#liam x kimiko

[resetmypatientviolence]

Conflict of Interest : Cold Blooded, Part 2

Characters: Jaela Abdi-Walker and Kimiko Amaya (TRR MC’s)

Word Count: ~5,500

Rating: PG

Warnings: None

Description: While Kimiko spends a day in luxury (glued to her phone), Liam’s final candidate for the open Royal Council seat has both him and Jaela up in arms, but for two entirely different reasons. 

Author Note: Welcome back to Cold Blooded after... forever. This is a crossover TRR AU (that takes place post STB-verse) with @trr-fangirl‘s and I’s MC’s, Jaela and Kimiko. Part One is on our blogs if you need to catch up. Otherwise, thank you for reading and please enjoy! Both of our Masterlists are link in our blogs headers. 

“Are you listening?”

Liam watched the incoming text messages flood his phone screen before locking it and turning his attention back to Jaela. “Of course, we were discussing all the candidates for our open Council seat.” He shot her a small smile, waiting for her attention to move elsewhere.

It didn’t.

“I can tell something else is bugging you, you know,” she said with narrowed eyes, coffee in hand. “Is it something at the palace?” She asked but he shook his head. It was Jaela’s idea to get him out of the palace and away from his usual routine. Brunch sounded like a nice idea and both their schedules were clear for the morning. But, these messages had nothing to do with his kingly duties— for once.

“It can wait, I assure you.” Jaela appeared ruffled, displeased with the shift of her shoulders. “Now, to our candidates.” He sat up in his chair and picked up a sheet of paperwork then handed it to her over the croissants and near empty plates, much laughter and talking-- and little work-- done over the first part of brunch.

She set down the coffee and stared down at the paper before taking it from him, frowning, “What’s this? I thought you brought the applications?”

Liam leaned back and grabbed his phone, lips quirked at the new message on there. “I’m not bringing confidential documents out of the palace, Jaela.” Jaela frowned deeper-- as he expected-- and he quickly texted back while Jaela scrutinized the six names on the list. “Besides, it’s brunch. I knew we wouldn’t get that much done, nor would you accept a stain on the applications.”

Jaela smirked at his all too accurate joke and met his eyes just as he sent off a message to…

“Kimiko…” she murmured, tapping the sheet. Liam gulped, adjusting his collar. Her emotions are clear as day, still, to him. He knows that tone. It’s unmistakable.

“Yes?” He said in his best attempt to mask his emotions around that name. He can’t tell her about Kimiko, not yet. If she found out…. “What about her? She’s a diplomat’s daughter, one of Cordonia’s most trusted, actually. One of my final six to fill the open seat.” Why am I worried if Jaela finds out? Wouldn’t she be happy for me? Focus, Liam.

“Just…” Jaela pushed hair over her shoulder, wrinkling her nose. The sun hits her cheeks just right, highlighter sparkling across the planes of them. Liam blinked, rapidly, and glanced away. “She’s the only one here not on mine.” As if Jaela expected this, she pulled out her own list, passing it to him. Indeed… all the same, except her.  Liam bit the inside of his cheek to hide the disappointment from her. Why did her opinion matter so much, still?

Jaela placed the list down and picked up her coffee, finishing it off, eyes still on Liam’s list before her. On the name flashing on his phone. “So, who is the diplomat?” She asked, her eyes still on the paper.

“Mr. Takashi Amaya. His wife is an esteemed lawyer in Japan.... My father worked with them occasionally before he stepped down.”

Jaela repressed a snort, but raised her eyebrows high, instead. Her opinion of his father didn’t change, he should have expected that. Probably not the best thing to first mention about her…. “Seems like you know a lot about her…?”

He shrugged, his eyes still glued to his phone. Kimiko. “Hm, I wouldn’t say that. We are talking about her parents who work for our country, are we not?”

Liam did not miss the dramatic roll of her eyes, or the frustration she exuded again. Well, what did she expect him to say? To offer? He had to keep neutral, emotionless in the matters of Kimiko.

Jaela sighed and finished the last bite of her food, meeting his eyes with a sip of her water, her mind filled with a million questions she wanted to say, wanted to ask, but knew it would be futile.

What was the point of asking him any more questions when he was going to dodge them all? There was something up. Liam couldn’t keep his eyes away from that phone, nor did she miss his controlled speech when he spoke about this Kimiko despite the slight flush to his cheek when she said her name. Just because he could smoothly deflect one minor question doesn’t mean he could for all of them. But she had to leave it at that. At least she had one idea of why she was on his list.

There was another reason, too, Jaela just knew. But for now...

“I’ll look into her application tonight but you should do the same for Brianna-- since you didn’t consider her either,” she muttered, standing up and smoothed down her skirt, flicking her gaze to him… Liam looking respectfully away, of course...and to his phone. Jaela ignored the flutter of a long distant pang and picked up the papers. “So, you’ll look into Brianna’s app?”

Liam looked up at her, lips tight, but a smile was there. So he wasn’t too annoyed. Or whatever. He was too easy and too hard to read all at once. “Yes, of course. The same for you to Kimiko’s application.”

“I’ll give it a through second look tonight, Liam,” she agreed, smiling as well. “I’ll see you at the meeting later and...” Jaela bit her tongue, resisting making a joke about whoever he was texting. Something told her it wouldn’t go over well. So, she gave his shoulder a squeeze instead and headed towards to front her car, she had a lot to go over before the meeting, Kimiko’s name burning on the page.

She had a feeling, that’s all. She couldn't tell if it was good or bad, either. Jaela hated those limbos-- the between. Lord knows her and Liam experienced enough of that, already.

*

“Oh, my gosh! This would look gorgeous on you, Kimiko!” The older woman, Avery, enthused from across the large, empty boutique. She rushed over to her younger sister and held up a bright pink floral dress. “Look!”

Her dark brown eyes flicked up from her phone-- I can’t wait to see you again-- for a split second before pulling out the lollipop in her mouth. “Oh, hell no,” she snapped then placed the candy back into her mouth and continued to tap the screen rapidly, heartbeat faster than her fingers. You have no idea how much I miss-- Ew no, don’t be clingy-- :) -- no, you’re not a child-- I can’t wait to see you too, Liam-- better. Good. Perfect.

“Oh, come on! It’s so pretty and I bet your little friend would love to see you in anything else than but black!” Avery whispered mischievously.

Kimiko ignored her sister’s comment but she couldn’t hide the heat that rose in her body as she thought about.... She cleared her throat and turned to her sister, a faint blush still on her cheeks. “I don’t want to wear a pink fucking dress, Avery!”

Avery rolled her eyes and tossed the dress into the nearby tailor’s face then shooed him away. “You’re so damn annoying! You need some color in your life… God, you’re so basic--”

“Will you shut the hell up already?!” Kimiko shouted, her eyes shooting daggers at her sister.

Avery threw her hands up into the air as she stalked off to the leather couch. “Fine! Don’t ask for my help if you’re just going to yell at me. You’re notorious for doing that shit.” She plopped onto the chair and kicked off her heels. But not even a moment later, a smirk appearing on Avery’s face. “Now, tell me about this girl you met at the club the other night.”

Of course. Avery would do anything to get her fill of gossip. It was her guilty pleasure, besides being an instigator. Kimiko raised an eyebrow and slid her phone into her back pocket, giving her sister the undivided attention she wanted from the start. Liam can surely wait. And I thought I was the clingy one…

“Oh… Her,” Kimiko mumbled, a flash of annoyance spreading across her features. Her face always told on her… no matter what emotion she was feeling. Everyone in the room knew.  

Avery snickered-- her tone mocking, “Aw, what did the big bad duchess do to you? It’s not often that little Kimi gets upset over some chick.”

“Well, that chick is the reason why my top smelled like whiskey!” She blurted while eyeing the jewelry section a little ways away from her. Her sister laughed again and Kimiko narrowed her eyes. “The hell is so funny?”

Avery flipped her hair, “You’re seriously still pissed about that... when that same woman holds your career in the palm of her hands? Tch, someone needs to get their priorities straight.” The smile on Avery’s lips spread wider when Kimiko didn’t respond. “Tell me I’m wrong. I dare you.”

Kimiko’s nostrils flared. “What are you trying to say?”

The older sibling shrugged, nonchalantly. Kimiko hated when she did that. Avery knew exactly where she was going with her little speech— she just wanted to be difficult. “I don’t know, Kimiko.”

“Whatever, Avery. I don’t have time for your stupid mind games. Besides, I’m pretty sure Daddy will raise hell if I’m not on that council. I’m not worried about her,” Kimiko said with a mischievous smile on her face as she finally made her way to the jewelry section.

Avery frowned and pursed her lips to keep from scoffing, “Using Father’s power, huh?”

“Well, you certainly don’t give a shit about him and your guess as to where our brother is as good as mine. So, why not use my daddy?” She asked, her black stiletto nails ran over the enclosed case of expensive necklaces and bracelets, eyes glittering as she studied each of them. A small, almost unnoticeable smile appeared on her lips when her sister didn’t come back with a witty retort.  

Avery ignored her sister’s dirty comment as she walked over to her. She leaned onto the case, her eyes burning with something more than just anger… Her eyes burned with resentment. And Kimiko knew all the reasons why.. Even if she continued to block them out. “He’s a shit person and you know it.”

Kimiko opened her mouth to reply, she still felt the need to protect him.. To protect her father. After everything he’s done for her in order for her to get this far in the political world… She felt obligated to. But the persistent vibration in her back pocket told her otherwise, she’d have to save that argument for another day. He wanted her attention. Her hand flew to her back pocket just as Avery looked over at her.

Avery looked at the phone in her hand and shook her head, “Can’t even hold a conversation.” She muttered before she called over an employee to open the enclosed case.

Despite the overwhelming urge to roll her eyes, Kimiko unlocked her phone and began to type right away, ignoring the world the best way she knew how to.

*

Jaela thumbed through the small stack of applications on her desk, skipping over some to get to what she was looking for. She stopped when she found her name and pulled it out. Leaning back in her chair, her eyes flew across the words, though she took moments to carefully scrutinize her qualifications and the apparent reasons Liam felt that she was right for the job. Reasons he wouldn’t elaborate on.

Jaela scribbled down notes as she read, biting the tip of her tongue. “Why does he want you so much…” she muttered as she read where she was from, how old she was, her experience, how long she lived in Cordonia and any given information about her time in Japan. There were no flaws in her application.... Not even one. This woman may have even been more capable than the candidate she picked. But... there was something still wrong.

Something that didn’t feel right about this applicant.

Kimiko Amaya...

She placed the application back into the stack and pulled out her keyboard, her fingers hovering over the keys, for what she didn’t know, after all, she did tell Liam she would do a thorough investigation, but there was a short knock on her office door that pulled her away from seeing that name before her eyes.

“Dinner?” Drake said, smiling, hot plate in his hand. Jaela smiled and stood up, greeting him with a kiss, taking the plate.

“Thank you for bringing me dinner,” she said. “I’ve gotta look into this… Kimiko Amaya… for a bit.” Drake raised an eyebrow and followed her to her desk, setting his hands on her shoulders, massaging them.

“You didn’t this afternoon?”

Jaela nodded, head falling back, looking up at her husband, plate set on the desk to the side, hands on his wrists. “Nah, too busy with the Council, bills and stuff to sign. But… I promised I’d give her another look, like Liam promised he’d look at my candidate.”

Drake offered a reassuring squeeze and leaned down, kissing her forehead. Her wore an odd expression, one she can’t read, but it didn’t matter. The chicken smells good. “Alright. Just don’t stay up too late, okay? I love how hard you work, but I love my wife more.”

