#i just bought a new pair of boots on sale and i had to size up to a 10 so i have toe room
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i understand that this isnt a Hot Take and is a well known problem but why r shoes made with a pointed toe 😭 whose feet r shaped pointy at the end
#my toes r the widest part of my foot#i just bought a new pair of boots on sale and i had to size up to a 10 so i have toe room#but the fact that i have unused pointy toe area makes my feet look even more massive than they already are
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Friendly reminder that there are products that prioritize longevity still out there! A lot of times they're still expensive but not top of the market expensive. The issue more comes from something else being sacrificed in the name of longevity.
Here are a few examples of things I have been in the market for recently:
Phones! Fairphone comes in at #1. It's expensive yes, but cheaper than an iPhone coming in at $600-800 but being theoretically upgradable ad infinitum. Plus values fair trade sourcing. A few other smaller companies maintain right to repair and sell reasonably priced replacement parts, e.g. Unihertz.
Backpacks/bags! I just bought an Osprey to retire my >10 year old backpack. They are built to last and have a guarantee to repair or replace the bag FOR LIFE. That means this is the last bag I really should ever NEED to buy. And they're good for it. I had a teacher who had a 20 some odd year old bag, sent it in for a repair, they decided they couldn't fix it, couldn't replace it because they don't even make that model anymore. So told her to pick a bag and they would ship it to her free of cost. Again, expensive for a backpack, but if you shop sale items, $50-100. Still cheaper than some. It's not a designer name, it's not super cute, but it's a dang nice bag and an even better guarantee.
Boots! There have apparently been increasing QC issues, especially since the manufacturer change, but built to last compared to other boots, and they also have a lifetime guarantee. I am guilty of wearing the same boots every day no matter what the weather or my outfit is like. Plus I have bad feet and knees. So yeah, $200-300 pair of boots, but at least I can actually use them unlike the $600+ designer boots coming out these days. I hear they're pretty good about fulfilling the guarantee too.
Computers (laptops specifically)! Framework somewhat recently came on the scene as a completely upgradable laptop. Continually cranking out upgrades and support. Similar to a fairphone version of a computer, but less focus on sourcing. I've actually done a lot less research on this because they simply don't make it to second hand markets, and the new price tag is too much for me. But starts at $850, which is a hell of a lot cheaper than a MacBook these days, or even most Microsoft and Dell computers.
I'm not saying any of these things are cheap. I am saying that you can still buy longevity if you seek out the market. I put my money into boots and a backpack because both of my old ones were falling apart on me (3+ years and 10+ years respectively). I have more money than I've had in years, but I am still poor af. But I decided the extra money was worth it to never have to worry about getting holes in either of them ever again or have to think about scrounging the money to buy another one.
This of course comes in part from being raised upper middle class with a very much "invest in good boots" mentality passed down over generations from when my grandfather was a houseboy for a wealthy family almost 100 years ago. So yeah. I wore a pair of boots with holes in them until I had $300 to splurge on boots (and there was a sale). I used my backpack with holes in it until I could splurge on a new one (and there was a sale).
I'm also queer and gender is meaningless to me which means I buy a lot of men's products! Women's products are simply skimpy garbage (like seriously, buy a nice 100% cotton pair of men's Levi's -- I got mine second hand, but will never go back; how do you make jeans skimpy???). It takes a lot of intention and research and either money or ability to get things second hand (which is size restrictive, takes a lot of time, and often ability to go pick things up which in America=drive). But the market exists.
Which I'm not saying exists in a boots theory economy is good. But it is possible to exist without having to replace boots and phones and computers and bags on a near yearly basis.
This makes me so sad and also I'm trying to remember if any of the Discworld books dealt with late stage capitalism
#sustainability#i guess?#my purchases take about 3 months as a median i would say#boots took me over 2 years#after they had holes btw#chair took me ~8 mo#backpack 1.5 years#so yeah#which yes its fucked that there is still such a financial barrier to access quality goods#especially with the rise of sustainability and the guilt of the poor for having no other option#but the market exists#and i love love love second hand#computer second hand#phone backmarket#chair also second hand#which also has its own issues#theyve gentrified the thrift store ffs#but yeah
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Best Purchases of 2023
Hereu Pesca sandals in cream: I've seen these on the internet and didn't really think about them. But then, by happenstance, I saw them in person at Covet + Lou and was enamored. The craftsmanship is incredible, the silhouette was streamlined but the sole substantial, and they were soft and wearable straight out of the box. These shoes ruined me with the revelation that sometimes you do get what you pay for. I bought them from Matches and got a rubber sole attached for protection, and then wore them happily spring, summer, and fall. I loved them so much I thought about buying them in other colors.
Lauren Manoogian alpaca pants: I've only had these for two weeks but I'm a new convert to the cult of Lauren Manoogian. The cut is somehow elegant despite having (the slightest) drop-crotch and (the most subtle) harem style opening, and the brownish beige looks chic, not sad or boring. They were a real gamble (final sale on TRR), but now they are my celebrity loungewear.
LL Bean wicked good shearling slippers: Plush shearling, thick and supportive sole, a perfect fit, and so damn cute to look at. These are the platonic ideal of slippers - I don't want moccasins, I don't want wool or faux shearling that's going to get pill-y and dirty looking. They will get better with age.
Lindquist red cardholder (gift): The perfect size, wonderfully supple leather and the most cheerful shade of red. I asked Eugene for this for my birthday, and even though it is now showing some wear and tear, I'm still pleased when I look at it. The subtle branding for the IYKYK indie brand makes it feel less basic.
There were a lot of other workhorse purchases (the Hanes boys' white t-shirts, the M.Gemi block heeled ankle boots, the Reformation pleated trouser, the Building Block cylinder bag, the navy wool sweater purchased in Scotland, the black Re/done jeans that got hemmed weirdly but still looks good from behind, the heirloom-worthy Jamie Haller loafers...). However, I think the four above stand out because they feel irreplaceable to me. They are either category-defying, or the rare "best-of" version that I really don't think I can top. In an ideal world, I wouldn't buy anything that I didn't feel that way about, but it's hard to go without a pair of black jeans (or white t-shirts, or casual sneakers, or black ankle boots, etc.) just because you haven't found "the holy grail". But in 2024, I want to keep these "feels irreplaceable" standards in mind because I really would like to settle for nothing less.
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Captain Syverson x (f) reader
no description of body/race; but as always I had a plus size/curvy reader in mind.
Summary: The Captain finds out you bought a new pair of shoes, breaking a rule you two had. What will his reaction be?
Wordcount: ~850
Warnings: Stern!Sy, implications of sexy stuff ✨
A/N: Recently bought two new pair of shoes, wondered what the captain's reaction would be. Set in the same universe as Shopping Spree, but could definitely be read alone!
Masterlist
•••
Sitting in my car I went over my options in my head, but there weren’t many solutions to the situation I would face once I set foot inside. The reason? The shoeboxes on the backseat, three to be precise.
With a sigh I realized that the two options I had left, come clean or lie, would either result in my husband being a little mad. We had a deal, that I wouldn’t buy anymore shoes this year plus, he knows when I’m lying.
Therefore, I decided to be honest, but not totally honest. I stepped out of the car, and opened the door of the backseat. After stuffing away two shoeboxes underneath the front seats, I picked up the remaining shoebox and my purse.
I opened the front door, looking around for my giant husband, the one and only Captain Syverson. “Babe? I’m home!” I yelled and quickly put the box on the floor, hiding it a little behind a cupboard.
Emerging from the kitchen he appeared in front of me. “Hi sugar, did ya have a good time?” He walked over to me, helped me get out of my coat and pressed his lips firmly to mine. Not wasting a second of this opportunity, I slipped my hands around his neck and opened my mouth to deepen the kiss.
Sy’s hand stalked up, gripping my throat and chin. Suddenly he broke the kiss, jerking his face away and mine up to make sure I’d make eye contact with him. Immediately I knew I was in trouble. That he knew what I did.
I mean, what was I thinking? That I could hide something from this man? Who knew everything about me? Who even made me a walk-in-closet? Who knows that I would try to bribe him with sex so he wouldn’t get mad at me for buying new clothes or shoes? Even if it was for him?
“Alright, let’s see the damage,” he said and nodded at the shoebox poorly hidden behind me.
“Why don’t we finish this first and then I’ll show ya?” I tried, my hands wandering down his broad back, giving his firm ass a squeeze.
“Nah, baby, I wanna see what ya bought.” The grin on his face grew wide. “Then we’ll see who will get to finish.”
I gasped, having a hard time closing it. Even after all this time, this man knew how to get me weak.
“Close your mouth sugar, you might need it later.”
Chuckling I turned around to pick the box up, purposely rubbing my ass against his groin. Sy groaned softly, and it made me feel good to know I still had it in me to make him weak as well.
Sy sat down on the staircase, looking at me expectantly. “So, ya gonna tell me about how ya broke the rule about buying more shoes or are ya gonna tell me there are no shoes in there?”
“Here’s the thing. Remember I told you about those boots I’ve been wanting for so long?” I started, puppy eyes on display.
“You mean for the last two weeks, but go on,” Sy smirked. He knew what I did, and he was going to fully enjoy the situation.
“Very funny, but I ran into them this afternoon and they were on sale so I just couldn’t leave them behind!” I shifted on my feet. Not knowing what his ‘punishment’ for me would be, made me shiver with excitement. We had made a deal, whenever one of us broke a rule, we get to punish the other. The rules were simple, like not falling asleep during a romcom or not buying shoes, and so were the punishments. Last time Sy fell asleep during a romcom I made him clean the entire house on his own.
But somethings the punishments had a different kind of nature. And today was one of those days, I could tell by the look in Sy’s eyes and the kiss he had just given me.
I opened the shoebox, revealing a pair of snow white leather boots. They were gorgeous, and although they weren’t on sale, I had to take them home with me.
“Nice,” Sy said. “And ya just bought these ones?”
That was a tricky question, a very tricky one. He either knew about the other shoeboxes or he was just testing me. Choosing the latter, I answered. “Nope, just these pretty white boots.”
The cheshire grin on his face told me I made a mistake. “Have ya already forgotten about those two other shoeboxes left in the car sugar?”
After placing the box on the ground, I took a step to stand behind Sy’s thighs. I grabbed his face between my hands, making him loop up to me. “But they are so pretty,” I said with a pout.
Sy chuckled, and I pressed kisses all over his face. With a slap on my ass, he made me stop. “We are gonna count the number of shoes ya have, and ya will get spanked that many times woman,” Sy growled.
This was going to be a very long, and exciting, evening.
•••
#Captain Syverson#Captain Syverson x reader#Captain Syverson x you#Captain Syverson x plus size reader#Henry Cavill#Henry Cavill x reader#Henry Cavill x you#Henry Cavill x plus size reader
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— @doyoungcore ty for the inspiration for this post joyce 🥺 consider this a very belated bday present hehe (also apologies for the late post, i hope this longer blurb makes up for it 🙈)
💌 • 4:56pm
browsing the clothing racks for items that caught your eye, you sighed as you checked the price tag of the pair of jeans you’d been considering getting for a while, groaning at the fact that it hadn’t gone on sale yet.
you dragged your feet to the next aisle, looking down at your worn-out sneakers and heading for the shoe section instead, immediately spotting some reasonably-priced stylish boots along with your favourite shoe brand’s name splashed above the display.
“hey, excuse me, hi, do you have a minute?” you would be lying if you said that the man standing in front of you panting and swiping at his forehead wasn’t the most beautiful person you’d ever laid eyes on, your throat drying up at his unbelievable looks.
“oh, me? yeah, i have a minute, are you okay?” you questioned why this man who could pass off as a model was acting as desperate as those people in the town centre who passed out flyers that nobody ever paid attention too, pausing to take in his breathtaking physique.
“i’m so sorry to bother you, but my name is doyoung, and my ex is here with her new boyfriend. i was wondering if you could just pose as my partner for a bit, y’know, until she’s gone,” stranger!doyoung nervously smiled at you, his eyes flitting all over as, you assumed, he was searching for his ex, “if i’m interrupting your shopping, i-i’ll go but, i, i just don’t wanna look pathetic in front of her.”
the request shocked you, but there was a small voice in your head that wanted to go along with it. not only because you felt sorry for doyoung and you didn’t want him to embarrass himself in front of his ex, but also the fact this gorgeous boy thought that you were believable enough to be, well, in his league and dating him, inflated your ego and you had to repay him for doing wonders with your confidence.
“no, no, that’s fine, doyoung! i’m y/n, by the way, and don’t worry, you’re not really interrupting anything,” you grinned at him, trying not to scream when an adorable gummy smile appeared on his face, “just do what you need to do, i’ll go with it.”
contrary to your statement, you couldn’t hide the shock on your face when doyoung went straight for your hand and interlocked your fingers, leading you to those shoes you’d been eyeing, while gazing at you with his twilight orbs, “how about those, babe? i remember you saying you needed more shoes to go with those pants you bought last week.”
considering how jittery doyoung was when he approached you, you were beyond amazed by how easily he transformed into an endearing ‘boyfriend’, helping you reach shoes on higher shelves and asking employees for your size, all whilst making light-hearted conversation with you and calling you the cutest nicknames.
within a few minutes, you were immersed in your role, completely embracing doyoung’s kindness, and even forgetting that it was all an act at times, especially when he tidied away the shoes you didn’t want and wordlessly handed your sneakers back to you, as if it was his silent way of showing affection.
except… it wasn’t; he was just trying to save himself from embarrassment and it meant absolutely nothing to him, whilst, you, on the other hand, basked in the undeserved attention he gave you. the feeling of being cared for was so unfamiliar to you that the slightest acts of service from a handsome stranger had you melting.
it had been almost ten minutes since you were parading around as doyoung’s lover, yet you still hadn’t seen his dreaded ex nor her new boyfriend. seeing as he was currently too focused on picking out his own shoes, you examined the adjacent aisles, looking in all directions just to find that there was quite literally no other couple in sight. either his ex had already left the store, or doyoung was the smoothest man you had ever met.
the new discovery had your brain running at a hundred miles per hour, eventually deciding to keep playing along with doyoung’s little game, you know, have a little fun before you went back to being single and lonely.
“hey, doie, not to alarm you, but i see a couple on their way over here,” you whispered in his ear, coming up behind him as he was returning a shoe box to its rightful place on the shelf, “is that your ex over there?”
doyoung didn’t know if it was your statement or the close proximity that had his heart racing, clearing his throat in an attempt to soothe his erratic pulse, “oh, is it? i-i don’t wanna risk checking though, let’s just–”
taking a page out of the romcom protagonist book, you smirked as you stepped closer to the blushing boy, forcing him to take a step backward against a wall of branded trainers, cocking your eyebrow when you noticed the coral shade spreading across his face, “let’s just stay like this for a bit, i’m sure she’ll hate seeing her ex like this with someone else, huh?”
the confidence oozing out of you had doyoung in mental shambles - when he tried the elaborate pick-up ploy on an unsuspecting you, he didn’t think it would go this well, and now he felt obliged to tell you the truth, although that would mean he was risking rejection and, judging from what he learned about your personality in the past fifteen minutes, possibly an emotional response.
however, it occurred to him that, if he played his cards right, he could walk away today with your number, and a date at the cafè his best friend owned, all he had to do was not to react, which was proving a difficult task right now as he felt your hand on his waist and your breath ghosting on his collarbone.
“okay, okay, fine, there is no ex!” doyoung blurted out, not being able to last any longer with your intense gaze on him, “i-i made it up as an excuse to try and talk to you because, well…”
“because what?” you sat down on one of the small sofas to give doyoung some space, scattered with abandoned shoes that had no pair.
your nonchalant reaction had him furrowing his eyebrows in confusion, brushing off his bewilderment to answer your question, “i just, i thought you were really pretty and i wanted to talk to you. how was i supposed to know you would go along with, all that, so quickly and easily?”
doyoung couldn’t explain the relief he felt when you began giggling, as he let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding.
“it was easy enough to pretend, when you’re probably the most likeable person i’ve ever met,” you chuckled, the shyness from before evaporating the longer you stared at doyoung’s beauty, “since you basically tricked me into hanging out with you, how about we actually go do something? y’know, where you don’t have lie to me about what we’re doing?”
“wait, really?” doyoung’s eyes widened, surprised that you still wanted anything to do with him.
“yes, now, let me pay for these and we can head to your friend’s cafè down the road. unless that was a lie too?” you both broke out into wide grins, as you took his hand and led him to the counter, whilst he balanced your purchases in his arms.
you couldn’t explain where that courage cane from, nor why a mere twenty minutes with a stranger made you feel more content than ever; but meeting doyoung was like listening to a song for the first time and immediately knowing it would be your favourite.
#nct#nct 127#cznnet#neowritingsnet#neowriters#nct doyoung#nct 127 doyoung#kim dongyoung#nct 2020#nct timestamps#nct imagines#nct drabbles#nct blurbs#nct fluff#nct x reader#nct doyoung timestamps#nct doyoung imagines#nct doyoung drabbles#nct doyoung blurbs#nct doyoung fluff#nct 127 timestamps#nct 127 imagines#nct 127 drabbles#nct 127 blurbs#nct 127 fluff
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Mini Fanfic #941: Healing Up Shopping Wounds (Sonic)
7:34 p.m. at Amy's House.......
Amy: GAHHHAH! (Immediately Places her Hand on her Bruised Cheek While Jumping Around in Pain) It's burns! It's burn!!
Sonic: (Holding a Alcohol Absorbent) Cotton in his Hand) Hey, I told you this stuff would sting. What is with you and getting into these mall fights? Don't you ever get tired of them?
Amy: Look, it's not like I wanted to get involve in all of them! We had a special clearance sale today and you either had to fight for what you want or get trampled while doing it. I....tried doing the former while ending up in the latter afterwards...GAHAH! (Starts Wincing a Bit in More Pain by the Alcohol Cotton Sonic is Gently Rubbing on her)
Sonic: It was that bad, huh?
Amy: ('Sigh') So far. (Starts Pouting) I still can't believe that lady sucker punched in the face like that.....
Sonic: Lady?
Amy: The purple walrus with a blue dress and white gloves. I have no idea what her name is, but I've seen her in the store more times than I can count! ('Sigh') Well, on the bright side, at least she didn't try to suplexing me like she did to that one woman two weeks ago...
Sonic: (Eyes Widened in Complete Shock) Wait. Suplex!?
Amy: Yeah. Turns out the lady knows a thing or two about wrestling and judo. It's insane! And it kinda makes me wanna learing how to do suplex on my own to be honest.....
Sonic: ('Sigh') Well, I'm glad you didn't get banged up too badly. You gave me a bit of scare when you came in with a bruise face,
Amy: (Starts Frowning a Bit Sadly) I'm sorry I made you worry, Sonic. I didn't think this whole thing would turn out this hectic.
Sonic: (Place his Hand on top of Amy's While Giving Her a Reassuring Smile on his Face) Hey, don't worry about it, okay? All that matters to me now is that you being here safe and sound.
Amy: (Heart Begins to Melt in Pure Happiness) I love you so much, Sonic~
Sonic: (Gives Amy a Kiss on the Forehead) Love you too, Ame. Now tell what kind of shoes you ladies were fighting over this time around.
Amy: (Picks her Phone Up From the Table and Shows a Picture of a Bright Red Dress Boots to Sonic) It's these cute winter boots everyone's been talking about since January. It's brand new and everything.
Sonic: (Starts Taking a Look at the Picture Very Carefully) Hmmmmm.....So this is the Adina Slouch- Wild Calf?
Amy: Yep. And it was the last they had.....
Sonic: You know, it's funny that you showed me this cause.....(Gets Down on his Knee and Starts Getting Something From Under the Sofa) I just so happen to bought a pair of boots just like that one.
Amy: ('GASPS') Sonic! You didn't........
Sonic: (Places the Shoe Box onto the Sofa with a Smirk on his Face) I sure did. Hope you like your Valentines Gift, babe! (Opens the Box That Reveals.....)
Amy: The red boots.....(Smiles Excitedly at her Gift) It really is them!~ (Turns Back to Sonic) When did you to get them?
Sonic: A day ago. I was in the mall, thinking of a Valentine Gift to give you that could top that new apron I got you for Christmas not too long.
Amy: Which I still love to pieces by the way.
Sonic: (Chuckles Lightly) Yep. And once I went to the shoe store, I noticed a particular pair of boots sitting on top of the boxes. I figured since it's close to your size and that you love color red so much, I bought it the bad boys in and called it day. But....not before getting chased by a bunch of ladies though....
Amy: Aww....They didn't caused you too much trouble, did they?
