#merry (late) christmas! have a fic about my favorite married couple :)

[musical-chick-13]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Doctor Who, Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Twelfth Doctor/River Song Characters: River Song, Twelfth Doctor, Amy Pond (mentioned), Rory Williams (mentioned) Additional Tags: Christmas, Grief/Mourning, Gift Giving, Emotional Hurt/Comfort

She adored this, once. But seeing mothers and fathers play in the snow with their children, walking into a restaurant filled-to-the-brim with families who look so content and so completely at peace...it just reminds her of all of the Christmases she used to spend with her parents.

The kind of Christmases she’ll never get to have again.

[cartograffiti]

August '23 reading diary

I finished 9 books in August, and unfortunately several of them were disappointments. I'm looking forward to doing some rereads in September, one with friends of Tamora Pierce's Circle of Magic series (which, actually, will include books I never got my hands on the first time), and one solo canon review of a favorite KJ Charles novel to edit a fic for an exchange. No fear of a reading slump being set off, is what I'm saying.

I continued reading the Whyborne & Griffin series by Jordan L. Hawk, this time getting through Necropolis, which was a very enjoyable Egyptology adventure jaunt introducing new characters, and Bloodline, which had lower lows (very frustrating argument and lying plot thread between the main couple) and higher highs (great developments in the ongoing storylines of Whyborne's family and the colony of fish people off the coast of Massachusetts.) I continue to enjoy these books, and it's fun to see both the characters and Hawk's writing develop, but sometimes I am awfully glad they're short, so issues get resolved or at least "parked" quickly.

Snow Place Like LA is the #1.5 novella in the Christmas Notch romance series by Sierra Simone and Julie Murphy, the first of which (A Merry Little Meet Cute) I absolutely adored. This was merely fine. I like Angel and Luca, and animator and costumer who do work for Angel's dad's porn-and-movies-for-a-spoof-of-the-Hallmark-Channel studio; they're lively characters who contribute a lot of humor and charm. But this novella had much less going on than the first novel did, and I kept feeling like I wasn't learning anything about them or their relationship that couldn't have been incorporated into the main series entries. It was a bit like reading a pleasant, well-done fanfiction, not because it felt inauthentic, but just because it felt...extra.

I did read another of Agatha Christie's books, which always stick the landing. Sleeping Murder is a Miss Marple case about a young woman who has bought a house for herself and her new husband, only to be plagued by a sense that she's been in this house before, and seen someone killed there. This has a really wonderful portrait of what we understood about childhood memories and the unconscious in the mid-70s (as I've said before, it's a shame to strip Christie's social commentary by resetting her late works in the interwar period), and a thrilling finale moment of Miss Marple saving a life via gardening equipment.

One really fabulous nonfiction book this month was Zaria Ware's Blk Art, an image-heavy exploration of historical black artists and models working in the West. Many of the works featured are very striking and completely new to me, and the text is succinct and clear enough to be recommended to friends without a lot of art history background. When possible, Ware also gives bio sketches, which provide peeks into the lives of black professionals from businessmen to trapeze artists. Broad rather than deep, and excellent.

I always look forward to new installments of the Countess of Harleigh mysteries by Dianne Freeman, but A Newlywed's Guide to Fortune and Murder wasn't her tightest case. I finished the book still not clear on the culprit's motive. Still, I like the detective Frances, who is a widowed dollar princess (one of the wealthy Americans who married into English nobility). This series deals to an unusual degree with the realities of money and the law. Frances's cases usually come into her lap not through seeking out mysteries, but through assisting debutantes in a low-key pursuit of income, and the differences between consequences for her snooping, compared to what her friends in the secret service and police force can do, are very marked. I'm sure I'll enjoy the next more.

A new-to-me author in romance, TJ Alexander, put out a book this year that Smart Bitches, Trashy Books noted has two transgender mains, so I grabbed it without having read the first in the series. That was fine, Chef's Choice mostly stands alone, and I had a lot of fun with it! Luna has suddenly lost her job, and wealthy restaurateur Jean-Pierre has, in the process of arranging a culinary test to prove a point to his unsupportive relatives, lied about a nonexistent girlfriend, so he offers her a deal. I love fake dating plots, and this features a lot of my favorite things about them. Luna and Jean-Pierre have had very different experiences in their transitions, which means they sometimes argue about how to handle things, but I found it a refreshing change from more abundant plots where one trans person explains how things are to their cis partner. I was also delighted to see bespoke genitals eroticized; I think bottom surgery is somewhat under-represented in trans sex writing. I had some quibbles with the book as a novel, because the pacing was funky and sometimes the plot keeping Luna and Jean-Pierre interacting didn't really gel, but it's unusual and charming, and I was happy every time I opened it. I think cis readers with an interest should grab it, and trans readers will have the most fun if they can choose a time it won't be frustrating if they run into a pet peeve--the issues raised are varied and sometimes written in a way assuming cis readers need them spelled out. It is, after all, traditionally published.

My least favorite read this month was the nonfiction lifestyle guide Goblin Mode. This is about the Tumblr-popular goblincore aesthetic, and while author McKayla Coyle features inspired crafting ideas and engaging nature writing, they also had some real problems writing about the political values of the scene. In some cases, their attempt at brevity left out key information (like...why they were even bringing up subjects that I knew were important only because I'm already familiar with goblincore), and in particular, passages that touched on matters of race, ethnicity, and religion were objectionably awkward, and needed more revision (if I'm being generous).

But fortunately, I finished August with my favorite read of the month, Baking Yesteryear! This is the new cookbook by B. Dylan Hollis, whom you've probably seen making vintage recipes of highly variable quality in videos originally posted to TikTok. This book compiles many of his favorites from the 1900s through the 1980s, and just a few of the very worst. I found many recipes I'm interested in trying, and I am impressed by the clarity of Dylan's directions and the specificity of his tips to ensure they work. I'm particularly excited by how many of the recipes included are based on unusual techniques or flavors, like no-flour macaroons, which means I'll probably want to own a copy. Although it's not as comedy-dense as the videos, there's a lot of humor and joy in the text, and a it's great showcase of Dylan's ability to inspire.

[zhongliologist]

Breeding Kink Pt. 2 | Dragon!Zhongli

Pairing: Zhongli x fem!reader

Genre: SMUTTTT!!

Words: 5.2k

A/N: Oh god i have no braincells anymore. Zhongli fcked with my braincells as well. Here ya go. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Happy Birthday as well.

Warning: THIS IS AN 18+ FIC, SO MINORS OUT THERE, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. PLEASE READ AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION.

PART 1 HERE

*

It was already deep into the night.

The last of the busy market kiosks has died down, the golden glow of their lanterns flickered off for the day, while the late-night loiterers had gone to rest at their station as silence and the sound of crickets settled in. The harbor has truly gone to sleep after a rough day’s work, and will rise once again at early dawn.

Yet inside the bedchambers of a certain married couple, things were still heating up.

���Z-Zhongli…! Please…!”

You held on to the silken sheets tightly with face flushed and sweating. Every now and then, a moan would escape your lips, savoring the moment where ecstasy was at its peak. It felt good—really good—as your husband Zhongli thrusted sharply into you.

“YN…” he growled beside your ear as he bent down, kissing the bare skin of your shoulders. “YN…I’m close…haa…”

He could feel all the pleasure welling up inside of him. You were holding on to him like a vice grip, as if wringing him out of his seed and coaxing him to come inside you. Zhongli felt his dick twitch at the thought of filling you up, pushing him closer to his climax.

“Aahhh…so g-good….mmnn….! Zhongli…! I’m gonna—”

“My love…I-I…!”

—!

“Mama? Papa…?”

A knock at their door, followed by a small voice stopped the both of them in their tracks.

Oh no, not again…

Looking at each other, you and Zhongli immediately scrambled to compose yourselves.

“Yuqing…ah, please stay where you are—"

“Honey, just a second! Let me…let me just find my slippers—”

Hurriedly, you grabbed your discarded robe on the floor and put on your sandals, while your husband raced to the adjacent bathroom to relieve himself. “Love, I’ll be there in a moment. Please take Yuqing back to her room in the meantime,” was what he said.

As you opened the door, you were greeted by curious amber eyes—the same as her father’s—who seemingly stared at you as if trying to assess the situation. She was carrying her favorite plushie, a geovishap hatchling, for some reason, while you knelt down and caressed her cheeks gently.

“Yuqing? What’s wrong?” you asked her, “It’s way past your bedtime.”

“Something jumped from the window, Mama…! I…I don’t want to go back!” She replied, almost in a whisper as she held on to the plushie tightly.

Your daughter’s words immediately caught your attention. It could just be a squirrel, or maybe something more dangerous. Nevertheless, you have to go check it out.

“Alright, honey. Let’s see what it is,” you replied as you carried her on your arms. “Mama and Papa can easily hunt monsters down!”

Yuqing blinked at you. “Hm? But where’s Papa?”

“Oh, uh…he just needs to pee,” you replied awkwardly, not totally forgetting what you two were doing a while ago.

By the time you arrived at Yuqing’s bedroom, you were greeted by a calico cat which was carrying her own young into the room, staring at you both with scrutinizing eyes. It seemed to have taken a liking to the room and decided to take shelter there. You instantly knew what was the matter.

“It’s a mama cat!” Yuqing exclaimed happily, jumping from your grasps as you muttered “be careful!” at the ecstatic child.

“Don’t come too close to it, honey,” you told her, sitting on the bed as you watched your daughter crouch near the animal to observe it. “The mama cat doesn’t like it if you touch her kittens. She might scratch you.”

“Oh…” your daughter murmured disappointingly, and then returned to your side when she had enough watching.

Looking down to her, you could really see how much Yuqing resembled Zhongli—the same eyes, the same dignified yet gentle countenance. Her hair was a little lighter but it’ll probably turn as dark as Zhongli’s when she’s older. You smiled at the thought of watching your daughter grow—a few years ago, she was still so small and fragile as you held her for the first time, but now, she’ll be turning six, and then eleven, and then little will you know, she has become such a fine lady.

Pulling her into an embrace, you caught the child off guard as you smothered her with kisses.

“Mama!” She protested, but was giggling at the same time. “Mama…what are you doing!”

“I just love my dearest Yuqing!” you exclaimed, but then stopped to pat her head gently. “Now, are you still scared?”

The dark-haired girl shook her head with a smile. “I’m ok now, Mama! It was just a cat.”

“Alright,” you smiled as you began tucking her in again. “We’ll talk in the morning what we’ll do with the cat, but right now, it’s time for you to sleep. Little girls need to sleep for them to grow big, okay?”

“Understood! Good night then, Mama!” Yuqing replied underneath her blanket, as you gently soothed her head. The whole time, you continued to do it until she had finally fallen asleep, soft snores coming from the small child which made you smile warmly.

By the time you returned to your bedroom, you could see that the bathroom lights were still on. You were waiting for Zhongli to swing by Yuqing’s room earlier but for some reason, he’s been caught up in the bathroom this whole time. It also seemed like your husband had heard you enter the room and began calling for you.

“Dear…! Perhaps you could come here for a moment?”

Curious about what was going on, you then stepped into the bathroom and only to be greeted by a much larger, more draconic Zhongli. You could only stare at the large protruding horns on his head, the scales on his arms and legs, and the tail that was swinging back and forth between his legs. Not to mention the large thing on his crotch that made you do a double take at the mere sight of it.

Zhongli closed his eyes as soon as he noticed your stunned expression. Despite how he looks, he still had a bit of his self-control intact.

“YN, I think we have a problem here,” he told you as calmly as he could.

“I might be going into heat again.”

*

It was finally D-Day.

The both of you spent the last week trying to prepared for this, because unlike the first time, you had responsibilities. For one, Yuqing had to be taken elsewhere and away from the carnage. It will not bode well if your child is there while your husband is being one horny dragon.

The people both of you know where highly dangerous though. Among the rejected list was Childe, Hu Tao, and Venti, with the last one loudly lamenting how he couldn’t have fun with Yuqing in Mondstadt. Keqing and Ningguang would be great but they’re busy with work, while the adepti wouldn’t have enough skills and patience to babysit a child for a week, even if it was the child of the former geo archon. That’s why in the end, you asked Lumine and Aether to take care of your daughter for a while—they were at least, safe enough not to put Yuqing in danger. Hopefully.

On the other hand, you had to prepare yourself for another bang of your life. The first time had caught you off guard, but this time, you were prepared to satiate your half-dragon husband to the fullest. You had also prepared yourself to conceive another child. Well, you really were planning to, but it was the night when Yuqing interrupted you two.

“Dear?” A head peered into the kitchen—or rather, a head with two horns.

Zhongli’s dragon features seemed to be staying longer and longer the nearer his heat approaches. Luckily enough, it wasn’t much of a rare sight in Liyue.

“Oh, morning, Zhongli. Should I brew you some tea?” you asked, busying yourself with breakfast for your family of three.

“It’s alright. I’ll do it,” he replied as he stepped in beside you, preparing the hot water to be boiled.

For a while, the both of you stayed like this in silence. You were concentrating on not getting the congee burned while he was trying to get the proper temperature of the water.

In the end, it was Zhongli who broke the silence.

“Will you be alright later?”

You whipped your head to his direction. “H-huh? What? Me? Oh, I’ll be fine!”

“Are you sure?” he asked, turning to you and caressing your cheeks with the tip of his sharp claws. “If only I could assure you that it will be painless.”

“Zhongli,” you called his name firmly as you flipped an egg. “You have never hurt me, and you never will. I survived the first time, right? We have Yuqing running around after all.”

Your words seemed to have magically melted his worries away, no matter how tacky you thought there were. But you didn’t know that Zhongli simply needed your assurance that it will be okay, otherwise, he’d go into a spiral of worry. Comforted by your presence, he crept his arms around you, hugging you from your side.

“Ah, my wife…my lovely wife…” he muttered happily as he nestled his head on your shoulder, savoring your scent and your warmth. “You’re really my wife…”

You giggled at his sudden show of playfulness. “That I am, sir.”

For Zhongli to be this affectionate, it seemed his heat has really gotten to him. Normally, he’ll reserve these kinds of actions for the both of you late at night, but right now, he’s incredibly clingly and wouldn’t stop following you wherever you go. For the most part, he really loves taking in your scent and running his hands around your body.

Soon enough, you hear the loud and rapid padding of feet on the floor as it dashed towards the kitchen where the two of you were. In a few moments, Zhongli was face to face with his own daughter who grinned gleefully at him.

“Mama, Papa!” Yuqing exclaimed as she clung to you like her father.

“Now young lady, what brings you here early in the morning?” Zhongli asked mischievously, still hugging you and resting his chin on your shoulder.

“Lumine and Aether! They’re coming right? They’re coming!” she almost shouted, arm tightly adhered to your leg.

“In about half an hour, darling,” you replied. “Now, are you both aware that I’m trying to cook here? I can’t move!”

Instead of letting go however, Zhongli tightened his hold of you while nuzzling deeper on your shoulder while Yuqing did the same on your leg. You grumbled. “Like father, like daughter.”

Giggling, Yuqing glanced at her father who was tightly clinging to you like she was.

“Papa, do you like Mama?”

Zhongli, for a moment, smiled at her warmly before replying. “Very much so, my dear.”

You could only hide your flustered expression at his words. But of course, it made your heart skip a beat, even after marrying him and having his child, Zhongli could still make you feel this way with just a few words.

It was a good thing that Yuqing changed the subject before your heart could explode.

“Papa! You have horns!” she exclaimed and pointed at Zhongli’s head.

“Oh? Is this your first time seeing it?” he asked as he knelt to the floor. “Do you want to touch it?”

Zhongli could definitely see his daughter’s amber eyes sparkling with curiosity as she slowly inched her way closer to him. Yuqing may look like him, but she definitely has your temperament. The way she sees the world with so much wonder and excitement reminded Zhongli of you.

“Can I, Papa? Can I?” she asked, her small fingers reaching out for them.

“Yes, you may, my dear.”

Bending down, Zhongli felt Yuqing glide her fingers at smooth surface of the horns. “Be careful though, the tips should be sharp enough to wound you.”

Filled with wonder, the child gazed at Zhongli with amazement. “Papa, are you a dragon?!”

“I can become one.”

“Does…! Does that mean I can be a dragon too?!”

Aahh…You smiled at the two of them as you finished the last of your cooking. “Alright now. Let’s have breakfast. The twins will be here soon if we don’t hurry up!”

*

“Aether! Lumine!”

The dark-haired girl immediately ran towards the twins right after you opened the door to greet them, incredibly excited for the week ahead. Aether scooped her into his arms right away as Lumine pinched her cheek for being so adorable.

“We’re extremely grateful to you two for agreeing to take care of Yuqing,” you told them bashfully. “It was hard to think of anyone reliable and willing to do it in such a short notice.”

“It’s okay, YN,” Lumine replied, “We’d love to have Yuqing around anyway! Right, Aether?”

Distracted with playing with Yuqing, Aether turned to Lumine who was looking at him pointedly. “Huh? Oh! Oh yeah! We’re gonna play a lot!”