She smiled, circling her thumbs over his skin. “I promise. You’ll get all the cuddles tonight.”

He smirked and ran his hand to the back of her neck. She shivered at his tender and tantalizing touch, biting her lower lip. He’s certainly tempting… but she needed to work for just a bit longer. “And more…?”

She rolled her eyes and smirked, kissing his palm, squeezing his hand. “I’m sure this can’t take too long, but if somebody is making me procrastinate…” She hinted with a pointed eyebrow raise, Drake shaking his head and chuckling.

“Alright, alright,” he said with one final kiss. “Don’t work too hard, Abdi. I’m sure we’ll have a lively debate tomorrow about who to choose for our final six.”

“I won’t,” she said, and that was enough to get Drake to finally leave, leaving the door cracked.  She let out a small sigh and glanced at her monitor, ready for a truly thorough look into the life and qualifications of this Kimiko.

In a few minutes, multiple tabs were open-- some articles (various tidbits of gossip about her family, not that gossip held any weight in her decision) , some social media (she seemed to like champagne and martinis and getting paid for advertisements) and others of general information about her and her family… and their history, so to speak.

Maybe it was excessive. She shouldn't have gone beyond the application, which has everything and more-- after all, she didn’t do this much digging with the other candidates she reviewed. But she was serious about her research and she hoped Liam was the same way. After all, these were the two candidates they disagreed on, so perhaps more was required than a second look at their applications.  

Jaela blinked and swallowed the chicken, refocusing on the screen. Enough of her thoughts. She had notes to take, replacing the empty dinner plate with a notebook as she truly dug into the mystery of why Liam wanted Kimiko Amaya so badly on the council… and why he blushed over this woman. First things first… one thing was for sure, her social media was always updated.

The last post was from three hours ago and it was of a boutique somewhere in the capital with the caption, ‘All to ourselves’ with tons of heart emojis next to it. Jaela raised an eyebrow as she continued to scroll through her feed, tons of pictures of bags from designer stores, at extravagant events with the same few people or out in the city with another woman, her sister, most likely. Had to be… But something about her seemed familiar. Oddly familiar. Nothing usually got past Jaela but this woman surely did. But she’d didn’t have time to rack her brain to why she looked familiar, not when there were notes to draw up.  

The more Jaela scrolled through her social media, the more annoyed she got. She had only scrolled past a handful of photos and announcements about charity events she attended, one of her working in the Apple Orchard catching her eye but that was the year before and there wasn’t much else after it.

Just of her partying... or shopping. Such a revolutionary pick over Brianna. Liam probably didn’t even look at Kimiko’s social media, he barely knew what a hashtag was-- “Hey...” Jaela jumped and turned to look at the door. She bit her lip when she saw the expression on Drake’s sleepy face. It had been almost two hours since he left the first time. “I thought you said--”

“I’m sorry. I’m coming right now,” she muttered and began to log off her desktop and clean up around her desk. Bedtime. She said she’d give Kimiko a second look… and she did, through nearly every photo, including one of of her shoes… on that carpet…. Something nagged  in the back of her mind, but she tried to push it back, letting her sleepy husband lead her to their room, Chance happily waddling at their feet.

*

Jaela tried.

She really, really tried to fall asleep, to accept that she looked at all she could and her mind wasn’t changed about this girl. Her social media was enough to disqualify her. Let alone her family, even if her father was a friend of the crown. Did Liam really want a woman with such little world experience to help run a country? He was better than that. She knows him.

But hours later, Drake snoring quietly next to her, out like a light (and he would be, she knew exactly how to get him dead to the world), Jaela stared at the canopy top of their bed, covers up to her chest. She can’t sleep. She can’t quiet her mind. She can only think of this Kimiko, a disastrous fit for the council once you looked past the paper. Her damn pictures… flaunting her travels and wealth for the world, despite only wearing basically black and white (did the girl not know how to wear color?), she still has to show off everything that says, “I haven’t worked a hard day in my life and only took Daddy’s money to get where I am”, even if those shoes are mediocre at best, and with that carpet-- fuck, that carpet.

Jaela’s heart leapt into her throat, eyes wide, cool dread settling form head to toe. His carpet.

Silently, she slipped out of bed and threw on a robe, wide awake and back into her office with the half finished notes and bullet points of her argument to Liam as to why Kimiko cannot be a part of the Royal Council. Chance followed her and curled at her feet as the desktop loads to right where she left off. All tabs opened, and back to her social media, array of pictures, whether genuine or a paid advertisement, that are everything Jaela doesn’t want to be associated with before her.

Jaela scrolled to the picture that left her so unsettled. Shoes, they’re just shoes, that stupid #ad in her caption. She frowned. The carpet is… it’s so familiar. It looks like… Liam’s office. Jaela gulped hard, stomach twisted at the mere thought, the possibility. Does Liam not realize that she’s a conflict of interest then? But… Jaela leaned back, rubbing her eyes with a heavy sigh. Liam’s not the only one who has to have a carpet like that… and he’s not the only powerful person she would visit.

“Does he even know her…” Jaela mumbled turned her attention back to her notes. If she was going to argue against this woman who was clearly not fit,  she needed good points. Everything about her social media proved one thing: she was a liability and so was her family. Jaela needed to prove Liam wrong, to prove that she was right. It wouldn’t be her first time doing so….

And before long, Jaela was knee deep in articles, looking through this woman’s tweets, as much as her Facebook as she could, her friends, family-- almost as fucked as hers--, and everything about this woman, her dark eyes staring through the screen, boring into hers. Jaela’s notes made barely any sense as the night dragged on, words turning into scribbles, sentences half complete ideas, reasons to argue against her weak and repetitive, but she just-- she couldn’t describe it-- she needed to protect Liam from this woman, she thought in her half asleep daze, scrolling through those pictures again, wondering why she looked so familiar. There’s no reason why she needs to do this search, digging everything, printing out articles, other than a gut feeling, present even as she nodded off.

“Gotta… protect… she’s a liability…”

“Time for bed, Abdi,” Drake whispered in her ear, arms coming around her. He lifted her into his arms. She tried to resist, but it was weak, head on his chest, hand on that damned scar. And she was sound asleep before he set her on the bed. Drake kissed her forehead and tucked her in with a frown, brushing hair off of her cheek. “Why do you care so much about her?” he whispered, question only heard by Chance, dutifully curled at Jaela’s feet.

*

“I have to ask, Jae,” Drake said after spitting out his toothpaste. Jaela paused brushing, then continued, waiting for him to carry on. “Why are you so… hyper-fixated on this Kimiko girl? If you don’t want her…” Drake kept his voice pretty even. Huh. Pretty alert for the morning, too. But… Jaela spit out her toothpaste in her sink, eyes narrowed in the mirror on him. “Why not just tell Liam no? Why did you need to...  I don’t know…” He trailed and looked away, hand through his wet hair.

“Finish your sentence.”

Drake sighed, gripping counter edge. “Why did you need to look her up like that? You know Liam didn’t do that to yours. Are you… intimidated by her or…?”

She blinked, incredulous. Her? Intimidated? “Me, intimated by her? Drake, you’ve got to be kidding me.” She wiped her mouth, then ran the water, getting some on her face before the cleanser. “I’m just... “ How could she explain this to him? The carpet? She’d seem crazy if she threw accusations like that into the air. “I have a gut feeling that she won’t work as a council member. I don’t know… she can’t be on, that’s all I know, Drake.”

He frowned and watched her, tugging on his hair. Jaela paused cleaning her face, then continued with a racing heart. Drake knew something, didn’t he? “She seems okay on paper, Jaela. It’s invasive to look her up like that. It’s not like we’re selecting anybody today.”

Jaela shook her head and rolled her eyes before washing off the bubbles. “It’s just a gut feeling. And when Liam listens to my arguments against her today, he’ll agree. That’s all, Drake. She’s not a fit, I’m glad I investigated her as much as I did, and I’m certainly not intimidated by a girl who hasn’t worked a day in her life and had everything handed to her. That’s final.”

She would have preferred a more impassioned response from Drake but she didn’t comment on his shrug, nor the way he said, “If you say so,” while avoiding her eyes in the mirror, leaving the bathroom after that. Maybe she seemed crazy. But she was right-- she knew it. Kimiko Amaya wouldn’t set one designer sponsored foot inside the council chambers.

*

“I wish I could have breakfast with you before the meeting but my father wants me in Japan, ASAP. You understand, right?”

Liam stared at her message before replying back with sincerity, trying his best to hide his disappointment.  Of course he was looking forward to having breakfast with her. He wanted to see her dark brown eyes, her cute smile and even the wrinkle in her nose when she laughed. She was his good luck charm and that’s why he wanted to see her. Yet, maybe things would run smoothly without seeing her. She couldn’t always be around... but he hoped that small inconvenience would change very soon.

“Of course I understand, Kimi. Have fun at your charity event.”

He put his phone down on his desk, a sigh leaving his lips as he wiped his eyes. Seeing her would have made his day ten times better but he couldn’t let her consume all of his thoughts, he had a country to run and an all important council meeting to attend. But it didn’t take long for her to text back and for a smile to appear on his face.

“I will for the both of us! Good luck in the meeting!”

That’s all he needed. For the next two hours, Liam handled proposals and bills and trade negotiations-- and gave Brianna’s application a final look (Kimiko was far more qualified and deserved to make it to the next round, in his objective opinion), texting Kimiko here and there, grinning each time her name popped up, a welcome distraction to the paperwork on his desk. She was… something special. A bright spot in his life, growing brighter each day, the days without her dragging and the days with her passing by too fast.

There was minutes until the council meeting that would narrow down the candidates to the final six. For a brief second, his stomach twisted-- he knew what would face him in there: Jaela. Unless she agreed with his choice to move Kimiko on to the next step… but he knew her. Did she ever back down from her convictions?

Liam stood up from his desk and grabbed all the essentials-- the applications, his notes and pens when his phone lit up. Just a simple reminder about the meeting but there was an overwhelming urge to text her back. A quick text wouldn’t cause him to be late. He picked up the phone again and sent a quick message to her:

“Would you be up for a date when you come back?”  He hadn’t even looked away from his phone-- she texted him back so quickly.

“Yeah, anything to spend more time with you.” With that, he slipped his phone in his pocket and exited his office with a smile on his face. The meeting would go as he expected, he knew it. Jaela had to change her mind after reviewing Kimiko’s application; she’d love her when they’d officially meet, and hopefully forget about that drink spilling incident. She’d see he’s never been happier and would welcome Kimiko into the council and friend group with open arms. For the first time, things would go as planned in his life. It’s what he had to believe, still smiling from Kimiko’s texts.

Liam silently greeted his staff as he quickly walked through the hallways, glancing at his watch. He was already running a bit behind just from sending a quick text message (though, it was worth it). It wasn’t like him to be late and it would start the meeting on the wrong foot if he was. He sighed in relief after rounding a corner when he noticed Hana and Maxwell entering the council room and not a minute too soon. But that wasn’t the only thing that caught his eye as he approached, people filtering into the chambers.

Jaela covered her mouth as she let out a short yawn, her appearance was spot on as usual but even the makeup she wore couldn’t cover the bags under her eyes. Not to mention how she appeared to move slow, further evidence that it seemed as if she didn’t a wink of sleep. He contained a frown. It’s Jaela. She worked tirelessly on anything-- there was no way she stayed up all night over Kimiko.

