#my sister took this and told him he couldn’t eat the ice cream

[a-concert-just-for-me]

I need you all to see my poor little bark bark

[bellarkeselection]

Knew Better But Still Picked You

Gif from @alphinias

Honestly I might turn this into a small series because this is the longest request I have ever written. Let me know if you want more parts 😁. Part two. Part three

Request From @loxleys-blog could i be added to the tag list for cole and a request of best friend of jackie who comes to visit her and moves there with her family and falls for cole and cole falls for her?

The car pulled to a stop outside the big Walter ranch household and I saw the front door fling open revealing my best friend from New York running straight for me. Getting out of the car I took my bag out and opened my arms for her. “Jackie Jack!”

“Y/n. I can’t believe you’re here!” She flung her arms around me and we stumbled when we finally embraced one another.

Jackie and I had become even closer than we were before after her family’s accident. The rest of her friends wouldn’t talk to her but I chose to keep our relationship the same. So I basically took the place of her sister Lucy. “Who’s your friend, New York?” I broke away from her seeing a young guy with green eyes and honey blonde hair.

“She’s my best friend from back home, Cole.” Jackie grumbled tugging on my arm trying to get me to leave with her.

Yet I wasn’t going to not introduce myself to him especially since he was really attractive. Walking over to the guy was sitting on a horse with light blonde hair like he had. “Hey there, I’m Y/n.” Leaning my arms on the wooden fence I sent him a grin.

He dismounted his horse and climbed over the fence shaking my hand with a cheeky grin. “Cole, Cole Walter. Have you ever been on a horse before?”

“Can’t say I have.” I replied to him.

His grin only grew. “Would you want to come riding with me?”

“No. No she wouldn’t actually. Because she’s coming to have ice cream with me and my friends. So we’re gonna be going now.” Jackie came rushing forward tugging on my arm and leading me back away from him. Whipping my head around watching Cole staring at us as we went to leave. I parted my lips, finding myself wanting to talk with him more. There was something intriguing about him I just couldn’t put my finger on.

A few hours later Jackie had me meet Skylar and Tara who she had met on her first day of school. We were sitting inside the ice cream shop where I took a big bite out of my strawberry cone hearing the store bell ring. My gaze shifted to the doorway recognizing Cole came through and he waved in my direction. “OMG. That is not a good idea at all.”

“What’s wrong, Tara?” I asked, finishing the bite I had in my mouth confused.

She sent me a raised brow. “You're getting involved with Cole Walter.”

“I’m not involved with him. I just met the guy today after I came in from the airport.” I told her to eat more of my cone.

Lifting my gaze upward Cole was ordering himself his own ice cream and the woman at the counter handed it over to him. Cole glanced my way and I felt my face turn red after I waved back to him without really thinking and Jackie hit my arm in warning. “Don’t go down that road, Y/n. Cole isn’t a good guy.”

“Why not?” I asked softly.

The three of them looked between one another and Skylar was the first to say something to my question. “He’s known to have a lot of hookups and not be up for a real relationship.”

“He sneaks them out of the house. I saw one the first morning I got to the Walter house. Alex can tell you more if that’s not enough of a warning for you.” Jackie explained putting a hand on my shoulder.

Shaking my head I still didn’t see why they were so afraid for me. I didn’t know anything about the guy but he seemed nice enough. “Okay don’t shoot me for asking this but what is the big deal of getting to know him. I’m not going to hook up with him.”

“That’s what most girls think and then he woos them with his charm…” Tara trailed off.

My best friend squeezed my shoulder and I met her concerned gaze. “I just don’t want you to get hurt because of him. You’re basically my chosen sister now.”

“He’s not gonna ever be interested in me Jackie and I’m not going to be interested in him.” I reassured her and we changed the conversation to something else for the rest of the time.

A few hours later after the crazy family dinner I was laying on my side of Jackie’s bed while she was doing some extra credit homework. Staring up at the ceiling I sighed clasping my hands together on my stomach. It definitely was different from the noisy city sirens and other things. Whereas here you could only hear the wind and all the other animal noises. I heard something slide underneath the closed bedroom door where I got up from the bed seeing it was a note. Folding it open the note read “Meet me on the porch if you want to see something cool - C”

Silently reading it to myself I contemplated on going or not eyeing my best friend while she worked silently. I didn’t suppose she would see if I was gone for a little bit. “Hey Jackie Jack, I’ve gotta go to the bathroom.”

“Okay. But use mine. Don’t use the one that everybody else does. Trust me.” She warned me turning back around in her desk chair.

Getting to my feet I snatched my boots out from underneath the bed and a green hoodie without her knowing. Then I headed down the stairs as quietly as I could possibly manage since it was almost midnight and most of the house was asleep. Reaching the front door I snuck through it, closing it gently then walked to the edge of the porch not seeing Cole anywhere. “Cole!” I called out still in a quiet voice.

“Over here, Y/n.” He responded by waving a flashlight from the barn door that he had opened. Rushing down the steps I ran towards the barn meeting up with him where he lowered the flashlight when we were standing in front of each other. “Was wondering if you were actually going to show up.”

Shrugging my shoulders I admitted slightly nervous of what he had planned in the middle of the night. “Gotta be honest I’ve never snuck out in the middle of the night like this. So what do you have in mind, Colorado?”

