#mr love queens choice fic

[thedummysdummy]

When We Collide

The pen made a soft click as the ink cartridge within it shifted while the pen spun through Victor’s slender fingers. Despite his eyes being entirely focused on the computer screen in front of him, his mind kept drifting back to the odd encounter of the morning. That girl…the scene had been so familiar as she stepped out into the road, completely distracted. He hadn’t even consciously realized he’d stopped time until the surprise of finding her an Evolver broke him from his moment of reverie. While he didn’t exactly make a habit of rescuing dummies who stepped out into the road, something deep inside him had taken over just like it had in his childhood. 

Which he supposed he could have brushed off. She was just some random young woman, after all. There were millions just like her. He had no interest in her past the nagging curiosity that he must have seen her before. No, there was only one woman he had any interest in. Even at that, such interest was little more than a drive to know that the person who had selflessly saved his life had not lost hers. 

At least, that was what he told himself. 

But then, the same girl had shown up at his door. That solved the mystery of where he’d seen her, at least; there must have been a photograph of the company’s producer when he’d read their final report and deemed it time to cease their funding. Miracle Finder had been popular in its day, but like most things do, it had run its course. He was 100% confident in his decision to cut their funding. 

So why was he now considering something contradictory to his previous stance? Perhaps it was the passion in every inch of her small body. Or the way she’d looked him directly in the eye without any hint of nervousness. More likely, it was the drive he saw behind those threats. She made him believe that she had what it took to carry out her promises. And so? Just a hint of a smile pooled at the corners of his lips as Victor realized he’d already made up his mind and just hadn’t caught up to it yet. 

He would let her present her case at the investment assessment meeting, but what he really looked for in a good investment had already shone through. For now, some field research was required. 

Victor picked up his phone and pressed the number one speed-dial. The voice of Goldman soon filled his ear. “Boss! What can I help you with?” 

“I’m going out. Tell my 3pm appointment that they’ve been rescheduled to 4pm.” As he spoke, Victor plucked his jacket from the back of the chair and shrugged it over his shoulders. “Also, I want you to earmark 500 million for that studio. Add it to the quarterly report, but do not send the adjusted budget to the board yet.” 

A sputtering sound came from the other end of the phone. Despite his years of working for Victor, the man still managed to catch Goldman off-guard. “You mean that persistent little studio with the producer who buzzes around like a fly begging for funding? Sir, weren’t they only asking for 50 million? And why are you marking it as approved before the application meeting even happens?” 

Victor seemed to completely disregard his assistant’s questions, the only outward sign of their acknowledgement being a twitch of the corner of his upturned lip. “I’ll be back late this afternoon. If you have any issues with moving the meeting, tell Mr. Chin to call me directly.” And with that, he hung up the phone and stepped into the elevator. 

~~~

The set was awash with voices and people rushing around like a hive of excited bees. Victor met no resistance at the door; the staff were more than happy to allow the legendary CEO to explore the set at his leisure. Was he there to talk investment? Was he going to be on the show? They didn’t know, but they did know not to stand in the way of the man with the dark eyes. 

Victor watched the proceedings as the wheels in his mind spun the information into thread for later. If LFG was going to make such a large investment in the entertainment industry, he needed a deeper understanding of how production functioned. 

And, it seemed, the girl did too. Victor spotted her as she weaved her way through the crowd with her face buried in her notebook. He couldn’t help but chuckle as she continued to rush directly toward him with seemingly no spatial awareness. Would she look up in time? His solemn mask made no slip despite the amusement rolling around in his chest. Of course she wouldn’t. She was good at one thing: focusing on one thing at a time. 

She walked directly into him and looked up with those big eyes. The sound of surprise she made caused a huff of amusement to compress his chest, though she probably saw it as annoyance instead. His clear eyes scanned the exposed page of notes and the container of pudding in her hands. 

The pudding struck him somewhere deep in the back of his skull. Memories of a sandcastle, a little girl, and the hundreds of puddings he’d made since took center stage. Was this…a clue? Surely not. It wasn’t like he and that little girl were the only two people who enjoyed caramel pudding. But there was only one way to know for sure. “And put that thing in the cafe fridge,” he finished his lecture. 

His eyes never left the girl’s retreating back as suspicions began tumbling like stones in the polishing media of his mind. With a new mission, Victor returned to his car and made his way down the quiet, familiar streets that led to Souvenir. 

After this many years, making pudding had almost become something of a calming meditation. Whenever he needed to clear his mind, those familiar ingredients in his hand spoke like voices of prayer. The scent of caramel replied, always washing away his concerns with the affirmation of action. 

He thought about the recent encounters with the clumsy-yet-determined girl. She was about the right age, he’d guess. And just as stubborn as the little girl in his memory who demanded payment in pudding with no doubt in her mind that he would deliver. A single-mindedness shared by the producer who kept appearing like a stray cat. 

Soon, the warm puddings sat on the passenger seat while Victor made his way back to the film set. For a moment he doubted whether this shredded and disjointed plan would do anything at all, but he’d held the hope for seventeen years that the sweet dessert would again serve to bring the girl to his side. It certainly didn’t hurt to try. 

No one questioned the CEO as he slipped into the cafe and located the bag he’d seen the girl carrying earlier. It was an easy task to replace her clumsy puddings with his own. For a moment he considered just throwing hers out when he exited the building, but his curiosity led him to bringing them home. Maybe she, too, had been trying to perfect the recipe? 

A single bite told him that if she had been…she was failing. 

But he finished the dessert anyway while his mind followed the thread of events as it wove itself into the tapestry of his life. He didn’t know exactly what image the slowly-emerging fabric held, but he was starting to get a few clues. 

~~~

Days passed and Victor grew more and more sullen. Even if she’d eaten his pudding, how was she to know it came from him? Had he expected her to burst into his office singing the praises of this dessert that had magically appeared where hers had been? It wasn’t a well-thought out plan. But still he mused over the puzzle pieces scattered across his life one by one. At first he’d thought there were two puzzles: the mystery girl from his childhood, and the plucky little producer who made him feel something strange whenever he saw her. 

What if…they were really the same image?

There was really only one way to pull himself out of a mood like this. Victor unlocked his phone and began a list of ingredients, which he sent to Mr. Mills without any need for explanation. The elderly gentleman would know exactly what it meant: the Souvenir Boss was returning. 

Another message to Goldman ensured his free evening and Victor was off. He arrived at the restaurant soon after, immediately feeling his stress levels drop. No sooner had he pulled the apron over his head and tied it behind his back than he heard the click of the front door unlocking. Good old Mr. Mills, reliable as ever. Victor placed a hand on the kitchen door to greet his friend when a second voice gave him pause. 

“You’re our first guest of the day!” came the familiar voice of his elderly server. Victor backed away from the door and instead began pulling out the equipment he would need for preparing today’s food. He could hear the rising and falling cadence of the two voices in the other room as he hummed to himself with a smile on his face. 

A smile which immediately faded when Mr. Mills entered the kitchen. “The young miss wants to film here. I know it’s generally against your policy, but she’s very persuasive-”

“Absolutely not.” 

Mr. Mills nodded with a soft frown on his lips. “The usual response, then?” Victor returned the nod and his friend retreated quickly, leaving the chef feeling more than a little annoyed. Why were so many people obsessed with documenting their food rather than enjoying it? He scowled and peeked through the crack of the kitchen door, curious what kind of person was being impolite today. 

Only for his eyes to widen slightly when he saw the girl. Yes, that girl. She had found his restaurant?! He felt a small flutter somewhere in his midsection; most likely just pleasure that his plan seemed to be going better than he imagined. Except…he’d just kicked her out. Minor setback, that. 

His mind was already spinning with solutions when the dining room again filled with voices. Victor peeked out and saw, with less surprise than he expected, that the girl had come back inside. But this time she wasn’t alone. Victor wasn’t at all surprised to see the blonde superstar had arrived; Kiro was a common sight whenever Souvenir was open. But to see him with the girl? The scowl deepened. 

Victor had half a mind to kick the both of them out again, but did not allow himself to give in to his impulsiveness. This was surely fate giving him a second chance at a plan. He thought as he cooked, each dish bringing with it another half-baked idea. 

