#jokes on her: we took the friends in the divorce

[videnoirs]

the one thing i’ve learned repeatedly is to Avoid people who take advantage of my ocd/trauma related fears. the vibes are pretty easy to spot, at this point.

[s-4pphics]

errrr……. hey…

uhhh this is awkward hey what do we do when we’re grieving? write ab arranged marriages slayyyyyy errrr yeah here’s that see yall next month or year or whatever

—

“I want a divorce.”

Your tone doesn’t waver nor break, voice engulfed in plainness.

It was one of the issues Ellie’s had since your marriage: an act to combine assets initiated by your parents. They never intended to have a daughter — you told Ellie the night of your honeymoon — but when your mother laid eyes on you, warming you with the skin of her chest for the first time, she painted your entire future in her mind. An object. The finest to be drenched and drowned in riches and diamonds, only living under multi-million dollar homes owned by your husband’s family name. Just as long as you played your role. A silent, unopinionated, docile baby-making machine.

Your parents nearly had a heart attack when they found one of your diaries filled with pictures of naked women, either hand drawn or torn from pages of your father’s filthy magazines. Your mother told you she should’ve aborted you, just when you thought you’d finally have a normal birthday party. The heavy breaths of your sobs extinguished the flame above your 18th candle.

But you’re 22 now; fabulously wealthy, married and…

Staring at your wife… plainly, even though the flames in your eyes rages war. The dining table is a battleground and a red dot punctures right through Ellie’s forehead. She’s not sure what you are.

Your marriage was not ideal. Not only was it forced and filled with shame, but Ellie grew resentful rather quickly. Towards the man that brought her into such a shrouded lifestyle, towards the heavens above for cursing her with life, but when she couldn’t attack, she brought it to your bedroom. You suffered, she’ll admit. It only took two weeks into your marriage for her to find an escape through other unassuming women while you laid in your shared bed with a tear-soaked pillow. You never knew when she’d come home, but when she did, she never failed to berate you. It carried on for months, the blame; blaming you for everything that’s happened to her thus far, despite her knowing that you’re a victim just as much as she is. You were her only emotional outlet. Or punching bag.

But despite every torment she threw your way, you never failed to smile at her the next morning with her coffee in your hands.

You always remained silent. Until now.

The delicious meal you prepared has soured on her tongue. All she can do is stare at you in disbelief.

She takes in the polite fold of your hands, 16 carat, rose gold, wedding band still on your ring finger. Her eyes rush over the plumpness of your lips, the delicate curve of your nose, the rise and fall of your chest… the way your breasts expand in your flowery dress with each breath.

Ellie swallows, nearly choking at the sudden dryness in her throat.

“… What?”

“I want a divorce.”

Your tone raises. Not aggressively; that wouldn’t fit you. You wanted her to hear you.

She huffs despite the burning tips of her ears. “I’m sure.” She mocks with a smirk.

Your eyes squint. “I’m not joking.”

“You know who else wasn’t?” She leans across the table, pinning you with her gaze, “Our parents. They don’t give a fuck about what we do and don’t want. We’re lucky they put us together.”

“I…”

Ellie flinches when your voice cracks to a whisper. Never once has the shell you mask yourself in cracked. Not once. Not in front of Ellie, your parents, her family, even strangers. You’ve never failed to put on a dazzling smile for the spectators.

“I want to be in love.” Tears free fall from your eyes and your chin trembles, “There’s no… I don’t have anyone. I never did.”

“I thought we could… at least be friends. I know you didn’t want this, I know — b-but… I can’t keep doing this. I feel like I’m dying—“

Ellie knows you’re talking about her, and guilt swallows her whole. It’s a shame, really; you’re gorgeous when you cry. Why’s her heart pounding this madly?

“I want someone to treat me like I-I’m alive, no one sees me, I d — don’t feel real —“

Ellie stands when your often assembled appearance begins to crumble. She’s never seen you so shattered, gasping for air like it’s limited. She recognizes this. You’re breaking, just like she did the night before she signed her life over to your family.

“Hey—“

Your seat goes flying back when your heeled feet plant on the marble floor, manicured nails clutching at the skin of your chest raw. She rushes over when your sobs crack, desperately trying to get air in your lungs with pleading and fearful eyes.

“Hey, hey, look at me, c���mon—“

Your fists pound against her chest in between wails, makeup streaking down your face, clumping your fluttery lashes. She calls out to you with hands on your soaked cheeks, tells you to count, to spell your name for her, but you can’t hear. You can’t function. Have you ever been this close?

Ellie curses before her hand flies into the jug filled with sphered ice cubes, shoving them into the side of your neck. They melt instantly from the heat of your skin, but you gasp and flinch from the cold.

“Yeah, feel that? Feels nice? Focus on that.”

Her hand delves into the jug until your jerky breaths calm into spluttered exhales. She’s sure she’s frost bitten.

You’re quiet again. Docile again. Anxious. Embarrassed. Heartbroken. And so fucking angry. Ellie’s getting whiplash looking into your eyes. They’re speckled with gold and… something foreign. She can’t place it. The hand on your cheek swiftly falls to her side.

“You—“ she clears her throat when you wobble, vibrating form pushing up against her, nose almost brushing hers, “You alright?”

But you say nothing, eyes distant. You simply step out of your heels with tightly clenched fists and jostled hair before walking towards the staircase.

“I’m very tired.” You say plainly over your shoulder before trekking up the steps. She watches cautiously until a door slams shut. She, after minutes of gawking at the staircase, takes in the scenery around her. Everything is where it should be… minus your plate is cold and untouched. But your wine glass is empty. She's not sure where the bottle is. Since when do you drink?

Her mind is unsettled and there’s a stutter in her chest. Your home is silent. A heaviness that weighs her down.

She assumed that the uncomfortable twist in her gut was from her own wrongdoings since your marriage.

Not at all.

Ellie’s concerned. There’s something off about you.

More off than usual.

[athenamikaelson]

Klaus Mikaelson x Reader!Soulmate x Elijah Mikaelson PART 2

Word Count- 3k

Warnings- Swearing, blood, canon spoilers

Vampires exist. So don’t werewolves and witches, the supernatural. This is what Elena had told me on the way back to Mystic Falls after our adventure with the 3 cannibals. No, not cannibals, vampires. 

Flashback

“It’s true, Y/N. Vampires, witches, and other supernatural creatures exist. Those people who took us were vampires,” She motions to the two men in the front seat, “Stefan and Damon are aswell, but you don’t have to worry about them they won’t hurt you.”

“We’ll see.” The dark-haired one says out loud as he glances back at me skeptically. The look made me want to throw up but since my stomach didn’t have any more food to throw up I just stared at him nauseously.

“Damon, stop it,” Elena glares at him from the seat next to me, “You will not hurt Y/N, ever.” Elena continues her glaring at the man as he turns over his shoulders and rolls his eyes. 

“Don’t worry about Damon,” Elena whispers as she grabs my hand, “I’ll explain everything you need to know.”

“Yo, you good in there,” Theo’s voice calls from the other side of the bathroom door, “I need to do my hair before school and you know I need at least 25 minutes!”

I let out a deep sigh and tried to wipe away the tiredness from my eyes. After I got back last night Theo bitched me out for leaving him stranded at the party, without a license he had to walk himself home. When asked where I went off to I made up some lie about sleeping over at Elena’s. Theo was skeptical since he knows the closest person I have to a friend is the 67-year-old librarian at Mystic Fall’s library, but he’s more brawn than brain so he didn’t think much more of it. I hated lying to him, With Theo and I being so close and age we never kept things from each other, even though he’s a pain in my ass there’s no one in this world I love more than him. After our father and mother divorced that bond only strengthened. 

“Ya I’m fine,” I open the bathroom door and Theo’s usual calm facade breaks for a moment as he looks at me, “What the fuck happened to you? you look like you got into a fight with a squirrel and didn’t stand a chance.”

I roll my eyes at his remark and push past him to my room. As I grip the door handle a hand grabs my upper arm.

“Hey, I’m joking,” I turn to see Theo staring down at me worriedly, “Seriously though Y/N, what happened you look like you haven’t slept in years?” 

I can’t argue with his observation because I know what I look like since I just spent the last 15 minutes staring back at myself in the mirror. I was too tired last night to take a shower so I just used a washcloth for the blood on my face and chest, then passed out. Or at least tried to, my dreams were vacated by thoughts of what is truly hiding in the shadows, now that I know what is out there. 

“I just didn’t sleep that well last night.”

I try to get Theo to understand that I don’t want to approach this subject any further and thankfully he takes the hint. Within a split second the worried look drops and is replaced with a judgy look.

“Fine, but you’re going to need to change whatever it is you’ve got going on here,” He motions with his hands to my Hello Kitty T-shirt and matching pajama pants, “If I’m seen with you like this my social status will take a massive hit.”

My eyes roll and I shove a fist to his shoulder, earning a mocking gasp from him. 

“I’m taking the day off today, I only had two periods today anyway. I’ll still take you and drop you off, be in the car in 15 minutes, or else you’re taking the bus.”

Theo shoots me a horrified look and gasps, “And make me sit next to those peasants! You wouldn’t dare.”

“Try me.”

—-

Eight minutes later we’re in my car driving to school. One thing I can always count on with Theo is that he will never do anything to tank his reputation. When we moved here a few months ago I was worried he’d have a hard time making friends and fitting in but that was my mistake. Theo is the most extroverted extrovert I have ever met and has a way of making people fall over and do anything he wants with a flash of a smile. Where he got the charisma I got the brains. I would never admit it out loud but sometimes I’m jealous of just how many people truly liked being around him. My only friend is the librarian and the only reason she hasn’t run away from me is because it’s her 9-5, and she can’t leave. 

I pull up to the front of the school and Theo finishes putting the finishing touches onto his hair. As he steps out a group of football guys all wave and acknowledge him.

“My practice gets out at 4:30 tonight. Don’t forget me this time,” Theo leans down and looks at me with a pointed look. 

“I’ll be there, I give you my word.”

“Great,” Theo smiles at me and reaches his hand over for a fist bump, “Later nerd.”

I bump his fist with mine, “Bye loser.”

—-

As I pull into my driveway, I hear my phone chime go off. Glancing down at the screen I see an incoming call from Elena Gilbert. My brain tells me to ignore it and go back up to my bed and hide away from the world until I’m at least 43 years old, but my body has already made my thumb swipe to answer the call. 

“Hello?”

“Hey Y/N! How are you doing this morning,” Elena's voice comes from the other end, I hear the sound of a car in the background making me realize she must be driving, “I honestly didn’t think you’d pick up.”

“Honestly I debated not to,” I tell her honestly. 

“Um, well,” She pauses for a moment, “I know you’re probably very confused, and I don’t know if you want the company or not but I’m going to go do something and was wondering if you wanted to join me?”

I frown slightly at the question, “Why?”

Elena lets out a sound of confusion, “I just thought you might want to know more, or at the very least you shouldn’t be alone right now.”

“I don’t need your pity.”

“That’s not what I’m doing I promise you, Y/N. If you don’t want to come that’s fine by me, but I just want you to know you have a friend out there to talk to about this if needed. If you change your mind I’ll text you the address.”

I hum in acknowledgement and after a moment the call goes dead. I sit in my car for the next 20 minutes going through my head all the things I could do. I could do what I wanted to do before and hide out and be alone, or I could help Elena…. Hiding out seems like a great idea. As soon as my hand reaches the car door handle I’m reminded of how Elena defended me yesterday and fought for me and a loud groan escapes my lips. Fuck. I sit back, pull up the address she texted me, and pull out of my driveway. If I’m kidnapped again I’m going to be so pissed. 

—-

I pull my car into the spot next to Elena’s car in the middle of the woods. Yep, I'm getting kidnapped. What teenager hangs out in the woods next to a graveyard? I pull out my phone and dial Elena’s number. It rings for a moment before I get a response. 

“Y/N? Is everything ok? Are you hurt?” Elena’s frantic voice comes from the other end.

“What? No, I’m here. Where are you?” I turn around in a circle trying to catch a glimpse of the brunette girl but see nothing but tall barren trees.

“Oh! I didn’t think you’d come, I’ll be up in a second.” She hangs up the call as I furrow my eyebrows in confusion, come up from where? My question is answered when brown hair makes an appearance as Elena walks up a stone staircase leading to who knows where. As she notices me a small smile spreads onto her face and for a moment I get the urge to smile back, but suppress it back down and just nod at her in acknowledgment. She walks over to me and before I have a chance to react she’s wrapping her petite arms around me in a hug. What’s with all the hugging?

“Thank you for coming,” She releases me, “before I take you down though I should warn you it might be a little weird.” 

Her warning makes my heart start to beat faster and a sense of nausea surfaces, I really have to invest in some Tums. 

“Weirder than being kidnapped by three vampires, which I guess now are actually real?” 

Elena processes the question over for a moment before shaking her head slightly, “I guess not as weird as that, no.”

“Come on,” Elena motions me to follow as she guides me down the stone staircase. I tighten the small sweater over myself once I realize I’m still in my pajamas. With each step down I fear I’m walking into something that’ll make me regret getting out of bed this morning. But all I’m met with at the bottom of the stairs is a small stone room covered with dirt, in the center the stone opens up to darkness and I fight the urge to strain my neck to look in.

“Did you bring me a snack?” 

A tough female voice calls from the black abyss. Fuck, I really am getting kidnapped, aren’t I? I’m just about to run right back up those stairs and floor my Toyota Corolla out of this bitch when Elena speaks back to the voice.

“You’re not going to lay a finger on Y/N,” Elena looks at me as she walks over to the hole in the wall and sits down patting the spot next to her, “It’s ok Y/N, as long as she’s in there and we’re out here she can’t touch us.”

I frown in confusion as I drag my feet to where she’s sitting but as I walk from behind her I stop and stare at the woman slumped over in front of Elena. Or not Elena? What the actual fuck is happening!

“Elena, why the hell does she have your face, wait do you have a twin” I motion to the spitting image of Elena in front of us. She looks identical to Elena, wearing a dark mini-dress that looks like it would be easier to burn it rather than clean it at this point. 

“Don’t insult me like that.” The clone throws me a dirty look. 

“This was the weird thing I was mentioning earlier,” Elena explains, “This is Kathrine, she’s my doppelganger.”

“Correction,” Elena’s dopple-whatever jumps in, “She’s my doppelganger, I’m the original she’s just a cheap copy.” 

Ok…bitchy much.

Elena just rolls her eyes as if she’s used to this treatment, “It’s a supernatural phenomenon I guess where every few hundred years someone that looks just like us is born. Kathrine is the vampire that turned Stefan and Damon a hundred years ago.” 

I try to nod along but with all the information I’ve learned in the past 24 hours my mind feels like it’s going to explode. 

“Is she stupid or something?” I whip my head to Kathrine at the remark.

“Fuck you bitch.” 

Kathrine raises an eyebrow at my retort and shifts her shoulders upwards, “Fine, not stupid,” She slints her eyes at me, “Just slow.”

My anger rises at her insult and I am about to open my mouth to go tell this bitch off but Elena raises her hand in a stopping motion. 

“Don’t listen to her Y/N, she’s just trying to provoke you,” Elena sends Kathrine a dirty look, “It’s what she does.”

I nod my head along and realize that these two don’t seem to like each other even though they share the same face.

“So is this some bonding session,” I question Elena, “What are we doing here?’

“I came here to ask Kathrine questions about why I was taken yesterday, and why Elijah seemed to have known you from somewhere.” I watch Kathrine’s posture change slightly at the mention of the suited man. Appears she’s not a fan of the man either. I sigh as I sit down on the dusty ground next to Elena, and can only sit there disgusted as she pours something thick and red into a little cup. Once the stench hits my nose I realize she’s pouring blood.

I go to ask her what the hell she is doing but stop as she uses a stick to push it over to Kathrine. I disturbingly watch as the dopplebitch grabs the cup with her pale hand and brings it to her chapped lips. The red from the blood paints her lips as her mouth opens slightly and I catch a glimpse of two white sharp teeth protruding from her gums. 

“Finish the story,” Elena urges Kathrine as she flings the cup back to Elena. Kathrine adjusts her posture as she taps her chin in thought.

“Right, now where was I?”

“You were mentioning how you betrayed Rose and Trevor by killing yourself for your freedom, and ever since you’ve been on the run,’” Elena stands up and says as if it’s not the wild-ass sentence I’ve ever heard, she pauses for a moment in thought and I watch as a realization washes over her, “That’s why you’re here isn’t, to bargain your freedom to Klaus?” 

Kathrine follows suit and stands up facing Elena, “Mmm. Five hundred years on the run I figured maybe he’d be willing to strike a deal.”

I shake my head in confusion, “Wait, who’s Klaus? I thought Elijah was the scary cannibal guy everyone was afraid of.”

“Klaus is an ancient vampire who wants to sacrifice me,” Elena replies staring down at me, she must notice the look of utter confusion on my face because she tells me she explain that later. 

As I have no idea what the hell is even going on I just listen and watch as the two “not-twins” discuss the Klaus guy and the ingredients for the curse. Ingredients that happen to be actual people might I add. Caroline who I found out is now a vampire and not just some loud blonde girl that sits behind me in my French class, some special stone, Elena as aforementioned, and Theo’s football captain Tyler Lockwood, who surprise surprise is a fucking werewolf. Self-reminder to keep Theo away from him. 

“Better you die than I,” Kathrine tells Elena as she questions how she can just hand over all those innocent people. Elena shakes her head in frustration and then glances at me.

“Is Y/N a part of it,” Elena gestures to me and questions Kathrine who picks a piece of invisible lint off her shoulder. Kathrine takes her time moving her eyes from the wall in front of her to look me in my eyes. Where Elena and Kathrine may be almost identical it is the eyes that make them different. Where Elena’s eyes are kind and welcoming, Kathine’s are filled with nothing but malice and something much darker. 

“Why would she be? She’s human, and I already have my vampire,” Kathrine sends me a cold glance, “If Caroline doesn’t work out though, you can always be a backup, I guess.” 

I shiver at the cruel chuckle she lets out, and Elena walks in front of where I’m sitting. 

“That’s not what I’m talking about. Yesterday I watched as Elijah’s whole demeanor changed when he saw Y/N. He looked at her like he had known her his entire life.”

A small shift in Kathrine’s face appears for a split second before it’s gone. The cruel look in her eyes is now gone and replaced with something much different. Realization is what I can only think of as she runs her eyes over me as if seeing me in a different light. The corner of her lips tightens as she glances at me with an unexplainable look.

“He’s going to destroy you.”

That’s all she says as she picks herself up and strolls back into the darkness. I watch her back retreat as Stefan’s voice comes from behind me. I don’t focus on anything as Kathrine’s words repeat in my head. I must’ve been standing there looking into the abyss for too long because a hand on my shoulder shocks me. 

“Hey, don’t overthink what she said,” Elena shifts me to look at her, “Elijah is dead. He can’t hurt you anymore.”

“Elena’s right,” Stefan chimes in from behind her, “Kathrine has never told the truth a day in her life, whatever she told you was just to rattle you.”

I nod my head as I take a step away from them and towards to staircase. 

“I think I’m going to head home. I have some things I have to do,” I lie about the last part, I just want to get out of here before another panic attack decides to make an appearance.

Elena nods and tries to send me a comforting smile, “OK. Well, can I call you later?” she asks almost hopefully. I just nod my head slightly as I turn around and make my way up the stairs. 

—-

The entire drive home my mind is filled with thoughts of everything that’s happened in the past day. Curses, kidnapping, and the supernatural. Jesus Christ, this sounds like a bad TV show. I try to focus on the road but Kathrine’s last words to me keep ringing in my head. My breathing starts to quicken as I realize what that look in Kathrine’s eyes was. Fear. 

TAGS- @promptly-mercy @superblyspeedydragon @yoyoyoyooy44

@reidsworld

[vitalverstappen]

How Do I Do This? - D. Ricciardo

summary: after a public divorce with your ex-husband (not danny), you found yourself learning to try again

pairing: Daniel Ricciardo x famous!reader

warnings: mentions of divorce, drinking, swearing

word count: 1.1k

masterlist

The divorce was messy. There were disputes over literally everything: who got what, how much money both of you got, who kept the dog. And it didn’t help that the media got a whiff of what was happening. Your failing marriage was plastered on every single outlet. 

It was for the best that you hid away from the public for a while. The pieces of you had shattered on the floor, and you needed the time to put yourself back together. 

A few months later, you slowly began putting yourself back in the public eye. Small trips to the coffee shop, out to lunch with some friends, or a smaller awards show. 

During this outing, you found yourself out to lunch with your childhood best friend, Kelly. She had been there through the thick and thin of your marriage, and the resulting divorce. There was nothing about your life that she didn’t know. 

She knew so well that she could tell you were healed, and truth be told, you were. So it was no surprise when a mischievous grin formed on her face. 

