#i wanna spend mornings drinking coffee he made me while he dramatically makes pancakes and I try to fix all the kiddos bed head

[fbfh]

dad!leo x parent!reader hcs

wc: 1.2k

genre: tooth rotting domestic fluff, parents au, regular family and found family, past hurt/lots of comfort, post canon domestic bliss

pairing: leo x gn!parent reader

warnings: tooth rotting fluff, brief implied fucking like rabbits but otherwise sfw, you and leo have a bigass family, brief mentions of past trauma unmet needs and general rough conditions, building the life you wanted as a kid, found family demisquad and their children, brief mention of Leo's extended estranged family /pos, Leo is a fucking amazing dad, aged up obviously (you have a passel of kids and careers and a house)

a/n: I will carry as many children as he wants. deadass. /srs. I want the white picket fense and the ketchup fights and the minivan. I will become a full blown soccer mom for him oh my fucking god

tags @yesv01 @avashaye @perseajohnson @afidiofobia @thatmultifandomloser @yelenabel0vaswife @almostjollypizza @Fictionalcomforts  @lizziebitch33  @jacksondeeznuts @girlfriendwhoseawitch @urmum-xoxo @Asunnyhunny @dustyinkpages @cowboylikekelsey @legramilis @youkissedareaderinthedark @mrscarolscaramoucheplease @cosmiq-cloud @anything-forourmoony @i-dont-remember-a-lot @chasingpj @1dpjohoohp @mystic-writings   @babiesimagines @dreamerball @demirunner @if-only-i-was-fictional @lubsana @if-only-i-was-fictional

Bark bark bark woof grr ruff ruff

Or should I say loud aggressive cat meowing noises

Both are appropriate responses to seeing dad!leo

First of all

First and foremost

You’re going to have a bigass family with him

Not just because he always wondered if he would have had siblings if his life had been different

Not just because he always craved being from a big family deep in his bones, taking years to mourn silently when it really sunk in that that wouldn’t happen for

Because yes

While those are major factors

But also let’s be real

You cannot fucking keep your hands off this man

How could anyone be expected to look at him and not get fucking pregnant

He stretches and his tummy shows a little where his shirt rides up and you’re suddenly holding a 6 month old with his daddy’s eyes in a fluffy little bear onesie

No idea how it happens

But the odds of anyone being around Leo for any period of time and not ending up with a fucking passel of of little rugrats

Fluffy haired ankle biters with sweet grins and intelligent eyes 

Just like their dad

Is zero

Plus holy fucking shit

He can’t keep his hands off you either

He’s fucking insatiable, always craving your touch, always covering you in kisses and sweet nothings

And you wouldn’t have it any other way

So yeah with your chemistry duh you’re gonna have a big family

Once you start you can’t really stop

Before you know it you wake up one morning to find Leo making pancakes in the kitchen

He’s handing out juice boxes and sippy cups of milk

There’s a kid clinging onto each leg, giggling their heads off when he shuffles around, and one hanging on his back, watching while he cooks

He narrates dramatically to the other kiddos and babies, who are enamored with Leo’s cooking show

You stumble into this scene, walking past little shoes and various toys, legos, and barbie dolls strewn about

There’s a tangible warmth, and it’s not just from the stove and piles of fluffy pancakes

One or two of your kiddos run over and hug you with the sweetest greeting you’ve ever received 

Their little hands grab up at you until you scoop them up, approaching the counter

“Oh thank god, my sous chef has arrived”

He greets you with a kiss and hands you a coffee or tea or whatever else you like to drink in the morning, just the way he knows you like it

“I think we all know I can’t handle this kitchen without you” 

The way he says it, the look he gives you means more than any words or any look you’ve gotten from anyone else

You fix hair and kiss foreheads for a few minutes before you start getting plates of pancakes and bowls of cereal ready

It’s routine, practically automatic by now

But there’s nothing you cherish more than these sunday mornings together

You and the love of your life and your big old passel of rugrats all gathered around the kitchen table, discussing uneventful dreams and schedules for the upcoming week

Between coordinating homework assignments and ballet lessons and soccer practices it hits Leo every single moment 

Of all the things he’s built, his life with you will always be his favorite

His most precious, favorite project

You look so pretty in the morning, you always have

So as your “sunday morning breakfast bops” playlist reverberates through the room around laughter and chatter and singing along

As you sing off key and dance around with him and dance with your kids to Selena and 80s hits and throwbacks to when you were still teenagers, unable to fathom making it to 20

He thinks you’ve never looked more beautiful

When he kisses you, you taste like coffee and maple syrup

Your hair is a little messy and you’re wearing one of his shirts, tucked into a pair of shorts

Your wedding rings gleam in the sunlight streaming in through the lacy curtains 

Burnin’ up by the jonas brothers comes on shuffle, and one of your older kids asks to hear the story again

They’ve heard it a million times, but they adore hearing you recount the lengthy inside joke related to this

They love hearing about all the times you had with all their aunts and uncles (aka your friends) before they were born

They imagine what it was like to live through the 2010s, a decade they’ve only seen in movies and tv shows and online in little time capsules referenced here and there

They think about how cool you must have been, running around and living an idealized version of your lives

Leo listens, just as enamored as the rest of them as he listens to you recount the events he lived through with you 

A little part of him still can’t believe it’s real

He can’t believe he created the warm, loving, lively household

The big supportive family 

That he always dreamed of having as a kid

And now that he’s older, he reached out to some distant relatives, cousins and aunts and uncles

He’s surprised that he’s been able to somewhat reconnect with his extended family 

And even more surprised that they’d welcomed him with open arms

It hits him again that not only are his kids going to have a safe, stable, loving home life

But they’re going to have relatives to visit at family reunions once in a while

They get to spend holidays with their cousins and aunts and uncles (aka your friends and their kids) 

Any occasion y’all can find to get together and make some food and spend time together is always one you’ll take

You have little parties and get togethers and cookouts for every occasion you can think of

