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just-dino-maggie · 2 years ago

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Hi! Could you do maybe an angsty blurb for Trevor Zegras?

Maybe something like you and him have been friends forever and you’ve always liked him but never told him. Then you decide to finally tell him and he only sees you as a friend.

Just Friends Part 1

Part 2 Part 3

Thank you so much for the request, I don’t usually write angst but I hope you like it!

Trevor and I first met in sophomore year of high school. I was in chemistry with him and some other USNTDP guys. Growing up in the Ann Arbor area then moving to Canton, I’ve seen a lot of these guys pass throughout my life. One of my older brothers played U17’s with USA hockey and my other brothers befriended the USA guys when they came to Michigan. A few of them even dated my friends sisters.

I could never escape them and seeing Trevor in class everyday made me realize that I didn’t want to. Alex Turcotte and I got close after I helped him pass Brit Lit and The guys took me in; especially the Hughes. My older brother was great friends with Quinn already so they were happy to have the both of us over.

Eventually I grew close with crew that was Cole, Trevor, Jack and Alex. I went to all of their games, attended every party. Even though I was always their DD I never minded. I belonged and that was all that mattered to me. I fell easily for Trevor. What is there not to fall for? I’ve always been insecure, introverted in a lot of ways. He noticed me and even flirted with me. I never told anyone but I was head over heels in love with Trevor Zegras

When they all got drafted I thought it was the end. That I was some girl they were happy to entertain in high school but not as they got older. For the most part I was wrong. They all kept in touch and I would join them every year in the summers at the Hughes lake house. I would try to visit all of them, Jack the most because I chose a college in Ohio and he lives in New Jersey.

Now at 22 I’m still friends with all of them. It feels amazing. Well besides with Trevor. Seeing him with other girls makes me want to lock myself away. After too long of not seeing him and Alex I decided to take a surprise trip to California.

I started in Ontario (California), Alex was so excited when I showed up at his door. I forced him not to tell Trevor I was coming. He showed me to all of his favorite spots, I met his teammates. It was wonderful but all I could think about was Trevor.

Now I stand at his door and knock. I can hear rumbling inside like someone is running. The door opens and standing in front of me is a freckled brunette. “Hi, you must be Jamie. I’m Y/n, I’ve heard so much about you.” I try to keep my voice low as a shake his hand. “I’m here to see Trevor.”

“Right your Trevor’s Y/n,” he says with a knowing smile. My stomach flips. I’m so nervous and he just called me Trevor’s. “Z someone’s here for you!” He smiles and leaves me standing at the door.

I look down at my feet until I hear a voice, “Y/n?”

“Hey Trev, long time no see.” I smile and he rushes toward me picking me up into a hug. I hold him like my life depends on it, I’ve missed him so much.

After a minute he puts me down and looks at me like I’m not real. “I can’t believe you’re really here!” He grabs my hand, “Come on let’s go catch up!”

We drive to a coffee shop that he goes to every day, or so I’m told. The whole way there the car is filled with the sound of his voice. Talking my ear off and catching me up on everything that’s going on with him.

When we finally sit down at the coffee shop he orders himself a black iced coffee and a hot chocolate for me. He knows that I don’t like coffee. The waitress keeps hitting on him and he is reciprocating. I sink into my seat. I know how this works. I’ve seen all the other guys act like players but it’s so much worse seeing Trevor do it.

When the waitress finally leaves the table Trevor looks at me. “Hey what’s wrong?” He reaches out to grab my hand but I pull it away.

“Don’t do that.” I say, “Please.”

His eyebrows furrow, “Y/n tell me why you’re upset.”

“Trevor you know, let’s not pretend you don’t.” I lower my voice hoping that it won’t feel as real if I say it quietly. “I’ve loved you for years.”

His eyes widen, “Oh.”

“This was a mistake.” I rush out of the booth heading for the door. I can feel the tears welling in my eyes and by the time I’ve hit the parking lot I’m weeping openly.

I can hear Trevor follow me out. I have no where to go so I turn around and face him. “I’m so sorry,” he says and places his lips on my forehead. “I’m so so sorry. I’ve wished I could feel that way for you but I just can’t. I hate that I made you cry please don’t cry.”

He’s pleading and holding my face in hands. My sobs keep flowing, I can’t even open my eyes. “I should leave. I need to go home.”

“I can’t lose you like this. Can’t we just be friends like we always have?”

I look in his tear filled blue eyes. They have hope in them, he doesn’t even know that the words he just said were the most heartbreaking part. We can’t go back to being friends “like we always have”. To me he was everything. He was the sun, the moon, and the stars. We were never just friends.

“You’ll never lose me.” I lie, a beautiful lie I’ve been telling myself for years. Postponing the inevitable. I can’t hold on to something I never had, at least not forever. So I simply hold on for a few more hours as we drive back to his place.

He leaves to grab dinner and I beg Jamie to take me to the airport. I fly away from California without looking back. I feel my heart burst as I block him on everything.

Even amongst all this pain I can’t help but think that someday I will find him again and my broken heart will mend. I will finally be whole. Untill then I will remain as I always have, broken and meaningless. For what has meaning without love?

#trevor zegras #trevor zegras imagine #nhl imagine #nhl blurb #trevor zegras blurb #alex turcotte #jack hughes #hughes brothers #cole caufield #angsty #usntdp #usa hockey

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embraceorthodontics4 · 2 years ago

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Invisalign Ann Arbor Mi

Invisalign is a type of orthodontic treatment that uses a series of clear plastic aligners to straighten teeth. The aligners are custom-made for each patient and are worn for about two weeks at a time. Invisalign is a popular choice for adults because it is nearly invisible and does not require metal brackets or wires.

Invisalign is a technology used to straighten teeth. It is made up of a series of clear, custom-made aligners that fit over your teeth. Each aligner moves your teeth closer to the desired position. You wear them for 22 hours a day and then switch to the next aligner in the series.

Who Can Wear Invisalign?

Some people are good candidates for Invisalign because their teeth are relatively straight and they only need minor corrections. Others might be good candidates because they have a busy lifestyle and need a treatment that doesn't require them to attend frequent dentist appointments. Ultimately, your dentist will be able to tell you if Invisalign is a good option for you.

Benefits Of Invisalign:

Invisalign is a great way to straighten your teeth without the hassle of traditional braces. There are many benefits to using Invisalign, including:

1. Invisalign is nearly invisible: You can straighten your teeth without anyone knowing you are going under orthodontic treatment.

2. Invisalign is comfortable: There are no wires or brackets like metal braces to irritate your mouth.

3. Invisalign is removable: You can take your Invisalign trays out to eat, brush your teeth, and floss.

4. Invisalign is affordable: Invisalign is a cost-effective way to straighten your teeth.

If you are considering Invisalign, be sure to ask your Orthodontist about the benefits of Invisalign. Invisalign can give you a straighter, more confident smile!

How Long Does Invisalign Treatment Take?

Invisalign is a popular alternative to traditional braces. It is a series of clear aligners that you wear for about two weeks at a time. How long it takes to work depends on your specific situation. Typically, you will see results within six to twelve months.

Who Is A Good Candidate For Invisalign?

Invisalign is a great choice for people with mild to moderate cases of crooked teeth. It is also a good option for people who want to avoid the look and feel of traditional braces. Invisalign is not recommended for people with severe cases of misaligned teeth.

Embrace Orthodontics

Embrace Orthodontics in Ann Arbor MI, are devoted to providing you with a better quality of life, through our great orthodontic care. We are dedicated to obtaining great results with our orthodontic treatments and to fostering a friendly, comfortable, and open environment in our Ann Arbor office. If you are looking for Invisalign Ann Arbor Mi Visit us or schedule an appointment today!

#Invisalign Ann Arbor Mi #Orthodontic treatment #invisalign aligners

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wineisdivinepdx · 2 years ago

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Longhorn with a Wolverine Heart

I enjoyed watching Michigan annihilate Ohio State on Saturday. Growing up not far from Ann Arbor & literally cutting my teeth as a Michigan fan during the Bo Schembechler years will instill a deep seeded loathing for all things Ohio State & a love for the yearly battle on the gridiron, football’s greatest rivalry.

I’ll confess that when I attended UT Austin, I found it difficult to share in school spirit over Longhorn football. My Wolverine fan DNA was forged deep in my youth. Other things bothered me, too. Watching games, early in the season, with temps in the 90s wasn’t very football or autumn-like. I thought Memorial Stadium was a laugh compared to the Big House. Maize and Blue, those are football colors. Burnt Orange, not so much. Then there are the UT rivalries. The Sooners and “The Red River Shootout” as it used to be called didn’t stir my blood like “The Game.” And the Aggies, don’t get me started. I just always thought they were a bunch of goofenheimers and their insistent calling us “TU,” like they’re THE University of Texas? Please. That’s hilarious.

Being a Longhorn with a Wolverine heart is not easy. Yes, I rooted for Vince Young & the Longhorns in the stunning 2005 Rose Bowl victory over Michigan. I truly felt guilty though like I was doing something wrong.

Austin was home for 22 years and that town revolves around politics, music and UT football. I just was never that fired up about It. I am proud of my education. Don’t get me wrong. Four in my family have graduated from UT Austin, soon to be five in fact.

The day came when Anne and I packed up and left the UT kingdom for a new life in Oregon. If having a Wolverine heart was difficult in Austin, being in Portland was more challenging, a grueling nine year exercise in holding my tongue. How do I feel about the Ducks? I’ve kept my opinion to myself for this long. Why ruin a good thing?

Being back home is a relief. I don’t have to pretend anymore and I feel strangely blissful in unanticipated ways such as when I hear people talking about Michigan sports and I feel connected to them, to my home state and my past. Also just being back where we have a proper autumn, the best backdrop for enjoying football, which makes everything seem more visceral.

Watching this regular, undefeated season has been sublime, and the thorough crushing of the Buckeyes was the icing on the cake. GO BLUE!

#university of michigan #michigan wolverines #texas longhorns #university of texas #ann arbor #austin #the big house #the game #go blue #home

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lukeevangelista · 3 years ago

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first date - ethan edwards

here is the first date to my love triangle series!!! this is eddys date with the reader.

here is love triangle if you missed it!! this was posted weeks ago but i didn’t have inspiration for these until @hockey-lover-22 helped me with ideas so thank her for these!!

marks date will be posted on 4/7 or 4/8.

warnings: cussing, fluffiness and not edited.