“Let’s play house again, Aether!” Yuqing interrupted, “I’ll be the mommy, Lumine will be the aunty and you’re the daddy!”

A large, tall shadow loomed over the twins from behind you. “I prefer if you’d arrange the designations in a different way.”

“Oh, Zhongli.” You turned to your husband who was menacing enough to make the male twin tremble like a leaf, especially in his half-dragon form.

“M-Mr. Z-Zhongli!” Aether immediately felt a chill run down his spine. If anything, he felt an overprotective dad is way scarier than all the monsters he battled so far.

“Good morning Mr. Zhongli,” Lumine greeted the man calmly with a smile. “You don’t have to worry about anything! Yuqing can be the mommy, I’ll be the daddy and Aether’s the dog.”

“Good.”

You could only smile awkwardly at the whole exchange. If this continues on, Zhongli might change his mind and insist his daughter to stay.

“Alright, here’s all her clothes for the week as well as other stuff she needs,” you interrupted as you shoved a bag on Lumine’s hands. “Please don’t hesitate to call us if something happens.”

Lumine only glanced at you with a plastered smile. Bothering them isn’t something she’d really want to do.

“We will, YN,” Aether replied and then exchanged looks with his sister. “I think it’s time for us to take off now though.”

“Alright. Come on, Yuqing, let mama and papa kiss you goodbye,” you told them as you reached out for your daughter who easily climbed out of Aether’s arms.

Crouching down, you and Zhongli embraced your daughter tightly, kissing her cheeks several times until she began protesting. With Zhongli chuckling, he patted her head gently while reminding her of several things.

“Now young lady, be of your best behavior. Don’t make Lumine and Aether worry too much.

“I will, Papa! Can I have almond tofu as a reward then?”

Zhongli smiled at her amusingly. “Alright. Do we have a contract then?”

“Yes! It’s a pinky promise!” Yuqing held out her pinky and linked it with Zhongli’s, who was careful not to scratch her with his claws.

“Don’t forget to drink your vitamins and eat your vegetables, ok? And sleep on time. Be careful not to go anywhere without telling Lumine or Aether!”

Yuqing sighed, “Yes, yes, Mama. I will.”

Ruffling her head, you finally kissed her forehead while Zhongli did the same.

“Don’t forget to have fun!”

As she ran off to Lumine’s side, the both of you stood up.

“We’ll be going then. See you after a week!” Aether exclaimed as they began to take the steps down the porch.

“Bye, bye, Mama, Papa!”

With that, the three of them disappeared and went off their way.

Glancing at your husband, it had finally dawned on you that this was only the beginning.

“So, should we get started?”

He asked, and you froze.

*

“W-wait…! Zhongli!”

“What’s the matter?”

Your husband asked you, as if he wasn’t pinning you against the wall, nuzzling against your neck as he took in your scent. You could feel his warm breath against your pulse, his hands on your waist as he continued to pepper small, faint kisses on your skin.

“It’s…it’s the middle of the day…a-and…and…!”

“You never had an issue with that… are you getting shy, my love?”

You could sense the teasing tone in his voice as he nibbled on your ear, without ever the intention of removing himself from you. Flustered, you pursed your lips as you bit down a moan.

“N-No, I’m not! It’s just…!”

“It’s just what?”

Zhongli smirked at your unexpected bashfulness, urging him to tease you more to see more of that adorable expression of yours.

“I-I mean, we just sent off Yuqing…and they might return or something—”

“Oh, they won’t.” Zhongli gave your jaw a small hickey. “Or at least I’m sure they are well aware not to bother us.”

“H-Huh…?”

Without furnishing you an answer, he simply knelt down before you and wrapped his arms around your thighs to hold you down. Looking down, you could see him smirking mischievously at you, making you gulp.

“Why don’t we get you ready, my love?”

Slipping his head underneath your skirt, you instantly felt his lips on your thighs as he kissed his way up towards your core. You could feel yourself melting at the heat of the situation; the sensation of his warm tongue prodding your clothed entrance.

“Z-Zhongli…! Mnhh…!”

Even with your underwear on, you could easily feel him stimulate your sensitive clit as he circled his tongue around before sucking it. Your knees buckled immediately as you found your hands holding on to his horns, careful not to pull too much.

“You’re so drenched here, YN,” he told you, his voice vibrating against your sensitive parts.

“D-Don’t say that! O-Ohh…! Fuck!”

You couldn’t even tell him off properly as soon as he slid of your underwear and began to tease your hole with his tongue. You could feel him go in and out as his warmth filled you up. But it wasn’t enough, of course. After getting a taste of the real thing, nothing could satiate you other than him.

“Zhongli…oh god! Ah—!”

Without stopping, he continued to lap on your juices and stimulate you until you were at the edge of orgasm. You could feel your legs grow weak and the only thing keeping you from falling to the floor was his tight grip on you as he ruthlessly ate you out like a hungry man.

Peeking from underneath your skirt, Zhongli watched as he gradually pushed you closer and closer to your climax. His bright amber eyes filled with lust as he stared at your half-lidded eyes and trembling lips; crying his name out loud over and over again. He wanted to take you then and there, push his cock inside you until you were filled to the brim; his hard on was excruciatingly painful inside his pants, but he had to be patient and get you ready for him.

“Come for me, love,” he muttered, circling his tongue around your clit once more and sucking it.

It only took an instant for you to shiver and tremble in pleasure as you felt your orgasm wash over you like a tidal wave. Your skin felt like a surge of electricity passed over you as your knees buckled and your arms held on to his shoulders to stop you from falling over.

Removing himself from underneath your skirt, Zhongli then scooped your weak figure and carried you on his arms towards the sofa. He had you sitting on his lap facing him while you encircled your arms around his shoulders and waiting for your high to calm down.

For a while, the both of you stayed like this. Zhongli kept on giving you small pecks on your neck and shoulders, slowly divesting you of your clothes as he went around your body. It was slow and sensual; unlike the first time he was in heat.

“H-Hey…you too…” you purred, kissing the underside of his jaw.

He only hummed at you; his hands busy with getting your skirt off of you. “Yes?”

“Let me undress you too.”

Zhongli reigned in his urges as soon as he heard your suggestion. His face flushed as he watched you slowly remove his tie and unbutton his shirt to reveal his toned chest. Groaning at the feeling of your hands on his bare skin, he knew he only had a few moments left before all his self-control could fly off the window. But it was incredible, he could only feel himself grow even harder.

Soon enough, you were already on the floor kneeling before him. Zhongli felt himself tense up at what you were about to do, but had to strength left to stop you from doing it. Silently, he watched as you glide your hands on his things and then to the prolific bulge on his pants. You could feel him poke you earlier while you were sitting on his lap, which gave you the idea of blowing him off.

Gradually, you undid his belt and pants and finally take out his monstrosity of a cock. Zhongli gave a guttural groan as he felt your hands pump his shaft tentatively, his claws biting at the soft leather of the sofa.

It wasn’t the first time you saw his cock, and while it was impressive in normal days, the one right before you was definitely befitting of a dragon. You hesitated.

H-how did this thing fit inside of me before?!

Nevertheless, you continued on. It was massive but it was definitely hot, seeing Zhongli sitting there in front of you with a flushed face and his cock out. Timidly, you gave the tip a small peck as you slowly allowed your tongue to glide over it.

“Y-YN…that’s…!”

Empowered by his reactions, you then licked the underside of his shaft until it was glistening wet with your saliva. Eventually, precum began to ooze out of the tip and curiously, you began licking it as well, sucking it in the process.

“Ughh…! F-fuck…YN…! I’m really—”

Trying to bob your head up and down, you could only fit so much of him inside your mouth as your jaw tried to accommodate his size. But you felt your core tighten up and become wet, thinking that this cock will eventually fill you up to the brim with his cum.

Zhongli was rapidly losing it. He wanted to cum, but he wanted to cum inside of you and have you bear his child. He wanted to see your cunt filled with his seed until it oozes out of you, and then plug his cock back inside of you to fill you up once again.

No, this won’t do.

“YN…! Y-YN…! P-Please stop! Mnnh—!”

He held your chin to make you stop—the way your lips left a trail of saliva to his dick tempted him push it back inside your mouth—but he had to end it there, right before he came inside your mouth. Slowly he guided you towards him; confused as to why he stopped you right before he was about to come, you moved back to his lap where he gently caressed you and wiped his fluids from your cheeks.

“Let me kiss you, my love.”

In a soft and gentle kiss, Zhongli captured your lips. You could feel it radiating with love and warmth as he slid his lips over yours, his tongue darting inside, as if trying to fill his senses of you and only you. You both kissed until your lips were swollen, until you felt him rub his shaft against you unconsciously, making you moan in the kiss.

“Z-Zhongli…” you gasped for air. “Are you…holding yourself back?”

With those amber eyes, he gazed at you seriously—all the while keeping your lips closed to his.

“Is it a sin to treasure you so much?”

His words caught you off guard, but eventually, you smiled. Zhongli never failed to express his love for you. He was gentle and kind, a good husband and an even better father. Brushing a few stray locks of hair from his sweat-riddled face, you kissed his forehead as a way to show how much you appreciated his thoughtfulness.

“Thank you for thinking about me, Zhongli,” you remarked, “But right now, I really want you to let loose and fill me up completely with you.”

With eyes blown wide, Zhongli felt himself twitch at your words—his arousal no longer hidden. Grabbing the back of your head, he then crashed his lips against yours in a searing kiss lidden with passion and lust. He bit and licked on your lips while his hand groped your full breasts, pinching at your nipples to make you gasp against his lips.

“Then so be it,” he smirked. “I’ll make you completely mine.”  

Guiding his shaft to your slick entrance, he pushed himself inside of you in one go—making you squeal at the sudden sensation of being penetrated. It took some time for you to accommodate his large cock, but eventually, your cunt was drenched so much that it hadn’t become much of an issue.

“Z-Zhongli…! Oh god—fuck! …s-so big…!”

You began riding him, moving up and down on his lap while Zhongli continued to make you feel good by playing with your breasts. You could feel his sharp claws make indentations on your skin, but not hard enough to draw blood, but it was a strange sensation which only heightened the pleasure of having his dragon cock thrusted inside of you.

“Hnnghh!! Y-YN…!” Zhongli winced at the sudden tightness, and began to distract himself from cumming by licking on your pert nipples until they were red and sensitive.

With pleasure attacking you from different parts, you could only mewl as Zhongli gradually turned you into a lewd mess as you felt him twitch inside of you. Soon enough, he’ll be cumming inside of you, and that would the first among many others for this entire week. If his first heat said anything, Zhongli wouldn’t stop mating with you until you were fertilized with his seed.

The thought did nothing but coax you to your climax. You could feel yourself tighten around him as he pounded into you mercilessly, your juices mixing together. Zhongli was also close. He was already extremely aroused, and it wouldn’t take long for him to climax.

“A-Ah—! YN….! L-love…I’m…I’m close…!”

He muttered with face flushed and breath ragged.

“Yes…! Oh god, yes…! P-Please, Zhongli…! Ah—! F-fill me…fill me up…!”

In just a few thrusts, the both of you came at the same time. He pushed deep inside of you and came; his warmth filling you up until he was spent. You were still shivering with pleasure when he pulled you in for a kiss, his tongue once again ravishing you with so much intensity that it could be argued that he made you come once again with just a kiss.

Reeling in from the afterglow, you could still feel him hot and hard inside of you, as his breathed hard against your neck. You were no different though—the way your mind was still covered with a haze of lust, or the way his cock inside of you felt so good as it hit a particularly good spot. The aphrodisiac you got from Dr. Baizhu seemed to be quite effective.

Removing yourself from his embrace, you staggered to stand up with your limp legs, but managed to crawl on fours right beside him.

Zhongli was both bewildered and disappointed to have your warm body away from him, but when you pushed your ass before him and gazed at him with sultry eyes, he felt his heart rate pick up the pace.

It was embarrassing to show your cunt dripping with your juices and his cum, but you didn’t really care much. You were too entrenched with arousal to feel embarrassment.

“Z-Zhongli…let’s…let’s do it again…?”

Grabbing your ass, he spread you out even more, and even slapped your butt lightly. Zhongli could definitely see his cum dripping out of you and promptly scooped it up with his finger and pushed it back inside of you.

“P-Please…! Zhongli…I—!”

He smirked. “Very well.”

Without warning, he slid himself back inside of you; making you bite back the remaining words. It felt incredible having him inside. It was hot, as if you were burned and electrified at the same time. Your mouth hardly had the time to close as he continued to piston in and out of you.

This time however, Zhongli began playing with your oversensitive clit, groaning loudly at how you tightened your walls around him. You squealed in delight as his cock hit a particularly good spot, making you cum sooner than expected.

“Oh…o-oh god! Z-Zhongli….! Zhongli…! A-ah…!”

Yet despite your premature climax, he continued on—thrusting inside of you and prolonging your orgasm. It was so good you could feel tears pooling the side of your eyes as he plowed your sensitive cunt.

“You came, didn’t you?” he asked, his lips once again on yours. “I’ll make you come again soon enough.”

True to his promised, Zhongli picked up his pace and fucked you as roughly as he could. You knew there will be bruises after this but the pleasure was greater than anything for you to care about. The way his cock just fills you up, hitting your g-spot over and over again relentlessly, or the way his groans just sends shivers down your spine.

“F-Fuck…! Fuck…!Z-Zhongli! I’m—! I’m gonna…!”

“Yes, love...! Haa….come for me…! I’ll fill you up with my seed…”

Once again, you came from the overstimulation—your arms failing as the pleasure was greater than anything you experienced so far.

“F-fuck…YN…a-ah—!”

With that, Zhongli suddenly bit your shoulder as he pumped more of his seed inside of you, which only overflowed from your hole. You mewled at the mixture of pain and pleasure, unable to distinguish the one from the other, but you knew it felt extremely good.

Zhongli was silent for a while as he lapped on the bitemarks he had made. He was glad that he hadn’t bit too hard, but for some reason, he also liked how you were marked as his.

“Allow me to take you to the bedroom,” he whispered to you as you nodded your head groggily. Sleep was beginning to approach you fast.

Unsheathing himself from you, you winced at the sudden feeling of emptiness. But it was immediately remedied by the feeling of his warm body near you as he carried you to your shared bedroom. Slowly, he laid you down on the soft mattress and eventually joined you there, embracing you from the back.

“Let’s rest for now,” he muttered right before your eyelids fell heavy. “We’ll need it for later.”

And he was right.

For the next few days, the two of you tainted every room inside the house (well, except for Yuqing’s bedroom).

From the kitchen where Zhongli fucked you from behind, bending you on the counter as he emptied himself inside of you—to the bathroom where cleaning up turned into another round where he slowly entered you while underwater—or on the floor, which was only because you couldn’t reach the bed because he was too horny for his own good.

It was only then, as the both of you rested from the last round which took all night and early morning, that you realized how much time had passed.

“Mama! Papa! I’m back!”

Your eyes shot open, and glanced at Zhongli who was staring at you as well.

“Oh no.”

[aethersea]

you know what, I never do these things, but actually I’ve decided I would like to get to know people better! I would like to partake of the mortifying ordeal! I would like to talk about myself for a bit!

ok for the next...let’s say five days I will answer any of these things that people tag me in, or any random personal questions you plop in my ask box. I don’t have an ask meme on hand but just....pick one you’ve seen recently, or make up questions of your own, and I’ll answer. (the answer might be ‘nope that’s private’ but I will answer.) (@ the anon who asked for book recs - I see you, I’ve been thinking of books all day, I’m going to give you SUCH a long answer, I hope you don’t regret your choices bc it WILL be full of gushing)

alright, let’s go!

🌻 Tag 9 people you want to get to know better

Tagged by @booksandchainmail​

Last Song: I’m currently listening to “Falcon in the Dive” from the Scarlet Pimpernel musical on loop. I watched one or two Scarlet Pimpernel movies when I was just barely too young to fully get what was going on, and the story’s held an odd but deep-seated place in my heart ever since. A few years ago I found out there’s a musical and most of the songs are pretty stellar (go listen to “Madame Guillotine” if you like big ensemble broadway numbers, it’s a banger, the bit where he cries out for God has been running through my mind on and off for a few days now haha not like that’s topical or anything), so every once in a while I spend a few days listening to them a lot.

Sometime last year I read the actual book, and got super into the whole concept of the Scarlet Pimpernel for a while. I plotted out Pimpernel aus for several fandoms, I read the entire wikipedia article, and I went looking for bootlegs of the musical. I didn’t find one, but I did find a full radioplay-style recording of the script, complete with full musical numbers, and listened to it like a podcast.

Reader, I was so disappointed. The play adds some scenes, bc a lot of the dramatic tension of the novel comes from internal conflict and that doesn’t stage super well, and the very first scene of this play – a play written in the NINETIES – features our dashing hero rescuing some aristocrats from a French prison, and then saying to the person in the next cell, who begs for rescue but is not an aristocrat, “We have enough of your kind in England.”

