#jack x Anna

[theeamazingl]

okay okay last jackanna post until i find more ideas lol

[keisha-knell]

My fav wrestling couples/ people dating wrestlers 🥹🥹🥹🥹🖤🖤🖤

[mikyapixie]

24 years ago today X-Men: Evolution premiered on Kids WB!!!

[auras-moonstone]

could you write something about jack and shy!reader where they’re working on a romcom together and she’s very closed off with him bc she likes him and he’s always going to her trailer to hang out despite her being very quiet

okay so i may have reached a new level of cheesiness with this one shot but i kinda love it??? hope you do too🫶🏻💓

the tower at midnight — jack champion

word count: 2,394

pairing: jack champion x shy!fem!reader

summary: jack and y/n are working on a rom-com together. because of her shyness and crush on him, y/n is really closed off and jack is determined to change that.

WHEN Y/N AUDITIONED FOR THE ROLE OF ANNA IN THE NETFLIX ADAPTATION OF ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS, she would’ve never ever—not even in her wildest dreams—imagined that the boy who played Étienne St. Clair (the love interest) would be Jack Champion, her celebrity crush.

Jack knew he had soft spot for her from the moment they met, at the cast presentation/meeting. Y/N had been standing awkwardly by the door because, just like him, she had arrived earlier than the rest.

“Hi, you must be Y/N” he gave her a wide smile, showing his perfect teeth and cute dimples. Y/N couldn’t believe he was even more perfect in person.

“Hi… yes” she shifted awkwardly. Her nostrils caught the scent of his strong and sweet cologne, and she instantly became addicted.

“I’m Jack! Nice to meet you! I’m really excited to be working with you” Jack’s voice was the complete opposite of hers—loud, excited, confident, steady.

“Thanks, me too” she sent him a soft smile, which was enough to send Jack’s heart beats on a marathon.

“It’s your first acting role, right?” he asked, interested in knowing more about the girl. Y/N nodded shyly. “Don’t worry. I’m sure you’ll do amazing! I know it can seem very intimidating, but you’ll be okay”.

“Thank you” Y/N smiled gratefully. She was completely entranced by him, by his kindness and by his warmth.

“What are you listening to?” he asked, eyeing the earphone that hung from my neck.

“Um, the Mamma Mia soundtrack” she replied, cheeks red as she offered him one of the earphones. He beamed at her, and accepted it. They both sat together in comfortable silence, humming to the ABBA songs as they waited for the rest of the cast.

JACK THOUGHT THAT BY THE PASSING DAYS, Y/N WOULD WARM UP TO HIM AT LEAST A LITTLE. But he had been totally wrong, she even became more reserved than the day they met.

He only heard her voice when they were doing a scene, and it was weird to see the contrast between them when they were playing Anna and Étienne—two friends who were clearly into each other—and the real Y/N and Jack—two people who didn’t interact at all behind cameras. It was like living two lives, and Jack liked what he felt with Y/N when they were doing a scene together. Her eyes held a certain spark when she looked at him, and she blushed so prettily and her soft voice was just so enthralling… she was a great actress and Jack was beginning to think he was really not acting the attraction towards her at all.

Little did he know, Y/N wasn’t acting either. She liked him, a lot, and wished she wasn’t so shy because she really wanted to spend more time with Jack when the cameras weren’t near them. But Y/N knew she would make a fool of herself, and would be extremely obvious about her feelings, and weirding Jack out by her little crush was the last thing Y/N wanted. So, she stayed in her own little bubble while she enjoyed his company during the interactions between Anna and Étienne.

But Jack was not going to let it stay like that. And, one day, after they finished a scene, he followed Y/N to her trailer.

“Hey, do you mind if I stay with you?” Jack asked as she opened the door.

Y/N looked surprised “No… it’s okay” she said in a low tone. Jack smiled and held the door open for her. “Thanks” she muttered, her stomach squirming. He really was perfect.

There wasn’t a conversation at all. And one might think that would’ve been awkward as hell, but it wasn’t. Y/N felt comfortable, and Jack enjoyed her company even when they didn’t talk at all. So they did the same the next day, and the following one, and soon it became their little religion.

Y/N wondered why he kept going—not that she minded, of course. But he could spend his free time with other cast members who actually talked to him, and instead Jack sat in complete silence with her for minutes, not even attempting to make a conversation. She couldn’t help but ask.

“Why do you do this?” her question surprised him, and he paused the game he was playing on his phone.

“What?” Jack asked confused.

“You know, sit with me everyday, when I’m the most boring person to hang out” her voice was little.

Because I like you, he was tempted to say. But he didn’t want her to run away “You’re not boring. Sometimes conversations are overrated, you know? And it feels nice to hang out with you, you make me feel at peace”.

Y/N blushed. No one had ever said that to her ‘make me feel at peace’. Most people left her alone when they got the memo that she didn’t want to talk. Jack didn’t. “I… feel the same about you. I’m comfortable with you, and it’s… funny to watch you furrow your eyes when you are struggling at your game” she admitted, letting out a small laugh.

Jack’s smile appeared almost as a reflect. She had no idea how much he liked her “And I think it’s funny how you squirm whenever a kissing scene comes up in your book”.

Y/N’s body grew hot. “I just like when the characters finally kiss. I get invested a lot”

“Have you read Anna and the french kiss before the adaptation was announced?” Jack asked.

The girl smiled, she loved talking about rom-coms. “Of course. It’s one of my favorite romances. In fact, it enters my top five”.

“Oh, let’s see. Tell me your top” he asked, moving to sit next to her.

“At number five, Kisses and croissants—which like Anna, is set on Paris—, then The Happy Place—it’s really heart wrenching but it’s so good—, The do-over—I love it, it’s very original—, Anna and the french kiss—I absolutely love the whole Paris exploration and the romance and friendship between Anna and St. Clair is impeccable… and then, my absolute favorite is-“

“Wait! Drumrolls” he interrupted her, before making the sound.

Y/N laughed “Better than the movies, of course. Best romance I’ve ever read”.

“Oh, I know that one! I’ve been fan casted as the main character” Jack said.

As if I didn’t know, she said internally. He was the perfect Wes Bennet, and now that she actually knew him, she couldn’t deny it. “I know” she confessed.

“Really? What do you think?”

“The fans clearly make a good point” she said. How was he getting her to talk so much? She never felt like that towards someone. When she was around Jack, she wanted to make conversation.

Jack saw how passionate Y/N was about books, so he hold onto that topic. He loved hearing her voice, and her enthusiasm. “Tell me about this character. I’ve never read the book”.

And so Y/N talked about Wes, about how similar he was to Jack. And said boy was on cloud nine, not only was Y/N talking to him, but he was complimenting him. Well, she complimented Wes, but she mentioned lots of times how he and Jack were literally the same person—so the compliments were towards him too, right? And he loved it.

THEIR DYNAMIC COMPLETELY CHANGED EVER SINCE THAT DAY ON THE TRAILER. Jack noticed Y/N had grown more comfortable and confident around him, though she did have moments of shyness—especially when he threw praises at her. That’s another thing that changed: Jack wouldn’t pass the opportunity to shower her with compliments. The first one had slipped out of his mouth, she just looked so gorgeous on that skirt and top, that he couldn’t shut up. At first, he cursed at himself thinking it was going to make her uncomfortable, but then she blushed and gave him a little smile and Jack knew he had to tell her at least one nice thing every day. He realized that flattering her was his favorite activity, and he was very addicted to her reactions.

Maybe it was all in his imagination, but he had the feeling that Y/N liked him back. The blushing, the glances, her little stiffness whenever he got too close—it could be just her shyness, he knew it, but the hopeful part of him told him it was more than that.

“Y/N/N?” he interrupted her reading. That was a new activity they had—Jack asked Y/N if she could read him ‘Better than the movies’, and she couldn’t say no when he pouted. So she read to him during their breaks at the trailer.

“Yes?” she looked down at her lap, where Jack’s head was resting.

“Are you doing something tonight?” he asked.

Y/N frowned “No, why?”

