really help it. I guess part of me still thinks about the past and how we started out. And then I can’t help but feel like… I don’t know, maybe I don’t deserve this?” Her stomach turned and she was unable to look Kari in the eyes at that moment, as tears started to glisten in her own.

Kari reached for Yolei’s left hand with her own, their rings gently clinking together, then looked at her, “You never have to worry, because I’m always going to be glad that I have you by my side for better or worse,” she told her, her voice a whisper that was nearly drowned out by the sounds of the city. Kari wanted Yolei to be the only one to hear it, though.

Yolei cradled Kari’s cheek with her free hand, then closed her eyes and leaned in to gently and lovingly kiss her.

#fallingformiyakari #miyakari autumn #miyakari #miyako inoue #hikari yagami #digimon adventure 02 #sloanefics

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gacmediadaily · 5 months ago

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I'm excited to share this news from Great American Family is finally official! We can look forward to seeing our favorite GFAM Christmas movies return even sooner than previously announced, movies like: A Hot Cocoa Christmas, Catering Christmas, Jingle Bell Princess, My Christmas Hero, Bringing Christmas Home, A Christmas Blessing, and many more!

Great American Family is also honoring the final four from their Jingle Bell Bracket on Saturday night, from 4pm to midnight (ET)!

In their press release below, Great American Media shares their “Great American Christmas in July” schedule for Friday through Sunday; however, if you'd like to see beyond that, then be sure to visit my Christmas Movie Schedule.

Press Release via Great American Media:

GREAT AMERICAN FAMILY

ANNOUNCES THE NETWORK’S

‘GREAT AMERICAN

CHRISTMAS IN JULY’

BEGINS JUNE 28

FIRST 29 FILMS

INCLUDING VIEWERS’ CHOICE

REVEALED NEW YORK, NY – June 26, 2024 – Great American Family, an industry leader in the production of quality original holiday content, announced an early launch to the network’s highly-popular, holiday program event, “Great American Christmas in July,” Friday, June 28 (8 p.m. ET). Great American Family announced the first 29 films in the Christmas event including the Saturday, June 29 JINGLE BELL BRACKET winners selected by the network’s viewers (top four bracket winners denoted with * below). Temps outside are soaring. Great American Christmas in July beats the heat.

FRIDAY, JUNE 28

Destined at Christmas (8 p.m. ET)

A Brush With Christmas (10 p.m. ET)

A Kindhearted Christmas (12 a.m. ET)

The Jinglebell Jubilee (2 a.m. ET)

The Art of Christmas (4 a.m. ET)

SATURDAY, JUNE 29

Aisle Be Home for Christmas (6 a.m. ET)

A Hot Cocoa Christmas (8 a.m. ET)

A Royal Christmas Holiday (10 a.m. ET)

Christmas on Windmill Way (12 p.m. ET)

Bringing Christmas Home (2 p.m. ET)

My Christmas Hero (4 p.m. ET)*

Jingle Bell Princess (6 p.m. ET)*

Catering Christmas (8 p.m. ET)*

‘Twas the Text Before Christmas (10 p.m. ET)*

My Favorite Christmas Tree (12 a.m. ET)

Christmas on Candy Cane Lane (2 a.m. ET)

A Lot Like Christmas (4 a.m. ET)

SUNDAY, JUNE 30

Christmas on Maple Hills (6 a.m. ET)

A Dash of Christmas (8 a.m. ET)

Destined 2: Christmas Once More (10 a.m. ET)

A Merry Christmas Wish (12 p.m. ET)

Journey to Christmas (2 p.m. ET)

A Christmas…Present (4 p.m. ET)

Christmas at the Drive-In (6 p.m. ET)

Peppermint and Postcards (8 p.m. ET)

A Christmas Blessing (10 p.m. ET)

A Christmas Miracle for Daisy (12 a.m. ET)

Our Christmas Wedding (2 a.m. ET)

Christmas on the Coast (4 a.m. ET)

Week one of Great American Christmas in July, exclusively on Great American Family, begins this Friday night at 8 p.m.

ABOUT GREAT AMERICAN FAMILY

Great American Family is America’s premiere destination for quality family-friendly programming, including original holiday movies, rom-coms and fan-favorite series that celebrate faith, family and country. Great American Family is home to year-round seasonal celebrations including Great American Christmas, the network’s signature franchise featuring holiday themed movies and specials. Founded in 2021, Great American Family is part of the Great American Media portfolio of brands.

Follow Great American Family on Twitter: @GAfamilyTV Facebook: @GreatAmericanFamilyTV Instagram: @greatamericanfamily

Photo: Courtesy of Great American Media 2023

[Pictured: Jill Wagner and Paul Greene star in Bringing Christmas Home]

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

I hope you all enjoyed this wonderful Christmas movie news today from Great American Family!

Two classic Christmas movies from other networks will air during Christmas in July- "Hats Off to Christmas" and "A Very Corgi Christmas".

Also, more awesome news... Casey Elliott (from the "Destined at Christmas" movies) is filming a new Christmas movie for Great American Family!!!

Be sure to visit my Christmas Movie Schedule for even more Christmas in July!

Have a Blessed, Merry Day!

Net 🌟

#great american family #great american christmas #christmas in july

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chessyhoward · 11 months ago

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"Give me a twirl, Chessy!"

Her little sister's face dominated the entirety of her phone screen, so that Chess could see right up Genevieve Howard's nose. Chess suppressed a giggle, filled with an ridiculous fondness for her younger sister. Between the time zones, Chess being busy with Hazel, and Genevieve planning a wedding, the Howard sisters rarely got the time to chat. So Chess soaked up whatever time with her sister she possible could. Whether that be a quick FaceTime before bed, or walking down a busy New York street. If the other woman called, Chess always answered.

"Fine!" Chess pretended to roll her eyes, standing up and setting her phone down across the room. Propping her iPhone up against a cart filled with complimentary snacks and fancy bottled water, Chess checked her outfit in the screen, watching as Gen clapped her hands together and wolf whistled.

"It's so fancy in there. Let me see... pleather skirt, white shirt, chunky boots... Francesca Howard, is that Jaxxy's racing jacket?" gasped Gen, her voice tinny through the speakers.

Chess blushed immediately, jogging to the phone as best she could in heels so she could snatch it back up, curls bouncing around her shoulders.

"He came over last week to give Hazel her Christmas present, he might have left it behind... and it goes with my outfit!"

Chess tugged at the stiff leather, admiring herself in the outfit. She knew very little about Jax's job, except that it meant he had ownership of a very stylish nineties Ferrari jacket, something Chess had been coveting for years. Gen snorted on the other end of the phone, shaking her head.

"Tongues will wag, sis." Gen tsked, causing Chess to roll her eyes for the second time in about five minutes.

"Yeah, I'm sure everyone will think I'm bonking Jackson Otto." she laughed, flicking her hair over her shoulder. It was common knowledge in close circles that Jax had no interest in anything Chess, nor any woman had to offer, although the girls who wrote explicit Fanfiction about him from the comfort of their bedrooms had yet to catch on to this glaring fact.

At that, Chess lifted her head as she heard a rap at the door to the press room. Dropping her voice to a whisper, Chess held the reciever up to her mouth.

"I have to go, Gen. Enjoy cake tasting, okay?"

"Okay!" her sister whispered back, "break a leg, Cheshire Cat!"

Hanging up abruptly, Chess shoved her phone into the depths of Jax's jacket pocket just as the door swung open, revealing one of the most beautiful women Chess had ever seen in real life.

"Francesca?" she queried, juggling a clipboard and coffee cup so that she could hold a hand out to Chess, in a haze of strong-smelling perfume and bright smiles. "I'm Meg Davis, the social media manager."

Taking her hand, Chess gave it a soft shake, offering her a bright smile.

"Just Chess is okay, really. That's the name I use on Instagram." she explained. Meg showed all her teeth when she smiled and managed to both look incredibly sexy yet approachable at the same time. She wondered if there was a way to ask her how she did it without sounding like she was flirting.

"Alrighty, Just Chess. You want to see where the magic happens?"

Nodding eagerly, Chess shoved her hands in her pockets as she followed Meg out of the press room and out into the small studio. There were a handful of Instagram hopefuls, like herself, who had already been set loose on the models, the free samples, the table from craft services. The whole place was bustling with activity, no matter where Chess looked, a harried intern was running holding fistfuls of clothing, a model Chess had pinned to her Pinterest board a thousand times over had sprung to life and was reviewing her photos from behind the camera. The brunette's heart felt fit to burst. This was a small facet of the fashion industry, but it was the closest Chess had ever come to being on the inside. What was the quote? Everything was beautiful and nothing hurt. Chess was certain she could die happy here.

Realising Meg had been talking to her, Chess nodded eagerly, trying to tune back in to the tail end of her speech.

"... So you'll have free reign to vlog and take photos of the day, the models, and of course, the clothes. Pretty much anything you want as long as you're not in the way of the actual shoot. And then you'll be expected to put something on your feed about the free samples, ca-peesh?" she said, drawing out her words, and raising a single eyebrow at Chess to make sure she understood. Chess pressed her signature red lips together, nodding eagerly.

"Really, we just want you guys to have fun. We'll probably get some photos of you all at the end, if that's okay?"

The thought of being behind a professional camera was kind of terrifying to the young Mum. Chess was used to her own iPhone set up, her carefully posed selfies that got all of her best angles in. But she smiled and nodded nevertheless, she feared she was beginning to resemble a nodding dog, actually. Remembering to use her words she chirped, "Amazing!"

Giving Chess' arm a little squeeze, Meg dismissed herself with a, 'have fun!' and a little wave, before skittering off in her kitten heels to... do whatever social media managers did. Talk to more Instagram girlies like herself, she supposed.

Peering around at the chaos, Chess wondered where to start. Everyone else seemed so incredibly confident, chattering animatedly to their front-facing cameras and flirting with the photographer and models. She was used to doing everything from the comfort of her plush bedroom, not putting herself on blast in front of four other infuencers with higher follower counts, better equipment and more confidence than herself.

Deciding to start small, and with her favourite part, Chess wandered over to the clothing rack. Her stomach fizzed with delight as she approached the rich fabrics, feeling very much the desire to make like young Lucy Pevensie entering Narnia and dive right in, burying her face in the luxurious fabrics. She managed to contain herself, and settled for taking her phone out, swiping into the camera and starting to record.

She took a few arty shots of her running her perfectly manicured nails over the fabrics, figuring she could edit it into a bigger Instagram reel later. It would be cool to get some shots of her surroundings, work up to the scary stuff. Using her free hand, Chess shook a few dresses loose from the rack, holding each one up to the camera to show them off. They were pieces Chess could only dream of owning.

Panning away from the clothing rack, Chess began filming the overhead exposed lighting, figuring it would be good for something. Perhaps she could do a slow pan of the whole studio? Dropping her camera, Chess began to execute her, rather brilliant, idea, only to find herself filming the naked torso of a male model.

Nearly dropping her phone in shock, Chess juggled her iPhone from one hand to the other before finally catching it, holding it tight against her chest.

"Oh, sugar." Chess blushed, peering up apologetically at the man. "I'm sorry, I didn't know you were..."

Chess gestured towards the man's glistening chest, trying not to stare anymore than she already had. Her eyes moved from her phone, to the man, and back again, feeling her eyes grow comically wide and her face red. Oh, she might as well give up and go home now.

"I'm here with Meg, for the... social media outreach thing? I'm not like a... sex pest."

Squeezing her phone tight, she choked out, "I'll delete your, um...shirtlessness."

#thread: matty1 #ft. matty

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legends-of-time · 10 months ago

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The Journey of Living at Downton

Chapter 43: November to December 1924

Masterlist

"I can't believe you're leaving!" Emma laments to Gemma as the two walk along the landing, both carrying luggage and a couple of lists. With Madge and Anne gone and Anna in prison, Gemma had stepped up to assist Miss Baxter.

"You too!" Gemma huffs. She had been reluctant to let Emma help her, but Emma had pointed out that as long as certain people – i.e., Mr Carson – don't spot them then what's the problem? "You're moving to a whole other country while I'm merely moving to the next county."

"Still," Emma can practically hear the pout in her own voice, "when we eventually come to visit, where will you be, huh?"

Gemma rolls her eyes but the smile on her face takes off the edge. "You'll have to come to me."

"Will Mrs whatsit approve?"

"Mrs Robins better because I am going to be the best employee she's ever had." Gemma retorts haughtily.

Emma grins. "Of course."

Gemma has now found a new job in a clothes shop in Durham and will be leaving shortly after the family returns from Northumberland on the shooting holiday they've all been invited to be the Sinderbys – they are renting Brancaster Castle for the grouse. Emma had hoped she'd stay for Christmas, but Gemma had pointed out the shop would need every hand on deck for one of the busiest times of year which Emma had to concede to.

Emma knows she's being a bit dramatic about it all, but Gemma's news is a new excuse for Emma to focus her mind and distract herself from sitting about (other than when she's at the Hospital) and worrying about Anna who's been locked up ever since her arrest after Rose and Atticus' wedding as the Police built up a case (which doesn't exist but that's never stopped them before). Mr Bates understandably does not want to leave while everything was still going on nor did he not want to miss visiting his wife when he can (though Mary has gone today), which is quite frequent at the moment as Anna hasn't been found guilty of anything, so Thomas is instead taking on his role.

——

Robert, Isobel, Emma, Tom, Cora, Edith, and Violet – Billy is at work but will be joining them on the train tomorrow – are at luncheon (or "lunch", as they're all thankfully calling it now). Mr Carson, Thomas and Mr Molesley are serving.

"Did she take a cake with a file in it?" Violet quips as the discussion of Mary visiting Anna in prison is brought up.

"I don't know why you're making such a fuss, Mama." Robert reprimands. "You'd visit Denker if she were locked up."

Emma shares a doubtful look with Isobel.

"Only to check if the locks were sound." His mother retorts. And there it is. Emma would be concerned for the woman's sanity if she had said anything different.

"Bates was found innocent, no doubt Anna will be, too." Cora the voice of hope utters.

"Let's hope." Emma says, sounding slightly more pessimistic. "Those two really deserve some better luck."

"Oh, I heard from Rosamund this morning." Violet speaks then. "She says she's going to try to get to the sale of the Della Francesca."

"Oh, I'm glad we'll be well represented." Robert says, glancing at his watch which Emma has noticed he's been doing quite frequently in the last few minutes.

"Pity it clashed with your trip north, or you could have gone." Isobel says.

"Oh, I don't mind. I've said goodbye. Now if you will excuse me, I must dash off." Robert rises from his seat, which is a surprise as they haven't finished their meal yet. "I'm expected in York at three o'clock."

"You should have gone in with Mary. You could have given her lunch." Cora tells him.

"I didn't want to kick my heels before my appointment." He leaves.

Cora turns to Violet. "Do you have any plans, Mama, for when we're away?"

"Well, Shrimpie's men have found Princess Kuragin." Violet announces. Wait what? "When she arrives in England, she's coming straight to me."

"What?" Edith voices everyone's surprise. "When did you hear?"

"Yesterday. So, we've got her out and brought her to safety."

"You must be looking forward to seeing her again." Cora says.

"Hardly." Violet scoffs.

"But if you don't like her, why have you gone to the business of sending Shrimpie to her rescue?" Tom questions.

"That's what I keep asking." Isobel remarks in an almost sing-song kind of voice.

"Well?" Emma prompts.

"Oh, you know me. Never complain. Never explain." Violet answers breezily.

'You don't usually have much trouble complaining." Edith quips.

Emma lets out a quiet snort into her drink.

——

The next morning it's all gun ho as they gather to head for Downton Station. Emma walks down the stairs with Mary, coat and hats on, where they meet Robert at the bottom.

"Is it worth speaking to Murray again before we go?" Mary asks him. "Why can't he just get her out?"

"He says they've uncovered something, but they won't tell him what it is."

Emma scoffs at that. "But he's her lawyer! He should know!"