No matter where you go, there’s always vibrancy and life and togetherness 

Sometimes other neighbors and friends will pop by with their kids too

You’ve become the family in the neighborhood that anyone can go to

And that’s something you take pride in

It’s rubbing off on the kids too

Their teachers have told you time and time again that they’re always the first to invite kids who are by themselves to play

To make sure no one gets left out

All your hard work

All the sacrifices are paying off

Because you and your friends are determined to be the first generation of demigods to not only live to adulthood

Not only build lives

But stick together

You’re creating such a tight knit community

A family of other demigods

You’re sticking together

Chiron has been praying for times like this for as long as he can remember 

And he’s reminded that all the hard work and suffering and sacrifice are paying off too

He knows every time he shows up for someone’s birthday party or some minor holiday get together 

Half of you and your friends kids call him grandpa 

He’s waited so long to see the demigods he trains live long enough to have kids

He never could have imagined being a part of their lives too

All around, things really turned out better than any of you could have expected

But you still think nothing can top sunday morning breakfasts 

[shadowsndaisies]

HW18D3 - Halloween Party

HW18D7 → Halloween Party

Fandom: Marvel

Pairing: Steve Rogers → “Captain America”

WC: 3753

2k18 Holiday Masterlist                            normal masterlist

“Good morning everyone!” your cheery voice rang out as you entered the kitchen, you noticed Bucky, Sam and Clint were sitting on the sofa connected to the open concept living room, Tony was by the stove, Wanda and Nat were sitting at the island table across from them Thor and Bruce. Vision was staring at the sleeping boy on the other couch, Peter.

“Morning, (Y/n),” Steve raised his mug from where he was standing, leaning against the counter beside the coffee machine he offered a soft smile as you met his blue eyes, you sent one back.

“Oh good you’re here, you wanna take over for me?” Tony asked, looking back to you.

“What are you doing?” Nat asked looking over to Tony.

“I’m making breakfast!” Tony told them and then Wanda turned to me.

“You better take over,” she smirked, sipping her tea.

You laughed as you walked over, taking a look at what Tony was making you shook your head, he was making bacon. Moving to the fridge you began to pull out all sorts of stuff, eggs, rice, green onions, bell pepper, onion, tomatoes, Portuguese sausage, you quickly and precisely began throwing everything together. You cut the veggies, prepped the sausage, and cooked the rice, then everything went in together and soon enough you were plating the food for everyone. First Wanda, and Nat, then Tony, Thor, and Bruce, next was Steve, Bucky, Sam, and Clint, and then you made two final plates one for your self and one for the sleeping teenager. You took both your plates into the living room, setting them both down on the coffee table by Steve before you walked over and crouched in front of Peter.

“Pete, bud, you gotta get up,” you said softly to the teenager boy but gained no response. “Peter…” you cooed again, this time a hand coming up to tuck his mussed hair back. In the short time since Tony had introduced Peter to you, you’ve had this sort of older sister like relationship with the kid, he was extremely sweet and intelligent and it was so easy for you to love the kid. So you did your best to let May know he was okay when he was spending the night or working late and you did everything you could to make sure the kid was doing his best to stay alive.

At his name the second time he shifted slightly and his eyes opened, he let out a small grunt at the sunlight shining in through the big open windows.

“C’mon, kid, I made breakfast,” you smiled as you moved back towards the other couch, you sat down in between Bucky and Steve, before pulling your plate to your lap. Peter sluggishly fell from the other sofa before basically crawling over to the coffee table, he sat down there so the table was level with his chest before picking up a fork and tucking into the fried rice before him.

You wore a small smile as you pulled out your phone, and snapped a picture of him, you then sent it to May to let her know you fed him breakfast and that he was safe with you all for the moment. Then you went back to your food.

“This is great, doll,” Bucky smiled as he nudged your shoulder with his.

“Glad you like it Sarg,” you smile back at him.

“Okay! Everybody, since you’re all eating this is my chance to tell you, that Friday we are having a Halloween party!” Tony announced gaining a few cheers.

“Are we to dress up?” Vision asked from where he was standing beside Wanda.

“Yes! Dress up is mandatory, and it cannot be your suits,” Tony said before someone could ask. “Also, (Y/n) I need your help with set up, kid you too!” Tony added as he walked towards his lab, plate, and coffee in hand.

“He’s always dragging you into stuff…” Sam chuckled taking a sip of his coffee.

“You’re not wrong but, it’s okay, Halloween is probably one of my favorite times of the year, making this place a little more spooky will be fun,” you shrug.

~~time skip~~

“Alright kid, you ready?” you asked, looking at Peter as you grabbed your purse and pulled on a jacket.

“I don’t get why I have to go,” Peter whined.

“Well, I’m not leaving you here all day. Also, I need another set of hands and who’s better than you?” you laughed.

“Anyone, literally anyone would be better than a sleep-deprived, web-slinging, teenage kid that can stick to walls who has homework due Monday,” Peter negated with a serious look on his face.

“You know for someone who stutters through nearly every sentence with Tony, kid’s got balls,” Bucky called as he suddenly appeared through the corridor.

Peter turned red and you let out a loud laugh, “I think it’s because I let him get comfortable with me, and look what ya did, Sarg. I think you broke him.”

“(y/n)...” Peter grumbled softly under his breath.

“Yeah, alright. Bucky would you like to help me with my Halloween shopping, in place of this poor child who seems to be having trouble with balancing life,” you throw the subtle dig towards the boy who’s become basically your little brother.

You received a chuckle from Bucky and an elbow from Peter, “sorry doll, I already have some stuff to do today, but take Steve, I don’t think he’s doing   today.”

You felt your heart rate quicken, Steve Rogers meant something to you, and while you were pretty sure on what you wanted, you also believed it wouldn’t be the same for him, “Thanks Buck but I’m sure Steve has something  to do.”

“What do I have to do?” Steve asked as he walked into the kitchen, you silently began cursing his super soldier hearing.

“(y/n) needs some help with the Halloween shopping and the kid doesn’t want to go,” Bucky nutshelled.

