#let's forget about the stars

[sissylittlefeather]

Let's Forget About the Stars: Chapter 11

A/N: I'm back! Maybe. But I wrote this and I really love it, so I hope you will too. Here's another chapter of our lovely Dovey and Jumbee. We pick up with Gladys in the hospital and Dove sitting on a big secret. Enjoy!

Need to catch up? Masterlist

Warnings: 18+ minors DNI, kissing, cussing, penetrative sex, unprotected sex, creampie, but also pregnancy, morning sickness, illness and death

Word count: ~2.6k

"It'll be okay, Jumbee. Whatever happens, I'm here. It'll be okay."

But she's not sure she believes it either.

******

Elvis sends Dove to Memphis immediately to be with his mama and promises to follow her as soon as he can. In an unfortunate twist of events, her morning sickness begins on the train to Memphis and she's ill the whole time. When she finally arrives and Vernon picks her up at the train station, she's pale and weak and sweaty. He does his best not to notice as he drives her to the hospital to see Gladys. She manages to compose herself enough to make it into her room, but the second Vernon leaves the two women alone, she rushes to the bathroom and vomits.

“You sick, baby?” Gladys calls from her bed. Even ill, she's caring for everyone around her.

“It's nothing catching, Mama. I promise.” She comes out of the bathroom and sits down, pulling a mint from her purse. Gladys looks her up and down and suppresses a smile.

“How far along are you?” Dove’s eyes flick up to meet the older woman’s quickly and she shakes her head.

“I-I-I-no-I’m just… food poisoning…”

“Right. And I've got allergies.” Gladys purses her lips and gives Dove the look.

“Almost 12 weeks.”

“Does Elvis know?” Dove shakes her head and tries not to cry.

“He said he didn't want this yet.”

“Oh, baby, c’mere.” Gladys pats the bed next to her and Dove perches on it gently, letting her take her hand. “He will be happy as a clam. Once he gets over his initial shock, that is.”

“You think so?”

“I know so.” Gladys pats her hand softly and then grins broadly. “I'm gonna have a grandbaby!”

Dove laughs. The older woman’s joy is contagious.

“Yes ma'am, I suppose you are.” The two women spend the next half hour or so discussing plans for a nursery, baby names, and the merits of breastfeeding. When Vernon returns, Gladys puts her finger to her lips and Dove smiles, enjoying their secret.

******

Elvis arrives a couple of days later and immediately meets his family at the hospital. He spends the next day and a half by his mother’s side. That night, she encourages him to take Dove out and then sleep at Graceland. She's hoping that the next time she sees him, he'll know about the baby and they can share in the joy together. But there's something else, too. Something dark and looming and she doesn't want him there for it, just in case.

Everything about the night feels off, though. For some reason, Dove never seems to find the right moment to tell him. She's filled with a kind of nervous energy that doesn't fade no matter what she does. Elvis tries to settle her, completely unaware of anything at all. He kisses her neck gently and tries to slide his hand up under her skirt, but she pulls away.

“Not tonight.”

“Aw Dovey, why not?” He looks at her with his blue eyes pleading.

“It just doesn't feel right. I can't say why.” She sighs, flustered by what she's feeling and he caresses her cheek gently.

“Whatever it is baby, it's okay. I'm here. Let's just get in bed and I'll hold you. Okay?” She nods and they both put on pajamas to settle into the bed. Dove is filled with thoughts about the future and she has a hard time relaxing. Something is wrong, but she can't figure out what it is. Praying it's not the baby, she tries to go to sleep. Elvis is wrapped around her, breathing quietly in her ear and she focuses on matching her inhales and exhales to his. Before too long, she drifts off too.

They're not asleep for very long before the phone rings. Elvis groggily curses and drags himself out of bed, ready to berate whoever is on the line. Dove rolls over and closes her eyes, but she freezes when she hears him.

“Oh God, no.” His knees hit the floor and the phone receiver hangs by the cord as he immediately weeps. Dove is out of bed in a second, pulling Elvis to her chest with one hand and picking up the phone with the other.

“Hello?” She hears someone crying on the other end and her stomach churns.

“Dove?”

“Yeah, Vernon, it's me.” Her blood runs cold when he sobs again.

“She's gone.” That's all he can choke out, but it's all he needs to say for Dove to understand that Gladys is dead. Elvis wails even louder, hearing it again and Dove hangs up the phone without even saying goodbye.

“Oh, Jumbee…”

“I should've been there! I'll never forgive myself for leaving.” He soaks her chest with tears and cries uncontrollably like a child. Dove’s body is wracked with sobs as well, but she tries to focus on Elvis's grief.

“No, Jumbee, there was no way of knowing this would happen.”

“Why did she tell us to leave?! Oh God!” As Elvis clings to her, weeping, she starts to wonder how he will react when he finds out the baby is the reason she wanted them to have a night alone. All of a sudden, she's crying for two reasons as she holds the shaking frame of her shattered husband.

This becomes a familiar position in the days that follow. He spends most of his time crying, either next to Gladys’s casket or, after the service, in Dove’s arms. She does everything she can to be what he needs, but what he needs is his mother and she can't be that.

Elvis is broken and Dove is broken watching him. Her helplessness overwhelms her and she hangs on by a thread. The thread is Elvis's need for someone to stay strong. The only thing that carries her through is the knowledge that he needs her.

People try various things to cheer him up, but Dove doesn't. She simply is for him: a safe place for him to fall apart as often as he needs. And he does, frequently. It takes every ounce of her strength to keep herself together for him.