When she noticed Liam, she gave him a small nod, pausing for a moment to adjusted the files in her arms. Liam moved quickly, noting the notebook filled to brim with words-- but before he could get a good look at it, she turned and slipped into the room with another yawn.

Drake looked up from his phone after Jaela entered the room and locked eyes with Liam. Liam stopped-- dare he ask Drake what was going on?-- and then moved to stand next to Drake, leaning against the wall. Liam gulped as Drake searched his concerned face. Drake didn’t need to speak for Liam to know what had happened, why Jaela was so tired. Liam knew his visions of what should happen… wouldn’t be that easy, even with Kimiko being his good luck charm. Why can’t things be easy? Doesn’t he deserve to get what he wants, too?

Yet, despite Liam knowing what would happen, he had to ask. “Is Jaela alright? She seems particularly tired.”

Drake nodded, a hand deep in his pocket. “She’s fine. She was…” he paused, apparently search for the words. Liam nodded, urging him to continue. Drake sighed, apologetic brown eyes meeting Liam’s worried blue eyes. “She was up until like three or four, I forget, doing research on you know who,” he said quietly.

Liam’s stomach dropped and he sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose, containing his reaction. There was no denial that Jaela might have dug a little deeper than Kimiko’s applications. But how deep? He couldn’t deny the flare of anger within him at the possibility that Jaela overdid it, infringing on Kimiko’s privacy by prying into parts of her life that would be erroneous to her qualifications and work as a council member. It’s no surprise: but how far? Why was she up that late? “Of course…” Liam muttered, lowering his hand. “How… how much did she do?”

Drake shrugged. “... I’m sure you’ll find out soon enough.”

Liam went to respond, to pester for more information-- he’s her husband, after all, Drake surely knows more-- but Jaela appeared in the doorway, glaring at the two. She tapped her foot with a frown. “I’m glad you two are having a thrilling conversation, but I believe we have a kind of important meeting to run. Come on.”

Drake and Liam grimaced and wordlessly followed Jaela into the chambers, doors shutting behind them. Liam took his seat next to Jaela, as usual, and she started the opening statement, voice not showing a sign of tiredness. While she spoke, Liam glanced down to her extensive notes.

Too extensive notes. One jumped out to him-- more so slapped him across his cheek-- and he clenched his fist on his knee while Jaela flawlessly began the council meeting. It read: “Reckless, Spoiled, Had everything handed to her, Flaunts her money around, Not worth a second look.”

Not worth a second look? How can Jaela think that? Assume that? If she’d actually meet her--

“I see you’ve done your research,” Liam whispered to Jaela as Hana spoke, about what Liam didn’t know, fire burning within him. Kimiko… she was worth everything. And Jaela didn’t give her a chance.

She shrugged, moving her notes closer to her, blocking her words from view. “I said it would be a thorough review of your candidate.”

Liam’s nostrils flared. “So, she’s not worth it but you’ll stay up till three researching her?”

Jaela narrowed her eyes. “You shouldn’t have looked at my notes, Liam. Besides, you’ll hear all of this.”

He wanted to pull her aside and discuss this now. But… he only clenched his fist tighter, thinking of Kimiko’s laugh, or how she looked at him after they kissed, under her thick lashes and like he was the only man in the world. “Oh, I can’t wait for you to enlighten me.”

Jaela brushed back her hair and smirked for one second. “You seem a little touchy about this candidate. Any reason why…?”

“None,” he snapped and looked away-- he couldn’t give into her prodding. This wasn’t the time nor place. If Kimiko made it past this round, and the next, and was selected… then they could know. He couldn’t give Jaela any more ammunition against the woman he was falling in love with day by day.

Falling in… the heat in Liam’s cheeks now wasn’t anger at Jaela’s false assumptions. Maybe, he’s falling for her. It would be the first time in years and it’s a love like he’s never experienced before-- and will do anything to hold on to.

He’ll do anything for Kimiko, no matter what Jaela thinks of her. He’s put his happiness on the backburner for too long for Jaela. She hadn’t even formally met her, so how could she formulate an opinion on her by just picture? But... None of that mattered anymore. Her thoughts didn’t matter-- but his happiness does. That’s a first for the first time years, too.

It felt… simply indescribable.

Disclaimer: All rights and characters belong to Pixelberry.

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[trr-fangirl]

everyone's little conversation with mc's baby is so fucking adorable, i love this so much

[recentanimenews]

Middle-Aged Men Become Idols in Eikyuu Shounen: Eternal Boys Multimedia Project

Image courtesy of ma2

  Studio LIDEN FILMS kicked off the year with grown men playing badminton together, and now they're gonna end it with them breaking into the world of idols in another original TV anime.

Billed as an "Ossan x Idol" project, Eikyuu Shounen: Eternal Boys will see these six old dogs learn new tricks and completely redefine "age before beauty" as an idol unit:

A teaser promo video was also released, introducing the main characters and cast (in order of appearance):

Daisuke Hirakawa (Rei in Free! - Iwatobi Swim Club) as Kentaro Sanada, a salaryman (40)

Katsuyuki Konishi (Uzui in Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba) as Naoki Ishida, a teacher (39)

Jun Fukuyama (Draluc in The Vampire Dies in No Time) as Haru Asai, a soccer player (35)

Daisuke Namikawa (Ruijerd in Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation) as Tsuyoshi Imagawa, an enka singer (37)

Toshiyuki Morikawa (Yoshikage Kira in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure) as Daisuke Yamanaka, a manager (45)

Nozomu Sasaki (Urameshi in Yu Yu Hakusho) as Makoto Kakizaki, a "no.1 host" (41)

  migmi (Suppose a Kid from the Last Dungeon Boonies moved to a starter town?) is directing the anime for a Fall 2022 broadcast, with series composition by Kimiko Ueno (The Royal Tutor), music by Yukari Hashimoto (Komi Can't Communicate) and character designs by ma2 adapted for animation by Seiko Asai.

The project will also include a visual novel spin-off by coly, a manga in Kadokawa's Monthly Comic Gene starting on April 15 and an unspecified collab with Sogo Gakuen Human Academy's Performing Arts College.

Source: Comic Natalie, Eikyuu Shounen: Eternal Boys official website

    Der shy man behind @Shymander, Liam is a timezone-fluid Aussie with a distinct fondness for anime, Eurovision and creating odd stats projects despite hating math.

By: Liam Dempsey

[resetmypatientviolence]

It's a fine day for screaming over another AU idea.

[trr-fangirl]

started from the bottom now we here ?

[trr-fangirl]

SHE DID THAT

[trr-fangirl]

i love our friends

[trr-fangirl]

I SMKDKSKSKS

[trr-fangirl]

i love them so damn much, holy shit they cuteeee

[resetmypatientviolence]

Fanfic Masterlist (11/12/2019)

Important tags I use: Long Post, drakewalkerwhipped fic, 30 diamond scene for nsfw pics/reblogs, thank you!!! (for reblogs), pairings by character and MC’s name

Requests: Open!

Tagged Masterlist--Want to be tagged? Let me know!

The Royal Romance/The Royal Heir

All LI’s

Labor & Delivery [TRH Headcanons]

Drake x Jaela

Dammit Drake, Play Hooky, 3AM, “...Complicated.” , Finally, The Real Surprise , Nesting, We Owe Him

M-Rated:

Call Me Walker (M) Make You Mine (M), Steam Room Rendezvous (M), NSFW Alphabet, Silk & Whiskey (M), Dangerous Game (M) Insatiable (M) , Night Owl (M), Times Ten (M), Fireside (M), Whatever Comes Next (M), Save A Horse, Ride a Cowboy (M) 

Mini Series: 

Their First Christmas: Part 1, Part 2 (M) 

Liam (x MC)

Why Her?

Drake x Liam

The Ticking Clock [NSFW Alphabet] , The Worst Kept Secret in Cordonia [NSFW] 

Poly!AU Drake x Jaela x Liam

NSFW Alphabet, Bliss , You Can Wait (M), The First Time [Part 1] (M), The First Time [Part 2] (M) , Caught (M), Cuffed [Part 1] (M), Cuffed [Part 2] (M), On Your Knees (feat. Damien) [M], Favorite Place [M], Seeing Double (M), Just as Planned (M), Their First Valentine’s [Part 1] (M), Their First Valentine’s [Part 2] (M) 

Poly!AU Drake x Liam

Dinner Party (M)

Pre-Poly AU Liam x Jaela

But First, Dessert (M)

Bloodbound x Big Sky Country Horror Series

Blood Soaked Country

Part 1 

Cold Blooded (in Collaboration with @trr-fangirl)

Jaela has it all– a husband she loves, friends she loves, and an ex who still adores her. There isn’t room in her life for anybody else. Well, until she bumps into Kimiko Amaya… the King’s girlfriend. And Kimiko doesn’t back down from a fight.

Part 1: First Impressions, Part 2: Conflict of Interest 

Desire and Decorum

Prince Hamid x Pippa

No Script ,Daring [M-ish], The Eyes Upon , The First Time [M], The Greatest Adventure,

NSFW Alphabet [M] 

Veil of Secrets

Naomi x F!MC

I’ve Got You (M)

Perfect Match

Everything (Damien One Shot) 

Bloodbound

Jax x MC

Your Kiss (M)

Lily x MC

Game Night 

Open Heart

Aurora x f!MC

Happy Hour 

Red Carpet Diaries

Seth x MC : Tender Neighs

Matt x MC :Cheesy Lines

Picture To Burn

Headcanons and OTP Asks

Drake x Jaela

Headcanons: Sad, Cooking, Food, Happy

OTP Asks: One, Two, Three

Crossovers

Party Crashers (ES/TF)

Drabbles

Drake x Crystal

The Naughty List (M), Baby It’s Cold Outside 

Drake x Liam

Snowball Fight 

Collabs

In collaboration with the mistress of smut and crackships, @boneandfur and I present:

Damn, Daniel! (Daniel x Riley NSFW Alphabet) 

@the-everlasting-dream and I have a talk with our MC’s and Drakes’s and Liam’s. It goes... as you expect:

Long Overdue 

---- Completed Series ----

Drake x MC

Fatherhood Fic Collection 

In honor of Father’s Day, this is a collection of stories revolving around Drake and Jaela, and the ups and downs of fatherhood, each with a different theme regarding the ideas and emotions of fatherhood, parenting, the ups, the downs, the joys– the celebration it is.

Drake x MC x Liam

Supposed To Be Series 

It was supposed to be easy after the Engagement Tour ended. Jaela was supposed to return to her new home, Cordonia, a Duchess, something she never dreamed of. However, sudden news in the JFK airport changes everything that was “supposed” to happen.

If you want to be tagged on any particular pairing, series, or a perma-tag for fics, please let me know and I will do so! Also, I will take any specific request you give me. Have an idea? Shoot me an ask. I’ll write it.

Thank you ALL for your massive support and love of my writing-- it makes it that much easier to write for you all and I truly have fun with every fic or drabble I write.

- Chelsea

[resetmypatientviolence]

Chelse I love you but I just read the sneak peek of Cold Blooded and I feel the need to inform you that you cannot have Jaela be Liam’s true love in every story where it’s “not” a Jaela x Liam fic okay we will riot the rioting has already begun

Ahaha don’t worry, in this one he’s not and that’s not the main plot, just a little tension to ruffle some feathers as he learns to move on… if Kimiko’s the one for him. She’s not so innocent.  