——————————————————————————-

“you ready to go?” ethan grinned at you as you opened the door, allowing him in your dorm.

“yeah, just give me a couple of minutes.” you stated as you walked back to your little vanity, ethan taking a seat on your bed.

“you look pretty.” he commented as he scrolled on his phone, typing a message before shoving his phone into his pocket.

“thank you.” you replied, blushing. even though you weren’t sure how you felt about either boy, getting a compliment from either of them would sure put redness on your face.

“so what’s the plan?” he asked. he had something planned, but he just wanted to kid around.

“uh- what? i thought you had-“

“chill, i’m kidding.” he laughed, watching the panic wash off your face, “i was thinking mini golf and then ice cream somewhere?”

“that sounds perfect.” you smiled at him as you put your makeup brush in its holder before walking to your closet and grabbing your shoes, slipping them on quickly.

“ready?”

“ready.”

———

“here, let me help you.” ethan cheekily as he walked behind you, placing his hands on top of yours, guiding club towards the golf ball.

“i’m not that bad at mini golf.” you laughed, leaning your head back on his chest causing him to place a kiss below your ear.

“i know, but it gives me a reason to hold you.” he whispered as he trailed kisses to the back of your neck before pulling away, a grin placed on his lips. you could feel chills take over your body, your heart racing as you turned in his arms.

“smooth edwards, smooth.”

“smooth like butter.” he grinned back, you letting out a cackle as he went to his ball, putting it in the hole.

“i win.” he whispered as he wrapped his arms around you again, your heart fluttering.

“did you now?” you asked, looking up at him, your lips awfully close to each other.

“can y’all move?” someone interrupted you two causing you to jump apart.

“uh yeah, sorry man.” ethan apologized, throwing his hand up at the dude and his girl that commented to you two.

—

“how is your ice cream?” he asked as the two of you walked downtown ann arbor, one arm thrown around your shoulder, the other holding his ice cream.

“its great.” you said as you smacked your lips, exaggerating.

“it’d be even better if you just..” ethan slowly moved his ice cream to your face, him smashing it on your lips.

“ethan!” you giggled as you almost dropped yours as you pulled yourself back, trying to get the frozen milk off your face, “i’m going to kill you!” you laughed.

“here let me help you.” he commented as he pulled you into his arms, one hand going to your waist and the other using the napkin he had in his pocket to wipe your face. he eyes looked into yours and it didn’t take long before he planted his lips on yours, them moving in sync.

“that was a great..” you started as you two pulled away breathlessly.

“it was.” he grinned as he rested his forehead against yours.

——

“holy shit i think i like him.” you whispered to thomas, pulling your lip between your teeth.

“no. you have to wait for mark y/n.” he said, “you dont realize how excited mark is that he actually has a chance. he thought you were just going to go with ethan 100%, given your history.”

“i know.” you grumbled, “i feel bad because ethan kissed me-“

 “he what?” thomas almost shouted, you quickly shushing him, “he kissed you? fuck, that makes sense on why he was so giddy at practice.”

“i just hope he hasn’t said anything to anyone.” you replied.

“yeah, me too. mark would be devastated.”

———

“you what? way to go eddy.” briss laughed as he gave him a fist, bump, not realizing mark was also in the room as a couple of the boys talked about ethans date with you.

“yeah, we went golfing, i planted a couple seeds there and then we got ice cream and i shoved it in her face and i made my move there.” he grinned, still not seeing mark, but a couple of them had finally noticed him, motioning to ethan to shut up, which obviously he didn’t catch on to, “i genuinely had the best time and i think she did too. i’ve definitely got a chance.” he said, smugly.

“jesus fuck.” mark grumbled to himself as he shoved himself out of his seat, storming out of the room, the door slamming behind him. it didn’t take long for him to pull up your contact.

“so did you chose him?” he asked into the phone as soon as you answered.

“mark, what?” you asked, all confused.

“ethan. did you choose him?” he asked again, “because he’s at the house, talking about your date and how good of a time you two had and how he’s so sure you’re going to chose him! do you even still want to go out with me?” he hissed.

“no mark. i haven’t chosen anyone! i still want to give you a chance too, so don’t start that.” you stated calmly.

“okay.” he whispered, “I’m sorry..” he trailed off.

“dont be.” you replied, “you have nothing to be sorry for.” you stated, “but i was thinking. instead of waiting till next week, how about we do something tomorrow instead?” you offered, him quickly accepting and stating when he’d pick you up, all excited.

——

“hey.” ethan grinned at you as he sat down beside you at the table you two usually sat at.

“hi.” you said flatly.

“what’s wrong? i literally just sat down, so there’s no way i already did something.” he joked.

“i heard about the whole mark conversation.” you commented as you popped a carrot into your mouth.

“oh.”

“yeah.”

“well it doesn’t matter. you’re still going out with him and then you’re going to chose.” he shrugged, “anyways, would you want to study with me tonight?” he asked, “i’ll even buy takeout, my treat.”

“i can’t.”

“why not?” he pouted.

“i’ve got a date tonight.”

that stumped ethan. he was confused. he knew that your date with mark wasnt until the following week, so who else was in the picture that he didnt know about?

“with who?” he asked.

“is that any of your business?” you asked, clearly annoyed.

“well, yeah, kinda.” he muttered.

“if you must know, we moved out date up to tonight.”

“i thought it was friday?” he asked.

“it was but we moved it up because we know how much fun were going to have.”

“so you didn’t have fun on our date?” he asked confused.

you shrugged as you stood up, grabbing your trash and leaving ethan alone with his thoughts.

he leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms and letting a sigh leave his lips.

“well fuck me.”

#ethan edwards imagine #ethan edwards #mark estapa imagine #mark estapa #nhl blurbs #nhl blurb #nhl imagine #nhl imagines #umich imagine #thomas bordeleau

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girlactionfigure · 3 years ago

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25 years ago June 22, Keshia Thomas was 18 years old when the KKK held a rally in her home town of Ann Arbor, Michigan. Hundreds of protesters turned out to tell the white supremacist organization that they were not welcome in the progressive college town. At one point during the event, a man with an SS tattoo and wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with a Confederate flag ended up on the protesters' side of the fence and a small group began to chase him. He was quickly knocked to the ground and kicked and hit with placard sticks.

As people began to shout, "Kill the Nazi," the high school student, fearing that mob mentality had taken over, decided to act. Thomas threw herself on top of one of the men she had come to protest, protecting him from the blows, and told the crowd that you "can't beat goodness into a person." In discussing her motivation for this courageous act after the event, she stated, "Someone had to step out of the pack and say, 'this isn't right'... I knew what it was like to be hurt. The many times that that happened, I wish someone would have stood up for me... violence is violence - nobody deserves to be hurt, especially not for an idea."

Thomas never heard from the man after that day but months later, a young man came up to her to say thanks, telling her that the man she had protected was his father. For Thomas, learning that he had a son brought even greater significance to her heroic act. As she observed, "For the most part, people who hurt... they come from hurt. It is a cycle. Let's say they had killed him or hurt him really bad. How does the son feel? Does he carry on the violence?"

Mark Brunner, the student photographer who took this now famous photograph, added that what was so remarkable was who Thomas saved: "She put herself at physical risk to protect someone who, in my opinion, would not have done the same for her. Who does that in this world?"

In response to those who argued that the man deserved a beating or more, Pulitzer Prize-winning commentator Leonard Pitts Jr. offered this short reflection in The Miami Herald: "That some in Ann Arbor have been heard grumbling that she should have left the man to his fate, only speaks of how far they have drifted from their own humanity. And of the crying need to get it back.

Keshia's choice was to affirm what they have lost.

Keshia's choice was human.

Keshia's choice was hope."

A Mighty Girl

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broadstbroskis · 5 years ago

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present tense | matthew tkachuk

back on my childhood friends to (enemies to) lovers bullshit here! have a nice 5k matty fic that was not the fic i set out to write and is far better for it! one flashback-ish area set in italics! enjoy!

-----

There’s a picture that sits on the desks in both of your dad’s offices-in the Blues training facility and over at Enterprise Arena-that everytime you look at you can’t help but scoff in disgust. Sometimes you even flip the picture down, if it stirs up particularly loathsome feels at that moment in time. But each time you end up back in his office, the picture’s back standing, in its usual place front and center on his desk.

You can’t figure out why. Sure, you’re by far his favorite kid (suck it, Josh and Seth), but for him to keep a picture that’s close to fifteen years old on his desk that features you just cheesing it up with a guy you can’t even stand anymore is a little ridiculous.

“Just because you don’t like Matthew anymore doesn’t mean the rest of us don’t,” Your dad tells you bluntly, anytime you try to mention that fact to him, which you definitely should have known better. He and Keith had only become better friends since Keith’s transition to his front office role.

“I still don’t understand what went wrong with you two.” Your mom huffs. It’s the biggest tragedy of her and Chantal Tkachuk’s lives, the day that you and Matthew were no longer best friends and neither of them ever miss a chance to lament that fact. “Best friends one day and then not the next. What could possibly have happened that can’t be fixed?”

“Can’t fix asshole!” You respond cheerily.

“YN!” Your mom snaps.

“What?” You shrug. “It’s self-proclaimed!” She gives you a look and even though you are 22 years old, you know what thin ice looks like, so you merely smile back at her.

And there’s the other thing. For all that you can barely stand to be in the same room as your former best friend, the rest of your family loves him. Your dad and Seth will golf with Matt and Keith once a week now that it’s summer and he’s back in town. Josh invited both Matt and Brady to his fucking bachelor party this summer. The entire family will be at his wedding!

You literally couldn’t escape the guy. Your summer had barely just begun; it was only a few days after graduation, and already the pressure was on to keep applying for jobs or decide to go on for a Masters. Josh’s wedding was fast approaching and Nicole had the entire bridal party running all around St. Louis in preparation.

The last thing you wanted was to have to deal with Matty.