“I wanna show you something you don’t see in fancy New York.” He drew open a horse stall and walked out the horse he was on when we first met. “This is my horse.”

Taking a step forward I brushed a hand through its mane. “He’s beautiful.”

“Glad you like him cause we’re going to ride him to the spot I want to show you.” Cole responded by brushing his hand through his horse's mane touching my hand when he finished his sentence.

Tilting my head at the Walter boy I must have misheard him. “I’m sorry we’re doing what now?”

“We’re going to ride my horse together so I can show you a special spot.” Cole said again to me shutting the door with his foot holding out his freehand to help me step up on the box that was near where his horse was standing already saddled up. “Don’t worry city girl. I won’t make you ride alone until after I’ve shown you how to ride.”

Eyeing his hand extended to me I couldn’t help but hear Jackie and the others warming to not get involved with the Cole Effect. Yet I couldn’t deny I liked the thrill of butterflies he was giving me so I gave him my hand. “Just don’t let me fall off okay.” He nodded helping me throw one leg over and once I was settled he climbed on behind me.

“Hang on tight, Y/n.” He warned me, pressing his front closely to my back, making my face turn a shade of red as he kicked his horse in the gut and we raced from the barn to the open fields in the distance.

The wind blew through our hair and I hadn’t realized but I gripped Cole’s forearm since he was the one controlling the reins. Probably knowing I might scare the horse and then we’d be in trouble. He finally tugged the reins and slowly dismounted the horse helping me down. He had his horse lay down sitting down on the ground waiting for me. “Come on, sit down.” He patted the grass beside him.

“Okay.” I agree plopping down beside him looking around at the dark woods surrounding us. “So what did you want to show me?”

Cole moved his right hand forward tilting my chin upwards towards the sky. “This is what I wanted to show ya, Y/n.”

I gasped in awe seeing the sky dancing with a million stars above our heads. Blinking through some tears I couldn’t describe what it felt like to see something this bright. “This is incredibly beautiful…” The stars were so bright and even though we had some impressive light shows in New York none would compare to this.

“It’s not the only thing that’s beautiful. You surely can’t get that view in the city.” Cole mumbled, causing me to meet his green gaze.

I paused in my next words still confused as to why he was giving me his time and attention when he was labeled as the most popular boy in this town. “Cole, why did you ask me out here tonight? Not that I don’t appreciate it. I just…I don’t entirely understand why me?”

“I ain’t good with saying how I feel so sorry if this sounds stupid….I just instantly liked you for some reason.” He declares where I didn’t say a word with our gazes focusing in on one another.

Parting my lips I whispered out. “Liked me in what way, Cole?”

“In the way where we can…do this.” Cole whispered towards me before he made my breath catch in my throat seeing him leaning forward about to kiss me.

Half of my brain was telling me to not kiss him and remember the warning and the other half was saying he would be your first kiss and I couldn’t deny that I felt something for him even though all we had done was saying hello. I finally made up my mind and closed the gap the rest of the way kissing him. He responded by scooting closer to me and threading one hand through my hair trailing it down to the side of my cheek before I broke it needling air. “Cole….don’t find this dorky of me. But that…you were my first kiss.”

“I wouldn’t judge you for that. So what are you thinking now, Y/n.” He asked me to try to read my facial expressions but I was still in shock and bliss at the same time.

Hugging my knees to my chest I admitted sheepishly with my face turning red. “Jackie isn’t gonna be happy about this. She warned me to stay away from you….I knew better but I’m still choosing you.”

“Well I’m glad cause I’m picking you too, Y/n.” He draped an arm over my shoulder and I laid my head against his chest feeling my eyes getting heavy since I was getting sleepy. His gaze dropped to mine, tucking hair from my eyes. “Don’t worry about Jackie. You’ve got to live a little in life. Now let’s get you back before you fall asleep out here.”

We rode back to the house and I struggled to stay awake after getting off his horse so he decided to just carry me back bridal style upstairs. “Cole, this isn’t my room…she’ll be mad if I sleep in your room.” I trailed off in a sleepy tone laying my head still on his chest with him laying me down on one side of his bed.

He changed into some shorts to sleep in and crawled in the bed beside me feeling me scoot over to him laying my head back in the crook of his neck like it was minutes ago. “Sssh babe. I’ll take whatever Jackie feels tomorrow morning. Just get some rest.” My eyes fell closed and he dozed off shortly after in a peaceful night of sleep.

That was until the morning came and his bedroom door was flung open and I screamed hearing my best friend bursting into his room. “Y/n, I told you to stay away from him!…Well don’t you two have anything to say?” Rubbing my eyes Cole shifted, holding himself up on his elbow staring down at me silently, neither of us giving her an answer.

Comments really appreciated ❤️ Tag list - @cognacdelights

[oceaneyesinla]

Reciprocal

I enjoyed writing this so much, and I desperately want a Giyuu of my own.

Warnings: Both Giyuu and Reader are implied to have mental health problems, and this does deal with bad mental health days. Take care of yourselves, everyone <3

Divider by @cafekitsune

It felt like you hadn’t seen your boyfriend in forever - the last week or two, you had communicated almost exclusively by text or call. The school year was drawing to a close, and tensions were running high with both students and teachers. Giyuu could be firm, and occasionally a little uptight about the school rules, but you knew he cared. You saw evidence of it every day - from watching him work into the night to plan lessons that would suit every student and their abilities, to accompanying him to stock up the little stash of sanitary products he kept on hand for anyone who might need them.