Enough! of your KIND! What in the merry frickety HECK my dudes!! The book has some rather unfortunate™ takes but it is from 1905, it’s regrettable but sadly to be expected. This play is from 1997. It has NO excuse. This scene wasn’t even in the book! What! the heck!

I was so disheartened that I lost my excitement for the play, and a couple songs later I stopped listening. It occurred to me just a few days ago that you could actually stage that ironically, with the person in the cell giving the audience a “can you believe this” look, and then the rest of the play could feature assorted non-aristocratic ensemble members constantly looking at the audience like they’re on The Office. And hey, maybe that’s what they did, or something similar – maybe that was never meant to be taken as a cleanly heroic stance, and the play deals with it in a complex way. It’s possible. I wouldn’t know. Kinda doubt it though, based on song lyrics.

Favorite Color: red, probably

Last Movie: I watched that new lesbian christmas movie with my family for christmas, the one with kirsten stewart and the guy from schitt’s creek. it’s very sweet and good and kinda sad, and I really enjoyed it. it also incidentally has the best gay best friend trope in probably anything ever, bc it’s not a trope (I didn’t realize until several hours after watching that it technically fits), it’s just a guy who is the protagonist’s best friend, and they’re just all gay, and then when he Gives Relationship Advice as a gay best friend always does, it’s advice about how to deal with your partner’s hangups around coming out.

actually every part of the gay best friend trope becomes better when they’re just best friends who are both gay. the big dramatic gestures (in this case, driving some ungodly distance in the snow on no notice) go from “haha how kooky” to “queer man will do anything he needs to to rescue his queer friend from an isolating & potentially triggering situation”. the relationship advice isn’t “honey you deserve some self-respect, treat yourself”, it’s a deeply sincere reminder of the vulnerability that is shared across almost everyone’s queer experience, and look I could ramble about this for a long time before reaching a coherent point but I’m INTO IT, okay? I’m into it.

Last Show: you want me to remember what show I last finished???? impossible, cannot be done, it was a long time ago and the adhd has eaten everything that happened before last week. here, instead I’ll tell you about another movie I watched, late at night with my mom in cozy companionship just a couple days ago. it’s called Quigley Down Under and it’s about a cowboy who goes to Australia and kills a bunch of racists, 10/10 would watch again. it’s from 1990 but it feels much older, with the music choices and the cinematography of a 70s Western. the cowboy is great, honorable and fearless and kind, but the breakaway star of this movie for me is the woman who attaches herself to his side and refuses to leave. her name is Cora, and she’s crazy, in the sense that she’s not altogether tethered to reality, but this never for a second diminishes her agency. she’s fierce and clever and compassionate, and she basically never does anything she doesn’t want to in the whole movie. her arc is about overcoming trauma by taking charge of her own fear and facing it head-on, she is never belittled or dismissed by the narrative or the protagonist, and look she’s just so cool. I love her. she’s so vibrantly alive. her story could probably have been handled with a bit more nuance, but honestly for the 90s it’s pretty great. I’m no expert, but I found nothing objectionable in it, just a bit of heavy-handedness.

anyway the theme of the movie is that racism is evil and racists deserve to be shot, and this too could have been handled better (not a single aboriginal character speaks a single line of english in this movie), but it follows through on that message in every way, while still being a fun kinda campy cowboy movie. overall a very good time.

Currently Watching: started showing my sister Hilda the other day, and she’s liking it! I love that show, it’s so incredibly cute. can’t wait to see season 2

Currently Reading: lmao I wish. lately the brain has firmly rejected all attempts to read anything of any length. currently pending, bc I was halfway through them when my brain stalled out, are tano’s fic What Does Kill You Can Make You Stronger, Too, a Toby Daye book - I think it was The Brightest Fell, I got like half a chapter in and haven’t picked it up in over a month, the Locked Tomb series, and probably a few other things too. ooh! also a book called Making Sex by thomas laqueur, which is my fancy academic reading that I’ve been doing in short bursts for the past year or two when I feel fancy and academic. it’s about the development of the concept of biological sex and of gender in Western society, and it’s fascinating. has among other things introduced me to the idea that until quite recently, fathers were a matter of faith. the mother? yeah, you can watch the baby pop out, we all know who the mother is. but the father? how can you know? how can you really know? we have paternity tests these days, but for all of human history up until now, we've just had to take fatherhood on faith. (not to mention we didn’t even know what fathers were contributing to the production of a fetus. clearly it was something, since you can’t get pregnant without a penis getting involved, but we have literally not known what until the past few decades. and that is wild. it has colored ALL of human history, all of our conceptions of society and family and kinship and gender, all of it, and it hadn’t even occurred to me until it was spelled out for me in this book, and it’s just......wow.

Salty, sweet or savory: for christmas my sister and I made seven different types of cookie, most of them involving chocolate somehow.

Craving: no bc I ate so many cookies. unless sleep counts. or maybe pringles, it’s been many moons since last I had a potato chip and I miss them.

Coffee or Tea: no thank you

Tagging: @coloursisee, @krchy-tuna, @sam-j-squirrel, @xzienne, @mirandatam, @viciousmaukeries, @sepulchritude, @elidyce, and @navigatorsnorth bc it’s been a while since we’ve talked, and I’m super hyped that you’re married now. v happy for you!

[maxiarapamaya]

Are you here to stay?

Pairing: Javier Peña x Female Reader

Warnings: Mostly fluff, but there's some mild smut (+18) in there as a bonus.

Word Count: ~ 2900 words

It’s Christmas time! This is a 12 Days of Pedro Christmas fic. Yay! My secret santa is @dindjaringf​. You are such a talented writer, baby. I hope to bring you some smiles during this time of the year. Enjoy your Javier Peña fanfic. Hope you have a wonderful Christmas. All the love, @maxiarapamaya​.

Colombia, December 1988

You love Christmas. Since you were a little girl, as soon as Halloween was over, you were barely interested in Thanksgiving, so you would always ask your mom about Christmas: 

"Can we make a Christmas countdown and put it on the fridge, mom?" You asked your mother once, and even though she had a lot of stuff going on in her mind, she said yes, and helped you with your crafts, so you could have a cute little display on the fridge.

Every morning after that, you woke up - oh, she would not let you stay up late on weekdays -and went straight up to the calendar on the fridge, excited for the most wonderful time of the year.

Years later, when you had finally moved out of your mom’s house, Christmas would still be your favorite time of the year. You would be the first one to put up the decorations in the coffee shop owned by your mom, the one where you have been working hard every single day since you were a teenager: Las Americanas. 

You were proud of how far your mother had come. You were proud of her small business. You would happily go to work, especially during December, and be extra kind to clients, one free coffee here and there.

Things were nice and easy until you met him.

When you met Javier Peña in the year before, your world turned upside down.

Javier Peña did know about how much you loved Christmas, because that’s almost the time you met him at the coffee shop the year before. "You can keep the change." You heard from his lips. "Oh. Thanks. Merry Christmas!" you smiled. He looked a little puzzled back at you: "It's not Christmas yet, girl." He said, when he could have kept his mouth shut. He looked tired. 

"Well, it certainly isn't... But what harm is in celebrating just a little earlier? Have you heard about the Christmas spirit...?" You couldn't stop smiling. Until you noticed he was a cop or something like that, so you got a little tense. "Well, enjoy the rest of your day." And you promptly left him alone.

He kept coming every other day. Eventually, you found out his name. 

He noticed how you kept your distance, and he asked you to come a little closer so you could see how the gun's safety lock worked. You listened attentively. Sometimes, he would ask you to change the song when it was too romantic, or too upbeat for his taste. Your mom noticed him too but kept being discreet. She secretly wanted to you to get married and start your own family, as you were living alone in your apartment. Also, Peña looked like a nice guy. He would hold the door for the other clients, and he would always say 'thank you' which was a much-appreciated gesture for her: "He's a gentleman!"

Javier, or even, Javi, as you soon started calling him, would also let you know when you were not paying him enough attention. 

"Jealous, Javi?" You would walk pass his table, and slightly touch the top of his hand, without giving him a second glance. He didn't really know that he was.

"You know your coffee is not even that good, right, honey?" He said once, looking straight at you, wanting to get a reaction out of you. An angry look, a small, unhappy nod. Anything. 

"If you are less than satisfied, sir, maybe you could drop a suggestion in our box. It's been empty for months. We'd be glad to..." 

And he just got up, getting a little closer to you than you would be comfortable with, if you didn't know him for some time already. Almost a year had passed. 

"Maybe another time" and he left you alone. His coffee breath still in the air. You closed your eyes, feeling your whole body shivers. 

It wasn't even a cold morning.

Soon, it was almost Christmas again. Your mom had traveled to the United States for the first time in a decade, and you were happy for her. But that also meant a sadder Christmas this time, and Javier noticed. 

"You should come!" You invited him, a little more excited than you wanted him to notice. "You can bring some cognac, we could make some hot cocoa." You hinted at him, but he was absolutely paying attention to something else in his pile of files. Sometimes, he would just bring work to the coffee shop, sitting quietly and alone in the farthest booth.

You sighed, knowing that half of the people that you invited would not come over. Including him. "I'll see what I can do." You saw the smoke from his cigar rise right in front of him, filling the air. You couldn't believe how excited you were for this 'maybe'. 

"Oh..." You let it slip. "Sure. Yes, you are busy, I understand that. But I invited you for Christmas and didn't ask you to come and help me save a cousin from trouble. It was an invitation, not a favor..." You did not know why you said that, but that's when you realized you had his complete attention on you. He was so focused you saw his cigar pending from his mouth. "I will go then." He said. And you smiled at him. "Oh... Thanks, Javi!"

When he got to your home, there were a dozen of people there, and he looked a little out of place. "I thought you were going to be alone..." He gave you the cognac bottle, and you laughed. "What? I never told you I was going to be alone, Javi! I said my mom would not be here, not that I didn't have anyone to spend Christmas with!" You smiled, and you noticed that for an instant, he looked a little hurt, but you pulled his hand and introduced him to a few people.

He was still annoyed by it; he wasn't even trying to hide it. He had one thing in his mind when he came, and one thing only. "Look..." He whispered, close to your ear. "I'll have to go very soon." He looked a bit anxious. "Oh, come on, Javi. We didn't even get to the best part yet!" 

He looked serious. "Well, I just came to see you, but in a couple minutes I'll have to leave." And now you were annoyed. 

Your hushed voices were not heard by the others, especially with the loud music. "Just promise you're coming back." You lightly touched his chest. You might have had one or two glasses of wine. Maybe three. 

"You know I can never promised you that." And then he left. And it was better if he had never come in the first place, because you missed him instantly. The moment he was gone, you knew Christmas wasn't going to be the same.

Hours passed, and you were finally able to exchange gifts with your friends, and you almost forgot about Javi. They helped you clean the kitchen, and soon, the Christmas decorations were the only trace something more than ordinary had happened in your apartment that night. 

The last one of your friends left, giving you a kiss on your cheek, and all by yourself, you realized how lonely and touch starved you felt. 

You closed the door, sighing, feeling disappointed. Not in the Christmas mood at all. You walked to your closet, changing your clothes, wearing something more comfortable, and sat on your armchair, in front of the TV. You were not paying attention to it, though, you were listening to music on the radio.

That's when you heard the knocks on your door. 

Your eyes immediately caught one of your friend's coats on top of a chair near the center table. You got it in your hand and opened the door. 

"Javi?" He was standing near the opposite wall. "Javi... You came back..." He closed the distance between you two, and soon enough the coat was on the floor, his hands were all over you, his mouth brushing the sensitive skin of your neck, and your own hands were all over him, too, brushing his hair, holding his face, kissing him over and over again. "Yes, yes, I did." You knew he did not want to lose any more of his precious time, so you just went with it.

He closed the door with his foot, and held you in his arms, taking you to your bedroom, where you could only dream of having him asking you to be on your knees, and asking oh so nicely to you to look at him, while he would hold your chin, and tell you what a good girl you were being, waiting patiently for him to come back... You couldn't help but smile at him: "Oh, Javi..."

Hours later, you were on his lap on your favorite chair, your robe open, close enough to him so you could feel the warmth of his breath on your skin. 

Javier traced with the tip of his fingers on your arms, pressing soft kisses on your neck and shoulders. Of course he didn’t bring you anything, but you bought him a watch on that same day. 

He was a preferred client, after all - you lied to yourself.

You saw it while shopping for presents, and you knew that watch looked like something Javier would use. He was using it now. You made sure the older one hadn’t been gifted by his grandfather or something, and he denied it. “You are not saying that just so I don’t feel upset, right, Javi?” You asked him, and he shook his head. Right now, the new watch was the only thing he was wearing. “What’s the deal with Christmas, by the way? Why do you love it so much?” He pressed his chin on your shoulder, and even though you were not looking at him, you knew he was looking at the TV.

“I really don’t know when it started, but I’m like this since I was a little kid. Christmas is like a really magic time for me, I love all of this… Cooking at home... Actually, carefully planning the meal for weeks, and then, making it all from scratch. I love to watch Christmas movies, oh, I definitely love to open the presents in the morning!” You said, smiling, and then he turned you so you could look at him. “You have to wait until morning?" He looked concerned.

“Well... Only because I'm a very obedient girl...” You teased him, giving him a kiss on his neck. You were so close to him, not only physically, but also you were both connected somehow. You didn't really know how to explain.

“Actually...” He stopped you, in a soft, unusual voice. “I bought you something, and I forgot to give you. Well… I didn't have time. Did I? It’s in my pocket.” He pointed to his jacket, hanging behind the door. “Go get it.” He said, almost throwing you out of his lap, and when you were about to protest, he gave you a smack on your ass.

“Dear lord.” You straightened up, walking directly towards the door, a smile on your face. Javier Peña had bought you a Christmas present. Why would he do that? You felt weirdly touched by that. And excited too.

You got to the jacket, and put it over your shoulders, over your robe. “Why?”

You asked him, as you got closer. There was a gun somewhere in there, you didn’t want to mess with that. “Why what?” He looked back at you, a shadow of confusion on his face. “Why did you bring me something?” 

You got near him, and instead of saying something, he put his hand between your legs, and suddenly, you forgot what you were about to say. 

“Because you were nice enough to ask me to come for Christmas, even knowing I'd say 'no'... You are such a good girl, you know?” He whispered. Knowing very well you would accept his answer, close your eyes, and melt with his touch. You lower yourself until you straddle him, your arms around his neck.

He stuck his hand on his jacket's pocket and took something from there. You stopped rubbing yourself on him and looked at what he had on his hand. 

“A new pair of hoop earrings.” You said, and then you had a vivid memory of that one time you interacted with him, you were trying to close your earring, swearing a little, because you knew that one was doomed. You just took it off, both of them, and threw them away in the bin. “Are you sure you were supposed to do that?” He frowned. “What? They were a favorite... But also, they were old as dirt. Anyway, are you going to have coffee or...?”

“And people don’t really believe you have a heart deep inside you.” You smiled, easily getting them out of the package, and putting them in your ears. 

“How do I look?” You asked, showing them off, playing with your hair a little. He didn’t answer. Instead, he cupped your face with his hands and kissed you. So tenderly, so softly. "Are you staying tonight, Javi?" You meant to sound casual. 

He didn't answer, but he looked at you with tender eyes. At that moment, precisely, you fell for him.

***

Christmas morning. You were both in the kitchen, near the small table. Javi and you.

You were close enough so you could smell his breath and grab his chest if you wanted. He touched your chin and held it so you could look straight into his eyes. “You smell so good in the morning.” He said, and you fell your whole body respond, you didn’t even know how. 

You knew you wanted him, you wanted him inside you again, rather fast. “Look at you...” He murmured, deeply. “Yes...?” His free hand went to caress your thigh and he squeezed it. 

You were pretty sure there was going to be a mark over there later, as your skin was so sensitive. “What?” You sighed. “What, Javi? What?” You were so drawn to him; you couldn’t even think properly. You could barely breathe.

Forget about being patient and obedient. You would keep asking 'what' until he gave you the attention you deserved, pretty much how he would try to get yours when you were both at the coffee shop.

He pushed you softly towards the table, so you could feel the wood edge on your back. "Spread your legs for me." He demanded, getting you on his arms, and placing you on top of the table. 

You obeyed immediately, falling back a little bit. Yes, daddy. You didn't have the courage to say it out loud, but there it was. Just an innocent thought. Wasn't it?

You wanted him to get on his knees, and lick you, you wanted him to push two fingers inside you with no time to warn you. You didn't need a warn.

You had time to think about all of that in your mind, but he didn’t fulfill your wish. He opened his fly and pushed your underwear to the side, and in just a few seconds, he was deep inside you, his arms around you, holding you in place, groaning in your ears. "Fuck, Javi..." You moaned in response.

It was feral, and ruthless, and you could barely think. 

Last night, both times you had sex, he was gentle and soft to you, he smelled like cognac and cinnamon, and you loved every second of it, but this time, after some rest, your own hands carving marks in his arms, you just moved your hips as he moved, and let him pull your hair as he wished. 