“What’s that look for?” You asked, already knowing what the answer was going to be

“Soooo” Kelly started “There’s this guy I know. A good friend of mine.”

“Wow, you have friends other than me. I’m hurt” You joked as you took a sip of your drink. It was obvious what she was hinting at. 

“Yeah, believe it or not” She laughed “But I think they’re your type y/n. His name is Daniel.” 

Kelly flipped her phone around to show you a picture of the man. Dark curly hair, brown eyes, and a charming smile. As much as you hated to admit it, he was your type. 

Leaning back in your chair, you crossed your arms. It had been years since you dated. And honestly, it terrified you having to have a conversation about someone’s favorite color again. It terrified you to have articles written about you again. 

“I don’t know if I’m ready.” You admitted “I can’t even remember what it’s like going on a first date. My last one was back when I was 22.” 

“Oh come on, y/n. It doesn’t have to be anything serious. Just one date to test the waters. Get yourself back out there.” Kelly explained, “It can be in secret so the tabloids don’t write anything.” 

She was right. The date didn’t have to go anywhere. You could meet the guy, say you weren’t feeling it, and leave it at that. No attachments, no tabloids. 

“Fine,” You sighed, defeated. “Send the guy my number. I am not making the first move.”

You had honestly forgotten about the conversation with your friend. Days had passed and you hadn’t gotten a text from a new number. He probably didn’t want to text you. Or your agent had seen the text and thought it was spam. 

That is until one fateful night, your phone buzzed. 

Unknown: Hey y/n it’s Daniel. Kelly gave me your number

Amused, you picked up your phone. It took him long enough to get the confidence to text you.

You: Hey Daniel. I was starting to think Kelly forgot to lol

Only a few moments passed before your phone buzzed again. Another text from Daniel. 

Daniel: Lol that’s pretty much what happened. How’s your night going?

The two of you engaged in a bit of small talk over text. It was only a matter of time before he pulled the trigger on asking you out. 

Daniel: So I was wondering, are you free Saturday? I know a spot we could go - away from everything. 

Your fingers danced around your keyboard until you finally found a reply. 

You: Yeah I am! 

After rereading the text, you quickly deleted your response. It was just a little too desperate. 

You: Yup, I think so 

Again, you found yourself deleting the message. This time, too nonchalant. At least twenty different replies had to have been typed out before you finally gave up and responded with something simple and straight to the point. 

You: Yes

Immediately, you put your phone down, needing to connect back to your world. It was hard to fathom that you were back in the dating scene. Never did you think you would be back starting at square one. 

Your thoughts were interrupted by your phone buzzing once again. 

Daniel: Great! I’ll pick you up at 7

And that’s how you found yourself panicking in your room Saturday evening. An excitement rushed through you that you hadn’t felt in years. It was like your teenage self was coming back to life. You and Daniel had texted off and on leading up, but today was the big day. 

Hours were spent digging through your extensive closet. Nothing that you had picked out seemed to be just right. Eventually, you landed on a little black dress that you hadn’t worn in years. 

Panic flooded your thoughts the entire time you got ready. What if you said something stupid? What if he brought up your divorce? What if it actually goes well?

Your thoughts were cut short when you read the clock: 6:52pm. Eight minutes left. 

You did the only thing you knew would calm your senses. Phone in hand, you called Kelly. One ring was all it took before her face showed up on your screen.

“Hey girl! You look hot!” She said as she picked up. 

“I feel like I’m gonna throw up” You admitted “I don’t know if I can do this” 

“Y/n, yes you can. It’s just a few hours of your life. Daniel’s a sweet guy-”

“Would it be wrong if I took a shot?” You blurted out, eyes on the bottle of vodka that stood on your kitchen counter. 

Through the phone, Kelly stifled a laugh. “I don’t think you need to, Danny’s an easy guy to talk to. But if you think it’ll help, be my guest.” 

Without a second thought, you twisted the cap off of the bottle and took a swig. The liquor burned your throat as you drank, but it was the reality check you needed. You were human, he was human. You’re going to be fine. 

“Better?” Kelly asked as you gagged 

Once you collected yourself, you said, “Better. I gotta go Kels. He should be picking me up any second.” As if on cue, you heard your doorbell ring. “Coming!” 

After one last quick look in the mirror, you found yourself at your door. Daniel was on the other side. This was it. One last inhale, then you opened the door. 

“Hey” Was all you were able to get out. Kelly had shown you photos of Daniel, but none of those could compare to how he looked standing in front of you. 

“Hi” He replied in the same breathy tone you had used only moments prior. A smile spread across his face. “You look amazing”

“So do you” 

Daniel reached out his hand, “M’lady, shall we?” 

Your lips parted into a smile as well as you laced your fingers into his, “We shall”

[moonsatosugu]

accidentally married

[23:08 pm]

word count: 464

a/n: gojo brainrot rn .. i miss him .. I NEED HIM … my brain just creates scenarios i’d love to be in with him like i’m insane and need help .. anyways (〃∇〃)

“okay, so explain what happened again?” shoko asked both you and gojo looking dumbfounded. you don’t blame her because the more you repeat it in your head, the less sense it makes.

“we accidentally got married?” your voice questions.

“how do you accidentally get married, y/n? and to gojo at that?” shoko looks between you both once more. yup, these are my friends alright.

“hey! why are you making it seem like i’d be a bad husband?” gojo exclaims next to you. “it’s not my fault she fell in love with me last ni-“ but he doesn’t get to finish as you smack the back of his head.

“oh shut up, it’s all your fault. we’re literally grown adults, how did we let this happen?” you groan to yourself.

“i don’t think you should go out drinking with him ever again.” shoko says. your eyes pan over to hers.

“you think? he didn’t even drink, shoko! he was completely sober!” you cry out. and you can just tell gojo is grinning like the absolute idiot he is.

“so what’s the plan now?” she sighs trying to steer the conversation to something more productive.

“divorce-“

“we live with it-“

you glare at gojo. “what do you mean we live with it?”

“well, what do you mean we divorce?” he frowns.

shoko pinches the bridge of her nose. "can the two of you just agree on something for once?"

you throw your hands in the air. "we accidentally tied the knot, shoko. how do you even 'agree' on something after that?"

"gojo," shoko says, eyeing him warily, "why do you want to stay married?"

he shrugs, his nonchalant demeanor in full force. "why not? it might be fun."

you choke on your own disbelief. "fun? you think this is fun?"

gojo smirks, throwing an arm around your shoulder. "well, think about it, y/n. this is the universe telling us we’re meant to be. that you’re in lo-"

"yeah right," you scoff knowing deep down he isn’t too far off. but it’s not something you wish for him to know yet at least. “well the universe seems to be playing a sick joke on me. isn’t it basically telling me i’m done for?”

he laughs. "or that there's a thin line between love and hate."

you pause, the weight of his words sinking in. shoko rolls her eyes. "look, if you two want to play house, that's your call. but you'd better figure this out before word gets out."

"gojo, are you serious about this?" you ask quietly.

he nods, the mischief in his eyes replaced by sincerity. "why not? i don’t really mind giving it a shot."

you sigh, realizing that your life with gojo, unpredictable as it already was, just took an even wilder turn.

[madlori]

So I never talk about Lone Star here although I do watch it, but I hate the Grace Ryder situation so much I just gotta.

So to write the character off the show, you got some possibilities. She and Judd divorce (hate that), she dies (hate that worse), and what some people predicted - that she go away on some religious mission. Which is what they went with.

Like, I can see how that might have felt like a better option than the first two.

But you're asking me to believe that GRACE RYDER would leave HER TODDLER DAUGHTER, not to mention her husband, her job, her parents, her friends, for an undisclosed period of time on a mission ship??? Leaving for a few weeks, I buy that, 100%. But you will NEVER get me to accept that she'd leave her family like that, for that long a time period. I can accept that there are people who would. But GRACE as we've come to know her is not one of those people.

And there's a fourth option they could have taken.

Grace is still there. We just...don't see her. She's Off-Camera Grace. I can buy that she's taken another job so we don't see her at Dispatch a lot easier than I can buy she's faffed off to parts unknown.

They had the chance to be hilarious about this. It could have become a running joke, as the reasons we aren't seeing Grace get more and more ridiculous.

The first few episodes, it's normal things. Oh, Grace isn't here, she took her dad to the doctor. She and Charlie are visiting her sister in Houston. She wasn't feeling well, so she stayed home from the party. Oh, you just missed her, but here, she left some brownies, have one.

And then gradually...it gets more and more convoluted as the audience (many of whom wouldn't know or care that the actress was written off) catches on.

Grace wished she could be here, but she had to stop and rescue a team of unicyclists who followed their GPS into a lake.

Sorry, Grace had to cancel - she had a terrible electrolysis accident and only has one eyebrow right now.

Where's Grace? She's helping the FBI with a case by wearing a wire and ingratiating herself to the flower shop owner who's really a Yakuza.

Missed opportunities, I think.

[targaryenmarvel]

A Stark Legacy (2)

Wanda Maximoff x Stark!Reader

Summary: The life of a Stark is tumultuous, especially when you are the only daughter of the technology magnates. You find yourself at a crossroads, struggling to meet your father's towering expectations while also pursuing your desires. This turning point is marked by the arrival of a certain green-eyed girl, a meeting that not only disrupts your world but also sets your heart on fire. Will you finally follow your heart or conform to your father's expectations?

Warnings: Language, Homophobia, Sexism

Word count: 2,971

New York City bustled in the early morning hours as cars clogged the streets and pedestrians filled the sidewalks, commuting to and from work. You had long faced this predicament while commuting to and from Stark Industries, enduring the long traffic even when you had a driver. It had stopped bothering you, especially when you moved to a penthouse closer to the building.

Dressed in a refined suit, you strutted into the building, heading straight to your office. Agatha Harkness, your assistant, greets you with a steaming cup of coffee and the day's newspaper. "Good morning, Y/N."

"Morning, Agatha." You took a sip of the drink, walking towards your desk. "What do we have on the schedule for today?"

"9:30 a meeting with a Hammer Industries representative. 12 a board meeting. Lunch with Mr. Barnes at 1:30, a conference call with Stark Fujikawa at 2:45, and a meeting with General Talbot on licensing Stark products at 4. We also have the interviewees for my replacement coming in later today."

"You can take care of the interviews, can you, Aggie?" You asked in a honeyed voice. Although posed as a question, you knew she would do it as instructed. Yet you gave her a semblance of choice due to the close relationship you had developed over the years—a connection based not only on mutual understanding and trust but also affection.

"All right, I'll sacrifice my valuable time," Agatha responded, biting her lip as she sat in one of the many chairs and clasped her hands on the desk. "Now, give me the tea. How's the wedding planning?

You groaned, dropping the newspaper you held and reclining in the chair.

"Two weeks, and they're already driving me crazy. My mother and my soon-to-be mother-in-law," you clarified. "Bombarding me with questions at all hours. 'Y/N, how many guests are you inviting? Where will the wedding be? Do you have a dress in mind?' Why ask if they'll disregard what I say and do the opposite."

"How is that?" Agatha cocked her head, furrowing her brows at your stressed demeanor. She had expected happiness and excitement at your pending nuptials.

You spun your chair to face the vast window wall, which gave you a perfect city view. Seeing the city's vastness made you feel small, yet simultaneously reminded you of your place in the world at the top of society, a burden that followed you like a shadow.

"Bucky and I wanted a small wedding. Only family and close friends, but a Stark and a Barnes must have an extravagant wedding. Event of the year, right?"

Agatha sighed sympathetically. It wasn't the first time your father had overlooked your wishes to favor the more socially appealing action to enhance the family's public perception and reputation. She'd seen the faux smiles each time.

"Unfortunately," Agatha replied. "But it's still your wedding. Make the most out of it. After all, you only get married once."

"Once? I could end up divorcing and remarrying," you joked with a smile as you turned back toward her.

"Perhaps, but I doubt it."

"Me too," you agreed, returning to your daily paper as you considered your future with Bucky.

Given the nature of your actual relationship, it is an unconventional union, yet you could not envision marrying anyone else. Once upon a time, you dreamed of finding love, but it crashed with continuous disappointment. You remember the first time it happened at just sixteen as you overheard a conversation between your then-boyfriend and a so-called friend. He pushed her against the wall, and she let him despite acting reluctant.

"You're dating, Y/N," she said.

"Yeah, so? We all know I'm not dating her for her personality. The only interesting thing about her is her money," he responded, kissing her neck, and she chuckled before pulling him into a kiss.

Bucky snuck into your room that night, holding you in his after a distressed call. You had done the same for him the night he had confessed his sexuality to you a year later. It wasn't something you had considered before despite admiring multiple women. You had always assumed you would marry a man, but as Bucky confessed, something clicked. From then on, it was something that brought you closer together, protecting eachother.

Your families could medal all they wanted; all that mattered was that you would spend the rest of your life with a man you loved. Yes, not romantic love, but a love that made you both happy.

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Today was not Wanda Maximoff's day.

Despite triple-checking her alarm the night before, the phone had not rang. The damn thing had automatically updated overnight and disabled her alarm. Wanda would have slept through half the day if not for her roommate. Now, Wanda found herself frantically rushing through her apartment with a toothbrush in her mouth and a singular high heel in her left hand. The corners of her blouse were untucked from the navy blue pencil skirt as she turned down the apartment in search of the other heel.

She felt her insides turning, anxiety filling her body the longer she scrambled around without success. I can't screw this up, Wanda thought, feeling her eyes burn with unshed tears. She had worked so hard for this opportunity. At 23, Wanda accomplished her dream and graduated with a business degree. Eager to put her degree to use, Wanda applied for various positions. Yet, she soon came to a crushing realization. No one wanted to hire a recently graduated student with no experience in the field. An entry-level position actually meant, "Do you have ten years of experience in the field?"

Wanda settled for jobs unrelated to her expertise, jumping from secretarial jobs at sales companies. What else could she do? Her family lived across the country, and she had expenses to pay. Wanda needed a job.

Throughout the years, she tried applying for better jobs but continued to be rejected. The one time she got a job offer, it came from a pervy man, and Wanda would rather not. On the verge of abandoning her quest, Wanda found her saving grace late at night at a bar when she collided with a stranger—a redhead beauty with striking green eyes and a witty tongue—on the dance floor. They quickly struck up a conversation trading numbers at the end of the night.

Three years into their friendship, Natasha's girlfriend had gotten Wanda an interview with the most prominent technological company—an assistant job, but a start into something bigger. Wanda was sure she would be able to demonstrate her capabilities and earn a better position.

Wanda's panic was warranted, considering her future depended on making a good impression, and running late was not a good start.

"Darcy, have you seen my heels?" Wanda called out in a muffled voice, trying to keep in the paste.

"What?" her roommate yelled back from her room.

Wanda rolled her eyes and spit out the paste. "My heels."

"Oh, yeah." She heard scuffling from the room next door before Darcy appeared with the missing pair. Wanda sighed in relief, hugging the shoe to her chest, and fixed Darcy with a glare.

"I've been losing my mind trying to fucking find this heel, and you had it all this time?" Wanda accused.

Darcy stepped back and lifted her hands in defense of Wanda's accusations. "First off, you dropped them in my room the last time you passed out drunk in there, and second, you have others!" She noted as if it weren't obvious.

Wanda rolled her eyes and lifted the heels in one hand. "Well, I wanted these," she countered, annoyance lacing her tone.

"Wanda, calm down. Take a breath." Darcy inhaled deeply and then released the air, instructing Wanda to do the same, and she complied. "I understand this interview is important, but you cannot let the nerves interfere with your composure. Wanda Maximoff is strong, confident, and composed, so be it."

Wanda nodded, clutching her bottom lip between her pearly teeth and staring at the floor. She dropped her shoulders, dissipating all the accumulated muscle tension.

"You're right. I need to calm down." She lifted her gaze, eyes crinkled full of remorse for her outburst. "I'm sorry about—"

"Hey, don't sweat it," Darcy patted Wanda's shoulder as she walked past her on her way out. She turned her head as she opened the door. "I'll be home late. Jane's working me to the bones, but text me how it goes."

"I will," Wanda yelled, less anxious.

Though she would occasionally peek at the ticking clock, she continued getting ready without a hitch, applying her makeup and styling her brown locks.

Wanda left the apartment with forty minutes to spare and arrived at Stark Industries with five. Exiting her Uber, she could only gawk at the massive tower, eyes twinkling in hope as she imagined her future at the company.

Wanda confidently strode into the vast entrance area, her eyes scanning every inch of the space. The high ceiling and grandiose decor made her feel small and unimportant, and her anxiety returned to full force as she stopped before the reception desk. belonging

"Hello," Wanda called, fidgeting with the bag strap perched on her shoulder as she checked the time on her phone. Three minutes. The blonde lifted her gaze from the monitor, staring at Wanda expectantly. "I'm here for an interview. I'm Wanda Wanda Maximoff."

The blonde woman hummed while obnoxiously chewing on her gum. "What department?" she asked in a flat tone.

Could she be any more unprofessional? Wanda thought, on the verge of rolling her eyes; if this was the bar for working at Stark Industries, then she certainly had a chance.

"Oh, um, it's a personal assistant position," Wanda answered, retaining her composure.

"Just a moment." The woman picked up the phone, and Wanda rocked on her heels, impatiently glancing around.

She took better notice of her surroundings: the orchid vases settled on the reception desk and the rectangular tinted window behind it, which Wanda assumed was used by security. Slightly to the right, glass double doors flanked by rose pots led further into the building. The high ceiling measured up to three floors, and in between the second and third floor, rectangular glass windows lined the corridor every so many feet, giving a view of the lobby. The place exuded life as people entered and exited. She couldn't wait to see what other wonders this place had for her.

Wanda became too entranced and startled when the receptionist called her name. She turned with a flushed face and felt glad when the blonde woman did not look at her but instead gave her directions while staring at her computer screen. Without a second thought, Wanda rushed to the elevator, nearly bumping into the exiting bodies. She focused on the digital screen, which displayed the floor number as the elevator ascended: five, ten, twenty, and the count when on. The brunette could not stop tapping her foot as it halted to let people in or out. She had to go before it became too late.

As soon as the elevator opened, Wanda rushed through the hall, following the receptionist's instructions, going past cubicles and small offices. Already late, she thought as she came upon a vacant "L" shaped desk separated from the others, giving a cue to the importance of the occupant. Her eyes settled on the giant Stark Industries logo behind the desk, desperately trying to quell her apprehension at the lack of activity—no one to greet her as the receptionist had promised.

Busy leveling her heavy breathing from nearly running, Wanda did not notice a figure approaching from an adjoining room to the side. "Ms. Maximoff, I presume," called a voice from behind. Wanda turned quickly, feeling the muscles in her neck protest at the action. Her gaze was met with an elegantly dressed and stunning dark-haired woman. Though she seemed older than herself, Wanda thought it only amplified her beauty.

"Yes, that would be me," she rubbed her hand against her skirt, wiping the forming sweat. "I sincerely apologize for my belatedness. Getting here was a hassle, but I promise it's a one-time-only problem," Wanda hastily excused.

"Oh, don't apologize." The woman waved off dismissively. "We've all been there before."

At her words, Wanda could breathe freely for the first time since arriving at the building.

"Thank you..." she drew out, scrunching her brows, waiting for the woman to say her name.

"Agatha Harkness, sweetheart," she replied, extending her hand in greeting. Wanda blushed at the term as she shook the older woman's hand. "I'm Ms. Starks' assistant. I'll be conducting your interview today. Oh, don't look so glum," Agatha joked, noticing Wanda's apprehension at the mention of being the interviewer.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Wanda cried. Already making a bad impression, she thought. "I didn't mean to—"

Agatha gave a belly laugh, silencing Wanda in the middle of her sentence. "Oh, I'm joshing with you. You have nothing to worry about, dear. Let's go into the conference room. We can continue there," Agatha said with a smile that crinkled her eyes, and Wanda felt momentarily hypnotized by the sight.

Agatha led Wanda into a room with a large oval table from the left. She was surprised she hadn't seen Agatha before, considering the only thing separating the two areas was thin glass walls.

As the interview progressed, Wanda could not help but feel foolish for overthinking. While Agatha asked her the typical questions, she occasionally diverted from the subject, joking around and talking about herself, which eased Wanda's nerves.

They were going on about Agatha's college days when she gasped in delight as she looked through the glass panel. "Oh, look dear," Agatha instructed, nodding, and Wanda turned in her seat, her sight resting on a woman.

She couldn't make out the woman's features as her back was turned, so she let her eyes roam over the expensive-looking gray suit. The attire perfectly hugged her figure, and the confident aura surrounding the woman entranced observers. She ran a hand through her hair as the other held a phone to her ear, looking down at something on Agatha's desk. As the stranger pulled her hair out of her face, Wanda caught a glimpse of the woman's features. A jolt coursed through her body, and her face reddened at the sight. Attractive, she's so damn attractive, Wanda mused, eyes settling on the woman's exposed neck as she looked upward in apparent desperation. Wanda couldn't help fall for the enchantment of her imposing beauty and authority.

