#i need to go eat dinner i'm starving folks

[snowblossomreads]

Day 12: A Missing Gift (Missing Star + Giver of Gifts)

Pairing: Sinclair Bryant x Amiee Huang (OC)

Summary: In where Amiee plays hostess to a party while Sinclair is missing. She learns later why he was gone for so long.

Tag(s)/Warning(s): mean jokes, defending loved one, kissing, hidden relationships, food(lots of food), gift giving, feelings of unworthiness, fluff and love!

Word Count: 5.4K (Sinclair's getting spoiled I know 😌)

A/N: Heheh so this story takes place before the events of The Art of Entangled Hearts which ,you can read here (come on i know u want to read it) . This little fic is just sweet fluff between these two and a little surprise awaits at the ending 🥹.

Disclaimer: Any resemblance to any person living or dead is just coincidence 🤣🤣 (it's not) Enjoy lovelies!

There were about 15 or so people, including Amiee, mingling in the spacious living room of Sinclair's flat, which resided on one of the top floors, in a luxury apartment building, in Manchester's city centre. All sorts of folks from work had come to the little, or more accurately rather larger dinner party he was throwing for the upcoming holidays, ready to gossip and drink fancy wine and champagne till their heads spun.

It was the weekend after all, and why not indulge, especially if you weren't paying for it. Most of the people there were from different departments though, she recognised two or three of them from her own. She was sure that they knew Sinclair, as everyone who ever met him could attest that he was hard to forget, and even harder to avoid once he took a liking to you.

Speaking of Sinclair.

"Amiee where'd ya say our office puppy went to?" Millie, who she had learned was a lawyer for the company asked as she sat down next to Amiee with a drink in hand. "I know he has a habit of being late, but to his own party? That's a new one even for him!"

"Honestly he's hopeless when it comes to time management, it's the reason he's always in the office so late sometimes," Amiee mused as she took a sip of her own drink. "He said he had some last minute things he needed to pick up and then left me to supervise if he didn't get back on time."

"Oh of course he would! Men I swear," she snickered, though there was amusement in her voice as she spoke. "Well, it's not too bad of a mess. I mean there're drinks and some amusing company I guess. Though, I wonder what's got him so tied up. Maybe he's gone back to the office?"

"Haha, I don't mind.” She actually did mind, even if it was just a little bit, but that wasn’t the point. “And I doubt it. Sinclair wouldn't miss a party, especially his party. He enjoys the company too much," Amiee continued as she fell into a comfortable conversation with the lady. "But," she added, covering the side of her face, and leaning over like she was telling a secret to Millie who was also leaning in to hear. "If he doesn't show up soon I'm liable to just start eating the food without him. I'm starving!"

Both women let out a laugh drawing a pair of eyes towards them.

"Be careful," Millie snorted bringing her drink to her lips. "That's probably a sackable offence when it comes to him. Can you imagine him coming back and all the food is gone?"

"It'll drive him mad for sure! I'm pretty sure we be his mortal enemies if we ever did that!" Amiee cackled doubling over in laughter at the thought of Sinclair marching everyone out of his flat because they had eaten all the food.

It was honestly easier to imagine than one would think considering who they were talking about. That man took his meals seriously!

"A sackable offence to who? Who are we talking about ladies?"

The voice of a man interrupted the two women, who looked up to see a red-faced middle aged man approach them and before he got near, Amiee could hear Millie hiss a soft,

"Not this dickhead." Before leveling a nasty glare at him.

He was a bit wobbly on his feet as he waddled up to them, and it was clear he was going to need to be cut off from the drinks soon in case he got too plastered before dinner was served.

"Bugger off won't you Williams? Can't you see me and our hostess are talking?"

As if he didn't hear her, Williams, whom Amiee didn't know, yet already disliked immensely, seemed to ignore the request to leave them alone, instead doing his best to join the conversation he wasn't wanted in.

"Aw come on Mills be nice," he crooned causing the blond woman's face to twist in disgust at the nickname as she looked away from the man. "Amiee isn't it! Still no sign of our friend Sinclair huh? Chaps probably lost somewhere staring at some billboard that's got him interested. Sometimes I don't think that man is all that there," Williams thought out loud as he tried to sit in the small space between the woman.

This only caused him to almost sit on Amiee's lap causing her to yelp and scoot to the opposite side of the sofa but not without her snapping at him with a,

"Hey watch it!"

"Sorry as I was saying," he continued, not paying any mind to the women who clearly did not want him to be there. "Brilliant at numbers but he's kind of odd fellow don't you think. Talkative too."

"Is that what we are calling people who are interested in a lot of things now? Because honestly I rather be friends with someone like that. Even if he is talkative, at least he has something of value to say, unlike some people," Amiee spat, still annoyed at the sudden appearance of the man and, the apparent audacity he had to insult Sinclair in his own home.

"Millie, what do you think?"

"Oh, absolutely. There's never a dull moment when Sinclair is around though," Millie paused to give the unwelcome guest a dirty look that was clearly telling him to piss off yet he stayed. "I can't say the same when it comes to some people."

The man seemed to be unaware he was nearing dangerous territory with the thinly veiled insults that he was hurling at Sinclair. And if he wasn't, well it was about to be made clear that he had overstepped.

"I mean he's a fine man, brilliant. But you have to agree he's a bit, I don't know, he seems off his rocker sometimes when he starts rambling about all those facts up in his head. It’s bloody weird!"

This had Amiee glaring at the man fiercely as he seemed to have realized what he said had crossed a line.

"No, I don't agree actually!" Amiee seethed lowly, her face hot from anger and her cheeks flushed, but not from the drinks.

Her ferocity seemed to catch both Millie and Williams off guard and had anyone else heard her, she was sure it would have caught them off guard to.

"It's fine if you don't like him, but if you're going to just insult him in his flat, at his party why even show up! If it bothers you so much, how about buggering off like you were asked to. And preferably out of here altogether."

Everyone seemed petrified for a moment as they all took in the way she had just told this man off. Someone she didn't know but already never wanted to meet again, especially with how he talked about Sinclair, who was goodness personified to her.