It wasn’t until the final dish went out that he’d settled on a plan he liked. The pudding was in the oven mere minutes later and the bill written up. Victor left the bills on the counter, replaced his apron, pulled out his keys, and exited through the back door. He couldn’t stand another minute of hearing her laugh with Kiro, anyway.

~~~

It had been barely five minutes and Victor already knew that the board would have none of this nonsense. Where was the passion and drive that he’d seen before? It was obvious to him that she was not excited about the proposal in the least. “You took this long to prepare a report like this? You seemed more at home on the film set.” At least there she’d been earnest and excited. This? This report had no life whatsoever. This was not work worth the prize he had already allotted, but he knew she could do better. And more importantly, it seemed she knew she could do better with her lack of argument.

She’d already convinced him. Now it was time for her to convince the board. It seemed she needed a little more motivation. 

“I will not be attending the meeting. Now, you can go.” Victor watched as her shoulders drooped and the girl hurried out of his office. He’d been tough, yes, but no tougher than he was on any other applicant. He knew she could rise to the bar; he simply had to show her where it was. 

No sooner had she left than he noticed the notebook sitting on the corner of his desk. “Dummy,” he grumbled as he picked it up and began rifling through the pages. “Didn’t I tell you to get rid of this thing?” His eyes scanned the pages and pages of notes, pausing when he reached a large section about Souvenir. 

Ah, now this. This showed passion. This showed heart. Even her scribbled half-ideas in a more hurried writing showed the story which made the whole meeting come together. She didn’t seem excited about the report because she wasn’t excited about it. A half-smile crept up the left side of his mouth and he pulled out the business card she’d left at the restaurant. 

If this was where her passion really lies, well? She’d piqued his curiosity enough to see where this all would go. He pulled out his phone and typed a short message: “You may film here.” 

There was a knock at the door, the familiar cadence of Goldman. “Come in,” Victor called out, setting down his phone and opening a folder of documents. The assistant came bustling in with another similar folder, which he set on the corner of the desk. 

“Hey boss, I brought these in for you. I saw that girl here again; she really is persistent, isn’t she?” Victor looked up and nodded, hardly realizing the smile was still on his face. Goldman seemed surprised to see it and got a mischievous glint in his eye. “You seem pretty happy about it, boss. You aren’t getting fond of her, are you? A little bit of a crush?” 

Victor immediately stonewalled his face and shook his head, though he felt the tips of his ears getting a little warm. “You’re being ridiculous, Goldman. She’s just another potential business partner. Now, get out of my office before I give you more work to do!” Goldman began to laugh and backed out of the office, giving Victor a wink before closing the door behind him. 

Absolutely not. How ridiculous. Victor shook his head and did his best to ignore the tiny voice in the back of his head asking, “What if you are?”

[alcamcat]

Coming home Part 2

(Here is Part 1 of the fic) After his nightmare, he's nervous when he finally comes home. Will the same await him as in his dream?

Pairing: Gavin x female

Warning: NSFW – Minors DNI

~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~

Almost nervously, Gavin opened the front door. Even though he knew it was just a dream, he couldn't help but tense up. The familiar smell filled his nostrils - home, his home - and he took a deep breath as he closed the door behind him.

Voices from the TV reached his ears, he couldn't resist taking a look in the direction of the living room while taking off his shoes. He froze. A bottle of red wine sat on the dining table and although the label was different from the one in his dream - as an agent he was damned to remember the details - the hairs on the back of his neck stood up.

Then he felt relief, joy and a fair amount of excitement flow through his body. His girlfriend sat on the sofa, a glass of red wine next to her on the side table. She was wearing a baggy shirt, one that Gavin immediately recognized as his, with the top of her hot pants peeking out from under it.

Every time he came home from a mission it was a relief to see her - healthy and this time not in bed with someone else like in his dream. The long absence of her voice, her being and her body gnawed at his constitution every time without him really noticing. Only when he saw her did he feel complete.

She noticed him the moment he put his bag down on the floor next to the dining table. The joy in her eyes as she jumped to her feet and ran to him warmed his heart.

"Gavin! You're back..." He barely had time to spread his arms before her body crashed into his. 

A hot pain flooded his upper body, his injuries reported, but he didn't care. He took her in his arms, kissed her head and breathed in her scent. This was his home. With his girl in his arms.

~☆~☆~☆~☆~

After a hot shower she sat on the sofa again while Gavin got a beer from the fridge.

The cold liquid was comfortable in his gullet, but it was even more comfortable when he put the bottle down and lay down next to her on the sofa.

He scooted over to her and laid his head in her lap, his face turned towards her body. A position he more than enjoyed.

Seconds later he felt her hand in his hair, which was still slightly damp from the shower. Her fingertips gently scratched his scalp as she watched him in silence. 

A smile crossed his face.

"Like what you see?" he teased, and the smile that curled the corners of her mouth gave him the answer before she did.

"Fishing for compliments?" she replied, grinning before her eyes fell on his bandaged upper arm. "Does it hurt a lot?" Gavin knew better than to roll his eyes, she just worried too much.

"It's just a small thing, in a day or two you won't see much of it..." he replied defensively. Before she could say anything else, he leaned forward and kissed the shirt that covered her stomach. "Being here with you works wonders".

This time she laughed, a sound he could never get enough of. 

But before he could continue his flirting attempt - which he think wasn’t that bad - her phone started to vibrate. With an apologetic look, she picked up the phone he rolled his eyes.

"Yes?" Gavin could only hear the voice muffled over the phone, but his stomach knotted. Victor. Even in reality, this guy was nothing but trouble. "Of course, wait a minute, I'll send it to you again immediately." He had to hold back a whimper when she motioned for him to get off her. Still, he obeyed and she escaped his grasp as she walked to her desk and began checking something on the computer.

Gavin sat up grumpily and reached for his beer. He had just got home. Doesn't he deserve some attention? Some alone time with his girlfriend? 

As he drank, he studied her silhouette. She was leaning slightly forward while typing, giving Gavin a wonderful picture of her back, her shirt had ridden up a bit revealing her hot pants and the skin underneath. Gavin felt excitement spread through him. It had been far too long since he'd felt her beneath him, covered her skin with hot kisses, and caressed every inch of her body.

When, a few minutes later, she finally ended the call and placed it next to her computer, he placed his beer on the table. She turned to him and he couldn't help but grumble unhappily.

"Doesn't your boss have a watch? Someone like him should know better than to bother his best employees after work." His girlfriend walked up to him and stopped in front of him.

"It was my fault, I forgot to send the report..." She sat on his lap, knees either side of his hips, before leaning in and kissing his cheek playfully. "Do you want to elaborate further on what you think of my boss, or do you...?" 

"Or do I what?" he replied, following her lips as she pulled away. She cocked her head, he felt her hands disappear under the edge of his shirt and caress the skin above his waist.

"Or I'll show you how much I've missed you..." Her tone was a little lower than before, a stunning smile spreading across her face as she grasped the hem of his shirt and slowly pushed it up. 

Well, that was a suggestion he couldn't refuse, he thought, grinning as he leaned forward and helped her pull his shirt over his head. One hand snaked around her back, the other he placed on the back of her neck before he pulled her towards him and his lips finally landed on hers. 

Their tongues began to dance, her hands gently stroked his upper body, trying not to touch his injuries. Wherever she touched him, Gavin felt his skin burn. When she broke away from him, he almost whimpered, a sound that made her grin.

"What's up babe. Missed me so much?" she asked playfully and Gavin only growled in response. She didn't give him time to get active as she pulled his shirt over her head and carelessly tossed it aside. She was wearing a blue bra, his favorite bra, with lace and slightly see-through. Immediately his hand found the skin on her back and he pulled her back towards him.

"You have no idea how much..." he murmured as he left butterfly kisses on her neck and she moaned softly. "Shall I show you?"

A hum escaped her lips before her hips rolled in his lap and giggled

"I think I feel it that way too." He bit her earlobe playfully before whispering

"If you continue like this you will regret it..."

"Oh? Is that so?" she purred, turning her head to kiss him, then pulling away again. A movement that made him sigh in frustration.

"Stop always moving away," he murmured, noticing how whiny his voice sounded even in his own ears. Another giggle escaped her lips before she shifted her weight and slid backwards.

"But I wanted to show you how much I missed you," she explained in a singsong tone as she slid off his lap onto the floor between his feet.

Gavin, who actually prided himself on being able to predict how people would act, took a few seconds to understand what she was up to. Or it was her hands on his pants, pulling them down slightly and freeing his cock, that gave away her intention. He stifled a soft groan as her hand closed around his cock and for a moment he couldn't breathe enough to protest.

Her index finger expertly stroked his tip, smearing the precum before she leaned towards him. His hand ran through her hair as if by automation and he moaned softly as her tongue touched his tip.

"Babe, I..." he took a shaky breath, her gaze holding his as she leaned further forward and he watched his cock slowly disappear into her mouth. "I want to spoil you..." he started again and fell silent when he felt her tongue sliding over the underside of his cock. She held the position for a brief moment before pulling away, a soft pop sounding as his cock left the comfortable warmth of her mouth. Her hand began to move evenly on his cock as she looked up at him.

"And I want to pamper you. You're hurt, you should relax..." 

More protests died on his tongue as she bent forward again, his cock once again disappearing into her warm mouth and she began sucking gently without breaking eye contact. She slowly began to move her head with her hand at a comfortable pace and Gavin grunted low.

The sight before him was magnificent. His girlfriend on her knees between his legs, her loving gaze directed at him, while his cock disappeared again and again in the warmth of her mouth, with every movement he could see her breasts jiggling slightly. Without thinking, his hands found her shoulders, tentatively stroking the straps of her bra while his breathing slowly increased. 

As if he had formulated an unspoken request, her free hand disappeared behind her back. He felt her unbuckle her bra and he wasted no time in pushing her straps aside to free her breasts from the tightness of her cups. Nevertheless, the movement of her hand and her mouth - like a perfectly coordinated team - did not decrease, but rather increased. His breath hitched, but he couldn't take his eyes off her. Only when she moaned softly and the vibration hit his cock like a pleasant smack did he close his eyes and let his head fall back on the headrest.

His hands, almost helpless on her shoulders, dug into her hair. It was tempting to press her head deeper onto his cock, but he let her generate her own pace. Snarling and moaning sounds left his mouth, Gavin enjoyed the feeling of his girlfriend's mouth moving on his cock. 

His cock, not someone else's. 

Without wanting to, the image of his nightmare formed in front of his inner eye and he widened his eyes with a gasp. At exactly the same moment, she moved in front of him. Their eyes met, something like confusion flashing across her beautiful face before she pushed herself up on her knees. His gaze didn't leave hers as she leaned in further, kissing his belly button and once again his comprehension didn't work fast enough. 

Only when the warmth of her hand disappeared and she straightened even more did he seem to understand what was happening. A heartbeat later she had positioned herself in front of him so that his cock was between her breasts. She used her hands to squeeze her breasts tightly and create a comfortable friction on his cock.

Gavin's eyes closed as the new sensation - her breasts massaging his cock - finally set his body on fire.

"I missed you so much..." she murmured tenderly, in direct contrast to her breasts, which she now moved faster with her hands. Gavin didn't manage to answer, only a grunt escaped his lips. It wasn't often that she gave him a boob job and he savored every second of it, the nightmare forgotten in the depths of his mind. While she murmured more caresses and expressions of love, his hands dug into the seat of the sofa on either side of him. He felt himself getting closer to his own climax, but even though he wanted to stop her, wanted to come together with her, he couldn't ask her to stop her agonizingly good attack on him. 

His breathing became more and more ragged, he felt his body twist in a whirlpool of desire and lust, and moments later he only managed to breathe her name, like a warning, before his warm cum spurted out of his cock. 

Gavin, still out of breath, managed to open his eyes just in time to see her—whose cleavage was adorned with his cum like a string of pearls—reaching her hand up as she ran her fingers over the liquid before bringing her fingertips to her lips and licking them with a flirtatious look. 

Without wanting to, another growl left his lips, his arms responding before his mind could catch up and he grabbed her shoulders and pulled her up against him. Her torso pressed against his as he captured her lips in a searing kiss.

"You're driving me insane..." he growled between kisses and a giggle made her body vibrate in response. When she broke the kiss and got up, he took the chance and leaned forward.

His hands cupped her waist while he let his mouth wander over her stomach. She let him be for a moment, standing in front of him, her hands resting loosely on his shoulders as he leaned towards her, trying to kiss every inch of her skin he could reach. Only when his fingers hacked into her hot pants and he pulled them down along with her panties did she wiggle her hips to help him.

His gaze fell on the triangle between her legs and he heard her moan softly as he ran his fingers up her thighs.

"Gavin, I..." her voice trailed off to a moan again, as he ran his fingertips down her slit.

"Let me taste you," his voice was low, bordering on a whimper, and he lifted his eyes to look at her. She was looking down, her eyes speaking volumes of desire as she took his hand in hers and wordlessly pulled him to his feet. He moved with her, stripping his pants off completely as he stood and letting her lead him into the bedroom. 

When he saw the door, his memory kicked in again, he swallowed dryly, a sinking feeling spread in the pit of his stomach. Seconds later she pushed open the door, her bare back in his field of vision as he tried to think of something other than the feeling of seeing her naked beneath someone else. The feeling of possessiveness starting to burn through his veins, he stifled a growl as she led him to their shared bed and stopped in front of it. 

As she turned to face him and her lips met his again, he tried not to follow his instinct to throw her on the bed and fuck her until his name was the only thing on her mind.

Instead, he broke the kiss, gently pushing her onto the bed and letting her slide up until her head was comfortably resting on the pillow. She looked at him as he knelt between her legs, his hands never leaving her body. His desire pulsed through him, mingling with the feeling of wanting to tag her, and he gently pushed her legs apart.

Just as he lowered his torso and his lips found the soft skin of her thigh, she placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Babe, are you sure? You should rest... I don't want your injuries to get any worse...". A deep growl stopped her ridiculous attempt to stop him. He lifted his head and caught her gaze. Despite his possessiveness, his eyes were soft as they focused on what he loved most.

"Please babe. I'm dying if I can't taste you," childish - that was what best described his tone of voice and she smiled at him.

"If you're sure about that..." with a soft groan she interrupted herself, his hand had found its place between her legs and he had started gently stroking her clit. 

A smile danced across his own face as he saw her close her eyes. With a hum, he leaned down to resume his work. Gentle kisses down her inner thighs made her legs tremble slightly and Gavin couldn't help but grin. It was him who made her feel this way, he was the one who would make her sing and he was determined to hear her all night long. Gavin didn't waste any more time and turned his attention to the space between her legs. His hands rested on her thighs, both to hold her legs apart and to draw warm circles on her skin.

She moaned and he saw her upper body rear up briefly as his tongue licked a long stroke over her clit. Her taste was something he would never tire of tasting. If he ever had to take one last meal it would be this taste he would want for one last time.

Humming - well aware that the vibration would arouse her further - he let his tongue dance across her slit, gently cupping her clit in between his teeth and nibbling lightly. In response, she moaned and tried to close her legs, something he wouldn't allow her to do, of course.

While his tongue continued to savor her taste, he ran a hand down her inner thigh until he began teasing her entrance with two fingers. He gently pushed a finger inside her, enjoying the moist heat before slipping in another. Her moans were music to his ears, his name falling from her lips like a prayer as he began thrusting into her in a slow rhythm.

With every thrust, every lick of his tongue, he felt the irritating memories continue to fade away until all he could think was how badly he wanted her.

Her moans grew louder but also more breathless, he felt her walls tighten around his fingers and he inserted another finger before picking up the pace. With every thrust he felt his cock rubbing against the bedclothes and he couldn't help but groan. The vibration of his voice combined with his fingers drove her over the edge.

"Gavin..." she breathed his name, so needy, so dirty that his stomach churned with need. He felt her come, felt her walls pulsate around his fingers and he slowed his movements, accompanying her orgasm with his fingers and giving her a final kiss on the clit. 

When he straightened up without pulling his fingers out of her, she opened her eyes. She was breathless, her cheeks flushed and her lips slightly parted. The tip of her tongue darted out and she licked her lips, her arms rising as she reached out to him. He was only too happy to be pulled into a hug, his hand slipping out of her as he ran it up her side. 

"I love you," he murmured before they fall into a passionate kiss, his forearms resting on the pillow next to her head while keeping his weight just millimeters above her body.

"I love you too." Her hands wrapped around his neck as she pulled him closer, the tip of his cock grazing her slit. He broke the kiss and looked at her. A smile was all the permission he needed as he slowly pushed himself inside her.

Despite his fingers, it felt tight, he felt her breath catch and he stopped for a second, afraid he had hurt her. But her hands around his neck pulled him down, she moaned into the kiss and her legs wrapped around his waist. "Don't stop..." she breathed needily and he smiled as he thrust the rest of his entire length into her. 

He fell in a slow, steady pace, her moans rhythmic as he growled and rumbled. Her fingertips drew pictures on his back, her fingernails digging into his back muscles on particularly hard thrusts, making him growl in response. They rarely broke the kiss and then only to kiss each other's necks and nibble on them. A hand left the pillow to play with her breast, nipple hard between his fingertips.

Far too quickly, he felt her walls tighten around him, he felt his own orgasm come at an equally rapid pace. His thrusts grew harder and faster as she threw her head back and moaned loudly, his gaze never taking his eyes off her face as he felt her walls massage his cock and he was thrown over the edge. With a few final, sloppy thrusts, he filled her with his cum before pulling out of her and falling onto his back beside her.

It took a moment for both of them to catch their breath. she turned to him and rested her head on his chest, careful not to touch his injuries. He hugged her with one arm, the other - aching - stretched out on the other side.

"Welcome home..." she murmured softly and kissed his chest.

A smile spread across his face

"I'm glad to be home!" Was all he said as he closed his eyes and savored the feeling of holding his girlfriend in his arms.

[missproducergirl]

beloved - kiro (ml;qc)

pairing: kiro x reader

genre: angst, fluff

summary: kiro remembers master key's words about being surrounded with loved ones and questions who are his loved ones supposed to be.

word count: 3,539

notes: happy birthday to my #1 husband! i am so sad about the lack of kiro fics recently T-T. i pray that the ml;qc tumblr fandom has a recession because i miss those fics dearly. anyways, here is my yearly installment on kiro's birthday! it is a bit rushed but i hope it's at least bearable to read ahah...

As the final piano notes chimed, the crowd split into a shower of adoring cheers. An enchanting smile broke Kiro’s face as the golden-colored confetti slowly rained down on him. Some of it landed in his honey curls, but he didn’t care. His eyes were fiery and his breath was uneven, yet, even in his disheveled appearance, Kiro seemed like a statue sculpted by the gentle hands of an artist.

An angel.

A star.

The audience’s applause died down. There was a moment of silence, and just as Kiro was about to announce his final song, he was overcome with a chill.

“Happy birthday to you…”

A small voice broke out from the mass. It was small and delicate at first, a bit unsteady and clumsy. But soon, more people started merging in on the short celebration.

“Happy birthday to you…”

Kiro’s heart felt as if it was about to burst out of his chest. The sea of golden lights from the audience reflected in his eyes, softening them. It felt as if the universe had gifted him a personal night sky.

“Happy birthday dear Kiro…”

Their voices were merged into a mighty unison. Like a powerful river sweeping up everything in its way, they swept up Kiro’s heart in their current. It took everything in him not to burst out into tears.

“Happy birthday to you…”

Thunderous applause rang out throughout the stadium once again. Except, this time they were not praising Kiro for his melodic voice, his fluent dancing skills, or even his handsome looks. Right now, they were honoring him for simply existing. Because on this day, 21-and-something years ago, a star was born.

“Thank you… Thank you, everyone. Truly and sincerely, thank you.”

Kiro could not find the words that could come close to describing his gratitude. How could he put it into terms that this specific moment was the sole purpose of his existence? How could he express the prolonged and dreadful nights of his youth, falling asleep completely alone on his bed with no one to remember his birthday? How could he convey the hours in class, daydreaming about being on stage exactly like in this moment? How could he explain the unnerving feeling that after his life would end… the only ones mourning his death would be the tranquil feathers in the lake and the stars that left behind a trail of tears as they fell from the heavens in grieving memory of him. Yet now, his fears were drowned out by the people who idolized him. Each proclamation of their love washed away the suspicions of his heart bit by bit.

Oh, how he wished he could have gone back in time and told himself that all of his struggles would finally pay off. That all of the torture and the disappearances and the disarray and the heartache would paint this moment in unspeakable magnificence.

There was only so much Kiro could say to reciprocate their overwhelming love. To make up for it, in his heart, Kiro renewed the promise that he made to himself all those years ago. He will push himself to new limits—pour his heart into every song and implement a piece of his soul into every performance to make sure they knew that he felt the same way about them.

With those overwhelmingly inspiring emotions, Kiro finished his concert.

His agent was the first one to greet him as soon as he stepped backstage.

“Kiro, happy birthday! You didn’t think I would forget, did you? Here… I got you a little something,” Savin shoved a little brown paper bag into Kiro’s hands.

Kiro couldn’t help but peek inside. It was a mini orange cake with a big purple flower on the top. It was quite cute.

“My oh my, Savin. Since when are you the one to appeal to my sweet tooth?”

“Don’t get too happy just yet. This is the only time I will allow this. You may eat anything you want today—but don’t eat too much. You must remember that you still have one more concert to perform at.”

“Yeah, yeah, Savin… I know…”

Savin’s serious face finally broke into a smile as he ruffled Kiro’s hair, “Happy birthday, Kiro. You’re a good kid… really. I am very honored to be working with you.”

The rest of the crew finally caught up with Savin and gathered around Kiro, congratulating him.

“Wow! You’re 21 years old today! That’s a special age.”

“You’re all grown up now Kiro.”

“You should’ve told us beforehand that it was your birthday, Kiro! We would’ve prepared something for you.”

Kiro’s grin never left his face, “There’s no need… really. Everything I need to be happy is already right here.”

It would kill him to admit it, but in reality, Kiro hadn’t remembered that it was his birthday until the birthday song just a few moments ago. He couldn’t help but feel a little bit guilty about this. After all, it was Master Key—his savior—that gave this day to him. It felt almost disrespectful not to honor it. When his personhood had been stripped of him as he was taken to that horrid place in his youth—it was Master Key who had given back the identity that he was robbed of. Of course, he couldn’t tell anyone that. He kept it a secret through most of his life, so how would he be able to speak of it now?

“Alright everyone, settle down,” Savin spoke through the commotion, “Kiro, let’s get you home. You’ve worked so hard today, you deserve some rest.”

“But don’t you guys need my help to clean up?”

“No… I insist. Let’s go back.”

***

Kiro sat in the passenger's seat as the car sped down the road. It was quite late already, and the streets were mostly clear aside from a few lone travelers.

As he looked outside at the passing city lights, Kiro couldn’t help but remember his words from earlier.

“Everything I need to be happy is already right here.”

He couldn’t help but ponder whether he actually believed that statement, or perhaps was simply deceiving himself. On one hand, he was content with the life he was currently leading. But on the other—if he were to imagine a perfect world… Master Key would surely have been right here beside him. And that girl from the orphanage… yeah, it would’ve been nice if she was with him at this special moment too—

“We’re here.”

Savin’s voice snapped Kiro out of his deep thought. He hadn’t even realized that they were already parked outside of his hotel.

“Oh… yeah.”

Kiro dug around in the backseat to find his dance bag. He then clutched at Savin’s gift and was about to leave when—

“Hey. Do you wanna… come in?” Kiro suddenly asked once he realized that his agent did not move an inch, hands still firmly placed on the steering wheel as if he was trying to make a speedy escape.

Savin sighed, “I would love to stay longer, but I have to get back to the venue. I have to make sure that the clean-up goes smoothly.”

“I can wait for you to get back.”

“Then I need to plan out your schedule for next month when you get back to Loveland,” upon seeing Kiro’s sullen face, he quickly added, “I’m sorry. Believe me when I say that I would much rather spend time with you than plan schedules… but I simply can’t. I’ll make it up to you next week when you go on break. Just tell me where you want to go and we’ll do it. Just not tonight… Please… don’t be upset.”

There was an awkward pause between the two of them. A moment that stretched out for too long. When suddenly, Kiro broke out into a laugh.

“Alright, but I’ll remember that. I’ll make sure we go to every bakery in the city. And… you cannot go back on your word.”

Savin sighed, this time with relief, “Of course. Have a good night Kiro. Go to bed early today, okay?”

“Okay.”

“Take care now.”

Savin’s SUV pulled out of the parking lot hurriedly. It sped off into the distance… and Kiro’s smile disappeared along with it.

***

Kiro never noticed it before, but his hotel room seemed overwhelmingly quiet at this moment. He would have simply ridden it off as a dramatic contrast in volume between the calmness of his room and the intensity of the concert… yet he couldn’t help but think that this feeling had nothing to do with volume at all.

Kiro dropped off his bags by the door and then desperately powered on the TV in hopes of getting rid of this uneasy emotion in his chest. This proved to be effective, but only by a mere fraction. Soon, the TV was nothing but a minor buzz in the background, and the silence swallowed him whole again.

He stood there in the middle of everything, the smile that was on his face merely a few minutes ago had disappeared, instead replacing his features with an apathetic look. His eyes—which were once so bright now had their light extinguished, leaving only a pitiable gloom.

No… no, wait…

Kiro shook his head as if to reset his thoughts. He wasn’t going to wallow in self-pity and ruin this joyful day for himself. After all, he was supposed to be optimistic. That is what Master Key would have wanted. That is what everyone wants. And perhaps… that was what he wants as well.

Kiro suddenly remembered the mini cake that Savin had given him. Perhaps that would make him feel a little better. After all, sweets always seemed to lift his mood.

He quickly took it out of the brown paper bag and set it down on the little kitchen island. He didn’t have a candle to light, but that didn’t seem to matter at this moment. Kiro clasped his hands together, and, as if to not disturb this fragile atmosphere, began to hum in a quiet voice.

“Happy birthday to you…”

“Kiro, you must remember this day. I might not be the one who’ll spend every 9th of April with you in the future, but I hope that you will always be in the company of loved ones.”

“Happy birthday to you…”

“Loved ones… Will they be by my side?”

“Happy birthday dear Kiro…”

“Of course. Because Kiro is the most awesome and the cutest kid in the world.”

“Happy birthday to—”

Kiro suddenly paused as he remembered this dialogue he had with Master Key all those years ago.

Loved ones…? Who… were his loved ones? Before, Kiro had thought that the whole world were his loved ones. But if he were to believe what Master Key had said, his loved ones were the people who celebrated his birthdays with him.

It was at this moment that it dawned on Kiro that he was completely alone in the small hotel room.

His hands slightly trembled and his vision blurred with tears.

No… this can’t be it. Had the moments of bliss just a few hours ago been nothing but an illusion? Why had he felt that when he was up on stage, all of the things that troubled him simply faded away? But now that he was in his room, far away from the lights and the confetti and the persona of Kiro, he was brought back to face with the things that he thought he would never have to confront again. Where were all of his adoring fans? All of the people who supported him? Everyone that loved and idolized him?

Where were his loved ones?

They sure weren’t here now.

When the spotlight faded, they all went back to their lives, their homes, their families. Only Kiro had no one to return to but an empty hotel room.

No… this can’t be it!

Disregarding the cake on the table, Kiro shot up from his seat and grabbed the first coat that he could find in his suitcase. He then jolted out the door and within a few moments, he was running down the barren sidewalk. For the first time, Kiro was thankful for the intense exercises that he was forced to put up with every day. He was sure that he had enough stamina to make it to the stadium without stopping. Luckily, it wasn’t that far from his hotel either.

Kiro had managed to put on his coat on the way here, but as soon as he stepped through the entrance to the stadium, he felt hot again.

A few coworkers had thrown him bewildered gazes.

“Kiro? What are you doing here back here? Didn’t Savin drop you off at the hotel?”

Kiro hadn’t heard the person who spoke to him, instead he continued running as if his life depended on it.

Finally, he made it up to the stage. Face flushed red, he doubled over and tried to catch his breath again.

The radiant lights had been turned off for a long time already, and the audience had been replaced with nothing but empty seats, but this would have to do for now. After all, it was lucky that they hadn’t started dismantling the stage.

When he could finally stand straight again, Kiro took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and tried to imagine the rows of seats filled with people again. The way their cheers stirred ripples in his heart. The way they shouted his name in awe. The way the world was his and his alone when he stood here.

But no matter how long Kiro stood on that bare stage, or how hard he tried to concentrate, that feeling of satisfaction never came.

With a heavy heart and a single sigh, Kiro laid down. When he opened his eyes again, the empty audience stared back at him, as still and eerie as a graveyard. It felt as if the silence was purposefully mocking him—picking at his insecurities, throwing salt into the wound.

He turned away and closed his eyes once again, embracing the familiar darkness.

The answers that once made sense to him dissolved as soon as the crowd left the stadium. Once Kiro decided to dig deeper into the foundation that his morals and pride were built upon, he realized that it was as stable as sand and as firm as glass—shattered and scattered about with the first gust of wind.

Suddenly, there was no purpose for his existence again. No one was there to tuck him into bed and kiss his forehead and wish him a happy birthday. He was falling asleep completely alone. He was back to daydreaming about being up on stage. And after his life ended… once again, the only ones who were left to mourn him were the water, the feathers, and the gloomy night sky.

How would he be able to face his younger self and tell him that nothing had changed from then? That the moments of torture and disappearances and disarray and heartache equated to nothing?

That the thing that he spent his entire life chasing turned out not to be what he had craved?

Everyone loved Kiro, but no one loved subject 1562.

Just a few minutes ago, Kiro would not have been able to explain the heavy loneliness that seized up his heart from time to time. It just didn’t make sense to him how the whole world could love him, yet he still felt so alone. But now he knew the reason. Perhaps it was because everyone loved only half of him. The radiant half. The one that glowed like the sun. But light cannot exist without darkness. So who would love 1562? The shy, quiet boy that had been abandoned far too many times. The one that didn’t glow quite as bright, but was just as important. No one will ever truly love him because no one will truly understand him or the things that he’s been through. The people who loved him only loved him temporarily and superficially. Even his agent—the one that had been with him all these years, through thick and thin, didn’t really know him. No one knew him except…

Except for his mentor and the girl. The only two people who were able to love and accept him just the way he was. With all of his imperfections and all of his flaws. But Master Key had been missing for years now. And the girl… he hadn’t seen her since the orphanage. He wasn’t even sure that she was still alive, much less her whereabouts.

No one could truly love him but those two people.

And if he couldn’t find them? What would happen to him then? Would he spend all of his birthdays alone?

No…

Like a singular star in the expansive galaxy, Kiro felt entirely isolated and so difficult to reach. If only a brave astronaut could travel the distance and pick him out from the vast skies.

Was it too much to ask for? Was he being too selfish?

Kiro’s hands balled into tight fists as he whispered a silent prayer into the night.

‘I don’t have a cake or a candle to light… but please… the one who makes birthday wishes come true… please let me find them…’

***

“Kiro… are you in there? Can I come in?” You called out through the thick wooden door of Kiro’s dressing room.

There were some rustling noises before he called out in a raspy voice, “Come in!”

Without a second thought, you swung open the door, and with the biggest grin you could muster, you exclaimed, “Happy birthday, Ki—”

You paused. Kiro was nowhere in sight.

You looked around the room in confusion when you finally spotted him draped over the brown leather couch, blue eyes wide with shock. As the realization set, you quickly covered your mouth with your hands, as if to take back your sudden proclamation.

“Oh gosh. I am so sorry… were you sleeping?”

“Miss Chips… what are you doing here?”

You gestured around vaguely, “Umm… surprise? I was supposed to wait back for you at the hotel room but I just couldn’t wait to see you.”

Kiro had been away on tour for a whole month already. Your desire to see him could not be contained any longer, so you decided on scrapping your earlier plan of greeting him at his hotel. Instead, you dragged all of your suitcases to the venue he was performing at to see him as soon as you landed.

Kiro blinked. He looked like a lost puppy. It seemed as if many thoughts were running through his mind at this moment.

Finding his behavior cute, you crouched down to him and kissed the top of his head, “Sorry, I shouldn’t have shouted so loudly earlier… You look really tired.”

“I missed you too.”

Kiro took your hand and gently brought it to his lips. Then he intertwined your fingers together as if to make sure that you weren’t going to leave.

Upon seeing your reddened face, Kiro’s lips curved into that familiar charming smile, “You’re so lovely, you know that? You didn’t even leave your suitcases before seeing me. It makes me so happy knowing that you missed me as much as I missed you.”

“Of course, I missed you Kiro! And, it’s almost midnight. I had to wish you a happy birthday,” you suddenly frowned, “don’t tell me that you’ve forgotten about your birthday again.”

“How could I? I’m turning 23 today,” there was a short pause before Kiro began to speak again, “It’s true what they say, yeah? Time really flies, doesn’t it?”

“...You sound like an old man.”

You both burst out into giggles upon that statement. After a moment though, Kiro looked at you with sincerity in his eyes.

“No, but really. Since I’ve met you—my life has just… felt like a dream. And I know it sounds cheesy but… every day we spend together just… seems to speed past. I am so grateful that you’re here with me today.”

A quietness spread over you for a long time, until finally, you met Kiro’s eyes, “Where else would I be?”

“Where else were you every April 9th for the past 22 years?”

You playfully rolled your eyes, “Whatever. I’m here now. That’s all that matters. Come on, let’s get back. We still have a birthday cake to eat. And—not to brag, but I think I’ve outdone myself with your gift this time.”

“Oh? Well then, I hope I won’t be disappointed.”

You left the room hand-in-hand, laughing and talking about nothing. The domestic atmosphere made Kiro’s heart feel full, as if he was finally satisfied.

Suddenly, Kiro realized that this was the sole purpose of his existence. He didn’t need the massive crowds screaming his name, as long as his name was in your heart alone. There was no need to daydream about anything more because you were already everything he had hoped for. You were the thing he spent his entire life chasing.

You were his loved one. And you were by his side just as Master Key had hoped.

Everything he needed to be happy was already right here.

[dawnsbreaking]

set before Ch13, no spoilers pairing: Xu Mo | Lucien/Original Female Character word count: 4,002

She hadn't intended to come to the lecture today, she'd texted Lucien as much, but her morning at work had been too hectic to bear without a break. Rose had a lot to do but she thought that she could treat her visit to Loveland University like taking her work to a cafe. Lucien's soft voice would be the perfect calming soundtrack for answering emails, and the promise of getting to spend time with him after class was an inherent motivator. - Rose doesn't pay enough attention to Lucien's lecture, she tries to make up for it after class.

my goal for this was to write a lucien fic that is fun and fluffy but could be a little bit angsty with more ch13 and beyond context, and i think i did that! reblogs, comments, tags appreciated!!

read on ao3

Rose hadn't realized how commonplace her "auditing" of Lucien's lectures had become until this morning, walking into class, when one of Lucien's students greeted her by name as he held open the door for her.

"Good morning, Miss Prichard," he said, nodding his head respectfully before continuing to his seat.

Rose's eyes immediately darted to the lectern where she found Lucien, smiling knowingly. He mouthed, "Good morning, Miss Prichard."

The teasing light in his eyes filled Rose with a dizzying warmth. She felt caught, somehow, like this student had announced something precious about her to the world.

Another student's voice followed, and then another. Rose waded through a sea of good-mornings on her way to her usual seat at the back of the classroom.

"Good morning. You're all supposed to ignore me, remember?" Rose laughed, trying at an easy tone.

The first time she'd attended one of Lucien's lectures for this class, she'd introduced herself—somewhat unnecessarily—as the producer of Miracle Finder. Lucien had instructed his students not to mind her, telling them that she would be auditing lectures from time to time as a matter of personal interest. Then, she'd only expected to attend a few classes, just to better understand Lucien's style as a presenter. She thought that, in doing so, she might improve her skills in directing the professor's segments on her show. This original intention was far gone, now, as she'd been attending classes faithfully every week since her first.

Lucien's instruction to ignore was offered in vain. Rose drew attention naturally over time, by nature of the popularity of her show among Lucien's classes. The classroom rumors about Rose and Lucien's relationship certainly didn't help, either, as it was getting harder and harder to hide her familiarity with the professor from his students.

After taking her seat and unpacking her things, Rose chanced another look up at the front of the classroom. As if sensing her glance, Lucien pulled his eyes from the lectern and met her gaze at just the right moment. Again, he gave a sly smile.

She hadn't intended to come today, she'd texted Lucien as much, but her morning at work had been too hectic to bear without a break. Rose had a lot of work to do but she thought that she could treat her visit to Loveland University like taking her work to a cafe. Lucien's soft voice would be the perfect calming soundtrack for answering emails, and the promise of getting to spend time with him after class was an inherent motivator.

"Good morning, class," Lucien said, nonchalant yet effortlessly commanding of the room's attention. As his students responded in kind, he spared a quick glance at his watch, as if to subliminally call attention to the time. "I hope you've all been well.”

As Lucien eased into the lecture, Rose surreptitiously opened her daily planner and uncapped a pen. If she could respond to at least ten emails and finalize her shooting schedules for the week in the next hour and thirty minutes, she would have the rest of the afternoon free to spend with Lucien.

She read and responded to emails, checking off names and tasks in her planner as she went. Then, she moved on to the schedule, referencing notes from the emails she'd just responded to and calls she'd made that morning. The lecture faded into sweet background noise as she worked, the words hardly registering above the buzz of her thoughts.

It wasn't until Lucien mentioned Rose by name that she realized he'd been talking about an episode of Miracle Finder and returned her attention to him.

“This was when I first began working for Miss Prichard, of course,” Lucien continued, though the context for the statement was completely lost on her. She thought back to early episodes that Lucien had consulted on, trying to find a thread that connected to the topic of the lecture. Unfortunately, however, she was also drawing a blank on the topic of the lecture.

When Rose raised her head, clearly giving away her sudden shift in attention, she was met with another knowing look and teasing smile from the professor.

She gave him a sheepish grin, hoping to convey sincere apology. In response, Lucien shook his head at her as he continued speaking. To the auditorium of students, the swish of his dark hair and momentary crinkle of his eyes were surely taken as natural micro-expressions. To Rose, however, they were clear communications. He didn’t mind that she wasn’t paying attention, not really, but he was planning to tease her about it for the sake of it.

Lucien was fond of meaningless pretenses, taking advantage of any opportunity to turn a friendly conversation into a battle of wits. Rose suspected that being playfully antagonistic toward her was Lucien’s way of flirting, though calling him out on this was her trump card. She knew that she couldn’t let him see her hand until exactly the right time.

“I’m afraid I’ve gotten off topic.” Lucien chuckled as he let his eyes fall to the lectern in front of him. He was lecturing without the use of any notes, so he was purely glancing away to give Rose the mercy of broken eye-contact.

Rose felt her shoulders naturally fall as Lucien’s eyes left her. She returned, somewhat stubbornly, to her work. She was doing this for his sake, after all, working during his lecture so that she could give him her time after class.

In the back of her mind, Rose began assembling a bulleted list of counter-arguments to the jabs she anticipated. By the time Lucien had concluded his lecture—four minutes early, by the time displayed on Rose’s laptop—she’d finished enough of her work to justify a few hours away from the office and armored herself for a sparring match.

Lucien watched patiently as a line of students filtered out of the room. A few of them wished Rose goodbye, unfortunately giving Lucien more license to tease her.

Once the last student was gone, Rose stayed in her place, intentionally slow in putting away her things as she enticed Lucien to approach her first.

“I’d like to congratulate you on your perfect attendance in this class, Miss Prichard,” he said, coming to stand in front of her on the other side of the desk table, “I didn’t think you were going to be here this morning.”

Rose shrugged coolly, keeping her eyes trained on the zipper of her work bag as she pulled it closed. “Gotta keep you on your toes.”

“Hm,” Lucien hummed. “Is that what you do?”

“Well, truth be told…“ She finally stood at full height, raising her chin so that she could meet Lucien’s eyes. She found a fiery expression on the professor’s face. He was enjoying himself already. “I’ve always wondered whether you perform better with or without me watching.”

An almost imperceptible twitch at the corner of his mouth told Rose that she’d almost made him laugh, but he just managed to maintain a placid smile.

“Do you have a hypothesis?” Lucien asked.

“Not sure,” Rose said, “it could go either way, I think.”

“Well, regardless, you would be unable to test any hypothesis without paying attention to my lectures in the first place.”

There it was. Rose was disappointed at not being able to effectively distract him, but she switched gears without difficulty nonetheless.

“I brought my work with me so that I could get ahead of some things. I’ve earned at least three hours away from the office.”

Lucien frowned. “I was expecting an apology.”

“Would you accept three hours of my time as an apology?” Rose asked, drawing the connection between the two points in bold.

In response, Lucien leaned away and crossed his arms. Either his ego was bruised or he’d anticipated this point and was readying himself to deliver another cutting remark. The anticipatory silence alone was enough to make Rose waver in her resolve.

“It’s not very sincere as an apology if you were already planning on giving your time to me.” His voice took on a distant, musing quality, as if he were speaking to himself, reasoning through a difficult problem. “I’ve gained nothing for my trouble.”

“You’re right,” Rose relented on one front, no longer able to bear the worry that she might have truly hurt his feelings. She rounded the desk and came to stand in front of him. As she wedged herself in between Lucien and the table’s edge, a thought came to her. Another trump card. “I’m sorry that I didn’t pay attention to your lecture, Professor Xu.”

Her voice pitched just so, Rose sounded like a student apologizing after being pulled aside by the instructor. And, judging from the smirk on Lucien’s lips, he had gotten that impression exactly.

This did its job to break the tension, freeing them finally from the previous conceit. Lucien’s shoulders rocked with a hearty laugh as he loosened his posture and dropped his arms back to his sides.

“Alright, that’s enough,” he said. “I’m very grateful that you aren’t one of my students, please don’t ruin that by roleplaying as one.”

“Uh-huh.” Rose hopped up onto the desk behind her and reached for the lapel of Lucien’s jacket to make up for the new distance between them, only to find that he’d stepped forward already, completely in sync with her. To occupy her hands, she took hold of his lapel anyway, tugging at it before smoothing away an invisible mark. “Then, don’t call me ‘Miss Prichard’.”

“I was trying to be professional in front of my class,” Lucien answered without missing a beat. “Wouldn’t it seem odd if I called you by your first name in front of them?”

"Well, it would be much more professional if you didn’t say my name in such a sultry, gruff voice." She dropped her voice down into a lower octave and spoke in a poor impression of his gravelly tone. "Miss Prichard."

Lucien's hands found Rose's waist and squeezed slightly as he pushed even closer to her. He was fighting a smile at her teasing. "You're in rare spirits today."

"Just trying to make myself worth the trouble," she shot back.

"By being more disagreeable than usual?"

"You're pretending you don't like it." This wasn't exactly the trump card, but it was just as good. The exact diction seemed unnecessary when his hands were already on her waist and her hands were playing with his collar.

Lucien laughed, a low chuckle that reverberated physically through Rose due to their proximity. The feeling almost made her lose her nerve again.

“Furthermore,” she pressed on, the implication of his previous statement not lost on her, “I’d like you to elaborate on something for me.”

“What’s that?” Lucien’s head dipped lower, further closing the distance between them. His broad shoulders shielded her face from the sunlight that filtered in through a window, giving her a feeling like he was closing her off from the rest of the world. The thing between them was undeniable now, but she still wanted to hear him say it.

Rose dropped her hands from his collar and leaned closer, resting her wrists on either side of his neck, letting her hands fall limp behind his head. "Why wouldn't you like to have me as your student?"

The hands around Rose’s waist tightened and she could feel an intrepid thumb slip between two buttons of her blouse and brush against her bare stomach. Lucien raised an eyebrow, as if to confirm consent, and she nodded permission without thinking.

He cleared his throat and looked away, an uncharacteristically timid expression momentarily clouding his face. When his gaze returned, there was a new light of resolve in his eyes. “Do you have a hypothesis?” 

“Possibly.”

“Go on.”

“I’d rather you just tell me what you meant.” Rose almost didn’t recognize the assertiveness in her own voice. She’d reached her limit with Lucien’s game.

Lucien, unfortunately, seemed gratified by her desperation. A smug grin overtook his face.

“If you were my student, my feelings for you would be frowned upon,” he said, as matter-of-factly as if he were commenting on the weather, “as would whatever it is we’re doing now.”

“‘Whatever it is’,” Rose repeated. “What are we doing, Lucien, really?”

She realized a moment too late the weight that the question held. It was something she often wondered, an anxiety kept at a low simmer in the back of her mind. All of the flirtation and silly games and sweet moments together that amounted to nothing but gossip amongst college students did worry her. Why didn’t Lucien just ask her out? They were adults, they could just date.

It was worrisome that Lucien preferred drawing out this ambiguous flirtation.

The hands on Rose’s waist stilled, then withdrew themselves entirely as Lucien took a halting step back. Rose frowned, feeling as though she’d made a mistake, pushed him too far. Her hands fell from Lucien’s shoulders and into her lap.

Lucien didn’t look upset, necessarily, but his placid smile no longer reached his eyes. It was that faraway look he got sometimes, that Lucien-is-deep-in-thought-give-him-a-minute look that Rose occasionally teased him for. With no better option presenting itself, Rose resigned herself to wait for him to come back to her.

“It is complicated, isn’t it?” he asked, finally. He offered no other consolation or counter-argument. That was all. It was complicated, wasn’t it?

They worked together in a public capacity, they were busy people, Lucien’s students already had their rumors…

Rose felt suddenly ashamed, almost as if she had really been a student trying to seduce her professor. She looked down at her hands, trying to find the right words to undo what she’d just done. There had been a spell over them before she’d broken it. All of the flirting had almost amounting to something.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have—“

“You didn’t—“

“It’s okay, I should—“ Rose hopped down from her place on the table, wobbling a bit and instinctively taking Lucien’s offered hand to steady herself. As soon as she was right on her feet, she dropped his hand as if it could burn her.

“Rose,” Lucien said, his voice taking on a more firm tone than she was used to from him. He didn’t touch her, didn’t move, but she felt trapped there with him nonetheless, she stilled completely just at the sound of his voice.

“What?”

Lucien sighed, suddenly looking a little bit helpless. “You were going to spend the next three hours with me.”

"I..." Rose faltered, unsure what to say to this. She didn't particularly want to spend three hours pretending that she hadn't just tried to kiss Lucien in a lecture hall in a building with his name on it. "I am really busy today, maybe I should just go."

"Rose," he said her name again, more gently this time. He brought a hand to her chin, pushing her to look into his eyes. "Tell me what just happened."

Frustration shot through her unbidden and she spoke without thinking. "You stepped away. And you're right, things are complicated. I'll leave you alone."

Lucien took another step back, leaving a wide space for Rose to pass through. The frown on his face, though, gave her pause. She stayed still, a little dumbfounded at how easily he'd given up.

"I'm sorry," she said.

"You're—“ Lucien paused, then cut himself off with a laugh, further compounding Rose's confusion. "Why should you be sorry?"

"Because I..."

Before she could finish her sentence, Lucien interrupted. "You didn't do anything wrong. I was worried that I'd made you uncomfortable, which is why I stepped away. If that isn't the case, then I should be the one apologizing for confusing you."

"You didn't make me uncomfortable," Rose said, "but I was worried."

As much as it pained her to bring attention back to her earlier insecurity, Rose couldn't just move forward without addressing the root issue.

"Worried?"

Seeking physical stability that might bolster her confidence, she leaned against the table again and crossed her arms. She felt a bit safer, closed off from him as she spoke. "Sometimes it feels like you only like me when it's convenient. Or when you feel like toying with me. Sometimes I feel like a mouse being tossed around by a cat."

The look on Lucien's face made it clear that he was holding back a smile at her colorful analogy. He straightened and waited for her to continue.

"You know what I mean? The constant play-fighting and flirting and late night phone calls and walks home from work and—“ Rose shook her head, she was getting off-point. “—and nothing. It feels like you want all of this time and attention from me with none of the commitment. None of the clarity. And it's driving me completely insane, Lu."

Dappled light from the window flickered across Lucien's face as he turned away, avoiding Rose's eyes as he took in her words.

"I see." He spoke without turning back.

"Unless I'm making all of this up, in which case I really am sorry."

"No, no, I suppose I just didn't realize." It was a mercy when he encroached upon her personal space again, when his cool hands came to rest on her shoulders. It was a mercy when he looked at her with wide, clear eyes. “I’m sorry that I made you feel that way. I worried that it would be more complicated for you if our relationship were to change.”

“You’re not entirely wrong.”

It would always be more complicated for Rose if their relationship were to change. She was a woman in the entertainment industry, often scrutinized much more heavily than her male counterparts. She couldn’t even count the number of times that rumors about her had surfaced, just by nature of her proximity to the men that she worked with. Dating scandals with Kiro, rumors that she somehow pandered to Victor in order to increase her company’s funding, and the fact that gossip about her relationship with Lucien sometimes overshadowed online conversations about Miracle Finder itself.

Even still, Rose couldn’t find it in herself to push feelings for Lucien away. For one thing, she already had to deal with the gossip regardless. Being with Lucien might not actually change anything for the worse.

“But?” Lucien prodded, though the look on his face told Rose that he probably knew what she was going to say already.

“But I don’t think I’d mind. I mean, if you don’t.”

Having heard all that he needed to hear, Lucien moved his hands back to Rose’s waist and lifted her gently back onto the table. They were almost exactly as they had been, reset as if nothing had happened.

“I’d like to offer some clarification,” Lucien said, leaning even closer than before, speaking into the crook of Rose’s neck. “I feel lucky just to have you in my sight. I didn’t want to trouble you with concern for my feelings, but now I feel like a complete fool. I’m sorry to have made you feel insecure.”

“I understand the hesitation, really.” Rose smoothed Lucien’s lapel, then trailed a hand to his neck. His skin was always so cold. She felt as though she’d leave scorch marks where she touched him.

“Mm.” So close to her collarbone, Lucien’s hum reverberated pleasantly through her. He pulled away just slightly, allowing him to look her in the eyes. “Still, I apologize.”

He was stalling. Rose smiled, squinting her eyes at Lucien to let him know that she’d caught onto his game. “You know what they say about actions speaking louder than words, Professor?”

Lucien smiled back, unable to deny that he’d been teasing her. “Right.”

“Well?”

“I’d like to kiss you,” Lucien said, his voice steady and lacking intonation. The line was delivered in such a casual manner that Rose only made sense of the it second after the butterflies in the pit of her stomach.

A quick nod was all it took to grant Lucien full license with her. He kissed her jaw first, chuckling at Rose’s obvious disappointment.

“I have to be absolutely sure that you want this.” He trailed lower, pressing a soft kiss to the side of her neck. “And, besides, am I really such a tease if I deliver on the result?” He lingered just above her shirt collar, sucking gently at the base of her throat.

While Rose could easily go back and forth with Lucien in a verbal match of wits, she was completely at his mercy in her current state. She felt him continue to trail kisses back up to her jaw before finally pulling away to study her again.

“You’re absolutely a tease,” she huffed, “regardless of your final output.”

“Poor Miss Producer,” Lucien laughed, feigning a pouty voice, “you’re rarely this irritable.”

“And you rarely make your delight in my suffering so obvious.”

“Suffering?” Lucien’s words fell on her neck as he returned to suck on her throat again.

“Lucien. Please.”

He was more gentle than Rose anticipated, considering the way he’d been kissing her neck before. His lips just barely brushed hers, as if he was breathing her in.

Having had enough of his teasing, Rose threaded her hands through Lucien’s hair and deepened the kiss, feeling him smile at her taking of initiative. Tit for tat, he slid his tongue into her mouth. It was this that allowed Rose to see the new game; he was holding back, making her work for it.

She tugged Lucien’s hair, earning a gratifying, low groan, then spread her legs just slightly to rest them against the inside of Lucien’s thighs. Every point of contact between them buzzed. Every minute reaction from Lucien deepened Rose’s resolve. It was just like a fake argument or a friendly game of chess; even if she couldn’t beat him, she could make herself a formidable rival.

One of his hands travelled down from her waist to her thigh, where he traced a careful line below the hem of her skirt. Rose gasped into his mouth when he pinched her leg, finally breaking their kiss.

“Was that too much?” Lucien ducked his head lower as if to check Rose’s face for signs of duress.

Rose gave a breathy laugh. His concern was deeply endearing. “No, you just surprised me, that’s all.”

“Good.” He pecked her lips again. “You’re so…” Another quick kiss. “God.”

“We probably shouldn’t go any further,” Rose said, earning a frown from the professor. “I mean, not here.”

“If you’re worried about my reputation, let me assure you that I locked the door as soon as my students left. The windows are also too high to be seen into and tinted on the outside, besides.”

“Do you bring girls here often?” Rose giggled. “You sound very sure of yourself.”

Lucien narrowed his eyes at her and pinched her cheek. “Funny.”

“That’s not a no,” she teased in a sing-song voice.

“Hey.” Lucien threaded his fingers through her hair, suddenly looking very serious. “This isn’t just a casual encounter, is it? To you?”

“Lucien.” It ruffled Rose that he even had to ask. Of course it wasn’t.

He nodded, seeming to understand implicitly. Rose loved that about him, the way that he saw right through her, sometimes. The way they could speak without speaking.

“How much more time do you have?” He kissed her neck again, then slumped against her, resting his head on her shoulder. The emotional sincerity seemed to have momentarily exhausted him.

“I don’t know, two hours?”

“Why don’t you let me take you to lunch?”

Rose laughed. “So all that talk of high windows and locked doors…”

Another soft kiss, this time on her cheek. He was as casually intimate with her as if they’d been dating for years.

“Keep it in mind for another time,” he said. “Maybe that will help you to stay alert during my next lecture.”