“What? Kid, why not? Halloween’s great!” Steve asked walking closer an energy drink now in his hand.

“See, if Captain America says Halloween is great, then Halloween is great,” You smirk.

“I’m not saying Halloweens not great, I’m just tired,” he stresses to you, and you know there’s something else going on.

“Fine, do your own thing, but you have to buy your own Halloween costume,” you huff, giving in.

He gives you a quick hug before running off, “thanks (Y/n)!”

“Make sure you eat lunch!” you shout after him.

Bucky starts to chuckle and you whip around from where you had stared after Peter to glare, “What?”

“Nothing,” bucky smirks and you give him a look, “you just sound a lot like a mom.”

“The me before this team would have taken offense to that, but since everyone on the team is either mentally the same age as Peter or younger, they require my internal motherly instincts,” you snark back at him.

“Ouch,” Bucky covers his heart with his hand, “you hurt me, doll.”

“Take your dramatics out of here, Barnes. I’ve got a Halloween party to prepare for,” your leveled look breaks into a smile, Bucky always knew how to make you laugh, he was just good at getting a smile out of people.

“Yes Ma’am,” he mocks salutes before grabbing his water bottle and walking off.

“You know, if you need some help with the party prep, I’d be glad to lend a hand, not that you’re not capable of doing it on your own, but if you need any I mean…” Steve fumbled and your smile grew, you found it adorable.

“I’d love some help Steve,” you cut him off and he flashes you a smile of slight relief.

“Great, let me grab my jacket,” he nods.

“Meet me by the elevator,” you tell him as you both split off.

A few minutes later Steve met you beside the elevator and then the two of you were off. You had been gone maybe 2 or 3 hours and when you got back you both were holding a multitude of bags, all full of Halloween decorations and your costumes while going through the stores, the two of you had somewhere decided to dress up together.

It really was a spur of the moment decision because one second you were debating on which cauldron would look better on Tony’s coffee table and then he had placed a pair of devils horns on your head. You had laughed and as you turned you noticed the angels halo. You quickly had it moved the headband through his hair settling it nicely.

And then that’s was it, your costumes decided, the two of you had decided to be the two sides of one’s conscience, the devil and the angel. You had a red dress you had used for an op that would work perfectly and there was little doubt that Steve wouldn’t be able to pull together something in white.

About half an hour into setting up Sam, Wanda and Clint walked into the main room to see you and Steve decorating.

“Oh good, more people, grab a box, they’re all labeled with where to go and there’s a post-it for recommendations,” you shout back to the three of them.

“Yeah, I’m not doing that, I already did Halloween set up at my place,” Clint sighed.

“That’s nice but you’re not there right now so, grab a box, Barton,” You call back as you try to pin up a cobweb.

“You look like you’re struggling a bit, pancake,” Sam laughed and you whipped around to glare at him.

“Grab a box, Sam,” Wanda coaxed as she grabbed on herself, she mouthed an ‘I got him’ with a small eye roll as she pushed him out the room.

“Thank you!” you shout after them before going back to trying to figure out how to pin this up.

You decided to grab a stool from the kitchen island, as carefully as you could you wobbled to a standing position, your brow furrowed as you realized the stool itself a was a bit unsteady to stand on. You kept going, you had just hooked the cobweb onto the clear non-stick hook you had placed on the wall when the stool shifted and your body lurched.

“Ah!” you let out, sticking out your arms at an angle to catch your fall and minimize the damage, except you never hit the ground, instead someone lets out and “umph,” as they catch you.

Your eyes become locked on the vibrant blues of your savior, Steve. A blush creeps up on your cheeks as you look at him, he had caught you in the air and was now holding you bridal style.

You offer a shy smile, “thanks…”

Steve gives you an amused smile as a small chuckle slips past his lips, “No problem, doll.”

As Steve put you down, you look back towards the cobwebs and pout, when you fell you pulled the web off the hook once more. Steve must’ve followed your gaze because he was reaching up with his six foot something stature you hook the webs back on, a low laugh escaping him as he did so.

“You nearly give your self a concussion and you’re worried about the decorations,” he laughs as he turns back to you.

“I take my jobs seriously,” you defend, “and I would’ve been fine,” you negate.

“Sure,” he nods, causing you to purse your lips.

“I would’ve,” you repeated, “but thanks for the catch.”

“Anytime,” he nods and for a moment you both just stare at each other, you swear he was going to say something else, based on the look on his eyes and you really wanted to hear what he was going to say but then a shout from Tony interrupted you.

“Hey! This place is looking great! Remind me to give you a raise, (y/n),” he shouted as he came through the halls, Steve’s eyes scrunched closed as you both let out a sigh.

You recovered first as you plastered a smile to your face walking to meet Tony by the fridge.

“Thank, Stark,” you snort, “I’ll keep it in mind.”

By the time the week had ended Steve and yourself were growing more and more frustrated, each time you had a moment or tried to talk to each other the two of you were interrupted or called away. Peter, needed your opinion on whether his costume was nice enough for the party, Wanda wanted to know which shade of lipstick was better for her costume, Sam wanted to train some more, Bucky needed to let some aggression out after a bad traffic day (talk about road rage), and so many other occurrences, that by Friday you had spent maybe 5 minutes with Steve on your own.

As you were finishing getting ready, coating your lips with a vibrant red lip matte color there was a knock on your door, “just a moment,” you shouted as you rubbed your lips together, capped the lipstick and put it back where it had come from in one of your drawers.

You walked over to the door, your heels were sitting by your bed, your dress was on, clicking the panel you unlocked it so it could open and you saw Steve. He was dressed in a white dress shirt that had the sleeves rolled up to his biceps, the halo headband was pushed into his blonde locks, he had on black slacks and black dress shoes.

You shook your head at him, “You could’ve at least gotten some wings,” you roll your eyes as you let him in.

“I think I’m okay, I’m wearing the headband,” he argues.

“Lame,” you shoot back as you drop to your bed and reach over to grab the red pumps that you’d be torturing yourself with tonight.

