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mymelodyheart · 4 years ago

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All I Want For Christmas Is You Chapter 4 ~Revelations and Snogs~

Previously in A Christmas Request ...

"Claire?"

"Hmmm?" Her voice was like a breathless whisper, and he wasn't sure if he imagined the yearning look in her eyes. It took all his self-control to keep from kissing her right there and then. Instead, he locked down all his muscles and willed himself to think of animals that start with the letter D. And all his damn brain could summon was the word dragonfly.

"May I ask ye a favour?"

"I don't kiss on the first date," she said too quickly, but her words contradicted her manner as she stared at his lips.

"That wasn't what I was gonnae ask ye."

"Oh!" Her eyes flew to his, and she blushed profusely. "Oh, well, that depends on the favour then."

He swallowed hard and leaned forward, taking her hands in his. "Will ye spend the rest of yer holiday with me?" He cleared his throat. "What I'm trying to ask of ye is, will ye stay here until the Three Kings ...until it's time for ye to go back to London?"

She blinked thrice.

"Alright."

"Alright?" A lungful of air whooshed out of him.

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Alrighty Beauchamp, what have you just done?

Grabbed life by the balls? Isn't that the mantra?

Nope!

What do you mean nope?

Those are not your words. Not our words.

Yes, they are. You know, live in the moment and la-di-dah!?

Nope, definitely not.

Whose are they then?

Annalise's.

Ah, well ...

Claire mentally shrugged.

"Sassenach?"

She snapped out of her tunnel vision, then looked at the big hands still holding hers. She was still trying to wrap her head around the idea of agreeing to spend the rest of her holiday with a total stranger. Who are you and what have you done with the ol' Beauchamp? "I'm sorry. I was thinking of Annalise. This is our holiday together, you see. I just agreed to spend the rest of my holiday here without consulting her." She shook her head and laughed despite the conflicting thoughts floating around her head. "I'm quite sure she'll be fine with it. She's the one who's always pushing me to be more spontaneous."

He squeezed her hands. "I'm flattered to be the reason for your spontaneity."

Her face heated. "I've never done this before ...just so you know."

He tried to catch her eye, and when she returned his gaze, he gave her a lop-sided smile. "Neither have I."

Oh, he's so good. Claire blew out a breath and stilled her heart. "That's comforting to know," she said, trying not to look too flustered. Knowing so little about him, she knew she should be wary, but for some reason, she felt safe. Everything about him was brand-new and familiar at the same time. It's as if there had been a melody playing in her head for her entire life, and he'd finally given it words.

"And Analise is welcome to stay too," Jamie quickly reassured her. "Ye said ye're booked at the Airbnb until Boxing day, but I dinnae think there'll be any guarantee ye'll be able to extend yer stay there with it being high season and all. But we have a family cottage that we rent out for the long term, and it was recently vacated. With all the Christmas fuss and work during the past few weeks, we never got around to letting it. Ye and Annalise are welcome to stay there for the rest of yer holiday." And then he grinned. "I'm quite certain my brother would be thrilled with the idea of yer friend staying too."

Claire laughed. "You're probably right. They seemed to have hit it off."

"Ye could say the same for us, don't ye agree?" he asked in a low voice.

She stared at him. How could he looked so calm and collected when she hadn't figured out how to articulate what she was feeling? On top of it all, it seemed he'd perfected the art of persuasion with finesse, so much so, she'd immediately jumped at his invitation to stay in Broch Mordha without a second thought, surprising herself. When it came to the dating game, she would have equated over-confidence to smugness which as a rule turned her immensely off. But there's a sincerity to Jamie's flirting that she found all too endearing and very charming.

She searched his face. Ready or not, she was curious to explore the unfamiliar emotions this beautiful man was drawing out of her. In her history of dating, no man had ever moved her to make her take the leap of faith. Deep down, something always seemed to be missing, and she'd simply put it down to her inability to know what she wanted. To say her hope of finding herself in a romantic relationship had taken a hit would be an understatement.

When her last date had ended in a blaze of abject embarrassment after she was accused of being a cock-tease, she'd decided she was done with men, at least for the foreseeable future. She had a concrete five-year plan, and getting involved with someone when her heart wasn't a hundred per cent into it, wasn't one of them. Annalise continued to hassle her to dive back in into the dating pool head first, but she'd been content to wade in the shallow end. It may have been frustrating to never take the plunge, but at least, there was a nil chance of her drowning in a sea of mistake. But now?

"Baby steps," she whispered.

"Sorry ...I didn't quite catch that."

She pulled her hands from his hold and drank the rest of her already cold Dutch coffee. When she finally placed the mug down, she looked up and smiled at him. "That rental cottage you were talking about, can I at least give you some money for it?"

He shook his head. "No way. In case ye've forgotten, I invited ye to stay."

"But you've been paying for everything all evening. Hardly seems fair."

"Spending my hard-earned quid for the pleasure of a gorgeous lass' company? Every penny spent is worth it if ye ask me."

When he talked like that, she knew her blush wasn't going to fade anytime soon. "Annalise will disapprove, and I'm pretty sure she will want to have her say in the matter."

"And so will Willie."

"Are you always this stubborn?" she countered.

"Only if I want something badly."

They have a stare-off for a few heartbeats before Jamie tore his gaze away and cleared his throat.

He glanced down at his watch. "So, the last horse carriage ride around the village is in about twenty minutes. We should probably get going."

"Horse carriage ride?"

"Aye. Part of the Christmas night tour." He got up from his seat and gallantly offered her his arm. "Shall we?"

It's so old-fashioned and chivalrous, she laughed out loud. "Well, I guess we shall." As soon as she linked her hand into the crook of his elbow, he sucked in a quick breath. "Are you alright?"

He looked down at her hand on his arm and smiled. "Aye. I'm just concerned I might have trouble adhering to yer nae-kiss-on-first-date rule."

They headed out of the cafe and into the frosty air, and she was acutely aware of the low voltage electricity buzzing around them. "Would it help if I put my retainers on? I have them in my bag. I usually put them on at night."

"No, not really. I just have to remind myself of the promise I made to Annalise before we left the pub earlier."

"What promise was that?"

"I promised her I'd behave otherwise ..."

"Otherwise?"

"I have to face the consequences."

She laughed. She knew Annalise's threat so well and by heart as the same lines had been often used to warn her dates in the past. "Well, let me see ...did she say if you misbehave she's going to show you the end of the world up close. And she's going to let you see the kingdom come with your own eyes by sending you straight to the southern hemisphere and letting the ashes of death rain all over you."

He grinned at her. "Something like that. How she's going to achieve that, I have nae idea."

"Never mind how. If you keep on focusing on Annalise's threat, that should be deterrent enough."

He gave her a sceptical shrug. "If ye say so." And then he looked down at her and winked. "But then again, ye're worth tempting fate for."

..........

Claire found herself being hoisted into a festively decorated horse-drawn carriage with twinkling garlands, gold & white berries. To her amusement, even the shire horses were wearing faux antlers. As she sat down, she felt their buggy dipped low as Jamie followed and settled next to her, putting the gift bags on the floor and pulling the woollen blanket over them. As their transport rumbled and creaked into motion, he put an arm behind her, resting it the edge of their seat's backrest, leaving her no alternative but to lean against the curve of his body. His closeness and the motion of their carriage added another layer of tension to her already overworked adrenal glands.

"Comfy?" he whispered, leaning into her, his warm breath on her ear.

"Uh-huh," she managed, licking her lips that had gone suddenly dry. It was a challenging feat to ignore Jamie's presence when his sheer size encroached her space, his thigh brushing against hers and the motion of the ride, sinking her deeper under his arm.

She forced herself to focus on the sounds of the hooves and bells, and admire the trees wrapped in lights, wreaths adorning almost every window, and Santas or nutcrackers standing guard outside front doors. For once, Jamie didn't speak, and she allowed herself to relax, revelling the clean, crisp air of the Highlands. Although Broch Mordha was nothing like London, quieter and had a slower pace of life, the atmosphere in the village was electric. It was almost magical, more natural and everything seemed to make more sense, instead of the rat race that occurred daily and nightly in the big city.

Every year, at around Christmas time, she came back to the Highlands in search of some peace, and every time she returned to London, she always felt like a brand new person, invigorated, well-rested and ready to tackle the New Year. But there was something different about her visit in Broch Mordha compared to the other places she'd been to in the Highlands, and she had a feeling deep in her guts, she'd have trouble leaving this place once her holiday was over.

"Ye dinnae look tired at all, Sassenach. Ye're used to staying up late?"