"Amen." Robert agrees.

Billy, Cora and Tom walk up to them. Cora is holding a letter.

"What did Susan have to say for herself?" Robert asks her. When Mr Carson had handed the letter from Rose's mother to Cora, it was a question of what level of displeasure was she at.

His wife huffs. "She's furious we've been invited to Brancaster and she hasn't."

"How did she find out?" Billy questions.

"I told her. I didn't want her to hear it from someone else." Cora replies. "The divorce will be a big thing for Lord Sinderby to get over."

Mr Molesley approaches from the direction of the front door. "Cars are ready, M'lord."

"Thank you. We're just coming."

They move towards the door. Cora and Robert lead with Mary, Tom, Emma and Billy filtering behind.

Robert checks his watch. "Are we all here?" He calls.

Edith appears from the Small Library. She looks at them nervously. "Where are the children? Nanny said she'd bring them to say goodbye."

"They'll be outside." Tom reassures her. Edith sighs in relief.

Two cars are parked at the front door. The three nannies stand close by, holding the five children by the hand. Mary, Emma, Edith, Billy and Tom walk up to them. Robert and Cora, slide into the back of one of the cars.

"George, come to Mummy!" Mary squats down to hug George.

"You, too, Marigold, come to... me. Come on, darling." Edith lifts Marigold into her arms and Billy bends down to Sybbie.

Emma winces at the awkward cover-up before quickly turning, along with Tom, to Ivy and Michael to give them lots of tight hugs and kisses.

——

By the first-class coaches, Emma, Mary, Cora and Robert stand talking to Violet and Isobel, who have come to see them off while Billy and Tom have already boarded.

"I'm impressed you should come to say goodbye, Mama." Robert says to Violet.

His mother scoffs. "Why do you always talk of me as if I were a salmon who laid my eggs in the gravel and then swam back to the sea?" They all chuckle.

Mary leans forward to kiss her grandmother goodbye. "You're very maternal, aren't you, Granny, if it suits you."

"When does Princess Kuragin turn up?" Emma questions as Mary boards the train.

"Tomorrow."

"What about the Prince?" Cora asks.

"He'll be coming to dinner that night."

Robert turns to Isobel. "Will you be there?"

"Would I miss it?" The woman quips.

"I can't tell you how sorry I am that we will." Robert says with a smirk. He takes off his hat and gives his mother a peck on the cheek.

"Get aboard before I get cross with you." Violet says fondly.

Emma gives both of them a kiss goodbye before following. Mr Carson closes the door of the compartment behind her. The Station Guard shouts all aboard in the distance.

——

They have changed trains at York and now sit on their next train to Northumberland. They are having lunch in the restaurant car on the train. Cora and Robert share a small table, Edith and Mary then Emma and Tom in two other ones. Billy is on his own near them.

"For Rose's sake, we must all be on our best behaviour." Cora tells them.

"I agree. Sinderby always looks as if he's spoiling for a fight, whether he is or not. So, we must be careful not to give him grounds for one." Robert adds.

"I wonder if Billy and I were right to come. I don't want to sound like Larry Grey, but we're not Lord Sinderby's idea of perfect son-in-laws." Tom says worriedly. Billy hums in agreement.

"I'm not exactly high on the ladder either." Emma comments.

"Stuff and nonsense!" Mary scoffs. "We Crawleys stick together." It makes Emma go all soft to hear how protective Mary is of her, Billy and Tom.

"For once I agree with Mary. You'll enjoy it when we get there." Edith quips.

"Besides, you're a good shot." Robert remarks. "Any host will forgive a lot if you get the numbers up." He straightens up and draws in a sharp breath as if he is in pain. Emma frowns in concern.

"I suggested to Nanny that she take the children to Lake Gormire for a picnic." Edith tells Mary. "But do you think it too dangerous? Shall I telephone to cancel it?"

"Why don't you just shut them up in a box in the attic and let them out when they're twenty-one?" Mary retorts sounding a little annoyed.

"Don't be unkind!" Cora reprimands.

"Honestly, Emma and I are the mothers round here and we're not panicking." Mary continues. Cora exchanges an uncomfortable look with Edith, and then with Robert.

Emma winces, before leaning over to Edith. "Ignore Mary. Going to Lake Gormire is a wonderful suggestion and they'll be fine."

Edith gives her a thankful smile.

——

As they approach Brancaster, Emma looks out of the car window to see they are approaching a magnificent structure of a medieval castle. God, this place seems even grander than Downton. She shares an unsure look with Tom as the cars drive through the massive Castle gatehouse and into a courtyard. Rose and Atticus are there at the door to greet them all.

The couple leads them into a Hall decorated over and over with historic weapons.

"How was Venice?" Emma asks. The two had honeymooned there.

"Wonderful. Sublime." Rose praises.

"There was water all over the streets!" Atticus comments.

Robert laughs, then looks around. "What a marvellous place this is."

"Do you know it?"

"Well, I came here once when I was young, in old Lord Hexham's day." Robert explains. "They were trying to unload a niece."

"Sounds fun." Emma sarcastically comments as they move through the medieval hall to the more modern parts of the Castle.

"The new one's not much here, which is why they let out the shooting." Atticus explains.

"Luckily for us!" Robert quips.

They reach the foot of a large staircase where Lord and Lady Sinderby come to meet them.

"Welcome to Brancaster!" Lady Sinderby as the two walk down towards them.

"I hope you had a decent journey." Lord Sinderby gestures at his butler, who stands ready for orders. "This is Stowell, whom we brought with us. He'll be running it all."

The man looks dead inside. While Mr Carson is a stickler for following the rules and is dedicated to his job, at least he looks like a person.

"Quite a challenge for you." Billy quips to Stowell.

Stowell only gives Billy an arrogant look and moves away. There's an awkward silence, and then they all start walking up the stairs together.

"We're not a very big party, so we'll be quite cosy." Rose tells them.

"We know some of the locals, which is one of the reasons we took it." Lady Sinderby discloses.

"And Lord Hexham has asked us to be kind to his late father's pals." Atticus adds.

"That seems a bit steep, given what Lord Sinderby must be in for." Robert comments.

"Can't we use Christian names?" Rose pleads.

"My name is not a Christian name." Lord Sinderby retorts grumpily.

"You know what I mean," Rose says with a long-suffering sigh. Things clearly haven't improved.

"Shall we go through?" Lady Sinderby says with a smile.

——

They gather in the Library for tea being served by the Sinderby's butler Stowell, Thomas – now in a Brancaster livery (Emma knows he won't be happy about that) – and a Brancaster footman.

Lord Sinderby talks to Cora and Robert by the fireplace. Emma stands with Edith and Tom while Billy, Mary and Rose chatter in their own group. Lady Sinderby talks with Atticus.

Lord Sinderby then, as Thomas walks past him, all but snaps his fingers at him. "You. Milk."

Oh, dear. Everybody falls silent as if braced for an explosion, but of course, Thomas walks on to get the milk. Emma winces in sympathy.

Tom addresses Stowell. "I was wondering if I might have some sugar—"

Stowell just walks off as if he hasn't heard. Emma watches after him, aghast.

"How rude!" Edith says.

"No doubt he's discovered our 'sordid' pasts and is being a snob about it." Emma remarks. She grips Tom's hand, squeezing it. He gives her a small smile.

——

Emma wiggles uncomfortably in her tweed shooting outfit. She hadn't really wanted to put it on, but this is, at the end of the day, a shooting trip so she might as well do the full thing plus her husband is shooting as she really doesn't want to leave him hanging.

Emma emerges into the Courtyard with Tom, heading towards the two large wagons drawn by two horses each stand ready that'll take them to where they're shooting. Everyone else is dressed in country tweeds. Several barking dogs jump into the waiting wagons.

"God, I hate this outfit." Emma mutters to herself.

"You look lovely." Tom reassures her.

"Even when I'm dressed all upper class?" Emma asks dubiously.

"Even then." Tom grins. Emma gives him a soft smile as he climbs onto the wagon.

Emma is about to follow when Lady Sinderby speaks from where she stands next to the wagon, making sure everyone gets on. "I hear your husband is a good shot, Emma."

"Yes, it rises him in Lord Grantham's standard I can tell you." Emma replies warmly. Lady Sinderby chuckles at that just as Lord Sinderby comes out to them.

"Rachel?"

Lady Sinderby turns to him. "Yes?"

"You with me?"

"No, I think I'll chum Tom for this drive. Emma can keep you company." With that, Lady Sinderby turns to get onto the wagon.

Emma freezes. What?

"As you wish." Lord Sinderby concedes.

Emma doesn't feel exactly enthusiastic. She had hoped everyone would assume she's with Tom and there would be no trouble for her but apparently not.

——

The wagons travel through the glorious fields until they reach their destination and all clamber out. The dogs are running around, barking excitedly.

Lord Sinderby and Emma walk side by side. They are walking along silently until Lord Sinderby turns to her. "I'm afraid Lord Grantham's rather disappointed that I'm not inclined to welcome his cousin Shrimpie under my roof."

"Robert only said he was a good shot, and he is." There's a pause as Emma debates on whether to continue but eventually decides to do so. "Lord Sinderby, now Rose and Atticus have united your families, wouldn't it make everything less awkward for everyone if you accept the situation of Rose's parents?"

"Well, I can't pretend to approve of divorce. Even for you." Well, at least he's honest.

"And you can't learn to live with it, even for Rose's sake?" He doesn't answer. Emma sighs.

They arrive at their appointed butt – a piece of wall that the shooters shoot from behind – and Lord Sinderby and his loader prepare. Mary is with Billy, Cora, Robert, Tom and Lady Sinderby.

The grouse come flying across the heather. Lord Sinderby fires along with the other men. Emma and Lord Sinderby talk very little during the shooting. Emma glances over to see Lady Sinderby and Tom are sharing laughs in between and she's glad that at least 2 out of 3 of the Sinderbys make it easy to get along with them.

——

After the shooting concludes for the day, they gather in the Hunting Lodge to have lunch. It's all very luxurious, the walls decorated with exotic trophies. Emma sits at the table with Rose and Mary in between her and Tom, enjoying herself when she catches Stowell, who's carrying a dish of bread, walking around Tom to serve Mary instead.

"Might I have some bread?" Her husband awkwardly calls out. Emma glares at the butler as he holds it out to Tom without looking at him. Tom takes some bread. "Thank you, Stowell. You're very kind."

Sitwell doesn't completely walk around Emma when he reaches her, but he does hold it at an awkward position, so she has to twist and rise out of the chair to get some. Unlike Tom's polite response to this rudeness, Emma glares at the butler.

"I do apologise," Atticus murmurs to her, in an undertone from across the table. Emma gives him a tight smile and waves a hand to dismiss his apology.

Once Stowell has moved to the other side of the table, Emma leans toward Rose and Mary, murmuring, "God, he's doing it again. It's like he's taking turns between me, Tom and Billy on who to torture next."

Mary hums in agreement. "Poor Atticus. How can he reprimand his father's butler? Lord Sinderby wouldn't take kindly to that."

"But the silly thing is, I don't think Stowell even likes my father-in-law." Rose replies.

"He seems obsequious enough." Mary argues.

"Trust me, I doubt he's like that behind the scenes." Emma scoffs.

"Emma's right. My maid tells me it's a different story behind his back." Rose agrees.

"That's a frightening thought, when you remember what a butler knows about the family he serves." Mary remarks.

"Oh, they all know far more about us than we do about them."

Emma smirks. "Oh, we definitely do. You forget, I was a maid once." She raises an eyebrow conspiringly.

——

"I hate the way Stowell treats you, Tom and Billy." Mary says as she and Emma walk to their rooms to get changed for dinner.

"Gemma says he isn't polite downstairs. He doesn't approve of us bettering ourselves." Emma remarks, wrinkling her nose as she thinks of the distasteful butler.

"What right has he to approve or disapprove?" Mary angrily retorts.

Emma smiles gratefully at her. "Amen to that."

Mary thoughtfully ponders for a moment. "You know how Rose said he doesn't even like Lord Sinderby?"

"Yes?"

"I wonder if there is any way to get Stowell a black mark?" Mary suggests. "Can't Barrow come up with something?"

"Mmm... I suppose he usually has a card or two up his sleeve." Emma admits.

"Well, tell him to get one out of his sleeve and play it, pronto." Mary says.

Emma shares a conspiring smile with the eldest Crawley daughter. "I'll see what I can do."

——

Emma quietly slips downstairs, having quickly changed to find Thomas dressed as a valet again and holding a pair of shoes in a corridor.

"How would you like to make things difficult for Mr Stowell?" Emma calls out.

Thomas spins around surprised but then smirks when he sees it's Emma. "Why do you say that?"

"Well, he's being a right twat to me, Mr Branson and Mr Prior upstairs and I hear he's not all rainbows and sunflowers downstairs either." Emma explains as he slinks over to her. "So, Lady Mary and I were wondering if you were interested in doing something to knock him down a bit?"

"I don't mind taking him down a peg or two." Thomas admits.

"How?"

"Hmm. Let me think about it while I'm cleaning these. Which reminds me." A Brancaster maid comes walking in. Thomas calls to the maid, "Excuse me. Do you know where I can find Lord Sinderby's valet?"

The maid pauses, glancing at Emma with wide-eyed surprise. "Mr Daunt?"

"Uh-huh."

"He's gone out. He won't be back before ten."

"Thank you." The maid walks on, but not before giving Emma a few curious glances. He turns to Emma. "I think I've got an idea. Do you think Lady Mary would mind annoying Lord Sinderby into the bargain?"

Emma let's put a slight snort. "None of our lot would mind."

"And will you help me?"

Emma glances at him curiously. "I suppose so, seeing as it's what Lady Mary's asked for."

"Then there's your answer." Thomas says happily.

Emma narrows her eyes suspiciously. "I don't understand."

"You will. We need a piece of paper and a pencil. Come with me."

He walks out, looking back whether she's following. After a moment's deliberation, she does.

——

Emma hides round the corner as Thomas approaches the maid he spoke to earlier.

"Ah!" Thomas pulls a note out of his pocket. "There's a note here for a Mrs Brennan. Who's that?" He holds it out to the maid.

"The cook. Why?"

"Well, as I say, somebody's left a note for her. So, you better take it in."

The maid takes it and walks on.

Emma steps out once the maid has walked away. "How can you be sure they won't trace it back to us or you at least?"

"I'm not a complete amateur, Emma. Give me some credit." Thomas remarks.

Emma scoffs. "Debatable." She's not going to be the one that compliments him.

Thomas rolls his eyes before chucking. "I've missed you know."

Emma frowns. "What do you mean?"

"You know, us, gossiping and scheming." Thomas replies softly. "We don't do it much now you're upstairs."

"Usually, it's me telling you off for your scheming." Emma retorts, injecting some humour.

"True," Thomas admits, "but still and now we're not even going to be in the same country or the same continent."

Emma smiles softly. "I won't be gone forever, you know."

"I hope so."

——

There are two dozen people seated around the magnificent dining table, attended by Stowell, Thomas and some more Brancaster footmen. In a corner, a woman is playing a harp, and a man is playing Northumbrian smallpipes (the smaller, quieter cousin of the Scottish bagpipes). The group are seated opposite each other, Emma, Atticus, Mary, Lord Sinderby and Cora on one side and Robert, Lady Sinderby, Billy, Tom and Edith on the other.

Atticus addresses his mother across the table. "It's rather a nuisance, but Charlie Rogers has rung to say he's got a friend staying, so he's either got to bring him on Thursday or chuck."

"Oh, that's maddening." Robert comments. "What will you do?"

"I've said to bring him, but it means I can't shoot." Atticus tells them.

"How infuriating. Who is he?" Mary looks ready to murder the poor friend, who she's never met.

"He's called Henry Talbot. But I don't know anything about him."

"Well, I'll tell the agent not to come." Lord Sinderby decides.

"Oh, no. Poor Mr Pelham, that's too unkind." Atticus turns to the rest of them. "I don't know why exactly, but we all feel a bit sorry for him."