"That's Ms. Stark," Agatha informed from her side, recalling her attention. "Intimidating, I know, but looks can be deceiving. Y/N's a real sweetheart... most of the time," she chuckled fondly, peering at the figure crossing the wooden office doors. Wanda gave a forced smile, mind racing at her strange reaction. "Anyhow, I've kept you here long enough, dear. I'm sure you have better things to do than hear me rant about how I joined a witch coven in college. I'll talk with Ms. Stark and let you know when a decision is made."

"Oh, okay," Wanda stood from her seat. It was a pleasure meeting you, Ms. Harkness."

"All, mine, dear."

When Wanda walked out of Stark Industries, her mind screamed three things: Thank God it's over; I think I did well; and OMG, did I check my possibly future boss out?

When Natasha mentioned she would be working with a Stark, she assumed it would be Tony, the oldest Stark child. Not the magnate's youngest daughter, who seemed to receive the least media coverage.

Wanda doesn't think she had heard her name before Agatha's mention. Y/N, even her name, is beautiful, Wanda mused, walking down the streets of New York.

You released a heavy sigh, slumping in your office chair, and closed your eyes, vexed after your ten-minute conversation with Justin Hammer. The Hammer Industries CEO called you after receiving your refusal to collaborate with said company. Not without a few stipulations, he continued to object to. You were tired of his persistent demands.

A soft knock reverberated through the room before the door opened, and Agatha entered with a sympathetic smile.

"Rough call?"

"Yup," you responded, rubbing your temples. "Justin Hammer. I'm letting Tony handle it next time."

"Hopefully, nobody gets hurt," Agatha said, and you cracked a smile.

"Hopefully, Tony lands a few good punches. I'm tired of that prick's face," you jested, imagining Justin Hammer sprawled on the floor with a broken nose. You bit your lip, suppressing a laugh as Agatha placed a few folders on your desk. "What are these?" You opened the first one, only to find a picture of a blonde woman and a few documents behind.

"Oh, resumes of the girls I interviewed. I thought I'd let you take a look."

"Hhm, that won't be necessary. I trust your judgment." You closed the folder, pushing the stack. "I'm sure I'll be content with whoever you choose, Aggie."

"Alrighty! Then, I'm happy to inform you I've made my decision."

You quirked an eyebrow, resting your chin on your clasped hands. "Have you now? Who's the lucky candidate?"

"Wanda Maximoff. You might have seen her in the conference room when you returned."

our

You furrowed your eyebrows, humming as you rested back on the chair. You did catch sight of Agatha with another woman, yet it was only for a second. Too entrapped by frustration, you failed to take any actual notice of the woman.

"Her file's the last one in the stack if you want to look at it," Agatha suggested at your lack of response.

"Later. Let's prepare for the conference call with Stark Fujikawa."

Later never came. The file remained unopened while you went on with your obligations.

Taglist: @sgm616 @xxsekhmet

[goldsbitch]

That one Christmas flight

summary: Y/N and Lando Norris are seated next to each other on a long flight. Innocent little Christmas tradition that Y/N does every year brings them just a little too close.

warnings: fluff, one-shot (whops a lie!), meet cute

Christmas. Y/N felt like an alien walking among people. It was impossible to avoid it. It was present in songs, in decoration, in fashion, online and on the news. Everywhere.

It's not like she was a grinch or anything. Nor was it because of some tragic incident causing trauma. Just pure fatigue from all the logistics and travel connected, which most kids of divorced parents faced every year.

Flying from Japan back to England, from her mother to her father, was a chore that seemed unavoidable. Her mother was kind enough to splurge on first class ticket for her, which her fancy Tokio job allowed. Ever since fours years ago, she continued a tradition that was introduced to her by a fellow Christmas traveller - the most stylish sassy French woman, who often spend the holidays on a plane. She would get herself and who ever was sitting next to her a glass of champagne and chat them up. Y/N has never laughed so much in her life like she did when she met this woman - so she took the tradition as her own.

Lando's plan wasn't to be on a flight from Japan to London on the 24th of December. He had so little time with his family and friends that this secret work trip to the Honda factory was really pushing him into staying with McLaren for the following years and not switching to a different team. This whole situation was like fuel for his current headache.

Y/N second guessed her tradition when a super gorgeous looking boy, who seemed to want anything but to be bothered, was sat next to her. She was used to having older people sitting next to her. Anyway, tradition is a tradition, so she eventually got up to order the classic. She nearly turned back at the thought that this guy was giving off some serious "I'm a dick" vibes, he had barely acknowledged her since she sat down. Luckily, she ignored this feeling.

When a glass of champagne appeared before Lando, he was sure it was a mistake.

"Well, to Christmas," his neighbor toasted. While he thought that she was a rather good looking girl, he was in no mood for a fangirl.

"I'm very sorry, um...I'll be happy to take a photo with you or something, but I am not in the best mood for a interaction with a fan."

She gave him a baffled look.

He continued. "Look, I'll be more than happy to sign anything. Or a photo, just as long you keep between un on which flight you saw me."

Y/N put her glass down, this was a first one.

"First of all, sorry for invading your private time. I have this stupid tradition of having a glass with whomever I'm destined to spend this Christmas flight. Guess I was mistaken. Second of all, I have no fucking idea who you are. So, calm down." She downed half of her glass. Of course this stupid year would include an asshole like this. Oh well.

Lando was confused for a moment and immediately after that he felt like an idiot.

"Apologies," he slowly replied, somewhat baffled. "I thought you were a fan and I'm just not in the mood for that." Y/N rolled her eyes and downed the rest of her champagne. "I'm Lando, by the way."

"Is that a stage name?"

"No, " he laghed. "I think it was a random decision of my mom."

"Interesting. Y/N," she introduced herself, without looking at him.

There was a weird tension in the air. Lando was determined to break it. Y/N was currently casually offended.

"Let me get you another one so that we can have a toast."

"Great, getting drunk is also an option. Hate flying sober," she joked.

Another glass was brought by a smiling flight attendant.

"So, how does this work?" Lando asked. Y/N was a person easily annoyed, however as quickly this came it also ended.

"Fine. There are rules, btw."

"Of course there are."

"Ehm, ehm, " she cleared her throat. "So, this tradition was started by Madame Tatanova and from now on, if you find yourself on a plane on 24th or 25th of December, you need to toast with your fellow neighbor passenger and answer the following: why and for how long-"

"I will have to write this down, I have a memory of a dead chicken."

"-I'm not finished! And then you follow up by your biggest regret and one thing nobody knows. The purpose of this is to gain or pass on wisdom and use the opportunity you'd normally miss by blasting up your headphones." She's done this for four times now, still the introduction was missing the "Madame Tatanova magic". Maybe one day.

"Ok..." Lando was not following yet, but he was keen on doing so. She raised her glasses, as did he.

"Cheers, to Christmas flights."

"Cheers, " he replied and they both sipped their champagne. "Wait, I have a question - what would you do if I did not speak English? Or if I was deaf?"

Lando was being his cheeky self and Y/N was not having it. She answered the question with a look.

"Got it! Anyway...what was the question?"

"Why."

"Why? Why is the sky dark or....?"

"Why are you on this plane."

"I'm trying to get to London from Tokio."

"I swear to god, I will ask to be seated somewhere else, Orlando."

"Lando, actually."

"If you say so..."

"Huuh, I'm going back from a work trip. And since you claim not to know me, I can probably tell you more than I should. Um, imagine I am in a band, right? I'm singing for a band and every few years they change their lead singer, one of the two actually, and I'm a the lead singer who might go to a different band now. But it's not clear yet and super secret actually. So, please keep it to yourself." Lando felt like someone who has just discovered speech and this was the first time he was using it. "Does that make any sort of sense?"

"Sort of I think. So you're cheating on your band?"

"Uhh, I'd say checking out options."

"Remind me never to date guys like you," she joked and immediately regretted that. Y/N was not good at flirting and did not want to appear creepy.

Lando passed on this comment, still not sure if he could trust this girl. "So, what about you? Why?"

"The curse of the divorced parents. One lives in London, the other one in Japan and I'm a package they pass each year," she said rather bitterly.

"Sorry to hear that."

"Yeah. I get to see mom twice a year and it's all always so planned and predictable. I would kill for spontaneity."

"Take me with you next time, I'm sure she'll be surprised." "Yes, she is a big fan of British guys, that's why she divorced one!"

"Great, happy to follow that route!"

Y/N started to relax a bit. This could be good, actually. "Ok, so now. For long are you staying in London, Lando?"

"Only few weeks. Then our music season starts. "

"Yeah, the one with all the singing, of course."

"Yeeah."

Y/N laughed a bit. He was suprisingly easy to talk to.

"So, how long?"

"A week. Then I'm off to Bologna."

"Uuuh, fancy that!"

"Yeah, I'm studying history there."

"Bologna is the one with the old university?" he asked, pretending he has never heard of that.

"No, not really, they just opened. Last year we did not have chairs, because the shipment got delayed," she replied with a dry tone.

"One does always study better while standing. I believe it was Socrates, who said it."

"Oh, yes. They teach you this at the singing music school?"

"Exactly. We were never allowed to sit."

They continued to chat all the way through the airplane dinner, getting few more glasses of champagne during that. Their laughter was interrupted by a flight attendant, who acted on a complaint from a fellow passenger. They both fell asleep watching a movie. Y/N woke up few times in the night and observed the boy next to her. Knowing this was the best Christmas plane encounter she ever had. Lando woke up as well, feeling strangely happy about the fact she was resting her head on his shoulder.

//

"Wait." Lando stopped her at the entrance to customs hall and pulled them both behind a column, so that they could not be seem by bystanders.

"Yes?" she turned to him.

"This might be weird, but can I kiss you?" Y/N looked at the boy in a hoodie standing in front of her, cheeky guy suddenly appearing nervous. He was absolutely gorgeous. She hated the fact he was random guy on a plane to London and not to Bologna.

"Yes. Must be midnight somewhere. So it could be like a New Years thing."

"Yeah. Just an airport thing." With that he kissed her. Just two young people having a little moment of silence. His kiss was a light slow brush on the lips. He cupped her cheek and her hand brushed through his curly hair. First kiss usually does not take long. For a person passing by, this would appear like kiss these two shared a thousand times before.

When they eventually parted, it all seemed a bit surreal.

"We never got to the second part of your Christmas interview," Lando commented.

"Well. Let's say that the one thing nobody knows is that I just kissed a random guy from the plane. And that my biggest regret is that we will never see each other again." For the first time, she was this bluntly honest with somebody who had just kissed her for the first time. It felt intoxicating.

Lando smiled. "See, I knew we had something in common."

Lando was usually not so open with his crushes, if he could even put her in that category.

"Don't worry. I won't search for you online or anything. I want to keep the mystery of Lando alive."

He kissed her once more, before they parted.

//

Their hearts felt a little more heavier than usual on midnight that New Years Eve. Both standing surrounded by their favorite people, yet with the one they would wish to kiss being impossibly far away.

part 2

_________________________

@superlegend216

[schemmentigfs]

Future Milf, part one.

paring: melissa schemmenti x fem reader.

summary: what was supposed to be a normal monday morning at Abbott, ends up being a chaotic one after you lend Melissa one especific t-shirt.

warnings: sexual themes? The rest is just pure crack.

author notes: I got this idea after listening to M.I.L.F $ by Fergie? Anyways, it's finally here, I'm must say that I'm pretty proud of this one. Stay tuned for part two! And yes, I watched heartstrooper and thought the drum scene was cute, so I added here.

English is not my first language, so I apologize for any mistakes.

When you arrived at Abbott in that morning, one curious feeling of both happiness and anxiety coursed through your body. And even though you found it completely strange, you decided to ignore it.

“Good morning, Y/n!” Janine said waving to you in the hallway. “How was your weekend?”

You smiled noticing her presence, as much as everyone else always said that Janine's way of acting was a bit annoying. The other teachers had to addmit that she was a good person who was always willing to help when needed.

“Morning!” you replied, unlocking the door to your classroom, ready to start another day at school. “It was good! On Saturday, I went to my parents to visit them for a family dinner. And on Sunday I spent the afternoon at Melissa's place.” You let out a passionate sigh remembering the day in the company of your favorite redhead.

It was a lovely afternoon, you cooked together, talked about different things and at the end, you watched a movie together, with Mel's hands gently stroking your hair while you were lying on her lap. “Hon, you are so cute,” she whispered softly, leaving her famous bravado aside, and showing her sweet and loving side instead.

To be honest, you loved these moments with the older woman, it made you feel protected, relaxed and loved. Something you hadn't felt in a long time. Melissa Schemmenti was your safe place. That same tough second grade teacher who took almost three months to have a friendly conversation with you was now one of your best friends. Yeah, fate was something that was really fucking powerful.

After listening to your last words, Janine let a huge smile escape her lips, before she started to celebrate. “I knew it! I knew it!” The youngest said, jumping up and down excitedly.

“Knew what?” you questioned with a confused expression.

“It was a date, wasn't it?” she asked with hope in her eyes.

“No!”

“Wait what? I thought you and Melissa were dating. Guess I was wrong. Again.” The second grade teacher revealed, completely disappointed looking at you.

After seeing your friend's reaction, you widen your eyes in shock. Was she really serious?

“Janine, why did you think we were dating?”

“It’s kind of obvious, she calls you by cute Italian nicknames, brings you coffee every morning. Share her lunch with you, let you hug her, and she always laughs at your jokes! You two are practically married in the eyes of everyone who works here at Abbott!” She talked non-stop.

Janine could only be out of her mind, a relationship between you and Melissa was impossible to happen. You were co-workers for god's sake, and also the redhead was known for being completely closed off when it came to relationships. Since her divorce with Joe was a traumatic experience.

Deep down, you were completely in love with Melissa. But tried to suppresses your feelings, knowing it would never be reciprocated. After all, what would a beautiful woman like her want with someone like you?

It was painful, but you couldn't do anything about it.

Turning your head to the sides to make sure there was no one else in the hallway, you started talking. “What I have with Melissa is just a normal friendship between two women. Something platonic and not romantic! Okay?”

“But—” she insisted.

“Let's just forget about this.” You sighed and Janine finally gave up, nodding and giving you a sad smile saying goodbye and returning to her classroom.

“You can’t keep lying to yourself.” Mr Johnson’s voice caught your attention.

“Huh?”

“You like Melissa, and you know that,” the janitor says as he sweeps the floor, eliminating any sign of dirt. “You may not have noticed yet, but she likes you too. Act while you have the chance, otherwise you will regret it if she finds someone else.” He said, before leaving.

Now alone in the hallway, you closed your eyes and took a deep breath, thinking about his words and Janine's. Were they right? No. They were insane.

“Why did everyone suddenly decide to give their opinion on my love life?” You grumbled, looking at the watch on your wrist. There were twenty minutes until the kids arrived, so you decided to stop by the staff room for some coffee and also to refresh your mind.

—

When you entered the teachers' lounge, you saw a curious scene. Jacob was completely nervous while Melissa was furious. Gregory and Barbara were there watching everything and trying to calm her down but without success.

“JACOB!” the redhead shouted angrily pointing to her pink sweater and looking at the young boy with a deadly glare. “LOOK WHAT YOU DID!”

“I'm sorry! It wasn't my intention, I ended up getting distracted and—” the history teacher stuttered nervously.

“JUST—” She almost started to argue again but stopped when she felt Barb's gaze and yours on her. “be more careful next time, we don’t want any accidents like this happening again,”

Jacob nodded, apologizing once more, returning to sit on the small sofa, next to Gregory. Focusing on the news that played on Channel 6.

“Dear, are you okay?” Barb asked worriedly, putting a hand on her best friend's shoulder.

“Yeah, the only problem is that I don’t have any spare clothes to wear.” Melissa responds.

Seeing the older woman's frustration, you decided to quickly help her, knowing that she was starting to get uncomfortable with her favorite sweater's situation.

“Don't worry, I can lend you one. I always keep one in case something like this happens.” You replied with a small smile.

Melissa sighed in relief, it was as if a miracle had fallen from the earth when she needed it most.

“Thanks, Stellina. You are an angel.”

You blush at the nickname she gives you. Maybe Janine wasn't so wrong. Just maybe.

“Let’s go.” you pulled her by the arm heading to your classroom.

—

You guided Melissa to sit in one of the chairs and closed the door, heading towards your drawer looking for the shirt. It took a long time to find it, as everything was slightly messed up. The redhead rolled her eyes, pretending to be impatient.

“Apparently it looks like youse need to learn how organize your things better.” The older woman mocks you.

“Shut up, Schemmenti. I’m trying to help ya,” after a lot of effort, you finally found it, “here, it’s a little wrinkled but I think it should be fine for you to use for the rest of the day,”

Melissa let out a soft smile, taking the shirt you handed her. “Thanks again for helping me. I appreciate this.”

“No problem, I’ll always give you a hand whenever you need it,” you replied with a shrug.

In the three years that you had known each other, She had done so many things for you. So it was only fair that you pay her back, right?

“Uh, I’ll turn around now so you can have more privacy to change,” you said and she nodded, giving you a thumbs up.

You turned around, facing the classroom door, letting out a muffled laugh when she mumbled, “Thank God I won't have soup on my body anymore.”

Everything was going normally, until you heard something else that made your heartbeat increase with each passing second.

“Future Milf, hm?” Melissa said inspecting the shirt, reading the print with a confused expression. “It’s probably a term that those of you who are young use. I liked it.”

Hearing that made you freeze, it was as if the whole world had stopped at that moment. It couldn't be. No. It could only be a completely ridiculous nightmare or dream of yours. She was a natural joker, always picking on you with some prank or something else. She was joking, right?

Fuck, had you really given her that shirt by accident? Oh shit, you were so screwed. The only good thing about this situation was that she didn't know what the word milf meant.

If she knew, you'd probably be dead by now.

Melissa snapped her fingers, a sign that you could turn around again. The action brought you back to reality, but you were too embarrassed to look at your friend in the eyes again.

“What do you think?” she asked, adjusting the t-shirt on her body, waiting for your answer anxiously. Melissa wouldn't never admit it, but your opinion was something very important to her.

You kept quiet, nervous about what had just happened. It felt like a nightmare, for some reason. After school, you would probably go to the supermarket to buy a giant bottle of wine to drink while watching some horrible Netflix TV show trying to forget all of this.

When you focused your gaze on her figure, your mouth opened into a big 'o'. She looked stunning, with her signature black leather pants, boots and well.. that t-shirt had made Melissa look so hot, that you couldn't look at anything else in the room. It definitely suited her.

“Y/n? What do you think?” She repeats.

“You look amazing, Lissa,” you say playing with the rings in your fingers. A common habit that occurred when anxiety took over.

Melissa, who was always perceptive, studied you carefully. “Hon, are you alright?” she asked with a bit of concern in her tone.

“Yeah, I'm fine, just was thinking about...” you stop trying to think of an excuse to explain why you were distracted, “a funny thing Janine told me earlier, that's it.”

“What would it be?” She asks.

“I—It's a very stupid thing, I mean you know how she is,” you let out a nervous laugh, “I think you better ask her at lunch, Mel.”

The redhead raises her eyebrows, a little suspicious. Just as Melissa was about to speak, the voices of the children in the hallway interrupted her, making you two realize how much time had passed.

“Oh! Our students.”

“Yeah, they arrived,” Melissa says, “Well, I think I have to go now, your little devils will be here at any moment. See ya at lunch?”

“Of course, and Mel?”

“What, hon?”

“You look beautiful.” It accidentally slips out of your mouth, leaving you pale and afraid of her reaction. Of course, you had already said that Melissa was beautiful several times, but this time something different was in the air.

You didn't notice the way her cheeks flushed.

“Thanks gorgeous,” the eldest grins and wink at you. Was she flirting?

When Melissa was no longer there, you covered your face with your hands to stifle a scream that threatened to escape your throat. What was supposed to be a calm Monday, turned into a chaotic one due to a slight mistake of yours.

—

Ava was passing in the hallway when she saw Melissa walking calmly to her classroom. The principal's eyes widened when she saw the redhead wearing a t-shirt with the words “Future Milf” printed on it.

“Why the hell is she wearing that? That's not something Schemmenti would wear. Especially at school grounds.” she whispered to herself.

By coincidence, Gregory was also in the hallway and was surprised by her pulling him by his coat.

“Huh?” the man said, confused. “Ava? What are you doing?”

“Relax handsome, I just need you to answer something,” she said, looking at him,“do you know why Melissa is wearing that thing? the woman pointed to the teacher.