She glanced up at Jamie and smiled. "I sleep very little. I don't know, maybe I have insomnia."

"Really? Perhaps it's just a consequence of living in the city. I mean it's loud there, and I presume ye live in a flat where ye can hear the comings and goings of yer neighbours."

She sighed. "Yes, there's that. The flat Annalise and I live in is not really the most tranquil setting. It doesn't help that I am an overthinker."

"What do ye think mostly about when ye cannae sleep?"

"Mostly about work," she shrugged, glancing at the lights overhead that were hung above the streets. "Don't get me wrong. I'm happy, and I'm grateful for the good life I have. It's just that sometimes I think about the day when I would stop searching for ..."

Jamie waited for her to finish her sentence, but she couldn't find the words. "For what?" he finally asked, his hand squeezing her shoulder, urging her on.

"More," she replied candidly, surprising herself with the unguarded utterance that came from her very soul, ragged with honesty and desire for something she didn't have a name for. Yet. Suddenly, the empty place inside her reared up, seeking company. "How about you? What do you think most of at night?" She paused, trying to tamp down the sudden curiosity that flared up, but it was out before she could stop herself. "A certain lass perchance?"

To her astonishment, she felt him tensed beside her, and after a few seconds, he let out a sigh. "I have nightmares," he confided.

Her head jerked up, and she twisted in her seat to look into his eyes. He was probably waiting for her to ask a torrent of questions, but she remained silent, allowing him to set the pace of their conversation. She nodded her head to continue.

"I used to be with the SAS. It's a special force unit for the British army. The unit I was in was responsible for a number of roles including covert reconnaissance, counter-terrorism, direct action, and hostage rescue. My best friend, Simon MacKimmie, was captured while spying behind the enemies' lines. He was a valuable informant for both sides, and my team were under direct orders to get him out of there alive and as swiftly as possible." She watched as his throat worked as if he saw the scene replaying in his mind. "We found him quickly enough and thought we were out of the woods. But the enemy fire broke out just as we were about to board the helicopter. Simon and I were hit, but my wound was superficial, whereas my friend's injury was fatal. I promised him everything would be alright and would make sure he stayed alive for his family. Before he slipped away, he made me promise to take care of his wife, Laoghaire, if he didn't make it. She was pregnant at the time. I didn't hesitate and made a vow to keep that promise."

"Oh, Jamie ..."

He pressed his lips into a determined line. "Months later, I was discharged from the army after I was diagnosed with PTSD. I resigned myself to a quiet life as the flashbacks from the horrors of the war and friend's death worsened. Laoghaire and I became close, as we talked a lot about Simon and I helped her with the things she needed. That was when I found my purpose in life again, and even though I wasn't in love with her, I loved her like I loved Simon so I asked her to marry me so that I could take care of their child. It was a sacrifice, aye, but it was a small price to pay, considering I get to live, and my mate will never get to see his unborn child. So we planned to marry after the child was born. So while we were waiting for the big day, I bought a house for us, and my brother helped me restore it."

"But Laoghaire didnae want to live here. She wanted us to move to Liverpool because she couldnae stand the quiet and the remoteness even though she was born and bred here. I told her we would talk about it after the baby was born. But I was worried that living in the city would make my PTSD worse. Meanwhile, rumours were going around that Laoghaire has been seeing another man when Simon was still alive and that she would often disappear to Liverpool weeks at a time. I ignored it as I didnae care for idle gossips and dismissed it as such. Ye see, she lived and worked in Liverpool before she married Simon; hence, I thought, that was where the rumours had stemmed from. She's a very ambitious lass and has this dream of making it big one day. Anyway, to cut a long story short, I later found out from a reliable source that not only had she cheated on Simon, but she cheated on me while were engaged. I began to wonder if the child she was carrying was even Simon's. While I was building her a house and funding her trips to Liverpool, she was seeing the same man she'd been meeting up with when Simon was still alive. When I confronted her, she admitted to it. So the wedding was cancelled, and she went to Liverpool to give birth to her child and to be with the other man ."

He shook his head at the memory. "She reminded me of someone I used to pursue. She'd rather be with a man wearing a five grand suit than be with a labourer like me. I guess it's the lure of the city. Sometimes I feel like I failed Simon and his family. I made him all sorts of promises that I couldnae keep and the memory of the glimmer of hope he had in his eyes turning to death, keep recurring in my dreams."

Claire knew the last things Jamie needed were apologies and pities. He seemed like a proud man who didn't shy away from responsibilities and was unapologetically himself. "I guess we both have demons that keep us up at night," she finally said.

Jamie shrugged and waved his hand. "Dinnae fash. I didnae take ye out so ye could watch me wallow. I've done enough of that myself."

She took a deep breath. "I'm not going to pretend I wholly understand everything you've been through, but one thing I know is that you being part of the SAS means you were trained with the elite. You were drilled to save lives, and with that comes, precision and no room for error. So when something goes wrong, and someone dies during your watch, it becomes your fault."

He looked at her as furrows deepened on his brows.

She placed a hand over his. "You tried to absolve your guilt of not being able to save your mate's life by taking care of Laoghaire, who was so undeserving of your kindness and generosity. God or a higher power or the universe, or whatever you wish to call it, is trying to show you something important. You don't get to choose, Jamie. At the end of the day, you can only do your best, but you can't save everyone. No one can. Right now you're learning to live with that, and all you can do now is make sure you get to the other side. You can't take responsibility for everyone's action but yours."

Something lit up in Jamie's eyes. Emboldened by the small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, she grinned at him. "No wonder you won at the caber toss and your team trashed the opponents at shinty today. You have so much pent up emotions dying to come out."

Jamie suddenly laughed out loud and pulled her against him. "I think I need to fire my therapist and hire ye, Sassenach. All this time, we'd circled around the realisation, always walking on eggshells. But ye ...ye just gave it to me straight. I think I'll need ye to stay longer past three kings."

She poked him on the ribs. "Be careful what you wish for!"

..........

A couple of hours and a glass of mulled cider each later, they walked in silence as Jamie guided her down the path that led to the bed and breakfast cottage. As it turned out, he lived three minutes walk away from where she and Annalise were staying.

After spending a whole night out with him, her body was still buzzing with so much energy. She'd never had such a powerful reaction to a man before. Nor enjoyed the company of one as much as she did tonight. She felt like she could uproot all the trees that stood on her path.

"I had a really grand time," he said.

"Me too. Thank you for a wonderful evening."

"And thank ye for the company."

As they neared bed and breakfast cottage, she realised they were exchanging lame small talk, but there's nothing lame about what's passing between them. Either way, she couldn't care less as she'd never laughed so hard in her life.

When they finally reached the small gate, she stopped and turned around to face him. "Well, here we are," she smiled, trying to conceal her reluctance to go.

He hooked the giftbags onto the wooden gate and nodded tensely, the tightness in his jaw quite evident. "Aye. Here we are at Mrs Fitz's place. I ken the ol' dear. She used to feed me and my brother jam piece and milk when we were bairns." He took a step forward and cleared his throat. "I ...um ...tonight was really special."

"I think so too. Thank you again for everything."

He ran a hand through his hair and blew out a breath. "I'm no' tired yet, so I'm just going to take a walk some more until I'm ready for bed," he said, jerking a thumb over his shoulder.

"Yes, you do that. Fresh air is good for you. And I ...ah ... I'll talk to Annalise about extending our stay here. Ah well ... that's if she's still awake." She rolled her eyes and let out a nervous laugh. "Or if she's home. So ... I'll see you around?"

"Aye, I'm just down the road if ye need anything."

"Yes. Got it. Down the road. A hop, skip and jump away."

He stared for a few heartbeats, then ran his hand behind his neck and gave her a crooked smile. "I meant it, Sassenach. If ye cannae sleep, ye can drop by anytime. I'm a light sleeper. Apart from personalised packaged-tours, I also specialise in making a mean toddy to help ye sleep. And a wicked mushroom omelette if its breakfast ye want. Oh, aye, I'm good at foot massage as well."

She stifled a giggle threatening to burst as a ball of warmth bloomed in her belly. "I have no doubt you're good at those things. I'll bear what you said in mind if I need anything or if I have trouble sleeping. And if I have a sudden urge for a foot massage, I'll pop by."

He shook his head. "Ye're not just saying that to spare my feelings are ye?"

"No. Of course not. I enjoy your company. So ..." Claire took a deep breath. "...this is it. Good night, Jamie. And thank you again for everything." Oh, dear God, I keep saying thank you! She stood on her tiptoes to give him a peck on his cheek just as he offered his hand. Their sudden awkward movement made her lose her balance, bumping her nose on his jaw. They both took a step back and laughed. This time she held out her hand, and he shook it.