He had flaws like any other human being, but she wasn't going to stand for someone, especially someone supposedly on good terms with him to speak about him like that. Drunk or not.

The air was a bit tense between the three, but it seemed like luck was on their side in a manner of speaking because not seconds later, the door to the flat opened, and Sinclair was walking in with a few shopping bags in hand and a grin.

"And look everyone it's the man of the hour," Amiee cheered as she jumped from her seat to get away from the uncomfortable situation, leaving Williams confused and Millie hiding her laughter behind her glass.

"Sorry sorry hello everyone! I got caught in traffic trying to get back with some more food and stuff for us!" Sinclair explained enthusiastically as he made his way into the flat, shutting the door with his foot and greeting everyone. "I should have known I get back late, but that just means everyone is already here!"

Amiee smiled as she approached him, happy he was still in his cheerful mood even with the delay, and with all the alcohol in people's blood, they seemed to just be happy he was here. With food of course.

Finding her in the small crowd, Sinclair seemed to brighten up even more as he walked over to her while boisterously announcing,

"Also everyone say thank you to Amiee as the unwilling hostess! She's wonderful to put up with me and my demands."

Her heart leapt, and she felt herself become instantly shy when he said that. The urge to ball up a little was strong as the attention turned to her for a few seconds when a chorus of thank you's and laughter filled the air.

Mortifying wasn't the right word, but she did feel self-conscious as she nodded and gave a little wave and smile to everyone. A soft 'you're welcome' left her before Sinclair was swooped in.

"Dinner in about 30 minutes! Hopefully faster though because I'm starving! I'm stealing Amiee away for help seeing she's already done a brilliant job at keeping you lot entertained. It's a hard chore!"

There was more laughter at his announcement, as he took Amiee by the hand and began to drag her away from the party. She happily let him to, ready to get a break from the crowd of people, and that one twat.

Dragging her down the hall and into the kitchen where they could only hear the chatter faintly along with the low music that had been playing, Sinclair kept his boyish grin as he put the bags of food on the counter before turning to the woman.

"Sinclair that Williams or whatever his name is an arsehole," she stated plainly when he looked at her, not giving him time to tell her how pretty she looked with her outfit.

She must have changed when he left as she was now wearing a festive-looking red jumper blouse with a cowl neckline, along with a red headband that was adorned with a bow in her hair. Speaking of her hair, it had some more volume than it usually did which also looked quite good.

‘So cute.’  He mused in his head as he watched her brows furrow waiting for his response.

"Oh from the advisory board?" He asked nonchalantly as he closed the distance between them and wrapped his arm around her waist to hug her against him. She let out a hum as she hugged him back and deflated a bit in his arms already tired from a night that had only begun. "Oh, he's alright. He speaks his mind a lot even if it isn't the most popular thing. I think it's good to have different opinions even if they aren't said nicely. Though I do prefer them put in nicer ways no need to be snide."

"Sure, but sometimes you can have the wrong opinion and he was being snide," she snarked, as Sinclair chuckled and leaned down to press a kiss atop her head. "He decided to have a go at you before you came in and I let him know he could bugger off if he didn't like you."

"Was he drunk?"

That wasn't the question she thought she would hear.

"Yes I believe so," she answered, tilting her head up with a quizzical gaze at his question only to see amusement shine in his eyes.

"Darling you slagged off a possibly drunk man because he was mean to me did you?" Sinclair laughed in astonishment as he let go of her, only to find a pouty expression directed at him. "He probably won't even remember tomorrow, but it's lovely of you to defend my honour at a holiday party to someone you don't know. Hmm, I think it's the sweetest thing someone has ever done for me actually. Thank you Amiee!"

She sure hoped it wasn't the sweetest thing a partner had ever done for him, or she would need to talk to him about the people he had dated considering it was the least she could do. Granted she probably needed to have that pep talk too as she was no better.

Her pondering was cut short though by Sinclair who interrupted her with a cheerful,

"But also you look very pretty! I like the red on you! But red also makes me think of wine and stuff which reminds me that I'm hungry and I'm sure everyone else is!" He blabbered on as he turned towards the counter to begin taking food out of the bags. "Can you help me get all this food and stuff set up and brought out? Gosh, It seems like I'm making you do so much running around!"

The dizzying array of topics that he had just jumped through would have confused others, yet Amiee followed his train of thought perfectly, amused at how he related seemingly unrelated topics.

"Thank you 'Clair!” She beamed. “And yes, I will help you plate stuff. What kind of hostess would I be if I didn't?"

With a strong team effort, they unpacked the precooked food that he had bought for the party. Along with that, they also took things out of the fridge that had been premade and opened the oven to check on the food that had been in there staying warm.

Amiee only had to keep Sinclair from trying to eat one of the mini pork pies once. Though, when she had turned around for a second, he shoved a sausage roll in his mouth only for her to laugh at his puffed cheeks when he was caught chewing. He wasn't a very quiet eater, and it was very obvious by the sudden groan that he made that he had nicked something.

Once all the food had been plated on the fancy serving plates, and bags were tossed or stored -except one, that Sinclair said was for a surprise later. The only thing left was to bring all the food and plates out for everyone to serve themselves.

Giving each other approving looks, Sinclair leaned his head down as if he was looking for something on Amiee's side, only to find her lips being placed on his. He hummed in delight as they basked in the warm moment with each other, right before they would have to go back to being just good friends in front of everyone.

Oh, the woes of a hidden relationship.

They moaned as their lips hungrily clashed against each other, almost forgetting that someone could walk in and see them snogging like teenagers.

Pulling away, Amiee looked up at Sinclair before amusement blanketed her features.

"Sinclair here you have something on your lips," she giggled as she swiped at his lips with her thumb, trying to remove the lipstick that stained his thin lips.

He hummed as she rubbed it off before she gave him a pleased smile.

"Alright, ready to feed the hungry masses?" She asked as she picked up two different things getting ready to head for the living room.

"If by hungry masses you mean me? Then yes!" Sinclair answered enthusiastically, causing her to let out a loud laugh as she led them back into the front where people cheered as the food arrived.

The abundance of appetizers and small eats had been a hit, as everyone seemed pleased with the variety and the amount of things they could choose from. It came to no one's surprise, that there was such an abundance considering it was Sinclair hosting, and he was notorious for making sure there was plenty to go around.