In what feels to Dove like not nearly enough time, Elvis is called to go back to Fort Hood. She follows him to the house in Killeen, but nothing feels the same without Mama. Somehow, her morning sickness subsides as quickly as it came on and she's fine, albeit a little more tired than usual. She mopes around the house when Elvis is gone, carrying his pain deep in her chest.

And then one particularly bad night, the night before he's set to take the train north to sail to Germany, Elvis is wrapped around Dove crying as she strokes his hair.

“I jus’ don't see the point without Mama. I don't wanna be here no more. It hurts too bad.” Elvis groans into her chest. Dove tries to hide the sob that comes out of her, but she can't. The thought of being without him is too much. And the baby in her belly has her on the edge of a total and complete breakdown. He sits up when he realizes she's damn-near hysterical. “Dovey…”

“No. Ignore me. I'm sorry.” She tries to contain her sobs, but it's like the past few weeks are all hitting her at once and everything she's suppressed is pouring out of her like a broken tap.

“Dove. I'm not going to ignore you. Talk to me.” He reaches up to stroke her cheek from his place between her legs on the bed. If he was paying any attention, he would notice the changes in her body from this position, but Dove is thankful that he hasn't.

“It's fine. I'm fine. I'm sorry.” He sits up and pulls her into his lap and takes her face in both hands.

“Eleanor Morningstar Presley. I'm your husband. Tell me what's going on.” She looks into his eyes and it comes tumbling out of her before she can stop it.

“I'm pregnant.” He blinks a few times and she wants to scream and die and throw up all at once. “I'm s-”

“Don't you dare apologize. Dovey, how long have you known?” He tries to do the math back to the last time they had sex.

“Since July. I'm about 17 weeks.” His eyes widen in shock.

“Seventeen weeks?!” She nods slowly, bracing herself for some kind of negative response from him.

“I know, I'm s-”

“This is amazing.” She freezes with her mouth hanging open.

“A-amazing?” She looks at him as a smile, the first smile she's seen from him in weeks, crawls across his face.

“Yes. Amazing. Dovey, why didn't you tell me?!”

“Well, I was going to and then… Mama…” He darkens a bit.

“Did she know?” Dove nods.

“Yes. She did. That's why she sent us home that night, so I could tell you.” Understanding washes over him.

“Why didn't you?”

“I don't know. It just didn't feel right. I couldn't, knowing she was sick. Are you mad?”

“No. I'm glad she knew.”

“Oh yeah. We talked about all kinds of things, the nursery, names-”

“Names? Dovey…?” He looks at her with his eyes wide and pleading.

“Yeah, Jumbee?”

“Can we name her after Mama?” Elvis whispers. Dove sniffles as the tears fill her eyes.

“Her?” She looks at him lovingly. He nods vehemently.

“She's a girl. I can feel it.” She watches as he lifts her shirt to reveal her small baby bump. “God, how did I not notice?”

“You've been a little… distracted. It's okay.”

“No. You're my wife. This is our family. Mama would want me focused on this.” He puts his hand on her belly gently. “Our baby is in there.”

Dove giggles despite herself.

“Yeah, she is.” He leans forward and kisses her stomach gently and then whispers against her skin.

“Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For giving me a reason to go on. I wouldn't be me without you. And now we have this to look forward to. Mama would be so mad if she thought I wanted to leave you both for her.” Dove breathes a deep sigh, releasing all of the stress and grief she's been holding on to.

“I love you, Jumbee.” He smiles up at her and kisses her belly again.

“I love you too, my Dovey.”

“We'll get through this.”

“Yeah, we will. All three of us.” He rubs his hand over the baby and nuzzles into her neck. “I'm so glad I married you.”

“Me too, Jumbee. Me too.”

******

The next morning, Elvis and Dove wake up early and lay in bed together dreading the time that they'll have to get up for him to leave for Germany. She's nestled into his side like she always is and he has his arms wrapped around her with his lips on her forehead.

“You'll be over there with me in less than two weeks. We've been apart before. We'll be fine.” Elvis sounds like he's reassuring himself more than her as he mumbles against her skin. Dove looks up at him and nods and he leans down to press his lips to each of her cheeks and then her lips. He pulls back a bit, blue eyes sparkling with affection and something else. She knows that look and it surprises her to see it, but she's not going to argue as he leans forward again, this time hungrily capturing her lips in a passionate kiss. It doesn't take long for the kiss to move into more, their tongues dancing wildly as hands slide over skin and up under pajamas.

He rolls over on top of her, sensually pressing his hips into hers as he drops a trail of kisses along her jawline and down her neck. She moans softly as he quickly unbuttons her shirt, but as soon as his hand touches her belly, he stops suddenly.

“Can I- can we- is it gonna hurt the baby?” He asks breathlessly. Dove giggles and kisses him gently.

“It won't hurt her. She's safe.” He nods and looks down at her tiny bump between them.

“That's good because I'm not sure I could stop now even if I wanted to.” He dives back into kissing her deeply, rolling his hips against her and letting his hard cock press into her center. “I need ya, baby. It's been too damn long.”

Dove whimpers as he finishes undressing her and strips off his own pajamas. He lays on his side and pulls her in close to him, throwing her leg over his hip. She sighs as he runs his fingertips over her body, stopping to squeeze her breast and her ass. He teases her entrance with the tip of his dick, slipping it around in her arousal.

“So good and wet for me, baby. You want this cock?” He murmurs against her lips. Dove whimpers and nods.

“God, yes. I need it.”

She moans loudly as he slowly starts to push into her, inch by tantalizing inch, his hand on her hip to steady her.