They continued to stand there and shake hands, neither of them letting go, their smile slowly ebbing away as they stared at each other.

Jamie was the first to speak. "Right, this is the part where I watch ye walk away."

"Yes. I'll go now. It's getting late." She smiled as she took a tentative step away from him, but he didn't let go of her hand.

Her bottom hit the wooden post behind her as Jamie took another step forward. His height and breadth blocked out the street light, and in the shadows, his expression looked almost pained. She'd had men looked at her with desire before, but nothing like the way Jamie was doing right now. The way his jaw and muscles tensed and his breathing shallowed, she knew it was taking him a lot of effort to hold himself back. Her eyes travelled down to his throat and watched his Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed.

"Sassenach." His voice cut through the haze, and her eyes flew to his as he leaned down and cupped her face. "Maybe ye could stay for just a wee while more."

Her heart began to thump wildly against her ribs as the air between them charged. "I really should get going," she whispered, the blood roaring through her ears almost deafening. She willed herself to move, but she remained fixed on the spot.

"Or perhaps ye can just stand here for a few minutes more and let me do this."

She stopped breathing and time stood still as he softly brushed his lips across hers. Then he pulled away for a brief second waiting for her to object, and when she didn't, he kissed her again.

Her brain seized, and her eyes automatically closed. She'd never felt lips so soft nor been kissed with such gentleness. She once read an Oscar Wilde quote, and it said, "A kiss may ruin a human life." It had puzzled her then because up until now, she'd always thought, although some kisses were sweet it was nothing more than two people putting their faces together and exchanging spit. But Jamie's kiss? She knew it had ruined her for any future kisses. This was the type of kiss she never even knew existed. It was the kind of kiss that inspired stars to climb into the sky and light up the world.

She waited with bated breaths for more, but nothing happened.

When she opened her eyes, he was staring at her. "I've wanted to kiss ye from the moment I laid my eyes on ye," he whispered and grazed her lips once more. "Ye've nae idea how beautiful ye are."

Oh, sweet Jesus! He'd barely touched her. It was merely a light brushing of their lips and the slightest sensation of his breath on her face. But it was enough to cause the static crackling between them to be ignited, and she was left wanting more.

Before she could reassemble her thoughts and make sense of her emotions, he stepped away from her and tunnelled his fingers through his hair. "May I please have yer phone, Sassenach?"

"Oh! Wot for?"

He smiled at her. "I'm giving ye my number."

She reached into the back pocket of her jeans and handed her phone over. She watched him dial his own number on her screen, and after a few seconds later, his own phone rang.

"There, now I have yers too." He pushed her phone into her back pocket and blew out a breath. "I'll see ye tomorrow?"

"You want to see me again?" she teased, smiling.

"I dinnae even want to leave ye tonight."

She dropped her head down to hide the heat creeping up her face. "I'll see what's Annalise is up to and we'll take it from there. I'll either call you or send a message."

He placed a finger under her chin and tipped her face up. "Ye're not mad I kissed ye? I havenae forgotten yer rules about first dates."

Claire picked up the gift bags, stood on her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek. And then she smiled. "I'm starting to believe the rules don't apply to you. Good night, Jamie." And with that, she turned around and walked towards the cottage without looking back, knowing full well Jamie was still stood there waiting for her until she'd safely made it to the house.

Once inside, she allowed herself to slide down to the floor and relived the memory of their first kiss. And she sat there for a very long time.

Dear Readers,

Here's a little story about this chapter. I got stuck at the beginning of writing this one. So what did I do? I started writing from the middle, then the conclusion and finished the opening in the end. It's common to get stuck in writing, so I thought I'd share this wee tip with you. So just in case, the latest update lost some of its fluidity, you now know the reason why. 😀

Anyway, thank you for reading and your feedback from the previous chapter. It's something I truly appreciate. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I look forward to reading your thoughts. Meanwhile, sending you all best wishes and hope you're taking care of yourselves and your health. x

#melodyheart #all I want for christmas is you #claire beauchamp #jamie fraser #Claire Beauchamp/Jamie Fraser #outlanderfanfic

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poppibranchlover · 4 years ago

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Nine Lives, One Fight - Part 15

The story: Deep in the forest of Troll Town, there lies a mysterious tiny purple mushroom that has a secret magical ability. King Peppy calls this mushroom forbidden for all Trolls to go near it. One day, while Branch is out in the woods doing his survival research studying, he encounters it and, not knowing it is a regular mushroom, decides to harvest it and bring it home. But in the next morning, its magic effects transform him into a small blue cat! After being sent to the animal pound, his girlfriend, Poppy, finds him and decides to adopt him, although not recognizing it is Branch. Desperate to finish his research project due for a special event invented by Poppy, Branch is forced to learn how to behave like a pet cat and must figure out what caused him to become one.

You already seen what had happened in Part 14. Now get ready for Part 15!:

By the time Poppy and Branch got into the queen’s pod, it was already nighttime. They cleaned themselves up and then get ready for bed.

Not wanting to feel left out and having completed his main objective, Branch wanted to sleep beside Poppy rather than sleeping in isolation on the shelf near the window. She saw him on his bed feeling proud of himself and gently petted his head.

“Goodnight, Mr. Tickle,” said Poppy. “You’re the best little kitten I’ve ever adopted!”

After kissing Branch’s forehead, she immediately went to sleep. Branch scooted closer to her and snuggled beside her, smiling and somehow enjoying his life as a cat.

Halfway during his slumber, Branch started to wake up. He cautiously scanned the room and stared at Poppy, who was still sleeping. He knows he couldn’t waste any hour right now and he needs his Show-and-Tell project to be finished before morning.

Branch stared at Poppy’s clock, trying to figure out what time it is now. Okay, I don’t have much time left, he thought to himself. I have to get to work before sunrise!

Then he jumped out of the bed and sprinted to the dining table, where a giant red cloth is covering something underneath it.

Branch carefully pulled out the cloth, revealing his construction equipment he had gathered from his bunker earlier this afternoon.

Satisfied at his choice of duty, Branch crept under the table to admire his tools he needs to make his project. He was so eager to win the contest tomorrow that he wanted to get started right away.

“All right!” he said triumphantly, cracking his knuckles and pulling out a neat-detailed blueprint. “In these clear well-written equational documents, I’m gonna know how to construct some stuff!”

Wiggles peeked from behind Branch’s trusty toolbox, holding up an eaten carrot. “How are you gonna do that?” he asked. “You’re just an ordinary tiny kitten!”

Branch couldn’t believe Wiggles was asking some questions on how a cat can build inventions. He sighed with exasperation and told him “It’s going to be fine, Wiggles. I can really build a great invention of mine that easily. I have four arms, just like Cooper!” He held up a paw, showing five of his pads sticking under it.

Wiggles chomped on his carrot. “But each time you pick up a tool with your teeth, you’re gonna lose some momentum!” he warned.

Branch eventually saw what the tiny rabbit was doing just now. He pointed at the carrot and demanded “What are you even eating?”

Wiggles stopped nibbling and examined his meal for a moment. It took him some time to remember where did he get it. “I think I just found it in a giant bowl of ‘white flowers’ on your owner’s pantry,” he answered meekly, trying not to be ashamed.

Branch was stunned. He can’t believe that that little bunny was stealing something from Poppy! “No, Wiggles. Those are cauliflowers,” he protested. “And you know where cauliflowers come from?”

“A flower garden?” asked Wiggles absentmindedly.

“Vegetables!” Branch corrected him firmly. “Cauliflowers are vegetables like that carrot you stole!”

“Okay, so what’s the difference between flowers or ‘cotton flowers’?” Wiggles wondered. “I didn’t even think-”

Branch tilted his head down to the floor and groaned with frustration. This rabbit is very dumb and doesn’t seem to know the world of Trolls very well. “Can’t you just get it right, little bunny?!” he insisted. “Don’t you remember the rule of staying here?”

“I did!” Wiggles said with a reassuring nod. “You said I follow exactly what you said!”

“Then why should I bring you here for a reason?” Branch asked, folding his tail between his back legs.

“Then what about your plan for that “so-called” Show-and-Tell party?” Wiggles snapped back. Branch just stepped back quietly. “You’re gonna waste some time when you keep talking to me and comment about my Thanksgiving dinner!” Then he paused for a second, seething. Branch was too startled to reply. The little bunny stared at his half-eaten carrot and shook his head with a sigh. “I shouldn’t be stealing that from Queen Poppy. I’m very sorry.”