“At least I’m comfortable,” he shot back, looking at your heels.

“Haven’t you heard the expression beauty is pain?” you offer offhandedly, relishing in the moments while you sit.

“Whoever said that clearly hasn’t met you,” Steve smoothly responded causing you to blush, you decided to cover by moving to tie your hair up in a ponytail, you had flat ironed it so that the hair would fall straight. “I’m serious,” he added when you didn’t look over to him. “I’ve been trying to talk to you all week and each time I get the chance to something comes up and then I can’t say what I wanted to.”

“Which is?” you ask, as you fiddle with your headband, the one that had the devil horns on it, the one Steve had playfully put in your hair earlier that week.

“That spending the day with you was fantastic, that you are probably the prettiest girl I’ve ever met, and that I’d really like you to be my date tonight,” he smiled as he crouched down in front of you, wrapping his hands around yours.

A smile quirked at your lips, “I’ve been waiting all week for you to ask,” you muse.

Steve lets out a breath that turns into a chuckle, he grabs the headband from you and delicately slips it onto your head, so slowly as not to mess up your hair, and when he’s done one hand drops while the other leaves a soft caress on your cheek, he was much closer now.

“You look amazing,” he whispered.

You smile as he stands back up, offering you his arm. You grab your clutch and link your arm with his before the two of you walk to the elevator. When you join the party you notice a plentiful amount of people are already here. Immediately you get swept up by Wanda and Nat, Steve laughs as they steal you away from him.

You hang out with them, nursing your one to two drinks watching and laughing as they take shots. The buffet table looks great, especially with all the Halloween themed treats Tony had gotten catered, well, Pepper probably had made the calls. Halfway through the party Tony Stands up on the coffee table and cuts the music, causing everyone to look to him.

“Thank you for attending tonight, a big thanks to Pepper who sent out the invites and got the catering, and one other big thanks to that pretty lady in the red,”Tony pointed to you, “who was ironically and angel for setting up all the decorations on this floor,,” this gained many chuckles and a small snort from yourself, “and getting people to do so on the other floors os that Avengers Tower has been, what was the term you used, kid?” Tony looked back to Peter who had turned bright red, “Spookified,” Tony snapped as he recalled the term. “Enjoy the party!” he cheered taking another sip of his drink.

It was only when the Party was winding down that you really were able to regroup with Steve, you and he both had been pulled my numerous different people to talk to and share with. You had spotted him on the balcony, looking out at New York, he seemed to be alone.

You carefully joined him, avoiding any more conversations as you shut the door, immediately you shivered, it was a bit colder than you were expecting.

Steve turned when he heard the door, “hey,” he greeted, a soft smile on his lips.

“Hi,” you smile back as you step to stand beside him.

“Tony was right, you did an amazing job with the setup,” Steve complimented.

“Thanks, I had some pretty super help,” you joked.

“Oh! That was terrible,” he shook his head at your pun. You shivered a bit as another breeze blew by, this time he noticed. “We can go in if you’re cold,” he offered and you shook your head.

“No thank you, if we go back in we’re going to get sucked into a conversation or the drinking game Nat and Wanda want me to participate in that I’ve been avoiding. Also, I’d lose you in the crowd again, and you looked so peaceful out here,” you explain, your eyes were trained on the twinkling lights of the alive city that was around you.

“You’re going to catch a cold,” he argued.

“A cold would be a relief from the heels,” you joke.

“Feet hurting?” he asked.

“Yeah, I haven’t had a chance to sit down yet,” you nod, you turn to him when you feel him tuck one of the loose flyaway hairs behind your ear.

It’s quite a bit longer before you feel him nudge your elbow, your arms had come up to the railing so you could lean against them, “have you eaten yet?”

“Not really, just snacked a bit on the stuff Pepper had catered,” you admit.

“How does a burger sound?” he asked.

“Heavenly,” you wink, tippytoeing in your heels to tap his halo.

“Hilarious,” he deadpanned, “how about we go find a burger?” he offered.

“Steve Rogers are you asking me to ditch our friend's party?” you ask with a faux voice.

“Yes, yes I am,” he affirmed with a big smile.

“Go this way, if we go back in they’ll see us,” you nod and he leads you across the balcony, your hand in his as he helps you navigate in your heels. Before you know it you’re walking down the block and straight into a small burger joint.

You two were by far considered to be dressy compared to the rest of the patrons but you noticed all the little kids who were still wearing what they had probably gone trick or treating in.

You two slipped into a booth near the back and after you had ordered you kicked your heels up and pulled your feet underneath you.

“Better?” he mused.

“Much,” you agreed.

While waiting for the food and while eating you exchanged stories from growing up before you both became highly trained “super” heroes. You got to really know Steve Rogers, and you were enraptured.

When it was time to go, you slipped your heels back on, Steve paid, he insisted. And you were walking hand in hand once again. You laced your fingers with his this time and he smiled down at you as the two of you walked back to the tower. By the time you got back your feet were once again hurting and so without warning, Steve swept you into his arms, you laughed as you laced your arms around his neck.

“My knight in shining armor,” you laughed as he walked down the hall towards your room.

“Glad to be of assistance, Ma’am,” he winked causing you to laugh some more.

When he carefully put you down by your door you leaned against him to slip the heels off your feet and then turned and entered the room, allowing him to follow you in.

“Are you going to go back to the party?” you asked him as you put the heels away.

“Maybe, they’re probably wondering where we went,” he nodded unsurely and you walked into the bathroom to retrieve a make-up wipe.

“Or, you could go change and we can watch a movie in here?” you offered.

As you wiped your face you thought about what you had just said, you didn’t want to go back to the party but you also wanted to spend some more time with Steve.

“I’ll be back in five, don’t start without me,” he decides, sending you a pointed look.

“No promises,” you giggle as you throw the used wipe in the trash.

“Oh, (y/n)?” Steve called, turning around and walking back towards you.

“Yeah what’s up?” you asked with a soft smile.