“Y/n lent it to her after Jacob accidentally spilled food on her sweater earlier,” he explained. “Why?”

“Did you saw the damn print on it?” Ava asked, rolling her eyes and Gregory shook his head with a puzzled expression.

“Then wait and see at lunchtime. I'm telling ya, this is going to be more fun than any episode of The Kardashians!” she laughed looking towards one of the cameras.

—

Meanwhile, you tried to focus on teaching your students. But it was practically impossible. Every time you closed your eyes or tried to explain something. Your mind thought of Melissa wearing the damn shirt.

“Ms. Y/n? Are you feeling alright?” Leah, one of your students asked, snapping you out of your trance.

“Yes, sweetheart. Don't need to worry about me.” you replied with a calm voice. She smiled and returned to pay attention to her activity.

The hours passed quickly after that, much to your dismay. It was good on the one hand: in a while you would be home soon. But the bad thing was that you would have to lunch next to Melissa Ann Schemmenti wearing that fucking milf shirt of yours.

You thought of some solutions to avoid her presence, but gave up. Knowing it wasn't fair to do so. Defeated, you went to the staff room.

—

Barbara was looking for the redhead you wanted to avoid at that moment. The eldest knocked on Melissa's classroom door, waiting to be welcomed by the teacher herself or her aide, Ashely. But that didn't happen.

Determined, she decided to enter anyway, raising her brows when she saw a curious scene.

Her best friend was pacing the room while mumbling something. “Y/n, do you want to go on a date with me? We could go to a restaurant and—” Melissa said to herself, “No, too formal that doesn’t suit me. And I would prefer a date at home, where we could...”

The brunette now leaning against the wall let out a soft chuckle that scared the redhead.

“Jesus Christ!” Melissa gasped with her hand on her chest. The kindergarten teacher rolled her eyes, “Barb, you scared me to death.”

“Haven’t you asked her out yet?” her friend got straight to the point, “Oh Lord, you've already been faster than that. Tell me sweetheart, what's stopping you?”

The green-eyed woman looked away, feeling a little embarrassed, “I'm just scared. Y/n is only in her twenties, she has her whole life ahead of her and I'm already at a certain age. What will she want with me?”

Barb saw how her voice immediately sounded small and trembling, falling in love was a delicate thing in Melissa Schemmenti's life, her marriage was a totally traumatic experience. And after that, she completely closed herself off, thinking that being in a relationship wasn't something for her. That she simply didn't deserve to be loved.

But that started to change when you arrived in her life. It took Melissa a while to figure out the many confusing feelings she had for you. After several sleepless nights, questioning the butterflies in her stomach that always appeared when you were around, she understood that it was love.

But this realization scared her.

“I know it may seem scary but you have to try. Besides, don't you realize? That girl is crazy about you, just like you are about her,” Barb says trying to calm her, “Believe me, this time you will discover that love doesn't hurt.”

Her words made the redhead remember the moment she realized she was in love with you.

[...]

It was New Year's Eve and Melissa was speeding the night at your house. That same afternoon, she had attended lunch with her family and as much as she loved how festive the other Schemmentis were, but it seemed like something was missing from that environment, and that was you. And this feeling of longing made her run to your place immediately.

Now she was in your bedroom trying to practice on your drum kit, while you were laying down on an improvised pillow fort that both of you built together a couple of days ago. Honestly, playing the drums wasn't something Melissa knew how to do, so she played in a completely clumsy way without being able to find a certain rhythm.

“Schemmenti, you're so fucking terrible at this,” you joked. “It's so easy to learn.”

Pretending to be irritated by your words, the redhead reached for a pillow and threw it in your direction. Prepared to start a pillow fight if challenged.

“Hey!” you grumbled, raising your hands in the air in redemption. “Mel, I’m kidding!”

“Then show me instead of standing there, idiot.”

You slowly approached, sitting next to her on the small bench. “Alright, let me teach you a little.”

You held Melissa's hands in yours, first teaching her how to properly hold the drumsticks. “Hold them tight. And don’t let them slip out of your hands,” you whispered. “Good job, Mel,” you praised her, feeling her hold the drumsticks tighter. She blushed hearing that.

While you were extremely focused, showing her how to play the instrument. Her green eyes watched you with love and adoration, at that moment, she realized how lucky she was to have you by her side.

Her gaze fell to your lips and Melissa wondered if they were as soft as they appeared to be. She also wondered what it would be like to wake up every day next to you, with her arms wrapped around your small waist and with her placing small kisses into your hair. Or what it would be like to kiss and touch your whole body listening to your soft coos while she showed how much she loved you.

She bites her lips with all of those images in her mind.

After hearing the sounds of fireworks, you turn away from the older woman and open your bedroom window and climb up to a small outcropping of the roof. While Melissa watches you curiously, still sitting in front of the drums. "What are you doing? I wouldn’t want you to have an accident in the middle of the New Year.”

“I’m not going to have an accident,” you rolled your eyes, “I just want to see the fireworks!”

Melissa shook her head, finding your excitement adorable, deciding to join you. Carefully sitting by your side, she rested her head on your shoulder and closed her eyes, wanting to enjoy this moment with you forever.

“You know...I kind of missed you at my family's lunch today,” the redhead admitted in a shy tone, feeling her cheeks burn.

That was a surprise for both of you, since you knew that she wasn't very used to physical touches or showing her vulnerable side.

Noticing her nervousness, you said something that made Melissa feel more relaxed again,“I missed you too. Staying with you is so much more fun than being here alone.”

She hummed and snuggled into you even more, making a smile escape your lips. The two of you enjoyed the comfortable silence that settled in. Wishing more good moments like this would happen.

Returning from her memory, Melissa stood up and ignored Barbara's malicious look and headed towards the door ready to go to lunch.

—

You were already in the teachers' lounge, and every time you heard a step, you felt your heart stop. The plan to try to avoid Melissa was still going through your head, but neither option was good, suddenly an idea came.

You threw yourself on the floor and quickly crawled to a table near the windows, hiding under it, the cameras filmed your movements and your friends' confused reactions.

“Y/N! What are you doing?” Janine asks.

“Nothing,” you grumbled, praying to eat in peace, “I'm just having lunch, like a normal person does.”

“You are literally eating under the table. That’s definitely not something you would do and everyone knows that. And it's kind of weird.” Gregory notes.

You were surprised by Ava, who ran in. Not wanting to miss anything she knew was going to happen. The principal loved an entertainment and the whole school knew. “I don’t think Melissa would mind if you said you consider her a milf. She would probably love it, saying it's hot and all of that shit,” she shrugged.

“What?” Jacob questioned.

“AVA!” you scolded her, “You aren't helping! And by the way, how do you know about this?”

“Girl, I know everything. And I must say, it's the funniest thing I've ever seen in my life.”

“What’s going on?” Janine alternates her gaze between the two of you.

You explained everything in detail to all of them who to be honest found it all a bit comical, but seeing the way you were nervous made them take it back.

After hearing Melissa and Barbara's voices, you got scared and shrank even more under the table. Hoping they wouldn't notice you. But that didn't happen. When the redhead entered, all attention quickly went straight to her. The cameras zoomed in on what she was using and everyone was shocked.

“What are you looking at?” She growls in a threatening tone and the teachers return to focusing on their activities, afraid of her. You laughed, that was so Melissa. And that's what ruined the chance to avoid her.

“Dear? What are you doing under the table?” Barbara asks.

“I was just seeing if...the tables were in a good condition! That's it, actually, I have to go now,” you walk towards the door, but a firm hand on your wrist stops you.

“Where are you going? I thought we agreed to have lunch together,” Melissa spoke.

“It’s not a good idea for us to do that,” you pull away from her touch. Waiting for her to give in, but something unexpected happened.

She took the lunch bag from your hands, standing on her tiptoes so as not to let you reach and looking straight into your eyes.

“Give me that back now!” You complain and she shakes her head.

“Tell me, what’s really going on? Why can you barely look at me?” she whispers that last part.

“It doesn't matter.” You respond, feeling your blood rise and your breathing slowly fail.

“Can you stop acting like a child and act like an adult, for once?” She retorts, making you roll your eyes.

“FUCK YOU MELISSA,” you yelled and everyone gasped. In years of working at Abbott, you had never raised your voice to anyone, especially the redhead, “JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!”

Melissa's eyes widened, surprised to see you facing her and saying that stuff. A feeling of pain settled in her body, but obviously she didn't show it.

Impatient and without thinking twice. You threw yourself at the older woman, who got scared, losing her balance. Because of this, both fell to the icy ground.

Melissa hit her back, letting out a groan of pain, seeing what you had caused, you quickly stood up, getting off of her.

“I’m sorry, Lissa. I’m so fucking stupid,” you tremble, feeling tears come out of your eyes.

Feeling overwhelmed, you ran out of the lounge, leaving a bewildered redhead.

“Y/N, PLEASE COME BACK HERE!” Melissa's voice echoed throughout the school, now she was going to worry about trying to fix what the hell had happened between you two. And it wouldn't be easy.

[your-nanas-house]

Rum, champagne and other excuses

◇ Pairing: Cillian Murphy X fem friend!Reader

◇ Warnings: fluff, sadness, smut, anger, trope friends to lovers, cheating, Cilly is divorced and Y/n in an unhappy marriage

◇ Summary: An unhappy married Y/n spends Christmas with her friend Cillian Murphy.

◇ Note: Another wonderfulllll collaboration with @mrkdvidal1989. Third fic of the new "event" 'From love to Love'. Go check it! 🥺

Ding, dong. The doll bell rang, and Y/n dried her hands with the kitchen cloth, so that she could fix her styled hair and Christmas dress before rushing quickly to the door, to let the guest in. She already knew who was standing outside in the cold. She could see in her mind's eye his silhouette, wearing one of his winter coats with his face hidden by the hood and his neck covered by a rich scarf.

As she walked to the front door, a smile slowly appeared on her face at the thought of his baby blue eyes being even more bright because of the reflection of the snow in them. His eyes really were her favourite place to seek comfort in, ever since their friendship developed. After some time, they were very close friends. The young woman stopped a moment to take in the sight in the mirror, she really tried her best and she didn’t even know why, but the way her hair were styled, the dress that hugged her mature curves was amazing, just like the soft make-up she put on just made her best features stand out in a soft but lovely way. She tried her best to look wonderful. 

Y/n’s hand wrapped around the door knob, twisting it before she opened it with a bright smile on her face.

“Just in time” she praised mockingly in a playful manner, opening the door wider and letting Cillian enter her house. Exchanging looks, they smiled as she offered to take his coat, hanging it on the hook. Without waiting she made her way back to the kitchen, knowing well that Cillian was more than familiar with her house. He wouldn't get lost or feel uncomfortable.

Y/n didn't wait longer than a couple minutes before the blue eyed man joined her, hands hidden in his pockets as he studied all the food prepared for them… a dish with sliced cheese catching his interest almost immediately.

“This looks amazing, Y/n” He praised with all honesty, smiling and showing off the dimples in his cheeks. As they started talking, Cillian started stealing the cheese from the topping, pretending to be innocent as she turned to reply, catching him red handed. Small, scolding yet amused smile creeping on her face involuntarily.

“Don’t worry, help yourself” she joked, earning a soft chuckle from him as he took more cheese from the dish, without worrying to upset her or ask for another clarification.

They looked at each other for a moment, both smiling slightly, it wasn’t an uncomfortable silence but a peaceful one… a special one, one that you can have with just a few people without feeling unease by the situation.

“Hope you’re hungry because there’s a lot to eat today” she broke the silence, giggling at her information as she showed and listed all the various options for the Christmas Eve dinner. Coming finally to the drinks by opening a cabinet of her house “So…” she started, searching “we have champagne.. and surprisingly.. rum,wine and.. beer” She listed, looking in his direction as she remained bent down. With her eyes fixed on the contents of the cabinet, she couldn't have noticed the way his eyes lazily travelled down her body, taking in everything he could before snapping quickly out of the trance, embarrassed by the urge. 

“Beer sounds pretty good to me” he replied, watching her rush to the fridge to take it for him “You’re lucky this time, I went to the mall in the morning to grab a few bottles of Guiness just for you” she smiled playfully, grabbing one from the fridge to pour it carefully in the glass, tilting it to the side, and letting the liquid slide along the glass of the tumbler, creating that way a lovely foam that reached the edge of the glass. Cillian sighed with satisfaction at the sight. 

”So classy” He commented with a cocked eyebrow looking at her, impressed. ”I still haven't ever met anyone that would pour Guinness better than you.” His tone of voice carried a hint of flirtiness in it, making Y/n’s cheeks turn pink. 

”Hey! Don't!” She chuckled, pointing at him with a warning. 

Cillian often would flirt with her purposely to make her blush, which was always an endless source of joy for him. 

”Alright, alright.” He replied, lifting his arms up in surrender. 

The conversation quickly took a turn on the new play that Cillian was starring in, written by Enda Walsh, their good friend that introduced Y/n to him, soon after his divorce with his previous wife.

Y/n was still sadly stuck in an unhappy marriage, her husband away from work probably busy spending Christmas with women he considered ‘hot chicks’. The women he always considered better. Prettier. Smarter. 

She didn’t mind though, after wasting all the tears on the bastard that would never change, crying her heart out at night, or even at Cillian's shoulder it had become normal. Something that didn’t hurt her anymore. Their marriage was already.. dead, after years of breaking, rotting away. Y/n spent enough time grieving it.

That’s the main reason because she allowed herself to become more attached to the sweet man that was standing in her kitchen, their bond strong and pure. Their friendship was one of the main reasons she survived the worst nights. 

“Is it just you and me?” Cillian asked suddenly and carefully, not wanting to upset her on that special night of the year, by addressing the situation she was in with her yet husband. 

Little smile appeared on his face as she replied in a light-hearted tone, her face remaining neutral, not bothered at all by his question. 

“Mhhm! Just you and me and… all this food” She added with a giggle, pointing at the counter before she started bringing everything to the living room “I made sure to prepare things that we could easily eat while sitting on the sofa, so we can watch a movie or.. just talk.” she hummed, preparing the coffee table.

The older man nodded softly, taking a seat on the soft, comfortable sofa, helping her set everything on the table before finally leaning back and relaxing too— his beer glass clicking against her own, a symbol of the beginning of their dinner.

”Cheers” He said, shooting her that cheeky smile of his. The one reaching his eyes. 

Y/n rolled her eyes with a giggle. 

”Cheers, Cilly.”

~~~

The evening passed smoothly, the food got eaten in less than four hours, and soon enough they were both sitting on the couch facing each other. Half a bottle of wine left from all the drinks they had. The alcohol was already working pretty well as they chatted away about everything and nothing. Cillian's eyes shone lightly, his cheeks red and lips stretched in a smile as he listened to the story. 

“I was around.. seventeen when it happened” Y/n giggled, barely containing her laughter “we went out for a family lunch, I was out with my grandpa and my siblings.. in a very nice place, you know those kind of cozy places that you just see and you’re like “fuck yes, I need to go there.”  We went there all together and this cute guy kept serving our table, he even stopped to talk with my grandpa” she continues, rambling about it, her eyes fixed on the ceiling “...and when we were about to leave, my grandpa moved his hand calling him over and trying to set a date between me and this guy, telling him that I thought he was cute and this kind of stuff” She giggled again, remembering that day “and he was all like “Yes, she thinks you’re cunt” she laughed harder due to the alcohol in her body before calming finally down, turning her head towards him to continue the rambling “the guy… the guy” she murmured, catching her breath while losing herself in his eyes. Cillian was resting close to her, his head on his fist as he kept listening to her without interrupting, his eyes staring at her in amazement… she was so beautiful when she looked like that, no worries, just rambling about life with pure joy in her beautiful eyes…. And he was leaning in now, his gaze shifting onto her lips, then back to her eyes, making her do the same automatically.

They both took a deep breath before Cillian closed his eyes, resting his forehead on hers, their noses brushed against each other in a tender eskimo kiss. Y/n was completely frozen, barely breathing at how close they were. The warmth from his body was making her feel even more drunk. She didn't dare to make the first move, but didn't have to wait for long as Cillian's patience suddenly ran thin.

”Fuck” He whispered before grabbing the back of her head, and pulling her face towards his, their lips connecting in a hungry, needy kiss. The tension that lingered around them for years suddenly finding an outlet. Y/n’s eyes fell shut immediately, letting him kiss her for a second before she tore away, shock written all over her face. Cillian's eyes were wide open at the realisation of what he did. 

”Look, I'm so sor-” He attempted to apologise, feeling badly for taking her signs wrong. ”I shouldn't have” he'd say, but out of nowhere Y/n’s hand grabbed the material of his shirt, connecting their lips again, while pushing him down onto the couch. 

Her body remained pressed against his, hands holding onto the fabric of his shirt while the kiss got more passionate— her tongue slipping in his mouth, exploring it as she hummed at the taste of the beer they had earlier.

Her body started to move unconsciously, making Cillian quickly grab her hips, his head tilting to the side reciprocating the kiss, then trying to connect their lips again, without success, as she moved away, keeping him down. 

Y/n broke them apart, moving slowly in a sitting position, her eyes staring at her friend’s desperate state, biting softly her bottom lip when she was his attempt. Her hands started to travel slowly down from his chest, reaching beneath his navel. With a few quick moves she managed to unbuckle it… Cillian’s breath getting heavier as she continued, now pulling them down with his help.

His pale freckled hands grabbed her hips again, sitting up before moving them down onto her smooth thighs. Brushing the skin just beneath the edge of her dress, before pulling it up carefully while looking her in the eyes, and as soon as he didn’t see any rejection in her eyes, her clothes were on the floor with his pants in less than a few seconds. He didn't waste any time, removing his shirt quickly as soon as Y/n finished unbuttoning it. The tension in his body was buzzing, making the erection in his briefs leak with precum like never before. Pulling her back down onto his lap, her clothed sex now pressing against him, making him hiss through his teeth at the sensation.

“‘M feeling like a teenager again” he breathed out through a soft chuckle, tilting his head back as soon as Y/n giggled breathless, grinding teasingly against him. “Fuck, fuck… Love—” he cursed, taking a hold of her hips to stop her movements, too excited to control himself.

Her eyes snapped back towards him, watching how his body shaked a bit and his grip tightened. “Did you….Did you just come?” Y/n asked, stunned, raising her body from his lap to look at the wet spot on Cillian’s grey undies, glancing back at his flushed and ashamed face. 

The actor tried to say something but she quickly shushed him with a hungry kiss, her hand slipping inside of his underwear, before grabbing his softening cock, pumping it while leaving wet kisses on his jawline down to his neck. Nibbling and sucking down on his Adam's apple, waiting for his cock to harden again, his cum helping her movements.

The woman stopped after a couple of minutes, watching Cillian’s body shake in pleasure and overstimulation, to move his underwear down his hairy and thick thighs, giving him a small squeeze before moving her head to the side; smiling softly when Cillian moved his hands down her hips, brushing the side of her thighs, following the lines of her stretch marks… pure admiration in his piercing baby blue eyes.

A soft sigh left her mouth as she got up slightly, rubbing the pink, leaking tip of his thick member against her entrance spreading the slickness before she slowly sunk down on his rock-hard cock, his eyes fluttering shut as his mouth hung open, his back arching as a low moan left his body. “Oh darling” he sighed in pleasure, holding her still so that he could get back his control and allow her to adapt at the new stretch. She hasn't had a cock inside of her for a while now and never one that thick. It felt so good, so fucking good, after the pain of stretching subsided. 

Y/n’s head lolled back as she grabbed his shoulders for support, sharp nail digging into his pale skin making him groan from the mixture of pleasure and pain. 

As soon as he started throwing her up and down on his shaft, the room filled up with loud moans, cries and whines that kept leaving her mouth, and which made it impossible for him to stop thrusting up to meet her halfway. 

Her body kept bouncing due to the thrusts of his hips, her hands reaching behind to free her round mature breasts from the restrictions of her bra, throwing it with the other clothes on the floor, allowing him to move closer. As soon as his breath fanned over her hardened nipples, the moans increased, becoming more high pitched, before she grabbed his head pulling it into her breasts. 

Without a second thought he started leaving wet kisses all over, sucking on her nipples while increasing the speed of thrusts. Y/n couldn't get enough of the muffled sounds coming from him, as she'd be able to come right there and then just because of it. 

”I'm.. I'm gonna…” She tried to stutter out as the knot in her stomach tightened, her walls clenching down on his cock so tightly, that his eyes fell shut and whine ripped out of his mouth as he mouthed on the skin of her breasts. 

”Fuck..” He breathed out, reaching for her clit, and rubbing quick circles on it while moving his hips faster, deepening the thrusts so much that his tip was softly nudging her cervix each time causing some pain and increasing the pleasure. 

Tears fell down her cheeks as her body shook, swallowed by the biggest orgasm she's ever had in her whole thirty three year old life, her eyes rolling her eyes back as she shook further, squirting on him. 

“Fuck, fuck” he cursed, letting a high pitched moan leave his mouth as he reached his own peak, shooting his load deep inside of her cunt. His baby blue eyes staring at their mixed fluids dripping down, wetting her sofa and their thighs.

Their deep breaths synchronise as they eyes locked, Y/n leaned slowly down, her bare chest pressed against his as she caught her breath. Breathing deeply and closing her eyes, the alcohol caused the sudden sleepiness that flooded her. 

After a couple minutes Cillian noticed it, and with a soft chuckle he carried her to the bedroom, laying by her side before he nodded off as well. 