[trr-fangirl]

Edge of Hope - V

Pairing: Liam x MC x Drake 

Word Count: 3,745

Warnings: Angst, Language

A/N: Hey guys! Holy shit, this chapter... It’s one hell of a ride and I regret most of it but it had to be done. I didn’t want to cut it off because there’s a lot going on and want you all to understand what happening so I just kept everything aka I’m sorry about the word count. Hopefully, you all will pick up on some things this chapter. (No spoilers but I tried to make it as obvious as possible.) Enjoy and I apologize for the ending!

Important: This is the sequel to the series ‘Remember Me’. Masterlists below.

Remember Me | Masterlist

As much as it hurts...

Ain’t it wonderful to feel?

~*~*~*~

The drive to Lythikos Manor was excruciatingly quiet and full of unwanted stops. The duchy was due for their yearly blizzard and the group was driving right into it. Despite the warnings from Bastien and Mara, the King and Queen opted to go themselves with their close friends to tag along. As the two vans pulled into the drive, the snow was letting up just enough for them to quickly enter the manor with the help of Olivia’s guards. Hana and Kimiko shivered as they stepped into the warm air of Olivia’s estate. Hana helped Kimiko out of her layers of warm clothing before she undid her own.

“I shouldn’t be surprised at how fast you all got here.” She muttered as she started to descend down the hallway. Kimiko was right on her trail, wasting no time. Olivia stopped in front of the sitting room and pointed inside. Kimiko slowly walked in and stopped abruptly.

The Queen’s sister sat motionless in front of the burning fireplace with blankets wrapped around her shoulders and a mug in her hands. As Kimiko walked further into the room, guilt yet again washed over her. She could now see all the cuts, bruises, and scabs that plagued her body. There were dark circles around her eyes and she looked lost in thought. Even her hair, something she took such pride in, was matted and simply thrown into a loose ponytail. All of this because she didn’t pay any attention to her sister.

“Jessica?” The sound of Kimiko’s voice echoed through the room and yet it took the woman a minute to register her own name and turn her head to meet the person who called her.

Her eyes were distant and glossed over. She looked lifeless… Like her soul had been stripped away from her and left an empty shell behind. This wasn’t her sister. This wasn’t Jessica anymore.

“Kimiko?” She called back, placing the cup down on the ground next to her. “Is… Is that really you?” She whispered as she blinked her eyes a couple of times, “Please tell me it’s really you..”

Kimiko nodded and rushed over to her sister, engulfing her in a huge hug. Jessica hugged her just as tightly as she could but even then, her normal bear hug wasn’t the same. The feeling was…off. But Kimiko ignored it. There had to be a reasonable answer for it, there always was. She held her sister for a bit longer before pulling away and looking at her. “Of course, it’s me!” She said to her with a small smile.

Jessica looked at her and let out a loud sigh of relief, “Thank god.” She coughed out as her eyes traveled elsewhere… towards the door. Kimiko turned to see all her friends standing at the threshold of the room, watching them reunite.

“What happened to you?!” Kimiko whispered as she pushed some of her sister’s hair out of her face. She could see the sadness and stress in her face as Jessica’s eyes shifted away from hers. Her grip tightened around Kimiko’s hand and she bit her lip, “I...I’d rather not talk about it.”

Kimiko stared at her for a moment before nodding slowly in understanding. As much as she wanted her to talk about what happened to her, where she had been for the past month-- what Anton did to her. She knew she couldn’t. It was too early for Jessica to even think about reliving those traumatizing memories. Kimiko held her sister for a while before letting her go and rejoining her friends at the door.

“Let’s leave her alone for a while,” Kimiko whispered to them and they all nodded. With that, the group left the sitting room and made their way to the empty dining room. The room was completely silent as everyone was in their own thoughts-- most likely about Jessica. No one knew how to ask about her so they didn’t dare to.

Hana glanced out of the window, watching as the snow began to fall faster and faster. Her hand gently moved to the glass and as if on cue, the lights flickered. She jumped and looked up at the lights as they fought to stay on.

Olivia chuckled at Hana’s reaction, “Don’t worry. The manor has two backup generations. This blizzard is nothing compared to all the others.” Hana stared for a moment before nodding and looking back out the window.

Kimiko sat down on the nearest chair and sighed softly, “So. Where did you find Jessica?” She asked, her fingers nervously fumbling around each other. Olivia looked at her and hummed as she looked out the window Hana was staring out of.

“Out there, about to die of hypothermia.” She said nonchalantly before continuing, “The guards actually found her two days ago but I didn’t alert you all until now.”

Kimiko’s eyes suddenly widened as she realized what she said. Keeping her sister hidden from her for two whole days? After all the pain she endured for losing her to the enemy? Her eyes filled but she quickly shut them as she tried not to shed any tears, “Olivia, why the hell did you tell me--”

Olivia immediately rolled her eyes, “What? Did you really want to watch you sister fight for her life or would you rather see her as she is now?”

The room became quiet again but with more tension. Kimiko sighed and bit her lip, was it her fault everything was tense now? Even with her friends? She rubbed her fingers over her eyebrows and looked up at her friends, “I’m sorry. I just…”

“It’s alright, Amaya. We understand.” Drake chimed and put a hand on her shoulder, squeezing it gently. Kimiko looked up at him and smiled gratefully until a soft cough brought them out of-- whatever was going on between them. Her eyes traveled to her husband’s and Drake took a reflexive step away from Kimiko and he pulled his hand away from her shoulder. She had forgotten that things were still on the rocks between him and Drake-- she didn’t even know what was going on with Olivia and Drake. Were they together? Were they not? It must have not mattered since Olivia looked unbothered when Drake touched her, unlike Aiden.

Aiden stepped closer to her and instead of turning to her, he glanced at Drake, “Could we have a word?” He asked coldly, ignoring Kimiko’s shocked eyes on him. Before the Queen could intervene, Drake had already accepted and the two men were walking out of the dining room.

Kimiko shot a look over at Olivia, Maxwell, and Hana for a moment before rushing out of the room after the men. She searched the foyer before finding them in a secluded corner. Drake looked more annoyed than usual while Aiden’s eyebrows were knitted together. She immediately knew the conversation wasn’t going well.

As she moved forward to engage in the discussion, her wrist was grabbed. In one swift motion, Kimiko pulled her arm away from the unknown and stepped back to see… Jessica? She was instantly puzzled. For someone who had been incarcerated for a month and almost died of hypothermia, she was incredibly-- strong.

“Jessica… I thought you--”

“I- I couldn’t help but follow you to the dining room. Since I know you’re here now, I want to be near you. I know it’s safe here but I..” She began to stutter and ramble the more she spoke. Kimiko sighed and took her older sister’s hand.

“It’s alright, Jessica. I understand you want to be close to me. I’m not leaving anytime soon, you know.” She explained to her. She watched as Jessica nodded slowly and looked down at their hands. Kimiko frowned again-- what was that on her wrist? A diamond? She couldn’t tell since her sleeve was covering most of it. But she knew Jessica would never get a tattoo. She was terrified of needles. Kimiko reached for her sleeve but was taken aback by Jessica quickly stepping back and putting her arms behind her back.

What.. was that?