“Uh, that’s alright,” Branch told him, trying not to offend him even more. “She didn’t even eat any carrot like that, and I think you can deserve it.”

Wiggles was grateful for his words. He stared at Branch’s blueprint, and then at the night sky through a window. “It seems like time is flying so fast,” he said.

Branch immediately knew what Wiggles was trying to tell him. He looked at the same window and realized what that meant. It is getting closer to the next morning. “I think you’re right, man,” he said. “I don’t have much time left before sunrise! I gotta get started!”

Wiggles was shocked. “Yes, but how are you gonna build a good structure like a—?”

But the plan is already happening very quick. Branch whipped out his tools and his wooden planks from his toolbox and got ready to work.

Surprised that he was carrying a large saw despite his small cat size, Wiggles’ jaw dropped. “Oh….uh, well….that is fine,” he muttered nervously.

In a flash, Branch was already hammering and sawing some wood. He spent a few minutes of using his constructing tools and adjusting to his cat form at the same time. He exhausted himself from carrying his heavy tools for a little while and drank some cups of milk to energize himself...if it’s for the best that he needed some coffee.

Later, Branch put on his hard builder’s hat and began painting the wood. Holding a paintbrush in his mouth, he carefully painted the plank with a neat dark brown color. From a corner during his work, Wiggles nibbled his carrot along the way.

Branch hammered, painted and drank tons of glasses of milk. He stayed up all night at work long putting the finishing touches to his latest invention. Despite being a cat, he can still think like a Troll. No longer bothered by the sheer excited swaying of his tail, he put on a welding mask and held up a blowtorch in his paw.

When he was sure to have almost finished, Branch lifted up his welding mask to admire his work. He smiled with satisfaction, feeling like he was ready for Poppy’s newest party tomorrow.

I can totally win this! he thought. Those Trolls out there will think I will be the best hero when they see what I make! Hopefully I’ll earn a medal and be on first place!

“Tomorrow is another day,” Branch told himself.

The next day, Poppy’s Show-and-Tell Festival has already begun. Trolls everywhere gathered around the giant mushroom stage, where Poppy is addressing everyone else who were invited for the party. DJ Suki, the village’s resident disk jockey, played some thumping music that got everyone grooving, dancing and celebrating the occasion.

The Show-and-Tell festival was jam-packed with fun activities. Some Trolls who signed up to show their projects on stage proudly present them to Poppy, who is observing every single one of them. The party was a great success. The Trolls finished it off with a banquet filled with cupcakes, berries, flavored punch and cookies and a special oversized scrapbook they made together to remember the occasion.

Poppy proudly went up on stage, holding a pink glittery microphone in one hand. She held up her arms wide and greeted her fellow crowd of excited Trolls. “Hello, Troll Village!” she proclaimed. “Ready to set your brains aflame?! Then I hope you are all as excited as I am! Welcome to my party of Show-and-Tell, where you’ll be able to show your opinions and tell us about them in order to get promoted as future leaders of the kingdom!”

“YAAAAAAAAAY!!!” all the Trolls cheered. “Hurray for Show-and-Tell Day!”

“And just you wait, there are some of the best contestants that will bring us a load of Troll-riffic inventions that they come up with!” Poppy added. “Sit back and relax as they will come up on stage to present their creativity to the rest of the world!”

Then Poppy jumped out of the stage to check on her best friends, who have their brilliant Show-and-Tell inventions ready to be submitted.

“Okay, guys,” she reminded them proudly. “I hope you’re ready. Got your thingamabobs needed for this special day?”

The rest of the Trolls agreed with her reassuring words.

Deep down, Biggie was feeling scared. “I’m so nervous I felt so many Mr. Dinkleses in my stomach,” he said, his voice quaking with fear.

Guy Diamond put his arm to the big Troll’s shoulder to comfort him. “It’s alright, big fella,” he told him in his shimmery voice. “Y’all won’t be so jealous ‘cause my masterpiece will be a great hiiiiit!” He nodded to his shining glitter globe that was required to present to the rest of the crowd.

Cooper kicked his colorful ball with his front legs enthusiastically. “I’m SOOOO excited to show my favorite ball to everyone!” he exclaimed with utter excitement. “I’ll make a great king!”

Smidge was not sure of this idea. Not all Trolls wanted to be declared as winners because Poppy needs to select one Troll with the best invention. “I think you’ll be the king someday,” she said.

“Oh, come on, Smidge!” said Cooper. “I wonder what an actual king can do?”

“You’ll have to wait, Cooper,” Poppy told him. “When a Troll has the best project ever built, they would soon earn a medal.” Humming to herself, she went off to find Satin and Chenille, whose presentation about shampoo and hair conditioner were coming to fruition.

When Poppy saw them, she greeted them happily “Hey, girls! You’re gonna be fine! Just present your projects and I’ll qualify each of them as top prize!”

“Yes, Queen Poppy,” Satin answered politely. “We’ll do our best. No arguing!”

“Sis, keep it together! We use the shampoo first!” Chenille protested.

Meanwhile, Branch was watching the festivities coming on. He knew the big celebration had begun. A tiny, secret part of him was to be still in Poppy’s contestant list despite still stuck in cat form. He jumped off the big mushroom that he, Poppy and the twins were standing on and ran over to his brand new creation, covered with a red tarp.

Wiggles hopped closer to him, admiring his fantastic work. “Ooooh, now I wonder what you come up for this party?” he asked happily. “How well you are doing?”

“I’ll do great progress!” Branch said enthusiastically. “Besides, I worked so hard on this baby.”

He pulled off the red tarp. Underneath it was a wooden machine that looked like an old-fashioned coffee grinder.

Branch introduced his latest invention. “Behold...my homemade Berry-Presser!”

Wiggles was impressed. “Whoa, dude! It looks totally awesome!” he cooed. “But...what does it really do?”

Branch had spent lots of time all night inventing this mechanical grinder. He enthusiastically bounded back and forth in front of his invention and pulled out another basket of berries he had harvested yesterday as he explained the purpose of how it works. If Branch could get the rest of the Trolls to agree to this brilliant idea, it would ensure that he is able to be declared first prize.

“Based on my precise calculation, I built this thing to ensure proper nutrition for the Trolls,” Branch explained. “It’s very simple. Harvest a berry or more, compress them inside and turn them into healthy drinks; the perfect combination of integrity and a touch of love!”

“Cool! What a great combo!” Wiggles cheered, hopping up and down. “Everyone will love your berry-making gizmo when they see it in action!”

“Yep!” said Branch. “When I come out on stage, Poppy is going to qualify me as a new leader. Isn’t it great? It’s like I’m going to rule with her!”

Wiggles gave a serious look on his face that said “Are you kidding me?”

“Time for me to hit the spotlight!” Branch said proudly. He started to leave with his Berry-Presser, but Wiggles grabbed his tail and pulled him back. Branch yelped in pain upon having his tail bitten by the rabbit’s teeth. “Ouch! What is your problem?” he asked.

“Before you go, one BIG problem…you’re just a cat, not a Troll,” Wiggles reminded him. “The entire village won’t notice or accept you and your project! You know what I mean? Animals don’t get qualified by Trolls!”

Branch chuckled and pressed down Wiggles’ forehead with his paw, forming a frown on the bunny’s face. “Awww, Wigs. Don’t be so pessimistic,” he told him, smiling proudly. “You'll give yourself worry lines with all that nagging. They’ll know I made this little toy and Poppy will definitely promote me for sure!”

But Wiggles was getting worried that Branch’s plan is going to fail. He knew if he showed up on stage, Poppy and the Trolls will never understand him when he was about to present his invention. He tried to stop him before he can move on. “I’m being serious here! I told you Queen Poppy never recognizes you as a small animal!”

It was too late. Branch pushed his Berry-Presser and made his way to the backstage with the rest of Poppy’s friends.

“Ugh, he’s gonna take low price,” Wiggles said sarcastically, exasperated as he watched Branch go into the party anyway.

A few minutes later, the Show-and-Tell presentation has finally begun. Poppy introduced Biggie and Mr. Dinkles on stage. “Ladies and gentlemen, give it up for Biggie and Mr. Dinkles’ performance of the world’s most powerful “Mew” of the universe!”

The crowd cheered as Biggie and his pet worm arrived on the stage. Mr. Dinkles was sitting on a chair, ready to play a piano. Biggie acted like a conductor and he waved his baton to cue his worm to start singing. While pressing the piano keys, Mr. Dinkles sang in a big, operatic voice as the rest of the Trolls watched the performance in awe.