The end of the school year was a completely reasonable explanation for why you hadn’t seen Giyuu, but something about the tone of his voice and the look in his eyes when you video called him made you think something bigger was going on.

You had tried to check in with him as much as you could, but you couldn’t force the information out of him if he wasn’t willing to share. Giyuu always did play his cards close to his chest, never confessing how he felt, even if it was eating him alive.

So you did the next best thing - you reached out to the people he loved the most. Tsutako answered your call with a fond greeting, and filled you in on her business trip - the one you knew she was supposed to have returned from a week ago. It had been extended due to a new opportunity for the shop, she explained - and a few pieces began to fall into place.

Your next call was to Urokodaki-san, the man who had tutored you and Giyuu as children, and still took care of you to this day. Both of you made an effort to keep in touch with the old man, but he informed you that other than at work, he had barely heard from Giyuu recently. You finished the call with a promise to visit soon, once Giyuu was less occupied.

The final call was to Kanae - Giyuu’s favourite colleague, and your best friend. You could hear the worry in her voice as she told you about Giyuu’s recent retreat into himself - eating alone at lunch, avoiding his coworkers during breaks. She was apologetic as she admitted that he and Sanemi had been butting heads; petty arguments and snippy comments. You hung up the call, finally feeling like you understood where his head was at.

Your poor Giyuu. Missing his sister, whom he met up with at least once a week and texted every day. The stress of year end probably wasn’t helping, and he always ended up arguing with Sanemi when he got like this, because Giyuu never communicated well and Sanemi didn’t understand why he sometimes spiralled into self-hatred. It explained why he was isolating himself - he was overwhelmed, and didn’t feel like he deserved to seek the comfort he was likely desperate for.

You couldn’t make everything better with a snap of your fingers, as much as you wished you could. What you could do, though, was remind him that you would always be there for him to rely on, even when he felt like he didn’t deserve it.

You made the short journey to his apartment as soon as you left work, picking up the essential supplies at the konbini down the street. His front door key had adorned your keyring since he moved in, alongside the little fox mask charm he bought you back when you were still just kids with crushes. Even before you stopped pretending you weren’t head over heels for each other, you were attached at the hip.

Letting yourself in, you had a plan. First - organise all the ingredients you had bought. It was a possibility that you had gone a little overboard, and probably bought things Giyuu already had in his cupboards, but you didn’t care. You were determined to give him the most relaxing night possible, and that meant you needed to prepare his favourite meal. The ice cream was tucked away safely in the freezer for later

You quickly fell into the familiar motions of making salmon daikon. It was something you cooked on a semi-regular basis, because you were weak and the little smile it put on Giyuu’s face when he ate it was worth more than any masterpiece on Earth. His eyes would sparkle like sapphires and more than once, you caught him swinging his legs like a little child as he tucked in. You had your own fond memories of the recipe; standing next to Tsutako on a step stool so you could reach the counter, all the focus your little mind could manage on the process of making your best friend’s favourite food.

Once the cooking was done and the kitchen returned to its usual state, you moved onto your next task - setting up the couch. You had plenty of experience with looking after Giyuu when he fell into a bad spot, and you knew just what would help - so you pulled out every blanket he owned, including a couple you were sure he must have stolen from your collection when he helped you move out from Urokodaki-san’s place. Those two were both draped over his bed, and it warmed your heart as much as it broke it. Never mind. You had already decided - your boyfriend would have more than fabric to hold through the night; for the next few days at the very least.

The blankets were all tossed on the couch, and you pushed the little side table closer so you would be able to reach your drinks and snacks without having to move too much. You intended to wrap your boyfriend in blankets and cuddle him until he felt better, and you wanted as little as possible to get in the way of that.

You were just standing back to admire your handiwork when you heard a little click and the gentle swish of the front door opening. Your lips pulled up into an excited grin as you bounced down the hall, coming to a halt at the edge of the entryway and watching as your boyfriend slipped his shoes off, freezing in place as he went to tuck them away only to find a smaller pair already in situ.

“Welcome home, baby.” Ocean eyes shot up to meet yours, and widened in surprise as he bolted upright. He just stared at you, and your bright grin began to fade away the longer he stood there, unmoving and silent.

Was this a bad idea? Should you have asked him before barging into his home? Maybe he just wanted to relax alone, or maybe he didn’t feel up to putting up with you. Your hands clasped together and your fingers started playing with a little patch of dry skin as you mumbled out explanations and apologies, “I’m sorry, I should have warned you I was coming. I just wanted to do something for you, and I was missing you anyway, and I spoke to -”

Your rambling was interrupted as Giyuu suddenly jumped into action, crossing the distance and slamming into you, arms wrapping around you as he clutched you against him. His face was buried into the skin of your neck so his words were muffled, but you still made out his little, “Don’t apologise.”

Your smile came back, softer and sweeter as you stroked a gentle hand through his hair, wrapping your other arm around him just as tight as he was holding you. If you felt a couple of little drops of wetness leak onto your skin, you didn’t mention it.

