#i mean it in a we were helping my sister and brother in law move today and he cried when there wasn’t a car available

[ropebunnykant]

it really means the world to me to know i’m my nephew’s favorite person

[i-cant-sing]

TIME TRAVELER AU PT 2

Original post/idea here. Part 1 is here. Part 3 is here.

Check out my MASTERLIST for more!

I fucked up.

You thought as you sat on the bed, holding your head in your hands.

I fucked up so baaaaaad.

Not only have you healed Baldwin of his leprosy, forever changing history of the LEPER KING, but also managed to somehow be his bride. To make matters EVEN worse, you cant just up and leave right now because you dont know the disastrous effects it'll have on the future now that Baldwin wont die of leprosy, which means that the kingdom of Jerusalem wont fall to Salauddin and his muslim army and after that its just a domino effect.

You tried to view your options here.

I stay here, marry Baldwin and fuck up the fabric of time and space because how can someone from the future marry someone from the past? Wouldnt I cease to exist?

I leave, return to my time where authorities arrest me for fucking around with time- that is, if I even exist in the future now that I've altered history. Who knows if my ancestors survived/were born after this?

No. Neither option is good. I need to stay here and fix this. But in a way that i dont draw too much attention to myself so that im so insignificant that nobody remembers, let alone writes about me in the history books.

You were drawn out of your thoughts with someone knocking on your door. "Come in." You said, straightening yourself.

A couple of servants walked in, all women. "Princess Y/n." They all courtesied. "We've been sent here by his majesty to prepare you for dinner with him."

Princess? Ah yes. Only a couple of hours ago, Baldwin had proposed to you, I guess the concept of asking wasnt a thing here as he just slipped on the big beautiful ring on your finger.

You narrowed your eyes at them. "First of all, Im not a princess. You will address me as Y/n only. And secondly, Im not going to join him for dinner, so there's no need to prepare me" The maids all shared a look of confusion before the head servant spoke.

"But we cant address you as anything else until you wed the king, after which you will be our queen, princess."

"Didnt I just tell you not to call me princess? Just call me Y/n!" The head maid shook her head. "Princess, we can not do that. If we do, then we would be punished. And we must prepare you for dinner with his majesty!" The maids moved ahead to start helping you but you raised a hand, halting them.

"I said, no." You said sternly.

"What... what will we tell the king, princess? He's expecting you-"

"Tell him i cant come because Im sic- no, Im not feeling well and Id like to be alone." You cant say "sick" in this era, because that means "death sentence" here and you dont want to be fretted over and bring attention to yourself as "the king's fiancee got SICK!". Besides, you do need to be away from Baldwin as much as possible and have some time to plot your moves.

-

You had pulled out your notebook and began writing out dates and historic events of this era to plan your escape. You're trying to find some sort of shortcut where Baldwin gets sick again and dies, leaving his kingdom in the hands of his sister and brother in law, who will bring its downfall-

Someone knocked on your door gently. "Princess?" You quickly hid your notebook. "Come in."

Baldwin walked inside and towards you, eyes worried as they scanned you up and down.

"I heard you're not feeling well?" He asked and before you had a chance to back away, he had cupped your cheeks in his hands tenderly. "What's wrong? Shall I fetch the royal physician?"

"No." You replied with your face smushed in his hands. "I'm fine." You pulled your face away his large hands.

Confusion spread through his blue orbs. "Then why did you not join me for dinner?" He asked, using a hand to push your hair over your ear, not taking the hint that you didn't want him touching you.

"I just-" what possible excuse could you come up with that would be both effective and not insulting enough to have your head chopped off. "you- you dont care about me."

Baldwin looked at you in bewilderment. "I dont... care about you? Princess, how can you say that?" He tried to cup your cheek again but you backed away before he could, putting on a face of hurt.

"How can I not? You dont care about what I want, or even ask me what I need?" You feingned pain in your voice, turning away from him for dramatic effect.

He grabbed your shoulders and turned you towards him, his pupils grew wide as if trying to search for what it is that you need. "My love, what do you want? Just say the word, and I'll give it to you."

You looked down, again for the theatrics, and Baldwin lifted your chin. "Go on."

"You never- never asked me to marry you."

"Huh? But I did today-"

"No, you stated it- demanded I marry you." You furrowed your brows and looked down again.

Baldwin smiled. Of course, how could he have not asked you? You were a girl after all, you want to be courted the traditional way. Its not your fault that you dont know that kings do not ask permission for things. They just get it, because who would refuse to marry a king?

He kissed your forehead, lifting your chin again to meet his eyes. "Im sorry, princess. I shouldve asked." He took your hands in his and had that charming smile again. "Will you marry me, Y/n?"

"No." You shook your head. "I... I cant marry you, your majesty." You said, adding tears into your eyes. His brows furrowed in concern.

"What? Why?" You tried pulling your hands away but he didnt let go, tightening his grip ever so slightly.

"I-" well, you could say that youre not catholic and the church would never let you two get married, but you also dont wanna be tortured for being a "heretic". Maybe religious differences could be the last plan. Taking your silence as hesitance, Baldwin spoke. "I can offer you everything and more. Jerusalem would be yours. What is it that I lack that anyone else could offer?"

"I am not a good match for you!" Ah yes, lets do the typical "its not you, its me." You bit your lip as you yanked your hands out of his and walked towards the window, your back to him (theatrics). "You and I are not equals- no we are nowhere close! Youre a king, your father was a king, your family is royalty. I come from nothing, as did my ancestors. There will never be stability in our marriage when we come from such different backgrounds!" You never thought that you would be putting yourself down and call yourself "inferior" to break up with a man.

Silence hung in the air, as you held your breath.

"Youre right." You heard him say behind you. "We are not equals, we never will be." For some reason, instead of being relieved, a chill ran down your spine. Baldwin wrapped his arms around you, resting his head on your shoulder. "I may be a king, but youre far superior to me. You're an angel, sent to me by God, and you saved me. I wouldnt be king anymore if you werent here, princess."

Warmth spread from your cheeks to the tip of your ears, both due to the close proximity and his words. Sensing your bashfulness, he chuckled, kissing your cheek as he turned you around to face him. You could hear your own heart beat at how close he was.

Baldwin tilted his head, half lidded eyes staring at you. "Youre everything and more that I could ask for, princess. Never put yourself down and compare yourself to me, hm?" He said, giving your arms a gentle squeeze before moving away, but not detaching himself completely as he took ahold of your hand and looked back at you.

"Now that this is settled, let us go eat. I've had the servants prepare a feast for us and then we can discuss wedding arrangements-" shit shit shit shit shit fuck it!

"I'm not catholic!" Baldwin halted at that. You've already said it, might as well dig yourself a deeper hole. You let the tears form in your eyes. "Im... Muslim. I didnt tell you because I didnt want you to think I was working for Salauddin and spying on you for him, you know I wasnt! I really did only want to know about you. Please believe me, I wasnt-"

"I believe you."

What? Just like that.

"You- you believe me?" You breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you. Once again, Im sorry i didnt tell you I was a Muslim, but dont worry, I'll pack my things and leave tonight-"

"Why? We still have to get married."

You blinked slowly. "But... Im Muslim?"

Baldwin shrugged. "So? It doesnt change anything."

You looked at him in bafflement. "It does! It changes everything! We cant get married! Im a Muslim! The church wont allow interfaith marriages, and I dont intend on converting to catholicism either if thats what youre suggesting!"

"I am not suggesting that. You can be a muslim if you want to, but we're still getting married." Baldwin stated matter of factly.

"The church wont allow it-"

"The church will do as I say. I am the head of the church. Besides-" He smiled.

"I dont remember angels having to prove themselves to be a catholic. You saved my life, you cured my incurable disease. As far as the church is concerned, youre a miracle sent to me by God. Youre the Chosen One!"

Is he... is he hearing himself? Can you try to convince him?

"But... but Jerusalem deserves a Catholic Queen-" you tried weakly, but he cupped your cheek and smiled gently at you.

"I am Jerusalem, Y/n. And I deserve you." Was all he said before pecking your forehead.

He tugged you along with him. "Now, we have to eat."

You dont want to eat. You want to stay behind and think of another strategy because clearly you cant talk yourself out of this wedding.

"I'm- I'm not hungry." You said, making him frown.

"How is that possible? You havent had anything since morning. I dont want you getting sick before the wedding." Baldwin continued to pull you along.

Does he not listen?

"I dont want to eat- I- dont feel like it." You said a bit harshly this time, hoping he'd take the hint.

And he did, finally stopping. He sighed and let go of your hand. "Okay. I suppose if you really dont want to, we can skip dinner tonight." Fucking finally. "Its just... I seem to have developed a habit of enjoying meals with you. And now that my leprosy is cured and I have no more diet restrictions, I just- I had the kitchen prepare some of my favourite dishes that I was able to enjoy before my disease disabled me."

You stared at him. Is he- is he trying to guilt trip you? Baldwin once told you that due to leprosy he had ulcers in his mouth, and he couldnt eat different types of food, and was only able to have bland, soft goo.

You looked away from his big sad eyes. He's not getting to you. You need to go back to your room, make yourself scarce, be far away from him as often as possible.

"You can still go and eat dinner alone."

With one hand, he cupped your cheek. "Princess, you know I cant eat until you eat too. But its okay, if you dont want to eat, then I wont too. I guess I'll just have the servants finish the chicken roast and oh-! They even made strawberry cream cake for dessert. But- maybe another day."

You looked into his eyes, those blue orbs that were filled with sadness, resembling a kid who was just told "no candy!"

Sighing, you held his hand. "Maybe I can have a few bites."

His face lit up. Ah, he knew you'd come around. "Lets go!"

-

The next day, youre helped by the maids to get ready for the day. Apparently, Sibylla wanted to meet you and discuss some things, and you suspect she wants to talk about the wedding preprations.

The maids had prepared your bath and were very insistent on washing you themselves but you made them all leave the bath chambers. Finally, they compromised when you told them that they could dress you up if they wait outside.

Setting your old clothes on the bed, you entered the bathroom and settled into the warm water. The essential oils and flower petals soothed your mind and body, and you finally had some desperately needed silence to hear your own thoughts.

Last night at dinner, Baldwin was very- well, "happy" would be an understatement to how he felt near you. And all those forehead kisses and skin contact doesnt go unnoticed by you either. You suppose that since he had leprosy, he never really had or was allowed to touch anyone else. But now that hes cured, all thanks to your dumb ass, he craves the physical intimacy.

You closed your eyes as you sank deeper into the warm water. Gosh, did I really have to give him the water? Had I not done that, he would still be ridden with lepro-

Your eyes snapped open. Thats it. You just have to make sure he never drank your water in the first place! Yes! You can go back in time and sure, its always dangerous to go back in the same time period more than once, but you really dont have any other option now, do you?

After half an hour, you finally exited the bathroom and the maids practically ushered you to sit in the chair as they finally, FINALLY got to dress up the future queen of Jerusalem and after a whole hour, they're finally done. And... well you look good. Your hair has been done nicely, and a delicate golden headpiece, almost like a elegant hair band sits on top of your head. They added some color to your cheeks and lips with crushed berries. As for your clothes, they dressed you in a dark blue tunic with loose, flowing sleeves. The tunic itself was made of silk, probably brought in from the Byzantine empire and was only available to the upperclass of this time.

"I am not wearing those!" You said when they opened the jewellery boxes. There were diamonds and other precious stones adorning the earrings and necklaces.

"But princess, you must wear these. It is royal protocol for the king's bride to be, and the future queen to wear the royal jewels." The head maid said. She doesnt know that you dont plan on sticking around and if you leave wearing these jewels, who knows what havoc would that cause?

"No. I dont want to wear them."

The maids shared a look of concern. "What?" You asked them.

"Its just... his majesty picked these out for you himself. He would be mad at us if you were not wearing these." One of the younger servants spoke as she fumbled with her fingers. Through the mirror, you looked at everyone's worried expression. You doubt that someone as calm and collected as Baldwin would lose his marbles over his fiancee not wearing jewellery.

"I dont think the king would be mad at you if I dont wear some jewellery. He isnt one to get angry that easily, you know?" You said chuckling, but it died when you saw them share the same concerned looks again. This time, you turned away from the mirror to look at them directly. "What? Go on, no secrets."

Another maid mustered up the courage to mumble. "Well- it's just- the king- I mean- his majesty is calm but um-" she paused to look at the other maids for help but they all avoided eye contact. "Out with it." You said a bit sternly.

"His majesty... gets... emotional- yes, emotional! When it comes to matters concerning you."

"Emotional? What do you mean? Speak clearly, no word will get out of this room, I promise." You spoke all while glaring at the other maids to make them silently comply to not tattle on their friend.

The maid bit her lip. "His majesty... gets mad when he thinks that you're not being treated well." You gave her a look to continue. "A few weeks back, while you were strolling out in the garden, his majesty reprimanded some of his knights for not escorting you. He asked them why they weren't guarding you?"

A few weeks back? It may have made some sense for Baldwin to be protective of his bride to be, but you two weren't engaged until yesterday. And before that, his relationship with you was barely platonic, more like a king-servant thing.

"Tell her about the kitchen incident too." Another maid whispered.

"What kitchen incident?"

"Um, 2 months ago, when the kitchen had prepared a feast for his majesty, he almost fired the entire kitchen staff for serving olives with the entree." You gave them a quizzical look. "Well, his majesty had told them that you can't eat olives and had told them not to include it in the palace's food. But it was a feast to celebrate his victory and the staff thought it'd be best to add olives because the king likes them."

Your eyes widened at that. He almost fired the kitchen staff because you said you can't eat olives? I mean, it's not like you're deathly allergic, you just didn't like how tart they were and when Baldwin saw you picking them out on your plate, all you could manage to blurt out was that you can't eat them. Perhaps, he thought you had diet restrictions like him.

You huffed. That still didnt warrant such a reaction from him. "That isn't nice. Don't worry, I'll talk to him."

The maid looked at you in horror. "No! I mean, his majesty would not like that we- um..." she tried to come up with appropriate words that wouldn't be insulting. Her scrunched up face as she thought hard made you giggle.

"Fine, fine. I won't say anything to him. You have my word." You said, smiling at them assuringly.

The head maid then held out the pearl necklace to you. You sighed and nodded, and they all cheered as they started picking out the jewels for you.

Its okay. You told yourself. I can always drop them somewhere before time travelling.

-

As soon as you were dressed, one of Sibylla's lady-in-waiting came to fetch you. She hurried you, saying something along the lines of "you must see princess Sibylla right away!" And you couldn't stop her from pulling you along, so time travelling will have to wait.

"Princess Sibylla needs to see you right away, princess!" The maid said as she pulled you towards a room. Knocking on it, the door swung open and you were met with the sight of different gowns hanging on dummies with maids tending to them, and right in the center of the room was Sibylla, practically jumping on her heels.

"Y/n!" She yelled out as she ran towards you and engulfed you in a hug before her lady in waiting, the same one standing beside you, cleared her throat. It caught Sibylla's attention who gasped softly before backing away and immeadiately giving you a courtesy. "I mean, princess Y/n." You gave a nasty look to the lady in waiting before shaking your head at an embarrassed Sibylla. "You don't need to courtesy to me, princess Sibylla."

She immeadiately beamed. "Of course I do! You're not going to be just my sister in law, you're also going to be Queen of Jerusalem! Of course i bow to you."

Me, a queen? Yeah, we'll see about that.

"Still, I consider us friends before anything else." You offerer her a small smile. "You called for me?"

"Oh? Oh, yes!" She immeadiately grabbed your hand and pulled you further into the room. "I didn't know what colours and material you preferred, so I ordered them to bring everything with the best seamstresses in kingdom!" She pointed at the seamstresses, who bowed to you.

"But... I don't need clothes. I already have a wardrobe." Your statement made Sibylla laugh as did a few of her hand maidens.

"Ahh, you're so naive!" Sibylla giggled. "That wardrobe doesn't exist anymore. You're a princess, soon to be queen, you need a royal wardrobe!" She said as she dragged her hand over one of the gowns, feeling the material. "And! You still have to select your bridal gown!"

For the next 3 hours, Sibylla had the maids show you different gowns and materials, even helping by giving her input as to what would suit you.

"I still like my old clothes, they're quite comfortable." You sighed. Designing your new wardrobe was not something that needed your urgent attention at the moment. You need to return to your room and get the time machine from your old dress and leave this era.

Sibylla nods. "I understand what you're going through. I still remember how they burned away my entire wardrobe when I married Guy. But I suppose its poetic in a way. Since you're starting a new life, so why not start one by getting new clothes!"

Wait.

"They burnt all your old clothes?" Sibylla nods. "Mmhmm! In a way, you're burning away your past! And starting a new-" You didn't stick around as you immeadiately rushed out of the room and made your way towards your own.

You can't- your old clothes has your time machine. If they burn it, you can't ever leave!

You burst into your room, looking at the empty spot on your bed where you'd left your clothes before going in the bath.

"No." The maids, they must've put it in your closet. You searched it, searched your entire room but to no avail.

A maid walked into your room, watching you tear apart the bedroom. "P-princess? May I help-"

"Where are my clothes?!" You walked upto her, the poor maid's fright apparently on her face. "WHERE ARE MY CLOTHES!?"

"They- they're burning it-"

"WHERE?!"

"The gardens!"

You ran out of your room, and made your way towards the royal gardens as fast as you could, but with how huge this palace was, getting there took a while. Not to mention when you did get to the gardens, you didn't spot anyone there, but you did notice the smell of something burning, which lead you to the back of the gardens, that was away from everyone's sight.

There you found them, two maids burning your clothes in a small bonfire.

"PUT IT OUT!" You yelled as you rushed towards them, startling them.

"Princess-" they began bowing.

"Didn't you hear me? PUT THE FIRE OUT!" They scrambled about trying to find some water, but of course, they didn't have it.

"I'll get it from the fountain!" The two maids ran to get a bucket of water for you, but it would be too late by the time they came. So when you spotted your old dress burning, you pulled it out with bare hands, not caring about burning yourself.

The dress was mostly burnt to ashes, while only few bits remained that were still on fire. You managed to wrangle out your time machine out of it, the small metal box that was burning hot and left marks on your skin as you tried to hold it.

But even from here, you could see the damage was done. The area that displayed the year had now completely melted off, as did some of the buttons.

No. No. No. No. No. NO!

You couldn't help but cry as reality began to set in. You're stuck here.... you're stuck here forever.

Heart wrenching sobs wracked your body as you tried to hold the hot metal machine in your hands, your skin burning as you tried. Even when the servants came and poured the water on the fire, you still kept on crying, clutching your machine to your chest, partly to conceal it, partly from helplessness.

The maids looked at each in worry as they tried to console you, tried to pacify you, lest you had them executed. But it didn't matter, you were inconsolable. While one of the maids sat by your side, trying to soothe you, the other one ran in to get help.

Moments later, when you were able to hide the machine in your clothes again, someone came up and touched your shoulder from behind.

"Y/n?" You looked up through your tears. It was Baldwin. For some reason, seeing him only made you cry harder as you finally realised that you were stuck here with him. That you fucked up permanently.

"Oh princess. What's wrong? Don't cry- shhh, I'm here." He pulled your body towards him, letting you sob into his chest heartbreakingly. Exhaustion, frustration and shock must have overtook your body, as you fainted in his arms.

"Princess? Y/n?" He tried waking you up before collecting you in his arms and rushing back into the castle.

-

Hours later, you woke up to find yourself back in your room, lying in your bed. Your eyes looked down at your hands which were now wrapped in bandages. They only served as a reminder of what youd lost- your time machine.