You let him take his hand to your neck and choke you as you came for the first time, while he was attentively looking at you. Only you. 

He put a finger in your mouth, and you sucked it, then he bit your ear and whispered that if you wanted him to think you were a good girl, you did have to keep showing him.

You promised you would if he let you come again. And so he did.

You were on his mind, and he was still inside you. He bit your neck when he came, and you crossed your legs behind his back. 

It was shockingly delicious. You couldn't stand still anymore.

"Merry Christmas." You murmured. Happily. "Oh... For you too." He smiled.

--- Few months later, when you started hearing the name 'Steve Murphy' more and more frequently, you casually asked Javi if you could meet him. 

Javi was reluctant at first, but eventually, he brought him to the coffee shop once, quickly introducing him to you, a little anxious maybe about your reaction or Steve's, like both of you mattered to him and he didn't really know why.

Steve Murphy looked attentively at you, like that was not the first time he heard your name, and he looked really curious. You knew he wanted to ask you some questions, but Javi wouldn't let him. 

When you left them both alone to get them more coffee and maybe some yuca bread, you were able to hear that Steve ended up teasing Javi, and you just secretly smile, knowing pretty well Javi had been talking about you.

[sdwolfpup]

I waited until the @jaime-brienne-fic-exchange Festive Festival was mostly done before talking about the fics that I was gifted this year, since I know everyone was deluged with wonderful stories, and the ones I was gifted were all excellent and I hope hope hope you make time for each of them. These are the fics I was @’d on in one form or another.

First up is the fic that my assigned writer, @naomignome wrote for me, A Winter Wish. Naomi is one of the funniest people I’ve ever met, but she also has an unbelievable knack for description even in comments, and such a good sense of tenderness and emotion and she brought all of that to her fic for me. In this, she takes one of my new favorite headcanons -- that Jaime and Brienne’s moms were friends! -- and transposes them to modern Westeros, where J & B meet as children during a tradition around the first snowfall. What’s especially brilliant about this is that she also keeps the years-long seasons, so the five (plus one) times they meet to do this spans a huge portion of their lives. There is humor and sorrow and flirting and sexiness and love underneath all of it. I was so happy when I saw she was my writer and this fic was fantastic. 

They trudged in good humor to the closest park to the university, the air chilly and cold with the promise of snow. Brienne’s laughs came out in puffs of white, and Jaime yearned to jar the sound and keep it in his pockets for when he felt cold.

When the powdered snow began to drift down around them, he watched her smile openly into the sky, in a way that she only ever did at him and at first snow. He watched some lucky snowflakes catch on the soft tendrils of her pale eyelashes, and kiss the flush of her cheeks.  The warmth wrapped around his heart, much like the mitten she had knit him wrapped around the stub of his hand.

For my stocking stuffers, I’ll go in order received. @potatothecat wrote me campfire stars in the distance. This is a lovely little modern AU vignette of Jaime and Brienne and all of their friends sharing a night around the campfire under the stars. It’s so quiet I can almost hear the crackle of the fire, and I can definitely hear Jaime’s very loud love for Brienne, even if their friends aren’t sure if it’s real between them or not. But they know it is, and that lovely bond between them comes through strongly.

They’ve done this a hundred times by now—on the couches in both their apartments, sitting on the floor across from Addam and Dany when the four of them meet up for game night, in restaurant booths, and now by the fireside—but it’s no less delightful for the familiarity of it. He’d spend his entire life pressed up against Brienne’s side if he could, staring into the dancing flames and laughing along with the rest of their friends as Sansa reenacts a prank she played on her siblings.

Then @eryiscrye wrote me Caught Gold Handed, which is a canon AU set after the Long Night, where Jaime and Brienne get in a snowball fight with the squires and orphans of Winterfell. That summary ALONE should sell you on this, if it being Eryi isn’t enough on its own. What’s marvelous about this is it’s a rare chance to see the canon characters having fun together, and the ways their love for each other comes through even in something as simple as Brienne helping Jaime make snowballs. No one can take this happily married version of JB from me, I will fight you.

She flushed, all blotchy and red. “We already slept in this morning.”

“We hardly slept. And that was this morning,” he replied as he happily pressed up by her side.

She glanced over at him, still shy, but also so bold, his darling lady wife. “We’ll go to bed early tonight.”

Jaime chuckled, “And yet sleep late.”

Brienne bit her bottom lip, “I suppose that is how all our days will go now.”

He beamed at her happily.

@kurikaesu-haru wrote Merry & Bright for a group of us and it is a delightful modern AU that tackles a bunch of tropes - fake dating! only one bed! Christmas activities! - in a fun, funny, and sweet package. The banter in this is wonderful and there are some tender little moments tucked in between the laughs (Arthur Dayne cutout!!) that are lovely to stumble on.

He rests his head against her shoulder, so his stubble scratches her skin, and he’s whispering in her ear. “And I’m glad you tricked me into standing under the mistletoe with you. Who else would I want to kiss as much as you?”

Brienne realizes, suddenly, that a lot of the things Jaime says to her mean,  I love you.

@wildlingoftarth wrote a group gift fic as well, I want a house with a crowded table, which is a canon-based future established relationship fic that feels like coming home to family and sitting by the fire. It’s years and years later and Jaime and Brienne live happily in a cottage on Tarth and they’re welcoming their children and grandchildren for a feast. The weight of all their history and love is palpable. This is everything I want for them, and whatever canon may or may not says happens, this is where I believe they end up.

It is a life she never dared to hope for, never dreamed of in her days of fighting for this king or that, being sent on a series of seemingly impossible errands she accomplished through sheer force of will, and falling desperately and irrevocably in love along the way. That the man she’d fallen for had somehow developed the same feelings for her still fills her with astonishment at times, even after all these years.

THEN, @elizadunc wrote me Fêted Snow! This is a perfectly delicious little morsel of Brienne and Jaime married with kids (and more on the way!!), snowed in and making the most of it. Their banter and way with each other is so easy and familiar, their feelings and history are there, plain as the snow falling down out their window. It’s a delightful slice of their very happy life.

But then it had started snowing on Friday afternoon and apparently hadn’t slowed at all through the night. On Saturday morning when Brienne woke to a very insistently ringing phone she knew that the party, sorry, fête, was off.

She brought the phone back into the bedroom and smiled at the sight of Jaime stretched out across the bed in a starfish pose. He liked to claim he was an excellent bedmate but moments like this proved very much otherwise.

And finally, when my cup was already overflowing, @forbiddenfantasies1 came swooping in with Let’s Make This Next One Last and made me cry. This is a modern AU where Jaime and Brienne are happy and married (I would read eight thousand more stories where they are happy in an established relationship it is literally all I want from them) and their holiday plans get diverted when snow rolls in, cancelling a flight to see Dacey and Benjen (!!!). This fic is such a beautiful treatise on a long-term, mature couple who are struggling through the roteness of daily life. They still love each other deeply, it’s just life that is difficult right now, and their love and commitment to each other is what gets them through it. The tenderness and humor and history and beautifully hot sex are woven together perfectly into this utterly wonderful story.

Jaime was waiting at the bottom of the stairs for her, and she felt her heart tighten in her chest for a moment just as it always did when she laid eyes on him. He was still so gorgeous, even after all these years they had passed together. His hair was more gray than golden, and his face was softer, more lined, but she still only saw Jaime. Every mark of time that he bore was simply a reminder of all they had been through together, all the days that he had been hers, and only made him more beautiful in her eyes.

 Right now he looked like the golden retriever she so often compared him to, nearly quivering in his skin with excitement. He had changed into his sleep clothes, a pair of thin gray pants that hugged his hips and thighs in a way that always made her fingers twitch, and a long-sleeved black tee that went perfectly with his complexion. She nearly rolled her eyes before she caught herself. Only Jaime Lannister could make lounging around the house during a vicious snowstorm a testimony of how attractive he was.

Thank you, again, to all of my gifters, I am so grateful to have received these and it helped make my end of the year an absolute joy. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[pastpatientlywaitingforimagines]

Dragonology Miniseries (2) | Charlie Weasley x femHufflepuff!Reader

WC: 2184

A/N: I know I said Christmas fic was next but I’ve been listening to Black And White from Niall’s new album on repeat since it came out and I was stricken with inspiration. There’s still more to come from the miniseries so if you want to be on the taglist let me know!

You can read the main series here, and the first miniseries fic here

DRAGONOLOGY FAQ

WARNINGS: KISSING (like so much it’s kinda gross), alcohol

*Present*

Charlie was pressing sloppy kisses near your ear as you fumbled for the key to the small cottage you were renting for the weekend. Twelve hours of drinking, dancing, and celebrating had you both tipsy, tired, and jubilant. Just as you finally turned the knob, his calloused hands grabbed your face and pressed your lips to his roughly. You giggled into his kiss, grabbing his loosened tie and tugging him gently across the threshold.

*Hour 1*

Charlie grinned as your hand slipped into his. You were standing in a tent full of your friends and family- well, most of them at least. The war had been over for a few months, but the heavy sting of loss was still prevalent in the wizarding community. You knew there was a large, Fred-shaped hole in this whole celebration, but Charlie had insisted that hosting the event would help with the healing.

Putting the tip of his wand to his throat, Charlie started speaking to the crowd in front of you.

“(y/n) and I wanted to thank you all for joining us today. We know that things have been rough lately, and we wanted to give you all a reason and a place to enjoy yourselves. What we haven’t told most of you is that (y/n) and I have been married for almost four years now. We had a small ceremony before we got swept up into the war, and promised each other that we would have a party after it was all over to celebrate our love. It seems like everyone needs extra love, and we want to share ours with you all. So drink, dance, and be merry! Celebrate the love you have, and the love we have. Thank you.”

Everyone in attendance applauded, the band started playing, and the party started. Charlie let go of your hand and slid his hand around your waist.

“How was that?” he murmured.

“It was perfect, look how happy everyone is,” Charlie didn’t look, instead his eyes were locked on yours that sparkled as you scanned the crowd, “I can’t believe we’ve been married for almost four years. It seems like a lifetime ago but also like yesterday.”

“We’ve been together for twelve years now.  In two years I’ll have spent half of my life loving you.”

“Handsome and he can do math, has someone put a ring on that finger yet?”

Pressing a kiss to the top of your head, Charlie laughed, “only the most beautiful woman in the world.”

Before you could respond, the first of a long line of guests stepped up to congratulate you.

*Present*

Though Charlie could have kept kissing you forever, you eventually pulled away to sink down into an armchair, finally tugging your shoes off your feet.

“Never again,” you grumbled, tossing them across the room. Charlie leaned over the back of the armchair, peppering your face with more kisses.

“Not your shoe of choice?” he asked as he stepped away and towards the kettle sitting on the stove.

“I prefer my work shoes,” you started fiddling with the buttons on the back of your white dress, undoing them one by one.

“I prefer your work shoes too,” Charlie reappeared by your ear, his whisper sending a chill down your spine as his fingers replaced yours.

*Hour 3*

After a seemingly eternity greeting and thanking guests, you and Charlie finally found yourself seated, passing an almost empty glass of firewhiskey between you. Callum, Tonks, and a few other friends from your Hogwarts days were also at the table, reminiscing on your days at the wizarding school. Tonks was howling with laugher after one of Charlie’s former roommates made a joke about the frequency of your late night returns to your respective dormitories.

“We should have known that we’d end up here at your wedding,”

“You doubted us?” your question was accompanied by a sly grin.

“At first, yeah. Neither of you seemed like the dating type and you were always… happy with each other,” Tonks scrunched up her nose. Charlie’s roommate nodded in agreement, then spoke when he noticed the matching expressions on your and Charlie’s faces.

“Neither of you had any doubts, did you?”

“When did you know?” you asked your husband, taking the glass of firewhiskey from his hands and taking a sip.

“I always knew. I fell in love with the way you loved when you talked about teaching salamanders manners. You said it like it was the most important task in the world, not as a hinderance or frustration. You genuinely cared about the wellbeing of those fire salamanders, and it was the most amazing thing I had ever seen. When did you know?”

“The day before our first match against each other after we became friends, when we decided our friendship wouldn’t get in the way of our Quidditch careers and that anything was fair game. You trusted me to take care of myself and didn’t see the need to go easy on me. Showed me you saw me as tough,” you took another sip of the whiskey.

“You’re the toughest person I know,” Charlie pulled the glass from your hands and poured what was left of the amber liquid into his mouth.

*Present*

One of Charlie’s sweaters now adorned your frame and a hot cup of tea was in your hands as you curled into Charlie’s side on the sofa.

“Time for bed once your tea is gone?” Charlie asked as you stifled a yawn.

“The sun is about to come up, might as well watch it rise since we’re still awake this early.”

“You’ll have to wake me when it’s happening then, I’m so comfortable and you’re so warm,” his eyes closed as his voice trailed off. You reached a hand up to poke his cheek, laughing quietly when he slowly opened one eye to look at you before breaking into a toothy grin.

“I think this is my second favorite time of day,” you said into the silence.

“Only your second? What’s your first, love?”

“Late afternoon, especially if it’s sunny.”

“Why’s that?”

“It’s a good time for a lot of things. You could have a snack, or do some work, or go for a walk, or take a nap. It’s also a good time for a cup of tea,” you mused.

“Any time is a good time for a cup of tea in your opinion.”

“I’m glad a married a man who knows me so well.”

You were quiet again for a while, only aware that the other was conscious by Charlie’s constantly moving thumb against your side and your occasional movements to bring your cup to your lips. When the sun finally started to peek over the horizon, you gasped quietly.

“This is perfect,” you glanced over to your husband, “you’re perfect.”

Charlie’s smile was sadder than you anticipated.

“What if I’m not?”

“I think I would know after loving you for thirteen years. What’s wrong?”

“The past four years of our marriage have felt like a dream. Well, a nightmare, really. Now that the war is over and we’ve had our party it feels like we can actually start being a married couple. Get a bigger house, a cat, maybe even have kids. And even though those are all good, happy things and the war and death and disaster is behind us, I’m still bloody terrified. What if I’m not able to give you a picket fence and two and a half little red-haired kids?”

You set your cup down on the coffee table.

“Then we don’t have a picket fence and two and a half kids. We’ve never really been conventional, Charlie. You’re all I need to be happy. On second thought, you and dragons are all I need to be happy. I have both of those things, the rest is just a positive extra. It’s ok to be scared of what the future holds, a year ago we didn’t know if we would even have a future.”

*Hour 6*

The band had transitioned to a slower song, leaving you and Charlie no choice but to share a proper first dance.

Embracing each other and surrounded by other couples dancing, you were finally able to have a quiet moment together since the beginning of the party.

“You don’t wear white very often,” Charlie observed.

“If I did it wouldn’t stay white for very long so I usually stay away, should I start wearing it more?”

“You look beautiful tonight, but I think colors suit you better. Shows off your gorgeous personality,” a soft kiss was shared between you.

“I can’t believe we actually made it here,” you said, eyes flickering around to the guests surrounding you.

“Me neither,” Charlie breathed, “I’m not going to lie, I was almost convinced I was going to lose you.”

“Why?”

“You’re too good of a person, you’re a helper. I haven’t slept well these past few years because I kept thinking you’d get yourself killed trying to help someone in danger.”

“I haven’t slept well these past few years because I kept thinking you’d get yourself killed trying  to help someone, too. Bravery and loyalty can be dangerous, Weasley.”

Charlie pulled you closer to his chest, “I’m only loyal to you, Mrs. Weasley.”

*Present*

You woke up still on the sofa, nuzzled into Charlie’s chest. You smiled contently, tightening your arm around him and falling back asleep until you felt him rouse hours later.

“It’s almost late afternoon,” you felt his chest rumble as he spoke.

“My favorite time of day,” you smiled as you sat up, stretching your arms out.

“I am starving,” Charlie stood once you were off of him, taking the few steps over to the kitchen.

“Do you want help cooking?” you offered, though the sun was shining through the windows right onto your current spot and felt warm as it hit your skin. With your eyes closed to soak up as much sunlight as possible, you didn’t see Charlie’s loving gaze as he paused for a moment to admire you.

“You keep enjoying that sunshine, beautiful. I think I’ve got it handled over here.”

Charlie was a decent cook having learned from his mum, but in his tired, slightly hungover state he didn’t have it handled and you ended up sitting on the floor of the kitchen eating some fresh fruit after putting out the multiple fires that he had accidentally started.

“Have I told you how much I love you recently?” you giggled.

“Considering we had a whole party to celebrate our love last night… no, you haven’t said it and I’m starting to worry,” Charlie’s feigned concern sent you into another fit of giggles and your joined laugher filled up the small, sunny cottage.

*Hour 9*

“We’d like to thank you all again for coming to celebrate love with us this evening. It means the world to us that you’re all here. As we start to wrap up, Charlie and I wanted to share with you the vows we wrote for each other when we first got married. I’m going to go first.