Someone even complimented the egg tarts Amiee had brought, and Sinclair, once again, proudly proclaimed that she had bought them causing her to be back in the spotlight but just briefly. She would have to tell her mum that they were a hit like she knew they would be.

The party seemed to go on and on with everyone having a good time, and becoming more energetic after food was in stomachs. Someone even opted to do some mock karaoke to one of the Christmas songs that started to play, garnering everyone's attention and laughter.

Throughout the whole thing, Amiee and Sinclair would sneak looks at each other whenever he wasn't deep into a conversation, and both of them couldn't stop the smiles that grew on their lips when one saw the other.

They were hopeless. As it went on though, Amiee found herself tiring of the socialization as she had done enough for the rest of the year and some of the next. Her eyes felt tired, yet people seemed to be having fun still and Sinclair, the ever-energetic puppy, was in deep conversation with a group of three.

How he had the energy, she didn't know, but she wouldn't drag him out of his zone as she was happy to see him happy. But she needed somewhere quiet to recharge from all the noise.

So she made a decision. Surveying the crowd, she made sure no one was looking, and that everyone was talking to someone before she slowly made her way out of the lively room. If she didn't make eye contact no one would notice her.

'Amiee what are you doing you're not James Bond, this isn't a spy movie please act normal.'

Desperate times called for desperate measures, and it wasn't as if she wasn't well-versed in slipping out of crowded rooms. She was usually hardly missed in those kinds of gatherings.

The thought pulled at her heart a bit, and a frown briefly invited itself onto her lips before she quickly and quietly left the room. Once she was confident no one saw her, she kept moving down the hall until she was able to slip into Sinclair's dim bedroom, where the only light source was a lamp on his bedside table.

Cautiously, she closed the door behind her before letting out a sigh of relief.

"Freedom," she muttered to herself, as she padded towards the large bed and flopped herself face forward onto the mattress.

A long groan left her lips as she crawled on top of the bed sheets, and rolled herself onto Sinclair's side of the bed. Snuggling with his pillow, and inhaling the comforting scent that was him, she relaxed, happy to be away from the crowd just for a bit.

"Just rest my eyes for a bit, that should do it." She told herself as her eyes fluttered closed. "Just resting my eyes, that's it Amiee then you'll get up and go back and …yawn… be social."

Closing her eyes to rest them, she was unsurprisingly out like a light moments later.

It wasn't the noise that had awakened her, but the lack of it, as her bleary eyes opened to the dim room that was filled with silence. Getting her bearings together took a few more moments, and her sitting up took the same amount of time as she found herself more exhausted than before.

"Shit," she groaned as she wiped at her eyes to try and wake up. "Did I fall asleep?"

"You did!"

“Oh my god!”

Amiee shrieked, startled at the voice that suddenly came out of the en suite bathroom, which she hadn't noticed had its lights turned on.

Coming out of the room with a white t-shirt, and a pair of cozy joggers that hugged his hips just right, Amiee couldn't stop herself from ogling  Sinclair as he came towards her.

"I was wondering where you had run off to!" He started as he sat on the edge of the bed closest to her.

"God I'm sorry 'Clair," her apology was punctuated with a yawn that couldn't be stifled.

"It's okay! You looked so adorable sleeping that I felt bad about oh, uhm, what's that word you all use sometimes," he thought for a moment before finding the word he was looking for. "Mither? Felt bad if I mithered you?"

His attempt to use the local slang made her giggle, as it was so odd to hear anything but his posh upper class London accent.

"You wouldn't have mithered me at all, I would have gotten up, I was just dead tired talking to all those people," she explained while crawling over to his side and leaning her head on his shoulder. "Sorry love, I'll make it up to you at the next party that I know you'll be having."

"Which will be your birthday party you know. I still can't believe you haven't had one before that's absurd you deserve to be celebrated and I want to celebrate you but, you need to tell me where you want to have it."

"Sinclair no it's fine! Please don't make such a fuss about it.” She begged, wrapping her arms around his forearm and putting her chin on his shoulder which was accompanied by an endearing pout. “I don't mind really. It’s not a big deal for me to not have a party, just being with you during it is good enough for me."

"But it is a big deal because you were born and it makes me happy that you are here. And I want to celebrate my favorite person is that so wrong?" Sinclair asked, eyeing her with that longing look that he knew she was weak too. 

Ugh, how could she say no when he put it in such terms and looked at her like that. Damn him!

"No, it's not but, hmmm fine, let's make a compromise.” She offered which had him perk up just like a puppy hearing a door open or food being poured into a bowl. “We can have dinner somewhere but only with six people at the most, including me and you."

Hmm. Six people didn't sound too much like a party to Sinclair, but he decided he was happier that she was letting him do something special for her birthday to care. Plus it was her birthday.

"Okay! Deal darling a dinner party with six people it is.” He agreed energetically. “I'll let you be in charge of the guest list since it's for you. Let me know if you need help wrangling people. I do love people wrangling."

Of course, he did, though he usually didn't have to wrangle people, as he already had a magnetic and sunny personality that people were drawn to automatically.

Great, now she just had to find four people to celebrate within a week or two time. That was next week Amiee’s problem though, as Amiee of the present was tired and ready to just cuddle up into bed and snooze.

"Oh speaking of birthdays and holidays!" Sinclair chirped out of the blue now that her birthday event was settled. "I have a gift for you that I want you to have! It was one of the reasons I was late this evening, which sorry, but thank you for keeping everyone company. Everyone said you were lovely as a hostess!"

"Sinclair what did you buy me now," Amiee whined, as he scooted off the bed and headed to his closet to rummage for the item he had bought today. "You always buy me stuff you know, and you don't have to," she continued as he disappeared, and then reappeared in the room with a medium-sized rectangular box that was just a tad bit larger than his palm. "And it's always such pretty stuff that I hate I can't display at home because my parents and Angie would ask about it."

Walking back over to her, and sitting down, Sinclair grabbed Amiee gently as she wobbled due to the sudden motion of the bed dipping. Grinning at her, he leaned over to kiss her temple and then her lips, which she accepted with a soft noise as she leaned against him.