Sonic: Nah. I was able to outrun easily. Though, I do remember dodging one of the shoes some lady threw at me.....
Amy: ('Ugh') That's probably Cindy.....She always throw her shoe at people. (Smiles Back at her Gift) I can't believe you went out of your way to get this for me. (Starts Reaching her Hands Out into the Box) I love it already!~
Sonic: (Immediately Closes the Box Shut) Upupup! No touching or grabbing until Valentines Day starts.
Amy: Seriously!? Not even a little bop?
Sonic: Not even the smallest on there is. You gotta wait a few days.
Amy: ('Sighs in Complete Defeat') Fiiiiiine....I'll wait a few more days......But could you least give me some cuddles already? I reallllllly want one~
Sonic: You'll get them after I finish patching you up. And I need to finish dapping the cotton on your cheeks a little more.
Amy: ('Ugh') Do you have to do more of that? It stings like crazy.
Sonic: I'll give more kisses if you let me~
Amy: (Gasps Before Firing Up and Putting on a Very Determined Look on her Face) ('Grrrrrrr') Give me your best shot!!
Sonic: (Chuckles Lightly) Now that's the spirit.
@keyenuta
@26shann
@cyber-wildcat
@ma-lemons
@caleb13frede
@sonamyweek
#sonic series#sonic the hedgehog#amy rose#cute romance#humor#lots and lots of fluff here#sonamy#valentine's month
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Riding On
CH7- Home, Sweet Home
Summary: Frank and Fliss find their perfect family home, but there’s something bothering Mary.
Warnings: Bad Language words. Discussions about suicide. A little bit of angst.
Pairing: Frank Adler x Fliss Gallagher
A/N: This is a bit of an emotionally charged filler chapter…and we move time on a little through to June in the middle. And photos of the Adler house are included at the bottom so you can visualise what I used for inspiration.
Disclaimer: This is a pure work of fiction and classified as 18+. Please respect this and do not read if you are underage. I do not own any characters in this series bar Fliss Gallagher and the other OCs. By reading beyond this point you understand and accept the terms of this disclaimer.
Riding On Masterlist // Main Masterlist
Chapter 6
You’re giving it another try, staring at the deep blue sky, and you say to the driver just drive, coz you never felt so alive.
April 2019
“Hey honey, you ok?” Frank juggled his phone, pinning it between his ear and his shoulder as he leaned over his computer in the office, scanning the database on the screen for a filter part they needed to order.
“No, I mean yes! I’ve just heard some awesome news!”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah, so you remember the guy that bought the house that backs onto the yard when Old Man River died…” “That wasn’t his name.” Frank chuckled “It was Mr Morris.”
“He called himself River, it was funny and suited him. Anyway, that’s not the point. You know the guy who bought it…guess what I found out before?”
Frank stopped what he was doing and straightened up. He didn’t like that dick, one bit. When Mr Morris had died at the start of the year, Fliss had been quite upset about the news as the old man had been very friendly to her, often popping in for a cup of tea a few afternoons a week for some company. Mr Morris’ son had sold the house without them even knowing it had gone on the market, which was a shame as it would have been perfect for them given the location. The guy who had bought it, Frank didn’t even know his name, nor did he care because he was a dick and a pervert to boot. The way he looked at Fliss made Frank want to punch his face in.
“What’s Douchey Mc Douchebag done now?”
“You’re so childish.” she scoffed “Anyway, I was only commenting to Joanne last night that we haven’t seen him for like a month and she went home and mentioned it to her dad who works with some other guy in the property development business and the long and short of it is he’s gone bankrupt Frank!”
Frank laughed loudly “Couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy, babe!”
“I know right!” Fliss voice was gathering pace and pitch, the way it always did when she was excited. “So literally about half hour after she’s told me this, someone turns up and there’s a For Sale sign outside, the house is on the market!”
Ok now he was interested. Frank could picture the look of excitement on her face as she spoke to him and he felt the smile cross his face “No shit?”
“Yeah, I’ll send you the website to look at the photos but…oh God, it would be perfect! Some of it is really nice, some of it needs decorating but…”
“Ok, well, why don’t you call the realtor? Arrange a viewing” he said “Hopefully you won’t puke halfway round this one.”
“Ok, first off that wasn’t my fault. Bean objected to the smell. Who the fuck cooks eggs the day they know they have someone coming to view their house?” her indignant tone made Frank chuckle “And second off…”she paused “I already did. He said he can meet us at half 12.”
“Half 12? As in lunch time? Today?” Frank frowned.
“I know I just really don’t want to miss out on this one Frank, and you said you were gonna come up here for lunch and-”
“Ok, ok.” Frank sighed “I’ll shuffle some stuff around, work a little later tonight and take an extra half hour.”
“I love you.” she replied and he could hear the smile in her voice.
“Good job I love you too.” he said back gruffly “Because you’re a pain in my ass.”
He bid her goodbye and just as he was looking at the rota to make sure there were enough staff in to cope if he took a longer lunch, his phone beeped. He clicked through to the link Fliss had sent him and had a scan through the photos. To be fair the house didn’t look in too bad condition. It was deceptive from the outside, looked like a small farmhouse but they knew thanks to the extension Douchebag had put on the back it now formed an L shape and from the look of it, was pretty spacious. The kitchen was new, the main bathroom was new so the big work looked like it had been mostly done. The décor in some of the rooms was really old fashioned, especially the hallway you and the front reception room, but that was all cosmetic. What really grabbed him was the price. It was up for just over 320 thousand, which was a fucking steal considering the size, location, the garden and the garage/outhouse it came with.
“You ok Frank?”
He looked up and smiled as Alan, his boss walked in to the office. “Yeah, sorry, Fliss has found a house and managed to book a viewing for lunch time. Fucking 7th one in 2 weeks.”
Alan snorted “Keeping you on your toes I see?”
“Well I gotta say, this one’s looking pretty good. It’s the house that backs onto our Yard out in Pinellas Park.” Frank explained “It was sold not even 6 months ago to a developer and he’s apparently gone bankrupt so put it back on the market.”
“Huh.” Alan smiled “Sounds like it was meant to be. Take it you’re going then?”
“Yeah, Charlie and Gary are in all afternoon. I thought I could take an extra half hour, work it back tonight or…”
“Frank, when was the last time you actually took a full hour for your lunch and didn’t cut it short by 10 or 15?” Alan looked at him.
Frank hesitated “Yeah, but that’s-”
“No buts.” Alan shook his head. “Do what you gotta do.”
“Thanks Alan.” Frank smiled, “I appreciate it.”
Alan waved away his gratitude before he dropped into the chair on the opposite side of Frank’s small desk and gestured for Frank to sit down.
“I wanted to talk to you in person, before the news gets out. I’m looking at retiring Frank, fully this time.”
“That’s good news, for you I mean.” Frank smiled, taking his seat. “You must be happy?”
“Kinda bitter sweet.” He shrugged “But I hit 70 this year and bout time I let it all go. Bill’s already chomping at the bit to book damned fishing trips so...it’ll be nice to step back. But I wanted to talk to you about something.”
“Shoot.”
“My son, James is going to be taking over, that won’t come as any surprise to you as you’ve seen him knocking around a bit and he likes you.”
“Good to know I’m not going to be out on my ass.” Frank smiled, breathing out a little.
“No, not a chance. I wouldn’t allow it.” Alan said “I’ll still be the owner, just stepping back from major decision making and day to day running. Anyway, the point is Frank, James needs a deputy. He is young and a little inexperienced. I’ve seen how quickly over the last year you’ve picked up rotas, staffing issues, dealt with the stock takes, haggled with the supply chain…I wondered if you’d consider it.”
Frank blinked “You wanna make me deputy manager?”
“In a word, yes. And I know you got your hands full at the moment and they’ll be even more full when that boy of yours arrives but the changes won’t come into effect until the end of the year so we got plenty of time to work out the details.”
“Wow, I err…” Frank shook his head “I don’t know what to say.”
“I don’t need an answer now.” Alan said, “Take some time to consider it. Talk it over with Fliss.”
“I will, I’ll give it some thought.”
“Ok, well, that’s all I dropped in for.” Alan said, standing up, groaning a little “Did you just hear my damned knees click?”
Frank laughed and shook his head “No, but to be honest mine click too so I wouldn’t worry about it.”
“Getting old sucks.” Alan said, shaking his head “I tell ya, the minute I can’t enjoy the simple things in life, put a bullet in my head.”
Frank snorted as Alan shot him a wink and left him to his thoughts.
******* Frank glanced down at the wooden boards beneath his feet in the entrance hall. They were solid old wood, oak he thought, and with a clean and polish would look stunning. He looked up and saw Fliss talking animatedly to the realtor, a young man called David as he nodded and gestured to his left. Fliss opened the door and looked at Frank who followed her into the first reception room. It smelt musty, and there was an old sofa and threadbare carpet in the room but it was light and had a nice, airey feeling to it thanks to the large windows at the front of the house.
“New carpet and a bit of paint…” Frank mused nodding, “Be good as new.”
She nodded eagerly, her eyes shining a she looked around and nodded at the fire place “Really, in Florida?”
“It gets cold, as you know.” he teased “Besides, we just fill it with some of your million candles or whatever…”
She nudged him and they turned around, David watching them.
“So, you’re obviously in the older part of the house that hasn’t really been touched apart from upstairs.” he explained, “But if you follow me I’ll show you the extension which is all new and, well, to be honest, I think it’s stunning.”
The three of them moved back into the hall and through a door at the end which led into a huge open plan kitchen and living area. The kitchen was gorgeous. Sleek white units, modern appliances, marble tops, a huge breakfast bar. Douchebag had clearly spent a fortune doing this up. The floor was a light grey and white laminate which David pointed out was heavy wearing. To the left of the kitchen area was a huge space where Frank could clearly picture their sofas and TV, and then just off that was a door which led into another smaller reception room, freshly painted and carpeted. He was just pondering how they could turn that into a play room when Fliss gave a gasp and nudged Frank pointing to the large bay window at the back which had been converted into a seating nook of sorts. They made their way over and saw that the view extended right over their garden highlighting a small pool area which was surrounded by a low set of railings with a gate that were all painted a glossy black. The pool itself was sparklingly clean and clearly brand new.
“Oh wow… “ Fliss mumbled, looking at the sand stone tiles that surrounded the area and the rest of the garden.
“Yeah the rear garden loops in an L round the house” David said. “There’s a larger fence around this area to keep it private and separate from the land at the front that runs flush to the yard area.”
Frank’s hands dropping to her hips as he nodded to the right “Could extend that little patio area for a table and chairs, maybe build a brick BBQ. Couple of sun-loungers for that bit at the back of the pool.”
She nodded eagerly before they headed back into the hallway they’d entered into where the realtor showed them the little room that was to the right as you came in the door which held a number of shelves and coat hooks and a toilet and sink basin. They then headed up stairs to find 4 bedrooms. The master extended down the entire side of the house overlooking the main yard area of Sandybrook. It needed some work, the plaster and paint was peeling away in some areas, but Frank wasn’t worried at that. It was an easy job. What he was pleased to see was that the rest of it was in good condition. There was a brand new en-suite attached to it, housing a toilet, a huge shower and his and hers sinks. The room also had built in wardrobes and huge ceiling to floor bi-folding doors which opened up onto a small balcony. Douchebag had clearly been focussing on the big jobs first before he got into the cosmetics, which Frank had to give him credit for.
The main bathroom was in between the wall of their en-suite and the next bedroom, both situated at the back of the house over the extension and overlooking the fields belonging to the yard. The plaster was fresh in that bedroom but hadn’t been painted, again, not an issue, because Frank knew a certain little miss would be no doubt picking a colour as soon a she spotted this room.
“Bet Mary chooses this one.” Frank said, voicing his thoughts and Fliss nodded, smiling
“I would if the Master didn’t have that en-suite.” she grinned “Look at that view!”
“Yeah, who’d have thought you could work from home in the equestrian business” he chuckled as they then headed to the next bedroom on the opposite side of the landing. This was also rather large, but like the main part of the master bedroom, was clearly one of the original two bedrooms the house had and it needed some updating.
The 4th bedroom was a smaller one up a narrow set of stairs hidden by door in the hallway. It opened up into an attic room which tucked into the roof of the house.
The realtor then led them back down and the out to the outbuildings. There was a huge garage with a half- finished apartment of sorts above it that had been used as storage but could be easily a guest suite if they so wanted, and then the thing Frank had really loved was the workshop off the side of the garage, accessed by a small door. It was musty and full of crap but was somewhere for him to store all his tools and work on any side projects he decided to pick up.
All in all Frank was finding it pretty damned hard to pick faults in the place.
As they headed back to the main house and Frank asked David politely to give them a moment to look around alone and he nodded eagerly before Frank and Fliss headed back into the house.
“I’m getting good vibes Sailor.” Fliss said as she turned round, looking at the kitchen, once more heading over to the bay window seat, “really good vibes.” she spun back to him and he smiled at the look on her face. “I mean, ok, a few rooms need decorating and there’s some finishing off bits to do all over but it’s nothing that dad can’t help with and I’m sure-“
At that she stopped dead, and gave a little gasp as her hand flew to her bump.
“You ok?” Frank stepped forward.
“Yeah he’s…” she swallowed “Bean’s kicking, Frankie! Quick!”
He reached out with his hand and she took it, pressing it to the side of her bump. After a second or two he felt something wriggle a little under his palm and he looked at Fliss, his face cracking into an open mouthed smile as he felt his son move for the first time.
“Lissy…” he swallowed his eyes misting over. “That’s…oh my God!”
“You should feel it from my POV!” Fliss smiled her own eyes glassy too.
Frank didn’t want to take his hand away. Instead, he kept moving his palm, tracking their baby’s movements when eventually they stopped.
“I think that means BB likes the house.” Fliss looked at him.
Frank scoffed, shaking his head. “BB’s Momma likes the house.”
“Doesn’t his Daddy?” she asked, her hands sliding round his neck.
“Yeah, his Daddy does.” he replied honestly in a low voice as he looked around the large room. “In fact, I like it a lot.”
“You think Mary will?”
“Are you kidding?” Frank snorted “Soon as she sees that view and that pool, she’ll be packing to move in straight away.”
“Suppose there’s only one way to find out.” Fliss smiled.
So they did. They brought Mary back the next day after school. She had squealed at the window seat, yelled about the pool and as she had shot upstairs and headed into the bedroom Frank had predicted she would like, given a jump for joy as she realised from the upstairs she had a view over the tall picket fencing that shielded the private area of the garden.
“I can see Monty!” she gleefully pointed out before turning to Frank and looking at him then to Fliss, her hands on her hips “If you don’t buy this house you’re a pair of dumbasses.”
The same sentiment was echoed by Bill when he turned up fifteen minutes or so later and walked around with Frank whilst Fliss and Mary headed to feed the horses. He did exactly the same thing he had done when they had looked at the apartment, pointed out what they needed to do, how long it should take them to do, rough estimates of cost. Plus, he also reminded Frank they were in a great position. They could buy the place and then give his months’ notice on the apartment meaning they could stay where they were until it was finished.
So that was it. Decision made. The next morning they went in with a cheeky offer, some twenty thou below the asking price which was rejected instantly. Then they upped their offer by five…then an additional three to total eight, with the fact that they were cash buyers and not in a chain a huge bargaining chip.
It was later that evening, just after they had finished dinner when the realtor called back.
“Evening Mr Adler, ok so…I have spoken to the vendor. He says if you can up your offer by another two thousand then you’ve got a deal.” David spoke. At that, Frank let out a huge grin, as he looked out of the kitchen window at Mary and Fliss who were outside the apartment, both sat on a chair round the table. He and Fliss had both agreed they were prepared to go to the full asking price, in their mind it was worth it, but they were about to seal the deal here for ten thousand less.
“Ok, two thousand more.” Frank said, keeping his voice level “But the property comes off the market as we don’t want anyone else spotting it and offering him more before we exchange contracts.” he repeated word for word what Greg had instructed him to do when he had asked him to handle the conveyancing earlier that morning.
“Ok, so the offer on the table is Three-ten on the proviso he grants exclusivity…” David repeated. “Ok, leave it with me.”
Frank finished loading the dishwasher, and had just grabbed himself a beer when David called back not even five minutes later.
“Congratulations Mr Adler, you have a deal.”
He thanked him, and grinning ear to ear headed outside, jumping down the steps onto the lawn.
“What you looking so pleased about?” Fliss looked up at him suspiciously.
“David called… we’ve settled on three-ten plus exclusivity” he smiled
“What, you mean…” Fliss’ mouth fell open and Frank nodded.
“Yup, subject to contracts, the place is ours!”
Mary gave a loud cheer as Fliss jumped up and leapt at him as he smiled, wrapping her in his arms, swinging her up slightly.
“I can’t believe it…” she whispered. “Our own home!”
“I know” he beamed, setting her down as he gave her a quick peck. “I’ll call Greg in the morning. When I talked to him about it he said that with no loans involved it shouldn’t take too long. We could be looking a having the keys in a month.” His hands dropped to her hips, palms resting either side of where his son was growing “So plenty of time to do his nursery.”
Fliss grinned and using the arms that were round his neck pulled his face down to hers and pressed a fierce kiss to his mouth. “God I love you.” she mumbled.
“Love you too.” he grinned, kissing her again, ignoring Mary’s fake puking noises in the background.
*****
June 2019
“Mr Adler?"
Frank stopped as he had been striding over the yard to collect Mary and turned to see Mrs McCarthy, her teacher walking towards him.
"Hi." He smiled, removing his sunglasses so he could look her in the eyes.
"I'm so sorry to bother you"
"No bother at all." He assured her "is everything OK?"
Mrs McCarthy glanced over to where Mary was stood talking to her friend, Rosie, and turned back to him
"Yes...nothing too drastic but I wanted to make you aware about a little incident in class this afternoon"
Frank looked at her, blinking "incident?"
"Maybe that's the wrong word." The older, blonde woman said "Look, as you know next week it's the end of year Gala, the fundraiser and we invite the parents to join us for activities.”
Frank nodded, wishing the woman would get to the damned point. He was hot, dirty and bothered after an afternoon of helping the team on a particularly awkward repair and wanted nothing more than to stand under a cold shower for an hour and flop down outside with a beer.
"Well, one of the girls asked Mary if she was bringing her mom and if they were making anything for the bake sale and Mary rather bluntly told the girl her mother was dead and then clammed up. She didn't speak a word for the rest of the afternoon."
Frank felt his chest tighten as he looked over at Mary who was now giggling with Rosie and sighed
"She didn't do anything wrong" Mrs McCarthy pressed "I was just a little worried."
"Thanks for letting me know, I'll talk to her later, make sure she's okay." Frank assured her.
The woman nodded and headed back across the yard as Frank gave a sharp whistle and slid his aviators back onto his face. Mary looked up and said goodbye to Rosie and came wandering over as Frank waved to Rosie's mom who tossed a hand in greeting in response.
"I'm not Thor" She fixed Frank with a stare.
"I know but I couldn't be bothered walking over." He replied honestly as they climbed into the truck
"You have a good day?"
"It was OK." She shrugged. Frank eyed her for a second before she pulled the car away from the kerb and set off down the road.
"What's for dinner?" Mary asked.
"Steak, baked potatoes and salad." He replies "Fliss' choice."
"Are you grilling?" Mary asked.
"Yup." He nodded
"Cool." Mary nodded "Can I go in the pool before?"
"Got any homework?" Frank countered with another question as he looked at her. Mary shook her head
“End of year next week and Uni didn't give me any summer work."
"Then yeah, of course you can.”
Frank didn't raise the so called incident, deciding to let her chill out a little bit at home first and digest how she felt. After 20 minutes or so of general chat Frank pulled up their driveway and stopped the truck next to Fliss' truck. As they hopped out Mary glanced across the garden over the smaller part of the fence where she could just see Fliss walking across the yard.
"Please can I go see Monty?" She looked at Frank and he nodded.
"I'll watch you." He agreed. With a grin she sprinted over the lawn, climbed over the fence and dropped over onto the other side. Thor gave a bark and Fliss turned round and smiled at her, before she waved at Frank. He waved back before he headed down the side of the house, through the gate in the larger fence before he unlocked the back door and stepped inside the cool air conditioned kitchen, kicking off his shoes and heading straight to the fridge for a beer. Draining half in one he stood, looking around and smiling. They’d finally unpacked the last box yesterday evening and Fliss was still in the process of moving things around their new home, positioning them where she wanted them.