Charlie, I spent a long time trying to write something profound for my vows, until I realized that the words that described my feelings for you were much simpler than I originally thought. I love you and I trust you. I have loved you and I have trusted you for so long that it’s second nature, and I promise to keep loving you and keep trusting you in every challenge and blessing that we encounter together. There isn’t anyone else I would want by my side in any aspect of my life, and I promise to cherish your companionship as we step into our future. I anticipate there will be losses and pain, but you will not lose me, and together we can help heal with the strength of our love. Here’s to forever.”

The first time you had read these vows, Molly Weasley had immediately burst into tears. Now, you noticed many people were wiping their eyes, though there seemed to be more smiles and hope for the future than your small gathering so many years ago.

Charlie took a deep breath, and then began reading his vows.

“(y/n). My sweet, beautiful, amazing (y/n). I want to promise you a grand life of dragons and quidditch and fire salamanders with impeccable manners, but ultimately that is not our reality. The world isn’t that perfect and as we’ve grown older and more experienced I think we’ve come to realize that. Despite all this, you’ve taught me to focus on the smaller positives, like a cup of tea when you can’t sleep. So, even though I can’t promise you Hufflepuff winning the quidditch house cup or a pile of dragon babies in the spring, I can promise I will be there for you whenever you need me. I promise to care for you when you can’t, and admire you when you can. And most importantly, I promise that I’ll love you for the rest of my life.”

Tags: @siriuslysirius1107

[mcdoogly]

Happily Ever After

Howdy, made a late ass Christmas fic, but it’s basically the 12th day of Christmas for whatever.

Have some cutesy goats and fishdad

“So what are you gonna get her?”

The question hung in the air as Undyne rummaged through Asgore’s cupboards for snacks. Her eye lit up as she found a pack of beef jerky, beginning to tear into it with hungry gusto. She turned around and looked at him as he sat on his couch. “I mean, you ARE getting her something, right?”

Asgore sighed, watching his old trainee rip into a fresh chunk of dried meat. “I don’t know.”

The house almost shook as Undyne slammed the pantry shut, all thoughts of food cleared from her head. “WHAT?! Gyftmas is in three days!” The ex-guard shook her head. “You’re telling me you got Queenie nothing?”

“Well…” he murmured, awkwardly scratching the back of his neck, “she told me not to worry about it…”

Undyne pinched the bridge of her nose. “Oh my god, you actually believed that? That directly translates to ‘You better get me a gift, Dreemurr!’ How long were you two married?”

Asgore slumped into his chair, groaning at the entire situation. “I know, I know. I just have no idea what to get her.”

“You know her better than anyone else in the whole entire underground! How the hell do you not have a clue?”

“Undyne, she and I have been together for over a millenia. It gets quite difficult to be original after a century or two.” Asgore leaned forward, rubbing his face as he continuously drew blanks. “And especially with that… break she and I had I have even less of a clue what she would want now.”

Undyne looked down sadly at the old goat. “Well, you two have had to have gone on dates lately, right?”

“Of course.” Asgore nodded. “We try to spend at least one day together every week, either at her house or mine. Why?”

“Notice anything different she might’ve gotten into since you two last celebrated Gyftmas as a couple?”

He furrowed his brow. “I don’t recall anything new? Her house looks almost exactly like it did when she and I lived together.”

Undyne scratched her chin. What were things she knew Toriel liked? She enjoyed reading, but who wants to get a book for Christmas? Lingerie crossed her mind, but she doubted that Asgore would appreciate something so raunchy. Snails? Boring. Pie tin? Too utilitarian. Socks? Too scandalous. She shook her head, too many ideas were flooding in at once and not a single one useful.

An idea clicked into place in her mind, spurring Undyne to walk over to Asgore, grabbing his shoulders from behind. “How about you treat her to a nice day out, get her to a spa, give her a nice massage, order some fancy food; the whole nine yards! I bet she would love that!”

“She would indeed,” Asgore looked up, “That’s what I got her last Mother’s Day.”

“Then why not supplement it with a little ‘Happy Ending’.” She winked, nudging him with an elbow.

“Undyne, I understand your excitement and support of her and my relationship, but I wouldn’t concern yourself with my sex life.” He looked down guiltily, his cheeks rosy. “And… that was also a part of her Mother’s Day gift.”

Undyne seemed to deflate after the initial surprise of what Asgore said as her idea once again proved to be a failure. The fish pressed at her temples, trying to think of anything that would be a good gift for the ex-queen. She let out an exasperated sigh and sat down next to her father.

“Man, you’re right. This is harder than I thought.” She supported her chin with a fist, still trying to think of anything to help her old goatdad out.

“It’s fine. Worst case, I’ll just have to sleep on the couch for a few nights.” He chuckled. “I’ve been through much crueler punishment from her.”

“Yeah…” Undyne sighed again, racking her brain. She had Alphys’s gift ready and wrapped the day after last Gyftmas, why couldn’t she come up with something right now for such a simple old lady? “Does she need anything for her classroom?”

“Not that I can think of.”

“Her car?”

“Nope.” “Hmm… What about her kitchen?”

“It’s as well stocked as always.”

“You sure she wouldn’t want another…”

“Undyne I don’t like repeating gifts, especially within a year of giving the last one.”

“But this time you could wrap your-”

“Undyne!”

“Fine, fine.” She flopped against the back of the couch, staring up at the ceiling. After a minute or so she finally spoke up again, “Well I’ve got nothin’.”

Asgore sighed, “Now you see how I’ve felt for the past couple of months or so.” He grunted and sat up. “I suppose I could just get her a bottle of wine or something of the like, maybe a few snails. Not the most original gift but hopefully it’ll be thoughtful enough.”

“I doubt she’d get that mad anyway,” Undyne added, “it’s just one day of the year.”

“Yeah,” said Asgore, a bit lost in thought, “let's hope.”

~~~

Gyftmas day was over as the sun dipped beneath the snowy horizon. Asgore and Toriel had snuck away from the rest of the party at the latter’s house to enjoy some quiet time alone. Everyone else was either asleep or too focused on the spectacle of Gyftmas movies that were now fully available for monster kind. The two goats were sitting on Toriel’s bed, her head on his shoulder as they simply enjoyed the time spent together.

“Another Gyftmas done, eh, Gorey?” she giggled, sinking against him further as he wrapped an arm around her.

“Yup,” he responded simply, taking in a deep breath. The house still smelled wonderfully like her cooking, and between that and the gorgeous monster that was hanging on his shoulder, he almost felt at ease about her present. “It is nice getting to spend it with family after delivering all of those present last night.”

“I bet,” she sighed, looking up at him. “And now you get to spend the night with me~”

He chuckled as her grin turned wily, matching it with a smile of his own. “Well, that’s just the best part.”

She shifted on the bed so she could wrap him into a warm hug, the queen closing her eyes as she relaxed into him, her smile turning soft. “Good answer.”

A small hum left his throat as he traced a hand on her back, earning a small contented sigh from his queen. They stayed there for a minute, his hand just idly moving on its own accord between her shoulders until he finally spoke up. “Does that mean I pass the class?”

“I wouldn’t go that far yet, Dreemurr,” she threatened playfully. “We haven't even gone to bed yet.”

“Oh?” he asked. “And what does that have to do with it?”

“That’s your exam!” She smirked with a bit of sly enthusiasm, sitting back up to eye level with him before the two broke into quiet laughter.

They nuzzled and spent a short while being sweet with one another as their laughter quieted down. A giggle here, a playful pinch there. The goats had barely a hitch in their sway as old habits became new ones again. Despite the aforementioned “break”, the two had reformed much of their old saccharine shenanigans since the past few months the two had been together. Asgore smiled as the two settled on the sheets, looking lovingly down at his wife.

“Oh!” he interrupted, catching Toriel’s attention. “Before I forget, I have something for you.”

The queen looked at him curiously as he grabbed his phone. He clumsily pressed a few buttons until a neatly wrapped box materialized out from his phone’s speaker. The sudden appearance caught Asgore off guard, who scrambled and seized it haphazardly before it could fall on the floor, much to Toriel’s amusement. Asgore’s cheeks flushed as she giggled at the show, just happy he didn’t drop her present. While this storage system Alphys installed on his phone was surely useful, Asgore wasn't quite used to it yet.

“It isn’t, uh, much,” he laughed, scratching the back of his neck, “but, you know... merry Gyftmas, Tori.”

“Oh, Gorey,” she exclaimed, her smile widening as she took her gift. “I told you not to worry about getting me a gift this year!”

“Yes, yes, I know,” Asgore chuckled, matching her expression, “but I went against my better judgement and didn’t listen to you this time.”

“Aww,” she cooed, “Well, now I feel like a fool-- I didn’t get you anything. That’s why I told you not to, dummy!”

Asgore laughed. All of the anxiety in his chest vanished as he realized that Undyne’s incessence was in fact not needed. He leaned against Toriel, before saying “Well, that’s a relief. I don’t think I need a better gift than just getting to see you every day.”

“Oh my goodness, you are the biggest sap I have ever met, Dreemurr,” Toriel chuckled, “You sure know how to make a lady blush.”

“I’m glad you think so,” he teased, “Now come on, open your present. We are trying to sleep tonight, yes?”

“I don’t know, are we?” She picked at a corner of the wrapping paper with a claw. “If memory serves me correctly, I remember for some reason Old Saint Nick gets a rather random burst of energy on Christmas night every year. You wouldn’t know anything about that, would you?” She looked up and smirked knowingly at him before tearing the rest of her gifts packaging to streamers, revealing the box underneath.

Asgore’s face flushed as Toriel stared him down. “W-Well, I’d imagine he must get tired from giving out presents all the night before…” He looked down her body and then back up at her eyes. “So I’d assume the best person to ask as to why would be Mrs. Claus. She must know him best.”

“Of course she does,” she giggled as grabbed the top of the box, “It’s her job after all.” Her eyes lit up as the packaging gave way to her gift: a bottle of her favorite wine.

“I didn’t know what else you’d like, so I just went with wine,” he said, some of the previous nervousness seeping back into his belly, “We somehow manage to go through a whole bottle every week when we have our date night, so I know it’ll at least get used.”

“Trying to get me drunk now, hmm, Gorey?” She elbowed him playfully, giggling as he quickly grew flustered. Before he could start stammering out a response, she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. “It’s a very thoughtful gift, Asgore. Thank you very much.”

“O-Oh! Of course, Tori!” He laughed, his leg shaking slightly from his nerves. “I’m glad you like it!”

“Mhmm, this will come in very handy.” She set down the bottle and cleared the bed of any wrapping paper. Sighing, she leaned against Asgore again, closing her eyes. “I do feel bad for not getting you anything though, Asgore.”

“Aw, don’t worry about it, Tori. I meant it earlier that just getting to see you is gift enough. Especially these private chats.”

“Oh, so you’re calling these ‘chats’ now, hmm?” She inspected a finger on her paw to pretend to be uninterested, a slight smirk on her muzzle. “I had a different word in mind for whenever you end up in this room.” His cheeks turned rose red as the old queen cackled, her banter making quick work of Asgore’s nerves.

He was at a loss for words, sitting ramrod still as he was not at all sure how to respond. Meanwhile, Toriel was howling in laughter, the queen draping her arms around his shoulders and squeezed him close as she spoke up, “Oh dear, Gorey I’m sorry. You are just so fun to tease.” She nuzzled against his cheek in apology, “Please don’t be mad.”

“Of course not,” he chuckled, warming up to the hug, “I don’t see how you making a joke about how prolific I am would hold any offense.”

“‘Prolific’, hmm? That’s a pretty word~” She cooed as his hand rubbed up and down her back, the queen wiggling against him to get closer. Asgore looked at her happily, the two making eye contact before he placed a hand on her cheek, grinning as he pressed his lips to hers. A content hum came from Toriel’s throat at the gesture as she closed her eyes, falling into the kiss for as long as Asgore held it.

It was simple and quick until the king broke it, Asgore smiling and watching Toriel open her eyes. His gaze turned lidded as he stared into her dark rubies, swearing he could see hearts in them as he slowly got lost in her happy expression.

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen you smile like that, Tori,” he said, breaking the silence.

“Oh?” she responded, puzzled, “Like what, dear?”

“Like I didn’t hold the kiss long enough.” He smirked as she broke into laughter at his dopey response.

He felt like a champion as she giggled into his ear, the queen hanging off of his shoulder as he soaked in the attention from his wife. Eventually, Toriel spoke up again, “So, what was that question you wanted to ask Mrs. Clause again?”

Asgore grinned at her smirk, his hands heading exactly where he wanted them to go as Toriel giggled in excitement. “Oh I have plenty to ask her.”

~~~

“So how’d the gift exchange with Queenie go?”

Undyne stood next to Asgore in Toriel’s kitchen the morning after, both of them enjoying an early cup of tea while the rest of the guests were stuck asleep for at least another hour or two. The ex-king looked up from his mug at Undyne’s question, smiling at the memory from last night.

“Oh it went great! She loved what I got her, and you’d be hard pressed to find me complaining about mine.” He smiled, closing his eyes as he enjoyed another sip of his famous golden flower tea.

“Oh yeah?” asked Undyne with a toothy grin, “Well what’d you get her?”

“Just a bottle of wine. She and I go through those so fast nowadays, and I know she definitely enjoys at least a glass every night on her own right, so I thought why not?”

Undyne gave Asgore an almost overly forceful pat on the shoulder. “See! I told you it wasn’t as hard as you made it out to be. Women are easy!”

Asgore chuckled as he swallowed another bout from his mug. “I wouldn’t quite say that, but I was definitely thinking too hard about the whole ordeal. I’m just happy everything went well.”

“Managed to avoid the couch once again, huh?” Undyne joked, earning a chortle from the old king. The two shared a laugh as they finished their tea. The freshly risen morning sun was shining bright through the windows as the snowy winter landscape outside starkly contrasted the coziness inside. Asgore was completely content in his “Mr. Dad Guy” sweater that Frisk insisted he wore for the occasion, his mug slowly growing empty while he sat at the kitchen table.

The quiet of the morning was broken again as Undyne spoke up, a question ready on her lips. “Well if that’s what you got her, what’d she get you?”

“O-Oh, well she didn’t really get me anything. See-” Just as he started to explain Toriel walked into the kitchen, her eyes tired yet lidded as she walked towards the cupboard with a stride in her step. There was a content smile on her face as she plucked a mug from the shelf and waltzed over to the teapot as the other three eyes in the room were glued to her. She yawned, swaying to a slow rhythm as she poured herself some tea. The room was deadly quiet, save for the delicate clinks of china as Toriel prepared her cup.

The queen finished pouring herself a spot of tea, and turned around to the other two monsters. She walked to Asgore, giving him a kiss on the cheek. “Good morning, dear,” she said sweetly before turning to Undyne. “And hello to you Undyne, I hope you slept well.” She took a sip of her tea and sighed at the taste, her smile easing wider as her eyes closed. Without another word she made out of the kitchen, almost strutting as she neared the exit, looking over her shoulder.

“Asgore, dear, could you come back to bed when you’re done? I think you forgot your present in my room.” With a subtle wiggle of her hips she left, leaving Undyne and Asgore dumbfounded for a minute straight.

Steam rose from their mugs as they sat in silence again, until a massive grin grew on the guard’s lips, which was immediately turned towards Asgore. His blank expression cracked into a nervous smile, the king chuckling as the pattern of Toriel’s wallpaper became suddenly very interesting.

“I suppose,” Asgore scratched the back of his head as he chuckled guiltily, “you could say that my Gyftmas came with a happy ending.”

[someinvisible-string]

Magnificent and Furious Ch. 12

Summary: After many years, rumors swirl that the Evil Queen is back and filled with more vengeance than ever. But instead of setting her sights on Snow White she goes for the thing  Snow loves most, her beloved daughter Emma. For her own safety, Emma is to be transported to safety on an unassuming merchant ship, where she meets two indentured servants hoping for a way to find their freedom.

A/N: Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you all have had a wonderful holiday season! This is the last full chapter of M + F and I just want to say from the bottom of my heart thank you all for all the kudos and the reviews, they mean the absolute world to me that you all have stuck around and reviewed each and every chapter. Huge thank yous to @justanotherwannabeclassic for betaing and to @princesse-swan for each and every piece of art she made for this fic.

last chapter/ AO3

The journey home took nearly a week, little by little everyone separating and going off on their own ways. Elsa and her smiths left camp two days after the battle in order to get home to her sister as soon as she could. Melody met them at port, two ships ready to transport the prisoners back to Arendelle. Melody smiled knowingly when she saw Killian’s arm slung around Emma’s shoulders, Emma smiled and blushed.

“I’m really glad you’re all okay,” Melody said, rushing to hug everyone she recognized. “I wish I could have been more helpful.”

“You’ve been more help than you can even realize,” Killian assured her.

“I’m sure I realize a little bit,” Melody smirked at him, her eyes flicking between him and Emma.

“All prisoners are loaded and secured your Highnesses,” a sailor came up and told them.

“Thank you, we’ll be ready in a moment,” Melody told him. She threw her arms around Emma and Elsa one last time. “I’ll be seeing you all soon, and under much happier terms I hope.”