Tears welled up in your eyes again. Am I- am I really stuck here? You sniffled.

A hand came up to caress your cheek, startling you.

It was Baldwin. "Princess? Do you want to tell me what happened?" His soft tone made you even more sad, and you raised your bandaged hands to wipe your tears, but he caught your wrists and lowered them back gently, using his own hands to wipe away the tears.

"No, you cant use your hands for sometime. The burns need to heal." His hand remained on your cheek, thumb caressing the area under your eye. "What happened, Y/n? Why were you so upset?"

You cant avoid the topic for long, and now that your way of escape is gone, you need to be careful of what you say and how you act around the king.

You let out a shaky breath. "They... they burned my clothes."

"Mmhm. Dont worry, I will have them bring in the fanciest clothes for you. Sibylla will make sure of it. Only the best for my princess." You shook your head. "Its not- its not that... They were my clothes... they burned away-"

"I know... but its a tradition. The maids burn away the bride-to-be's old clothes to signify that youre detaching yourself from the past and starting a new life." He explained, watching as you sniffled. Clearly, you were still upset over this.

"But the maids, they still should've informed you of this tradition before doing anything. I know how emotional of a transition this could be for girls." You nodded sadly, heart still sinking at the loss of your machine. "Dont worry though, they will be punished harshly for it. I have them in the dungeons tonight, and tomorrow-"

"What? Punished? No!" You cut him off. You dont want anyone to die because of you, especially when you dont know if anyone these people could potentially be an ancestor of yours.

"But they caused you harm. You burned yourself due to their-"

"No, no. Please, don't punish anyone- I- it was my fault for not knowing about royal traditions! Please, your Majesty, I beg you- don't do this- i- i-" You pleaded.

"Shhh, okay. Okay. I won't punish them for it." He patted your hair. "On one condition."

You looked at him in confusion.

"You call me Baldwin from now on." He grinned. "We are to be husband and wife soon, I don't want us to use royal titles with each other."

Your eyes widened. Is he- is he really giving up titles? You're not that blind to see his attempts at intimacy, but what you don't understand is why or even how you came to be on the receiving end of it.

What exactly is it about you that has made him want to marry you? Surely, Baldwin would've preferred to marry someone of this era, someone who is more compatible with him. Despite you trying to blend in the past months, you allowed Baldwin to see how you're not... as Conservative as most people of this time period are. One could say that he may be impressed by how intelligent you are than others, but it also brings up the factor of being "threatened" or "insulted" by the same intelligence.

Even though you consider beauty to be a "subjective" thing, the whole "beauty is in the eye of the beholder", you're not blind to how attractive others are. So why not them?

Did he only like you because you're intriguing? Does he still think you're a spy? Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer?

Probably. Or maybe he really does believe all that mumbo jumbo about you being "an angel sent to save him."

"As you wish... Baldwin."

-

Last night, after Baldwin had left you to rest, you stayed up and tried to figure out if you can fix your time machine, and if not, then can you built another one?

Fucking hell. You closed your eyes. I made it once, I can build it again. But it's easier said than done.

Back in the present, you had the technology to build it. Now? You have to first make the technology and the tools from scratch before you could even get on making your time machine, all while keeping your science project discrete, which was easier before because you weren't going to be married to a fucking King!

Right now, you're sitting in Baldwin's private dining room (yes, there are more than one dining room. He's royalty, what did you expect) having breakfast- well, being fed breakfast.

"You really don't need to do this." You said as Baldwin fed you another spoonful. He smiled as he wiped your lips with a napkin. "I don't need to, I want to. Besides, I don't want my princess starving."

Involuntary, your face flushed. "I- the maids could've fed me. And im not a princess." He frowned slightly. "Why would you- open wide, princess- why would you want the maids to feed you when you have me?" He pushed the spoon to your face as you parted your lips, but then he pulled it away and brought his face close to yours. "Do I make you nervous?"

You backed away immediately. "I- no- I mean-"

He burst out laughing. "I'm- I'm sorry princess, but you are just too endearing!" Baldwin chuckled as he grabbed the spoon again and fed you.

Your cheeks reddened, this time more out anger than embarrassment. "I don't want to eat anymore." You muttered, turning your face away.

He smiled as he brought the spoon to your lips again. "Ah ah, but you still haven't had enough." However, you rejected again, looking away instead of replying.

He sighed, placing the spoon back on the plate. "I'm sorry, princess. I shouldn't have laughed at you."

"You shouldn't have." You mumbled, face still turned away from him.

His lips quirked up a bit. "You know, for someone who insists that she's not a princess-" He turned your face to him gently. "- you sure have all the blandishment of one."

"Blandishment?"

"Flattering actions of a princess." He nodded.

You frowned. "Are you calling me a spoiled princess? A brat?"

"I would never!" Baldwin gasped. "I enjoy you acting like royalty, demanding respect and attention. You deserve it and more. Besides-" He picked up some food on the spoon again and brought it to your lips. "Even if if you were a spoiled, bratty princess, I wouldn't mind. I would enjoy spoiling you, hm?" He nudged the spoon to your lips softly.

You parted your lips, making him smile. It really is hard to stay mad at him when he looks at you with his baby blue eyes. They just- they draw you in.

"Also, before I forget, I will be leaving the castle today to meet Salauddin. So you can either hand out with Sibylla, who still wants to help you design your wedding gown, or your can-"

Salauddin? "Why are you meeting Salauddin? Isn't he your enemy?"

He chuckled. "Only on the battlefield. He and I have developed a friendship, or a mutual respect over the years. As to why I'm going to meet him, is... well, you."

"Me?" He nodded. "Since you told me that you're a Muslim, I thought that we could perhaps have a discreet Islamic wedding- what is it called? Nikkah? So, I could go and learn more about it from Salauddin."

You opened your mouth to protest. You don't need to be part of history as the "king of Jerusalem's Muslim wife" or "the Muslim-Christian wedding that took place during the Crusades", even if it might make the world more progressive.

But then, you didn't protest. "Can I come?"

Baldwin raised a brow at you. "You want to meet Salauddin?" You shook you're head. "Well, no, not really. I mean, I don't mind meeting him, but I just want to get out of the castle for a bit. It's been months since i left this place, I just want to get some fresh air." This could be the perfect opportunity for you, because if memory serves you right, Muslims of this era had made significant advances in science. Maybe you can use their help to get some tools to make the time machine again.

Baldwin looked unsure. "I don't know if it would be safe for you-" you held his hand with your bandaged ones. "Please, Baldwin? Can't you take me with you? And wouldn't I be the most safe when I'm with you?" Ah yes, stroke the male ego.

Finally, he smiled.

"Alright. I supposed it would be fine, after all, you should see the kingdom you're going to be the queen of."

Thoughts? (Also, I need to go shower rn, so I'll put the read more later. Doing so much effort for u guys, my spoiled greedy children)

Part 3 is here.

[queers-gambit]

Ignorance is Bliss

prompt: turns out, you didn't care if they fucked - it's her job. you do, however, care that your husband's been confiding in her more than you. -> or in which your husband has an emotional affair.

pairing: Aemond Targaryen x female!wife!reader platonic pairing: Aegon Targaryen x mean!bestie!reader

fandom masterlist: House of the Dragon

collection masterlist: Pumpkin Eater - coming soon!

word count: 3.2k+

note: because we don't explicitly see them fucking, this is an emotional affair. cool? cool.

warnings: kinda AU timeline so very small spoilers, alcohol consumption, Aegon's a gossipy little bitch, kinda mean!reader, self doubt, not all cheating is physical - this is a single variation. cursing, established relationship / wife!reader, relationship angst, generalized angst, hurt no comfort, feelings are hard. Aemond's a dick, ONE SHOT, abrupt ending, drama, technically friends to lovers, is this a toxic relationship? idk, maybe. not edited. requires maturity and caution.

"Oooooohhhhh, sis-teeeerrrrr! Sister, where art thou!?"

"Oh, for fuck's sake," you snarled quietly, dropping the book in your hands to your lap in defeat. "Is nowhere sacred?"

"Sister! Sister, dearest! Hello? Your little handmaiden said you were down here! Wheeeeere arrreeeeee yoooouuuuuuuu?"

"This fucking lecher will wake the whole bloody Keep," you shook your head with a scoff. Then, with a raised voice, you called, "Over here, Aegon!"

"Who's here!?"

"Left!"

"It's dark - where's Left!?"

"Oh, Gods, walk straight ahead of you!" You watched as the King slowly revealed himself, turning every which way. "Okay, halt." He did, hands held out carefully. "Turn a little... No, no, over here, mate - to your left... Your left... Your LEFT! Aegon, your other left!"

"Oh, hoooo!" Aegon giggled when he spun in a complete circle before pausing upon his sight of you - sitting beneath the Heart Tree in the Godswood. "There you are, sister! Oh, you look glorious tonight!"

"Fuck off with your fake compliments, Aegon, what do you want?"

"Perhaps I am merely happy to see you!"

"You're never authentic, tell me what you want. Why do you seek me?"

"Well, that's no way to speak to your King."

"I am speaking to my brother-by-law."

"Not your friend?" He pouted dramatically before dropping to the spot beside you in the dirt, groaning, "Oh, how do you sit like this? It's - It's miserable. The bloody roots... Here, I got this, this will help, make it allllllll better," he wriggled around to pull his flask from his belt.

"How much have you had to drink tonight, friend?"

"Enough," he assured, taking a swig, "but this is mostly for you."

"Oh, I'm fine - "

"I think you'll need it, sister."

"Why's that?"

"I have something toooo telllll yoooouuuuu," he sang with a devilish grin.

"I truly don't care for petty gossip - "

"It's about Aemond."

"Spill, bitch."

"Okay, so," Aegon and you both readjusted to face one another in your respected cradles of the Heart Tree's roots, "do you know where he was tonight?"

"Am I to track his every move?"

"It was a mere question, sister, c'mon, play along and humor me."

With a sigh, you relented with a shrug, "He was... Supposedly in the library."

"Wrong," he handed over the flask, "he was in a brothel!" You lifted the flask to your lips and took a slow pull, narrowing your eyes in suspicion. "I swear it, we walked in on him! I would not lie to you! Well, not about this!"

Gulping, you pondered, "Hmm... Who's 'we'?"

"Myself and, uh, some of the Kingsguard who had yet to be blooded... If you catch my meaning."

"Everyone always catches your meanings, you wouldn't know subtly if it smacked you in the face," you chuckled dryly, taking another swig. "Where were you? Which brothel?"

"Sylvie's? Whatever her name is - the one with the lion's head door knocker."

With another nod of understanding, you asked, "And who was he with? Just one woman?"

"Yes, yes, just the Madam of the House."

"I see... Hm... Wait, do you mean - "

"The woman he lost his boyhood to?" Aegon snickered, "Yes!"

"I was going to say the brothel owner, but all right. Do keep in mind you're not just exchanging gossip, Aegon, but telling a wife you found her husband in a brothel," you sighed, nodding and knocking back one last shot.

"Right, no, you're right," he cleared his throat. "I apologize for sounding so... Um, uh, insensitive?"

You snorted slightly in amusement, knowing he never apologized to anyone but you because he never cared for what others thought. It was a foreign sound on his tongue, so you took mercy and moved on, sighing deeply and revealing, "In truth, my friend, I think I'm just shocked."

"Ah, well, that's to be expected, innit? Every wife is."

"Is yours?"

"No," Aegon snickered. "But I have to admit, after seeing how he pined and begged me to set you two up, I did not think my brother could ever be the type to cheat."

"Nor I. It's why I let you arrange our betrothal."

"Are you angry?"

"I'm processing."

"Well - "

"Aegon, shut your trap for just a moment," you pleaded. "It's a lot to take in and process, I'm unsure what I feel in this moment."

He paused and nodded, breathing deeply before taking a swig from his flask. "Are you angry at me, though?" Aegon asked softly, like a wounded child - akin to who he was on the inside.

"About what?" You asked patiently.

"Telling you...?"

You heaved a deep sigh, "No, no, my friend. I appreciate knowing, though, you took far too much pleasure in telling me."

"Well, in my defense, it was quite humorous to find him in such a position."

"I don't wish to know - "

"They were cuddling!"

You couldn't help the small chuckle that burst forth, asking his drunken person, "So?"

"Well, it's weird, is it not? To cuddle with a woman you pay to fuck you?"

"Some men have paid for weirder things, cuddling is the least of it."

"Are you trying to rationalize your husband's cheating?"

"No, just - defending different tastes?"

"You sound in denial."

"Perhaps I am."

"Have another shot," he insisted, nudging the flask closer.

"No, I should, uh... I should head back, confront Aemond."

"He might already be there, he left in a real big huff."

You sighed and nodded, "Tell me something in truth, please, Aegon?"

"Now would be the best time," he snickered, but nodded and gestured you to continue.

"Cheating doesn't mean he's... Unhappy, does it?"

"It could mean anything, everything, honey. Do you truly believe it's cheating when we aren't meant for just a single person to begin with?"

"What're you on about?"

"Well, no one person can be everything to anyone. Right?"

The entire walk to your chambers, Aegon's words echoed in your head. You had to admit, you understood where he was coming from, what he meant; but you hated the concept that cheating could be excused because humans weren't 'simply' monogamous. What a pathetic excuse, humans were capable of a great many things - being loyal and trustworthy among them! You oft heard it said you were only ever asking too much if from the wrong person, and the idea that Aemond was your "wrong person" to ask anything from gutted you in a surprising way. To say you were caught off guard was an understatement.

He was supposed to be your friend and husband, what happened to that trust?

You barged into your chambers, shutting the door in a flurried rush as you were desperate to speak with your husband; who you married at the age of ten-and-five after years of companionship. Your family had serviced the Targaryens for ages, it was only natural you grew alongside the newest brood; finding an unlikely, lasting friendship with Aegon, of all people. It was surprising, but the pair of you seemingly needed someone to lean on, so you developed a friendship to keep the other in line; something you obviously failed at.

YET - if Aegon would say humans are not monogamous, you'd argue humans had free will and made their own decisions. So, the little lecher should be held accountable for how he turned out as much as Aemond should be questioned about what was seen in the brothel.

It was Aegon who set you up with his brother. Aegon who supported your courtship. Aegon who instigated your engagement. Aegon who told you your husband was found in a brothel, cuddled up to the Madam... Naked.

Upon your inspection, Aemond wasn't back yet.

For mere fleeting moments, you despised being alone, finding the silence haunting; your chambers too big, too empty, too cold without your husband's usual warmth. However, the moment you thought of him in a whorehouse, laid naked with a woman not you, rage returned ten fold; burning bright and white-hot in your gut. You needed to nip this curious situation in the bud. Tonight. By confronting him. No matter how scary or anxiety inducing it surely will be.

So, you waited.

With a glass of wine, you settled in your living quarters; tucked on the loveseat with nothing keeping the thoughts at bay. They were terribly invasive, forcing you to relive your discovery and accept your husband preferred the company of whores over you. Forced to accept he was cheating on you. You waited.

Maids entered your chambers for nightly chores, even letting you remain in place, facing the door, when fixing your hair in loose braids for sleep. They turned your bed down, placed hot coals under the blankets, refilled wine decanters, and lit the candles in each corner of your suite. Aemond's prolonged absence might've been cause for concern if you hadn't been cursed to know where he was. You waited.

Yet that anger was dulling into something more alined with annoyance to learn he lied. "If he wants to fuck painted whores, let him fuck painted whores," you thought, "it's the lying and deception I am uncomfortable with! What need could he have for lying about his whereabouts? Was this an affair of some sort? Was it just my flesh he desecrated or our wedding vows, too? If he wanted to fuck whores, that was fine - it was just their job, they did this for coin. Yet if this was an affair of some sort - like the rumors of Prince Daemon and his mysterious whore he lifted from the ashes - I don't know how to move past that. Please, please, Gods, let this just be him wanting to fuck painted whores." You waited.

Your leg bounced, a fresh decanter of wine being presented and set upon the table you sat before. Nerves prickled your skin, tension coiled your stomach, heart hammering so intensely that it nearly beat out of every pulse point; so you reached for your chalice to quell the erratic speed in which everything throbbed. Polishing off any drop of wine, you felt warmed to your core - though, whether from the alcohol or anger, who could tell? You waited.

Your ladies maid lingered after the others filtered out; laying out an acceptable night gown, dressing robe, and house shoes the Dornish called "slippers". She tried to goad you into changing into them, but you insisted you would later. When she questioned you, you answered your business tonight was not yet concluded and you could not yet prepare for bed. Kindly, she asked if there was anything she could assist you with, but all that was left was to refill your goblet with a worried gaze before being dismissed for the night. Still, you waited.

Until, finally, after hours of isolation, your husband returned. He didn't seem to notice you yet, whipping off his cloak in a flourish only to drape it over the back of a perpendicular chair. When he noticed you, he jumped slightly, "Gods, love, what're you doing? I wasn't expecting to see you there."

"No shit."

"Why're you out here? Awake?" He asked, dropping into a padded arm chair so he faced you. In truth, you were grateful since either the wine or acute anxiety prevented you from finding your feet. "Oh, I see," he purred. "Can't sleep without me, can yah?" Aemond's lips curled at the corners.

"I'll sleep easier after you confess."

"To what charge, my darling?" Aemond reached for your thigh, but you swatted him away. With a sigh, he sassily requested in a quip, "It's been a long night, just tell me what you're upset about, I won't play these games."

"You're disrespecting the vows and sanctity of our marriage by visiting brothels! What an insult to spend the Crown's coin on such foul debauchery, Aemond, you were supposed to be a better man than this!"

He froze, staring at you without blinking. Then, slowly, Aemond asked, "What?"

"I know, Aemond! I know about Madam Sylvie." Then, to your shock and horror, Aemond chuckled; leaning back in his chair, hand raising to curl over his lips as if to hide his amusement. You shot out of your seat, "Oh, fuck you, then - "

"No, no!" Aemond rocketed to his feet, two long strides bringing him to your side. His hand grabbed your upper arm, "No, my love, listen to me - you do not understand - "

"You went into a brothel, it's not a riddle, there's nothing for you to explain nor for me to further understand, I am no fool," you snapped, allowing him turn you so you faced him.

"I did nothing of the sorts with her - with anyone."

"I'm not so ignorant nor foolish. You forget, I grew up with you and Aegon! Our own King Lecher!"

"I swear to you, my sweet wife, I have not lain with anyone since our marraige but you."

"How can you stand there and lie to me? Aegon saw you! Naked with her, in bed!"

Your husband took a deep and long breath, then told you slowly, "When I was ten-and-three, Aegon took me to the Street of Silk."

You nodded with a small roll of your eyes, "Yes, I know."

"The woman who I laid with - she's a Madam, yes, named Sylvie."

"So... You... You visit the woman you lost your virginity to?"

He sighed, "Yes, and I know it sounds strange."

"It's borderline wretched, Aemond, to us, this relationship. You are not making the case you think - "

"Please, allow me a moment to finish explaining?"

You've never seen or heard Aemond beg, so you nodded slowly, "Speak."

"I visit Madam Sylvie... Because she's the only other woman I've lain with. There's a certain level of... Comfort that goes beyond her payment. I lay with her, yes, but only together, in bed, without ever fucking."

"You just, what? Cuddle?"

"Yes."

This made you pause. With several flutters of your lashes, you asked, "W-Why?"

"I felt I was bringing home to you too much tension and strain... This war takes its toll on us all, so I go to Sylvie to unload and... Be vulnerable? Have an outlet?"