"I know, I know, but I saw it and it looked so cute and I thought of you because you're also very cute darling.” His compliment had her bashfully dropping her head and shaking it, as a sweet giggle left her lips that made him all the more enthused about giving her the gift. “But it also reminded me that you've never had a Christmas tree, or a Christmas topper for the tree! So I thought well this would be nice to put atop the tree this year instead of a star and you would also have a topper," he chattered happily as he handed the velvet box over to Amiee who apprehensively took it. "Plus I love being a giver of gifts, especially when I can gift you with things!"

The fabric of the box was so soft, and upscale that she wouldn't be surprised if he had paid the same amount for the box as the gift itself. It made her heart ache a bit only because while she was sure she would love it, there was guilt hanging around telling her she didn't deserve it. Making her feel bad that she couldn't reciprocate his generosity with her own.

He never complained about the gifts she would give him, even if they weren’t as luxurious as the ones he could afford to give her. Yet, he was always thrilled when she brought him something. And while she was sure he wasn't faking it, considering it was hard for him to fake emotions, she still felt a bit bad.

Noticing her hesitation, his hand fell to her lower back patting her gently as she played with the box in her hand.

"Go on darling," he murmured leaning over, and pressing a kiss to her cheek. "Don't be shy open it! I want to see if you like it!"

Shooting him a timid smile, she looked back down at the box and took the top off delicately placing it down on the nightstand. In the box was filler paper, which she removed from the top only to find at the bottom a beautiful looking angel.

It had dark long hair, which had a golden crown made of flowers sitting atop its head. Brown eyes, with red paint on its lips, and golden angel wings that curved towards the front of the doll’s body. The dress it had on was a beautiful shiny red with golden flowers, and a red sash tied around its waist. The thing was absolutely gorgeous and Amiee was terrified of anything happening to it as she picked it up.

"An angel for my angel! She reminded me of you when I saw it!" He mused and it was so cheesy, but it didn't matter as Amiee was speechless at the gift and how sweet it was. She honestly would probably cherish it forever as she couldn’t take her eyes off the little thing. 

"Did you know angel toppers were the first ornaments people made by hand? Usually with straw because well it seemed like everyone used to have that long ago,” Sinclair rattled off. “We then started making glass ones just to put on top of the tree! Quite a long history for something so small."

"She's beautiful Sinclair," Amiee whispered so hushly that he hadn't heard her as he rambled on about the history of Christmas tree toppers that he knew far too much of.

Her fingers brushed the doll's cheek, which was smooth like the porcelain it was made from. And the satin, or whatever its dress was made of, was just as smooth and didn't snag like cheaper quality fabric.

She was so beautiful, and Amiee felt so silly when she felt emotion bubble in her throat as she looked at the doll. It was just a doll yet, it meant so much more to her than he could ever know.

"Thank you, thank you I love her so much," Amiee beamed leaning over and kissing Sinclair's cheek just in time to hide a tear or two that had slid down her own cheeks.

"Can we put her up soon?" She asked turning to the side to wipe her eyes and put the beautiful thing back in the box but not without admiring it some more. "I mean if you don't mind us changing what's on the tree already?"

A large smile shined on his face and he seemed to be on board with the idea considering that he was visibly vibrating with excitement. 

"Yes! Of course! We can do it tomorrow!" He exclaimed before looking at the clock and quickly correcting himself. "Well, later today actually but I think we could both use some sleep right?"

“Absolutely! I'm pretty sure my nap made me even more tired. But first I need to shower and get myself out of these clothes." She mumbled, remembering she had fallen asleep with her party outfit still on. "Mind if I steal a jumper for the night though?" She asked, putting the top of the box back on before getting off the bed to ransack Sinclair's closet for any jumper she could find.

"Oh wait I'll get one!" He suddenly shouted shooting off the bed and towards the closet, startling Amiee with how quick he moved.

It was those long legs of his.

"Here you go though darling!" He announced after a second of rummaging through the space before presenting her with another well-worn jumper that he had but not without adding, "if you could bring some of the ones you've nicked back it be great. I think I'm running low on them and I don't want to buy new ones. I could...but I like my old ones better more worn in you understand right?"

Brushing her confusion aside from his sudden rush toward the closet, her face turned warm at his ask before she let out a raucous laugh.

He was right though, she had stolen a few to keep for her own. She couldn't help it! They were comfy and she liked how his clothes drowned her smaller form. Also, they smelled like him and well…she liked snuggling in them when she felt down. But he was right, and for the sake of making sure he stayed comfortable, she would bring some of them back. Only some though because had to keep her inventory stocked up too.

"Hahah yes sir! Sorry, I’ll make sure to return this one and some of the others."

She saluted him before taking the article of clothing, and making her way to the bathroom for a nice relaxing shower. As she made her way to the bathroom, Sinclair gazed at her and kept watch until the door was closed and he could hear the spray of water from the shower start. Once he was sure she was in the shower, he walked back over to his closet where he had kicked a little black bag over so she couldn't see it, had she followed him to grab the jumper.

Getting on his knees, he reached for it and dragged it into the light before pulling another velvet box out of it. This time it was a much smaller box than the one he had given Amiee and more octagonal. Looking behind him, he made sure she hadn't come out of the bathroom, and when he was confident she wouldn't pop up, he opened the box to gaze at the ring that was sat cozily inside.

A beautiful rose gold band with a tracer attached to it. It had an oval garnet center that was surrounded by a halo of diamonds which were themselves surrounded by a diamond shape that had the same jewel in it. The jeweler had said it was a north star design when he picked it and he immediately thought it perfect for her.

He had gotten the call it had been delivered to the store before the party and he decided to fetch it considering he be out anyway. It was quite worth being late for the festivities, and he hoped that when it was time to use it, she would agree when he told her. Grinning at it, he closed the box and stowed it along with the bag somewhere a little more discreet while thinking about the moment he would present it to her. 

It was the only thing he could think about the rest of the night, and even more so when they were both cuddled in bed after her shower. Amiee’s head rested against Sinclair’s chest, and his arms were wrapped securely around her small frame as she fell asleep to the sound of his heartbeat. He hoped that this would one day be an everyday occurrence, and as he turned the lamp on his side off he couldn’t help but kiss the top of her head with a soft murmur of,

“I love you, sweet dreams angel.”