“Now that’s what I call the world’s most powerful ‘Mew!’“ Biggie clarified, admiring at his beloved pet’s extraordinary talent.

When the performance finished, the Trolls cheered and Mr. Dinkles took a bow before hopping into Biggie’s arms. The big blue Troll hugged his worm tightly and bowed before the crowd as well before he left the stage.

Next, Guy Diamond appeared on stage with a poof of glitter showering all over the audience. Poppy made his introduction. “Brace yourself for the world’s most glittery Troll in the whole wide world! Guy Diamond!”

When Guy landed gracefully on stage, he pulled out his glitter globe and shook it. Glitter showered around the plastic unicorn inside. “This wonderfully-glittertastic snowglobe SHIIIIIINES like a DIAMOND!!!” Guy explained with his iconic shimmering tone. “With this, you can SHIIIIIINE your whole world with LOTS OF GLIIIIIIITER!!!”

The entire crowd cooed, impressed at the glitter Troll’s brilliant work. “Ooooooooooh!!!”

“I wish I can keep that! It’s got a tiny unicorn in it!” a Troll child said excitedly, pointing at the glitter globe.

“That’s some good stuff, Guy!” Poppy said as the glittery Troll left the stage, carrying his globe. “Next up, we have Cooper and his fantastic rainbow bouncy ball!”

Cooper waddled his way to the stage, with his ball balancing on his head. “Hey, guys!” he said enthusiastically. “Let me show you my favorite super duper bouncy-douncy ball! Look what it can do!”

Then he started doing some tricks while playing with his soccer ball. Almost as fast as Cooper moved his four legs each time while getting the ball to balance on his back, all of the Trolls were amazed.

After ending his trick with a big finale, Cooper bowed at the cheering audience and gracefully danced away from the stage.

“This is gonna be a cinch. Two sisters, one mind,” Poppy announced on stage. “Put your hair together for the fashion sisters and their hair gel experiment!”

Satin and Chenille appeared on the stage, pulling out their whiteboard depicting the shampoo and hair conditioner pictures. They held up two bottles of hair lotion as they challenged the Trolls to a quiz about where the shampoo originated in and how different is the hair conditioner, just like how they challenged Poppy to the same quiz yesterday.

“I know these answers,” Poppy whispered to Biggie, watching from the backstage.

Finally, the fashion twins come to the conclusion of their explanation. “In direct conclusion, we know that both shampoo and conditioner...” Satin began.

“...count like good HAIR GEL!!!” the girls said the last sentence in unison.

The Trolls roared with thousands of applause, and the twins bowed. “Thank you for seeing our presentation!” Chenille squealed. “Have a hair-tastic day!”

Later, during Smidge’s turn on presenting her Muscle Spirit treadmill on the stage, Branch curled up in a corner, watching the other contestants perform. Soon it will be his turn to be on stage, he will present his berry grinder invention to everyone, and finally he’ll be awarded first place. He can feel his destiny coming towards him.

Branch looked at his invention and then at the stage, feeling quite ready to embrace his inner Troll. “Oh yeah,” he said with determination. “I’m ready to rule the world with you, Poppy.”

After Smidge completed her presentation, Poppy announced to her people “And for our very last contestant of the season, you may know him as the former village grump...let’s hear it for BRANCH!!!”

“Oh, that’s me!” Almost immediately, Branch can hear the loud cheering. He couldn’t believe it. All of the Trolls were now cheering for him, and now it is the time for him to show his face to everyone. He smiled with confidence as he pushed the berry grinder to the stage.

“Come on up there, Branch!” Poppy said, just as Branch and his berry grinder finally showed up on the stage. Once he stopped pushing his invention, he greeted the audience. “Meow!”

Instead of cheering for Branch, the crowd gasped. Even Poppy gasped as well. “Mr. Tickle, what are you doing here?” she asked, staring at Branch.

Everyone stared at the blue-haired cat in confusion. Then they all started talking at once.

“Wait a minute. It’s just a cat,” a glitter Troll said, scratching his head.

“Who’d put a cat on stage?” a Troll asked, looking genuinely confused.

“Where is Branch? He’s supposed to be here!”

“Yeah, where is he?”

“Where is the last Troll?”

“We need him!”

“Branch! Branch!”

Branch looked at the confused crowd. Is it working? he thought. Am I getting through them? Am I gonna win first place? He hadn’t much luck getting their attention lately. But his face fell when he realized what is going on. “What’s happening?” he asked himself. “I thought they all liked my invention!”

Poppy tried to shoo him away from the stage. “Get back in the backstage. You’re not supposed to be here,” she told the cat. “I need Branch to show up and present his project.”

“Meeeow! Meow! Meow!” Branch insisted, attempting to tell her that he is here to show his berry grinder to the crowd. “Meeeeeoooowww!!”

But it didn’t seem to work. This made Poppy think Branch is absent. She looked around while he tried getting her attention. “Where’s Branch?” she asked. “I swore that he should’ve arrived on time! Branch!” Then she fled off the stage and ran to search for him. Branch helplessly watched her leave.

Behind Poppy, her friends watched her running away from the party. Biggie asked her “Poppy, what’s wrong?”

“We’re calling this party a hiatus!” she announced before disappearing into the distance. “There’s been a serious mistake here!”

“What mistake?” Guy asked, not until the rest of the Snack Pack saw Branch on stage, meowing for Poppy to come back.

“Awwwww!” Cooper cooed. “Cute kitty!”

Branch felt hurt and defeated. Why didn’t Poppy recognize him, and what is wrong with being a cat? He glanced at the audience, who were still murmuring questions about him.

“What should we do about this cat?” a Troll demanded.

“I wish Queen Poppy would cancel him off from the list in the first place!”

“I can’t believe she halted the party with a hiatus because of his absence!”

Branch watched in horror as the Trolls continued ranting about the disaster. He couldn’t watch this anymore, so he sprinted after Poppy.

“Poppy, come back!” he yelled, jumping off the stage and making a run for it to follow her, leaving the Trolls surprised at his departure.

From backstage, Wiggles watched him go after Poppy, finally knowing that Branch’s attempt to show his project had failed.

To Be Continued...

Stay tuned for Part 16!

#dreamworks trolls #poppy and branch #poppy #branch #cat #cat branch #branch the cat #cat branch story #nine lives one fight #fanfiction #wiggles #wiggles the rabbit #biggie #mr dinkles #cooper #smidge #satin and chenille #guy diamond

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mrs-mystica · 5 years ago

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Prince Hunt | Chapter 1 [ Deceit ]

Ships : Prinxiety & Roceit

Alternative title : Two Yanderes for One Prince Roman is a popular guy, but he is even more popular than he thinks. Both Virgil and Damian (Deceit) fell for his charms, but they have a peculiar way of showing it. Competition is hard, both will do anything to get Roman’s attention. Who will win the heart of Prince Charming?

If you’re familiar with the term Yandere, you know how this is gonna go. For the others, please look it up before reading this, so you know to what you’ll be exposed to.

TW : Unsympathetic Virgil, Unsympathetic Deceit, swearings, mentions of sex, violence (physical and psychological), kidnapping, torture, lots of manipulation, abuse

More notes : Deceit’s name is Damian in this fic, if we get a name reveal, it will be change, like all my other fics mentionning Deceit.

It is recommended to read both POV, since both provid complimentary informations, but each chapter will be identified, so you can only read either Virgil or Damian (Deceit) POV if you really prefer to. Both versions of each chapter will be released at the same time.

To see Virgil’s POV, click here

Masterlink

Chapter 1 [ Deceit ]

Third Person POV

School was about to start and students were flowing toward the entrance. The majority of them were looking down, reluctantly advancing to get into what some called “jail”. But there was one person that couldn’t wait to get into the school. Damian Wright was making his way through the crowd, pushing around people that were standing in his way. He hadn’t time for these nobodies, he had more important matter to attend to. Every day he would wake up, go to this stupid school, only to get a glance of his smile. As soon as he entered the school, he started looking for him.