True to Greg’s word, they’d had the keys to the house 4 and a half weeks after making the offer, and 2 weeks post that once the bedrooms and hall had been decorated with a lot of help from Bill, Verity and Roberta (who had been happy for them yet still cried her eyes out when they’d left the park, despite the fact they had assured her they would still come visit and she could also come stay with them too) they’d moved in. The only thing left to do was the reception room (which could wait, it was easy to just shut the door and pretend it didn’t exist) and Bean’s nursery, which he, Fliss and Mary had decided to do together as a project. Mary and Fliss had spent nights pouring over Pinterest for ideas and they’d finally settled on a scheme. Frank had picked up all the plastering supplies and the paint, the furniture was on order and should be arriving at any time that week now he thought about it…so hopefully that weekend they could get cracking. That might cheer Mary up now he thought about it.
Taking his beer with him, he picked up his boots and took them to the cloakroom/bathroom by the stairs. He trudged up the steps, shaking his head at Fred who was led at the top, his paws hanging over the edge of the step as he eyed Frank.
"You're gonna cause a fucking accident." He looked at the ginger cat who merely swished his tail in response. Frank headed into their bedroom, stripping off as he went, walking straight into the en-suite, turning on the shower, setting his beer down on the edge of the sink unit. He stepped in and under the stream of cool water, closing the screen behind him, his mind still on Mary and how he was going to bring up what her teacher has said. With a groan he opened the door, reached out of the cubicle for his beer, took another gulp before he set about washing the grime of the day away.
***** "Have you finished grooming him?" Fliss asked, standing in the doorway to Monty's stable. Mary glanced over from where she had been brushing through his white tail and nodded.
"Wanna take him to the paddock?" Fliss smiled. "Cap and Bronson are waiting for their little pal."
"Sure." Mary shrugged and Fliss frowned a little at her demeanour. She was quiet, which was unlike her when she was round the horses. She was normally full of excitement.
"You OK?" She asked and Mary nodded.
"Why wouldn't I be?"
"You seem quiet, that's all."
"No, I'm good." She shrugged, before she tossed her brush into the little grooming box she had, closing the lid and passing it to Fliss. Fliss placed the box into the larger wooden one outside the stable before Mary put Monty's halter on and led him out of his stall. Fliss allowed them to walk ahead, her hand on her bump as she followed them out of the yard and down the little path to the gate that led to the paddocks. They reached the one were Monty was going and undoing the gate, Mary led him in. The white pony stood patiently for her to take his halter off before he stuck his nose into the crook of her neck and shoulder. Fliss smiled as Mary gently stroked his neck and then to her utter horror she saw Mary’s shoulders begin to shake as the girl started to cry.
"Hey, Mary..." she soothed, stepping forward as the small girl turned to her, wrapping her arms around her as best she could, pressing her face into her bump "Oh baby what's wrong?"
Mary didn’t reply, instead she continued to sob and Fliss felt powerless to do anything other than wrap her arms around her, one hand resting on her head, the other between her shoulders.
“Something happened at School…” Mary whispered and Fliss gently tipped her head up to look at her. “Someone said something and…”
“Ok, how about we go back to the office and you can tell me all about it ok?”
Mary nodded, sniffing as her sobs died down. Fliss held out her hand and Mary took it and together they headed back down to the yard. Joanne looked at Mary who was hiccupping slightly with her sobs and frowned but Fliss shook her head.
“Can you feed the top barn for me and then you can go.” she said to Jo who nodded. “I’ll lock up.” “Sure, see you tomorrow. Bye Mary.” she smiled. Mary looked at her and gave a small wave before Fliss led her into the office. She grabbed them both an apple juice from the fridge and then Mary sat on the chair at the end of the desk, wiping her eyes with a tissue that Fliss handed her from the box.
“You ready to talk?”
Mary nodded, and then she stood up and walked over to Fliss who made room for her to clamber up onto her lap. It was a bit awkward but after a little shifting around they found a way she could sit unobstructed by Boston Bean and Mary lay her head against Fliss’ shoulder.
“It was about the gala.” she sniffed “One of them asked me if my mom was coming and…”
“Oh sweetie.” Fliss sighed, rubbing her back. “I get that must have been hard.”
Mary shrugged “I told them she was dead.” she said matter of factly “I get that and I never knew my mom so I don’t miss her as a person…but then I started to think about why she died and I don’t understand.” “Understand what?”
“Why?” Mary looked at her. “Why would she do what she did when she had me? Why did she want to leave me behind?”
Fliss took a deep breath and cradled the girl as best she could, trying to think of a way to explain to which Mary could relate, and then it came to her, she could use her own experience here. There was no getting around the fact this was going to be a heave conversation, but Mary was a smart kid and deserved to be treated as such.
With another deep inhale, Fliss looked down at her, kissing her head before she opened rather bluntly "You know I tried to kill myself."
"You did?" Mary pulled back to look up at her "Why?"
"Because I saw it as my only way out." Fliss gently smoothing Mary’s hair back. "I was stuck in an awful situation. My ex-husband hurt me physically and mentally and I gave up. I wanted out."
Mary remained silent and looked at her.
"For someone to get to that point...they have to have hit rock bottom. Like there is nowhere to go. It's not their fault. And it doesn't mean they don't love the people they leave behind just that they're desperate to escape whatever pain they feel, be it in their head or their body or both."
"But I still don't understand." Mary shook her head.
"And you may never, not fully." Fliss sighed gently "And as horrible as it is that's something you are gonna have to live with but you have to remember that your mom was sick. And for whatever reason she saw this as her only escape. It wasn't Evelyn's fault, it wasn't Frank's fault and it certainly wasn't yours."
"But if she loved me like Frank says she did..."
"You think I don't love my mum and dad? Or Steve? Charlie, Joel?"
Mary blinked before she lay her head back against Fliss' shoulder. "Of course you do.”
"But I was still gonna leave them behind. I was desperate. And you wanna know the real stupid thing?"
"What?"
"When I got better I still went back to John. I went back to a real toxic environment and a man that abused me. Because I felt like it was what I deserved. And even though I left him way before I met you and Frank, it wasn't until me and Frank started dating that I really understood I wasn't to blame. I always thought I did something to make him hurt me but I didn't. Being with Frank, the way he treats me and loves me made me see that it was him with the problem, not me.”
"But that's different" Mary glanced up
"The trigger was, yes." Fliss nodded "But your mom, like me, was in a position so helpless, so unbelievably sad that she thought she was to blame and that the world, including you, would be better off without her even though she was so wrong."
**** Once showered and dried, Frank dressed in a pair of shorts and clean T-shirt before he headed back downstairs. There was no sign of Fliss or Mary but as he strode out into the garden he heard a car heading down the drive by the side of the house from the yard and correctly assumed it was Joanne leaving for the day. He opened the gate and just saw the tail of her car turn onto the main road as he headed into the garage for the charcoal to light the BBQ.
Once that was done, leaving the flames to die down he headed out across the lawn, vaulting over the small fence onto the yard. He headed round the barn and frowned as he couldn't see anyone. After a quick look round he spotted the door to Fliss' office was closed. He went to open it but stopped as he could hear the sound of voices. It was Mary and Fliss but he could tell from the pitch and stutters in Mary's that she was upset. He paused, hand hovering over the handle as he heard Fliss speaking to her softly. "Stack, you are so loved. Frank loves you, I love you, Nanny V, Poppa Bill, Uncle Steeby, Roberta, Evelyn...Thor, Fred and Monty..." she paused "You're such a special little girl and I know I'm not your mom but, well, I feel like I am."
"You do?"
"I'd do anything to keep you safe and happy. And so would Frank"
They both fell silent and Frank swallowed, the lump in his throat almost choking him.
"Don't ever feel like we don't" Fliss continued "and if I have to bake 200 fucking cookies for your Gala next week to prove it then I will."
Mary giggles "You know Bean can hear you swearing."
"Well I won't tell Frank if you don't"
"Do you think Frank feels like my dad?" Mary asked a moment later and at that point Frank really wanted to walk away. He couldn't listen to this, he didn't want to listen to this...but something kept him rooted to the spot.
"I know he does." Fliss replied.
"But he doesn't like it when people say it. I know that, I heard him talking to you. Bill’s not your real dad but you still say he is…."
“That’s slightly different sweetheart.” Fliss sighed "My real dad left my mom before I was born, so when he died. I didn’t even know him and I don’t care that I didn’t either. But your mom was Frank's sister. He wants to make sure you remember her, understand who she was. He could have easily just pretended to be your dad all this time, you would never have known any different but he didn't. Because he loves you and your mom too much. He's too honest and it’s important to him that you understand. But that doesn't mean he doesn't love you like he is your dad, or that you can't love him like he is."
Frank turned away from the door, looking up at the sky and taking a deep shuddering breath. Fuck, this was hard to hear. He knew Mary had been upset before but the thought that it ran this deep was killing me. Wiping at his face, his hands then dropped to his hips and he looked down at his sneakers before he turned to the door, reaching for the handle but once more pausing as he couldn’t face interrupting them, not whilst they were in the middle of a moment.
“I suppose that makes sense.” Mary continued “And I do love him like he is. And I love you like you’re my mom too.”
“Well that’s all that matters.” Fliss replied “It may be unconventional but we’re a family, and that’s the main thing huh?”
“Yeah, you’re right. Thanks Lissy.” Mary spoke.
“You’re welcome Stack” Fliss’s voice was soft and there was a pause as Frank could picture the pair of them hugging.
“Hey, did you now I’m going to be doing all the money stuff for the bake stall?” Mary’s voice was suddenly up beat as she switched topic “Because I’m good at maths they said I could be in charge of payments and handing people their change and stuff.”
“Nice work kiddo.” Fliss smiled, “Tell you what, we’ll put Nanny V on the case, her baking is way better than mine. We can get her over one night next week whilst Pops is helping Frank with the plastering in the nursery.”
Ok, that was it, safe to enter without interrupting anything. Frank gave a little knock and then opened the door, fixing a smile on his face.
“Hope I haven’t interrupted any girl talk” he smiled and Mary jumped up and ran to him, giving him a hug. He looked at Fliss who wiped her eyes.
“Ok?” he mouthed at her and she nodded back, her lips moving silently as she replied.
“Tell you later.”
“BBQ is lit.” Frank said, looking down at Mary “You still wanna play in the pool?”
She nodded and grinned. “Yeah.”
“Sounds like a great idea.” Fliss grinned “Let’s lock up and head home…oh wait, we don’t need to head home because…” “We’re already there!” Mary grinned, and then she spun round to see Fred peering round the door. “Hey, look who came to visit!” “Bout time he earned his keep.” Frank grumbled “Go catch some mice.”
Fred stalked past him into the office, looked around, before he sauntered back out, clearly not interested.
“He’s a lover not a killer Frank.” Mary grinned, as Frank watched the cat walk off into the evening sun.
The three of them locked up before they headed back to the house and Mary shot upstairs to get changed.
“So, how much did you hear?” Fliss turned to Frank as he pulled a beer from the fridge along with a bottle of water, sliding it over to her.
“Enough.” he sighed “Her teacher collared me before. Said that one of the kids had asked about her mom in class and she’d gotten upset.”
“She asked me why Diane did what she did.” Fliss sighed, “Why she left her behind if she loved her so much.”
Frank swallowed. “What did you say?”
“I explained about why I tried to kill myself.” Fliss shrugged “Told her about the desperation I felt…but that didn’t mean that I didn’t love my family just that I saw it as my only way out. I know it was heavy and maybe not really the right thing to do but...”
She was cut off as Frank stepped forward, taking her face in his hands as he kissed her, hard. It took her a moment to catch up but once she did she melted into him, her mouth opening to grant him access as he ran his tongue along her bottom lip.
“Thank you.” He said gently as he pulled away, his hands still cupping her face.
“What for?” Fliss asked, reaching up to gently wrap her fingers around his wrists.
“For loving her as much as you do.” he shrugged. “For loving us both as much as you do.”
“Oh, Sailor.” Fliss’ eyes brimmed with tears “How could I not?”
***** Frank didn’t sleep particularly well that night. Mary’s conversation with Fliss was running through his brain and every time he drifted off he would wake about an hour or so later, fresh worries and concerns running through his mind. In the end, at just before 5 am he gave up and climbed out of bed. He grabbed a T-shirt and a pair of sweats and putting them on he headed downstairs. He flipped on the TV in the hope the early morning new would distract him, but it didn’t.
It was clear to him that Mary was struggling with where she was going to fit in the family dynamic. He hadn’t really worried much up to that point, being convinced by Fliss that if they kept her involved with stuff to do with Bean she would be ok but this went much deeper than the fact they were expecting a baby.
He’d be lying if he said the thought of him claiming to be Mary’s Father had never entered his mind. It would have been a lot easier but out of loyalty and love to Diane he had wanted to make sure she knew about her mother, and understood the truth because in the end, a lie would always come round to bite you on the ass. It wasn’t that he had a problem with people assuming he was Mary’s father but…
God what a fucking mess.
“Hey…” a soft voice drew him from his thoughts and he looked up to see Fliss stood in the doorway, his T-shirt she was wearing now hardly covered the top of her thighs thanks to her Bean bump.
“Sorry beautiful, did I wake you?” he asked.
“No.” she shook her head, dropping down next to him. “I got up to pee and you were gone.”
“Couldn’t sleep.” he shrugged.
“What’s wrong handsome?” she lay her head on his shoulder and he took a deep breath.
“Just thinking about Mary that’s all.” he shrugged. “She’s always asked questions about Diane but not like that.”
“She’s getting older Frank.” Fliss said, her hand reaching out for his as she began to play with his fingers “She’s bound to start thinking about things differently. She was ok last night after she talked to me, and then later you when you tucked her in. She doesn’t keep her feelings bottled up, and that’s good. It’s a testament to you that she feels like she can talk to us about things.”
“I know.” Frank looked down at her, kissing her head “I guess I just worry Lissy, worry about how she’s gonna feel when Bean is here and he’s calling us mom and dad and she doesn’t.”
“Frank.” Fliss sighed as she sat up straight. “Mary knows we love her. And what she calls us doesn’t change a damned thing. You’re worrying unduly now. We can’t do anything about that other than-“
“Yes, yes we could.” Frank looked at her. Fliss took a deep breath as his eyes locked onto hers, instantly understanding.
“I thought you said you’d never even consider adopting her?”
“I never thought I would.” he shrugged. “But it’s been playing on my mind after what mother said and then after last night…” “Why? What did Evelyn say?” Fliss asked.
“When she was here last, she told me that Diane’s memory wouldn’t suddenly fade if Mary called me dad…” he licked his lips “It was almost like she was giving me permission to do it…you know? Not that I need it or really give a shit what she thinks.” he paused, taking a deep breath “If I’m totally honest Diane isn’t the only reason I said I didn’t want to. I just never thought of myself as being dad material. I was such a screw up until I met you and I thought that by staying as her Uncle, it would give her that distance, you know?”
“Not dad material?” Fliss looked at him, shaking her head “Oh Frank, you idiot. You’ve done an amazing job with her…and you will do with Bean too.”
He smiled at her, sniffing slightly as she continued.
“But there is one person who’s opinion counts most here.” Fliss said gently “And that’s Mary. If you’re serious then you should ask her if it’s what she wants. Because after 9 years of calling you Frank…”
“I know.” Frank agreed, “And I agree, completely. It would have to be her decision. But at least if I ask her if she would like us to then-“
“Us?” Fliss looked at him, blinking. “You mean you want me to?”
“Of course I do.” Frank nodded, before he frowned slightly “But if that isn’t what you want, I understand. It’s a big-“ Fliss cut him off by pressing a kiss to his lips “Of course I do Frank. I love Mary like she is my own anyway so…” Frank beamed at her and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her head. “So, we’re agreed. We ask her?”
Fliss nodded and pulled back, her hand resting on his cheek. “We ask her.”
Chapter 8
#riding on#frank adler#frank adler x ofc#frank adler x oc#gifted#gifted fan fic#chris evans#chris evans characters
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The old shop
Written by my old friend Colt.
On a bright autumn day, when the low angle of the sun, the sudden warmth of Indian summer, and the riot of scarlet and yellow leaves all cast a spell over the Virginia countryside, I set off for a drive, with the car windows rolled down. Intense glare alternated with deep shadow, as the road wound through fields and woods. It led to a town called Hapsburg, where it became Main Street, nearly deserted on Saturday afternoon. I parked along the sidewalk, and got out to stretch my legs.
The buildings were of red brick or painted clapboard, one or two stories. Shop windows were empty, or contained faded posters, long out of date. I walked past a café, a drugstore, a lawyer's office, and a barbershop, all closed. Next came a shop that sold old furniture, chipped plates, sentimental pictures, obsolete farm tools—the debris of former households, past lives.
In the display window, draped over the back of a chair, as though the wearer left it there minutes ago, and would soon reclaim it, was a black leather jacket. Creased and scuffed, it had evidently seen hard use. So casually was it thrown on the wooden chair—was it also for sale? I tried the latch, and the ancient shop door opened. A bell jingled sharply overhead, as I stepped inside.
A pale, thin man seated behind a counter barely looked up from his newspaper. His eyes were watery blue or gray, and his hair was sparse, showing the scalp. I pretended to look at a dusty shelf of books, then wandered to the back of the shop, which seemed to have nothing of value. At last, I returned to the front. Except for the man at the counter, there was no one else.
The black leather jacket was compelling. I touched a sleeve—the leather was thick and heavy. I searched for a tag, a price, a label, but found nothing. On the shoulder, a red patch bore the legend: "Hapsburg Motor Patrol." "Go ahead," the man said. His voice was unexpectedly clear and strong, despite his age. "Try it on. You'll be the first, since it just came in. Who knows, this may be your lucky day."
I slipped my arms into the sleeves, shrugged the weight of the leather over my back, and tried the zipper, which worked smoothly.
"A perfect fit," the man said, "like it was custom-made for you. There's a mirror, if you don't believe me."
It was uncanny, but the old leather jacket did fit perfectly. Stiff yet pliable, it was already molded to my shape, broken in by the previous owner.
"Whoever wore it must have had exactly the same upper body size," the man said.
"So you don't know who owned it?" I asked. "Anything about him?"
"Not a clue."
"What about the patches? Will I be arrested for impersonating a police officer?"
"Oh, don't worry about that. The town police department disbanded years ago, when the county took over everything—schools, taxes, roads, jail. The county police wear a different uniform, not that red patch. As it stands now, that jacket is a collector's item, a genuine Hapsburg Motor Patrol issue. Quality leather—they don't make them like that any more. The badge is missing, of course. It went in that reinforced hole in the chest."
The leather creaked, as I flexed my arms and walked to and fro. I inhabited the jacket, inhaled the smell of leather, and felt slightly giddy.
"There's plenty of wear left in that jacket. It will keep you warm on the road, and protect you in case of a spill. When you're riding, that is. Yes, sir, it fits you like a glove."
"How much do you want for it?" I asked, trying not to sound desperate.
"That depends on how much you want it," he answered, suddenly shrewd. His pale eyes glittered in the shadowy interior.
Though I detest haggling, I was unable to take off the jacket. I named a price, a round number, which I hoped was low. To my surprise, the man instantly agreed.
"Sold!" he shouted, as though at an auction.
I reached for my wallet, anxious to complete the transaction before he changed his mind, or before I did.
"Like I said, that leather jacket was meant for you. What are the odds that someone would walk in here, exactly the right build, with an eye for police memorabilia?"
"So you don't know where it came from?"
"Sorry, my friend. It could have been someone cleaning out an attic, getting a house ready for sale, winding up an estate. Wait! Now that you mention it, some other things came in with the jacket. Here's a helmet, the standard police type."
He handed me a white helmet, and I lowered it over my head. Snug, but comfortable. I started to ask the price, but he cut in.
"At no additional cost—special today. And check out these beauties." He rummaged behind the counter, and produced a pair of black leather riding boots.
"Somewhat the worse for wear, but you can replace the heels, and shine them up like new. Here, try them on."
Hurriedly, I untied my shoes, and shoved my feet into the tall boots, folding my pants inside the cylindrical shaft. Amazingly, the boots fit. I wiggled my toes, rocked from side to side, and strode a few paces. Like the jacket, the boots felt eerily right, as though I had worn them for years. Looking in the mirror, I caught my breath.
Instead of the man who entered the shop, an ordinary citizen like millions of others, I saw a police officer, a motorcycle cop, a figure of speed and power, a member of an elite squad, albeit from decades before. The fantasy was exhilarating.
"Do you want a bag?"
Abruptly, I remembered where I was, in a dusty junk shop, in a forgotten country town. I took off the helmet.
"No bag, thanks. I'll wear it."
"What about your shoes?"
"Oh. . . yes."
I handed the man my shoes, which he dropped into a crumpled paper bag. He handed the bag back to me, with a wink of his gray eye.