“I just realize, we are in Paris and we didn’t get to explore much. Just the places we have filmed at, and it sucks because it is such a beautiful city”

“So…?”

“Right. Well, I was wondering if you wanted to explore with me tonight. We leave the set earlier today, so it’s a great opportunity. We can have dinner, and then visit some touristic places” he tried to speak confidently, but he was practically screaming on the inside.

“Yes, that sounds really nice, actually” she nodded, not thinking much of it. Jack cursed at her calmness, guess she didn’t understand he was actually asking her on a date.

“Great. It’s a date” Jack said, paying attention to her reaction. Her jaw fell open, and the grip on the book loosened letting it fall to her lap—or Jack’s face to be exact. “Ouch!”.

“Shit. Shit. I’m so sorry, Jack” Y/N apologised, body turning warm with embarrassment.

“You could’ve just said no, you know? Didn’t have to hit me with your book” he joked.

“No, no. I want to… I want it to be a date” she said softly. “Did I hurt you?” she touched his nose carefully.

“Not anymore. The pain is now long forgotten” Jack said looking her in the eyes. She turned her head away, they were too close and he was making her extremely nervous “I love it when you blush, did you know that? I… I like you”

“I got the hint ever since you randomly started to tell me compliments every day” she confessed.

“So you knew that I liked you?” Jack asked surprised. She nodded shyly “Why didn’t you say anything?”

Y/N shrugged “I’m not good at making the first move”

“Well, I am” he smiled smugly, leaning closer to her. He was going to kiss her. She had even closed her eyes, waiting for the feeling of his lips. “No”

Y/N opened her eyes in confusion “What?”

“You like romance, don’t you?” Jack asked, she affirmed with her head “We are in one of the most romantic cities in the world and you’re a fan of romantic comedies. Wouldn’t it be a shame if we have our first kiss in a trailer when there are so many beautiful places where we could have it?” he left Y/N completely speechless. “I’ll pick you up at 8, gorgeous”.

Y/N swooned. This guy was taken out of a romantic novel, there’s no other explanation.

WALKING AROUND THE CITY OF PARIS WITH JACK FELT LIKE A FAIRYTALE. They bought a disposable camera and took pictures of everything—when they went to The Louvre, to Le arc de Triomphe, the Luxembourg Gardens. And now, they were at their final stop before heading back to the hotel. Of course, they had to end their little exploration with Paris’ most iconic monument—the Eiffel Tower.

“Holy shit” Y/N said in complete awe. It was completely dark—as it was midnight already—so the tower shone brightly. The warm flashing lights of the monument reflected on Y/N’s starry eyes and Jack was completely taken by the view—her, of course. “This is completely mesmerising, Jack”.

“I know” eyes never leaving her eyes.

“Excuse moi” the voice of an old woman interrupted them. Y/N turned around and smiled warmly at her. She asked something in french that Jack couldn’t understand, but Y/N nodded and took the phone the woman held in her hands.

Y/N took a picture of the lady in front of the tower, and smiled at her as she handed the phone back. The unknown female looked at Jack, who was watching them with a grin, and said something to Y/N that made her blush and laugh.

“What did she say?” Jack asked curiously when Y/N came back to his side.

“She said that you were very handsome and that we make a great couple” Y/N admitted, smiling lightly but not quite looking at him from embarrassment.

“That was a wise woman, then” Jack smirked. “I didn’t know you spoke french”

“I studied it at school, so I can speak it quite well” she told him.

“Can you say something to me in french?” he was dying to hear her voice in that accent.

Y/N turned around to face him and, with an air of confidence, she said “Tu es le plus beau garçon que J'ai jamais vu. Je t'aime beaucoup et je suis amoureuse de ton sourire et de tes beaux yeux”.

With his jaw almost reaching the floor, his eyes roamed from her eyes down to her mouth, completely bewitched by the sound of her voice and the movement of her lips. He didn’t recognise one word that she had said, yet his heart felt like jumping out of his chest.

“Wha-what does that mean?” he whispered breathlessly.

“I said… You’re the most beautiful boy I’ve ever seen. I like you very much and I’m in love with your smile and your beautiful eyes”

“And-and how do you say ‘Can I kiss you?’ in french?” he asked, fingertips caressing her full lips.

“Je peux t'embrasser?” she answered.

Jack smiled “Yes, of course you can”

Y/N laughed “Dork” she whispered before pressing her lips against his.

Y/N didn’t quite know how Jack manages to make her feel absolutely fearless. But she was in love with the feeling, she was so in love with him that she might stop breathing. She was in love with his cheeky smile, his sweet disposition, his understanding self, his silly jokes, his touch and his loving gaze, and now, one hundred percent, with his kisses.

“I’m in love with you too” Jack said against her lips.

[equallyshaw]

back to you | quinn hughes

✿ word count: 4.3k ✿ warnings: mention of slight body shaming and emotional/mental abuse. ✿ the early timeline is a bit sketch, ignore it pls lol ✿ french is italsized. ✿ masterlist.

cecille miller and quinn hughes met years ago at a toronto prep school for athletes, both bonding over having two other siblings and all three of them being involved in the same sport. cecille had been competing for the last 5 years in figure skating all across the world, in singles by the time they had met. while quinn was on his way two years later for team usa, back home in the states. by the time quinn had left, she was on the verge of cementing a spot on team canada for the 2018 Olympics just a few short years later. the last time they saw one another, cecille had been preparing for worlds in 2016. the olympics was the last time he had seen her - not to mention everybody.

after a coach who had abused her mentally and emotionally for years, over her physical appearance and how she was 'too' soft; she was ready to untie her skates and place them on a desolate shelf in the garage, which was a step up from the garbage can. her gold medal followed suit. after the olympics she enrolled in trinity college in toronto, which is by far the smallest college in the city with a focus on psychology with a minor in writing. hoping to one day bring an emphasis to sports psychology in the world of skating, albeit it in hockey or figure skating, and bring more awareness to how mentally exhausting it can be. and the physical aspect it has on the body. now two years out from graduation, she was on her way to new york to begin a position with the new york knicks. after completing a sports psychology internship with massachuest general hospital; which is considered one of the top hospitals in the country, all the while co-publishing a study on the stress of an athlete. she had reached the ceiling of figure skating, shattered it- and hoped to do the same in her field.

it was another hot and humid evening in the city, this early october. the season had just begun for the nba and cecille had loved and thoroughly enjoyed getting to see it up close and personal. she saw the game in a different light now, and adored seeing it through the eyes of the athletes. even through the ugly and not-so-pretty moments. as the team's junior sports psychologist, she found herself being a shoulder to lean on and vent to more than anything. she found herself becoming a confidant for the rookies and younger ones, as she could relate to the world around them in more ways than one.

as she stood off the back behind the player's bench, she saw one of those said rookies sitting down frustrated and defeatedly. the head and senior teams psychologist look towards her, and gave her a nod. as if to say, 'this is it kid.' she nodded towards the middle-aged man, before walking towards the end of the bench as the time out proceeded. she kneeled in front of him as the players head hung low with a towel on it. he had made a huge error just minutes prior and was benched because of it. although she didn't agree with the coach just pulling him out, she could understand why. her and player spoke in hushed voices for about 45 seconds before the player took off the towel and gave her a small smile. she gave him a small wink before standing up and giving a quick fist bump to another player who then bent over to talk to the younger player. cecille quickly walked back towards the players entrance to the lockerroom and stood across from her boss. he gave her a big smile before looking back at the game.

unbeknownst to her, jack was at the game with a few teammates and had seen the whole thing, along with quinn who was home in vancouver. the eldest watching as the camera panned over to her and the rookie, with the commentators speaking about how the 'golden girl' from toronto canada had come to work with them after 5 years of study. jack caught the tail end of the conversation between the two and couldn't believe she'd shown up in their lives at the oddest moment. cecille + basketball? who'd a thought! jack promised quinn that if given the opportunity, he'd find a way to see her. after all, he wanted to find out all he could on the girl, who his older brother had never stopped thinking of.