-----

From the minute you and Matthew Tkachuk were thrown together it’d been instant connection. You can’t recall the exact moment you’d met; you can, however, remember running through the halls of hockey games, trying to keep up with your older brothers at barbeques as Brady tried to keep up with the two of you, sharing secrets under blankets, and making promises to each other in the dark that you were too scared to make in the light.

Until you were sixteen, you’d both kept those promises, each and every one of them. The smallest things, like promising to bring two snacks to an after school event, to the biggest things, like always being there for each other.

You were Matty’s biggest cheerleader growing up, quite literally sometimes, showing up to his hockey games in your cheer uniform after a practice or competition. And even though it was clear from early on that Matty was destined for great things, he never made you feel like he’d be leaving you behind, celebrating all your accomplishments the same way you’d celebrated his (far more incredible) ones.

But the distance apart during his first year away at the NTDP changed something. You no longer had Matty to rely on to have your back unconditionally. He was up in Ann Arbor, crushing his dreams, and you were so happy for him, really, but that left you at home and for the first time, realizing what Matty’s dreams would really mean for your friendship long term. You threw yourself into cheer, into your other friends. When his responses to your texts took longer and longer to come, you realized that you were doing the same thing- what’s the rush to get back to someone who’s only going to take three days to respond to you?

And then summer rolled around and Matty came back and acted like nothing was different. He’d swept you up into his arms and twirled you around, proclaiming how much he missed you, while your families looked on and laughed, especially at how you’d whined at him for messing you your hair.

“You didn’t miss me?” He’d pouted, poking you until you’d admitted that you did, of course you did, and that brought the grin you knew and loved.

From that moment on, for the rest of summer, the two of you were inseparable. It’s like every minute you couldn’t spend together was a wasted one. For all the time that went between texts when he was away, your phone was blowing up now that he was back, unable to stop talking those scarce moments when you were apart.

It became expected, amongst both your friends, that if you invited one of you somewhere, the other was showing up as well. You were blowing off after-practice Starbucks runs for Matty to pick you up and get lunch. You’d found out later that he was moving workouts and basketball games with some buddies so they’d coincide with your practice times. Very quickly, you’d fallen back into old habits, but no one called you out on it, accepting both of you easily, and merging friend groups fairly seamlessly.

As the summer went on, the looming date of Matty leaving again started to hang over your head as the-thing-that-just-wasn’t-mentioned...but that didn’t mean it was ever far from your thoughts. It would pop in at the worst times- when the two of you were grabbing coffee and driving around, when you were lying by the pool for the afternoon, when you were bickering about what movie to watch that night.

You’d just wanted to forget for one night, that he’d be leaving you in just a week, and Paul Morgan’s house party seemed like the place to do it. There was cheap booze flowing, shitty beer in your cup, and it was easy enough to keep the smile on your face surrounded by your friends.

But you couldn’t shake Matty, the entire night, who was right on top of you, his arm wrapped around your shoulders first, and then playing with your hair, and then his palm splayed against your back. How were you supposed to forget that he was leaving you in seven short days when his thumb was brushing over your hip bone?

You’d shoved him away, offering some excuse about the bathroom, but going instead to hide in one of the rooms upstairs. The tears had started almost as soon as the door shut, your body shaking as you’d sat down on the bed. Was this going to be the new normal? Days without speaking, only the most vague responses when you did, barely knowing each other for most of the year, only for Matt to come home and cling to you for three months of the year?

That it was Matty who’d come to find you was entirely unsurprising, opening the door more gently than he did almost anything, but then rushing to your side once he saw your face and pressing to know what was wrong.

The combination of alcohol and nostalgia had gotten you. “I can’t do this every year, Matty. I can’t pretend everything is the same when you come home, when you’re away and we’re like total strangers.”

“So let’s not be.”

You’d laughed, pretty hollowly. “And how are we supposed to do-” But before you’d even finished, he’d kissed you.

There are things you remember so clearly from that night, your first time. The way Matty had looked at you anytime he pulled back from kissing you; the way he’d laced his fingers into yours as he’d entered you so carefully, like he was terrified of hurting you; how tenderly he kissed you each time he pressed his lips to yours. The fuzzier moments are some of the words he’d whispered to you both during and after, the things that sometimes return to you in a dream- how beautiful you were, how perfect this was, how much he adored you.

That he loved you, that he always would, that he only wanted you for forever.

Usually in your dreams, that was when you woke up. But at least you didn’t have to see him kissing another girl that way.

-----

Bridal showers were one of the worst things you could possibly think of, but you’d give anything to be at one of those stupid traditional showers where all the women sit in circle for hours and the old ladies cry over what great gifts all this stupid shit is, if it meant you didn’t have to see Matthew.

But no, Josh and Nicole had to go “non-traditional” and throw a co-ed shower. “We’ve already got a house.” You’d heard Nicole explain to yet another older relative, the same thing she’d said to the rest of the bridal party (granted, sounding much less like she’s tired of saying it) when she’d first tossed the idea out. “We don’t need a bunch of stuff we already have. We just want to get a bunch of our family and friends together.” And for you all to stock our bar, was the second part of the joke, and the theme of the party.

Nicole hadn’t looked stressed about this day- which was supposed to be a casual get-together at your parents with family and close friends-until the comments had started to rain. You can see the eye twitch start to go in your future sister-in-law and as she’s explaining the concept to another aunt of hers, you slip in next to her with another glass of champagne. “Can I steal you please?”

“Of course!” She beams, excusing herself from that group. “What’s up?”

“Nothing, I just don’t want you to murder anyone before you marry my brother this summer!”

She laughs. “Thank you. For the record, the same goes.”

“Me? What have I done today? Seth is the one who opened that $600 bottle of wine accidentally!”

She gives you a look. “I saw the Tkachuk’s walk in, including Matt. Be nice.”

“I will if he is.” You say childishly, sipping on your own glass of champagne.

It’s just your luck, though, that I saw the Tkachuk’s walk in means here they come now. In classic Tkachuk fashion, Keith and all three kids are shoving each other around, and Chantal is rolling her eyes, right up until the moment they reach you and Nicole, when Keith sends once final shot at Matthew, before regrouping to congratulate her along with his wife.

“Where’s that brother of yours?” Keith wonders, craning his neck. “We’ve got some putting to discuss today.”

“Here we go again.” Taryn mutters, rolling her eyes.

“Hey now!” Matt protests. “Joe and I won that fair and square. We’re just better golfers than you two.”

“Better cheaters, more like.” You mutter into your champagne glass, but it’s just loud enough for everyone to hear and Keith and Taryn laugh even as Nicole and Chantal sigh, like ugh, this already.

“No need to cheat when you’re just this good.” Matty grins back sleazily. It seems to be the smile he reserves specially for you; you’ve never seen him break it out for anyone else.

You plaster the fakest smile on your face. There’s no reason for you to be so hurt by an otherwise innocent comment-after all, despite him professing how much he loved you, you were never actually together-but even now, you can’t help the feeling that hits you when he even mentions the word cheat. “Well you’d know best, wouldn’t you?” You say, managing to feign a cheerful tone to make your fake smile.

Chantal smiles, not catching the dig you’d intended it to be. “Well it’s nice to see that the two of you are at least capable of putting your differences aside.”

“Yeah, my wedding is looking so much more promising!” Nicole teases.

“I wouldn’t get your hopes up. Even if Matty manages to control himself enough to not start a fight, you’ve still got Seth to worry about.” You nod over at your brother, who’s apparently already given up on glassware, and is carrying around the $600 bottle of wine he’d cracked open earlier in the afternoon.

“Yeah, and even if YN manages not to shit-talk all the other guests, I’m sure Joe and Dad over here will throw something out there as soon as they get a few in them.” Matthew snarks back.

“Well that lasted long.” Keith says pleasantly, like his own son hadn’t just rudely thrown him under the bus.

“We shouldn’t have expected less.” You hear Nicole say, but you’re too busy arguing with Matthew about which one of you is going to be worse at her wedding to respond.

-----

The worst thing to come out of the summer that you and Matt had spent attached at the hip only to end up hating each other is that it had actually made your separate friend groups become friends. So now anytime he was home, it was fairly common for a large group chat to go out to round up the squad for a night out.

Which meant yet another night where you were stuck with Matthew.

Even more annoyingly, when he does show up at the bar, he’s nothing but nice. He immediately waves off cards from everyone, offering to pick up the tab for the night. You’re shocked when he remembers that Mel, your best friend, is going to med school in the fall, and he shows, like, genuine interest in her move to Boston and offers her a few places he remembers from Brady’s short time there or recommendations from friends.

“You’re being ridiculous.” Mel says, when she drags you out on the dance floor.

“Says who?” You return petulantly, like you have no idea that she’s talking about the sour face that you’ve been making most of the night.

“Um, all of us.” Mel tells you. “Behind your backs, because we think whatever happened between you and Matt is dumb.”

“You talk about us behind our backs?” You cry, outraged.

“Well if the two of you aren’t going to tell us what happened to our faces, then we had to speculate somewhere!”

And that was never going to fucking happen. You’d never told anyone what had happened between the two of you and as far as you knew, Matthew had never broken the unspoken agreement to never tell anyone, either. You certainly remember the sound the smacking palms had made when Nick had high-fived him for managing to “get something” from Sofia Taylor only a day after you had- “There’s nothing to speculate.” You tell Mel, stopping that train of thought and falling to an old standby. “He’s just an asshole.”

“An asshole who’s buying all our drinks tonight?”

“Yes.” You state stubbornly, and knowing she’s not going to win this one with you, she drops the subject and just starts dancing, shouting along to some of the throwbacks you both know and love.

When she leaves you to grab another drink, her spot is quickly replaced by another body, and you loop your arm around the neck of the guy that takes her place, grinning as his hands start on your hips and gradually begin to slip lower on your back as you press yourself closer to him.

It doesn’t last long because almost the second his hands get to the point where it might even be considered getting close to your ass, he’s pulled away from you. “Get moving.” Matthew says, even as you glare at him furiously.

Whether he knows who Matthew is or just doesn’t think he could take him if it came down to it, the guy you were dancing with starts shoving his way through the crowd, even after you call for him to wait. When that doesn’t work you round on Matt. “What was that, you asshole?”

“Wait, you liked him touching you?”