Jacketed and booted, as though dressed for a costume ball, I exited the shop, and blinked in the dazzling sunlight. The air was growing cooler, and the sun would soon set. With the helmet under one leather sleeve, and clutching the paper bag, I strode to my car for the drive home, through the inflamed countryside.
In the following weeks, as the weather turned cold and windy, I sometimes wore the leather jacket. As promised, the thick, back skin kept me warm. It did not attract attention, other than a smile or nod of approval. The thrill I felt on first putting it on mellowed, and in a way, I grew into the jacket.
One day, it occurred to me to search the pockets. An inner zipper revealed a small black and white photograph of a man standing beside a motorcycle. He appeared to wear the same jacket and boots, with the same white helmet on his head. He also wore a police badge, a silver star on his chest. His posture was upright and confident. The photograph bore no identification, no name or date. It was impossible to tell the man's age, or where the photograph was taken. Still, I was convinced that this was the officer who owned the items I had bought.
His uniform included a pair of riding breeches, tailored snug at the calf and flared at the thigh, almost as though inflated. It was a picturesque style, something that went out of fashion long ago. I could not recall ever seeing such a uniform on the street. In color, the riding breeches were dark, with areas of sheen. Were they made of black leather, too? I placed the photograph in a dresser drawer.
Though out of sight, the image haunted me. Who was this man, in purely physical aspects so much like me? What were his tastes, his habits, his personality? What was the police officer's story?
With no conscious intention, I began to read classified ads for used motorcycles, and I looked more closely at those I passed in the street. I wondered what type of motorcycle my officer rode. What type would a small-town police department be likely to have? When a neighbor parked a motorcycle in his front yard, a machine much like the one in the photograph, with a "For Sale" sign attached to the seat, I did not hesitate.
The neighbor, an engineer who would soon move to another city to start a new job, taught me how to ride the motorcycle, and he gave me advice on maintenance and repair. My luck continued in the form of a mild winter, which allowed me to ride on weekends, gradually learning how to handle the motorcycle on narrow roads, and in traffic. Though not especially powerful, it was quick and responsive. I wore my leather jacket, boots and helmet, of course, and sturdy jeans. By spring, I had become a confident, if careful, motorcyclist.
One Saturday, as the trees were coming into leaf, and the air was newly fragrant, I set off to ride through the green landscape. I started with no destination, but the road became familiar, as it wound through fields and woods. Just as it did six months before, it led to Hapsburg. Slowly, I cruised Main Street, looking for the old shop where I had bought the leather jacket, the same one I was wearing. Not seeing it, I turned around, and rolled in the opposite direction, but still failed to find the dusty display window. I parked, pulled off my helmet, and stood in the middle of the street, baffled.
A place I did not remember, a combination art gallery and custom frame shop, hinted at economic revival. Clean, freshly painted, with a gleaming steel and glass door, it was open for business. I entered, and at once was greeted by a young man with black hair, dark brown eyes, and an eager smile. After browsing the drawings and paintings, all by local artists, I explained what I was looking for.
The young man grew solemn, and said he would be right back. He walked briskly to a storage room in back, and returned with a large envelope, which he handed to me. Scrawled on the envelope, as a kind of address, was the phrase:
"For the man in the leather jacket, when he returns."
I studied the envelope for a moment, then asked:
"How can you be sure that this is for me?"
"The junk shop you describe was here, this space. I cleaned it out, renovated, put in new lights, and so on. A lot of work, you can imagine. The previous tenant passed away, I was told, and he left the shop as you saw it. I never met him—a retired police officer. Nothing of the contents was worth saving, but I did save one thing. That envelope was lying on the counter."
I lifted the flap, and extracted something heavy and pliable, made of black leather.
"Looks like a pair of pants," said the young man, clearly interested.
"Yes," I said, "or riding breeches. I saw them in a photograph."
"Awesome! They match your jacket and boots. Want to try them on?"
"I don't need to. They're exactly my size. Don't ask how I know."
"Okay, I won't. Strange things happen, even in Hapsburg. But here's the really strange part. They told me that the old man passed away more than a year ago. So how could you have met him here last fall?"
I shrugged my shoulders, and the leather jacket creaked. I slid the breeches back in the envelope, and tucked it under my thick black sleeve.
"Thanks," I said, turning to leave. "And good luck with the shop."
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Riding On Ch7: Home, Sweet Home!
Summary: Frank and Fliss find their perfect family home, but there’s something bothering Mary.
Warnings: Bad Language words. Discussions about suicide. A little bit of angst.
Pairing: Frank Adler x Fliss Gallagher
A/N: This is a bit of an emotionally charged filler chapter…and we move time on a little through to June in the middle. And photos of the Adler house are included so you can visualise what I used for inspiration! Chapter Song: Kill For A Dream by Beady Eye
Series Masterlist // WIYPT Masterlist
You’re giving it another try, staring at the deep blue sky, and you say to the driver just drive, coz you never felt so alive.
April 2019
“Hey honey, you ok?” Frank juggled his phone, pinning it between his ear and his shoulder as he leaned over his computer in the office, scanning the database on the screen for a filter part they needed to order.
“No, I mean yes! I’ve just heard some awesome news!”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah, so you remember the guy that bought the house that backs onto the yard when Old Man River died…” “That wasn’t his name.” Frank chuckled “It was Mr Morris.”
“He called himself River, it was funny and suited him. Anyway, that’s not the point. You know the guy who bought it…guess what I found out before?”
Frank stopped what he was doing and straightened up. He didn’t like that dick, one bit. When Mr Morris had died at the start of the year, Fliss had been quite upset about the news as the old man had been very friendly to her, often popping in for a cup of tea a few afternoons a week for some company. Mr Morris’ son had sold the house without them even knowing it had gone on the market, which was a shame as it would have been perfect for them given the location. The guy who had bought it, Frank didn’t even know his name, nor did he care because he was a douchebag and a pervert to boot. The way he looked at Fliss made Frank want to punch his face in.
“What’s Douchey Mc Douchebag done now?”
“You’re so childish.” she scoffed “Anyway, I was only commenting to Joanne last night that we haven’t seen him for like a month and she went home and mentioned it to her dad who works with some other guy in the property development business and the long and short of it is he’s gone bankrupt Frank!”
Frank laughed loudly “Couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy, babe!”
“I know right!” Fliss voice was gathering pace and pitch, the way it always did when she was excited. “So literally about half hour after she’s told me this, someone turns up and there’s a For Sale sign outside, the house is on the market!”
Ok now he was interested. Frank could picture the look of excitement on her face as she spoke to him and he felt the smile cross his face “No shit?”
“Yeah, I’ll send you the website to look at the photos but…oh God, it would be perfect! Some of it is really nice, some of it needs decorating but…” “Ok, well, why don’t you call the realtor? Arrange a viewing” he said “Hopefully you won’t puke halfway round this one.” “Ok, first off that wasn’t my fault. Bean objected to the smell. Who the fuck cooks eggs the day they know they have someone coming to view their house?” her indignant tone made Frank chuckle “And second off…”she paused “I already did. He said he can meet us at half 12.”
“Half 12? As in lunch time? Today?” Frank frowned.
“I know I just really don’t want to miss out on this one Frank, and you said you were gonna come up here for lunch and-”
“Ok, ok.” Frank sighed “I’ll shuffle some stuff around, work a little later tonight and take an extra half hour.”
“I love you.” she replied and he could hear the smile in her voice.
“Good job I love you too.” he said back gruffly “Because you’re a pain in my ass.”
He bid her goodbye and just as he was looking at the rota to make sure there were enough staff in to cope if he took a longer lunch, his phone beeped. He clicked through to the link Fliss had sent him and had a scan through the photos. To be fair the house didn’t look in too bad condition. It was deceptive from the outside, looked like a small farmhouse but they knew thanks to the extension Douchebag had put on the back it now formed an L shape and from the look of it, was pretty spacious. The kitchen was new, the main bathroom was new so the big work looked like it had been mostly done. The décor in some of the rooms was really old fashioned, especially the hallway you and the front reception room, but that was all cosmetic. What really grabbed him was the price. It was up for just over 320 thousand, which was a fucking steal considering the size, location, the garden and the garge/outhouse it came with.
“You ok Frank?”
He looked up and smiled as Alan, his boss walked in to the office. “Yeah, sorry, Fliss has found a house and managed to book a viewing for lunch time. Fucking 7th one in 2 weeks.”
Alan snorted “Keeping you on your toes I see?”
“Well I gotta say, this one’s looking pretty good. It’s the house that backs onto our Yard out in Pinellas Park.” Frank explained “It was sold not even 6 months ago to a developer and he’s apparently gone bankrupt so put it back on the market.”
“Huh.” Alan smiled “Sounds like it was meant to be. Take it you’re going then?”
“Yeah, Charlie and Gary are in all afternoon. I thought I could take an extra half hour, work it back tonight or…” “Frank, when was the last time you actually took a full hour for your lunch and didn’t cut it short by 10 or 15?” Alan looked at him.
Frank hesitated “Yeah, but that’s-”
“No buts.” Alan shook his head. “Do what you gotta do.”
“Thanks Alan.” Frank smiled, “I appreciate it.”
Alan waved away his gratitude before he dropped into the chair on the opposite side of Frank’s small desk and gestured for Frank to sit down.
“I wanted to talk to you in person.” Alan said, “Before the news gets out. I’m looking at retiring Frank, fully this time.”
“That’s good news, for you I mean.” Frank smiled, taking his seat. “You must be happy?”
“Kinda bitter sweet.” he shrugged “But I hit 70 this year and bout time I let it all go. Bill’s already chomping at the bit to book damned fishing trips so...it’ll be nice to step back. But I wanted to talk to you about something.”
“Shoot.”
“My son, James is going to be taking over, that won’t come as any surprise to you as you’ve seen him knocking around a bit and he likes you.”
“Good to know I’m not going to be out on my ass.” Frank smiled, breathing out a little.
“No, not a chance. I wouldn’t allow it.” Alan said “I’ll still be the owner, just stepping back from major decision making and day to day running. Anyway, the point is Frank, James needs a deputy. He is young and a little inexperienced. I’ve seen how quickly over the last year you’ve picked up rotas, staffing issues, dealt with the stock takes, haggled with the supply chain…I wondered if you’d consider it.”
Frank blinked “You wanna make me deputy manager?”
“In a word, yes. And I know you got your hands full at the moment and they’ll be even more full when that boy of yours arrives but the changes won’t come into effect until the end of the year so we got plenty of time to work out the details.”
“Wow, I err…” Frank shook his head “I don’t know what to say.” “I don’t need an answer now.” Alan said, “Take some time to consider it. Talk it over with Fliss.”
“I will, I’ll give it some thought.” “Ok, well, that’s all I dropped in for.” Alan said, standing up, groaning a little “Did you just hear my damned knees click?”
Frank laughed and shook his head “No, but to be honest mine click too so I wouldn’t worry about it.”
“Getting old sucks.” Alan said, shaking his head “I tell ya, the minute I can’t enjoy the simple things in life, put a bullet in my head.”
Frank snorted as Alan shot him a wink and left him to his thoughts.
******* Frank glanced down at the wooden boards beneath his feet in the entrance hall. They were solid old wood, oak he thought, and with a clean and polish would look stunning. He looked up and saw Fliss talking animatedly to the realtor, a young man called David as he nodded and gestured to his left. Fliss opened the door and looked at Frank who followed her into the first reception room. It smelt musty, and there was an old sofa and threadbare carpet in the room but it was light and had a nice, airey feeling to it thanks to the large windows at the front of the house.
“New carpet and a bit of paint…” Frank mused nodding, “Be good as new.”
She nodded eagerly, her eyes shining a she looked around and nodded at the fire place “Really, in Florida?”
“It gets cold, as you know.” he teased “Besides, we just fill it with some of your million candles or whatever…”
She nudged him and they turned around, David watching them.
“So, you’re obviously in the older part of the house that hasn’t really been touched apart from upstairs.” he explained, “But if you follow me I’ll show you the extension which is all new and, well, to be honest, I think it’s stunning.”
The three of them moved back into the hall and through a door at the end which led into a huge open plan kitchen and living area. The kitchen was gorgeous. Sleek white units, modern appliances, marble tops, a huge breakfast bar. Douchebag had clearly spent a fortune doing this up. The floor was a light grey and white laminate which David pointed out was heavy wearing. To the left of the kitchen area was a huge space where Frank could clearly picture their sofas and TV, and then just off that was a door which led into another smaller reception room, freshly painted and carpeted. He was just pondering how they could turn that into a play room when Fliss gave a gasp and nudged Frank pointing to the large bay window at the back which had been converted into a seating nook of sorts. They made their way over and saw that the view extended right over their garden highlighting a small pool area which was surrounded by a low set of railings with a gate that were all painted a glossy black. The pool itself was sparklingly clean and clearly brand new.
“Oh wow… “ Fliss mumbled, looking at the sand stone tiles that surrounded the area and the rest of the garden.
“Yeah the rear garden loops in an L round the house” David said. “There’s a larger fence around this area to keep it private and separate from the land at the front that runs flush to the yard area.”
Frank’s hands dropping to her hips as he nodded to the right “Could extend that little patio area for a table and chairs, maybe build a brick BBQ. Couple of sun-loungers for that bit at the back of the pool.”
She nodded eagerly before they headed back into the hallway they’d entered into where the realtor showed them the little room that was to the right as you came in the door which held a number of shelves and coat hooks and a toilet and sink basin. They then headed up stairs to find 4 bedrooms. The master extended down the entire side of the house overlooking the main yard area of Sandybrook. It needed some work, the plaster and paint was peeling away in some areas, but Frank wasn’t worried at that. It was an easy job. What he was pleased to see was that the rest of it was in good condition. There was a brand new en-suite attached to it, housing a toilet, a huge shower and his and hers sinks. The room also had built in wardrobes and huge ceiling to floor bi-folding doors which opened up onto a small balcony. Douchebag had clearly been focussing on the big jobs first before he got into the cosmetics, which Frank had to give him credit for.
The main bathroom was in between the wall of their en-suite and the next bedroom, both situated at the back of the house over the extension and overlooking the fields belonging to the yard. The plaster was fresh in that bedroom but hadn’t been painted, again, not an issue, because Frank knew a certain little miss would be no doubt picking a colour as soon a she spotted this room.
“Bet Mary chooses this one.” Frank said, voicing his thoughts and Fliss nodded, smiling
“I would if the Master didn’t have that en-suite.” she grinned “Look at that view!”
“Yeah, who’d have thought you could work from home in the equestrian business” he chuckled as they then headed to the next bedroom on the opposite side of the landing. This was also rather large, but like the main part of the master bedroom, was clearly one of the original two bedrooms the house had and it needed some updating.
The 4th bedroom was a smaller one up a narrow set of stairs hidden by door in the hallway. It opened up into an attic room which tucked into the roof of the house.
The realtor then led them back down and the out to the outbuildings. There was a huge garage with a half- finished apartment of sorts above it that had been used as storage but could be easily a guest suite if they so wanted, and then the thing Frank had really loved was the workshop off the side of the garage, accessed by a small door. It was musty and full of crap but was somewhere for him to store all his tools and work on any side projects he decided to pick up.
All in all Frank was finding it pretty damned hard to pick faults in the place.
As they headed back to the main house and Frank asked David politely to give them a moment to look around alone and he nodded eagerly before Frank and Fliss headed back into the house.
“I’m getting good vibes Sailor.” Fliss said as she turned round, looking at the kitchen, once more heading over to the bay window seat, “really good vibes.” she spun back to him and he smiled at the look on her face. “I mean, ok, a few rooms need decorating and there’s some finishing off bits to do all over but it’s nothing that dad can’t help with and I’m sure-“
At that she stopped dead, and gave a little gasp as her hand flew to her bump.
“You ok?” Frank stepped forward.
“Yeah he’s…” she swallowed “Bean’s kicking, Frankie! Quick!”
He reached out with his hand and she took it, pressing it to the side of her bump. After a second or two he felt something wriggle a little under his palm and he looked at Fliss, his face cracking into an open mouthed smile as he felt his son move for the first time.
“Lissy…” he swallowed his eyes misting over. “That’s…oh my God!”
“You should feel it from my POV!” Fliss smiled her own eyes glassy too.
Frank didn’t want to take his hand away. Instead, he kept moving his palm, tracking their baby’s movements when eventually they stopped.
“I think that means BB likes the house.” Fliss looked at him.
Frank scoffed, shaking his head. “BB’s Momma likes the house.”
“Doesn’t his Daddy?” she asked, her hands sliding round his neck.
“Yeah, his Daddy does.” he replied honestly in a low voice as he looked around the large room. “In fact, I like it a lot.”
“You think Mary will?”
“Are you kidding?” Frank snorted “Soon as she sees that view and that pool, she’ll be packing to move in straight away.”
“Suppose there’s only one way to find out.” Fliss smiled.
So they did. They brought Mary back the next day after school. She had squealed at the window seat, yelled about the pool and as she had shot upstairs and headed into the bedroom Frank had predicted she would like, given a jump for joy as she realised from the upstairs she had a view over the tall picket fencing that shielded the private area of the garden.
“I can see Monty!” she gleefully pointed out before turning to Frank and looking at him then to Fliss, her hands on her hips “If you don’t buy this house you’re a pair of dumbasses.”
The same sentiment was echoed by Bill when he turned up fifteen minutes or so later and walked around with Frank whilst Fliss and Mary headed to feed the horses. He did exactly the same thing he had done when they had looked at the apartment, pointed out what they needed to do, how long it should take them to do, rough estimates of cost. Plus, he also reminded Frank they were in a great position. They could buy the place and then give his months’ notice on the apartment meaning they could stay where they were until it was finished.
So that was it. Decision made. The next morning they went in with a cheeky offer, some twenty thou below the asking price which was rejected instantly. Then they upped their offer by five…then an additional three to total eight, with the fact that they were cash buyers and not in a chain a huge bargaining chip.
It was later that evening, just after they had finished dinner when the realtor called back.
“Evening Mr Adler, ok so…I have spoken to the vendor. He says if you can up your offer by another two thousand then you’ve got a deal.” David spoke. At that, Frank let out a huge grin, as he looked out of the kitchen window at Mary and Fliss who were outside the apartment, both sat on a chair round the table. He and Fliss had both agreed they were prepared to go to the full asking price, in their mind it was worth it, but they were about to seal the deal here for ten thousand less.
“Ok, two thousand more.” Frank said, keeping his voice level “But the property comes off the market as we don’t want anyone else spotting it and offering him more before we exchange contracts.” he repeated word for word what Greg had instructed him to do when he had asked him to handle the conveyancing earlier that morning.
“Ok, so the offer on the table is Three-ten on the proviso he grants exclusivity…” David repeated. “Ok, leave it with me.”
Frank finished loading the dishwasher, and had just grabbed himself a beer when David called back not even five minutes later.
“Congratulations Mr Adler, you have a deal.”
He thanked him, and grinning ear to ear headed outside, jumping down the steps onto the lawn.
“What you looking so pleased about?” Fliss looked up at him suspiciously.
“David called… we’ve settled on three-ten plus exclusivity” he smiled
“What, you mean…” Fliss’ mouth fell open and Frank nodded.
“Yup, subject to contracts, the place is ours!”
Mary gave a loud cheer as Fliss jumped up and leapt at him as he smiled, wrapping her in his arms, swinging her up slightly.
“I can’t believe it…” she whispered. “Our own home!”
“I know” he beamed, setting her down as he gave her a quick peck. “I’ll call Greg in the morning. When I talked to him about it he said that with no loans involved it shouldn’t take too long. We could be looking a having the keys in a month.” His hands dropped to her hips, palms resting either side of where his son was growing “So plenty of time to do his nursery.” Fliss grinned and using the arms that were round his neck pulled his face down to hers and pressed a fierce kiss to his mouth. “God I love you.” she mumbled. “Love you too.” he grinned, kissing her again, ignoring Mary’s fake puking noises in the background.
*******
******
June 2019
“Mr Adler?"
Frank stopped as he had been striding over the yard to collect Mary and turned to see Mrs McCarthy, her teacher walking towards him.
"Hi." He smiled, removing his sunglasses so he could look her in the eyes.
"I'm so sorry to bother you"
"No bother at all." He assured her "is everything OK?"
Mrs McCarthy glanced over to where Mary was stood talking to her friend, Rosie, and turned back to him
"Yes...nothing too drastic but I wanted to make you aware about a little incident in class this afternoon"
Frank looked at her, blinking "incident?"
"Maybe that's the wrong word." The older, blonde woman said "Look, as you know next week it's the end of year Gala, the fundraiser and we invite the parents to join us for activities.”