~~~

As soon as Cillian opened his eyes, his arm involuntarily reached for Y/n that was supposed to be laying next to him, but his hand met only a cold spot on the sheets. His eyebrows furrowed with confusion as he ran hand through his hair, feeling a little hungover after the drinking and the mind blowing sex of the night before. His mood was great even though his head hurt a little bit. 

As soon as his vision became clear enough, he looked around the room, noticing Y/n pacing back and forth on the other side of the room, already fully dressed. Sitting up, he smiled.

”Merry Christmas, Darling.” Left his mouth with a thick accent, startling her. 

Y/n stood in one spot, frozen with an uncomfortable expression on her face. 

”Cillian..” She started off, shaking her head lightly as she hugged herself, trying to gather some confidence. He could see her defensive stance and bad mood right away, which got him worried. What happened? What did he do? Was it his fault?

”What’s wrong?” He asked, feeling uneasy, making Y/n sigh before hiding her face in her hands for a second, taking a deep breath before she straightened her back. 

”Cillian, we shouldn't have done that.” She said flatly, her face twisted in that distasteful expression, her eyes not daring to meet his piercing ones.

Seeing it Cillian's heart ached a little, as he processed what she just said. ”Wait.. what? Why?” He asked in complete confusion. The good mood that he woke up in disappeared in seconds. 

”Look, we just.. drank too much, okay? I'm married and.. and we're friends! Friends don't.. do that!” She stated, frustration showing clear as a day. Cillian shook his head in disbelief, not believing that his best friend was actually treating him like that. 

”Do what? Fuck?” He mocked out of anger, as he jumped out of the bed, picking up clothes from the floor as he started dressing up in a rush as the humiliation flooded his mind. ”You can lie to yourself, Y/n, but I've seen how you looked at me.” His tone was harsh, a feeling of betrayal blossoming in his heart. Buckling up his belt, he turned to face her. Taking a step closer, he leaned down being eye to eye with her. ”You wanted me as much as I wanted you, but sure. Blame the fucking alcohol and be the coward that you are right now. I'm out.” He spat out in anger, feeling foolish for believing that there was something special between them. Maybe she actually... loved him back. 

Before she managed to say anything back, he passed by her in the doorway without a word, leaving a path of the gorgeous scent of his cologne behind before she heard the front door slam shut. 