✿

jack never ended up getting the opportunity to see the now soft redhead. cecille headed back up to vancouver for a bachelorette party for a childhood friend, who too had moved to the states like cecille. she had just entered the luxury hotel - farmont pacific rim - where the party would be staying at. instead of going to her room right away, she opted for a coffee at the coffee bar and a chocolate muffin. she had had a red eye from dallas, and had gotten into vancouver around 6:47 am. quickly typing away on her phone, responding to an email about a private meeting for a player on the team - she had not realized who had walked up next to her at the bar. she pressed send, before placing her phone down and bringing her iced americano up to her pale lips. god, she was exhausted. her schedule allowed little time for rest and knew this weekend would end up biting her in the ass- but she couldn't pass up a childhood friend's weekend, that girl had been there for so much at this point. through cecilles early career, her peak, retirement, and now post-grad.

cecille sipped some more of her iced drink, before setting it back down. the young man spoke to the barista about what they wanted.

cecille's phone dinged a few times with texts and an email alert, she sighed turning off the ringer. as she did so, she took a not so subtle glance to her right, taking a peek at the man beside her. who now, sat down two seats from her. black hair - newly damp - curled right above their eyebrows, a soft spec now formed on the chin and a freshly stitched finger pushed away the hair. that only a hockey player could have, i might add.

curiosity got the best of her, and she peeked a little longer before a set of hazel eyes looked up at her.

she instantly choked on her own spit, and looked away quickly. that couldn't be who she thought it was right? she sipped some of her drink before covering her eyes with her hands, already knowing it was who it was. "you okay?" he questioned, not realizing it was her. yet. "just peachy." she hummed, feeling her cheeks turn molten, her heartbeat begin to pound and her hands becoming warm. "just fantastic." she mumbled before her phone began to ring from the other side of the coast. her mother.

"hi mum, whats up?" she questioned in a quebec accent, that she picked up years ago from when she'd visited her mom's family there. her mum wanted to check in and see how she was doing, and if she'd gotten to the hotel alright. she confirmed and then turn towards quinn who took the hot coffee from the barista, "and you wouldn't believe who sits next me." she teased in english, as quinn looked towards her. his eyes widened in confirmation, her shade of icy blue eyes and freckle right above her right eyebrow confirmed it. her mother questioned who it was, and she responded with, "remember drama quinn?" (pronounced queen) and her mum laughed. a term laced with adoration and childlike humor, a nickname jack had coined years ago back in the suburbs of toronto. cecille promised to call her when she got back to manhattan, before the two ended the call.

"cecille florence.." he murmured under his breath and she nodded with a small smile, "wha- why are you here? what have you been up to?" he questioned in disbelief sitting down in the high-top chair next to hers. her pale by-nature cheeks turned light blush as she smiled. "im here for a bachelorette party. member livie?" she questioned and he nodded in confirmation, "well she's getting married next summer and she had time off to travel here and i just so happened found time as well." cecille explained with a slight shrug. he nodded, trying to form a question while she sipped her coffee. "oh! i saw you work for the knicks, right? how'd you end up there?" he questioned in genuine curiosity. she nodded, "after spending two years at Massachusetts general - top hospital in the country, i got the opportunity to become a junior sports psychologist for them after they read the study i co oversaw and wrote a journal on. after a brief interview, they offered it to me." she said with a glint in her eye. a familiar one to quinn, and one he saw regularly when she spoke about skating.

"how long did you know you wanted to work in sports psychology?" he questioned with a hint of softness, not knowing why she retired. she shifted in her seat a bit, "it wasn't until after the olympics, and when i came home. i knew i wanted to go to college just wasn't sure in what. took a bit before the winter deadline and everything that i had gone through up to that point, and decided on psychology. in hopes that i help somebody like the little girl in me needed, if that makes sense?" she explained with a slight giggle and to which, quinn nodded. "ofcourse ofcourse..but uh, what exactly was that? if you don't mind me asking." he said trying to gauge her reaction. "i never verbalized it until i retired, but my coach was extremely toxic. him and his assistant, always made sure i felt less than, that i always had an extra pound to lose or that i was too soft for the competition world. and once i won gold, i knew i was done. everything i had worked for paid off, but was it worth all the pain? that's something ill forever think about, but i wanted to pursue a study that would give me the ability to be a positive voice in a sport. at the end of the day." she finished and quinn sat back in marvel and in thought.

"for starters..im sorry you went through that. that should have never happened, and im sorry for never recgonizing it." he began, "but im glad that skaters up and coming could possibly learn from you and lean on you as a possible support system." he said with a small smile and she mirrored it. "thankyou q, what about you? what have you been up to? im sorry, i lost track after olympics. kinda dropped off that face of the earth." she mused with a slight blush. he waved her off, "no you are fine! well after being in michigan for two years, my family all moved over and then i got drafted to the NHL before playing for michigan for two seasons. and then headed off to vancouver. and now which, im the captain of." he said with the same slow - humble tone he'd always had. so unlike his brother, jack.

"thats so exciting q!! im so happy for you, you deserve it all. but yeah, i remember my mom saying something about you guys moving back to the states, a year before the olympics. how did you all adjust?" she inquired before sipping her drink. quinn chuckled, "jack thrived. absolutely thrived, loved it. luke, had a little bit of a harder time before adjusting well, and then me? well, i missed you guys a lot. i missed school, club, and the neighborhood friends i had. but after a while, hockey took all my time." he said shrugging, and that made her smile sadly. "im sorry q. i promise we missed you too." she said placing her left hand on his right, which was resting on the counter. the two of them looked down at it before she pulled it back.

as soon as quinn was about to speak, her phone began to ring. her eyes broke away from his to see livie's name pop up. she quickly accepted and brought her phone to her ear, "ill be there shortly!" she said before hanging up. she locked her phone, took one last sip of the iced drink and then looked over at quinn, who seemed to be hanging on the edge of his seat to speak. "well, it was great seeing you quinn but i must get upstairs to see liv." she said wrapping up her chocolate muffin. quinn nodded apprehensively as she stood up, a solemn look laced his features. "wh-can i see you again?" he questioned, standing up as she was turning towards the elevators. she stopped in her spot, before looking back at him. "id really like that, q." she hummed before smiling widely. "number the same?" he questioned and she nodded, "see you soon." he said with a slight nod and smile.

as she walked out of the elevator, she was met with livie standing in front of her. "oh hi." cecille said throwing her arms around her best friend. "eeee hi!" livie returned the favor, before pulling back. "wait! was that quinn who i saw at the bar with you?" she quickly questioned and cecille nodded, giving livie a opprurtunity to laugh wickedly.

✿

december rolled around when vancouver finally visited new jersey to square off against the hughes duo. and when the infamous ellen hughes found out about quinn seeing cecille in person, she made jack foot the bill as the host to get her ticket so she could sit with the family. so now cecille found herself walking into the arena with a vancouver shirt she found off of etsy, dark washed blue jeans, white sneakers, and a winter jacket on. ellen was waiting outside of the family box the boys had gotten, and as soon as she saw cecille step out of the elevator, she quickly made her way over to the girl.

"mrs hughes!" cecille said in surprise as ellen wrapped her arms around the smaller girl, before letting out some giggles. "its so good to see you my sweet girl! how are mum and dad?" ellen spoke warmly pulling away an arms length. "they're good! they actuallymoving to quebec after new years." she responded with a small smile, "how have you been? mr hughes?" she questioned. "call us ellen and jim sweetie, but we've been good! come on, lets get to our seats and we'll catch up." ellen smiled wrapping an arm around the girl's shoulder and walked them to the box.

the two were in a deep conversation when the boys came out for the anthem and puck drop. "y'know he hasn't stopped talking about you since you guys reconnected." ellen said looking over at the girl, as cecille eyes went back and fourth trying to find quinn. "really?" cecille said turning to meet her eye, and she knew ellen was telling the truth.