“Fuck, baby, you're so tight. I love this little pussy.” He groans as he bottoms out, his dick fully buried inside her. Dove’s eyes cross with the sensation of being filled as he slides out and rolls his hips forward to meet hers again.

“It's so good, Jumbee.” He kisses her softly as he picks up a steady rhythm of fucking into her slow and gentle. Maybe it's the pregnancy, or the fact that it's been so long, but when Elvis slips his hand in between them to rub circles on her clit, Dove cums almost immediately, moaning and grasping at his shoulders as her orgasm screams through her veins, lighting her on fire from the inside out.

The feeling of her pussy pulsing and squeezing his cock is almost too much for Elvis to take. He grunts and buries his face in her neck as his hips snap against her over and over again.

“Gonna… oh god, fuck!” He groans into her hair as his hips stutter against hers and he cums deep inside her. His body relaxes and he whispers. “I missed you.”

He lifts his head up and looks into her eyes, cupping her cheek with his hand. She smiles softly and kisses the end of his nose.

“I missed you too.”

******

At the train station, Dove stands on the platform watching as Elvis waves to fans. The Colonel has demanded that she stay back and let him be Elvis Presley. He even has his hand on her arm to keep her next to him. Neither she nor Elvis told him about the baby.

Just before the doors close, Dove yanks her arm away and takes off for the train. When he notices, Elvis's smile switches from the one he gives for pictures into his natural smile and he leans down, grabbing the back of her head and pulling her into a deep kiss. The cameras go wild, but they don't care.

The Colonel curses and Vernon just shakes his head laughing.

“Colonel, you lost. Elvis and Dove are gonna be Elvis and Dove. You might as well embrace it. He'll get rid of you long before he gets rid of her.”

The Colonel shoves his cigar in his mouth and turns around, huffing. He's beaten and he knows it.

As the train pulls away, Elvis is left with the image of Dove on the platform. He watches as she gasps and grabs her stomach, laughing with delight. That's the first time she's felt the baby move. She's lit up with joy and Elvis can't help but smile widely, knowing he'll never forget this picture of her with her eyes bright and her dark hair blowing in the wind. Dove looks down at her baby bump and runs her hand over it.

“Steady, little girl. We'll see daddy soon enough.”

******

Until next time...

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Taglist:

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[hooked-on-elvis]

"Let's Forget About the Stars" (1968/1970)

Album: "Let's Be Friends". Release date: April 1970.

This was one of the two songs Elvis recorded which were both supposed to be featured in the 1969 Western movie "Charro!" but it remained unused. In addition to the unused track, he recorded on the same day (in October 1968) the title-track "Charro!", the only one actually featured in the movie (as the opening song) released on March 12, 1969 (USA).

Soundtrack recordings for National General’s "Charro!" Rhythm group repairs and a full orchestra backing were recorded on November 25–27; Elvis probably overdubbed his vocal at the rhythm group sessions. The vocal master of “Let’s Forget About The Stars” (1055) is take 5.

THE RECORD SESSION October 15, 1968: Samuel Goldwyn Studio, Hollywood Elvis reported to work on his next motion picture: Charro!, a serious Western with no musical interludes, which would offer Elvis a chance to concentrate on acting. The studio eventually hired arranger-producer Hugo Montenegro to produce two songs in conjunction with the film, although only one, the title cut, actually made it to the screen.

Excerpt: "Elvis Presley: A Life in Music" by Ernst Jorgensen (1998)

Credits (album sleeves pictures): Wikipedia/Discogs

RELEASE "Let's Forget About the Stars" was released in the compilation album "Let's Be Friends" by RCA Records on the RCA Camden budget label in April 1970. "Let's Be Friends" collects mostly unreleased songs recorded for Presley film soundtracks. Source: Wikipedia

--

LYRICS If you let the stars keep telling you Who to love and not to love You may never find contentment for your heart You could go unloved forever and darling that means never Surrender to love, let's forget about the stars You say that stars have promised you true love ten thousand times But here you are with a broken heart and mind I can tell you want to love me from the beating in your heart Surrender to love, let's forget about the stars Let's forget about the stars, come follow me my dove To a world just like the world that you've been dreaming of Let's not wait too long for something might go wrong Surrender to love, let's forget about the stars Let's forget about the stars Let's forget about the stars Let's forget about the stars

Lyrics: Arthur Leo Owens (A. L. Owens)

[ai-demi]

I believe it was a divine intervention who wrote Will Solace on the narrative because how the fuck is he so interesting with so little screentime in the original series? This child who lost siblings and couldn’t even mourn them because he was dragged left and right to help, this child who became a talented and great healer at the ripe age of 12 and became a prodigy at 13, this child who kept absorbing pain and pushing down anger, this child who faced his trauma with a Trademarked Solace Smile and makes everyone feel safe besides himself, this child who had to be a dependable pillar, this child who saw death for so many times and had to accept it, this child, this child, this child whom everyone turns to at all times, this child who’s still only 16 and hasn’t properly been himself much because he has a duty that he loves and must uphold—helping and healing, something he deemed he could only do for others because he believed couldn’t do anything else. This child who got so scared when his best friend went missing, when his remaining siblings went missing, when he thought his father didn’t recognize him. This child who swallows his sadness. This child who was afraid of not being enough, who was afraid that people might leave him if he wasn’t—this child was afraid of people leaving him, because his own Dad did, his relationship with his Mom was not told much, the older siblings he loved left him by death, and he was nervous if Nico will leave him too. This child who feared losing the love of his life so he turned to his anger, his rage, his wrath—all pent up and went loose for a few minutes at Night herself and gave her a fucking hay fever. This child who had his own identity, who had and still has endless possibilities regarding who he is, his powers, and feelings yet reduced to just being a silly, goofy, perfect boyfriend healer of Nico di Angelo who never had a bad day and is stable—and some people loathe him for being “Nico’s Boyfriend” as if it’s his fault. This child is William Andrew Solace and I believe none of us has truly met him fully.