“I didn’t mind!”

He actually laughs. “That guy?”

You give him a dirty look, pushing your way through the crowd, in the direction you’d seen that guy go, but it’s a lost cause. No matter which way you look, you can’t see him.

The only thing you can see is the curly head of hair that’s followed you. “That can’t be who you want.” He tells you, as you’re starting to give up, stuck on the outskirts of the bar now.

“You don’t actually get a say in that.” You cry back at him, a little hysterical. “Maybe you could have, one day. But you fucked that up.” He actually does a double take at that, stepping away from you. “So no, you don’t anymore.”

“YN,” He reaches out for you.

“I’m calling an Uber and going home.” You shove his hand away. You can’t even be near him anymore. “And since you can be nice enough to buy drinks, I can say thanks. But that’s it. Don’t pretend like you did me some big favor tonight. You ruined my life once and now you’ve ruined my night.”

And that’s it. You shove past him before he can say anything else to you.

But he doesn’t come after you. For once, you might actually have left him completely speechless.

-----

On the same weekend that you, Nicole, and the other girls jet off to Austin for her bachelorette party, Josh and his bachelor party take off for Vegas.

“As long as he doesn’t come home having gambled our house away.” Is the only thing Nicole says, when one of her cousins asks if she’s at all concerned about the Vegas crew. Privately, you think her nonchalant attitude has more to do with the amount of champagne she’s already consumed, but you can’t deny that she’s right.

“Low bar there.” The maid of honor laughs.

Nicole shrugs as you laugh. “She’s just hoping that Matt doesn’t pull a Hangover on him.”

“You know, name recognition is probably going to be what makes Matty the one who stops the others from pulling a Hangover on Josh.” Nicole muses.

You give her a look. “You couldn’t just give me this one thing?”

She laughs. “After a couple more shots, I’ll give you anything, babe.”

You’ll cheers to that.

Hours later, you’re still cheers-ing-to Nicole, to Josh, to anything ridiculous that anyone of you can think of, each time someone buys you all a round of shots at the bar. You’re pleasantly buzzed, buzzed enough that the letters are too blurry to read clearly when your phone rings, so you just swipe to accept the call and make your way outside, where it’s a little quieter. “Hello?”

“That’s not how it happened at all!” You hear Matthew say loudly. You can’t tell where he’s at, but the background music sounds muffled, like it is behind you, and he sounds as drunk as you feel.

“What?” You can’t keep up with him. Had you missed something? You almost pull your phone away from your ear to check the group chat, to see if you’d been drunk texting in it and forgotten already, but his voice stops you.

“I didn’t ruin your life; you ruined mine!”

If you weren’t leaning against the wall, your legs would have collapsed out from under you. As it is you slide a good foot down the bricks and the flowy tank you’ve got on isn’t doing much to help avoid the scratches that are sure to run down your low back tomorrow. “What?” You can only repeat.

But it seems like Matt’s been building up steam for this. “After everything we’d been through, after everything I said to you, you could just walk away like that?”

“I’m sure Sofia fucking Taylor could give you a great reason why I just walked away like that.” You snap back, finally understanding and ending the call immediately. You’re raging. You can’t believe he’d even attempt to call you out like this.

Even a few deep breaths doesn’t calm you down. When you make your way back into the bar, a few of the girls have concerned looks on their faces, but you wave them off. “I’ll be fine. Just need to drink more. That’s what we’re all here for, right?”

“RIGHT!” Nicole shouts in your face, already beaming.

Maybe if you keep drinking to her level, you’ll be able to forget this whole conversation even happened.

-----

When drinking doesn’t work to forget that phone call, you just start going out of your way to avoid Matty completely. When you see him at family events, you just ignore him entirely. You start pulling back from the big group chat with your friends, only committing to events once he’s fully committed to not going.

Mel calls you out on it, telling you that you’re just being childish and that you can’t avoid him forever, but your family commends you for finally taking the high road, even if they still think the whole thing is dumb in the first place.

And it’s easy to look like it’s you taking the high road, because Matthew’s trying desperately to talk to you. You’ve got nothing to say though. It’s like the years of rage have finally cooled. Like if you can’t forget the phone call where he says you ruined his life, then you can finally move past the part where he actually did ruin yours.

The day of your brother’s wedding dawns, hectic as you’d expected, and you spend your morning alternating between doing anything Nicole asks and getting ready yourself. You feel like a princess when you slip into the long, blush dress, but it’s nothing compared to how Nicole looks, and you were far from a crier, but seeing her in her dress was only the first time you teared up that day, and it was far from the last.

By the time the ceremony ended, it’d happened three more times and you made a few jokes about it with some cousins and Seth before you figured you could excuse yourself for a few minutes in the garden outside to get some fresh air before the photographer needed you.

Outside, the weather is perfect, an ideal day for an August wedding. There’s a few places to sit, you remember, from when you’d toured the venue with Nicole once, and you start off for one of them, only to be interrupted.

“Hey!”

You jump around, almost twisting your ankle in your heels, entirely surprised at the voice “Nick! What the fuck are you even doing here now?” You frown, when you see him. He’s dressed in street clothes; he’s not here as a date and it’s too early to crash (which you’d straight up invited some of your friends to do, once it got a little later in the evening and meals had been served).

Nick’s rubbing the back of his neck, looking incredibly awkward and like this is the last place he’d rather be. “I uh, I think I owe you an explanation. Sorry, I couldn’t wait anymore.”

You frown. “For what?”

His hand moves from the back of his neck to his face, but you’re still able to hear as he says, “I was the one who sent Sofia over to him.”

You laugh hollowly. “Fuck off, Nick.”

“YN, Matt only told me the other day that you guys slept together in high school. He was just-god, he was so into you! I swear to god I didn’t know!”

“Fuck off!” You repeat, a little more desperately.

“I just wanted him to get over you.” Nick says, sounding almost as desperate as you. “He didn’t even want her-she just-it wasn’t-I swear to god if I had known, I never would have-”

“Seriously, Nick, fuck off.” And whether he actually took your words to heart or not, Nick does to turn go, leaving you standing alone in a long dress and ready to cry, once again as he didn’t even want her rings through your head repeatedly.

-----

Once you know that things could have been different between you and Matty, it’s like you can’t look away from him. In two separate rounds of pictures, you get called out by the photographer for not looking, just because you thought you heard his voice.

The reception isn’t much better. As you start greeting different friends and relatives at the cocktail hour, you can’t help but wonder how things could have been. Would Matty have been by your side through all of this instead of over by the bar joking with Brady and Seth? He’d certainly be sitting next to you at dinner. Would he be throwing a couple side chirps into Seth’s best man toast or would he have managed to keep his mouth shut?

After dinner, when the real party begins, you nudge Seth and gesture at the bar for a shot, breathing a sigh of relief when he enthusiastically agrees, and you round up Josh, Nicole, and a couple of your cousins to meet him at the bar, only to find that he’s rounded up your dad, Keith, Brady, Matthew- the person you’d been hoping to start drinking to forget again.

Matty doesn’t look away from you and as his eyes follow your every movement- the passing of glasses, lifting the glass up to your mouth, licking the last drop off your lip-you feel the flush grow across your cheeks that’s got little to do with how much you’ve already had to drink.

“Another!” Josh calls.

“If you’re too fucking drunk tonight,” Nicole warns, leaning against him.

“We just got fucking married!” He beams, capturing her lips in a kiss that has you leading a cheer and then all of you cycling through the motions of another round of shots, all while a pair of blue eyes don’t leave you.

When Seth starts making his third toast of the night, about how happy he is for Josh and Nicole, you seize your opportunity to sneak out for some fresh air, slipping out the doors right behind you.

“Fucking finally.” You hear Matthew behind you and quickly lift the bottom of your dress to be able to run, only for him to stop you dead in your tracks. “YN, god, just-”

He stops abruptly and you let the bottom of your dress fall as you turn to face him. “What, Matty?” You ask him helplessly.

“Don’t...go.” He finishes, rather lamely, compared to anything you’ve heard him say ever.

“We are at my brother’s wedding!” You cry back to him, gesturing around you wildly. You’re not that far into the garden that you can’t still hear the sound of Love on Top from where you’re standing now. “Where am I going to go?”

Your response is enough for Matty to collect himself. “Since the day I told you I loved you, all you’ve done is run from me and we are finally, finally on the same page about why, and you’re going to do it again?”

Desperate for a second to breathe, you gesture around you again. “Is this really the place?”

Matty nods. “I’m not walking away from you again so that can be it. I don’t want to spend another six years thinking you walked away from me, when it turns out you didn’t want to at all.”

“Of course I didn’t, but I didn’t want to be just another girl!”

“You’ve never been just another girl.”

“Well, I just learned that a few hours ago,” You tell him dryly. “From Nick. But it really didn’t feel like that when the day after you told me I was your everything, you were making out with another girl.”

“We weren’t-” Matty starts, but cuts himself off at the dirty look you send him and instead steps closer and grabs your hand, completely ignoring your flinch. “Why didn’t you just say something to me? Anything? God, it would-” He shakes his head, and the unspoken it would have made things so much easier goes unsaid.

“Why didn’t you say something to me?” You counter.

“I asked you first.”

“I asked you second!”

“YN!” It’s like he’s trying not to laugh, but it only works at lightening the mood between the two of you for a moment, before you’re sighing.

“What would I have said?” You ask, kind of ruefully. “Things were weird after you went away and you were about to go away again and I should have what? Begged you to love me and not any of the other girls that might be right there in Michigan with you, let alone the one I thought you’d already chosen over me?” You shrug. “It wasn’t-it wasn’t exactly peak confidence levels right then.” Matty winces at that and you nod at him. “ Alright, your turn.”

“I guess…” He trails off. “I was mostly worried that you had just changed your mind. And that you were trying to let me down easy.” The laugh that escapes after that is so bitter that it’s your turn to wince. “And then by the time I got home again, it was pretty clear that you weren’t letting me down easy at all.”

“I haven’t changed my mind at all.” You look him straight in the eyes, meeting the blue you’ve missed so desperately, determined not to look away for anything this time.

“Haven’t.” Matthew repeats, squeezing your hand, and as the smile starts to bloom across his face, you feel a matching one grow across yours. “As in, present tense?”