"it's great you guys have been catching up, it was rather hard for q to leave toronto. let alone leave us. he really struggled in the beginning, leaving all of you guys and school behind." she began to explain as cecille looked back out to instantly find him, "he loved being there, as did we. but you were the first friend he made out there and leaving you, was the hardest thing he had to do." ellen finished, without saying the words; but they were soulmates. either platonically or not. regardless, it was the type of friendship that leaves an imprint on you and a lasting impression. "and then you disappearing was devastating for him, hun." she added and cecille could feel the tear forming in her eyes.

leave it to ellen for always telling the truth, and being 100% honest. she had always loved that about her, but this? god, she could just about die at this moment.

"oh, wow." cecille said breathlessly, still in shock.

"you didn't know?" ellen questioned softly, and cecille shook her head no.

that's why he was so gungho on taking her out to dinner after the game, ellen thought.

"well im sure he'll tell you at some point." ellen said trying to diffuse the situation a bit as she gave cecille a small shoulder squeeze, before turning towards the ice.

cecille felt hands at her shoulders, and turned to look up to see jimmy. jimmy sat down, and the two now caught up with each other.

✿

after the canucks came out on top, cecille found herself sitting off to the side of the family box; deep in her thoughts. her foot shook as she crossed her leg over the other, looking out onto the now deserted ice. truth be told, her thoughts had been eating away at her for the entirety of the game. she felt hands for the second tonight on her shoulders, jerking her out of her thoughts. cecille jumped in her seat, before turning around to jack who had the wickedest grin on his face. "jesus fuck, jack." she said bringing a hand to her chest before smiling. jack opened his arms wide for the smaller girl and as soon as they hugged he spun her around. "goldie! how have you been?" he asked setting her down, and she softly smiled. "I've been pretty good!" she said modestly, and jack shook his head. "you work for the fucking knicks, that's fucking awesome!" he said not sparing niceties, to which she only laughed. "alright jacky, let me hug her." luke said walking over and cecilles eyes widened at how tall he was. he bent over and gave her a tight hug, before pulling away.

"who allowed you to get so tall?!" she said laughing with jack, "oh believe me, im pissed!" jack said pushing luke's shoulder. luke could only laugh, before turning around at hearing quinn's name.

"sorry about the game guys, you guys played wonderful." she said as they looked towards her, but they waved her off. "we all know why he was on his a - game tonight, don't we moose?" jack spoke turning towards luke, who took a second to register his comments but then profusely nodded. quinn quickly scanned the room of friends and family for the golden girl, and as soon as his eyes landed on her short self - a smile appeared on his face.

he made his way over and stopped in between his brothers, who were conversing with her. "q!" cecille said with a wide smile, "congrats on the win." but quinn couldn't hear her over the fact that she was wearing a vancouver canuck shirt. "quinnie." jack said under his breathe, alerting the eldest one. "oh yeah, thanks!" quinn said a bit flustered before looking up at cecille. "ofcourse! i was uh just telling the boys that i was actually on my way out for the evening. i have to be at the practice gym early tomorrow." she said a bit sad. quinn nodded not registering her words fully, "you sure you don't want to come to dinner with us?" luke asked and she gave him a small frown. "i wish i could, but i cannot. besides, i gotta get back to feed my cat her meds." she said with a slight shrug, "what if you and i go grab something quick?" quinn suggested quickly, and cecille knew she could not pass this up. "something quick, alright?" she confirmed and quinn nodded.

✿

the night ended rather too quickly for quinn, and without explaining his full feelings for the girl. leaving her rather confused and ponderd on where they stood. as the seasons winded down for the both of them, cecille got a text from jack asking if she wanted to visit the lake house for memorial day weekend. cecille accepted the invitation and was now just getting out of the uber.

"cecille!" she heard ellen's unmistakable voice from the front door, as she thanked the driver for the ride. "so good to have you with us!" ellen said jogging down the driveway to give her a hug. "who all is here?" cecille asked, as the two turned to walk up. "a lot of the boys friends from the program, college and their teams. you remember the tckachuk boys?" ellen questioned and cecille laughed whole heartedly, "how could i forget them? they're very hard to forget." she mused as jimmy opened the front door. "hi!" cecille beamed, giving jimmy a quick hug before he took her suitcase and carry on bag.

"i think the boys are all outside on the deck coo-" ellen was cut off by who walked in through the back door, and cecille turned to see who walked in. "cecille?" quinn asked as his eyebrows furrowed in confusion before he looked back at jack who was in the middle of telling a very animated story. "let me guess." quinn stated causing cecille to laugh, as she realized what jack had done. he invited her without quinn knowing, as a surprise.

"when is he not up to something?" she teased as he set down his drink before pulling her in for a hug.

they pulled apart, and turned away from one another as ellen walked up. "dad and i are gonna run to the store to grab some things, ok? please text us if you want anything, cecille!" ellen said walking past them with her purse. cecille nodded giving them both a small wave, before turning back towards quinn.

"you two get out here!" jack yelled, as she popped his head through the sliding door. quinn rolled his eyes, before jack shut the door.

quinn sighed turning back towards cecille with a smile, "would you wanna i don't know, hang out later? just the two of us?" he asked a bit nervously, and cecille nodded. "i could take you out on the boat?" he clarified and she smiled, "that'd be really nice q."

✿

later on in the evening nearing 11 o'clock, after hours of stolen glances and private smiles, the two found themselves out on the boat. cecille stood up at the front of the boat, as quinn watched on from the drivers seat. the night sky clear of fog and any clouds, allowed for the stars to be out in full force tonight. cecille turned a bit back towards quinn and smiled, in which he mirrored.

"watcha thinking about?" he questioned as she walked back towards him and sat down on the couch across from the drivers seat. truth be told, ellen's words from 5 months ago had been circulating all night. and now, they were even worse. she shook her head, bringing her knee to rest her chin on. quinn watched her body begin to tense, something he'd always been able to do back in their early teen years. "you can tell me anything, cille." he offered softly and she nodded in acknowledgment. as she toyed with how she wanted to approach the subject, she sighed.

"when i came to the game, your mom was very honest and open about you and your...feelings." she paused turning her lips inward as she bit the inside of her cheeks. "how..honest?" he asked full of anxiety before she could finish. cecille looked up and met his gaze, "forget i said anything." she said standing up and walking to the back end of the boat, with her arms crossed. "no, don't do that cecille. just tell me, please." he pleaded following her. she shook her head, as he turned her around to face him. "cille, what did my mom say?" he asked placing hands on both sides of her face and making her look up at him. "she spoke of how-how difficult it was for you to leave, and that it was even harder watching me disappear from the world. trust me! i didn't want to disappear but i had to, i wanted to close that chapter of pain and trauma and in turn, i shut you and everybody else completely." she began as tears began to form in her eyes. quinn shook his head as he wiped his thumb softly against her cheek, as he sniffled. she shook her head, "it was hard for me as well, watching you leave and then life got in the way. but i had planned and hoped to reconnect after the olympics but things just didn't work out as i had planned. i didn't feel like myself and didn't want to put myself through any unnecessary pain." she explained, before sniffling.

he shook his head, "i would have never said or done anything to make you feel any less than cille - i promise....but my mom is such a blabber mouth my god." he said pausing to chuckle, and in turn made her giggle.

on the verge of tears, he spoke, "my god, it was so hard to leave you. you were right behind my family, i almost didn't go because i didn't want to leave them. but i knew i was supposed to leave, and through it all- through everything I've always kept the belief that we'd meet again, somewhere in life we'd come together again. i always knew i'd come back to you, cille." he said through tears of his own now.

cecille felt herself on the verge of tears as she pulled him in for a kiss, one they'd thought about for years at that point, and how it would feel.

it felt even sweeter than originally anticipated.

quinn lifted her up and twirled her around, before breaking the kiss. the two looked at one another before quinn broke out into laughter, and it was contagious.

"i just know jacks about to have a field day." he said and that made cecille laugh loudly as well.

she knew it to be true.

im sorry it was so long lol

but i hope you enjoyed!!!

please like and reblog if you liked (:

[theeamazingl]

tryna write a historical fiction au w/ jack x anna fic but there's not much info of norwegian culture in 1840 😭

[sirlancenotalot]

[venusssus]

We fucked up as a society and I’m very tired of 2023 and not being able to ship my favourite ships anymore, like a character not eveyone loves, having my own opinion.