Fuck.

~~~ 

Y/n’s heart was beating like crazy, hammering against her chest as she kept jogging, her eyes looking everywhere to find the short man she used to call best friend before their argument.

After that morning, they didn’t try to contact each other again, and… she deserved it. She knew well why he remained silent and didn't contact her after the bad morning they spent together. Y/n had several days to think about everything, and it didn't take long to realise that.. she panicked. Sex with Cillian was the first time she ever “cheated” on her “husband” and first sex she had for many years. Pushing him away was a knee jerk reaction that she regretted as soon as she saw the betrayal and heartbreak in his beautiful eyes. 

But at this point, it was too late. At least that's what she thought, until she realised that… she wouldn’t be able to move on from him. Cillian was her home. 

After spending a week crying her eyes out and telling her husband that she’s divorcing, Y/n was determined. Determined to fix what she ruined with fear and panic, and let the love of her life know what she felt for him. 

The occurrences were still playing freshly in her mind, his words, her words… the look of pure sadness in his gorgeous eyes.

She was running miles when she finally spotted him, wearing the same coat he had on that night, he looked even smaller, his body all tense and closed because of the wind that was blowing around them.

“Cillian!” she screamed, running faster to catch up with him, her heartbeat now hammering in her ears “Cillian!” she repeated desperately, tears starting to cover her view, her head up and in his direction… distracting her from the street she was running on. 

A root was enough to make her stumble and fall down harshly on the ground, her hands trying to prevent any damage on her face, her heart was beating too fast and her state of panic didn’t allow her to realise that the man she was calling, stopped in his tracks and was now jogging towards her with a worried look.

“Fuck, Y/n! Are you alright?” he asked, reaching for her to check if there were any injuries, helping her carefully get up “Are you hurt? Do you feel pain anywhere?” he kept asking, his eyes studying her with worry. She just shook her head, hearing his voice, tears falling from her eyes as she moved closer, hugging him in desperation. More sobs and tears leaving her eyes.  

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry” she continue to repeat in a soft tone, kneeling slowly down to hug his legs devastated “I didn’t mean a single thing, Cillian—” she sobbed, not letting him speak “I fucking want you too!.. No I.. I want more than a fuck” Y/n looked quickly at him, tears covering her view again “I-I want more.. I love you” she continued, grabbing the fabric of his pants tighter “I can show you, I even left Brian for you” she added quickly, staring up at him from her kneeled position. He knew how difficult it was for her to end things with her now former husband, so it kind of made him smile.

”Y/n, get up.” He pleaded, grabbing her under her arms and pulling her onto her feet. Looking up and down again to make sure she wasn't injured from the fall. 

Sighing deeply he thought for a moment about her words, eyes widening at the realisation. “You mean it?” he whispered, staring down at her with his piercing blue eyes. 

The woman nodded softly, trying to not let her bottom lip tremble. “Yeah” she whispered, showing that she wasn’t actually wearing her wedding ring anymore.

A breathy laugh left Cillian’s mouth as he nodded, his hands holding her face softly to be able to kiss her. 

He kept gifting her with small pecks on her lips as they kept whispering soft promises to each other of the beginning of a relationship, the promises to give the other what their previous partner didn’t want to give them, the promises of a happy life and pure, cruel honesty every time.

Taglist:

@gabile18 , @mrsfullbuster500 , @rex-ray , @elizamalfoyy, @eovjjj @wife-of-magic-monkeys , @jeremiah-va1eska , @gothamchic16, @rabbiteggz , @dieg0brandos-wife , @rottenecstasy , @lazyexcuse , @teh-vampire-bunny , @lobotomy-lover , @slasher-smasher , @sleepycreativewriter , @mrkdvidal1989

[ladycaramelswirl]

I love you more

Ahhh it’s finally done! This is my first ever fic so it’s a little clunky, but I hope you like it💕

Summary: BAU reader and Aaron are married. What happens when she wakes up in a different past than the one she knows?

A/N: for the sake of the story Aaron and Haley get divorced some time in early S2. Reader joins in S3 and her and Aaron start dating during beginning S4. If anyone’s curious it’s a friends to lovers where he’s already in love with her before they start dating. I might write that too if anyone’s interested. sorry if there’s any typos 🙇‍♀️ (girl dad Aaron inspired by all the Ellie Hotchner writing by @ssahotchnerr)

Tags: fluff, domestic fluff, ANGST lol, no happy ending (TBD I may write a part 2), no use of Y/N. My love languages are physical touch and words of affirmation and it’s very evident here. Don’t come for me. SFW.

(Feel free to stop reading at the point where they fall asleep if you don’t want to read angst).

———————————————

Sunlight streams into the room, waking you up. You turn to the side to see Aaron already up, smiling. 

“Good morning, Mrs. Hotchner.”

You giggle. 

“Good morning, husband.”

His smile widens and he gives you a small kiss. It had been a little joke between you both on the day after your wedding, but it had stuck, becoming a part of your routine every morning. You both love it because it reminds each of you how happy you were on your wedding day, and how much you appreciate being in each others life. It’s been a year and a half since your wedding, and almost 4 years since you started dating. You move around each other seamlessly, every step of your morning routine in sync. You both brush your teeth and then he makes coffee while you make breakfast. Jack comes down the stairs and you all eat together. After breakfast, he will wash the dishes as you make sure Jack has everything for school. Today though, as you meet Aaron’s eyes over your coffee, you know he’s thinking of your last case, a family annihilator who targeted families as they ate together. You both had trouble sleeping after coming home last night, but as he squeezes your hand, you are profoundly grateful for the simple gift of being able to drink coffee in the morning with the love of your life. 

“I love you”, you whisper, not wanting to alert Jack to why you both look a little sad.

“I love you too”, he whispers back.

“I love you the most!”, Jack shouts and you both smile. The two of them argue about how each of you loves the other more as you finish breakfast. Aaron picks up Jack and you all end up in a big giggly hug. 

“How about we all agree that all of us love each other the most?”, he asks. Jack ponders for a moment.

“Okay”, he nods. “If you love me can I have ice cream?”

You burst into laughter as Aaron frowns, trying to hide his smile.

“Nice try buddy, but no ice cream before school.”

Jack pouts as you tell him to get his bag for school, but the ice cream is forgotten as you ask him some questions about his friends that he enthusiastically answers. He continues chattering on until he’s dropped off at school.

“Bye!”, he yells before running out of the car to meet his friends.

——

You give each other a quick kiss while still in the Quantico parking lot. You’ve both agreed to keep things professional at work, including a rule about no PDA in the office. But yesterday’s case must have rattled Aaron more than you thought because he grabs your hand in the elevator and squeezes three times. I love you. You squeeze three times back, which is how the elevator opens to you holding hands smiling as you look into each others eyes. You hear a squeal and both startle, dropping your hands, but not before Penelope takes a photo. 

“I am making this your new computer background! I have a criminally small number of photos with you two. You’re so professional all the time, you wouldn’t even know that you’re together”, she pouts.

“Penelope you took like a hundred photos at our wedding”, you laugh.

“And there are rules about workplace conduct”, Aaron reminds, which causes her to blush. Derek walks past you three to whisk Penelope away.

“Leave mom and dad alone”, he whispers loudly while grinning, clearly meaning to let you both hear the office nickname for you two. You roll your eyes at him and smile at Aaron before heading to your desk, greeting the others good morning. You barely have a chance to sit down before JJ calls you all into the conference room for a briefing on a new case. You grab your go bag and head to the jet. The local police department has called you late and the unsub’s already starting to devolve, making mistakes everywhere and leading you all to finding him within a couple of hours after landing. He gets shot while getting apprehended which means there’s no interrogation either. You all pile back onto the jet, the pilot letting you know that you’ll be back at Quantico in an hour. It feels wrong to go home on time. For all that death to be part of a regular 9 to 5 work day. Catching the unsub is supposed to mean a success, but it’s tense on the jet. You’re still reeling at the attitude of the local police department. They were insistent to do what they could to keep the BAU off the case and made it clear you had only invited because they were forced to by the mayor. You wonder if they had called sooner, that maybe some of the victims would still be alive. If he wouldn’t have killed his last victim when the police had ignored your profile and approached him with force instead of sympathy as you had recommended. You’re pretty sure everyone on the plane is thinking it too. You lift your arm into the air and gently nudge Aaron’s up too. Spencer catches your eye and his arm is also already halfway up, knowing exactly what’s coming.

“Last one with their hand in the air buys the first round tonight”, you say and immediately everyone’s hands shoot up except Rossi, who looks mildly annoyed.

“I would have bought a round for everyone anyway”, he shrugs.

Emily scoffs. “Grandpa’s a sore loser”, she says under her breath which causes you all to crack up. The air immediately feels lighter and everyone starts joking again, debating the fairness of your hands up game. You grab Garcia before leaving Quantico and all head to the bar down the street. Her bubbly chatter makes everyone laugh and you can’t help but feel pleased. The job was tough mentally, and you always tried to make sure the team was doing well. Satisfied that everyone was cheerful again, you decide to leave after the first round, but Aaron pulls you to the dance floor before you can even order, which gets you grins from other members of the team. You laugh as he spins you around.

“Damn Hotch got moves”, Derek shouts.

“If my wife looked like that I’d beg her to dance with me too”, Emily smirks.

You ignore their teasing, swaying in Aaron’s arms and enjoying the scent of him mixed with his cologne and laundry detergent. It smells like home. He kisses your forehead, finding comfort in the smell of your shampoo, and the soothing feeling of your body against his. 

“Everyone’s in a better mood because of you. Thank you for doing this”, he says into your hair.

You shrug. “Everyone needed this, including me. It’s not a big deal, I like it when everyone’s happy. It makes me happy.”

He gazes at you in rapture before leaning down to take your lips with his, kissing you breathless. You’re a little dazed when you both pull apart.

“What was that for Mr. Hotchner?”, you grin. 

You think you could get drunk on the way he looks at you.

“I don’t know what I’d do without you. I love you so much”, he says softly.

You feel a little prickle of tears. “I love you too. I don’t know what I’d do without you either, so you’re stuck with me forever”, you joke, causing him to smile.

“You promise?”

“I promise.”

He leaves a kiss on your neck and you breathe out a sigh.

“Want to get out of here?”

“Trying to take advantage of me Mrs. Hotchner?”, he teases.

“Yes”, you giggle.

“Thank God”, he grins, pulling you towards the door.

“We’re going home!”, you wave at everyone who waves back, giving you both knowing smirks.

“Use protection!”, Emily yells, which earns her an eye roll from you. 

You walk over to your car and Aaron puts an arm around your waist.

“A little late for that”, he smiles.

You nudge his shoulder. “Did you only dance with me so I wouldn’t have to explain why I couldn’t drink?”

He gives you a little smile. “I danced with you because you’re beautiful. The fact that you asked me to help you keep it a secret was a fun bonus”.

The second you had seen the pregnancy stick change colour, Aaron had covered you in kisses. You were both elated. But telling people you were pregnant meant you would have to sit out from field work for a while and you loved your job. Aaron had been against it at first, worried about your safety, but you had come to an agreement that you would stop when you were ready, as long as you promised to take it easy. So you were keeping it a secret. But you both wanted to tell people.

“I think we should tell them soon”, you say. “At the rate she’s growing, people are going to figure it out anyway”

Aaron looks at you excitedly. “Yeah?”

“Yeah”.

He interlaces his fingers with yours and you drive home with you hands in each others.

When you get home you thank Jessica for watching Jack. He’s excited that you’re both home early enough to tuck him into bed, but he’s tired and his eyes are fighting to stay open.

“Good night Jack, I love you”, you whisper, kissing his forehead.

“I love you mommy”, he mumbles.

Then he hugs your stomach.

“I love you, baby”, he says.

You and Aaron melt, trying not to tear up. You were worried when you had first found out about your pregnancy, not wanting Jack to feel left out, but he had been so excited at the thought of having a sibling. After finding out that the baby could hear him, he had been chatting to her all the time. He was going to be a great big brother.

“I love you too daddy”, he says.

Aaron chuckles. “Love you buddy. Time to sleep.”

Jack nods off and you both quietly tiptoe out of his room. 

You get into bed and Aaron immediately puts him arms around you, pulling you to him. 

“How come he says I love you to you and the baby before me?”, he teases, rubbing his hand on your back.

“I guess he loves us more”, you joke. Aaron moves around so his face is near your stomach. 

“Hey sweetheart, your mom and Jack are teaming up against me. I’ll give you anything you want so promise me you’ll say Dad first instead of Mom or Jack when you come out okay?”

You smack his arm lightly.

“Stop bribing our daughter. And she’s going to say Mom first, right honey?”

Aaron smiles into your pyjamas. “It’s okay. I understand. I love your mom the most too”.

You pull him back up and rest your head on his shoulder.

“I can’t wait to meet her”, you whisper.

“If she’s anything like you, she’s going to be perfect”, he says.

“I hope she’s like you”, you tell him sincerely. You’d be lucky if your daughter was anything like her father. “I love you”.

You lie in each others arms, the last words you hear before falling asleep are a murmur of ‘I love you more’.

————————————

You wake up to the smell of pancakes. You smile, remembering you had told Aaron in the car last night that you wanted to eat some. You try to blink the fatigue out of your eyes and move towards the door. You recall a dream about him from last night that comes to you in flashes. It’s fuzzy, and you’re sleepy, which is why you don’t notice anything wrong until you step out and see the kitchen. Not your kitchen. And not Aaron in it. A smiling face startles you awake.

“Emily?”

“You woke up! I made pancakes, come have some”.

You stare at her. “When did I get here?”

She laughs. “You’ve been living here for like 2 weeks.”

What? “Seriously, how did I get here?”.

Her smile fades at the confusion on your face.

“You don’t remember?”

You shake your head and her brows immediately furrow in concern.

“You told me you were cleared for a concussion”, she mutters, sounding a little angry.

“Concussion?”

She forces you to sit down, frantically turning off the stove and grabbing you both coats. “Ok, we’re going to the hospital. I can’t believe you lied to me.” 

Lied? What the hell was going on?

“What? How would I have a concussion? Why am I in your apartment? Where’s Aaron?”, you ask, slightly panicked at this point.

Your words make her go still. She stares at you for a moment, but before you can say anything else, she grabs her car keys and starts pushing you out the door. She promises to explain later and, despite your protests, manages to get you in the car. She sets up the GPS and starts driving.

“Okay how much do you remember?”, she asks worriedly.

“I remember we went for drinks last night after the case, then we went home and went to bed. Why am I in your apartment? Why would I have a concussion?”.

She grips the steering wheel a little tighter and speeds up. You grip your seatbelt.

“Oh my God, Emily slow down”, you yelp.

She ignores you and pulls into the hospital parking lot, dragging you towards the ER. She flashes her badge at a nurse.

“Emily Prentiss, FBI.” She gestures at you. “She’s an agent. She hit her head yesterday and now she’s having memory problems. I think she has a concussion.” 

The nurse nods and asks you both to wait a moment. She gives you a form to fill out and Emily takes it. You look at her, exasperated.

“What’s going on?”

She looks tired. “We didn’t go out for drinks yesterday. You hit your head taking down an unsub. You told me you were cleared by the EMT, and you’ve been staying at my apartment since…”, she looks pained. “… for about 2 weeks because you’ve been a little… reckless lately.”

“Reckless?” If anything you’ve been more careful because you’re scared you might hurt the baby. “I’m not reckless.”

Emily stares at you in disbelief.

“You walked into a dangerous situation without backup. Look, I know things have been hard with Hotch-“

“What?” Why would things be hard with Aaron? “Aaron knows I wouldn’t do anything unnecessarily”, you tell her. 

Her eyes cloud in sympathy and you stare back, confused. Ok, well Aaron would be upset if you had stormed in without backup. But he knew you were capable and even mad, would still respect your decision. Right? You’re about to start interrogating her for answers when a voice interrupts you.

“Emily?”

You look up and all the blood drains from your face. You’re thankful you’re sitting down because you’re certain you would have fallen over. Emily squeezes your hand before standing up and greeting the owner of the voice.

“Hi, Haley, what are you doing here?”

You try not to look like you were seeing a ghost. Standing in front of you was a woman that was supposed to be dead, except she was very much alive. And also staring at you. She gives you a wave. Your brain somehow sends a signal to your arm to do the same.

“I just finished a checkup. I’m about to leave”, she says.

The two chat a little before Haley is called away by a nurse. You stare at the back of her head until she disappears. 

“You okay?”, Emily asks quietly.

You don’t even know how to answer. You glance down at the form Emily had left on her seat and blanch at the numbers on the top.

“Emily, what day is it?”

She looks at you worried.

“Wednesday.”

“The date. The full date”, you croak.

“Wednesday, 16th December 2009.”

You grip the chair. No. It was 2012. 16th December 2012.

“What day do you think it is?”, she asks softly. 

 You close your eyes and take a deep breath. It’s a prank. Some kind of prank. But you open your eyes and Emily is still staring at you. And suddenly your dream from last night comes back to you. You in Aaron’s driveway picking up some pictures from his old house to use for a surprise. Seeing Foyet walk in with Haley and Jack. Sneaking into the house and waiting for Jack to leave and shooting Foyet. Haley screaming as his blood splattered all over her. You silent as you watch the life leave his eyes. Aaron running in, hugging Jack and consoling Haley as she cried. Them leaving together. Him being on leave to spend time with them and you giving him space. Him bumping into you at a coffee shop after not speaking to you for 3 weeks. You running into the building with a deranged unsub without backup a few hours later. You feel it all like you were there. Not a dream, but memories. Each one filling you with agony and dread. You feel sick. You need to see Aaron.

“I have to go”, you tell Emily. She protests, telling you you need to get checked out, but she can tell from the haunted look in your eyes that you remember everything now. She nods, helping you to catch a taxi. You’re on autopilot as you give the driver the address to Aaron’s old apartment. The ride is a blur and you barely remember being in the elevator or knocking his door. You’re in a haze until he opens the door. The immediate guilt in his eyes and the sinking feeling in your stomach is sickeningly real.

“I need to talk to you”, you say, your voice shaking. He stares at you before opening the door wider, letting you in. You move towards the sofa but neither of you sit. Silence stretches out between the two of you. You need to say something. You need him to tell you this isn’t real. But you don’t know how to behave, how to be around this version of him that isn’t your husband. What do you say to the man who doesn’t know he was the father of a child that doesn’t even exist? He runs a hand through his hair and looks down at his feet. You continue to stare at the empty space beside his head. Before you had moved into your house, there used to be a picture hanging there of you, him and Jack. Now it’s just a blank wall. He breaks the silence first.

“They’ve offered me retirement.”

Your Aaron hadn’t told you like this. He had told you he was coming back. You suppose there’s only one reason he would tell you.

“You’re going to take it.”

It’s supposed to be a question, but you know him too well.

“I have to. For them.”

Every moment of what was supposed to be the rest of your life dies before your eyes. You’ll never have your sleepy good mornings. Never hear him call you his wife, never get married. Never hear Jack calling you mom, never sit down and eat with your family. They weren’t your family anymore, you remember. They were Haley’s. You want to scream. At the universe? At him?

He just thinks he’s breaking up with his girlfriend, you tell yourself. That the Aaron in front of you has barely even been in love with you for a year. He doesn’t know that he has any memories of your life together to miss. But he must see the devastation in your face because you see the shame etched in his. You watch his heart breaking at the thought of hurting you. As he sheds a tear, you instinctively bring your hand to his cheek, wiping it away with your thumb. He rests his forehead on your shoulder and you move your hand to the back of his head.

“I don’t know what to do”, he says, his voice breaking.

You feel your own tears fall down your face, warm. He doesn’t see them.

“You do”, you whisper back.

You know. That he loves Haley, but he doesn’t want to hurt you. That he loves you, but he wants to be a good father more. That their marriage had really only ended because of his job. You also know that you refuse to be with him if he’s in love with someone else. That you won’t be the reason Jack can’t have both his parents happily married under one roof. That Aaron deserves happiness with the love of his life, even if it’s not you. So you take a step towards him and allow yourself the comfort of being held by him one last time. You bury your face into his neck, and breathe him in. The feeling of his arms wrapped around you, and his smell, the two things that were once your greatest solace would now be the two things you would always wish you could forget. You want to stay here forever, to pretend that this was still the Aaron who loved you. But you put your hands on his chest, pushing your face away from the crook of his neck to look at him. You wonder if he remembers your life together - the future you would have had. If he knows there is a girl neither of you will ever meet. But he doesn’t look at you the way he used to. You feel, with a mournful certainty, that those memories are yours to die with. He presses his lips together, trying to blink his tears away. They fall anyway. You smile at the man who isn’t yours anymore.

“You love her”.

His whole body hurts at the certainty in your tone. Its agonising finality.

“I’m sorry”, he murmurs. You wonder what it means that you hope he doesn’t blame himself for your heart breaking. To you it just feels like pain.

“I know”. 

Your lips touch his in a farewell, the ghosts of a thousand kisses never to be dying between them. The words exchanged between two lovers from a lifetime ago feel heavy on your tongue. He would never hear you say them and you would never hear it back.

I love you.

“Goodbye, Aaron”.

——————

fin.

thank you for reading :)

masterlist

[yooglefics]

The casual type: 05 . The art of paying attention

Pairing: Min Yoongi x fem!reader Wordcount: 3,354 words Genre ( for the whole series ): AU. College!verse. Strangers to friends with benefits to ???. Eventual smut. Hurt / comfort at times. Fluff for cute friends. Summary:  ( Series ) • Hobi and his girlfriend set you up with a friend of hers to help with whatever happened months back. However, no one really expected things to end the way they did. ( Ep. 05 ) • Sometime the little details mean more than people think. More info under read more.

Includes ( this chapter ): The squad<3. Subin my love. And other new characters. A kind of out of nowhere jump in time ( just a few weeks ) because the writing just flowed like that, I don't know what to tell you. A mini-drama ( this is the spoiler I posted on ko-fi the other week ) and a bigger drama.  Author's note: so… I'm sorry this took so long to be updated Y_Y As you may know, inspiration hasn't been too good these days, but after some lovely comments and knowing people are interested in this story, I finally finished this chapter, so thank you! Also, let me know if you figured out what the drama was before the end, or if you had a theory about it, etc. Hopefully you like this one, and remember to leave a comment, reblog, send an ask, follow or what not, to help my motivation. Thank you for reading <3

“Kang Subin, queer and honorable member of the divorced parents club.” Is how your roommate introduces herself friday night, pointing to the latter as the reason she is only now, a month after classes started, arriving to campus and the city in general. 

She says her dad insisted on doing a year abroad as he did, assisting to his Alma Mater and hopefully fall in love with the city to move full time with him. And she did love it… a little too much. She admits the change of scenery was liberating, she could be a totally different Subin from the one in Seoul, and sadly that meant neglecting her notes and putting at risk her art history degree.

You're glad to note she will be joining you ( and some of your friends on occasion ) for classes, since she managed to keep her notes high enough to not lose her first semester. And then you spend the weekend getting to know each other, practically becoming friends overnight. Subin says it must be a you thing, and shaking your head no, you confess essentially begging the administration for a roommate because you're stuck with silly boys and all girls hate you because you aren't cool like them. She laughs, asks if that means the plan is making everyone hate her too and be stuck with you. And you freak out a little, but her laugh keeps flowing across the dormroom and you know she is joking; you know that things would be fine.

Monday arrives and between classes, you continue to give Subin small tours of the campus, mostly the art building and where all the vending machines are. 

“There's more than I thought, could you make me a map?” She jokingly asks.

“I'll ask Jungkook for the one we made last semester,” you know he has it because it was offered to Yoongi before.

“Hey, y/n!” calls Taehyung, appearing at the other end of the hall with Yoongi, and when he asks “you got some gum?”, you know they were just on a smoke break.

“Oh, hi, Tae. Nice to see you.” Sarcastic tone all over it, “are you having a nice morning?”

He rolls his eyes and Yoongi laughs at his side.

“Sorry, I'm actually not. And I'm running late,” still you give him a look and as a little kid he repends. “Hi, you guys look pretty today, as alway.” He adds before you can argue anything, and only then Subin chuckles, understanding this must be part of your dynamic. “Do you happen to have some gum for us, your lovely friends?”

“Yes, actually.” Taking one strap off, you move your backpack to your front, looking for the little package they keep stealing from. “Here,” you hand one wrapper to Tae, who starts running in the other direction immediately, screaming how much he loves you. And a “nice to meet you!” to Subin.

Everyone laughs, Yoongi turning back in your direction after Taehyung disappears down the hallway.

“You want one?” You ask and before being able to stop yourself, you add, “Is cherry, though” 

“Of course it is,” he smiles and you look away, pretending it's only to search for another one to offer Subin. Memories of friday’s night invading your psyche and shyness your whole body. 

Well, that's your own fault.

“Thank you,” she says, looking at the two of you while unwrapping it. “I'm Subin, by the way, the new roommate.” 

“Oh, she actually found one!”

“Just hoping she doesn't abandon me too,” you pout and Subin wraps one arm around yours.

“Never.”

“Yoongi,” He introduces, thumb pointing to himself and then behind, “And that was Taehyung, but I guess you'd meet the whole squad later.”

“Ah, yeah. I've been told she collects cute guys.”

“Did someone actually say that?” Yoongi asks when you're not even surprised.

“Yeah and when I asked about girls she looked relieved,” subin goes on, “I actually wanted to know, you know.”

Yoongi and you laugh, “someone doesn't like competition,” both say in unison.

“I told you, they lied.”

“Well, I can't really say that yet. I've to look first,” Subin insists, walking through the cafeteria's door. And it doesn't bother you because it comes from a place of curiosity and not horniness. No shame to anyone, your friends are hot, but you've known them for so long and know they have other great attributes that sometimes it feels superficial and it bothers you.

Besides, as a friend, you need to keep their egos just high enough to be healthy for everyone involved.

“Listen, kids,” calling for the table's attention, you stand in front of them, “this is Subin, my—”

“New roommate?” Asks Jungkook, remembering the text you sent, and you nod excitedly.

“That's Jungkook, he is in music and sports.”

“Which ones?”

“All. Some. We don't have time for that,” you joke, but only continue with the rest of his introduction after the youngest clarifies is soccer and box this year. “Oh, he also takes an art class with Taehyung and I, and now you, this semester. You know Tae from earlier, the one who keeps stealing my gum.”

“You're the one that tells me to not show up to class with cigarette breath!” He pushes back against accusations.

“I think she wants you to buy your own,” Jimin suggests.

“Or quit,” adds Hobi and the table laughs even more.

“That’s Hobi, the group's mom.” Tae offers after.

“Does that make Mai the dad?” Jungkook asks, with a serious expression on his face.

“I'm telling her so,” Yoongi says, already phone in hand and texting his best friend.

“You'll have to meet Mai later, she is great,” you continue, “but Tae is in arts. And Hobi and Jimin, are both dancers,” index finger pointing at their direction as you say each name, “and well, you already know that's Yoongi, he is in music too.”