[bonesibegyou]

say what you will about AOS Trek, but the shift in Spock's attitude towards Kirk compared to TOS is the funniest thing

I mean, TOS Spock delivered a whole ass monologue about how it's scientifically proven that Kirk is incapable of making an intentionally malicious choice

and AOS Spock decided to go with "Here's a list of 619 reasons why your decisions are shit, do you want this alphabetised or colour-coded?"

top tier comedy, I tell you

[thresholdbb]

I’m now realizing I could never be in Starfleet. The spoons are too weird

[here-comes-the-moose]

You cannot look at Batcher’s design and tell me that someone in either the writers’ room or the animators’ room did not have a bully breed. I mean LOOK at her- that is a bulldog nose and a pittie smile.

[bibliophilesince2003]

The Bad Batch

Here's a little theory for you to mull over; I sincerely wonder whether I am alone in thinking this. I could also be heavily exhausted over and influenced by the papers I had to polish off for some of my college courses, or perhaps motivated by the fact that I am re-watching The Bad Batch because most modern shows these days, in my opinion, disappoint. At any rate, here it is.

Why do we like the Bad Batch so much? What makes them relatable and/or realistic?

Upon meeting Omega, most of the Bad Batch behave in a very dad-like manner. This is not surprising, no. Plenty of memes and incorrect quotes have stemmed from this simple observation. They don't have all the answers and they don't know what to do with Omega half the time. That's the thing about dads... usually, they're just "winging it" and trying to do their best. Moms come with a built-in instinct to nurture. Dads come with a built-in instinct to protect and lead. Sometimes, dads aren't quite sure what to do with a crying infant or a struggling teenager.

Let's not forget... Hunter and the others are soldiers. That isn't to say they can't be kind or gentle; even the toughest men have their weak points. As a military brat, though, I have noticed that such a profession can mold a man, and at times they forget to "turn off" their seriousness when at home after having dealt with extremely hard situations. I really appreciate that the producers of this show didn't change Hunter and the others just to make them more approachable from Omega's standpoint. If they do change, it's gradual.

Do Hunter and the others think about the consequences of bringing Omega into their lives? *eyeballs toothpick man* With exceptions, of course. Well, until season three. The answer? Absolutely not. They believe they have the strength and ability to keep her safe, as most dads would. They believe they will always have that strength and ability. Let me break it down for you and give you a look into the brain of a dad:

Dad: *involved in a dangerous situation*

Dad: I can do that.

Dad: *remembers their child is with them*

Dad: Oh. Well, I guess becomes a life lesson. I've got you, kid. Just... don't tell your mom.

Dad: *keeps an eye out for anything suspicious*

Kid: *perfectly content*

I've heard it said that dads don't say "I love you" but show they love you. I personally have experienced both, but given the seriousness of most dads... I can see how that would be the case. At the very least, their actions speak louder than words. The Bad Batch are very much this way towards Omega. They put their lives on the line. They want to make her happy. Wrecker assembles a spot for Omega to call her own on the Marauder. Tech grabs her before an explosion can reach them. Echo has hugged Omega the most. Hunter is usually within three feet of Omega at all times.

The subtle gestures of kindness captivated all our hearts, I know.

Why?

It's Star Wars, a fictional universe. It's not complete fiction, though. Hunter and the others represent a specific kind of love. Fathers may be cautious and unsure at first, but eventually they want the kid by their side for everything. We've all seen the videos of dads using infants as pretend machine guns or making them dance, the kid's neck rolling lazily. Gently, of course. If they can't protect the kid from everything, they use themselves as a shield, which extends to good mothers, too, though that's not what this post is about.

Hunter and the others may be soldiers, but they embody the very spirit of fatherhood. This was such a wonderful theme to see develop despite the grittiness and action.

Phew, I feel like there was more I wanted to say, but I'm tired, so you're spared from more rambling.

[svpergirly]

canon friendship dynamic because chloe gets SO serious about games and mikey is always laughing his head off while steph keeps adding fuel to the fire

[inthehouseoffinwe]

Aite, female character and general inclusivity rant incoming. Hate it and want to make a post? Sure. But give me the respect I gave those who inspired this and don’t tag me in it:

People immediately bringing the ‘female character’ argument into things drives me insane. Like we know she’s a female character, but trust me, that’s got very little to do with why people dislike her.

Are some people misogynistic? Absolutely!

Are most people misogynistic? No.

When we talk about Galadriel, and Luthien, and Elwing, and Aredhel, and Nimloth, and Melian, and Nerdanel, and Ahsoka, and Padme, and *insert literally any female character from any fandom here*, being female has nothing to do with it. It barely crosses our minds.

So for the love of all that is good, stop bringing ‘but she’s a female character! Anyone who sees her as anything but perfect, or thinks the male characters made better choices than her is obviously horrible and misogynistic and would never do this to a man :(‘ Into arguments.

I don’t care how few there are in the work. You can explain why you like her without blaming people for hating on the fact she’s female when 95% don’t. There are very literally hundreds of other reasons people interpret fictional events which portray the fem char negatively.