-

thanks so much for reading!! <3

i've been having a hard time creatively lately and i think that it helped to write something for a fandom i've never written in before. i have played mlqc for more than three years and lucien is one of my favorite characters of all time, but i've never really gotten involved in fandom until now. i hope i was able to do lucien justice here.

if you're missing me, i've been more active on twitter lately, and have made an account specifically for mlqc, mysme, obey me, and the ssum. my username there is @/pdbutterfly

[spacesquidlings]

Elf Hysteria

Description: Hoping to start a new holiday tradition, Gavin and Rowan introduce an elf on the shelf to their children, to very mixed results. While some of the children are delighted by the doll, many of them (including Gavin) find themselves unnerved by their new guest from the North Pole.

Pairing: Gavin Bai x OC/MC (Rowan)

Warnings: Elf on a shelf

A/N: Not to be super weird on main but this is inspired by my 3 elves on shelves. I would be lying if I said I hadn't brought them into work to terrorize my coworkers (in good fun!!!) on occasion. All in good fun, no shelf elves were harmed in the making of this fic, happy holidays <3 (I also feel like it would be good to indicate that there are officially 5 baby Bai's, in order from oldest to youngest: Aurora, Wisteria, Cordelia and Gardenia (twins), Sorrel. Also featuring the Bai doggie, Stella <3)

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Wisteria eyed Aurora’s latest playmate with suspicion. Gavin would have found it funny if he hadn’t been unnerved by it too, by the eerie smiling face and the way its eyes seemed to follow him as he crossed a room.

Aurora, however, seemed completely unfazed by the tiny toy elf she had currently seated at the little table she used for her tea parties. It was supposed to be an elf on a shelf, and Rowan had brought it home just before the holiday season giggling about trying it out.

But only moments after explaining who the elf was when the kids had first seen it the morning after she’d hidden it, Wisteria had broken out into hysterics, all while Aurora had crawled onto the counter the elf was balanced on, clutching it to her chest.

“I’m going to give him some tea!” She had sung, jumping down with an expertness that had made Gavin suspicious that it hadn’t been the first time she’d crawled onto the counter.

Which would maybe explain why they were always running out of cookies so quickly, even when they were stashed in the cookie jar on the counter, supposedly out of reach of all of the girls.

After that, the rest had been history. Every night Aurora would tuck the elf into a doll bed in her princess castle dollhouse, and every morning she would search out the elf and bring it down from wherever it was perched that day to play with it and offer it tea and whatever treats he and Rowan had tried making that day.

Today she was setting a little plate with a palm sized nanaimo bar before the elf, chattering about the movies they’d played in her class that day. She even poured the elf a little cup of tea from her child-sized tea set, the hot water and tea Gavin had prepared for Aurora early steaming as it splashed into the little china cup before the elf.

Wisteria, however, was less than impressed with Aurora’s new playmate. She scowled, curling up behind Gavin like a feral cat, her eyes wide as they fixed on the elf.

“I don’t like him,” she grumbled.

Gavin ruffled her hair, unable to disagree. “He’s a little strange, isn’t he, baked potato?”

Wisteria threw herself backwards, arms splaying across the ground. “It’s like his eyes follow me. And he’s mean!”

Gavin arched a brow, turning fully toward Wisteria. “Oh? How is he mean?”

She pouted. “He gets to play pranks, but I can’t!”

Ah. Gavin grimaced, remembering when he and Rowan had awoken to half the house wrapped in Christmas wrapping paper, tags attached to everything marked with “from your elf.”

It had been Shaw, although neither Gavin or Rowan were able to say that. They’d given him a key to their house, meant to be used when he was babysitting the kids or helping when they were still newborns, and he had used it to slip inside in the middle of the night after hearing about the elf from Wisteria.

Which meant now, of course, they had to keep up appearances, performing minor pranks around the house whenever any of the girls misbehaved.

Which was utterly devastating to Wisteria, who seemed to despise the elf the most.

“I wanna do a prank,” Wisteria whispered, although her eyes darted towards the elf, currently being served another nanaimo bar. “But not with him.”

Gavin chuckled, scooping Wisteria into his arms. “Why don’t we go watch a movie, instead?”

“Can I have a cookie?”

He bounced her in his arms as he made his way towards the kitchen. “As long as I’m allowed one, too!”

He set her on the counter in the kitchen before reaching for the cookie jar, hoping there were still a few sugar cookies left from a few days ago.

He did not get a chance to find out, not right away at least, as Cordelia sprinted into the kitchen, wielding a foam sword.

“Hiya!” She shrieked, slashing it towards Gavin’s legs.

He was more taken aback than he was hurt, and he stepped back, eying her warily as she continued to smack the sword against his leg.

“What are you doing?” He asked, snorting as she let out another battle cry, whacking his knee.

“I’m starting a fight!” She cried.

He chuckled, crossing his arms. “And why are you doing that?”

“If the elf sees, I’ll get coal!” Cordelia sang. “And I want more rocks!”

Gavin’s brows shot up, right as Wisteria screamed like she’d been stabbed. He spun around, heart in his throat, arms thrown out to grab her in case she was falling or she’d hurt herself or was bleeding.

But Wisteria sat on the counter, perfectly healthy and safe, but she was kicking her legs out as she continued to scream, her amber eyes wild.

“No!” She shook her head furiously, her headband tossed from her head. “You can’t! The elf will see!”

Cordelia gave her a gap-tooth grin, whacking Gavin once more. “But I want it to!”

“Cordelia Sage!”

Cordelia gasped, her eyes going wide.

“Oh no,” she said, her voice a hushed whisper. “Mama.”

She bolted before Gavin could ask why she would be trying to hide from Rowan, her footsteps growing muffled as she vanished down the hall.

Wisteria had stopped screaming, although her bottom lip still trembled and fat tears were streaking down her cheeks.

“It’s okay, baked potato,” Gavin cooed, scooping her back up and tucking her beneath his chin. “It’s okay, you’re safe, you’re okay.”

She sniffled, burying her face against his chest. “I don’t want the elf to tell Santa!”

He bounced her gently, rubbing her back. “What do you mean?”

“I don’t want to be on the naughty list.”

Gavin bit back a smile, knowing he couldn’t laugh, certainly not when Wisteria was so upset. But it was a little funny, as she continued to whine, if she thought this alone would doom them all to a lifetime on the naughty list.

That in comparison to the number of times Wisteria had tried pranking them, scaring them, and hiding from them when it was bath time, Cordelia’s little outburst was beyond benign. Didn’t even rank on the naughty scale.

But he wouldn’t tell Wisteria that, instead choosing to hum gently, hoping it would soothe her.

Rowan poked her head into the kitchen a few moments later, as Wisteria’s tears turned to stray sniffles, her face pinched with annoyance, the remains of a butterscotch pudding cup smeared on the sleeve of her shirt, the pudding cup in question crushed in her hand.

Her expression softened as soon as she saw Wisteria weeping, and she rushed to Gavin’s side, chucking the pudding cup into the sink so she could draw Wisteria into her arms.

“Oh my love, what happened?” She asked, smoothing back Wisteria’s hair, not caring about the pudding on her shirt.

“Cordelia was being naughty,” Wisteria blubbered. “On purpose!”

Rowan’s brows shut up, and her gaze was sharp as it found Gavin’s. “She’s been doing that all day, it seems.”

He winced, reaching out to cup Rowan’s cheek, noting the dark bags clinging to her face, the chunks of hair falling from her hasty ponytail, and other splatterings of food over her shirt.

“What’s happened?” He asked, wanting to draw her against his chest, wanting to rub her back and hold her while she slept away the exhaustion weighing her down.

She’d been baking like crazy lately, for holiday bake-sales at the girls’ schools, and for Christmas at home. And she’d been trying to decorate the house all week, and find the girls new outfits for Christmas, and he knew she was running around still trying to find the one toy Gardenia had been begging them for all year.

Rowan gave him a wry smile, light sparking in her eyes. “Well, I was opening a pudding cup for Gardenia when Cordelia snuck up on me.” she sighed, tipping her head towards the pudding staining her shirt. “She smacked me with her sword and it spilled. And then she tried throwing her strawberries and raspberries at me.”

Another sigh, Rowan dropping her head so it fell against Wisteria’s. “Oh I just want to take a nap.”

Wisteria gasped, pulling away. “No nap, mama! I wanna play!”

“A nap for me, not for you!” Rowan laughed, wiping Wisteria’s cheeks. “But are you feeling a little better, baked potato?”

Wisteria nodded, although her expression remained solemn. It was so out of place on Wisteria’s face that Gavin had to resist the urge to try tickling her or acting goofy to cheer her up. His Wisteria was mischievous and loud, but she was rarely ever solemn.

“What were you and papa up to?” Rowan asked, balancing Wisteria against her hip. “Were you getting some treats?”

Another serious nod. Gavin pointed to the cookie jar, offering a small smile. “We were looking for some cookies.”

“Well,” Rowan said, her smile like the morning sun, washing away the shadows of his worries. Everything would be okay as long as she smiled, as long as she was here with him.

“Would you like to see a surprise?”

Wisteria cocked her head to the side, some of the light returning to her eyes, and Gavin nearly sighed in relief. She wasn’t one to remain serious for long, and it was nearly as unnerving as the elf that had caused this whole fiasco.

Rowan walked towards the fridge, throwing open the door to reveal a tray of freshly made blondies stuffed with oreo bits and crushed m&ms and chocolate chips.

“I was hiding these to have for dessert tonight, but I think you both deserve one for the ordeal you’ve gone through.”

Wisteria’s cheeks turned pink, and she beamed up at Rowan, her eyes bright as starlight. “Thank you, mama!”

Rowan set Wisteria down so she could take the tray from the fridge and set it on the counter to cut out the squares. She cut Wisteria’s first, wrapping it in a napkin before handing it to her with a kiss on the top of her head.

“There you go, my little love,” Rowan murmured, and Gavin’s heart melted a little, like chocolate and marshmallows warming on the stove. Afternoon sunshine was spilling in from the windows in the kitchen, washing over Rowan in a wave of gold. It lined her gentle smile, made her eyes glow. She was set alight, like a goddess in a priceless painting.

She straightened, seeming unaware of the way Gavin’s heart stumbled, his breath catching in his throat as she undid her ponytail, combing her hair back with her fingers as she smiled down at Wisteria, patting her head as she sent her to watch a movie with Gardenia.

“Babey?”

Gavin blinked, the world hazy, seeming to melt away as she watched him, barely a foot away.

She smiled, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. “Are you okay? Your face is all red.”

He blinked again, trying to shake himself from his stupor. It had been so many years and yet somehow looking at her he was enchanted all over again, like a spell was taking hold on his heart.

“I’m alright,” he said at last, feeling a little breathless although he had not been running. “Just thinking.”

“Thinking about what?” She tilted her head to the side, her hair falling like a waterfall over her shoulder. He knew she would get it cut soon, she never usually let it get this long, especially not when their youngest, Sorrel, was becoming so fond of yanking on anything he could get his little hands on.

“That you look beautiful,” he said, so soft it could have been a snowflake flitting in the air, melting as it fell against her cheek.

But Rowan blushed, ducking her head as she quickly spun around to focus on the tray. “Are you trying to get a larger piece? Because bribery won’t work.”

He closed the distance between them in barely a stride, wrapping his arms around her waist and nestling his chin on her shoulder.

“No,” he breathed, nuzzling his nose against her cheek. “I’m just admiring my wife. Thinking about how lucky I am.”

She sighed, leaning into his embrace. “I love you.”

He brushed a kiss to her cheek. “And I love you.”

“So you’re really not trying to bribe me for a bigger piece?”

He chuckled, opening his eyes to peer down at the tray. “I mean, I’m not opposed to one, but that’s not my intention.”

Rowan sagged a little, hands falling on top of Gavin’s. “I’m so tired, babey. I feel like I’m falling apart. I don’t know how you can say such sweet things.”

“I would never lie to you,” he murmured, tightening his arms around her. “And I think you’re the most wonderful, beautiful person in the world.”

“I have pudding and berry stains all over my shirt.”

“And?”

She laughed at that, throwing her head back, shoulders shaking. It made Gavin smile, made his heart swell. He’d made her happy, he’d brought her even the tiniest sliver of joy.

“Why don’t you rest a little?” He asked, stroking her side. “Take a bath and lie down.”

“I can’t,” she groaned. “There’s so much to do. I still need to wrap some gifts, and I need to take some cards to the post office, and the twins’ preschool is having a theme week next week so I have to hunt down costumes for them, and-”

“Hey,” he cut her off gently, turning her in his arms to face him. “I am perfectly capable of handling those things. My request for additional time off for the holidays got approved.”

Her eyes lit up at that, like twin stars exploding to life in the night sky. “It did?”

He nodded, joy dancing in his heart like sunshine. He’d made her smile again, given her another piece of happiness.

“I’m off for the next few weeks. Which means I am more than capable of taking on the holiday errands while you rest.”

Her shoulders slumped. “But I-”

He shook his head. “No buts, pumpkin. You don’t need to be doing everything. Besides,” he winced at the sound of something slamming to the ground upstairs, followed by shrieks from Cordelia and Aurora. “If anyone deserves a break right now, it’s you.”

“What if the kids-”

He pressed his lips to hers, quieting her retorts. “I’ll make sure they leave you alone for a while. And anyways, you’re going to need your rest if we’re going to deal with-” He winced again as another thud sounded from upstairs, followed by a high pitched wail as the chaos woke Sorrel from his nap. “With the elf situation.”

Now Rowan winced too, her nose wrinkling as Cordelia sprinted down the stairs, shrieking her battle cries. “I think you might be right

***

With weeks of time off stretching before him, Gavin was able to ease the holiday stresses considerably. At least, he thought he might have been, if Rowan’s fading exhaustion and her warm smiles were anything to go by.

He’d gotten most of the decorations up outside the house while Rowan had taken the inside. He’d gone shopping for all of the holiday supplies they’d needed, from extra sugar and flour to new rolls of wrapping paper and stamps, at least two of the girls in tow. He took Aurora to her dance classes and Wisteria to her art classes. He did his best to get as many of the girls dressed in the morning before Rowan awoke. He made Christmas themed breakfasts and made sure to have the girls’ snacks tucked away in the fridge for later, and an extra few snacks ready for Rowan, too.

A little like the lunches she made for him for work, although he had yet to master making little sandwiches and bowls of fruit as cute as she did.

He was, however, getting better at icing cookies and frosting cupcakes.

Rowan would choose a treat to bake each day, and while she baked Gavin would clean up the kitchen, wiping down counters and washing bowls and spoons and whisks. And once the treats were cooled she would mix together different icings, setting some out for the girls to decorate, while she and Gavin saved a few for themselves.

At his daughter’s requests, he’d tried icing hearts, butterflies, flowers, and pink “rocks.” He’d even tried blending frostings together onto plain chocolate cupcakes so they would have pink and purple icing.

That particular attempt had not gone over that well, turning very messy very fast, but it had made the girls laugh, and Rowan had been kind enough to kiss the frosting from his cheeks.

He’d even tried moving the elf around the house, trying to make it seem like a more benign entity than Shaw had when he’d snuck into their house. The doll still gave him the creeps, though, and he found he would hold it at arms length as he tried determining where to display it next. And he would feel the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end while he prepared the scene around the elf, like it really was watching him, keeping an eye on all of his movements.

He wouldn’t feel safe again until he’d crawled back into bed with Rowan, burying his face against her chest and breathing in the gentle smell of her soap.

Today, he had set the elf in the living room, perching it on the  piano. He’d arranged small plush toys he’d purchased on the piano bench underneath it as though they were having a tea party. He’d even set out little plates of snacks for the girls when they woke up, like the elf was trying to hold a tea party for them.

Aurora, of course, was thrilled, squealing with delight as she raced around the room, clasping her favourite axolotl plush to her chest, taking in the little scene.

Gardenia seemed more interested in the plates of cookies and the little pot of tea he’d set out than the elf, although she did shoot it a wary glance as she walked past, plucking one of the plushies from its spot and carrying it over to her favourite corner on the couch.

Cordelia huffed when she walked in, an impish gleam in her eyes as she marched towards the elf, snatching up a cookie in each hand and lifting them above her head like she was going to chuck them at the wall.

Gavin dove towards her, not wanting her to knock over any of the cups or plates, or, god forbid, knock over the tree.

But it was Wisteria who caught Cordelia’s hands before Gavin did, Wisteria’s eyes wide, her shoulders shaking, her eyes fixed on the elf.

“No throwing, Cordelia,” she whispered, prying the cookies from her sister’s hands. “Throwing is naughty.”

Cordelia huffed again, pouting. “I want coal!”

Snorting, Gavin scooped Cordelia up into his arms, tossing her into the air and catching her again. “You don’t want to be on the naughty list, do you?”

“Want more rocks!” She shrieked, wriggling in his arms. “Rocko needs friends!”

Now it was Gardenia who was huffing, and a quick peek at her confirmed she was rolling her eyes, her little nose wrinkling at the mention of Rocko, Cordelia’s beloved pet rock.

Who, likely not so coincidentally, Cordelia had insisted on giving the last gingerbread cookie to even though Gardenia had wanted it.

Rowan entered the living room last, their littlest, Sorrel, nearly a year old on Christmas day, cuddled in her arms. He still looked half asleep, blinking slowly as he scanned the room curiously.

“What’s going on?” Rowan asked, her lips quirking up in a half smile. “We were just getting changed when we heard shouting.” She bounced Sorrel in her arms, nuzzling her nose against his round cheeks. “Weren’t we?”

Sorrel giggled in response, babbling something incoherent.

“Mama, mama!” Aurora sang, running up to Rowan, bouncing on her toes. “The elf made us a tea party!”

Rowan’s eyes widened as she took in the room, her gaze falling on Gavin as her smile grew wider, her eyes soft. “The elf must be very fond of you all.”

Gavin’s knees felt a little weak, like they might give out on him at any moment. There were feathery wings brushing against the inside of his chest, a windstorm kicking up in his belly.

Her smile was sunshine in winter, rain in a drought. He wished she would hold him then, tucking his head beneath her chin and murmuring how she loved him against his hair.

“Yeah, but Cordelia tried throwing cookies!” Aurora continued, yanking Gavin from his reverie.

A line formed between Rowan’s brows as she readjusted Sorrel in her arms. “Oh my. Cordelia, why would you do that?”

Cordelia giggled, trying to crawl onto Gavin’s shoulders. “I want rocks!”

“Wisteria stopped her though!” Aurora sang, bouncing once more. “She rescued the day!”

Wisteria, for her part, was standing still as a statue, like she was petrified. She blinked as Rowan knelt down in front of her, setting Sorrel on the ground before wrapping Wisteria in a tight hug.

“I love you,” she said, kissing the top of Wisteria’s head. “You’re the sweetest.”

Wisteria buried her head against Rowan’s shoulder, much quieter than usual.

Beside them, Sorrel started fussing, his bottom lip trembling as tears began to slip from his eyes. He was usually the sweetest, cuddliest baby, but he never liked being set down.

He rolled onto his belly, babbling, and Gavin set Cordelia down so he could draw Sorrel into his arms, rocking him and singing softly to calm him down. Aurora plopped down on the floor beside Gavin, setting her axolotl to the side and making grabby hands at Sorrel.

“Can I holds him?” She asked, beaming. “I wanna holds him!”

“Be very careful, okay?” Gavin said, gently settling Sorrel in Aurora’s arms, making sure she was supporting his head. “He’s still a baby, you have to be gentle.”

“I’m gentle with him!” She sang, kissing the downy hair on his head. “He loves to cuddle me!”

In response, Sorrel cooed, little hands grabbing at Aurora’s hair.

“See?! He loves me!”

Gavin ruffled Aurora’s hair, keeping a close eye on her. Aurora was much more careful in comparison to the other 3 girls, but she was still little and he wasn’t about to leave her with the baby unsupervised.

“What about me, mama?!” Cordelia cried, stomping at Rowan’s side. “Am I da sweetest?!”

Rowan laughed, drawing Cordelia into her lap. “You, my little tater tot, are being the naughtiest right now.”

Cordelia squealed as Rowan tickled her, cheeks turning red as she squirmed in her mother’s grip.

“Mama, I’m gonna pee!”

Rowan released her immediately, patting her back as she crawled from her lap. “You better run! Before you pee!”

Giggling, Cordelia stumbled away, shrieking when she nearly ran into their dog Stella, who was watching the shenanigans from a safe distance.

Rowan stood, stretching her arms above her head. “Well I’d better go help her. She hasn’t quite mastered the potty yet.”

It was only once Rowan and Cordelia were gone that Gavin noticed the room was strangely quiet, and after doing a quick headcount realized they were missing one of the girls.

“Did you see where Wisteria went?” He asked Aurora, who only shook her head as she pinched Sorrel’s cheeks.

“Be gentle,” Gavin chided. “Don’t pinch his cheeks like that.”

“But they’re so chubby!” She said, pouting. “And you and mama pinch our cheeks.”

“That’s different, sweet potato,” he said, gently taking Sorrel back into his arms. “You all are big enough to know we do it because we love you. But all he thinks is that it hurts.”

Her shoulders drooped. “Oh.”

“That’s okay, I’m sure he knows you love him, though.”

Aurora leaned forward to kiss Sorrel’s cheeks. “I’m sorry! I wubs you, please don’t be mad at me!”

Sorrel cooed in response, smiling up at Aurora.

“I think he forgives me!” 

Gavin chuckled. “I’m sure he has. Now why don’t you play for a little while I go look for your sister.”

“Okay, papa!”

Gavin found Wisteria a few minutes later, hiding under her bed with her favourite dolls, muttering quietly to herself.

“Hey there, baked potato,” he said, setting Sorrel down so he could peek under the bed. “What are you doing?”

Wisteria sighed. “I’m playing.”

“Playing all alone?”

She nodded, eying Sorrel warily as he scooted himself under the bed with her. She pulled her dolls closer to herself, eyes narrowed as Sorrel made a grab for them.

“Papa, is he gonna bite my dollies?”

Gavin grabbed Sorrel’s waist, dragging him out from under the bed. “He won’t.”

“But he was biting Gardenia’s dollies yesterday.”

He frowned, even as Sorrel giggled, seemingly unfazed by being dragged out from under the bed. “Has he been biting anything else?”

She nodded. “He was chewing on Stewwa’s fish toy, too.”

Sorrel laughed, babbling unintelligibly. Gavin pursed his lips. That meant he was probably starting to teethe. They’d have to get him some teething toys to try and stop him from chewing on anything else.

“I’ll make sure he doesn’t bite any of your toys, okay?” He said, looking back at Wisteria.

“Okay, papa.”

“What are you doing under here, anyways?”

She shrugged. “Playin. I don’t wanna play with the elf.”

Ah, that made sense.

“Even though the elf made you a nice tea party? And  brought some early presents yesterday?”

Wisteria shook her head. “He’s spooky, I don’t like him.”

Gavin could not agree more.

“Do you want me to play with you?”

Another shake of her head. “No, that’s okay, papa.”

He hummed, deciding it was probably best to leave her for a while. He wouldn’t deny her some quiet time alone if that’s what she wanted.

“Let me know if you want me to play with you,” he said, scooping Sorrel up as he stood.

“Cordelia, you have to wash your hands!”

The sound of Rowan chastising Cordelia drew Gavin from the room, and he made his way to the bathroom, leaning against the wall and trying very hard not to laugh as he watched Rowan try to get a very unwilling Cordelia to wash her hands.

When they were finally done the bathroom counter was covered in soapy water, and rivulets of water dripped from Rowan’s cheeks as Cordelia skipped away.

“Potty training that one is going to be the death of me,” Rowan grumbled wiping her face.

“Did she miss?”

Rowan sighed, a tired smile curling at her lips. “No, but she tried to get up before she’d wiped, and then she fought with me as I tried helping her get her clothes back on, and she didn’t want to wash her hands.”

Gavin transferred Sorrel to one arm, cradling him as he held his other out to Rowan, drawing her close. “You’re doing amazing.”

Rowan sighed, her breath soft against his throat. “Am I? I feel like I’m doing everything wrong. I can hardly manage to keep them all out of trouble.”

Gavin chuckled. “I can’t even keep them all out of trouble. But that’s why there’s two of us, so at least we stand a chance.”

Another sigh, although he thought maybe just maybe there was a bit of laughter in her voice. “I suppose.”

Rowan peeked up, smiling at Sorrel, nestled against Gavin’s chest. “At least this tiny potato isn’t causing too many problems for us yet.”

Gavin winced at that. “Well, actually…”

Rowan slumped against Gavin’s chest as he told her that Sorrel had been biting things lately, and that they would probably need to get him some teething toys soon.

“I guess I can go out after breakfast,” she mumbled, hands twisting into the fabric of Gavin’s shirt. “Although I don’t really want to drive today, the roads are probably still bad from the snow we got last night.”

“I’ll go,” he offered, kissing the top of her head. “You stay here and I’ll go buy some teething toys. And,” he added, grinning a little. “I’ll take Cordelia with me too, to make sure she doesn’t get up to any mischief here.”

“I love you,” Rowan breathed. “I don’t tell you enough, but I love you.”

“Pumpkin, you tell me plenty,” he said, nose bumping against hers, their breath tangling together. “Although I can always stand to hear it more.”

***

After breakfast, Gavin and Rowan tag-teamed getting the girls dressed, Gavin handling the twins while Rowan handled the two older girls. Cordelia fussed the most, annoyed that she was being forced to run errands so early instead of throwing snowballs with her sisters.

“We’ll have fun, tater tot,” Gavin promised, hefting her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. “Maybe we’ll even get some treats!”

“I don’t wanna!” Cordelia cried, little fists smacking against Gavin’s back. “I wanna play!”

“We won’t be that long, and you can play when we get home.”

She tried to raspberry his neck, but he yanked her away, laughing as she squealed.

Wisteria watched them solemnly as Gavin got Cordelia ready to go out, fitting her hat over her head and her mitts and trying to tie up her boots, although she was not making it particularly easy for him.

“What’s going on, baked potato?” Rowan asked, kneeling down beside Wisteria. “Do you not want to go out and play?”

Wisteria eyed her sisters getting ready to play out in the snow, and Gavin noticed for the first time that Aurora was clutching the elf, her face already bright pink from her excitement.

“Can I go with papa?” She asked, turning pleading eyes on Gavin. “Please? I wanna go to the bookstore!”

Gavin opened his mouth, closed it again. He could not blame Wisteria for wanting to get away from the elf if she could. That thing was definitely haunted, he was almost sure of it.

“Of course, baked potato,” Rowan said, kissing the top of her head. “Let’s get you ready.”

A few minutes later he was buckling both Cordelia and Wisteria into their carseats, promising that yes he would play the Christmas carols they wanted to listen to, yes he would play the disney princess karaoke CD afterwards.

He had been under the impression that they wouldn’t take very long, just needing to run into the toy store to find a few teething toys then back out again. But he had neglected to remember that it was the holiday season, which meant every store would be overrun with panicked last minute shoppers, which meant that the roads would be clogged with people racing between stores.

And, it didn’t help that the roads were still absolutely abysmal, the snowplows seeming to have forgotten to clear most of the roads after the storm from the previous night.

Just finding a park spot at the mall was nearly impossible with all the other drivers scooting around the lot haphazardly, with streams of pedestrians sneaking in around the idling cars.

It was by sheer luck alone that he was able to find a park spot in the very back of the lot, wedged between a massive pickup truck and a sports car that had double parked.

He frowned at the sports car, not understanding how someone could park that poorly, especially now when parking spots were more valuable than gold.

Maybe they had done it on purpose. It was possible, hoping to avoid damage to their expensive vehicle but giving it so much space there was no way someone could scratch it with a door swung too-wide.

The driver had clearly not taken into account that taking up so much space would not protect them from the sticky fingers of children.

In particular, Gavin’s children.

He’d unbuckled Cordelia first, although looking back he would question why he would ever do such a thing, setting her on the ground and making her swear up and down that she would not move from his side while he unbuckled Wisteria.

He had only been turned away for a minute at most, but Cordelia had scampered over to the sports car, running her finger over the side of the car, streaking mud and what was probably icing from the cupcake she’d snagged before they’d left.

“Cordelia!” He called, but it was far too late as she started drawing hearts on the side of the car with the mud and slush splatter from the messy roads.

He set Wisteria down, plucking Cordelia up before she could do any more damage.

“We don’t do that on other people’s cars, okay?”

She giggled, but nodded her head. “Okay, papa.”

Heaving a sigh, Gavin just hoped the owner wouldn’t know it was them. Cordelia hadn’t done anything illegal, but he really didn’t want to deal with someone trying to scream at his three year old.

“Let’s go you two,” he said, scooping Wisteria into his arms next, balancing her on his shoulder. “Let’s go get some things for your brother.”

“And da bookstore?” Wisteria asked, pulling on his hair.

Gavin winced. “Yes, and we can go to the bookstore.”

“Can we gets ice cream?” Cordelia asked, a cold, tiny hand grabbing his ear.

“It’s cold today, do you really want ice cream?”

Cordelia hummed, her gaze flickering ahead of them, as though she had completely forgotten what he’d just asked.

Shopping with the girls posed another complication, and Gavin regretted not bringing the stroller with him. Or even one of the backpack leashes they sometimes used on the twins when they couldn’t bring the big stroller anywhere.

The stores were busy, the mall hallways so crowded it was nearly impossible not to get bumped or shoved. He kept his hold on the girls as long as he could, but when they got to the toy store, he didn’t hesitate before grabbing a cart and dropping them both into it.

Wisteria giggled, standing up right away and throwing her hands above her head. “Papa! What are you doing?!”

He laughed. “A little shopping, what does it look like?”

“Well you can’t buy us!” She cried. “We’re not for sale!”

“You’re not?” He lifted her hat from her head, then peeked under one of her pigtails, pretending to look for a price tag. “Hmm, I don’t see a price.”

“Cause we’re not for sale, papa!” She laughed.

“But you’re in the cart!” He said, maneuvering it around the hoards of people wandering around the store.

“You put us here!”

“Well because I saw two little girls and wanted to buy them!”

Wisteria fell backwards, laughing so hard she couldn’t stand. Cordelia giggled along with her, although she seemed lost as to whatever joke was being bounced between Gavin and Wisteria.

A few people shot them dirty looks from how loud Wisteria was being, but he decided he didn’t mind. She was five and she was silly and she wasn’t harming anyone. He would not stop her from laughing or expressing her joy.

The baby section was, miraculously, relatively quiet in comparison to the rest of the toy store. He was able to find the aisle with the teething toys relatively quickly, although that was little comfort when he found himself faced with what felt like a hundred different options.

“What do you girls think?” He asked, holding up a few different options. “What do you think Sorrel will like more?”

Wisteria grabbed for a colourful teething ring immediately, but Cordelia took a while longer to consider, stuck between a banana and an elephant shaped toy.

“Both,” she said at last, pointing to the two of them.

Gavin laughed, unable to say no as she grabbed at the toys, clutching them to her chest. “You think Sorrel will like these two?”

“Yes, yes!” She sang, wiggling in the cart. “He likes to chew!”

Wisteria pouted. “As long as it’s not my dollies.”

Gavin ruffled her hair, snorting. “With these he’s much less likely to chew on your toys, Wisteria.”

“Good, they’re going to a party tonight.”

“Oh are they?” He began pushing the cart from the baby section, although he was forced to make a pit stop in the barbie aisle, both Wisteria and Cordelia trying to crawl from the cart so they could wander as they pleased.

“Potatoes, you need to stick together,” he called, grabbing Cordelia’s hand before she could stumble out of sight, barely missing Wisteria as she waddled away, a barbie doll set in her arms.

“Wisteria you can’t have that,” he said, trying to pry the box from her.

“But I wants it!” She cried, tears already falling from her cheeks.

“You have enough dolls.

“But I need them for the party!”

Cordelia decided that she absolutely had to get in on the action, bursting into tears too.

Gavin sighed, massaging his brow.

The proper, mature thing to do was to tell them no, the dolls had to go back. But there were also 4 dolls in that set, and he knew for a fact neither he or Rowan had gotten any of the girls that particular set.

The decision was pretty easy, when he considered how he did not want to handle carting two wailing daughters from the mall.

He plucked the box from Wisteria’s arms, dropping it into the cart. “You can have it as long as each of your sisters also gets a doll.”

“Okay, papa!”

Her tears were already gone, vanishing as if they had never existed.

Sighing, Gavin scooped the girls up, depositing them back into the cart. “That’s it, okay? No more detours.”

“What about the bookstore?”

“And doughnuts!”

He frowned at Cordelia. “I thought you wanted ice cream.”

“Doughnuts! Doughnuts!”

Gavin heaved out a long breath, regretting he had forgotten the stroller. He would have to let one of the girls walk at this rate, or rent one of the mall strollers, although he had a sneaking suspicion that there would be none available.

The mall was packed and he had seen at least ten of the strollers available for rent in the time it took him to get from the entrance to the toy store.

“Alright, alright,” he said, giving in to their demands. He had never been one for saying no to their mother, and it seemed like his inability to deny her even the smallest thing that would bring her joy had carried over to their children.

But how could he say no when they shared her smile, her laugh? Aurora and Wisteria arguably looked the most like Rowan, with darker hair and eyes, but he could see her in the twins, too, in their smiles and the dimples in their cheeks.

“Let’s buy these first,” Gavin said, gesturing to the toys in the cart. “And then we’ll go to the bookstore, and then we’ll get some food, okay?”

The girls cheered, and Gavin couldn’t stop the smile that bloomed across his face, not that he would ever want to. Joy blossomed in his heart, unfurling like petals of a new flower in the spring.

As long as his girls were happy, then he was happy, too.

***

The “short errand run” ended up taking more than a few hours, and Gavin would be lying if he said he wasn’t at least a little tired as he pulled the car key from the ignition, frowning at the bags stuffed between the girls in the backseat.

There had been the things they’d bought at the toy store, of course, and then Wisteria had been desperate to go into the bookstore. He had been viscerally reminded of all the times he’d gone to bookstores with Rowan in the past as his five year old had led him and Cordelia around the children’s section, flipping through different picture books before handing them to Gavin, much like Rowan did.

He’d ended up with a stack of six books before he’d had to stop Wisteria, dragging her from the aisles before she could find something else she desperately needed.

But then she’d just started running for another section of the store, shouting at him that her mama would want something, too.

And Wisteria had not been wrong on that either, and Gavin had quickly found himself adding a few more books to the pile before he managed to get himself and both girls through the checkout line and back into the mall.

And then they had ended up in another store, Cordelia utterly enchanted by the sparkly rocks that were on display in a small metaphysical shop that had recently opened up. He’d ended up caving and buying her a few crystals, and she’d clutched them in her arms as they’d made their way through the mall and back to the parking lot, rocking them like babies.

The next stop had been to find treats for the girls, because Cordelia had been insisting on treats, and Wisteria had quickly taken up the cry. But that meant he had to buy treats for all of the girls, and the bakery sold some nice bread too, so maybe he would buy some for dinner that night.

Things had spiralled from there, and now Gavin found himself glaring at the bags of things that needed to be carried in, and the two little girls who would certainly not be of much help.

He had considered, at one point as they’d been trapped in bumper to bumper traffic, that he should mention that the elf would likely tell Santa that the girls were being very naughty and very demanding, but he didn’t want to risk the potential for very negative side effects.

Wisteria was finally acting more like herself again, and she wasn’t nearly as jumpy as she’d been over the last few weeks. She was loud and bright and silly and demanding, and he didn’t want to dampen her joy.

As for Cordelia, well… 

He didn’t want to give her a reason to act out any further, or to be trying to be naughty. He didn’t know how much more of it he could take.

So he decided not to mention the elf, deciding that caving in and buying the girls treats and toys was much better than the alternative.

“I wanna see mama!” Wisteria cried, throwing her hands in the air. “I wanna show her my books!”

Gavin chuckled, ducking as he narrowly missed her fists. “You have to sit still, baked potato, or else I won’t be able to unbuckle you.”

She groaned, slumping back in her seat. “I wanna see mama.”

“I’m sure she’s missed you very much.”

“I gonna show mama my rocks!” Cordelia sang, still rocking the crystals Gavin had bought her. “They’re pwetty.”

He hummed, smiling as he finally released Wisteria from her car seat and set her on the ground. “Very pretty.”

He unclipped Cordelia next, and he had barely dropped her to the ground before she was already stumbling up the driveway to the front door, squealing furiously when she couldn’t quite reach the handle.

“Just a minute,” Gavin called, trying to grab hold of all of the bags so he didn’t have to make a second trip.

“Papa!”

“Papa, I’m freezing!”

He laughed, as he came up to the door, throwing it wide for the girls to run through. “You both need to learn some patience.”

“Boooo!”

“Booooo!”

He snorted, kicking the door closed before setting down his bags. He hoped Rowan would be happy with what he’d purchased. He’d gotten things for the girls, and he’d gotten a few extra special things just for Rowan. Just so he could see her beautiful smile a little longer.

But the sight that greeted him was not the welcoming smile or hugs he was usually greeted with. Only Stella raced to the entrance, tail wagging, knocking Cordelia and Wisteria over before they’d gotten their shoes off as she licked their faces.

Gavin helped the girls get their jackets and boots off before taking his off, his curiosity piqued as he padded through the house. It was awfully quiet, and for a moment his stomach churned as he worried whether something had happened.

But as he walked into the living room all of his worries melted away, his eyes falling on the couch, where four bodies were all snuggled together, fast asleep.

Rowan was slumped on her side, Sorrel snuggled against her chest. Aurora must have crawled into the pile at some point, wedging herself between Rowan’s legs and the back of the couch, while Gardenia had snuggled herself up next to Sorrel.

“Papa, can I-”

Gavin gently scooped Wisteria up, shushing her before she could wake the others. “Hush, baked potato. Mama and everyone are sleeping.”

“I wanna open the barbies,” she whined, her bottom lip popping out in a little pout.

“Later,” he promised, carrying her from the room. “For now, would you like to help me with making dinner?”

Her eyes grew wide, and she nodded furiously. “Can we has hot dogs?”

“I was thinking something else, maybe that spicy pork-”

“Hot! Dogs!”

He laughed, covering her mouth. “Quiet, Wisteria. You’ll wake everyone up.”

She licked his hand and he yanked it away, snorting.

“You’re being awfully naughty right now.”

She huffed, turning her little head away. “I’m not the naughty one, Cordelia is!”

“What’s she doing now?”

“She’s trying to hide the barbies.”

Wincing, Gavin set Wisteria down, taking her hand. “Will you show me?”

In the end, Gavin had to stop Cordelia from hiding the barbies, and then hiding the books, and then trying to steal the pastries he had bought for everyone for dessert.

It wasn’t until he managed to get a few moments to set up the playpen and dump some of Cordelia’s favourite toys in it, followed by Cordelia herself, that he was able to start prepping dinner.

“Papa?”

Gavin looked up from the onions he was cutting as Wisteria pulled on his shirt. “What is it, love?”

“Did you put Cordelia in baby jail?”

“I did put Cordelia in baby jail. She was being naughty.”

“Will you put me in baby jail, papa?”

He wiped his hands on a dishcloth before crouching down, ruffling her hair. “Not unless you’re naughty, baked potato.”

“Can I help you cook?”

He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “Sure, love. Why don’t you go get your stool and you can help.”

Rowan was the first of the four to wake, and Gavin heard her trying to extricate herself from the snuggle pile she had been buried in. He peeked his head into the living room to see her crawling around the girls still sleeping, practically vaulting from the couch so she didn’t disturb them.

“What smells so good?” She asked, yawning as she fell into his arms.

“Just something me and Wisteria have been making.”

She gave him a sleepy smile, nuzzling her face against his neck. “You didn’t have to, I would have cooked.”

“I wanted to,” he said, smiling as she yawned again. “And besides, Wisteria was very excited to help.”

“Was she now?” Rowan’s eyes blinked slowly, like she could still hardly keep them open. “Where is she now?”

Gavin hummed, unsure. She’d vanished once he’d started on the rice, deciding that making rice was far too boring for her.

“I’m not sure.”

“That cannot bode well.”

He chuckled, running a hand through Rowan’s hair. “Well she’s been on her best behaviour lately, so I doubt it’s that bad.”

“You were gone for so long,” Rowan whined, wrapping her arms around his waist. “What were you all doing?”

He hesitated, scratching at the back of his neck. “Well…”

She narrowed her eyes. “Gavin.”

“Okay, okay,” laughing, he relented, wrapping his arms around her once more. “I could never keep anything from you.”

Gavin recounted the afternoon as they searched for Wisteria, Rowan laughing when he explained what had happened at the bookstore and the bakery.

“Well, I am glad you went out,” Rowan said, checking inside the closet in their bedroom. “Sorrel tried to bite me twice.”

He blinked, grabbing her arm before she could stop him. “He did? Are you okay?!”

Rowan covered Gavin’s hand with hers, tracing the pad of her index finger over the back of his hand. “I’m okay, babey. He’s only little.”

He closed his eyes, drawing her against his chest. “I know, I know. I just don’t want you hurt.”

“Well now that we’ve got the teething toys, he should focus on those instead!”

Gavin chuckled. “You’re right.”

She stood on her toes, pressing a kiss to his cheek. “I am right. But we still haven’t found Wisteria.”

They found her only a few minutes later, curled up underneath the tree, glaring out at the elf, perched once more on the piano.

“What are you doing down there, love?” Rowan asked, prying Wisteria from her hiding place to cradle her against her chest.

“Watchin’ the elf,” she said, eyes narrowed.

“Why are you watching him?”

“To see if I can stop him from coming back.”

Gavin snorted, ruffling her hair. “We’ll have to send a letter to Santa asking the elf not to come back.”

“Pwease!” She wailed, covering her face. “Pwease! He’s scawwy.”

Gavin had to agree with her there. He could not get used to the elf, despite being the person who had been in charge of moving it around for a few weeks now.

“Well let’s stop spying for now, okay?” Rowan murmured, smoothing Wisteria’s hair back. “Dinner is just about ready, and I want to try the food you and papa worked so hard on.”

Wisteria beamed at that, wiggling from Rowan’s arms to race towards the kitchen. She skidded to a stop though, eyes wide.

“What is it?” Gavin asked, wrapping his arms around Rowan’s waist, resting his chin on her shoulder, savouring the feel of her against his chest.

He wanted to take a nap with her, wanted to lie down and hold her tight in his arms for a while.

“Does this mean we’ll have to let Cordelia out of baby jail?”

***

Dinner did in fact mean that Cordelia would be released from the “baby jail” as Wisteria and Aurora often called the playpen. She scowled at Gavin, whining to Rowan that she had been locked away with no one to play with.

Rowan had responded by kissing Cordelia’s cheeks and telling her that she can’t be naughty anymore, to which Cordelia only got more annoyed.

She wanted to be naughty, so she could get coal!

The logic behind her vehement need to act naughty to earn coal was beyond Gavin’s understanding. He was pretty sure coal wasn’t even really a rock.

After dinner, Gavin was nearly too absorbed in cleaning up the dishes, listening to Rowan chat about how excited she was for the books he’d bought her, that he almost missed Cordelia shoving a chair next to the counter where the sprinkles and icing for the cookies Rowan was going to bake that night were waiting.

He had only just turned, planning to chase her around with soap foam on his hands until she forgot about the decorations, when he saw Wisteria dart out from under the table.

Why Wisteria was under the table was not knowledge he was privy to, but she’d been running around on two feet long enough that Gavin rarely questioned when she popped out of strange hiding places he hadn’t thought to look at.

He nudged Rowan so she turned too, and they both watched as Wisteria grabbed Cordelia by the wrists, dragging her from the table.

“You can’t!” Wisteria shrieked. “‘Delia you can’t! What if the elf sees!”

Cordelia squealed, trying to wrestle her sister. “I wants it to! And I wants sprinkles!”

“You can’t have sprinkles without cookies!”

“Yes I can!”

Struggling to contain their laughter, both Gavin and Rowan had to pry the girls apart, taking them to separate rooms until they both calmed down enough to apologize to each other.

It seemed like Wisteria had taken it upon herself to put out fires as they started, appearing in the twins’ like she had stepped from the shadows as Gavin was just about to take Cordelia for her nighttime bath.

He peeked around the corner, letting Cordelia run wild for a minute as Wisteria caught Gardenia, something gray clasped in her hands.

“Don’t do it,” Wisteria said, eyes wide. “Don’t hurt the rock.”

Gavin arched a brow, watching as Gardenia wilted, handing Wisteria the precious Rocko the rock.

“If the elf saw that it would be bad,” she chided, as though she were filled with wisdom, setting Rocko back onto his bed. “We have to be extra good to make up for Cordelia being bad.”

Gardenia nodded, throwing herself on her bed. “Can we play fairies?”

Wisteria brightened up at that, her somber expression gone as she grabbed a blanket from Gardenia’s bed.

Gavin smiled, his heart warm as he turned to head towards the bathroom, listening to the sounds of the girls laughing as they played.

But his heart was not warm for long, as Cordelia darted past his feet, all the rubber ducks they owned clutched in her hands, screaming as she headed for the stairs.

He swore, turning around to catch her, her high pitched giggles echoing through the house.

***

Bedtime was the most exhausting part of the day, and lately Gavin had been feeling so fatigued he was sure he would collapse on the spot, his body so heavy it could hardly move.

Somehow, through means he did not know, he had managed to get the twins to bed. Had managed to get Aurora to bed. Had offered Rowan something to eat while she had taken care of Sorrel, who was being fussier than usual, from a cold they both suspected he had caught from one of the girls.

There had been a bug going through the twins’ daycare, and although both of them hadn’t seemed to show any symptoms, Gavin was pretty sure it had been passed to poor Sorrel. Meaning it was nearly impossible to get him to sleep.

He stayed outside Sorrel’s room, listening as Rowan sang to him softly, listening as the floorboards creaked beneath her feet as she settled him into his crib.

Rowan gasped when Gavin took her hand, drawing her against his chest.

“Gavin, you scared me!” She hissed, smacking his chest. “What if we woke up Sorrel again?!”

Gavin nuzzled his nose against hers, unable to stop from smiling. Oh how he loved her, even as she chastised him.

“I missed you.”

He could feel her melting a little in his arms, leaning against him. “I missed you, too.”

“Today has been so long, and I wanted some time with just you.”

She peeled away, arching her brow. “Have you put all the girls to sleep?”

He nodded. “Just about. I figured you’d have your hands full with Sorrel.”

Her eyes narrowed. “What do you mean, ‘just about?’”

He took her hand again, guiding her down the stairs. “Well, I wanted to show you what Wisteria has been up to.”

He guided her into the living room, to where the tree stood sparkling with gold and red and green lights tangled on its branches. He pointed to the ground, where a lock of brown hair could be seen peeking out from beneath the tree.

“My sweet girl,” Rowan murmured, kneeling down to draw Wisteria from beneath the tree. “She fell asleep under there.”

He nodded. “She told me she was ‘on patrol’ and that she couldn’t go to bed yet. I told her she could have five more minutes and found her asleep like that.”

Rowan cradled Wisteria gently, brushing kisses to her brow. “I don’t know how we did it, but she might be the funniest kid in the world.”

He laughed at that, smoothing back Wisteria’s hair as she snored, eyelids twitching from whatever dream she was lost in. “I think she might be.”

“I’ll put her to bed,” Rowan offered. “And then…”

He arched his brow as she trailed off. “And then?”

Rowan kissed his cheek, her smile sly. “Then perhaps we can have a little time together, just the two of us.”

His breath caught in his throat, his mind emptying of thoughts, like they were burned away beneath the fire building beneath his skin.

His fatigue was still there, like shackles around his wrists and ankles. But he found it didn’t bother him as much as before, and he found himself trying to busy himself with tidying up while he waited for her.

But he froze when he saw the elf staring at him. He glared at it, turning it around to face the wall. He certainly did not need the elf keeping watch right now.

***

The misadventures with the elf finally reached their climax on the strangest of days.

A Tuesday, a little over a week before Christmas. Rowan had finally finished her baking frenzy that morning, and Gavin was helping her to clean up the kitchen, letting her know that she absolutely had to sit and read the books he’d bought her now. That she had to sit right in his lap and let him cuddle her for a few hours before she could get up once they were done cleaning.

She was laughing, her cheeks the soft pink of the flowers he had purchased for her earlier when he’d gone out to pick up more eggs and milk. They were peonies, their soft perfume filling the kitchen, reminding him of spring.

He would have to buy some more, to set on the dresser in their bedroom. Rowan loved peonies, and the pink of their petals reminded him of her cheeks when he kissed her.

They were nearly done washing up the pots and pans when a shriek cracked through the room, followed by different voices shouting.

“Cordelia, give him back!”

“Cordelia, no!”

Gavin almost didn’t want to look, but he knew that he had to.

He and Rowan sprinted into the living room, taking in the chaos of the scene.

All five of their children were in the room. Aurora trying to have a tea party with Gardenia and Wisteria, Sorrel in his playpen, and Cordelia snatching the elf from its place of honour at Aurora’s tea party table.

It was like Gavin was watching everything in slow motion, watching as Aurora cried helplessly, her arms outstretched as Cordelia snagged the elf. As Wisteria leapt from her seat, eyes wide. As Cordelia cackled, racing to Sorrel’s playpen and dropping the elf inside.

As Sorrel, sweet little Sorrel, who was in the midst of teething, picked up the elf, curious more than anything. And slowly tried biting the elf’s head.

Gavin blinked, and was suddenly snapped back to the present, everything moving at normal speed once more. Aurora was shrieking, racing to the playpen, and Wisteria sat, petrified.

And Sorrel, their sweet, little, cuddly Sorrel, sat perfectly content chewing on the leg of the elf.

“Oh mama!” Aurora wailed, tearing herself from the side of the playpen and racing towards Rowan. “Mama, Cordelia took the elf! Tell Sorrel to stop! Make him stop!”

Cordelia was snickering, clapping her hands as Sorrel, oblivious, stared at them all curiously with his wide eyes.

“He’s tasting it!” Cordelia sang, dancing from foot-to-foot.

“Now Santa will never come!” Wisteria cried, throwing herself onto the couch, kicking her legs against the cushions.

Gardenia, for her part, seemed mostly unbothered by the chaos, watching everything quietly as she ate a cookie.

“Mamaaaaaa!” Aurora cried, and Rowan had to lift her up, cuddling her close to her chest. “Mama, he’s my friend!”

“I know, sweet potato,” Rowan murmured, rubbing her back.

Gavin bit the inside of his cheek, sharing a tired look with Rowan. Neither of them had really thought the elf would spiral out of control like this.

Gavin rescued the elf while Rowan comforted Aurora, and then Wisteria, swapping it out for another toy that Sorrel was just as happy to play with.

He set the elf high up, turning it to face the wall to give all of them peace from its unblinking gaze.

“Cordelia, you know that wasn’t okay,” Gavin chided, crossing his arms as she gazed up at him, seeming more curious than worried about being reprimanded.

“Sorrel wanted to pway!” She argued, blinking up at him with so much innocence he almost faltered, questioning whether she should be punished at all.

But of course, this was a little much, sending two of her sisters into hysterics with her shenanigans.

Cordelia shuffled away, sulking once Gavin was done, and he nearly sagged into the closest chair, exhausted although it was barely after 12 in the afternoon.

It took another little while to fully calm Aurora and Wisteria down, and both of them ended up wandering away, eyes puffy from their tears, hands clasped together as they left.

Rowan held her arms out to Gavin, and together they both slumped onto the couch, groaning.

“Mama, I watch movie?” Gardenia asked, turning to peer up at the two of them, unperturbed by the commotion.

“Okay, love,” Rowan sighed, reaching for the remote. “What would you like to watch?”

“Elsa?”

She nodded, flicking through their movies. “The one with the little lizard?”

“Oh, yes!”

A ghost of a smile danced across her lips. “Perfect, there you go, tater tot.”

Appeased, Gardenia turned her attention to the television, her focus utterly diverted.

“I’m so tired,” Rowan muttered, pressing her face against Gavin’s chest. “I’m so tired.”

He rubbed her back gently, humming in agreement. “You deserve a rest.”

Her head popped up, nose wrinkled as she glared at him. “You deserve a rest.”

He chuckled, cupping her cheek. “Maybe we both deserve a rest.”

Another sigh, her eyes falling closed as she leaned into his touch. “Maybe you’re right.”

“Then let’s rest.”

She tipped her head back, eyes narrowed in suspicion. “What do you mean?”

“Aurora and Wisteria have probably gone off to play in their room, Cordelia will probably take a nap until she feels a little better, Sorrel is playing in his playpen, and Gardenia-” 

At the sound of her name Gardenia tipped her head upside down to look at them for a moment. She blinked, and Gavin blinked back. Then she giggled, and Gavin poked her nose, telling her to watch her movie.

“Well, she’s almost completely absorbed in her movie,” he continued, lowering her voice. “So why don’t we take a rest?”

Rowan wrinkled her brow, looking ready to argue with him. She was always ready to argue with him when he suggested rest, when he suggested doing nothing for a little while.

“No buts,” he said, nuzzling his nose against hers. “Unless-”

She smacked him, and he smiled, chuckling when she smacked him again. “Don’t you dare say it.”

He slid one hand lower, but he didn’t even get to squeeze her ass before she was smacking his arm again, mouth pressed in a thin line to try and staunch her stream of laughter.

“Gavin,” she chided, even as a bubble of laughter spilled from her lips.

He leaned closer, resting his head on her shoulder. “Yes?”

She groaned, as if in disbelief, but Gavin could feel her smile in his hair as she pressed a kiss to his head. “That’s very naughty, you know. You might get coal this year for Christmas.”

“No I won’t,” he said, letting his eyes fall closed, letting himself succumb to his fatigue. “I turned the elf towards the wall, it can’t see anything.”

She didn’t stop herself from laughing this time, snuggling closer. “Well in that case, I suppose you can do whatever you want.”

He sighed. “Good, because I want to rest with you for a while.”

She hummed, running fingers through his hair. “Then we can rest. For as long as you would like.”

And that was the last thing he heard before he slipped away into sleep, his dreams blissfully void of elves and coal.

[purple-cat-demon]

I thought I’d take a shot at this but I’m still very much a baby writer on AO3, there ain’t much there 🤣

What ratings do you write most of your fics under?

Explicit (9)

Teen and Up Audiences (4)

What are you top three fandoms?

Mr. Love: Queen’s Choice (13)

(Literally the only fandom I’ve written for that’s been posted somewhere)

What is the top character you write about?

Gavin (12)

What are your top three pairings?

Main Character/Gavin

Original Character/Shaw

(😅 yup just those two characters and their significant others)

What are your top three additional tags?

Fluff and Smut

Domestic Fluff

Un-protected Sex

Does any of this surprise you?

Gavin is the fave, but Shaw is the surprise, even more so is the wip Lucien fic I’m writing.

AO3 Fic Meme

I was tagged by @museaway, thank you! (It's so inspiring seeing you write up a storm for daster to the point of it soon changing your answers, maybe someday something will change some of mine, too!)

Rules: Go to your AO3 account and find the following:

What ratings do you write most of your fics under?

General Audiences (87)

Teen And Up Audiences (52)

What are your top three fandoms?

Supernatural (92)

Yuri!!! on Ice (28)

Mr. Love: Queen's Choice (19)

What is the top character you write about?

Castiel (85)

What are your top three pairings?

Castiel/Dean (76)

Katsuki Yuuri/Victor Nikiforov (28)

Main Character/Zhou Qiluo | Kiro (6)

What are the top three additional tags?

Domestic Fluff (28)

Slice of Life (25)

Alternate Universe - No Supernatural (24)

Does any of this surprise you?

Not the additional tags nor the fandom and character. I knew right away that 4 years of writing Supernatural fic while the show was airing and that one time I held that August write-and-post-everyday challenge would make sure no other fandom or ship steals the first place, ever. MC/Kiro being the ship I wrote the most for mlqc, though! I was so sure it would be MC/Gavin!

—

Tagging: @captainadwen @matadorofheart @ryuuseini @solacium @unicorngelato

@rosemirmir @youknowthelines @sodomhipped @theliteraryluggage and you, you, you!

[beneathashadytree]

HI GUYS! LONG POST, MAKING A BIG ANNOUNCEMENT OVER HERE! I WILL BE ACCEPTING WRITING COMMISSIONS FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS, DUE TO THE FACT THAT I LIVE IN EXTREME POVERTY… PLEASE REBLOG!!

Here are my commision prices:

1$-2$ —> an SMAU (depends on length)

5$ —> a drabble (around 500 words)

10$ —> a oneshot (around 1000 words)

20$ or more—> a ficlet (2000-4000 words or more)

What fandoms I’m willing to write for (the ones in bold are the ones I’m best at and hyperfixating on):

Attack on Titan

Mr. Love: Queen’s Choice

My Hero Academia

Haikyuu!!

Jujutsu Kaisen

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure

Moriarty the Patriot

Tokyo Revengers

One Piece

Bungou Stray Dogs

Kuroko no Basket

Ikemen Sengoku

Ikemen Vampire

Ikemen Revolution

Ikemen Prince

Love and Deepspace (my current fav)

How do I request a commission?

Either contact me via my DMs here, or on my Ko-Fi! I’ll be linking my account at the bottom of this post.

What’s the commission format?

Tell me your name or your OC’s name, their gender & pronouns, describe them to me both physically and in terms of personality, then tell me which character you want me to write them with. I’ll be writing “character x reader” or “character x OC” fics, so I need to know what I’m working with! Any extra details will help a lot. Of course, we will discuss everything concerning your commission privately.

If you want to check out my previous works to have a rough idea of how things will look like, be sure to check out my masterlist, which is my pinned post! Of course, my writing improves over time, so it may not be precisely as it is there.

How do I pay you?

You can pay me via my Ko-Fi account, which is linked to my PayPal! Here’s the link to my Ko-Fi.

Please consider helping me out, whether by requesting a commission, or by sharing this post and my links as much as possible!! I’m trying my best to do all I can now that I haven’t got many options left.

As some of you might already know, I’m a dentist, but still at uni. Sadly, studying dentistry is extremely expensive, and I can’t rely on my parents to pay my fees for me for a few reasons.