A/N: 🥹🥹 if you've read the story this ending may be bittersweet but i promise these lovebirds will be happy! thanks @renee561 for the angel topper idea it was so cute i couldn't resist not using it 😘 I hope this gave some warm fuzzy feels!

Also the ring inspo.

Tag: @deepperplexity , @mercurial-make-em-ups , @ringaroundthetown

[sparkiekong]

Siblings in Henford 10/15

John smiled, “We could sit down over dinner, and you tell me about what's changed in our brother. Maybe I can help somehow?”

Elita looked at him, dead serious. “Sure, dinner sounds nice. You got any blood? or can I just drink a bit of yours?

John seems a bit confused at first but doesn’t skip a beat really. “You can, I don't know if it's going to be any good though, me being green and all, but you're welcome to try.” He holds out his arm for her without even giving it a thought.

She laughs. “You were supposed to freak out, not take that in your stride... nah, I'm just messing with you, I eat normal food. A vampire that eats normal food, eh? Who’d thought!”

He laughs, “Living in our family... that felt normal to say. It's weird being with folks who act "normal". I rarely know what to say to them. I just figured if that’s what you need, that’s what I should give. It didn’t seem out of the ordinary to me.”

Elita shrugs, “You should try going to school again. I’m supposedly seventeen years old now....”

John shakes his head emphatically, “Ooh, no thanks. One trip through school was enough for me.”

Elita smiles, “I only have a little while before I leave. So, it’s not all bad.”

John sits down at the counter, “It goes by fast. Let's sit down to eat… I’m starving!”

John and Elita eat quietly when John decided to ask a question, “Oh hey, what do you think if I posted some of my vegetables on simstagram? I want to show off my hard work.” He slides the images over to her on the table.

Elita panics for exactly one second before she looks down at his selfies of him and his actual vegetables. “John... don't... don't post that stuff on social media man. Seriously, trust me on that one, and just... don't.”

John completely oblivious, “What's wrong with the eggplant? it's huuuge! Shouldn't I be proud of it?”

Elita shakes her head, “You should be proud of it, but this is one of those... "Trust me bro." moments. Promise.”

[breadraptor]

what i ate in toronto last week

felt like food blogging hehe

Day One

The first thing I got was a tea and donut bites from a new donut stand in the Portland airport. Yum! Then I remembered I had a long day of traveling ahead of me and went back to the Tillamook store for some real sustenance. Honestly I thought a chive biscuit egg sausage cheese sandwich would be a slam dunk but it wasn't that good.

Donuts: 8/10 (had them over the course of 3 days)

Sandwich: 5/10

Even on long flights, Air Canada only offers paid options. I got this BBQ chicken wrap for $11 CAD or something. Tortilla to filling ratio was bad but it did the job. 4.5/10

I got into the hotel late at night and just decided it wasn't worth the effort to get more food, so thats all for day one lol

Day 2

Met with Suyasha and had Cafe Landwer! Was starving and it took forever for the food to come out. This is the Mediterranean shakshuka. Bread was so fluffy. The presentation is gorg but i wasn't obsessed with the tomato-y sauce I guess. 7/10

In the afternoon I got a matcha at the library cafe where we worked (it was average, so I guess 7/10 because me love matcha). Later, I went to Fuwa Fuwa Pancakes for pre-dinner dessert. I'm glad I went when I did, because they cook everything fresh, and the wait was long even when I was the only customer. So fresh, fluffy, and refreshing - not too sweet. Yum! 9/10

After that, some folks told me they were getting dinner, so I said I'd join assuming I'd get an appetizer. Well, they decided on all you can eat hotpot, so that was unfortunate lol. We had a good time, food was good but not really noteworthy. I tried a mussel, gross! Also ate a pepper wrapped in beef that had been soaking in the spicy side for too long. That shit HURTED. 5/10

Day 3

I needed something fast to keep me going before the wedding - sadly the only thing I could walk to in time was McDonalds. The tzatziki seasoning was bad and basically ruined my fries. Chicken wrap was just whatever. 3/10

Unpictured: Shirley's wedding food! I forgot to take a pic sadly. I had chicken, kimchi mac and cheese, and other things I don't exactly remember, but it was all yummy! Plus the signature cocktails were really great. 8/10

Day 4

Niagara falls tour with Alyssa, Hwee, Jen, and Alex(?)! we shared between 4 people. It was steaming hot and yummy. I love cheese curdsss. 7.5/10

While the group went to go on the boat, I got a prosciutto goat cheese salad and a cocktail at the Queen Alexandra. Cocktail was a bit watery and salad was 90% arugula with not enough dressing - but the point was I could see the falls from my seat and they had ceiling fans (IT WAS SO HOT) 6.5/10

When we got back from the tour finally (took 3 hours to get back in traffic), we got Mr. Tonkatsu! The katsu was really flaky and good. 8/10

We also went and got asian shaved ice after this - one with red bean paste and one with almond and soybean. i wasnt really into these so i only had a few bites.. i miss hawaiian shaved ice fr. oh yeah i got some baked walnut balls here too, they were ok, would be better if they were warm. 3.5/10

Day 5

gochujang mushroom tofu banh mi at rustle & still cafe.. OH MY GOD. spicy, creamy, a lil crunch from the pickled carrots and peanuts. i might try to replicate it, it was everything. 10/10

chicken biryani from rikki tikki, with Alyssa, Shendy, and Matt. another HUGE W meal... spicy, scrumptious, perfect. the rice had pomegranate seeds in it which was such a nice little sweet crunch. it came with yogurt sauce which i adored with the spicy meal. im drooling thinking about it. 10/10 my only complaint is that i like more pillow-y naan

Day 6

Lunch was leftover Rikki Tikki!