You could feel him relaxing into your hold, and you turned your head to press a kiss against his temple. He released a big breath, pulling away just enough that he could see your face; still keeping you locked in his hold. The intensity in his gaze was unexpected, and before you could say anything, he blurted out, “Move in with me.”

You blinked up at him, wide smile growing on your face as you processed his words. At your nod, his lips curled up into that little smile you adored so much; the one he always wore when he was truly happy. He pulled you back in close, cradling you against his chest and rocking you a little.

A little sniff above you made you laugh, especially once you looked up and saw the little hopeful gleam in his eye, “Is that salmon daikon?”

“Of course. You deserve some comfort, baby.” He deserved the world, and he deserved to never feel like he wasn’t worth the love you freely gave him, but baby steps. You would remind him of that tomorrow, when he woke up to your loving kisses and gentle touches.

“I love you.” He leaned down to press a kiss against your lips, tears welling on his lash line, and you felt every ounce of the love he just proclaimed to you. You murmured the words in return and there was that smile again, lighting up his face and chasing away some of that lingering, bone deep sadness you knew was sitting beneath the surface.

He still looked tired, and you knew it would take more than one good night to get him through this rough patch, but as you watched him chomp on his daikon, eyes bright and legs swinging, you knew he would be okay. He was strong, and you would always be there, right by his side.

*********************

To say that work was hell would be an understatement, and an insult to Satan and his probably quite lovely home. It had to be better than your current workplace - constantly understaffed, and constantly watched over by the worst manager you had ever had the ‘pleasure’ of working under. She was always quick to catch even the most minor mistake, and had even made some of your colleagues cry. Just her presence in the office was enough to set everyone on edge, like looking up at a black cloud sky and waiting for the thunderstorm to hit, never knowing what the fallout would be.

Her attitude lately had somehow been even worse than usual, and you were her new target. Tears still threatened to spill over as you left the building, waiting to join the others drying on your cheeks. In front of everyone, she had berated you for a minor mistake in your paperwork - nothing, in comparison to what could go wrong in your job, but still unforgivable in her eyes. When rationality prevailed, you knew this - you knew what she was like, you knew how insignificant this mistake was. However, the anxiety that swirled around in your brain, haunting your every action, meant that this tiny incident had your mind working overtime. What else had you potentially missed? Could this be just the beginning, and it would turn out that you had made some other slip up, something far worse? Something that could hurt someone?

When you finally stood in front of the door to the apartment you shared with your boyfriend, you couldn’t remember how you got there. The journey was nothing but a blur. You pulled out your keys and let yourself in, wishing Giyuu was home. You knew he wouldn’t be - he called you earlier, the only bright spot in an otherwise awful day. The little smile you could hear in his voice encouraged one of your own, and he excitedly told you he was going out with his sister straight after he finished at the school.

You were almost glad he wouldn’t have to see you like this, but you selfishly wanted his comfort. You wanted strong arms wrapped around you, holding you tight against his firm chest so you could press your face into the crook of his neck and breathe in the scent of him - a mix of the sea salt soap he preferred to use and the laundry detergent you now shared; the smell of home.

Just thinking of him was making you emotional all over again, and you shook your head to try and clear it before slipping off your shoes and making your way to the kitchen. You needed to eat something, but even turning the oven on felt like too much effort. Your anxiety had faded a little, but it always left you in a weird state of disconnect - mind exhausted but your body unable to rest. 

You never made it to the kitchen, because the little table you kept in the entryway caught your eye. There was the bowl you kept your keys in, a couple of loose hair ties, the cactus Kanae gave you for your birthday (that you and Giyuu doted on like it was your firstborn). All completely normal, and not what caught your attention. There was something new, placed in the middle of the table, with a note tucked underneath the base.

It was a beautiful glass butterfly; the body was a deep blue that reminded you of the depths of Giyuu’s eyes and the open ocean on your last trip to Okinawa. On the wings, the colour blossomed outwards, fading from that deep blue to a lighter shade. It was like looking at the ocean from above, and watching the colour change as your eye wandered from the mysterious reaches of the open water to the sparkling shallows of the shoreline.

Your hands were trembling ever so slightly as you carefully extricated the handwritten note from underneath the glasswork. As you read it, those tears you worked so hard to hold in began to slip down your cheeks, but this time, they were caused by love so strong it felt like your heart was overflowing.

Saw this at the market and thought of you

Forever yours, Giyuu

He signed off every note he left you exactly like that, no matter whether it was a heartfelt confession or the weekly shopping list. The effortless sentimentality he gave to those he loved was the reason you became fast friends as children, and it was the reason you fell a little more in love with him every single day.

The gifted trinket was just another facet of his love - your shelves were littered with little offerings; gacha toys, wooden carvings, even shells collected from the sands of the beach you visited every year. Every so often, he would arrive home and place a little wrapped item in your hands, pressing a kiss to your head as his eyes greedily took in your joy. Or, like today, you would come home to a piece of paper bearing handwriting you would know anywhere, and a new bauble placed on top.

This was a regular occurrence, but something about the familiar action today was tearing you apart. You clutched the note against your chest as sobs began to escape you. You wanted Giyuu home. You wanted him home and here and wrapped around you and -

The click of the door lock made you jump, and you looked up to find your Giyuu right there in front of you, as if summoned by your desperate wish for his presence. Ocean eyes were wide as he took in what was probably a fairly troubling sight to come home to - his girlfriend, sobbing in the hallway, cheeks flush with emotion and eyes red ringed.