When I say I ship Helsa people go INSANE. Not only they tell me I’m weird and crazy but sometimes also give me death threats. Once I left a comment on tiktok saying : „I dont ship elsamaren but I love your edits!” And then this girl checked my account and saw Hans/Helsa tiktoks and texted me : „Kill yourself honestly, you homophobic idiot”.My question is WHY? Why am I being called a homophobe when I’m not? And Why Can’t I ship Helsa? Is it killing people?Am I hurting innocent kids because of it? Setting World on fire? AM I FORCING YOU TO LIKE THIS SHIP? ABSOLUTELY FUCKING NOT.

I don’t ship Elsamaren and Jelsa, I don’t think they have chemistry at all. I love Hans with Elsa and in my eyes they have the greatest tension and chemistry. But — Let me surprise you now…This is my own preferance! My point of view! My opinion! MINE.

[equallyshaw]

rose's relationship with her brothers + reactions to her coming out! | rutger x rose hughes au! ⚘ thoughts! ⚘ au masterlist.

rose + quinn: - that's his rosie posey - originated the nickname, posey after their parents called her rosie the first time - incredibly close as they both lived in BC for 4 years - growing up, he'd always make sure she played with them and always made sure the two others gave her time to learn the game - rose was his shadow growing up - always told her that she didn't need to play jack's position - a center - to make the positions even, like luke and quinn - also, he always said that if she gave up hockey nobody would be disappointed because there was a time she wanted to quit to be 'normal' at school - flied rose out during his time in vancouver that overlapped with hers, whenever she was able to come out. he also flew out to visit her and see her games at BC + her jr hockey club - she sends him all her poems, before she posts them to her poetry/spam account - always says if hockey doesn't work out, she should publish her works. - quinn is her passenger princess when they are together - always there to be a source for advice, and somebody for her to lean on - will belt out olivia rodrigo, any day of the week - since the moment she was born, he made jack promise they'd always be there for her and protect her. the two take their unspoken role very seriously

rose + jack: - tolerate eachother at best - just kidding but they do butt heads a lot because he doesn't always pick up on her sarcasm and thinks she is serious 100% which...it is typically 75% - nickname for rose is flower - jack is always done for spur of the moment ice cream trips and both have an adoration for brunch dates - when she told him that she was thinking of trying to go for the CHL because they had reached out and asked her and her team about joining the men's league, he was incredibly happy and excited for her. not to mention flattered she wanted his opinion, but ultimately she skipped the chl and headed for college- a year early - he is the easiest to make a meme out of, and will regularly post to her spam account (he can literally breathe, and one appears) - during summer camps growing up, rose would be his winger/forward. the two loved playing together and it meant both her brothers could be on the same line

rose + luke: - nickname for rose is lovie - after quinn, her and luke are closest because of their ages - their favorite season is summer because they all get to be together, and especially for these two, the two have always held a bond that nobody can touch - as a kid she used to play defence because she wanted to be like luke, and then realized she wasn't going to grow much more and shifted to winger/forward - coffee partners for life - at the lakehouse you'll probably find these two together. she'll be reading or writing, and he'll be napping either at her feet or right behind her. or nearby. - definitely a sunshine/black cat sibling duo - interchanging - both love drive around with country music blasting - because she hates golf, the brothers take her to mini golf during the summer which leads to a very heated game between the two young ones

their reactions to coming out as bisexual:

quinn: - incredibly grateful she came out to him first after asking for a plane ride to see him - gave her the absolute biggest hug and shed some tears now knowing how long she'd been holding it in and how much turmoil she went through - told her how proud he was of her and that he was proud to be her sister (cue the waterworks again!) - when she started going out with her ex girlfriend - publicly, he was so happy for her and was one of their biggest supporters in private and on social media

jack: - was incredibly proud of her for coming out to them - was happy that she could publicly be with her girlfriend at the time - gave her the biggest bear hug and said if anybody says something or treats you differently- they'd have to answer to him (all three) - because he is always down for a good time, he told her that if she wants to go to a pride parade - he wants to join her

luke: - was a tad bit hurt that she hadn't said anything to him earlier but got over it real quickly after realizing that it was her own journey and the decision to tell him whenever - the two had a long hug and then long talk about when she knew, how things came about with her ex and then like jack, had said he'll always be there to protect her if she needed him to - she told him that it was the hardest thing to keep from not only the whole family, but him because of the bond that they share (lots of tears were shed during their heart to heart)

ellen + jim: - more than accepting, welcoming and supportive - just like all their children, they want rosie to be happy - ellen could tell there was something on her daughters mind for sometime now, and is relieved to hear what it is - as soon as the words were shared, a minute passes before ellen is pulling her baby girl in her arms. - lots of tears were shed - jim was very quiet but nevertheless supportive and welcoming - he was overwhelmed but not in a bad way - gave her the biggest bear hug and forehead kiss - the next morning, rosie awoke to a small bouquet of hydrangeas, coffee + sandwich, and a card from jim - the card said everything he hadn't been able to share the night before, without crying. tells her how proud he is and that he is proud to have her as his daughter, and that he's always been proud of her. - when she tells the family that she has a girlfriend the same week, a beat doesn't pass before them wanting her to come visit them at the lake house and asking every question under the sun about them

[activefancaster757]

𝙍𝙐𝙀 𝙎𝙄𝙀𝘽𝙀𝙍𝙏: 𝘚𝘈𝘙𝘈𝘏 𝘗𝘐𝘋𝘎𝘌𝘖𝘕

𝙀𝙇𝙄 𝙆𝙄𝙇𝙇𝙂𝙊𝙍𝙀: 𝘑𝘈𝘊𝘒 𝘖'𝘊𝘖𝘕𝘕𝘌𝘓𝘓

𝙁𝙇𝙊𝙍𝙀𝙉𝘾𝙀 𝙆𝙇𝙄𝙉𝙀: 𝘙𝘈𝘊𝘏𝘈𝘌𝘓𝘓𝘌 𝘓𝘌𝘍𝘌𝘝𝘙𝘌

𝘾𝙊𝙉𝙊𝙍 𝙃𝘼𝙍𝙆𝙉𝙀𝙎𝙎 (𝙃𝘼𝙍𝙆): 𝘑𝘖𝘌 𝘈𝘓𝘞𝘠𝘕

𝙏𝙄𝙎𝙃𝘼 𝙁𝙐𝙇𝙄: 𝘗𝘙𝘌𝘊𝘐𝘖𝘜𝘚 𝘔𝘜𝘚𝘛𝘈𝘗𝘏𝘈

𝙉𝙔𝙊𝙏𝘼 𝙁𝙐𝙇𝙄: 𝘋𝘐𝘈𝘔𝘖𝘕𝘋 𝘞𝘏𝘐𝘛𝘌

𝙈𝘼𝙔𝘼 𝙆𝙄𝙇𝙇𝙂𝙊𝙍𝙀: 𝘚𝘖𝘗𝘏𝘐𝘈 𝘓𝘐𝘓𝘓𝘐𝘚

𝙑𝙄𝙉𝘾𝙀𝙉𝙏 𝙎𝙄𝙀𝘽𝙀𝙍𝙏: 𝘍𝘙𝘈𝘕Ç𝘖𝘐𝘚 𝘈𝘙𝘕𝘈𝘜𝘋

𝙎𝙐𝙇𝙇𝙄𝙑𝘼𝙉 𝙅𝙀𝙉𝙎𝙀𝙉: 𝘍𝘈𝘉𝘐𝘌𝘕 𝘍𝘙𝘈𝘕𝘒𝘌𝘓

𝙈𝙄𝙉𝘼𝙈𝙄 𝙊𝙆𝘼: 𝘈𝘕𝘕𝘈 𝘚𝘈𝘞𝘈𝘐

[annaelizabethhenry1]

Echoes from the Past - Chapter 2

Summary: River visits his grandfather post season 4 at the care home. The visits conjure memories of River’s childhood and teen years as he grapples with his grandfather’s declining mental health and how once he’s gone he’ll have no one left. Warning – spoilers for all four seasons.