Frank nodded, wishing the woman would get to the damned point. He was hot, dirty and bothered after an afternoon of helping the team on a particularly awkward repair and wanted nothing more than to stand under a cold shower for an hour and flop down outside with a beer.
"Well, one of the girls asked Mary if she was bringing her mom and if they were making anything for the bake sale and Mary rather bluntly told the girl her mother was dead and then clammed up. She didn't speak a word for the rest of the afternoon."
Frank felt his chest tighten as he looked over at Mary who was now giggling with Rosie and sighed
"She didn't do anything wrong" Mrs McCarthy pressed "I was just a little worried."
"OK...thanks for letting me know, I'll make sure she's ok." Frank assured her.
The woman nodded and headed back across the yard as Frank gave a sharp whistle and slid his aviators back onto his face. Mary looked up and said goodbye to Rosie and came wandering over as Frank waved to Rosie's mom who tossed a hand in greeting in response.
"I'm not Thor" she said, fixing Frank with a stare.
"I know but I couldn't be bothered walking over." He said honestly as they climbed into the truck
"You have a good day?"
"It was OK." She shrugged. Frank eyed her for a second before she pulled the car away from the kerb and set off down the road.
"What's for dinner." Mary asked.
"Steak, baked potatoes and salad." He replies "Fliss' choice."
"Are you grilling?" Mary asked.
"Yup." He nodded
"Cool." Mary nodded "Can I go in the pool before?"
"Got any homework?" Frank countered with another question as he looked at her. Mary shook her head
“End of year next week and Uni didn't give me any summer work."
"Then yeah, of course you can.”
Frank didn't raise the so called incident, deciding to let her chill out a little bit at home first and digest how she felt. After 20 minutes or so of general chat Frank pulled up their driveway and stopped the truck next to Fliss' truck. As they hopped out Mary glanced across the garden over the smaller part of the fence where she could just see Fliss walking across the yard.
"Please can I go see Monty?" She looked at Frank and he nodded.
"I'll watch you." He agreed. With a grin she sprinted over the lawn, climbed over the fence and dropped over onto the other side. Thor gave a bark and Fliss turned round and smiled at her, before she waved at Frank. He waved back before he headed down the side of the house, through the gate in the larger fence before he unlocked the back door and stepped inside the cool air conditioned kitchen, kicking off his shoes and heading straight to the fridge for a beer. Draining half in one he stood, looking around and smiling. They’d finally unpacked the last box yesterday evening and Fliss was still in the process of moving things around their new home, positioning them where she wanted them.
True to Greg’s word, they’d had the keys to the house 4 and a half weeks after making the offer, and 2 weeks post that once the bedrooms and hall had been decorated with a lot of help from Bill, Verity and Roberta (who had been happy for them yet still cried her eyes out when they’d left the park, despite the fact they had assured her they would still come visit and she could also come stay with them too) they’d moved in. The only thing left to do was the reception room (which could wait, it was easy to just shut the door and pretend it didn’t exist) and Bean’s nursery, which he, Fliss and Mary had decided to do together as a project. Mary and Fliss had spent nights pouring over Pinterest for ideas and they’d finally settled on a scheme. Frank had picked up all the plastering supplies and the paint, the furniture was on order and should be arriving at any time that week now he thought about it…so hopefully that weekend they could get cracking. That might cheer Mary up now he thought about it.
Taking his beer with him, he picked up his boots and took them to the cloakroom/bathroom by the stairs. He trudged up the steps, shaking his head at Fred who was led at the top, his paws hanging over the edge of the step as he eyed Frank.
"You're gonna cause a fucking accident." He looked at the ginger cat who merely swished his tail in response. Frank headed into their bedroom, stripping off as he went, walking straight into the en-suite, turning on the shower, setting his beer down on the edge of the sink unit. He stepped in and under the stream of cool water, closing the screen behind him, his mind still on Mary and how he was going to bring up what her teacher has said. With a groan he opened the door, reached out of the cubicle for his beer, took another gulp before he set about washing the grime of the day away.
***** "Have you finished grooming him?" Fliss asked, standing in the doorway to Monty's stable. Mary glanced over from where she had been brushing through his white tail and nodded.
"Wanna take him to the paddock?" Fliss smiled. "Cap and Bronson are waiting for their little pal."
"Sure." Mary shrugged and Fliss frowned a little at her demeanour. She was quiet, which was unlike her when she was round the horses. She was normally full of excitement.
"You OK?" She asked and Mary nodded.
"Why wouldn't I be?"
"You seem quiet, that's all."
"No, I'm good." She shrugged, before she tossed her brush into the little grooming box she had, closing the lid and passing it to Fliss. Fliss placed the box into the larger wooden one outside the stable before Mary put Monty's halter on and led him out of his stall. Fliss allowed them to walk ahead, her hand on her bump as she followed them out of the yard and down the little path to the gate that led to the paddocks. They reached the one were Monty was going and undoing the gate, Mary led him in. The white pony stood patiently for her to take his halter off before he stuck his nose into the crook of her neck and shoulder. Fliss smiled as Mary gently stroked his neck and then to her utter horror she saw Mary’s shoulders begin to shake as the girl started to cry.
"Hey, Mary..." she soothed, stepping forward as the small girl turned to her, wrapping her arms around her as best she could, pressing her face into her bump "Oh baby what's wrong?"
Mary didn’t reply, instead she continued to sob and Fliss felt powerless to do anything other than wrap her arms around her, one hand resting on her head, the other between her shoulders.
“Something happened at School…” Mary whispered and Fliss gently tipped her head up to look at her. “Someone said something and…”
“Ok, how about we go back to the office and you can tell me all about it ok?”
Mary nodded, sniffing as her sobs died down. Fliss held out her hand and Mary took it and together they headed back down to the yard. Joanne looked at Mary who was hiccupping slightly with her sobs and frowned but Fliss shook her head.
“Can you feed the top barn for me and then you can go.” she said to Jo who nodded. “I’ll lock up.” “Sure, see you tomorrow. Bye Mary.” she smiled. Mary looked at her and gave a small wave before Fliss led her into the office. She grabbed them both an apple juice from the fridge and then Mary sat on the chair at the end of the desk, wiping her eyes with a tissue that Fliss handed her from the box.
“You ready to talk?”
Mary nodded, and then she stood up and walked over to Fliss who made room for her to clamber up onto her lap. It was a bit awkward but after a little shifting around they found a way she could sit unobstructed by Boston Bean and Mary lay her head against Fliss’ shoulder.
“It was about the gala.” she said gently “One of them asked me if my mom was coming and…”
“Oh sweetie.” Fliss sighed, rubbing her back. “I get that must have been hard.”
Mary shrugged “I told them she was dead.” she said matter of factly “I get that and I never knew my mom so I don’t miss her as a person…but then I started to think about why she died and I don’t understand.” “Understand what?”
“Why?” Mary looked at her. “Why would she do what she did when she had me? Why did she want to leave me behind?”
Fliss took a deep breath and cradled the girl as best she could, trying to think of a way to explain to which Mary could relate, and then it came to her, she could use her own experience here. There was no getting around the fact this was going to be a heave conversation, but Mary was a smart kid and deserved to be treated as such.
With another deep inhale, Fliss looked down at her, kissing her head before she opened rather bluntly "You know I tried to kill myself."
"You did?" Mary pulled back to look up at her "Why?"
"Because I saw it as my only way out." Fliss said gently, smoothing her hair back. "I was stuck in an awful situation. My ex-husband hurt me physically and mentally and I gave up. I wanted out."
Mary remained silent and looked at her.
"For someone to get to that point...they have to have hit rock bottom. Like there is nowhere to go. It's not their fault. And it doesn't mean they don't love the people they leave behind just that they're desperate to escape whatever pain they feel, be it in their head or their body or both."
"But I still don't understand." Mary shook her head.
"And you may never, not fully." Fliss said gently "And as horrible as it is that's something you are gonna have to live with but you have to remember that your mom was sick. And for whatever reason she saw this as her only escape. It wasn't Evelyn's fault, it wasn't Frank's fault and it certainly wasn't yours."
"But if she loved me like Frank says she did..."
"You think I don't love my mum? Or Bill? Or Steve?"
Mary blinked before she lay her head back against Fliss' shoulder. "Yeah"
"But I was still gonna leave them behind." Fliss sighed "I was desperate. And you wanna know the real stupid thing?"
"What?"
"When I got better I still went back. I went back to a real toxic environment and a man that abused me. Because I felt like it was what I deserved. And even though I left him way before I met you and Frank, it wasn't until me and Frank started dating that I really understood I wasn't to blame. I always thought I did something to make him hurt me but I didn't. Being with Frank, the way he treats me and loves me made me see that it was him with the problem, not me.”
"But that's different" Mary glanced up
"The trigger was, yes." Fliss nodded "But your mom, like me, was in a position so helpless, so unbelievably sad that she thought she was to blame and that the world, including you, would be better off without her even though she was so wrong."
**** Once showered and dried, Frank dressed in a pair of shorts and clean T-shirt before he headed back downstairs. There was no sign of Fliss or Mary but as he strode out into the garden he heard a car heading down the drive by the side of the house from the yard and correctly assumed it was Joanne leaving for the day. He opened the gate and just saw the tail of her car turn onto the main road as he headed into the garage for the charcoal to light the BBQ.
Once that was done, leaving the flames to die down he headed out across the lawn, vaulting over the small fence onto the yard. He headed round the barn and frowned as he couldn't see anyone. After a quick look round he spotted the door to Fliss' office was closed. He went to open it but stopped as he could hear the sound of voices. It was Mary and Fliss but he could tell from the pitch and stutters in Mary's that she was upset. He paused, hand hovering over the handle as he heard Fliss speaking to her softly. "Stack, you are so loved. Frank loves you, I love you, Nanny V, Poppa Bill, Uncle Steeby, Roberta, Evelyn...Thor, Fred and Monty..." she paused "You're such a special little girl and I know I'm not your mom but...I feel like I am."
"You do?"
"I'd do anything to keep you safe and happy. And so would Frank"
They both fell silent and Frank swallowed, the lump in his throat almost choking him.
"Don't ever feel like we don't" Fliss continued "and if I have to bake 200 fucking cookies for your Gala next week to prove it then I will."
Mary giggles "You know Bean can hear you swearing."
"Well I won't tell Frank if you don't"
"Do you think Frank feels like my dad?" Mary asked a moment later and at that point Frank really wanted to walk away. He couldn't listen to this, he didn't want to listen to this...but something kept him rooted to the spot.
"I know he does." Fliss replied.
"But he doesn't like it when people say it. I know that, I heard him talking to you. Bill’s not your real dad but you still say he is…."
“That’s slightly different sweetheart.” Fliss sighed "My real dad left my mom before I was born, so when he died…I didn’t even know him and I don’t care that I didn’t either. But your mom was Frank's sister. He wants to make sure you remember her, understand who she was. He could have easily just pretended to be your dad all this time, you would never have known any different but he didn't. Because he loves you and your mom too much. He's too honest and it’s important to him that you understand. But that doesn't mean he doesn't love you like he is your dad, or that you can't love him like he is."
Frank turned away from the door, looking up at the sky and taking a deep shuddering breath. Fuck, this was hard to hear. He knew Mary had been upset before but the thought that it ran this deep was killing me. Wiping at his face, his hands then dropped to his hips and he looked down at his sneakers before he turned to the door, reaching for the handle but once more pausing as he couldn’t face interrupting them, not whilst they were in the middle of a moment.
“I suppose that makes sense.” Mary continued “And I do love him like he is. And I love you like you’re my mom too.”
“Well that’s all that matters.” Fliss replied “It may be unconventional but we’re a family, and that’s the main thing huh?”
“Yeah, you’re right. Thanks Lissy.” Mary spoke.
“You’re welcome Stack” Lissy’s voice was soft and there was a pause as Frank could picture the pair of them hugging.
“Hey, did you now I’m going to be doing all the money stuff for the bake stall?” Mary’s voice was suddenly up beat as she switched topic “Because I’m good at maths they said I could be in charge of payments and handing people their change and stuff.”
“Nice work kiddo.” Fliss smiled, “Tell you what, we’ll put Nanny V on the case, her baking is way better than mine. We can get her over one night next week whilst Pops is helping Frank with the plastering in the nursery.”
Ok, that was it, safe to enter without interrupting anything. Frank gave a little knock and then opened the door, fixing a smile on his face.
“Hope I haven’t interrupted any girl talk” he smiled and Mary jumped up and ran to him, giving him a hug. He looked at Fliss who wiped her eyes.
“Ok?” he mouthed at her and she nodded back, her lips moving silently as she replied.
“Tell you later.”
“BBQ is lit.” Frank said, looking down at Mary “You still wanna play in the pool?”
She nodded and grinned. “Yeah.”
“Sounds like a great idea.” Fliss grinned “Let’s lock up and head home…oh wait, we don’t need to head home because…” “We’re already there!” Mary grinned, and then she spun round to see Fred peering round the door. “Hey, look who came to visit!” “Bout time he earned his keep.” Frank grumbled “Go catch some mice.”
Fred stalked past him into the office, looked around, before he sauntered back out, clearly not interested.
“He’s a lover not a killer Frank.” Mary grinned, as Frank watched the cat walk off into the evening sun.
The three of them locked up before they headed back to the house and Mary shot upstairs to get changed.
“So, how much did you hear?” Fliss turned to Frank as he pulled a beer from the fridge along with a bottle of water, sliding it over to her.
“Enough.” he sighed “Her teacher collared me before. Said that one of the kids had asked about her mom in class and she’d gotten upset.”
“She asked me why Diane did what she did.” Fliss sighed, “Why she left her behind if she loved her so much.”
Frank swallowed. “What did you say?”
“I explained about why I tried to kill myself.” Fliss shrugged “Told her about the desperation I felt…but that didn’t mean that I didn’t love my family just that I saw it as my only way out. I know it was heavy and maybe not really the right thing to do but...”
She was cut off as Frank stepped forward, taking her face in his hands as he kissed her, hard. It took her a moment to catch up but once she did she melted into him, her mouth opening to grant him access as he ran his tongue along her bottom lip.
“Thank you.” he said gently as he pulled away, his hands still cupping her face.
“What for?” Fliss asked, reaching up to gently wrap her fingers around his wrists.
“For loving her as much as you do.” he said simply “for loving us both as much as you do.”
“Oh Sailor.” Fliss’ eyes brimmed with tears “How could I not?”
***** Frank didn’t sleep particularly well that night. Mary’s conversation with Fliss was running through his brain and every time he drifted off he would wake about an hour or so later, fresh worries and concerns running through his mind. In the end, at just before 5 am he gave up and climbed out of bed. He grabbed a T-shirt and a pair of sweats and putting them on he headed downstairs. He flipped on the TV in the hope the early morning new would distract him, but it didn’t.
It was clear to him that Mary was struggling with where she was going to fit in the family dynamic. He hadn’t really worried much up to that point, being convinced by Fliss that if they kept her involved with stuff to do with Bean she would be ok but this went much deeper than the fact they were expecting a baby.
He’d be lying if he said the thought of him claiming to be Mary’s Father had never entered his mind. It would have been a lot easier but out of loyalty and love to Diane he had wanted to make sure she knew about her mother, and understood the truth because in the end, a lie would always come round to bite you on the ass. It wasn’t that he had a problem with people assuming he was Mary’s father but…
God what a fucking mess.
“Hey…” a soft voice drew him from his thoughts and he looked up to see Fliss stood in the doorway, his T-shirt she was wearing now hardly covered the top of her thighs thanks to her Bean bump.
“Sorry beautiful, did I wake you?” he asked.
“No.” she shook her head, dropping down next to him. “I got up to pee and you were gone.”
“Couldn’t sleep.” he shrugged.
“What’s wrong handsome?” she lay her head on his shoulder and he took a deep breath.
“Just thinking about Mary that’s all.” he shrugged. “She’s always asked questions about Diane but not like that.”
“She’s getting older Frank.” Fliss said, her hand reaching out for his as she began to play with his fingers “She’s bound to start thinking about things differently. She was ok last night after she talked to me, and then later you when you tucked her in. She doesn’t keep her feelings bottled up, and that’s good. It’s a testament to you that she feels like she can talk to us about things.”
“I know.” Frank looked down at her, kissing her head “I guess I just worry Lissy, worry about how she’s gonna feel when Bean is here and he’s calling us mom and dad and she doesn’t.”
“Frank.” Fliss sighed as she sat up straight. “Mary knows we love her. And what she calls us doesn’t change a damned thing. You’re worrying unduly now. We can’t do anything about that other than-“
“Yes, yes we could.” Frank looked at her. Fliss took a deep breath as his eyes locked onto hers, instantly understanding.
“I thought you said you’d never even consider adopting her?”
“I never thought I would.” he shrugged. “But it’s been playing on my mind after what mother said and then after last night…” “Why? What did Evelyn say?” Fliss asked.
“When she was here last, she told me that Diane’s memory wouldn’t suddenly fade if Mary called me dad…” he licked his lips “It was almost like she was giving me permission to do it…you know? Not that I need it or really give a shit what she thinks.” he paused, taking a deep breath “If I’m totally honest Diane isn’t the only reason I said I didn’t want to. I just never thought of myself as being dad material. I was such a screw up until I met you and I thought that by staying as her Uncle, it would give her that distance, you know?”
“Not dad material?” Fliss looked at him, shaking her head “Oh Frank, you idiot. You’ve done an amazing job with her…and you will do with Bean too.”
He smiled at her, sniffing slightly as she continued.
“But there is one person who’s opinion counts most here.” Fliss said gently “And that’s Mary. If you’re serious then you should ask her if it’s what she wants. Because after 9 years of calling you Frank…”
“I know.” Frank agreed, “And I agree, completely. It would have to be her decision. But at least if I ask her if she would like us to then-“
“Us?” Fliss looked at him, blinking. “You mean you want me to?”
“Of course I do.” Frank nodded, before he frowned slightly “But if that isn’t what you want, I understand. It’s a big-“ Fliss cut him off by pressing a kiss to his lips “Of course I do Frank. I love Mary like she is my own anyway so…” Frank beamed at her and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her head. “So, we’re agreed. We ask her?”
Fliss nodded and pulled back, her hand resting on his cheek. “We ask her.”
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Call Of The Mountains || Ch. 1
Pairings: Steve Rogers x Reader x Bucky Barnes (Werewolf AU!)
Warnings: Nothin
Word Count: 1700+
Summary: (Werewolf-AU!Stucky x f!reader) Life had begun to overwhelm her. Work was insane and her life was a mess. There was a tug in her soul that called her to take this trip, deep into the forest away, where there was the peace and stillness of nature. She didn’t know why, but she knew she needed to listen. It was meant to be a relaxing trip, but one misstep on some moss sent her tumbling into the rapids of the flooded river. She thought she was gone and the earth decided it was time to reclaim her. She didn’t expect was to be pulled from the river nor the creature that saved her. Her entire world is turned upside down and all it took was an accidental step to the left. (18+ Only Story)
A/N: Aight, so this is one I’ve been wanting to write for a while but made myself wait until I got a few stories done. Now that’s done, I can write this! It’s gonna get spicier in later chapters, and I’m exccciittteeeed! I hope you all enjoy this new story and the wonders it’s gonna contain! Let me know what you think! Enjoy! ❤
The gifs are not mine, credit to the owner.
Chapter One | Chapter Two | Series Masterlist
This wasn’t a really bright idea. She knew it. However, that didn’t stop her from packing up her car with a tent, duffle bag filled with essentials and enough food for a week or so in a bear-proof cooler. She needed a break. Things had gotten crazy at work and life was stressing her out to where she was nearing her breaking point. If she didn’t take this vacation, she’d lose her ever-loving mind.
Fortunately, her boss understood and gave her the time off she wanted. The very next day, Y/N packed her car up, let her friends know she was going to be gone without cell reception for a week or so and drove off towards the mountains and forest. There was a campsite she and her family had been to a few times before; they were more outdoorsy than her, but something was calling to her. A little voice inside of her was craving to be surrounded by nature and away from society, tugging her towards the distant mountains. She needed to unplug and unwind. And so far, the little voice hadn’t steered her wrong.
The drive was long, but it helped her being to decompress and leave the stress behind her. The closer she drove, the thicker and taller the trees began to grow. Eventually, she reached the exit her mother wrote on a sticky note. Very quickly Y/N felt a peace wash over her as she took the quiet country road towards her destination.