You nod, but you barely get the chance to before his other hand is coming up to the base of your skull and pulling you in for a kiss. Christ, if you thought sex with him was good at 16, expectations have changed, because this kiss alone takes your breath away, makes your knees weak, and has you gripping onto him just to stay standing. “Matty, please tell me you’re going to do that again.” You manage to breathe out, mostly against his lips, which is as far away from him that you think you’re ever going to be able to be.

“I’m never going to stop doing that.” Matthew says, and it sounds like all the promises you’d made to each other as children under blanket forts, but it feels like your past, your present, and your future have combined as he presses his lips to yours in another breathtaking kiss.

#matthew tkachuk imagine #matthew tkachuk fanfic #matthew tkachuk fanction #hockey fanfiction #hockey imagines #nhl fanfiction #nhl imagines #my hockey fics

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alliroe · 4 years ago

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❛ ✶ ( ZOEY DEUTCH , CIS FEMALE , SHE / HER ) . who the hell is blasting KIDS by MGMT at one in the morning ? nevermind , that’s just ALLISON ‘ALLI’ MONROE from 1213 . apparently , they are a TWENTY-THREE year old CIVIL ENGINEER from CLEVELAND, OH , and they’ve been living at the complex for ONE YEAR . i heard they can be a bit - AIMLESS , but they make up for it by being so + ADAPTIVE — which makes sense , considering that they are a LEO ! when i think of them , i imagine HALF DEAD PLANTS YOU BOUGHT FOR THE AESTHETIC BUT ARE TOO LAZY TO TAKE CARE OF, OVERSIZED MEN’S FLANNEL SHIRTS YOU PRETEND ARE FROM A NON-EXISTENT EX, & A WELL-TABBED STEEL MANUAL THAT ONLY GETS USED AS A HARD SURFACE WHEN YOUR LAPTOP OVERHEATS . and of course , don’t forget to follow them at ( @ALLI_ROE ) ! ooc . ollie , 22 , est , they / them .

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘

— allison jane monroe was born and raised just outside the city of cleveland in ohio the unscented candle state. like the culture of all rustbelt, blue collar cities she was raised on the ideals of hard work pays off and yadda yadda yadda, you know the whole spiel.

— she had a rather mundane childhood. honestly, if you asked her, she would say much of her entire life was and still is mundane and it wouldn’t be far from the truth. her parents were happily married, they made enough to keep the family comfortable but she hardly got everything she wanted. they raised her with a firm but fair hand, and while she wasn’t the daughter who was best friends with her parents, they had a positive enough relationship. she started working at an ice cream stand when she turned sixteen to make some money of her own, and because you learn the most life lessons about humility and patience working retail or in the food industry. her first car was some beat up red sudan almost as old as she was that she bought for $1500.

— academically, she did extremely well, always a bright child even if she didn’t always fully apply herself. she wasn’t the valedictorian or the salutatorian of her class, but she was pretty highly ranked. she couldn’t really tell you why she ended up picking civil engineering as her major at university of michigan - ann arbor, either, only that she didn’t get into most of the ivy leagues her parents had expected her too ( and frankly, she had expected to as well ). it was a wake up call, but not in the sense that it made her put down her head and work harder. no... instead she realized that maybe she didn’t have to be the best because what did it really amount to anyway.

— and so she went through college, doing well in some classes, just mediocre in others ( and in a couple just downright awful — fuck you, differential equations ). she did just enough to stay slightly above average. perhaps she could’ve been in the top percentiles if she just applied herself more, but she never saw reason to. there was a time when she had a plan for her life, but that slowly eroded until she was just thinking about what she had to do next. honestly, if there was anything she learned in college from all those guest speakers it was the fact that you can’t plan life, so why should she ??

— when all was said an done, she graduated from umich with a degree in civil engineering and went off to work for a well-known civil engineering firm that specialized in designing bridges ( a position in part secured by her work for them the previous summer as an intern ). she moved to queens after graduation to work in their new york office and it’s been that way for over a year now.

𝐌𝐈𝐒𝐂.

— though she makes more than enough money, she honestly still lives like she’s on a college budget. so she’s saving a good chunk of money. for what ?? she couldn’t say.

— early in her childhood she tried to get people to call her ‘al’ and then ‘roe’ but neither of them stuck and people just call her alli which she secretly thinks is too boring but is too lazy to do anything about it.

— desperately wants to be the aesthetic pinterest girl but in practice is way too lazy for that. has killed so many plants because she just forgets to water them.

— unironically plays poly bridge 2 all the time. thinks it’s hilarious.

— she genuinely does like her job enough. she doesn’t think it’s her absolutely dream but she likes what she does, who she works with, and finds it incredibly satisfying work. she’s still got a long ways to go to become professionally licensed, her status now as just an engineer in training.

— honestly kinda needs to be mommed but absolutely hates when people tell her what to do. fiercely independent & rarely asks for help with anything ( even when she clearly needs it ).

— work attire is business casual, but personal style is probably just oversized hoodies or flannels, skinny jeans, and converse. summer style just doesn’t exist...whatever is coolest in the heat. loves thrift stores for everything but shoes. she believes in buying high quality shoes.

— she played field hockey through high school and college. and still tries her best to look Fit.

— eats brownie batter out of the bowl, hates rain but loves snow, and enjoys riding the metro to work a lot because it makes her feel a part of the world.

𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐘

— alli is a confident girl who likes to give the sense that she knows exactly what she’s doing with her life when in fact she truly does not. not so deep down she truly envies people who know who they are, what they want, & have things they’re incredibly passionate about, because she feels she still doesn’t quite know who she is. in some ways she is very much the image of success ( her paychecks could definitely prove that ), but she’s really struggling with the personal side of her life.

— chaotic good. chaotic bisexual.

— she says what comes to mind and has a dry, sarcastic sense of humor. while she may feel like she has no idea who she is, at the same time she doesn’t feel the need to act ‘special’ for anyone.

— definitely the type to just roll with the punches. not a whole lot phases her and hasn’t since she gave up having a ‘life plan.’ she has been told she has very little ambition, but that’s just because she isn’t sure where she wants to go. her leadership skills are surprisingly very good when there’s a clear goal to reach.

— alli is quite down-to-earth and works in reality. sometimes this works against her, because she doesn’t dare to dream big enough.

— kinda likes the idea of love but isn’t the type to go out of her way to look for it and honestly can’t truly see herself in a relationship. if someone takes an interest in her cool, but otherwise she isn’t interested — or at least she thinks. if you pried deep enough, she’s lonely, but she’ll never admit it. loves her friends and secretly hates when they start dating because she feels she gets left behind, though she’s happy for them as long as they’re happy — truly.

𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐄 𝐀𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐒

dancing in the kitchen to music through your headphones at 2 am, old oversized t-shirts from a million running races, driving over the curb on accident and laughing it off, hating the rain when you’re in it but loving to watch it out your window, eating ice cream straight out of the container, worn & faded converse you refuse to throw out, walking through salvage stores and buying nothing,

𝐖𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒

i always like to vibe, but i think with alli especially i’d like to work off ooc and ic chemistry. i’d love to plot something unique going off your chara’s intro and our ooc interactions.

𝐎𝐎𝐂

hello friends !! i’m ollie. 22 & they / them pronouns. est tz & i regret to inform you i am in fact writing this from ohio, the unscented candle state 😔😔😔. i also enjoy hockey greatly even if the nhl is a piece of Shit™ rn and always. alli is a new chara of mine and honestly i think she’s just gunna be a chaotic mence... can’t wait to write with you all !!

#astoria.intro

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sixtyfivehundredmiles · 4 years ago

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Long Live the Laurentian Great Lakes

Living in Geologic Time: Billion-year-old rifting events set the stage for Earth’s greatest lakes.

The five Great Lakes, as seen from left to right in a springtime satellite image, are Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario. Credit: NASA/Jess Schmaltz

From some vantage points, the Great Lakes feel more like vast inland seas than freshwater lakes. But the 6 quadrillion gallons (~23 quadrillion liters) sloshing in Superior, Michigan, Huron, Ontario, and Erie represent one fifth of the planet’s fresh water.

How long will the Great Lakes retain their honor of being the largest collection of freshwater lakes on the planet? Thanks to some ancient rifting events, possibly for a very long time to come.

Ancient Rifts and Ice Age Lakes

The story of the Great Lakes began over 1 billion years ago, when the ancient supercontinent Laurentia began splitting in half. Over the course of about 10 million years, the Midcontinent Rift System opened a massive fissure on its way to becoming a new ocean basin. But for reasons geologists don’t entirely understand, the rift failed, and no ocean was formed, leaving a 3,000-kilometer-long scar across what is now North America.

Eons of erosion have hidden this scar, which runs from Lake Superior in two forks down to Alabama and Oklahoma. “A billion years is a very long time, even by geologic standards,” said Seth Stein, a geophysicist at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill.

Evidence of the rift is visible at Lake Superior, which is ringed by cliffs of billion-year-old basalt that erupted into the active rift, giving the largest lake a uniquely rugged shoreline. “Lake Superior looks very different from the rest of the Midwest,” where volcanic rocks are rare, Stein said.

Lake Superior’s towering basalt cliffs stand in contrast to the sandy beaches that ring the other Great Lakes. Credit: Seth and Carol Stein

Lake Superior sits within the Midcontinent Rift scar, but all five Great Lake basins were carved out by glaciers during the last glacial period, when the region was buried under the Laurentide Ice Sheet. As the ice age came to a close, the glaciers retreated, and the lake basins filled with meltwater to form the five Great Lakes as we know them by around 10,000 years ago. Today, some scientists refer to the Great Lakes by their more formal name, the Laurentian Great Lakes.

A few summers ago, I drove hundreds of kilometers out of my way to visit Superior’s billion-year-old rocks on a backpacking trip through Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park, Mich., on the south shore of Lake Superior. Unfortunately, the pilgrimage was rushed. The moment we parked at the trailhead, clouds of mosquitoes swarmed the car. It was mid-June, and the bloodsuckers were so relentless—biting through bug spray, layers of clothes, a smoky fire, and a tent—that we cut our 4-day loop in half.