You're unsure how long you must've stood there in genuine confusion, earnest hurt, prolonged disappointment, but jolted when he tugged you forward towards the loveseat again. After he guided you to stiffly sit, you met his eyes with confused tears while he asked, "My love? Would you say something? Anything?"

"How... How long?" You managed to croak.

"Only a few visits."

"And you've not fucked her?"

"I've not fucked her."

"You just... Lay together, naked, and what? Talk?"

"Yes."

"W-What?"

"I fear I do not know what else I can clarify, love."

You just nodded and leaned back in your seat, sighing deeply. Aemond mimicked your position beside you and tentatively picked up your hand to hold. You swallowed thickly, asking, "So, you've not slept with Madam Sylvie?"

"No."

"You go to her for some kind of emotional comfort?"

"I suppose."

You nodded slowly. "You just talk... Naked, in bed, laid together, and talk."

"Yes. It is a grave comfort in this time of uncertainty."

You couldn't help but snip, "And I do not provide such comfort?"

"Darling girl - "

"What do you speak of to Madam Sylvie that you cannot speak to me about? What comfort can she provide that you cannot seek in me? What insights to this war can she provide that you cannot hear from me?"

Aemond froze, blinking in shock and letting his thin lips part without words. "It is... You are not serious, are you?" He suddenly snipped.

"Deadly," You assured.

"You're angry at me for speaking to another woman?"

"It's more than that and you know it. You lay in a private bed of a public whorehouse, naked! Open! Vulnerable! You speak to her as you do a wife - as you do me! You seek her ear when you neglect mine own!"

"Do you hear yourself?" He chuckled cruelly. "I have never fucked her, yet you grow angry - irritable! You pick this fight with me when all I do is unload my burdens - "

"What burdens!? What burdens do you have that I do not already know of!? That you cannot speak to me about?"

You both stood off the loveseat - taking several paces in opposite directions to distinguish space and sides of this fight. "Perhaps that is what I seek! An unbiased ear! An opinion untainted by the venoms of the vipers of the Red Keep! Someone removed, uninvolved! Someone on the outside that - that - "

"That will what, Aemond? Take your side?"

"Yes! Perhaps that is something I seek!"

"You pay a woman to tell you woe is me!?"

"You make it sound so vain - "

"How would you phrase it, then!?"

"That I need an outlet! With everything going on, I needed something more!"

You nodded sarcastically, "Well, you'll be needing her for more than an emotional outlet from now on, won't you?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Aemond watched you storm away, following hot on your trail, barking, "Hey! Don't walk away - I'm speaking to you!"

"You know," you pushed into your bedchambers, "I didn't think you'd be the one to belittle my feelings so easily!"

"I fail to see how this is even an issue! Why're you - what're you doing, now!?"

"You being blind to my feelings is why I think we should spend a few days apart," you snarled, shoving a few items into a carpet bag and rushing in a flurry to grab necessities and comforts of 'home'.

"Fine."

You paused, glaring at him and asking, "What? That's it?"

"You wish for a fight?"

"Anything - "

"I told you, I will not play games. So, fine; leave," he shrugged. "I certainly won't be."

"Oh? That so?" You challenged - obviously already planning on leaving, but wanting to test him.

"I'm the Prince," he eased, "you're the one married into this family, I will not be the one to vacate these chambers. So, fine, flee, go, take your things and be gone. I'll send for the maids and have a chamber prepared for you, take your time packing the rest of your items."

You watched him charge from the chamber and slowly lowered onto the edge of the bed behind you; crumpling the laid out nightclothes while pulling the carpet bag closer to your chest. Blinking rapidly, you fought back tears and decided that perhaps your marriage was too far gone if your husband was so willing and nonchalant about you wanting distance post his breech of trust. He had evidently emotionally moved past you, something you hadn't realized was happening in real time before it was too late; and now, you were left to reel in the aftermath.

Why did Aegon have to tell you? Why did you have to know? They say Ignorance is Bliss, and if you didn't know, you and Aemond would be right as rain right now. He could have all the alone time with Madam Sylvie he wanted and you'd be none the wiser. But now that the cat was out of the bag, you were cursed with knowledge and felt incapable of processing, accepting, and moving forward in the wake of this emotional betrayal.

You didn't see Aemond the rest of the night, just the nightshift maids, errand boys, and guards who helped you gather your belongings and usher you into a new chamber... Three floors away from Prince Aemond, further evidence he perhaps did not intend to mend the tattered threads of your torn matrimony.

requesting rules and masterlist

Pumpkin Eater collection masterlist - coming soon!

HOTD masterlist

NO INTENDED SEQUEL

[shanastoryteller]

Happy Christmas Shana! May I ask for some Merlin and Arthur? Maybe the time travel Ygraine one, or something else entirely 🎁🎄🎅🏻

Queen Ygraine is cursed to die during childbirth and the baby is stolen from his very crib that same night.

Uther rages. The grief and the fury of losing them both leave him a broken man and a broken king. The grounds of Camelot turn to mud with all the blood he's spilled and the air turns grey and harsh from the burnings. He sends knights to every corner of his kingdom, but his son remains missing, not even a body to be found.

Tristan and Agravaine de Bois send letters, blaming Uther for their sister and nephew's death and proclaiming they are subjects of Uther's no more. It's a blip in torrent of grief - Uther can't even pretend to mourn the loss of his brothers in law in the face of that of his wife and son.

"I still think we should have killed him," Tristan says, watching the servants pack up the contents of their manor with a scowl.

"He would have killed you and then I'd be stuck doing this alone," Agravaine replies, a blond, blue eyed infant in his arms. "So our revenge will have to wait."

"Alone?" Nimueh scoffs. "Thanks. Is this not revenge enough?"

Tristan softens, reaching out to brush the back of his index finger against Arthur's chubby cheek. "He's not revenge. He's our nephew."

Agravaine briefly tightens his hold on the babe before relaxing. "Where are we going? I suppose Mercia is the obvious choice."

"That old man won't be able to help gloating to Uther and we don't want him giving us a second glance," Tristan says. "Cendred's kingdom is a better choice, I think. That's our where our grandfather's castle is anyway."

The two of them plus a sorceress should be more than compelling enough additions to his court for Cendred to relinquish it back to them. Or at least turn a blind eye when they take it back themselves.

~

Merlin is fourteen and standing by his mother's side, keeping his head down and not moving or thinking or looking or anything as the lords come to collect taxes.

No matter what they say, no matter what they do, he's not to move.

There's cries of pain from the smith as one of the lords kicks him down, shouting at him for how little they have. He's the most educated man in the village, he's the one that keeps track. He's the one that warns them how short they are.

They are especially short this year.

There's the sound of sword being unsheathed and Merlin resists the urge to bury his head in his mother's shoulder. He's not suppsosed to move.

"Oh, for goddess's sake," a new, young voice says. He doesn't sound that much older than Merlin. "This is a waste of time. If you cut off his head, will gold coins fall out?"

"We're here to collect taxes!" he insists.

The young lord scoffs. "And if we were sent to squeeze blood from a stone, how long would you spend with your hands pressing into bedrock? Look at them!"

"We can't just let them get away with it," he argues. "If you're father hears about this-"

"He'll hear about it because I'll tell him myself," he says, annoyed. "We could take everything they have and we'll still lose money when they starve to death and we have to send people to bury the bodies or risk disease settling in. The wages for those soldiers will cost far more than everything this little village has to offer."

"They're on our land, they pay the tax!"

The young lord's voice goes hard. "I think you'll see that they're on my father's land and it's ultimately his responsibility to collect taxes for the king. Which means this is decision, not yours."

"Yes, and he decided that-"

"Well I'm deciding differently and he can yell at me about it then!" he snaps. "Put your sword away before I draw mine."

There's a tense, heavy silence. Then there's the sound of a sword going back in its sheathe and, "Yes, Lord de Bois."

Lord de Bois sighs and then raises his voice so his voice carries travels to everyone standing there, to the whole village standing there and waiting. "I'll return within the week. If there's any sort of bookkeeping you have, gather it for me."

"Y-yes, my lord," the blacksmith stutters.

There's the sound of footsteps then hooves.

He lifts his head and only sees the back of the young Lord de Bois's blond head.

Merlin wonders if when he returns, he'll be allowed to look.

[bumblesimagines]

Imagine:

Being married to Kate Sharma

Request: Yes or No

Pronouns: He/Him/His

~~~

Kate Sharma had arrived in Mayfield with one singular goal in mind: ensuring her beloved Edwina married a good, wealthy man who'd provide her with everything she could ever desire. Of course, that meant she stepped off the boat with the acceptance that she'd never wed nor have children of her own, no matter how many gentlemen Edwina pointed out to her during the first few weeks. She hadn't, however, taken you into account.

The beloved, nephew of the Late Lord Edmund Bridgerton, cousin to the Bridgerton children, and child to exceptionally wealthy parents with steady standing in Mayfair's society. By all means, Edwina should have caught your eye. She was young, beautiful, and the Queen's Diamond of the Season. Most gentlemen tripped over themselves to call upon her, filling Lady Danbury's hall with many gifts for her, and while yes, you had been among those men, you had called upon Kate instead.

It'd thrown her off completely, and she'd been in shock as Edwina ushered her onto the couch and took a seat nearby, trying to pretend as if she and her mother weren't eavesdropping as much as possible. Kate, surprised and undeniably suspicious, had assumed Anthony sent you to distract her from his pursuit of Edwina but you assured her you took no part in it and she allowed herself to trust you.

And that trust proved to be one of the best decisions she'd made, second only to taking on a parental role for Edwina. 

There were a lot of things Kate had envisioned for her own future, truth be told. She'd seen herself become a spinster, a sister-in-law, a happy aunt. Never did she expect to lounge upon a seat with her thumb rubbing her wedding ring and her hand rubbing soothing circles around her protruding belly. But... she was happy. She'd been given the opportunity of being more than just someone's sister. She was a wife, a mother, a good friend, an aunt, and eventually, she'd be Lady (L/N). 

"Hello, darling," Kate murmured upon feeling a soft kick, pressing her palm against her belly and giggling upon feeling another. "You sure are full of energy today." She said softly, pushing herself up in the chair and carefully reaching for her teacup. Kate delicately sipped from it, sighing in bliss as the warm liquid traveled down her throat and warmed her chest. 

"You should be resting, Kate." Her head turned toward the door, a smile stretching across her face at the mere sight of you. 

"I am resting, my love. I refuse to stay in bed until this little one comes."

"Doctor's orders, sweetheart. He said the babe could come at any given moment now." You raised your brows at her and she waved you off with a flick of her wrist, finishing her cup and gingerly setting it aside. You chuckled quietly at her defiance and stepped aside, nodding for the three little ones waiting on the other side of the door to enter. Akshara raced forward ahead of her brothers, her brown ringlets and baby blue ribbons bouncing with her movements. 

"My darling girl," Kate cooed immediately, unable to pull the girl up onto her lap so she settled for helping her sit on her knee. Akshara leaned down once she settled, pressing her cheek against Kate's covered belly and brightening when she felt another swift kick. "Your sibling is so eager to meet you."

"Is it a boy?" The eldest of the trio, Nalin, questioned with wide eyes, resting his arms over the armrest and watching his little sister rub Kate's belly with a gleeful smile. 

"We don't know yet, Nal." You told him as you scooped up Akshara's twin, Edwin, into your arms, feeling the boy drop his sleepy head onto your shoulder. Nalin hummed thoughtfully, moving onto his toes to lean over the armrest and feel Kate's belly. His mother watched with a smile, her eyes softening as she gazed over her children. 

"Well, whether boy or girl, I'm sure they'll be more than happy to play with you and their cousins. You'll have to be patient, love, as we've been these past months. You-" Kate gently booped Nalin's nose. "-took an awful long time to arrive. Your sibling may do the same." 

"Let us hope we aren't blessed with another surprise." You laughed, watching Kate's features contort and a heavy sigh escape her. She slumped back in the chair, carefully petting Akshara's hair, no doubt thinking back on the shocking day in which they discovered in the midst of labor there were two babes instead of one. 

"Yes, please." She laughed breathlessly. 

"Come now, kids. Why don't we pay your cousins a visit and we can give your mother some rest, hm? She'll need as much as she can get when the babe comes." Kate smiled up at you.

"Thank you, darling."

[captainsophiestark]

We're Good

Kol Mikaelson x Reader

Masterlist - Join My Taglist!

Written for my personal fic writing challenge for 2024, Sophie's Year of Fic! Featuring a new fic being posted every Friday, all year long :)

Fandom: TVD/TO

Summary: Kol meets Davina and finally seems serious about someone, so his best friend convinces herself to finally let go of her secret crush. But when Kol gets jealous of her paying attention to another guy, what once seemed settled might not actually be finished.

Word Count: 3,092

Category: Angst, Fluff

A/N: Title is lightly inspired by the Dua Lipa song, although the fic doesn't totally fit it.

Putting work into an AI program without permission is illegal. You do not have my permission. Do not do it.

I tried not to scowl as I watched Kol from the second level of the Mikaelson compound. He was down on the dancefloor, in the middle of the latest party he and his family had decided to throw. I knew Nik or Elijah had some ulterior motive for hosting, but I hadn't cared because this time, I'd had my own ulterior motive. I'd put on my absolute best outfit and made sure I looked like a knockout, all so I could finally tell Kol Mikaelson, my longtime friend and crush, how I really felt about him.

And now, before I could, he was standing at the edge of the dancefloor trying to make a move on Davina Claire.

I should've known. Kol and I had been friends for a long time, and despite pretty regular flirty moments between us, he'd never taken any steps to make us something more serious. Instead, he flirted with, hooked up with, and even dated whatever mortal he'd most recently fallen for while I stood by pretending not to get my heart broken.

This time, I was done with it. For good.

I set my jaw and squinted, refusing to let the tears fall as I turned from the balcony. I almost made it into a hallway off the Mikaelson compound where I could disappear from everything, but of course, I couldn't quite get that lucky.

"He's a bloody idiot, you know."

Rebekah Mikaelson, my best friend in the world, stood before me with her hands on her hips, blocking my exit.

"Rebekah-"

"I'd love to have you for a sister-in-law, but you deserve better than one of my idiot brothers. As a boyfriend and as a friend."

"Bex, I don't want to hear it right now."

The sympathy on her face almost killed me, but she stepped aside. I thought that would be it, but then she called out to me just before I could turn the corner and escape this whole mess.

"Mourn all you like tonight, but tomorrow we're going out! There are plenty of men in this city to help you forget all about Kol!"

****************

Rebekah gave me exactly one day before she started hounding me about going out on the town to forget her "idiot brother". And honestly, I might've ignored her, except for the fact that Kol spent the entire day after the ball with Davina.

I'd always known he was a flirt, but this time, he actually seemed to mean it. So I gave him more space than usual, for my sake as much as his, and spent more time wih Rebekah. We baked and went on walks, and after a while, I stopped shooting her down when she tried to drag me to bars. Kol kept hanging out with Davina, but slowly, seeing them together was starting to hurt a little less. I always thought if he found a girl to get serious about, it would be me. And a tiny little part of my heart still tore to shreds when I saw how wrong I'd been. But unlike those first few days, the heartbreak wasn't eating me alive anymore.

Which is how I ended up out at a bar with the entire Mikaelson family, dancing my heart out on the dancefloor without a second thought for whether Kol would join me.

We'd first started a montly tradition of the firve of us going out and just having fun a few years ago, and despite various dramas and the siblings scattering to the winds, we'd more or less managed to keep it up. We always picked a place a few hours from where any of us were living and planned to stay the night, so we could well and truly forget everything but having a good time together. Normally, I spent the night orbiting Kol, to the point that Nik usually had a field day giving me shit about it. Tonight had been a little different.

I'd joined Nik in dragging Elijah out of the house, gone with Rebekah to order all of us some truly strange, fun cocktails, and danced the night away on the dancefloor with all of them, without my mind or gaze constantly circling back to Kol. He didn't seem to even notice the shift, and I was surprised to find that it didn't really bother me. Kol was a good friend, after all, and with a little more time to process, maybe we'd even be better off.

"Hey!" Rebekah shouted into my ear, still barley making herself heard over the music around us. We'd been here for hours, but none of us showed any signs of slowing down just yet. "That guy at the bar has been staring at you all night!"

I turned to follow her gaze and found a handsome guy looking back. He smiled, a little sheepish, and I returned the gesture before whipping around to Rebekah.

"Why are you so fixated on setting me up with somebody?"

"Because it's fun! And I haven't got to do it once in all the time I've known you because you've been so hung up on Kol. So come on, let me have my fun!"

I made a face. I wasn't sure I wanted to take a chance on the random person Rebekah had found, regardless of me finally being over Kol. She huffed, then leaned in to speak in my ear again.

"Just trust me! I compelled him and asked him some questions, and he seems like someone you'd get along quite well with!"

I closed my eyes. "You compelled him, Rebekah? Seriously?"

"Well how else was I supposed to make sure he wasn't some sleezy werewolf or something? Go on, just talk to him!"

"Fine! Fine, but it's still our Mikaelson Family Fun Day, so I'm just going to talk."

"That's fine with me! Although I promise not to judge you if you don't come back to the room tonight-"

I picked up the nearest thing I could find (a stack of napkins) and hucked it at her, which she easily dodged. I did my best to ignore her laughing behind me as I headed for the bar.

The guy smiled as I approached him, and I smiled back. I headed for an open spot standing next to him at the bar, and he started speaking as soon as I came within hearing range.

"Hey! I've been hoping you'd come over and say hi all night."

I smiled. "Why didn't you come over and say hi yourself?"

"Didn't want to interrupt you and your friends if you didn't want to be bothered," he said with a shrug. "Although, that girl Rebekah tried awfully hard to get me to come over once or twice."

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, Rebekah loves nothing more than meddling, especially in my life." I paused. "I'm glad she convinced me to come over and talk to you though."

"So am I! I-"

He broke off at the same time as I felt someone slide up to the bar behind me, chest almost pressed into my back. I started to turn around to tell whoever it was to back off, but a familiar voice spoke up before I could.

"Why don't you go find someone else to bother, mate?" said Kol, his tone laced with the slightest undercurrent of a threat. Apparently, he'd decided to make sure he got what he wanted, because a moment later the guy whose name I hadn't even been able to get yet turned on his heel and walked away.

I rounded on Kol with a furious scowl, but he just grinned back at me, still very close and in my personal space. Normally, the proximity would've left me with butterflies, but right now all I felt was anger growing in the pit of my stomach.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" I asked, an edge to my voice that I'd really never directed at Kol before. His eyebrows shot up, but otherwise, he didn't seem bothered.

"I was getting rid of that creep who was bothering you. Come on, darling, I thought you'd be thanking me-"

"Thanking you? Kol, he clearly wasn't bothering me! I came up to him, for God's sake!"

"Well I'm sorry, it just looked like you might want me to step in-"

"How? How did it look like that, Kol?"

My voice was getting louder now, enough that a few people were starting to take notice, but I didn't care. I was furious at my so-called friend and he was going to hear about it.

Kol cleared his throat. "Love, maybe we should take this somewhere else-"

"Knock it off with the pet names! Kol seriously, what the fu-"

In a split second, the bar disappeared around me. Instead, I found myself thrown over Kol's shoulder as he vampire-sped out of the bar. When we finally stopped, it was just inside the front door of the house we'd all rented, with Kol's back to me as he closed the front door.

I took my opening and hurled the nearest pillow at his head. It hit its target dead on, and I got halfway through picking up another one when Kol used his vamp speed to close the distance between us and grab my wrist.

"Hey! Knock it off, alright? What's the matter?"

"What's the matter? Are you kidding me Kol?" I wasn't sure whether I wanted to laugh, cry, scream, or all three, but I focused on the screaming part as I faced a bewildered Kol. "You absolute hypocrite, how dare you pull me out of that bar, and how dare youstep into my conversation like that!"

"What? Is this seriously all about me scaring off that one guy? You hardley knew him!"

"Obviously it's not completely about him, although that move still sucked, Kol! It's about you thinking you have some right to barge into my life and scare off a guy who might be interested in me! Because that's what it was, right? There's no way you thought I wanted him gone, so you did all this because you wanted him gone, right?"

"...I- I guess I didn't really like seeing him with you, but-"

"But nothing! Kol, we've had just a kind of flirty friendship forever. And whenever it seemed like we might be heading into something else, you were always the one to bail out. And last month, when you found Davina and got serious about someone else, it ripped my heart out. But I forced myself to take some time and get over it! Because that's your choice, and I care about you regardless of if you want to date me. But Kol, you have been clearly, specifically going after Davina lately. Which means you have absolutely no right to come tell some guy at the bar to back off when he's flirting with me."

"Darling, come on-"

I held up a hand to cut Kol off. The storm of emotions had finally started calming, hardening into something more manageable. I'd let myself struggle in this relationship without ever having an up front conversation for far too long. We were going to set some boundaries and have it all out, whether or not Kol wanted to. I was done with the rollercoaster ride.

"Kol, I know you call a lot of people 'darling', but if you want to stay friends with me then I'm going to need you to stop calling me that."

Kol just stared at me for a few moments, blinking and apparently processing everything I'd just said. His eyebrows knit together and he looked seriously distressed, but I refused to back down. After a moment, he took a half step towards me, his hand reaching out slightly towards my own.

"...And what if I don't think I want to be friends anymore, darling?"

I scoffed, another overwhelming wave of anger rising up and over me. I shook my head and turned around, walking a few steps away and hoping the space would help me cool down.

"You better not be flirting with me right now, Mikaelson, after everything I just said and everything you've been up to with Davina lately."

"Davina and I aren't together, love. We went on a few dates after Nik's little party, but we've hardly seen each other since then, and I don't intend to keep anything going. You might have noticed, but you started avoiding me after the ball and I had no idea why."

I turned to face Kol at last, scanning his face for any hint of something that might help me make up my mind on how to feel about all this. The corner of his mouth quirked up in a smile, and I scowled.

"I wish you'd said something earlier about this little crush of yours, honestly. I didn't think I had a shot in hell with you. It would've saved us both some time."

I shook my head, slowly at first and then much much faster. Before I completely realized what I was doing, I crossed the room and smacked Kol in the chest. He was one of the oldest vamipres to ever live, so it didn't have much of an impact on him, but it definitely made me feel better.

"Kol Mikaelson, you jackass! You do not get to use this as an excuse to confess feelings for me!"

He laughed, holding up his hands and clearly fighting a beaming smile. I slowly tapered off my assault, instead opting for crossing my arms and absolutely fuming at him.

"Seriously, Kol, this isn't funny. I show interest in someone else for the first time in our friendship, and all of a sudden you're dropping everything to come and confess feelings for me? You get why I don't feel like that's completely sincere, right?"

Kol sighed, the smile finally falling off his face. He moved to close the distance between us again, and this time, I let him.

"I'm sorry. I'm not joking because it's a joke to me, I promise. I've had feelings for you as long as I've known you, darling, but I didn't think I had a chance with you. And you've been important to everyone in our family for just about as long as we've known you. If I made things complicated, or made you want to stop spending time with all of us, my siblings would've literally killed me."

I snorted, looking down so Kol wouldn't see me fighting a smile off my face. No matter what, Kol always seemed able to make me smile when I least wanted to. Normally, it was one of my favorite things about him.

"What can I do, hm? What can I do to prove I mean what I'm saying?"

I sighed, crossing my arms and at last looking up at Kol. With wide eyes and no hint of the sardonic smile I knew so well, he looked more serious than I'd ever seen him before.

"...If you're really sure about this, Kol, that you really mean this...?"

"I do. Darling, I swear I do. I promise you, I won't waste the chance if you give me one."

"Okay, then prove it. I've never seen you go more than a week without flirting with some human, witch, vampire, werewolf, or whatever other sentient beings we come across. Make it a month, and maybe I'll believe what you said about being serious about this."

"...And will we be dating for that month?"

Slowly, I shook my head. "No. I want to, Kol, and I want that to be where this goes, but... I need to see that this is real first. I want to believe it is, so badly, but after centuries of meaningless flirting and dancing around each other without a conversation, of seeing you have flings every chance you get and watching each one of those burn out... I can't just take it on faith."

Kol sighed, glancing down at the ground before meeting my eyes again. He didn't say anything, just closed the little remaining distance between us as he brought his arms up to circle my waist. He pulled me to him, leaning down with a glance at my lips, and I didn't stop him as he pulled me into a kiss.

Fireworks exploded in my chest. My knees went a little week as I leaned further into Kol, resting my hands on his shoulders. After a few long moments, just as my common sense started returning to tell me what a mistake this was, Kol pulled back with a grin.

"Sorry, darling. But I couldn't wait a month to do that."

I snorted and shook my head, stepping carefully out of Kol's grip. He watched my every move with a smile, and my heart did a backflip when he licked his lips. I told my heart to calm the hell down.

"I... certainly didn't mind the potential preview," I admitted.

Kol laughed, running a hand through his hair as he looked at me.

"This is going be the longest month of my life... but if that's what it'll take, I'll make it through. I know it'll be worth it, especially now."

I rolled my eyes, but this time, I couldn't quite keep a smile off my face. Finally, my heart started returning to a normal pace, and I managed to meet Kol's eyes again without having a cardiac event.

"Alrlight, so... what do we do now? I don't know about you, but I don't particularly want to go back to the bar."

"Is that a joke, darling?" He raised an eyebrow at me, but I just shook my head. His mouth dropped open like he couldn't believe I was serious. "I may not get to do the activity I most want to do right now for another month, but I did just get my best friend back after extensive radio silence. We have so many episodes of our favorite shows to catch up on!"

"...You didn't watch them without me?"

"Of course not! Did you watch them without me?"

"Of course not!"

"Well then, there you have it! That's our evening. You make the popcorn, I'll turn on the tv."

I laughed as Kol turned on his heel, getting immediately to work. I still wanted to wait the month I'd made him promise; I still wasn't confident his romantic affections wouldn't wander. But despite all that, a massive weight lifted off my chest as I headed into the kitchen for snacks. I had my best friend back, and finally, after a ridiculous amount of waiting and dancing around each other and poor communication, we were actually getting a shot at our happy ending.

****************

Everything Taglist: @rosecentury @kmc1989 @space-helen

TVD/TO Taglist: @elenavampire21

[sturniololoco]

could you write a sturniolo sister fic where matt gets a girlfriend and the sister is the closest with matt but the girlfriend is horrible to the sister and when she tries to tell matt he doesn’t believe her and they get into some kind of argument until matt hears his gf say something to the sister?

Sister In Law Gone Wrong

Sturniolo Little sister (SLS) x The Sturniolo Triplets

Warnings: language, an annoying bitch?

Note: I'm so sorry if your name is Brittney btw

SLS/N's POV

Moving in with my brothers was exciting, but hard. especially when I found out Matt has a girlfriend.

In my eyes, no one deserves them. I always envisioned my brother's girlfriends, or boyfriends for Nick's sake, to be just as kind as my brothers are.

But Matt's Girlfriend was an absolute bitch. And I haven't even been there for three days.

-

It was my third day in my new home. My brothers have been helping me unpack all my stuff for the past couple of days, and we were finally finished.

I was so excited to be done because Matt promised me that we would go play putt-putt at his new favorite spot in L.A.

I was getting ready to go, throwing on some cargo jeans and a cropped sweater. I walked downstairs and Chris walked over to me, giving me a spin, saying,

"Damn sis! you look bad!"

I playfully hit him on the shoulder and covered my red face as Nick and Matt began hyping me up with Chris.

I walked over to the couch and sat down next to Matt. I was about to ask him when we were about to go when the front door opened and hells began clicking up our steps.

Matt's girlfriend, Brittney, walks into the room.

She walked in like she owned the place, throwing her purse on the table and laying across Matt's lap, covering half the couch.

"Are you ready to go or what?" She asks Matt, sassily, while pulling out her phone, opening Snapchat, taking a selfie with her tongue out, and then posting it to her story.

"Uh, we're going somewhere?" Matt replies, looking as though he has no idea what she's talking about.

"You're taking me to dinner, I'm hungry," Brittney says. "You will take me, right Matty?" She says, giving him a pout and taking in a baby voice.

"Uh, I mean yeah sure. Lemme get me keys." Matt looks at me guiltily as he makes his way to the kitchen, grabbing his keys. He quietly mouths I'm sorry to me as he walks down the stairs, following Brittney.

I give him the most reassuring half-smile I could muster before he's gone, and I hear his car pull away. I feel the tears well up in my eyes and emotion stabbing at the back of my throat.

But I quickly try to wipe them away as Chris comes and sits next to me. But to my surprise, he pulls me into a hug and says,

"I know kiddo. It's ok if you're upset, I would be too."

I press my forehead into his chest as he cradles my head, willing the tears not to come, but a few slip out. I pull away from Chris's embrace.

"I'm fine! I'm good, really! As long as Matts is happy I'm happy." I say, trying to move off the subject before my disappointment settles in even more.

Chris nods, giving me a sad smile as he stands up.

"Hey why don't I order pizza and we can play Monopoly?" Nick says, trying to lighten the mood. I nod, smiling. Might as well make fun out of a crappy situation I thought to myself.

-

After about 2 hours of monopoly, three slices of pizza, and a bowl of ice cream later, I was getting tired. I yawned and stood up, telling my brothers, that I was heading to bed.

"Sweet dreams kid," Chris says, ruffling my hair as I hug him goodnight. I then walk over to Nick and give him a kiss on the cheek.

"'Night!" He says.