She checked her location on her phone and noted her service was at one bar and kept dropping, not that she minded. She was about half an hour from the turn into the reserve and still had a few hours left of daylight. Good, she’d be able to pitch the tent and get a quick dinner started before the sun began to set. Maybe she could go for a quick dip in the river nearby. It had a lovely waterfall that flowed from a spring somewhere along the mountain. It was the perfect place for her to unwind.
Half an hour later, a smile spread across Y/N’s face when she spotted the sign and entrance. The ranger at the booth at the reserve's entrance was happy to help point her in the right direction, chatting with her for a moment and explaining how things worked. She was one of the few campers there, and while she might run into one or two if she went out hiking, the campsite she requested was far enough away she didn’t have to worry about seeing people all the time. Just what she wanted. He did, however, warn her that due to a large amount of rain they were getting, the rapids in the river were quite high and fast in the area and to make sure she kept an eye on where she stepped on the soft ground beside it.
Following the directions the ranger gave, Y/N drove further into the reserve and was unable to keep herself from admiring the green around her. Living in the city meant she got very little to none of this. True there were trees here and there, but nothing like this. Parking her car in the marked spot beside the site, Y/N stepped out and took in a deep breath of the clean crisp air. No loud sirens or shouting filled in air, or the smog and dingy stale air from the city. All she heard was the sound of the trees swaying in the breeze and the happy chirps of the many birds in the canopies. The weather was supposed to be sunny and relatively cool, with a slight chance of clouds later in the week. The perfect weather for camping in the perfect setting. Yep, she thought, this was what I needed.
The unpacking took her a little longer than she thought. The tent was new, one of the dome ones big enough to fit six people. Her father bought it on sale, something about it being almost 70% off and he just had to get it. The tent was comically large for Y/N, both in height and width, but she wasn’t going to complain. She didn’t want to go out and spend an inordinate about of money for one camping trip. There’s no telling when the next time she’d get a chance to do this again. Her father was also the one that gifted her with the cooler, which he reminded her to keep in the car locked up tight at night as well as a few lanterns, a swiss army knife, plenty of matches and lighters, a few jugs of water, a camping GPS tracker, and the fishing poles Y/N doubted she’d use. But considering she had no idea what she was going to do while here, Y/N didn’t argue. Her mom wasn’t so sure about this, going out alone into the woods, but Y/N just needed to do it. That tug kept growing inside of her and the only way to make it stop was to answer the call.
The rest of the afternoon went smoothly. After the slight struggle figuring the tent out, Y/N made a quick dinner with her packed food and started getting her things ready for sleep later that night. But first, Y/N wanted to go find the waterfall with the scenic pond that turned fed the river. Going off what the ranger said, Y/N assumed the waterfall would be much larger than the last time she’d been. She had plans to go back in the morning but didn’t want to wander around trying to find it.
So lacing up her hiking boots, she snagged a flashlight in case it got darker sooner than anticipated and followed the little marked trail that led her through the woods. The trail was familiar. She hadn’t been here in a few years, and normally her parents would camp further down the river, but once she found the main trail that followed closely alongside the riverbank, Y/N knew where she was. She paused at the sight of the much higher waters, the usually calm waters roaring with life. The ranger wasn’t joking about the current. It looked like it could drag a person under and downstream before anyone had a chance to blink.
Keeping a close to the trail along the forest, away from the soft edge, Y/N walked against the stream of the river and towards where the waterfall should be. Usually, when she was alone with her thoughts, Y/N would find herself full of anxiety, constantly thinking over everything and anything that could go wrong in her busy life. She hated how her mind fought with itself, constant warring with her about this and that. Trivial meaningless things she’d have little to no control over. Yet right now, with her breathing calm and her footsteps unusually light, there wasn’t a single anxious thought insight. The forest seemed to soothe her as if a spell was cast when she stepped foot on the land.
As she began to turn a corner, Y/N heard the waterfall first. It was roaring, echoing off the mountain beside it and the rocks and trees surrounding it. She felt a little flutter of excitement as she turned the corner and gasped. What was usually gentle and slight, the waterfall was twice its size. It caused a cooling mist to form at the bottom, shrouding the little clearing. Where the water pooled was twice in size as well. She spotted the top of a rock she would usually settle on beside it nearly submerged five feet from where the water line began. Fortunately, there were still plenty of places to sit and read around the area, the waterfall loud but not overly so. It was just enough to keep her thoughts at bay in case they crept back in sometime later in the week.
As she stood there staring in awe about how quickly nature can turn from mellow and serene into an impressively dangerous beast, a strange feeling took over. At first, she couldn’t quite place it. It sort of felt like someone was watching her. Frowning, Y/N turned from the waterfall, eyeing the surrounding forest across the water.
The sun had begun to set, leaving shadows to grow under the trees. With the added combination of the mist, Y/N couldn’t make out the other side very well. But the feeling was still there, growing heavier as whatever it was watched on. It wasn’t angry or even annoyed. No, it didn’t make the hairs on the back of her neck raise. Instead, it was almost curious, watching and waiting to see what she’d do next. It made Y/N want to see who it might be, so she chanced a step towards the water. Her eyes followed the waterline, looking and searching.
A shadow moved out of the corner of her eye. It made her jump, her attention snapping towards the spot. She couldn’t have been certain, but she swore she saw a large shape through the trees. Squinting, Y/N tried to make out what it was. But a bird cried loudly behind her, startlingly loud. It caused her to jerk and jump away from the edge of the water, surprised at how close she had gotten without realizing it. She glared at the smug-looking bird that sat on a low branch staring everywhere but at her and turned back to the shoreline on the opposite side. However, the feeling and whatever ever was there was gone.
Letting out a sigh, Y/N deiced that was enough excitement for the night. She shot once more look over her shoulder before heading back towards the way she came. Shaking the strange feeling off, Y/N decided not to dwell on it. It was the first day, there was no point in worrying about something she may or may not have seen. It was just a trick of the light, she tried to reason. Either that it was another hiker who happened across the same spot as her. Yeah, she thought, that was it.
The forest was a mysterious thing. It had its secrets, both good and bad. More often than not, the visitors that would come through never saw the magic that it was made of. There were a lucky few that would see the enchanting wonders it held, whether they stumbled across it or the magic was brought to them. Then, there were the unlucky ones who could see how unforgiving mother earth could be. The trails could lead her down many different paths. It was up to her to determine which direction she would end up taking and what the Earth had decided.
NSFW Tag: (Open- MUST BE 18+, NO EXCEPTIONS)
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The Lady in Black Leather
It was 3pm and you were bored. You were tired of sitting around the apartment. You called Scarlet and asked her to come over. The two of you purged your wardrobe and then she decided to take you out. "You need a makeover and a new wardrobe. Come on!" and off the two of you went.
Your doctor had FINALLY given you permission to do what you wished now that you had healed completely from the surgery. You had spent the last three months not doing much. You weren't allowed your normal walking routine and you couldn't exercise, lift much, nor have sex. That last one not being much of a problem cuz your boyfriend dumped you when you told him you needed this surgery because of your Uterine Fibroids causing you so much pain.
He was livid and called you all kinds of horrible names, told you that you'd be less of a woman if you had the surgery, and told you no man would ever want you if you told them you could no longer bear children... not that you would've been able to anyway. The doctor told you that the fibroid was so large it took up nearly all of the room in your womb and he recommended you have the surgery soon before the fibroid got much bigger. He told you that if you didn't have this surgery, you might become pregnant, but would most certainly lose the baby due to the fibroid. You decided you didn't want to risk that and was tired of the agonizing pain you endured every month when your period rolled around.
Well you had the surgery just after Christmas, spent New Years alone at home recovering. Your friends checking in with you and helping you with basic household chores, dressing, and shopping for you.
Scarlett, your best friend, saw you nearly every day. She would come in the morning before she went into work, would help you in and out of the shower and helped you get dressed. Then she would return in the evening to help you get ready for bed. One day she noticed you weren't as happy as you usually were and asked what was wrong.
You spilled your guts out to her. Telling her everything your now ex-boyfriend had said to you and how you just feel unloved, hollow and empty now. You cried because you always wanted to feel what it was like to have a baby inside you and now you'd never know. She tried to comfort you and encourage you but could see as the time went on, that you were slipping into depression.
Finally on the day you were cleared by your doctor to resume your usual activities, she took you to her favourite salon to cheer you up and give you a boost of confidence. She scheduled you for a makeover and then took you out to get you a new wardrobe after the two of you purged your old one. You got rid of almost everything that wasn't black. She chuckled and thought it was just a phase you were going through. You two walked through the stores and looked at all kinds of different outfits. You tried some on, but only ever purchased black.
The two of you giggled at the lingerie store and she held up a black leather underbust corset with silver buckles across it and shoulder straps. The corset laced up in the back. Your eyes lit up and you snatched it out of her hands. You found a black peasant style blouse with cutouts at the shoulders and another one that you could pull down so the neckline circled your upper arms and came across your back and chest, exposing lots of skin, or you could pull it up over your shoulders to be more modest if desired.
You found another underbust corset that was black and made from a pretty brocade patterned satin, this laced up in the back as well. You tried them both on and instantly fell in love with them. You came out of the dressing room with your black leather pants on, the black peasant blouse and the leather corset and went to look at yourself in the mirror.
"HOT DAMN!" Scarlett said as she saw you come walking out! "GOD! Don't come anywhere near my Sam dressed like that!" She teases. You look in the mirror and grin. Your long, dark, straight hair has really grown out and now hangs just below your waist. Now that it has had a proper trim and conditioning treatment, it shines like a raven's feathers. Your makeup is a lovely dark smokey eye and light pink lipstick and blush.
You grin again at how you look and feel in the corset. You enjoy how it hugs you and gives your abdominal area the extra support and you feel more confident and carry yourself with a straighter posture.
You head back into the fitting room and put on the other corset and the black high-low ruffled skirt Scarlett had found. It looked nice with the brocade on the second corset and you came out with the cutout shoulder black peasant shirt on under the corset. Again Scarlett's eyes about popped out of her head. "GOD, Harley, you look smashing!" She tells you. How about we go out for drinks and dancing tonight to celebrate your new look and your doc releasing you back into the real world again?!?!" she suggests.
"Ok, Scarlett. That sounds like it might be fun!" you say with a grin. "Which one should I wear?" you ask.
"Go put the black leathers back on, but leave this top on and put on the other corset." She tells you. You go and do that and then come back out.
"YES! That is your look for tonight! now we just need to find you a jacket to wear!" she tells you.
You ask the clerk if you can just wear this out of the business and she nods. "Here, let me just snip off the tags for you so the cashier can ring them up." she says.
You pay for the purchases and the two of you head out into the spring sunshine.
"We need to find you some sexy boots and a jacket!" Scarlett says and then her eyes brighten. "I know just where to go to get both!" she exclaims.
She takes you to a shop a few doors down and the sales men are almost falling over trying to help you find the right boots. You settle for two pairs. A higher heel boot that goes just above the knee, and a flat pair that goes to mid calf... both in black.
You pay for the two pairs and wear the higher heeled one out of the store. The two of you are laughing and joking and aren't paying attention when you suddenly bump into a big, burly, balding man who almost knocks you off your feet. He reaches out and catches you before you fall and apologizes for not paying attention to where he was going. He has a warm, scottish accent and smiles at you with a mischievous twinkle in his eye.
You blush beet red and he chuckles. "You gonna be okay, Lass?" he asks as he steadies you. You nod and grin. "Thanks, sir, for catching my friend." Scarlett pipes up, seeing you all flustered. He chuckles and nods. "My pleasure. You two ladies have a nice day." he says as Scarlett pulls you towards the store selling the jacket she wants you to get.
The big, burly, balding man watches you two walk away and he grins as he watches your long, raven hair sway from side to side as you walk. He chuckles again and shakes his head. "Damn, she was hot!" he tells himself as he sees you two walk into the store.
You and Scarlett look around at all the different types of jackets. You both select a few and you go to try them on in front of the mirror. Scarlett hands you a black high low jacket with a royal purple lining. You try it on and grin. It has a fitted chest with three flaps that cross the chest and snap closed, the bottom of the coat flares slightly at your hips and does the typical high-low lay. You turn and show her. "What do you think of this with that skirt I bought?" you ask. She claps and nods. "Oooohhh Yes!!!" she says.
You take off the jacket and set it aside. Then she hands you another one. This one was a patent leather gothic style trench coat with a huge hood that you could fold over your shoulders when you weren't wearing the hood. You liked it immediately. It was comfortable and yet form fitting to your hips, then flared out as you walked. You decided to get that one too and the best part about it was that it was waterproof.
"Now I just need a short one for going out on the town." you tell her. She holds up a couple and you grab the one with a double collar and an asymmetrical zipper across the chest. You try it on and grin. "Yes!" Scarlett says. That looks great with your current outfit!" she exclaims.
You take all three jackets to the cashier and pay for them. You decide to wear the short one for the day and the clerk carefully puts the other two into a bag for you and clips off the tags for the short jacket. Scarlett carries the bag out after you paid for everything.
"Now to find you a little black dress and some more cute tops and some more pants and skirts." Scarlett tells you. The two of you are laughing as you leave the store and the big, bald man looks up from his phone and smiles.
The two of you walk from store to store and shop for clothes. One of the stores, is right near where the big bald guy is standing. He sees you looking at black dresses and skirts. Scarlett is holding up a couple and you frown and shake your head. Then you hold up a gorgeous long black number that makes him want to beg you to try it on. He grins when he sees you drape it over your arm to try on. You grab a couple knee length and another high-low skirt and head for the dressing room. He has a clear shot of the mirrors and waits for you to come out.
You and Scarlett head to the fitting room and you ask her what you should try on first. She tells you to leave the top and the corset on and to try on the skirts first. You do and come out in the knee length one and bare feet. "OOOOhhhh! I likkkkkkeeeeee!" she says excitedly "Very sophisticated!" she tells you. "But you need a nice pair of black dress shoes for that look." she says as she looks around. "Hang on!" she goes and finds a pair of simple black pumps in your size. She helps you slip into them and giggles as you are now taller than her. You turn and look into the mirror and grin. "Come on, do a twirl and the catwalk." Scarlett teases.
You chuckle and give her a catwalk strut down the walkway towards the windows, you twirl around at the window, not noticing the bald man standing outside in the hallway staring at you with great appreciation, and you catwalk back to Scarlett who is clapping and her firery red curls bouncing as she bounces in her seat. "Great! Go try on the high- low skirt!" she tells you.
You go back into the fitting room and come out a moment later in the high low skirt. It has a royal purple lining in it that matches the jacket you bought. Scarlett squeals when she sees you come out in it and pulls out the jacket. "Here! You gotta try it with the jacket!" she exclaims and helps you into the jacket.
You look in the mirror and turn this way and that. "I don't know, Scarlett, I kind of want to stick with just the black." you tell her. She laughs, "Aww, come on Har, ya gotta have a LITTLE pop of color now and then!" she teases. "Come on, do the catwalk with this one too! I think that guy you bumped into seems to be enjoying your little fashion show." she teases.
You glance up and notice him standing outside the windows talking to someone on his phone occasionally glancing in. Your face gets pink and you say, "I don't know, Scar, now I'm nervous." "Aw, come on! Harley! Show 'em what ya got! He seems to be enjoying it, let 'em look. It's not like you're gonna take 'em home with ya!" she teases.
"Fine!" you relent. You strut down the walkway towards the windows and do your little spin, making the tails of the jacket fly and strut back to Scarlett, who is giggling.
"And now for the finale! The little black dress!!!!!" she exclaims with glee. You roll your eyes and head back into the fitting room. You remove the corset and the blouse, the skirt and then put on the dress. It looks all right on you but then you wonder how it'll look with the corset. You put the corset back on and voila, you look amazing! You grin and slip on the black heels again. You step out of the fitting room and look straight down the walkway to see the reaction of the man standing just outside the windows. The bald one you bumped into's eyes get wide and he grins at you. You glance over to Scarlett who pulls you over in front of the full length mirror and makes you turn slowly.
You admire how flattering the dress is on you and how the corset gives your girls just the right amount of support. "Har, why did you put the corset over it?" Scarlett asked.
"Because I need the support and the dress looked better with it on." you explained. You strut down the walkway slowly and give the guy a good look at you. When you reach the window, you smirk at him to let him know you saw him watching, and his face turns pink and he glances away, continuing the conversation on his phone. The moment you turn he glances back to admire your rear in the dress.
"HOT DAMN! She is SMOKIN HOT!" he grins. He is distracted and suddenly hears Aiden on the other end of the phone. "Now, Martin wants to know if we are meeting him up at The Squawking Raven's Bar tonight. He needs to let them know how many to reserve tables for. You two comin' or what?" Aiden asks.
Graham is still watching you interact with Scarlett and isn't paying attention. "Earth to Graham... You coming to The Squawking Raven's tonight or what?" Aiden asks again. "Yeah, I guess. I don't have anywhere else to go tonight." he replies as he watches you head for the dressing room.
"Out of your league, Graham... Out of your league." He tells himself. Then turns his attention back to the three way call he was on. The three of them talk about what time to meet at the bar and Graham spots you and Scarlett heading for the Cashier. He grins when he sees you pay for the dress and both skirts and the shoes. The two of you head for the doors and start walking towards him. As you walk past you pause and whisper. "Hey handsome, hope you enjoyed the show!" and then kept on walking, arm in arm with Scarlett who was looking back and giggling.
Graham grinned
FAST FORWARD TO THE EVENING
"Come on Har! Hurry up!!!" Scarlett says, annoyed. You come running out of the bathroom and then ask. "What should I wear? I got so many cute outfits with you today."
Scarlett picks out the leather pants that are almost like leggings they fit you so tight, the peasant top without the cut outs, and the brocade corset, then thinks and grabs the high-low skirt with the purple lining. "Here, wear this." she says.
You quickly get dressed and she pulls the neckline down around your shoulders exposing your shoulders more. "There. Now find a necklace and get your knee high boots on so we can go!"
You quickly find a black lace choker, with a silver circlet at the throat. There is one long, silver chain coming down off the center of the choker and it has a black pearl on the end. There are two slightly shorter silver chains, one on either side of the longer one, and they too have black pearls on them. There are four small pendants containing black pearls each one flanking the longer chains. You put it on and then put on the matching earrings.
You dab on some Ylang Ylang essential oil you use as perfume.
You look at your hair and say, "Scar, can you quickly braid this for me into one of your rope braids?" she looks at you and grins. She pulls half of your hair up and braids it into her signature rope braid then wraps it around your head several times. Pinning it in place with hairpins. She takes some of your hair jewels and puts them in throughout the twisted hair crown. "There, now let's go!" she says and grabs your arm.
You pull on your boots and grab your hooded trench coat and put it on. You dig out your ID and debit card and cash from your wallet and put it into a small leather pouch and ties it to your loop on the bottom of the corset on your right side.
The two of you dash out the door and Scarlett drives you two to The Squawking Raven bar. You both walk up to the bouncer and he grins. "Hi Scar! Who do you have with you tonight?" Joe asks. "Joe, this is my best friend, Harley. She is celebrating her first night out since having major surgery and we're gonna have a good time if you let us in." she teases. He holds out his hand and you hand him your ID. He looks at it, gets a surprised look on his face and hands it back to you. "You sure don't look your age, Honey! Scar, you sure she is over 21?" he teases. Scarlett giggles, Yes, Joe. We have been friends since we were toddlers." she tells him. "Damn!" he replies. "Well you two ladies have fun!" he tells you two as he holds the door for you both to enter.
The music and the bass hit your bodies immediately and you grin. Yes, this was exactly what you needed after the last four months of life dragging you down.
You both head for the coat check and then once your coats are safely stowed away, you go to grab a drink. You both come up to the bar and Lacey glances up. "Well lookie here! It's Scar and someone new! How are ya tonight?" He asks.
"Hey, Lacey! This is my best friend, Harley. Harley, this is Lacey." she tells you both. "Nice to meet you Harley! Welcome to The Squawking Raven. Can I get you two ladies anything?" he asks.
You look up at the selections. "Jameson on the rocks, please." you ask. He looks surprised and Scarlett just grins. "Screwdriver for me, Lace." Scarlett says. You two turn and watch the dancing for a minute and look around. You see there is an upper deck where people are seated in booths and some are standing by a railing looking down. There is a spiral staircase at the front and center end of the upper deck.
"Here you are ladies!" Lacey says as he hands you both your drinks. You both grin and Scarlett tells him to put the drinks for tonight on her tab. He nods and the two of you head for an empty table by the dance floor.
You giggle as you watch Scarlett's curls bounce in time to the music as she jams out while you two walk. She is in a bright green leather steam punk vest with a high collar and chains hanging off it. There are little gold hooks holding the vest closed and she has black jeans on. She has her usual ankle boots on and her red hair is reminding you of Merida from the movie Brave.