“Of course,” Emma chuckled. “I’ll write you.”

“You’d better,” Melody winked and boarded her vessel.

Emma pulled Elsa into a tight hug as they said goodbye. “I can’t thank you enough,” she whispered in her friend’s ear. “And you’re going to be fine. Whatever you decide to do with them, I support you fully.”

“Thank you so much,” Elsa let go, her eyes misty with tears. “I’ll see you soon.”

Emma smiled through her own tears. “Give Anna a hug for me.”

Next Merida and Alexandra’s men journeyed north with their forces. “Now try to keep out of trouble for a while, lassie?” she said from her seat on Angus.

“I’ll try but no promises,” Emma smiled up at her friend.

“Ah well, better than I could hope for, just call me for the next round. You know I’ll always have your back,” Merida smiled warmly at Emma before reigning her horse around.

“Captain Arbarca, give Alexandra my thanks for me?” she called to the grizzled captain.

“Of course Your Highness, best of luck to you all,” he said, as stately and composed as ever.

Roland, Robin, and the other Merrymen traveled with them until they reached the forest surrounding their castle. “Well I believe this is our stop,” Robin said. “I wrote Marian ahead and she was able to find a nice spot to set up camp near here.”

“Robin, we really cannot begin to thank you,” Snow said.

“T’was the least we could do, you’re one of the few good rulers we have,” Robin nodded to her and David. “We’ll talk later about the state of my people?”

“Absolutely,” David said.

“Emma?” Roland said, tugging slightly on her elbow. “I never really took the time to thank you for well what you did for me.” He rubbed his shoulder nervously.

“I’d do it again if I had to, but I’d really prefer if I didn’t you know?” Emma smiled at him.

“Yeah, I’d prefer it that way too,” he laughed. “See you soon.”

“See you,” Emma smiled as he and the other Merrymen disappeared into the forest.

It was another day’s hike until they returned to the castle. Together Emma and her parents pushed open the heavy castle doors, taking in the quiet emptiness and the dust that swirled in the stale air.

“Well, it’ll take some work, but we’ll get this castle back to normal before we know it,” Snow wiped the dust from her hands and set them on her hips.

It took some time but with the help of the dwarves, the dust cleared, cobwebs were swept away, sunlight poured in through freshly cleaned windows, the castle soon busy with the hustle and bustle of getting things back to normal. Regina along with her Black Knights and the Camelot soldiers were whisked down to the dungeons, everyone tried to forget that they were down there.

“This place looks marvelous,” Killian said when he found her one day in the library.

“Wait until you see it finished,” Emma said, furiously dusting a desk with an old rag. “This used to be my favorite room in the castle. I’d come here in the afternoon when it was just bathed in light from those windows,” she pointed to the south facing stained glass windows. “It’d turn the pages all different colors, I remember reading until the pages had turned from red to blue to green as the sun went down.”

“That sounds wonderful love,” Killian quickly looked around before kissing her lightly. While her parents still haven’t asked what Killian was to her; Emma tried to keep things between them quiet. Once they had rescued her parents, she slept in their tent with them while Killian bunked with Roland. She only kissed him when she was sure her parents weren’t looking, she kept a respectable distance from him whenever they walked together. But here in the library, which no one around, she could take some liberties. Emma smoothed her hands over Killian’s shoulders, feeling the fine velvet of his borrowed doublet. Once they reached the castle, Snow had shown Killian personally to his rooms and the closet already full of fine clothes for him. Killian had carefully run his hand over nearly everything, his eyes wide and full of wonder. He had mainly stuck to the more simple items, sturdy canvas breeches and linen shirts like he usually wore.

“You’re dressed nice today,” she said, running her hands down his chest.

“I have a very important meeting today, I want to look my best,” Killian smiled.

“What’s this very important meeting about?” Emma smirked.

“They’re here,” was all Killian had to say. Emma had been waiting with bated breath for the safe return of her brother and sister. Thank the gods they had both been safe and sound where they were.

Emma ran down to the entrance hall, Killian quick on her heels, they both got there just in time to see the doors open. Emma took the last couple of stairs two at a time to make it down to her siblings. Charlotte launched herself at Emma, squealing as Emma lifted her up.

“Emmy, I missed you!” Charlotte giggled as Emma set her on her hip.

“I missed you too,” Emma peppered her little sister with kisses.

“Did you forget about me?” Leo asked, a sarcastic smirk on his face.

“Of course not,” Emma smiled as she pulled her brother into her side, the three of them linked together in a hug. David and Snow burst in, enveloping their children in a family hug. Emma looked up and saw Killian watching them sheepishly. “I want you guys to meet someone,” she said, pulling back from the hug and walking over to Killian. “Charlotte, Leo, this is Killian. He helped me rescue Mom and Dad.”

“Hello,” Killian blushed and waved, slightly embarrassed at the attention.

“Emmy,” Charlotte whispered loudly in Emma’s ear. “He’s very handsome.”

Emma and Killian both burst out laughing at the little girl’s statement. “Yes, Charlotte he is,” Emma smiled at him.

“Are you going to marry her?” Charlotte asked Killian. Emma had expected Killian to balk, to laugh nervously and change the subject but instead, he looked at Emma and smiled shyly, scratching behind his ear.

“One day, if she’ll have me,” he said.

A door slammed shut above them, everyone looked up and saw Snow and Charming hurrying down the stairs to greet their two youngest children.

“Oh you’re home,” Snow threw her arms around Leo’s shoulders, her eyes shining with tears. “How was the trip, are you hungry?”

“I think someone probably wants some hot chocolate at least,” David chuckled as he lifted Charlotte from Emma’s arms. “What do you say little one?” he smiled widely at his youngest, balancing her on his hip.

“Yes please!” Charlotte burrowed herself into David’s side. “With extra cream on top too please?”

“Well since you asked so nicely,” Snow smiled and placed a kiss on Charlotte’s forehead. “Shall we go to the kitchens then? You can tell me all about Andalasia and Agrabah and your adventures?”

“Sounds good to me,” Emma piped up, hurrying to lead her family down towards the kitchen.

“What about Killian?” Leo asked.

“Oh I’ll be fine, you go on, catch up,” Killian said with a wave of his hand.

“Nonsense, you are welcome to join us,” Snow assured him. “Granny makes a wonderful cup of hot chocolate.”

“Thank you, your Majesty, but really I have some matters to take care of” Killian smiled, turning and walking back up the staircase. Emma could sense a sadness that had fallen over him, he was distant and withdrawn and she could understand exactly where he was coming from. Her parents were able to find 4 survivors of the shipwreck that had started Killian and Emma’s journey together, but Liam had not been one of them. She longed to reach for his hand, to squeeze it and reassure him that she was there, he could tell her anything, but instead, she kept her hands around her mug.

Emma heard a light knock on her door, she looked up from the book she had been reading not realizing how late it was. The candles on her desk had burned low and it was pitch black outside. She went to her door and found Killian there.

“Evening love,” he smiled.

“It’s a bit past evening, it’s the middle of the night,” Emma said opening the door for him.

He came in, looking around her room. “I couldn’t sleep, it’s just so quiet and,” he confessed. “I just...I was so used to sleeping with you that-”

“You can’t nod off?” Emma finished. “I can’t sleep either,” she gestured to the stack of books on her side table.

“I know that we shouldn’t… you know. But maybe I could,” he patted the bed, his cheeks a brilliant shade of pink.

“You want to sleep here?” she asked; Killian nodded. “Okay, but just sleep, right? I don’t want to risk us being overheard by someone passing by.”

“Whatever you wish, love,” Killian smiled at her. They both crawled under the covers, Emma curled into his side with his arm around her protectively, the same way they’d been sleeping since they started sharing a tent in Robin Hood’s camp.

“Why is your bed so much more comfortable than mine?” Killian whispered.

“Just a perk of being a princess I guess,” Emma sniggered against his chest. She felt his fingers dig into her ribs as Killian tickled her. Emma squealed and tried to wriggle out of his grasp but Killian held on tight.

“I’m not letting you get away, love,” he chuckled pressing a kiss to her temple. Emma smiled and placed her hand on his stubbled cheek, running her thumb over his skin. She thought back to that moment in Regina’s dungeons when she had nearly lost him. Killian’s hand rested itself over her’s, noting her silence. “Everything okay love?”

“I almost lost you,” Emma said, her voice catching in her throat.

“Aye, but you didn’t,” Killian kissed her knuckles. “You made sure of that.”

“Killian I...” Emma’s eyes clouded with tears. “I don’t know what I would have done to her if she had-”

“Hey, I’m right here love and Regina is far, far down there,” he pointed to the floor in the direction of the dungeons. “Whatever you might have done, you would have made the right choice. And wherever I might have ended up had you not saved me, I would have been so proud of you no matter what.” He gently wiped the two tears that were rolling down her face. “But I can’t thank you enough for saving my life.”

“I’d do it again if I had to,” Emma whispered.

“Well love, lucky for you I’m a survivor,” he smiled and leaned in, pressing his lips to hers. His hand gently caressed her cheek, his thumb sliding down her chin to her neck. Emma shivered, feeling as if energy was trailing all throughout her body. Her hands found his body, rolling him on top of her.  

“I think I changed my mind about just sleeping,” she whispered into his ear.

“You’re sure?” Killian asked, pushing himself up on his elbows, looking into her eyes.

“I’m sure, let’s just try to be quiet,” Emma threading her fingers through his hair and pulled him down against her, kissing him deeply.

“You don’t have to tell me twice,” he chuckled as he peppered light kisses down her neck.

Come sunrise, Emma sat up in bed, trailing her fingers through a still sleeping Killian’s hair. It had been the first night since they rescued her parents that her sleep had been uninterrupted by nightmares. He muttered something she couldn’t understand into her pillow, hugging it tighter; she chuckled lightly before leaning down and brushing her lips against his ear.

“It’s time to wake up,” she whispered.

“No, sun’s still rising, plenty of time,” he mumbled still half asleep.

“Killian come on unless you want my lady’s maids to find you in my bed,” Emma shook his shoulder, hoping to bring him into waking.

“What’s the worst that could happen?” he lifted his head off the pillow and smirked at her.

“Someone could tell my father and for now I’d really prefer to have him not know about what we get up too when we both can’t sleep,” Emma quirked her eyebrow at him.

“Good point love,” he rolled himself out of bed, stretching his hands up high above his head, Emma gave herself a moment to appreciate the view. “See something you like?” he said looking over his shoulder at her.

“A lot of things, but you’re still going to have to get dressed, unfortunately,” she held out his shirt to him.

He pouted as he pulled on his pants and avoided eye contact when he grabbed his shirt out of her grasp. Emma was taken aback by his sudden shift in mood, silently crossing the room to her wardrobe and stuffing her arms through the sleeves of a robe.

“Are you embarrassed of me?” Killian asked.

“What? No, never,” Emma said, walking over to him.

“It’s just that ever since we started the journey back here, you seem to be keeping me at an arm’s length, especially in front of your parents. I mean a part of me knew we couldn’t be as open about us as before but, I just don’t know it feels like you’re avoiding me when we’re in front of your parents.”

Emma looked down at her feet, he was right. She had been keeping him at an arm’s length and that wasn’t fair to him at all. “I’m sorry that I made you feel that way, I just- it’s different bringing you here. I don’t regret it for a moment but a part of me knew that once we were here me and you wouldn’t be just well me and you anymore. It would be you and me and my kingdom and court and everybody would be involved in one way or another. This love wouldn’t just be ours anymore,” she took his hands in hers, squeezing tight. “But I should have talked to you about how I was feeling instead of shutting you out. I’m really sorry Killian.”

He pressed his lips to her forehead. “It’s all right, love,” he whispered into her hair. “I understand that you’re under a lot of pressure, but Emma I’m ready to share that with you. I want to be a part of your life, by your side, loving you openly and honestly.”

“I want that too,” Emma whispered. “So I need you to be honest with me, you seemed a little upset yesterday after Leo and Charlotte came home. Are you okay?”

“I thought I would be, really I did, but seeing your whole family reunited a part of me wished that Liam would come striding in after them,” Killian looked down at the floor. “I didn’t want to dampen your happy day with my feelings.“

“Oh Killian,” Emma said before wrapping her arms around him. “I am so sorry.” She could feel him crying softly on her shoulder. “I know he meant the absolute world to you. But you are not alone in this, you have me to lean on whenever you need me. You are not a burden, how you are feeling matters, you don’t have to keep it all bottled up inside.” “I love you,” Killian said through teary eyes, capturing her lips with his.

“I love you too,” Emma breathed as they broke apart. “I want you to be a part of my family. My family is yours if you want them.”

“I would love nothing more,” he smiled softly before kissing her again. “Perhaps it’s about time I talk to your father about courting you.”

Emma laughed before giving him one last kiss before shuffling him out of her room and when they met again at breakfast Emma tried to keep her smile dainty and ladylike as Killian spoke to her father in hushed tones. She beamed when David smiled and clapped Killian on the shoulder.

Emma knew her parents were trying to keep her out of the dungeons and far away from Regina. One too many times they had “spontaneously stumbled upon” Emma as she walked down towards the dungeons with requests of hot chocolate in the kitchens or sparring on the grounds or horseback riding through the forest. She knew why they were going out of their way to keep her away from Regina, but it didn’t stop her from needing answers that only Regina had. She kept looking for any opportunity, any chance, to break away and just talk to the imprisoned queen.  

“I think we should have a ball,” Snow announced one day at breakfast. “We’re all together again and we need a way to formally thank our allies and I think it’s a good way to signal that things are back to normal around here.”

“Can I come?” Charlotte asked, her little voice full of excitement.

“Sweetie I just don’t-” Snow leaned down to Charlotte’s level but Emma saw her shot, a long shot but a shot nonetheless, and spoke up.

“I think Charlotte can come for at least a little while, I can take her up to bed when it’s time,” she offered.

“Oh, Emma you wouldn’t have to, you shouldn’t miss out on the fun,” Snow said.

“It’s all right and we all know Charlotte isn’t going to go quietly with anyone else,” Emma smiled innocently at her mother, hoping she wouldn’t hear the gears shifting in her head as she formulated a plan.

Snow looked from her eldest to her youngest and sighed. “All right, I suppose you can come little one,” she tickled Charlotte under her arms as the little girl squealed with excitement. Emma looked up to see Killian looking at her, eyebrow raised in that dangerous way of his. She kept her eyes down for the rest of breakfast but couldn’t shake him once they were separated for the rest of the day.

“You’re planning on sneaking out to see Regina,” was all he had to say.

“What and you’re going to try to stop me?” Emma replied stonily.

“On the contrary, I want to help,” he smiled wickedly.

“What?”

“Emma, you haven’t had a chance to speak to Regina since we left her castle; I know you have got to have questions for her regarding what the Apprentice told you, what I don’t know is how I can help?”

“By coming with me, I have a feeling I’ll need someone with me after,” she ran her hand through her hair, anxiety settling on her chest.

“Whatever you need love, I’ll be there,” Killian’s smile softened. “So long as you save me a dance before we sneak off.”

“I think I can manage that,” Emma smiled.

Months of planning seemed to fly by, Emma tried to be attentive in meetings about table settings and menu planning, the only thing that could hold her attention was her gown. A full ball gown made of the softest silk and a vibrant shade of red. She couldn’t help but twirl in front of the looking glass during her final fitting, much to the delight of her mother.

“Oh, honey, you look beautiful,” she tried to discreetly wide a tear from the corner of her eye. “I think your friend Killian will love it.” Emma felt her cheeks warm as she smoothed the front of her gown. “Emma I wanted to ask you something.”

“Is it about Killian?”

“No, not that I don’t have questions but I’ll let you tell me about courting in your own time,” Snow smiled. “I think that you should open the ball with a few words.”

“But you usually do that.” Emma blanched.

“And we wouldn’t be able to have this ball or even be a family if you hadn’t succeeded,” Snow took her daughter’s hand. “You can do this, Emma, and you have me and your father here to help you.”

“What would I even say?”

“Whatever you want,” Snow smiled reassuringly. “Honey, it’s a suggestion, but I think that the people and our allies need to hear from you about these past few months. You just had a major victory, it’s okay to talk about it at a ball celebrating that.”

Emma thought, her mother had a point the people did deserve to hear from her personally, she was to be their future sovereign she should be able to address her people in at least this celebratory occasion. But giving the speech could possibly cut down on her time to question Regina. “Okay,” Emma nodded apprehensively. “I’ll make the speech but is it okay if it’s on the shorter side?”

“Of course,” Snow White beamed. “So long as you feel you are speaking from the heart then however long or short it is won’t matter.”

Finally, the night of the ball came, the menu finalized, the flowers abundant, the musicians tuning their instruments, and the candles in the great chandelier were lit casting a warm glow over everyone in attendance. Emma stood in the receiving line with the rest of her family, greeting everyone in attendance, trying to keep an excitable Charlotte relatively calm.

“This is taking so long, when are we gonna dance?” Charlotte’s voice was on the very edge of whining.