Edith sighs sympathetically. She can relate. The nickname 'Poor Edith' comes to mind.

Soon, dinner is being served. Thomas walks around with a platter while Stowell serves the wine. He fills Robert's glass, then moves on skipping Billy this time.

"I wonder whether I might have some wine?" Billy awkwardly calls after him.

"You've not had any?" Lord Sinderby questions, he turns to his butler. "Stowell, what's the matter with you?"

Stowell scowls and moves back to pour some wine for Billy, too. Meanwhile, Thomas holds his platter for everyone on Lord Sinderby's side of the table to serve themselves including Emma, except for Lord Sinderby himself. Instead, a Brancaster footman places a special plate in front of Lord Sinderby. It has a single, unattractive piece of white meat on it, probably some kind of fowl, with no sauce or anything else. It's quite different from the juicy roast everyone else is getting.

Lord Sinderby stares at it in disbelief. Emma shares a glance with Thomas, who is holding the platter for Mary, letting nothing on to everyone else.

"What the devil's going on?" Lord Sinderby questions, turning to his wife. "Rachel?"

Lady Sinderby is unaware of any mistakes. "Mmh?"

Lord Sinderby gestures at his plate. "Explain this."

"Explain what?"

"Why am I not being given anything decent to eat?" Lord Sinderby demands to know.

All conversation at the table has ceased. The guests listen in embarrassed silence.

"I don't know. Stowell?"

"It was Your Lordship's order." Stowell replies.

Lord Sinderby looks a Stowell in disbelief. "What are you talking about? What is the matter with you tonight?"

"Mr Daunt left a note for the cook, saying you'd asked—"

"I never said a thing to Daunt!" Lord Sinderby retorts angrily. "And why are you so rude to Mr Prior, and Mr and Mrs Branson?"

"Really, there's no need—" Tom tries to say diplomatically but he's cut off.

"The cook told me you had requested simpler—" Stowell explains. He's speaking in a defiant tone, very out of place for a servant.

"Stowell. Someone's played a joke on us. Now, when you got the note, did it look like Daunt's writing?" Lord Sinderby questions.

Emma freezes in panic. She picks up her wine, taking a sip so as not to give anything away. She glances at Thomas to see him watching it all with a perfect poker face.

"I never saw the note." Stowell replies. "And obviously Mrs Brennan is not familiar—"

"What?!" Lord Sinderby loudly snaps. "Do you dare to use the word 'obviously' when you contradict me? Now take this away, fetch me some dinner and conduct yourself more professionally in the future!" He then calls over his shoulder, to Thomas, "And bring that back, you stupid fool!"

Emma glares at him in disbelief. Why the hell did he have to say that for? Emma knows what he's doing, he's irritated and angry and is letting it out at anyone and everyone. While, yes, Thomas was partly the cause of this, Lord Sinderby doesn't know that.

Thomas exchanges a look with Stowell, who jerks his head to indicate that Thomas is to serve Lord Sinderby the same food as everyone else. Thomas in turn jerks his head at a Brancaster footman to remove the offending piece of white meat.

Rose tries to save the situation by making some more small talk. "We're not shooting tomorrow, so would you like to see the estate?"

"What fun that would be." Cora says overeagerly. "Don't you think so, Robert?" Her husband lets out a slight grunt.

"Goodness." Mary mutters, loud enough for only Atticus and Emma to hear.

"He does get so rattled by things." Atticus responds.

"I can tell." Emma comments, sharing an amused look with Mary. "But Mary and I are not very keen on your butler, so I'm afraid we rather enjoyed it."

"Well, maybe, but Stowell's a proud chap. He won't find that easy to forgive." Atticus warns.

"I don't think Barrow will much like being called a stupid fool." Mary says.

And indeed, Thomas is now going about his duties with a murderous look on his face.

——

Emma meets Thomas, who is dressed as a valet again, which must be about the fifth change of uniform for the poor man that day in a secluded corner of the servants' area.

"You got more than you bargained for." Emma says.

"I've had my run-ins with His Lordship before, but I have never been insulted in public, and I don't intend to start now." Thomas remarks.

Emma looks at him curiously. "Lord Sinderby shouldn't have yelled at you like that. For all he knows, you had no involvement. Still, Stowell got a flea in his ear and that's what we wanted."

"What you and Lady Mary wanted, perhaps. I've got bigger plans now." Thomas retorts.

"What do you mean?" Emma questions in alarm.

"Oh, you'll see." He walks on to knock on the door of the Butler's Pantry.

God, she really should have predicted this.

——

The next day, they take a walk by the river near the Castle. Atticus, Rose and Edith walk in a group, Emma and Tom walk with their arms linked and Mary and Billy lead the group. Lady Sinderby, Cora and Robert are up ahead.

"It's a shame Lord Sinderby wouldn't come." Emma hears Edith say.

"Mother did ask him. She thought it might get rid of some of the nasty taste of last night, but he said no." Atticus says.

"He's a difficult man." Rose turns to her husband. "Or shouldn't I say that?"

"You can say what you like after that dinner." Atticus reassures her. "Oh, well, at least we gave the county something to talk about."

"I wonder what the truth was about the letter from the valet." Rose wonders as the whole group comes to a stop.

"Well, Gemma says it was one of the Castle staff. They hate Stowell." Emma tells them.

"Baxter says much the same." Edith adds.

"They'll hear no argument from me." Billy remarks.

"Well, it's over now." Mary brushes it off then turns to Rose and Atticus. "Why were you all in a huddle at breakfast?"

"Atticus has been offered a job in New York." Rose tells them.

"Oh, congratulations."

"Thank you." Atticus turns to Emma and Tom. "Aren't you going to America soon?"

"We are. We're going to Boston." Tom replies.

"When?"

"We're planning to spend Christmas at Downton and leave in the new year." Emma explains.

"Well, it hasn't been decided yet." Mary retorts.

"Poor Mary. She hates to be left behind when everyone else is getting on with their lives." Edith remarks.

"It isn't that. It's the thought of being left with you." Mary quips back sauntering off. Edith huffs a frustrated breath.

——

They gather in the Drawing room ahead of dinner. Stowell enters and catches Lady Sinderby's eye.

"That's dinner, everyone!" Lady Sinderby calls.

Mary is talking to Emma, Tom and Atticus by the fireplace. "Will you shoot tomorrow, or have you given way to the uninvited guest?"

"I don't think I have a choice." Atticus responds.

"You can have my place." Tom offers.

"Certainly not!" Atticus retorts as they start walking towards the doors. "I've had two good days, we're out on Friday, so I don't merit pity."

"I hope your neighbour knows how accommodating you're being." Mary grumbles.

"You can tell him if you like. He's staying the night, so you'll have plenty of opportunity."

"Don't tempt me." Mary replies. "I do find it astonishing; the way people take these things for granted."

"We can't all be as unselfish as you, Mary." Emma remarks. Mary gives her a very dark look. "Just joking!"

Tom and Atticus grin. Mary rolls her eyes.

——

They are out shooting again the next day. The dogs run around excitedly while everyone gets out of the horse-drawn wagons and pairs up. Lord Sinderby is giving instructions to his young guests.

"Rose, you chum Tom. Mary, go with Mr Talbot." Lord Sinderby instructs.

Mr Talbot is the friend who has been brought along by Atticus' friend Charlie Rogers. Mary goes to join him, smiling civilly.

"Rachel..." Lord Sinderby looks at the rest of them. "Oh, sort it out between you. I'll see you all there." He turns to walk away, joined by his wife.

"I'm not sure where I'm supposed to go." Edith remarks.

"Oh, he's such a controller. Go where you'd like." Rose says, a little annoyed. She turns to Charlie Rogers, who walks next to Edith. "Mr Rogers?"

"Would it be awful if I were left alone with my loader?" He remarks in a friendly tone.

"Of course not."

"You can go with Tom, Rose." Emma reassures her as they walk to their spots. "I'll join Billy."

Billy raises an eyebrow. "And watch my failure?"

"You're not that bad." Emma tries to reassure him.

"I beg to differ." Billy sighs.

They walk on. Once the shooting has started, Emma sees that Edith has joined Bertie Pelham, the agent. In between the shooting, she observes the conversation between Mary and Mr Talbot as well as Edith and Mr Pelham. The latter's conversation seems to be going a lot better than the former's.

——

It's raining when they all gather outside the Castle grounds after the shoot to have lunch. Stowell stands under an umbrella as the guests walk through the medieval ruins of the outer buildings.

Emma walks by Mary, both carrying their own umbrellas, just behind Robert and Cora and sees Stowell hand Robert a note as he walks past.

Emma isn't really listening to him as he talks to Cora until she hears the words 'date', 'Anna' and 'trial'. She quickly glances over at Mary, who looks similarly alarmed.

"What's that?" Mary questions, come up behind them along with Emma.

"Anna's going for tr– ow!" Emma startles in alarm when Robert then squirms and groans, holding his side. The four of them come to a stop.

"That settles it. You will not shoot any more today, or tomorrow." Cora declares.

Atticus and Rose have joined them, looking worried. Edith comes up to them, too.

"Don't embarrass me, please." Robert begs.

"I won't if you do as I say." Cora retorts.

"What can I do to help?" Atticus asks.

"Take my place this afternoon." Robert says. Atticus nods and he and Rose move on.

"What's the matter, Papa?" Edith questions worriedly.

"I'm perfectly all right, I just need to take things a little easy."

"If only he'd chosen not to be all man-like and keep it concealed." Cora retorts disapprovingly.

They walk on. Emma realises that Mr Pelham has joined them as well. Probably heard most of it. He joins Edith, offering his help to which Edith asks him to get someone to fetch Atticus' guns.

"You see, this is why I didn't want to make a thing of it." Robert grumbles.

"Is it really true about Anna?" Emma asks worriedly.

"We'll know more when we get home." Robert replies.

——

The shooting party have returned after their afternoon shoot and is now having tea. Lord Sinderby approaches Robert, who stands with Rose, Emma, Tom, Edith and Mr Talbot.

"I'm glad to find you here and not in bed. Have you recovered?" He remarks.

"Completely. I suppose I missed a marvellous afternoon." Robert complains.

"Spectacular." Mr Talbot says.

And that's going to make him feel better...

There's a lull in the conversation, and Emma turns to see what has arrested everyone's attention. A young-ish woman, holding a boy of primary school age by the hand, appears in the doorway. Everyone has turned to look but nobody seems to recognise her. The woman has stopped in the doorway, clearly unsure whether she's welcome. Lady Sinderby has walked forward to see who this unknown guest might be. Suddenly, Rose hurries to join them, calling across the room, cheerfully greeting the woman. She kisses 'Diana Clark' on the cheek, who seems as surprised as everyone else. Odd...

Everyone else has returned to their conversations while watching on as Lady Sinderby bends down, talking to the boy then leading him into the room to where Edith, Tom, Mr Pelham and Mr Talbot are. Atticus joins Rose and Diana and holds out his hand to the latter.

Mary has now wandered over to where Robert and Emma stand.

"Who is that woman?" The former questions. "She can't be a great friend of Rose. I've never seen her before in my life."

"Nor me." Mary murmurs. "The truth is, we asked Barrow to get Stowell into trouble, and I'm terribly afraid he overdid it."

Emma's head snaps towards where Thomas stands in the Brancaster livery, again.

"I'm going to have a word with him." Emma grumbles.

Mary and Emma go to join Rose who's wandered away from Atticus and Diana who are still talking.

"We're so interested to meet your very old friend Mrs Clark, whom we have never clapped eyes on before." Mary says to Rose, pointedly.

"Help me." Rose pleads.

"Only if you tell us what's going on." Emma responds.

"Come." She leads Mary and Emma towards Atticus and Diana with Robert following.

Emma glances back to see that Billy, Tom and Mr Talbot are watching from across the room.

Lady Sinderby arrives to introduce Diana to the rest of the party but sees Emma, Robert and Mary already beside her. "Oh, of course, you all know each other."

"Diana, it's so lovely to see you again!" Mary greets brightly.

"Indeed, it's been too long." Emma adds breezily.

Emma and Mary give Robert pointed looks and he quickly cottons on. "Of course. How have you been since you were last at Downton?"

"Oh..." Diana looks even more startled but plays along. "Well. Awfully, awfully well."

"Will you excuse me?" Lady Sinderby walks away allowing them to relax slightly. Diana looks across the room and Emma turns to see it's Lord Sinderby, who quickly looks away. The man looks positively ill, sitting on a chair in the corner. Wait...

"I wish he'd come and speak to me." Diana murmurs to Rose.

"I suppose he can't." Mary remarks.

"Who?" Robert questions. He receives a few looks and the penny drops. "Oh, crikey! No, he can't."

"That bastard." Emma mutters.

"I've come all the way from London." Diana says in a very small voice. God, Emma feels sorry for her. "Who would do such a nasty thing?"

"Oh, I think I know," Rose says with a glance at Stowell, "and I think I know why. But it won't help to tell you."

——

When Emma is leaving with Mary and Rose to escort Diana and her son to the car, Tom catches her, asking what's going on. She explains that she can't tell him now but promises to tell him later.

Rose is outside seeing Diana Clark and her boy back into the taxi. She comes walking back in and meets Mary and Emma in the next room from the ground floor entrance hall. Looking across, they see Stowell by the door.

"Stowell looks like he's in a cage with a tiger." Mary remarks. The butler is indeed pacing. "Are you going to give him away to your father-in-law?"

"Mmm... that would be too simple." Emma comments.

"You're right." Rose saunters out, walking across to the butler as he closes the door. "Stowell! How did you know about Mrs Clark?"

There's an awkward pause before Stowell speaks, "Will you tell His Lordship, M'lady?"

"I can't decide." Rose calmly replies. "But in the meantime, I hope you can be more polite to Mr Prior and Mr and Mrs Branson while they're with us."

"Certainly, M'lady." He bows and moves away, defeated.

Emma can't help the smirk that spreads across her face.

——

Emma waits round the corner for Thomas to come along and once he does; she grabs him and pulls him round the corner. He looks at her, startled.

"What were you thinking?!" She hisses at him before he can say anything.

Thomas' face hardens. "I don't know what you mean."

"Yes, you do." Emma rebuts. "How could you do that to Miss Clark? As well as the hurt you could have caused for Lady Sinderby and Mr Aldridge."

"You and Lady Mary asked me to make trouble for Mr Stowell." Thomas argues.

Emma almost growls in frustration. "And you did but then you took it too far Thomas."

"He called me a fool and you expected me not to do anything?!" Thomas cries.

Emma scoffs. "I should've known better. Of course, you'd do this without a care on who you hurt, it's all about you. You're lucky it didn't explode in everyone's face."

She then saunters off, irritated. She knows she'll cool off soon and forgive him all over again like she always does but right now Emma will let him suffer a little.

——

After dinner that night, they pass through the Red Drawing room into the Yellow Drawing room. Rose, Robert, Emma and Mary are last.

Lord Sinderby comes up behind them when they're the only ones left in the room. "Rose, Emma, Mary, Robert? Would you stay in here for a moment, please?" He closes the door to the next room to make sure they can't be overheard.

The other four exchange somewhat disquieted looks.

Lord Sinderby turns back to them. "I'm glad to have caught you four. I wasn't sure I could manage it."

"I'm intrigued." Robert comments.

"Oh, you needn't pretend. You saw the depths of my humiliation earlier." Lord Sinderby says with a wry chuckle. Everyone looks politely down. "Well, who planned it, I wonder?"

Mary shrugs. "Everyone has enemies."

Emma keeps silent. She's mad, not heartless.

"I'd be grateful if we could restrict this knowledge to our number. I do not believe that any of you would wish to cause either Rachel or Atticus pain."

"No, we can all agree on that." Emma agrees.

Robert nods. "Indeed. No one else will ever know."