You order food and wait for it to arrive before downing the alcohol too much. Once you both have eaten and drank your first round of drinks, you both are ready to hit the dance floor.
___________
Graham is standing by the door outside waiting for the rest of the group to arrive. Martin and his wife were already inside and up in the upper deck's booths. Finally he sees Richard's and Aiden's cars arrive. They join him at the door and Joe lets them in. They are heading across the floor for the spiral staircase when someone dancing bumps into Richard, causing him to bump into someone who is in front of him and slightly off to the side, nearly knocking them off their feet.
He reacts quickly and steadies the person. His left hand grabbing her upper arm and his right hand steadying her as he grabs her waist to keep her from flying forward too far. His hands land on soft leather and he feels the person's body stiffen momentarily.
He rumbles an apology close to the person's ear so she could hear him over the music. He has to resist letting out a groan when the scent of her perfume hits his nose. It was like a sweet intoxication and he was hooked instantly. The woman frowns and looks up at him with her big blue eyes and long, black lashes. At first she didn't recognize him, then it dawned on her who he was and her eyes widen and a blush creeps up her neck.
"OH! I'm sorry!" you say. When you realize who just bumped into you.
He chuckles and lets go of your arm, keeping his other hand on your hip. "I'm sorry for bumping into you." he apologizes. "You ok?" He asks. You stare at him for a moment, then lower your head shyly and nod."I'm fine." you tell him.
He grins. "Ok. Just wanted to make sure you were all right." he replies with a panty melting smirk. You have to bite your lip to resist groaning audibly. "Damn, he is so frickin' sexy in that blue shirt and silver grey pants! His hair was longer than you had seen him wear it in a while. You follow his tumblr and twitter pages. His silver streaks in his hair were a little more noticeable now and you grinned. You reached up and hesitantly brushed a strand off his face, making him grin more.
"Thank you." you replied. Suddenly Scarlett was grabbing your hand and pulling you further into the dance floor, completely oblivious to your exchange with the handsome actor. You looked over your shoulder as she pulled you away and mouthed, "Sorry" to him. He chuckled and headed for the spiral staircase where the others were gathered.
You and Scarlett danced for a while and when you got thirsty, you sat down at the table while she went to get you both drinks. You looked around, beaming at all the fun you were having. They were playing great dance music tonight. You glanced up into the upper deck and gasped. You saw the bald man from earlier in the day standing at the railing with Richard Armitage and suddenly there was Aiden Turner and Martin Freeman along with another woman who you assume was Martin's wife.
As you were looking up, Scarlett came back with your drinks. "Here's another Jameson on the rocks for you, Harley!" she said as she plopped it down on the table. "What'cha lookin' at?" she asked when you glanced back up at the upper deck.
"You'll never guess who is here." you tell her.
"Who?" she asks. You tilt your head up to the deck. "Along the railing..." you say as you take a swig of your drink.
"Oh my GOD!!!" she squeals excitedly. "I knew I recognized Baldy from this afternoon! That's Graham McTavish!!!! Oh my God, you were flirting with him!!! And he flirted with you!!!" Scarlett teased!
You blushed beet red. "Look who else is up there." you replied.
"Oh good Lord! It's Aiden Turner and Mr. Oakenshield himself, Mr. Armitage!" she squealed. Then she saw Martin turn and face the dance floor again after talking to someone behind him. "Bilbo is here too?!?!?!?!" she squeaked! "Oh my dear Harley! We hit the jack pot tonight!!! Eye candy everywhere!!!!" she exclaimed!
You just covered your face and laughed. "Scar, PLEASE don't embarass me tonight!!! They are just normal people like you and me, just a lot richer." you tell her.
"Come on! Let's go dance some more!" she squeals and pulls you out on the floor. You bring your half drunk Jameson with you so no one can mess with it. You quickly realize you need to down it due to the number of bodies around you. "Hang on, Scar, I gotta go finish my drink!" you tell her. She nods and keeps dancing.
You head back to the table and take another swig of your drink. You don't notice that Graham spotted you on the dance floor with the redhead from earlier in the day and pointed you both out to Richard and Aiden. You finish your drink and pop one of the small ice cubes in your mouth and chomp on it, liking the feel of the crunch in your mouth. you pop another in your mouth and crunch on it too.
"You know what they say about Lasses who eat ice don't ya?" You hear from behind you. You grin and recognize that accent and the warm voice. You pick out another small ice cube, turn and pop it in your mouth as you raise an eyebrow.
You see Richard swallow hard and you smirk. You roll the cube around in your mouth for a moment teasing the two men, and then give it a satisfying crunch.
"What do they say about Lasses who chew on Ice, Mr. McTavish?" you tease.
He smirks, then says, "They haven't gotten any in a while." he chuckles, pats Richard on the back and turns to head back to the upper deck. You giggle and look at a stunned Richard. "You want a drink?" you ask when you see Aiden approach Scarlett to dance.
Richard snaps out of it and chuckles, "Sure, what are you having?" he asks as you both make your way to the bar.
"Jameson on the rocks, please Lacey, and something for Mr. Armitage here." you tell him. Lacey's eyes open wide and he grins. "Sure! What'll you have?" he asks Richard.
Rich looks at you surprised when you order a Jameson on the rocks. He should've known you'd order something like that from how you were dressed. He tells Lacey what he wants to drink and then turns to you.
"So, you like the strong stuff?" he asks teasingly.
"Yup!" you reply bouncing to the beat of the music. "Jameson, Jack Daniels, Captain Morgan" you list off. "But I like stuff like Screwdrivers and champagne too. Just depends on where I am at and what mood I'm in." you reply. "I'm almost always willing to try new things."
He hums.
"Here ya are Harley," Lacey says as he passes you both your drinks. "Want me to put it on Scar's tab?" he asks.
Richard raises an eyebrow, "Scar?" he asks you. You giggle. "Scarlett, the red-head I came with tonight. She's my best friend." you explain.
Richard nods and takes out his wallet. He pays for the drinks and then puts his wallet back in his pocket.
You both take your drinks to the table and sit. You watch Aiden dancing with Scarlett and chuckle. "OOOHHHH Sam isnt gonna like that if he finds out she was dancin with a guy instead of me!" you chuckle.
Richard looks at them then back at you and raises an eyebrow. "Who's Sam?" he asks.
"Her Boyfriend." you reply.
Richard coughs from his drink. "Why is she out with you instead of her boyfriend?" he asks.
You grin. "We were celebrating and he didn't want to join us." you explain.
Richard looks at you confused. "Celebrating?" he asks.
You nod and take another swig of your whiskey. "Yeah. I just got cleared by my doctor to resume normal activities after being on strict limitations. I had major surgery right after Christmas that practically put me on bed rest." You explain. "I was ok'd today to go back to my normal activities, So we went shopping for a new wardrobe, she got me a makeover and we came here to celebrate." you tell him.
He chuckles. "I can understand you coming here for celebrating, but why the makeover and shopping spree?" he asks as the two of you watch the dancing out on the floor and nurse your drinks.
"My boyfriend of 3 years dumped me like a hot potato when I told him I was having this major surgery. He got mad at me and degraded me and said a lot of horrible things to me that made me feel like crap. I've battled depression and poor self esteem for my whole life. Scarlett was just trying to help me out of a bout of it that i had after the surgery." you explained. "She tried to get me to feel pretty, sexy and confident." you tell him.
"Ah." Richard nodded, understanding the self-esteem part all too well. "And did it work?" he asked
"Sort of." you reply. "I'm definitely not pretty or sexy, but I do feel more confident with my new corset on." you tell him.
"Well it's his loss." he tells you as he reaches across the table and puts his hand on yours.
You look at him confused, "Huh?"
"Your boyfriend, he was a fool for leaving a beautiful and incredibly sexy woman like you like he did." he replied as he stood and came to stand in front of you. He tucked a strand of hair behind your ear that had come loose. You stared at him in disbelief.
"Would you like to dance for a bit?" he asked.
You grinned and downed the rest of your drink, smirking at the shocked look on his face. You let him pull you out to the dance floor and the two of you danced the night away as Graham and Martin and Martin's wife looked on from the upper deck.
"Graham, who's the lady Richard is dancing with?" Martin's wife asked. Graham shook his head. "I don't know who she is. I only saw her and that red haired lass that Aiden's dancin' with when they were shopping at the mall earlier today.
"Is THAT the woman you were watching when I was talking to you and Aiden on the phone?" Martin asked, flabbergasted. He looked down to the dance floor when Graham nodded at him.
"Damn!" Martin said, earning a smack from his wife.
He looked up at her confused and she smirked at him. "Look, but no touching!" she reminded him.
He grinned mischievously, "Sweetheart, the only one getting touched by these mitts is you!" he told her and grabbed her to give her a passionate kiss.
Graham chuckled and teased, "Get a room you two!"
Martin's wife teased back, "Aw, come on, Graham, you know what it's like to be in love! How come your wife doesn't join you on your travels?" she asked.
Graham sighed. "She hates flying. And she takes care of the kids and grandkids while I'm gone. She doesn't want to be in the spotlight and wants to keep her anonymity." he replies.
"Unlike somepeople..." Martin teases his wife and gives her a squeeze. She chuckles and looks down at Richard and you dancing.
"She has an unusual beauty to her. I wonder what attracted him to her?" she pondered.
Graham chuckles. "Hmmm, a mysterious, beauty, dressed in all black leather with long, soft raven hair... gee, I don't know what he was thinking..." he tells her teasingly
She rolls her eyes. "Men." she snorts.
They both just chuckle.
--------
After a while, Scarlett and Aiden come over to you and Richard and the four of you head back to the table. Scarlett goes to get drinks and brings them back. You are feeling pretty buzzed by now and happily take the Jameson from her.
You take a swig and sigh contentedly as you let it sit on your tongue for a moment before swallowing. Aiden chuckles. "I don't think I've met someone who downs whiskey like you do!" he teases. "How many have you had now?" he asks.
"Four... i think." You grin and finish the glass in two gulps. Savoring the flavor before you swallow each one. Both Richard and Aiden's eyes open wide and you smile, popping the small ice cubes into your mouth one at a time. "I like to enjoy the flavor on my tongue before swallowing it." you tease and wink.
"I'm amazed you aren't totally hammred!" Aiden replies with a mischievous grin and winks at Richard. The two men talk for a couple minutes about a coworker who liked whiskey, but you ignored them.
"Scarlett, you better be careful and make sure Sam doesn't find out about tonight." you whisper to her as Aiden and Richard talk. She giggles. "I don't really care at the moment, he can go pound sand for all I care. I'm tired of his controlling nature. He never wants to do anything with me." she tells you and you shrug. "You might want to let Aiden know so he isn't caught unawares." you tell her.
Richard asks you if you'd like to dance some more and you nod. The two of you head out onto the dance floor.
"What was with all the whispering?" he asked. "I was just warning her to be careful with Aiden. I don't want him getting hurt. Scarlett is dating a guy who is very controlling and only wants her for one thing. He refuses to do anything outside of the bedroom with her and she is getting tired of it. I have had my doubts that they would stay together for very much longer. She is an outgoing person and loves to socialize. I just don't want their breakup to be blamed on Aiden." you explain.
"Ah." he says.
The two of you dance for a while then head back to the table. You sit and lean against the table. Popping another ice cube in your mouth to suck on.
"Would you like another drink?" Richard asks. You shake your head. "No, I better lay off the whiskey, it's gettin late and we are gonna have to head out soon." you tell him.
Richard frowns. "You sure?" he asks.
You nod. "Yeah. Thanks tho for the one you did get me."
He nods.
You look around for Aiden and Scarlett. "Where did they go?" you ask nervously.
Richard looks puzzled. "Who?"
"Aiden and Scarlett. She's my ride home." you tell him.
"I'm gonna go check and see if she is in the Ladies' room. I'll be right back." you tell him.
You head to Lacey and ask him where the Ladies' room is, he points to the back wall and you nod and thank him.
You stumble across the dance floor and over to the restrooms. You go to open the Ladies' room door and find it's locked. You put an ear to the door and hear two people having sex. You knock on the door and holler, "Scarlett, you in there?"
You hear them pause and a lady replies, "No one in here by that name, hon."
You apologize and head back to the table you were at. You look around for Richard and don't see him. You look up into the upper deck and see him up there talking to Martin and Graham. He sees you down on the floor and heads back down to the table.
"Graham said they left when we went back onto the dance floor." he tells you.
You sit down on the chair, rub your forehead and groan." Ugh! I hope they went to Aiden's place and not hers or there could be problems." you tell him.
"You gonna be ok?" he asks you. "Yeah. I'll just call one of my other friends to come get me." you reply.
"I can give you a ride if you want." he offers.
"Thanks, but I'm not entirely comfortable with that yet. No offense. I just haven't had the greatest luck with guys i just met knowing where I live." you tell him. He raises an eyebrow.
You sigh. "I'm sorry, I gotta go." you tell him. "Thanks for the dancing and the drink." you tell him and turn to head to the coat check.
Richard stands and watches you head out. He frowns, something was bugging him about your reaction and he couldn't put a finger on what it was. He watched you put your coat on and flip up your hood. He followed you at a distance and watched as you started to walk out the door. You stopped to thank the bouncer for letting you in and then you began to walk down the block.
"She surely isn't going to walk home?!?" he thought. He frowned again. Then realized he didn't even get your name or your phone number. He facepalmed annoyed with himself. He watched you disappear into the darkness and prayed you got home safe.
He turned to head back in and Joe looked at him. "You just gonna let her walk home alone?" he asked.
"I offered her a ride, but she declined. Said she was going to call her friend for a ride. Maybe they live nearby." Richard replied.
Joe nodded. He opened the door and let Richard back in.
The rest of the night, Richard thought about you, worried, and wondered if you made it home all right.
By the time he got home, it was early morning. He knew he was going to have a headache and had to be up in 6 hours for makeup and hair.
Groaning, he stripped out of his clothes took a couple of aspirin with some water and climbed into bed. He set his alarm on his phone and plugged it in. Then drifted off to sleep dreaming about the mysterious woman in black.
@fizzyxcustard @thetherianthropydaily @emrfangirl @midnight-reader-morning-sleeper
#richard armitage#Reader#woman in black leather#night out at the bar#ditched#scarlett#harley#graham mctavish#aiden turner
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I was tagged by @tam--lin in this hyperspecific tumblr-corner niche tag meme (which is delightful, honestly), so here’s my answers:
What sort of music were you into circa age 12?
Tragically, at the age of twelve I had not yet developed a taste in music, because all I was ever exposed to was the excruciatingly bland contemporary Christian station that was the only music my mother ever had on in the car and one (1) classic rock road trip playlist my dad, who does have an interesting taste in music but who never controlled the radio, created back when he was in college and still had the cassettes for.
That said, of the classic rock road trip songs, I was most excited about the songs Magic Power by Triumph and Carry on Wayward Son by Kansas, and I particularly stand by the latter as a jam
Favorite fantasy or sci-fi thing media released in the last 5 years:
Last five years I might have to go with the Aerois campaign of the D&D stream High Rollers. I have assorted Critical Role feelings as well (although technically they started their first stream pre-2015 anyways) but I think Aerois might edge it out for me, personally
Favorite pair of boots:
So Groovebags doesn’t sell the exact model I own anymore (they’ve lasted me coming up on two years, which is a testament to them not exclusively being a fashion statement), but I have a variation on this style of boots that displays the subducting plate boundary a little more prominently that I bought on a big sale when I was in need of some good waterproof shoes. They’ve been worth every penny, especially since starting work at the science museum where having a pair of Ms. Frizzle-esque boots just adds to my science educator cred. I absolutely plan on replacing them with another equally ostentatious science design from them (they have SO MANY) when the plate boundary ones die, especially since they do unisex sizing which I, a transmasc person with very small feet, appreciate deeply
Song you blare loudly, windows-down, that confuses fellow drivers:
Officially, I don’t think I’ve ever done this, but emotionally it’s probably “Everybody Hates Elves” by Kari Maaren
A thing you don’t understand about US dating culture:
I don’t even know if I can pick one thing, I can conceptualize romance so poorly that I can barely even wrap my mind around the idea that people go on dates and that it’s at all different than just hanging out with something, much less zero in on some of the other things that confuse me.
Vests, y/n:
I have been living the vest appreciation life ever since my junior year of high school and I don’t intend to stop. In this household, we look like Marty McFly or bust.
Underrated musical artist you think we should listen to:
I Fight Dragons! I rarely hear people talk about them (other than people who I know I got into them) but they’ve been one of my favorite bands also since my junior year of high school and I’m just as into their new stuff as I was their discography then
You have to give up one forever: oceans or mountains. (Personally. You do not affect the world in any way.)
This choice hurts me but I know in my soul I gotta say oceans. The Rockies in particular stole my heart and haven’t let go. Moving away from Colorado to someplace flatter has been the first time I’ve really understood longing for another landscape.
Unpopular food opinion:
Black licorice is delicious and you’re all cowards. And I don’t just mean the normal kind, which I do love, but also the extra powerful salmiak stuff
Favorite museum:
I have a huge soft spot for the Denver Museum of Nature and Science and the little zoological and paleontological museums at the university I went to in Montana because I volunteered in collections at all of them. DMNS in particular was when I was in high school, so it was pretty formative (and it’s also just a great museum!)
I also love OMSI, in Oregon, which my grandpa would take me and my sister to every time we visited, and the AMNH in New York which I snuck down to several times while spending my freshman year at NYU. And the one bright spot in the disastrous abroad trip to Florence that semester was seeing the Museo Galileo, which is not one of the big names on the block but if you’ve ever wanted to see actual Renaissance-era scientific instruments or uhhhhhhh [throws dart at wall] Galileo’s mummified finger (no, really) it’s your place
Also, different kind of museum, but can I say the Doctor Who Experience in Cardiff? I loved the Doctor Who Experience, and Cardiff
How many swords have you owned in your life:
Tragically the only fencing gear I’ve ever used was rented, although I did get to at least live the aesthetic of having a ton of them lying around the apartment I shared with the college fencing club captain in Montana. Other than that, the little foam sword I used for elementary school Shakespeare performances as Hamlet and MacDuff is all I’ve got for you, unless my fancy combat-grade Ultrasaber counts since someday when things exist again I’m going to use it in the local Saber Guild (lightsaber stage combat!) chapter
Most obscure word you know in a foreign language you don’t speak:
The tricky thing here is the definition of “don’t speak” because dabbling in language learning is sort of my thing (in phases, at least). I don’t have much fluency in anything other than English though, so even though it’s the language I’ve been studying most seriously as of late my pick has to be “iùl-oidche,” which is a poetic name for a navigational star in Gaelic
Dream cosplay(s):
This is...... a very long list.
I’m technically actively working on Quill from High Rollers already but that one involves so much wild technical expertise that it still feels out there. Same for the fact that I’ve already done Percy de Rolo (from Critical Role) once, but the entirely-reworked version of it I actually want to pull off when I have better sewing skills and more money counts as a dream cosplay.
Other than that.... every single OT Luke Skywalker, but especially his X-Wing pilot outfit and his throne room one with the yellow jacket (and also Hoth, because I live in Minnesota and it would be funny), as well as Legolas, Fjord from Critical Role, and Milo Thatch from A:tLE
(In true cosplayer fashion. Too many things)
Would you shoot a man to save public libraries, y/n:
.....it goes very against my character but like. If I gave the man an impassioned, Luke Skywalker-style speech about what he should do to save them and he didn’t use his powers for good. All bets are off.
#my answers got LONG but i cannot help it. i am a verbose little creature#as for tagging folks on this one: do it if it speaks to you#i know there are other people in this corner but that call is yours to make
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Thanks for tagging me, @incorrectly-quoted-queers !
1. What is the color of your hairbrush?
I have several hairbrushes, and all of them are purple. It wasn’t really intentional, it just kinda happened.
2. A food you never eat?
I really really hate beans, which is bad because in my culture beans are a staple.
3. Are you typically too warm or too cold?
I have a thing where I easily get cold inside, but I easily get hot when i’m outside. The exact temperature doesn’t matter, as both can fluctuate, but it’s quite strange.
4. What were you doing 45 minutes ago?
Hmm... probably playing Dragon Age.
5. What is your favorite candy bar?
I’m actually eating a Cadbury bar right now... so anything Cadbury I guess.
6. Have you ever been to a professional sporting event?
I’ve been to several football (soccer) games and once to a boxing tournament.
7. What was the last thing you said out loud?
*sigh* Of course.
8. What is your favorite ice cream?
I’m not a huge ice cream fan, though I do have a soft spot for strawberry.