“Just be patient,” Leo whispered very impatiently.

“You should follow your own advice,” Emma said out of the corner of her mouth, though she couldn’t help but agree with them. Greeting a nearly endless string of nobles and royals had always been her most loathed part of the many balls her parents hosted.

“Oh like you’re not dying to rush into the ballroom so that you can dance with your ‘dashing sailor’” Leo rolled his eyes.

“Shut up,” Emma rolled her eyes.

“Nice comeback,” Leo chuckled and hissed when Emma pinched his arm. Emma looked up to see her mother’s narrowed eyes over the head of a foreign dignitary’s balding head. All three children settled down almost instantly. Emma tried not to fidget her way through the rest of the line when finally the last few stragglers had been escorted into the ballroom. Emma’s body buzzed with anticipation, with shaky steps she walked with her family into the grand ballroom. They stood together in the center of the dance floor, surrounded by family, friends, and allies, Emma took a shaky breath and stepped forward, clearing her throat for the already quiet room.

“I would like to thank everyone for being here tonight, it’s been quite the time since we’ve had one of these,” she chuckled nervously, thankfully she was met with polite laughter from the crowd. “We probably wouldn’t be here, together and safe, if it wasn’t for the help and aid provided to me and my family. To Arendelle, Dunbroch, Glowerhaven, and Aquitaine I would like to extend my gratitude for helping me in the battle against Regina and to Andalasia and Agrabah for fostering my brother and sister and keeping them safe during these dangerous times.” Her eyes found Killian’s in the crowd, he smiled widely at her and she felt her back straighten, she held her head higher, her shoulders back. “Now I also couldn’t have succeeded in rescuing my parents without the help of some unfamiliar faces here in court, namely Robin Hood and his Merrymen who so kindly provided me with shelter as well as Killian Jones, who has been by my side through this entire journey to rescue my parents. I think it is also important to remember those who have given the ultimate sacrifice in this war, namely Sir August, or as many others knew him, Pinocchio. He and so many others fought valiantly to protect me and the kingdom from Regina’s rule. We plan on commemorating their service with a monument that will be placed on castle grounds at a later date. Allies such as this may be unusual here at court but as my parents proved so many years before, help can come from any number of unlikely places be it from fairies, dwarves, bandits, and sailors, everyone has a unique perspective to bring to the table. In times like these, we must stand together in order to rid this world of evil. If we try to go it alone, our own doubts and questions can stew and fester into our own darknesses. So with tonight’s ball, we are not only using it as a way to celebrate my family’s reunion but to also usher in a new era of unity.”

Applause filled the ballroom, Emma exhaled and accepted the applause with a gracious smile. Behind her the band picked up their instruments and began to play, her father lead her mother to the center of the ballroom and began to lead the waltz. Couples filled the dance floor around them, soon turning the ballroom into a sea of color as lords turned their ladies this way and that to the beat of the music. Emma saw Killian striding confidently towards her, his eyes bright and his smile even brighter.

“You were brilliant,” he said when he reached her, his hands going to reach for her waist but stopping just short. The faintest hint of pink-tinged his cheeks as he quickly bowed before her.

“Thank you,” Emma smiled, she knew he was trying to remember all the rules of court that she had been teaching him when he snuck into her room each night.

“May I have this dance your Highness?” he asked, neither of them missing the hint of irony in his use of her title.

“Of course,” Emma took his arm and allowed him to lead her to the dancefloor. They fell into step with the other dancers, Emma saw Melody smiling knowingly at her over Prince Phillip’s shoulder. Emma rolled her eyes at her and laughed quietly.

“Melody is having a field day,” Emma said to Killian.

He looked over his shoulder as he spun Emma out and smiled at the young mermaid. “Aye, she has seen us come a long way, I suppose,” he whispered into her ear as she spun back into his arms.

“She was rooting for you,” Emma confided as she walked in a half circle around him as he knelt down. “She saw something in you before I could.”

“Aye, but you did eventually,” Killian clasped her hand in his and got back to his feet facing her and stepped closer to her. “I didn’t exactly make a good first impression when we first met, I’m sorry for that.”

“It’s all right, I was naive and didn’t fully understand what I was getting myself and you into-”

“Emma, you don’t have to apologize for stopping them from whipping me, not at all,” Killian squeezed her hand tight.

“We helped each other,” Emma said, squeezing his hand just as tight. She felt a familiar tugging on her skirts and looked down to see Charlotte looking up at her.

“I suppose you want a dance?” Emma smiled down at her sister.

“Yes,” Charlotte nodded and smiled widely up at her sister. Killian let Emma hoist her sister on her hip.

He bowed low to Charlotte. “Thank you for letting me borrow your sister for a while,” he smiled at the young princess.

“Your welcome,” Charlotte waved at Killian as he disappeared back into the crowd. Emma twirled around still holding her sister, making her laugh loudly.

“Are you having fun?” Emma asked.

“The most fun!” Charlotte replied. “Everyone looks so pretty, Emmie. You’re pretty, Mama’s pretty, Daddy’s pretty, the room is pretty,” Charlotte twisted herself in Emma’s grip to get a better look around the room, Emma could practically feel her wanting to explore the room more, nothing excited Charlotte more than color and sparkle and beauty. Emma wouldn’t be surprised if Charlotte became a big patron of the arts of Misthaven when she grew older. Emma listened as Charlotte continued to list all the things she thought were ‘pretty’ including the music, the food, Emma’s shoes, Elsa’s necklace, Killian. “You think Killian is pretty?” Emma giggled.

“The prettiest boy I’ve ever seen!” Charlotte assured her. “When are you going to marry him?”

Emma blushed so hard she was sure she matched her scarlet dress. “Charlotte, not so loud,” Emma tried to shush her.

“But why?” Charlotte asked. “You like him, you get all blushy and mushy around him like Mama and Daddy do.”

Emma tried to find a way to explain her hesitation with announcing her and Killian to court, but how does one explain to a six-year-old that she just wanted her relationship to be just hers and Killian’s, something distinctly theirs and once it is announced their love isn’t just between them it’s between everyone? Especially when she not only has to juggle being the future queen, but also the Savior? “It’s complicated little one, but trust me when I say it’ll happen soon.”

Emma’s dodging luckily seemed to please Charlotte enough to get her off the subject of Killian for the rest of the dance.

“Emmie, I don’t wanna go to bed,” Charlotte whined as the band finished the song.

“You know the deal, it’s late and you have to go to bed,” Emma started carrying her towards the door, keeping her eyes peeled for Killian.

“But I’m not tired,” Charlotte said through a yawn.

“Sure you’re not,” Emma locked eyes with Killian. He nodded to her, knowing to follow her out of the ballroom in fifteen minutes so they could venture down to the dungeons to interrogate Regina.

“I’m not!” Charlotte insisted and somehow dragged the word ‘not’ into 3 syllables, but Emma kept walking through the ballroom doors and up the great staircase towards the nursery.

“You’re very lucky,” Emma whispered to her sleepy sister. “I didn’t go to my first ball until I was twelve.”

“When will the next one be?” Charlotte asked, trying and failing to stifle a yawn as Emma carried her down the hall past her parents’ bedchambers.

“I don’t know but probably sooner than you think,” Emma opened the door to the nursery. She handed Charlotte carefully to one of the royal nannies who would prepare Charlotte for bed. Her eyes lingered on the door of the wardrobe in the corner of the room, her eyes darting back to Charlotte as the nanny helped her into pajamas. What if Regina had cast the Dark Curse? Where would that wardrobe have taken her? What would have happened to all these people in her life? To her parents? Her siblings?

“Good night, Emmie,” Charlotte said as she got into her bed. “I love you.”

“I love you too little one,” Emma whispered, walking over to her and placing a kiss on her forehead. “Sleep tight.” Tears welled in her eyes as she turned and walked out of the room, she didn’t want to wonder about all those ‘what-ifs’ anymore. She quickly rushed down the stairs to the entrance hall, finding Killian there waiting for her.

“You alright love?” he asked as she neared.

“I’m fine, just thinking too much,” Emma let him encircle her with his arms, tension flowing out of her as she rested against him, collecting herself. “Come on, we don’t have a lot of time before people start to notice,” she pulled herself out of his embrace.

“You can tell me, Emma,” Killian said as he followed her through a side door and down a flight of stairs.

“I know, and I will I promise but I just need to do this first,” Emma continued down the dark stairway, holding her skirts so she wouldn’t trip.

“Aye, you know what you’re going to say to her?” Killian asked.

“More or less,” Emma nodded, trying not to shiver as the air became cooler the deeper they went.

“Your Highness,” the guard on duty stood straighter as she approached him. “Isn’t there a ball?”

“Yes, there is,” Emma said, producing a small bag filled with coins and holding it out to him. “And this should be enough to convince you to not tell my mother or my father that I was down here.”

The guard took the coin purse and weighed it in his hand before tucking it into his pocket. “You have my word and more importantly my silence your Highness,” he nodded. He unlocked the door that led to the cells and let Emma through. Killian remained with the guard, ensuring that he kept his word.

Emma walked quickly, breezing past cells filled with Camelot soldiers, through a door that led to a wing of the dungeons that were seemingly empty. She almost didn’t recognize Regina in the last cell, she was wrapped in a tattered cloak and her hair resembled a rat’s nest.

“I was wondering when you were going to make time to see me,” Regina sat up as Emma approached.

“I have questions for you,” Emma stood in front of Regina’s cell, her hands on her hips.

“And what makes you think I’ll answer them?” Regina asked, chuckling.

“I can help you, get you a nicer cell, better food, maybe a better blanket or two-” Regina laughed and shook her head.

“Oh darling, I am going to be a prisoner for the rest of my days in the castle of my most mortal enemies, do you really think I care one bit about my accommodations?”

“I also have this,” Emma drew a small vial of bright green liquid out of her dress. Regina’s eyes widened as she realized what Emma was offering.

“I wouldn’t have expected Snow White’s daughter to offer me poison as a way to get me to talk,” Regina twitched an eyebrow at her.

“One gulp and it’s over Regina, you won’t be in this cell or any cell for much longer. Plus you can see your father again,” Emma said holding the vial closer.

Regina’s jaw tightened and her eyes sharpened. “Don’t you mention my father to me you urchin.”

“Fine,” Emma shrugged and turned to walk away. “Have fun down here Regina.” Emma walked back towards the door, her fingers had barely brushed the doorknob when-

“Wait!” Regina yelled from her cell. “Fine, you have a deal.” Emma smiled to herself as she walked back to Regina. “What do you want to know?”

“The Dark One,” Emma said. “Where is he?”

Regina cackled. “You think I know where he is? He hasn’t talked to me since I was supposed to cast his curse.”

“Did he have any other students?” Emma asked, ignoring Regina’s jabs.

“My mother a long time ago and one other,” Regina said. “Her name is Zelena, more commonly known as the Wicked Witch of Oz.”

“Why were you the one the Dark One wanted to use to cast his curse?”

“My mother loved nothing but herself and Zelena loved only the Dark One; I had someone I loved more than anything in this world,” Regina’s eyes flicked to the vial still in Emma’s hands.

“The Dark One’s powers, how powerful is he exactly?” Emma asked, bringing Regina’s focus back to her.

“He is the most powerful purveyor of Dark Magic in this world, but his curse is what gives him the power.”

“Wait, his curse?”

“The Darkness needs a host, the Dark One provides one and takes on all of that power but there’s a price.”

“As there always is,” Emma grumbled.

“The Dark One’s dagger holds his magic, control the dagger and you control the Dark One.”

“Interesting,” Emma nodded, a plan forming in her head. “Why was Camelot helping you? King Arthur doesn’t make alliances, and neither do you.”

“He wanted information,” Regina said. “The same information you seek actually, our correspondence was filled with his many questions about the Dark One. So I offered a trade, help me by lending me some soldiers, I give him all the answers I have.”

“But you don't have any answers.”

“Well, Arthur didn’t know that did he?” Regina sniggered.

Emma rolled her eyes. “Do you know anything else? About the Dark One?”

“Not much else, Camelot would actually have more answers than I do,” Regina wrung her hands, still looking at the vial. “Please, I told you everything I know.”

“Yes you did,” Emma smiled. “Thank you for your help Regina, it was most appreciated.” Emma walked towards the door.

“Hey wait! Our deal!” Regina grabbed onto the bars of her cell. “Give me that vial!”

“Oh, this?” Emma held up the vial and dropped it, the glass shattered and the liquid inside leaked onto the floor. “You wanted to live forever Regina, now you’re paying the price.”

Emma turned on her heel, ignoring Regina’s screams and curses, as she exited the dungeons.

“Everything go okay?” Killian asked as soon as she closed the dungeon door behind her. Emma nodded and thanked the guard.

“Find us a ship to Camelot,” she said as they climbed the stairs back to the castle.

“Why?”

“We are going to bring down the darkness once and for all,” Emma said, taking her hand in his. “That is if you’ll come with me.”

“Of course I will,” Killian smiled. Emma stood on tiptoe, catching his lips in hers, relishing a moment of quiet before their next journey.

[teeentyonepilots]

my hiatus fics

Hello! 

Are you a fan who’s freshly returned from hiatus? Did you not keep up with the joshler ao3 tag? Or are you a new fan who’s looking to read some fics? Or howdy to my peeps who’ve stuck around through the drought.

I’ve compiled a list of stories that I’ve written in the hiatus time (July 7th, 2017-July 11th, 2018), for you to catch up on! 

1. Straw Stages (Aug 6th. wc: 738): short freeform story about the end of the blurryface era and Josh shaving his head

Out with the old; rebirth.

2.  That's What Best Friends Do (Sep 4th. 3/3 wc: 8,436): Tyler and Josh keep ending up in threesomes but they’re still just. friends..... right? was a ton of fun to write!

They don't plan on going out to a bar, and would never follow someone home. Moral of the story: everything is better when your best friend is involved, and never say never

3.  Spin Cycle (dirty laundry) (Sep 16th. 7/7 wc: 26,584): my tour de force of hiatus. took all summer to write. Josh’s nudes leak and Tyler has a major life crisis. i’m very proud of this.

There were many tweets warning others ‘don't share the pics. You’re an asshole if you do. Be respectful!' but it didn’t take Tyler too long to uncover the first of the photos.

Everything changed after that.

4.  Your Smile Like Home to Me (Oct 12th. wc: 1,019): crying at movies and emotional sex. who doesn’t love a quick little h/c?

Crying at movies is cathartic; that's why people watch Pixar and the Hallmark Channel.

5.  Greasy Taco, I Love (You) (Oct 22nd. wc: 4,313): a hiatus fic with mutual pining and first kiss. Josh and Tyler have late night taco bell and talk about their feelings.

“Put a shirt on, we're going to TB” Rooftop tacos and confessions; Josh and Tyler have been feeling empty ever since going on hiatus. “What about pants?”

6.  Costume Contest (Oct 31st. wc:  5,395) a collaborative fic with one of my favorite writers, TheDyingSun. Josh and Tyler meet at a halloween party and drunken shenanigans ensue.

Josh was extremely pleased with himself, completely certain he’d win the ‘Worst Costume’ award for the fourth year in a row.

His hairy thighs would clinch the deal.

7.  Cages (Nov 7. wc: 2,558) first of a cool series that I occasionally work on with all the AUs you could possibly want: soulmate, dystopian, superpowers,  sentinels & guides. I’m hyped to write more for this if Dema wasn’t consuming my brain. Josh is just trying to find what job he wants, and ends up finding his soulmate instead

Josh's future was uncertain; no mate, the looming threat of hard manual labor for the rest of his life. He was sure nothing special would ever happen to him.

And then he saw him.

8.  Merry and Bright (Dec 25th. wc: 3,407) a return to one of my favorite AUs: the hospital au! Doctors Josh and Tyler are having their first Christmas as a married couple, but tough time at work is making Tyler into a Scrooge.

The first Christmas as a married couple was supposed to be perfect, but life as a doctor is always full of unexpected interruptions.

9.  Erase (Dec 28th.  2,905) another part to the dystopian work from Cages. After their fateful meeting, Josh is dealing with memory loss and fear of what is going to happen to the both of them.

Josh had been waiting his whole life to find his soulmate, but after what happened at their first, chaotic meeting, he was shocked to find that Tyler was a memory he struggled to recall.

Someone had done something to his mind.

10.  In Studio (Jan 3rd. 661) a hiatus fic where Tyler is having a tough time dealing with his own mind and stress writing this new album. Josh helps him relax. again... who doesn’t love some good h/c?

Sometimes, Tyler just needs someone to pull him from the rut in his mind. Thankfully Josh is always there.

11.  If You Stick Around (May 20th. wc: 20,099) I took a few months off because I was consumed with writing this story. I’m quite proud of this as well. It’s an AU where Josh is a famous new singer, and Tyler plays guitar in his touring band. slow burn and I hope you enjoy this

It had always been Tyler's dream to play music on stage in front of thousands and thousands of adoring fans. Granted he wanted to be performing his own music, but at this point he'd take what he could get, and besides, at least he liked Josh Dun's songs. ... In which Tyler is a back-up musician who has a massive crush on the rising star he's on tour with.