“Love, what’s wrong? What happened?” He practically teleported to your side, cradling your cheek with his hand and brushing away a few tears with a featherlight touch.

You tried to force out an explanation, but the way you were tripping over your words and choking on your sobs made it sound incomprehensible even to you. Giyuu was unfazed, though; just bringing up his other hand so your face was cradled in his gentle hold and your eyes had to meet his.

“Breathe with me, okay?” His voice was low and steady, and his hands were warm against your skin as you followed his directions. Deep breath in, hold, deep breath out - a pattern you were intimately familiar with, and one Giyuu had talked you through more times than you could remember. His fingertips were making soothing tracks along your hairline and slowly but surely, you began to feel calmer, your tears coming to a halt and the nauseating feeling of anxiety fading away.

Giyuu’s lips brushed over your forehead as he murmured out praises, “Good girl. Can you tell me why you’re so upset? What can I do?”

Always so eager to support you, and always oblivious to how much he did for you just by existing in your orbit. You leaned forward, resting your head against his chest and laying your hand against his ribcage, stroking over the fabric of his t-shirt and smiling to yourself at his shiver, “I love you so much.”

You could practically feel his confusion, his hand faltering in its slow sweeps up and down your back, and you pulled back to meet his gaze, smiling at the slight furrow of his brow, “You bought me a butterfly. I had an awful day, and you bought me a butterfly.”

You could see he still didn’t quite see the connection, “I saw it on the way home from the school earlier. You love butterflies; of course I bought it.”

You could feel tears building up again - all of your emotions still on high alert, “When did you even have time? I thought you were meeting up with Tsutako after work?”

“I did.” His hands had come to rest on your hips, thumbs rubbing gentle circles into the plush there, “The school closed early today. I came home to change, and drop off your butterfly before I met up with her. I wanted you to have a surprise to come home to.”

Your sweet Giyuu. Truly, you weren't sure what you had done to deserve him, but you thanked whatever stars aligned to bring the two of you together every day.

“Want to talk about your day?” You immediately shook your head at his question. You couldn't bring yourself to think back on it; not now. It still felt too fresh, and your mind still felt too overwhelmed. At your vehement reaction, he just nodded, leaning in to press his lips to yours in a soft kiss, “Okay. Go and shower; I'll cook dinner.”

Easy directions, one step at a time. On nights like these, you needed that gentle guidance, and your boyfriend was all too happy to oblige. As you followed his instructions, pulling out one of his t-shirts and a pair of shorts, you could hear him clattering pots and pans. You took a deep breath, letting the sounds of your life together calm you down. 

After your shower, you padded out to the kitchen, towelling off your hair as you leaned against the doorframe to watch Giyuu work. He must have felt your gaze on his back, or heard your soft footsteps against the wood, because he looked over his shoulder, satisfied smile blooming on his face as his eyes trailed over the shirt you wore.

“Feel a little better, love?” His voice was warm and infinitely loving, and you moved forward to wrap your arms around his middle, nuzzling against his back. You did feel a little better, and between the warmth radiating from him and the smell of food all around you, you were beginning to feel sleepy and relaxed.

You yawned against him and he let out a little chuckle, patting at your hands, “Come on. Eat, then we can go cuddle in bed. There’s a new episode of that anime we’ve been watching tonight.”

That perked you up - somehow, you forgot about that. You pulled away from Giyuu, tiredness pushed to one side as you began to babble about everything you were looking forward to in the episode. When you looked back up at Giyuu, you found him watching you with a lovesick smile and warm eyes. Heat pooled in your cheeks under his loving gaze but you held his eye, meeting him with a smile of your own. The day had been horrible, but at least you would end it in Giyuu’s arms. Tomorrow, you would tell him all about your shitty manager and he would listen intently, and he would validate every irrational worried thought in your mind, and it would be okay. It always would be, as long as you had him in your corner when the world felt too scary and too overwhelming to manage alone.

[cauldronblssd]

Ch 17 - Found in the Sunlight

Something about Autumn Court males...it's time for the frenzy.

Read on AO3

Big thank you to @climbthemountain2020 for being my beta this chapter and also being the nicest person. I will also be adding a taglist in the future, let me know if you would like to be added.

Excerpt:

She was stalling, and she knew it. The guests seemed to be tiring and soon Elain would need to take action. Not to mention she’d spent rather a long time on the cake she’d prepared, and she feared for the integrity of the cream icing if she didn’t serve it soon. Elain looked towards Nesta who rolled her eyes and looked pointedly at the table. Perhaps sensing the dilemma, Tarquin and Cresseida politely turned away, offering another congratulations. Curse them and their manners. Feyre had reiterated to Elain how nice Tarquin would be. She should have been talking to Eris instead, he would have kept them talking for another hour just to irk Lucien.   

Seemingly sensing her nerves, Lucien squeezed her hand reassuringly. “Shall we?”   

Elain couldn’t speak the words,��afraid they might come out No. This had been her idea, she reminded herself. She offered him a nod and what she hoped resembled a smile. It must not have been successful because his mouth turned down at the corners in response. She couldn’t hesitate or Lucien would question her decision again, would offer her a polite out that would only wound both of their feelings.