Next time I visit, I’ll avoid peak mosquito season. The Great Lakes offer a lifetime’s worth of hiking opportunities: I have my eye on the Superior Hiking Trail, a 499-kilometer-long, 2- to 4-week backpacking trip along the northwest shore of Lake Superior in Minnesota. Isle Royale, a large island in Lake Superior, “offers arguably the best backpacking in the Midwest,” Stein said.

A smoky fire did not deter the hordes of summertime mosquitoes that plagued our backpacking trip on the south shore of Lake Superior. Credit: Mary Caperton Morton

More Water, More Problems

The Great Lakes have been a nexus of migration, transportation, fishing, and trade for thousands of years, with a series of lakes, rivers, and waterways connecting the upper Midwest to the Atlantic Ocean. Records started in 1918 show lake levels fluctuating seasonally, with the annual water budget controlled by inputs from rivers and outputs to the Atlantic Ocean and evaporation.

In 2014, after years of drought and higher temperatures triggered increased evaporation, water levels in the Great Lakes reached all-time lows. “For a long time, the dominant climate change narrative was that lake levels were going to drop drastically,” said Richard Rood, a climate scientist at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. “That narrative ended abruptly in 2015,” when lake levels started rising because of heavy rainfall and flooding across the Midwest.

By 2019, lake levels had drastically reversed course, exceeding their highest recorded levels. High water in the Great Lakes leads to shoreline flooding and erosion, which in turn threaten homes, industrial buildings, and port infrastructure.

“Now the narrative is that we will need to be able to cope with both highs and lows [in lake levels],” with those extremes persisting for longer time periods, perhaps several seasons in a row, Rood said.

Higher influxes of water into the Great Lakes also bring more pollutants, including nitrogen and phosphorus from agricultural runoff and Escherichia coli bacteria from overworked water treatment systems. Algae blooms and toxic water quality issues have increased.

The sheer size of the individual Great Lakes means that pollutants can stay in the system for a long time: A water droplet or molecule of pollutant will reside in Lake Superior for as long as 191 years, Lake Michigan for 99 years, and Lake Huron for 22 years, whereas the smaller Lakes Ontario and Erie have residence times of 6 and 2.6 years, respectively.

“Smaller lakes with shorter residence times can respond more quickly to changes than bigger lakes,” said Dale Robertson, a research hydrologist at the U.S. Geological Survey in Middleton, Wis. That means there’s hope for Lake Erie, where toxic algal blooms feeding off nutrients delivered by the Maumee River create water quality issues each summer. But larger lakes, like larger boats, cannot change course as quickly. It may take decades before we know how the larger lakes will respond to climatic changes, Robertson said.

Currently, around 35 million people rely on the Great Lakes for drinking water, and an additional 56 billion gallons are extracted each day for municipal, agricultural, and industrial use.

Those staggering numbers are likely to increase, Rood said, as people displaced from other regions of the country by climate-related impacts seek refuge in the Great Lakes Megalopolis.

“Compared to some places, like south Florida, the Great Lakes are going to look like a climate winner,” Rood said. “We need to be prepared for how those migrations will change our communities and water usage in the coming decades.”

Holland Beach, Mich., on Lake Michigan is one of many sandy swimming beaches around the Great Lakes. Credit: Mary Caperton Morton

Long Live the Great Lakes

The long-term trajectory of large freshwater lakes often depends on their outlet: Endorheic or terminal lakes such as the Great Salt Lake have no exit to the ocean, and the majority of their water balance is lost through evaporation, making them saltier over time.

The Great Lakes are not an endorheic basin; the outlet that connects them to the Atlantic Ocean has a 535-million-year-old history that’s unlikely to peter out anytime soon. The Saint Lawrence Seaway, along with the basins that hold Lakes Erie and Ontario, sits inside the Saint Lawrence Rift, a 1,000-kilometer-long scar that dates back to the opening of the Iapetus Ocean between the paleocontinents of Laurentia, Baltica, and Avalonia.

Unlike the long dead and buried Midcontinent Rift System, the Saint Lawrence Rift System is still seismically active, capable of generating earthquakes over magnitude 5. As long as water flows into the Great Lakes Basin and out through the Saint Lawrence Seaway, the Great Lakes are likely to retain their status as the world’s largest—and hopefully freshest—lakes for eons to come.

—Mary Caperton Morton (@theblondecoyote), Science Writer

Living in Geologic Time is a series of personal accounts that highlight the past, present, and future of famous landmarks on geologic timescales.

By Mary Caperton Morton 18 May 2020

(source: Eos)

#great lakes #history #environment #story

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chicagocityofclans · 4 years ago

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Isaac Baker → Daniel Kaluyaa → Wolf

→ Basic Information

Age: 66

Gender: Male

Sexuality: Straight

Born or Made: Made

Birthday: March 22

Zodiac Sign: Aries

Religion: Agnostic

→ His Personality Isaac was never the biggest or strongest in life. He grew up as the nerd who got pushed around and shoved into lockers. He was smart and cocky but didn’t have the skills to back up all the shit he talked. Until he was turned into a werewolf, and the natural personality that lived inside him came out in an obnoxious amount. Though Isaac has matured with his years as Alpha, he is still an impulsive showoff. He likes being the center of attention and making people laugh and have a good time. He can be confrontational and aggressive when dealing with situations, generally acting first before thinking of all the emotional consequences, especially with his words. Despite the rambunctious and loud behavior, Isaac is very genuinely a good person. He cares about his pack and everyone who he considers his. He is confident and lively, being incredibly welcoming and open to new pack members and other species. And though he can act impulsively and without thought, he has learned to recognize larger situations and has become versatile in the way he handles official pack business.

People often forget just how smart Isaac is, which he uses to his advantage. He is able to size a person or situation and up and manipulate it to his advantage. In the constant fights he faced as a young, incoming alpha he learned to find the weaknesses in the wolf shifter and attack those first, often knocking his opponent out before they could get many blows in. His foresight is not limited to fights, he could see all the advantages in bringing Duke into his pack and leapt at the opportunity.

→ His Personal Facts

Occupation: Full time Alpha

Scars: None

Tattoos: None

Two Likes: Smart Technology and Salt and Vinegar chips

Two Dislikes: Football and Curacao

Two Fears: Flying and Losing control of his body

Two Hobbies: Playing Video Games and Coding

Three Positive Traits: Lively, Versatile, Good Hearted

Three Negative Traits: Confrontational, Show Off, Impulsive

→ His Connections Parent Names:

Sandra Baker (Mother): Sandra was always incredibly supportive with Isaac as a child. She tried her best to make his young, friendless life fun with family movie nights and vacations. She is very disappointed that Isaac dropped out, and wishes he’d come home to get back on the academic track.

Edward Baker (Father): Edward taught Isaac everything he knew about boxing and coding. He always had Isaac’s back and would let him get out and fail every once in a while, unlike his mother. Edward has always asked about the real reason Isaac left school. He knew how much MIT meant to him and how he’d never just give it up.

Sibling Names:

None.

Children Names:

None

Romantic Connections:

Simone Campbell (Ex-Girlfriend): Isaac was a goner for Simone. She stood up to him and often gave him perspective on his life. When Simone started hanging out with a hyena, it raised an alarm in Isaac and he tried to get her to stop seeing her, she dumped him. He still wants her back.

Platonic Connections:

Duke Thornton (Good Friends): Isaac and Duke have had a lot of time to get to know each other in the last decade. He is the closest person to Isaac in the pack, and would gladly have him as a second or third if he had any understanding of dominance levels.

Peter Knox (Friends): Isaac is very glad to have Peter as his second. They both had to fight their way through to their positions and he knows Peter has his back. He hangs out with him and his mate regularly at ANON and he was the one who introduced Isaac to Simone.

Leah Philips (Friend): He and Leah became quick friends when he first moved into Chicago, but she had a rough time transitioning from Ogden to Isaac. They’re almost back to where they used to be, though it has taken work.

Selene Andris (Pack mate): Selene has been a big help with all the new wolves coming to Chicago. He’s grateful she likes playing host and helping others feel more comfortable in the pack.

Ronan Cleirigh (Ally): He and Ronan made a deal to save Duke’s life. He offered him training and a pack while in return Ronan offered his voting power in council meetings. Isaac respects what the Cleirighs, and Ronan in particular, were trying to do for Duke.

Kaylor Cleirigh (Friendly Fear): Kaylor came to him personally after he offered to help Duke to lay down her “concerns”. Isaac wasn’t going to do anything on the list before, but he sure as hell wouldn’t do it after speaking with the scariest Cleirigh.

Judson Cleirigh (Chill): Judson comes in with his friends to drink at ANON. He is easily the most laid back of Duke’s family, though he doesn’t entirely trust him.

Nick Hamelin (Okay): He’s not friends with Nick, per say, but he’s ok with him. He thinks he can fit right into the Prisses at times, but he has more self-awareness than to sink that low.

Micah Toll (Friendly Acquaintance): Micah is alright for a rat. He respects the rules that Isaac put down, and only starts something in retaliation.

Ellis Watts (Council Meeting Buddy): Though he is apparently supposed to hate the jackals for reasons… Isaac immediately clicked with Ellis. He repaired a lot of the riffs between their two packs and they’ve started going to watch sports games together.

Hostile Connections:

Alan Thomas (Hates): Alan Thomas was one of the first people Isaac wiped the floor with and he’s gone out of his way to be the biggest asshole to Isaac. He’s glad he was kicked out as third.

James Shaw (Hates): James Shaw is both crazy and racist. He’ll talk endlessly about his family and how long they’ve been in the city and why his boys should be Alpha. Before Isaac wrote it off as an angry white dude, but there is something changing in James’s eyes and Isaac isn’t sure it is entirely healthy.

Clara Fields (Priss 1): Clara Fields loves nothing more than to hear herself talk. She somehow always speaks up at every single meeting, and Isaac prays for the day she gets magical laryngitis.

Chris Bialar (Priss 2): Chris Bialar has got his nose in the air. There’s always some made up jab that he tries to angle at Isaac. He loves to keep the politics up in the council meeting, and is a main for most of the riffs between alphas.

Percy McCormick (Priss 3): Percy McCormick is barely an alpha. He lets his pack run wild and the rest of the council is left to discipline and rule them. If there is one alpha that Isaac could kick out, it’d be him.