A big thank you to my coven and our endless discussions about this fic and scenarios for Little River and the tough discussions around dementia. Writing may seem like a solitary endeavor, but its always a group effort - hugs and kisses to Alex @cillmequick and Dot @coffeeflavored <3

CHAPTER ONE

Chapter Two

As it was a long bank holiday weekend, River decided he’d stay at his grandfather’s house to make visiting him daily for the next few days simpler. The light was going down rapidly along the garden’s treeline and River hurried inside, clutching his bag of curry take-away. He flipped on the lights in the study and the kitchen. He also switched on the heating as it was freezing in the house. He missed the days when he would visit and the house was lit, warm with the fireplace crackling. Now the house was just an empty shell of its former self. It sat cold and dark, no life stirring from within it. 

As the radiators banged and hissed to life, River took out the curry, pulled a fork from a drawer and was about to sit down at the empty kitchen table and sighed. “God, how pathetic,” he muttered. Was this going to be his existence going forward, sad take away meals alone in a drafty house? He never realized how much he enjoyed his grandfather’s company until it had been taken from him. He took for granted the camaraderie they shared over the years. 

River walked back to the study with his curry and sat down in his usual chair as he couldn’t bring himself to sit in grandad’s as it would always be his even after he was gone. Mind you the chair River sat in used to belong to his Nan, but after she passed grandad told him it was his spot from now on which made it different. 

It was so quiet in the country compared to his noisy flat in London where there were always sirens, cars rushing by and people shouting. Just like when he first arrived here when he was almost seven, the silence made him feel lonely and isolated, like you’d survived some dystopian horror and only you were left. The silence hadn’t scared him for ages, but now it suddenly did because before even with the silence there was the chatter of his grandfather to fill the void and that was now missing.

River thought back to one of his first nights in the house. When everything seemed new and rather frightening. He’d never lived outside of London before nor had he ever stayed somewhere so fancy. It reminded him of how people on the telly lived. 

On the third night with his grandparents, River lay awake in his bed in what his grandparents called the guest room, but there was talk of making it more comfortable for him.  He wondered if that meant it would his room. He’d never had his own room before – usually he slept on a pull-out sofa or in a sleeping bag. He couldn’t fathom having a whole room that was just for him. Grabbing his bunny, he shuffled from under the cosy comforter and went to the window to look out.

River could not understand his grandparents yet. He always made a point to figure out how his mum’s latest boyfriend worked. What would upset them, what would make them happy or at least indifferent to him. With Nan especially, nothing seemed to trouble her. 

River whispered to Mr. Hoppinheimer, “I don’t get how they haven’t yelled at me yet. It’s been three whole days…I thought for sure when I spilled the milk today Nan would yell, but she didn’t.”

His grandparents were obviously older, but did this mean they yelled less or was it something else? An owl hooted in the tree near his window and River jumped. “What was that? A monster?”

The wind tossed the branches outside and one was close enough to scrap the house, scaring River further. He clutched his bunny while another sound echoed in the night sky and River shuddered as tears ran down his cheek.

River’s door creaked opened and light from the hallway poured in as his grandfather appeared, smiling. River quickly wiped the tears away, his mum hated it when he cried.

“River are you all right, lad?”

He shook his head no because he was scared and confused. River worried what his grandfather would do next. Best case he’d ignore him, worst he’d yell.

“Well we can’t have that,” David said coming into the room and turning a little lamp on that cast a soft glow about the room. 

His grandfather sat down at the edge of the bed closest to River, “Come sit next to me. Tell me what’s wrong.”

River looked at this grandfather who smiled and patted the spot next to him. River hesitated, but went over and sat down. Grandad wrapped an arm around him, “Are you scared?”

“Yes, but I promised mum I wouldn’t be any trouble…”

“Oh, River my boy being scared isn’t causing trouble. You don’t have to worry anymore because I’m here to protect you, so is your Nan. We want you to be happy and we can’t do that if you don’t tell us how you feel, all right?”

Grandad pulled River closer and kissed the top of his head.

River didn’t know what to do. He felt so different. Like for the first time someone didn’t mind him being there. It was almost like they were happy he was here with them, especially his Nan.

“It’s so quiet here…but when I hear things…they scare me,” As if on cue the owl hooted. “Like that!” River snuggled into his grandfather’s sweater hoping he wouldn’t mind.

“Oh, that’s an owl. Tomorrow we’ll go out and investigate the garden and I’ll show you where the owls live and maybe if we’re lucky enough we’ll see an owl in the daylight as they usually hunt at night.”

“What’s investigate mean?”

“Explore. There’s so much to see around here. I can take you down the road to where the neighbours keep their horses. You’d like to see that, right?”

River brightened up. Someone wanted to do something especially for him. He didn’t understand it but he was glad his mum left him here. Mind you, he didn’t trust it yet, but this felt so different than what he was used to. 

“I like it here even if it’s scary at night.”

“It won’t be scary for long. You’ll get used to the different sounds. But you can always come to us if you’re scared. You don’t have to stay here afraid.”

“Won’t you be cross if I wake you?” River asked afraid he pushed too far.

“Cross? No, never.”

Grandad soothed River, tucked him back in, bunny and all and shut the light, but left the door open so he wouldn’t feel alone.

River thought wistfully on that moment, it was the first time he felt truly safe and loved. He knew recapturing that now was impossible given his grandfather’s condition. It also made him wonder if his grandfather was afraid when he was lucid, that he knew he was slipping away and couldn’t do anything about it. What could River do to soothe him? He had to find a way to comfort him after everything he had done for him. River knew his grandfather was flawed – more than ever now after finding out who his father was and what lay behind it. But still he owed him and deep down he knew his grandad had done his best for River all those years ago. 

River started as his mobile rang in his pocket. He pulled it out and saw Catherine’s name appearing on the screen. He thought it odd she’d call this late. He hoped everything was all right. “Hi Catherine. Is everything okay?” 

“Oh, hi River, yes. Just wanted to check in with you. I knew you said you were visiting David this weekend. I wondered if you had gone down.”

“Yeah, I did. He wasn’t so good today…he wanted to go home and then later he didn’t know who I was…”

“Oh, River…I’m so sorry. Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day. Why don’t you try bringing some photos over with you? Remember the article I sent you mentioned that often helps them as their minds often live in the past, so seeing photos of you when you’re younger might bring him around,” Catherine urged from the other end of the line.

“Right. I forgot about that. I’ll go find some when I finish my curry.”

“Take away again, honestly,” Catherine huffed.

River chuckled. “It’s not like I’m in the mood to cook.”

“My offer still stands.”

“I know. I’ll see how tomorrow goes,” River said.

Catherine Standish had offered to come by for the day and visit David as he was familiar with her from their “adventure” together after River left David with her when they perused by both the Park and an assassin.  

After River finished his curry and tidied the kitchen, he went upstairs to his grandparents’ room. The door creaked as it opened, turning the light on the room came to life. He looked around, everything was tidy. The bed made, the curtains closed, the furniture recently polished. He wished he could take credit for it, but right after he left his grandfather at the care home, Catherine came by to help organize things with River, which included a weekend of tidying-up the house as it was long overdue for some sprucing up. 

River opened the closet door, staring at the sparse contents as half of it was in the care home with his grandfather and the other space belonged to his Nan who’s clothes had been donated long ago. A box caught his eye on an upper shelf. It looked like a hat box that would’ve belong to his grandmother. Reaching up he removed it and was surprised by its weight. Placing it down on the bed, River opened the lid, “Oh, wow…” It contained cards, drawings and other ephemera River had made growing up. He had no idea his grandparents had saved these. They were bundled neatly unlike his own memory box. 

As he shifted the piles and removed them to the bed, he saw the weathered rocks he decorated for the garden when he seven or eight. Then there was the ‘Best Grandad’ pin River bought for him one Father’s Day. He held it for a moment remembering trying to pin it on his grandad’s sweater with his little fingers and being pricked by it. River smiled. Digging further he found a child sized watch with the face scratched. 

“He kept this?” River muttered feeling his face flush as he looked up at the ceiling blinking back tears. The battered watch held a special memory for River, it was the catalyst in his bonding early on with his grandad. 