“I forgot something,” he mumbled, an arm going around your waist and another to your cheek as he bent down and placed a kiss on your lips, you were surprised at first but quickly leaned into it. This was Steve, he was probably one of your favorite people and someone you trusted completely, you wanted this and so did he.

When he pulled away he took in your slightly dazed look with a smirk, “Happy Halloween,” he stated as he pulled away to go change.

You laughed as you did the same when he returned you were wearing sweats and a tank top, your hair was in a messy bun at the top of your head and you were sitting in your bed, booting Netflix up. Happy Halloween indeed.

[finn-nelson-for-the-win]

After over a week, I'm back with another update!

Hello there, lovelies! Hopefully the anticipation wasn’t too bad...But alas! Here I am, back again with the next chapter. Admittedly, this chapter took much longer than anticipated for me to write and even though I knew exactly what was going to happen, I still struggled to find the right way to convey it for maximum impact...idk, I've also been finding it a little tricky to find time to write with all the random stuff I've had going on in real life lately. 😬

Anyways...I hope you enjoy this because I'm not sure when the next time I will post will be...and as always, I love hearing what you guys have to say and seeing all the love you guys show to my writing...it's a large reason as to why I even make an effort to post my writings anymore, so thanks! 😘 All my previous chapters can be found right here, if you wish to get caught up.

Making Up for Lost Time

I can’t believe I’m about the say this, but…I can’t wait to go to work tomorrow. 

It was Christmas day—the day in which families near and far gather to enjoy each other’s company and celebrate—and Rae could not be unhappier.

There surely must have been a time when Rae felt differently about Christmas. Perhaps when she was a child and was still basking in the naivety of youth; however, for the last few years Rae has found this holiday to feel like more of a burden and be emotionally draining to the point that she has lost the childlike sense of wonder that used to be synonymous with Christmas time when she was younger.

Rae had been awakened before the sun had even fully risen by loud crashing and the unmistakable scent of charred food that could only mean one thing: Rae’s mother was trying to cook. Trying, but certainly not succeeding.

“Wait! Stop what you’re doing, right now! Get the coffee started to brew and I’ll take over from here. Please mum, before you burn the house down, I beg of you!” Rae called from the room she had slept in to her mother in the kitchen as she tied her plush dressing gown around her waist and slid her feet into her favorite pair of slippers before rushing to the kitchen.

“Oh, don’t be so dramatic, Rachel! It isn’t that bad…” Rae’s mum took a glance at the disheveled stack of what appeared to be pancakes that were simultaneously burned on the outside and completely raw inside, “On second thought…perhaps I will just get the coffee started. Can you take over for me here?”

“By ‘take over’, you mean ‘start completely from scratch because these ones are inedible’, right?” Rae joked, gently nudging her mum with her hip as her mum grabbed the coffee from the cabinet above their stove.

The rest of the family awoke on their own accord and grabbed their breakfast before returning to their respective rooms to eat on their own, as even during the holidays, Rae’s family could not adhere to the formalities of spending time together as a family.

The rest of the day proceeded in much of the same fashion: Rae confined to the kitchen as she was the only member of the family who was willing and able to take the lead on cooking Christmas dinner, while the rest of her family came and went as they pleased.

By the end of the night when the gifts had been exchanged and opened, dinner had been eaten, and the dishes had been cleaned, everyone was ready to go to bed for the night; however, Rae still had to travel back to her apartment in the city, as she had work early the following morning.

And by the time Rae had returned to her apartment and was able to climb into the comforting warmth of her bed, it was already the early hours of morning, and as Rae tossed and turned trying to get some sleep, she could already see the earliest signs of the sunrise on the horizon.

***

The first three and a half hours of Rae’s shift at work were downright torturous. The café down the street from Rae’s work was closed for Christmas weekend, so Rae begrudgingly had to forego the cup of coffee she had been looking forward to getting on her way to work. When Rae arrived at work, she was looking forward to the warm, coziness of an office building with the heater running to help warm her up from her walk to work that morning; however, she quickly realized upon arriving at work that the heating system was not functioning correctly and there was no one available to fix the heating system until Tuesday, due to the holiday. 

Ugh, fucking Christmas ruins everything…

Mondays at work were generally pretty quiet and today was no exception. Most of Rae’s coworkers had taken off work today to spend another day with their families, but Rae was more than happy to return to the city for work opposed to spending any additional time with her family.

When Rae’s scheduled break time finally came, Rae was thankful for the fifteen minutes to walk around outside and warm up a bit, as the sun was shining and it felt warm on her skin through her clothes despite the chill in the air.

When Rae had a few minutes left in her break, she returned to the break room and purchased an energy drink from the vending machine. She took a few long drinks from the can before setting it into the office refrigerator for her to finish after she got off of work.

Rae sat back down in her desk chair when she returned from break and got back to work responding to customers when after a while she sensed—rather than saw—someone walk up and sit down in the seat beside her.

“Hey stranger,” she greeted with a smirk as she quickly finished typing the message she had started, sent it, and turned in her desk chair to meet the familiar, warm dark brown eyes of the person who had taken a seat at the empty desk beside her.

Note to self: “Hey stranger” as a greeting holds the same meaning and creates the same sexual tension as “make me” during a squabble…

“Rae…” Finn’s eyes lit up when he said her name and they locked eyes, derailing his train of thought and making him forget what else he intended to say to Rae in that moment.

“It’s been a really long time since I’ve seen you, Finnley! We really missed you…”

“I missed you, Mae…like a lot!” Finn chuckled and blushed lightly as he turned his head away to avoid making direct eye contact with Rae. 

I told him “we” missed him, but Finn just openly admitted to missing me in particular! No fucking way!

“So where have you been for the last couple weeks?” Rae asked as she picked up another customer conversation in an attempt at nonchalance.

“I was traveling a bit…with my band—”

Wait, did Finn just say...

“With your band? You’re in a band..?” Rae asked, her eyebrows furrowing as in confusion as she was fairly sure that she had misheard what Finn said. 

Fucking hell, as if this bloke needed to get any more attractive!