"Oh, when Matt comes in, could you tell him goodnight for me?" I ask my brothers before going upstairs. They glance sadly at each other, then say they would. So I walked upstairs to get some rest.

Chris's POV

About 30 minutes after SLS/N went to bed, Matt walked up the stairs, throwing his keys on the table, and then flopping down on the couch.

"Wow. Nice of you to join us, especially when the one person who wanted to hang out with you has already gone to bed! Brother of the year right there!" Nick says sarcastically, saying exactly what I was thinking.

Matt rolls his eyes, and mumbles,

"Relax, I'll make it up to her" Matt gets up and walks to his room and shuts the door. I look at Nick and we both sigh in defeat.

SLS/N's POV

I'm awake early the next day, around 8:00. None of my brothers are awake yet, so I decide to cook breakfast. I get out our mini waffle maker and the Bisquick. I also decide to make some bacon and sausage.

Not long after I start cooking, I hear the front door creek open, and foot straps come from the stairs. I turn to see Brittney.

What a great way to start my morning.

She struts into the kitchen and takes a waffle off the stack, then digs through the fridge for the syrup.

"Is this keto-friendly?" She asks me.

I shake my head saying,

"Um, it's Bisquick."

She rolls her eyes sits down and begins to eat. She eats nearly the whole thing before pushing her plate away and saying,

"What the fuck is this shit? you think people will actually eat this?" She laughs at the disappointed look on my face.

"I can make you something else if you like," I say, being way too nice to someone I want to slap across the face. Before she can answer, Matt walks into the kitchen, looking sleepy and disheveled.

"Oh good you're awake. Can we pwease go get Starbucks Matty? She says in a baby voice. Matt nods and she practically skips to the car, leaving her dirty dish on the table.

Matt walks over and gives me a hug. He must have noticed something was wrong because he said,

"You okay? Your eyes are lookin' watery."

I look down and say,

"Have you noticed that your girlfriend is a little mean" But I instantly regret saying that.

"SLS/N! How could you say that! Just because the attention isn't on you anymore doesn't mean you get to say that about her!" H says, raising his voice, which he never does.

He spins around and walks out the front door, leaving me there in the kitchen. The tears well up in my eyes as I began to clean up breakfast, throwing away all the waffles I already made.

-

I didn't want to be by myself this morning, especially after the breakfast flop. I walk downstairs to Chris's room.

The door is cracked and dim light is coming from inside. I knock lightly.

"Come in," I hear Chrls's morning voice say. I enter the room to see him lying in his bed watching his phone. I walk over and crawl into bed next to him, snuggling into his side. He notices something is wrong the minute I lay down.

"Alright, spill it, kid." He demands

I told him everything that happened this morning.

Matt's POV

I get into the driver's seat, flustered due to my argument with SLS/N. I hear Brittney sigh, and I look over at her.

"Why are you in a mood?" She asks, giving me a pout. I run my fingers through my hair, and say,

"My sister is just being a little difficult is all."

I hear her scoff and let out a low chuckle. I look over at her confused.

"Yeah, no shit. She's such a little brat. And she can't even make a waffle right." She keeps scrolling through her phone as if she doesn't even realize what she's saying to me, SLS/N's brother.

"What the fuck did you just say?" I asked, feeling stupid for not believing SLS/N.

"You heard me, I said she's a brat." She replies, popping the gum in her mouth.

This was a new feeling for me. I've never felt so upset or mad. I remember all the times I let SLS/N down because of some stupid girl. I'm such an idiot.

"Get out of my car," I say through gritted teeth.

"What- but- Matty, baby c'mon, you know I didn't mean that!" She struggles to correct herself, but it's too late. The damage has already been done.

"Get. Out. Of. My. Car." I say, one last time. She flings her car door open and runs to her car, speeding out of the driveway. I quickly run back inside, trying desperately to come up with a solution to make it up to SLS/N.

SLS/N's POV

Still snuggled into Chris's side, I heard the front door open again and footsteps walking closer.

Matt peeks his head inside Chris's room, where we are. He clears his throat and says,

"Hey, um Chris, do you mind if I talk to SLS/N for a second?"

Chris looks at me and I nod. He stands up and brushes past Matt while he walks out of the room, mumbling,

"Don't fuck this up."

Matt walks over and sits next to me.

"I...I'm sorry. I should have listened to you over Brittney. I was stupid to think that my little sister would ever do that and I was wrong." He starts tearing up a little at the end of his apology.

However, I was happy that I had my Matt back again. I quickly give him a hug, knocking him back onto the bed. We giggle and laugh as we wrestle.

"And if it's okay with you, I'd like to make it up to you. How does putt-putt sound kid?" H asks, a smile playing on his lips.

"Yay!" I shout, standing up and jumping up and down on the bed, only to be tackled again by Matt.

-

That night Matt and I went on a little brother-sister date. We went Putt-putting, and Matt won both rounds of course. Then we went to get ice cream before heading home.

We laughed and danced to music in the car, happy in each other's company again.

Guys! School got canceled again tomorrow! I'll try and post some extra for you this weekend and finish some requests!

[spidybaby]

Be quiet, please

Summary: Kylian got a little too drunk and decided to share some information he isn't supposed to.

Warning: Slightly cursing.

Part two

"Princesa, do you want another drink?" Neymar asks you, noticing the glass in your hand is empty. "Please," you hand him the glass with a smile.

Your attention goes back to Melissa and Fayza, Melissa was telling you a story about her recent trip. From time to time, you turned your attention to the dance floor, Kylian was dancing with Bruna, she's trying to teach him some Brazilian dance.

You can't help but smile, dizzying off from the conversation with the two women.

The party was something Kylian wanted to do, not being a very party guy himself, he asked you to help him plan it. And if you were honest, you did an amazing job, all his teammates and their partners were there, his parents, his brothers and close friends too.

"I mean, that's good for me. What about you, y/n?" Melissa asks you. You turned back to her a little embarrassed because you have no idea what they're talking about. "Yes," you say, trying to save the talk.

Fayza can't help but laugh while Melissa just looks at you with a funny expression. "You have no idea what we're talking about," she says as she joins Kylians mother. "Sorry, I zoned out." The blush on your face only grows.

"Melissa was talking about meeting for breakfast tomorrow, just us and Lana," Fayza tells you. You smile really hard, loving how they always involve you in every activity they do. "I'll love to. Let's have brunch at the cute cafe we visited last time, " you suggested happily.

"Princesa, your drink, extra special for my good friend," ney interrupt the conversation handing your drink to you. "Miss Lamari, Melissa, would you like something else to drink?" He offered happy. Ney decided to be the bartender helper since he couldn't really dance because of his injury.

They thank him and accept the offer, ney goes back to the bar to prepare the drinks. "I was thinking," you say, pausing to drink a little of the cocktail. "Ky asked me to start planning the wedding, he wants to have a summer wedding and I want to ask you to help me."

The thought of your wedding with him makes you excited. Since he proposed back before the World Cup, you started saving ideas for dresses, venue ideas, and daydreaming of what everything was going to look like.

Fayza moves closer to hug you, excited at the idea of you finally joining the family as her sons wife. She helped Kylian with the proposal, helped him pick the ring, and practice his speech. She was the most welcoming woman on earth. Since day one, she was arms open to you, knowing as soon as she met you, you were there for the long run. She wasn't wrong.

"I can't believe it's been a few months since that, you know I love you like a sister, count with me on anything."

When you moved to Paris, you didn't expect to find love and a family that loved you and protect you. Not expecting any of that to go so well as it's going.

"Thank you, both of you"

You hug them easily as you were in the middle of them. Ethan walked close to the scene and asks what's going on.

"What's going on is that Melissa wants to dance, and you're taking her," you say, watching Melissa roll her eyes at you but accept dancing with her little brother in law.

Verrati and Marquinhos saw this and decided to invite you and Fayza to dance, accepting the offer you move to the dance floor. Some Brazilian music is playing, probably a request from one of the team guys. Loving to see Ney and Marquinhos break the dance floor with their moves, tonight only being Marquinhos.

Kylian saw that you and Marco were dancing and smiled. He was happy to have you, happy to see how you blend amazingly into his world, not thinking of anyone more than you to do it.

"Go, Kylian!" Bruna yelled as he got the steps correctly this time, after what it seemed like a whole night trying. "Go, Kyky. Go, Kyky. " Sergio and Pilar cheer for him. Antonella and Leo are trying to imitate the dance as bruna directs the whole choreography.

You took Ethans hand, dancing a little bit with him while Melissa and Marco dance together, Marcos wife lost at the bar laughing with Neymar. Everybody's having fun. Everybody's relaxing, forgetting about their worries for a moment.

After a good time on the dance floor, Fayza and you go back to your seats. You are tired from the workout you did in the morning, cursing yourself for it. After a few songs, Melissa frees herself from Marco, handing him to Bruna, and she accepts excited to teach more dance moves. It was her night, and nobody denied it. We just accepted it.

Kylian left the dance floor when his eyes and yours made contact, walking your way, you open your arms for him to get into them, embracing you while you kiss his cheek. "You did it amazing, amour. Such a dancer, " you smiled, pulling away from him,

You both laugh, and he takes a seat next to you and in the middle of Melissa and his mom. "Maman," he yells, a little more drunk than usual, something is not common in him, but tonight you're happy he's letting go, knowing he needs that "Je vais me marier." (I'm getting married) Fayza, and you let out a laugh. Finding adorable the way he's so excited about it.

"I know, my love. I can't be happier for you, " she says, caressing his cheek as a love sign. She has the same thoughts as you, Kylian has a very pressured life, so it's good for him to let go and enjoy his youth.

Kylian recliners himself into you, his head into your shoulder, giving him access to your cheeks and neck, something he didn't take for granted, kissing you cheek multiple times. "Ky, stop," you pull away a little, not wanting him to start something he's not supposed to. Not in front of his mother.

"Tu n'aimes pas que je t'embrasse?" (You don't want to kiss me?) His expression turns into a hurt one, "Chérie, s'il vous plaît" (honey, please) he tries to kiss your cheeks again, but you move your face, making him pout harder this time "You weren't denying my kisses this morning while I was inside of you." You move your hand to his mouth, stopping him to finish his sentence. Melissa can't help but let out a loud laugh, Fayza laughs with her while shaking her head. "Amour, be quiet, please."

He takes his hand into yours and moves it, freeing his mouth. "Est-ce que je te fais de l'effet?" (Do I make you feel good?) He whispers into your ear.

You can't help the blush that creeps into your face. "Ky, be quiet," you whisper to his ear. "Why? maman sait ce qu’on fait" (mom knows what we're doing). With every single word of him, you can feel your face turn more red. Thankfully, the color of the lights helps you.

"Maman, elle m’a fait me sentir si bien ce matin" (mom, she made me feel so good this morning) kylian tells his mother, laughing casually, not caring a single bit about the meaning of his words. "Et peut être que je vais te faire sentir bien, ce soir" (And, baby, Ima make you feel so good, tonight) You try to hush him again, but his hands on yours difficult you the work.

"Oh Chérie, you're so drunk right now, " Fayza, who is enjoying the moment, knowing damn well she'll use it to mess with him later, tries to shush him. Melissa, on the other hand, is enjoying everything, not caring to make him stop but decide to help you. "Kyks, come with me, I want another drink," she says while taking his hands and pulling him off of you.

You stay there, ashamed that Kylian says that in front of his mother, deciding to drink your cocktail, looking at everything but the eyes of your future mother in law. "Y/n, Chérie, don't worry." She says, feeling your discomfort and laughing at how embarrassed you were. "But I have the feeling I know now why you wanted a brunch and not an early breakfast," she joked with you, which makes you laugh, you love the way she always makes sure you're comfortable.

You can't deny that even though you feel embarrassed, you lived for these moments. Yes, it was something you were going to be mocked about for a long time, but hey, it's the memories that count.

[awkwardauthorwrites]

Wildest Dreams - Part Two

Word Count: 4.1k

Themes: fluff, pining, tension

Summary: Ten years have passed since the events of Hogwarts Legacy and Y/N is invited back as part of a reunion to celebrate. 

Warnings: Potential spoilers for HL. All characters are aged up and around 25/26 years old

Find Part One here

Sebastian apparted them to a quiet hillside with a beautiful, large cottage resting at the top. Although it was dark out, the faint light coming from the full moon allowed Y/N to see the intricate stonework of the L-shaped house and the garden that lay outside that was obviously well taken care of. She couldn’t see it, but she could hear the gentle swell of the ocean and smell the salt in the air. 

“Where are we?”

“Ominis and Anne’s house.” He turned to hold his hand out for hers before guiding them forward slowly. “I moved in so I could help Anne with her pregnancy and the first few months with the baby. They live in that section of the house, but they’re hopefully fast asleep.”

“Trying to sneak me in like a late night conquest?”

“First, you would never be a conquest to me.” The look Sebastian sent her sent a flash of heat through Y/N’s body that warmed her all the way to her toes. “Second, is it that bad I want you to myself for a while before my sister steals you from me?” 

“Ah yes, the infamous Sallow charm,” she gave him a teasing smile as he led her inside, a hand on the small of her back as he guided her through the dark interior and into the kitchen. With a slight wave of his hand the lamps that were dotted around the room came to life, revealing a figure sitting at the table. 

“Fuck - Ominis!” Sebastian glared at his brother-in-law. “What have I told you about sitting around in the dark?”

“Is it dark?” Ominis tilted his head to the side. “I couldn’t tell.” Y/N couldn’t help but laugh quietly at his words despite her heart still racing and he turned his head in her direction curiously. “Y/N? Is that you?” He stood up and made his way over to them, one hand skirting along the table to help him navigate. 

“It’s good to see you again, Ominis.” Y/N pulled him into a tight hug before releasing him and taking a step back so she stood next to Sebastian again. 

“I’d say the same but…” He chucked at his own poor joke and held his hands out to her, a silent request to trace her features. Y/N took his hands and placed them on her face, her eyes slipping closed as his fingers moved over the scar on her temple. “Still starting fights?”

“Does it really matter who started it as long as I finish them?”

“No, I suppose not.” Ominis released her face and took a small step back. “Why are you back so early?”

“It got boring,” Sebastian shrugged and leant against the kitchen wall, his gaze not leaving Y/N. 

“So you decided to steal the guest of honour as you left?”

“I’ve got to be a bad influence on her somehow for old times sake.”

“Hm.” Ominis didn’t exactly sound pleased, but Y/N could see the smile on his face. “I’m going to head to bed. I assume you’ll be spending the night, so I’ll see you at breakfast, Y/N.”

“That’s a bit presumptuous.”

“Am I wrong, though?” Ominis offered her a wry smile before making his way up the staircase located in the back corner of the kitchen. Y/N heard a soft click as a door closed and Sebastian came to stand behind her. 

“Do you want to get out of this dress?” Y/N turned to look up at him with raised eyebrows and watched his face turn red. “I didn’t - I mean, I wouldn’t mind but that’s not…” He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “What I meant was, do you want me to lend you something to wear?” 

“Yes, please.” Sebastian stopped to grab a bottle of firewhiskey from the cupboard, as well as two glasses, before leading her out of the kitchen and to the right, through what Y/N assumed was the living room. There was another staircase on this side of the house and Sebastian ushered her up and pointed her in the direction of his room. Y/N closed the door behind them as he walked over to his dresser and set their drinks down before rummaging through one of the drawers.

“I can’t give you anything of Anne’s without waking her up, is this alright?” Sebastian pulled out a long sleeved shirt and some pyjama bottoms for her. 

“Only if you help me out of this dress,” Y/N watched as Sebastian visibly gulped and his face and neck turned a brilliant shade of red. She turned her back to him and brushed her hair out of the way to show him the small buttons that ran up the back of the dress. “Please?”

“You’re going to be the death of me.”

“Save the theatrics for when I’m in your clothes.”

“Darling,” Sebastian groaned, his hands coming to rest on her waist from behind. “When I asked you to flirt with me I didn’t think it would be like this.”

“Like what?” Y/N brought her hands up to hold the bodice of her dress in place as Sebastian began to undo her buttons, his fingers brushing against every inch of exposed skin in a way that set Y/N’s nerves on fire. 

“Don’t play coy, you know exactly what you’re doing to me.”

“I did warn you,” Y/N laughed quietly as she felt him undo the last of the buttons.

“You did,” he agreed, voice low as he trailed a finger down her spine softly. “Is it later?”

“Give a girl the chance to get dressed first, Sallow.”

“Oh right. Yes. I’ll - hallway?” Sebastian stammered, one finger pointing at the door behind them. Y/N bit her lower lip to hold back a smile as she took in how flustered he was. It was a rare sight (in fact, she didn’t think she had ever seen it before) and it brought a sense of gratification knowing she was the one who had turned the charming man into a stuttering mess.

“Just turn around.” Sebastian nodded once before turning his back to her, resting his head on the wall gently. Y/N quickly shed the dress and pulled on Sebastian’s clothes, pulling a face as she tried to hitch the pants up as far as she could. “I feel like a child playing dress up.” Sebastian chuckled and turned back around to face her, his eyes darkening as they roamed over her. “I look ridiculous.”

“You look ravishing.”

“Oh shush,” Y/N turned her back to him so he couldn’t see her blush and poured out two drinks for them while he quickly changed as well. She picked the pins out of her hair while she waited for him and took a sip of the firewhiskey to steady her hands as she listened to him shuffle out of his clothing. She didn’t dare move until he came to stand behind her, his hand resting on her waist gently as he leant over to grab his glass. Y/N grabbed the bottle and her own glass before taking a seat on the bed and crossing her legs so she could face him. 

“To us,” Sebastian toasted.

“To later,” Y/N clicked her glass against his and took another sip of the drink. The liquid burned the back of her throat, but warmed the rest of her body and gave her the surge of confidence she needed. “You said earlier you always wanted to kiss me. How long have you felt that way?”

“Since fifth year.”

“Sebastian, that was ten years ago!”

“What can I say? I’ve always known what I wanted.” The look he gave her offered more heat than the drink and Y/N found herself drinking a little more to calm her nerves.

“Am I just a want to you?”

“No. Definitely not.” He brushed some hair from her eyes. “You are everything to me.”

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

“How long have you felt the same?”

“Since fifth year,” Y/N murmured shyly. She had assumed all of the under-the-radar flirting he had done back in school was just a part of his charm and that he was the same with all the other girls, but that hadn’t stopped her from thinking about him all the time. It had only gotten worse the more time she spent with him and she started to realise that not only was he charming to a fault, but he was also kind and smart and funny and flawed. 

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

“Touché.” They sat in a comfortable silence, both absorbed in their own thoughts. “I wouldn’t mind either, by the way.”

“Mind what?” he asked. Y/N gave him a look and waited for the sickle to drop. It took him a moment to recall the words he had said in the kitchen, how he wouldn’t mind getting her out of her dress in a less than pure sense. “Oh. Oh.” He tilted her chin up gently, his fingers brushing along her jaw in a way that made it feel like every inch of her was on fire. “While I would love nothing more, we have all the time in the world for that later, darling. Plus, it would probably be better to wait until we don’t have to be quiet because my sister and best friend are sleeping a few doors down.”

“Silencing charms were invented for a reason.”

“And you call me the rake.” He took her empty glass and set it on the bedside table next to his, turning back around just in time to catch her stifling a yawn. “Oh I’m sorry, am I boring you?” Y/N nudged him and looked like she was about to snap back at him but instead let out another yawn before groaning dramatically and flopping onto the bed so she was laying down. Sebastian brushed some hair from her forehead, his fingers lingering on the mark on her temple gently. “Do you want me to leave you to sleep?”

“No, stay. Please?” The look on her face melted his heart and he couldn’t find it in him to say no. Instead he lay down himself and covered them both with the blanket before rolling over to face Y/N and placed a sweet kiss on her forehead.

“Get some sleep, darling. I’m right here.”

*~*~*~*~*

Sebastian woke up to the sunlight streaming in through a small gap in his curtains and looked down at Y/N, who was still fast asleep beside him. At some point in the night she had curled up to his side, her head nearly resting on his shoulder as she slept peacefully. He gently brushed some hair from her face and tucked it behind her ear, his hand lingering on her cheek for longer than necessary. He watched as she began to stir and her eyes fluttered open to look at him.

“Morning.”

“Morning.” Y/N smiled shyly and Sebastian was delighted to notice a faint flush on her face. He brushed her cheek gently, a teasing smirk on his face as her blush deepened.

“I could get used to this,” Sebastian trailed his fingers up her jaw slowly, moving round to the back of her neck before lightly running down her back. 

“Get used to what?”

“Waking up beside you.” He rested his hand on her lower back and gently pulled her closer. Y/N buried her face into the pillow and pulled the blanket up to cover her face. “Where have you gone?” he laughed, trying to tug the duvet away from her.

“It’s too early for you to be this charming.”

“I’m always charming.” He succeeded in getting the blanket away from her and was rewarded by her demure smile. “You, on the other hand, could do with being a lot less gorgeous first thing in the morning. How is that fair?” Y/N couldn’t help but laugh quietly at his response, her hand hesitantly trailing over his bicep. She watched his throat bob as she lightly traced her way over his collarbone and came to rest over his thundering heart. 

“Nervous?” she asked innocently, a coy smile playing on the edge of her mouth. “Pretty woman in your bed, and all that?”

“Darling,” his voice was considerably lower and he reluctantly removed his hand from her back to hold hers against his chest. “I thought we cleared up last night that you’re the only woman I want in my bed.”

“All you said was you wanted to kiss me since fifth year.”

“I’m pretty sure I followed that with telling you that you mean everything to me.” He narrowed his eyes at her playfully and tugged her closer, her body pressed against his in a way that set every nerve ending on edge. “Were you not listening to me?”

“My mind was occupied.”

“With what?” he asked. Her answering grin and raised eyebrow was nothing short of wicked and Sebastian felt his heart stutter in his chest. Y/N laughed quietly and wound her hand up his chest to play with the hair on the back of his head. “You’re going to be the death of me.”