All eyes were on him, as usual, but Damian didn’t care anymore. When he has something on his mind, nothing else matter. He passed in front of a big mirror in the hall. He stopped as he noticed that a strand of hair had fallen on his face. Well, maybe something else mattered. He needed to be at his best, as usual. He removed his fedora and restyled his hair. As he put back his hat on his head, he took a moment to examine himself. His birthmark was still covering half of his face. It was really apparent because of his pale skin. But nobody really cared about it. His eyes, on the other hand… He had Heterochromia iridis, inherit from his mother. What a great gift… One was brown, which is fine, but the other was a nightmare. It was grey, with a light pigmentation of yellow, but it’s only really visible in the sunlight. It looked surreal. People kept asking if he was wearing a contact lens. Why would I only wear one contact lens?! That would be dumb!, he thought. Yet, that’s what he started to do for a while. Tired of hearing comments, he started to wear a brown contact lens. But the other kids thought he was trying to be deceitful. They called him a monster in disguise. At first, it was only insults. But it quickly escalated to violence. Those kids, with their filthy hands, tried to remove his contact lens. One day, they hit him so hard that it fell. He was on the floor, crying, the broken contact lens in front of him. The kids were cheering that they had revealed the monster, that now, everybody would know to not approach him. And then, one of the kids wondered if he was hiding something else. He convinced two other kids to grab him, as Damian was crying torrents, pleading them to stop. But they didn’t want to listen to him. They started to undress him.

Then, they heard a voice. Damian raised his head toward the source of the sound. There was another kid, accompanied by an adult. The kids released him and he fell on the floor, hitting himself in the process. The adult took care of the bullies, but the real savior in Damian’s eyes was the kid. He came to his rescue and offered him a hand. When all the other kids in his class had decided to not act, to let him be bullied and just watch, he decided to do something. He knew it was wrong and went to get an adult as fast as he could. Damian, still shaken, shyly took the boy’s hand and got up with his help. Damian almost fell again on the floor, but the boy caught him before.

- Hey, easy there! Put your arm on my shoulders, we need to get you to the nursery, that’s what the teacher said.

Damian acted accordingly. He felt warm close to the boy, he felt safe. And as they went to the nursery, they spoke, learning to know each other. He now knew his savior’s name, Roman Prince, and he would never forget what he told him that day.

- You know… I think your eyes are neat! It really suits you!

And after that day, Damian never tried to hide himself. On the contrary, he learned to love himself, to love his difference, to love all these traits that made him unique. He managed to see himself under another light, thanks to his Prince.

Back in the present, Damian shook his head. It was not the moment to think about the past, now he had to look toward the future. He stopped looking at himself in the mirror and continued his path. He headed where his Prince usually hangs out with his friends. And as he turned the corner, he saw him. He was there, with his two friends, Patton Sanders and Logan Berry. Damian tried to stay hidden behind the corner, not wanting to be seen. That was the thing. After all these years, he never found the courage to talk to Roman about his feelings. And being friends wasn’t an option, he wanted his prince as his lover and nothing less. So all these years, he stayed in his shadow, trying to absorb as much of his light as he could.

In other words, he stalked him. All the time. He followed him around school, followed his after school to his house, and he was currently in the process of learning his morning routine to follow him in the morning. He wished he could walk with him…

But for now, it was okay, it was enough for Damian. He could admire his beauty from afar. Besides, he believed that information is a powerful tool, and the more he knows about his prey, the easier it will be for him to win his heart.

As he was contemplating Roman’s beauty, Damian felt a hand on his shoulder. He jumped and turned to face a familiar face. For a second, his brain thought it was his prince, but then he realized it was his stupid brother. Remus Prince looked at him with a big smile, showing his unbrushed teeth. He looked very much like his twin brother, but he had a mustache and dye in his hair to make some of it white. He thought it gave him a style, Damian thought it made him more look like a weirdo.

- Deeeeee ! Dear ! There you ar–

Damian put his gloved hands in front of the other man’s mouth. He looked behind him for a second, where his prince was. When he made sure he hadn’t noticed them, he dragged the man in the closest men’s bathroom. It was empty. Perfect. Damian released the man and gave him a slap behind the head.

- The hell Remus?! You want your brother to see me with you or what?!

Remus put his hand where Damian had hit him. It didn’t hurt, but the gesture took him by surprise.

- Who caaaaares if he sees us?

Damian was furious. He pointed Remus with his finger and approached him, making the other man take a step back.

- I want this to get through your head once and for all, dork. Your brother must NEVER see us together. He hates you, remember? And I will NEVER be hated by him, especially not because of a dummy like you.

Remus rolled his eyes and sighed.

- Yeah yeah yeah, whatever man.

Damian was harsh on the guy, but he had to admit that he was pretty useful. As Roman twin brother, he was a precious source of information, and Damian couldn’t afford to lose him. The bell rang at this moment. It was now Damian’s turn to sigh. He opened the bathroom door to see if Roman was anywhere near. When he confirmed that the path was clear, he turned back to Remus and told him to come with him. They had a class together, thankfully not with Roman, so they walked there together, Remus was talking about everything and anything. Damian knew he was Remus only friend, but it was not the other way around. Damian considered he had no friends, and he was okay with that. All he needed was his Prince, and he promised himself he would make him his Prince, no matter what.

1339 words

#sanders sides #fanfiction #deceit sanders #unsympathetic deceit #unsympathetic virgil #virgil sanders #roman sanders #patton sanders #logan sanders #roceit #prinxiety #yandere #remus sanders

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futureculturechild · 6 years ago

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Keeping Cultural Product

So in the recent discovery or revelation that Ashanti’s vocals made Jennifer Lopez’s crossover and that pop culture celebrities like Cardi B and the unfortunately trendy Bhad Babie have ghost writers creating their “skills.” I got to thinking about something I call cultural product.

I consider cultural product any art, music, dance, fashion, language, slang, economy, practice, religion, spiritualism or essentially any product, tangible or intangible, produced from a particular ethnic group. Sometimes these cultural products are boundless in their utility and other are unique. And yes, I will say, Black people the largest cultural producers in the US. And the African Diaspora in this side of the planetary hemisphere collectively produced the majority Western Society. All while firmly being blocked from inclusion.

I say that to say, music is definitely a black cultural arena in the States. Everything started with us, jazz, rocknroll, r&b, country via blues music and the most recently appropriated rap. I try not get to mad because about cuz ultimately we are fault for losing ownership over our cultural product. Due to, and the point of this piece, the fact we are happy TO SELL IT AWAY.

I hate the justifications and mindsets I see to prop up people who are nothing more than karaokers in celebrity. It must be the addiction everyone feels in the Trump Era. Even black people : we all love the idea of getting something for nothing. The fact that people can’t see that everything comes with cost, if it’s not to you personally, is one the reasons the world is as shit as it is.

Anyway let me get to my point cuz I have hard time doing that when I write. Jlo made a career off Ashanti’s vocals. Ashanti, who was peaking then, graciously GAVE AWAY some of her work. Decided to not be greedy, not to horde opportunities, but in the spirit of “team player” helped another “sister” out. Just to get used and uncredited. Unthanked. I saw recently that kareoker Bhad Babie had a black woman ghost writing her lyrics (don’t know if it’s some or all) and then the comments proceeded to applaud this girl for leveraging her talents to manifest the career of an entitled brat.

I don’t like this. Sure she’s being paid…not for her lyrics like most people believe … but to forego her own rap career which she has the talent to sustain. I have always said the Black community has a sell-out mentality and it is literally erasing us from our own shit. Now there are a lot of dynamics that are well established in this WSIF to create and facilitate this but I really wish we would quit the hamster wheel of paper chasing. At the very end of it, what is see is black cultural product being leveraged to maintain white supremacy and prop-up non-black advancement. It is now becoming accepted fact that “all artists have ghosts writers” cuz pop culture celebs (notably white and non-black one) can’t write for shit. No I remember when if you couldn’t rap, then you couldn’t become a rapper. Now, now there is an entire show being hosted by Method Man that’s gonna make every wanna be feel like Eminem in 8 Mile just so white people can have access to underground hip-hop culture and underline themselves as the validators, the officiators, the innovators of hip-hip.

My God and Mother, in fifty years they won’t say that Tupac was white. They’ll say Eminem was the first to do it and really admired small time rapper Tupac via Sylvia Robinson. Just like they said with Elvis and Chuck Berry via Rosetta Tharpe.

And this ain’t just happening in the music industry.

But I can’t get too mad. We do this to ourselves. We face a new dilemma where our cultural product isn’t out and out physically and violently wrested or eradicated from our ownership. Now WS, and other non-black Brands of Supremacy, is paying handsomely for it. And unfortunately the collective trend from the Black community is sell, sell, sell. We sell ourselves from the rights to our shit, to have images removed, to be just that, a ghost (an intangible, incorporeal being who’s existence is debatable which feels much too much like our debated humanity in general) who writes, for money that depreciates in value year after year. To get meta about it, we should be moving to having the Masters over our cultural product but we are dead set on making whatever deal is lucrative in the moment.