Greer Finley (Dislike): Greer is like Chris’s pet piranha. He thinks she might be more vicious than any of the other big cats in the pack.

Sol Alfaro (Hates): This guy will just not give it up. He’ll never win a fight against Isaac, and is honestly more of a pest than any real threat.

Pets:

None

→ History Isaac was raised in a small town outside of Ann Arbor. His mother worked as a recruiter for the University of Michigan while his dad worked at Pfizer. They had a good life, and he definitely followed in his parents’ academic footsteps, unfortunately that wasn’t the best for a young Isaac. He was constantly bullied by older kids which lead to fights and mostly injuries for him. His mother debated homeschool, while his dad tried to teach him how to fight back. His dad ended up winning and Isaac took boxing lessons. While he was technically very skilled, he was short and had difficulty packing muscle on which still let the bullies win.

By the time he graduated, he was ready to get the hell out of Ann Arbor, much to his mother’s displeasure. He was offered a full ride to MIT for computer software and gladly took it. He did well for the first year, high grades with honors. His parents were over the moon and became more willing to consider MIT being the best move for Isaac. However, his sophomore year changed everything. Isaac was walking home from the lab one night when he felt eyes on him. He assumed it was someone trying to take his bag; but when he turned around, arm ready for a hit, he was met with fur and painfully sharp teeth.

When he awoke he was in strange sweatpants and in a strange room. A man came in the room a few minutes after Isaac woke up. He explained they were werewolves, and that they needed to boost their numbers for an impending war. Isaac was quickly brought in on how to be a werewolf, including physical and fight training as well as how to control his wolf. But Isaac knew when he was being played and could see the alpha thought he was fodder for the battle. He read the situation and in the middle of the night Isaac ran away. He debated going back to Ann Arbor, but realized that might be the first place his “pack” looked. So he headed straight for Chicago, knowing he could probably get a decent paying IT job with his year at MIT. When he arrived in Chicago he was greeted to a fair deal of hostility. The majority of the pack didn’t want outsiders bringing their trouble into the city, and they specifically didn’t want him, a black loudmouth, interrupting their lives. But Isaac was a fighter and within 6 months he found himself as 2nd to the Chicago pack. There was a lot of grumbling, but Ogden acknowledged his position and gave credence to the claim. He took Isaac under his wing and refined the wild chaos that was a freshly turned wolf and gave him structure and purpose and place to put his energy.

Years later after getting settled in Chicago, Ogden died in a car crash. It was truly an accidental and ironic way for a wolf to die; not from old age, or violence but a mundane accident that went terribly wrong. Isaac had to step up to the plate and take over as alpha. They looked to him in their time of mourning, confusion, and fear and Isaac managed to win some of their trust. However not everyone was pleased with a relatively young and often arrogant alpha. He was challenged frequently, especially by Sol, but beat them all through his ability to read weaknesses. Isaac was never afraid to let them tire themselves out before going for the win. The fighting and challenges began to slow, and eventually things became more even keeled. That was until he began switching up ranks. Peter Knox joined his pack and fought his way to the top, a move that could never have happened had Isaac not thrown his support behind him. Then Geri became third, sufficiently pushing the rest of the “Old Guard” out.

Things had begun to settle down when” the Incident” occured. Animal shifters were unable to change to or from whichever form they were in. People were pissed and looking to the Witch and Warlock councils. While the first two meetings were spent grandstanding by the other alphas and leaders, Isaac was trying to read the faces opposite them, when the true reason for the magic gone bad came out. Deucalion Thornton was cursed to be a wolf shifter and they were trying to change him back. Outrage from both magic users and non magic users alike erupted and calls for banishment and possible death flew around. Nothing was decided and they adjourned for the day. Isaac hung around and stopped the Cleirighs as they exited. He offered Ronan a deal, he’d train Duke, allow him safety within his pack, in exchange for Ronan’s vote in various animal shifter matters. Ronan agreed and they devised a plan. At the next meeting before any other alpha could talk, Isaac stepped up and told them what was happening. It was settled and the rest of the council fell in line. Duke moved into the house, and Isaac nearly had a riot on his hands.

From that day forward he’d made it his mission to set things right in at least the wolf clan. No more of their racist, sexist or homophobic nonsense would be allowed, and every wolf had the right to a challenge. This came in handy when he gave his support to Peter after he’d risen through the ranks. He has kept the pack steady over the last ten years and despite the upset had no challenges to his position. → The Present Isaac is looking to get back onto the dating scene. He was recently dumped by his girlfriend, and while it stung initially, he is worried for her. She’d begun to befriend a couple of hyenas and he’s worried she’ll be attacked in the wave of changes that are happening across the city. Isaac knows her aspirations and is positive she’ll never achieve them if she’s bitten. Despite his worry, Isaac hasn’t mentioned any of the supernatural to her, and is just trying to get back in her good graces to keep her safe.

Murmurs of discontent are rising in the pack, and Isaac is positive it is due to Sol. He is losing his patience with the old wolf and the next time he challenges Isaac, he won’t let it go. Isaac knows he’s the one pushing the wolves towards greatness and it’s annoying that no one else seems to see it.

#Isaac Baker #Taken #daniel kaluuya #isaac owens

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whiskynottea · 5 years ago

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An Interruption in the 1st Law of Thermodynamics.

Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10, Chapter 11, Chapter 12, Chapter 13, Chapter 14, Chapter 15, Chapter 16, Chapter 17, Chapter 18, Chapter 19, Chapter 20, Chapter 21, Chapter 22, Chapter 23, Chapter 24, Chapter 25, Chapter 26, Chapter 27, Chapter 28, Chapter 29, Chapter 30, Chapter 31, Chapter 32, Chapter 33, Chapter 34, Chapter 35, Chapter 36, Chapter 37, Chapter 38, Chapter 39, Chapter 40, Chapter 41, Chapter 42, Chapter 43, Chapter 44, Chapter 45, Chapter 46, Chapter 47, Chapter 48, Chapter 49, Chapter 50, Chapter 51 Chapter 52, Chapter 53

AO3

Beta-d, as always, by @theministerskat! Thank you, love!

Chapter 54. Counting Days

There is a subtle feeling of trespassing, wrapping itself around your heart and squeezing lightly, when you step into someone’s empty bedroom. A feeling strong enough to make your breath come slow and heavy, your feet tread with caution, not to disturb the spirit of the absent owner. As if your own body marks you as an intruder and tries to make your presence subtle, even though your rebel hands leave invisible fingerprints on every surface, proof of a long-lost innocence.

I was sitting on Jamie’s bed, looking around, feeling the emotions rising in my chest.

I was in his room. His bed, his books, his posters on the walls.

And yet, I wasn’t home.

This couldn’t be home without him. It couldn’t be home without his clothes neatly hanging in the closet. The air felt empty of laughter, the sheets immaculate and wrinkless underneath my fingers. No one would whisper dreams and stories to me when I’d lay down at night.

“Are ye going to sit there all day, lost in your ominous thoughts?” Jenny’s stern voice came from the door, and I turned to look at her without knowing the answer to her question, or how she had deduced the nature of my thoughts.

I hadn’t seen Jamie in months, and though I always missed him, I had never felt his absence drive into me like a knife through my chest. Never, until the moment I entered his room and realized I would be sleeping in his bed without his breath on my neck, without his arms around me. It didn’t feel right.

“Claire!” Jenny’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts once more. “Stop it! I’m not letting you stay here, with that morose look on your face, staring at Jamie’s stuff.” She looked at me through narrowed eyes, both hands fixed on her hips. “The best Fraser is here, anyway,” she added with a light shrug and a wink. “No?”

“Your Da, you mean?” I teased her, and couldn’t stop my smirk as I saw both her eyebrows rise.

“I should leave you here, crying over the shirts Jamie left behind.” She wore a smug grin and tilted her head towards the stairs. “Come! I’ve made tea.”

“Oh yeah, I forgot how tea is a synonym for panacea.”

She stopped just outside the room and turned to look at me, squaring her shoulders. “What kind of Englishwoman are you?” she challenged me with mock offence.

Avoiding her sharp glance, I rose and walked to the door. One Fraser was always better than none. And even though I felt like curling up in Jamie’s room and being miserable, arguing with Jenny Fraser required more energy than I had.

Sleeping in Jamie’s bed without him was not as horrible as I had thought. We talked every night until I fell asleep, and I carried his voice with me in my dreams. It was enough to make me wake with a smile on my face.

Days raced by, as they always did when I stayed at Lallybroch. Between texting and calling Jamie, studying to be prepared for medical school, reading classic literature with Jenny, and choosing between her endless versions of labels for Lallider -- the Lallybroch cider she and Ian had made over the previous months -- there was hardly any time to think about how quickly the days were passing.

I had missed Jenny. Her warm smile when she listened to my stories from Zambia, her crude tone when she decided I had talked with Jamie enough and it was time for us to go for drinks, her loud laughter when she had more than two pints, and the hugs she gave me every time she suspected I might be feeling lonely.

When I was a little girl, I always tried to imagine how my life would be if I had siblings. Someone to talk to late at night, someone to conspire with when Lamb couldn’t hear us, someone to hold my hand when I was afraid. Someone who would be there, and I wouldn’t be alone.

Jenny and I might not build fortresses or climb trees together, but I had found my sister in her. And I knew she would be there for me, no matter what happened between her brother and me.

Not that I planned to let anything ruin my relationship with Jamie. Now that we could call each other every day, his only complaint was that we were all together at Lallybroch, and he alone in Ann Arbor. Alone as a figure of speech, because he was never really by himself, what with John, Hector, and the other members of the swim team going out or gathering at their dorm. He still proclaimed that we shouldn’t have fun without him though, and kept sending pouty faces every time I sent him selfies from our nights out in Inverness. At the end of the night, however, when I saw his eyes smiling at me through the screen, we would count down the days together until his return to Scotland.

As Jamie’s arrival approached, I started researching destinations in Scotland, wanting to spend a few days alone with him. I had been almost sure he’d be as excited as I was when I proposed the idea of a road trip to the north, without plans or itinerary, when I got Jamie’s text rejecting my idea.