"The truth is, it could all have been very much worse. And that it was not is due entirely to Rose." Lord Sinderby turns to his daughter-in-law. "Rose, my dear... you are clever, kind and resourceful." Rose smiles, surprised. "And I wish to put it on record that I see now that we are lucky to have you in the family. I shall be inviting your parents to stay as soon as is convenient."

"You don't have to." Rose reassures.

"Oh, I think I do. We all know that people who live in glass houses are ill-advised to throw stones." He actually smiles, for the first time ever, and claps his hands together. "Now, I've had a gramophone put into the Library, so run along and enjoy yourselves."

"Golly! What fun! Thank you." Rose gasps. Probably also for the first time ever, she kisses Lord Sinderby on the cheek.

Mary opens the door, and Emma and Rose hurry to join her.

——

As promised by Lord Sinderby, a gramophone is playing lively music in the Library. Rose and Atticus are dancing a foxtrot, and so are Mary and Henry Talbot and Billy and Edith. Tom stands with Emma, each holding a glass. Also watching are Bertie Pelham and Charlie Rogers.

Tom and Emma finish their drinks so the former moves over to a table filled with drinks to put them down. Stowell stands next to it.

"Is there anything I can get you, Sir? Anything you'd like?" Stowell asks him politely.

Tom looks surprised. "No. No, thank you, Stowell. You've been very considerate."

Emma watches this with approval. Stowell bows and moves away so Emma moves over to join her husband.

Tom chuckles. "Did you do something?"

Emma turns to him looking perfectly innocent. "What makes you think I did something?"

"Because you usually have." Tom says, not fooling for her act.

Emma shrugs. "Whether I did or did not is not the point. Now hopefully we'll, as well as Billy, have a better trip."

Tom looks at her amused. "Hmm," he looks out to the dancing couples before looking back to Emma, "want to dance darling?"

"Eh, why not?" Emma remarks, taking his offered hand.

Tom shakes his head, laughing as the two of them take to the floor.

Later on, there's a new song playing, and Emma, Tom and Edith stand off the side, talking.

"Are you looking forward to going home?" Tom casually remarks.

"Why, particularly?" Edith questions, looking unsure.

Emma and Tom share a look. "Aren't you missing Marigold?" The former asks.

"Aren't you missing Ivy and Michael? Isn't Billy missing Sybbie? And Mary George?" Edith asks shakily.

Another look. "Not quite as much." Tom answers.

"What are you trying to say?"

Tom shrugs. "Not a lot, really. But these will be our last months at Downton, and you have always been our ally. I'd like to feel we were honest with each other. You see, where I grew up, there were quite a few Marigolds."

Edith avoids avoiding their eyes. "I'm not sure I understand you."

"I think you do." Tom argues. "My cousin Nula had a child that was brought up as her sister. No one talked of it, naturally, but we all knew."

Emma had met Nula when she and Tom were living in Ireland along with her 'little sister'. It hadn't taken Emma long to cotton on, but she hadn't minded. Both women were kind and welcoming, and Emma liked them.

Edith sighs. "I told Papa you'd guess."

Emma is surprised. "So, they're both in on it?"

"They are now."

"And Mary? Does she know?"

"No. She's completely uninterested in me, which should keep me safe." Edith retorts. She meets their eyes. "Please, keep it to yourselves. Not for my sake so much as for hers."

"You may not believe it, but I'm a signed-up member of this family now." Tom reassures her, putting a reassuring hand on her arm.

Emma nods, squeezing Edith's hand.

The music ends. One of the guests is about to put the next record on.

Mr Pelham walks over to Edith. "Can I have this one?"

"Of course." Edith says with a smile. They start dancing. Emma smiles when she spots Edith laughing. Maybe...

——

The trip is over, and Emma looks out of the window of the car she sits in with Tom and Mary, watching as more and more of the Abbey is visible as they make it up the drive. Edith and Billy sit in one and Robert and Cora in the other.

Mr Carson and Mr Molesley are at the front door of the house to greet them as they pull up. The cars halt, and Mr Carson holds the door of the front car open for Robert to emerge. Mr Molesley and the hall boy, Albert, open the other car doors.

The nannies come hurrying out of the house with the children, Nanny Joan leading Ivy and George by the hand with Sybbie scurrying after them, Margaret carrying Marigold on her hip with Michael toddling next to her. They make straight for the cars that contain their parents while Mr Carson talks to Robert.

Emma beams as she greets her children along with Tom, Edith, Billy and Mary. She's giving Michael a big squeeze when she looks over his shoulder to see both butler and Lord looking very serious as they walk to the front door. Emma frowns. What's going on there?

She's brought out of her thoughts by Michael poking her cheek. "Mama? You okay?"

Emma gives him a soft smile. "Mama's fine. Now, tell me what you've been up to." She puts him down.

He grabs her hand and pulls her towards the front door, eagerly telling her all about their trip to the lake.

——

Robert is updating them on the latest developments as they gather in the Library. Mr Bates has confessed to killing Mr Green and has fled.

"Will he be hiding somewhere?" Edith questions.

"In Ireland, I presume." Robert replies. "He has family there. And the English Police are not too well regarded if they try to find him."

Emma glances at Tom.

"Why hasn't Anna been released? Why did Mr Carson wait?" Emma demands to know.

"I'll telephone Murray now. He'll be able to get her out." Robert tells them, walking away to do just that.

"Though I don't believe for a moment Bates did it." Cora says.

"No! But neither did Anna." Mary scoffs. "So, it won't be unjust to set her free."

"But he can't stay on the run forever." Emma argues.

"Unless we can prove neither did it, he can't comeback otherwise he goes to prison." Billy points out.

——

A day or so later, Anna returns safe and sound though she's understandably unhappy. She's still on bail and her husband is on the run. The situation is frustrating as if Mr Bates does return and is found innocent then Anna goes to jail. Either way one is innocent and the other guilty right now.

That evening, they're assembled in the Drawing room ahead of dinner. Robert, Billy, Mary, Edith, Emma and Tom are already there when Mr Carson opens to door for Cora.

"I thought you'd look in before you came down." Cora greets her husband.

"To tell you how I got on in York?" Robert retorts.

"Yes...?"

"I wanted to wait until we were all together." Robert says, drawing the room together. "You'll be pleased to hear I am not about to have a heart attack. Your father has an ulcer."

Everyone relaxes at the announcement.

"Oh, that's a relief!" Mary exclaims.

"Oh, yes, it is a relief," Edith agrees, "but you've got to be good with your diet."

"Well said. We'll take it seriously - white fish, chicken, no alcohol." Cora declares.

Robert looks alarmed at the list item on the list. "Steady on!"

"I mean it! You frightened me. I don't like to be frightened." Cora retorts.

"Even so, there must be room for negotiation." He pleads.

"Why don't you promise to lay off everything until Christmas Day?" Billy suggests.

"Christmas Eve."

"Christmas Eve then." Mary turns to Cora. "Mama?"

"I suppose." She replies reluctantly. "But I'll be strict."

"And then we'll have a merry Christmas as Emma and I's last memory of Downton." Tom says.

"Don't make it sound so final!" Cora admonishes.

"Oh, we'll be back one day." Emma reassures. "Tom will be desperate to see how the Village turns out."

Mr Carson comes back in and leaves the door open by way of announcing dinner.

"That reminds me. Good news in the evening post. The Della Francesca sold amazingly well." Robert announces.

Pleased looks and smiles all around as they move to the Dining room.

——

Emma and Tom have been in full swing in their final preparations for their move to Boston. Emma was sad to hand in her notice to Dr Clarkson, who promised her that the person who replaces her will not fill the hole Emma will leave.

The Abbey is now a winter wonderland, snow covering the lawns and still more of it falling. It's almost Christmas Eve and the Abbey is buzzing with excitement. Emma too but not for Christmas. She hasn't been to the Clarkson just to hand in her notice but to also check some suspicions of hers. They are going to be parents a third time.

She is sure of it now, about two months along already. There had been several false alarms, and each had dampened Tom's spirits. So, Emma decided to hold off on telling him until she was absolutely certain. Tom is usually so in tune with her body that often, he notices if her monthly cycle is late before she does. This past month, however, he has been busy doing interviews for the new agent, so he hasn't mentioned anything. But she'll tell him soon, a little Christmas present.

But first, she joins her husband, and children as well as Mary and George, Billy and Sybbie and Edith and Marigold in decorating the magnificent tree in the Great Hall.

Andy Parker, their new footman who'd helped out at Rose's wedding, comes into the Hall looking very smart in his brand-new Downton footman's livery. He carries several cardboard boxes over to the tree and puts them down there.

The Sybbie, George (with a little help from Mary) and Ivy put ornaments on the tree. Emma and Edith, with Marigold and Michael on their hips, do it for them.

"Are you ready for the lights?" Tom goes behind the tree. "Three, two, one..." He switches the fairy lights in the tree on. Everyone gasps happily.

"It's beautiful, Daddy!" Ivy exclaims.

——

Mr Carson leads Mr Molesley and Miss Baxter into the Library, where Robert is at the writing desk. Mary stands nearby. Emma, Cora and Edith are on the red settees.

"Come in. I understand you asked to see me. Carson will stay." Robert says.

"It's about Mr Bates, My Lord." Mr Molesley begins. Emma watches on curiously.

"So, Carson tells us. Please, we're all anxious to hear anything to Bates' good."

"But how can we get a message to him? That's what worries me." Mr Molesley wonders.

"Let us concern ourselves with that when we know the new evidence." Robert dismisses.

"Mr Bates told the Police that he'd spent the day Mr Green died walking round York. He said he'd eaten in a pub, but he couldn't identify it." Miss Baxter tells them.

"He must have been out of his mind. Is it any wonder he'd forgotten?" Mary defends.

"No. But we know which pub it was." Mr Molesley declares.

Emma leaps up out of her seat in shock though it was an admittedly bad idea as she's now feeling a little dizzy.

Robert jumps up from his chair and exclaims, "What?!" as Emma, Cora and Edith walk over to hear more.

"I took a photograph of Mr Bates, and we, Miss Baxter and I, we've spent our days off walking around the city, and, er, questioning the landlords." The footman explains.

"But it must have taken forever." Cora realises. "How long have you been doing this?"

"Since we came back from Brancaster." Miss Baxter answers.

"And how many pubs have you visited?" Edith asked.

"Sixty, seventy... We had a list of them, and we ticked them off one by one." Mr Molesley says.

"Christ..." Emma murmurs as they all exchange very impressed looks.

"We still had a third to do when we found it. It's, er..." he takes out a piece of paper, "here, M'lord. It's a Mr Salter of The Pickerel in King Street."

"And he'll swear to this?" Mary questions tentatively.

"He will, M'lady." Mr Molesley assures. "He remembered Mr Bates' limp. And he also remembered how he almost got angry when Mr Salter tried to help him to a table."

"Sounds like Bates!" Robert remarks.

"Then they started talking and it turned out that they'd both served in the South African war." Miss Baxter adds.

"Mr Bates is quite distinctive, so I believed we had a good chance." Mr Molesley says.

"May I make a suggestion? If Mr Vyner accepts this man's statement, then surely it would overturn any attempt to prosecute?" Mr Carson speaks.

"But if this does prove Bates' innocence, which clearly it does, won't they re-arrest Anna?" Emma questions.

"We must cross that bridge when we come to it." Robert says. "We can't leave Bates on the run when he's an innocent man."

"Right, of course."

"Molesley, Baxter, you've done something fine. Generous and fine." Robert congratulates the pair. "I'll telephone Mr Murray at once, but I'm sure neither Bates nor we can ever adequately express our gratitude."

"Thank you, M'lord." Mr Molesley responds, deeply moved. He and Baxter leave.

——

It is time for the Christmas Eve party for the tenants is in full swing. The tenants as well as Rose and Atticus are arriving but before they go down to greet them, Emma and Tom take the chance to slip away to the Nursery. They walk in to find Edith and Billy have both beat them to it, placing stockings labelled Sybbie and Marigold on the end of the two girls' bed and crib.

"We thought it was a good moment, while Mama has them all downstairs." Edith remarks.

"Us too." Emma says as she and Tom place Ivy and Michael's.

Tom then looks thoughtfully around the room. Emma is hit with emotion, it won't be long till these rooms that have become so familiar in the past 15 years will no longer be around and she'll be faced with an unfamiliar home in an unfamiliar country.

"What are you thinking?" Edith asks.

"I'm taking photographs in my mind, to think of when we're far away." Tom replies.

"Oh, Tom, Emma. I'm always ticking off Mary for saying she doesn't want you to go, but I—" she shares a look with Billy, "—we hope you both know how much we'll miss you."

"Lots." Billy agrees. "What will I do without my conspiring partners."

Tom and Emma share a teary smile. "Well, we know how much we'll miss all of you." The latter says. "And I suppose that must be pretty similar."

Mary enters, also carrying a Christmas stocking. "Great minds think alike." She puts it on George's bed.

"What do you say we take a moment to think of Sybil?" Billy suggests. "We're the five left on earth who loved her the most."

"And Mama and Papa." Edith argues.

"But we're the three who should have grown old with her." Emma points out, feeling tearful.

"That's true." Mary admits.

"And who knows when we'll be together again?" Tom adds. He takes Emma and Billy's hands. Emma grabs Mary's and Billy takes Edith's.

"Darling Sybil..." Edith takes Mary's hand, too, so they form a circle. "Wherever you are... we send you all our love and kisses for the happiest of happy Christmases."

They all share small tearful smiles before turning and walking out. Emma pauses when she realises Tom isn't following. She looks back to see him lingering, looking around the comfortable, fire-lit room with both affection and regret.

"Hey," Emma speaks softly, "we'll be back one day."

Tom sighs heavily. "I know, I know. Doesn't make this any easier."

"No." She says quietly. "But let's not think about that now. Let us enjoy the rest our time here."

"You're right." He takes her hand, and they go downstairs.

——

The Christmas Eve party for the tenants is in full swing. Billy, Edith, Isobel, Cora, Robert, Violet, Mary, Emma and Tom lead the singing of a carol at the head of the Hall, by the tree while the servants, and behind them the tenants, all join in. Next to them, Rose is coaching Atticus, who is not familiar with the song. Mr Carson's deep bass stands out among the other voices.

Now to the Lord sing praises,

All you within this place,

And with true love and brotherhood,

Each other now embrace,

The holy tide of Christmas,

All others doth deface,

O tidings of comfort and joy,

Comfort and joy,

O tidings of comfort and joy.

Once the song ends, Robert speaks to them all, "Ah, we'll have a break now. Please, all of you, help yourselves to a drink and have something to eat." Everyone starts moving towards the buffet. "You, too, Molesley, Andrew. And Anna, you - you have a drink. I want everybody to have a drink." He's clearly pretty much plastered already. Emma hopes it won't end badly.

She steers away from the drink table and instead saunters over to Tom who has moved to chat with a couple of the tenants. Emma grins at the sight of him. She's decided that she'll tell him her news, their news, as her Christmas gift. When their eyes meet, he stops and grins as well. Emma slows her step and enjoys merely looking into his eyes as they get closer. Tom closes the distance between them and pulls her into a sweeping hug.

Emma closes her eyes, and she pulls him tightly into her and feels his lips against her ear. "Will it be a boy or a girl this time, do you think?"

Emma pulls away in shock. "You know! How?"

"I notice when it happens and when it doesn't." He says with a wink. "You think I can't count the days on a calendar?"

Emma laughs. "Are all husbands so... well acquainted with their wives, do you suppose?"

"They should be."

"Even if they are, I consider myself very lucky." Emma says planting a soft kiss on his lips.

Tom smiles. "That makes two of us."

"No darling, it makes five."

Tom grins, kissing her once more. "Shall we tell them?"

"Not yet," Emma replies, "let's keep it to ourselves for a little longer."

Mary comes over to them. "Someone's happy. I suppose you're all packed?"

"Pretty well." Tom replies though he can't seem to keep the smile off his face. Mary looks at him suspiciously, so Tom tries to move on. "But you and I should go through everything in my office. In fact, you should take it over."