Jessica and Kimiko stared at each other, their eyes never leaving one another. Something was terribly off and Kimiko knew it. She didn’t want to believe that her sister had changed but she couldn’t shake the feeling. She didn’t want to be right… but deep down in her heart, she knew she was.

~~~

Kimiko giggled as she watched her sister dance around the cold bedroom. It had been two days since they arrived at Lythikos Manor and the blizzard hadn’t let up. From what Olivia was told, it seemed like they would be stuck inside for another three days at the most. But Kimiko didn’t mind. Who would when they had three extra days to relax with their sibling they had just reunited with? They had been sharing a bedroom for the past two nights and were having the best time together and with the group.

Jessica flopped on the bed next to Kimiko and let out a long sigh, “Why aren’t you dancing with me?” She asked as she turned to her little sister.

“I’m not in the mood. Plus there’s no music.” She said with a small shrug, “You looked like you were having a lot of fun by yourself.”

The Countess looked at her and gave her a sad smile, “I was doing it for you, sis. I want you to know that I’m okay�� even after all of that.” She whispered as she pushed some of Kimiko’s hair off of her forehead.

Kimiko stared at Jessica for a moment, thinking back to the month they were separated, “What happened back there with Anton?”

“Abuse, torture, and manipulation. All that shit you see on TV but a million times worst.” She deadpanned, staring blankly at the lavender walls. Her voice was barely audible and her face had flushed slightly, she didn’t want to talk about it for obvious reasons. Kimiko nodded and looked up at the ceiling for a moment before placing her hand on her stomach. Her face lit up slightly, a smile appearing on her lips for a moment, “Wanna know a secret?”

Jessica frowned and raised an eyebrow, “You were keeping secrets from your big sister?” She asked as she pushed her own hair out of her face.

“More like from the entire country… and the world if we’re putting it on a scale.” She corrected as she sat up to stretch her body.

“Okay. Now, you really have to tell me.” Jessica said as she quickly sat up and gave her full attention to Kimiko. Her eyes were wide with intrigue and all Kimiko wanted to do was laugh and hug her.

Kimiko took a deep breath, “Promise me that you won’t say anything to anyone at all. This is between you and me.”

Jessica rolled her eyes, her patience wearing thin, “I will! I promise! Now, just tell me!”

She glared at her sister for a moment before continuing with her happy news, “I found out maybe about a month ago that I’m pregnant.”

There was a quick beat of silence before it was interrupted by Jessica gasping and jumping onto her sister, pulling her into a huge bear hug. “Kimiko, that’s amazing! I’m so happy for you!” She yelled as she nuzzled into Kimiko’s neck.

The two embraced each other for a while before Kimiko finally pulled away and looked at Jessica, “But you can’t tell anymore. It’s our secret for the next two months.”

Jessica nodded and sat up on her knees, “So, did you tell Drake yet!?”

“Drake? No. No one is supposed to know except you, me and Aiden.” Kimiko frowned and pushed back her hair, “He’ll find out once we give the okay to tell the King’s Guard about it.”

“Oh. So, it’s Aiden’s child and not Drake’s?” Jessica asked before humming then shrugging.

Kimiko’s eyes widened, “What! Of course, it’s Aiden’s! Why would—“

Jessica jumped up and walked over to her phone across the bedroom. She scrolled through her phone before turning on an upbeat song and turning to Kimiko, “We should dance now!”

“But I wasn’t done talki-“

“Who cares?! Let’s dance!” She insisted as she began to move like a worm.

Kimiko gave her a sad smile before shaking her head and standing up. “I think I’m going to head back to my room now,” Kimiko mumbled as she let out a small yawn. Jessica turned off the music and pouted as she watched Kimiko walk to the bedroom door.

The older sibling ran over to the door and grabbed Kimiko’s wrist, “Don’t leave yet! We have to hang out some more! I haven’t seen you in a month and I don’t want to lose any more time with you.”

“But Jessi, it’s late and Aiden’s probably waiting—“ She stopped suddenly when Jessica dropped her arm and stomped over to her bed.

Jessica flopped on the bed and folded her arms, “Goodnight, Kimiko.”

Kimiko watched in confusion and aggravation as Jessica threw a fit about her leaving. Was she jealous of her relationship with Aiden? And for what reason? She was never hostile or rude towards him before and now she suddenly chose hated him? Kimiko shook her head and opened the door, “Night, Jessica.” And with that, she walked out of her room and slammed the door behind her.

~~

The next two days came and went as the group continued their journey of being snowed in. As the days rolled past, the slight tension left by Jessica and Kimiko began to affect the entire house. The two wouldn’t speak during meals and avoided each other throughout the house. Hana tried to get the sisters to talk to each other but it didn’t work and only made things worse. Jessica even stopped coming out of her room during the day and only came out for dinner, after that- it was right back to her room. Of course, Kimiko felt bad since the argument wasn’t a big deal but keeping her distance made her feel somewhat better after she walked in on Jessica twirling three knives between her fingers… without looking. Kimiko couldn’t help but think Anton changed Jessica in some way and there was nothing good about that if it was true.

Kimiko and Aiden entered the dining room from dinner hand-in-hand as they usually did. To their surprise, Jessica was out of her room and helping the staff set up the table while the rest of their friends were sitting down chatting. Aiden pulled out the chair for Kimiko and pushed her in before taking his own seat.

Jessica continued to set plates and glasses on the table and stopped when she got to Kimiko. She smiled from ear to ear, “Sister, so nice of you to finally join us.”

Kimiko hummed with a fake grin on her lips, “I could say the same, Jessi.”

Aiden touched Kimiko’s hand as Jessica narrowed her eyes at her. It was only for a moment though as Jessica cleared her throat and gave the Queen a quick smile before she walked to her seat across from her. The dinner started off quiet and enjoyable with the occasional joke from Maxwell and a sigh from Drake afterward. Everything seemed to be going according to plan...

Until Countess Jessica cleared her throat and gazed at her sister. There was a mischievous glint in her eyes and Kimiko could feel her stomach doing somersaults-- and it wasn’t from the growing child inside her.

“Kimiko! Isn’t there something you want to tell your friends?” She said as she took a sip of her wine then swirled it, looking at her sister with a devious smirk.

The Queen clenched her jaw. Shit.

Jessica’s smirk widened into a smile, “Well. I’m pretty sure every one of your friends knows you’re pregnant, right?

“What!?” Maxwell and Olivia exclaimed at the same time while Drake halted putting another spoonful of food into his mouth. The three of them exchanged looks before turning to Jessica, a bit more intrigued than they were before.  

Jessica watched as Maxwell, Drake, and Olivia looked at each other in confusion. She tilted her head slightly at the three, “You all didn’t know? Huh. And to think my sister told you guys everything. I wonder why this was kept a secret.”

Kimiko looked at her sister with narrowed eyes, “What the hell, Jessica!? This isn’t the time-“

She scoffed loudly at her sister’s comment, “You had all the time in the world to tell your loving friends about your pregnancy! Surely, anytime would be a perfect time. Unless…” Jessica’s eyes shot over to Drake and the corner of her lip turned up, “Unless there’s something you aren’t telling us, Sister.”

Kimiko’s anger began to boil over as her sister continued to dig into her, “There aren’t any secrets hidden… I don’t have anything to hide.”

“Really? So, you’re positive that this child is the King’s flesh and blood?” Jessica suggested, her smirk becoming a smile again as her sister’s eyes widen and the King’s face became pale. Was she really assuming that her younger sister had an affair?

Before anyone could say anything more, Jessica continued her interrogation. “You don’t know, do you? Would you even remember? Are you as far along as you say you are? What if it’s —“ The sound of a glass slamming onto the table caused everyone to look for the source.

Drake cleared his throat and stood up from the table, “If you’ll excuse me.” He muttered quickly before standing up and heading towards the exit. Kimiko stood up just as he reached the threshold, “Drake, wait! Let me go with you.”

“I’d rather you not, Amaya.”

Kimiko stopped in her tracks as she watched Drake leave out of the dining room and head up the stairs. Her eyes landed on Jessica, who still wore that annoying smirk on her lips. She couldn’t even think of anything nice to say to her. She felt as if she wasted time, sleep, and effort looking for a sister who just screwed her over. Kimiko glared at Jessica for a second longer before storming out of the dining room, following after him anyways.

“Drake!” Kimiko called as she followed him down the hallway. She quickly walked behind him as she continued to call after him, “Drake, slow down!” She called again before becoming aggravated and stopping behind him, “Can you please just talk to me!?”

Drake finally stopped in his tracks and turned towards her, “What, Amaya? What is there to possibly talk about? Jessica basically told us everything we need to know!”

“I didn't want you to find out like this! I wanted to tell you all on my own terms and especially not at dinner like that. I told Jessica because she’s my sister-- I didn’t think she would say all of those things!”

Drake frowned as he stared down at Kimiko, “Well, she did and she brought up some interesting topics along with it.” He muttered as he shoved his hands into his pockets, breaking eye contact with her. The silence between them emerged again and it was pure torture… for both of them. All the times when they shared together began to flood her memory again, some of them she was remembering for the first time. She shook her head gently before looking up at Drake, her eyes filled to the brim with tears, “Drake, I-”

“I know it’s not mine, Kimiko. I guess it just… finally made me realize that I can never have you.” He explained as he took a reflexive step back. “You and Aiden will be great parents. I’m sure of it.”

Her jaw fell agape as she watched Drake step away from her, “Drake.” Was all she could get out before he turned away from her and continued down the hallway towards his room. She looked down as the tears finally began to stream down her pale cheeks. Kimiko quickly wiped her eyes and cheeks before rushing off towards her bedroom. All she wanted was to be alone. She finally realized that she had been stringing Drake along for so long. Too long. She hurt him in ways no one else could and there was no way for her to make that up to him. What kind of person was she before she lost her memory? What kind of person was she becoming? Whatever... Whoever it was- she didn’t like it and she didn’t want to turn into that person ever.

She opened the door to her bedroom and swung it open, only to find herself in the presence of her husband. Shit. Not this, not now… Not ever. Kimiko instantly turned to leave the room when Aiden gripped her hand. His touch was gentle as always but still firm enough to make her stay. She stopped fighting and let out a soft sigh.

“Please stay.”

She could feel her heart break even more as she heard the vulnerability… the pain in his voice. The pain she caused because of her careless actions. Because she was selfish and only care about her needs.  Kimiko gazed back at him through her long dark locks, their eyes only catching each other for a second before they broke it. Neither of them wanted to see the other hurt but no matter how hard they tried, they were going to see it first hand.

“Aiden, I’m sorry. I didn’t know Jessica was going to tell everyone and say those things… You know that--” Kimiko started then trailed off when they made eye contact again. Hiding behind her hair wasn’t working as well as she thought it would. She glanced down at the doorknob as the tears she had for Drake began to fill again but this time for the right person. Right?

Aiden cleared his throat as he nodded, “I know it’s mine but… I can’t say Countess Jessica didn’t make me doubt it for a moment there.”

“Aiden! I would never--” Kimiko cut herself off as she turned towards Aiden completely and took his hands into hers, “I would never do that to you.”

“...I wish I believed you.”

Everything stopped. She slowly became numb as she realized what kind of pain she put both the men she loves though. She strung along her best friend from another year just to put him back on the same position as before and now her husband couldn’t even trust her not to have an affair. All of this was her fault and she couldn’t even think of how to fix such a thing. Maybe she needed to fall off the face of the Earth or leave Cordonia behind and move back to New York or even to Japan, where the rest of her family members lived.

Kimiko dropped his hands as quickly as she held them. She opened her mouth to reply but instead shook her head, “I don’t need this stress.” She muttered and turned back around, exiting the bedroom without another word. It seemed like the feeling was mutual when he didn’t say another word after she left.

----------

Tagging: @flowerpowell @flowerpowell @speedyoperarascalparty @hhiggs  @heatherfilliez @umccall71 @writtenbycandy @blznbaby @mitalijoshi @sleeplessescapades @flyawayblue56

[trr-fangirl]

Edge of Hope — I

Pairings: Liam x MC 

Warnings: N/A

Word Count: 1,714

A/N: Our journey is about to continue in light of a fresh, new (and much neater) plotline. There will be twists, turns, fluff, possibly smut (???) but most of all there is a lot of drama! So, buckle up because it’s about to be a wild ride, my friends. Important: This is the sequel to the series ‘Remember Me’. Masterlists below. 

Note: You guys can thank the premium diamond scene in chapter 15 of TRR for the ending of this chapter. It wasn’t supposed to happen until later but I couldn’t help myself. 

Remember Me | Masterlist 

Athens, Greece 

Shit.

She kicked off her beige heels and sat on the edge of the bathtub. Her mind was racing as thoughts, worries and scenarios played about in her head. What was she going to do?  The Queen groaned and placed her head in her hands as she tried not to freak out. Her stomach turned as she shook her leg rapidly, trying to keep herself calm. She could still hear the slow classical music playing in the next room over. A little over a hundred people were in there waiting to meet her for the first time. Even though she was there for business, she still had to attend tons of balls and state dinners all while trying to track down a menace.