“I’d say I’m sorry but - ”

“Sebastian, are you awake?” There was a gentle knock on his door. Y/N froze, her eyes going wide as Sebastian groaned quietly, his eyes sliding shut.

“I’m up, Anne. I’ll be out in a moment.” His forehead came to rest on her shoulder and she could hear him mutter about his sister’s poor timing. 

“I’m about to do the washing, do you need anything cleaned?” Anne tried to open his door. “Why is your door locked?” Sebastian rolled out of bed, moving faster than Y/N had seen him before, waving his wand to unlock the door.

“Must have just been stuck,” he opened the door to greet his sister, his frame blocking her view of the room, and more importantly her still in his bed. “Nothing needs cleaning, I’ll be down in a moment.”

“Why are you being strange?”

“I’ve not long woken up, Anne, give me a break.”

“Is there someone in your room, Sebastian?”

“What? No. Don’t be ridiculous.”

“Morning everyone.” Y/N felt herself physically cringe as Ominis joined the twins in the hallway. “Is everything alright?”

“Sebastian has someone in his room.”

“Anne,” he groaned and lightly banged his head on the doorframe, “no I don’t.” Y/N didn’t need to be able to see through doors to know Ominis was tilting his head to the side. 

“Good morning, Y/N.”

“Morning,” she grimaced and climbed out of the bed to stand by Sebastian, attempting to tame her hair as she did so. Anne looked surprised to see her and although Ominis was looking slightly to her right, she could still see the smirk on his features that was meant for her. “It’s good to see you both again.”

“A bit presumptuous, was I?” Ominis chuckled and placed a hand on Anne’s shoulder. “Come, my love, Sebastian can show Y/N where she can freshen up for breakfast before we accost them.” He pulled her back down the hall gently, shooting a glance at the pair before they both went down the stairs.

“Well,” Sebastian let out a breath. “There goes my plan to pretend I asked you round for breakfast this morning.” His face flushed and he rubbed the back of his neck nervously as he looked down at her. “I’m sorry, Y/N.”

“No harm, no foul. Although, I feel like Anne is currently assuming the worst of me.”

“She would never.” Sebastian’s voice was full of conviction, as if it was a ridiculous notion that Anne would ever think of her poorly. “By the time we make it downstairs she’ll be over the shock and will probably be telling me I told you so over breakfast.” He led her down the hall, showing her where she could freshen up before shutting the door quietly behind her. Y/N moved as quick as she could, splashing water on her face to remove the traces of makeup she had forgotten to remove the night before and tying her hair in a simple braid. She made her way back to Sebastian’s room when she was done and walked in without knocking, her eyes going wide at the sight in front of her.

“Sorry!” Y/N’s face burned as she turned around and pressed her forehead to the cool wall as she covered her eyes. Sebastian laughed from behind her and stepped close, his finger running down her spine gently before he turned her back around.

“All of those flirtatious remarks last night and you go the colour of a Gryffindor’s robes when you see me without a shirt on?” Sebastian teased, grasping her chin gently so he could angle her face towards his. “You’ve seen me like this before.” Y/N couldn’t help but look back down at his bare torso, his shirt unbuttoned and hanging from his shoulders. The fluttering in her stomach that seemed to appear whenever Sebastian was around had turned into a full-fledged swarm as a kaleidoscope of butterflies ran amok within her. 

“No I haven’t.” She made herself look back up and above his head so she wouldn’t have to see the shit-eating grin on his face.

“Yes you have,” Sebastian chuckled and tried to meet her eyes again. “Or do you not remember the day I saved your life in the lake?” The confidence he exuded with the sentence made Y/N eyes snap back to his, a glare on her features as she flicked him in the arm. 

“I think we remember that day very differently, considering I wouldn’t have needed saving if you had just trusted me.”

“You were swimming into a whirlpool in the middle of the lake, you’re lucky you didn’t drown.”

“There was a cave there! If anything, what nearly made me drown was some buffoon clinging onto me as we both went under.”

“This buffoon pulled you out into said cave.”

“And right into a spider den,” Y/N laughed as he shuddered at the memory and belatedly noticed that her hand was on Sebastian’s chest, her fingers tracing over a raised mark on his right pectoral. “What’s this?”

“Oh,” Sebastian chuckled nervously and placed his hand over hers, hiding the mark from view. “You’re going to laugh.”

“Probably.” She swatted his hand away and stood a little closer, her finger moving along the curved line slowly. “Is this…?”

“Yes,” he sighed in defeat and gave her a sheepish smile. “Ominis and I thought it would be fun to try and give each other tattoos when we turned eighteen after leaving school. You can probably tell we didn’t do a very good job of it.” That was the understatement of the year. The mark held no ink, and if anything, it looked more like an old faded scar than a tattoo. Y/N tilted her head as she traced the shape again, a sly smile on her face.

“So you both decided that out of all the things you wanted permanently etched to your skin you wanted the snake from the Slytherin crest?” Her lip twitched as Sebastian nodded bashfully and she repressed the urge to laugh. 

“Does Ominis have a matching one?”

“His took a little better because of his pale skin - the prick - but yes, he does. It’s faint, but it’s there.”

“What did Anne have to say about this?”

“Oh, she was furious. Kept telling us how only criminals and people in the circus marked themselves like this.” Y/N finally let the laughter bubble out as she imagined Anne reprimanding the pair and they both more than likely stood there and took it like scolded school boys. Sebastian’s features softened at her laugh, his heartbeat picking up speed as Y/N began to subconsciously trace shapes between the freckles that covered his chest. 

“You know, I’ve always wondered how far that blush goes,” Y/N commented innocently, her finger winding its way down his chest slowly. Sebastian gulped as she came to a stop at the bottom of his sternum and gave him a demure smile. “I didn’t think it would be here.”

“Where did you think it would stop?”

“I’ve always pictured you with a full-body blush.”

“You’ve pictured me?”

“Mhm.” The light movement of her fingers on his bare skin burned as she slowly trailed between each freckle on his chest. He knew she could feel how embarrassingly fast his heart was beating in his chest but he didn’t care. He was enamoured by her and he didn’t care who knew it. He brought a hand up to rest on the back of her neck, gently pulling her forward until there was little space left between them as he tangled his fingers through her hair. “Seb?”

“Yes, darling?”

“Are you ever going to kiss me?”

“Would you like it if I did?”

“I’m not going to dignify that with a response.” He laughed as she rolled her eyes at him and wound an arm around her waist to pull her closer. Y/N cocked her head to the side, remembering that smile on his face from their fifth year. More often than not it meant trouble, but sometimes, like right now, he paired it with the same look on his face that he had right now. One that was almost soft. 

“Use your words, darling. What do you want?” He brushed his thumb across her lower lip as he leant towards her, his forehead resting on hers. Y/N narrowed her eyes at him and tried to close the gap between them to kiss him, but Sebastian pulled back fractionally, amusement sparkling in his eye as her frown deepened and a gorgeous pout fell on her lips. “Have I told you recently how beautiful you are?”

“Apart from earlier when you had me in your bed?”

“I believe the word I used then was gorgeous.”

“Well, if you want to be pedantic about it. Not since last night.”

“You did look beautiful last night,” Sebastian nodded thoughtfully, his nose bumping hers softly, “I think this version of you is my favourite, though.”

“What do you mean?”

“Right now, first thing in the morning. Barely awake and tucked to my side…” Y/N brought both of her hands up to rest on his chest as Sebastian’s grip tightened on her waist, her fingers brushing his collarbone delicately. “I meant what I said earlier. I could get used to waking up beside you. Every day.”

“For how long?”

“For the rest of our lives.” Y/N’s breathing stilled at his words, at the raw emotion and sincerity on his face as he spoke. She felt the back of her eyes burn and tried to look away but he held her in place and kissed her cheek gently. “Do you know what you do to me? How completely and hopelessly you enrapture me? You’re bewitching.”

“Was that a pun?” 

“Shall I use a different word?” he murmured. His thumb stroked her cheeks gently, her skin burning in its path. “You’re exquisite, flawless, downright ethereal.”

“Seb…” 

“From that very first day you smiled at me, you had me. I fell for you harder and faster than anyone I’ve ever met before. My heart was yours before I knew nothing more than your name.”

“My heart is yours too, you walnut. It’s only ever been yours. From the very first moment.”

“I adore you, Y/N Y/L/N.”

He finally closed the gap between them and pressed his lips to hers so gently that Y/N thought her heart would burst out of her chest. She wound her hands up and into his hair, pulling him impossibly closer as she kissed him back and he nipped at her lower lip. His grip on her waist tightened pleasantly, holding her body against his so every inch of them was touching, and Sebastian swore he had died when she pushed his shirt off his shoulders and ran her fingers down his back. They broke away as Ominis called for them from downstairs, both of their faces tinged pink as they took in each other’s swollen lips and tousled hair. Sebastian leant back in to press one more sweet, toe-curling kiss on her lips.

“I’m going to marry you one day,” he muttered against her lips, his mouth curling into a smile as he heard her breath hitch.

“I’ll be the one in white.”

Epilogue

[rere-the-writer]

Can I request an elijah mikaelson x reader fic where she’s Bella swan’s older sister by several years who moved to New Orleans, got married to Elijah, and became a vampire? They go to forks for Bella’s wedding and the mikaelsons are recognized by some of the cold ones?

P.s. love your work :)

I had just finished rewatching the Twilight movies. Also I hinted at a possible part two.

Warnings: Fluff, Protective!Mikaelsons, Klaus being Klaus, Cute sister bonding

It was a surprise to you when you got a call from your father that Bella was getting married. Followed by a wedding invitation and it struck a cord in you. Which was how Elijah found you, his beautiful wife, sitting on the bedroom floor teary eyed.

"Love? Are you alright?" Elijah asked worried getting down next to you. You looked at Elijah with teary eyes showing him the invitation.

"My baby sister is growing up.....she is getting married." You say softly and Elijah smiled gently wrapping you up in his arms.

"My love, Isabella was going to grow up sooner or later. It'll be okay." Elijah says trying to lighten the mood. Elijah knew how much you loved your sister, being married to you for five years had taught him that much.

"But she is just a baby!" You said looking up at your husband who was trying hard to not laugh.

"'Lijah why is Y/N crying? What have you done?"

"Nothing Niklaus. Isabella is getting married." Elijah says handing the invitation to Klaus. The hybrid raised an eyebrow reading it over before smirking.

"Shall we go and welcome the boy into the family? Threaten him to be sure he never harms Isabella?" Klaus asked and before Elijah could say a word you perked up.

"I would like to know who this Edward Cullen is."

--

"My older sister is coming to the wedding." Bella tells Edward a bit worried. Carlisle smiled putting down his book. The family was a gathered around to help plan the wedding while Bella sat worried just who be coming.

"It'll be nice to meet the woman you talk so highly of." Carlisle says noticing the worried look on her face.

"I'm sure. But Y/N's husband and his brothers are a bit overly protective and I hadn't had the time to tell her I was dating."

"Don't worry Bella. It'll all be just fine." Alice says skipping over to Bella with a smile. The human smiled still worried but if the Cullen's were calm about it then so would she.

--

It was the day of the wedding and Bella was happy to see you again. Was a long while since she last saw you. So when she saw you next to Elijah who was holding Hope. She felt happy and moved to greet you and to see Hope again but Edward stopped her.

"Bella, who is that?" Edward asked her staring at Elijah and you.

"That is Y/N, my sister and our niece."

"How does she know an ancient one?" Edward asked as Carlisle walked over having noticed you and Elijah.

"Elijah? That is her husband, why are you being weird about it?" Bella asked looking at her now husband with a raised eyebrow. Carlisle watched Elijah introduce you and Hope to the Denali coven and he wondered how the Denalis knew Elijah.

"Elijah and his family are the first vampires." Carlisle answered Bella who looked at you and Elijah surprised.

"What? What do you mean?" Bella asked watching Carmen touch your bumb with Eleazar. Elijah smiling as Hope babbled to Tanya and Kate.

"They are the first. From my understanding a witch did a spell on a vampire from one of their bloodlines, mutating the vampire venom. Making us, as they call us cold ones."

"And how does the Volturi feel about them?" Bella asked as it seemed you were fitting in very well with Denali coven.

"They fear us." Bella jumped hearing Klaus's voice behind her. The hybrid smirked hugging Bella before narrowing his eyes at Edward.

"Nik! Thank you for coming." Bella says holding her brother-in-law's hand smiling.

"Of course sweet Isabella. Rebekah and Kol sends their love both still enjoying their honeymoon bliss."

"Well knowing them, they'll send wedding gifts." Bella says as Finn came walking up also staring Edward down. Both Mikaelson men made Edward nervous even more when Elijah joined the group.

"Isabella, why don't you go see Y/N and Hope?" Elijah says smiling and Bella was unaware of the tension that was building, she nodded heading over to you.

"So young Edward what is your intention with our dear Isabella?" Elijah asked as Carlisle stepped in his eyes flickered over at Jasper and Emmett, both ready to step in also. Edward swallowed, he had already faced Charlie's shovel talk but to get one from the oldest vampires alive? Made Edward die a little inside.

--

You smiled at Bella who had Hope in her lap listening to the four year old talk. You had gotten to know the Cullen women who surprised that you were a vampire and pregnant.

"So how did you and Elijah meet?" Rosalie asked making Bella pause when you froze. It was never talked about how you met Elijah, the only people that knew was Bella and the Originals.

"Oh you know, a cute moment of meeting at a party." Was the lie you told everyone not wanting to tell what really happened. Rosalie and Alice stared knowing you lied but didn't push it as Esme smiled softly.

"And how are you?" Esme asked looking at your bumb and you brighten up.

"Elijah's older sister is a witch and help us have a baby. Since Hope came into our lives, he wanted a baby of his own."

"When are you due?" Alice asked watching you wipe Hope's mouth. There was a sudden air of motherly love around you when you also began to help Bella take her vail off.

"Some time in winter. By the way, I noticed that Jacob isn't here." You said looking around seeing Billy and Seth but no Jacob.

"He....he was busy." Bella tells you making you narrow your eyes as Elijah joined your little ladies group. Hope whined for her uncle who happily lifted her up gently cleaning the cake from her cheek.

"How was your shovel talk?" You teased Elijah as he leaned down kissing your cheek.

"Niklaus threatened to tear the boy's spine out and paint with young Edward's blood if he ever hurts Isabella." Elijah says looking at the Cullen women seeing their shocked faces. Bella sighed looking Elijah while you were fixing her hair.

"There was no need. Edward would never hurt me." Bella says getting Elijah's attention. Elijah smiled rubbing Bella's shoulder before sitting down.

"We are well aware dear Isabella but you know Niklaus is protective of family. He was angry when we learned the boy put you in the Volturi's path."

"How?" Alice asked watching Elijah smirk.

"Your false Kings should be careful on who enters their home." Elijah says feeding Hope some more cake as the Cullens stared while you weren't surprised. Elijah had planted a few little spies in the Volturi since it was away to keep an eye the Kings.

"How do you know the Denali coven?" Rosalie asked noticing Finn speaking to the Denalis.

"Finn and I met them from when we both were in Alaska." Elijah says as Hope grabbed his attention pointing to her father.

"Excuse us, it seems Hope wants her father." Elijah says standing up and Finn took Elijah's spot next to you. And the Cullen women watch Bella happily talk to Finn and you, excited for the baby.

--

"The Volturi want Edward to turn me." Bella says as you sat with her eating some cake. It was just the two of you sitting on the deck watching the party guest. Since you were pregnant and Bella in a gorgeous wedding dress so you both couldn't climb a tree. Both of you just having a sister moment just like you used to before you got married and Bella living with your mother.

"Do you want to be turned?" You asked her taking a bite out of the cake. Bella looked down swinging her feet.

"No....but I have no choice...."

"No you do Bella. The Volturi can not force Edward to turn you or else they will suffer the wrath of the Original family."

"Did you wanted to turn?" Bella asked you, not knowing the Cullens were listening in. The Cullens had been curious about you since meeting you.

"Elijah had no choice to turn me. It was that or I die, Celeste made Elijah choose between me or his family. Obviously he chose me."

"If there was choice....would you turn?" Bella asked you and you looked down at Elijah seeing him dancing with a sleepy Hope.

"I would....look I won't tell you what to do Bells. But if you really love Edward then do it but don't let the Volturi influence your decision."

"Okay. Thanks sis." Bella says laying her head on your shoulder and you kissed her head. You laced your fingers with Bella's.

"They really won't let the Volturi force Edward to turn me?" Bella asked and your answer terrified the Cullens.

"If it came down to it, they'll slaughter all of Volterra for you. I know they will never let you be harmed. That is a promise of Always and Forever." You tell Bella enjoying your time together before she had to leave for her honeymoon. Both of unaware of the soon to be mess that was to come.

[storiesbyjes2g]

👀

What is this about you say? Stay tuned!

Thanks to @trumpets0ng and @ladybugsimblr for letting me use your sims' credentials lol. Walker Pearson from Jett Studios (trumpet) was the photographer, and Alex Greene (LB) was the author. He also wrote Bailey Kay's article.

(transcript under the cut)

A well-dressed man walked into the studio, swaggy and confident, with more drip than a coffee pot. His perfectly tailored suit glimmered under the stage lights, looking just as expensive as one would imagine it to be. My initial thought upon seeing this cat with a larger than life personality was, “Oh, great. Here comes another industry brat.” Then, he walked up to my assistant, smiled, extended his hand, and said, “Hi! I’m Orange.” That’s when I knew I’d been completely wrong about him.

I started off slow.

ALEX: How’ve you been? How’s life treating you?

ORANGE: Life is wonderful, thanks for asking.

I’m excited about my baby sister being back on the west coast! She wanted to spread her wings and moved east; that’s where she met and married her guy. But she’s a mom now, and my parents are getting old, so she’s back. I can’t wait to spend time with my nephew and get to know my brother-in-law better.

ALEX: Wow, okay. It’s always nice to have the family close. So where have you been all this time, my man?

He leaned back into the sofa with a huge sigh and a smile.

ORANGE: Where have I been… I’ve been everywhere, man!

ALEX: Oh word?

ORANGE: Yeah, man. I pride myself on not being a prideful person…which is probably the most proud thing I could say.

He laughs at his own joke, wiping fake sweat away from his brow. And all at once, he had me. I was sucked into his energy.

ORANGE: I appreciate everything my parents did for me, but I was never interested in following in their footsteps.

ALEX: Never?

ORANGE: Not really. I was kinda artsy as a kid. I can sing, but I never had a passion for it. Don’t get me wrong…I’m a gregarious kind of guy, so I wanted to be in the public. Just not doing what my parents did.

ALEX: So what did you do?

ORANGE: Whatever I could. I didn’t want it said of me that my life was handed to me, so I moved out, got a crappy apartment, and worked as a barista for a while. People told me I was funny, so I started writing sketches and going to the comedy clubs.

ALEX: And then sim.TV called.

Laughter erupts, startling everyone on set. It’s loud and hearty and sounds like that uncle at the family barbeque.

ORANGE: It didn’t exactly happen that way, but yes…eventually. I honestly don’t know what happened. I’m guessing someone just happened to be at one of my shows and thought I would be a good fit for this new talk show they were planning.

ALEX: What does this mean for you?

ORANGE: Wow… This means… It’s so validating. I’m middle-aged now, and all my peers are off doing so many amazing things. It was really hard to resist the urge to go to my parents and ask for help. But the thing that kept me going was this moment right here. I knew that if I stayed the course, eventually something would happen, and I would have an immense feeling of pride. And I do.

ALEX: That’s so dope. So, tell us about the show.

ORANGE: It’s called “The Pulse,” and it’s all about keeping you entertained and informed about what’s going on in the entertainment world.

ALEX: So you’re keeping your finger on the pulse of the industry.

ORANGE: You get it. I’m so grateful for the opportunity because it’s so perfect for me. I grew up around it. I know all dirty secrets, but I also recognize and respect the beauty in it.

ALEX: So from your interviews, should we expect to get a different perspective of celebrity life?

ORANGE: I hope so. I don’t want to be just another talk show host, asking the same tired questions. One thing I want to do differently is get the audience involved. Everyone watching has their own reasons for being interested in someone, so if there’s something they want to know, I’d like to give them the answers.

ALEX: Okay! I like that. Kinda like, power to the people.

ORANGE: Exactly.

ALEX: So, why Nick?

ORANGE: Why not Nick? He’s the hottest thing smoking right now, and he’s not even working. I’m trying to get on his level! But seriously though, I think we’d vibe well. We’re similar in our values and ways of working, and I don’t think he’s ever done a TV interview before, so I think it’s fitting that he be my first guest.

ALEX: Best of luck to you, man. Thanks for sitting down with us.

[waitineedaname]

Very specific but I'd love Jiang Cheng being Jin Ling's favorite uncle in aro4aro chengqing au and Wei Wuxian being mortally offended

People seemed to think that Jiang Yanli was completely blind to her brothers’ faults. This was not true. She just generally did not think those faults were nearly as bad as people made them out to be. Most of what other people found bothersome about her brothers, she was charmed by because she was nothing if not a doting sister.

Being doting and fond, however, did not mean she was unaware of how annoying her brothers were. In fact, due to regular exposure to the two of them, she was extremely aware of just how annoying they could be.

Case in point: their tendency to make everything into a competition, including the affection of her own son.

“I’m just saying, if anyone is going to be the fun uncle, it’s obviously me,” Wei Wuxian said, shaking a rattle over Jin Ling’s head.

“He’s two,” Jiang Cheng snapped, bouncing Jin Ling on his knee. “Anything that moves and makes noise is fun to him.”

“Well, I move and make the most noise, so.” Wei Wuxian leaned in and started making faces at his nephew. “Right, A-Ling? Right?”

Jin Ling gurgled happily and clapped his hands.

Jiang Yanli sighed and leaned against her husband. She appreciated her brothers taking her son off her hands for a while, but really, they were enough of a handful themselves. “Don’t fight, boys,” she said, shaking her head fondly. “A-Ling loves you both.”

“Yeah, but he loves me most, right shijie?” Wei Wuxian shot her a grin. Jiang Cheng huffed and smacked the back of his head, making Jin Ling shriek happy peals of laughter. She could practically feel Zixuan roll his eyes behind her.

“Please don’t give my son ideas,” he said in the long-suffering tone he tended to adopt when he had to be patient with his brothers-in-law. Yanli appreciated the fragile civility they attempted these days. “A-Ling, no hitting, okay?”