That’s it. I am frustrated to the point of humor at how we continue release our ownership and wonder why don’t own anything lol. And I wonder what will be left for young black people to look back to 50 years from now? A hundred (being generous cuz environmental issues are making distant future speculations bleak)? I imagine will spend the rest of our collective existence in state of constant awakening and going back to sleep.

FUCUCHI.

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elles-choices · 6 years ago

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Part 6: Water Under The Bridge (TRR AU, Liam x MC - NSF*W)

Pairing: Liam x MC (Catherine)

Words Count: about 3500

PS: For part 1-5 please look below :)

Summary: Catherine Spencer returns to New York after her fall from grace in Cordonia. She left the love of her life behind and all the dreams she had dared to dream. Now she has to pick up the pieces and move on but her past has a way of finding her.

Disclaimer: All characters belong to Choices by Pixel Berry

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„If you're not the one for me

Then how come I can bring you to your knees

If you're not the one for me

Why do I hate the idea of being free?

And if I'm not the one for you

You've gotta stop holding me the way you do

Oh honey if I'm not the one for you

Why have we been through what we have been through?

It's so cold out here in your wilderness

I want you to be my keeper

But not if you are so reckless

If you're gonna let me down, let me down gently

Don't pretend that you don't want me

Our love ain't water under the bridge“ Water Under The Bridge, Adele

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Catherine looks through the can window, wondering where the driver is taking her. Liam called 30 minutes ago telling her that his meeting was finally over and she should come meet him. However, he didn’t want to share any further detail as it was supposed to be a surprise.

The black Mercedes stops in the entrance of the marina — the same place where Catherine won the ceremonial race a few years ago but for her it seems like ages. She feels an uneasiness in her stomach… how many times had she hoped Liam would just send the other ladies home because he knew exactly who was the one for him; instead, he would repeat many times how he ‚should be fair to the other women‘ — she takes a deep breath and repeats to herself ‚but that was then and this is now‘.

One of the King’s guards open the car door to let her out. She looks around looking for Liam but all she sees is a group of men in black suits, part of Liam’s security team. The man who opened the car door says: „Lady Spencer, please follow me“. She nods and they walk down the docks towards gate D where she sees an impressive-looking yacht. „His Majesty the King awaits you inside, my Lady“, he bows to her and leaves.

Catherine embarks the yacht slowly, looking for Liam but there is nobody in sight. She walks up to the flying bridge and finds Liam studying a map, „Hello, Captain!“, she smiles and waits for him to turn around and see her.

„Hello, my love“, he walks up to her, pulling her into an embrace that lasted for a few seconds, „God, I missed you so much!“, he leans in for a slow, smooth kiss full of love.

„Hmmm“, she says when his lips leaves hers letting him now how much she enjoyed his taste, she has still her eyes closed. „These were the longest 5 hours in my life…“, Catherine says.

Liam puts his arms around her waist and chuckles, „I could barely concentrate, Kate. I kept looking at the photo we took this morning, flying back to Cordonia“, he looks into her eyes, „I could get used to this, you… here. Seeing you after a stressful day makes my life worth living“, he rests his forehead against hers. „I cleared my schedule for the week so we can do something special“. Catherine smiles, looking at him curious, „We will take the royal yacht, drive a couple of miles out into the Mediterranean Sea and spend these five days alone out there, just you and me. What do you think?“, he smiles, lowering his hands to her butt.

„It sounds nice but I thought you hated boats?“, she says cupping his cheeks, „Also, I didn’t bring my luggage with me…“. Liam takes her hands into his and says:

„Well, I may be coming around… with the perfect company and a scenic background it is the perfect place to be“, he kisses her hand, „And your luggage should be in our master cabin“. Liam turns around and takes her to the map, „Tomorrow we can drive to the French Riviera but now you should go get ready for dinner, while I drive us out. We don’t wanna miss the sunset…“, he kisses Catherine gently and says, „Go all the way down, it is the only door to the right“, she excuses herself and makes her way to their room.

———————

Catherine walks into the cockpit and sees Liam leaning against the railing, looking into the horizon. She observes him attentively for a minute until he realizes she is standing there looking at him. His eyes widen and a smile grows over his lips when his eyes meet hers. She looks like a bride, his bride, in a white fitted, sleeveless mid dress in satin with a v-neck and narrow straps crossed at the back. She moves her blond hair to one shoulder and walks slowly to him. His eyes sweep over her body, with a look that is slow and lingering, stopping at her bold red lips.

„What did I miss?“, she smiles looking at the setting sun, „Wow, this is stunning…“, she says stopping by his side.

„Yes, indeed… I’ve never seen anything more beautiful in my life“, he says looking at her. Catherine glances at him and realizes that he was talking about her. He gets closer pulling her into a fervent kiss and she feels an electric charge, a surge of power going through her body… it is intense, it is primal and incredibly familiar — it’s the way only Liam can make her feel and she knows whatever happens to them, she will always have this… his love and desire for her. Liam draws back, savoring her taste on his lips with a satisfied smile. He holds her in front of him and they watch the spectacle together for a while. „I never thought I’d feel this happy ever again… and it’s all because of you, Catherine“, his hands roaming her curves, trying to memorize them as he kisses her neck from behind. She is his soulmate, his present and future, his weakness, his strength, his happiness… she was divine, he was sure of it from the moment she breath life into his being, healing his deepest wounds.

She turns around holding him tight, listening to his heart beat and feeling his chest raise and sink with his breathing. „Thank you…“, she says, looking up at him, „for not giving up on us“. She sees a single tear leaving his eyes and she brushes it away, kissing his cheek, „I love you, Liam. All this time… it has always been you!“, she rests her head on his chest and feels so vulnerable. It is undeniable now that she can’t fight this feeling anymore, her heart belongs to him… he is the solution for everything.

———————

After dinner, they cuddle in the luxurious sky lounge. His hand brushing her arm as he kisses her temple. He sighs deeply and she asks:

„What is it, honey?“, she turns to look at him.

„We should talk about a few things that happened throughout these four years“, his expression is serious and thoughtful. „I don’t wanna feel like I’m hiding things from you…“, he holds her hand.

„You are scaring me, Liam…“, she looks at him unsure of what he means.

„Don’t be, sweetheart. I’m here with you…“, he squeezes her hand and breaths deeply. „The first thing I need to tell you is that although Tariq came forward taking all the blame for the scandal, he wasn’t the conspirator… unfortunately, my father was…“, he looks down feeling the pain of this betrayal.

Catherine shakes her head in disbelief, „What? No… it can’t be…“, she takes a deep breath, „But why would he do that?“.

„He abdicated because he had an aggressive cancer and only a few months to live. He knew I would have chosen you to be my Queen that night and thought you would weaken the monarchy standing because of your courtly inexperience…“, his eyes meet hers, „I never forgave him and I will never forget what he did to us. He changed our lives and because of him, we almost lost each other forever“, his eyes fill with tears.

„His ways may have been twisted but your father loved you, Liam. Trust me, I’m not happy about it either but he was more to you than just that. You have to let it go, you can’t carry this anger and rage with you forever“, she caresses his cheeks.

„You amaze me every time… Why do you think he deserves our forgiveness?“, he looks at her confused.

„He doesn’t but this is what forgiveness is about. He is gone now, Liam… it is okay to grieve the father you loved and admired your entire life. His mistake was one chapter of his life, it was a desperate decision of a dying man trying to make sure his son would survive in a dangerous world“, she gives him a gentle kiss on his lips, „Don’t let these feelings consume you, turn his actions into a reminder of what you don’t wanna turn into. One day you will have a family of your own and you will understand the kind of love that drove him to do this… he was wrong, very wrong by not trusting you but nobody can denies that he loved you“, she holds him tight in her arms and they stay like this in silence for a few minutes.

„Thank you…“, he whispers, „for making me a better person“. Catherine smiles with so much love for him that he feels his heart skip a beat. He kisses her cheek and says: „There are still a few things I want to address though…“.

„Oh God… I don’t know if I can take more of this, Liam“, she smiles unsure.

„This was definitely the worst news, my love“, he brushes his thumb over her knuckles. „Remember when I told you how difficult it was for me to accept losing you?“, she nods, waiting for him to continue, „I got involved with some women but I want you to know that it wasn’t serious… it was just sex and I don’t want you ever wondering about it“.

„Well, I wasn’t until you brought it up again…“, she says a little annoyed at him for bringing up the topic. „Look Liam, four years passed for you and for me too. We made mistakes, we learned from them… I don’t really wanna know about your sex life during this time because in the end it doesn’t matter. Today, I am the one by your side and tomorrow, you will be the one waking up in my bed“, she feels awkward, she has never been the jealous kind but she knows she won’t handle this talk too well if he goes on.