Especially in work like the Silm which is written by a canonical in-universe historian with basic backstory. We have every right to see him as unreliable and play with what that could mean. Doesn’t make it misogynistic if we want to see female characters as more shifty than they’re outwardly portrayed. Many of us often do the same with male characters, and even if we don’t, you have no right to judge someone so harshly when you barely know a thing about them outside an online persona. 99.9% of people don’t even consider male vs female when they write these things. And it’s not because of some weird subconscious misogyny either.

This is mainly aimed at those who bring this up over. And over. And over again in some weird attempt at guilt tripping people into ‘liking’ characters.

On the topic of things people do that make no sense, if characters are stated as being white, and an artist draws them all white. You have no right to say they’re being racist or whatever else you want to come up with.

Nor do you have the right to slander anyone who casually points out the character is white if others draw them as anything else. If we can call out whitewashing, we can talk about the opposite too. As long as the person isn’t being outright rude, have a conversation.

And don’t get me started on tagging pieces of fanart and fics specifically created platonic with a ship. Like the work? Great! Now respect the intentions of the person who created it.

No one in a fandom space, especially artists and writers, owes inclusivity of any kind when running off canon source material. You want to blame someone for a boring cast, blame the author! But even in general? You don’t get to force or guilt others to create content - original work included - that fits your ideal.

Yes I’m a writer and artist of original and fan content. Yes I’ve experienced all of these directly or indirectly.

Sincerely, a young brown woman tired of all the double standards.

[bumblingbabooshka]

Spock, Michael, and Sarek: Funereal Letting Go "Let Your Father Die Energy Drink" by Cecilia Corrigan

[sissylittlefeather]

Let's Forget About the Stars: Chapter 9

A/N: It's finally time! Wedding bells are ringin'! I know it seems like this would be a good place to end this series, but have no fear. I'm far from done with these two. Dove and Elvis will go on. Please let me know if you love them as much as I do! If I have to write this purely for myself, I will, but it helps me to know you all enjoy it too.

Need to catch up? Masterlist: HERE

Thanks to my eternal beta reader @ccab. Love you always, bestie!

Warnings: 18+ SMUT! (Finally) minors DNI! Cussing, kissing, fingering, oral sex (f receiving), much talk about erections, penetrative sex, unprotected sex, creampie, loss of virginity for both, some mention of pain during sex

Word count: ~3.3k

"I've never been more ready for anything in my life."

******

The ceremony is perfect. Dove's father officiates and Elvis tears up when he sees her walking down the aisle to him. She looks like an angel in her silk wedding dress with the full skirt, her veil trailing over her long black hair. When she reaches him at the altar, his hands shake as he takes hers gently.

"You look beautiful, Dovey." He whispers.

"Thank you, Jumbee. Are ya nervous?" He smiles.

"Oh, baby. Like you wouldn't believe. But not about us. Just about all of this." She kisses the back of his hand, her lipstick leaving a mark.

"It's okay. I'm nervous too." He smiles and leans in to kiss her, but Dove's father stops him.

"Woah, it's not quite time for that yet. You kids mind if I get started?" He asks, a grin on his face. Elvis nods and the ceremony officially begins.

The rest of it goes smoothly, with Dove's sister singing a hymn in their native language and Gladys reading some of her favorite scriptures. By the end of it, both Dove and Elvis have calmed down and settled into the reality of the vows they make to one another. This is real, just like their love.

"Alright, now you may kiss the bride." Elvis has been impatiently shaking his leg for the last three minutes and he barely lets her father get to the end of the statement before he wraps her in his arms and kisses her both sensually and respectfully. It's hard for him to keep it church-appropriate, but he manages to do a pretty good job. They walk down the aisle together as man and wife and then find a cozy corner to snuggle up and kiss for real as everyone shuffles out of the church to head back to Graceland for the reception.

"We're married, Jumbee. Married!"

"I know, honey, I can barely believe it. I wish everyone wasn't going back to the house, though."

"Why?" She raises an eyebrow.

"Because I'd really like to just throw you over my shoulder, take you upstairs, and-"

"Elvis Aaron Presley! We are in a church!"

"And we're finally married. I think I've waited patiently long enough." He pulls her body in close to his and kisses her deeply. She moans softly into his mouth and just as they start to get a little carried away, Vernon is there to usher them into the car. He laughs under his breath at their frustration and successfully gets them into the backseat of the limousine tasked with driving them back to Graceland. They're pressed together, tongues entwined for the whole ride and it's a good thing it's not a longer trip.

They enter the party hand in hand to cheers and applause. Most of the night passes in music and laughter and food and champagne toasts. Elvis and Dove are pretty much glued together the entire time, singing duets and kissing anytime someone taps their glass.

At one point, though, Elvis finds himself alone in a conversation with Scotty, Bill, and DJ. Eventually, Scotty gets around to the reason they cornered him.

"So, Elvis, you nervous about tonight?" He asks, just above a whisper. Bill chuckles good-naturedly and DJ smiles. They know Elvis was waiting for marriage, so they take it upon themselves to be the experts. Elvis looks around at them a little more seriously than they expected.

"I... well... come here." He walks down the stairs to the pool room and they follow him. Once they're all there together he turns and his eyes flash in genuine fear. "I'm terrified, fellas."

They all look around at each other and then back at Elvis.

"Well, you've been with this girl before doing other stuff, right?" Bill asks.

"Yeah, but this is different. I have no idea what I'm doing."

"Elvis please tell me we don't have to explain how this works." DJ raises his eyebrows at him.