“Yeah, I’m in a punk band…” 

Of course you are.

“And I play the bass.”

“Of course you fucking do!” Rae rolled her eyes as she said this, which caused Finn to laugh and grin at Rae and she quickly realized that she had said her last thought aloud.

"What's that supposed to mean, Mae? What's wrong with me being in a band and playing bass?" 

Well…shit.

"It's just I always find myself...drawn to guys—I mean people—that are in bands...so I guess I shouldn't be surprised that you're musically inclined as well"

"You say the weirdest things sometimes," Finn was still chuckling before he smiled at Rae and looked at her with his dark brown eyes full of sincerity, "but I love that about you. I like talking to you, and in case you haven't noticed, I don't really like talking to anyone."

"Well...I like talking to you too, and I'm very selective about who I talk to." Rae replied, her cheeks still tinged slightly pinker than they would usually be.

"So I guess I'm one lucky guy, huh?" Finn smirked and winked at Rae but did not turn his desk chair away from her even as she returned her eyes to her computer screen to continue assisting customers.

"I, uh...I really missed you Rae...like probably too much," Finn chuckled nervously before continuing. "How was your Christmas? What gifts did you get? Don't spare me the details! I haven’t been able to see ya or talk to ya in weeks and I want to know all about it, girl!”

"My Christmas was okay,” Rae began shifting nervously about being the center of attention as Finn remained focused on her, not even making an attempt to seem like he was actually working, “I spent the day with my family and I did a lot of cooking. And for presents I mostly just got some new clothes, some proper baking equipment so I can bake more often and work on my decorating skills, and a new record player.”

“That’s great, Rae! I’m so glad to hear that you got some nice gifts. And it’s so fucking cool that you got a record player! Did you get any records or do you already have some?” Finn asked, his eyes shining with a child-like happiness as he dove into yet another discussion about music with Rae that he has missed dearly in the weeks he has been gone.

“Yeah, I got a few records…Nirvana, Pearl Jam, The Offspring, and The Ramones…most of them are just the Greatest Hits compilations, but yeah…I’m really excited to give’em a spin!”

“That’s a great start to a collection, Rae! I have a few records of my own that I think you might like, so just let me know if you ever wanna borrow some or, erm, hang out and listen to music together or whatever…” Finn broke eye contact for the first time during their conversation and looked down at his lap as he bounced his left leg rapidly and began biting the skin around his thumb nail.

“I’d love that, Finn! Thank you!” Rae added in a reassuring tone that made Finn smile and eased some of his tension and concerns.

“And you said you also got some new baking equipment or something?”

“Uh, yeah! I got a standing mixer and some new baking pans and trays, and some interchangeable decorating tips and stencils. I only had the basics at my apartment before this, so I’m happy that now I can learn new techniques and hone my decorating skills some more.”

Finn smiled as he noticed the light that came into Rae’s eyes when she was talking about something that she loves and truly enjoys. She noticed him grinning at her and tilted her head to the side in confusion. 

What did I say to make Finn look at me like that?

“You really love cooking and baking, huh?” Finn asked with genuine curiosity.

“I suppose so. I think it’s fun and a good way to relax…and I’ve had a number of people tell me I’m quite good at it, so I might as well enjoy cooking, right?” Rae replied, trying to downplay her passion for cooking and come across as casual as possible.

“I know you can bake—fuck, as if I could ever forget the cupcakes you made—but you seem like you’re a really good cook just in general.” Rae shrugged and blushed a bit at his flattery, but Finn was not content with her humbly brushing off the compliment.

“I’m serious, Rae! You could totally compete in those cooking show competitions! You know, like Chopped or Iron Chef or something like that…You would most likely win too!”

“Okay Finnley, I think you’re giving me a little bit too much credit for someone who has only ever tasted one thing I’ve cooked…”

“Perhaps you’re right…maybe you should cook me a romantic dinner one of these days and then I can truly be the judge of your talents.” Finn wiggled his eyebrows and winked at Rae, which made her blush and chuckle nervously. 

Finn is just joking, surely. He can’t be seriously about us having dinner together, obviously…but why does the look in his eyes give the impression that he meant what he said..?

Finn noticed Rae’s silence as she over-analyzed what he had said and wrongly interpreted it, assuming that his attempt at flirting had made her uncomfortable, so he quickly tried to get the conversation back on track. 

“No, but seriously. I don’t think I’m giving you too much credit, Rae…that one cupcake was more than enough to convince me. I just…I-I know that you’re amazing at everything you set your mind to and I can see the passion in your eyes when you talk about cooking.” Finn looked at Rae and smiled when the intensity of his stare cause her to look away before he continued.

“So even if you don’t believe it yet yourself, I know you have the talent and passion and I look forward to the day that I see you on TV and can brag to everyone I know that I was lucky enough to taste your cupcakes. And I’m gonna be so proud of you, girl!”

Rae was at a loss for words and was not entirely sure how to react to the unwavering confidence and belief Finn has in her abilities as a chef.

She tuned slightly in her chair to say something but her train of thought was completely derailed when she saw that Finn was still smiling at her, but he was paying extra attention to her facial features to get a better reading of her reaction.

Holy shit…is it possible that Finn could have gotten MORE fit in the two weeks since I saw him last? He’s so hot I could probably forgo the oven and bake cookies directly on this beautiful bloke in front of me!

Rae chuckled, which caused Finn to quirk an eyebrow up in confusion, and she shook the humorous thought of baking cookies directly on Finn’s naked torso from her mind before finally responding.

“Thank you, Finn. I don’t think I’ve ever known someone with so much faith in me or my cooking abilities…so I really appreciate that,” Rae cleared her throat before continuing, “Anyways! Enough about me and my life these last few weeks…you were off traveling with your fucking punk band! That’s amazing! How was that? What all did you do? Don’t spare me the details either.”

“Yeah, it was pretty great…at first…the first few shows we did were really good and we had a good sized crowd that listened to us even though we were only the opening act. But after about a week, all of us were missing our girlfriends and the people we had waiting for us here at home…And you never really know how much of a twat some of your friends are until you travel and share hotels with them non-stop for a week!”