Mary accepts the diversion. "I wouldn't know where to start."

Emma scoffs. "Well, I think you're the perfect person for it." Tom nods in agreement.

Cora appears behind them, looking unnerved. "Emma, Tom, Mary, you have to come. Robert's about to give a speech and it is not a good idea."

"It was bound to happen." Mary remarks. "He's been desperate for even the smallest drop."

"Ladies and gentlemen!" Robert is calling loudly to the guests.

Tom moves to his side and interrupts him. "Ladies and gentlemen! I hope you will let me speak for you when I thank His Lordship for this wonderful party and for a marvellous year."

"Now, just a minute..." Robert tries.

Tom starts to sing. "For he's a jolly good fellow..."

Everyone joins in immediately. "For he's a jolly good fellow..."

The song soon ends and everyone claps. Robert makes another attempt to address the guests, but again, Tom is quicker.

"And now Lady Mary is going to sing for us, accompanied by Lady Edith."

This is clearly news to them both, but Mary and Edith move to the piano with good grace. Tom gently nudges Robert out of their way.

Mary sings while Edith plays. Everyone watches and listens, deeply touched.

Silent night,

Holy night,

Sleeps the world, hid from sight,

Mary and Joseph in stable bare,

Watched o'er the child,

Beloved and fair,

Sleep in heavenly rest,

Sleep in heavenly rest.

——

The song has ended, and the children have come to look at the tree. While Mary looks at the decorations with George, Billy with Sybbie and Edith carrying Marigold on her hip, Robert talks to Emma and Tom. He's suddenly quite sobered up.

"We're going to miss you very much." Robert is saying. "Did I tell you? Very much. I suppose everyone's saying that."

"Yes, they are. But it's not like you to be sentimental." Tom responds.

Robert chuckles. "In vino veritas - 'from wine comes truth'. The fact is, I've grown extremely fond of you both." He puts a hand on Tom's. "This might sound strange to you but you both have become another daughter and son to me. Always remember you have a home to come back to."

Emma smiles warmly. "We're very touched. And, yes, we will think of Downton as our home."

"God," they turn to see Billy standing nearby and Edith and Marigold lingering next to them, "Sybil would be shocked to hear this."

Emma laughs wetly. "Oh, she would."

Robert, overcome with emotion and not wanting to let it show, turns and picks up Ivy, who is hovering in the background with Nanny Jean. "Whoa! Now, what should Marigold call me?"

"Donk!" Ivy cries.

Everyone laughs.

"Why not? Everyone else does. She can call me Donk and every time she does, I'll be reminded of you." He kisses her as if she's his granddaughter. Emma has to choke back a few tears.

"Brava, Ivy - that's a victory." Tom says to their daughter. Someone starts playing 'O Come All Ye Faithful' on the piano. "Oh, is it time to sing?"

"No. No, I do have something to say." He puts Ivy down and takes his place by the Christmas tree and addresses the guests. He sounds much more under control this time. "Ladies and gentlemen. Mr Branson, asked for your gratitude to me. Now, Her Ladyship and I should like to repay the compliment to him and his wife." He invites Tom and Emma to stand next to him, which they reluctantly do. "Both of them have helped Downton navigate the choppy seas of the modern world and brought it to the good place where it is now. But it is time for them to leave us. And while we regret their going, we wish them, Miss Ivy and Mister Michael well in their new life." He sounds choked up. "So, let us give a round of applause as a send-off."

Everyone claps, and the music restarts. Cora, Mary, Billy and Edith come to join them by the tree as they sing.

O Come All Ye Faithful, Joyful and Triumphant,

O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem,

Come and behold Him,

Born the King of Angels,

O come, let us adore Him,

Christ, the Lord.

God of God,

Light of Light...

Out of the corner of Emma's eye, she spots Mr Bates sidling up behind where Anna is standing from the direction of the servants' door. As the others continue the song, he leans in and whispers to her. Anna almost jumps out of her skin, spinning. He leads her quickly to a quieter part of the hall. Emma grins before turning back to the song.

Lo, he abhors not the Virgin's womb,

Very God,

Begotten, not created,

O come, let us adore Him,

Christ the Lord.

——

A/N: This mammoth of a chapter is over!

The next chapter will cover some of the first few episodes of season 6 and Emma and Tom in Boston.

Please leave comments on how you're enjoying this story and what you think.

#downton abbey

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loserholland · 4 years ago

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𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐠𝐞 | 𝐁.𝐁

Pairing ➺ Modern!Bucky Barnes x Fem!Reader

Warning ➺ Nothing but fluff

Word Count ➺ 2.9k

Summary ➺ In which you discover Bucky’s love language.

A/N ➺ Based off a dream I had a couple nights ago, I’ve been trying to shift for the past ten months but I’m pretty sure that dream could’ve been me lucid dreaming? This is the full version- the previous version I posted was only half because I was afraid it wouldn’t do so well- BUT here we are! Enjoy! Comments and feedback appreciated <3

✿ 𝓟𝓮𝓻𝓶𝓪𝓷𝓮𝓷𝓽 𝓣𝓪𝓰𝓵𝓲𝓼𝓽 ✿ - @loveyathreethousand @killerqueen-gunpowdergelatine @spideyyypeter @lou-la-lou@babebenhardy @rivervixenbaby @acklesholland @zabdisamor @keepingupwiththehollands @sweet666pea @sspider-parker @jackiehollanderr @caro0512 @thewinchesterchronicles @cporter003 @kisses-holland @spideysnugget @cryszus @sunflowerharrystyles @peterunderoos @ohbabycal @laucontrerasv @spider-mendes @jessybellsworld @quaksonhehe

☞ Masterlist ☜

There are five different types of love languages:

Words of affirmation; Encourage, affirm, appreciate, empathize. Listen Actively.

Physical Touch; Non-verbal- use body language and touch to express love.

Receiving Gifts; Thoughtfulness, make your spouse a priority, speak purposefully.

Quality time; Uninterrupted and focused conversations. One-on-one time is critical.

Acts of Service; Use action phrases like “I’ll help..”. They want to know you’re with them, partnered with them.

Bucky’s love language was physical touch. Any chance he got, he’d have his hands on you, tracing random patterns on your arm, his face nuzzled into your neck, tracing the lines on your palm. Dragging you back to bed when you’re about to get your day started peppering kisses all over your face in protest.

Some people may see it as clingy but (Y/N) never saw it as that, she loved when Bucky showered her with love- he didn’t need to say anything when he’d come into her room from a long day at work, his eyes focused on his feet.

The sound of their bedroom door slowly creaking open caught her attention, she knew who it was. Slowly moved over to the other side of the bed, pulling back the duvet covers allowing the man to join her. Once he slipped under the covers he engulfed her into a hug, burying his face in her neck.

She ran her hand up and down his back soothingly the other tangled in his damp hair, he began to relax his shoulders more as she continued to massage his scalp.

They would lay like this till tell fell asleep, the next morning however Bucky wouldn’t want to let her go claiming she was too warm and huggable.

“Bucky honey? Ready to go?”

They were currently in California for her younger brother’s wedding. The last time they were in California it was for Christmas and, that’s when you had first introduced your family to Bucky.

“Do I look okay?” Bucky asked for what felt like the hundredth time, smoothing his hands over his pants.

(Y/N) cupped his cheeks pressing a chaste kiss to his lips, “You look handsome, as always Bucky. They’re gonna love you as much as I love you.” the door to your childhood home swung open revealing your mother. Bucky’s right hand immediately intwined with your left giving his a small squeeze.

“(Y/N/N)! Come in, come in! And oh! You must be James, she talks nonstop about you!”

“Mom!” (Y/N) whispered causing Bucky to chuckle loudly lifting his left hand for her mother to shake, “All good things I hope.” her mother laughed in return, “Oh none of that let me give you a hug!” You stifled back a laugh at your mother’s sudden action,

Bucky leaned against the doorframe of the bathroom raising his brows slightly, “Doll, I’ve been ready. You’re the one that’s still in the bathroom.” She lifted her gaze to the mirror a playful smirk painting her lips.

“Well, I wanted to get the day started but you pulled me back to bed.” Bucky pushed himself off the doorframe walking over to wrap his arms around her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder.

“Fine fine, we’re both at fault.” Bucky murmured kissing the base of your neck all the way up to your cheek, he spun you around moving his hands from your waist the the counter top caging you in.

He dipped his head down capturing your cherry stained lips it was easy to get lost in the moment when he had you like this, “Bucky.” he hummed against your lips moving his hands from the counter to cup her cheeks.

(Y/N) placed her hands onto his chest pushing him back slightly “If you keep kissing me-” he hummed again not budging from his spot “we won’t leave this bathroom.” she pulled away admiring his red stained lips.

“C’mon loverboy, I want to beat to the crowd.”

Loverboy

A nickname Sam one of Bucky’s friends from college had given him.

Sam watched as Bucky walked into the kitchen heading straight for the medicine cabinet taking out some painkillers and a warm compress. They were suppose to be heading out for a boys night but your cramps were killing you and even if you assured Bucky you’d be fine he didn’t budge.

He snickered to himself knowing exactly who they were for, he had told Steve many times that you had him wrapped around your finger and that anytime you enter the room he turned into a lovesick puppy.

“What do you have to say Sam?”

His back was still faced away watching as the keurig filled the mug up with hot water, he reached for the tea packets besides the k-pods tearing the packet open.

“Oh loverboy, you’re down bad there’s a word that Peter uses- pimp? No that’s not right, something imp-”

Bucky snorted as he placed the teabag into the mug, “An imp is a mischievous person.” Sam snapped his fingers, “Simp! That’s what they’re using now days.” Bucky glared tossing the teabag that sat in the mug long enough, “I don’t care what vocabulary Peter uses. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to tend to loving girlfriend. See yourself out!”

Sam chuckled loudly before shouting, “Whatever you say loverboy!”

He entered back into your shared bedroom placing all the items onto the night stand, slipping under the covers so he can hold you in his arms. He sat up right against the headboard allowing (Y/N) to rest against his chest, “Bucky, you can go if you want I’ll be fine.” you mumbled a slight pang of guilt filled your chest.

“Doll, I’d rather be here with you. I see them at work everyday- now let me take care of you okay?”

“I love you.”

Bucky pressed a kiss to her forehead, “I love you too.”

The two wandered the women’s section dresses catching (Y/N) eyes as she tugged her boyfriend to follow, he didn’t mind shopping with her all too much because he’d encourage her to get literally everything she laid eyes on. She pushed off buying a dress for the wedding and of course waited till the day before.

“What about this one?”

She picked up the beautiful blue midi dress, perfect for the spring weather. She turned around lifting the dress next to Bucky’s cheeks, he raised his brow in confusion “Hm, I’m getting this one- reminds me of your beautiful eyes.” tugging his hands once again she looked for one more dress, Bucky’s cheeks were tinted a bright red.

(Y/N) loved seeing him flustered and left well speechless, “Doll you’re such a tease sometimes.” she stopped in her tracks turning around on her standing on her toes to press a kiss to his cheek.

“And you love it.”

She was rushing yet again to get ready due to Bucky not wanting her to leave mumbling five more minutes which turned into thirty. When they were in the shower Bucky wouldn’t let her leave, holding the two under the running water ignoring her protest before the sound of her mother knocking on the bathroom door caused them to get out.

“(Y/N)! Where’s James! Oh there he is-” Bucky sat on the bathroom counter top giving her mother a warm smile “(Y/N/N) hurry it up! We need to beat traffic, we need to be there first!”

Bucky chuckled, “It’s also like this in New York, we’re always the last to arrive any gathering.” she glared at her boyfriend playfully setting her curler down to slap his thigh.

“Five minutes!” her mother turned on her heels exiting her daughter’s old bedroom, she stuck her tongue out at her boyfriend “You were suppose to disagree.” he grabbed your forearm tugging you between his legs, “Not when it’s true.” she stuck her tongue out again trying to move away from his legs. Placing both hands on her cheeks he squished it lightly pressing a kiss to the tip of her nose.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” he moved his hands to her waist capturing her lips, she placed her hand on his chest pushing back slightly to break the kiss. She waved her pointer finger from side to side, “Hm, now we both know you’re the reason why we’re always late.” He smirked lightly hoping on the counter slapping her ass with his metal arm playfully, watching as her mouth fell into an “O”.

“C’mon (Y/N/N) we don’t wanna be late.”

On their way to the ceremony (Y/N) and Bucky took the backseat while her mother and father took the front, every so often her mother would look into the review mirror noticing the two were fast asleep. Bucky had reclined the seat a little to allow her to rest her head on his chest, their entwined hands resting on his lap.

She smiled remembering the first time (Y/N) had called and told her about Bucky at first everything she said she thought it was too good to be true. Yet when she finally met him last Christmas, she saw how good he was to her and how much he loved her.

Bucky felt too nervous not wanting to leave your side even though your family welcomed him with open arms- many open arms to the point where you had to pull him away from your aunt Irene.

“I-Okay Aunt Irene, what about me where’s my hug?” you freed Bucky from the hug, awkwardly hugging your aunt who instead wanted to hug your boyfriend “Oh he’s a keeper (Y/N/N), look at that hunk of meat.” you chuckled awkwardly pulling away from the hug to stand next to your “hunk of meat” again.

Bucky slowly began to mingle, talking to your cousins, uncles, your brother and father, and even attempted to play with your niece and nephew. But from time to time he’d go back to your side holding your hand or wrapping his arms around your waist.

That’s when she saw it, usually most of (Y/N)’s cousins husbands/boyfriends would rather talk with the other men about sports and wouldn’t check up on their wives/girlfriends yet- here was Bucky coming back to your side any chance he got.

“Hey sleepyhead, we’re here.”

Your hand reached up to rub your eyes, Bucky caught it before you could ruin your mascara “Your makeup.” he mumbled causing you to blink a few times adjusting to the bright light shining through the window. Bucky opened the car door stepping out first then helping you out allowing you to stretch your muscles.

He lifted his hand to your hair fixing the pieces that looked out of place smoothing it down slightly, it’s the little things like this that made her think you’re for sure gonna marry this man.

“As beautiful as ever.”

(Y/N) smiled tugging at his tie to meet her halfway placing a sweet kiss on his lips, “Thank you, and I must say you look quite handsome as always. I should get you to wear more suits.” intwining your left hand with his right you two walked onto the beach seating next to your parents in the front row on the grooms side.

“Uncle Bucky!”

The four year old jumped onto Bucky’s lap, “Hey there’s the little princess!” (Y/N) smiled leaning her head onto Bucky’s shoulder, “No hi for your favorite aunt?” the four year old grinned from ear to ear “Hi Aunty (Y/N/N), do you like my dress?” her tiny fingers tugged at the hem of the dress almost the same colors as yours.

“Oh it’s lovely Arya, I must say we have the same taste.” she watched her niece nod moving her attention to play with Bucky, the two whispering and giggling. “He’s gonna be a great dad someday.” your mother whispered loud enough only for you two to hear.

The first time Arya had met Bucky she didn’t want to let you leave with him claiming that Bucky was now her boyfriend, it always made (Y/N) smile anytime Bucky interacted with her niece and nephew.

Your older brother and his family had recently visited you two last month, an Arya had already planned on spending the day with her Uncle Bucky saying that they had a date but (Y/N) was welcome to join the two. You always knew that Bucky would be a great dad, but that day confirmed you were willing to have a whole football team.

“Yeah, he’s gonna be the best.”

Arya hopped off his lap moving to go meet her mother so she could toss the flowers down the aisle.

Entwining her left hand with his right she gave it a little squeeze, Bucky lifted their hands kissing the back of her hand “Something wrong?” (Y/N) shook her head placing their hands onto her lap.

“No-” she brushed her thumb against the back of his hand “I love you.” Bucky leaned forward kissing his beautiful girlfriend.

“I love you too.”

Moments like this.

After the ceremony came the reception, your feet were killing you in these heels Natasha and Wanda basically pressured you into purchasing. You were eager to sit after standing for many photos, you sighed in relief wanting to undo the straps and go barefoot for the rest of the night.