The first being that my dad is a heart patient, and can’t work anymore. The pension he receives is literally less than the equivalent of 90 dollars. Of course, that doesn’t provide anything in terms of food and living (we usually can only afford a meal or two a day) except for some of his meds—not even all of them. His health is steadily declining.

My mother is extremely narcissistic and very, very abusive. I’ve gone through hell living with her because I have to, but even she can’t even afford to take care of us because no one wants to hire her at her old age, and she’s used up all her savings on my dad.

I’m also physically disabled, and can’t move around often. I also have to have surgeries every now and then because of the chronic illness I have.

I am in serious, dire need of money, both for my tuition fees, and hopefully to be able to live. I have to keep us afloat until I can get married in a couple of years, since I can’t live alone. Besides, my dad doesn’t deserve to suffer with his heart problems.

I tried working with dentistry last year, and that worked for a while, but this year no one’s hiring due to the terrible state of our economy. I have no skills aside from my writing, so that’s what I’ll have to work with. I’m getting seriously desperate, so I hope you guys understand why I’m doing this, and hopefully feel inclined to offer any support you can—even if not financial, but just by reblogging this post!

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Steal Your Heart (Part 1)

When the calling card of the infamous Knave of Hearts arrives, he’ll rob his victims blind of their most treasured items on the appointed date. Enter ace detective Yuu accompanied by rookie cop Deuce Spade, both seeking to apprehend the Knave and bring him to justice.

Will they succeed, or will the phantom thief steal their valuables--and their hearts--first?

This was originally meant to be one fic, but it was getting to be WAY too long. I decided to split it in half and release this part now and the second part (which I am still working on!) later. This first part focuses more on Yuu and Deuce; the second part will be more Yuu and Ace.

(Please note: there are slight romantic implications in the form of an Ace/Yuu/Deuce love triangle, but those elements could also be interpreted as platonic or as just playful teasing with no additional meaning. It’s all in the eyes of the reader!)

Imagine this...

The police station’s waiting room was a familiar sight.

With time, the shiny checkered floor had grown matte, marred with scratches and scuffs from the boots that crossed it on a daily basis. Someone had taken to attempt to pretty up the otherwise dull space by hanging out abstract paintings on the cream-colored walls, and a vase of white roses dripping with red paint at the check-in desk. There was as even a glass tank which housed a small family of colorful hedgehogs.

Maybe they were meant to be welcoming—but really, they were more clashing than anything. Certainly not a fit for the stiff atmosphere of the station.

Still the fluorescent lightbulbs buzzed faintly, flickering in and out on occasion. The sound distracted from the old television mounted in a corner to entertain guests. It seemed to play commercials on a loop more often than it played actual shows. Currently, an Olympus Corp. branded tablet was being toted as the next big technological marvel—though the TV’s audio was fuzzy at best, and the image half static.

A coffee table pushed to the wall, stacked with a new stash of magazines. Whoever updated the reading materials—most likely the friendly senior officer with orange waves for hair—was into the latest trends, often selecting fashion magazines with high gloss finishes. A dangerously beautiful man graced the covers of many of them, dressed in the hottest summertime styles while looking the part of an untouchable ice queen.

As usual, the station was scented with coffee and tea, the beverages of choice for many officers burning the midnight oil or working overtime. The chief demanded it at times to meet deadlines and goals—he was such a stickler for them—and the caffeine helped those under him stay sane as they went about their duties.

In the afternoons, most were either out on lunch or on patrol, lessening the foot traffic at HQ. There was only one man in uniform, seated behind the desk and filing some papers.

Yuu shifted in their own chair, adjusting the rim of the baseball cap upon their head. They were suited in an inconspicuous jacket and sneakers, fingers toying with a badge in a pocket, hidden out of view. To the common man, they were a jogger--but one flash of their lilac gemstone bound to a black and white striped ribbon, and there would be no doubt as to what their true identity was.

The smell of coffee and tea grew stronger, and Yuu glanced up from behind the bill of their hat.

The bespectacled man from behind the fro

nt desk had approached. He had a sheepish smile, bearing a paper cup filled with hot brown liquid and a napkin with a donut laid upon it. Bright pink icing dusted with sugared violet petals crowned the golden fried pastry.

“Detective.”

“Mr. Clover.” Yuu nodded—a terse, polite greeting. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

“Please, just ‘Trey’ is fine.” He offered the treats, which they readily accepted. “Sorry for calling you in on such short notice. I’m sure you’re busy juggling your other cases—but I think I speak for the entire department when I say we’re thankful that you were able to make it.”

“No worries, I’m used to it in this line of work,” Yuu replied. “It must be something pretty urgent this time around. The Chief sounded frantic over the phone.”

Trey rubbed at his chin, grasping for the right words. “Let’s just say he’s not in the best of moods right now. You’ll need that sugar to get through this in one piece.”

“That’s very thoughtful of you.”

“Just trying to avoid any trouble. You’d better finish them before you step into his office. You know how he hates it when there are crumbs or spills in there.”

“Aye, aye, sir.” Yuu gave a joking salute before starting to pack away at their snack. The drink was the instant kind, and practically scalding, but it was easy to tell that the donut was homemade. The pastry, flaky on the outside and fluffy on the inside, dusted with sugar granules and sweet icing. “Wouldn’t want the Chief to be blowing a fuse again.”

“No, definitely not. He’s done too much of that lately.” Trey carefully eyed Yuu’s donut, now only half of it left. “Oh, but be sure to brush your teeth a thorough cleaning tonight, or I might have some problems with you. Cavities and staining are real dangers, you know.”

“Are you Assistant Chief of Police or my dental hygienist?” Yuu took a generous swig, then a bite just as big. “You worry too much about everything.”

“Ahahah… Do I? It’s a habit, I guess. Comes with the job.”

“That stressful, huh?”

“Well, I do what I can to smooth things over. Hopefully you can too. It’s been difficult on our department with the Chief all rattled up about the… situation.” He stopped himself. “I’m sure you’ll hear all about it from him.”

So the case is top-secret, Yuu concluded with the last of their donut. Not to be discussed in the public.

They ran their tongue across the length of their mouth, lapping up the remains of sugary residue. “I understand. The details are not to leave his office.”

“You catch on quickly. No wonder why the Chief thinks so highly of your abilities.”

“Flattery’s a part of your tool kit as well, Trey?”

He raised his eyebrows. “… You’ve worked long enough with us to figure these things out. Nothing gets by you, it seems.”

“UGIGIGIGIGGGGHHHH!!”

The remainder of Yuu’s drink sloshed around in its cup, set into motion by the bloodcurdling scream.

A familiar man with orange waves erupted from the chief’s office, hurriedly slamming the door shut behind him. His typically relaxed features were arranged in panic, his hair frazzled.

“How did trying to calm him work out, Cater?” Trey inquired half-heartedly. It was a courtesy more than genuine curiosity.

“What do you think?” the senior officer groaned, sinking where he stood.

Yuu quickly finished their drink, tossing their trash—the evidence they had been there—away and then stood, adjusting their jacket. “That sounds like it’s my cue.”

“Yeah, it is.” Trey sighed, frowning. “He’s in a tough spot right. Be kind to him, will you? That’s all I ask.”

“You got it.” Yuu tipped their baseball cap as they passed the officer. “Thank you for the pick-me-up. I’ll be seeing you, then. Officer Diamond—get some rest.”

“Good luck.”

“You’ll need it, Yuu-chan! Brace yourself.”

The Police Chief was a small but serious man.

His character came through in his office space: books on law and order neatly arranged on shelves, papers and files alphabetically organized in their cabinets, and pens evenly spaced apart and arranged in rows. A crystal vase with deep red roses was poised beside his writing implements. A plate polished to a fine shine was propped up at his desk, reading: Riddle Rosehearts, Chief of Police.

Perched imposingly despite his short stature in his seat, he impatiently tapped a finger on an arm. Riddle’s face was a telltale red and veiny, proof of his earlier outburst, but was beginning to cool into a faint, smooth pink.

There was already another man in the office, sitting across from the Police Chief. He was pale and jittery in a suit the color of the night and sewn with blue sequins and glitter. A top hat rested upon his raven locks, the brim of it shading his hauntingly golden eyes.

Yuu removed their hat and, keeping it to their chest, gave a shallow bow as they entered. “Sir.”

One move out of line, one hair out of place, and they suspected he, in his volatile and vulnerable state, would explode anew.

“Welcome, Detective. I’m glad you could join us today.” Every word was a gruff puff of air, a leash with which to wrest control of his rage. Riddle gestured to the empty chair beside the nervous man. “Sit.”

Yuu obeyed, sinking into the seat offered. They casted a glance at the stranger adjacent to them, who was fiddling with his velvet-lined gloves.

“Mr. Crowley, this is the independent detective from Stray Cat Investigations that I had previously mentioned to you. The force has collaborated with them for a number of difficult cases in the past. Their wit and strategic skills have made them an invaluable asset. I thought it prudent to have them return to join us for your case as well.

“Yuu, meet Dire Crowley. He is the esteemed director and curator for the Sage’s Island Museum, and he’s come to us with his woes.”

“Hello, Mr. Crowley,” Yuu said politely. “It’s nice to meet you.”

He responded with a tired attempt at a smile. “Yes, you too.”

“Now that we’re all acquainted with one another...” Riddle produced a file from beneath his desk and placed it before himself. “Do you care to explain, or shall I?”

“I-I’ll elaborate!” Crowley crowed. He picked at a collection of keys belted to his waist, glistening gold under artificial lights. “The Sage’s Island Museum is planning a new exhibition on the Great Seven. As part of the exhibit, we are having many priceless artifacts flown in from all over Twisted Wonderland. We have donations from even Briar Valley’s royal family!!

“There will also be a great number of important VIP guests present for the grand opening of the exhibit. Royalty, wealthy benefactors, important diplomats, businessmen, celebrities... All individuals who wish to see their history on display! This is very important, you see!! M-My reputation--er, I mean, the museum’s reputation--is on the line here!!”

“Right.” Yuu nodded as they parsed through the information. “I’m following what you’re putting down. And where does your problem arise, Mr. Crowley?”

“Ah, now that,” Riddle smirked, “is the question of the hour.”

He opened his file, pulling out...

A single playing card, its back facing Yuu.

“I trust you’ve been keeping up with the news?”

“As any good detective would. There have been several robberies lately. Terrible, really.” Yuu’s expression clouded with concentration. “Hmm... but if it’s a potential robbery that you’re concerned about, Mr. Crowley... Doesn’t the Sage’s Island Museum boast a state-of-the-art security system from Olympus Corp.? I doubt the average thief would be able to bypass it.”

“That’s just the trouble,” Crowley loudly lamented.

“We are dealing with no ordinary thief,” Riddle clarified.

“It’s not?”

“No. Far from it.” The Police Chief exhaled sharply. “The string of robberies from before--they’re connected by a single thread, perpetuated by the same lone culprit. And now that scoundrel intends to continue his crime spree.”

“I’ve never heard of this before.”

“You shouldn’t have. It was a top-secret operation within my force since the first of its kind.”

“Why am I being told of it now?”

“Because, loathe as I am to admit it, the culprit has managed to outwit us and elude capture each and every time, He employs a bag of cheap parlor tricks and smoke and mirrors like the coward he is,” Riddle confessed begrudgingly. The blue-grey of his eyes were steely and stubborn. “A case as important as this needs the additional man—and brain—power, Detective.”

He placed the playing card down and slid it toward the detective. “This arrived in the morning at Mr. Crowley’s desk, the same as all the prior robberies. It gave him quite the fright. He rushed all the way to the station to beg for our assistance.”

“This is...” Yuu gingerly turned the card over, revealing a message scrawled on the other side in bright red gel ink. Each letter was big and bubbly, bursting with cheek and pomp.

Their heart jumped.

To the Old Crow that safeguards the Museum,

Heyo~

Your pockets look a lil’ heavy there, so I’ll help you out. (Aren’t I so kind?) Three days from now, I’ll claim one of your most prized treasures at the stroke of midnight.

Stand back and watch as I perform the greatest magic trick you’ll ever see... and make the portrait of the Queen of Hearts vanish before your very eyes. It’ll be a show-stopper!!

Until then,

Phantom Thief Knave of Hearts <3 ;3

P.S. Send the cops my regards, they can’t catch me lol (especially when their teapot tyrant’s patience is in SHORT supply geddit)

“They’re just flat-out announcing what their intentions are,” Yuu realized. They were half impressed, half shocked at the gall. “You said all of the victims received messages like this?”

“Calling cards, yes.” The fury had returned to Riddle’s features, causing his voice to spike and strain. “It’s infuriating!! What does he get off on, misappropriating magic as cheap parlor tricks for crime, writing notes in such a cocksure manner, taunting us to pursue him?!

“Not only is he poking fun at my height and committing a crime, but for mere SPORT?! For the THRILL of it?! He’s making a mockery of the good people of this island and of my men and our efforts to secure the peace!!”

The Police Chief slammed a fist down on his desk, rattling his glass vase and setting his perfectly straight pens askew. Crowley shrunk back in fear. “That Knave of Hearts...!! He must be stopped at all costs!!”

“Y-Yes, absolutely!!” Crowley chimed in. “For my--er, I mean, for the museum’s sake, this criminal must be put behind bars!! That’s why I’ve come to you, my good people!

“My taxpayer dollars help fund the police force, so I’ve come to collect on what its promise to protect and to serve the community!! Well, here’s the community at your doorstep asking you to protect and to serve!!”

“That’s why you want to put me on this case,” Yuu concluded, clasping the calling card to their racing heart. “To prevent this from going down tonight.”

“And furthermore,” Riddle added, “to investigate the identity of this so-called phantom thief once the museum is safely secured.”

“That’s a tall order, sir.”

“You’ll have access to our force’s resources, and to my officers. You will assist in overseeing this operation, with maps and outlines of the museum’s security detail from Mr. Crowley. We’ll cooperate to create a plan of attack to apprehend the Knave.”

“You misunderstand me. I never said I wouldn’t take the job,” Yuu coolly informed the Chief. Their mouth cocked upwards with confidence. “I’m always up for a challenge.”

“Oh, blessed day!! From the very bottom of my oh-so-generous heart, thank you very much!!” Crowley cried tearfully.

For the first time the entire briefing, Riddle smiled back at Yuu. “Hmph. That’s what I like to hear. Happy to be working with you again, Detective.”

“Likewise, Chief.”

The sun had already set when Yuu exited the station, the stars blinking into existence. Several hours had been spent picking the museum curator’s brain with a fine-toothed comb, looking over layouts, and memorizing security detail. The information had been well-stocked, and now came the time to let it marinate and bloom into plans.

Stuffing their hands in their pockets, Yuu shuffled down the sidewalk and past rows of parked vehicles. Ahead, neon lights flashed in and out, and the trains rattled on their well-worn tracks, buses and cars honking at each other, the chatter of street vendors filling the air.

And something different than the usual tonight.

The city never slept, always buzzed with energy. Yuu had become accustomed to its sights and sounds, finding them even comforting. Their best ideas were conceived against the hum of the cityscape. It was just soft enough to not fully distract, but just noticeable enough to tug at their thoughts for long enough to stray into new territories and concepts.

Light from lonely streetlamps created tears in the darkness, illuminating the path to their favorite downtown thinking spot: the Mostro Lounge. A good (albeit overpriced) drink would chase away their tiredness.

Yuu continued with that promise in mind, every step catlike. First quick, next slow, then quick, moderate, slow, quick, slow, quick, moderate. Their speed, ever alternating.

Their ears strained against the sounds of the city, slowly parsing through the individual elements.

Trains, buses, cars, chatter… and the soft footsteps masked by them. Footsteps which matched Yuu’s pace.

There was no mistaking it now.

I’m being followed.

They didn’t look to see who it was—the first rule of tailing a target was to never alert them to your awareness. Yuu would know (as oftentimes they were the one in the position of tailer).

They cast their eyes across the street, which was busy with bodies. Once Yuu merged with the crowd, they could easily shake off their stalker.

Their feet picked up their pace again, hurrying to the crosswalk. It was a glaring red, advising pedestrians to stop.

Shoot, Yuu cursed.

They felt a presence step up beside them. From the corner of their eye, they could make out a dark form--clothes. Yuu pretended to check the time on their phone, and glimpsed him in the reflection.

He was in a hoodie, with the hood pulled up and head down to conceal his features. His hands, too, were out of sight, a sea of baggy fabric hiding identifying features, save for his frame. Lanky, but reasonably packed with muscle to keep up with Yuu.

The man shifted, and his sight grazed theirs. His eyes were hard and icy, a silent threat.

Yuu quickly focused on the crosswalk light. Their heartbeat became as loud as the surrounding sounds. Screeching above the vehicles, shouting from the rooftops. THA-THUMP, THA-THUMP, THA-THUMP.

At last, the light turned from red to white.

Walk.

They started--and so did he.

“Excuse me.” A hand came upon their shoulder. The other pulled at something with a sinister glint. “Do you have a second?”

No walking, Yuu corrected themselves. Run!!

They sprinted down the crosswalk, jostling pedestrians with a hasty “sorry!” thrown back at them. As Yuu weaved through the crowd as fast as they could, they could not completely shunt out the man after them.

“Hey, please wait!! Where are you going?! C-Come back, I need to talk to you!”

His voice carried above the others. People jolted back, the crowd parting to make way for the man to charge forth. His volume swelled louder and louder as he gained on them.

Towering apartments seemed to bear down on Yuu. Their windows, glaring.

A shop. Find a shop and get inside!!

Yuu pumped their arms, pleaded for their legs to move more efficiently.

Again, a weight fell upon their shoulder. It was a clamp, fingers biting Yuu’s skin through their jacket as they dug in and held firm.

The other hand wielded the same shining object that it had before. Yuu looked more closely this time, and the unease in them dissipated. It was not the pointed tip of a knife, but the glint of a familiar officer’s badge wreathed in golden roses.

The man tore off his hood with a sigh--though Yuu noticed that he wasn’t one bit out of breath. Navy bangs fell across his forehead, his eyes a peacock green-blue, much friendlier under the streetlamps than the crosswalk signs.

He smiled at Yuu as though he were greeting an old friend. His grip turned into a tender squeeze. “I finally caught up with you!”

The detective awkwardly pulled away, confusion scrawled on their face. “Um... Sorry, who are you? I don’t believe we’ve met before.”

“Oh! Uh...” The man jumped, retracting his hand. “That’s because we haven’t! Er, not officially anyway, but I’ve heard a lot about you!!”

Yuu pointed to his badge. “That. You’re an officer?”

“Yessir!” The man offered the proof of his identity and stiffly saluted. “Officer Deuce Spade, sir!! I’m a new recruit...!! I just joined the force a few weeks ago!”

Yuu mustered a faint smile. The darned fool was going to give them away. “... Am I in trouble, officer?”

“Nossir! Not at all!” His entire face shone with eagerness, earnest, and a slightly nervous energy. Maybe Yuu would have found it adorable (in the same way that a child trying hard was adorable), were he not blasting your occupation to the public. “Why would you be in trouble, sir?! You’re working with...”

“Okaaay, that’s enough out of you!” Yuu slapped a hand over Deuce’s mouth, silencing him.

Curious onlookers murmured amongst themselves. Some had taken to halt and full-on gawk. Children pointed, adult narrowing their eyes with suspicion.

Yuu frowned, removing their hand to shoo pedestrians away. “Nothing to see here, folks. Just a misunderstanding. Move along, Wonder Boy and I can settle this ourselves.”

“Wonder Boy?” Deuce, in a daze, pointed to himself. “Is that... me?”

“Who else would I be talking about?” Yuu folded their arms. “I assume you’re free now?”

“I am, sir! I was just let off my shift a little while ago, sir!”

“First, drop the ‘sir’. It’s giving me a headache,” Yuu instructed. “Second, if you’re free, then you’ll be joining me for a drink and a chat. We have things to discuss--chief among them being why you were following me.”

Ring-a-ling!

A bell sounded as the door to the Mostro Lounge swung open. Deuce stepped into a new world, Yuu at his side.

The interior itself was dim, but glass lights fastened in the shape of jellyfish projected swimming incandescent lights in purple, blue, and pink. Velvet booths lined one half of the eatery, the other, a glossy bar with tall, narrow stools, the shelves behind it healthily stocked with bottles in jeweled tones. Strangers poised with drink took residence in most of the seats.

The entire back wall had been repurposed into a massive aquarium teeming with aquatic plants and exotic creatures. Seaweed and coral gently swayed to the rhythm of the smooth jazz floating through the lounge, fish frolicking among them.

“Whoooa,” Deuce gasped, craning his head to drink in every detail. “I’ve never been to a place as classy as this. It looks so expensive. You think my salary’s enough to cover at least an appetizer?”

“Hang on tight to your wallet,” Yuu warned. “This place will squeeze you for every thaumark you’re worth and then some—and they won’t feel a bit of remorse about it.”

The detective raised an arm, flagging a nearby waiter.

Their uniform was simple yet sleek: dark dress pants, a white bow tie, spotless gloves, and a cummerbund and suspenders over a lavender button-up shirt. It allowed for slight variation—one waiter skidded by with his shirt buttoned as low as food safety regulations deemed safe. Another jotted down orders with a jacket thrown over his shoulders and a pair of glasses tucked into the crevice of his buttons.

The waiter Yuu called out to approached like a shark fin cutting through still water, neatly bowing to greet their waiting customers. He was prim and proper compared to the other servers, not a button out of place.

When he raised his head, Deuce marveled at his mismatched olive and gold irises, the teal of his hair marred by a stripe of black. Three diamond-shaped scales dangled from his left ear, as sharp as his eyes.

“I bid you welcome to the Mostro Lounge, honored guests,” the waiter said smoothly. He gaze immediately cut to Deuce. “I see you’ve brought a friend with you, today, Yuu-san. How delightfully rare.”

“Acquaintance. We just met outside under… less than ideal circumstances.”

“Oya, how quick you were to seize on that chance encounter. I may even deem you a bigger opportunist than our dear manager.”

“… Is that a good thing or a bad thing?” Deuce inquired.

“Perhaps you will find the answer to your question, should you act as a patron at our establishment for long enough.”

“Quit toying with him, Jade. You know what we’re here for,” Yuu grumbled. “My usual.”

“If that is what you wish. And for this gentleman acquaintance of yours?”

“Just ice water is fine, sir!”

Jade maintained his polite smile. “Very well. One glass of ice cold water for you. I will bring you a menu as well, in case you begin to feel peckish late into the night.”

“Oh, thanks!”

“Right this way then.” Jade gestured for the two to follow him.

“He’s upselling you, you know,” Yuu pointed out under their breath. “Hoping that you’ll buy something when presented with the opportunity to spend.”

“E-Eh, he is?! I didn’t even realize…”

“Fufufu. Please, do not let your worries consume you. You have come to relax, correct? We at the Mostro Lounge ask that you put your fins and your feet up and enjoy yourself while the night is still young.”

They were escorted to two empty stools in a (relatively) quiet corner of the bar. The glass jellyfish lights were clustered in the center of the main dining area, leaving the corner like a slice of dark, uncharted waters. Jass music and conversation filtered into a muffled melody.

Yuu plopped down with relief, followed by an apprehensive Deuce. He slowly sank into the cushy seat.

“I will be right back with your drinks. If you will excuse me.” With another bow, Jade rounded the bar and rolled up his sleeves—the transition from waiter to bartender. Presenting his back to the duo, he set to plucking bottles off of the shelves.

Deuce blinked. He still hadn’t taken to fully processing his new surroundings. “Are we really going kick back and have drinks when there’s a serial thief on the loose?”

“We can’t talk about that in public, or risk blowing my cover. It’s safe to talk here,” Yuu reassured him. “What happens in the Mostro Lounge stays in the Mostro Lounge. Say what you want about the slimy staff, but they know how to keep their patrons’ secrets. Client confidentiality and all.”

The young officer brightened. “Ooooh, I get it!”

“… You’re not the sharpest tool in the shed,” Yuu remarked bluntly. They slipped off their baseball cap, letting loose their hair. “So? Let’s have it.”

“Have what?”

“Your reason for following me.”

“Oh!! That.” Deuce nervously scratched at the back of his neck. “That’s kind of…”

The detective drummed their fingers on the polished counter. Methodical, deliberate. “You mentioned that you recently joined the force. However, only senior officials in the police department and myself were privy to this operation. How did you come to learn about it?”

Deuce stiffened, thrown off his beat (if he had any to begin with). “Th-That’s…!”

“I’m asking you a question, Mr. Spade. Please answer me truthfully.”

“I… um… Truth is, I…” Deuce stared at his lap, unable to meet the detective’s eyes. “I might have eavesdropped when I returned from my patrol shift…”

“Go on,” Yuu coaxed.

“There was a report I had to submit to the Chief, but it sounded like he was busy in his office. It’s hard to not notice him when he raises his voice, sir. I decided to wait outside until he was done, and… well, I got curious.”

“Wasn’t Assistant Chief Clover also present? He just let you do that without a single protest?”

“Assistant Chief Clover was very nice to me! He laughed a little and said ‘make sure you don’t get caught with your hand in the cookie jar’!”

Darn it, Trey!! You could’ve been a LITTLE stricter with this guy…! Yuu groaned, massaging the bridge of their nose. “Okay, I think I’m starting to get a better picture of what went down. You followed me wanting to learn more about the operation.”

Like a curious child chasing after a white rabbit. Still immature, still wondering, and still way over their head.

“Yes, but that’s not all!” Deuce insisted. He abruptly stood from the table. “There’s an even more important reason than just satisfying my curiosity, sir!”

Yuu quirked an eyebrow. “And what’s that?”

“I had to talk to you—without the Chief around. I had to. That’s why I followed you in secret.” The officer nibbled his lower lip, as if biting back something harsh and bitter from coming up.

“Out with it, Mr. Spade.”

“Pardon the intrusion,” Jade coolly interjected. His tone was nonchalant but his bemused smile was a telltale sign that he was relishing in every second of the hot gossip. “Your beverages.”

He slid two glasses between Yuu and Deuce before departing. One was tall and slim—a highball—loaded with carbonated water and fruity gummies. Yellow for jeweled pineapples, red for ruby berries, green for frozen mint, black for floral cacao, and blue from pure azure salt. It was Yuu’s usual, the famed Mystery Drink. The other glass was, by comparison, an ordinary drink of water, a single large, clear cube of ice floating in it.

A bead of sweat ran down Deuce’s jawline. Condensation forming and racing on his glass of water.

Suddenly, the officer slapped both hands on the counter, slamming his face down upon its surface. His navy hair splayed, forehead touching the table in a display of humility.

Yuu almost spilled their drink. “What are you doing?”

“I’m begging you, sir!! P-Please put me on the mission!!” Deuce pleaded, his voice shaky but resolute. “I… I want to help catch the Knave of Hearts too!!”

“If that’s all you wanted, why ask me? Go through the proper channels to…”

“I can’t!! The Chief would never allow it.” His expression creased with shame. “He says rookies need to work their way up from meter maid to working on cases.”

“He’s right. You need to grow into these things, not rush in head-first in a burst of passion.” Yuu made to take a sip of their drink—but the officer’s fist collided with the counter, the liquid inside the glass sloshing overboard. Seltzer water splashed onto their pant leg, leaving a sticky wet spot on a thigh.

“P-Please reconsider! I know how to handle myself in a fight! I’m fast, I could easily catch up with him if it’s a race on foot!”

“Look,” the detective said irritably, “I don’t know what you’re hoping to accomplish here. Fact is, no matter how much you ask, I wouldn’t want to take you on for this case. You’re too green behind the ears—and sorry, but I just don’t see you as an asset.

“You may be strong and quick on your feet, but it’ll take more than strength and speed to catch the Knave of Hearts. There’s a reason he hasn’t been caught yet.” Yuu tapped at their temple. “It’s this. He’s got smarts, and we need to combat that with smarts of our own.”

“I-I can be smart!! I can try to, at least! Please, just let me try…!!”

Frustrated, Yuu scrutinized the young man again. Their eyes roaming, searching, for detail wrong, a hair out of place.

Years of sleuthing had built up a great amount of cynicism and distrust in the detective. How many times had they pulled back the curtain, revealing the ugly truths hidden out of plain sight? How many bruised egos--both clients and coworkers--had they encountered? People seeking status or to feed their own pride.

Yet when they looked at Deuce, none of that ugliness or ego came through. Here was someone who stubbornly stared right back at Yuu, unwilling to back down, even when his dignity lay in tatters on the floor the instant he prostrated himself.

Another selfish bid for recognition? They ventured, toying with the idea. Maybe personal ambition, looking to climb up in the world.

“... One reason,” Yuu said, holding up an index finger. “Give me one good reason why I should take you on. Convince me.”

Deuce recoiled--as though even he hadn’t expected to have made it this far, or to be taken seriously at all. His brows creased with effort as he racked the recesses of his mind to find the right phrasing.

A second later, he let out a piercing shout.

“GAAAAAAAAH!!”

With a grunt, Deuce grasped his cup of ice water and lifted it to his lips. He hammered the drink in a single swig, releasing a satisfied hoot. The liquid courage had revived the man, returning the spark to him.

In a voice as clear as the drink he had just downed, Deuce said, “It’s for my mom. She’s just about the sweetest, most hard-working person I know.”

He hung his head and slammed his empty cup down, shaking the entire table.

“She raised me as a single parent. Mom never once complained, only wanted the best life for me.” Deuce glared into his glass, speaking with scorn and anger--not at others, but for himself. “And how did I repay her? I... turned to delinquency.

“I acted out because I wasn’t man enough to do the mature thing and work on myself!! She blamed herself for my stupid decisions! I made mom worry for me so, so much...”

Plip, plip.

Deuce faltered, letting quiet tears dribble down his cheeks and landing on the cube of ice left in his glass. Once they made contact with the frozen block, it was impossible to tell what was water and what was salt.

“I swore to myself that I would turn my life around... to show mom that it’s not her fault, that she did all she could to raised someone who could contribute to society!! So I studied really hard at the police academy, and even though my grades were crappy, I managed to graduate...!!”

He choked up, a concoction of fiery passion infused in his stuttering words. “I can finally be that model officer and make a change in the community! But I haven’t done a damn thing...! I just play meter maid while bad guys are out there running free, when I could be out there making this city a safer place for mom and everyone that lives here...!!”

The noises of the lounge seemed to fade into a stoic silence around Deuce. His declaration reverberated loudly. “I have to do this. I need to do this.”

He bowed again, his forehead pressed hard against the surface of the table. The single word he uttered was hoarse, desperate.

“Please.”

Deuce pried himself up almost painfully. The eyes were aquamarine, wet with hot tears. Something shone through them in shades of blue and green, priceless as any treasure: an honesty that burned like an eternal flame.

Yuu startled, striken by a single, haunting revelation: He’s telling the truth.

“... I don’t think I’ve met someone like you before,” they said cryptically. “I don’t doubt your story—but as touching as it is, I don’t know if...”

Hesitation reared its head, and Yuu forced themselves to look away. Couldn’t bear to see him, that wide-eyed sincerity.

Emotion clashing with their sound logic. Two things that shouldn’t have belonged together colliding. 

Wait... things that don’t belong together? Things I didn’t expect, surprises and twists to the tale...

A ex-delinquent turned into a policeman. A selfishness turned selfless. An anticipated lie turned into a truth. Something there that hadn’t been before.

The detective’s mind raced, quickly outpacing the words leaving their mouth. A solution which subverted expectations, a trap laced with honey for a man with sticky fingers.

That’s it. We’ll pull a trick of our own.

“Okay, I’ve changed my mind,” Yuu abruptly announced. “You’re in on this operation, Mr. Spade.”

“R-Really?!” Deuce’s face nearly tore in half, his volume revving up like a motorcycle engine. “You mean it?!”

“I do.”

Yuu took a cool sip of their Mystery Drink. Flavors from all over Twisted Wonderland cascaded over their tongue—a triumphant, fleeting pleasure.

They set their glass down and bent over, gripping Deuce by the strings of his hoodie. Yuu tugged, bringing the policeman lurching forward.

His clammy forehead against theirs. Centimeters away, his eyes widened. A flushed heat climbed to his cheeks, his voice set in a stammer.

“S-Sir, what are we...”

“You’ll have to follow my instructions very carefully,” Yuu replied with a devious grin. “Listen up, rookie: cuz you’re going to be the star of this show. Here’s the plan...”

The ambience of the lounge drowned out Yuu’s whispers. From afar, their words could only be read through the shapes of their mouth, the increasingly confused and alarmed expressions that Deuce pulled.

Jade observed them patiently, chuckling to himself. “My, my, it seems like our genius detective has found yet another solution.”

CLATTER, CLATTER!!

A tray piled high with empty plates and dishes was slammed down. Jade’s twin peered around the stack, leaning lazily against the bar.

“Eeeh, but I bet against them this time.”

“Playing the contrarian runs its risks.” Jade picked up a glass, staring at his brother through it. The golden orb called his left eye was clear as a topaz. “As for myself, I’m excited to see how this plays out.”

PLAP.

A notepad came down on the table as a third waiter joined them.

“Both of you need to stop gossiping and get back to work,” their manager chided, sliding the notepad—scrawled with fresh orders—to Jade. “Leave the customers to tend to their own business. We’ll soon know the outcome.”

[To be continued...]

[its-time-to-write]

hi there! (ok FIRST AND FOREMOST i need to tell you that i am obsessed with your writing. you are by far my favorite jamie tartt writer, you characterize him perfectly and nail his speech mannerisms! not an easy feat! so thank u for writing what you do and for sharing it with us!!!! <333333 ok now that i've gotten that off my chest) if you're taking requests right now i'd love to see your take on a (slowburn?) enemies to lovers fic with jamie!!

I don’t know why I take simple little prompts and turn them into angsty monstrosities. This one makes up for the lack of plot in my other fics, and I’d like to apologize in advance😬

Oh also I am the queen of commas, in case you didn’t know 😇😇

flipped the script

It cannot be considered murder if you’re provoked. It would be considered doing the world a favor. 

And by god, you are going to fucking murder Jamie Tartt.

He does absolutely fucking nothing but make your life fucking miserable and you’re fucking losing it.

The only thing you’d agree on is when it started. It was 4am and he was yelling at someone called Roy and you had to be awake in two hours for a fucking conference, and you’d only just fallen asleep at 1am.

So you marched out of your house to the sidewalk where your prick neighbor was arguing with his prick coach and told him to shut the fuck up or I’m calling the police.

He opened his mouth to retort, changed his mind, then made a snide comment about your choice of outfit while you glared at him. His prick coach had the decency to apologize and smack Jamie on the head, so you said, “You’re fine, Roy, I’ll see you at work next week,” and Roy said, “Ah shit, you have that fucking conference, yeah?” and you said yeah then flipped off Jamie as you walked away.

You really hadn’t had many interactions with Jamie before, but you knew him before you started your job as an administrative assistant for AFC Richmond since you were, after all, living right next to each other.

Your last job had paid incredibly well; you were basically the go-to girl for your last company for two and half years. You compiled all relevant information from the day and presented to your boss so he would be caught up on the company’s inner workings. You were observant when it came to valuable (or toxic) employees, and had gained a reputation for being an invaluable asset.

But your old boss was retiring and you were ready for something new, so you began looking around. You found a job at AFC Richmond, assisting a Mr. Higgins and just generally making sure his job ran smoothly so the club could run smoothly. 

It was mostly paperwork, but you enjoyed it. You collected data from all different departments and then ran it by Higgins and Ms. Welton. You weren’t above coffee runs; it was nice to get out sometimes and Ms. Welton would put your coffee on her bill. You got to take your lunch breaks with them and talk and laugh, and be appreciated, which is something you didn’t often get.

The nature of your job demands a certain level of… professionalism, shall we say, which can be misconstrued as coldness. You’re not. You’re just young and trying to be taken seriously, which is why it’s nice to be known both in a personal and professional capacity by Higgins and Ms. Welton. Higgins has even invited you over for family dinner and you’d invited his family over to yours. His boys had absolutely lost their minds at the amount of nerf guns you had stashed in each room, courtesy of your brother who often liked to drop by unannounced when he knew you were home and get you in the back of the head. Sometimes you regretted giving him a key, but not enough to take it back.

All that to say, it was a relatively seamless transition to AFC Richmond. You and Jamie would exchange a neighborly nod if you saw each other, but that was absolutely it. 

—

The next incident is, uh, kind of your fault.

Remember the brother-and-nerf-guns thing?

Yeah.

Your brother had sneaked over on a Sunday (parked around the corner so his car wouldn’t be seen on your security cameras) and you were chasing each other around the house. Your sister-in-law had warned you he was coming over (he asked her to drive him), so you were prepared and hiding in the bushes. He was nonchalantly walking on the sidewalk, hands in his hoodie, when you popped out and got him right in the chest then booked it into your house, which led to a solid fifteen minutes of running and yelling, with the occasional, “Ow, you jerk!” that siblings are always saying but never really mean.

The incident occurs when you’re once again in your front yard running from your brother. You look back to assess how far away he is when smack, you run into someone and feel their beverage go flying.

It’s Jamie, and his bright pink drink is now all over his clean white hoodie.

You both stop and glare at each other. 

You had stopped feigning civility after the 4am thing, so the glare is standard procedure.

Jamie says, “What the fuck?” as your brother comes careening to an abrupt halt.

You’re still glaring. “Why are asking me ‘what the fuck?’ You’re the one walking around here with that fucking awful drink that’s probably going to kill your internal organs. I mean seriously, it cannot be safe to consume something that bright.”

“Says the girl who’s addicted to diet soda.”

“Says the girl who’s fucking pissed that her sidewalk is stained fucking bright pink. How the fuck am I supposed to clean this?”

Jamie’s face is red now, and yours is too.

“A), it’s a fucking public sidewalk and b), what about my fucking sweatshirt? This cost more than your shitty car!” he shoots back, and that’s the moment a line is crossed.

“We live in the same goddamn neighborhood,” you hiss, “so shut the fuck up with your stupid elitist footballer bullshit.”

“Oi, at least I’m not a fucking stuck-up, self-righteous big-shot with no friends!”

You’re not sure what would have happened next because your brother grabs you by the arm and hauls you back inside, waving apologetically to Jamie. All the fight goes out of you as soon as the door shuts.

“What the ever-loving hell was that?” he asks. He never did like using the word “fuck.”

—

What the ever-loving hell was that? Well, it’s actually quite simple. In the seven months you’ve been at Richmond, you haven’t really made any friends.

Yes, you have Ms. Welton and Higgins, but that’s not the same as having people the same age as you to go out with and watch movies and drink and dance and just be stupid and unwind with. 

You’re not even necessarily looking for friends at Nelson Road, just friends somewhere. The problem is, you’re not even sure how to go about it. You’ve spent the last decade of your life (yes, decade) working your ass off to get where you are now. Fourteen year-old knew what she wanted and was determined to get it. You had hustled through school, made connections, grew your resume, and saved every fucking penny until you landed a job that you were definitely under qualified for, but you had nailed the interview. You weren’t sure why your boss decided to take a chance on you, until he told you later he saw the same spark his daughter had in your eyes.

His daughter, who had become a multi-millionaire on her own by the time she was twenty-seven.

So, because someone saw the grit in your eyes of all places, you had a chance to make a fuck ton of money and have a fuck ton of benefits.

You made more connections, including a realtor who set you up with your current home at a price that was insane to normal people, but a steal to the rich. You were signing papers before it was even officially on the market.

It had been labelled as a “fixer-upper,” but that meant a little bit of scuffed paint and slightly outdated utilities. 

And it was yours.

It all came at a price though, didn’t it?

That price was not seeing your family often, sleeping poorly, and no real friends.

That’s why your brother makes it a point to come around. He knows that your lack of contact does not equate a lack of love.

Not everyone saw it that way. You’d lost all your friends at this point, labeled a bitch and a workaholic. So, you though, why the hell not just lean into it. You could be a bitch and a workaholic if it got things done. It was easier to harden the shell around your heart than let people in again.

—

Ok, maybe taking out all that anger on Jamie isn’t healthy, but hey, he’s the one fighting back so hard. 

Things keep happening. His foot is stuck out just enough to make you stumble as you pass each other in the hallway, your car is parked on the street just enough so he can’t get into his garage, ferocious glares are exchanged. Any conversation you are forced to have is laced with sarcastic, biting remarks that only serve make you close off even more. 

The worst part? You’re both fucking brilliant at hiding it. 

You’d have to be, especially at AFC Richmond under Ted Lasso’s command. If he got wind of this, he’d be all over it trying to fix it and neither of you want that. 

You see, Jamie’s a little bit fucked up too.

—

You’ve been at AFC Richmond for a year, and you’ve hated Jamie Tartt for eleven months.

Yet somehow, you’re in fucking Paris. 

Not with just Jamie, of course, but the whole team.

Rebecca’s basically given you a paid vacation because there isn’t much for you to do here. It’s great, the city of lights or something, but you can’t enjoy it. 

You’re in your room on the floor, becoming slowly dehydrated from crying.

Everything is all fuzzy and you’re incredibly disoriented, so you think you might be hallucinating when you hear a knock on the door.

It happens again, more insistently, and you think it’s probably Rebecca so you drag yourself up off the floor, wipe your eyes, and open it to find Jamie Tartt standing in front of you, clearly wishing to be anywhere else.

He’s staring at the top of the doorframe as he says, “Coach sent me to see if you want to go out with the lads tonight,” looking down only when you’ve left his statement unanswered for far too long.

His look of annoyance changes as he clocks your puffy eyes and red nose. 

“You alright?” he asks and you don’t even have the heart to say, obviously, don’t I look it? so you just nod and move to shut the door. 

Jamie blocks it with his hand and pushes it back open, then past you into the room.

It’s pristine, all marble and gold; and far too big for you. You would have preferred something smaller, something less empty. Something less cold. 

All you can do is stand there mutely in your t-shirt and sweatpants, watching your worst enemy clatter around in the room’s fridge looking for a water bottle.

He retrieves one and hands it to you, cap unscrewed.

You don’t ask if he’s spit in it, just take a sip and look at him with dead eyes.

“You look like shit,” he observes, breaking the silence. 

It’s not a dig. You’ve heard enough condescension from his lips to know when he’s fighting.

You shrug.

“You gonna say something?” Jamie asks, and that’s enough to get you going.

“You’re the one who’s in my room,” you say and instead of firing back, Jamie grins. 

“We can go to mine if you want, love,” he winks and in a terrible, awful, panic-inducing moment, you are thrown completely off your guard.

How the fuck are you supposed to reconcile this Jamie Tartt with the awful neighbor you hate? And is he- flirting? Surely not.

He registers your face going through a million expressions in an instant and sobers.

“Go sit,” he says, and you comply without thinking. You’re cross-legged on the couch and he thumps down next to you. He’s not close enough that you’re touching, but you can feel the heat radiating off his body. It’s funny, because you feel so cold. You wonder for a moment if your heart has actually turned to stone and that’s why you’re shivering.

You hear someone say, “My ex is here,” and are horrified to realize that you’re the one talking, and not only that, but you’re continuing. 

“He fucking… knew I’d be here. I saw him in the lobby. He acted like it was some great coincidence, but he was never a great liar. And… he’s here with his girlfriend. Fiancée, I guess. Because he’s proposing to her tonight. They’ve known each other less than a year, and he’s proposing to her. I saw him in the lobby looking like this while he’s in a fucking suit and all I can think about is the fact that he broke up with me because I wouldn’t put out because I wasn’t ready. And how he said he wasn’t the marrying type.” You pause.

“I broke my back making time for him. Everyone thinks I’m a workaholic and maybe I am, but I make time for the people I love. I made time for him. It sounds funny to say, especially how I am now, but he’s why I don’t anymore. Make time, I mean. Nobody notices I’m gone anyway. Or when I’m around. Or anything I do unless I’m doing something for them.”

You risk a look at Jamie. He’s studying your face with an intensity you’ve never seen and you look down to find his hand in yours, and you wonder how that happened. Your knuckles are white from gripping it but he’s holding it back and it gives you just enough of a boost to keep going.

“I don’t even want the money for myself. Like, I’m able to buy expensive shit and that’s cool, but the only reason I have a house that big is because my brother and his wife have a shit-ton of kids, and sometimes they need a break. So they can come over to mine and run around and have space and be wild for a week and I don’t care. They won’t let me give them money, so I have to think of creative ways to help them out. I only have nephews- they each have their own trust fund. It’s not that big right now, but it’s growing. It’ll be a lot by the time they’re each eighteen. And my parents… They died when I was fourteen. It was a stupid car accident, this freak thing with the brakes even though they’d just had the car serviced a week before. My brother was twenty one and newly married because he’s an idiot and he was in love. He and his wife let me live with them.”

You shake your head. “No, that’s not right, they didn’t just let me live with them, they took care of me. Bought me clothes and fed me and let me have my own room even though I said I could sleep on the couch. They could barely afford things for themselves, but they made sure I had what I needed. That’s why I threw myself into work and pushed people away. It’s for them, because I know I can never repay them. But I want to, even if they won’t let me.”

You’re done speaking, finally, and your face is bright red. It normally is when speaking to Jamie, but that’s from the sheer anger you usually feel from having to deal with him. This time it’s different. It’s from the embarrassment of being vulnerable in front of someone.

Jamie hasn’t said anything the whole time, just let you hold his hand. Your knees are touching now, and you realize that one of you must have shifted to make that happen.

You take a deep breath and blow it out slowly. “Why are you here, Jamie?” you ask softly. “You hate me. I don’t even know why I told you all that.”

He looks straight into your eyes. “I don’t hate you,” he says simply.

That’s enough to fully shatter the shell around your heart, and you’re shaking with silent sobs again as Jamie pulls you closer, your back against his chest as he wraps his arms around you.

—

You fall asleep like that, and you’re not sure at which point Jamie left. But when you wake up, you’re in your bed under a blanket. You think maybe you dreamed the whole thing until you see the note on your nightstand in messy handwriting.

I meant what I said.

—

Neither you nor Jamie comment on it, but something has changed. You don’t hate him anymore. He sits next to you on the plane back and cracks jokes, and you have a weird opportunity to apologize. He tells you he’s sorry too, explains about his dad, and you form a strange bond of repressed anger as a way to deal with hurt. 

Ted is right, forgiveness is the way to go.

—

Jamie Tartt makes it a point to ask you to go out with the lads every time they do group activities. You meet Rebecca’s friend Keeley, basically the only other girl, and pretty soon she’s invited herself over for girl’s nights. Jamie recognizes Keeley’s car the second time it happens and walks over to say hey. She invites him in, and suddenly he’s a fixture at girl’s night. His movie recommendations are shit, but his skincare products are not.

Since things at AFC Richmond aren’t as hectic as you’re used to, you start to pick up some of your old hobbies. Cooking, for example. You get your hands on a copy of Jamie’s diet plan and start experimenting with ways to make it more interesting. So now he’s at yours for dinner more often than not. 

He pops his head over the fence one Saturday afternoon, hearing young voices all morning. Your nephews are over and playing football in the backyard while your brother and sister-in-law deep clean their house. You’re sitting under an umbrella with the baby in your arms and a pitcher of water, when you hear Isaiah, the oldest, say, “Whoa! Is that Jamie Tartt?” 

You look up from Daniel’s tiny giggly face to see Jamie hanging over your fence and waving. You roll your eyes and grin back.

“Wanna come over?” you call, and the words are barely our of your mouth before he’s hopped over and starting to steal the ball from your four walking nephews.

They’re at it for a good thirty minutes before he calls time-out and is jogging over to you, all sweaty and grinning. 

“Didn’t know you were good with kids,” he says.

“Could say the same thing about you,” you shoot back.

He grabs water then makes a silly face at Daniel, who giggles and waves his arms. You laugh and kiss the baby on the top of his head, which makes him gurgle. You look up to see Jamie watching you strangely, so you wrinkle your nose at him. “What?” you say, but before he can open his mouth to respond, Jesse is pulling on Jamie’s hand, telling him the time-out is over.

—

Your next interaction of note happens after your third consecutive Richmond match. You don’t usually go to them, as it’s not required and you didn’t really care. But since you’ve been hanging out with the team, you find yourself taking Rebecca up on her offer to sit in the owner’s box. It’s three days until the next match and you’re looking for Jamie so you can eat lunch together. You find him in the locker room of all places and hand him his bag of food, yet another one of your experiments.

You’re starting to get really good revitalizing Jamie’s meal plan.

His eyes light up when he sees you, and you both miss the looks exchanged between Ted and Beard in their office.

Jamie puts down the lunch and says, “Oi, I got you something.” He reaches into his locker and pulls out a Richmond jersey.

“It’s new, it ain’t one of mine, but now you can wear it to matches.”

You shake it open to see it’s a Jamie Tartt jersey, and this makes you unreasonably happy.

Jamie’s grinning too, and it’s the rare kind of grin where his teeth look sharper and his eyes flash.

You hug it to your chest and say, “I’ll be sure to wear it Saturday,” before you and Jamie head to the café to eat.

— 

Keeley, of course, has comments about the jersey. You pretend not to understand what she’s saying.

—

It’s girls night again, and you and Jamie are pulling snacks out of his cabinets when your phones ding at the same time. It’s Keeley on your groupchat.

Can’t make it babes, something’s come up.

You make a comment involving the words “Roy Kent,” and riffing on her excuse, which makes Jamie laugh.

“I guess I’ll head back to mine,” you say, but Jamie tilts his head and says, “Or you could just… stay,” so you do.

You’re on his couch again, like the night you stopped hating him: your back agains his chest as you rub your thumb absentmindedly on his tattooed forearm.

You’re midway through the movie and explaining to Jamie the limited plausibility of it happening in real life, when he says a soft, oh shit as you pause to take a breath.

“What?” you say, sitting up. “Is everything alright?”

Jamie rubs a hand across his face. “You’re gonna fucking hate me again.”

You squint. “Not sure that’s possible. You’ve got too much dirt on me.”

Jamie just groans. “Nah, you’ll hate me. But I’m gonna tell you anyway.”

He grabs your hand and looks you straight in your eyes, giving you goosebumps.

“I’m fucking in love with you,” he says, and your brain still functions just enough to crash your lips into his.

You’re on top of him and his fingers are tangled in your hair, but as your fingers ghost his waistband, he stills and grabs your hand.

You freeze too, afraid you’ve crossed a line, but Jamie says, “I’m not fucking you for the first time on my couch. We’re going to do this proper,” and then he’s whisking you off your feet and up the stairs.

—

You know that fucking someone you work with is a line you said you’d never cross. But he was your neighbor first, and you’re in love, so it doesn’t count. You’re lying on Jamie’s bed gasping for air after god knows how long and all you can say is, “fuck me.”

Jamie smirks. “Thought I just did, babe, but I’ll go again,” and you’re seeing stars for the third time that night.

He’s sucking a line across your collarbone when you say, “Wait!”

Jamie is off of you in a moment, and you feel strangely empty.

“You alright?” he asks, all concern.

“I never said it back,” you explain. Jamie’s still confused.

“I love you too. You said you’re fucking in love with me. I’m in love with you too. Just thought I should make it clear.” 

Jamie’s looking at you all strange again, eyes dark, so you roll him back on top and let him devour you.

[thedummysdummy]

Pregnancy Tests

A secondhand request from one of @perhaps-in-anotherdream 's anons. Hopefully it hits the spot!

Months of patience had finally paid off. Relief and joy cascaded down the girl’s body, starting as a warmth at the top of her head and radiating outward toward her fingers and toes. She clutched the piece of paper handed to her by the doctor as if it were the most precious of her belongings. “This is the best possible news! Thank you, thank you! Victor is going to be so happy!” 

As she left the hospital, the girl’s mind ran with a million different ways to break the news to her beloved. It had to be something grand and memorable! But what? She considered a million different ideas on her way home, still having settled on nothing by the time she arrived at their shared home. 

She hurried inside and folded up the results, stowing them away in her bedside table drawer until she could think of a way to present them. What was the rush, anyway? She had nine months before their little bundle would arrive.

The next few days passed in a bit of a blur. Her company was filming a documentary in conjunction with Loveland TV, which was obviously a big deal. Despite her nagging nausea and fatigue, she did her best to hide her condition and be there for her crew. By Friday evening, she practically stumbled over to Victor’s car and collapsed into her seat. 

“Tired?” Victor teased, reaching over to buckle her seatbelt for her. She nodded and closed her eyes, her hand resting over her stomach. He glanced at the slightly pained expression on his girlfriend’s face and frowned. “Not feeling well?” She shook her head and Victor started up the car. “Well, then I’ll run you a bath when we get home. You’ve been working very hard this week and need some rest.”

The confession was on her lips the entire drive. It would be so easy to just say, ‘Victor, I’m pregnant with our baby.’ But that was so unromantic! So she simply kept her eyes closed and her left hand enclosed in Victor’s until they pulled up in front of his home. He pushed the button on her seatbelt and hurried to her side of the car to open the door. “Can you walk?”

She rolled her eyes and stepped out of the car, amused by Victor’s usual level of concern. “I’m not made of tissue paper, Mr. CEO. But I won’t say no to a nice bath.” She took Victor’s hand and followed him inside where she sat down to take off her shoes. Her movements were slow, betraying the depth of her fatigue. Victor watched, hovering, until she had her slippers on before scooping her up from the chair and carrying her toward their bedroom. “Hey!” she giggled, hearing his heartbeat as her ear pressed against his chest. He squeezed her in response with a broad grin on his face. 

“That’s better,” he chuckled as he set her down on the bed and headed for the bathroom. “That grimace on your face was making me feel ill myself. You just relax while I get the bath drawn.” The girl nodded and Victor disappeared through the bathroom door, where she soon heard the sound of running water and caught the scent of vanilla and jasmine. She undressed as she waited, figuring she might as well be ready when he got back.

Victor returned and a cheeky grin spread across his face when he found her nude. He again scooped her up and carried her to the tub, gently lowered her into the hot water, and kissed her on the forehead. “Do you need anything else? Painkillers or anything? You haven’t exactly told me what part of you feels unwell.” 

“I’m just a little nauseous. But I’ll be okay!” She gave Victor her most earnest ‘I’m fine’ face, which only drew a sigh from his lungs. He shook his head, patted hers, and exited the bathroom in search of anti-nausea pills. The bottle had gone missing from the medicine cupboard and he stood in the middle of the kitchen for a moment with a confused look on his face. When had they last used those? Knowing the girl tended to take them and go straight to bed, he figured her bedside table was probably the next best place to look. 

So he returned to the bedroom and opened the little drawer. Sure enough, the bottle he was searching for rolled to the front to greet him. However, he was distracted by the folded sheet of paper with hospital letterhead peeking out and pulled it from the drawer. He scanned the information quickly, a mixture of emotions swirling in his eyes as it dawned on him what he was reading. 

The girl heard Victor’s footsteps approaching, but the speed at which he opened the door and arrived at her side caused her eyes to fly open. He looked…annoyed? No, not annoyed. His eyes were sparkling too much for that. It wasn’t until she realized what he was holding that she understood the situation. “Victor, I-”

He cut her off, his voice sharp with emotion. “Why didn’t you tell me?! You had such good news for half a week and didn’t think I should know?!” He waved the pregnancy test results from the doctor and sat on the edge of the tub. “You should have told me immediately! I would have arranged for Anna to take care of the shoot this week. You shouldn’t be working that hard.” 

“I was just trying to think of the perfect way to tell you! I wanted it to be sweet and romantic, not…not like this. You ruined the surprise.” She scrunched her eyebrows together in a chastising kind of way, which caused Victor to fall silent with a small pink flush beginning in his ears. “But also I would have gone to work anyway. You’re not keeping me on bedrest for an entire nine months, Mr. Victor Li!” 

Victor scowled and set the results on the bathroom sink. “Fine, but I’m calling the doctor to make an appointment so we can check your health and the baby’s health. You worked way too hard this week for someone carrying my child.” His features softened and his hand caressed her cheek. “I love you. I just want what’s best for you and for our baby.” He felt a shiver of excitement roll down his spine as he thought about those words. ‘Our baby.’ They were the sweetest arrangement of letters he could possibly imagine. 

“I suppose that’s fair. But if the doctor says I’m perfectly healthy, then you can’t spend the whole time treating me like I’m made of porcelain. Fair?” 

With a chuckle, Victor pulled out his phone to make the call. “Fair. But you relax this evening and let me worry.” 