9. What was the last thing you had to drink?
Homemade iced tea
10. Do you like your wallet?
I don’t really use a wallet- normally I’ll just put my debit card in one pocket and my phone in the other.
11. What was the last thing you ate?
That Cadbury bar
12. Did you buy any new clothes last weekend?
Actually, I bought a t-shirt.
13. The last sporting event you watched?
It was so far back I can’t even remember... probably a football game.
14. What is your favorite flavor of popcorn?
Plain, or maybe butter.
15. Who was the last person you sent a text message to?
I last texted my friend Enid that I’d seen a weird sign. Something about a property sale with the name Cummings.
16. Ever go camping?
I think I did 7 or 8 years ago with a friend of mine. He kept getting freaked out because he thought he heard wolves.
17. Do you take vitamins?
Thanks for reminding me! I keep forgetting to take B12.
18. Do you go to church every Sunday?
I went to church once for a funeral and once for a wedding, but never to worship.
19. Do you have a tan?
I don’t tan, I burn. Despite my parents being far more on the tan side, I have pasty white skin that just burns.
20. Do you prefer Chinese food or pizza?
Definitely Chinese. My housemates were talking about ordering some tomorrow, actually.
21. Do you drink your soda with a straw?
I don’t drink soda often, but when I do drink Guaraná, I use a reusable straw.
22. What color socks do you usually wear?
Normally either white or gray. Boring, I know.
23. Ever drive above the speed limit?
I can’t drive.
24. What terrifies you?
University. Going to school and making friends in an entirely new environment? Scared the shit out of me.
25. Look to your left what do you see?
I see cars speeding out my window. Also a pocketknife on the windowsill.
26. What chore do you hate?
Handwashing dishes. I hate getting wet (unless I’m taking a shower) and if there’s any leftover food on it, I really don’t want to touch it.
27. What do you think of when you hear an Australian accent?
Kangaroos!
28. What is your favorite soda?
Guaraná, as mentioned before.
29. Do you go into a fast food place or just hit the drive through?
I don’t really do greasy food so... neither?
30. Who was the last person you talked to?
Myself (or I guess my housemates under my breath? Don’t know if it really counts).
31. Favorite cut of beef?
Picanha for sure.
32. Last song you listened to?
Ready to Die by Andrew WK
33. Last book you read?
Probably a D&D book? Idk.
34. Favorite day of the week?
Friday, easy.
35. Can you say the alphabet backwards?
Yep! The last few are pretty easy as a musician.
36. How do you like your coffee?
Black and room temperature, probably -please don’t kill me-
37. Favorite pair of shoes?
I have a pair of beat-up brown boots that I wear almost everywhere. Probably my new vans once they come in.
38. At what time do you usually go to bed?
Normally about 2:00 now, but it used to be about midnight.
39. At what time do you normally get up?
I used to get up about 6:00, often before that, but now it’s between 8:00 or 9:00.
40. What do you prefer - sunrises or sunsets?
Sunrise. One of my favourite memories was staying at my friend’s beach house and staying up to watch the sun.
41. How many blankets are on your bed?
Two, currently, but one is halfway on the floor, so I’m not sure if that counts?
42. Describe your kitchen plates?
I’ve never really thought about this before... right now, I have an old set that were a gift from my friends’ parents.
43. Do you have a favorite alcoholic beverage?
I don’t normally drink, but I’ve had margaritas before and they’re not half bad.
44. Do you play cards?
I play Hearts and Cantrell draw fairly well, as well as a Brazilian card game.
45. What color is your car?
I don’t have a car (see 23).
46. Can you change a tire?
Never tried, but it can’t be that hard, right?
48. Favorite job you ever had?
I don’t know what my favourite job was, but my least favourite was modelling, for sure.
49. How did you get your biggest scar?
I have a large scar between my thumb and second finger that came from a nail. It’s probably about the size of a US dime.
50. What did you do today that made someone happy?
I haven’t really done much today, but I guess when I talked to one of my housemates about his job? Idk, he seemed a bit more cheery afterwards.
Tagging @ridingrootless, @consultingskeletondetective, @neverwinternighting, @bisexualspaghetti, @19lady-mad81, @renegademe, @tehfanglyfish and anyone else who wants to!
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Another pair that I managed to get my hands on in the sale. I wanted to do the dogtooth design once again, but this time in a tulle material, which I knew Calzedonia had for half the price!
This pair I bought when I was shopping on Oxford Street in London, and I was dying to try them out ever since last year when I saw it on their social media!
The Spec
Colour: Black
Size: Small
Denier: Unknown
Materials: 88% polyamide, 12% elastane
Price: £17.00 / Sale £8.50
Website: No Longer Available
My Outfit
Feeling a little gypy-ish in this outfit today seeing it in the images below. I added a corset waist belt to my oversized shirt dress and I added my ruffle shoe boots as I wanted to try something different. I kept my hair up in a ponytail and added studs to finish the look.
My Deets
Shirt: Republic
Corset Belt: In The Style
Tights: Calzedonia
Heels: Independent Brand
The Review
The Packaging: as these were hanging on their shelving, this means they will be in open packaging for others to feel. I always make sure I go for the ones at the back as you know people’s hands wouldn’t have been all over it.
To unwrap these, you will need to fol them out from the cardboard, and boom! Luckily these don’t have card inserted inside of them, as they are thick enough. These actually look like leggings instead of tights!
Getting Them On: to be honest, I treated these as leggings instead of tights. They felt so thick due to the velvet-y texture you could you pull them right on without worrying about damaging them. I took my time to get these on over my anklets, and then it was a straight pull up the legs 🙂
You will see on the image below how thick these are!
On The Legs: the thickness of these are crazy. They look semi-sheer but actually they are quite thick on the legs. I mentioned previously these are like leggings, and I was not joking there. If you get a pair you will know what I mean…
The quality of these are lovely; they are thick, they have little stretch to them and they don’t snag/rip easily either. I mean you probably could if you wasn’t being careful, but I found these to be quite durable.
The fit of them are true to size, and I would make sure you check the sizing guide as there is very little stretch in them. These are the type that you will get gapping under the knees and wrinkles around the ankles – even if you do get your size in them. The feel of them are are mixed; the velvet parts are smooth to touch and against the nylon, it’s a little odd. It’s not what you expect really is the best way of putting it.
Now I need to add here that after wearing these, I found the velvet texture rubs off everywhere. I saw black particles scattered everywhere; in the car, the bedding, on the floor etc. It’s one that you will be leaving your mark wherever you go until you wash them!
Onto the design; I bought them for this reason. I do love the houndstooth / dogtooth design, which works so well with office attire. It’s a pattern that works really well dressed up or down, and with the pattern being darker than the tights, you really get the pop!
The Toes & Ankle: so the toes are not reinforced, which is a shame but the way these are made I wouldn’t expect them to have it. I didn’t have much wiggle room to begin with as they were tight around the toes, but they did open up as the day went on. No pressure was added onto the toes throughout the day which is great news!
Around the feet and ankles, I found to have wrinkles appearing every now and again when my ankles weren’t straight. This is due to the thickness of the tights.
The Waistband & Gusset: so I am working with an elasticated band, where they look like leggings. This is a little thicker and is quite tight to begin with until you start moving around in them. These do sit around the belly button on me and hug the waist well. I didn’t find them falling down at any point, which is great!
The gusset on these is non-existent due to the way they are made. You just get a seam to them, so you may want to rethink going commando in them.
My Thoughts?
Not a bad pair at all, but not what I expected either. I do like the quality of them, but I’m not too keen on how they feel and the thickness on the legs. I mean they would make a great pair of sheer leggings but I didn’t want that from a pair of tights.
Calzedonia Tulle Dogtooth Tights Another pair that I managed to get my hands on in the sale. I wanted to do the dogtooth design once again, but this time in a tulle material, which I knew Calzedonia had for half the price!
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Do you feel comfortable wearing tube tops? Noooo. You’ll never see me in a tube top. I don’t even wear tank tops. Has something someone said today annoyed you? Not so far, ha. I haven’t interacted with anyone, yet. It’s only 4:33AM. Can you hear the crickets chirping at night? No. Do you like listening to new music, or just sticking to your favorites? I like new music, but I do love listening to my good ol’ favorites. I have a playlist that consists of a variety of music, new and old, from various genres and decades, that I just click shuffle and listen. So far, where have you been on vacation? I haven’t gone anywhere this year, yet.
Did you ever feel that there was something you couldn't tell anyone? Yep. Old stuff and ongoing, current stuff. Do you tend to gossip, even if you don't mean it to cause harm? It does happen. I’ll see something on social media about someone I know and tell my mom or brother. Family gossip stuff. Not to talk shit, but it’ll be like, “omg did you see what so and so posted/did/whatever.” Or like if someone is pregnant or broke up or whatever. My main gossip is celebrity stuff, though. ha. When was the last time you were bitten by a bug? I don’t recall. It’s been a long time, thankfully. Have you ever gotten your hair permed? No. Do you have a pair of sunglasses that are worth over $200? I don’t have any sunglasses. I don’t wear ‘em, but if I did I sure wouldn’t spend that much. Not anywhere close. Would you ever go on a trip to Europe? Absolutely. I’d love to. There’s so many places I’d love to visit. Are you brave when it comes to trying new foods? Nopeee. I have the same few foods I rotate between. It’s a small list. When was the last time you saw your significant other? I’m single. Is there a friend that you can always go to for advice? I can go to my mom. Have you ever been to a town/place where the people were just creepy? No. Ew, I hope I never go somewhere like that. What's the fastest you've ever driven in a car? I’ve never driven a car. If you see a piano, are you tempted to go over and play a little something? I would. Especially because it’s been over 10 years since I last played. Is there someone you know who bakes amazing sweets? Yeah. Are you ashamed of your singing voice? I can’t sing for shit, but it doesn’t stop me from singing to myself or around my family. I try to sound as decent as I can, ha. I’m not like those people on American Idol they show that can’t sing well at all, but they think they can and they’re just on there wailing. lol. Has anyone teased you with the "K-I-S-S-I-N-G" song? Yeah. Have you ever had a dream where you could understand a foreign language? No. That would be weird. What time is it where you are? 4:45AM. Do you have anything important to do tomorrow? I have my Bible study stuff. Have you ever owned a beanbag chair? Yeah, when I was a kid we had one. If you own a laptop, do you have a case for it? I do. What was the last movie you purchased on DVD? I don’t even remember. I haven’t bought a physical DVD in yearssss. Are you a fan of retro things? Yeah. Do you do your own laundry? No. I need help with that, which my mom does. Have you ever used pastels? Yes. Is there a song you're listening to at the moment? No. Would you be considered to be knowledgeable about World War 2? Not really. Have you ever been in possession of a hundred dollar bill? Yes. Is there one food you cannot give up, even though you know it's unhealthy? I don’t eat healthy at all, but the worst thing I eat is probably ramen. I love it, though. Will you bother having a party for your next birthday? Nah, I’m old. I just like doing something lowkey with my parents and brother. Although, last year my aunt and cousin came over for a game night and cheesecake for my birthday and that was fun. I’d be up for that again. If you're with someone right now, do you think it will last? Who was the last person you flipped off? I have no idea. That’s not something I really do. Like, ever. Do you currently have a job? No. What was the last movie that was unable to capture your interest? Hmm. I don’t remember. Have you heard of the Irish actor Jonathan Rhys Meyers? The name rings a bell. Do you have something to do, that you would rather not do? There’s a few things. Are you, in any way, feeling hopeless right now? I’ve felt that way for a long time. Is there someone you just need to call and talk to? No. I don’t like talking on the phone. Are you one of those people who can eat anything and not gain a pound? Yes. I used to like that about myself, but it’s a problem for me, currently. These past few years I’ve lost weight due to health stuff and as someone who was already thin...yeah, not good. It’s caused problems for me. Are you nails painted at the moment? No. It’s been a few years since I’ve painted my nails. Is there a song you've been listening to lately on repeat? There’s a few songs lately that I always like to listen when listening to music. I just hit shuffle on my playlist, but there’s a few I like to just add to queue to make sure they come up. Lately, it’s been a couple Billie Eilish songs. Do you know who you're planning to ask to your grad prom? I’m 30 years old. I did go to prom; though, but I didn’t have a date. I just went with friends. When was the last time you went shopping? A few weeks ago. Is there anyone who did something absolutely hilarious today? Not so far. Again, it’s really early and I haven’t interacted with anyone, yet. Are you having one of those days where you feel unattractive? “one of those days” is everyday for me, old sport. I feel unattractive and I am unattractive. Do you like hot dogs? No. Do you ever get bored of your music collection and get new songs? I like to check out new music and add it to my playlist to add to the rotation, but I love my old stuff, too. Have you ever bought a designer purse? I’ve been gifted one. What's the limit on how much you would pay for a shirt? I’d say like $30. I mean, I’d obviously prefer cheaper if I can find a good sale or have a good coupon, but if not then yeah about $30. Would you ever like to see the Walk of Fame? Sure. Is it currently humid where you are? No. Have you been in any sort of physical pain today? Of course. Have you ever heard of the German movie Das Boot? Nope. Who were the last people you hung out with? My mom and brother. Has someone ever called you "obnoxious"? Not that I’m aware of. Most commonly, do you obey rules, or break them? I’m more of a rule follower. Do you like making funny faces in pictures? Nah. Is there something you look back on and go "I can't believe I did that"? A lot of things... Are you good at offering advice? I think I used to be. At least, my friends seemed to think so since I was the one they always came to for advice. I wouldn’t say I am now, though. No one should ask me anything. When was the last time you had to resort to a map? I just use Google Maps if I need directions. I’ve never used an actual map. Your significant other: have you told them you love them lately? What was the last thing to confuse you? Life. How many different colors have you dyed your hair? 3. Do you know someone who always spells "bored" like "board"? No. Are you wearing make up right now? No. I haven’t worn makeup in over a year. Is there a phrase that you use a lot? Words and phrases, yeah. Are you old enough to vote? I’ve been old enough to vote for over 10 years now. Do you have a favorite pair of earrings? Yes, the rose gold Minnie Mouse earrings I got for Christmas. Have you ever been to Disneyworld/Disneyland? I’ve been to Disneyland a few times. Have you dated someone more than twice? Not more than twice, but twice. Are you a fan of Keira Knightley? I’m indifferent. Have you ever resorted to alcohol to make you feel better? It never helped. Maybe briefly, but it was always short lived. Do you own a full-length mirror? Yeah. Do you ever go on PerezHilton.com to get all the celeb gossip? I see his tweets. Have you heard about Mel Gibson's rant/freakout? Yeah. That was ages ago. Do you wish your bedroom was bigger? Yes, that would be nice. My room is quite small and I have too much stuff. Are you aware of the significance of the date April 14th, 1912? I am, actually. Do you ever just lay back and watch the stars? No. Lately have you had much time to relax? You would think so since I spend majority of my time at home in bed. I wouldn’t call it relaxing, though. Not for me. I have health stuff, physically and mentally, and feel like crap, so. Did anything important/changing happen to you in March 2009? That was over 10 years ago, I don’t remember. I guess nothing that important happened. Nothing memorable, at least. Have you ever felt like a "new person"? Yes, but not in a good way. These past few years have changed me and not for the better. Do you own any expensive jewelry? Yes. What size is your TV? 32 inch, I think. Do you occasionally creep on people on Facebook? Nah. I don’t spend a lot of time on Facebook and what little time I do spend I’m just scrolling through my feed “liking” stuff and sharing an occasional post. I won’t say that I’ve never done that, though. ha. Who hasn’t. Has there been someone in your life that just wouldn't leave you alone? Yeah, in the past. Do you hate to use public bathrooms? Yes. I very rarely do. Do you find most remixes of songs to be good or bad? It really just depends. I’ve heard good ones and I’ve heard shitty ones. There have been some I liked better than the original. Write something to someone who means a lot to you: Nah. I’ll just say goodnight!
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2020 BJD Resolutions
Here we go, doll/craft related goals for this year! Unlike my plan to do a ’monthly goals’ approach with my art-- which I am much more aggressively ambitious with-- this is a hobby blog, so the pressure on myself to complete everything on this list is way less. I guess I see this more as a checklist to track my progress versus any kind of self-imposed deadlines.
There will probably be more popping up here as I go as well, so I may come back to this post and update it periodically!
Last updated: 2/3/2020
March: She has a faceup, wig, eyes, and one outfit.
Buy her dragonfly wings (or try out making some)
I think I’ll try buying first, I’ve had my eye on a few etsy listings..
Design a few key outfit pieces for her wardrobe!
Tights/leggings, a tunic, a skirt or two, a vest, and 1 pair of shoes.
Maybe make her a tiny leaf hammock. I say maybe, because I’m not sure where I’d put it.
Pisces: She has a faceup, wig, and eyes.
Start on her wardrobe!
a few skirts, various babydoll/empire dresses, stockings, tights.
Make a fabric slip-on mermaid tail? She started out as a moth fairy, but the mermaid tail has called to me over time due to her namesake.. I’ll think about it.
Maybe make her a little cushion/seating arrangement, since she’s a sleepy princess. This might be easier to find a place to set up.
NEW! Nova: She has, well, nothing atm!
Buy her wings!
Pick out eyes and buy those (or go custom)
Buy yarn for her wig DONE tysm @dolliesanddelights
Make v1 wig!
Do a digital faceup pass
Start her faceup
Castor & Pollux: They both have face-ups, wigs, a few outfits, 1 pair of shoes.
Waiting on their new custom eyes!
Sewing project: their jester magical girl outfits! (This is definitely a project I want to sit down and photo-document)
Buy a pair of casual shoes for Cassy! Thinking sneakers or tiny boots.
Sew them each a big star pillow.
Tentative: Might make Cassy’s jester makeup more sapphire blue, but it depends on how her outfit turns out.
For Olive: She has: a new wig, two pairs of shoes.
Waiting on her re-shell body!
Do an updated design pass/color doodle
Face-up and blush the wings/hands/feet on the new body.
Project: Wardrobe key pieces, which I have SO MUCH fabric for.
Dresses, pinafores, bloomers, petticoats, a few blouses, socks.
Find the right fabric (aka settle on a color) and sew her a dragon tail.
Buy her some new eyes (if the ones you have don’t work)
Make her a personal cameo brooch and diary.
Project: Customize the small bookshelf I found with the boo.
find some hardware for the handles
add two more shelves (check the balsa wood section first)
buy more little bottles, make some fake books.
Starchaser: Has a faceup, eyes, several outfit items, 2 pairs of shoes.
Try a first pass at making them a wig!
Get all the yarn colors! DONE!
Tentative: Maybe add star freckles to their faceup?
Buy 2 pairs of shoes for them (namely boots and sneakers)
Wardrobe explosion! Outta all that fancy fabric you bought, dammit!! (This is a project in itself, I’ve even drawn a bunch of the pieces I want to make.)
Void-Hime: has a faceup, wig, one outfit.
Waiting on custom eyes!
Buy her that pair of specific black boots.
Wardrobe project: Make her a few key pieces.. again, use all that fabric!!
tights/socks, more shirts, a few skirts or dresses.
Cecila: Has:.. her own dolly and 1 outfit!
Do a digital faceup pass
Sketch some character designs/outfits
Pick out Eyes! I keep going back and forth about color..
make v1 of her wig. +_+
do her faceup and blush her hands/feet
Wardrobe project! Maybe 2 outfits to start
big bloomers, socks, short a-line dresses, petticoats, fur-lined capelets and fur booties/leg warmers
Considering a tiny fur tail and wolf ears... (I know I said vampire before at some point whoops)
Make her more TINY DOLLS!!! +___+
Other:
Make an official sales post for the remaining Lost Girls. I want to make the rest of them little bonus items, so it may take some time to get it all together. Maybe use this an excuse to sell a few other things, too?
Make ID cards + Print them DONE!
Sew 2 doll pillows (2 / 4 done)
Make a bonus outfit for each of them! 2 left!
Properly lit photo-shoots of all the face-ups I completed (and for bio-page purposes)
Concept new character ideas for BBB Isabella, if I decide to keep her. Feeling indecisive... I find her so sweet, but her body is so limiting.
Do I wanna bother with hybridizing again? Would the RS double jointed bodies work for her head size despite being 1cm bigger? And do I wanna put money into that or just focus on my other wishlist dolls?
Start a Spreenow/Dollmore/ACBJD wishlist... *sweating*
Remake Rin’s yarn wig because she deserves some love!
Try to keep any spending on dolls to ones that are on my wishlists.
Photo document more things! I dunno, cuz’ it’s fun?
Thaaaat’s enough for now, gosh! I’ve got plenty to keep me busy. +__+;;
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