Rae laughed and turned slightly to face Finn more directly as he continued with his story.

“Our last show was supposed to be on Christmas Eve—so I wasn’t going to be back with my family for Christmas—but we had our van broken into and stolen from the parking lot of our hotel one night, so we had to cancel the rest of our shows because all our equipment and a lot of our stuff was inside the van that was taken…”

“Holy shit, Finn! Are you serious? I am so sorry to hear that.” Rae met Finn’s gaze and his grimace turned into some semblance of a genuine smile when he saw the sincerity and overwhelming sympathy in Rae’s eyes.

“Yeah…it was pretty shitty…but this meant we were able to head home four days early and spend Christmas with our loved ones, so that was a blessing in disguise, I suppose.” Finn replied as he shrugged his shoulders.

“That’s a good way to look at it Finn! What did you and your family do for Christmas?”

“Nothing too interesting. It were just me, my dad, my stepmom, and my two sisters. I got some new clothes as well, a really nice blanket, and a popcorn popper from my family…I just felt really guilty that I didn’t have gifts to give them in return.”

Rae tilted her head to one side and furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, waiting for Finn to go on. Finn proceeded to tell Rae that the day before their van was stolen, him and his band mates had spent their free day visiting the shops around the town they were in to get the last of their Christmas gifts for family, friends, and significant others.

“Well, ya see, all the gifts I gotten for people were in the back of the van that got stolen…” As the understanding sunk in, Rae gasped and gave Finn an apologetic look as he continued telling the story.

“I was gutted to see that everything I had was taken because some of the gifts had sentimental value and special meaning—they weren’t just bought from a store—so it’ll be nearly impossible for me to replace all the gifts, but I am gonna try. Do you think people will be upset that I couldn’t give them a gift?” Finn broke eye contact, shifting his gaze to examine his fingernails that he had bitten down significantly while coping with recent stressful events. 

“Finn, of course not!” Rae finished the message she was typing before reaching her left hand over to gently squeeze his hands where they rested on the desk beside her before continuing, “This wasn’t your fault at all, so anyone should be able to understand why you weren’t able to give them a gift. It means enough that you tried and that you are trying to make it up to them, I honestly don’t even think you should concern yourself with what other people will think. If you have the right people in your life, they will be more than understanding of the situation…”

Rae studied Finn’s face, which was now turned slightly away from her as he stared at the ground, and the panic began to set in as she began to second-guess what she had just said to him. Finn then looked up at Rae from under his thick eyebrows and a grin spread slowly across his face when their eyes met.

“I’m not sure how, but I had a feeling you’d say something like that, Rae,” Finn finally replied, chuckling nervously as he ran his fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck, “I like that mentality.”

Rae and Finn fell into a comfortable silence for the remaining hour of her shift, as she kept responding to customers and Finn began assisting the first customers of his shift despite being logged into his computer for a few hours.

When the clocks on the wall nearest to them chimed, signaling the new hour, Rae logged off of her computer and stood from her desk chair to leave.

“Okay, I’m leaving for the day. It was really nice to see ya today, Finn…” 

Don’t you say it, Rae…Don’t you dare fucking say it!

“I, uh…I really missed you while you were gone too, Finn.” 

Fuck…you said it.

Rae hurried out of the building, not willing to wait for Finn’s response to her admitting that she had missed him, as she was sure that his reaction would not be a good one.

***

As she walked along the perimeter of the building toward the seating area in which a number of shaded stone tables served as the designated “smoking area” near their office complex, Rae took a seat at one of the tables that was in direct sunlight in an attempt to recover some of the warmth she had been lacking inside the building for the last few hours.

Rae was sitting at this table for a few minutes, drinking the remainder of her energy drink and scrolling through her social media accounts when she noticed someone walking quickly towards the table she was sitting at.

“Fancy seeing you here! Why are you sitting out here alone?”

Rae looked up to see Finn standing in front of the table she was sitting at and she could clearly tell that he was debating if he should take a seat as well or not.

“Hiya Finn…I haven’t seen you in ages!” Rae joked before continuing, “I was really cold, so I wanted to warm up a bit before walking home so I’m sitting here in the sun…and I wanted to finish drinking my energy drink…”

“Well…I can think of a few things we could do that could warm ya up…” Finn replied with a smirk as he sat down at the opposite side of the table facing Rae, which caused her to blush a deep red color.

“So…uh…what are you doing out here, Finn?”

“I’m on my break. Normally I like to walk laps around the building to get my blood pumping a bit or I’ll go get some food or coffee, but while I was walking today I saw you sitting here and well…”

“Oh! I’m sorry I’m ruining your break time. I can leave if ya want—”

“No! I mean…you don’t have to leave on my account. I want to sit and talk to you for a bit while I’m on break, if that’s alright with you. We still have a lot of making up for lost time to do, girl!”

“Okay…so what do ya wanna talk about, Finnley?”

“Uhm…do you wanna hear about a couple of my New Year’s resolutions?” Rae nodded and took another sip of her energy drink, giving Finn an encouraging smile as she waited for him to speak.

“Well…I want to start going to the gym more often. To get a bit healthier and build some muscles, you know? And…uh…I really want to stop smoking.”

“That’s great Finn! I’m happy to hear you’re making some choices to put your health first in this upcoming year.”

“Yeah…I mean, I don’t like that I smoke and I know a lot of people that matter to me that don’t like when the people around them smoke, so I’m willing to make those changes for them and for myself.”

Rae took another drink of her energy drink and watched in curiosity as Finn rolled an acorn back and forth on top of the table before he looked up to meet her eyes.

“What about you, Rae? Do you have any New Year’s resolutions?”

“Uh, not really. I don’t think they’re very effective—for me at least—and I almost never accomplish them, so I rarely make resolutions…I do, however, like to assess what the year that is ending meant for me and what I want the next year to bring…in general terms, at least.”