12.  Sounding Down the Mountain Range (Jul 5th. 5,642) a return to another much beloved au: stormboyfriends! Josh gets injured on the job and the two have to reassess where their relationship is going.

It was undeniably ironic that Josh falling off a cliff happened while they were filming Tyler’s new television show How To Survive Anything.

Grand total words published in hiatus: 81,757. I hope you find something you enjoy!

[markonasurface]

39/50 - “You’re an idiot. I’ve met smarter sandwiches.”

Fandom: All for the Game/The Foxhole Court Characters/pairings: Neil, Andrew/Andreil Summary: 

A/N: Sorry it’s been so long. I’ve been uninspired and sick. This fic involves some of the Foxes kids minimally. Very minimally.

“Are you going to be home around four?” Neil asked, holding his phone between his ear and his shoulder as he dug his confirmation code out of his backpack.

“Are you?” Andrew answered.

Neil sighed. “Flight’s been delayed. I’m gonna be late.” He entered the letters and numbers on the screen and selected zero for how many bags he needed to check in. “Drew?”

“Why are you asking?”

“I promised Matt and Dan I’d watch Clara before the final,” Neil explained. He grabbed the ticket and receipt dispensed. “Do you think you can handle her for a little? I’ll have to meet you guys at the game. If you can’t, I think Allison should be there with Tobias and Kevin -”

“‘S not gonna be there,” Andrew stated.

Neil furrowed his eyebrows. “He said he was going to fly out a day early so he could make it.”

“Thea went into labor two hours ago. Didn’t you get the text?” Before Neil could answer Andrew said, “Of course you didn’t.”

“But I thought they were going to induce her the day after tomorrow.”

“Weren’t you just with Wymack?”

Neil said, “Hold on.” He approached the available cashier and handed her his ticket and ID.

“Where are we headed today?” She smiled.

“California,” Neil told her. Home, he thought.

Once she directed him toward security, he put his phone back to his ear. “I left South Carolina yesterday. Went to see Robin. Did I forget to tell you?” There was no response. “Well, is he going to play in the charity game tomorrow?”

“His wife is having a baby, Junkie.” Andrew enunciated every syllable. “There are some things more important than Exy, you know.”

“Doesn’t the charity the proceeds are going to have something to do with helping underprivileged children? That’s important.”

Andrew groaned and Neil bit back a smile. “Just get your ass home.” There was a pause, then a muttered, “Love you.”

Neil grinned. “Love you, too. I’ll see you at the game.”

“Was that your girlfriend?”

Neil looked up to see a group of girls staring at him. One elbowed the other and said, “Everyone knows he’s with his team’s goalie.”

“Do they?” the first girl shot back.

A third girl stepped forward. “Would you mind signing something? My boyfriend is gonna freak when he hears we met Neil Josten.”

Neil signed all of their tickets and chatted for a little until thankfully, it was their turn to go through security.

“Neil!”

Neil turned around at the sound of his name. He spotted Allison and, behind her, Renee, Andrew and Matt. The girls waved and Neil made his way over. He dropped his duffel under his seat and sat between Andrew and Matt.

“Hey, rough flight?” Matt asked.

“Lots of turbulence.” Neil nodded. “Sorry, I didn’t get here sooner.”

Matt grinned. “It’s okay. Clara loves Andrew.” He pointed his chin at Andrew and Neil looked over. Clara was nestled in Andrew’s arms, asleep.

He swiftly kissed Andrew’s cheek and said, “Hey.”

“You owe me,” Andrew glared straight ahead at the court.

“Who’s winning?”

“We’re down two,” Matt filled him in. “But Dan has a secret weapon for the second half.”

Dan’s team won ten to eight. They waited for her on the court while her team changed. When she came out, she ran at Matt and he swung her around.

“Where’s my baby?” she asked.

“She’s betrayed us, my love,” Matt informed her, mock serious. “She refused to come to me.”

Dan hugged each of them in turn and settled for taking Tobias from Allison.

“Coach said to tell you sorry he couldn’t be here but you did an awesome job,” she told Dan.

“I learned to coach from the best,” Dan said, toothy smile taking over her face. She greeted a passing parent, then said, “Did you see Kara’s last block? Wasn’t it incredible?”

Renee nodded emphatically. “If she keeps playing how she did tonight, she’ll beat Andrew’s records one day.”

“Not gonna happen,” Neil said, while Andrew merely raised a brow at Renee.

“Don’t pull hair, Tobias,” Allison scolded, grabbing her baby’s hand out of Dan’s curls.

“Aunty Dan doesn’t mind,” Dan cooed, then began kissing Tobias’ neck and making him giggle.

A couple of girls came over and fussed over the baby their coach was holding.

“How old is he?”

“Seven months,” Allison informed them.

“Are you already planning on your kids getting married?”

Matt snickered. “My bet is Tobias is gonna fall in love with Kevin and Thea’s kid.”

Allison bristled. “No way in hell is my son marrying any kid of Queen Day’s.”

“We’ll see,” Matt hummed.

“Dan!” One of the parents waved her over. “We wanna take a team picture.”

Dan sighed. “Duty calls.” She kissed Tobias’ cheek before handing him back to his mom.

After the picture, Dan got roped into a conversation. Then another and another. Neil yawned and Matt said, “You guys don’t have to wait.”

“Of course we do,” Renee disagreed.

Matt made his way over to Dan and snaked an arm around her waist. “Shall we rally the troops and get them to the hotel?” Matt asked.

Dan nodded and excused herself to come back to her friends. She pulled Clara from Andrew’s arms and took Matt’s offered hand. “See you all at the game tomorrow?”

“Merry Christmas, Junkie.”

Neil opened his eyes and stared into Andrew’s. He closed them again when Andrew pressed their lips together in a slow, drawn out kiss.

He groaned once Andrew pulled away and mumbled, “Do you know this is my favorite way to wake up?”

Andrew rolled his eyes. He slid off the bed and headed toward the bathroom. Neil leaned up on an elbow and said, “Hey, did Thea have the baby, yet?”

He caught the phone Andrew tossed to him and read the tweet to himself. “Huh. A girl.”

“You coming or what?”

Neil looked up and grinned. Before anything suggestive could come out of his mouth, Andrew said, “Shut up.” He laughed and pulled his shirt over his head.

After the charity game which Neil’s team won, they gathered at Neil and Andrew’s apartment.

“Seriously, what did Neil promise to give you if you let him win?” Allison asked, pouring champagne in all the glasses except Renee’s.

Matt made a noise of disbelief. “Neil’s that good. He would never forfeit the integrity of the game.”

“Have you talked to Kevin?” Neil asked.

Dan nodded as she swallowed her sip. She placed her glass on the table and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. “I think fatherhood’s already making Kevin go soft.”

“Did he cry?” Allison asked.

“Hey!” Matt shouted. “There’s nothing wrong with crying at the birth of your first kid, especially when she’s gonna be your little girl forever.”

“There’s also nothing wrong with crying at the birth of any of your children that aren’t first.” Dan winked.

They passed around the takeout they’d picked up and Neil couldn’t help the overwhelming happiness he was feeling. He looked around and watched Dan feed Matt some noodles and Renee trying to teach Andrew and Allison how to use chopsticks.

Dan’s phone chimed and she pulled it out from under a cat. She laughed at her screen, then passed it around. Nicky had replied to Kevin’s announcement with a picture of Andrew and Clara Matt had sent in a group message. His tweet read, “Sweet !! Another kid for Andrew to babysit. Who would have thought he’d be the favorite uncle?”

After Dan and Matt left with Clara to get back to Dan’s team and hotel, and Allison, Renee, and Tobias passed out in the guest room, Neil sighed contentedly. “We should adopt.”

He felt Andrew stiffen. After a moment of silence, he said, “You’re an idiot.”

“Andrew,” Neil protested.

“No, seriously.” Andrew pushed him off of him. “You’re an idiot. I’ve met smarter sandwiches.”

Neil laced their fingers together and was surprised Andrew let him. “You’re so good with Clara and Tobias. You’d be an amazing -”

“Don’t say it,” Andrew snipped. He pulled his hand away and turned to face the wall.

“Drew,” Neil said.

“I’m not - it’s not - No.”

Neil took a deep breath. He had fully prepared for this reaction. He gave Andrew the space between them and said, “You’re the most amazing person I’ve ever known. If you’re not ready, that’s fine. But you need to know that I think - I know you’d be an amazing father. It’s scary to think about after everything we’ve been through but it’s true. It’s something I want with you.”

He waited patiently, knowing Andrew wasn’t asleep, couldn’t be after Neil’s proclamation. It took awhile but finally Andrew said quietly, levelly, “I’ll think about it.”

[from-the-clouds]

Somewhere Only We Know - A Collins/Reader Series - Chapter 13

Chapter 12 * Playlist * Masterlist

Story Summary: While on leave from the war, Collins meets an aspiring musician stuck working as a waitress at one of his favorite bars.

Chapter Summary: Collins and Y/N spend their second Christmas apart.

Word Count: 1,780

Warnings: n/a

A/N: Merry Christmas to my followers who celebrate. I tried to incorporate the holiday a bit into this fic. I will be busy traveling for the next few days, but I hope you enjoy :)

December 23, 1943

Y/N stared dejectedly out the window, watching snow flutter slowly to the pavement, stick to her windows briefly before melting into drops of water that raced down her windowpane. She’d had a fire going all afternoon. It was cold, she was cold, and nothing seemed to warm her up, not matter what she tried. A hot cup of tea, soup, a mountain of blankets.

Her current state, she knew, was mental. She wasn’t really cold, she just felt it. The letter that had arrived from Collins that morning, was what caused her to feel this way. Written sloppily, as if he was in a rush.

My Dear Y/N,

Merry Christmas, my love. I hope this letter finds you in time. I can’t believe this is our second one apart. To be truthfully honest, it feels like I haven’t seen you in ages. I don’t have much to write today, other than to wish you a happy holiday. I hope you have a lovely time with your family, and that your mother avoids the backhanded compliments.

That had caused her to smirk, she had to admit. Her mother’s passive-aggressive nature had become sort of a joke between them, it was nice she could always count on him to understand it.

I am moving bases again, and have written my newest address on the back of this paper. Please don’t forget, I wouldn’t want to miss one of your letters.

I’ve gotten awfully busy, I don’t want you to think I’ve forgotten about you. We don’t get many breaks, more often than not there is something we are working on.

I can’t wait to see you, my love.

Yours,

Jack

His letters had gotten shorter, in comparison to the long ones he’d first send when they’d been apart. She knew he was avoiding telling her what was really going on. He’d always let her know when he was bored, when he spent all day planning or practicing flight drills. However, when he didn’t mention anything at all, when his letters were short, she knew he was going through hell, he just didn’t want to worry her.

Although it was sweet in a way, it mostly angered her. She wanted him to be honest, to tell her the truth. It would make her feel better than having to guess. The lack of detail worried her. Her father had never let on to his family that he was in trouble. And then it was too late.

A nagging thought would also intrude from the back of her brain to the front of her mind. Maybe he’s just bored with you. Maybe he has lost interest. You were only together a few months before he left. Was it going to stand the test of time? She always tried to push it away as best as she could, it was irrational.

It was the day before Christmas, so his letter had made it on time. Whereas normally she’d instantly sit down to write him back, she didn’t. She’d already sent her Christmas letter to him, coupled with a tin full of sweets her and her sister had made for the holidays. There wasn’t much she could give him besides that, but she knew it would cheer him up.

The letter fluttered from her hands and back onto the table as she put on her coat, hat, and gloves, deciding a walk would be the best way to clear her mind, even if the cold wasn’t exactly needed.

Sometimes, when she really missed him, she’d venture all the way down the street where he lived, walking past his house, pretending to go for a leisurely stroll. It’d be too pathetic to go up to his doorstep, so she pretended like a innocent passerby. Her neighbors would likely think she was insane.

Until today. She stomped up his front porch steps and planted herself on the top one, sitting down and crossing her arms around her chest in the freezing air. It had only been a little over a year ago that she had first said goodbye to him. The morning he’d left they’d sat on this step. They’d first made love in this house. He’d let her use his pajamas when she’d first walked here in the rain. Expecting to find solace and comfort sitting where she was, everything just felt empty. Void of life, void of the warmth, the comfort that was Jack Collins. He’d been her everything.

She didn’t regret loving him. She knew she always would. But it was damn time she found something for herself so she could distract herself from this torment. She wondered what other women did when the men they loved went off the war. Surely they had some way to occupy themselves. Children? That wasn’t exactly an option. A job, maybe. The one she at the restaurant only served to remind her of him, it was where they had first to met, not to mention the fact that she dreaded every shift and it was a horrible job.

As she racked her brain, her mind replayed to an interaction she had earlier in the year, pretty quickly after Collins had left, and a bit of hope sparked in her mind, the first that she had in what felt like months.

She stepped off his front porch and walked forward, turning back once to look at the cozy cabin, half expecting Jack to walk outside, a towel thrown over his shoulder, wind rustling through his strawberry-blonde locks, a huge grin on his face as he greeted her with a warm embrace, insisting she get out of the cold.

Letting out a sigh, she turned around and made the trek back to her house. She had presents to wrap, dinner to eat, and had to get ready to celebrate with her family the next day.

Bursting through the threshold of her apartment, she went into her kitchen and rummaged through the drawer that was mostly made up of loose change, junk she’d collected, trinkets her niece and nephew would leave behind after visiting. She pushed aside expired coupons and notes scribbled in her own handwriting until finally, at the bottom of the drawer she found a crumpled business card.

Flipping it over, she read the neatly printed name and number, repeating it a few times in her head. This wasn’t going to work, she doubted. But she was desperate, and it was worth a shot.

The phone rang and she wrapped the cord around her finger while she waited, then releases it and watched it snap back into shape, staring at the crumpled card on her table.

“Hello?” the voice that picked up was distantly familiar.

“Yes, is this Robert Phillips?” Y/N asked.

“This is he,” she heard shouting children in the background. “Do you realize what day it is?”

Y/N frowned, looking at her calendar. “December 23. The day before Christmas Eve?”

“The day before Christmas Eve,” he repeated, his voice a slightly annoyed tone. “It’s the holidays.”

Shaking her head. “Yeah, I know my timing is not great. My name is Y/N L/N. We spoke at the beginning of the year, you gave me your card at Cooper’s.”

On the other end, silence. Y/N shook her head, half considered hanging up. She was just embarrassing herself, she thought. Until she heard the person on the other end perk up in recognition. “Yes, I remember you.”

“You said I should call you if I didn’t want to play at tiny bars anymore. Well, this is me calling you.”

“You know, kid, usually people take me up on that offer sometime before ten months,” he said flatly, but the hostility in his voice from the beginning of the conversation had disappeared.

“Can you help me or not?” she asked, cutting to the chase.

He sighed. “Of course I can. Why don’t we talk over lunch. I’ll call you after Christmas and we can set something up.”

“Okay, I’ll be expecting your call.”

I'll be home for Christmas

You can plan on me

Please have snow and mistletoe

And presents on the tree

It was Christmas Eve. Collins flinched as yet another shell hit the base, vibrating the walls of the bunker they were in. Men were sitting crammed together like sardines, knees pulled up to their chests, wincing at every impact. They’d been under attack for hours tonight, but the delivery of necessary armor and weapons to fight back had been delayed because of heavy snow. They were sitting ducks, waiting to be taken out. He had penned a draft letter to Y/N to let her know what was going on, but instead he tore it up. He didn’t want to make her any more worried than she already was.

They were safe in the bunker, but he was itching to hop in a Spitfire and do something about it. He’d tried, but had gotten torn to shreds by his commanding officer, who’d dragged him and the rest of the men into the bunker. Once they got fuel and supplies, they could fight back, but only time would tell when that would happen.

He couldn’t believe this was how he was spending his Christmas. Poking his breast pocket, he felt Y/N’s photo and breathed a sigh of relief. He hoped she was at least having a good holiday. He couldn’t wait for the day he could spend it with her.

In times like these, he’d find himself daydreaming about his future. He liked to think he had one, one in which he was married to Y/N, and they had two kids, a little girl and a little boy. It wouldn’t be right away though, he wanted to be sure they had time to be a married couple alone before they added kids in the mix.  

Collins hadn’t picked out names for their kids yet, because he thought it’d be rude not to include Y/N’s opinion. In the summer he’d watch them play in the field in their backyard while Y/N and him sat on the back porch and watched. During Christmas his family would come from Scotland to visit. His parents would gush over his grandkids and spoil them even though every year he’d insist they didn’t need to spend much money.

It was ridiculous to imagine this, especially when he knew currently he was inches from death. It kept his mind occupied, though, and gave him a reason to survive through all of this. He had to give himself a reason to come home, or else he wasn’t sure he’d make it.

Christmas Eve will find me

Where the lovelight gleams

I'll be home for Christmas

If only in my dreams

Chapter 14