~~~

Monday morning, Victor and the girl arrived at the hospital the moment their doors opened. He had insisted on the first appointment of the day, his anxiety over the baby refusing to calm down until he was reassured by the doctor. They were welcomed in with smiles and told to sit down for a few minutes until the doctor was ready for them. 

They didn’t have to wait long. “Come on back with me, loves,” the nurse said with a smile, leading the couple through the doors into the long hallway of exam rooms. She took them to the first one on the right and Victor carefully helped the girl up onto the exam table. “Please put on this gown while you wait, okay?” 

Victor accepted the gown from the nurse, who exited and closed the door behind her. Before Victor could even ask if the girl wanted him to wait outside while she changed, she began undressing. He shamelessly watched since she didn’t seem to care and handed her the gown when she was ready, then helped her secure it. “Do you think we’re going to have a boy or a girl?” the girl asked as he tied the strings.

“A boy, obviously. First children should always be boys so they can protect their little sisters.” Victor sat down in the chair next to the table with a completely straight expression, though the girl recognized the teasing glint in his eyes. She smacked his shoulder with the back of her hand and he laughed. “I don’t care if we have a boy or a girl. As long as they take after their mother.” 

Warmth filled the girl’s heart just as the doctor entered the room. “Ah, Mr. and Mrs. Li! I’m told you’re concerned about your lovely wife’s health? Congratulations, by the way. Let’s check the basics first, hm?” Neither party felt the need to correct their doctor on their relationship status, though Victor and the girl shared an amused glance as the doctor turned to the cabinets to get some supplies. 

He checked her heart, her temperature, and her blood pressure before pulling out the ultrasound machine. “You’re a little warm, my dear. Nothing too bad and it could definitely just be the pregnancy. But be sure you’re drinking plenty of water, okay?” 

The girl nodded as the doctor instructed her to lay down on the table. “Let’s open the middle of your gown so we can check that baby, hm? This is going to be a little cold.” He squeezed some gel on her belly and turned on the ultrasound machine, waiting a moment for it to power on before beginning to sweep the sensor over her abdomen. 

His chatty demeanor changed as he moved the device around and stared at the screen. His eyebrows lowered a little, causing Victor and the girl to become a little concerned. After a few moments he put down the sensor and turned back to the cabinets. “I’m going to take a little blood and run another pregnancy test, okay? It’s probably just too early to see anything on the ultrasound, but I want to be sure. You can put your clothes back on while I’m gone.” 

The girl’s heart sank, but she nodded wordlessly. She looked away as the crimson liquid filled the tube and was whisked away, and Victor reached out to take her hand. “Hey. If the first test was wrong, it’s okay. We can try again, hm? And then you can surprise me any way you like.” 

Victor helped her dress and held her hand until the doctor returned with a somber expression on his face. “I’m sorry, but I have some bad news. It seems like there was an error and your previous pregnancy test results were incorrect. You’re not pregnant and I didn’t find any sign of miscarriage, so it seems you never were. I’m so sorry.” 

The girl pulled on Victor’s hand and he stood, pulling her into his arms where she buried her face in his chest. “Thank you, doctor. Did you find any sign of what has been causing her fever, then?” 

“We did check for any bacterial infections in the remaining sample, but didn’t find anything. It’s most likely just a mild virus. Some rest, plenty of fluids, and everything should be fine in a few days. If not, give the nurse a call and we’ll get you back in for more tests.” The doctor seemed ready for a negative reaction to his news, but Victor remained quite calm while he held his trembling girlfriend against his body. 

“Very well. Thank you again.” Victor nodded to the doctor as he took his leave, allowing the two a few moments to compose themselves before they left. Victor kissed the top of the girl’s head and lifted her chin to look into her eyes. “Hey. Everything will be fine. Let’s get you home, and when you’re feeling better, we’ll try again.” He raised his eyebrows in a meaningful way and the girl giggled a little through her tears. Hand in hand they left the hospital, hearts heavy, but hope light. Just an excuse to spend some more time with each other, that’s what this was. Everything would surely work out.

[alcamcat]

Coming home Part 1

Gavin is on his way home after a long mission, but he never imagined what awaited him...

Pairing: Gavin x female

Warning: smut implied – Minors DNI

This is my first fic I post on here, hope you guys like it…

~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~

The sound of the rotors pounded in his ears even through the headset he was wearing, and Gavin felt his whole-body tremble with the helicopter's vibrations. But he was too tired to really notice, too exhausted to care. The headset creaked unpleasantly, followed by the pilot's voice, who kept in touch with the other two machines, occasionally exchanging jokes and pointless small talk, which Gavin ignored out of disinterest. 

Beside him, in the uncomfortable seats behind the cockpit, sat Eli and two other high-profile members of the Special Unit. Eli had been asleep for an hour while Gavin, despite his tiredness, inexplicably failed to fall asleep.

The mission had been one hell of a trip, almost five weeks of constant stress, surveillance and hard fighting that had taken a toll on the bodies and psyches of all the members. Gavin had two bruised ribs and more bruises, scrapes and contusion than he could count, according to the local doctor. His left shoulder blade was bandaged, a memento of an explosion that had threw him against a stone wall. He didn't even want to imagine how much more would have happened if his Evol hadn't cushioned him.

But it wasn't that bad, he thought, not sure if she would see it the same way. Gavin's mouth twisted slightly as he considered how she would react if she could see him now and vividly imagine the scowl on her face. She just always worried too much about him. That was one of those moments when he almost appreciated not being able to carry his private cell phone with him during such operations - a video call in this condition would certainly do more harm than good.

Gavin closed his eyes and imagined her face - something he liked to do at moments like this. It had been far too long for his liking since he had seen her smile, felt her skin, or smelled her perfume. He missed her, missed falling asleep next to her, making her laugh or just doing everyday things with her. Living with the woman of his dreams was great, but his job often took him out of the relaxed, sheltered life he was building with her.

And no matter how many times he told her not to worry, Gavin was sure that when he was on missions it was hard on her too. Especially since he more often than not came home with injuries that were not life-threatening, but still showed how dangerous his job could be.

In the beginning he had always tried to hide his injuries, but even if she wasn't an agent, she had a sixth sense to locate injuries on him and after several serious conversations and one or two small arguments he had given up trying. And he had to admit that it wasn't an uncomfortable feeling to know that she wanted to take care of him.

~☆~☆~☆~☆~

Two and a half hours, an initial brief conversation with his supervisor and a hot shower later, Gavin sat on the bench in one of the head office changing rooms and pulled his bag out of the locker. It was the moment he'd been looking forward to since their helicopter touched the ground in Loveland. His phone felt cold in his hand as he turned it on, impatiently waiting for it to start up.

With a whirr, his phone was ready, and seconds later it began to vibrate. A grin formed on his face as the messages from his girlfriend appeared on his display one after the other. Even though she knew he couldn't take his phone with him, she'd texted him at least one message almost every day.