Instead, she led him towards the head table, laden with flowers and garlands of greenery. Atop it sat a smaller version of the large cake that guests had already begun to eat. Unlike the guests’ cake which had been a joint effort between herself and the twins, this one had been baked entirely by her own hand. She’d painstakingly edged the icing with small flowers and decorated with lemon slices. She’d initially planned a more intricate design but found her hand trembled with nerves the moment she began to pipe the icing onto the cake. It was better than scraps.   

Lucien pulled out a seat for her before settling himself in his own, their chairs turned to face each other. Her sisters had decorated the chairs with ribbons and obnoxious signs on the back that declared “Just Mated”.  Around them, guests had begun to gather to take in the spectacle. Lucien sat tense in his chair, his back rigid and his hands placed on his knees. His golden eye hovered over her, whirring softly as it took her in. He looked nervous, and it softened Elain in turn. She leaned towards him, and his delicious woodsy smell invaded her senses, combined with the subtle undertones of his arousal. She allowed her cheek to brush his own as she leaned into whisper in his ear. His hands flexed but did not move. “You want this?” she asked, one final time. 

She needed him to know, though she’d pushed this decision, she would never force him to accept the bond. She turned to look at him, making eye contact, trying to convey the sincerity of the question. He looked her in the eyes, nodding. His throat bobbed as he swallowed anxiously. She dipped her chin in return, before reaching for a knife to slice into the cake. The icing, blessedly, had stayed intact. She cut off a generous slice, laying it on the delicate floral plate she’d saved especially for the occasion. She gripped it with both hands, hoping they kept steady enough the guests wouldn’t be able to see her own nerves. “For you, my mate.” 

The words sounded final, ringing out between them. The golden cord around her ribs vibrated in response. With trepidation , Lucien reached out his hand to take it from her. Elain remembered what he’d told her when she’d asked him his favorite cake, and made a quick decision to shake her head no. Instead, she reached to place her hand against the corner of his jaw. He seemed confused briefly, looking at her doubtfully before he opened his mouth. Elain grabbed a generous chunk of the cake between her fingers, feeding it to him carefully. At last, Lucien’s rakish side took over. He smirked before closing his mouth around her fingers, running his wet tongue over them obscenely before sucking gently. The feel of his warm mouth on her skin spiked her own arousal.    

Whether it was the bond driving her, or just seeing Lucien unraveled at last, she didn’t know. Elain surged forward, pulling her fingers slowly out from between his lips, before running her tongue over the icing on the corner of his mouth. Lucien groaned, reaching for her waist, as she moved her face to kiss him properly. She couldn’t believe she hadn’t kissed him until now. His mouth fit perfectly against her own, his lips plush and soft. Elain gasped as she felt his emotions flooding the bond, joy and gratitude and need.  Lucien took advantage of her open mouth to slide his tongue inside as he threaded his hand through the hair at the nape of her neck. Elain met his tongue with her own. He kissed the way he did all things, clever and a bit devious, pulling his tongue against her lips before pushing against her more fully. He tasted like lemon and something else addictive and entirely Lucien.   

All she could think about was more, touching him, tasting him. Their kiss quickly moved from explorative to desperate, and Elain let out a small keening sound before she remembered they were in a room full of people. A blush rose up her cheeks and she pulled herself away from Lucien slowly, licking her lips as she savored the taste of him. Lucien looked equally overcome, his lips swollen and his pupils blown wide. Not touching him felt impossible. He seemed to feel the same, his hand never leaving the back of her neck.  

“You ready to get out of here?” He whispered to her. His breath blew hot against her cheeks. Elain nodded, biting her lip. In truth, she felt ready to combust. She worried if they did not leave soon that she might do something truly improper. Even knowing half of Prythian was watching them, that they were applauding (and some rather uncouth whooping she was sure came from Cassian) only a few feet away, did little to tamp down her arousal. She stood, and Lucien pulled her into his arms. The moment felt bittersweet as she took in one last look at the River House and all their guests. At last, she joined her other hand in his and he winnowed them away with the scent of cinnamon in the air.     

[mrslankyman]

Where is my Mind?

Mike Schmidt x (fem) Reader

Mike walked into the busy mall. A usual Saturday. Everyone scurrying around trying to get to the store they wanted. The food court surprisingly wasn’t as busy. It was only 9 am though.

So he clocked in and got onto his shift. Which consisted of just walking around and making sure no one was stealing. The grey ‘Security’ button shirt was growing a little hot.

He wished for a day without the penetrating head ache he had. He feared when he walked by people they saw right through him. A tired and dead ended man. Fighting to keep his sister and fighting even harder to convince her he was alright.

Truth be told he was far from alright. Between the threat of a court case and the fact he was behind on rent he sure as hell wasn’t gonna catch a break anytime soon.

For some reason though he always had enough pocket change to visit the ice cream shop in the food court. So that’s where he headed.

Was it too early for ice cream? Maybe.

Walking through the food court he made his way to the ice cream shop. Spotting the girl who always had a smile on her face. It sickened him slightly at how happy she could be. Though in a way he liked her smile.