“And the last new guy, right?” Subin remembers from your talk earlier after she met him for the first time, “I guess I took your title.”

“Are we enemies now?” He jokes, “I was about to offer you my chair, but now I don't know.”

Again, laughs all around and before anyone can think about the sitting arrangement too seriously, Jungkook is standing up, saying he needs to go back to the house before his next class.

“Oh, you are the biker from friday!” Subin exclaims as Jungkook’s helmet comes into view, everyone turning to look at her, “can't believe I forgot to ask you.”

And then five pairs of eyes are on you, all but Yoongi's, since he doesn't need an explanation. 

“...What?” Asks Tae, finally.

“Had to call her to my rescue because I lost my key and from the hallway's window I saw someone drop her off on a motorcycle,” she explains, “that's when the girl told me about you collecting cute guys.”

“But that wasn't me,” says Jungkook.

“Yeah, you weren't with us that night. We were all at the house, so who was it?” Ask Jimin, and the curiosity in his voice makes you nervous. You have never lied to them, and starting right now without preparation is terrifying.

However nothing compares to the feeling on your stomach when Yoongi answers, “it was me, actually.” And without a beat, your friends are looking at him now, “What?”

“You what now?” Mister interrogation Tae goes on, “Why were you together? What time was it? Was it late?”

“You were alone? Why?” Asks Hobi.

“We can't hang out now?” You ask back, wasn't he who set you up in the first place? And yes, it didn't turn out the way they planned it, but wasn't the whole premise to get to know Yoongi?

“Not what I meant,” he corrects, “Just… you didn't say anything.”

“Well, you guys canceled, what were we supposed to do? Not do anything just because you weren't with us?” Yoongi answers before you. 

“And we just hang out, you know, eat junk food and chat. Nothing to write home about.”

“Aww,” coos Jungkook, sliding his arm over your shoulders, “does that mean you missed us? You really love us, uh?” you pull back, sticking your tongue at him and pushing him towards the exit, telling him to hurry because if he is late to class you aren't covering for him again.

Thankfully, that's enough to get them off your back and Subin’s arrival provides better entertainment through the lunch hour, as your friends don't hold back on their questions to get to know her. And you're glad they seem to like her as much as you do.

“So… should I've not mentioned the bike thing?” worries Subin later, when everyone has left and is only her and Yoongi at the table.

“Don't worry about it.” He reassures her, offering a tangerine slice when she doesn't return the smile. “Seriously.” 

Is not her fault, he thinks. He can't blame the guys either for wondering and going into big brother mode as soon as they hear you're hanging out with someone, since the prevalence of that is not the best right now. And although he does feels bad about keeping things a secret from them, mostly Hoseok, who Yoongi himself give the “you better be careful with what you do with my best friend” talk, it consoles him a bit to know that the both of you are on the same page with what you have. 

Maybe if they knew it wouldn't be a big deal, he thinks. Better him than anyone else, right?

Putting away your phone and with the excuse of going to the bathroom before class, Subin and Tae follow their journey to the second floor without you and without suspecting anything. As you walk in front of one of the classrooms, a hand wraps around your forearm and pulls you in.

“What th—!” scream is interrupted when you recognize Yoongi. “You almost gave me a heart attack! I could've punched you.” And with adrenaline still running through your body, you actually push his shoulder with less force than you first intended.

“Ouch.” He rubs the place you hit, dramatically, as he explains, “Sorry, I panicked. There were people around and I didn't want to scream your name”

“Yeah, we should be careful after what happened at the cafeteria. Good save, by the way.”

“You own me,” he quickly returns.

“I do not,” you deny, crossing your arms, “You were the one insisting on going into the parking lot, I told you to leave me at the gate.”

“Well, forgive me for being a gentleman.”

You laugh, “and modest.”

Yoongi smiles, relaxing his body against the wall beside the door, “are you telling Subin about us?” he asks before you can question him about why he asked to meet.

Uncrossing your arms, you fiddle with your nails instead, scratching the acrylic paint off of them. “What is your opinion on that?”

“You can't answer a question with a question, miss.”

“Well… I don't know.” Is your final answer after a few seconds of silence. “She is cool and I really think we’re going to be friends and maybe I can gossip to her about you.”

He chuckles at that.

“And also she said sorry and asked if it was supposed to be a secret.”

“Really?” Yoongi sounds surprised, “She asked me that too earlier and I told her to not worry.”

“I feel bad about it because it seems like she is actually worried she messed up,” you share, “maybe I should just come clean. Only to her, at least. But of course not, if you don't want to.”

“No, it's okay. I think is good you have someone to talk to. And she seems nice.”

You nod in agreement, relieved you don't have to start hiding things from Subin as soon as you two met.

“Also,” Yoongi goes on, holding your hips and bringing you closer to him. You allow him to without much thinking. “It was nothing to write home about?”

“What?” 

“Friday night, you said that earlier.” 

“Did your ego get hurt?” You tease.

“No. But I didn't know you were a liar.” he throws back and you laugh. “I'm going to call you Pinocchio now.”

At that, you gasp, “stop giving me nicknames!”

And your attempt to pull away is just that, an attempt, because between laughs he holds you closer. “But is funny. And all of them are true.”

“They aren't.”

“Are so.”

“I don't like you.”

“That's not what I got from friday.”

“Yoongiii—.” you gasp again, his laugh louder this time.

Wanting a clarification stops him from dumping his phone back into the duffle bag and so, throwing the strap over his shoulder, he makes his way over to Chris and other teammates. 

“Are you ready to go?” His roommate asks, and Yoongi nods, “good, I'm just waiting for Ha-ri.” 

“Hey!” As they turn around, it is not difficult to recognize her as one of the cheerleaders since she is carrying her pom-poms and all, but is only as they continue talking that Yoongi realizes who she is, “sorry, I was saying goodbye to the girls and planning for next practice.” 

“Don't worry, babe.” 

“You must be Yoongi, hi,” she waves her free hand enthusiastically enough the pendant on her bracelet makes a jiggly sound, catching his attention “welcome to the university. And the team. Go, Bears!”

She seems nice, Yoongi thinks, “Go, bears!” first in the air, he chuckles in response before they all make their way to the parking lot and to Chris’s car.

The drive home is short and filled with questions about his last school and the reason he transferred, which Yoongi manages to give simple and vague answers that satisfy Ha-ri’s curiosity. It definitely helps that he has been questioned about it more than once the last few weeks, giving him more than one chance to practice before today.

The more weeks pass, the less people ask. And soon the mystery of his arrival is pushed to the side as people decide to talk about his accomplishments in the basketball games.

Every now and then someone recognizes him as an ex Tiger's player, and asks why he changed teams, but before anything can get to deep, a “well, now you are on the right team,” or something alike is thrown his way and he couldn't be more glad for the rivalry between the universities.

For what is worth, the change has proven to have been a good decision. Of course he is nostalgic for the past and he misses hanging out with Mai more often, but he has friends, basketball and music. He has even been planning to perform at school events with Jungkook as he did with Jay back then. 

It feels like he is starting to build a new life, and it wasn't as difficult as his brain told him it could be.

With chuseok around the corner the university starts to plan the events for the weekend and some professors feel generous enough to give extra credits for participation. Others just used it as an excuse to make the assignments related to it, that's his and Jungkook’s case.

Yours is the first one, because getting a good grade for hanging out with your friends sounds too good to pass out. That's why for the last few days you have been following them around taking pictures and notes, preparing your article about their performance Saturday night. 

“Are you done?” Yoongi asks from his spot at the end of the bed when you take the headphones off, the ones he made you wear so he wouldn't have to listen to himself on the interview recording.

“Yep. I only need Kook's side and I'm done,” end of the sentence elongates a bit, arms in the air as you stretch your back.

“How long for him to be here? I need him to go over something before he eats and gets a food coma.”

“I'm glad you're already prepared for that,” you giggle, “Because he is not even seeing my texts.”

“He is still busy?”

“Yeah, kissing someone for sure. Does he think I don't have things to do too?” 

“Like making out with someone too?” he jokes, putting his guitar down on the bed, deciding to take a break too.

“Why? Are you jealous?” you tease, trying not to laugh and is surprising when you're met with a serious expression as you spin around on his desk chair.

 “I thought the rule was to tell if there were other people.”

“I'm just kidding,”

“Wow, a comedian.” he rolls his eyes, and you know he is only pretending to be annoyed.

So, you push. “I'm funnier than you, don't get mad.”

“Cocky.” 

“What, you don't find confidence attractive?”

“Oh, I find a lot of things about you attractive.” 

Touche; you think as a smirk appears proudly on his face and makes you turn around, shy reaction at the security of this voice.

And he laughs. Of course.

“Shut up, Yoongi.”

“If you want to kiss me, just do it,” he only has to stretch a bit to pull on the chair, making you turn to him again and bringing you close.

And you do kiss him.

Not only to erase his stupid and attractive gummy smile, but also because you've missed it.

With projects and exams, with Yoongi not only being in a different major but also in his third year, hanging out only the two of you hasn't happened as much. 

You don't mind. You understand that is not a priority and there is something relaxing about it being an unspoken agreement, something that you truthly appreciate. 

But you would be lying if you said that you didn't miss Yoongi's lips against yours and the way his hand cups your cheek, still gentle as he tries to lead the kiss. 

Looking for closeness, your hand finds balance on his tight, making you contemplate ditching the comfiness of the desk chair for a sit on his lap.

“Is pizza night, baby!” breaks through the house before you can make another move, making you jump and pull away on instinct. Moving out of Yoongi's reach, even hitting the desk with the back of the chair as you stand up in record time.

“Careful,” he murmurs and you don't understand why he isn't freaking out. Even dears to chuckle.

“Min, come out!” another voice calls out.

“That's not Jungkook,” you say as a matter of fact, your brain still in shock.

“I'm starting to think he stood us up.” He stands up, looking at his phone still without texts from the younger guy, “Wanna meet my roommates? They have pizza, apparently.”

And your empty stomach makes the executive decision to hide your shame, and disappointment, in exchange for some food.

You're introduced to Jin first, who introduces Namjoon while taking the knife out of his hand with a “let hyung do it.”

“I swear he never lets me hold a knife for more than five seconds,” he says and you find it adorable, but Namjoon seems genuinely confused and maybe a bit hurt by it. 

You wonder what more there's to that. But before you can ask anything, a third roommate comes out of the kitchen, “Is for your own good and the wellbeing of everyone involved,” he says, making your whole body tense as the familiar voice rings through your ears.

“That's Chris.” Jin says, and you almost answer that you know, but for a second it is even hard to breathe.

Nevertheless, you don't need to say anything, because your silence is everything Yoongi needed to confirm that an introduction isn't necessary and in fact, you'd probably rather forget about him. 

Because is him.

The guy who hurt you.

A/N: I missed writing this! again thank you to anyone who has show interest one way or another, you're the reason this chapter was actually finished uwu♡. A/N 2: I'm working on the intros for the characters that aren't part of the squad, and sometimes I ask for your help with fc's suggestions or names, so... that's something to know if you're interested. Send a tip on ko-fi and get some rewards!!

♡ Tag list: @n33mesis , @mggv97 , @wobblewobble822 , @bbou-doir , @m00njinnie , @nariee02 , @sexytholland , @itsmina29 , @ktownshizzle , @take-u-2-an0ther-w0r1d , @kimtaehussy .

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[cardentist]

I'm like, 70% sure this is only an issue with the gravity falls fandom on twitter, but if I don't say something I think I'm gonna explode

there Doesn't Need to be a bad guy between fiddleford, emma-may, and ford ! we can recognize one character causing harm to another, both directly and indirectly, Without framing it like it's intentional or that it makes any of them inherently bad.

in particular, I think there's been pushback against people vilifying ford (both in general and as angst material for other characters) by just. shifting that blame over to another character instead and running with it.

so to get this out of my system:

Yes I agree that fiddleford and ford have a lot of queercoding between each other. I think it's always been there to an extent, but it's absolutely been reinforced with the book of bill and "thisisnotawebsite."

and even if you choose to read their relationship as platonic (which is fine ! a lot of people like to read ford as aroace, for instance), it's very clear that fiddleford's relationship with ford heavily put a strain on his relationship with his family and ultimately lead to his and emma-may's divorce.

and there's nothing wrong with exploring that! exploring how it hurt emma-may and tate, exploring how it's another facet of fiddleford ruining his own life without even thinking about it, exploring the complicated feelings that were happening in that cabin. and I don't even think there's anything wrong with joking about fiddleford being a cheater or ford and emma-may being rivals.

but it Really grinds my gears when people frame fiddleford as being inherently in the wrong for taking the job with ford, as if he was intentionally hurting his family or that he Genuinely went there to cheat.

1: one of the first things we're told about fiddleford in journal 3 is that he was raised dirt poor and wanted to climb the latter in the scientific community to give his family a better life than HE had.

and that's Exactly why he took the job in gravity falls ! it was someone he trusted as his good friend AND someone he trusted academically. the whole idea is that this was supposed to be a temporary job that would Both help a dear friend of his And open up opportunities for his future.

and like, this aspect of his character isn't insignificant. he is Very Much So an archetype of a poor person, and has been since his inception. it's part of what Makes him a match for ford, he's an intellectual match yes but he's also an Outcast that wants more out of life than what he has. this aspect isn't Malicious by any means, but it equally lead them to hurt people they cared about.

Yes he left emma-may and his young son, but it was Never supposed to be forever. he left FOR them, which is half of what makes what happened so tragic in the first place. in many ways, he hurt them Because he cared about them.

and Yes, I do love a queer reading of these characters (and I'll get to that), but it's Very clear in the source material that fiddleford Does care about his family. a big part of his falling out with ford in the first place was because Fiddleford thought they both needed to leave gravity falls to raise their own families, and it's something that fiddleford brings up earlier on in their stay together as well.

that doesn't excuse how he'd mistreat emma-may at all. she was absolutely in her right to divorce him (which I thought even before the book of bill dropped). but I feel like we're letting the subtext overtake the TEXT while examining these characters and their dynamic.

2: lets assume that fiddleford IS a closeted gay man (or bisexual, or that he and emma may are in a lavender relationship, or-), as I so often like to do.

while exploring the pain that could cause emma-may and tate is Very Interesting and fun, I think we're ignoring the systemic homophobia in the room.

fiddleford was born in the 1960s to a religious poor rural southern family, and emma-may and fiddleford's relationship happened in the 1980s.

I Do think fiddleford is definitely progressive for his time (and just overall a very chill dude), but his upbringing Also very clearly had an affect on him. if it's possible for a man who believes the world is a simulation to also believe in jesus then fiddleford's the one to have done it.

and this is implied directly in the text mind, whether fiddleford is still actively religious or not he gets on ford for doing things like taking the lord's name in vein. not something that someone who Wasn't affected by a religious upbringing would do.

there's also the textual (rather extreme) anxiety, and the Implied ocd (the hair pulling, the cubix cube, the moral fixation, etc).

with all that said !

YES it would be extremely painful for emma-may to be in love with a gay man who had a crush on someone else, whether fiddleford was aware of or even acted on those feelings or not.

but I do hope we can all understand why it's Not Great to frame fiddleford as being inherently in the wrong for this right? for either not realizing his feelings at all or deliberately repressing them in the wake of Probable religious trauma and Definite safety issues in the society he lived in? Yeah?

no we should not treat emma-may like she's "getting in the way" of our beautiful yaoi, but ignoring systemic homophobia to vilify a queer man being afraid of appearing as anything but straight in the 1980s is. um. Bad.

the thing that's Most interesting about this whole situation is that it's a tragedy through and through. you can't inherently blame Any of them for what happened, and trying to do so loses what actually makes the situation so complex and painful.

because fiddleford clearly DID care about them, ALL of them, very dearly. and he obviously wanted to do the right thing. and yet he hurt them all, and yet his entire life and mind fell apart to ash in his fingers.

it's Crazy, and it absolutely does a disservice to the situation to frame it as fiddleford just being a slutty lying cheater (or ford Ruining a perfectly good man by being abusive, or emma-may getting in the way of our old man yaoi).

except bill, we can vilify bill. I think he'd like that

[earthtoharlow]

From the Dining Table

chapter 02

previous chapter

Maya sat at her desk in class, mindlessly scrolling through her phone as she waited for class to start when a text from her best friend popped up.

“You didn’t tell me that your mom dated JACK HARLOW?!”

She stared at the screen, confused, thinking it had to be a joke. Her mom had never mentioned anything like that. Maya quickly texted back;

“What are you talking about????”

Her friend responded immediately, sending a link along with a string of shocked emojis. Maya hesitated, her heart racing, before clicking on the link.

“Scarlett Hayes Spotted at Jack Harlow’s Concert: Former Lovers Reunite After 20 Years”

The headline was followed by pictures of her mom at the concert, and old photos of her and Jack together from years ago. Her stomach dropped.

Frantically, she started googling more. Article after article talked about her mom’s past relationship with Jack Harlow, with pictures she had never seen before — her mom smiling, holding his hand, standing close to him on red carpets.

She couldn’t believe it. The world was going crazy over this. And she had no idea it had ever happened.

Maya’s fingers tightened around her phone, her mind racing. Why didn’t her mom ever tell her about this? Why did she have to find out from the internet like everyone else?

She spent the rest of the school day thinking about what she read about her mother and her favorite artist in the world.

Since it was her week to stay with her dad, when he picked her up after school, Maya was unusually quiet, staring out the window. He glanced over a few times, sensing something was off but waiting for her to speak.

As they pulled into the driveway, she finally blurted out, “I’m really mad at Mom.”

Her dad frowned, cutting the engine. “What happened?”

She took a deep breath, trying to collect her thoughts, but the frustration bubbled over. “I found out that she used to date Jack Harlow?! And she never told me. I had to find out from some stupid article online!”

Her dad’s expression softened as he realized what she was talking about. He leaned back in his seat, letting out a slow breath. “Ah…”

“I mean, how could she keep that from me?” Maya continued, her voice rising. “All this time, I’ve been a fan of his, and she didn’t say a word! I had no idea, and now everyone knows! All my friends are sending me messages like I should have known!”

Her dad nodded, his face sympathetic. “I understand why you’re upset. It’s a big thing to find out like that.”

The daughter looked at him, her eyes filled with hurt. “Did you know?”

He hesitated for a moment before nodding slowly. “Yeah, I knew. It was before you were born, before we even met. Your mom’s always been private about her past relationships.”

“But why didn’t she tell me? It feels like she’s been hiding this huge part of her life from me,” Maya said, her voice cracking.

“I can’t speak for your mom,” he said gently, “but I don’t think she was trying to keep secrets to hurt you. Maybe she just didn’t know how to bring it up, or didn’t think it was something you needed to know. But I get it, you have every right to feel upset.”

Maya looked down at her hands, still angry but also conflicted. “I just… I don’t know what to say to her.”

Her dad gave her a reassuring look. “Take some time to process it. And when you’re ready, you can talk to her. She’ll explain everything.”

She sighed, leaning back in the seat. “I don’t even know if I want to talk to her right now.”

The daughter sat in silence for a moment before she looked at her dad, her brow furrowed with uncertainty.

“One of the articles said that Jack was the reason you guys got divorced because she could never get over him. Is that true?”

Her dad shook his head gently, giving her another sad smile. “No, sweetheart, he wasn’t the reason.” He took a deep breath, trying to explain without overwhelming her. “Your mom and I… we realized we were better as friends. It wasn’t anyone else. It was just something we figured out over time, and we both wished we’d realized it sooner.”

He paused, glancing over at her, seeing the mixture of confusion and pain in her eyes. “But that doesn’t mean we didn’t care about each other. We still love each other, just in a different way now. And no matter what, our marriage brought us you. You’re the best thing that ever came out of it.”

She looked down, biting her lip. “So, you guys were never… unhappy because of him?”

Her dad shook his head again. “No, our marriage ended because we grew apart. Nothing more than that. Your mom’s past with Jack has nothing to do with what happened between us.”

Maya nodded, her emotions still a whirlwind but feeling some of the weight lift off her shoulders. “I just don’t understand why she kept it from me,” she whispered.

“I know,” her dad said softly. “But I think she’s probably been carrying this for a long time, not knowing how or when to tell you.”

Maya sighed, leaning her head against the window, still trying to make sense of everything. “I guess.”

“Maya knows.”

Scarlett sat in her publicist’s office, her heart sank, and her stomach twisted in knots as she read her ex husband’s text. She had hoped she could explain things to Maya on her own terms, but now the timing was completely out of her control.

“They’re going to release the photos any minute now,” the publicist said, looking up at her. “You being at Jack’s concert… it’s already blowing up online. We need to get ahead of the story, make a statement, or at least spin this in a way that—”

Scarlett cut her off, her voice sharp with frustration. “He’s ruining my life again. Twenty years later, and somehow, he’s still a problem. I can’t believe this.”

Her publicist sighed, trying to remain calm. “We need to act fast. The press is going to eat this up, and if we don’t address it—”

“I said I’ll handle it,” she snapped, standing up abruptly. Scarlett couldn’t believe she was in this position again, with the past she had tried so hard to bury now being dragged out for everyone to see.

Her publicist frowned. “How are you going to—”

“I’m going to fix it. Don’t worry about it,” Scarlett said firmly, already grabbing her coat and bag. “He’s still in town. I know he still has a place here in Atlanta.” Her eyes were blazing with determination as she headed for the door.

“Wait, what are you—” her publicist began, but she was already out the door, leaving her with no choice but to watch Scarlett go.

The drive to Jack’s place felt like it took hours, though it was only across the city. She hadn’t been to his home in years, but she still knew the way like the back of her hand. Pulling up in front of the familiar house, she sat in the car for a moment, trying to gather her thoughts. This wasn’t how she wanted to deal with this, but she couldn’t let him destroy her peace again.

Scarlett got out of the car, her heart racing, and walked up to the front door. Without hesitation, she knocked, the sound echoing through the quiet neighborhood.

For a moment, there was nothing, just silence. But then, the door opened, and there he was—Jack, looking just as surprised as she felt furious.

The door barely opened before Scarlett shoved past him, storming inside without so much as a glance in his direction. Jack staggered back, shocked by her bold entrance, but before he could say anything, she came to a halt.

Two girls were sitting on the couch, wearing barely anything. They looked up in surprise, caught off guard by the actress standing in the middle of the room with an icy glare. Scarlett crossed her arms, her expression hard as steel. “I suggest you both leave. Now.”

The girls exchanged nervous glances, knowing exactly who she was and not daring to argue. Without a word, they gathered their things and hurried out of the house, leaving an awkward silence in their wake.

As soon as the door shut behind them, Jack turned to her, his frustration clear. “You can’t just walk into my house and kick my guests out like that!”

Scarlett whipped around to face him, her eyes blazing. “Well, I just did,” she snapped, stepping closer. “And I’m not here to deal with whatever… situation that was.”

Jack shook his head, still trying to process what had just happened. “What the hell do you want, anyway?”

“Have you seen the news?” she asked, her voice sharp. “Or are you too busy with your little party to notice how your concert has blown up every tabloid?”

He looked confused for a moment before realization dawned. “What are you talking about?”

She threw her hands up in frustration. “You’re ruining my life again! Just like you did twenty years ago! I can’t believe I let my daughter talk me into going to your stupid concert, and now the whole world knows! The headlines are everywhere, and I’m not dealing with another scandal because of you.”

Jack stared at her, his expression shifting from confusion to irritation. “You can’t be serious.”

“Oh, I’m very serious,” Scarlett said, her voice trembling with anger. “I’ve worked my whole life to put that mess behind me, and now, because of one stupid concert, everyone’s dredging up the past. I don’t owe you anything, but I’m telling you—this is the last time you mess with my life.”

He stepped closer, his voice low but firm. “You think I did this on purpose? You were the one who came to my concert, and now you want to blame me?”

She scoffed. “I didn’t come for you. I came for my daughter, who’s obsessed with you, by the way, and now she knows that we used to be together. And I have to deal with the fallout!”

Jack crossed his arms, his jaw clenched. “That’s not on me.”

“Oh, really?” Scarlett shot back, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “Because it sure feels like you’ve been a problem in my life since the day we met.”

Jack clenched his jaw, forcing himself to stay calm, but Scarlett’s words stung. He could feel the familiar tightness in his chest, the kind he hadn’t felt since they’d broken up all those years ago. But he wasn’t going to let her get to him this time.

“It’s not my fault you tried to cover up something that can be easily looked up,” Jack shot back, his voice low but steady. “You’re mad at me for what? For living my life? You knew this would come out eventually. Maybe you should’ve been honest with Maya in the first place.”

Scarlett’s face flushed with anger, and she took a step toward him, her hands balling into fists at her sides. “Honest?” she spat. “You don’t get to lecture me about honesty, Jack. Not when you left me with no explanation, no reason—nothing. And now you’re going to tell me how I should live my life?”

Jack didn’t flinch, though her words cut deep. “You wanted to move on, and you did. So did I. But that’s not on me if your daughter didn’t know. If she was gonna find out, it was always gonna happen.”

“You think I don’t know that?” she shot back, her voice rising with each word. “But now she’s hurt and confused, and the whole world is watching, making assumptions! I don’t need this in my life. I don’t need you in my life.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Then why are you here?”

“Because you need to fix this,” Scarlett demanded, her voice sharp. “I don’t care how, but you need to figure out a way to make this go away. I’ve got enough to deal with, and I’m not going to let you screw everything up again.”

Jack scoffed, folding his arms across his chest. “You think I can just make the headlines disappear? That’s not how this works. You walked into my concert—you knew what that could mean.”

“I didn’t expect the world to lose its mind over it!” she shot back. “Fix it, Jack. Or at least stay out of my way while I do.” She stared at him, her chest rising and falling with frustration, before turning toward the door. “I’m not going to let you ruin my life again.”

Jack watched her leave, feeling the weight of her words hang in the air. As the door slammed behind her, he stood there, feeling the sting of the past and the mess they were both tangled in once again.

Scarlett got back into the car, slamming the door harder than she meant to. Her hands gripped the steering wheel as she tried to steady her breath, but the frustration and anger boiling inside her were too much to contain. The words they had exchanged echoed in her mind, hitting her harder now that she was alone.

She inhaled sharply, willing herself to calm down, but instead, a sob broke through her clenched jaw. She quickly covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes stinging with the tears she was desperately trying to hold back. Her whole body trembled with the mix of rage and sadness, and she leaned her head back against the seat, closing her eyes tightly as if that could stop the flood of emotions.