There was a knock on the door, followed by a familiar voice calling out to her.

"Are you alright, Kimiko?"

She pushed her hair back and took a deep, shaky breath, "Yeah! Just a little sick, that's all!" She yelled through the door. Lying to him was like pulling teeth for her. She couldn't do it to his face but in the situation she was in at the moment-- A little white lie wouldn't hurt. Would it?

"Let me know if you need anything." The King called back before leaving the area and returning to the event.

She quickly stood up and walked over to the sink. Her makeup was beginning to fade, revealing the dark circles under her eyes. She reached into her purse and touched up the area around her eyes. She threw the concealer back into her bag with a sigh. She gripped the rims of the sick again as the burning sensation began to move up her esophagus. Kimiko's eyes slowly moved from the faucet to the pink and white stick laying next to her hand. She bit her lip as she stared at it before feeling the burning sensation getting worst.

Not again.

Kimiko groaned as she placed a hand over her mouth and dashed back over to the toilet, knocking over her purse in the process. After spending several minutes of dry heaving into the toilet for the second time that night, she glanced over at all of the contents of her purse out on the floor.  Crawling across the cold floor, she placed all of her makeup, debit cards, cash, and random papers back into the bag. She looked up onto the sink and grabbed the test, quickly wrapped it into some tissue and finally chucking it into her purse. Kimiko grabbed her purse and shoes, lazily putting them on before taking one last look at herself in the mirror. No one else knew but her face was caked with makeup just so she wouldn't look as tired and sick as she actually was.  

She was the only one who knew why.

~

Lythikos

His signature smile crept across his face as he walked back into the familiar building watching his men all around him, working, training... just the way he left it. He took a breath in before striding into his office.

The room was filled with computer tech, GPS trackers and papers piled high on the mahogany desk. He sat down in the cushioned chair and kicked his feet up, knocking some of the papers onto the floor. He relaxed in his chair with his eyes closed, so much nicer than those 'beds' in his cell. He frowned the moment he heard the door open and turned to see who it was.

"Ah, Isaac. My trustworthy assistant. Please come in." He said as he straightened his posture and took his feet off of his desk. "I assume you have some promising information for me."

Isaac nodded and pulled a small stack of manilla folders from behind his back, "Firstly, let me welcome you back, sir. Your escape from Greece was as clean and well thought out as ever." He praised as he placed the folders on his desk, "These are some of the new members of the Cordonian Court. The pictures were taken at the event before the King and Queen left for Greece... Though, I think you'd be interested in one of the newest members."

Anton looked up with a cocked eyebrow before pulling one of the folders and opening them. It was filled with pictures of various men and women who he didn't recognize, which bored him, until he came across a set of pictures of a woman in the ballroom, standing alone. She had long black hair and looked fairly familiar but didn't at the same time. He flipped to the next picture to see the same woman hugging the Queen with the King standing next to her. He frowned and looked up at his assistant, "Who is this woman?" He asked, holding the picture up to him.

The assistant smiled and pushed one of the manila folders closer to him, "See for yourself, sir."

The man stared at Isaac for another moment before putting the photos down and opening the folder. The folder was filled with the information of said woman with her picture next to it. Anton smiled... the signature grin that sends chills down anyone's spine.

Isaac hummed as he saw his boss' face, "Yes. Lady Jessica of House Amaya. The older sister of the Queen. She moved to Valtoria soon after the Queen returned from New York. Lady Jessica also set to elevated to Courtess very soon."

Anton closed the manila folder and pushed them back towards the man, "I want to know any and everything about that woman, immediately. We have no time to waste and Lucretia wouldn't be happy if we wasted time, now would she?"

The assistant shook his head, quickly leaving the room and Anton in his thoughts.

~

It had been two months since Anton escaped and they had made almost no progress in finding him. This wasn't as easy as it was the first time around, he was in hiding and wherever it was, it had to be completely off the grid.

The King and Queen had returned earlier in the evening after spending several weeks in Greece. They were having meetings with any and everyone who had intel about Anton's whereabouts in private while making public appearances while in Athens. Unfortunately, the King cut their visit short when his wife fell ill at one of the galas. She insisted on staying but his mind was already made up and they were on a red-eye flight back to their home country.

Aiden woke the next morning to the sound of his wife moving around the bedroom. He opened his eyes and glanced around before spotting her coming out of the bathroom, much paler than usual and her hair in a messy ponytail. She didn't notice him staring at her until she walked over to the bed.

She smiled weakly, "Oh, hey."

He watched closely as she sluggishly crawled back into bed and pulled the covers over her head. Aiden turned towards her and gently pulled the blanket away from her face, "You look paler than you did yesterday. Should I call the palace physician?" Internally, she wanted to panic but even that would take more energy than she had. She simply shook her head and looked up at him, eyes red and unreadable.

"Maybe you should take some time for yourself today." He suggested as he kissed her cheek gently before sitting up. In the corner of his eye, he would see her turn and a smile appears on her face.

Kimiko nodded, "As long as you take a day with me?" Though he wanted to desperately, he knew nothing would get done if both of them took a timeout. He gave her a weak smile and her face fell, "You know I can't do that. Not now anyway."

Aiden leaned over and planted a long kiss on her lips before getting out of bed and walking over to his closet to get ready for the day. Kimiko closed her eyes, enjoying the silence and soft shuffling of Aiden moving around the room before he came out of the closet. As he walked towards their bathroom, she scrambled out of the bed and dashed into the bathroom first before he could. Aiden's eyes were wide as she brushed past him and slammed the door behind herself. It took him a moment to register what just happened before slowly opening the door and peeking inside. His eyes softened as he saw her sitting in front of the toilet with her head lowered a bit.

She glanced up at him timidly. Her lips parted as she finally got the courage to say something but it was cut short as she turned towards the toilet, gripping the rims in her hands. Without hesitation, Aiden stepped into the bathroom to comfort her as he reluctantly listened to her dry heave. He rubbed her back gently and pushed some of her hair out of her face until she pulled back from the toilet. She unknowing rested her head on his leg as she sat still, letting her stomach settle.

"Are you alright?" He asked, even though he knew the answer to the question.

Kimiko looked up at him and slowly shook her head, letting out a long sigh. She stood up and flushed the toilet before turning to Aiden and taking her hand. She guided him out of the bathroom and back into their bedroom. He'd never seen her so fragile and quiet before, he didn't know what to say so for the first time, he just let their actions tell the story. He sat down on the bed next to her as she took his hand into hers.

Kimiko lifted her head and looked at him in his eyes. Her eyes might have been red and filled with exhaustion but underneath all of that, there was still love and a glimmer of hope in her eyes. For the first time all morning, she cracked a small smile that finally met her sleep-deprived eyes. Yet, when she opened her mouth to speak those two little words, whatever happiness she had-- drained from her face just as quickly as it appeared.

"I'm pregnant."  

new tags: @flowerpowell , @mfackenthal, @speedyoperarascalparty, @hhiggs, @heatherfilliez, @umccall71, @writtenbycandy 

[trr-fangirl]

Edge of Hope - VI

Pairing: Liam x MC x Drake

Warnings: Angst, Language, Slight Violence (Not really but it’s there even though I suck at writing action.)

A/N: I’m going to say this now. I am so sorry. I didn’t plan this chapter like this— It basically wrote itself. I didn’t expect this to get so sad, so quick and I am terribly sorry. I’m crying with you all, so it’s cool. After the end of this chapter, we’ll all need a group hug so I’ll send gifs if you need them. I can’t really say enjoy this time around so just... read on, my children.

Important: This is the sequel to the series ‘Remember Me’. Masterlists below.

Remember Me | Masterlist

~*~*~*~

“Kimiko, wait!” Hana whispered as she jogged to keep up with Kimiko’s pace. 

She was angry-- beyond angry. She was livid. How could her sister be so stupid? So inconsiderate? She asked her not to do one simple thing and she did it anyway. How could she? It wasn’t like her. None of the this was like her. She was almost certain something was up and she was going to get to the bottom of it. No matter what. Kimiko stopped in front of a large bedroom door and twisted the doorknob. Locked. Of course, it was. Jessica was satisfied with what she did and locked herself in her room so she wouldn’t have to deal with the repercussions. Typical.

Hana finally caught up to Kimiko and looked at her with concern, “Are you going to confront her?” 

She nodded, “How could I not? She caused a rift between my husband, best friend, and I. It doesn’t even seem like she cares but after I’m done with her she definitely will.” Kimiko jiggled the doorknob again before kneeling down and looking at the keyhole. She looked up at Hana, “Do you have a bobby pin?” 

Hana frowned but nodded and pulled a single bobby pin out of her hair, a piece of it falling out of place, “Here but why do you--”

Kimiko ignored her as she took the bobby pin and fumbled with it. She inserted it into the doorknob and with a few clicks, she twisted the knob and the door flew open. Hana’s eyes widened as she looked at Kimiko in shock. The Queen smirked as she stood, “I’ll teach you later.” 

Kimiko pushed the door open wider and looked around the room. She frowned as she continued to search the seemingly empty room until she noticed the window. She walked closer and noticed it was slightly open, a cool breeze coming from it along with several bedsheets tied together leading down the to the snowy ground. Her sister was a master of sneaking out when they were younger so this was nothing new to Kimiko. She let out a long sigh before turning to Hana, “My sister snuck out and wherever she was going, she didn’t want anyone to know. So, I need you to stay--”

“No.” Hana said, her voice stern and her eyes filled with worry, “I’m not letting you go out by yourself in the middle of the night. Plus, you don’t know what’s out there.”

There was silence for a moment before Kimiko smiled and nodded, “Fine. You can come but we have to be careful.. for each other.”

Hana smiled and nodded, “We will.” 

~*~*~*~*~

Kimiko flashed her phone light on the ground around them, making sure they didn’t step on anything that would let them be known. She turned to Hana, who was looking around just as determined as she was. It felt nice to be with someone who understood and wanted to help her. Hana knew this wasn’t a good idea, hell, she knew it wasn’t a good idea but she wanted to know what her sister was up to. If it meant risking her safety, then so be it. The two continued to walk around the back area of Lythikos Manor aimlessly until Hana grabbed Kimiko’s arm and pointed to the ground.

“Footprints.” She whispered as she tracked the path with her fingers. They lead into the woods… The women exchanged looks before confidently entering the woods without another word. Hana grabbed hold of Kimiko’s arm, keeping her close to her as the walked down the path. Neither of them knew where the path led to or what would be waiting at the trial for them. All they knew was that it lead to Jessica and that’s all that matter.

“You should have been here twenty minutes ago! Someone could --”

Kimiko stopped short when she noticed her sister looking down the path she was coming from. She looked completely different. Jessica’s matted hair was now thick with curls and she was dressed in a long-sleeved crop top, fingerless fishnet gloves, jeans, and boots-- all black. As if she was trying to not to be seen.

“Don’t. Move.” Kimiko whispered to Hana through clenched teeth. She subtly nodded and tightened her grip around Kimiko’s arm. She immediately felt bad for getting Hana involved into something that might just turn dangerous.

Jessica frowned as she looked down the path, “Let me call you back, Isaac.” She muttered into the phone and quickly hung up. Shoving her phone back into her pocket, she folded her arms and walked closer to the path, “Heh. I know you there, baby sister.” Neither of them moved, trying to throw her off. If they didn’t move, maybe she wouldn’t notice them.

“Come out or I’ll force you out, Kimiko.”

Her hand clenched into a fist as she stared at her sister, “Hana. Go hide.” She muttered. She and Hana locked eyes and Hana could see the desperation in her eyes. Without another moment wasted, Hana let go of Kimiko’s arm and the Queen continued down the rest of the path by herself. Soon, she entered an empty circle cover in snow and Jessica standing in the middle with that everlasting smirk on her face.

Jessica hummed as her sister came into view, “Twenty-five years old and you still follow me around like a lost puppy.” She taunted as she watched her sister come closer to her.

“Twenty-seven years old and still a bitch.” Kimiko spat as she narrowed her eyes.

The Countess glared at her but kept her composure, “Why did you follow me anyways? Should you be trying to fix your broken relationships?” She asked with a mischievous smile on her face.

“Seriously? I should have to fix the shit that you caused!” Kimiko yelled as she folded her arms, “It’s your fault!”

“My fault!? If you weren’t messing around with two men at once, your dumbass wouldn’t be in this situation!” Both knew she was right but it wasn’t the time to bring up such things when they were standing out in the middle of nowhere in the cold.