"No. I mean I know the basics, but things like will it hurt her? It seems like it might hurt." Scotty nods.

"It'll probably hurt her a little. But just go slow and stop if she says stop."

"And what if she doesn't like it?" DJ smiles mischievously.

"If you do it right, she will. Trust me." Elvis blinks like he's panicking.

"What if I don't do it right?! There's a wrong way?!" The other three suppress their laughs. This time Bill speaks.

"Calm down, Elvis. It'll be fine. Just pay attention to her and try not to get overwhelmed by your own... goal... Make it about her and you'll be just fine." Scotty turns and looks at Bill.

"That's good advice. I should try that." The whole group erupts in laughter and Elvis relaxes considerably.

"Let's get you back to your bride." DJ claps him on the back and they all make their way back up the stairs.

Elvis gets back to Dove and immediately wraps his arm around her and kisses her hair.

"Where were you, Jumbee?"

"Nowhere in particular. Did you need me?"

"I can't find Jane." Dove's younger sister disappeared about twenty minutes ago and she hasn't been able to locate her. Her eyebrows are pulled together in concern. Elvis looks around the party, utilizing his taller vantage point. He doesn't see her either, so he grabs one of his buddies.

"Hey. You seen the maid of honor?" Red shakes his head.

"No, but my cousin is missing too."

"Goddamnit." Elvis kisses Dove's forehead and then leaves with Red. He has a sneaking suspicion they're somewhere together. He noticed them flirting before the ceremony and thought it might be a problem later, but was a little distracted by his impending nuptials. Dove giggles a little at Elvis's response. It didn't take him long to think of Jane as his own sister.

They eventually locate them outside, pressed together against the side of the house kissing. Elvis hollers unceremoniously.

"SONNY!" The younger man jumps back and puts both hands in the air.

"I didn't do anything! We're just kissing!"

"That sounds like somethin' to me!" Jane steps in front of Sonny.

"It's okay, Elvis. I wanted him to kiss me."

"Wanted... honey, you're just a kid. And now you're my sister. I don't want the likes of him putting his hands on you." Jane rolls her eyes.

"I'm 18. And it's sweet that you care, but I'm alright." Dove shows up next to Elvis and touches his arm lightly.

"It's okay, Jumbee." He looks down at her and softens as she slides her hand into his. "I can't wait to see what you're like with a daughter!"

He lets out a small laugh and turns back to Sonny.

"Just kissing. And if you're not back in 10 minutes I'll come get you myself."

"Okay, okay!" Dove pulls on Elvis's hand and leads him back inside to the party.

The night continues with more singing, more dancing, food, and laughter. With each passing hour, Elvis gets more and more anxious to take Dove upstairs. The waiting is about to kill him. Eventually, he drags her into the bathroom with every intention of getting some kind of relief.

"Elvis! There's a whole party of people out there!"

"I know, baby, but I'm dyin'. Can I just kiss ya a little bit?"

"We've been kissing all night."

"Dovey, you know what I mean." She smiles innocently. She knows exactly what he means, she's just giving him a hard time. Then, she grabs the front of his jacket and pulls him down to her, pressing her lips to his passionately. His hands instantly begin to wander and he groans, frustrated that the fullness of her skirt is keeping him from her center. "I'm about to crawl up under this dress, baby."

He breathes shakily, so turned on he's ready to bust. She touches his hardened length gently, teasingly, and he moans.

"Maybe I should get on my knees." She whispers against his lips and he whimpers. But as she starts to move down his body, there's a knock on the door.

"Fuck!" Elvis hisses, pulling his erection up under his belt. Dove giggles uncontrollably, her hand pressed over her mouth. They both wait to see if whoever is at the door will leave. There's another sharp knock on the door and Elvis kisses Dove three more times and then prepares himself to open the door, praying it's one of his friends and not someone else. He twists the knob and pulls it open.

Much to his chagrin, it's Dove's father.

"Oh, hi daddy!" Dove coos from behind Elvis.

"Sir..." Elvis whispers, sweating. For a minute, John stands there looking back and forth between them. Then, he busts out laughing. He laughs so hard tears squeeze out of his eyes and he holds his stomach.

"The look... on your face!" He cackles. Elvis laughs nervously, not sure what to do. "Alright, you two. Out. I'm afraid you'll have to wait a little longer."

The young people file out of the bathroom and he walks in and closes the door, shaking his head and laughing quietly. Elvis puts his back on the wall and leans his head back, sighing deeply.

"I thought I was a dead man." Dove laughs.

"No, daddy wouldn't hurt you. He knows we're married. It's okay." Elvis grabs her and pulls her to him, kissing the top of her head.

"Alright, well, no more close calls. I'll wait." She giggles and lifts her face so he can kiss her lips before they go back to the party.

Finally, the clock strikes midnight and most of the party has left. All the people who live at the house have gone to the hotel and only a few stragglers remain. Elvis is done waiting. Without warning, he stands up off the couch and pulls Dove up with him. Then, he turns to the last remaining partygoers.

"Okay. I'm gonna take my wife upstairs now. Thank you all for coming, but it's time to go home."

"Aw, it's only midnight!" Sonny calls out to him from his place on the couch with his arm around Jane. Elvis rolls his eyes and then swoops Dove up in his arms.

"We are going to bed. Get out." He says it playfully, but everyone knows he's serious as he makes his way to the staircase. They file out quickly and Red winks as he is the last one through the door, closing it quietly. Elvis chuckles. "About damn time."