Bucky too his seat next to you moving his chair a few inches away from you, “Why are you so f-” he lifted both your legs placing your feet onto his lap unstrapping the buckle of your heels before slipping it off.

Slumping against the door she let out a loud sigh, dropping her bag and kicking her heels off. It was another long day at work an all she wanted was to be in the arms of her boyfriend. “Hey doll! In the kitchen!” she padded over to the kitchen smiling at the sight in front of her, she sat on one of their bar stools.

“Hm- I can get use to this.”

Bucky turned around pointing his index finger at the apron, “Kiss the cook.” you snickered you had gotten that for him as a joke at first after he had complained about the oil splashing and staining his shirts.

“My feet are in too much pain to walk.”

He walked over seating in the free seat next to you grabbing your legs to place onto his thighs, you leaned forward kissing his plump pink lips the taste of red wine lingered on his lips causing you to hum. A low groan left your lips the moment he began to massage your feet.

“Oh I love you so much I hope you know that.” he gave her a cheeky smile both his hands massaging your slightly swollen ankles, no more heels for a long while.

Before dinner was served Bucky excused himself to the bathroom, that was nearly fifteen minutes ago. Excusing herself she wandered the halls searching for her boyfriend, “Aunty (Y/N/N)! Can you help me? I think I dropped Shanna!” Shanna was the name of her plush doll Bucky had given her before she had gone back to California, your brother would send pictures of Arya with the doll. She brought it everywhere.

The sun was beginning to set which would make it quite easy to find her doll, the four year old dragged her aunt towards the exit ushering her to pick up the pace.

“Arya- bub can we slow down? Let me remo-”

“I got it!” she waved the plush in the air, dusting the sand off before giving it a big hug. (Y/N) sighed, “That was easier than I thought.” Arya skipped towards her aunt stopping right in front of her “Last one back is a rotten egg.” turning on her heels she nearly ran into Bucky.

“Hi.”

The golden sun kissed his skin, he truly looked like a god standing there. (Y/N) walked towards him wrapping her arms around his neck, “I’ve been looking for you.” A cool sea breeze kissed their skin, she fluttered her eyes shut enjoying the moment “We need to visit more often.” she looked up at Bucky resting her chin against his chest. They stood there for a few more minutes savoring the moment, the only sound of the waves washing ashore echoing through the quiet beach.

“C’mon lets head in.”

She pulled away from Bucky tilting her head to the side noticing her family was standing at the entrance, “Oh- they must be wai-” her eyes widened as she watched her boyfriend get down on knee.

“(Y/N) (Y/L/N), it has been an amazing four years knowing you. You’re not only my girlfriend but my best friend. I can’t believe it took me nearly three years to ask you out, three years! I owe thanks to Sam everyday for introducing me to you, don’t let him know I said that-”

(Y/N) giggled ignoring the tears staining her cheeks, she could care less if her makeup was running.

“I’ve been planning this for the last four months, I want to thank your parents for giving me their blessing to do this. Four months into our relationship, I knew I was going to ask you to marry me one day and well now here we are. Also- your brother doesn’t mind that we’re kinda stealing his spotlight.”

“There better be an open bar at the wedding!” your brother shouted lifting his glass of champagne.

“I want to spend the rest of my life with you creating beautiful unforgettable memories. With that being said-”

Arya rushed over holding out a red velvet box, “Will you-” before he could even open the box she tackled him into a hug. “Yes! A million times left!” she cupped his cheeks kissing her fiancé. He pulled away briefly opening the box to reveal a beautiful emerald cut ring, slipping it onto her ring finger.

“I love you.”

She kissed him once more pressing her forehead against his.

“I love you too.”

#james buchanan barnes #james buchanan bucky barnes #bucky barnes #bucky barnes imagine #bucky barnes one shot #bucky barnes oneshot #bucky barnes fanfiction #bucky barnes x female reader #bucky barnes x fem!reader #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes fluff #bucky barnes smut

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nextstopparis · 3 years ago

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I read the good times are killing me every December and it packs a Punch every single time. i love it, what a fic!!!! btw do you happen to have a rec list of your fav merlin fics? <3

YES RIGHT!!! omg especially that ending scene just. takes me OUT i love that fic so much.

oh boy anon do i…. ok so i was gonna do all of them but that would be ENTIRELY too long and i also made a HUGE fic rec here so ill just. tell you all of my recent ones and like my absolute favourites of all time? i guess? i hope you like them/that you find new stuff here!!! (almost all merthur btw)

recent ones that i've read (90% of this is just. dumb fluff djsnksnskens and italicized ones are both recent and favourites of all time)(i mean i love them all but. you know):

An Inconvenient Time of Day by bevinkathryn

Cute Aggression by MerlinLikeTheBird

M-RYS by mornmeril

The Future Soon by lady_ragnelle

Truth Is a Whisper by seperis

A Merman and a Sea Unicorn Walk into a Pub… by rane_ab

Follow me.. by Warped_Alignment

tell me what it’s like to conquer, tell me what it’s like to burn by stqrkolmes

the world forgetting, by the world forgot by copperiisulfate

Battered and Wrecked, I Come to You First by queerofthedagger

awkward situations call for desperate measures by unknown

A Persistent Curiosity, or Why Merlin is So Bloody Fascinating by Rurounihime

Light of Arthur by Venivincere

Within Reach by foxy_mulder

Twitch Your Whiskers and Pull My Tail by BlueSimplicity

For The Want Of A Tin by nomical

Something Borrowed by EachPeachPearPlum

Pink Like the Sky, Blue Like Your Eyes by jesusonaunicycle

A Collapsing Star With Tunnel Vision by objectlesson

Hanging on by a Thread by sneck

ASL by undersomestairs

The Best Kept Secrets by snufflesfoot

We Pull These Jobs To Make A Little Money (No One Gets Hurt If They Don’t Act Funny) by leashy_bebes

Round Table for Two by moondustings

not just for christmas by starboykeith

Alas for the Splendour by calliglad

Midday Sun by helloearthlings

to take, to hold by lunapark

Practical Volitation by Allothi

23:22 by tonightless

Looking Too Closely by tonightless

wanna be your end game (my youth is yours) series by ladililn

by the sea by Elizabeth

Our broken pieces by aramblingjay

Give me a year by aramblingjay (this is going to make you weep.)

Rinse, Lather, Repeat by leashy_bebes

also you can check out mine if you want you dont have to though ill just leave it here im sorry all the things we did not become by nextstopparis

my personal favourites already on the other list (not in any order):

The Good Times Are Killing Me by minor_hue

Tintagel by seperis

when the truth comes out by ingberry

Breathe Each Other In by caterpillargirl

Round and Round We Go Again Tripping Across the Stars by giselleslash

The Lonely King by Cori Lannam (corilannam)

Dower the Stars by RurouniHime

Watch It All Melt Away by Emjayelle

not eternity by helloearthlings

To Be Worthy of Merlin's Books and Bed by bananahater336

L'Intérieur by aprettyaway

When Morning Comes by Starlingthefool

Fundamental Imperfections by Starlingthefool

(the world is changed) because you are made of ivory and gold by anonymous (YOU ANON?? jk jk ik how anonymous works im sorry)

Nine Weddings and a Funeral by giselleslash

Garden or Graveyard by ShanaStoryteller

[untitled] by slowdead

Day In, Day Out by suchgreatheights

Fear and Wanting by barbitone

the reason that i laugh and breathe by glim

Keep Calm and Carry On by tongueincheeky

Shake Your Windows and Rattle Your Walls by Rosie_Rues

World Enough and Time by alicephantomwise

the problem we all live with by green_postit

Doubt Creeps In And Chills The Air by junkshop_disco

Uncommon People by oddishly

Picture Maker by tourdefierce

The Could In People by junkshop_disco

Sense Memory by glim

This Dance of Days by kianspo

We Are All Diamonds by Footloose

Sick Leave by waldorph

Drastically Redefining Protocol (series) by rageprufrock

Visiting Hunith by RurouniHime

Caesura by StormDancer

Five Days in New York by giselleslash

Paint the World Orange and Blue by ingberry

put your hands into the fire by copperiisulfate

No Such Thing by lady_ragnelle

Not Going to Last by helloearthlings

The Tale of the Sea Serpent by seperis

Sweeter Dreams by Tierfal

Ironing Out the Creases by ingberry

Incurable by glim

August by rageprufrock

Lights Passing on an Evening Train by ladyflowdi

But It's a Good Refrain by lady_ragnelle

Skipping Beats, Blushing Cheeks by Thursday_Next

#EXACTLY 85 I THINK SJKDCNSKJCNS #god anyway #i hope you like them these fics are the only things keeping me alive<3 #bbc merlin #merthur fic rec #ask

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kaylawritesfics · 4 years ago

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Marvel: Fic Rec 1

A collection of marvel fics that I’ve recently read that I thought were really good!

march 28, 2021

| Avengers |

@ijustwant2write : That’s Just Wrong (Avengers x lesbian!reader)

‘coming out to the avengers as a lesbian who likes pineapple on pizza and they’re super taken back - not cos ur a lesbian but cos of ur pizza taste’

this one is a super cute coming out story i loved it so much

| Bucky Barnes |

@moteldwelling : good girl (bucky x fem!reader)

bucky and reader turn eachother on with pet names, and smut ensues. dirty talk, couch sex, praise kink. this sort of turned into dom!bucky idk it just happened LOL

@crispychrissy : Healing (1940s!bucky x nurse!reader)

Tasked with examining the injured soldiers that were liberated from the Hydra factory, one sergeant in particular gives you a run for your money.

this one is one of my favorites

@tuiccim : Almost Had Me Believing It (Series Masterlist) (bucky x reader)

An undercover operation playing Bucky Barnes’ wife is a dream come true. Playing house in the suburbs while trying to take down a drug ring brings you and Bucky closer but a nosy neighbor causes trouble in paradise.

this is one of my all time favorite bucky series

@imaginexmeintheuniverse : Dog Tags (bucky x reader)

For your Christmas drabbles, could you write Bucky gifting the reader his old dog tags?

@pinkettepoet : In Which She Knows That They Don’t Know (bucky x reader) (avengers x reader) part 2

could you write a buckyxreader/avengersxreader where they like all forget her bday bc there’s just been a lot of stuff going on so even though she’s kinda upset about it she doesn’t blame them and something happens and they all realize what day it is and they go all out to throw her a party and it’s just really fluffy and happy avengers family? Sorry it’s kinda long!

| Loki Laufeyson |

@angelkurenai : One Moment (Loki x reader)

You have found a way to undo the damage Thanos did and bring everyone you lost back, all of your loved ones or at least most of them. As you travel back in 2012, however, you run into someone who is far too familiar. Unable to let go, even after all these years, of the death of the man - or basically god - you loved so much you forget all about the mision and decide to have one more moment with the one who sacrificed his life to save yours out of love.

@beskar-tano : Just A Taste (Loki x reader)

On a brisk walk through Central Park, Loki tries earth’s hot chocolate for the very first time.

@obscure-imagines : Loki x Valkyrie!Reader

imagine: being a Valkyrie that Loki was always in love with and when you show up in Sakaar he’s really excited to see you again

loki fangirling over the valkyrie reader is my aesthetic

@gingerwritess : Loki x reader

I’ve got a question I’d love for you to answer, because I simply adore your characterization of Loki. What sort of nicknames do you think he’d call his s/o? Both the lovey-dovey ones and the playful mean ones

this is so soft i love it

@too-attached-to-fiction : A Night In The Gardens (Loki x reader)

#2: “It’s nearly midnight, what are you doing?”

@justeclipseblogs : Complicated (2012!loki x goddess!reader)

Based on Avengers (2012), where instead of Thor going after Loki - it’s Thor and his friend, Reader, who happens to be Loki’s… well, it’s complicated.

this is one of my favorite loki fics and i would love to see a part 2 to it

@yourfavouriterival : i will always love you; how i do (loki x reader)

@beskar-tano : Undying Fidelity (Loki x reader)

“I was just kind of hoping you’d y’know … fall in love with me.” + Loki Laufeyson Odinson

@jobean12-blog : A Smile In Bloom (loki x reader)

You and Loki bond over your mutual love for plants :)

@rorybutnotgilmore : Exist For Love (loki x reader)

Just some domestic baking and dancing with Loki.

| Natasha Romanoff |

@lethological-clara : Bikes and Bruises (natasha x reader)

Natasha teaches you how to ride a bike.

@saltybaltic : Downpour (natasha x reader)

Walking through the streets of New York you get caught in a torrential downpour and have to find cover

@saltybaltic : Save The Date (natasha x wife!reader)

On the day of your third wedding anniversary with Natasha, you realise that you’ve both been celebrating the wrong date

@saltybaltic : Cat Walk (natasha x reader)

Being friends with Natasha isn’t always easy, especially when you’re supposed to be helping her pick an outfit and you’re struggling to keep your mind out of the gutter.

gay panic

| Peter Parker |

@starshipsofstarlord : Screen Light (peter x reader

watching a movie does not always entail paying attention to it. However, there is innocence to the picture perfect distraction.

@baroquebucky : Truly, Madly, Deeply (peter x reader)

Truly, Madly, Deeply by One Direction with Peter Parker

one direction and peter parker is the perfect combo

@buckysbeloved : of sleep and safety (peter x reader)

in which peter parker slumps into your room exhausted and you have to try and get him into bed despite the height difference between you

| Pietro Maximoff |

@dem-obscure-imagines : Little Stark (Pietro x stark!reader)

Could you do an imagine of being Tony’s snarky sarcastic clever badass part-time Shield agent sister and Bruce’s best friend and therefore spends a lot of time in their lab while they’re your favorite people you are also brilliant, and therefore they also see Pietro always hanging around because he has a crush on you and Tony is protective big bro and everyone else just teases Pietro??

@helaintoloki : Meet The Family (Pietro Peter Maximoff x reader)

An innocent family dinner with Pietro’s new girlfriend reveals that life in Westview is not what it seems. Uncle Pietro introduces y/n to the family!

This one is sweet with a touch of Westview darkness

| Pepper Potts |

@rae-is-typing : Mother’s Day (mom!pepper x stark!reader)

It’s Mother’s Day, and you surprise your step mom Pepper

| Steve Rogers |

@ohmygoditsanthonyedwardstark : Why Do You Hate Me So Much? (steve x reader) (slight bucky x reader)

You spend your whole life loving Steve Rogers, unfortunately he can’t even spare a minute to love you.

i really want a part 2 to this one

| Thor Odinson |

@rae-is-typing : She’s Not Dying (platonic!thor x reader)

You have a cold, and Thor thinks you’re dying.

| Wanda Maximoff |

@cap-n-stuff : wanda maximoff x reader

Wanda x reader angst (like reader gets hurt or dies maybe idrk lmao)

@beskar-tano : wanda x reader comfort headcanons

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sporesmoldandfungi · 3 years ago

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Flip City - Mrs. Spengler

A/N : Hello! This is the first chapter for ‘Flip City’!It’s going to be a lot more interesting than ‘Magic’ due to the changes I’ll be making to the general storyline, so the dialogue not a direct copy of the script. If any of you are confused or want to be aware of any changes, I suggest you look at my Background Info on my masterlist before reading so you understand the whole story first. I hope you all enjoy and I’m very excited to officially be starting this story. <3

Autumn had left New York City and winter was in full swing. Gone were the Jack-o-Lanterns and in were the Christmas reeves and trees. Genevieve Spengler was no exception, having decorated her front door to her and her husband's, townhouse. After her near death experience with a certain Sumaritan god, she spent most of her time at home or working part-time at Ray's book store. Egon made enough money for Genevieve to have the luxury of choosing her career.