River had been with his grandparents almost a month when they presented him with a very cool digital watch that had a special little button that made it light up in the dark. He’d only taken it off to have baths since he received it, but one Sunday evening he realized it was missing from his wrist. He was seized by panic - his grandparents would be so disappointed in him if he already lost the watch. 

While he was still trying to understand his grandparents, River knew this was definitely the type of thing that would lead to yelling – it had to. He lost far less precious things when he was with his mum and she got so cross, calling him careless. It was no wonder that she left him here. Now where would he go if his grandparents got tired of him losing things or being clumsy? But with no father, who would take him in next? River remembered watching Oliver on the telly a while ago and thought how horrible it would be to live on the streets being a thief. Would Fagan be nice to him? River doubted it as no one seemed to like him. He’d not be able to keep Mr. Hoppinheimer or his new bear Benjamin who had a very smart bowtie. 

“Wait! Maybe it’s in the bathroom!” River darted across the hallway into the loo. 

River looked on the floor, under the rugs, by the sink, and under the towels that were neatly stacked. It wasn’t anywhere. He was so crestfallen and slumped to sit on the cold, tile floor, scared to tell them he lost the watch. Near tears, River tried to take a breath, but could feel his chest tighten as he was near hyperventilating. He breathed in and out harder. He had to think, where had he gone today? The kitchen, dining room and study – oh the garden! 

Earlier before dinner he and his grandad went into the garden to check on the pots to see if anything sprouted up yet. Grandad even gave him gloves to put on that were too big for him. Maybe the watch fell off then.

Darting back across the hallway, River went into his room to put his shoes on and then realized how would he get out of the house without explaining to his grandparents why he was going outside? The house was very creaky, but he already knew which steps made the most noise as he liked playing a game where he avoided them hopping around.

Tip-toeing in the hall and down the stairs avoiding the creaky spots, River edged around the wall and poked his head into the study and spied his grandparents involved in their books while the fire crackled. Seeing they were occupied, he made a dash to the kitchen. River peered out the kitchen door noticing the light was fading fast. He went into what his Nan called the jumble drawer where random things like screwdrivers, tape measures and a small torch were kept. He slid it from the drawer noiselessly as possible. The doorhandle was an odd lever River hadn’t completely remembered how to use and it squeaked a little when he turned it the wrong way. His heart pounded as he froze. All he heard was ticking from the clock in the entry hall and a tiny throat clearing from his grandad. River sighed. He pulled the door open just enough for him to get out. He immediately dove out of sigh against the chilly stone wall. 

“Whew, okay that was close,” River mumbled as he turned the torch on and began his search around the clay pots.

Just as he looked between the last batch of flower pots with the torch he heard the kitchen door squeak shut. “NO!” River whispered turning quickly and arcing the torch beam into one of the windows. He hastily turned it off less to draw attention to the garden. River went on his hands and knees in the damp grass to hide when he noticed his missing watch in a tuft of high grass around one of the larger planters. 

River wrapped the watch around his wrist and proceeded to crawl back to the house to stay out of sight till he reached the back door. Slowly, he got up and peered through the metal and glass panes. The kitchen was dark, so no one was there. River turned the lever but met resistance. “It’s locked,” River whispered in a panic. Now what? He pushed on the door to see if it was stuck, but it didn’t budge. “Wait…the key under the yellow pot.” Nan told him about it in case he ever got locked out in the garden. He retrieved the key and ever so slowly turned it, hearing the click he breathed a sigh of relief and quickly returned the key under the pot and slinked back into the dark kitchen.

Just as he was about to make a dash to the stairs light flooded the room as his grandfather appeared from the pantry area, “River whatever have you been doing out in the garden in the dark?”

Grandad walked towards him and took the torch from a stunned River’s hand. “Well?”

This was it, he was done for, off to an orphanage for him or worse. “I…I…umm…” 

“David is everything all right, who are you talking to?” Nan shouted from the study.

“River, he came down for a glass of water,” Grandad coolly replied.

River was surprised his grandfather lied given he caught him sneaking around.

“River love, do you want a snack?”

“No, Nan, I’m not hungry, thanks!” River shouted back.

“So, what were you up to?”

River felt like he could trust being honest since his grandad just lied for him. “I lost my watch, Grandad. I went into the garden thinking it was there and it was,” River held up his wrist.

“Why didn’t you just ask? We would’ve looked with you, River.”

“Mum always said I was careless and I didn’t want you to be cross,” River said looking up at his grandad with those sad blue eyes. 

“My boy, we all lose stuff, wait till you’re my age, I misplace things all the time!”

Impulsively, River hugged his grandad around the waist, tight, which took David by surprise and he wrapped his arms around his grandson. “I have to say I’m impressed as I didn’t realize you left the house. I came to put my mug in the sink and noticed the door was open a little and closed it. Only when I saw the light did I realize you were outside. Always remember if you hear noise when sneaking about with a torch to turn it off immediately and then hide.”

River pulled away and looked up curiously at his grandfather, “What? You didn’t mind I did that then?”

“Well, best not tell your grandmother, she wouldn’t approve, but I see you’ve got potential,” he replied with a warm smile.

“What’s potential?” 

“Ah, in this case it means,” Grandad leaned in and whispered, “I think you could be a good spy one day.”

“Wow,” River managed.

“That’s between us, remember,” his grandad winked.

River tried to wink back but only achieved an awkward form a blinking which made his grandad chuckle.

The memory in retrospect was even more bittersweet than River liked to admit. The irony of him ending up in Slough House, being the biggest disappointment anyone could ever be to a grandfather who had been first desk. Maybe it was a good thing Grandad couldn’t remember things anymore, it saved him the embarrassment. 

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

David Cartwright shambled through the hallway that led back to his room. All the chatter from the dining room became too much for him. He was used to his home and the quiet, not constant yammering. Turning the knob to his room he heard his name called and twisted to find the small lady who always seemed happy coming at him. 

“Did you not want to play bingo?”

“Bingo’s for old people,” he responded turning back to his room and pushing the door open.

Orla chuckled. “Yes, of course and you’re clearly too young for that kind of thing. Would you like to play chess or checkers with me?”

David plunked down in the leather chair. “I hate all the noise, so no thank you.”

A lightbulb went off, he hated the dining room and rec room because it was too much for him. “We could play in here where it’s quiet. And maybe you’d like cup of tea, too?”

“Maybe…I used to play with River. I taught him to play chess. He never got very good at it, always was an impulsive player. Where is my boy?”

“He was here earlier at lunch, Mr. Cartwright.”

“I don’t remember. He hates me anyway. He only comes because of Rose.”

Orla was beginning to see the picture more clearly now. Not only was it just the dementia at play, but a family rift or misunderstanding. There wasn’t much time to repair this either given how quickly the dementia seemed to be progressing. “No, I spoke to him earlier, we had tea and cake together. He cares about you very much, I can tell. I think it’s hard for him to deal with his feelings. Let me get that chess set and come back, okay?” 

“Yes, whatever,” David mumbled.

Orla returned a short while later with a boxed chess set and Sylvie bearing a small tea tray. The two women set everything up near where David sat.

Finally sitting down across from David, Orla began to put the chess pieces on the board. “I’ve had a long day, it’s nice to sit down quietly here to be honest, I can see why you wanted to as well.” She knew that many dementia and Alzheimer’s patients became frazzled from too much stimulation depending on what stage their condition was in, but she did wonder about David as he seemed so sharp sometimes. She’d have to chat with River further about his thoughts as he was the best judge.

“Yes, well I’d rather be in my own quiet home.”

“Where would you be right now if you were home?”

“My study with my books and some whiskey.”

“Avid reader?”

“Yes.”

“I love Dickens. My favourite is the Pickwick Papers.” 

“That’s a terrible choice. Why not Bleak House or at least David Copperfield?

Orla smiled and continued to place the chess pieces down. “I like to be different. It’s his only truly humorous work and I do so love to laugh.”

David cracked a shadow of a smile. “I see you know how to set the board up. Let’s see how well you play.” 