Dove giggles as he carries her up the stairs. Both of them have more butterflies in their stomach than they did before the wedding. When he gets into their bedroom, he kicks the door closed behind him.

"You don't really have to do that. There's no one here." Dove's eyes twinkle mischievously. Elvis sets her on her feet and then turns and opens the door.

"Ha! And we can be as loud as we want!"

"Yes. We can." She bites her bottom lip nervously. It dawns on both of them that they've never seen each other fully naked. They stand for a bit just looking at each other up and down before she reaches out with shaky hands to take off his jacket and tie. He leans down and kisses her gently as she tries to unbutton his shirt, but her hands are trembling too much. He helps her with the buttons and then pulls his shirt off, dropping it on the floor. He kicks his shoes and socks off and then she unzips his slacks, pushing them down his legs. For once, he actually has on underwear, so he stands there, his erection pressing against the fabric. She turns her back to him and moves her hair so he can get to the buttons on the back of her dress. His fingers shake as he unbuttons the line of them one by one. He finishes the last one just above her panty line. His fingertips graze the skin there and she shivers. She moans softly as he leans down and presses his lips to her shoulder and then the back of her neck. He pushes the dress forward and down, running his hands over her stomach, and then the rest of the way down her legs where it settles in a cloud-like pile at her feet. She turns to face him and he helps her step out of the dress towards him. He looks down at her in her white cotton and lace bra and panty set and lets out a low whistle.

"Goddamn, baby." He holds her hands out and steps back to get a better look. "I almost hate to take 'em off."

"Oh?"

"Not that much." He fumbles for a bit with the clasp on her bra before she reaches back and undoes it for him. He slides it off and then tosses it to the side. His mouth presses hot kisses to her neck and down her chest where he pulls one of her nipples into his mouth, swirling his tongue around it. She moans softly with the sensation and he gently pinches her other nipple between his thumb and forefinger. His hands tremble as he slides them down her sides and then pushes her panties down her legs. She lifts each foot out of them and he tosses them to the side too. He stands up and pushes his underwear down, letting his erect cock bounce free. They stand, completely nude for the first time with nothing in between them. Their eyes run over the other one as they drink in the experience of the other person's naked body.

"Dovey, you're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. I can't believe I get to have you like this, that you chose me."

"Forever, Jumbee. I'm yours to have forever." He closes the distance between them and takes her in his arms, kissing her deeply and pressing their skin together uninhibited. She jumps and wraps her legs around his waist and he carries her over to the bed, laying her gently on the mattress. He hovers over her body, his dick pushed up against her thigh. She whispers against his lips and gently begins to stroke him.

"I'm ready." He nods and kisses down her body.

"This first, baby. I don't want to hurt you." She's not going to argue with him as he settles between her thighs. He goes to work, running his tongue up her slit before he licks her clit with a newfound fervor. She runs her hand in his hair as he slides first one and then two fingers inside her.

"God, Jumbee, I'll never get tired of this." He grunts as he moves his tongue on her, savoring the sweet taste of her pussy. She'd been so turned on since the wedding that it doesn't take long for an orgasm to come crashing into her, sending her over the moon with pleasure. He groans as she shudders and pulses around his fingers, coming completely undone for him. Pulling his fingers out, he pushes his tongue into her a couple more times before he climbs back up her body. They both tremble as he moves his tip to press against her entrance.

"You sure you're ready?" She looks up at him with her eyes wide.

"I-is it gonna hurt?" He sighs, very glad he talked to the guys earlier.

"Probably a little bit. If it's too bad, let me know and I'll stop."

"Okay." She takes a deep breath and tries to relax. "I'm ready."

He nods and slowly begins to push the tip of his cock inside her. She's so tight around him that he lets out a strangled moan, unable to stop it. He keeps pushing slowly and she winces. It feels good to be filled like this, but it also stings quite a bit. When he gets about halfway there, she whimpers and squeezes her eyes shut. He freezes and looks down at her.

"Is it too much? Should I stop?"

"No, baby, don't stop. I just need to adjust." She takes a couple of deep breaths and then nods. "Okay, I'm ready. Keep going."

He pulls back a little and then pushes forward again slowly. Another sound that's somewhere between and moan and grunt falls from his lips. He can't believe how good it feels to have her around him. After another couple of seconds, he bottoms out filling her fully. He's dying to fuck her silly, but he remembers what Bill said about focusing on her.

"Does it still hurt, baby?"

"A little, but I'm okay." Her eyes are almost crossing from the sensation of being so full. It hurts, but it also feels really good. They lay there for a bit, with him just nestled inside her as she relaxes and gets used to the feeling of him. He bites his bottom lip desperate to move.

"C-can I move, Dovey?" She catches the desperation in his voice.

"Yes. I'm ready." He whimpers and pulls out slowly, thrusting his hips forward.

"Oh!" She yelps breathlessly. He panics a little, not sure he can stop now.

"Is it bad? Should I-"

"No! It's good! Oh, God, it's good." He breathes and relaxes.

"So I can keep going?"

"Please yes." He smiles and starts to gently slide out and back in again.

"Oh, fuck, Jumbee..." She moans loudly as he picks up a steady rhythm. "You can go a little faster."

He groans and increases the speed and intensity of his hips against hers. It doesn't hurt at all anymore and the harder he fucks her, the better it feels. He starts to lose himself in her a bit, slamming himself into her with unmitigated passion.

"Oh-oh-oh, Elvis!" She yells as he pounds her, her breasts bouncing with each impact. He's very glad that there's no one else in the house as the noises she's making push him closer and closer to the edge.