It was two days after Halloween, Genevieve sat in her living room, toying with the grand piano that sat by the front window. Every now and then she would look out and watch people walk down the street. In all honesty, she was hoping to see Egon come home from work. She knew he got caught up in his research, it was indearing when she was his assistant and was the one who would eventually coax him out of his work. But now, being home alone all day, sometimes until late in the night, his work habits got on her nerves. She took a glance at the clock that hung above one of the many bookshelves in the living room.

7 o'clock.

"That's it." she huffed, closing the lid of her piano. She walked to the coat rack, quickly throwing on a large peacoat and some boots. She yelled a goodbye to her cats and made her way to Egon's work. He was rehired at Columbia after the success of the Ghostbusters. What once was Weaver Hall was now the Institute for Advanced Theoretical Research, thanks to the great Dr. Spengler.

She opened the heavy, oak door. Forgetting it's weight, she struggled for a moment until one of the researchers helped her. She looked at the young woman and smiled at her.

"Good evening, Mrs. Spengler. Dr. Spengler is in the back." the woman said.

Genevieve took off her jacket, draping it over her arm. "Thank you."

It took a while for her to get used to being "Mrs. Spengler", but she liked the butterflies she got everytime someone addressed her as such.

She mumbled 'hellos' to the passing researchers and interns as she made her way to the back. Finally, she reached the back door. Five years ago it read, "Venkman burn in hell!" and it was now replaced with a gold plate with Egon's name on it. You could still see the faded red letters on the wood, though. It was a big inside joke between her and her friends.

One of Egon's lab assistants acknowledged Genevieve's presence, "Dr. Spengler, your wife is here."

Egon popped up from behind a table, he smiled at his wife. Four years had passed since he married her, but he still had a big schoolboy crush on her. He walked over to her, kissing her temple and hanging up her coat on the back of his office chair. He ushered for her to follow him to where he was previously working.

"To what do I owe the pleasure, Mrs. Spengler?" he said smiling, picking up his clipboard.

She shrugged, "It was getting late and I just wanted to check on you, see what you were up to."

He walked around the lab, Genevieve hot on his trail. "I'm still working on the human emotions and it's affect on its surroundings theory. Making some progress today. But, I had a visitor today so that's why I'm staying a little late tonight."

"Oh, who?"

"Dana." he said nonchalantly, scribbling something down on the clipboard.

Her eyes widened, "What did she need?".

Being the only two couples in their mutual friend group, Dana and Genevieve were quite close. Especially after their shard Gozer experience. When she married Peter, Genevieve helped with the wedding planning and was one of her bridesmaids. Egon and Genevieve were Dana and Peter's son's godparents. Hearing that there was a potential problem that Dana had and she went to Egon first instead of Genevieve kind of stung.

"Oscar's carriage went flying down 1st Avenue, was asking for my input. He's alright, so don't worry about that." he said nonchalantly, finally put down his clipboard, looking around at the assistants in the lab. He motioned for her to wait. He then proceeded to tell everyone that they could go home, that he would finish the work tomorrow morning. They all looked grateful and said their goodbyes. He looked back at Genevieve, motioning for her to sit down. "I wanted to see what you thought about what I'm going to say."

"Okay?"

"I think it may there may be a paranormal reasoning for this. I just wanted to warn you, just in case there was."

She shrugged, "Alright. I mean, I did just as much paranormal research as you did before we became Ghostbusters. Why the red herring?"

"What I mean is, if we need your help, will you be okay to put in a helping hand? I wouldn't want to trigger any trauma from Gozer."

"Psh! I'm fine!"

He lowered his face so he could look at her above his glasses. "Really? Because I recall a young lady who was pretty shaken by some paranormal events for over a year."

"Well she sounds like a wimp." she joked.

"I'm being serious, Genevieve." Egon said, putting his hands on her shoulders. "I don't want to put you through that again, I don't want to go through that again either. I don't know if I could live with myself if something happened to you and I could have prevented it."

Genevieve grabbed his hands, "And I'm saying, I'm ready. Sitting at home everyday is getting boring anyways, it would be nice to have a project."

Egon smiled at her, even if she was lying, he knew he wouldn't win the argument. He stood up, grabbing their jackets. "I told Ray we would meet him at the store, I want his input on this, too. Wanna come with?"

She nodded and he put her jacket on her, always being the gentlemen. They rushed out of the lab, walking a few blocks down to Ray's bookstore. The store sign said 'closed' but they both knew that didn't apply to them. Being the first customers and part-time employees had its perks.

The bell overhead the door let out a ring as Egon opened it. Ray was behind the register, staring down at a newspaper, his reading glasses dangling on the edge of his nose.

"We're closed." he said, not looking up.

"What a shame, I was here to ask what a gal has to do get her hands on a "How-To" book on complete world domination. Gonna have to check out Barnes and Noble." Genevieve joked, walking over to join Ray at the counter.

He looked up at the sound of her voice, and greeted her and Egon with a warm smile.

"Always a pleasure, Genevieve." Ray smiled, leaning over the counter to greet her with an awkward hug. He waved to Egon who was busy looking through books that lined the walls. "What can I do for you?"

"Egon needs your input on something." she stated, grabbing a handful of mints from next to the register, unwrapping one and plopping it in her mouth.

"Oscar's carriage went out of control, moving on it's own down 1st avenue." Egon said, still looking through the titles.

Ray gasped, "That's great! Well, horrible for the baby, but great for us! Do you think this has a paranormal reason behind it?"

"We wouldn't be here if it didn't." Genevieve said.

Another ring from the bell made the three look over at the door. In sauntered Peter Venkman, making himself right at home.

"Ah, perhaps you could help me. I am looking for a love-potion aerosol that I could spray on a certain Penthouse Pet to obtain her total submission." he said in a horribly done German accent.

Egon stared at the man blankly, "Hello, Venkman."

"Hi, Egon. How's school?" Peter said, tossing his jacket over his shoulder. "I bet Genevieve is really missing that large cranium of yours."

"I think she's more interested in my epididymis." Egon quipped, making Peter chuckle.

Genevieve cleared her throat, making Egon smirk at her. "Nice to see you, Venkman."

"Oh, the missus came out of hiding. Where've you been, Genny?"

She shrugged, "Taking care of the cats."

"Nice, nice. Ray, let's close this place down so you can buy me a calzone." Peter said,

"Oh, I really can't do that right now, Pete. I'm working on something. But your book came in. "Magical Paths to Fortune and Power"." Ray said, handing him a small book.

"Thank you."

Egon and Genevieve snickered, "Good luck with that, Venkman."

"Will you put that on my tab, please?" Peter said, ignoring Egon and Genevieve's laughter and snide comments.

Ray nodded, going back to his reading.

Egon grabbed a book and quickly skimmed through it, "Ray, take a look at this."

Egon tossed the book to Genevieve, and she skimmed it herself before handing it to Ray.

Peter looked offended that he wasn't in on what they were working on. "So, what are you three working on? Drafting a contract for a threesome? I'm hurt, I always thought I'd be first pick for the Spengler's third. Probably because I'm married right? Well between you and me, the missus doesn't have to know. Maybe she can join."

"We're doing a favor for a friend." Ray stated.

"Oh, nice. Who?"

"I-uh." Ray was gladly interrupted by the phone, quickly answering it and just as quickly hanging up.

Peter grabbed Ray's face, asking again, "Who?"

Ray tried to ignore Peter, but failed when Peter gripped tightly on Ray's ears. Ray groaned and protested, saying he couldn't tell Peter. But the pain became too much, and he caved, "Dana!"

Peter quickly dropped Ray's ears, "My Dana?"

Awkward silence fell amongst the four adults. Peter didn't know who to be mad at, his friends for not telling him sooner, his wife for going behind his back, or himself for not noticing something was wrong sooner.

He took a deep breath, "I need a drink. Who's coming?"

"Sorry, Pete. It's best if Egon and I research as much as possible to help Dana." Ray said.

"Right, good idea." Peter looked over at Genevieve, "What about you? You free?"

"Why the hell not?"

TAGLIST (let me know if you want to be added!) : @egonspenglersweetie , @spenglers-main-squeeze , @hiddlebatchedloki

#egon #egon spengler #egon x oc #egon spengler x oc #egon spengler x reader #ghostbusters #ghostbusters 2 #ghostbusters1989 #peter venkman #ray stantz #winston zeddemore #dana barrett #peter #ray #winston #original character #original writing #dan akroyd #harold ramis

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sushi0989 · 3 years ago

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Pick Me If You Want To (part 1)

Summary: Set in the early 1950s, you are an aspiring photographer that is currently working at a toy store until you make your big break. During a surge of Christmas shopping, you are first met by Wanda Maximoff, a mother of twin boys and married. She leaves her gloves, which gives you the opportunity to meet her again. She takes fond of you, and you of her, but her messy divorce with her husband, Vision, risks the custody of her twins. Does she continue your blossoming relationship or fight for her kids? Based on the movie Carol

Pairing: Wanda Maximoff x Reader

Warnings: none (i think)

Word Count: 4823

A/N: I actually thought of this idea in the middle of the night while lying in bed and I literally jumped out of bed to write it down haha. I have 2 parts written so far and I plan on having 4 parts in total. I’m also not sure if I want to include smut because in the movie they hook up once, but I’ll think about it. Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy :)

Christmas was the most hectic time of the year, for shopkeepers especially. You were struggling to stay afloat during the Christmas present buying palooza. The customers kept flowing in searching for the perfect toy for their child or nephew or grandchild, constantly asking what was the best of the best. Not to mention, the annoying Santa hat perched on your head was a little too big for you, so it kept sliding off and obstructing your view. Your shift ended ten minutes from now, you only had to keep at this for ten more minutes, you assured yourself.

That was when a woman walked in: curled chestnut red hair falling just above her shoulders, red lipstick glistening in the store lights, and wore a tan coat over her light blue dress with matching gloves. She looked at the different products quizzically as you tried not to stare. She began to come to your area at the counter, so you pretended you were writing in the sales slip.

"Hello, sorry to be a bother, but I was wondering if you could help me?" the woman asked you, her voice was warm but also had a richness to it you couldn't quite describe. Perhaps like honey. "Of course, ma'am. How could I be of assistance?" you responded with your customer service voice, perky and obnoxious, two things that you were not.

"I was hoping to get something for my twin boys, but I'm not quite sure what I should get them, you see. I was wondering if you could point me in the right direction," she continued, her eyebrows furrowed while addressing you, her green eyes not leaving yours.

Your thoughts about annoying customers disappeared all for this woman. There was just something about her that made you drawn to her, but what was it? "May I suggest a model train? It would be a great gift to share between the two of them," you suggested. The woman felt that she could trust you with anything, you had this energy that she wanted to relish in, but your interaction only lasted for 2 minutes. You gestured to the model train showcase behind the woman and she nodded in agreement. "Yes, I think I would like to order that, thank you, doll," she said to you, your stomach fluttering at the nickname.

"Could I get your name please?" you asked so you could fill out the sale slip, you tried maintaining your professional composure. "Wanda Maximoff," she answered. You asked her to sign the bottom of the page, and she took her gloves off and placed them on the counter beside her to do so, your eyes glanced at her gold wedding band on her ring finger. You stared away to check on other customers as she signed and you noticed an older woman who appeared to be needing help. "If you would excuse me, I need to help another customer. Darcy over here will help you with the purchase," you told Mrs. Maximoff as you made your way to the old woman by the action figures.

She nodded her head and watched you as you turned away. Darcy came over to Mrs. Maximoff and assisted her with the payment, but as Mrs. Maximoff was leaving, she was so focused on you that she had left her gloves sitting on the counter. When you were about to leave for home, you noticed the light blue gloves still lying on the counter, but Wanda was nowhere to be found.

You went to your boss, "Mr. Stark, it looks like one of our customers has left their gloves," you stated with a ring of fear that he might get angry. He crossed his arms and huffed, "well then go look at the sales slip and contact them." You nodded, "yes sir," and pulled out the sales slip for the day. There was written, 'Wanda Maximoff' along with her address and phone number. You wrote the address down on a separate envelope and placed the gloves inside and mailed it off on your walk home.

You got back to your apartment, and much to your disappointment, your boyfriend was there, too. "Hey, baby," he said as you walked into the living room, engulfing you into a hug that you weren't really in the mood for. "Hey, Steve," you said into his chest trying to pull away, the strong scent of cologne invaded your nostrils. He wasn't a terrible person, but you couldn't stand him most of the time by his 'lovey-doveyness'. Your first year with him was great, your love felt pure, but over time it felt bland and repetitive. He, however, was infatuated by you, always wanted to be with you in every waking moment like a puppy.

"Come to France with me," he whines, but you've already told him dozens of times that you didn't want to. You were in the midst of potentially getting signed on as a photographer for The New York Times thanks to your friend, Bruce, who works there. "I already told you no," you groaned, walking away to put your bag down and ready to shower. "Come on, I have so many things planned for us," he pleaded, but you didn't want to hear it and locked yourself in your room. Little did you know, he wanted to propose to you with a candlelit dinner on the Eiffel Tower.

"Open the door," he knocked aggressively, but you didn't want to deal with him right now, or else you would say things that you wouldn't be able to take back. "I'm tired, I'm going to take a shower and crawl into bed," you groaned through the door. "Why don't I join in," he murmured seductively. "Not today, I'm not feeling it," you replied flatly. Steve sighed and walked off, now relieved, you gathered your showering items and went to the bathroom.

Wanda arrived back at her home late at night, her sons running up to her as she walked through the door of her grand estate in New Jersey. Vision, her husband, gave her an irritated expression as she hugged her children. "Go off to bed, kids, I need to talk to Daddy," she cooed and kissed the tops of their heads and they ran off up the spiral staircase.

"Took you long enough to get home."

"Well I was running errands," Wanda huffed and went over to the cupboard that contained alcohol and poured herself a glass of whiskey. She walked over to a chair in the living room and sat with her legs crossed eyeing her irritated husband.

"Errands," Vision chuckled dryly. "It's my turn to sleep in the bedroom, you can stay in the guest room tonight," he seethed while going up the stairs and slamming the bedroom door shut.

Wanda sighed as she chugged her drink and slumped further into the chair. Once the divorce was finalized she could finally be free from his judgment. She could do whatever. Wanda eventually went upstairs and quietly entered the room of her sleeping boys, giving them each other kisses and tucking them in as they were fast asleep.

In the morning, Wanda received a package with her gloves inside, the return address reading 'Stark's Toy Emporium.'

Wanda picked up the phone and called the store.

"Hello, this is Stark's Toy Emporium, Tony Stark speaking," a man answered, seeming to be in a rush. "Hello, I just received my gloves I misplaced at your store in the mail, I was wondering if I could thank whoever found them," Wanda replied.

Soon you were being called over by Tony, his eyes rolled in annoyance, as per usual. You quickly grabbed the phone hoping it wasn't Steve, "Hello?"

"Hi! This is Wanda, I just wanted to thank you for sending my gloves," she chimed through the speaker. "Oh it was nothing ma'am," you replied, trying to shake off the feeling you were getting from this woman's voice. "Well, I was wondering if I could take you out to lunch as thanks," she invited, her voice was a bit softer, deeper than before. "No, ma'am it's okay, it wasn't that big of a deal," you answered back. "Oh come on now, it's my treat. I'll see you at 2 pm at Barnes' Bistro," she hung up the phone before you could object.

It was already noon, only two more hours before you had to awkwardly make small talk with a woman you very well are intimidated by for some odd reason. You hung the phone back on its receiver and returned to work, the rush of people continued through till the end of your shift. There was not even a moment of rest before your lunch. You masked your exhaustion as you entered the restaurant, the aroma of cigarette smoke mixed with delicious food circulated the air, but you would take this scent over Steve's cologne any day.

A waiter noticed you enter and greeted you, "Good afternoon, ma'am, do you have a reservation?" You quickly scanned the restaurant and noticed the top of the chestnut red hair in the back corner. "Um, I believe the name is Maximoff, I see her back there," you pointed in the direction of the redhead. "Ah yes, Mrs. Maximoff, right this way ma'am," he gestured for you to follow him towards the back of the restaurant. It was rather dimly lit, the booths were occupied either by two men in business suits or a man and a woman, all of whom were smoking a cigar or cigarette.