Scot: You haven’t had enough of Scotland already, Sassenach?

Sassenach: I’ve never been to the North Coast! I saw pictures and there are so many places to visit! Jenny told me you traveled there with your parents, when you were children. Do you remember anything?

Scot: It was green.

Sassenach: 🙄

Scot: Okay, yes, I remember. Wide beaches, the ocean, rivers running down emerald hills, Highland coos. That’s all.

Sassenach: Well, that sounds GREAT! It’s enough for me!

Scot: Not for me. It will be tiring. And I doubt we’ll find rooms to stay.

Sassenach: FFS

“Well, that’s a twisted face, if I’ve ever seen one,” Jenny remarked as she came to sit on the bench next to me, a sheen of sweat appearing on her forehead from the shining sun.

I huffed. “It’s your brother, you know. The beginning of all evil in my life.”

Jenny laughed, blue eyes crinkling with mirth. ��What did he do, now?”

“I suggested we travel for a few days, go to the North Coast. But he doesn’t want to.”

“Oh.” Jenny averted her eyes, looking far at the hills hiding the horizon. “He must have missed Lallybroch. Not that he’ll ever admit it.”

“Yes, that’s what I thought, too,” I agreed, then took in her rosy cheeks and short breaths. “And where have you been?”

“Wi’ Ian,” she replied, simply, and I wiggled my eyebrows suggestively.

“We were examining the trees at the orchard, if you need to know,” she exclaimed indignantly.

“Oh, I’m sure you did.”

Jenny pursed her lips ready to reply when my phone buzzed with a picture of Jamie sending kisses, probably feeling guilty for turning down my suggestion of a week of summer holidays alone.

“So how are things between you?” Jenny bumped into my shoulder with hers, wisely changing the subject as she turned her eyes away from my phone. “With the distance and everything?” A playful smile was on her lips, but her eyes were serious, inquisitive.

“It’s… Okay.” I took a moment before I continued, my fingers trailing on the bluebells of my necklace. I had replied to the same question hundreds of times, but I couldn’t give a superficial answer to Jenny. “It’s not okay, actually,” I chuckled nervously, feeling self-conscious all of a sudden. I rubbed my hands together, interlinked the fingers to keep them from moving, then crossed my legs before I untangled them again. “But we make do,” I asserted, nodding to myself.

Jenny studied me, then made a strange noise in her throat. “I haven’t seen ye fight. Do ye? Did you get distant?” she asked, now straddling the bench to look straight at me.

“No, no. Nothing of the sort. It’s just… I miss him, you know? I want to share things with him and he’s not here. So I end up texting him and sending pictures with the most trivial things. He does the same.”

Jenny nodded, frowning. “It’s working, though.” She smirked, her gaze falling on my phone again. “Ye may seem ridiculous, and trust me ye do, but ye have kept your lives together even though you’re not in the same place.”

“I guess so.” I gave her a timid smile. “I know that sending him a picture of my meal is stupid, but then he sends me his and I feel connected to him, somehow. It’s not like eating lunch together as we did at school, but it’s something.”

Jenny nodded, and we kept silent for a long while.

“You know,” she started, running her fingers through her sleek black hair and fixing them up into a ponytail. “After Christmas, when Jamie and I came back at Lallybroch with Ian, I went through this phase when I all I could think was, ‘That’s it. That is all I’ll ever have.’ I was with Ian, whom I knew my whole life, and we would go to uni together and I would always be with him. And it scared me, realizing that.”

I turned to look at her, this girl that never stopped surprising me. I had been in Edinburgh back then, and I would never have imagined Jenny having second thoughts about Ian.

“I mean…” she continued, rushing to explain when she saw my confusion. “I grew up in a small place and Ian had always been there. I don’t remember myself without Ian around. We were kids when we got together, that summer when he kissed me, and it had felt like the most natural thing in the world. Then, I saw you and Jamie getting separated by an ocean I wondered what my life would be if I wasn’t with Ian. If I would be the same person, if I would be different. If I would study abroad, not having Ian to keep me in Edinburgh.”

“Did you want to?” I asked. “Did you want to leave Scotland?”

Jenny sighed, and a soft smile curled her lips up. “No, not really. It didn’t take me long to realize I am the person I want to be when I am with Ian. He smooths my edges. He makes me laugh. He understands me even when I don’t understand myself. I grew up with him and I know now that I want to grow old with him. To live with him by my side. To share the journey.”

I nodded, smiling as I took in the beauty of her conviction. “Sometimes I wonder whether things would be easier if I hadn’t met Jamie when I did,” I confessed as the sun dove lower, kissing the top of the hills. “If I met him after university, after we’d done all we needed to do. Maybe everything would flow then, and we would be together without the distance between us.”

“But if so, you might have never met him.”

“I know,” I agreed, seeing how pointless that route of thought was. “And that’s why I don’t regret having to live through this. Because I have him, right? I still have him, even though he’s miles away.” Tears welled up in my eyes and rolled down my cheeks, and I felt Jenny’s arms around me, pulling me closer to her. I hadn’t told a soul about these thoughts. Not even Jamie. I cried harder.

“Ye have him and he has you. You went to bloody Zambia and the two of you stayed together. You’re strong, Claire.” She ran her hands against my back, her words as soothing as her caress.

“I know. It’s not rational, this fear that I’ll lose him. We talk every day, we share everything.”

“You love each other, silly! That’s enough.”

“We do,” I admitted, brushing tears away.

“I won’t let him hurt you. And I won’t let you hurt him, okay?” Jenny kissed my cheek as if to emphasize the love in her words. “I promise. I’m the wise one, after all.”

“Right,” I laughed, and hugged her tight.

Three weeks at Lallybroch were more than I had initially planned, but they still weren’t enough. A sunny Sunday morning, however, I kissed Jenny, hugged Ian and Brian, and took the train back to Edinburgh. Lamb would start his sabbatical a few weeks after I left for Oxford, and we wanted to spend time together before Jamie returned from the States.

It felt like our days in Egypt, when the two of us had stayed home drinking tea and Lamb filled my imagination with stories of broken artefacts that made his eyes glint with excitement, revealing ancient civilizations and Gods who lost their power when people found new ones to grant their wishes. Those quiet afternoons when he’d tried to show me the internal need humans have to be remembered, the necessity to leave something behind, stronger than flesh and bones. But now I was the one telling the stories, and they were not tales of the past. I was sharing stories of the present, of people who were living and breathing the same moment we did, but Lamb would only meet through my eyes. I talked about their lives, their families, our differences and similarities, of the way they changed who I was and made me a better person. Of the way I might have affected them, too. Lamb was the best audience I could ever ask for, his proud smile and kind eyes filling my heart with joy.

When Lamb wasn’t at home, I found myself strolling around in the city. Edinburgh was different in summer, its streets full of cheerful tourists wandering, standing to listen the bagpipers on the streets or heading towards the castle and the palace. Some days I let my feet take me wherever they would, only to find that I subconsciously visited the places I walked to with Jamie. More than once I ended up at Calton Hill, watching the city with my hair dancing on the breeze, and I could almost feel Jamie’s long fingers tucking the errant curls behind my ear, his hand lingering on my neck as he leaned in for a kiss. And some days, when the sun hit my face long enough, I could almost feel his smile -- warm, full and gentle. As if pieces of our soul were interwoven with this place, making it ours no matter how far apart our bodies were. As if my brain refused to take in the surrounding without conjuring memories of him.

I was sitting on our bench at Calton Hill when Jamie sent a picture of his sleepy face, right after he’d woken. The text came seconds later.

Scot: One. More. Day.

Sassenach: Less than 24 hours!

The following morning, 22 hours after I’d left Calton Hill, I was waiting with my luggage at arrivals, ready to go back to Lallybroch. It required a humongous amount of strength to stop cracking my knuckles and keep my legs from bouncing.

His flight had arrived ten minutes ago. People came rushing by me, tourists looking for the information desk, Scots searching for their families and friends.

I thought I would count the days, the months, I had been away from him while waiting. I didn’t -- couldn’t. My mind was blank, as though primed to create new memories.

And then, as I thought my heart would give way from overworking, I spotted him. Tall, red curls falling against his forehead, blue eyes looking around -- searching for me.

My gaze met his and I started walking towards him before I realized it. It was different than our first reunion. I had felt consumed by his presence, then. We had kissed with all the desperation and elation of our passion. Now I wanted to hold him, to get lost in him, to feel his heart beating as I lay my head against his chest.

I didn’t know how long we were hugging for after I crashed against him. How long we were kissing, after his lips found mine. How long we kept still in each others arms, reluctant to let go as if someone would pull us apart. Finally, I took a step back and smiled at the grin lighting his face.

“Come on,” I said, taking his hand in mine and reaching for my luggage with the other. “We have a train to catch.” It was exactly what he’d said to me, when I arrived in Detroit.

His grin grew wider. “I don’t think so, Sassenach.”

“What do you mean?” I asked, frowning, as I turned back to look at him.

“Well,” he blushed. I hadn’t seen Jamie blush in a long while. He ran a hand through his curls and smiled again. “The first time I texted you --”

“Can’t we talk about this on the train? We’re going to be late!” I interrupted him, and he sighed theatrically.

“No. Now listen, will you?”

I looked at him through narrowed eyes but didn’t speak again.

“As I was saying, the first time I texted you, you told me that your favorite food is mushroom risotto, and then ye promised ye would escape with me. First destination…” He squeezed my hand in his, looking at me expectantly.

“Paris,” I whispered, recalling our conversation almost two years ago, and watched him pull out two plane tickets from his backpack.

“Paris,” he confirmed, waving the tickets in the limited space between us. “A week, just the two of us.”

I gasped. If I had any air left in my lungs I was sure it would leave my body in a scream. Instead, I stood there, stupefied, looking at him.

“We’re going to Paris?” I asked, at last, stupidly.

“We are, babe. We’re leaving in two hours.”

Before he could say one more word, I took his face in my hands and kissed him. It wasn’t an easy kiss, given that my mouth would not comply since I couldn’t stop grinning.

Chapter 55

#thermodynamics #the first law of thermodynamics #jamie x claire #high school AU #college AU #outlander fanfic #outlander fanfiction #jenny and claire

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