Kimiko groaned in frustration as she looked around, “What about you?! Why the hell are you standing in a big ass circle in the middle of the night?! Why are you acting so weird!?”

“I wouldn’t ask too many questions if I were you, Your Majesty. You might not like the answers.”

Kimiko and Jessica both froze as they realized they weren’t alone anymore. Jessica tensed and began to back away from Kimiko until she felt a strong hand on her back. No one was safe anymore. “Jessica?” Kimiko called before looking at the person standing next to her. Her face scrunched into a scowl when she finally saw who it was.

Anton smirked and planted a small kiss on Jessica’s head, “Long time no see, Queen Kimiko.”

“What the hell, Anton!?” Kimiko yelled in disbelief. She glanced at Jessica, she no longer had the confidence she emulated mere moments ago. It was gone and was replaced by fear. What the hell did he do to her?

Jessica looked up at Kimiko and her eyes were glossed over with tears. “Kimiko, let me explain..”

“Explain what? That you’re a traitor?! You working with the biggest criminal in Cordonia!” Kimiko yelled as tears welled in her eyes.

Jessica shook her head, “I know but please let me explain! You weren’t supposed to find out like this!” She said as she took a step forward but Anton grabbed her arm and jerked her back, causing her to cry out in pain.

“Don’t hurt her!” Kimiko cried out as she stepped closer to them.

He chuckled, “Heh. You’re a little late.”

Kimiko gulped as she tried to take a step closer to her sister but she physically couldn’t. Anything she did could have been the wrong move. He could hurt Jessica at any moment and no matter how mad she was at her for being a traitor. She couldn’t stand to see her in pain whatsoever.

“Sorry to cut this family reunion short but I only came here to retrieve what’s mine,” Anton said as he turned to Jessica and smiled. She didn’t return the gesture and she continued to stare at Kimiko with pleading eyes.

“She isn’t yours!”

Anton smirked, “Oh, but on the contrary, she is. Isn’t that right, Jess?” He asked as he ran a finger up her jaw. Jessica clenched her teeth and narrowed her eyes as she looked between him and Kimiko. She let out a small wince of pain as Anton gripped her chin and turned her head to him, forcing her to look at him.

“Y-Yes, Anton.” She sneered.

Kimiko frowned, “But..”

What was going on? Kimiko couldn’t tell if she was doing it out of her own free will or if Anton was manipulating her to do his bidding. And the second option didn’t sound too far off. “Now, before we leave, I think Jessica has something for you.” He muttered as he slipped something into Jessica’s hand.

Her expressions became blank as she looked from her sister to Anton. She shook her head rapidly. “No... I don’t want that. We had a deal.. You said you wouldn’t hurt—.” Jessica whispered before being cut off by her own tears flooded her eyes and tears began to stream down her cheeks.

Anton smiled at her and nudged her forward gently, leaning down to her ear. “That’s right. I’m not going to hurt her… you are.”

Jessica turned to him, anger written all over her face, “You lied to me—“

“Do it now, Jessica! Or else.”

Jessica’s eyes narrowed before she looked down at the snow, her hair falling in front of her face as she reached to her side and holding up a pistol.

Kimiko flinched and stepped back, “Wait…”

The Queen looked at Jessica with confusion and terror in her eyes but she frowned when she noticed that Jessica wasn’t aiming at her body… She was aiming just to the left of her. Just enough to miss Kimiko by a hair. She made eye contact with Jessica again and her older sister blinked once. She knew exactly what to do. In a split second, the sound of the pistol went off and the bullet flew just inches pass Kimiko’s head, grazing her ear before hitting the tree behind her. Without hesitation, Kimiko ran down the path she and Hana came from. She stopped to look for Hana and when she found her, she grabbed her hand and the two of them dashed down the long path again as she listened to Anton and Jessica bicker. As much as she wanted to go back for her... She couldn’t.

As Kimiko and Hana sprinted down the path, the girls were stopped by a man in familiar tactical gear blocking the exit. An assassin. Kimiko cursed under her breath as she heard a second set of footsteps come from behind them. They were cornered and if they tried to run to the left or right, they would be met by more assassins or tree branches and bushes cutting their clothes and them. This was a lose-lose situation and the only thing they could do was to either fight or surrender. Neither of them were going to surrender without a fight. Hana sprinted forward first and tackled one of the men while Kimiko did the same to the other. At first, the girls had the upper hand but soon they realized that these men weren’t as poorly trained as the first set of assassins they encountered two years ago. These men were tougher, meaner, and surely didn’t care about getting a branch swung at them.

One of the assassins grabbed Hana by her arm and threw her into the snow, her head landing on a blunt rock while the other merely pushed Kimiko off of him, knocking her into a large broken branch. The man scoffed as he watched Kimiko try to get back up, even though her white dress was caught on the branch. The man watched as she tried to pick herself up before kicking the branch behind her, knocking it into a ditch. The man walked off with a satisfied smile as he listened to Kimiko’s cry as she fell into the ditch below her. The two men left without another word.

Hana sat up slowly and placed her hand to her head, her hand coming back bloody and she winced. Hana tore a part of her skirt apart and applied it to her wound before crawling around to trying to find Kimiko as her vision began to blur. “Kimiko…” She called out, just above a whisper. But there was no answer. Hana could feel the anxiety being to build upon her body when she still didn’t get a response after calling her several times. “Kimiko, please answer!” She cried as a tear fell from her eye.

“H..Hana?”

Hana looked around before noticing a limp hand waving at her, “Kimiko!” She called as she crawled over to her even though she was struggling herself to even move. As Hana moved closer to her, she noticed Kimiko was stuck in a ditch. “Oh my gosh. Kimiko!”

“Don’t. Come down here..”

Hana ignored the plea and slowly slid down the icy patch down into the ditch. There was no way for her to continue to crawl down, there were too many broken branches and sharp rocks that she harm her. Hana carefully walked over to Kimiko, who was leaned against a tree. “Are you alright?” Kimiko shook her head and opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out.

“Are you hurt anywhere? Where’s your phone?” Hana asked as she used her free shaking hand to search Kimiko’s body. She quickly found her phone and turned on the flashlight and to her horror… there was a large gash on her abdomen. “Kimiko…You’re bleeding, a lot.” Hana muttered softly as she stared in shock.

Kimiko nodded, “I.. I know. I already sent an SOS signal to Mara.” She whispered as she looked down at her stomach and sighed, “I don’t think she’s going to—“

Hana shook her head despite getting dizzy right after, “No. You’re going to be okay. Both of you are.” She said as she took Kimiko’s bloody hand and held it. “We’re all going to okay.” She leaned against the same tree and closed her eyes.

Kimiko turned to look at her, “..Hana.”

“Hm..?” She replied as she looked up at Kimiko.

“Don’t fall asleep..”

Hana hummed softly again, “I won’t.”

———————

Tagging: @flowerpowell @flowerpowell @speedyoperarascalparty @hhiggs  @heatherfilliez @umccall71@writtenbycandy @blznbaby @mitalijoshi @sleeplessescapades@flyawayblue56

[trr-fangirl]

Edge of Hope — II

Pairings: Liam x MC

Warnings: N/A (Fluff and Drama? If that counts?)

Word Count: 1,747

A/N: I am wasting no time with this plot. There is so much to write and so much detail that the plot points are already starting to unravel and will continue to in every chapter from here on out. I hope you all are ready. Enjoy this part and let me know if you want to be added to the tag list.

Important: This is the sequel to the series ‘Remember Me’. Masterlists below.

Remember Me | Masterlist

~

Kimiko held her breath as she waited for him to say— or do something. She didn’t want him to be angry with her for not telling him sooner but she didn’t know how he was going to react, especially with the country’s current situation. She gulped when Aiden slipped his hands out of hers. Her mind began to race before she felt his warm hands being placed on her cheeks. He tilted her head up so that she could look at him straight in his eyes.  

“Are you okay?” 

Her eyes widened slightly before she nodded slowly in his hands, “I-I’m fine. Just a little... scared.” 

Aiden sighed as if he was holding his breath the entire time. For the first time, he didn't know what to say. He didn't know what to do because he felt the same way as she did. He was elated at the news of them becoming parents but with the emotional changes she had gone through since they returned from Greece, he knew her feelings were opposite of his own. 

"I will do everything in my power to protect you. You shouldn’t worry." He told her as he pressed a soft kiss on her forehead, wrapping her in the warmth of his body. How could she be so clueless? Aiden loved her and could never be mad at her for any decisions she made. He would be with her through thick and thin— she had to remember that.

She smiled weakly as she rested her head on his shoulder. "I... I know. I might have just needed a reminder." She whispered to him, her eyes slowly closing. Aiden glanced at her and took her hand, watching her slowly doze off. 

Aiden hummed softly to himself as he thought for a moment, “We’ll have to alert the palace staff and security immediately of the pregnancy. But, for the first trimester— would you like to keep it a secret from the public?”

She hummed at him as she thought about his suggestion, “Can we do that? It’ll actually be a lot less stress on me.”

He nodded, “Of course but that’s only if you want to.” He said as she brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes. She glanced up at him and nodded as she stifled a yawn.

“You should get some rest. I’ll call a meeting this afternoon and also clear your morning schedule.” Aiden kissed the top of her head before standing up and walking back to the bathroom, resuming his morning routine. Kimiko smiled and climbed back into their bed, snuggled into her pillow and almost instantly fell asleep. 

~ 

After a few hours of much-needed sleep, Kimiko started her morning with an unwanted meeting with Regina in the garden. Thankfully, Aiden would be with her for the entire duration of the meeting. She needed his moral support and his calm and collected demeanor to keep her level-headed during the dreadful meeting. Kimiko walked with her hand in the crock of Aiden’s arm as they crossed the short bridge, she looked down into the water and smiled when she saw all of the fish swimming around aimlessly. 

Aiden chuckled, “You were always fascinated by the exotic fish here.” 

A smile appeared on her lips, “I remember how pretty and colorful they are.” She whispered, her throat still recovering from the numerous episodes of dry heaving. The two continued to cross the bridge and greeted the staff member waiting at the table. Aiden pulled out a chair for Kimiko before taking his own seat next to her. Of course, Regina wasn’t there yet and was taking her time arriving. While the waited, they made their tea and talked to each other like the normal couple they strived to be. 

The peace was soon interrupted by Regina taking her place across from them and ordering the staff member to open the umbrella to keep the sun out of her eyes. Kimiko’s warm and pleasant aura vanished once the woman sat down. 

“Aiden, Kimiko. It’s a pleasure to see you both in good spirits.” The faux smile on her face accompanied by the sweetness in her voice made Kimiko grimace. Aiden greeted his stepmother with the utmost respect while Kimiko pretended like she wasn’t there.

Regina took a sip of her tea, “So, I heard there was an important matter I needed to attend to regarding the two of you. I hope it’s worth my schedule change. I’m also on a tight schedule and don’t have time for nonsense.”

Kimiko gripped Aiden’s hand as she tried not to lash out at the woman. She physically bit her tongue as she looked off at the rose bush behind Regina. That woman always knew just what to say to piss her off.  And it worked every time.

“It actually is, Regina. I’d like to inform you that we are expecting.” Aiden smiled as he glanced at his wife, causing her to smile back.

Regina halted with her teacup in hand and raised an eyebrow at Kimiko, “You’re pregnant?”

The Queen frowned, “Yes, but I’m pretty sure Aiden just said that.”

“Hm... Congratulations.” She said and for once, she sounded genuine. She placed her teacup back onto the table and shifted in her chair, “I should inform you that per the Cordonian tradition, we’ll be seeing a lot more of each other in the next three months.”

“Oh?”

Regina made no attempt to make eye contact with her, “For the first trimester, you will be in the palace most of the time, resting. The staff will be more attentive to your needs and security will check on you more frequently. This is just a precaution to make sure everything goes as it should. The ladies of your court, however, will be with you most of the time.”

Kimiko took a sip of her tea and winced as the warm liquid hit her raw throat, “What do you mean by my court being with me?”

“Aside from being your ladies-in-waiting, they also have the liberty in helping you get ready for the heir. Picking out the colors of the nursery, clothes, and other things that pregnant women prepare for.” Regina said before finishing her tea, “This time is also used for you and me to bond. Once you go back to having full schedules, myself and a lady of your choice will take care of the child in your absence. I assume it’ll most likely be Hana.”

Kimiko frowned when she heard that she and Regina would have to spend time together, “This only for three months, right?” She asked, speaking more to Aiden than Regina. The King nodded his head as he finished his tea. 

“Our ‘bonding’ would normally start immediately but I have some— business to attend to in Krona so I won’t be here for the rest of the week.” She told them before fixing herself and standing, “It was a delight to speak with you both but I must get going and I’m sure you both have a busy schedule.” 

Aiden and Kimiko nodded and stood up as well. After saying their goodbyes, the couple began to wander around the flower garden. Kimiko kept silent as she thought about all of the new information she had just received. She walked aimlessly around the garden before walking over to one of the rose bushes, running her fingers over the petals.