"And here you are," the young waiter said as you stood at the end of the table, Mrs. Maximoff glancing up meeting your eyes. Her fingers also held a smoking cigarette, but you didn't mind since it was the norm, however, you personally didn't smoke. "You made it!" she exclaimed quickly, getting up and kissing both of your cheeks as a greeting. You awkwardly smiled and sat across from her in the booth seating.

"What drink would you like, ma'am?" the waiter asked. "Oh, uh, water should be fine, thank you," you replied quietly, your nervousness could be detected from miles away, but Mrs. Maximoff seemed to be shocked for some odd reason. "Water? No dear, let me treat you to something nice, could you get her a glass of Chianti?" she requested and the waiter nodded enthusiastically and rushed off. Mrs. Maximoff took one last puff of her cigarette before putting it out in the ashtray.

"So, I don't think I ever got your name, dear," she began. "Y/n Y/l/n" you answered quickly. "That's a pretty name for a pretty girl," she smiled and picked up her glass of red wine and took a swig. Your face blushed at the compliment, you looked down at your hands fiddling with the spoon on the table to avoid her eyes. The waiter came back with the glass of red wine meant for you and placed it next to your hand. "Thank you, Peter," Mrs. Maximoff said to him. He nodded his head before dashing off again.

"How long have you been working at the toy store?" she questioned. "It'll be one year next month, it's just a side thing," you answered embarrassed to mention your true dream. "Well, what is it you want to do?" she raised an eyebrow. "I uh- I'm a photographer," you stammered. "That's very intriguing, y/n" she complimented, you were flustered by the use of your name.

"Have you had any success in finding a job relating to photography?"

"I just met with a photo editor at the New York Times last weekend, I have to put together a portfolio and send it off to them to be considered for a position," you explained, finally looking up at her and putting your spoon down. "That sounds exciting! You must show me your work!" Mrs. Maximoff exclaimed with genuine excitement. Steve would complement your photography, but it felt half-hearted, maybe it's because he didn't want you to overshadow him someday.

After lunch as the two of you headed out, Mrs. Maximoff and you exchanged a farewell. "Thank you again for the lunch, Mrs. Maximoff," you thanked her in a quick hug. "Oh, it was my pleasure. And please call me Wanda, you're making me feel quite old. How about I give you my number and we can meet again?" she offered and you couldn't help but nod. As much as you weren't keen on continuing this friendship or relationship or whatever was happening, you felt like this woman understood you in a way no one else did.

You decided to go visit Bruce to thank him for getting the meeting with the photo editor. The thought of Wanda's phone number written on a slip of paper in your handbag added pep to your step as you strolled into the office building. You walked up to the front desk saying you were going to visit a friend, "Mr. Banner is on floor 11," she said. The elevator let you off on the floor and you saw Bruce in his office typing away on his typewriter.

"Y/n! What a pleasant surprise to see you here!" he beamed and got up from his desk to give you a kiss on the cheek. "I figured I should stop by since you're the reason my dreams have a chance of becoming a reality now," you smiled and took a seat across from his desk. "It was no problem, your talent would add so much to the paper. You're also welcome here whenever," Bruce stated leaning back in his armchair.

"Where are my manners? Let me get something to drink! I've got whiskey, gin-" "I just had a drink actually," you countered declining his offer.

"What's one more drink gonna do? Come on, live a little!" he pressured you and got up to go to the corner of his office to pull out two glasses and a bottle of gin. "Fine, only this once," you caved in. He poured two drinks and handed you one. The gin went smooth, but it still burnt your throat, however, you were able to mask it.

"How are things with you and Steve?" Bruce inquired with skepticism, which you found a little out of character, but the alcohol toiled with your mind and proceeded to spill all of your thoughts. "He wants me to go to France with him even though I've told him not so many times. I can't deal with him anymore, but I've been with him for so long now that I feel bad to end things," you confessed, making Bruce intrigued. He leaned on his desk directly in front of you.

"Is there someone else you think is causing you to lose interest in him?" Bruce asked in a low tone and leaned towards you a little bit, but still your slightly tipsy self didn't see the red flag. "I mean, I haven't really thought about that," you answered pondering, thoughts of Wanda flashing in your mind, but you were quickly brought back to reality when Bruce's lips were on yours.

You shrieked, forcing him to pull away. You angrily got up, "what the hell, Bruce?!" you scolded him. "I'm sorry! You weren't reacting when I was leaning closer to you so I just went in!" he defended his actions. "God! All men are the fucking same!" you complained and downed your drink before rushing out of his office. Bruce rubbed his forehead realizing the mistake he made, but it was too late to take it back now.

You arrived back in your apartment to emptiness, Steve was nowhere to be found. Thank god, you thought. You stumbled onto your pea-green sofa and laid there in anguish. Nothing seemed to appease you, nothing went your way. As soon as these thoughts rang in your head, your telephone rang as well. You groaned as you begrudgingly made your way to the kitchen where the phone was hung.

"Hello?" you groaned in a tired and yet apathetic voice which Wanda was a bit surprised to hear.

"Hi, sweetie, it's Wanda!"

You held your breath realizing you rudely answered the woman. You cleared your throat and corrected your shoulders before speaking again. "Hi- uh I'm- hi!" you stuttered, grumbling to yourself for this embarrassing encounter.

"I was calling to invite you over to my house, I would love to have you over," Wanda said, biting her lip hoping that you would say yes. She twirled the cord connecting to the receiver around her finger patiently waiting for your answer.

"Oh, really? I mean, I can. I don't have a car though-"

"I can pick you up!" Wanda interrupted with excitement. "When are you free this week, dear?"

"I'm free tomorrow," you replied with a smile to contain yourself. "I'll come tomorrow at noon then," Wanda concluded, little did you know just how much she was looking forward to seeing you and your adorable self. She couldn't get enough of you, and neither could you get enough of her.

Steve never came home that night, and you didn't care one bit. He was a nuisance to your life, especially right now since he knew how much this photography opportunity meant to you, but his pestering was going to make you snap and break his heart at any second.

You looked your best self, wearing a navy blue blouse with black trousers. It wasn't that common for women at the time to be wearing such things, it was more progressive, however, all you cared about was comfort. You occasionally would wear dresses, but you preferred pants and a shirt. You could say that it was for Wanda, but it was for yourself. People, particularly women, would examine your modern style as appalling, but not Wanda. You figured why not be comfortable and stylish.

You made a small breakfast before Wanda arrived. You had a bit of a headache from all of the alcohol you had the day before, but that was barely on your mind. All you could think about was making sure you looked presentable as did your apartment before Wanda came. You just finished drying the last dish when you heard a knock on your door. You dried your hands with the dish towel before scurrying to quickly let Wanda in.

There she was, standing in a red coat that hugged her figure in all of the right ways. She wore a beige dress underneath, hidden by the boldness of the coat that you couldn't keep your eyes off of. She was also wearing a matching red hat that looked beautiful with her chestnut hair.

"Ready to go?" she asked, seemingly in a hurry. "Yes, let me get my bag," you turned around and grabbed your bag off of the coffee table, inside holding your wallet and your camera just in case there was an opportunity to shoot.

You walked with Wanda side by side in a comfortable silence until you reached her car. You sat on the passenger side, which was connected with the driver's seat.

"Would you like any music?" Wanda inquired as she pulled out of the parking spot on the curb. "I'll listen to whatever you do," you answered. You didn't listen to music all that much, you didn't have the time to nor did you have a radio.

"I like to drive in silence, the sound of the wind soothes me," Wanda replied. You turned your head and saw how the cool wind tousled Wanda's hair around, but never did it ruin her perfect curls.

"There's a Christmas tree farm on the way that I wanted to check out if that's okay with you," Wanda imparted quickly glancing at you but focused on the road. "That's fine, I don't mind," you said. Wanda's cheeks feathered a light pink, delighted that you agreed. She soon pulled into the small but crowded Christmas tree market. There was Christmas music playing, kids laughing and sprinting around completely oblivious to the disgruntled shouts by their parents, and the occasional newlywed couple admiring what tree was to be their first one.

"You can stay in the car if you'd like, I'm just going to pay for one and bring it back some other time," Wanda was saying to you standing right out of the passenger window. You didn't even notice her get out of the car let alone walk around to get your attention away from the beautiful scene you were watching. "That's fine, you go ahead," you answered, glancing up at her face.

Wanda turned around and made her way towards the clerk, the cool winter breeze ruffling her coat and hair. Your attention was now focused on the woman, how her smile stretched from ear to ear, her mannerisms like how she would play with the ring on her finger while speaking to someone, or how she would partially bite her lip while thinking of a response to a question in conversation.

Your hand automatically reached for your bag and pulled out your camera. You stepped out of the car and shot some candid photos of Wanda, capturing her elegance. As Wanda finished up, you took pictures of the rest of the scene you were so enthralled in before Wanda had caught your attention again. Once you were satisfied, you went back into the car and wrote your name onto the foggy window.

"Dirtying my car I see," Wanda teased, making you tense up. "I'm sorry, I'll wipe it-"

"I'm just kidding, you're so uptight! Let loose! I don't bite," Wanda assured you, but you still held your breath around her. You didn't want her to think badly of you, to set her off in any kind of way even though you barely know this woman. You responded to her with a weak smile to exemplify that you understood her suggestion, you reprimanded your subconscious for looking into her enchanting eyes.

She got into the driver's seat once again, only her left hand gripped the steering wheel while her right hand rested on her lap. After another 20 minutes, you arrived at her home. It was evening by the time you got there, the sunset earlier in the winter, but the area around her room was beautifully lit. It was just as you imagined, a large estate with a grand yard filled with all kinds of bushes and flowers surrounding it.

"Wow," you gawked in amazement. You both entered and your head swiveled to take in all of the details perfectly situated around her home. Your eyes lingered at a family portrait of her, her twin children, and what appeared to be her husband, a tall man who had a strained smile, forced, no true happiness lying beneath it. There was no one in the home, was what you thought at first until you heard the giggles of children emanating from upstairs.

"Billy! Tommy! What are you doing?" Wanda shouted, her hands on her hips facing to look up the spiral staircase in the direction of the laughter. "We're just playing, Momma!" one of them shouted back from the bedroom.

Wanda turned back to face you and sighed. "They can be a handful, but I'm just glad they have one another to keep each other entertained." You nodded in understanding, you had younger siblings who were reckless little misfits that you had to take care of, so you knew exactly what it was like.

You noticed a beautiful grand piano located in a room beside the dining area and your legs automatically took you towards it. You hand caressed the top, you had never seen such a luxurious piano, you've only ever played cheap upright ones. "Can you play?" you asked Wanda, your eyes still admiring the ivory keys.

"Sadly, I cannot. My husband can, but he hasn't touched it in years," Wanda confessed, a twinge of disappointment in her tone. "Can you?"

"I can, but I'm not the greatest," you chuckled dryly. "Oh, you shouldn't have said that, y/n because now I'm going to need to hear you play for me," Wanda smirked and walked over to you and the piano. "Oh gosh, I'd rather not. My hands probably have lost their ability and my voice-"

"You sing, too?! Now I must hear you play and sing!" Wanda was elated, she leaned on the piano as your face heated up. You sighed knowing that you were a guest and you brought nothing to give, not even a bottle of wine. "Since I didn't bring you a gift for inviting me to your home, this can be it," you grinned nervously as you slowly sat on the bench and placed your hands on the keys.

Your fingers automatically played a run, completely captivating Wanda at the effortless ability. You cleared your throat and began to sing.

"Everybody loves somebody sometime. Everybody falls in love somehow. Something in your kiss just told me, that sometime is now." You carried on singing, your voice lulling Wanda as she swayed to the song. She crept over and took a seat next to you on the piano bench as you continued playing, trying not to stutter your words when you felt her leg brush yours.

"Everybody loves somebody sometime. And though my dreams were overdue, your love made it all worth waiting for someone like you," you slowed the song and the piano still hummed the last note. Wanda placed her hand on your thigh and whispered, "that was absolutely beautiful." You shuddered by the touch and curled your toes.

"My dad taught me how to play. He would always sing this song to my mother. He loved her so much, I swore that I one day want to love someone the way my dad loved my mom. When he passed, I would play this song for my mother in his place, but then she started to lose her memory and now she stays with my younger sister in New Haven," you explained solemnly. Wanda furrowed her eyebrows, her heart ached for you. She moved her hand from your thigh to your face, cupping your cheek.

"I'm sorry to hear that. I am certain, however, with that talent and song you can win over anyone's heart in under five seconds," she smiled and kissed your forehead. You blushed and looked deeply into her green eyes. You tried to capture this moment into your subconscious. She was no longer in her coat, just her beige dress, a pearl necklace, no gloves, and the same red lipstick. Her mouth was slightly open, she glanced down at your lips and began to close the gap.

The front door of the house abruptly opened and a man wearing a suit hiding underneath a black coat walked inside with a brown briefcase. Wanda quickly dropped her hand from your face and stood up. You turned away from her as well. He took notice of the tension and scowled.

"Wanda. You brought your antics into our home. My home. Under my roof. Already moved on from Monica and now you've brought someone else!" he fumed and aggressively put his briefcase down. "Don't yell in front of her, Vision! We can discuss this privately," Wanda hissed at him.

"I'm taking the kids to Florida with me for Christmas, right now," he announced as he ran upstairs to their room. "You're what?! You didn't discuss this with me!" Wanda yelled at him running after him. He soon was holding each kid in either arm and pushed Wanda out of his way. "You can't do this!" she began to cry, but he ignored her, anger clouded all around him. There was a car outside with a chauffeur, Vision put them in the backseat. You stood there watching this all unfold, unsure of what to do.

You rushed over to the front door to see Wanda sobbing while on her knees on the porch as the car drove off. You crouched down and embraced her, she put her arms around you and burrowed her face into the crook of your neck and shoulder. Her sobs wracked her entire body, her breathing was uneasy, so you rubbed circles on her back. She eventually calmed down and pulled away.

"I'll drive you to the train station," she said with her broken voice. You nodded your head, she needed time to herself and you were right now a reminder of what she just lost. "I'll call a cab, you should go get some rest," you responded and held her hand in yours. "Are you sure?" Wanda replied. You gave her a smile, which she took as her answer.

The cab arrived within ten minutes, Wanda waved goodbye, no hug or kiss on the cheek. You waved back through the window and the view of her became smaller and smaller as the cab drove off into the night.

#wanda maximoff x reader #wanda maximoff #fanfic #marvel #avengers #wanda x reader

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inevitably-johnlocked · 4 years ago

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Pining John Pt. 2

Please if you have any pining!John fics (like Sherlock accidentally hurts him like he did molly with the Christmas gift) I would absolutely love that!! Thank you so much😊(submitted by @thediamondwoman)

Anonymous said to inevitably-johnlocked: hi! New Johnlocker here, this is a fic rec ask, but do you have any fics where John is pining/suppressing/ignoring his feelings for Sherlock? Preferably after TRF, and without Mary in the way, and a slow burn one (sorry for all the preferences just one with pining John would be fine) and thank you for being a blog currently reading all your metas and they are amazing <3333

@i-love-books-and-so-do-you asked: hullo!! *waves* i’m in the mood for some pining john, so i was wondering if you have any good ones? preferably with a happy ending

and may i just say your blog is GORGEOUS like all your fic recs *chef’s kiss* thank you for the literal best johnlock content <33

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Hi Lovelies!!!

First of all, thank you for your love for my lists! LOL! These asks just keep coming in, so it looks like I’m overdue for another pining John list!!

That said I do actually have pining John fics, and enough to start a second list! As I re-read fics, I’m able to keep adding all the old ones I didn’t tag ages ago to lists, so that’s fun, hahah. Hope you guys don’t mind me just combining all the pining into one list, hahaah. I get more fics that way LOL!

Enjoy, and feel free to add your own, friends!