„You are right… but there is something I have to tell you“, he sighs closing his eyes, getting ready to share the upsetting news.

„Please, don’t tell me that you have a kid…“, she buries her face in her hands.

Liam laughs and says: „No! Oh, God, no… I was drunk but not too drunk to forget using protection!“. Catherine breathes deeply in relief. „Most of these woman were not from Cordonia and I didn’t know much about them but…“, he pauses and watches Catherine opening her eyes waiting for the blow, „One day I was in Lythikos with our friends. It was late, most of them had gone to bed and it was only me and Olivia. I drunk too much, she made advances and we almost did it…“. She looks at him as if her head was going to explode. „I was too drunk to actually do it. We talked about it the morning after but now we just pretend it never happened… she won’t be a problem since she and Drake are exploring their options. However, I don’t wanna hide it from you“, he kisses her hands.

„Please excuse me, I… I need some air“, Catherine stands up and leaves. She leans against the railing, looking at the lights of the capital. It doesn’t take too long before she feels his hands touching her back.

„I’m sorry for hurting you…“, he holds her from behind and they stay there for a few seconds.

„I’m not mad“, she says, „It’s just… Olivia? Really? She used to be one of your best friends and you knew she always had a thing for you, Liam… why would you go there?“, she shakes her head.

„I was too drunk to think straight, Katie. I apologized to her afterwards. We agreed that this was a mistake… I do take responsibility for what happened but I want you to know that I wasn’t myself at that time…“, he kisses her head and tightens his embrace.

„Does Drake know about it?“, she says under her breath.

„Yes, he does. He understands that it was before they even had feelings for each other, we just don’t talk about it. I was too drunk to even remember exactly what happened“, he kisses her softly down her neck and bites her skin gently, causing her to shiver with pleasure.

She turns around and says: „Okay… if it didn’t mean anything to you, I am sure I will get over it sooner or later…“, she hugs him, closing her eyes, „I don’t have any right to be mad at you, Liam… maybe we should leave the past in the past and figure out how we want to move forward“, she looks at him and he kisses her gently on the lips, smiling as his lips leave hers.

„I’d like that“, he looks into her eyes shinning bright like two aquamarine gemstones, „I don’t deserve you. I don’t know if I ever will but I know I wanna become the best man I can be, for you“, slowly his lips move towards hers, getting so close she can feel his breath. He touches her lips like a whisper at first, so gentle and lightly sending shivers of desire through her body, causing her to gasp in delight. Then, suddenly, he greedily takes every inch of her mouth, leaving her breathless.

Catherine pushes him gently away, making her way back into the sky lounge and leaving him puzzled for a second. She stops at the entrance, lowering the straps of her dress and opening the concealed side zip. She trows him a glance over her shoulders, „Are you coming?“, letting the dress fall to the floor and making her way to their master cabin.

Liam bites his lower lips as he watches her swaying her hips as she walks. He looks at her tight ass and swallows hard, feeling his trousers getting tighter by the second. He moves quickly after her, holding her from behind — one of his hands massaging her bare breasts while the other slips under her tiny underwear. He closes his eyes and kisses her neck while his fingers slowly circle her bundle of nerves and she moans, sticking out her ass against his hard cock. „You are so wet, love… I want you so bad…“, he says with his husky voice.

„Then take me, Liam…“, she whispers and he turns her around, grabbing her butt and lifting her up, she wraps her legs around him. Carefully, he walks down the stairs and enters their room. He kissed her with a heat, letting her know that he wants her. He lowers her onto the mattress and licks her body back up to her chest. She helps him with his clothes until he is only in underwear. She slips her hand inside his boxer briefs and starts stroking his 8 inches long cock, he groans her name:

„Catherine…“, he kisses her passionately for a few seconds before spinning her around on the bed. He kisses the back of her neck, down her spine and she pushes her butt against his cock, „Do you want it now, love?“. He takes his underwear off and throws it on the floor.

„Oh yes, Liam…“, he lifts her a little and slips a pillow under her belly, canting her hips higher. Opening her legs, she leaves her sex wide open to him. Slowly, he guides himself to her slick folds, rubbing his thick member through her wetness, making her beg him to finally fuck her. Liam grabs her hip with one hand and glides himself into her and she purrs. She moves her ass as he thrust like there will be no tomorrow. His fingers find their way to her clit, massaging her as he thrusts harder into her, „Oh God, Liam…“.

„You feel so good, beautiful!“, he says. He pulls her up to him, both still kneeling and she nestles tightly with her back to his chest. She hugs his neck with one hand and he caresses her breasts, kissing her shoulders. He slows his pace a little, enjoying the sensation of her pussy. One of his hands reaches down and gently massages her clit. He turns her head to him and she holds his gaze for a while — this moment is so unique and intimate to both of them, they can clearly feel the deepness of their souls' connection. „Come for me, love“, he whispers and she moans, leaning forward, her hands grabbing the sheets and she moves her butt up and down while he thrusts harder into her. She moans his name and he feels her muscle tightening around him. He groans reaching deeper into her and they reach ecstasy together.

Liam lies down and pulls Catherine into his arms, he is exhausted but can’t stop smiling. She rests her head on his chest, „This was… incredible!“, she giggles.

„I love you, Catherine… I adore you… I don’t need anything in my life but you!“, he kisses her head and she looks up smiling.

„I love you too, Liam“, she kisses him one more time before they fall asleep in each other’s arms.

———————

The days have gone by so quickly and Catherine will return to London the next day. They have never felt as close as they feel now. She feels more secure with him, they laugh together again and things seem to be heading to the right direction — Liam knows that his decision of taking the week off to spend with the love of his life was one of the best he has ever made. They reconnected and they are so good together.

Catherine sits on Liam’s lap as he checks his emails, she waits for him to get it done so they can finally enjoy the sun. Suddenly, her phone rings and she looks at the caller id, „Oh, it’s my work. I gotta get this!“, she kisses Liam’s cheek and disappear inside the sky lounge. Liam watches as she leaves, not thinking too much of it and getting back to his email. After 10 minutes she comes back and takes a seat in front of him, she looks a little unsettled.

„What is wrong, love?“, he looks at her worried.

She shakes her head and tries to smile, „Nothing, really… I have a working trip coming up. I just found out about it“, she says looking at the horizon.

„Oh… when is it? How many days will you be gone?“, Liam reaches for her hand, squeezing it.

„Hmm, I’m flying out in two weeks and I’ll be gone for three…“, she looks into his eyes.

„Three days is not that bad… and when you are back I’ll come see you! There is no need to be sad“, Liam smiles and brings her hand to his lips.

„Not days, weeks. I’ll be gone for three weeks… but I will really miss you!“, she smiles but there is a sadness in it.

„Wow… three weeks is a long time!“, he brushes his thumb over her knuckles, „I can visit you then. Where are you flying to?“, he smiles.

„No, it’s fine… we can talk every day and Skype“, she smiles but he doesn’t buy it.

„Where are you flying to, Katie?“, he looks at her, serious and arching a brow.

Catherine looks away, „I can’t share this information with you… I am going with a few of my colleagues in a UN mission to gather information, conduct interviews and try to find witnesses in refugee camps“, Liam lower his face holding his head with his hand, „I don’t want you to worry. It’s going to be my third time flying there… It just... it has never been this long“.

„You don’t want me to worry?“, he whispers, „You are going to the Middle East and I should not be worried?!“, he raises his head looking at her, shaking his head. „You are not going, Katie… this is a fucking war zone. I can’t let you go… this is not happening!“, he covers his mouth with his hand.

„This is my job, Liam. How do you think I get to the informations I need for court? I can’t just go to my boss and tell him that my boyfriend, the King, doesn’t want me to go. They will replace me in a heart beat“, she tries to explain. ‘Boyfriend’, she said it and he noticed but he can’t feel as happy as he thought he would. Not when his girl is leaving putting her life in danger.

„This is too dangerous, Catherine. I don’t care where you are going to… I know it is too dangerous and I don’t want the most important person in my life to be exposed to this danger!“, he tries to convince her.

„I’ll be flying from Rammstein to a Peshmerga controlled zone far away from the front. It isn’t as dangerous as it sounds“, she stands up, walking behind him and hugging him.

„Fucking Iraq? You are going to fucking Iraq!? This is insane… please don’t do this to yourself, please don’t do this to me“, he closes his eyes and one tear runs down his cheek.

„I have to…“, she buries her face in his shoulders.

(to be continued)

For more chapters go to my MASTERLIST in my bio.

———————

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