Forgot to take a pic before it was gone, but I had a chai latte at the cafe we worked at today. It was meh, 4/10. at least the cafe had ok wifi and good a/c lol

After work, I started wandering around and went to a matcha cafe called Tsujiri. All the stuff on the menu looked amazing but I got a peach yogurt matcha frappe. It was so freaking good and those big slices of peach on top were yummy too. 9/10

While walkin' I had to stop at this Vietnamese cafe because the cake looked so yum. And it was! Fresh mango with layers of shortcake, mango pudding, and cream. i just wish it was a little smaller so I hadn't felt so bloated from eating it lol (it had to stay cold and it was a hot day so... I had to just eat it) 8.5/10

For dinner we went to a Jamaican/Chinese fusion place called Patois with Shirley, Jeremiah, Alyssa, guy who I forgot name, and his old WoW guild leader or something haha. We got a "feast for two" to share with the table, plus pork belly yakitori, becuase some of us weren't hungry. I didn't eat much but my fave was the yakitori. The rest was just ok. 5.5/10

Day 7

For my last day Suyasha and I went to Tibetan Cafe and went shopping afterwards. The reviews for this place were so high, but we were both underwhelmed by these "momos" (chicken dumplings). The dipping sauce was tomato-y but overall it was a bit bland. Suyasha is Nepalese and she said this was low-end by her standard lol. I'll try Tibetan food another time. 6/10

This was the first canned diet coke I had all week and man, how sweet it tastes - new jeans

At the airport I shared a snack of poutine and a maple moscow mule with Shirley :3 This poutine wasn't as good as the one I had before. Moscow mule was nice, the maple flavor was mild. 5.5/10

And yes, to give me the energy to travel until 3am EST, I got another BBQ chicken wrap on the plane. So nice I had it twice. Jk, it was not that nice, but actually this time it had a better filling to tortilla ratio lol. 5/10

[padfootdaredmetoo]

Hello! I ABSOLUTELY LOVE your recent Peaky Blinders fic where Tommy and Lizzie adopt a teenager. You have such an amazing talent for capturing these characters!! If you are taking requests (if not, just ignore this), I would love to read more fics with this character! You are AMAZING, and thank you for sharing your talent with us!!! :)

Dear Anon,

This is a bit ridiculous but I kinda love the drama. Hope it makes you laugh. The next chapter will be a dinner party with Alfie and have some more Tommy & Lizzie healing because I can't help it. Thank you for writing in with kind words! I'm so happy you enjoy my work and I hope you enjoy this story too!

Warnings: Suspected pregnancy, periods, high emotions - Peaky Blinders does contain themes not suitable for folks under 18. Please protect yourself and be cautious of the content you consume.

Tommy had grounded you for the rest of the week-long vacation, which was a blessing in more ways than one. Events were pilled up this weekend and you were happier than ever to have a reason to stay in. 

Did it have something to do with Noah sneaking in most nights to sit with you and talk? Perhaps. Did your stomach burn with guilt every time he left as your parents came home screaming? Most certainly. 

No matter how much you adored Noah, you knew there was a thick divide being placed between you and your parents. A choice was resting on your shoulders and it was more pain than you could sort out on your own. 

You sat there commiserating at the table buttering a piece of toast as Lizzie entered the room. She sat in the chair across from you and lit a cigarette. In all the time you’d been here you’d never seen her look so miserable. Like her mind was a haunted house, playing cruel jokes on her while the oblivious world passed her by. She was fighting something, and the pain radiated into your bones much like the October winds. 

She and Tommy had been fighting on and off all weekend since the incident at the fair. Noah had offered countless ways to fix it, but somehow you knew that none of them would scratch the surface. You didn't really understand what had made him so angry at you or Lizzie. 

Your stomach dropped at the thought of him being unable to forgive you. Suddenly you needed to be back in the safety of your room immediately. 

“I’m going back to bed.” You said weakly. You scurried out of the room before she could respond. You got under the covers of your bed and rolled on your side wishing the anxiety would wash off. Intrusive thoughts of the harsh reality you would face outside the comfort of the life Tommy had given you started to eat away at your mind. How would you make it out there on your own? 

You spent most of the morning like this, eventually, you had to move to the bathroom floor as you  lost the contents of the small breakfast you’d consumed. 

Why this was all hitting you like a train became evident around 10:30. You got your period and decided that’s where the overwhelming feelings were coming from. 

The issues were very real though. You got yourself cleaned up and changed into your PJs, you doubted your presence would be missed. You lit the fireplace in your bedroom and climbed under the heavy quilts. Rest seemed to be the only rational thing to do. 

_______________________________

“Why did you say it then? You always do this! You're going to drag us all right back down to Watery Lane. Is that what you want Thomas?” 

“It’s not like I have a fucking choice in the matter, eh?! You think I want this for our family?!” 

“You -” 

There was a knock at the door and they both straightened up assuming it was you. Esme poked her head in the door of the kitchen taking in the scene. Broken plate on the floor, Lizzie’s makeup a mess, and Thomas looked like he’d just come back from another war. 

“Sorry to interrupt. Just came by to check on her” 

“She’s upstairs -” Tommy started before Lizzie cut him off. 

“Can you bring her something to eat, she must be starving by now.” Whatever they were working through Esme hoped that it would end soon, this was the worst she’d ever seen Lizzie. 

“Poor Lamb. Must be heartache. Couldn't manage breakfast that past few mornings I was by-” Esme froze on the spot realizing that this was probably not the best time or place to play connect the dots. 

Sick in the morning, not eating, flushed face, puffy. Fuck. 

She grabbed some sandwiches and a plate before hurrying into the hallway. She called Polly over before going into your room. 

She took in the warm temperature and saw you curled in on your side. 

“I brought you a sandwich.” 

“Thank you.” You said quietly, with no trace of your usual sunny nature. 

“Now enough of this storm cloud. Tell your Aunty what's wrong.” She sat on the floor near your head and kicked off her boots to warm her feet. 

“Will you and John adopt me if I agree to babysit?” 

“Don’t think they’d let you go, but I’d do just about anything for a built-in babysitter.” She joked before realizing you were serious. “Love, why on earth would I need to adopt you.” 

“They keep fighting and I know it's all my fault - I don’t know what to do about everything - I-” 

Esme looked at you as you burst into tears, her worst fears seeming more likely. 

“Hey it won’t be so bad once the shock wears off, I’m sure he’d marry you. I had my first babe when I was only a few years older than you, it’s not so scary?” 