“I’ wager you’ll route me in no time,” Orla said with a cheeky wink.

Orla knew she was far from a chess champion, but David Cartwright despite his age and mental health was still quite the chess player as within the hour she had been corned into checkmate. 

“Checkmate!” David said triumphantly.

“Ooo! Damn!” Orla said. “Sorry…”

“No, you’re within your right to swear. You weren’t paying attention to your bishop earlier hence you’re in this mess now. I always told River not underestimate the power of your bishops. Not that he ever listened either.”

“You love River very much, don’t you?”

“Of course, he’s my boy.”

Orla sat quiet for moment. She wanted to say that his grandson was his son in every way that truly mattered and I’m sure River felt he same way. She decided to push a little. “Yes, I can tell. You’re very proud of him I’m sure. Though I do wonder why you think he doesn’t care for you.”

David’s face changed, Orla saw it immediately. She lost him. Damn!

“Yes, well he left me here to die,” David said gruffly, pushing the little card table with the chess set towards Orla.

“He did that to keep you safe. I know it’s not easy to admit, but sometimes we need help.”

“Help? This is what you call this hotel hospital environment? We’ve all been left here to die because someone who loved us just can’t be bothered.” He crossed his arms and turned his face away.

Orla did hate to admit that she had seen many people left at care homes who had no visitors and it always broke her heart. But this wasn’t the case for David Cartwright. His grandson cared a great deal. “May I call you David?” he shrugged in response. “David, your grandson is a busy man with a career and no doubt a personal life and he just can’t quit his job and stay with you as you do really need constant support to ensure you don’t get hurt.”

“I’d rather die than be here.”

“I’m sorry you feel that way. Maybe when River comes by tomorrow it’ll make you feel better about all of this. I’ll get Sylvie to help you to bed if you’re ready. Maybe you can watch some telly or I can get you a book from the library.”

“Just leave me alone!” He said much louder than he intended.

“Okay, have a goodnight and I’ll see you tomorrow,” Orla said with a sad smile and tiny wave.

Two steps forward and one step back she thought. Tomorrow was indeed another day and she’d make the most of it.

[s0uth3park]

I’ve just woken up from a dream where (BASEketball-esque) Matt Stone was wearing tight fabric pants (if it’s relevant at all they were flared, thin, and kinda dark purple and he was wearing a tight navy t-shirt) and turned around all extra caked up but – no – that wasn’t the point of the dream.

The point of the dream was that Trey was trying to sell Creek themed Christmas socks for October all the way through to at least February, and when me (or whatever I was presenting as, I just know it was first perspective) and Matt protested saying that he can’t do that, he said it’s because (and I’m really struggling to remember the wording here but it was basically) “before Christmas they get to look forward to the Creekmas (Creek Christmas) socks and after they get to look back on having the Creekmas socks”. He says it pretty affirmatively too. Almost proudly.

Then after Matt (and I think I as well) protests again, I walk away up to my grandma’s patio door, and Matt follows me like “I can’t believe he thought that was convincing” or “can you believe that prick” or something. And as he walks away (that’s when I notice the pants and ass), and I call him back like, “Hey I’m so convinced by it I changed my Tumblr url”, and I show him, but I’d changed it to something like “govmsocks” or something (no idea what it was meant to be originally), and Matt Stone looks at me weird enough to prompt me to say, “Yeah, it convinced me so hard I fucked it up.”

Then Matt Stone laughs a little and walks away. I’m (after waking up) left wondering wtf this is meant to mean.

[starlightmeadowbloomthesecond]

Make a wish on the shooting star

By amir_overland_frost

[vampyrekorkie]

Remember Remember the 5th of November, and have a Happy (late) Halloween from Rogue and Rain!

[madhatterbri]

Second Chance | Hook Part 4

Summary: You find out Jack is cheating on you with Anna.

For @99hook

The time flew by and soon you were in another city for your job. You had butterflies in your stomach. This was the first time you were ever going to defend a championship title. You didn't want to lose the title for a long time. As usual, your boyfriend was nowhere to be seen to make you feel less nervous.

"You are going to be fine," Skye pointed out to you. She watched you have multiple panic attacks that night. Now you were fidgeting with your gear. You had to be perfect. Everything had to be perfect. "You are doing an open challenge. Tony hasn't decided who that is going to be yet,"

"I need the people to like me so I stay champion for a long time, Skye. I have wanted to be a wrestling champion since I was a little girl," you informed her. Your new fixation was wondering if the belt should be around your waist or on your shoulder. Skye groaned and placed her air pods in her ear. At least she was still a comfort.

You walked out of the locker room and towards the entrance to the arena. You shook your hands and placed them on your head. The nerves were worse than your debut.

"Hey," a familiar voice called to get your attention. You looked to see Hook. His match ended a few minutes ago. Had he lingered to talk to you? The devil smiled briefly at you. "You got this,"

"Thanks, I..."

Your entrance music sounded. An apologetic look was sent his way. You stepped out to cheers. As you walked down the ramp you high fived several members of the audience. Some took quick selfies with you. The butterflies slowly left as you smiled. You were the people's champion.

You hyped the town you were in. An usual tactic made by wrestlers that were a face. You talked from the heart about how proud you were to be their champion and how you will be a fighting champion. You issued an open challenge as you stood in the middle of the ring.

The familiar sound of Queen Slayer played throughout the arena. People cheered as they stood up. The crowd went wilder once Anna appeared at the top of the ramp. A wicked smile on her face. Her music played as she made her way to the ring.

"Nice belt. I will be the one taking it from you," Anna smiled once she stood in front of you.

"Really?" You asked and looked behind her. "None of your posse is here. How can you possibly win without them?"

She laughed and looked at the ground. You could tell she was contemplating something. Was she going to attack you or take a dig at you? You could have never possibly thought of what she would do next.

"I'm only out here to take the belt from you because I took something else from you recently," she confessed. "You wanna know where Jack was when you won this little belt?"

"He was busy with-"

"Me. While you were getting the championship I was taking your man. It wasn't too hard. Looks like your skills in the ring and outside of the ring are the same... boring and dull,"

"You are lying," you tried to pretend that you weren't falling for her words. The truth was you knew it had to be someone else. It couldn't possibly be someone you both worked with. They could have told you in private not with everyone watching.

"Am I?" She asked. A picture of them appeared on the jumbotron. Jack was asleep next to her. His curly brown hair covered some of his face. Anna had a smile on her face. The words 'she doesn't know 🤪' written across the middle. "I guess you know now,"

Your mouth dropped open in shock. The arena sprung in an uproar at the disrespect towards you. You dropped the belt and took a swing at her. Anna dodged the punch and rolled out of the ring. She walked backwards up the ramp blowing you kisses.

You screamed at her to get back in the ring and fight you. Defending the belt was a distant memory now. Anna and Jack needed to catch these hands. To add insult to injury, her entrance music played once more.

You stormed up the ramp towards her. She ran and before you knew it she was gone. You were never humiliated so much in your life. Tears spilled as you cupped your face in your hands. Skye wrapped her arms around you and led you to the locker room.

"I gotta get out of here. Where is my phone?" You sobbed. You felt like you couldn't breathe. All the oxygen must have been sucked out of the arena.

"Here. I will get the rest of your stuff. Just call me please when you get to the hotel," Skye pleaded while giving you your phone. You nodded and rushed towards your car.

"Your name, wait!" Hook called out. He was now in a hoodie with sweatpants.

"Hook?" You asked weakly. Fresh tears sprung to life in your eyes. "This hurts so much,"

Hook opened his arms to you. You collapsed in his arms. Your face buried in his shoulder. He rubbed your back. The familiarity of him comforting you felt like old times. His scent made you feel like you were home. "I'm sorry this happened,"

"I need to get out of here,"

You pulled away from him and took off towards your car. He watched you leave with a sigh.

[its-short-for-jackalope]

still haven't made any actual art about them yet (CCRP PLS CLONE ME SO I CAN GET THINGS DONE 😭) but i did sprinkle some Travelover (Anna x Sia) propaganda in my newest PM fanart <3