“Unless it’s your da-jiu,” Jiang Cheng added in a loud whisper, “Then you should hit him as hard as you can.” 

“Nooo, A-Ling would never hit me, he’s such a good boy, isn’t he?” Wei Wuxian cooed, tickling Jin Ling’s belly. Jin Ling shrieked with laughter again and one of his flailing fists collided directly with Wei Wuxian’s eye. 

Yanli only barely managed to hide her laugh behind her hand. Jiang Cheng snickered, and Zixuan let out a quiet huff of laughter.

“Ah, it was just an accident!” Wei Wuxian insisted. “He’s going to be a very strong cultivator with quick reflexes someday, I can tell!” And then, because he never learned to leave well enough alone, he said, “We should just ask him. Just because he’s little, that doesn’t mean he can’t answer questions!” He poked Jin Ling in the belly again to get his attention, “A-Ling, who’s your favorite? Da-jiu or jiujiu?”

Technically, Jiang Cheng should be er-jiu, but he got priority as the one who met Jin Ling first and saw him the most often. It couldn’t really be helped; Wei Wuxian was still unofficially banned from Carp Tower due to his inability to stay out of trouble, which meant Jiang Cheng got to visit his nephew on diplomatic visits, but Wei Wuxian only got to see him during their frequent trips to Lotus Pier. That meant Jiang Yanli was fairly certain she knew the answer, even before Jin Ling said it.

“Jiujiu!” he happily cried, reaching up to grab Jiang Cheng’s cheeks. The betrayal on Wei Wuxian’s face was comical, especially compared to the way Jiang Cheng’s face lit up. Yanli felt a little bad for Wei Wuxian’s feelings, but it was worth it to see her typically dour baby brother beam under his nephew’s uncomplicated affection.

“Ah, come here A-Xian,” Yanli said, sitting up so she wasn’t leaning against Zixuan and could instead summon her pouting brother to her side. “Don’t take it to heart, okay? He’s a baby, he doesn’t mean to hurt your feelings.”

“I know, I know, shijie,” Wei Wuxian sighed, but leaned in so she could pet his hair anyway. “You don’t think I would be resentful of a baby, do you?”

The noise Jin Zixuan made behind her made it very clear that he wouldn’t put it past Wei Wuxian to be resentful of a baby. Yanli reached back and pinched his thigh, but otherwise focused on Wei Wuxian. “The next baby we have, I’ll deliver here in Lotus Pier, how about that? Qing-mei can be my midwife, and you can get first dibs on holding the baby. Aside from me and A-Xuan, of course.”

“Promise?” he said, giving her the pleading eyes that always earned him an extra portion of soup. 

“I promise.” She kissed his forehead, and this seemed to improve his mood, though his eyes immediately narrowed in suspicion in Jin Zixuan’s direction. 

“You’re not already having another baby, are you?” he asked. Zixuan coughed awkwardly, and Yanli pinched Wei Wuxian’s cheek this time.

“A-Xian, be nice,” she said, lightly scolding. “We’ll tell you when we know, okay?”

“Okay, shijie,” Wei Wuxian grumbled, still shooting Jin Zixuan judgmental looks. He turned back to Jin Ling, who was being gently tossed in the air by Jiang Cheng. “A-Ling! Do you wanna go down the river and visit A-Yuan?”

“Yuan-ge, Yuan-ge!” Jin Ling happily exclaimed, clapping his hands. His uncles scooped him up and grabbed the bag of diapers and snacks Yanli had brought, bundling him out onto the pier with promises not to drown their beloved nephew in the lake. 

Zixuan let out a tired sigh as soon as they left the room, taking his turn to lean against his wife’s side. “Why are they always this exhausting?” 

Yanli laughed and petted his hair. “Maybe another baby would give them something else to focus on,” she suggested lightly. Zixuan immediately flushed red and hid his face in her shoulder, making her laugh again. 

Yes, her brothers’ antics could be annoying, but they were good uncles. She was very grateful to be able to trust her son in their hands for a few hours.

[allthingsfangirl101]

The Munson Twins – Steve Harrington

Steve's POV

The Munsons were always a strange pair of twins. For one thing, they were polar opposites of each other. Eddie was into weird role-playing games. Y/N was into volleyball. Eddie is in danger of repeating his senior year. Y/N graduated early. Eddie is into rock and roll. Y/N plays the classical violin and the piano. Eddie loves black leather jackets. Y/N likes flowery sun dresses. Eddie is kind of a loner. Y/N is more popular than me.

Since Y/N graduated early, we spent our senior year in some of the same classes. That being said, we barely spoke to each other. The most we ever talked was congratulating each other after one of us won a game. All through high school, Y/N and I ran in the same social circles because of our sports so we often went to the same parties. Just because we went to the same parties doesn't mean we were friends.

Not to say I didn't wish we were friends. I've gone to most of Y/N's games and she's gone to most of mine. Whenever I looked in the stands and saw her, I became more self-conscious of my playing. I even went to her orchestra concerts. I usually sat in the back and left before anyone noticed I was there.

Throughout high school, I couldn't get Y/N Munson out of my head. It seemed like everywhere I looked, she was there. Even when I was dating Nancy, my mind often wondered to Y/N when I was alone.

When Vecna started killing teens and Eddie was blamed, my thoughts focused even more on Y/N. I wanted to talk to her about all of this, to make sure she knew her brother wasn't what the town thought, but I also didn't want her involved in any of this shit.

I had to force Y/N to the back of my mind as we tried to help Eddie. When we got stuck in the UpsideDown, I allowed my mind to go back to her, hoping she was safe back in Hawkins. We were walking to Nancy's house and I kept glancing at Eddie. If he knew that my thoughts were constantly on his twin sister, he'd kill me.

"Eddie," I said, clearing my throat as I caught up to him. "Hey, man. Um, listen I just umm. . . I just want to say thanks. For saving my ass back there."

"Shit," he laughed. "You saved your own ass, man. I mean that was a real Ozzy move back there."

"Ozzy?"

"When you took a bite out of that bat," he tried to clarify. "Ozzy Osbourne. Black Sabbath. He bit a bat's head off on stage. You really don't know who that is?"

"No," I chuckled. "Sorry."

"Well, anyway, it was very metal, what you did, is all I'm saying."

"Thanks," I sighed.

"Henderson told me you were a badass," he continued. "Insisted on the matter, in fact."

"Wait, Henderson said that?"

"Oh yeah. Shit. That kid worships you, dude. Like, you have no idea. It's kind of annoying, to be honest. I don't even know why I care what that little shrimp thinks, but I guess I got a little jealous." Eddie sighed before continuing, "I guess I couldn't handle the fact that Steve Harrington was actually a good dude. Rich parents. Popular. Chicks love him. And not a douche? No way. It goes against all the laws of the universe and my own personal Munson Doctrine. Then again, that's worth shit because even my sister talks highly of you."

"Y/N talks highly of me?" I tried, and failed, not to stutter.

I looked over to see Eddie smirking at me. He leaned in a little too close and whispered, "Very highly of you."

"Okay," I said awkwardly as I used my elbow to push him away from me. I cleared my throat and rolled my shoulders back.

"All jokes aside," Eddie said, "my sister does think highly of you, dude. Whenever people would start to talk shit about you, she'd instantly stand up for you. I never understood it, but she's always talked about how people should give you a chance. She believes that there is more to you than meets the eye."

"She really thinks that?" I couldn't help but ask.

"Hell yeah," he laughed.

"I guess I always thought. . . I mean, everyone else saw me as a dick. I figured she did too."

"Nope," he teased. "She always sees the good in people. It's extremely annoying."

Eddie walked away, but my mind was going a hundred miles an hour. I thought over the few, very few, interactions I've ever had with Y/N. We walked a few more miles, the others talking amongst each other while I walked behind the group.

"Alright," Eddie sighed as he joined me. "Enough of this. You've been in your head since I mentioned Y/N. What's the. . ."

He didn't finish his thought. Instead, he turned toward me with a smirk on his face.

"Ohhhhh," he elongated. "I get it now."

He playfully pushed me before continuing to walk through the woods.

"Wait," I called out as I chased after him. "You get what?"

"Come on, Harrington," Eddie sighed. "Please tell me I don't have to be the one to point this out to you."

"Point what out?"

"You have a thing for my sister."

"What?" I scoffed. "I don't. . . Why would you. . . That's so. . . No."

"No?" Eddie teased. "You sure about that?"

"I mean. . . That would be. . . Crazy."

"No, it wouldn't," he said simply. He saw the look on my face and sighed. "Look, Harrington, as much as I may not understand it, Y/N's right. You're a good guy. You'd be an even better guy if you'd grow a pair and tell my sister how you felt about her."

"What if she doesn't feel the same?" I asked before I could realize how weird it was to have this conversation with Y/N's twin brother.

"She does."

My heart jumped into my throat at those two words. Eddie didn't say anything else. He didn't need to. He sent me a wink before jogging and catching up with the others.

"She does," I repeated under my breath. "Holy shit. She feels the same."

* * * * *

Three months later, Hawkins was barely rebuilding. After Eddie's death, there were two people I was worried about; Dustin and Y/N. Dustin was doing what he normally does - pretending to be okay so no one would worry about him. I checked in on him almost every day. He was getting better, especially since Max was improving.

Y/N, on the other hand, barely leaves her uncle's trailer. Every single one of us has tried to visit her, but her uncle keeps telling us she doesn't want any visitors. Y/N won't even talk to the kids.

"Hi, Steve," Eddie and Y/N's uncle sighed when he opened the door.

"Hi, Mr. Munson," I greeted. "Is Y/N here?"

He sighed as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Look," he sighed, "I really appreciate all you kids have been trying to do for Y/N, but I think it might be best if you give her some space."

"But. . ."

"I'm sorry, Steve," he continued. "I'll let her know you stopped by."

My heart sank as he closed the door. I couldn't get myself to move as I heard Y/N's uncle saying something to her. I couldn't quite hear what he was saying but I forced myself to leave. I turned around and slowly started walking back to my car. As I drove home, I racked my brain trying to figure out what I could do for Y/N.

Just when I had lost all hope, I noticed someone pulled over to the side of the road. As I got closer, I recognized the driver as Y/N. She was looking at her engine.

I didn't hesitate to pull over. I got out of my car and started walking toward her.

"Need a hand?" I called out. I instantly cringed when she jumped. "It's just me, Y/N."

"Sorry," she stuttered.

"It's okay," I tried to say lightly. "So, you need any help?"

"This stupid thing won't start," she grumbled. "And I have no idea why. Eddie usually. . ."

My heart sank when she stopped talking. One look at her and I could see the tears building.

"He usually handled the car," she forced herself to continue as she cleared her throat.

"I could take a look," I shrugged. She looked up at me, her eyes softening.

"Really?"

"Of course."

I walked over to the front of her car and examined the engine. The longer I stared at it, the more Y/N giggled. She was laughing at me, but I didn't care. At least she was laughing.

"You don't know anything about cars, do you, Steve?" 

"That obvious?" I chuckled as I turned toward her.

"Little bit," she said, showing me how much with her fingers. She cleared her throat and wrapped her arms around herself.

"I could still help," I said quickly.

"How?" Y/N asked, her voice softening.

"I could give you a ride," I offered.

"Steve. . ."

"I don't mind," I said quickly. "I can take you home or wherever you were on your way to."

"You don't have to," she said quickly. 

"I don't mind," I tried again.

"I can call my uncle."

"Come on, Y/N. Let me help you."

She looked up at me and held my gaze. "Are you sure?" She asked, her voice soft.

"Of course," I shrugged. I held my hand out, not entirely expecting her to take it. When she did, my heart jumped into my throat. Ignoring the circus in my stomach, I led her over to my car. She smiled as I opened the door and held it for her.

"Thanks," she said as she got in. I took a shaky breath as I walked around and got in the driver's seat. I started driving to the trailer park, my nerves jumping all over the place.

"So," I cleared my throat, "how have you been doing?"

"Fine," she shrugged, looking out the window.

"Are you. . ."

"Please don't, Steve," she cut me off. She looked over at me and I could see the tears building.

I nodded before turning my attention back to the road. We went through the rest of the drive in silence. I wanted to talk to her but I wasn't sure how to start a conversation with her. Before I would've liked, we pulled in front of her uncle's trailer.

"Thanks for driving me, Steve," she said softly.

"Y/N, wait," I said as I grabbed her hand before she could get out of my car. When she looked at me, I forgot what I was going to say.

"Steve," she said softly when I didn't continue.

"I just wanted to say," I said slowly, "if you ever need anything, the group and I are here for you."

"Thanks," she said, clearing her throat. She started to get out but realized that I was still holding her hand.

"There's something else," I forced myself to say. I looked into her eyes and gathered all the courage I could before saying, "I'm sorry about Eddie."

She turned away from me but right before she did, I could see the tears building. With the hand I wasn't holding, she covered her mouth. My heart sank when I realized she was hiding her tears.

"Y/N," I whispered. I pulled on her hand and she let me bring her into my chest. As I wrapped my arms around her, she sobbed into my chest.

"I wish we could've done something," I whispered. I pulled out of our embrace and held her shoulders as I looked deeply into her eyes. "I wasn't able to keep your brother safe, but that doesn't mean I can't keep you safe."

"Steve," she said under her breath.

"I promise, Y/N, I will always be here for you," I said. "If you ever need anything, and I mean anything, all you have to do is call me. Day or night."

"Day or night?" She teased. "That's a little creepy, Steve."

"I didn't mean it like that," I stuttered. "I just meant that if you needed me, I'd. . ."

Y/N cut me off by leaning over and pressing her lips to mine. I didn't hesitate to deepen the kiss. I gently grabbed her face as our lips moved against each other. When we were both out of breath, we broke the kiss and leaned our foreheads against each other.

"You know," she whispered, "there is something you could do for me."

"Anything," I said instantly.

"I'm starving," she started. I smiled when she didn't continue.

"Y/N," I said softly. "Can I take you to dinner?"

I smirked as I leaned in and kissed her again. I felt her smile as our lips moved in sync. I broke the kiss and pressed my nose to hers.

"If it's not too much trouble," she whispered.

"Not at all."

[geralts-yenn]

Memories - part 2

Walter Marshall x OFC Maxine (second-person pov)

summary: You finally have to face Walter and talk to him about what happened in that night, years ago

warnings: 18+, minors DNI! drinking alcohol, vaginal fingering, oral (F,M receiving), protected p-in-v sex

word count: 4,6k

A/N: sorry for leaving you with a cliffhanger, but I'm not cruel, so here we go, here's the second part

Part 1

My masterlist

As you approached your table, you shot death stares over to your sister-in-law who happily smiled back at you. She kissed your brother on his cheek and acted as if she didn’t know at all why you were glaring at her. 

You sat down on your chair, trying your best not to look at anything or anyone. You pretended not to be here at all. A deep huff behind your back told you he had found out about the seating situation now, too. Walter dragged his chair a bit back and sat down. 

“Max!” he muttered under his breath and you answered with a nonverbal grunt and a nod. Both of you did your best to stare into different directions. 

“You really like seeing me suffer, huh?” he asked after a while, still avoiding your gaze. “What do you mean?” You had done nothing and still, he was already angry with you. “Like there wasn’t any other table where you could have seated me. You need to humiliate me in every possible way.” Hold on? Did he think you were responsible for this bullshit? You were suffering just as much as him.

“So it’s humiliating to sit beside me? For real? What’s wrong with you, Walter? And just so you know, I’m not happy either, having to spend the evening looking into your dumb face.”

Walter scoffed at your answer and the two of you went back to ignoring each other until another guest approached you. An older lady sat down opposite of you two and introduced herself as Mrs. Goldstein, an aunt of Vicky. She smiled at you and Walter. “You’re such a sweet, good-looking couple.” Both Walter’s and your eyes got wide and you both started mumbling.

“No, no, we’re not a couple!” Walter said determinedly. “Just, uhm, old friends.” you added, not sure how to name the relationship you had with Walter in a friendly way without lying. 

The lady raised an eyebrow and leaned forward, feeling for Walter’s biceps. “Oh, then you don’t mind if I make a move on this attractive man?” Her eyes were glistening with mischief as she gave you a wink. You had to grab your champagne and take a huge sip to hide the laugh that was going to slip you. She repeated her wink as she turned to Walter and to your surprise he reacted with a playful smile. But when his look met yours and he saw your amusement, his eyes went dark. 

Thankfully, the table filled with more guests that helped you to ignore each other. The first course was served and you started eating. Which ended in the next argument with Walter. Being left-handed, you had to move your arm opposite to him and your elbows crashed together more than once as you tried to cut your meat. Every time you touched each other, Walter gave you an angry glare. “Would you just eat like a normal person without bumping into me all the time?” he snapped and you answered with an eye roll. “What do you expect? I can’t do this any different. Sorry that I’m not normal enough for you.” Of course, you could have tried to be more careful, you even would have been able to switch hands. But not for him. Especially not if he was acting like a baby over it.

To your own surprise, you made it through dinner and toasts without killing each other. The band started playing and you could have just mixed with the other guests, but you weren’t in the mood. You kept sitting beside Walter, who looked just as pissed as you.

When the third woman asking him for a dance got rejected, you couldn’t keep your mouth shut any longer. It was just boiling in you. “Why do you keep saying no? All those ladies would love to have some fun with you. And I’m sure they would be in for a treat. You were good, even back then when we didn’t even know what we were doing. Guess you learned a few more tricks since then.”

Walter looked at you with more hatred than you had ever seen in his face. “Do you really want to talk about this? Here, now?” He was barely holding his voice down. You knew immediately that you’ve gone too far. Heat flashed over your cheeks as you only pressed out an embarrassed “No”. 

“Good! Because I surely don’t want to!” Was his voice trembling? You felt awful, and you silently cursed at your sister-in-law who ruined your evening by setting you up with your ex. No, ex wasn’t the right word. But what would you call it? The crush you fucked and then ghosted? You decided to just stop thinking about it. 

Mrs. Goldstein sat down on her chair again after a dance with one of Josh’s friends and was apparently eager to start another conversation with the two of you. “Walter, what do you do for a living?” she asked and Walter told her about his job as a police officer. He didn’t get into detail, but Mrs. Goldstein was glued to his lips. Then she turned to you. “And you, young lady?” 

Usually, you loved talking about your job, but now, with Walter listening, somehow you felt stupid. As if you were still the teenager who wrote fan fiction. “I’m an author.” you said, hoping she would turn back to talk with Walter, but her curiosity wasn’t satisfied yet. 

“Oh, interesting, what do you write, romances, something steamy?” She wriggled her eyebrows at Walter who couldn’t hold back a scoff. Meanwhile, you wanted to disappear, so you never would have to look into Walter’s face again. 

Why did you feel so ashamed? You were a good author. You puffed out your chest and answered. “No, mostly I write thrillers and crime stories.” This earned you another disapproving huff from Walter. 

Mrs. Goldstein didn’t seem to notice the hostility between the both of you. “Oh, so you can ask your friend for help when you need advice about police stuff.” 

Now Walter couldn’t hold back any longer. He let out a derogatory laugh. “She would never ask anyone for help, She’s too proud for something like that. Guess she rather still gets everything wrong. Like always.” 

Now you were the one glaring at Walter. What was he talking about? “What did I get wrong?” you shouted at him. 

It shocked you not to see anger and hate in Walter’s face as he looked at you. Instead, you saw hurt. “Me! You got me wrong! I was in love with you, Max. So much. But you broke my heart. And you never got it, did you? You never saw it? How much you hurt me, for giving me one night in heaven and then years in hell.” He shot up from his chair and stormed out of the room. 

When you got into the foyer, there was no sign of Walter and you cursed that it had taken you a moment until you were able to react and run after him. You glanced around helplessly. The guy at the reception looked at you and gave you a small smile. He pointed at the elevator and made an upwards gesture with his thumb. You nodded in thanks and got into the elevator. Walter could be anywhere. Probably he just left for his hotel room. And as nice as the guy at the reception seemed, he surely wouldn’t give you Walter’s room number. But then you saw the sign for the rooftop terrace. That would be a possibility. So you pressed the button and as you waited to get to the top level, you tried to gather a straight and logical thought, unsuccessfully, of course. 

But whatever thought you might have had, it got lost the moment the doors opened and you saw him. He was sitting on a stone bench, close to the balustrade, gazing over the lights of the city. He didn't seem to care about the drizzle, slowly soaking his suit. It reminded you of that night when he found you in front of that motel. In the soft light reflecting, even his face looked younger. 

You saw how his body tensed when he noticed the sound of your heels hitting the concrete tiles, but he didn't turn. Not even when you stood next to him.

“Can I sit?” you asked and Walter brushed the sleeve of his jacket over the bench to rub it dry for you, even though he still kept his gaze locked on the streets. The gesture gave you hope. He accepted you at his side, he even took care of you.

You slowly sank on the bench next to him and pointed your gaze at the lights of the city, just as he did. Both of you stayed silent for a while and somehow it felt comfortable, peaceful. Not even the cold raindrops were bothering you. But when your thoughts got too loud in your head, you finally spoke:

“You know I regret my decision every day, ever since that morning I left.” You turned to look at Walter, but he still didn’t move, it appeared as if he hadn’t even heard you. His apathy killed that small spark of hope inside of you and it was as if something cold gripped your heart tightly. And just the moment you wanted to leave and cry your heart out, his eyes locked with yours. 

“You do?” It was a whisper, barely audible. The look on his face didn’t give away any emotion. You cursed silently at this man’s stoic demeanor. Opening your heart would be so much easier if you could read at least a tiny expression on his face. 

“I broke my own heart, too, that day.” You wanted to say more, but you just couldn’t. Your mouth was dry, and your tongue felt heavy. Instead, tears formed in the corner of your eyes. 

Walter furrowed his eyebrows. He had tried to make sense of your behavior for years, hearing you say that you felt something for him too made everything just more absurd. He shook his head in disbelief as he asked you why. And you owed him an honest answer.

“I was so scared. I would have never thought you like me. I was sure it was just sex for you. And that you’d regret it. That you’d feel obligated to date me because you were stupid enough to screw your friend's sister who threw herself at you half naked and you got weak.” Something in Walter’s expression changed. He looked confused and hurt. He opened his mouth to speak, but you still needed to get some things out: “I thought you'd take me on a few dates and then find an excuse to get rid of me. And that would have made me fall in love with you even more. And then I would have had to see you anyway because you’d still hang out with Josh. The thought of this killed me. That’s why I decided to stop it before I got hurt. I thought it could save me from a heartache. And now look at me, still hurting after all those years.” The tears were falling now from your eyes, mixing with the rain on your cheeks. 