“Woah - no” You shook your head frantically. “That involves - and I haven't - just no to all of it.” 

“Oh.” Well, what could have her bent out of shape? Esme thought as she ran her hand through her hair. 

“I’m losing both of them - It’s my fault what happened at the fair. He’s so angry with me. But I don't even know what I did wrong. Lizzie looks - God - It’s all my fault.” 

“No, love. It’s not like that at all.” She started to explain the recent business troubles when Tommy opened the door looking whiter than a sheet. 

________________________________________________

He was so tired of arguing. The more she got worked up the more he realized he could never make her happy. Old rivals showing up was hardly a part of his plan. She looked so worn out, all by his doing of course. 

Then there’s Noah sneaking in every night they're gone. 

All of it was too much, and yet he was very aware that there was something else Lizzie wasn't telling him. 

Another knock on the door caused them to sober up. 

“Is she alright?!” Polly said taking in the state of the two of them, looking worse for wear. Panic welled up inside her at the state you must be in.  

“What do you mean?” Lizzie asked. 

“Esme called saying she might be with child- where is she?! Polly stated urgently wanted to get to you immediately. 

He felt his blood pressure drop, and his limbs went cold despite moving faster than ever to find you. He heard Lizzie burst into tears and Polly shouting, neither of them came even close to priority. 

Opening your bedroom door you were balled up on your side and Esme was comforting you. 

“Out.” He said as calmly as possible. “Now.” Thankfully Esme didn’t argue, stepping past him out into the hallway. He shut the door and pushed down every bit of anger inside him.

“Dad, please! Don’t throw me out I’m sorry for what happened at the fair. I - I’m sorry.” You were crying too hard to speak as his arms came around you tightly. He didn't know what to do, he was overcome with the emotion that he’d failed as a parent as you looked terrified of him. 

After a few moments, you calmed down enough to speak. 

“You and Mum are always fighting now. I know it's because of me. Esme said she’ll take me if it's too upsetting for you.” 

“You’ve never upset me.” He said absently, trying to understand everything. 

“Well, then just tell me what I’ve done wrong so I can fucking fix it.” You snapped angrily. He was tempted to put you in your place, but then he watched your face twist into regret. 

“Sorry I’m on my period” you let out a frustrated sigh. “the two of you don't make any sense to me. I just need to know why your mad so I can fix it.” you started to cry again and he started laughing. 

“You think this is funny?!” You growled, but the relief he felt from your words was untouchable. 

“Sorry, love.” But he kept laughing again, pulling you close. He made the careful decision to shield you from his side of the situation. “Business is bad right now. Like how it used to be, Your mother’s mad, my hands are tied.” He sighed, relaxing in the warm space. “Her and I have our own problems to revisit right now.”

“So none of this has to do with me.” 

“No. However, if I catch that boy climbing in through that window again I’ll kill him.” He felt the fear run through your body, and he remembered how scared he’d made you. “If Noah wants to come over he can use the front door.” 

“Really!?” 

“To stay in the living room, or the sitting room, or the kitchen.” 

“What about the library?” 

“Only if I’m there.” He said sternly thinking of all the dark corners. 

“Can Alfie come?” You pushed. 

“No.” He said with more emotion than he intended. 

“Please, just for dinner?” 

“Fine. One dinner. Once things get sorted out yeah?”

“Can I help? I could try and -”’ 

“No. I need you to just stay a kid as long as possible, alright?” He looked at you for a long moment before you understood what he was saying. 

“That won’t be difficult.” You nodded. He prayed that you were right. 

“Now your mother’s probably needing a hug right about now.” He gave you one last squeeze and then you grabbed your house coat before following him downstairs. 

Lizzie was an absolute mess. Esme took Polly out of the study and you sat next to her giving her a hug. She held onto you tighter than ever.

“Hey, dad said he’ll figure everything out.” You comforted. “I’m sure Alfie and Noah would help too.” 

“He really loves you, ya know?” She sobered up a bit and you decided that must be the problem. “All I ever hear about is “Be more like your mother.” Never Grace, or Polly. Always you. I thought you were both mad about the fair, I didn't realize so much other stuff was going on.” 

“I’m pregnant.” She said in a hazy tone. 

“Whoah.” you were at a loss of words. Your initial reaction was to cry in joy before you realized this was the final layer of fog clouding the arguments between her and Tommy. She wasn't worried about business, or Noah, she was worried about what happened to Ruby. 

“Yeah.” She said solemnly. “I don't know if I -” 

“You can. Don’t even think for a second you can’t. I’ll be here to help, we all will be. It won’t be like last time.” She gave you a nod. “You should tell dad.” 

She nodded at you again. You kissed her cheek before getting up and leaving the room. You ran to the kitchen and pulled him into the hallway. 

“She’s pregnant. She is scared about business because she wants to know if things will be stable. She’s afraid of what happened last time.” You explained to him. “She’s also a mess of chemicals and hormones so just, she’s a bit, ya know.”  

He just stood there looking at you. “Just go easy on her, act surprised, don't tell her I told you.” 

“She said all that?” 

“Well no, but I can tell.” 

He let out a long sigh. “Go sit with Polly.” 

_______________________________________________

This time he didn’t wait for her to speak, he just sat close to her grabbing her hand.

“I’m pregnant.” She whispered. “Not her.” 

“I thought I was going to die.” he said honestly, enjoying the way her mouth turned up. “The whole time she thought I was angry about Noah. When Polly said that she was pregnant I swear my whole life flashed before me.” 

“Is that so? And what about now.” 

“Well, I’ll sort this thing out with the Italians over the next couple of weeks. Nothing will change around here, business is still 100% clean. Just have to clean up this mess before it festers. But I know she’ll be all over you to help. Might take her away from all that time spent pining. All in all, I just want you to know that I’m happy. Everything else will fall into place. No need to worry about anything, I’ll handle it.” He said quickly. 

“She tell you to say all that in the hallway?” His first instinct was to be defensive but the flicker of amusement in her eyes was enough for him to swallow his pride.

“It’s true so does it matter?” He said hoping she knew deep down that he would always look after her. 