Some messages were short "good morning" messages, others told him about her day. A few began with "You won't believe it..." or "Do you remember...", while in others she talked about her work or other activities. And almost all of them included an "I love you". The "I miss you" messages made his heart clench.

Even though she always said it was okay that she understood how much he loved his job, things like this were the reason why he kept doubting if it was right to be with her. He loved her, no question, and he was happy that she returned his feelings. But with someone else she could live a life where she wouldn't be alone as often, someone she didn't have to worry about getting hurt while fighting for his life. But at the same time, he also knew that he was too selfish to ever let her go again. Not if she wanted to stay with him.

As he read the messages, he absentmindedly fished in his bag for the small, dark green box that contained the ring that would - hopefully - seal his future for good.

He had the ring made in a small jeweler a while ago, small ginkgo leaves were set in a supple band of rose gold, with a small emerald in the middle, the color which mirrored the green of her eyes perfectly.

All she would have to do would be to say yes if he would finally dare to ask. If he would know how or when. But what if she says no? What would happen if she would not want to marry him? They'd already talked about getting married and having kids a few times while daydreaming about their future together, but it's possible that her mind had changed.

~☆~☆~☆~☆~

 Coming home never really meant much to Gavin. When he lived alone, all he came home to was a small cactus and a fine, almost invisible layer of dust in the sparsely furnished apartment.

But now he felt his body almost relax as he unlocked the front door and pushed the door open.

He tried to be as quiet as possible, as he took off his shoes and put the key in the small box next to the cloakroom as it was well past midnight. Gavin expected her to be asleep but entering the living room he saw a completely different picture than what he had expected.

A bottle of wine sat on the dining table, next to it were two empty plates and burned-out candles. He discovered two wine glasses on the table next to the couch, one of which was still half full of red wine. The smell in the apartment was a mixture of wine, expensive food, and a perfume Gavin couldn't place.

But the worst were the noises he heard from the adjoining bedroom.

Gavin felt his blood freeze before boiling like lava. There was no doubt it was her voice. The voice of his girlfriend, the love of his life, giggling, purring and softly moaning. Gavin was stunned for several heartbeats, then he felt the cold breeze of his Evol carrying him slowly, against his will, to the bedroom door.

The closer he got to the room, the more clearly he could make out her voice. And now he also heard the dark baritone of a male voice that sounded quite familiar to him. Not a breath later he had pushed the door open, but nothing could have prepared him for the picture that presented itself to him.

In the bed—the bed they shared—was his girlfriend. She was naked, her hair spread untidily on the pillow as she moaned. Her arms encircled a man's muscular torso, her nails digging into his shoulder blades as he braced his hands beside her shoulders and thrust into her like a beast gone berserk.

Oh thank God, a dream... it was only a dream... But what would really await him back home?

She was actually lying there getting fucked by another man that Gavin now realized was more than familiar.

Before logic could form the scene into an overall picture, Gavin reacted. The wind rattling the shutters was the only warning Victor got before Gavin used his Evol to lunge at him. With a growl, the other was pushed off of her, while she screamed and pulled the blanket over her naked body.

Gavin's fist hit him in the face, and within seconds a fight erupted. Then her pleading voice came from the bed

"Gavin, stop! What's wrong with you? Stop it! Now! You're killing him!" But he couldn't stop himself, only when he caught a glimpse of her naked silhouette as she jumped off the bed and rushed over to the two of them, he stopped.

With a snarl, Gavin slumped back against the closet and watched helplessly as she wrapped the blanket around the other man while she glared at him, stunned, almost angry. That look made him freeze. As if she had a reason to blame him for the whole thing.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Her high-pitched, angry voice rang in his ears, and even though Gavin wanted to yell, confront her, or turn the whole world into a burning inferno, he sat there motionless. He couldn't take his eyes off his girlfriend, his voice didn't obey him, words formed on his tongue and faded into nothing.

He watched impassively as she averted her gaze, kissed the other man’s shoulder and snuggled into him as if seeking protection in his arms. In the arms of the man, she cheated with, like it was the most normal thing in the world.

"There will be consequences..." the dark baritone voice brought Gavin out of his trance, he looked at the man who - with a split lip and a cut eyelid - was hugging his girlfriend "...permission has been granted."

"What?" Gavin murmured before the scene began to blur before his eyes as if he was about to faint.

~☆~☆~☆~☆~

"Permission to land granted.", the raspy voice of the tower tore him out of his dream. Gavin flinched as his eyes widened, it took him a few seconds to comprehend what had happened, to realize he was still in the helicopter, Eli stirring beside him as they made their approach to land.

[yuzuocha]

LOVE AND DEEPSPACE? MORE LIKE LOVE AND SCAMSPACE

ok as much as i absolutely love this game, it hasn't even been a YEAR yet people are ALREADY EXHAUSTED because of how fucking punishing the game is in terms of spending

i've spent around 600 USD on this game, give or take. it isn't a small amount, but it isn't a gargantous amount either — and yet, even i feel like i've been cheated out of my money, which is hard to do.

"but gacha games are predatory by default, it's ultimately your fault for spending money on the game"

yes, they are all predatory. they're meant to get their consumers into a top-up addiction. however, infold is especially (and unfairly) scummy towards lds players.

if you are unaware, infold isn't a brand-new company — it's just papergames underneath an alias. they're mostly known for their nikki dress-up game series and mr love: queen's choice franchise (which is another otome game).

question ‣ but why, exactly, does this matter?

answer ‣ the way infold/papergames treats mlqc and nikki fans in comparison to lds is night and day.

for reference, i've played both game franchises and i first played infold's games back at 2017, right when love nikki, the game that catapulted infold in the mobile game industry, released. i've spent money on infold's games before love and deepspace's release.

the games' difference from lds in terms of f2p/p2p is laughable, the largest difference being the existence of the top-up accumulative system.

if you are wondering what the top-up accumulative system is, here's an example (DO NOTE THAT THIS IS JUST A SAMPLE. THIS IS IN NO WAY INDICATIVE OF WHAT IT SHOULD BE.):

see what i mean?

infold has shit somewhat like this for all of their gacha games EXCEPT FOR LDS.

im going to continue posting content and fics for lds, not for the sake of papergames but for the sake of fans who can't enjoy the game without dumping their entire fortunes on this shit.

y'all deserve better.

sorry for the huge rant. i just had to blow off some steam bc :'D this game ain't sustainable

[spacesquidlings]

Enchantment In The Snow

Description: Gavin springs a sudden surprise on Rowan for her Christmas gift, spiriting her away for a vacation in a cozy cabin in the woods. They spend their days exploring a private winder wonderland, and they spend the frigid nights tangled in each other's arms

Pairing: Gavin Bai x MC / OC (Rowan)

Warnings: Some mild suggestive content

A/N: Hello!!! I was going through some drafts and I found this buried in one of my Gavin docs!!!! It's so cute and I remember having so much fun when I was writing this fic. I know Gavin is supposed to be very scary and intense and commanding, but I think he would be SUCH a sweetie and really go out of his way for his partner, especially trying to make some sweet memories together during the holidays because he is just a huge dork!!!! Special shout out to my friend @otherlandshark who gave me the first seeds for this fic and who is just always the best <3 To anyone reading this, I hope you love this fic as much as I do, and I hope you have a happy holidays <3

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“Can I take the blindfold off yet?”

“No, pumpkin, just wait a little longer.”

Rowan had woken that morning to Gavin pressing kisses to her face, gently coaxing her from her dreams and back into the real world. He’d murmured that they’d had to get up, he had a surprise for her. She’d been too tired to really question it, doing little more than groaning when he heaved her from the bed, helping her to get changed and making the bed before carrying her downstairs.

Rowan should have been suspicious, but she’d been too tired, content to be snuggled into his arms when he’d held her in his lap while they’d eaten breakfast.

It had still been dark when he’d woken her up, not even the watery light of dawn breaking through the midnight sky.

“It’s just very early,” he’d whispered when she’d tried mentioning it between bites of egg. “Your surprise is somewhere we have to drive to, and we need to get a headstart.”

Now that should have made her even more suspicious, but Gavin had always been particularly skilled at distracting her, and her sleep-addled mind had been quickly redirected when he’d kissed her again.

He’d even gone so far as to bundle her into the car, tucking blankets around her as their breath fogged in front of them, the freezing air biting at the exposed skin of their faces.

“Just a moment,” he had promised, vanishing back into the house before dragging out two suitcases and a few packages and depositing them into the trunk.

She had been half asleep again as he’d slid into the drivers seat, snuggling one of her favourite plushies into her arm before buckling himself in.

“You can sleep now, pumpkin,” he had promised, squeezing her hand. “It’s a bit of a drive.”

He hadn’t elaborated, and Rowan hadn’t asked, falling asleep once the car had merged onto the highway.

She’d awoken an hour later, the car stopped while Gavin had gotten gas.

He’d smiled when he’d seen her eyes open, waving from outside the car. She’d wiggled her hands out from beneath the blankets to wave back, offering a small smile.

He’d poked his head into the car when he was done, a blast of cold, wintery wind following in his wake.

“I was going to get some snacks, did you want anything?”

She had in fact given him a laundry list of snacks she’d wanted, and he’d been laughing as he’d closed the door, heading for the little convenience store connected to the gas station.

He’d emerged a few minutes later with nearly everything she had requested, asking if he could have a kiss in compensation for how much he’d spent.

She’d given him many kisses, although she’d nearly melted into her blankets when a car had honked at them to move out of the way.

After that she’d been mostly awake, chatting with Gavin and listening to the playlists she’d started putting together as they’d drove.

She’d tried asking him where they were going, but he’d kept mostly silent, redirecting the conversation, or taking her hand and scraping his teeth against her skin until she’d dropped her questioning, too flustered to continue.

It had come as a bit of a shock when Gavin had requested she put on a blindfold. At first she’d balked, still a little disoriented from their early morning departure. But he had insisted, promising that it would make the surprise seem a little more magical.

So Rowan had allowed him to wrap a blindfold around her eyes after pulling over to the side of the highway, mountains and green forests cloaked in snow rising on either side of them. She had felt beyond disoriented, the car moving, but her unable to see even a little bit.

But Gavin had reached out periodically to squeeze her hand, rooting her to the present, promising that she was safe.

Now she sat, still squeezing Gavin’s hand as she felt the car slowing. She could tell they had driven from the highway, turning down a much slower road now. She wanted to pull the blindfold from her face, or at least peek out from beneath the cloth to see where they were. But she didn’t want to make Gavin sad, even as her curiosity exploded like a wildfire threatening to turn her to ash.

“How about now?”

Another laugh. “Just another minute, love. We’re almost there.”

“But I want to see!”

“You’ll see soon enough!”

She slumped in her seat, pouting.

“Aw, don’t be like that, pumpkin.”

“I can’t even see!”

She heard him sigh, imagined the way his shoulders slumped when he did. Her heart stumbled a bit, the silly expression of resignation he usually wore when he sighed so deeply popping into her mind.

She wanted to kiss his cheeks and run her fingers through her hair as she teased him, wanted to make his face turn the beautiful pink of a sunset sky.

But she could not, and that made her pout more.

She turned towards the window, although she could not see out of it, and again Gavin chuckled, reaching for her hand and drawing it up, his lips brushing against her knuckles.

“Just a little longer.”

True to his word, they did only drive for a little bit longer. She felt them slowing as the car turned right, the engine grumbling as she felt the front of the car tip up, like they were driving uphill. The road turned bumpier, and she imagined a dirt road or a little forest path, rather than a fully paved mountain road.

Finally, after turning around and around on curving roads for an eternity, Rowan felt the car pull to a stop. Gavin’s hands found their way to her face, undoing the blindfold with such gentleness it was like he thought she was porcelain.

The blindfold fell away and Rowan blinked, greeted with golden, late morning sunlight.

The first thing she saw was the little cottage, a beautiful little house with an enclosed porch. The house was adorable, but it was not the main attraction, and Rowan’s eyes quickly slipped past it, towards the view just beyond.

She couldn’t make it out perfectly, but she could see the glittering expanse of a frozen lake stretching out from beyond the cottage, the morning light making it shine like it was made of diamonds and pale sapphires.

On either side of them there was forest, deep green and awash in ivory snow, untouched but for the little footprints of small animals passing by.

It looked like a painting, the light hitting the lake just right to make it glow, the deep muted colours of the forest in contrast to the pallid blues and whites of the rest of the world.

The air smelled crisp, fresh, heavy with the almost-sweet smell of pine needles and sap. Although each breath stung her nose and pierced her lungs, she could not seem to breathe deep enough as she took it all in. There was only the trees, and the slight tang in the air from the lake, and the packed snow beneath her feet.

Gavin stepped up beside her, wrapping an arm around her waist, enveloping her in his warmth.

Now the air was tinged with a little of Gavin, too, the spices in his soap staining the crisp air.

“What do you think?” He asked, leaning his head against hers. “Worth the blindfold for ten minutes?”

“It was way more than ten minutes,” she said, snorting. But she leaned against him too, wishing she could be closer.

“The GPS said it was only ten minutes.”

“Well it felt like ten years.”

He chuckled, guiding her forward towards the door. “Why don’t we go inside and take a look? It’s been a busy morning so you can relax now.”

Gavin pulled a key from his pocket, unlocking the door to the cottage, flicking on a light on the side of the wall before ushering her in.

Inside was just as cozy as she imagined a sweet little cottage like this would be. There was plush carpeting a few feet away, the uncovered ground hardwood that creaked beneath their feet. A hallway led off to her left, and she was pretty sure she saw a sliver of what was likely the kitchen. There was only a wall to her right, although directly in front of her the rest of the cottage expanded into a cozy living room and TV room, the entire back wall made of glass so you could peer out over the great expanse of the lake.

There was a ladder pushed against the wall far ahead, and if she tilted her head up she could see it led to a loft, where she imagined the bedroom was. There was another door just next to the ladder, and Rowan figured that was the bathroom, or led to somewhere else in the cottage.

“Come on,” Gavin murmured, taking her hand and guiding her deeper into the cottage.

There was a fireplace nestled across from a few plush couches arranged in the living room, and after helping her with her coat and shoes, Gavin settled Rowan onto the cushions, tucking blankets around her before turning towards the fireplace.

“You know I can do some things myself,” she said, the blankets pooling around her as she leaned forward.

“I know,” Gavin said, turning to look at her over his shoulder. “But I wanted to make sure you were comfortable.”

“What about you?”

Fire bloomed in the fireplace and Gavin stood, the firelight lining him in gold, like a figure in a painting.

“I’ll be comfortable in just a minute. I want to bring everything in first.”

She didn’t have a chance to stop him as he crossed the room, pausing long enough to press a long, slow kiss that melted her thoughts away.

When he pulled away, heading back to the car to get their things, all Rowan could think about was how she wanted him to come back, to kiss her longer, to hold her in his arms.

He was fast, though, bringing in their suitcases and then the other packages he’d brought along, setting them to the side as he pulled off his boots and shrugged off his coat.

“What are those?” Rowan asked, pointing to the packages.

Gavin grinned, his eyes bright as liquid sunshine. “They’re your Christmas presents.”

She blinked. “You mean coming here wasn’t it?”

He shrugged, stacking the presents into his arms and carrying them to the other side of the room, arranging them near the massive floor-to-ceiling window. “It’s part of your gift, but I wanted to get you some other things, too.”

She pouted, pulling the blanket up around her head. “But I didn’t think to bring your presents.”

He laughed. “That’s okay. I wanted this to be for you.”

“But what about you?!” She whined.

Gavin settled on the couch beside her, drawing her into his lap. “All I want is to see you happy. And,” he kissed her nose. “Spend some time just the two of us.”

“Really?”

He nodded. “Really.”

She leaned her head against his shoulder, trying to rearrange the blankets so they would cover him too. “Well, what did you want to do right now?”

He hummed, fingers tangling in her hair. “Right now, I think I want to take a nap. Would that be okay?”

She nodded, beaming. “That would be the best.”

Gavin kissed her brow, smiling. “I’m glad.”

***

Gavin had driven them up to the cottage a week and a half before Christmas, and after they had napped most of the afternoon away, and then gotten up to make something to eat, he let her know that he’d rented it out for two full weeks.

Two weeks with just her and her Gavin, two weeks to spend together for the holidays, far away from the busy-ness of the city and from the demands of his job.

She smiled as they sat at the little table, warm food steaming in the air. Two weeks to do whatever they wanted to do together. She wondered if the lake was safe to skate on, if the ice was thick enough. Or if the forest was safe for hiking, if the snow wasn’t too high for them to walk.

“What are you thinking about?” Gavin asked, nudging her with his foot.

“Just how nice of a surprise this was,” she said, nudging him back.

He laughed, eyes closed for the briefest of moments. She leaned forward, snatching up one of the strawberries on his plate, biting down on it before he could stop her.

“Did you just steal my food?” he asked, reaching across the table.

Rowan smacked his hand, pulling her plate out of reach. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I can see half the strawberry on your plate,” he said, pointing to the offending piece of fruit.

Rowan popped it into her mouth before he could say anything else, grinning as he gaped at her.

“I’ll get you back for that later,” he said, mischief in his eyes. They danced with the sunlight pouring in from the massive windows, shining like gold.

Rowan gestured to the windows, to the lake beyond it as she curled herself around her plate, narrowly dodging another attempt from Gavin to steal her food. “Do you think we can skate on the lake?”

He shrugged, folding his forearms on the table and leaning forward. “I hope so. The website I made the reservation on said the ice is normally thick enough to skate, and I brought our skates just in case.” He tipped his head to the side, watching a squirrel scamper across the porch on the other side of the window. “But we should be careful just in case.”

Rowan wiggled in her seat, imagining what it would be like to skate out across the glittering ice of the lake, beneath that clear, golden sunshine that seemed to make everything glow.

“We can also do some hiking, if you’d like,” Gavin continued, setting his fork down on his plate. “There are some trails nearby that we can take.”

She narrowed her eyes at that, remembering the last time Gavin had taken them hiking.

It had been an exhausting affair for Rowan, although not for Gavin who, although he had certainly broken out in a sweat on the steep, winding path that hugged the side of a mountain, had been all smiles and energy the entire day. She, on the other hand, had become a bedraggled mess almost instantly, hair glued to her face, arms scratched by rocks and branches, face burnt lobster red.

“Is it going to be like last time?” She asked, eying him warily.

Gavin smiled, all sweet innocence. “I looked up the trails online in advance and it looks like they are very beginner friendly.”

“Not like the last one?”

He shook his head. “Not like the last one.”

Rowan set her plate on the table, heaving a sigh of relief. “Well that’s good to hear, at least.”

“And,” Gavin continued, getting up and rounding the table to be closer to Rowan. “There are some other things we can do, too.”

She covered her plate with her body, sensing an incoming attack. “Like what?”

Gavin leaned down, hands hovering dangerously close to Rowan. She narrowed her eyes, wondering whether he was going to try and tickle her.

It was absolutely something he would do, a fitting punishment for the misdeed of stealing one singular strawberry from his plate.

“Like,” he said, his voice dropping dangerously low as his lips grazed the shell of her ear.

She shivered, realizing he might be thinking of other activities they could do together. She felt a tightening in her belly as she felt his teeth against her skin, as his breathing turned heavy.

“Like?” She pressed, her voice squeaking.

He hummed, the sound making her clench her legs together on instinct. “Maybe I shouldn’t say. It can be a surprise.”

She felt like she was made of jelly, no strength in her body as another shiver raced down her spine. Surely she would melt into a puddle at any moment.

“I thought you were all done with your surprises,” she said, voice crackling like kindling.

She would have cursed herself had Gavin’s hands not slid around her, beneath her, lifting her from her chair without so much as a grunt.

“Babey,” she said, voice shaky. “What are you doing?”

He grinned, teeth scraping against her ear. “It’s a surprise.”

***

They spent the first day tangled together, warm as the world outside the cottage was gripped in winter’s frigid hold.

The blankets on the bed were heavy and soft, and Rowan couldn’t find an excuse to crawl from the nest of blankets and pillows if she didn’t have to. They stayed there until dinner, and then returned after they had eaten, content to spend their time together.

She woke the next morning with a dull ache between her legs and in her lower back, Gavin’s arms still wrapped around her waist. She felt his breath against her shoulder, the even rise and fall of his chest against her back, the slight rumble of his snore in her ear.

She smiled, yawning, eyes still heavy with sleep. Perhaps she would go back to sleep, nestled in his arms until the sun had well and truly risen. The bedroom was graced with a floor-to-ceiling window much like the main floor, and she imagined the entire room would turn gold with the late morning sun. It would surely be something to behold, especially if it meant Gavin’s abs would also be painted in gold.

She stretched her arms out, reaching for her phone, propped on the nightstand next to the bed. Maybe she would check if she had any messages, or maybe she would read a chapter or two of a comic she’d just started.

But she had no sooner turned her phone on and flicked to the app she wanted that one of Gavin’s hands yanked her phone from her hand and tossed it across the room.

She gaped as her phone landed squarely on the chair in the corner of the room that was piled with clothes she had only half-unpacked the day before.

She twisted in his arms, prepared to chastise him, but was met with a sleepy glare. His eyes were lidded, little more than the amber of his eyes visible, seeming to glow in the hazy light of the dawn.

She blinked, momentarily stunned as he sighed, the arm still wrapped around her pulling her closer. He gripped her chin between the forefinger and thumb of his other hand, watching her with those golden eyes.

“What was that for?” She asked, recovering her senses as she poked her finger against his bare chest. “I was about to read something!”

A frown tugged at his mouth, and his lips parted, just barely, before he was pressing them against hers.

Her eyes flew wide from the shock, his tongue sweeping into her mouth for a moment before he drew her bottom lip between his teeth.

She gasped, hands pressing against his chest, fingers curling as he tilted his head to the side, groaning as he kissed her harder. Harder. His whole body pressing against her.

The hand holding her chin slipped down her back, squeezing her ass before hooking around her thigh and drawing it around his waist.

Gavin broke the kiss, moaning as he traced his lips over the curve of her jaw, teeth scraping against her skin.

“I don’t want you to focus on anything else,” he murmured, hand squeezing her thigh, fingers digging into the soft flesh. “Only me.”

“You were asleep,” she said, gasping for breath, struggling to find her words.

“Well I’m not anymore.”

“What do you want me to do, then?” She asked, biting her bottom lip as the hand at her thigh slipped between her legs.

He rolled her onto her back, lowering his mouth to her throat. “Focus on me.”

***

Rowan had been right, Gavin had looked spectacular in the light of the late afternoon sunshine.

The entire room had been awash in gold, and it had lined Gavin’s form, the gold sinking into the lines of his muscles so he seemed to glow as he moved. Sweat beading on his forehead and chest glittered as it had caught the light, and Rowan had been unable to look away from him, her attention fixed wholly on him. Like he was a work of art in a museum, like he was a god come down to earth.

Everything else had faded away in his wake, only his eyes and mouth and hands and legs.

She had practically melted into the sheets, panting as Gavin had laid down next to her.

He’d traced his index finger around her navel, up the side of her torso, around the swell of her breasts.

She’d smacked his hand away, although it had been a half-hearted attempt, and Gavin had simply taken her hand in his, fingers tangling together.

“Don’t be like that, pumpkin,” he’d murmured, lips against the side of her throat, his words tickling her skin.

She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to muster up her words. “Like what?”

He chuckled, and for a moment she was furious that he seemed to have so much energy still, while she was so spent she doubted she could move even an inch.

He kissed her throat, moving his lips lower over her collar, her breasts.

“I’m just admiring,” he teased, pinching her side.

It took all of her strength to roll over, and she squeaked at how her body ached when she moved.

“Don’t hide,” he said, laughter still heavy in his voice. “I wasn’t done.”

She pouted, pulling the blankets over her even as her core grew tight. “You’re teasing me.”

He laughed. “No, I’m not.”

She huffed, pulling the blankets over her head, curling into a ball as he tried peeling them away from her.

“Come back!” He whined, tugging helplessly at the blankets. “I miss my wife.”

She wrinkled her nose, biting back her smile. “No, I think I’ll stay right here.”

“Are you mad I threw your phone?”

She was definitely annoyed, especially considering she’d been so excited to read that comic.

“Maybe.”

“You can’t blame me, I wanted your attention on me!”

“You were asleep!”

“You should have woken me up!”

She laughed, her grip loosening on the blankets. Gavin took the opportunity to tear them away, arms wrapping around her and tickling her sides.

“But you woke up without me!” She gasped between laughter. “I didn’t have to!”

“I knew you weren’t focused on me!”

“I just wanted to read!”

They continued like that for a while, Rowan struggling to squirm from Gavin’s arms as he teased her, unable to escape with only scraps of her strength remaining. Eventually he did let her go, gently lowering her back against the pillows, a wide, goofy grin on his face.

“Do you want some breakfast?” He asked, stroking her side.

Rowan struggled to catch her breath, her chest rising and falling like ocean waves. Some part of her knew that she was certainly hungry, but her fatigue was winning, and all she could think about was how heavy her body felt.

“Maybe.”

Gavin arched a brow. “Maybe?”

She shrugged, eyes falling closed. “I might be hungry.”

He snorted, pinching her side so she would look at him again. “No falling asleep, not yet.”

She pouted at that, wishing she had the strength to cross her arms over her chest, wishing they didn’t feel like they weighed a hundred pounds each. “And why not?”

He cupped her cheek, smiling softly. “We need to get you cleaned up, and you need something to eat.”

“You know you were singing a very different tune an hour ago.”

He nuzzled his nose against her cheek. “Well I think you should eat now. To get your energy back.”

She narrowed her eyes. “Energy for what?”

His grin turned sheepish as he pulled away. Colour blossomed across his cheeks and the tips of his ears, and he scratched at the back of his neck awkwardly.

“Babey?”

He stretched his arms above his head, standing from the bed, and for a moment Rowan forgot what she had been asking. She couldn’t help it as the blankets fell away from him, his body on display.

She didn’t know how many times she had seen him like this, and yet she doubted she would ever tire of it.

He tapped her cheek, drawing her attention to his face. “My eyes are up here, pumpkin.”

Now it was Rowan’s turn to blush, and she looked away, staring at a speck on the wall as hard as she could, as if it was the most interesting thing in the world.

Gavin only laughed, the sound like music as he scooped her from the bed.

“Let’s get you cleaned up, and then I’ll tell you.”

***

Fingers still wrinkled, skin still flushed from the heat of the water in the bath Gavin had drawn for her, Rowan sat huddled on the floor, lego instruction manual laid out before her as Gavin bustled around the kitchen.

“Are you sure you don’t want any help?” She asked, pulling the blanket tighter around herself, drawing her knees up to her chest.

“I want you to relax,” he called, although his response was immediately followed by the sound of pots and pans crashing together.

“What are you making in there?” She shouted, struggling to pull herself to her feet.

She really ached, her body stiff as she tried to move it.

Gavin poked his head out of the kitchen as if he sensed her moving, glaring when he saw her standing. “Sit down. Let me make you some tea.”

She pouted. “I’m not a porcelain doll.”

“You can barely walk.”

She wrinkled her nose. “And whose fault is that?”

His smile was nothing short of pure smugness as he made his way towards her. “You need to sit, Rowan.”

She felt a little like a petulant child, the urge to stomp her feet nearly overtaking her. She wanted to help, especially since it sounded like a disaster about to happen in the kitchen.

Not that Gavin would let her, not as he gently settled her on the couch, wrapping her in so many blankets she could hardly move.

“I can’t even start on the lego set,” she groused, frowning at his sunny grin.

“That’s okay,” he murmured, pressing a kiss to her brow. “We can start it together once I’m done.”

She sighed, wriggling herself out of her blanket prison. “Can I at least have my phone back? You left it upstairs in the room.”

He kissed the tip of her nose, murmuring softly. “As you wish.”

A few moments later, and he was setting her phone on her lap. “For you, my love.”

She rolled her eyes, pinching his side as he walked by. “Can I have some tea, too?”

“Anything for you, my love.”

She rolled her eyes again, although she could feel the blush that was creeping across her face.

Gavin returned a few minutes later, steaming mug in hand, settling it in Rowan’s hands in exchange for a long, slow kiss.

“I think you need to retract your earlier statement,” she said, blinking as the headiness of Gavin’s touch threatened to send her into a daze.

Gavin blinked, his brow wrinkling. “What do you mean?”

“You’ll do anything for me, as long as you get a kiss out of it,” she smirked, peering up at him from the rim of her mug.

He snorted, pinching her cheek. “You don’t want to kiss me?”

She eyed the red marks and bruises already blooming along his throat, could imagine ones on his shoulders and chest doing the same. “I wouldn’t say that.”

“Maybe,” he murmured, voice a dangerous whisper as he leaned down. “I just can’t help myself around you.”

Rowan would have smacked him had it not been so hard to move her arms, and had he not stepped out of the way so quickly.

She tried shouting after him, but he only laughed, promising breakfast was soon, and that he would be back to help. Rowan had only glowered in response, her annoyance piqued for all of five seconds before she remembered she finally had her phone again and could go back to what she’d been wanting to read before.

Although Gavin did try the same trick when he returned with two steaming plates, setting them on the floor before trying to swipe her phone from her hands. But this time Rowan was ready for his little trick, and she quickly turned onto her side, hiding her phone between her and the back cushions of the couch.

Behind her, Gavin huffed, and she could practically hear his pout as he stroked her side helplessly, asking her to pay attention to him, please?

She couldn’t handle the way he was whining, the urge to squish his cheeks between her hands too much to bear. She tucked her phone into the pocket of her pajama pants before rolling back over, throwing her arms out and drawing Gavin against her chest.

“I love you,” she sang, scattering kisses over the top of his head. “You’re so cute, you’re so funny, I love you!”

Gavin choked, and she could imagine the shade of red his face was turning, got a glimpse of that burning crimson as she spied the tips of his ears, stained a fiery red that matched the sky at dusk. She lowered her head, grazing the shell of his ear with her teeth just as he had done that morning.

“I love you, babey,” she murmured, kissing the side of his head. “You’re so cute.”

When she finally did let him go his face was a brilliant red, the colour seeping beneath his hair as he looked away, amber eyes trained on the food sitting on the floor.

“We’d better eat,” he mumbled, scratching at the back of his neck. “Before it gets cold.”

“It’s so far away though, and it’s hard to move,” Rowan whined.

He chuckled, helping to unpeel the layers of blankets he’d wrapped her in before drawing her into his lap. “I’ll help, don’t worry.”

Once Rowan was settled with her food in her lap, Gavin switched on a movie on the television set above the fireplace. It was a Christmas film they had already seen, but they weren’t really paying much attention. The flush in Gavin’s cheeks had begun to dissipate, and their focus had turned to the lego set before them.

Gavin had brought two new sets, and he’d been sheepish as he’d presented them to her, saying that he really liked putting them together with her.

Rowan hadn’t been able to stop herself from smiling as she’d chosen the set she’d wanted to build that day, Gavin’s own face blooming with sunshine.

The truth was that she liked building them with him too, loved sitting and talking to him while something played in the background, trying to sus out which pieces went where, working together to complete the different pieces of the set before putting them together.

He always acted a little nervous, a little shy, when he asked if they could build one. It was a new interest for him, something he had done sparingly as a child, but that he’d grown more interested in as he’d gotten older. And he always seemed happy when he worked on one, when he told her about the few ones he’d put together before they’d met.

And his smile, his happiness, meant the world to her.

She always said yes when he asked, and she’d found that she loved building them with him. There was always a soft glow in his eyes, a childlike joy that made her heart trip over its own beat. That made her feel happy, too.

And she’d found building them to be relaxing, all the anxieties that chase after her day-after-day, all her worries about work and projects vanishing like smoke in the wind. It was like her mind would grow quiet, like everything was dimmed other than the pieces in front of her and her most precious person at her side.

It was no different now, picking at their food, their main focus on the set.

It wasn’t anything too complex, just a lego model of a plant. It wasn’t particularly difficult, but she loved watching as the loose pieces clicked together, slowly forming something more and more reminiscent of a true plant.

“We should get another of the bouquet ones,” Rowan said, a leaf sprouting in her hand as the pieces clicked together. “It was so pretty and then we can decorate with them.”

Gavin hummed, pulling the instruction manual towards him and flipping a few pages forward, to the project he was working on. “I’ll order another when we get back home.”

Rowan set her collection of leaves and stalks to the side, beaming at him. “Can you order another orchid too? That one was my favourite so far.”

He snorted, peeking up at her for a moment. “As you wish, pumpkin.”

She poked his side, laughing. “You’re so dorky, Gavin.”

“But you love me, right?” He asked, covering his side like it was a wound.

“I do love you,” she murmured, passing him the pieces he needed. “With every part of me.”

He pressed a little plastic flower into her palm, one he must have skipped ahead to make. “And I love you.”

***

It didn’t take them that long to complete the set, and soon enough they were leaning back on their hands, beaming in triumph as they gazed upon the finished model.

“So what kind of plant is this?” Rowan asked, peering curiously at the box.

“It’s a bird of paradise,” Gavin said, tipping his head to the side as he assessed it. “It’s a tropical plant, I think.”

Rowan hummed in assent as she looked at the box again, flipping it over to read the back. “These look really cool! Wouldn’t it be fun if we were able to get a real one?”

They were both silent as they considered her question for a moment, imagining taking care of a large, tropical plant.

It was only a few seconds before they both wilted, having had a little too much experience trying to care for fussy plants and failing miserably.

“Maybe the model is good enough,” she said, nodding to herself as she leaned back.

“And it’s more special,” Gavin added, scooting up beside her and drawing her into his lap.

“Why’s that?”

“Because we made it together,” he said, burying his face against her shoulder. “We shared it.”

She laughed, running her fingers through his hair. “You’re right, that does make it more special.”

He hummed, idly tracing a finger over her arm as they watched the ending of their movie. It was sweet, a cupcake shop owner marrying her true love and adopting an abandoned puppy. The exact kind of thing Rowan wanted from a simple Christmas film.

When it was over she leaned back, brushing Gavin’s bangs back. “What should we do now?”

He hummed, taking her hand and threading his fingers with hers. “Well what would you like to do?”

“I’m happy to do anything, as long as it’s with you.”

His voice lowered, turning to a gravelly rumble as his eyes darkened. “Anything?”

She pinched his cheek with her free hand, trying to bring him back from whatever he was thinking of. “Anything within reason.”

Gavin laughed, batting her hand away. “Well how are you feeling? Do you think you’d be up for a little hiking?”

“Maybe,” she mused, tapping her chin thoughtfully. “You’re sure the trails are beginner friendly?”

“Positive,” he promised, kissing her temple. “What do you say?”

She stretched her hands above her head, considering for a moment. “Promise to help me get ready? And make me something warm when we get back?”

She swept her up into his arms as he stood, so quickly the world spun around them.

“Promise.”

***

True to his word, the hiking trails were beginner friendly, although Rowan would have considered them intermediate if only because they had not been touched by a shovel in what looked like years.

The snow was so thick and piled so high on the paths that she kept stumbling, tripping and falling against Gavin when her boots sank a little too deep and got caught on a tree root she hadn’t known was there.

They’d only been walking for thirty minutes at most and Rowan was already building up a sweat, so hot beneath all her layers that she felt like she was on fire.

Gavin, for his part, seemed perfectly fine, his cheeks flushed the perfect pink, snowflakes tangled in his bangs. He walked with ease, not struggling through the banks of snow as Rowan did.

She was simultaneously burning with jealousy and in complete awe of him, of the grace he somehow managed to show as he hiked, all while Rowan was struggling to put one foot in front of the other.

“Rowan,” Gavin said, waving at her to look at where he was pointing. “Take a look.”

She crept closer, peering around him to see a small family of squirrels trading food back and forth, scampering around on a patch of ground that wasn’t covered in snow.

“Aw, they’re so cute,” she cooed, clinging to his arm.

“It’s weird that they’re out, though,” he said, narrowing his eyes. “I thought they hibernated.”

“Maybe they’re taking a Christmas vacation, just like us!”

He patted her arm, drawing her further down the path. “Maybe they are.”

Rowan laughed at the thought of a squirrel family celebrating the holidays. “What do you think they do for Christmas?”

Gavin hummed, squeezing Rowan’s gloved hand in his. “They probably share dinner together, and then play some games, and then maybe have a snowball fight.”

She giggled leaning against his arm. “Is that what you would like to do?”

He nodded. “I think that would make for a very nice day.”

Rowan let go of Gavin, letting him walk ahead a few paces before he turned back, realizing that she wasn’t following him any longer.

“Rowan, what are you-”

He didn’t get a chance to finish his question as she lobbed a snowball at him, cheering when it landed square in the middle of his chest.

Gavin blinked at her, at a loss for words as she tossed another snowball at him, giggling as snow exploded over his stomach.