“Everything alright? I apologize for not telling you about that before.” He watched as she sniffed one of the roses then turned her attention to him.

“It’s fine. Though— I didn’t realize how much things would change once I got pregnant. Not looking forward to being confined to the palace or spending time with Regina but I think I’ll enjoy it.” She told him before walking back over to him and taking his hand, “But for right now, I want to sleep.”

Aiden chuckled and intertwined their finger as he walked her back to their room.

~

Lucretia tapped her foot impatiently as she waited in the foyer of Regina’s small estate. She stomped over to the window again and peaked through the blinds, “Where the hell is she?” She muttered as she stomped back over to the chair she was standing next to. Isaac watched the woman as she threw a fit about Regina being late. Isaac kept his mouth closed as she mumbled and cursed to herself, he wasn’t entirely sure if he said something Lucretia would have his head. He kept quiet, not wanting to find out.

When the door open, Lucretia almost fell over her own two feet as she stormed over to Regina, “You better have a good reason for being so damn late!” She snapped as she stared at Regina. The Queen Mother frowned at the woman and pushed past her when she saw Isaac sitting on the nearby ottoman.

“Is Anton here?” She asked bluntly.

The assistant shook his head, “It would be too dangerous for him to come out of hiding without him being recognized. I was sent in his place.”

Regina stared at the man for a moment longer before turning away from him and looking at a fuming Lucretia. “Give us a moment alone, Isaac. You’re welcome to look at the royal antiques in the sitting room.”

The man’s face lit up a bit as he nodded and walked out of the room. Regina walked out of the foyer and into the opposite room from where Isaac was. Lucretia flopped into one of the chairs and crossed her legs, “This better be good, Queenie. I could be having an amazing cup of Lythikos Nog right about now.” She said as she propped her head up on her hand.

Regina smirked, “When have I ever disappointed you with information from the newest monarchs?” She asked but Lucretia continued to look at her with a bored expression. Regina ignored her face and continued with the news, “I had a meeting with those two and they informed me that the girl is with child.”

“Well, that’s isn’t good news! This completely foils our plan now that an heir has been conceived.” Lucretia spat as she ran her fingers over her eyebrows, “How the hell are we going to get the throne now?”

“... There could be a way.” Isaac chimed in, standing at the threshold of the room. Lucretia frowned and rolled her eyes at the boy. She waved a hand dismissively at him, “I thought Regina told you to look at some toys?”

The Queen Mother turned to the boy who was glaring at Lucretia for her comment. “What do you have in mind?” She asked.

“Oh, God. Don’t encourage him...!”

Isaac did a fairly good job of ignoring Lucretia’s rude comments and kept his eye on Regina, “We... We could combine the two plans and work together to take them down.”

Lucretia looked at Isaac without a look of disgust on her face. The corner of her mouth turned up into a subtle smirk, “He might be onto something.”

Edge of Hope tags: @flowerpowell @mfackenthal @speedyoperarascalparty @hhiggs @heatherfilliez @umccall71 @writtenbycandy @blznbaby @mitalijoshi @sleeplessescapades

[trr-fangirl]

Remember Me - XII

Warnings: Strong Language

Word Count: 1,780+

Pairings: Liam x MC x Drake (Drake x Olivia)

A/N: We’ve arrived at the end! I’m so sad to end this journey with you all but I won’t be gone for too long— maybe like a day or two! I’ve already written most of the first chapter of the new series which is titled *drumroll please* Edge of Hope! Yeah, it’s not that creative but the plot will surely make up for it! Thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading, reblogging, commenting, and liking my story. It’s been a while since I’ve written so I really appreciate every single one of your likes or comments. Okay, this is getting too long I’m just going to get on with it! Enjoy!

Remember Me Masterlist - Masterlist

Saying goodbye to her family wasn’t as hard as it was saying hello to them. She was going to see them again and that’s what kept her going. Kimiko was happy to be going back to Cordonia but she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. As she walked through the familiar airport with her friends and bodyguards, she felt eyes on her as she walked. That’s something she didn’t miss. Everyone watching her every move, wanting to know what she was going to say next or what inspirational thing she could mention, even if she didn’t feel inspired herself. She let out a sigh as she mindlessly followed the group to the private jet and climbed aboard.

Maxwell relaxed in one of the chairs, leaning back. “I never get tired of these comfy airplane chairs.”

“I’m guessing you’ve never flown commercial,” Drake said as he sat next to Olivia. The redhead glared at him before huffing softly, turning her attention out the small window. His relationship with Aiden wasn’t the only one on the rocks. He ignored his urge to huff back and pulled out his phone.

The flight from New York to Cordonia was quicker than she remembered. Her friends were filing her in on all of the news she missed while in New York including how her red pandas were doing in the menagerie. It was nice to be with her friends again and talk to them, she felt needed and wanted— she felt normal. As they got closer to their destination, Mara and Bastien approached them.

"Sorry to interrupt but we need to brief you all on our arrival," Mara announced as she stood next to Bastien. She nodded to him as the group turned their attention to the guards.

Bastien cleared his throat, "There will be press awaiting the Queen's return to the country. This is the first time the Queen will be confronting the press head-on since her accident. I only hope Her Majesty will be able to handle herself out there."

Kimiko nodded as she searched next to her for Aiden's hand. He quickly took her hand and kissed it gently, "You'll be fine out there, my love." He whispered to her, sensing how uneasy she was becoming, "If it makes you feel any better, you don't have to answer them. We could wait until we arrive at home and have an official press briefing." He suggested and she bit her lip while thinking about her words.

"I think that would be a good idea. It'd be less stress on Amaya." Drake interjected with his hands in his lap. His eyes were set on Kimiko, trying hard not to make much eye contact with Aiden.

The King tensed but only Kimiko noticed, she glanced at him before nodding with a forced smile, "I do agree that it would be less stressful and an official press briefing would be more professional. I'd rather go with the second plan." She told to Mara, avoiding eye contact with either of them. Drake had good intentions in helping her but Aiden thought otherwise. This was a difficult situation and she had to stand on neutral ground for the sake of Drake and Aiden's friendship. Kimiko turned to the two men and smiled, "Thank you both for the suggestions."

Aiden smiled and kissed her cheek gently, "Always." He said to her, playing with her fingertips. A smile appeared on her face for a second before she turned to Drake and inclined her head thankfully to him.

Drake sighed as he leaned back in his chair, "No problem, Amaya."

After a few more updates on courtly events in the coming weeks, the group went back to their conversation until they arrived on the tarmac in Cordonia. A wave of happiness and worry rushed over her as she looked at her country. She was delighted to return to the place she fell in love with all over again but also worried that somehow she could mess up not only the briefing but everything since her memory was still a bit cloudy. She shook her head, now wasn’t the time to belittle and doubt herself. Kimiko quickly changed into her formal wear and returned in time to walk off the plane with Aiden.

She followed Aiden out onto the top of the stairs and immediately heard the sound of flashing and multiple people yelling questions at them, she ignored most of them since she couldn't understand but there were a few questions that she heard coherently.

"Why did the Queen run away? Is she nervous about another rebellion?"

"When will there be an heir to the throne?"

She gulped and tightened her jaw. An heir? Just after her return? And after the betrayal of a close ally, she could certainly take on a small rebellion. Her attempt to smile was more of a grimace as she waved to the press with Aiden's arm wrapped securely around her waist. After a while of getting her picture taken, she and Aiden descended down the stairs only to be bombarded with members of the press next to them. Mara and Bastien quickly pushed the crowd back, giving the group enough space and time to climb into their limo and leave the airport.

~

Night has fallen at the royal palace and their long day of press briefings and endless meetings, Aiden and Kimiko finally were able to retire to their room. Aiden removed his blazer and placed it near the laundry chute as Jasper jumped up and started running around their room excitedly, his entire body wiggling as he ran over to Kimiko. She kneeled down to him and scratched behind his ears then stood up and looked for clothes to change into.

Aiden's eyes followed her across the room, "You're quiet. Is there something bothering you?" He asked. He walked over to his side of the dresser and grabbed some clothes to sleep in then leaned against the dresser.

Kimiko gazed at him before shaking her head, "I'm...fine. Just tired, that's all." She lied then placed her clothes down before proceeding to strip in front of him with no hesitation. She changed into a tank top and shorts then walked over to the bed. She didn't feel like talking and it wasn't his fault. Kimiko had to adjust again and it wasn't as easy as she thought it would be.

She got under the blanket and snuggled into her pillow. She closed her eyes, taking in the warmth of her own bed and the smell of lavender all throughout the sheets. Her eyes flashed open when she felt the bed dip down and watched Aiden climb in next to her. Kimiko scooted closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder.

"I know something is bothering you." He said bluntly as he wrapped his arms around her, protectively. She let out a frustrated sigh when he kissed her forehead, she couldn't hide her emotions from him no matter how hard she tried. He knew her too well.

"I heard some questions from the press earlier today and it really got me thinking," Kimiko whispered with her eyes closed and her head tucked into his neck. "They thought the reason I left was that I was afraid of another rebellion... but I'm not." She corrected as she began to feel sleep overcoming her quicker than expected.

Aiden hummed and Kimiko giggled at the subtle vibrations of his voice, "I wouldn't take press questions too seriously. They say things without thinking through the matter." He explained to her while brushing a few strands out of her face, gently playing with the ends of her hair. Kimiko nodded and continued to nod off before she remembered the other question that was bothering her but before she could bring it to his attention, she was cut off by the sound of Aiden's soft snores. She smiled weakly to herself and kissed his cheek before falling asleep herself soon after.

~

The sound of the door opening and Jasper barking abruptly woke the Queen from her slumber. She shot up into a sitting position and glanced around the room for an intruder but only found her barking corgi at the foot of her bed and her personal bodyguard standing near the door. She took a breath when she realized she wasn't in any danger but became confused a second later as she tried to figure out why Mara abruptly came to her room.

"I apologize for the rude awakening, Your Majesty but you're needed in the King's study immediately." Kimiko frowned and stared at Mara for a moment before shuffling out of bed and going over to her closet to grab a dress to throw on.

“Give me five minutes."

She was dressed in her little black dress in no time and strode down the hallway, giving rushed greetings to her staff members as she passed each of them. She stopped at the door to Aiden's study and was about to knock when she saw the door as ajar and could hear frantic voices from inside. She took it upon herself to push the door open and to her surprise, she saw all of her friends and Madeleine inside the room, having a heated debate. She glanced back at Mara and nodded to her before closing the door, grabbing everyone's attention.

"What's going on?" She asked without hesitation as she walked towards her husband's desk. As she looked at everyone in the room, they looked either stressed or freaked out. Something was extremely off and she knew it. She stood in front of Aiden's desk as he ran his hand through his hair. He wanted to speak but she could tell it wasn't going to come out anytime soon. Kimiko whirled around to the rest of the group, "Can someone please tell me why everyone looks so on edge? I need and demand to know." She asked again, her voice firmer than before.

Olivia looked around the room, quickly realizing she had to be the one to inform her. She closed her eyes to collect herself, "He's back."

"Who—" She stopped speaking. Everything around her stopped instantly as she realized just who Olivia was referring to. No. Not him. Why him? Why now? After everything she had been through, the car accident, losing her memory, remembering things piece by piece and even leaving the country to have a clearer understanding of her past. After all of that, the hardships weren't over? Things were looking well for her when she left New York but now? None of that mattered anymore, her country was in need of their guidance and support again.

Madeleine handed her phone to Kimiko, "He... somehow escaped security and is now somewhere between here and Greece."

Kimiko took the phone from her and looked down at the screen. She felt nauseous at the sight of his face on the screen. His features brought her vivid nightmares, horrid flashbacks, and the sudden fear for her life. She pulled herself together and read the headline with an unnerving look on her face as her stomach curling into knots.

Cordonian faction leader Anton Severus escapes from prison in Greece.

Location Unknown

~~~

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Thank you all for reading! You all have my heart! If you want to be tagged in Edge of Hope, let me know here or message me. I already have a master list for the new series which should be posted so after this.