“No. S’long as it’s true.” She kissed him and he felt more at peace than he had in weeks. Leaning into her embrace he forced himself to settle down. “I’m scared Thomas.” The look on her face broke him. 

“I’ll always keep you safe. I fucked up in the past. Please trust that I’ll do right by you this time.” 

She responded by kissing him again, this time it was even harder to push her off. 

“Got people in the other room, love.” He said holding her tightly. “We should go make sure she’s alright. Been through a lot today.” He ran his hand over her stomach. 

“All of us have been through a lot today.” She agreed. He was amazed at how she seemed to carry all that stress and still look so beautiful. 

They entered the kitchen and relaxed. Hearing you laugh made his heart swell, and Lizzie was finally engaging with the world again. His girls were happy, so he could be happy. 

The phone rang interrupting one of her stories and he groaned as she flew out of the kitchen to grab it. 

“That bloody boy.” He scolded as everyone laughed. 

_____________________________________

Coming up next: Alfie might need to help with the Italians, and Tommy did agree to a dinner party that may be even more drama-filled than this. 

This might be the most dramatic thing I’ve written, felt a bit more like a bad sitcom, but hopefully, it makes you laugh!

[rigginsstreet]

I would love fics Rec for FP n Fred pls!

yes!! okay 😊

from @fredheads:

fp's adventures in domesticity (T) - Fred's a professional when it comes to stretching himself thin, can usually make ends meet even when the rope's falling apart. But Fred can't run a household and recover from a gunshot wound at the same time, especially with both Archie and Jughead living there. That's where FP comes in.

you could justify sin (NR) - Fred Andrews was in middle school when he finally worked up the courage to do the right thing.

it breaks me in to stay alive (T) - fred in treatment for an eating disorder and fp being a supportive boyfriend

everybody's got a hungry heart (M) - Fred’s starving, and gobbles half of his plate in record time, using the crust of his bread to mop at the extra sauce. The dish is comforting somehow, the taste reminding him of his own childhood, his mother’s dinners. “I’ve missed this,” says FP casually, staring anywhere but Fred’s face. He speaks gruffly, but his fingers have been anxiously shredding the corner of his napkin into snow. “You and me.” Date? or not a date? He moves his fork a bit to the left. FP’s eyes follow it. Date, thinks Fred, with a swoop of panic, stuffing another mouthful past his lips to disguise his uncertainty. Date, date, date.

from @halcooper:

just won't quit (NR) - Fred Andrews never gets sick. Especially not during basketball tryouts. Especially not when his folks are out of town. or FP Jones spends his afternoon trying to get a delirious Fred Andrews home and tucked into bed.

from me :)

seventeen and coming clean for the first time (T) - It’s not until FP catches his breath that he realizes how silent the room has become. There’s a tension he hadn’t picked up on, but now that he has it’s so thick he’s practically choking on it. Reality slowly starts to crash in on him as his eyes roam up his father’s body to meet his own. They’re both at a standstill. Senior seems to be in a state of shock, like he’s trying to process what the hell just happened. FP’s just trying to figure out what play to make as the weight of what he’s just revealed finally dawns on him. It’s almost a game of chicken. And then…

show me what i'm looking for (T) - ”I don’t think I can go through with this,” is what Fred had told him less than 24 hours after being the one to ask FP to marry him in the first place.

it was me and you and the whole town under water (T) - the missing fredsythe storyline from 308 we all needed

all the best djs are saving their slowest songs for last (T) - Fred had always figured he’d chaperone his son’s senior prom. It’s just what he did. Went to every dance, every field trip, every PTA meeting… He was involved. It’s just… He also kind of assumed his wife would be there with him. Even after the divorce he still figured they’d go as friends. Never in a million years did he think he’d be dating his ex… whatever they were in high school.

and then some from miscellaneous authors who i am not in a group chat with lmao

The Shaggin' Wagon (E) - With college on the horizon, Fred Andrews and FP Jones fix up a van before taking it on a trip together, up into the mountains where it feels like they're the only two people on earth. It doesn't take long before the feelings that have been growing between them get too strong to ignore...

song for the last act (T) - fred and fp during their last week of high school

Where the Wild Rain Falls (M) - A storm comes in on the night of the parent-teacher conferences at Riverdale High.

stages of healing (T) - FP’s hands have been scarred for as long as Fred can remember.

[harvestrose]

Alright, she knows she's gotta apologize to Groundskeeper Mozu. Because, it's at least a little her fault for destroying the campus the way she did and it shouldn't be the responsibility of someone who wasn't even involved to clean it. Still, she can't help but feel a little scared. (Mozu's reportedly strong enough to best an adult bear and Cynthia could NOT do that.) "Hey, Miss Mozu? I'm real sorry about what happened. We're cleanin' up today, so you don't have to. With the pies, you know."

Mozu was furious.

She had come back from a successful hunting trip with Shamir with some good eatings for all these skinny kids who needed better food in her diet, and found the monastery in a state of utter chaos, with garbage and smashed pies everywhere- and she wasn’t even that made about cleaning it up! Midsommar meant more clean up anyways- festivals always generated a bunch of trash after all, but it was that these little pranksters had wasted countless pies- which were food! She surveyed the chaos and counted at least 30 destroyed pies- that much food could have gone and fed an entire village! People starved to death every day in countries like Nohr before the peace treaties, and these idiotic children were playing with and wasting food like it was nothing!

So, she was angry.

But when Cynthia came up with an apologetic expression, Mozu couldn’t help but feel sympathetic- she always was weak around the little ones after all.

“Lil’ lady,” she starts, putting a hand on her forehead. “I ain’t nearly as mad ‘bout the cleanin’ as I am ‘bout all that waste. D’y’all know how many folks all them pies could’a fed? People back home in Nohr done gone an’ starved for years, an would’a killed fer this much food!” She lets out a deep sigh. “I know y’all meant it in good fun, but’cha gotta think ‘bout how other people could use stuff ‘fore yah go on an’ waste it. I know y’all’re gonna be workin’ real hard cleanin’ this whole mess up fer a few days, but I expect tah see all y’all at the meetin’ I’m pullin’ this evenin’ after dinner, a’ight?”