"Fuck, baby, you're so sexy. I love you so much." He captures her lips in a feverish kiss, his tongue exploring her mouth as his cock slides in and out of her over and over again. She moans loudly and arches her back as another orgasm builds in her center.

"Elvis, yes! Yes!" Her fingernails dig into his back as she cums hard on his dick, shaking and moaning his name. He feels her pussy throb on his cock and the squeezing sensation threatens to push him over the edge.

"Honey, I'm gonna cum. Should I...?"

"No! Stay inside! We're married. Please!" With that, he loses all control, shooting her full of his hot release.

"FUCK DOVEY." He moans with his whole body, shuddering his hips and pumping into her weakly a few more times. He relaxes and sets his head on her shoulder, pressing his lips to her skin delicately. She kisses his forehead and holds him close to her. They lay there for a bit trying to catch their breath. He lifts his head and looks into her face. "Was that... good for you too?"

"Elvis, are you serious? That was amazing." She giggles and he slides his softening cock out of her, rearranging to lay on his back with her settled in the crook of his arm.

"Wow."

"Yeah. We get to do that forever." He laughs and turns to face her.

"Dovey, I love you so much. I've never been happier than I am right now."

"I love you too, Jumbee. This was the best day of my life." He moves a piece of her hair out of her face and then kisses her gently. Both of them know he has to go back to filming King Creole in a week and soon after that he'll be leaving for the army. The future hangs over them like a dark cloud. But tonight they have each other and even if they can't be together, they'll have each other forever now. She kisses the end of his nose and he smiles.

"Goodnight, Mrs. Presley."

"Goodnight, Mr. Presley." They go to sleep wrapped in each other and never look back.

******

To be continued...

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Taglist:

@wildhorseinkansas @ccab @elvisfatass @elvisalltheway101 @aliypop @18lkpeters @dkayfixates @tacozebra051 @your-nanas-house @deniseinmn @joshuntildawn13 @lookingforrainbows @60svintage @littlehoneyposts @epthedream69 @louisejoy86 @rjmartin11 @from-memphis-with-love @deltafalax @atleastpleasetelephone @cinnamoroll-things @burnthheparaphilia @jhoneybees @cattcb @everythingelvispresley @returntopresley

[xenomorphicdna]

This is an on the string propaganda post

Brought to you, by me (with love)

It's time for machine comforts. Comforts we can't understand, or experience. Let them be happy, let them be at peace with their body.

Does a breath of cool water feel nice on their systems? When it's quiet do they listen to their own heart and feel the electricity pulsing? Does it remind them that they are alive and a part of this world? Do they have dreams? Hopes and projects they wish to work on, hobbies?

Why get off the string into the harsh and deadly world, fighting for survival and losing everything they've ever known to love about themselves?

What about the safety of their bodies? How scary would it be for a machine with thousands, maybe millions of throughs to suddenly have just a handful. The horror of everything going silent.

They have hundreds of eyes to see the world for all its beauty, they capture moments that would otherwise go unseen. Why blind themselves of such things?

[redbean-nom]

fascinated by the implied fennec-ventress-phee friend group in tbb. even more interesting (funny) when you add boba in there during the tbobf era.

[yurislava]

KILLUA FACT I NEED MORE PEOPLE TO KNOW

Killua's birthday (July 7) falls on the same day the festival of star-crossed lovers, Tanabata, takes place. STAR-CROSSED LOVERS!!! Not only that, the character from the myth and Killua's pasts heavily resemble each other.

I don't believe this wasn't an accident and I think Togashi purposely chose that date for these reasons.

[sukibenders]

Racism and misogynoir are so apparent in fandom, especially when it comes to shipping because why is it when a white male, sometimes female but I see it more with the former, character is on screen with a love interest, particularly woc, especially if they're black, and even with all the emotional scenes or just moments where they look at one another in ways different from the rest, it's met with "No, they aren't dating/the show is not going to put them together" but let the other love interest be white as well and suddenly it all makes sense? Heck, the examples I mentioned above don't even have to exist between the latter for some to STILL go and believe this rhetoric (eg. some Jace and Helaena shippers because, even if these two only interacted with a dance but yet we see Baela console Jace, after he seeks her out, apparently it's to far fetched to believe that Jacela could be a thing?!)

Sometimes it could be a headcanon that, largely, would make sense (and oftentimes was birth due to lack of respect that the poc characters could have been given by the writers *cough* TVD *cough*), and yet you'd still have people dismissing it left and right and spewing hate. At a HEADCANON! And I'm not saying that just because the other person in the ship is poc that you have to ship them, I'm not, but it's very apparent to many poc fans in fandom that unless the characters are swapping spit and doing the nasty, the possibility of them being viewed in any romantic lens feels too much of stretch even though their white counterparts don't have to jump through the same loops.

[justinegreenpie]

does anybody else feel like a lot of sso's features aren't fully implemented lately? for example the championship season pass thing, I think that was so hidden. for no reason. i've had multiple people tell me they didn't even know it existed until somebody told them about it. and that seems like such a big flaw for a timed event and brand new feature?? i also felt very thrown into the deep end with the collections lately. both gm bee's bees and erissa's dolls didn't tell you anything about what you had to do! i loved the stars, i adored the spiders, this would be right up my alley. but all the confusion ruins it for me! why doesnt sso tell us how many things we have to collect? what's the diary even for if they don't add the new collection quests to it? i loved it as a way to keep track of your progress and get hints of the areas of the collectables you're still missing. the way it is right now it just incentivizes looking up guides instead of trying :(