Walter startled you when he pulled you to his side. He took off his jacket and wrapped it around your shoulders, placing his arm on top. His other hand on your cheek, you felt the warmth that he radiated. The gentle gesture made your tears fall more freely. You were shaking, overwhelmed by all the emotions flooding you, now that you finally allowed yourself to be honest. 

“You should have told me, Max! I thought you didn’t want me. I thought you hated me for what I had done. For using you.” Walter’s voice was husky. “And I’m sorry I took opportunity of you. I am so very sorry.” He shut his eyes for a brief moment, inhaling deeply before he spoke again. “ I should have done this differently. Asked you for a date, making it clear I want you as my girlfriend before…before that night.” He took another pause, shaking his head again. “You know, even though it hurt us so both so much, I never regretted that night. It's still my favorite memory. The moment I had you in my arms.”

Your heart was racing as you listened to Walter’s confession. “Don’t apologize. You’ve done nothing wrong. I wanted it just as much as you. Damn, Walter, you’ve been asking me multiple times if I was sure.” 

Walter sighed, a sad smile playing on his lips: “That whole day I was so upset. Charlie had told me about your plans. And how Paul was being an ass about it, talking about it in the locker room. I was so fucking jealous. I needed to clear my head, so I drove around town. Guess driving by the motel was a half unconscious decision to be near you. And when I saw you sitting there in the rain, in your beautiful dress, I just couldn't form a proper thought anymore. I shouldn’t have gotten into this bed with you, not before telling you about my feelings. But I did, and it was the best moment in my life.”

You turned to him, your face only inches away from his. Was this possible? Was it possible that he had feelings for you? It felt like it. The way he talked, the way he looked at you. 

“We fucked this up badly, didn’t we?” he asked you, chuckling incredulously.

You shook your head. “There’s only one who fucked up all of this and that’s me. I should have given you a chance. Instead, I lied, I was mean and I hurt you, on purpose. Destroying the feelings you had for me and everything that could have been between us.” 

“Max!” You could have melted by the way he said your name. “You can’t take the blame for destroying my feelings. They are all still the same. And there could be a future for us. If you want me.” Walter cupped your face with both his hands and sank his forehead down on yours. The world stopped turning and the only thing that kept moving was your heart racing in your chest. 

He wanted you. He still wanted you after everything you had done to him. You got the chance to finally make the right decision. And you took it. As your lips collided with Walter's, the passion and intensity behind that kiss became palpable. As your tongues touched, everything around you blurred into mere background noise. And when your lips parted again, both of you were left breathless and struggling to grasp the magnitude of what had just happened. A spark of optimism ran through your veins. Maybe this was really a new beginning and your scars of the past could be healed. Everything ahead was uncertain, and it would have been a lie to say you weren’t scared, but with Walter's lingering touch still burning upon your lips, you felt the determination to nurture this second chance.

Walter still had your head cradled in his hands and pulled you in for another kiss. Your own hand reached for his jaw and your fingers raked through his coarse beard. His lips were soft and warm on yours and when he parted them your tongue slipped past, eager to taste him again. His cologne mixed with the scent of petrichor was intoxicating. A shiver ran down your spine as one of his hands slowly moved to your neck.

While you surrendered to your feelings, not letting go of one another’s mouth, the drizzle turned into a full-blown rain shower. It was only when the water was pouring down your faces that you finally broke the kiss. You were both laughing, sparks of joy in your eyes. 

“I think we should relocate to somewhere dry.” Walter remarked. Not waiting for your answer he got up and dragged you with him. Waiting for the elevator, his mouth was on yours again, just little pecks in between smiles, but they felt just as good as every other bit of love he had shown to you in the last minutes. The ride in the elevator was short, and Walter distracted you with his mouth and hands roaming over every bit of skin he could reach. Not stopping the kisses, you stumbled along the corridor and Walter fumbled in his pocket for his keys. 

Eventually, you were standing in a hotel room. Walter kicked the door shut and the next moment you were pressed against the wall. He stepped between your legs, his chest pining you in place, and resumed his assault on your mouth. His hands explored your body. One of them settling on your hip, the other one brushing down your thigh. He found the slit of your dress and took advantage of it, rucking up the fabric and feeling for your leg. His fingers caressed over the delicate material of your stockings, and he groaned when he reached the lacy border and then your naked skin.

“I need you to get out of this!” he said, his hands running over your dress. He found the zipper and pulled it down impatiently. The black satin pooled around your legs as he let go of the dress, and Walter took a step back to take you in. His eyes roamed over your face, then moved down, resting on your bare chest for a moment. As he moved further and looked at the lacy garter belt and the stockings attached to it, he bit his lip. “These need to stay on” he ruled. Just hearing him talking to you like this made you want to drop on your knees for him and surrender to your longing.

But Walter ruined your plans when he got on his knees himself, pulling down your thong unceremoniously. He lifted one of your legs over his shoulder. But the moment you thought you’d feel his mouth on you, he stopped. Instead, he let out a soft chuckle. “Damn, how many times did I curse myself that I didn’t get my mouth on that sweet pussy.” And then his tongue darted out to lick through your folds. You let your head sink back at the wall as he made you lose all your control, lapping and sucking on your clit like it was the sweetest thing he had ever tasted. He rolled it between his lips and made you scream when his fingers pushed into you. He still knew exactly well where you needed to be touched. His mouth, his fingers inside of you, and his other hand playing with your hard nipple had you at the verge of toppling over the edge. But every time you thought you’d reach it, Walter stopped for a brief moment. You were squirming and whining and pleading, but Walter just chuckled.

When you thought your knees were about to give out, he finally showed mercy. His fingers pumped into you frantically as he grunted. “Come on my tongue, Max!” Hearing him, feeling him, you couldn’t do anything else as obey, and you screamed his name as your climax washed over you. His arms were cradling you, his hands firm on your sides, holding you close, when you weren’t able to control your own legs anymore. Walter raised to his feet again, picked you up and carried you to his bed. He dropped you onto the mattress, watching you hungrily. His hands made quick work of his bow tie and the buttons of his shirt, so when you knelt in front of him, you were able to rake your nails through the hair covering his chest. His shoulders were wider than you remembered, his pecs and abs more defined. “You’ve grown into a man,” you purred, and Walter laughed softly. You wanted to sink your teeth into his skin. And after kissing and licking over his neck, you did exactly this. You got rewarded with a deep moan.

You brushed his shirt down his arms, and then your fingers were on his pants, cupping the bulge that couldn’t be hidden under the soft fabric. Walter unbuttoned his slacks, and you helped him with the zipper and the boxers underneath. As soon as his cock sprang free a bead of pre-cum built at the tip of his cock and you licked your lip as you saw it. “Let me taste you,” you begged, and without waiting for an answer, your tongue flicked over his swollen head. Walter hissed at the sensation, his fingers digging into your arms. After wetting your lips, you took him into your mouth, slowly sucking and circling your tongue around the tip. Walter carefully pushed deeper into your mouth, and you let him, taking him all the way to the back of your throat. With hollowed cheeks you looked up at him, and the feelings that rushed through you as you saw him almost made you cry. He was watching you with hooded eyes, full of lust and love. 

You both moved in the same steady rhythm, Walter’s hips pushing forwards and your head bobbing up and down along his cock until Walter was breathing heavily and curses were falling from his lips. Your hand cupped his balls, slowly caressing them. Walter let you keep going like that for another few moments, but when his moans got louder and more desperate, he finally pulled out of your mouth. His thumb brushed over your swollen and tingling lips, and he leaned down to press a kiss on them. “I need to have you, now!” 

He pushed you to lay back and crawled between your legs, pumping his cock as his eyes darted over your tits and pussy. “Goddammit, you’re so beautiful!” he growled. Another few strokes, then he moved backwards. “Don’t you dare move. Stay exactly like this!” he told you, and you did. Keeping your legs open for him, biting your lip, you watched him as he searched through his jacket, fishing a condom out of his wallet. 

Within seconds, Walter was between your legs again, his cock sheathed now. His body engulfed you, and then you felt his cock slowly stretching you open. You both moaned in unison, locking your eyes with each other when Walter bottomed out inside of you. He pressed his lips on yours, kissing you fervently when he started to move. 

While he kept thrusting into you, your nails left red streaks over his back. You were desperate for him to take you, pressing your heels into his back, moaning and whimpering. Walter was just as lost in his desires as you, rutting into you almost violently. He grabbed your knee and threw your leg over his shoulder, straddling your other thigh. When he sank into you again, your eyes rolled back. His cock brushed over your most sensitive spot mercilessly, you felt him so deep inside of you. To make you go totally insane, he rubbed his thumb over your clit with every thrust. You were shouting profanities at him, begging him, trying to fight back the tears that started to fall. 

“Let go, baby! Let me see how you look when you come around my cock!” He rocked his hips into you, faster and harder, until you finally exploded, your legs shaking. “That’s my girl,” Walter cooed, leaning down to press wet kisses on your neck. But he wasn’t yet done with you. He manhandled you to lay on your stomach. “Get your sweet little ass over here!” he ordered, and you moved to all fours, raising your bottom invitingly to him. His hands kneaded your ass cheeks, accompanied by a content groan of his. “Look at that juicy little pussy!” His fingers brushed through your folds, circling your entrance and then moving further up, teasing your puckered hole. You squirmed, a wanton gasp leaving your lips. “Hm, you like that, don’t you? I’ll keep that in mind for another time.” You could tell he had a smug grin on his face even when your face was buried in the bedsheets right now. 

Then his cock was driving into you again. The lewd sounds from both Walter and you echoed through the room as Walter fucked you into oblivion. He lost his rhythm now, rutting desperately into you. You felt he was close. His arms wrapped around your chest, pulling you up to him. He sank his teeth into your shoulder when he reached his climax, spilling his seed into the latex as his hips stuttered behind you. 

You both collapsed onto the bed, breathing heavily, but with a smile spread over your faces. Walter brushed a sweaty streak of hair out of your face before he pressed his lips onto yours. This kiss was nothing like the passionate, hungry kisses you had shared earlier. It was gentle and sweet and lovingly. And your heart skipped a beat when you realized that all the love you both felt was still there, even after you had stilled your desire. It was still palpable and not threatening to vanish. Walter nuzzled his nose into your neck, holding you close. You could have fallen asleep like that, if that memory hadn’t appeared in your mind that moment.

You laughed, raking your fingers through Walter’s curls. Walter frowned at you, though not losing the wide smile that was spread over his face. “What’s so funny?” he asked, and you were a little ashamed to admit, but then you told him anyway.

“You really learned a trick or two. And you definitely worked on your stamina.” 

Walter chuckled and pressed a kiss on your cheek. He whispered into your ear: “Hey, I don’t think I did a bad job back then, considering I was a teenager having his first time.” Your eyes went wide.

“What? It was your first time as well? But.. I didn’t know. I mean… You were in college. I thought you already…” You felt heat crawling up your neck. It wasn’t as if this information would change anything, but somehow it warmed your heart.

Walter laughed at your stammering. “I was waiting for the right one, Max.” 

*****

You woke up and for a tiny moment you considered if everything was just a wonderful dream, but then you heard the soft snores at your back and when you turned you saw him, lying on his stomach, hugging his pillow, his curls fallen into his beautiful face. You must have watched him for hours, and still, there was nothing in the world that you wanted to do instead of it. Well, maybe one or two things, but these involved Walter as well.

Then he finally opened his eyes. When he saw you watching him, his lips curled into a smile. “Hey!” you greeted him, and he gave you a "hey" back, his voice still hoarse from sleep. 

“You’re still here,” he remarked, his arm wrapping around you and pulling you close. You pressed a soft kiss on his lips. “I won’t run away anymore, Walter,” you promised him. You kissed again, and when you pulled away, you smiled mischievously. “Also, I don’t have any dry clothes, so I can’t leave.”

Walter chuckled. “What a pity. Guess we have to stay in bed, then.”

[starlitiris]

“Where is the Justice?”

Chapter 4: It’s Raining Somewhere Else

Summary: “It’s been about a month since Sebastian’s execution date passed. You are now 30 weeks pregnant. You’re barely staying afloat. At least you’re not alone.”

Notes: This time the chapter title is Undertale inspired :) I like referencing other things I like with my chapter titles muhaha. I hope it’s okay that these chapters tend to be kinda short ^^; bright side is it means I can get them out faster

November 30th, 2013

An impenetrable sheet of gray coats the earth like a thick blanket, as the sky cries in your place.

You’ve cried a lot these past weeks. So much, in fact, that you fear you have no tears left to give.

You were tired of crying, anyway. You’re tired of everything these days.

You’re so tired.

“It’s about time we had lunch.”

You hear your mother-in-law speak, but you don’t turn to face her. You’re busy watching the rain pelt the window in front of you, analyzing how the droplets race each other to the bottom end of the glass. You used to love days like this. He used to love days like this.

“I’m thinking of trying that chili recipe Rita sent me. How does that sound?”

“Sounds fine,” you mutter.

“Okay…” She watches you for a moment. Your eyes glued to the window, slowly rocking in the rocking chair you were in with a hand resting on your growing stomach. She sighs. “I’ll be in the kitchen if you need me.”

“Thank you, Valentina.”

You moved in with Sebastian’s mother shortly after he was found guilty. You couldn’t afford the apartment by yourself, and with your husband gone… you needed someone to help you get around. Valentina was more than happy to take you in. She told you that you could stay as long as you needed or wanted. You really couldn’t express enough how grateful you are to her. And Gavin, too. Sebastian’s little brother. He’s been helping as well. Them and your sister-in-law, Rita, all agreed to help you raise the twins when they come.

You try your best to stay on your feet. It’s hard, though, when all you can think about is him. You had to tell him through a plexiglass window that you were carrying twins. He looked shocked, excited… and sad all at once. You so badly wanted to touch him. You wanted him to hold you, and celebrate with you. But neither of you could afford his bail. It hurt your chest. It still does. A lot of things do.

You never had the chance to pick out any names with him, either. Your visits always felt too short for that, and you couldn’t be bothered to think of names on your while the father of your children was locked away for something he didn’t do.

You have names now, though. You decided you wanted to know their genders before they came, so you have two names ready to go – one for a boy, and one for a girl.

You want to name your son Vallen, after Valentina. You swear that woman is a saint. You keep thinking to yourself that you owe her your life – she may very well have saved it. She keeps you going, making sure you take care of yourself and get to all your doctor appointments.

For your daughter, you want to name her Moira. Truth be told, you always thought that name sounded so beautiful. You adored its meaning, too. “Of the sea.” A pretty name with a pretty meaning. You’ve always loved the sea.

You like to think Sebastian would approve of your choices.

You’re pulled out of your daze when Gavin barges out of his bedroom and into the living room.

“Mamaaaa, I’m hungry! Are you making something?” He shouts to assure his voice will reach her wherever she is in the house.

“Yes, mijo, I just started cooking!” Valentina shouts back from the kitchen.

“Oh, cool.”

You had finally managed to pull your gaze away from the window to look at Gavin.

“Hey,” he comes to stand next to you. “Whatcha doing?”

You turn back to the rain. “Nothing, really.”

“Mm,” he hums, now watching the downpour with you.

You both sit in the calm stillness, enjoying the soothing sounds from outside. You could almost smell the petrichor in the air.

“... I was scrolling through old pictures on my phone earlier,” Gavin starts. “Found one from my 16th birthday.”

You give a soft hum.

He continues, “It was that one that Rita took right after Sebastian smashed my face down into my cake.”

A small smile tugs at your lips. You can’t help but chuckle, faint as it was. You immediately remember that day like it was yesterday.

“I looked so pissed, and you guys were just laughing your asses off,” he snickers. “Man, I hated him for that.”

“You did get back at him for it, though,” you add, recalling when Gavin grabbed a fistful of cake and slapped Sebastian with it.

“Tch, yeah!” He shoves his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “Mama was piiissed. We got cake everywhere.”

The small smile you bare grows ever so slightly. You run the memory through your head, staring forward through the glass as if the scene was playing before you. Cake being thrown everywhere, a glob of frosting landing on your shirt, Sebastian putting Gavin in a headlock while Valentina shouted and Rita was almost on the floor laughing. It was certainly a fun day, to say the least.

“I miss him.”

Your smile falters slightly.

“I miss him everyday,” Gavin admitted, a thick sadness to his voice.

“I miss him, too,” you whisper, leading you both into a long, still quiet.

Everything hurts again. But at least you’re not alone this time. You discovered recently that it feels better to hurt with someone, rather than all on your own. It was… comforting, in a way. Still hurts, though.

You hear Gavin sigh behind you, barely feeling him place his hand on the back of the rocking chair. He leans down to get a little closer to your level.

“I hope you know your kids are getting the same treatment I got when they get older,” he warns, a mischievous smirk shown in his reflection on the window pane.

You can’t help but smile again. “Don’t come crying to me when they gang up on you and kick your ass. I won’t stop them.”

Gavin laughs.

He looks so much like Sebastian when he laughs. Got his sense of humor from him, too, clearly. Dick.

It stings a bit when little things like that remind you of him. You always see pieces of Sebastian in Gavin, Rita, and Valentina. You’re certain you will in your own children, as well, when they arrive.

It hurts. But at the same time, it’s something you desperately hold onto for comfort. It’s a way you can hold on to Sebastian.

You did promise him you would never let go, after all.

And you have no intention of breaking that promise.

Even now that he’s gone.

Ao3

Chapter 3 - Chapter 5 (wip)

[cementcornfield]

Sooooo-How was it???

it was super fun!! well, i say that, but we all saw that game lol, it was definitely an agonizing 2nd and 3rd quarter. if my brother in law hadn’t taken it upon himself to get me constant refills of vodka sodas i don’t know what i’d have done lmao. 

anyway, i just got home and here’s some rambling about everything below the cut if anyone is interested! 

football thoughts

we got the win, so thank god. i know it was an ugly one, but jesus christ did we need it. the season isn’t saved at 2-4 by any means, but at least it’s not COMPLETELY ruined yet.  defense stepping up was great to see! bj, trey, and dj in particular seemed like they were everywhere they needed to be when they needed to be there, which was awesome. and yeah, i know it was daniel jones and the giants, but they just beat a pretty decent seahawks team and were actually a playoff team two years ago, so i’ll take it for now! like as bad as our defense has been, it certainly hasn’t helped that we’ve been going against some of the top offenses in the league like the ravens and commanders. so it’s good to see them hold an opponent off that we should have been able to hold off, you know? 

special teams also was awsome! ryan rehkow’s punts are really cool to see in person! (they go so high!!) 

offense….well. um. we could use some work there! what was it, 5 punts in a row and then a fumble?? yikes yikes yikes. play calling…. execution…. all of it was a problem. but i guess they just couldn’t find a rhythm with that d-line, which is definitely one of the toughest in the league, so i get it. but we better start figuring it out by next week with myles garrett…

off the field, sideline thoughts

joe’s 47 yard TD was insane though!!! seeing that in person was wild because of how excited all the bengals fans were and how horrified the giants fans were lmao. and the way he dove right through the pylon at the end had me so scared he didn’t actually make it, it’s so stressful when no one is commentating and telling you exactly what’s going lol. but joe doing his flex!!! and ja’marr and tee and the rest of the guys running up to him! we got a pinky shake!!! ja’marr flexing back?!?! come on. that was adorable! 

speaking of adorable celebrations, after bj tipped that ball that led to germaine’s interception, they had a cute moment on the sideline that i wish i’d captured. they did a little hand shake/celebration thing, and then kind of just like, held onto each other’s arms for way longer than i thought they would lmao. i love those two, their dynamic needs to be talked about more! (and they were roommates etc etc) 

but other than that, it wasn’t really a game for a lot of cute moments 😔 mostly everyone was just frustrated on the sidelines! ja’marr couldn’t sit still and kept getting up to pace around (which feels very On Brand, so that was nice confirmation.) joe would stare intensely at his ipad and sometimes wander off to stand on his own for awhile and watch the game lol. i found it interesting that no one tried to interact with him in those moments, that must be something that he just does sometimes and everyone is used to it! 

OH at one point joe was super pissed after a play, i think it must have been one of his sacks, and you could tell he wanted to, if not slam, at least forcefully place his helmet back on the stand. but as he was about to do it, he noticed that jake’s helmet was in his spot lol. so he had to pause in his angry ritual and move jake’s helmet, and then just kind of sadly set the helmet down instead, poor guy, even that couldn’t go right :( 

and then the very scary part was when joe took that BIG hit and they made him go in the blue tent!!! god i was so drunk and confused and scared at that point, i had to hold my sister’s hand the whole time he was in there. but, thankfully he wasn’t in there long, and he came out looking even more pissed that they made him go in in the first place lmao. 

that’s about all i got! it was a really fun experience and i’m glad i got to see a W! wasn’t quite the week though for a lot of cute moments for sure. but oh well! i’ll see if i have any pictures or videos worth posting….