“You said you wanted to do what the squirrels were doing!” She called, throwing another snowball, although he dodged it this time, and it vanished into the snowbank behind him.

His eyes slid to the little group of squirrels, frozen in place now, noses twitching as they sensed Gavin and Rowan moving around  so close to them.

“And you said they were having a snowball fight!”

He stared at her for a long, long moment. Rowan wondered if the cold had finally gotten to him and frozen his thoughts, frozen his body too. But then Gavin moved faster than the blink of an eye, and Rowan was tumbling into the snow beside her as he tackled her.

She squealed, trying to shove him off. But Gavin was far stronger than she was, and she was still tired from their hike and aching from that morning and the night before. So all she could do was wriggle helplessly, hands against his chest as he laughed, squishing snow against her cheek.

“Gavin!” She gasped, trying and failing to swat his hand away. “It’s so cold!”

He laughed, brushing snow from his pants as he straightened, taking a step back.

Which was a mistake, since he let his guard down, thinking that the threat had passed.

But the threat had not passed, and as he leaned down to offer his hand to Rowan, she grabbed his arms with both hands, yanking him back into the snow.

“Got you!” She screamed, scrambling to her feet as he fell into the snow.

She threw more snow at him to slow him down, shrieking as she stumbled forward, scooping up an armful of snow to turn into ammunition.

“You’re not getting away!”

His laughter rose in the air, far above the glittering frozen branches of the trees. Snow shifted in one of the trees, showering over them in an ivory veil.

It would have been beautiful, had Rowan not been very focused on trying to escape Gavin as he made chase. The snow made it harder for her to see, and she found she was blinking back snowflakes, the world turning to quicksilver around her as she was momentarily off-guard.

She did not escape Gavin for long.

***

Rowan was pouting as they emerged from the trees, flexing her fingers, her damp, snow-crusted gloves tucked under her arm.

“They hurt,” she whined, waving her red-tipped fingers in Gavin’s face. “This is your fault.”

He snorted, taking her hands and pressing kisses against her fingertips. “I wasn’t the one who started throwing snow.”

“Well you didn’t have to tackle me!”

“You didn’t have to drag me into the snowbank!”

She scowled at the ground as she trudged beside him. “I guess.”

Another snort, his hands rubbing against hers now, trying to create friction to warm them. “We’re going to have to deal with this.”

She perked up at that. “With warm food and blankets and soft clothes?”

Gavin pressed another kiss to the back of each hand. “Yes, exactly, my love.”

An hour later and Rowan was the bright pink of a cooked lobster, the windows of the cottage foggy from the heat of the bath she had taken.

She had a blanket wrapped around her shoulders as she followed behind Gavin, a warm mug clasped between her hands. He had a few boxes tucked under his arms, and laid them all out across the floor before the television, much like they had with the lego set that morning.

Only this time it was a collection of different games, simple board games, card games, and a fake murder mystery that they had to solve.

She tapped on the fake murder mystery, earning a wry smile from Gavin as he hunted down all the pillows and blankets in the cottage, making a comfortable nest for the two of them.

“You want that one?” He asked, bemused as he turned on another movie, crossing his arms as she nodded furiously. “I thought you said I had ruined it last time?”

She pouted, clutching the box close to her chest. “Well last time you solved it before I could finish reading the first document!”

He returned the pout, crossing his arms as he collapsed onto the pillows next to her. “It’s not my fault it was so simple.”

Now she was glaring, remembering all the documents and clues that she had strung together on her own.

It had taken hours.

Not exactly what she would have called simple.

She clutched the box tighter, turning her nose up and pretending to focus on the movie. “Then why did you bring it?”

Gavin stretched out on the floor beside her, propping his head up on his hand. He peeked up at her, mischief dancing in his eyes. “Because you like them so much, and the face you make when you’re reading the clues is so cute.”

She nearly smacked him with the box, but held herself back, instead turning her head away so he couldn’t see the blush rising in her cheeks. “Then you shouldn’t complain when I choose it!”

“I wasn’t complaining.”

She did turn to look at him then, scowling over her shoulder. “Then what were you doing?”

He grinned, rolling onto his back, folding his arms behind his head. “Teasing you.”

Rowan’s eye twitched, and she scooted away from him, huffing in annoyance.

“Where are you going?”

“I don’t want to be teased!”

She could hear the pout in his voice as he whined, hands reaching out to grasp at her sides, trying to draw her closer again. “You’re so far away.”

“That was on purpose!”

He snorted, fabric rustling as he sat up, dragging her closer. “I don’t want you far away.”

“Then don’t tease me!” He laughed, resting his chin on her shoulder. “Okay, okay, no more teasing. Will you let me see the game now?”

Rowan handed Gavin the box, letting him open it and take out the documents and clues. Fake animal claws wrapped in plastic and brochures and a little metal flask clattered to the floor, followed by more odds and ends that Rowan couldn’t quite place as Gavin searched for the explanation of the mystery.

“There it is,” he muttered, eyes scanning the sheet while Rowan began sorting through the assorted paraphernalia they would use to solve the mystery. 

Copies of journal pages and newspaper clippings and crime scene photos ripped lanyard and torn notebook were all spread over the floor in front of them as Rowan organized everything. She fiddled with a fake file folder, pinching the corner of a page that was labelled as autopsy results.

“Wait here just a second,” Gavin said, setting the introduction page down and standing. “I’m going to go get a notebook.”

Rowan scrolled through her phone as she waited, reading another chapter of her comic before Gavin returned. He immediately tried swiping it from her, but she stuffed it under her blanket, smirking as he pouted.

“Fool me once with that trick,” she sang, poking his side. “But never again!”

He rolled his eyes, flipping to the first page of the notebook, a pink pen in hand.

“Is that my glitter gel pen?” She asked, pointing to it.

Gavin flushed, but didn’t deny it. “It was the only pen I could find.”

Rowan beamed, squeezing his arm. “It’s my favourite pen, you know, you’d better take good care of it!”

He laughed, leaning over to brush a kiss against her jaw. “I’ll protect it with my life.”

“You’d better.”

More laughter as notes were taken, as they slowly began working their way through the clues. Rowan made sure to organize everything carefully, and pinched Gavin if he started getting a little too far ahead.

She could see the way his mind was whirring, piecing the puzzle together faster than she could blink. She knew he already had a strong suspicion of who the murder was, but he kept his mouth shut, instead playing along as they went through the clues and wrote down important facts.

Their movie ended and a new one began. The tea in their mugs grew cold and Gavin stood to microwave them, returning with a bag of candy covered popcorn tucked under his arm.

Aside from the “evidence” and the clues included in the game, there were also a few ciphers, riddles and puzzles that they had to put together to reveal another clue that led them closer to the final answer.

With the puzzles Gavin was a little slower, and they worked together on those, trying to figure them out. Rowan had the notebook balanced on her lap, blanket pulled up over her mouth as she struggled to decipher the new puzzle they had hit. She looked up as Gavin returned, accepting the re-warmed mug of tea and a scattering of kisses over her brow.

“Any luck?” He asked, setting the candied popcorn between them before taking the notebook to peer at what she’d written.

She shook her head, dejected. “Nothing. I don’t think I’m really cut out to be a detective.”

“Well, if it makes you feel any better,” he said, eyes flicking between the notebook and the cipher before he jotted something down. “I know far too many detectives who would be twice as stumped as you are. At least you’ve gotten half of it figured out.”

She threw herself back on the pillows, arms splayed out on the floor above her head. “My brain hurts.”

He chuckled. “If you’d like we can start on dinner and then come back to it.”

“That might be the best idea.”

So they set down their things for a little while, focusing instead of cooking a warm, hearty dinner to bring back the energy that was stolen in the frigid winter air.

Gavin pinched Rowan’s side when she balked at how much food he’d brought, chiding her for trying to eat smaller portions lately, reminding her how unhealthy it was.

She crossed her arms as he reprimanded her, muttering that she knew, but that her favourite dress was starting to feel tight around her waist.

“Then I’ll buy you a new one,” was his only answer as he took her hands, steering her away from the fridge and the pork belly he was planning to cook that night.

They split up the kitchen duties of making the sauce, peeling the vegetables, rinsing and boiling the rice, cooking the meat. Tasks that altogether would have taken Rowan an hour at least. But with Gavin beside her…

It still took pretty close to an hour, neither of them particularly adept at cooking.

Although they were certainly getting better, and they worked well as a team, and were able to move around each other with ease in the small kitchen.

And even though it took a while, Rowan couldn’t say that she didn’t enjoy the time she spent with him. Cooking was a task that was usually tedious and exhausted her before she’d had a chance to taste the food she’d made herself. But she didn’t feel the same way with Gavin, who made her feel bright and rejuvenated, made her feel like the time was precious, if only because it was shared with him.

Once dinner was done they settled into their nest once again, reruns of a mystery show they both enjoyed playing now. To add to the atmosphere, Rowan said, as Gavin laughed.

Although they didn’t start right away, Gavin insisting they eat first. He didn’t want the food to get cold, and he knew a little too well that Rowan would forget it entirely once she was absorbed in the game once more.

So they ate, and watched their show, and talked a little, and finally once they were done Gavin gathered the plates and set them to the side before pulling the clue notebook back out.

“Okay, so where were we?”

They continued working on the game well into the night, until Rowan’s eyes were so heavy she could hardly keep them open. She felt a little like she was dreaming, her body weightless as she was lifted into the air. Gavin’s heart beat a steady rhythm against her cheek, lulling her mind until there was nothing but a foggy shroud over her thoughts.

There was only the strange weightlessness, and the beat of Gavin’s heart, and the soft feel of his sweater. And then her body was weightless no more, blankets drawn up around her as she was settled onto something soft, something warm.

She tried to ask what was going on, tell Gavin not to go to bed yet, they weren’t done. But she felt the dip of the mattress beneath his weight, heard the rustle of fabric as he stripped away his shirt and pants. His arms wrapped around her waist, legs tangling with hers.

And that was the last thing she remembered before she drifted off to sleep.

***

They passed their days much like their first few. Warm and tangled together in the morning, Gavin acting very clingy if Rowan so much as tried to roll over. And then they would have breakfast, and play games, or put together a puzzle, or build the second lego set Gavin had brought.

And then maybe they would watch movies, snuggled together as they watched snow drifting across the world. Or they would peek out the windows to see the deer and squirrels wandering aimlessly around the cottage, unbothered by their presence among them.

Then they would go out, perhaps to hike again, or to try out skating on the lake. The ice ended up being thick enough that they were able to skate soundly, and they even ran into a few other people in cottages nearby, also taking advantage of the frozen lake.

Rowan wasn’t much of a skater, but Gavin took to it as quickly as he did most things, and while Rowan struggled to glide across the frozen surface, Gavin skated with ease. He did, of course, not skate too far ahead of her, instead coming back and offering her his arm so they could skate together.

It was so silly, and so absurd, and she couldn’t help laughing as he took her hand, helping her along. She stumbled over the bumps and ridges in the ice, the surface not perfectly flattened the way skating arenas were, feeling a little like a kid that could barely stand. But after a few days out on the ice she started getting the hang of it, even skating away from Gavin’s side, waving her arms as she spun around, rejoicing in her newly developed skill.

She even challenged him to a skating race, thinking that since they were both beginners the playing field would be even. But Gavin was much faster than she was, and within a few seconds she realized that she stood no chance of winning.

So instead, after losing miserably, she tried skating figure eights, and when that got boring she tried spinning like the professional skaters did. She’d seen a few skating programs in her time, and she’d always tuned in to the skating segment during the winter olympics, if only to see the sparkling, beautiful costumes they skaters wore.

So, in theory, she was certain she knew how to spin.

In practice, however, it was a completely different story.

The first time she tried to spin, she stumbled and fell on her butt. She’d shouted, her voice echoing in the vast emptiness of the frozen lake, and Gavin had been beside her in an instant, checking to see if anything was broken.

The second time she tried, Gavin was close at hand, watching her curiously. She fell again, this time on her side, and again Gavin was on her, cooing gently to soothe her as he checked her for any pain or broken bones.

The third time she stumbled, but she didn’t fall, which she considered a huge success. And Gavin had even given her a little kiss for it.

But then on the fourth try she fell again.

It went like this for a few hours, until her body was so bruised that it was relatively easy for Gavin to drag her from the lake and back inside.

Then there was lunch, and more games. Although after the first few days they had started exploring the rest of the cottage, and quickly found that the covered porch was insulated against the elements, and it was heated.

Rowan had been obsessed immediately, so many plush couches scattered around, with plants dangling from the ceiling and crystal worked into the glass surrounding the porch, so that kaleidoscopes of light and rainbows danced across the cushions and the heated floor when sunshine danced across the glass.

It was beautiful, and she insisted on eating out on the covered porch if they could.

After getting dragged inside from skating, and enjoying a nice lunch, Rowan dragged Gavin onto the covered porch, another game tucked under her arm. The sun was just so bright, and she wanted to feel it washing over her like a golden wave.

Gavin smiled when she suggested it, letting her drag him from his comfortable place on the couch inside. He laughed as she explained, his smile like its very own star, warming the galaxies in her heart with its light.

“Hold on, hold on,” he laughed as she began setting up the game on the floor. “We need blankets.”

Rowan paused, looking around the porch, realizing for the first time that although it was filled with pastel coloured couches overflowing with mismatched pillows, there wasn’t a single blanket.

“I mean, it’s not too cold,” she said, even as snow began cascading from the sky, stray snowflakes catching on the glass surface of the windows before melting away.

Gavin arched a brow in bemusement. “Really? And you won’t get cold in the next few minutes?”

Rowan shivered, as if on cue. He smirked in response, his eyes shining with a silent ‘I told you so.’

“I’ll be right back,” he murmured, disappearing back into the cottage.

He returned moments later, as Rowan finished setting up the game on the floor.

“I wish we had heated floors,” she groused, standing as Gavin began laying out blankets and pillows.

He laughed, pinching her side. “I doubt I’d ever get you to sit on a couch again.”

“It’s just nice for my feet! And it’s nice if we’re playing games so we’re not cold from sitting on the ground.”

He drew her closer, nuzzling his nose against her throat. “How could I ever be cold with you?”

“Well,” she drawled, wrapping her arms around his waist, and then slipping her hands beneath his shirt, smacking her freezing palms against the bare skin of his belly.

Gavin gasped, eyes wide as he tried wriggling away from her. “Hey!”

She slid her hands up, giggling as he continued to squirm. “I thought you said you couldn’t be cold with me!”

He snorted, grabbing her wrists and yanking them from beneath his shirt.

“That,” he gasped. “Was a dirty trick.”

Rowan only batted her lashes as innocently as she could, feigning confusion at his words. “What do you mean? You said you could never be cold with me.”

He lifted her hands, blowing warm breath on them, amusement shining in his eyes as he peeked at her over her knuckles. “Maybe I should have been more specific.”

She huffed as she tried to pull her hands from his, squealing when he just drew her closer.

“Can’t play around now, can you?” He asked, his tone light despite the teasing note ringing like silver bells.

Rowan pouted, refusing to look at him. “You’re not being very fair.”

“And you were?”

“I’m your wife!” She exclaimed, again trying to wiggle her hands from his grip. “I should be allowed to put my cold hands on your stomach!”

“Then I’ll be cold!”

“You’re always warm!” She cried. “Always! I want to be warm too!”

Laughing, Gavin pressed her hands against his chest. “Here, you’ll warm up like this.”

“But that’s not as fun,” she pouted, wishing she could scoot away from him.

His voice was soft as a lullaby as he ducked his head, lips brushing against the backs of her hands. “It is for me.”

Rowan would have scowled, mind whirring as she tried to come up with a clever rejoinder. But there was a tapping on the window, a chittering that drew her gaze.

A little squirrel perched on the windowsill, little claws scratching at the glass.

It was impossibly round for a squirrel, its fluffy tail crusted with snow, reminding her a little of a small ghost.

“Aw, look at it,” she cooed, getting to her feet. “It’s just a baby.”

Gavin had an arm wrapped around her in less than a moment after he stood, clutching her to his side as they peered at the little squirrel.

“Isn’t it cute?!” She asked, waving to it as it watched them with dark, depthless eyes.

He nodded, squeezing her closer. “Yes, it’s very cute.”

“We should give it a treat!”

He didn’t have a chance to stop her as she dashed inside, coming out with a handful of pumpkin seeds.

“Rowan, you really shouldn’t feed the wildlife,” he warned, but she only waved him off, cracking open the door to lay the pumpkin seeds out on the snow.

“It’s winter, they’re probably not much to forage for,” she said, shivering as she closed the door. “And maybe it’ll bring them back to its squirrel family!”

They watched as the squirrel cocked its head to the side, tail twitching as it sniffed the air. Then it hopped from the windowsill, racing across the snow to gather up the pumpkin seeds and race away, disappearing into the trees.

“Look how happy it is!” She sang, clapping her hands. “I bet we just made its day.”

Gavin pouted, wrapping his arms around her waist. “Will you make my day, too?”

She patted his cheek, snorting. “And what is it you’d like?”

He mumbled something near incoherent against the side of her head, and she smiled a little wider, guiding him back to their game. “I think I can do that.”

***

Although for the most part they spent the mornings outside, and occasionally their early afternoons, by late afternoon Rowan always found herself being dragged back to the cottage before the sun could sink below the horizon and set the world ablaze.

Gavin always insisted they were inside well before dusk had settled across the sky, and that was something Rowan was not about to argue with him about. The forest seemed to burst to life as night began its quick descent, and she could swear she heard something on the trails behind them sometimes, whisper soft footprints in the snow.

There were nights, too, where she would wake up to the howl of wolves, as though they were surrounding the cottage. Gavin would wake with her, curling his body around hers, humming gently until she fell back asleep, cradled in his arms.

So they did not stay out late, the cold and the creatures of the night not things they wanted to be acquainted with.

Instead, they played games, or they cooked, or baked, learning new holiday themed recipes they found online. Sometimes they read quietly, shoulders pressed together, sharing the gentle quiet like it was a warm blanket wrapped around them.

But as Rowan stirred a pot of wine she was warming the day before Christmas, a sachet of spices and dried oranges on the counter next to her, ready to get tossed in, Gavin popped his head in, eyes alight.

“I nearly forgot,” he said, stepping into the kitchen, scratching at the back of his neck.

“What is it?” She paused her stirring, free hand hovering over the sachet.

He looked sheepish, eyes flicking to the ceiling. “I forgot to tell you, I brought Christmas decorations. I had thought it would be nice to decorate together.”

He winced, as though she would be mad at him. But Rowan couldn’t stop the smile that bloomed across her face, the first touch of spring in the midst of winter.

He had brought their decorations! He had thought it would be fun to decorate together. He had taken the time to pack up their decorations even though the cottage wasn’t theirs, even though they would have to tear everything down at the end of their two week stay.

She paused for a moment, confused. “Wait, but what about the decorations we’d already put up?”

He shrugged, even as a line etched itself between his brows. “I might have bought some extra decorations just for here.”

She threw her arms around his neck, the pot of warming wine forgotten. “Oh babey, that’s one of the sweetest things you could have done.”

She felt the flutter of his lashes against her cheek. “So… You’re not mad?”

“Why would I be mad?”

“Because I forgot until today.”

She pulled away, sandwiching his face between her two hands. “Gavin.”

The line between his brows deepened. “Yes?”

“You surprised me with this wonderful vacation. You cheered me on when I fell on the ice. You let me shove snow down your shirt this morning when we were hiking-”

“-I didn’t let you,” he amended, patting her hand. “You were just faster than me.”

She narrowed her eyes, refusing to believe his words, despite the honeyed tone. She knew how fast he was, if he’d wanted to stop her he would have.

“And you bought new decorations just so we could put them up together. So we could celebrate Christmas here.”

She drew his head down so she could press a kiss above that wrinkle, smoothing it away. “I’m so happy, babey. I’m so happy I get to share this all with you.”

He let out a nervous chuckle, although he did not move, and Rowan pressed another kiss to his brow. And another. And another. And then she was showering kisses on his face as surely as snow was showering on the world outside the cottage walls.

His laugh turned genuine, sweet, a melody that resonated deep within her bones. She imagined it sinking into the walls of the cottage, threading itself into the fabric of the pillows and blankets and cushions. Staining the windows like fog, slipping out into the world and burying in the snow like seedlings primed for the day spring awoke the world once more.

“I would love to decorate with you,” she murmured into his hair, the soft strands tickling her cheeks.

She closed her eyes, breathing in the warm, simple smell of her Gavin. His shampoo and soap were simple, but they had an evergreen smell, a woodsy smell, with some spice she couldn’t quite place. Like she was standing in the middle of a fantasy story, in the midst of an enchanted wood, on a quest to find an enchanted object.

She hummed, reminded of a barbie movie with a similar plot. She wondered if she could get Gavin to watch it with her; she’d certainly gotten him to watch similar movies with her before, so perhaps this wouldn’t be any different…

“Rowan?” He asked, spearing through the frothing ocean waves of her thoughts.

“Hmmm?”

“I think the wine is boiling over.”

She screamed, spinning around to grab the spoon and stirring furiously, scarlet foam and bubbles nearly boiling over the rim of the pot. Steam rose from the wine, blurring the kitchen and everything in it.

“Oh no oh no,” she whined, teeth clenched together as she stirred furiously. “I hope it doesn’t burn to the pan.”

She felt lips against her temple, Gavin at her side, his hands scooping up the sachet of spices and dried fruit and dunking it into the wine. “I’m sure it will be okay. But we’d better start mulling this now.”

She smiled wryly, stirring the last of the bubbles away. “Or else?”

“There might not be any wine left to mull.”

He earned a smack for that, although Gavin didn’t even bother flinching. Instead he just rubbed his arm, laughing before stepping from the kitchen.

Mulling wine didn’t take much time, and once Rowan was satisfied the spices had been steeped long enough she removed the pot from the heat, continuing to stir as steam poured from the wine.

Gavin popped his head back in as she was taking out two mugs from the cabinets, something tucked under his arm and yet another sheepish look on his face.

“What is it now?” She asked, feigning annoyance as she narrowed her eyes at him.

Gavin held up a horrendous looking Christmas sweater. The colour was garish and she was certain there was real tinsel hanging from the sleeves. “I got you an early Christmas present.”

She blinked at the sweater. “Oh my.”

A snort, the awkward light in Gavin’s face fading away. His lips curled up, mischief written in the lines of his face. “Do you like it?”

“Do I?” She asked, although it was more to buy herself some time to come up with the right words to express how she felt about… Well, about that.

He grinned wider. “What if I told you that I have a matching one.”

“I’m obsessed,” she took the sweater from his hands, pulling it over her head.

The inside material was soft, and it was surprisingly warm. Although it did feel awkward and bulky from the tinsel sewn to the sleeves and the miniature ornaments dangling from the front of the sweater.

“Where’s yours?” She asked, narrowing her eyes as Gavin scratched at his neck, phone mysteriously in his free hand.

“I didn’t want to wear it in case you hated it,” he mumbled, his expression void of any shame.

“Well then, you can go and put it on since I would like to match,” she said, nose sticking up, as though she were a prim young lady addressing a poorly mannered gentleman.

Gavin chuckled, and Rowan pushed him from the kitchen, unable to stop laughing, their voices twining together like the opening notes of a song.

“Go on! Go put it on! Or else I’m not letting you have any of the wine!”

He arched a brow, bemused. “Rowan, I don’t think you should be drinking an entire bottle of wine on your own.”

“I will! Don’t think I won’t!”

He pouted. “Rowan, that’s not healthy.”

She shrugged. “I’ll just have some water, too.”

“That’s not- that won’t help if you’re having an entire bottle.”

Another shrug. “I’ll just eat something, too.”

Gavin spun around, grasping her hands, a crease forming between his brows. “But what if you still get sick.”

She disentangled her hands from his to pat his cheek, grinning. “Then I guess you’d better go get that sweater on.”

“You drive a hard bargain,” he sighed, shaking his head. “But how can I say no to you?”

“Exactly,” she sang, giving him another shove. “Now go! Before all the wine is gone.”

While Gavin was getting changed, Rowan considered how much wine she could drink in one sitting, but decided against it. Although the spices made the warmed wine smell delicious, like winter in a mug, cradled between her palms, it was far too hot for her to drink quickly. She also wanted to savour it before the alcohol went to her head and her basic reasoning skills slipped from her grasp.

Gavin returned, his expression full of worry until his eyes fell on Rowan curled on the couch, the mug of wine in her hands.

“Did you save any for me?”

She let her head fall back against the back of the couch, smirking. “Why don’t you go see for yourself?”

The concerned expression was back, and he all but sprinted into the kitchen, only for the deepest, longest sigh to fill the air.

Gavin emerged from the kitchen a few moments later, steaming mug in hand, pinching her cheek as he passed. “You really had me worried there, pumpkin.”

She swatted him away. “As if I could drink a bottle of wine that quickly.”

“Well, there was certainly less than a bottle left after it nearly boiled over.”

“That was partly your fault, too,” she whined, wrinkling her nose as he hefted a box under his arm and carried it closer to the couch. “You can’t put all of the blame on me.”

He dropped the box on the floor before the couch, lifting one hand palm out in surrender. “Okay, okay, I'll relent.”

“Good,” she sniffed, warm spices overwhelming her tongue as she sipped from her mug. “I am your wife after all.”

Gavin settled on the couch beside her, leaning close as though to share a whispered secret. “Come closer.”

Curious, Rowan obliged, scooting closer to Gavin. “What is it?”

He smelled of cinnamon and cloves and oranges and the slightest touch of honey as he leaned so close their noses bumped together. “I love you. I’m so happy you’re my wife.”

Although the words were quite familiar to her ears, still Rowan found her breath catching in her throat. Gavin’s lips brushed against hers in a chaste facsimile of a kiss, sending her heart into a frenzied beat that made her head spin.

Oh why did he always have to tease her?

His lips hovered over hers for another long, aching moment. And then he was pulling away, his expression all innocence as he sipped from his mug, even as Rowan struggled to draw breath.

She did down her mug of wine then, as Gavin’s face filled with smug delight as she struggled to control her composure. Her mouth and throat burned, the spices so strong she could feel their sharp burn in her nose.

The nerve, the absolute gall.

Her stomach twisted, an aching knot forming deep in her belly, and she stomped back to the kitchen to refill her mug, trying to ignore that near painful ache.

When she returned, finally able to control her breathing just a little better, Gavin was beginning to sort through the box he had brought over. THe lid had been set aside on the floor, unveiling yards of Christmas lights, and glittering blue and silver tinsel, and plush figures that sang, and tiny wreaths laden with pine and ribbons and fake pine-cones and red berries.

“What do you think?” He asked, lifting a pair of embroidered stockings into the air, wiggling them so they flapped against each other.

She blinked, the wine already beginning to seep into her blood. “I think it’s marvellous.”

He laughed as he stood. “Then should we get started?”

She sipped her wine, watching him through the steam curling from the dark crimson liquid. “Are you going to tease me again?”

He shrugged. “You’ll have to find out.”

Rowan did in fact find out, but only after she’d teased him back herself, the wine making its way to her mind now, drowning out any of her inhibitions.

She poked and teased him nearly as shamelessly as he did her, earning blushing cheeks and the sweetest stammers from Gavin as he struggled to counter her mischief.

The wine grew cold in their mugs as they decorated, and it was Gavin who went back to the kitchen to reheat everything, leaving Rowan to string up the lights along the floor and walls, a delighted smile shining across her face.

He pinched her when he returned, getting her back for her last bout of teasing before pressing her mug back into her hands.

They chattered as they worked, giggles erupting from both of them as their conversations dipped and spun and devolved. Animals passing by the windows to build-a-bear stuffed animals to questions like ‘what if there was a movie about singing squirrels.’

‘Isn’t that just the chipmunks, Gavin?’

‘The who?’

Or debating whether they could make an entire sweater of the tinsel he had bought, or trying to guess the plot of the movie they had put on and how it would end.

“They’re going to open a cupcake shop,” Rowan said, sipping the dredges of wine from her mug before Gavin took it. “They’re both bakers, it makes sense.”

“No no no,” he shook his head. “The last one we watched they opened a cupcake shop. They’re going to take over her family’s diner.”

“But she’s never even worked in the diner! They opened it after she left for New York.”

Rowan followed at Gavin’s heels as they bickered, a miniature wreath around her wrist like a diamond bracelet. She yanked on the tinsel tossed around his throat like a scarf, and the ends tickled his cheeks until he snorted, turning back around to face her.

“Perhaps you should be the one who writes the next Christmas movie,” he suggested, setting their mugs on the counter. “I think you could make something wonderful.”

She snorted, running a hand through her increasingly tangled hair. “What gave you that idea? When I said they were making knock-off Mcdonalds or when I thought that the love interest would turn out to be a secret prince?”

He frowned down at the empty pot for a long, long moment before turning to the cupboards, searching out another bottle of wine they had brought along.

“You were close,” he said, uncorking the wine bottle and pouring the contents into the pot before going in search of more of the mulling spices. “He was a duke.”

She wrinkled her nose, tapping her cheek as she watched Gavin scoop far too many spices into a sachet. Not that she was going to correct him. Her whole body felt warm and heavy, her head like it was cushioned on a cloud.

“Sounds more like that comic I was reading.”

A laugh as he turned the stove on. “Which one? You’ve been reading so many.”

“It’s not my fault they’re easy to read!”

He shook his head. “You stay up until 4 sometimes reading those things.”

She pouted, crossing her arms. “I don’t mean to.”

He laughed, stepping away from the pot to draw her into his arms, wine dripping onto the floor from the spoon still clasped in his hand. “It just means I’ll have to come up with a good reason for you to stop reading and come to bed.”

Her face flushed, so hot it felt like a match had been struck beneath her skin. The flame caught in the alcohol in her veins, setting her entire body ablaze as she caught Gavin’s meaning.

He pulled away, smirking as she struggled to find something to say. “Well? How does that sound?”

She looked away, muttering that he should focus on the pot more than her, lest it boil over like before.

Rowan stomped away as Gavin continued to laugh, grinding her teeth together as she scooped up another armful of decorations, moving around the room and hanging tinsel and wreaths and settling little figurines on as many surfaces as she could.

He was just so handsome, and he was usually so sweet, and he made her knees feel like jelly when he lowered his voice the way he had, even when she wasn’t drunk. And his eyes… His eyes were like what she imagined molten gold was, dark and bright all at once, burning with such fire that she would melt into a puddle in mere moments beneath his gaze.

She froze, hands hovering over the squirrel in a Santa hat figurine she’d just set on the mantle beneath the television.

She had to go outside. She had to go outside right now.

Rowan would certainly admit that her reasoning skills left much to be desired, particularly now that she’d drunk at least half a bottle of wine. But she considered her decision to go stand in the snow in nothing but her socks to be a very, very intelligent decision.

She even grabbed a handful of pumpkin seeds from the bowl she had placed on one of the little side tables next to the couches in the covered porch.

She needed to cool her brain down, needed to stop thinking horny thoughts. They were decorating for Christmas, she didn’t need to be thinking about his eyes, how they darkened. About his hands at her waist, sliding down to her thighs to-

She threw open the porch door, all but tossing herself into the closest snowdrift.

She shivered, snow seeping through her socks and freezing her toes almost instantly. She danced from foot-to-foot, tossing the pumpkin seeds out before her, watching as they scattered like rain.

She smiled; now the squirrels would have a little treat for Christmas.

Although her plan had been to sober up a little in the freezing air, Rowan quickly found that standing in the snow did little for her inebriated state, and even less for the heat in her belly.

Perhaps she should throw herself fully into a snowdrift, submerge herself in the snow. Maybe that would be a good enough shock to her system.

But before she could take more than a step further into the snow, a hand shot out, wrapping around her wrist.

“What are you doing?” Gavin asked, his voice stained with concern. “It’s freezing out here, you’re going to get sick.”

She wrinkled her nose, throwing her arm out to gesture to the pumpkin seeds she’d tossed. She didn’t want to reveal to Gavin that she’d gone out with the express intent of stifling the arousal he had sparked in her blood.

She knew exactly what that would lead to, and she wanted to finish decorating before they did anything else.

“Feeding the squirrels,” she said, offering him a small smile. “I thought they might want a Christmas gift, too.”

He sighed, shaking his head, scattering snowflakes as they were flung from his hair. “What am I going to do with you?”

She lifted her arms up, silently imploring. He only shook his head before lifting her from the snow, cradling her in his arms like she were a treasure, like he had held her after their wedding, carrying her around like he had no intention of letting her go ever again.

“You’re going to catch a cold if you run around outside like that,” he chided, frowning as she dripped frozen water into the cottage.

“Will you protect me from it?” She asked, clutching at his shirt. “If I catch a cold?”

For a moment he looked lost, bemused, but in the next he was laughing, kissing her face until her cheeks burned. “I’ll do my best.”

He settled her on the couch before finding her a new pair of socks, handing her a warm mug of mulled wine.

“What were you thinking?” He mumbled, seeming unable to let her moment of foolishness go.

“I was thinking about the squirrels,” she said primly, taking a delicate sip from her mug. “They deserve to have a Christmas celebration, too.”

“Maybe I shouldn’t have given you more wine.”

She clasped her hands around her mug, clutching it to her chest. “Says you! Your face is red from all the wine!”

They bickered back and forth, laughing as they returned to decorating, until the thread of their teasing was long gone, lost among the snow and the pumpkin seeds that had been tossed into the air.

Once they were satisfied with their decorating they both slumped onto the couch, tired and drunk, heads stuffed with cotton, arms wanting to just hold the other for a moment. For a long moment.

But the long moment quickly slipped away, and they ended up dozing until well past when they normally ate dinner. A dull throb in Rowan’s temple roused her from sleep, the burning dusk replaced by the velvet darkness of the night sky. No fiery sunlight still spilled through the windows, instead only silvery starlight, casting strange shadows along the walls.

She tried to disentangle herself from Gavin to turn the lights on, but he was awake in an instant, rubbing his eyes as he came to.

“Stay there,” he murmured, stretching as he stood. “I’ll go get us some water.”

“We’ll need something to eat, too,” she said, barely able to stifle a yawn.

“How do eggs sound?” He asked, blinking as he switched on a lamp, then another, the living room awash in gold. “And some of those cinnamon buns we tried making yesterday?”

Rowan stood, shuffling along behind Gavin. “We could do omelets! We have tomatoes and peppers and some bacon leftover, I think.”

His smile was soft, sleep still clinging to him as he spoke. “That sounds perfect.”

Unlike when they were decorating, there wasn’t much banter as they cooked, both of them sinking into a warm, comfortable quiet. Omelets weren’t particularly difficult to make, and Rowan cooked while Gavin cleaned up after her, leaving the kitchen nearly spotless and two fresh, warm omelets steaming on their plates.

Gavin settled a cinnamon bun on either plate, and then they trudged back to the couch, focuses slipping between the movie they chose to watch at random, and other distractions.

Rowan, for her part, couldn’t decide if she wanted to watch the movie or read, and so she did a little of both, her attention flitting between the two as her interest rose and fell like ocean waves.

Beside her, Gavin split his attention between the movie and a game he was playing. It was an older one, something she had given to him on his birthday months ago. She peeked over his shoulder to get a look at the tiny rectangular screen, watching as the little character dodged and rolled and swiped at the legs of a giant mechanized monster.

She didn’t notice Gavin’s attention flitting to her face, her poor attempt at snooping on what he was doing unveiled.

“Do you want to try?” He asked, making Rowan squeak in surprise, her heart hammering so quickly she was sure it would tear through her ribs.

She pouted once her momentary shock wore off, crossing her arms as she leaned back. “Don’t tease me. Last time you did that I didn’t even come close to winning against the boss.”

He laughed, scooting closer, moving the console so it hovered in the air between the two of them. “This is different, I promise. And I can help you.”

She took the console from him hesitantly, the controls warm from where he had been holding them.

In her defense, the kinds of games Gavin played were usually not the ones she played. She liked to think out her moves beforehand, while Gavin was much better at in-the-moment attacks and split-second decisions.

It was also worth taking into consideration that she was still very, very drunk, and her reflexes were slowed even more than normal.

So when Rowan unpaused the game and immediately died as the mechanical robot smashed its arm into the player character, she tried not to get too annoyed at herself. Although she was a little annoyed, as Gavin tried and failed to stifle a chuckle, as she reset the battle and began it again.

Gavin did at least keep his promise of helping her. Or trying to, anyways. He gave suggestions on where to move the player character, and what attacks to use and when. It was still up to her to actually land the hits, and to dodge the monster’s attacks, and to not die in the first stages of the battle.

They sat like that for a long while, Gavin offering encouragement as Rowan stumbled her way through the boss battle. And once she’d finally won he helped her through the next stages, letting her wander around some of the areas in the game to help complete minigames and collect plants to brew potions and strengthen their weapons in the game.