“Hello Mike. What will it be today?” That friendly voice cooed. She always had that happy ring in her tone. “Just plain vanilla. In a cup.” Mike answered pulling his wallet from his pocket. Flipping it open and going to get the cash out.

Meanwhile Y/N made the ice cream. Swirling the vanilla icecream into the cup. She’s seen Mike quite a lot. He always made his way over to get an ice cream. Everyday, every week. She wondered if he had a major sweet tooth or if he never got ice cream as a kid and now that he could he’d get it everyday. Either one sounded like Mike to her. Though she barley knew him.

“Here is your plain vanilla icecream in a cup.” She held out his sweet treat to him. As he held up the $2.20 to her. She took it and smiled. He always had exact change. It surprised her. Well it used too. Till he did it everyday.

“Food courts not so busy today.” Mike turned around to her. He was planning on leaving and just sitting at one of the tables. Eat his icecream and then slug around. “Yeah.” The man gave a look around before debating. He didn’t like talking to people.

“You ever thought about trying another flavor besides vanilla?” She asked so smoothly. So happily. So friendly. Why was she talking to him?

He looked at her. If his tired eyes didn’t make her realize he didn’t wanna talk his resting bitch face sure did.

She slowly looked away. She knew he didn’t talk much. He didn’t even chat with his work buddy much. Why would he talk to her?

She just longed to make a friend. Truth be told her and Mike were similar in that sense. She graduated high school, watched all her friends go off to some great career, and here she was. Working at an ice cream shop in a mall.

Here Mike was. Both parents dead and raising his little sister. Still holding onto the hope of revenging his dead brother. He didn’t have friends. None that knew him well at least.

“I think I’ll stick to vanilla.” Was all he said as he walked off.

Y/N stared off at him. He made his way to a table and sat down. Eating his icecream.

——

2 weeks

——

Perhaps it was the fact his Aunt decided to give a nasty call. Or how Max couldn’t baby sit that day. Abby was getting dressed to go with Mike to work.

His boss knew his position. So he reluctantly agreed. Abby was cheerful about getting to go. Mike was annoyed on the inside. He loved his sister but..

He only had enough pocket change for one icecream.

——

“Okay what flavor do you want Abby?” Mike asked looking down at her. She stared up at the menu of flavors. “Strawberry!” She gave a wide smile. The corner of Mikes lips raised as he saw her smile. She was the only thing he even cared about anymore.

“Go have a seat and I’ll get you it.” He instructed. She headed off to find a place to sit. Mike walked to the cash register to order.

“The usual today Mike?” Y/N asked in her normal happy tone.

“Ugh no, a strawberry.. cone today.” He said looking at her. Noticing the smile creep on her face he gave her a puzzled look.

“Something other than vanilla I see. Mixing it up a bit?” She giggled and grabbed a cone. Wondering what the change in flavor was for.

“No, it’s for my sister. I brought her with me today.” He answered slightly afraid. Even that small detail he thought would drive her away.

“Oh you have a sister! How nice.” She turned around with the cone in hand. “What’s her name?” She curiously asked as Mike paid. “Abby, she’s over there.” He hesitantly pointed at his sister. Who sat at a chair looking at Mike. She noticed his finger pointing at her so she waved. Giving a bright smile at the girl talking to her brother.

To her of course it seemed like the two were friends. Maybe even more. She always wondered what it would be like if her brother met someone. Would he be happier? She always noticed the way Mike looked after talking to people. They looked at him with disgust and he looked down with shame.

The only girl she saw him talk to was Max. Max didn’t seem to be his type. If he had one that is.

“Yeah I had to bring her today. Baby sitter canceled.” Mike turned back to the girl. After seeing Abby smile he couldn’t brush off this girl. He didn’t need his sister seeing that he had terrible social skills.

Though she already knew. Partly she did. She didn’t fully understand but she knew Mike had a hard time with things.

“Aw, you know. If you have to do stuff I can watch her. I get off in 30 minutes. Early day today.” She offered with a smile. That smile never left her face when she talked to him. He wasn’t used to this.

Should he let her in? Give her a chance to get to know him and his sister? She seemed nice. He’s talked to her for about 2 months now. Over icecream though..

“Okay.. yeah. That be nice.” He nodded. He regretted his decision already. She was excited to get to know Abby.

——

So it became routine. Well getting an ice cream for Abby did. Before Mike left his shift Y/N would bring over a strawberry cup of ice cream. For him to take home to Abby. He lived only 5 minutes away so he figured it wouldn’t be too melted.

She enjoyed the time with Abby. Learned a lot about her and a little about Mike. How he was reserved and Abby had never seen him talk to someone so much.

That made her blush slightly. Mike treated her differently than he did others?

Perhaps it was the longing for a friend. Or the fact Mike felt somewhat different when he was around her but sometimes he came by even when he wasn’t getting ice cream.

Except today.

Today was different. No Mike. At least not at the ice cream shop. Y/N would look around. Trying to catch a glimpse of the man. She would see him walking around the food court. He never looked over at her. Never even walked over.

Did she do something? The other day was fine. She tried to recall what could have made him him give the cold shoulder.

——

“You really think that vanilla is the best flavor? I’m telling you try something new.” She giggled as she handed Mike his vanilla cup. “I’m not so sure I wanna try something new.” He gave her a look. He was slowly opening up. Besides that basic resting angry face she got a quizzical look.