Why does he still get to me like this? Scarlett thought, her chest heaving. The weight of everything felt suffocating—the media storm, Maya finding out the truth, and Jack standing there, as if he hadn’t left her broken all those years ago. She felt the tears spill over, and for a moment, she was thankful for the tinted windows, knowing he couldn’t see her like this.

After what felt like an eternity, she finally wiped her eyes, taking deep breaths as she tried to pull herself together. She stared out the windshield, her face still damp, and forced herself to focus on what mattered now. Maya. She needed to explain things, to make things right with her.

With shaky hands, she started the engine and pulled out of the driveway, not glancing back at Jack’s house. As she drove, she tried to gather her thoughts, mentally preparing herself for the conversation with her daughter. It wasn’t going to be easy, but it was time. She owed Maya the truth.

Before long, she found herself pulling up to her ex-husband’s house. Her stomach knotted with anxiety as she parked the car and sat there for a moment, trying to prepare herself for what was to come. After a deep breath, she got out, determined to fix things with Maya, no matter how painful the conversation would be.

She stood at Robert’s door, her fingers anxiously fidgeting with the strap of her purse as she rang the doorbell. She hadn’t even realized she’d forgotten her key in her rush to get there. Her heart pounded as she waited for him to answer, her mind racing with thoughts of Maya and how she was feeling.

A few seconds later, the door swung open, and Robert stood there with a knowing look in his eyes. He didn’t say anything at first, just gestured for her to come inside. She stepped in, glancing around the house she used to share with him, memories flashing before her. But now wasn’t the time for nostalgia.

“Where’s Maya? How is she?” she asked, her voice tight with worry.

Robert looked at her, his expression serious, and said, “Last I saw, she was burning all your pictures together.”

Her eyes widened in shock, and before she could say anything, he cracked a smile. “Relax, I’m kidding.”

She smacked him on the arm, exasperated. “That’s not funny, Robert!”

He laughed softly, but there was warmth in his eyes. “Maybe not, but it got you to lighten up a bit. I can tell you’ve been crying.”

Scarlett paused, realizing her eyes were probably still red and puffy from her meltdown in the car. She tried to brush it off, but Robert had always been good at reading her, even after all these years.

“I’m just—” she started, but her voice cracked, and she stopped herself, taking a deep breath. “I don’t know what to say to her. I never wanted her to find out like this.”

Robert’s teasing tone softened. “I know. But it’s Maya. She’s upset, yeah, but she’s also smart and she loves you. You’ll figure it out.”

She nodded, taking some comfort in his words but still feeling the weight of what was to come. “Where is she?”

“In her room,” Robert said. “She asked to be alone for a bit, but I’m sure she’ll talk to you when you’re ready.”

With that, she headed toward the stairs, mentally preparing herself for the conversation that had been a long time coming.

Robert watched her with a concerned look as she started toward the stairs. Before she could take the first step, he gently called after her, “Do you want me to be there when you talk to her?”

She paused, turning to face him. Part of her wanted to say yes, to have someone there with her for support, but deep down, she knew this was something she had to do alone. This was her past, her truth, and her responsibility to explain to their daughter.

She shook her head. “No. I need to do this on my own.”

Robert gave her a soft, understanding nod, stepping back to let her go. “Alright, but I’m here if you need me.”

Taking a deep breath, she made her way upstairs to Maya’s room, her heart pounding with every step. Once she reached the door, she hesitated for a moment, listening for any sounds from inside. Hearing nothing, she gently knocked.

“Maya?” she called softly. “Can I come in?”

Silence.

Scarlett waited for a few seconds, hoping for some kind of response, but there was none. Deciding not to push too hard, she slowly turned the handle and stepped inside. Her eyes landed on Maya, who was lying face down on the bed, her body unmoving, clearly in her own world.

Seeing her daughter like that, her heart broke even more. She carefully approached the bed, sitting down on the edge, unsure of how to start.

“Maya,” she said softly, her voice full of love and concern. “Can we talk?”

Still, Maya didn’t move, she didn’t know if Maya was ignoring her on purpose or just too upset to respond. Either way, she knew this conversation wasn’t going to be easy, but it had to happen.

She hesitated for a moment, watching her daughter’s still form, before deciding to lie down next to her. Maya didn’t flinch or acknowledge her presence, but that was okay. She wasn’t expecting a response just yet. The important thing was that she was there, and she needed to say what had been held back for so long.

“Okay,” she whispered, her voice soft but steady, “you don’t have to say anything. I’ll do the talking.”

She stared up at the ceiling, gathering her thoughts before continuing. “I didn’t tell you about Jack because… well, there are a lot of reasons, I guess. At first, it was because I wanted to protect you. You were so young, and your dad and I had our own relationship by then. I didn’t want you growing up thinking things were more complicated than they needed to be.”

Her voice wavered slightly, but she kept going. “And then as the years passed, I thought it didn’t matter anymore. Jack was a part of my past—something I had locked away. You see, we were together a long time ago, and what we had… it was intense. When he broke things off, it hurt me in ways I wasn’t ready to talk about. I thought that by not telling you, I could pretend that part of my life didn’t exist. I thought it would be easier if I never had to relive it. But now, looking at everything, I realize that keeping it from you only made things worse.”

Scarlett swallowed, feeling the weight of her own words. “I didn’t want you to find out like this, Maya. I should’ve told you sooner, and for that, I’m sorry. I didn’t want to hide anything from you, but I guess I was still hiding from myself.”

Her eyes drifted over to Maya, who still hadn’t moved, but she could see the slight rise and fall of her shoulders, hear the quietness of her breathing. Maybe she was listening.

“Jack wasn’t the reason your dad and I split up,” she continued, wanting to make that clear. “Your dad and I—we loved each other, and we always will because we have you. But we realized that we were better as friends. It had nothing to do with Jack or my past with him. It was just… life.”

She let out a soft sigh, her emotions starting to overwhelm her. “I know you’re upset, and you have every right to be. I just hope you understand that I never meant to hurt you, Maya. I love you more than anything, and I hope we can talk about this—really talk about it—when you’re ready.”

Maya shifted slightly before turning over onto her back, her eyes meeting her mom’s for the first time since the conversation started.

“Why did he break off the engagement?” Maya asked, her voice quiet but direct. “And… do you still love him?”

Scarlett felt her heart tighten at the question. She had expected something like this, but it still hit her harder than she thought it would. She blinked, taking a deep breath before responding.

“I… I don’t know,” she admitted, her voice trembling slightly. “I might never find out why he ended things, Maya. He didn’t give me a reason, and I’ve spent a long time trying to figure it out. Sometimes I still wonder, but… he just walked away without an explanation. And that was hard.”

Maya’s gaze didn’t waver, and it was clear that she wasn’t going to let the conversation drop there.

“And the other question?” Maya pressed, her eyes softening as if she was almost afraid to hear the answer. “Do you still love him?”

Scarlett hesitated, the weight of the question hanging between them. She wanted to be honest with her daughter, but the truth was complicated. It always had been.

“It’s… complicated,” she finally said, her voice barely above a whisper. “I don’t know if I can even answer that right now. What I felt for Jack back then—it was real. It was strong. And losing him… it hurt me more than I can explain. But love? I don’t know. After all this time, I’ve tried to move on, but part of me will always wonder. Part of me will always remember the good moments we had. But it’s not the same as it was. People change. I’ve changed.”

Maya searched her mother’s face, trying to read the emotion behind the words. There was so much she didn’t know, so much she couldn’t understand yet.

“So… you don’t hate him?” Maya asked quietly.

Scarlett closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them with a sigh. “I don’t know if I could ever hate him. But that doesn’t mean I still love him the way I used to. It’s just… complicated.”

Maya shifted closer, wrapping her arms around her mother in a tight hug. “I’m sorry you went through that,” she whispered softly. “If it makes you feel better, I won’t listen to his music anymore.”

Scarlett chuckled despite herself, hugging Maya back with a warmth she hadn’t felt in a while. “Oh, sweetie,” she said, pulling back just enough to look at her. “I’m not going to stop you from listening to his music. As much as I hate to admit it, his music is pretty good.”

Maya smiled, the tension in the room easing with a bit of humor. “Really?” she asked.

“Yeah,” Scarlett replied with a playful roll of her eyes. “I might not be able to stand the man, but his talent? That’s something else entirely.”

They both laughed, the heaviness between them starting to lift.

***

AN: tell me what ya thinkkkkk

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[xo-hugs-n-kisses-ox]

Rumination

Ruminate

(v.) To think about something deeply

After Edward left her, Bella Swan fell apart. Desperate to try and save his eldest daughter, Charlie brings his youngest daughter to Forks to see if she can bring her sister out of her depression.

Now, y/n must try to help her sister find her way back to the light while also trying to navigate her Junior year of high school in the odd town of Forks.

---

Chapter Eleven: Contemplation

Now Playing: Salt And The Sea by The Lumineers

Paul and I went to Port Angeles today. Bella was hanging out around Emily’s, and I was still sore with her. Like the first time she showed back up, Paul had taken my keys, grabbed my purse, and snagged me to whisk me away somewhere that would take my mind off my anger with my older sister.

We had seen a movie today. It was some crappy action movie, but it made me laugh.

We got lunch afterwards, sitting in my truck as we ate.

I don’t know why I decided to do it. Maybe it was how he shared about his dad, but I started rambling about Charlie and Renee.

“My parents were high school sweethearts,” I blurted, “They were together all four years. They got married as soon as they were both eighteen, and had my sister soon after.”

I studied my sandwich as I spoke, avoiding looking at anything else.

“The pregnancy was hard on my mom. She had postpartum depression bad, the only thing she could manage to do was feed my sister when she cried.” I recalled the stories Mom had said, her voice light and joking. I had always seen the pain behind her eyes as she remembered.

I continued, “Dad worked long hours at the station to try and cover bills, pay back the hospital, and scrounge up dinner. Mom got better after a while, but she lost some of her spark.”

“They had me about a year later. I think it was to fix the marriage.” I slowly take a sip of my slushie, thinking. I continue on, “Didn’t work, obviously. They lasted three more years before Mom grabbed us and fled Forks for California.”

I look at Paul from the corner of my eye, and he’s already looking at me. I feel like the breath is being punched out of me, his attentive silence making my heart pound.

I take a deep breath, steam-rolling on.

“They divorced. Charlie gave her almost everything she wanted. He still loved her so much. I think he still does,” I admit, “But not as someone loves their spouse. I think it’s more a mourning and appreciation for what they used to be, what they used to have. Mom’s always been a, uh, free spirit. She’s gone through hobbies and boyfriends like I go through clothes day to day. She tires of them, then goes looking for the next one to hold her interest.”

“I—” I cut myself off, organizing my jumbled thoughts for a moment, “My friends have goals in life, milestones they want to achieve. Graduation, university, marriage, kids, grandkids, retirement. It all sounds nice, but marriage never had a solid meaning for me. I saw how easily it could break. Nearly forty-eight percent of marriages end in divorce, according to Bella.”

I was quiet for a long moment before murmuring, “So I maybe that if you have an issue with expression your emotions, I’m sure I have an issue with pessimism.”

He was quiet for a good moment, and I was afraid that maybe I said too much. Then, without a word, he reached out and put his heavy hand on my shoulder. I took a deep breath, closing my eyes and leaning my head against his knuckles.

---

Edward bribed Alice into kidnapping my sister for two days so she wouldn’t visit Jacob. I sprayed Jacob’s cologne in her vents and her clothes.

It was a nice enough day, and I had gone for a hike. Jacob, while patrolling, had come by a few times to check on me. Sam had, also, and around noon was when Paul showed up.

His hulking wolf form no longer startled me, and I wordlessly passed him the bacon I had saved from this morning. He huffed, taking it delicately from my hand and sitting down beside me.

“I heard Quil imprinted,” I told him, having heard from Jake. “I’m happy for him, Jake said she’s a girl from his school, too, in the class beside his.”

Paul remained quietly looking out at the scenery with me, but he tilted his head towards me to hear better.

“Though, I’m still confused on the whole imprinting thing,” I admitted, “I asked Emily and Sam, but they didn’t give me a clear answer about it.”

At my words, Paul turned fully to look at me. I stared back, wondering what he was thinking. He huffed, sounding like he was sighing, before nudging me up and back towards the trail.

The two of us walked back to the house for dinner, and I went inside while he went over to the shed to change back. Bella was over, apparently rescued by Jacob, and I looked at her for a long moment before Embry drew me into conversation.

I won’t lie and say I didn’t miss my sister. I did. Desperately. But I was still hurt that she would choose the Cullens over her own family. Max said that I was holding a grudge. Paul, damn him, agreed when I told him.

Lunch was normal. We had burgers again, since there was a sale on ground beef, and everything felt like it did in February.

I clung to this shred of normalcy, fearful of when it would no longer be an option.

---

My allusion of normalcy was shattered when Bella went right back to Edward as soon as the hunting trip was over. Jacob had stormed back in and told me that she still thought it was none of our business what happened to her, that she was still set on becoming undead.

I didn’t have the energy to cry, or to yell. I didn’t even have the energy to be surprised.

Jacob had stormed back out at my lack of reaction, and I watched him go passively. I sighed.

I slept for most of the day, woken up around noon by a call.

“Hello?” I asked, my voice raspy from sleep. I rubbed my eyes, taking a deep breath to try and wake up.

“Y/n, a vampire was at the house. Not Victoria, someone new. I need you to tell the pack that, and—” my sister hurriedly explained, and I woke up quickly with her explanation.

Tipping out of my bed, I ran back towards the living room.

“Sam—” I started, nearly falling over when I scrambled around the corner, “Sam, a new vampire was at my house, Edward smelled it!”

Immediately, Jacob was reaching for my phone. He spoke into it quickly, interrogating my sister and Edward. They decided that I would stay here, still, and that Jacob would go see if he recognized the scent since Carlisle didn’t.

I waited anxiously for a verdict, and Sam started drafting new patrol routines.

Bella sent a text after a while, Possible murderer in Seattle, maybe linked. Let you know more when I do.

“I can’t believe this shit,” I muttered, “Why can’t this nightmare be over yet?”

---

We had a bonfire tonight. Bella was driven over by Edward, and I gave him a long look when I collected her. Emily was with me, grabbing her bags as I held my sister’s hand. The three of us traveled down to the beach, and we set her things down at our blanket.

Bella was sitting on a log across me, Jacob leaning on her knees from his seat in the sand.

He was idly roasting a hotdog, bickering with Paul over it. He relented, though, handing the skewer over to him. He took it, putting it on a bun and reached for condiments.

Embry tried to sneak a bite of it, only to get Paul’s massive hand shoving his face away. In his distraction, I reached around him to pinch off a piece of it, popping it in my mouth as he turned to scowl at me.

I smiled at him, handing him the ketchup. He rolled his eyes, dressing his hotdog and eating it quickly.

When he was finished, he leaned back against the log I was sitting on and told me, “Tell Bella to sit down wind next time, all I smell is Leech.”

I snort, “What does it smell like, anyway?”

He thought for a moment, putting words together, “Like dust, but in an old folk’s home.”

I laugh, overjoyed at the revelation.

I was about to speak again when Billy cleared his throat to begin telling stories.

———

(Vaguely edited 1/5/25)

Hey guys! Sorry for the super late update, today was actually hell 🫠 school sucks and I hate it but whatevs I guess

Anyway, hope you guys enjoy!! I’ll likely update again over the weekend bc I’ll be traveling tmr 💕

Once again, if yall have any ideas you want me to write, please lmk!! Anyways bye bye pookie 🥰

[sirwadewilsonfromimgur]

Deadpool and Wolverine: KCAU Christmas Special

[Authors note: it is a Christmas miracle that I got this chapter out today... Merry Christmas! The next chapters will still be Christmas themed well into the new year]

Part 3

Home coming.

The flight was nice, and it was pleasant to not be molested by the TSA and hobble around waiting for them to finish looking at Greg's Cain. Always annoying, what could anyone possibly sneak in a cain that wasn't an already affective weapon other than the cain itself! And don't say a sword because those cheap things can ba spotted a mile away everyone knows your gothy cain with a cobra head handle has a long knife on the end of it we here it clanging every step you take.

Ellie picked them up at the Wheeler airport, excited to see her bother and his friend.

She was right there on the tarmac. The second James was off the plane, she jumped, grabbed him in a hug, and spun him around with a strength one wouldn't suspect from the 6 foot tall women of average looking build.

I've missed you so much! Though you did spoil my fun. I was going to kidnap you myself if you didn't show up! I even had a big bag picked out, I was going to put you in!

I hope it was a nice one. You know how burlap is chaffing.

It was a big red Santa bag... wanted to be festive for dad!

Ellie was always playfully teasing of her brother... typical of most siblings... but in career and personality, she more openly took after their father Wade. Ellie was a premier assassin and jr executive of MFM "the Family business" Ellie was in charge of the black ops devision, doing "wet work" for world governments that want culpable deniability when someone turns up dead. Ellie loved her job, her dad's, and her brother and sister... everyone else should probably live in fear.

Greg looked at her, Ellie was of darker complexion than James. but in the face, you could tell they were related, James had told him that technically, she was his half-sister... but they never regard each other as such. That was his sister full stop, they grew up together and only ever knew Wade and Logan as parents.

In a bubble gum sweet voice, she informed James and Greg that this year was going to be a blowout!

It's going to be great this year, little brother Aunt Vanessa and Dermot, Uncle Colossus, Peter, Jeff, Laura, Warhead, Yukio, Dopender, Father Kurt, and Uncle Morph are all going to be at Christmas eve dinner. Dad is making his famous Lasagna and Papa cought two pheasants with his bare fucking hands for Christmas day dinner it was amazing! Don't worry, Greg. we'll have prime rib for Christmas dinner as well if you find the bird to gamey.

Wait... circle back... Uncle Morph is going to be in town... will he be staying the night?

They got him a room at the Westin Crown Center... why?

You know why!

Oh.... ooohhhh, ha! I guess Dad and Papa really are going to have a Merry Christmas.

What's wrong with having your uncle Morph staying the night? ... and why do half of the people mentioned have weird names? Morph, Warhead, Colossus?

Morph's birth name is Kevin... he just doesn't like to use it... and frankly, dads not a fan it either, so that's what we all call him. Just a preference. As for why it's a concern... I'll tell you later.

Don't be so shy, James. You brought him home for Christmas, so he must be family... its ok if he knows that our parents and uncle Morph fuck nasty any time he's in town.

Jesus christ, Ellie! You know how uncomfortable talking about them like that makes me. *visibly shudders*

I can't help that our parents are possibly the hornie-est men to ever walk the earth! Might as we joke about it.

Well, that totally makes sense about James then.

I don't like where you're going with this House!

What, the offspring of concupiscent old men is clearly bothered by overt sexuality because he, in truth. has had three divorces because he can't keep it in his perverbial pants!

I knew i liked you Greg! *laughs loudly*

I'm not a psychologist, but it sounds like he's got you nailed down, little brother

As she said this, she turned the car into the driveway of the tower they'd both called home. She again let out a chuckle when she saw in the rear view mirror the deep shade of red James was currently blushing.

One park place hadn't changed much. At least not in a way one could detect. The on-site security was now directly contracted through MFM at very reasonable rates, and every floor had been fitted with bomb resistant glass... at least since "the incident" in 2058... Logan and Wade had paid through the teeth for that little upgrade. But other than that, they were actually at peace with their neighbors. 700 W 31st Street was probably the second most secure building in the city. The only one more secure being the Federal Reserve Bank building down the street. Things were going well until they got to the 19th floor, and Greg triped James coming out of the elevator.

My dad probably saw that! Ass!

Saw what! I don't know what you're talking about. Also, are you gonna run to your daddy all week with your problems?

He's actually probably right... there are security cameras... this is the most secure floor in the building. Just our place and neighbor Dave... you're cute, Greg, but I'd take it easy joshing with your boyfriend... dad wouldn't hesitate to shoot you point blank if he thinks you're a threat to one of his babies.

He's not my boyfriend...

Sure James....

See what I have to deal with Ellie!? He breaks my heart!

They approached the ornate double doors that lead into the condo... Penthouse would be a better description. They were actually new. A veneer of teak wood covering inch thick steel with intricate carvings of bullets, swords, claws, guns, and battle scenes. It looked like it belonged on the front of a temple dedicated to God's of war and violence... Ellie put a key in the door, unlocked it, and opened it.

No sooner than they had passed the threshold like a flash Logan was on all fours running at them. Closing the distance, he pounced arms wide open, knocking all three on the ground. Sniffing them and kissing their cheeks, Logan allowed himself to go a little feral and play rough with his kits. It was the holiday season after all... The fact that Gregory was caught in the crossfire knocked on his ass into the dog pile was another problem entirely!

My babies! ... and some guy? *Sniff* Why do you smell a little like Wade!?

For the love of god, please get off my leg!

Logan stood up and helped Greg to his feet. James handed him his cain as Greg quickly pulled out a pill bottle from his jacket pocket and dry swallowed three pills.

By this time, Wade had already walked up to them.

Sorry about my husband. He's very excited to see all of you. I hope you're ok... If you're not, I hope Kitten had you sign the traditional family liability release forms...

Is that a thing now?

It's not Kitten. Wade extended a hand to Greg... he'd slipped a hundred dollars in his hand by way of apology... I know who you are! It's nice to finally meet you, James talks an unhealthy amount about you. I always did like a guy named Hugh. He said, winking at us.

*Confused* my name is Gregory House, Mr. Wilson.

Sure, it is sun-shine, also Ick don't call me that... it's Wade, or Deadpool if ya nasty...

Leaving Greg to deal with pleasantries by himself, Jams grabbed his and House's Bags. Turned right and walked down the halway like he'd done thousands of times in the past. He detected the faint smell of cigar smoke as he walked past the office. It triggered a little nostalgia. It smelled like his dad Logan and the bear hugs he'd given him when he was a child. He always fet safe in the man's massive arms... truth be told for all the madness of his father's... James always felt safe at home. They were a danger to themselves and definitely others... but not him. They'd do anything for him. He was always quietly grateful for that aspect of his childhood.

He'd walk all the way down the hall... last door on the left. His room, the room he was born in, as a matter of fact. Apart from being immaculately clean, it was just as he'd left it since he moved out. It was December. The sun was already setting over the horizon... soon, the automatic blackout curtains would come down and block the entire east wall of his room made entirely of floor to ceiling windows.

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Before that though the golden glow reflected off the fresh snow was brilliant. In the distance he could make out the top of the massive tree in the heart of crown center. The view is bitter sweet... he remembers loving christmas as a kid... it was the only time for sure that both his dad's were home and "Santa" never held back... it was always an embarrassment of riches... now... now christmas was exhausting... there was never enough time, and Wade Wilson didn't exactly loose his zeal, he got older and leaned more into to christmas... James knew he was due to get roped into a big family Christmas sooner or later... he skipped the last two Christmases... his dad face timed him so that he was sure to see the tears...

He tossed the bags on the ridiculously large Texas king bed... he'd unpack later, unless Mrs. Mangracina, the ancient cleaning lady who'd been working there since before he was born, decided to do it... not one of her official responsibilities, but she did shit like that anyway... she fancied herself a butler for the family at times. to James, she was more of a second grandma, only Italian flavored... she and his grandma Al were actually pretty close. They'd go to bingo and Mass at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church on Broadway. She'd confided in the family that she lost her best friend when Althea passed... James fully expected her to be there at Christmas Eve dinner, not as an employee but as a guest and member of the family. A lot of people were going to be there...

If Luara was going to be here she'd take up the guest room... no one was allowed in Grandma's room since she'd passed away... house was in For a surprise... they'd be sharing a bed this week.

Later that night at dinner, Gregory had pulled all of his usual antics and made himself look like a perfect ass... he'd eaten food off James's plate... to the point of just straight-up switching plates with him. telling embarrassing stories and wildly inappropriate jokes at the table... the only people laughing, being Wade and Ellie. They didn't realize what kind of gasoline they were throwing on the fire by encouraging him... or maybe they did. Agents of chaos the both of them. Logan was stoic in the face of it as usual, while Laura actually popped her claws and announced that's enough when she thought Greg punched James a little too hard when he was punctuating a joke at his expense.

The perfect start to a week that was guaranteed to get more chaotic... shortly after Greg and James retired to his bedroom...

James had already showered and settled in to bed with a book when Greg exited the bathroom in his pajamas.

What the fuck is that!

Pointing on at the grayish blue ball of wrinkles cuddling on the bed...

It's Merry, Greg. Do you need an MRI you saw my dad feeding here when we had dinner...

Sorry, let me rephrase. Why the fuck is that... specifically why is it in the bed... Marry has always slept with me since I was little... you didn't let Hector in the Bed?

I didn't... hold on... how old is that dog?

Well, my parents had her before I was born... so tack on a few years, I'd say 47 give or take.

That's impossible...

She's like my Dad's... I'm not a hundred percent certain she can die. My Aunt Vaness told me that Mary is an alternate universe version of my dad, Wade... that's why she's always been close with me... I'm her puppy.

Kitten... puppy... you got any more weird pet names?

Why... you feeling romantic?

Greg looked at James with disgust and then shot a look at the dog with less disgust and more incredulity. Quickly changing the subject.

Thats cute and all, but I'm going to sleep on the couch. I can't have a dog jumping on me or you kicking me...

*Sigh* Greg, this bed is so big it'd take effort to kick you... but also, I promise you'd be less comfortable out there. Unless you got ear plugs.

Why?

this is the best room for the noise you can't hear anything on this side of the condo... you don't want to be within ear shot of the Master bedroom here in about an hour... even with all the soundproofing... Also, having guests in the house doesn't always stop them from fighting.

They fight, every night?

Like clock work... some nights are worse than others, sometimes they throw things... I'm almost certain they throw each other across the room. But that's not the worst of it... first comes the screams of pain... and then... I can't believe I'm saying this much less thinking about it... the screams of Ecstasy...

They fight as foreplay?

Yes, and I haven't been ok since I was 15 and figured that out... if my Grandma was still alive, she'd go into great detail about how they used to be worse.

Wait, isn't the guest room next to their room?

Laura Went to a bar, she won't be home until their *gags* done.

Fine... you and your rodent mother scoot over.

Careful how you talk to Mary... she's smarter than most people give her credit for...

Noted, I guess since she's your mom, she's in here chaparoning... so hands above the blankets tonight.

He winked at the dog, who shockingly winked back. Greg shook his head as he got into bed using a few extra pillows to build a barricade between his bad leg and Wilson who despite how big the bed was, is a notorious sleep kicker.

We'd better get some sleep... it's going to be a long week.

Wilson turned out the lights and slowly sleep overcame them.

Link to part 4