“So what do you want the year 2017 to bring you?”

“Well in 2016, I experienced a lot of high highs and low lows…and…well, I don’t really know how to say this without ranting about the intricacies of my screwed up life, but…”

“Rae, I understand if you don’t wanna tell me, but I just want to let you know you can tell me anything. I won’t judge you and even if I can’t help, I can promise you that I will try my fucking best to help however I can….I want you to trust me, Rae.”

Rae was caught off-guard by his sincerity as she searched his eyes for any indication that he did not mean what he was saying.

“Okay…well, I’ve had a rough few years. And by that, I suppose I mean that the last six years of my life have been very difficult and almost always seemed to be getting worse with each passing year…but even just the small changes I’ve made in my life in the last few months I think are small steps towards where I want to be…So I want 2017 to help me realize who are my true friends and help me surround myself with people that genuinely care for me and want me to be happy. I also want to keep working towards loving myself and embracing who I am at this point in my life, and yeah…I guess my new year’s resolution for 2017 would just be to be happy.” 

She took a deep breath and before she could psych herself out of saying what was on the tip of her tongue, Rae added “And I'm not entirely sure why, but I do trust you Finn…” 

As soon as the words left her lips, she immediately looked down at her hands on top of the stone table and busied herself with examining her long, polished red fingernails. 

“Oh, Rae…I’m so glad you felt comfortable telling me that and you don't know how happy I am to hear that you trust me,” he paused briefly and stared at her with a gentle smile until she looked up to meet his eyes and he continued, “I want you to be happy, girl. I know that you especially deserve to be happy because you’re world-class…and no, Rae, I’m not just saying that to be nice. I mean it. And I want to do whatever I can as your coworker and close mate and…well, whatever you want me to be, to help you be happy.” 

How did I get lucky enough to know such a fit boy that also has a heart of gold? I must have won the lottery or stepped into a parallel universe because this sort of shit never happens to Rae Earl…

Rae and Finn kept talking about everything and anything, just enjoying the pleasantly warm afternoon weather and each other’s company when Finn happened to glance at his phone to check the time.

“Shit…my break ended a while ago. I should probably head back to work now…I suppose. So...what your plans for the rest of the day, Rae?” Finn asked as he begrudgingly stood from the table and gave Rae a shy smile.

“My plans…for the rest of today? Well I was just gonna go back to my apartment…but I think maybe I’ll go to the Secret Garden instead.”

“Wait…Did you say, uh, ‘secret garden’…?”

“Yeah! It’s this little garden on campus where I’ve been growing some plants and vegetables for the last couple months…it’s well-hidden and almost no one knows about it, so it’s my secret garden. I like going there to just relax, or listen to music and think from time to time…”

“Oh, that’s so cool, Rae! And that sounds like a lot of fun…I wish I could come along so you could show me around your secret garden and I can just keep hanging out with you…but instead I have to go back to work.” 

Wait a second! Did Finn just openly admit how much he wants to keep hanging out with me and have me show him around my garden?

Every sexual innuendo Rae's friends have been making for the last few month since Rae took this gardening class came to mind and she tried to contain the giggle and ignore the blush that was creeping into her cheeks at the memory of Chloe’s advice to try to find a nice bloke who wanted to explore Rae's “lady garden”. 

FOCUS RAE! Finn Nelson just told you how much he'd rather spend time with you than go back to work...and he's clearly interested in exploring your secret garden, which could be literal or figurative and mean something sexual...in either case, I'm not complaining, but you have to say something! And DON’T FUCK IT UP, RAE!

“Uhm...well, I wish we could keep chatting and hanging out too, but you've already missed two weeks of work and what kind of influence would I be on you if I was the reason you ditch work less than halfway through your first day back?”

“I don't care...being with you is worth getting in trouble for missing work…” Finn replied almost immediately.

“Well I'm flattered you think that, Finn, but I just couldn't do that in good conscience. But…” Rae paused for dramatic effect and to ensure that she had Finn’s undivided attention, “I'd be more than happy to give you a personal tour of my garden another time, okay? So just consider this a rain check yeah?”

“Yeah, okay! I just hope it's soon...I'm excited to see this ‘secret garden’ of yours and experience it first-hand…” Finn added with a wink and his signature crooked smirk. 

Yup...that’s most definitely a euphemism…

 “I look forward to seeing you again very soon, Rae!”

“Yeah, for sure. Enjoy the rest of your shift at work, Finnley!”

He was already walking away quickly as she said this, since his fifteen minute break was going on nearly thirty minutes now and he couldn't risk being any later than he already was, but he turned back to face Rae where she still sat at the stone table before sighing longingly and adding, “Without you there, girl? It's impossible for me to enjoy work anymore when you're not around me...take care, love!” And he quickly turned and kept walking until he was out of Rae's line of sight. 

Holy shit...I have so much new information and stories to share with the girls now that Finn is back in town and back in my life!

Rae sighed dreamily and as she walked to her Uni campus and into the secret garden to tend to her plants. 

This handsome dickhead gives me heart palpitations in the best ways possible…

And as she watered her bush of luscious red roses that were just beginning to bloom, she could not wipe the dopey lovesick grin from her face as her favorite cover of Can't Help Falling in Love crooned from her Bluetooth speakers.

@eveerez @tinakegg @hey1tskat1e @bitchesbecrazy89 @kneekeyta @milllott @protectfinnnelson @arathewallflower @jackiewalsh2013 @pink-royaute @i-dream-of-emus @lurkernolonger @bitchy-broken

A/N: Hey there! I'm back again lol. So I'm at a point where I can take this story in two very different directions, but I have not decided which just yet. I want to do right by you all, the readers, but I also want to stay true to myself and gain some form of catharsis because I have literally been detailing some of my most recent relationship drama under the guise of MMFD fanfic for like 10? chapters now...so we'll just have to wait and see where the story takes me...in the meantime: I'm always here to answer your questions, gossip about MMFD and other MMFD fanfics, and get to know you guys, so...let's be friends, yeah? 😘😁😁😘