Neither of them realized they were falling asleep until it was far too late, the console falling to the side as they slumped together on the couch, asleep in each other’s arms beneath the warm Christmas lights strung around the room.

***

Rowan awoke on Christmas day before the sun had fully risen, a throbbing headache rousing her from her dreamless sleep.

Her neck and back ached, and after a few disorienting moments she realized that she had fallen asleep on the couch with Gavin, both of them slumped over in awkward angles as they’d tumbled into unconsciousness.

Gavin’s eyes fluttered open the moment she tried to shift, his arms sliding around her waist and drawing her against his chest. He mumbled something incoherent against her hair, sighing when her arms slipped around him in kind.

“Babey,” she murmured, patting his back. “Babey, we fell asleep on the couch.”

He murmured something else she couldn’t hear, his arms tightening around her.

“What was that?”

He pulled away to press his brow against hers. “I said merry christmas, my love.”

***

The rest of the day was a quiet affair. They both stood from the couch, groaning, bodies aching from the strange positions they had fallen asleep in. They bathed together quietly, talking in soft voices, their fatigue still clinging to their minds, before changing into soft pajamas and stumbling into bed.

They slept late, until the sun had well and truly risen and the entire cottage was once more bathed in gold. Rowan’s headache still persisted, so Gavin got her water, encouraging her to rest while he made breakfast. She wasn’t about to argue, the headache making the world tilt and whirl like a carnival ride.

Blessedly, it began to dissipate once she’d begun to eat, still curled up in bed next to Gavin. Although her stomach did churn after the first few bites, even that too began to abate, until she felt well enough that it was like she hadn’t drank anything at all.

It was early afternoon by the time they dressed, although Rowan was sure an exception could be made for Christmas. Especially since they had both been out of sorts that morning.

Gavin insisted she open the gifts he had brought for her, although guilt gnawed at her belly for not thinking to have his gifts brought along as well.

“It’s alright,” he promised, as he’d pressed a small box into her hand, so neatly wrapped she was sure he must have practiced for hours to perfect his skill. “There is something you can give me later.”

Heat crawled beneath her skin at his words, at the way his voice dropped, growing whisper soft as he lowered his mouth to her ear.

She was also not surprised in the least when she lifted the lid off one of the gifts to find a pink, lacy confection neatly folded inside.

Although the heat in her face grew hotter, until she felt like she might catch flame, like dry kindling laid too close to a campfire.

She set the box to the side, ignoring Gavin’s smug smile as she scooped up one last present, focusing all of her attention in slowly tearing the wrapping paper apart.

She did not want to meet his gaze, not yet. She was sure if she did she would fall apart completely, giving in to whatever plans he’d been concocting secretly.

“Thank you,” she said, settling the last gift to the side before pressing a kiss to his cheek. “These have all been wonderful gifts. I just wish you could have unwrapped something, too.”

His eyes sparked, and she could already hear the words he was planning to say before he said them.

Something to the effect of ‘well there is one thing I would like to unwrap.’

Not that she was going to give him the satisfaction of saying that.

Yet.

Not yet.

“Why don’t we go sit on the porch,” she suggested, ignoring the way the world spun when she stood. “It looks so pretty today.”

Gavin opened his mouth, then closed it again, reminding her a bit of a fish out of water as he struggled for a moment. But his bemusement quickly fell away, a knowing light filling his eyes. He nodded, gathering up their books and game console they’d left on the couch the night before as he followed her.

They were met with a strange sight once they stepped onto the porch, a little group of squirrels peering at them from the other side of the windows, dark tails swishing in the breeze.

“Oh Gavin, look!” She sang, running to the window. The squirrels flinched, but didn’t run away, watching them curiously with dark eyes.

“It’s because you’ve been feeding them,” he said, settling their things on one of the couches. “You need to be careful or else they’ll expect all humans will feed them.”

She pouted, crossing her arms. “Maybe they’re just really friendly.”

Gavin was about to say something else, to argue with Rowan further, but she was no longer listening as she scooped pumpkin seeds from the bowl on the table, opened the door, and gently settled the seeds onto the windowsill a few feet from the squirrels.

She watched as they tensed, little noses wiggling as they sniffed the air, worried that she meant danger.

But the moment she closed the door, coming back inside to stand next to Gavin, the squirrels descended on the seeds, grabbing them with tiny paws and stuffing them into their cheeks.

“Look!” She sang, clapping her hands. “They’re so happy!”

Gavin hummed in response, pulling her against his side. “What am I going to do with you?”

“Well I hope you continue to love me,” she groused.

His laughter was soft as he lowered his lips to her temple. “That was never in question.”

“Then you can sit with me while I read,” she said, smiling when she felt his lips trailing down the line of her jaw. “My book is at a very interesting part.”

He hummed as she shuffled to the couch, Gavin clinging to her side.

“Do you want me to tell you about it?”

Another hum, although this time he did allow himself to be disentangled from her so they could sit. Rowan pulled her legs up onto the cushions, leaning back against some of the pillows stacked against the arm of the couch as she balanced her book in her lap. “You know, now you’ll be a step closer to defeating the final boss in your game since I helped!”

Gavin laughed, switching on his game console. “I can’t imagine what I would do without you.”

She nodded. “Everything would be incredibly difficult for you. Especially that game.”

A snort, his hand flying up to cover his face as he laughed, curling over himself for a moment.

“What’s so funny?”

Gavin heaved a breath before shifting closer, patting her leg. “I’m just so happy I get to spend today with you.”

“Even if we’re hungover and we don’t do much?”

“I don’t need to do much,” he said, shaking his head. “Just getting to spend today with you makes me happier than I could ever imagine.”

Rowan covered her face as heat seeped into her cheeks. His words weren’t anything she hadn’t heard before, but every time he said something sweet she felt like she was melting. Like she would soon be a Rowan-shaped puddle on the heated floors.

“I love you,” he breathed, taking her hand and drawing it towards him, so he could brush his lips against her palm. “I love you entirely, with all of me.”

Rowan couldn’t stop the giggle that spilled from her lips. For a moment Gavin reminded her of a knight from a fairytale, or a chivalrous prince declaring his affections for a princess. Taking her hand to press a kiss to her skin, to murmur his love against her palm.

She could see it as clearly as a scene in a movie, as a drawn out description in a fantasy novel.

He blinked, his lashes catching the light and turning gold as they fluttered. There was a smugness to the curve of his lip, and although part of Rowan’s mind told her to withdraw her hand at once, she found that she couldn’t. His hand was too warm, and she liked being held by him too much.

“What are you thinking?”

She shrugged, flipping open her book with one hand. “Just this scene I’m on in my book.”

“I thought you were going to tell me about it.”

She looked up, slowly withdrawing her hand now so she could readjust. “Are you sure you want me to tell you about it?”

He nodded, propping his head up on his hand. “I do. I want to hear about the stories you like.”

She smoothed her hand over the page she had last read, collecting her thoughts for a moment. “Well, it’s inspired by the myth of…”

They spent the rest of the day on the porch together, talking, reading, passing the game console between them as Gavin moved up in levels and Rowan helped collect materials for potions and completed minigames. Sometimes they shifted between the couches, trying to find the best place to sit. Sometimes wrapping blankets around their shoulders or draping them over their legs.

Gavin finished his game by the time evening began to settle over the world, while Rowan had started on another book Gavin had gotten her as a gift. They paused long enough to make themselves dinner before returning to the covered porch, this time with a new board game to play together.

And when Gavin won they built a fort with the cushions and blankets. It had been a joke at first, Rowan boxing herself into a corner with pillows, feigning misery at three losses in a row.

“I want to watch ‘Legally Blonde’ to cheer up,” she had whined, right before Gavin had torn the pillows away and started building a much larger fort with them. He’d said something dorky, something that had made her cheeks burn and her heart stumble and her mind draw blank.

And once they had exhausted themselves making their fort, snuggled beneath the blanket ceiling to read a new book and start a new game, they went back inside. There was dessert to be had, and Gavin had promised they could watch any movie Rowan wanted that day. In repayment for his unbeatable winning streak in any game that they played.

Although they didn’t get more than halfway through their movie, night cloaking the world in its shadow, pallid light shimmering from the stars illuminating the darkness, before Gavin got to unwrap his own Christmas gift.

***

The second week of their vacation passed by in a blur of tangled limbs and nearly burnt meals and afternoons spent in the brisk winter air.

The day after Christmas they both felt like they needed to move, and after a small breakfast had agreed on skating and then hiking down one of the trails they hadn’t followed in the past. It curved to the left, rather than to the right like the path they normally took, and both Rowan and Gavin found themselves curious as to where it would lead.

But as they made their way outside, skates slung over shoulders, they were greeted by a small host of furry creatures. Squirrels gathered near the front door of the cottage, watching them in a silence that could have been disquieting in normal circumstances. But before Rowan could feel any amount of unease, Gavin was stuffing his hand in his pocket and tossing out a handful of pumpkin seeds, scattering them to the group of squirrels patiently waiting before them.

“I thought you didn’t want to feed the squirrels,” Rowan said, curious as she followed Gavin down to the frozen lake.

He shrugged, taking her gloved hand. “But you’ve been doing it for the last few days. And it’s made you happy, so I thought I would feed them too.”

She leaned against him, warm despite the freezing winds whipping against her face. He was sweet as spun sugar, as soft as down. She was so happy he was part of her life.

She shared her sentiments with him as they laced up their skates, earning a flushed-face Gavin who stammered over his words.

She adored this side of him too, she thought as she took his hand and began to glide across the frozen surface. The sweet, awkward side. The one that blushed when she told him he was cute, that he was precious, that he was sweet as candy that made her teeth ache.

They spent about an hour on the ice before Rowan’s stomach began to rumble, their small breakfast not doing much to keep her energized. And when they headed back to the cabin they were once more greeted by the group of squirrels, perched on the windowsill now, watching them curiously.

“I think they’re looking for a little lunch, too,” she mused, settling some pumpkin seeds on the ground a few feet away.

After a much heartier lunch, one that Gavin promised would keep her warm, the squirrels had vanished from the front of the cottage. But as they made their way down the snowy forest paths Rowan could have sworn she heard chittering in the trees, the forest seeming much more alive than it had the last few times they’d gone out for a hike.

The squirrels grew braver after that. Each morning when they went out, whether to lounge on the porch or step out for some fresh air, the squirrels would be waiting. Noses twitching, little paws poised to grab onto any food they set down for them.

One day Rowan and Gavin even decided to set out a small bowl just for the squirrels, so they knew exactly where the food would be. Like a little feeder just for their new furry friends.

After setting down the bowl a bit earlier than normal, Gavin suggested heading down to the lake one last time. They only had a few days left, and the weather was poised to turn strangely warm. So while they could still hike as the snow puddled beneath their feet and the icicles melted away, they would not be able to skate on the ice safely if it began to melt.

Rowan had wanted to perfect her jumps, or perfect her attempts at jumps. Gavin had been cheering her on, going so far as to film some of her best attempts, telling her how proud he was of her.

She’d tried to get him to skate with her, too. Like the couples’ skaters she’d seen on television, too. But while Gavin was quick to adapt to the ice, he still struggled to dance, falling over nearly as many times as she did.

But he always smiled, sometimes dragging her down with him, both of them laughing as ice and snow dusted their clothes and their hair. And still he tried, once he grew more comfortable, some of his nervousness released after the tenth or eleventh time he’d tumbled to the hard icy surface.

So they’d grabbed their skates, Rowan resolving to get Gavin to dance with her for at least ten minutes before they stumbled and fell onto the ice. And she resolved to try to land one jump perfectly, without stumbling, without falling on her ass.

She was so wrapped up in her own thoughts, in chattering away at Gavin, who always nodded and hummed as she spoke, she almost didn’t notice that they were being followed.

In fact, it wasn’t even until they were wobbling onto the ice, trying to once more get used to the strange feeling of gliding on thin blades, did Rowan notice the chittering and rustling behind them.

She turned, covering her mouth to stifle a laugh, as a group of squirrels paused at the edge of the lake. She could swear that she saw consternation on their tiny faces as they studied the lake, then turned their dark eyes on her and Gavin.

“Babey, look,” she said, grasping his arm and pointing towards the tiny hoard. “Look at all our friends! They’re here to cheer you on.”

He arched a brow, gaze moving from the small creatures to Rowan’s face. “I don’t know if I want an audience.”

She squished his cheeks between her gloved hands, hoping the smile she gave was equal parts teasing and comforting. “Gavin, you’re wonderful in everything you do. And,” she dropped her voice to a conspiratorial breath now. “I don’t think the squirrels are going to judge your ice dancing abilities.”

He smiled then, his lips curving up like a crescent moon. “You might be right.”

“I am right,” she insisted. “And it’s not about being good, just about having fun, right?”

He pinched her side, the corners of his eyes creasing as he smiled wider. “Weren’t you the one who was out here saying you had to do those jumps perfectly?”

She wrinkled her nose, frowning at the horizon. “Well, they definitely won’t be perfect unless I take professional lessons, so I’m trying a new tactic.”

Another laugh, followed by his lips against her cheek. “Alright, I’ll follow your lead, then.”

The squirrels slipped to the back of their minds as they skated around for a while. Rowan stumbled on some of the bumps in the ice, but she’d grown used to them by now, and was able to correct herself before she fell over and smacked her face against the ice. Again.

And maybe she just wanted an excuse to hold Gavin’s hands, to catch the shy look that crossed his face as he tried something he wasn’t used to, something that he was a little clumsier at. It was usually followed by the sweetest expression, one of soft joy like sunshine creeping across a dawn sky, when he did something right.

The squirrels, for their part, continued to chitter and wander around the edge of the lake. A few even dared to skitter across the surface, sliding on their bellies when their paws slipped from under them.

Rowan watched, after falling so hard on her ass she saw stars swimming in her vision, three little squirrels struggling to right themselves as they slid across the frozen surface, squeaking as their tails flailed wildly.

She watched as Gavin took pity on the poor creatures, scooping them into his arms and depositing them back into the snow. They tensed when he drew near, but they were already far too frightened to do much else, and they let him lift them up and gently settle them back on the snow with the rest of their friends.

Rowan couldn’t help biting on her bottom lip as she watched Gavin help the wayward squirrels, warmth spilling from her heart like an overflowing glass. Like joy was a fizzing wine, and its warmth was spilling through her veins.

Catching sight of his gentle expression, the line between his brow and the cadence of his quiet murmurings as he calmed the stressed creatures as he carried them to the edge of the lake, her chest felt like it might burst. She wanted to hold him in her arms as tight as she could, wanted to run her fingers through his hair, wanted to squish his cheeks between her hands again.

She paused, humming as she flexed her fingers. Slowly drew herself to her feet before skating towards him. She could ignore the cuteness aggression. But she could also not, and she didn’t really want to ignore it right now. Not with the addition of all the layers he wore, and the dorky hat pulled over his head that made his bangs messy and cute, and the chunky scarf wrapped so high around his neck it almost hid his face.

“Babey!” She called, skating as fast as her wobbling legs would allow. How long had they been on the ice, anyways? The had long since felt the first bite of cold seeping through her clothes, and her body was just a little too numb for her liking.

They should probably go inside soon.

Although not yet.

He hummed, brows raised as he moved towards her. “What is it?”

She reached out her hands, smacking them on either side of his face, squishing his cheeks. “I just wanted to do this.”

He looked confused, lips sticking out in what might have been a pout, although she wasn’t entirely sure since she was pressing his cheeks with such force his mouth was squished along with them.

But after a moment his confusion melted away, muffled laughter and snorts spilling from him. His eyes squeezed shut, shoulders shaking as he laughed, mirth washing over his smushed face.

Rowan started giggling too, his face so cute and his laughter so delightful and silly that she couldn’t help herself. She dropped her hands, wrapping them around her belly as she snorted, gasping for breath as she laughed more.

Gavin took her hands then, bringing them up to his chest. There were red marks on his face from her hands, and he was still chuckling. “Happy now?”

“Yes, very.”

He squeezed her hands tight. “Good. Then we should probably go in for a bit. We’ve been out for a few hours and should warm up for a bit.”

Rowan let him drag her towards the edge of the lake, back towards the cottage. “Can I squish your face again?”

A small sigh passed his lips, and he looked at her over his shoulder, his gentle smile undercut by the mischief in his eyes. “You can do whatever you’d like.”

***

The next time they went hiking the squirrels were far less subtle about following them.

They didn’t hide in the trees, scampering around just out of sight, blending in with the muted browns of the forest.

Instead, they followed at Rowan and Gavin’s heels, chirping and chittering as they clung to the tree trunks closest to them, watching curiously as their whiskered noses twitched.

“I think we’ve made some new friends,” Rowan whispered, peeking over her shoulder to see a little black squirrel hopping through their boot-prints in the snow.

Gavin snorted, squeezing Rowan’s hand. “They probably just want more food.”

“No, no, they love you,” she insisted, ducking beneath a low hanging tree branch in their path. “You rescued a bunch of them from the lake. They’re obsessed with you now.”

Gavin rolled his eyes. “I doubt that. They’ve probably already forgotten.”

Watching the squirrels that followed them around the forest, Rowan wasn’t entirely sure Gavin was right. If they just wanted food they likely wouldn’t be following so closely. Or they would surely be trying to paw at them for food, the way Stella sometimes did when she was begging for treats.

“You’re like a disney prince,” she continued, removing her hand from his to wrap her arms around his waist. “They love you.”

Another eye-roll, a snort. “Should I sing to them next?”

“Well,” she drawled, squeezing his side. “I wouldn’t be opposed to you singing.”

She didn’t have to look at his face to know he was blushing. His ears, tucked beneath his heavy winter hat, were surely crimson by now.

“My voice isn’t that nice.”

“Well I think it’s wonderful.”

He sighed in defeat, patting her arm. “I’ll sing for you when we get back.”

“What about the squirrels?”

He chuckled, eying the squirrels practically dangling from a tree branch nearby. “I only like singing for you.”

She pinched his side, but only lightly, just enough for him to laugh as he pinched her back.

“You’re a dork, Gavin,” she teased, arms falling away to take his hand once more.

“But you love me?”

“Of course. How could I not?”

***

It wasn’t the watery morning light that drew Rowan from sleep, or the creaking sound of the cottage’s front door, or even the burst of cool wind that swept through the small building as the door closed.

Instead, it was the absence of Gavin’s arms. His soft breathing. His gently humming when he was trying to coax her awake.

Rowan sat up, eyes still blurry with sleep. She winced at the light, quickly scanning the room to see if Gavin was getting dressed, or perhaps on his way back from the bathroom.

But the bathroom was empty, and Gavin’s pajamas hadn’t been set to the side they way they were when he got dressed. There weren’t any sounds from the kitchen either, which meant he wasn’t trying to put together breakfast yet.

Rowan drew a soft blanket around her shoulders before descending from the bedroom into the main room of the cottage, sweeping her tired eyes around, frowning at the shadows in case Gavin was tucked away in one of them.

It took her tired mind a long, long moment to remember the sound of the front door opening and closing, the creak of the rusted hinges.

And it took her another long while to notice that Gavin’s boots were missing from the rubber mat near the door.

Rowan padded across the room, stuffing her feet in her own boots before trekking outside. She paused as she stepped onto the porch, the sunlight so much brighter with all the windows and crystals embedded in the glass casting miniature rainbows across every soft surface.

She narrowed her eyes, a soft melody seeping through the glass. She turned in the direction of the song, catching sight of Gavin’s figure through the windows.

Hiking the blanket higher around herself, Rowan shoved open the door, stepping out into the freezing morning air. It took a second for her eyes to adjust, sleep still clinging to her mind like ivy to an ancient home.

Gavin stood a few feet away from the door, his back turned to the cottage. A bowl of pumpkin seeds was in one hand, the other scattering seeds across the snowy ground. Squirrels surrounded him, a few even perching on his shoulder. And he was singing, one of her favourite songs, the melody warm and sweet as sun-warmed honey in his voice.

He turned at the sound of the door opening, his amber eyes, nearly gold as they caught the light, widening when they fell on her.

Rowan pulled the blanket tighter around herself, the urge to hold him tight in her arms nearly overwhelming her again.

“I was right,” she sang, before a yawn stole her voice for a moment. “You really are a disney prince.”

He smiled, soft as spun sugar, equally as sweet. “Does that make you my princess?”

She pressed her lips together to stop from smiling wider, rolling her eyes as heat crawled up her neck. “Perhaps, Gavin. Perhaps.”

He laughed, one of the squirrels pawing at his side, seemingly annoyed he had stopped singing, or feeding them treats. Or perhaps both.

He held out a hand towards her. “Then why don’t you join me, my princess.”And standing beneath the rising sun, his quiet singing still lingering in the wind, eyes shining, limned in light like something out of a fairytale, he really did look a little like a prince. And he was her prince. And how could she refuse?

[barrencelenny]

I feel like fic recs tend to be things that are complete, so I thought I'd rec some things that haven't been updated in a while (>a year) or abandoned, but I still like to go back and reread

with links and comments under the cut <3

Poured Over Ice in an Old-Fashioned Glass by prepandemicwriting (bealeciphers) [2016-02-04, 28k]

-classic bartender!barry fic. they're both kinda disasters all around? hilarious

Run Away With Me by asexual-fandom-queen (2016-05-23, 14k]

-the only time asking someone to run away with you has ever worked lmao.

Painting the Roses Red by Solarcat [2016-07-01, 20k]

-Family of Rogues but there's a third snart sibling that Len's got to protect. Lucy Snart that only exists in this fic and my brain ily <3

I bet these memories follow you around by MissSugarPlum [2017-06-07,5k]

-Lisa and Barry in high school at the same time, Barry being tiny and full of rage, Lisa being reluctantly charmed, mwah. chef's kiss.

Bolt from the Blue by town_without_heart [2017-06-16, 170k]

-pre-canon meeting is always delicious to me. eobard being aware of it is the cherry on top (what a creeper)

The Good in You (the Bad in Me) by blue_wonderer [2017-08-02, 26k]

-I have a soft spot for fics where Barry and Lisa are friends what can I say. set pre-canon, and barry is a goddamn delight

Get Me Through The Night by Mentalrebel [2017-08-07, 11k]

-super interesting formatting. it's a lifeline au? I have no idea what that it, but it's fun

Ties and Barricades by yersifanel [2017-09-01, 10k]

-pre-canon meet-ugly where len kidnaps his soulmate as part of his getaway.

Realignment (time & company) by writerdragonfly [2018-02-13, 12k]

-me? rec a time travel fic? of course. time traveller's wife au. gives some really interesting backstory to Len's mother/family

Unexpected Development by nirejseki [2018-04-05, 20k]

-it's so funny it's practically a crack fic. calling the reverse flash Mr. Banana is an inspired choice

since I can remember I've been runnin' from you by youmakemesoangry [2019-01-26, 14k]

-barry getting haunted by post oculus len yes oh yes

Sticky Fingers by MoriartyMastermind [2019-03-05, 18k]

-barry stealing wallets as the flash is like objectively funny okay

Resonance by Moriavis [2019-06-16, 40k]

-looove a soulmate fic and this one is so unique. Barry and Len meet when Barry's still a child, and it ends before they meet as adults, so really it's mainly a Leonard snart character study

Ice and Lightning by vomitingwords [2020-03-26, 2k]

-potentially the only figure skating au for this ship?

Zero to Sixty by scrubmarine [2020-06-26, 25k]

-barry meeting len out of costume because he's running away from Iris is a hilarious set up, and he kind of deserves it

Just Friends by Thundersnow [2021-08-11, 168k]

-a classic fake dating au, trying to figure out how a blueberry coffee could taste good has been a question that has followed me for years.

Shiva by crestfaller [2021-11-07, 17k]

-I always need more fics dealing with the loss of Henry tbh, and this is a really good exploration of grief.

What It Might Cost by Kateera [2022-05-17, 20k]

-a classic deaging fic, len is heartbreakingly cute

Stand Still by Taste_of_Bitterness [2022-09-15, 25k]

-len doesn't go on the waverider after running to stand still. Barry's kind of a mess here, tbh?

I Think I Love You by youmakemesoangry [2023-05-03, 67k]

-it's post Len and mick's legends trip, and they're helping out team flash. there's a truth spell involved. It's a classic trope. (also there's this bit where mick's reading Frankenstein and he calls creature victor's kid, and that's such a mood, my gothic fiction class spent like an hour talking about his daddy issues once)

[hellsburners]

orange juice

summary: you're a new library assistant in an elementary school and you cant help but fall for the cute teacher visiting your desk. pairing: teacher!peter parker x librarian!male reader word count: 2.2k (im being ballsy with these fic lengths its actually fun) warnings: none really more of fluff a/n: was in a fluff writing mood :> (might get a part 2 if it gets received well)

masterlist | more peter parker

You did everything by the book, literally. There was a handbook resting on the front desk of the library with everything you needed to do as an assistant. You took the books back to the shelves and made sure it was in the right order. You tidied up the library computers making sure every unit was logged off and the chairs weren’t a mess. You also took note of orders from the teachers, some lists from Mr. Jones, Mrs. Longford, Mr. Hayward, and Mr. Parker. You stretched your arms and legs, cracked your neck, and gave a little prayer to the universe that you wish your formal first day will be good. 

Ding! 

The bell on your desk pinged. A man, probably in his early 40s, stood in front of you. He wore a loose shirt with a pale pink tie, his hair was brown and sparse. 

“Mr. Parker?” 

“I’m sorry, I’m Roy Jones, from the math department,” he responds. You gave an embarrassed oh and gave him his stack of books. 

“Sorry, it’s my first day.”

“All good kiddo, you haven’t seen trouble yet, good luck on your first day,” Mr. Jones gave a kind smile before walking away. 

By 8:30 am the students came rushing to your door, you logged borrowed books, received returns, you even did the occasional hush to students being loud, it was going smoothly. The kid in front of you was borrowing a copy of The Picture of Dorian Gray, an excellent choice you thought. You scanned the QR code inside the book, logged in the student’s info and you kindly smiled while giving the book away. Hours passed of you sitting around, sipping on an orange juice box. By 11 am at least 3 students were studying. 

Ding! 

Oh. The man standing in front of you was tall and handsome, probably in his mid-30s, he wore a neat suit in neutral colors, and his brown hair was combed to the side. You placed your juice box down. 

“Mr. Hayward?” you traced your fingers on the sticky notes on your desk. 

“Parker, Peter Parker,” he replied. Shit, not again. 

“I’m so sorry Mr. Parker.” you shook your head. 

“First day, huh?” you nodded shamefully. He gave you a cheeky smile. 

“Yeah, I’m so sorry,” you took the stack of books with the label Mr. Parker on it. He reached out to take the heavy books, your fingers were slightly touching. Your cheeks warmed from the contact. There was a certain pleasingness in his presence. You scanned the pile trying to spark a conversation. “So you teach physics?”

“Yeah, 8th and 9th actually,” he carries the books in his arms, he may look lean but you could see the way his arms flexed under his suit. “Are you new to the city?”

“Well kinda, I was born here but my family and I moved out when I was 5. I figured coming here in the city could give me more opportunities,” his brows would raise while you talked, making you feel like whatever words came out of your mouth he listened to intently. “How about you? Did you grow up here?”

“I grew up with my aunt, went to Midtown for high school, and Empire State in college. So, yeah, full-time New Yorker here,” he chuckled. “My daughter and I still live in Queens too.”

“Daughter?” you said shockingly. He looked down at his toes, and he laughed again, that soft deep laugh. “Sorry, you don’t look like one”

“I don’t look like a dad?” he said.

“I mean you look pretty young,” you bit the insides of your cheeks. “I’m sorry I must have been taking up too much of your time Mr. Parker, ‘twas a lovely chat though.”

“Oh it’s fine, I’m on lunch break anyway.” you waved him goodbye and he reciprocates the gesture. “By the way, Peter is fine, just Peter.”

He leaves, and you sit back down on your desk, your heart beating a little too fast for your liking. Your knees felt funny like they were going to give out. Oh, god. You were crushing on the physics teacher. 

Before your shift ended Mrs. Longford called and said she couldn’t go to the library due to her pregnancy. You gladly said you would deliver her the books instead. On the way to her room, you couldn’t properly find her classroom, they all looked the same to you, so you went one by one, looking through the windows and checking to see if Mrs. Longford was there. By the eighth classroom, you could see him. Not Mrs. Longford, but Peter. He was demonstrating the law of inertia to the class, making a funny action of being hit in the hip by force, and the class laughed. He seems nice, and the students all listened to him, taking in every word of his lesson. It was admirable really, to have such charisma over a bunch of impressionable kids and use it to educate them. 

The bell rings, and a swarm of students floods the halls. The books in your arms fall as a student bumps into you. You cursed, bending down to pick them up while a pair of arms reached out to help you. It was Peter, he had ditched the suit jacket at this point, his shirt sleeves rolled up to show his veiny arms. 

“Thank you, I was looking for Mrs. Hayward’s classroom and I couldn’t find it,” you hugged the book while Peter carried the other stack. 

“Mrs. Hayward’s room is in the other wing. Don’t worry I’ll walk you to it.”

“Oh no, you must have another class, I can find my way.” you try to take the books but he moves away.

“No it’s fine, my day is done. Let me walk you to her room.” he smiles, again, that pretty Peter smile. 

On the way to Mrs.Longford’s room, you talked about your education, where you went to high school, and in college, and where you live now. The conversation later went to his daughter, Mayday, named after his aunt who has sadly passed. She was 5 years old and in first grade, a smart girl, he says. 

You reached the 3rd door in the left wing. Peter told you that the lady with short hair and red cat-eyed glasses was Mrs.Longford, the baby bump also verified his claim. You knocked, and she waved at you with a smile, you and Peter went in to bring the books. Peter and Mrs. Longford exchanged greetings and talked about an upcoming faculty meeting. You asked Mrs. Longford to sign some papers for the book requests she had made and she obliged. 

Peter walked you back to the library. You continued to chat about random things, your favorite food (he was pizza), your favorite color (he was blue), and your favorite movie (his was Interstellar). You unlocked the library and turned the lights back on. You went back to your desk and Peter took a seat at a nearby desk. You stared at him, arms crossed, legs spread. 

✎𓇢𓆸

Weeks passed, and Peter had been visiting you in the library. Usually, he’d stay to check student papers or read new scientific publications on the school computers, he was nerdy about stuff like that; but most of the time, he just stayed around to talk to you. He would talk to you about Mayday’s science project, which you helped him come up with. It was an iced tea stand presentation that used butterfly pea flower tea and lemon juice, and it changed the blue liquid to a bright purple. She won a silver prize, Peter says. 

Peter had mentioned before that Mayday lives with her mom and that she rarely gets to see her dad. You could see the way the line his mouth would make and how it would frown sometimes when he talked about her. You wanted to give him some piece of comfort, but every time he would smile because it was Mayday, it was his only girl. 

You were at your desk enjoying a sandwich with your favorite orange juice box, Peter sat on the floor next to you hidden from anyone who came to the desk. He, too, enjoyed a sandwich you made. You scrolled through your laptop, mainly on the news. 

“Hey Pete, have you ever seen Spider-man?” you said, Peter almost choked on his food.

“Spider-man?” He cleared his throat.

“Yeah, I mean you’ve been here your whole life you must’ve seen him right?” you took a sip of your drink. Peter thought long before he answered.

“No, I haven’t,” he whispered. 

“Boo! You’re boring,” you threw an eraser at him.

“Hey! It’s not my fault he doesn’t swing by my apartment once in a while.”

“Well, I wish he’d come by mine, take me into his arms as we swing away into the sunset,” you waved your arms around thwipping your hands like Spider-man. 

“You’re so silly,” he laughs, he takes a big bite of his sandwich, talking to you while chewing. “You know, Mayday’s been asking about you, she said she wants to thank the guy that helped her come up with her science project.”

“She said that?” you were touched.

“Well, I wanted to invite you, and she told me we haven't celebrated her win so why not invite the guy who helped her,” he finished his sandwich, wiping his mouth with a napkin. “You don’t have to if you’re busy.”

“Friday night right? I’m in.” You smiled.

You knocked at the light blue apartment door, you could hear some ruckus inside. Coming! A man’s voice yells. The doorknob turns and there he was, Peter Parker, dressed in a light gray sweater, the sleeves rolled up, and a red apron. Behind his leg was a little girl with light red hair. 

“Hey there, I’m glad you could come. This is Mayday,” she was shy but she gave you a little wave and a hi. 

Dinner started in a few. Peter served baked macaroni and a Caesar salad. Mayday brought a plate of cookies she made, without her dad’s help, she said (Peter shook his head). You brought a box of pepperoni pizza as per Mayday's (and Peter’s) request. The three of you talked over dinner about how proud you were about the medal and if she ever needed help you would gladly be there. 

After dinner, Peter took the dishes, you went to help but he insisted you not. You were left with Mayday in the living room, she was talking about her favorite book, a book about planets. Venus was her favorite, she says. You began to talk to her about the many books you have on planets in your library and if her dad permitted, you would lend some. 

“Do you like dad?” you were surprised. 

“Yeah, he’s nice,” you offered her a smile, and she gave you a curious gaze instead.

“Dad is always alone.” you looked back at Peter in the sink, the fabric stretching on his back.

“You’re here,” you stroked her hair. “Your dad always tells me stories about you y’know.”

“But when I’m with Mom he’s all alone.” 

“What are you two talking about,” Peter stands above you and Mayday, his hands on his hips. 

“We were talking about your hair. Mayday said you’re starting to look like a sasquatch.” Mayday giggles. 

A few hours later Peter took Mayday to bed. Mayday hugged you and told you goodnight. You bend down to hug her and she tells you to be Dad’s best friend, always. You were sitting on the couch with your hands on your lap. You looked around the place, filled with books and a bunch of Mayday’s stuff. It seems like Peter just lets her stuff stay there, so as not to forget about her presence. Your eyelids begin to fall as you let out a yawn.

“Sleepy?” he mutters. 

“Just a bit. My head is just filled with so many facts about space,” you made a mind-blown gesture, Peter laughs.

“She does that a lot actually.” Peter sits beside you on the couch, keeping his eyes on yours.

“She’s a lovely kid,” you smiled. 

“She is,” Peter sank his head on the couch, his eyes closed. 

“You think I’m alone?” he frowns. “I heard you two earlier.”

“I don’t think so. You have me,” you mutter. Your hands fall on your sides meeting his. He laces your fingers with his, you could feel the warmth of his palms with your cold ones. He chuckles. “It’s pretty late, maybe you should get some rest too.”

“You’re right, let me bring you home first,” you refused. 

“I’d be fine,” you assure him. 

You were outside the apartment. Peter was with you in just his flip-flops, his hand never leaving yours. “I had a wonderful night.”

“Me too,’ Peter said, he took his other hand and patted your hair. You looked at him with hooded eyes, his hand falling to your cheek. You inched closer, your face so close to his chest you could smell him, like an ocean breeze. His face gets close to yours, the moment seemingly getting more tense. His thumb rubs your hand, over and over, it calms you. Underneath the moonlight, your lips meet. A tender kiss weeks in the making. Your eyes closed and you lost yourself in him. Your lips leave him a few moments later, a smile plastered on both your faces. You hail a taxi cab and when one comes, you wave him goodbye. 

But you swore that night, the moment you entered your apartment, you swore you saw the Spider-man swing by, almost like he was waiting for you to come home.

part two posted here

interactions are greatly appreciated btw if u liked this fic and want more send me a prompt and i'd gladly make something from it :>

[ikeromantic]

MasterList and Blog Info

I've reorganized my writing links and all new stories will be linked in the sections below. You can still find my old masterlist HERE too.

Currently Playing and Writing For:

Ikemen Vampire Masterlist

Ikemen Sengoku Masterlist

Ikemen Prince Masterlist

Ikemen Revolution Masterlist

Ikemen Villains - soon?

Obey Me Masterlist

Other Games/Fandoms Masterlist

Follower Celebration Masterlists:

Follower Celebrations 300, 400, 500, 600, and 700

Follower Celebrations 900 and 1K IkeVamp and IkeRev

Follower Celebration 1K IkeSen

Follower Celebration 1K IkePrince

No Longer Playing: Midnight Cinderella, Mr. Love: Queen's Choice, Destined to Love, Last Legacy

Other Fandoms:

Dragon Age, BG3, Mass Effect, Diablo, The Magnus Archives/Protocol, Malevolent, Stormlight Archives, The Expanse, Good Omens, The Wheel of Time, The Sandman, and a ton of random fantasy, sci-fi, and horror stuff.

Quizzies:

Your Perfect Valentine Quiz

Find Your IkeVamp LoveStyle Quiz

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