“Oh come on. Super Rue is good. It’s like hmm I don’t know I just know it’s good.” She leaned against the register a little. Giving a smile. She never saw Mike smile. She could never get it out of him.

“Yeah I’m sure it is.” Mike grabbed his wallet and went to give her the cash. She reached out. Her fingers brushed Mikes. She wouldn't think much of it. But this made her heart skip a beat. She looked at him for a second. He also looked at her. His eyes displaying a show of emotion he had never seen on his face. So it was hard for her to pin point what it was. She could tell it wasn’t bad.

Perhaps he just hadn’t touch someone’s hand before really. Must of been the case by the way his cheeks flared up and he awkwardly held his ice cream. She put the change in the register and Mike gave a curt good bye. She couldn’t even answer before he was off.

__

Though that wouldn’t give him a reason to give a cold shoulder.. would it?

It would. Mike went home that night and couldn’t stop the feeling he had in his stomach. Was it butterflies or was it the feeling of dread?

He couldn’t lie to him self. Talking to her everyday had made him feel something. Though it wasn’t that deep. Till his hand touched hers. In that moment his stomach did flips. His face grew red and he was afraid she’d see through him.

See the feelings he had pushed down. He didn’t wanna burden her with his life. She only served him ice cream everyday and smiled because that was her job. She didn’t really mean anything.

Sure she enjoyed hanging with Abby, enjoyed talking to him he assumed. She always tried to drag the conversation out. Perhaps that was her way of being friendly though.

Far from it. If he only knew how anti social she was outside of work. Even in work when any other customer came up she didn’t care to hold too long of a conversation with them. They just weren’t Mike.

So she sat their and waited her whole shift. Waiting for him to come by and ask for a plain vanilla cup.

He didn’t.

He wasted his whole shift trying to ignore her. He walked through the food court to get lunch. Forcing his eyes to not look over at the small ice cream shop. It was hard but. He needed to shove those feelings away.

He didn’t want her to see him. What would she think of him? That he was crazy? She’d likely judge him for his past and try to fix his future. He didn’t want fixing. He wanted someone to understand.

His mind isn’t some happy place. He was corroded with doubt and unforgettable memories. He wanted someone to understand those. While also being able to see him.

He never let anyone see him for that to happen though.

He was doomed to live in his mind and never get out.

——

1 week

——

Perhaps it was annoyance. Anger. Or the fear she was gonna lose Mike for good that Y/N clocked out of her shift right before the mall closed. And headed to securities small office. Where Mike had to clock out at. He couldn’t escape her this time.

Mike headed to the office. Opening the door and slipping inside. As he turned his eyes widened. Y/N stared at him. With that look. That look that everyone gives him. The angry, annoyed, and shameful look.

“Why have you been ignoring me?” Her words sliced through him like daggers. He never heard her use this time before.

He didn’t respond. He simply pushed past her and clocked out. He didn’t wanna talk. He didn’t wanna see her. He was afraid. Afraid he’d give him self away.

“Mike.” Her voice cut through his thoughts. Her hand grabbed his wrist. Those butterflies caught in his stomach. Her hands were warm..

He turned to her. His face giving nothing away. Though on the inside his head was racing a mile a minute this time it wasn’t from a head ache.

“Answer me.. please.” Her tone was soft, her eyes weren’t those angry annoyed ones anymore. They were sad. Sad. Something he’d seen before. Pity.

He didn’t want pity.

“I don’t need to tell you anything.” His cold answer made her frown. Sure he was standoffish. But this.. wasn’t the Mike she knew.

“Come on. You just stopped showing up one day and no matter when I try to call you over or say hi you just walk by. What is up?” He could see tears pricking the corner of her eyes.

Was she crying over him? This was new.. no one ever cared if he didn’t talk. No one cared if he didn’t reply. So why did she?

“Why do you care?” Was the only thing he could think of as a repose. Though truth be told he truly wanted to know why she cared.

“Because..” was that it? Because? No good reason? He should just go. She just wanted to pity him. He wasn’t special. He should’ve known-

“Because we’re friends aren’t we?” Those friends. That one word. Friends? Didn’t she know what she was doing to him? To just be friends.

“Friends?” He asked looking at her. Her hand on his wrist moved to his actual hand. She held his.

That electric feeling coursed through his body. His face turned red. She was going to see through him if she didn’t leave.

“You’re my friend Mike.. aren’t you?” She asked her voice so soft.. so inviting.

“I don’t know..” he said closing his eyes. Hiding him self in the darkness of his closed eyelids.

“Look at me.” She said luring him to open his eyes.

“I’m afraid..” he squeezed her hand. She squeezed back.

“Afraid of what?” She stepped closer to him. Wanting to understand him.

“Myself.. you.. everything.” Not as direct as she hoped but she understood.

“I get it..but Mike you don’t have to be afraid to me.” She put her hand on his cheek. This made his eyes open. He looked at her. His face red, his eyes had that look.. of longing. Her touch made him feel something he had never felt before.

“Are you afraid of me?” He asked her quietly.

“No Mike.. I’m not afraid of you. I’ll never be afraid of you. The only thing I’m afraid of is vanilla being the only flavor ice cream you like.” She offered that light hearted joke and for the first time in for ever. She made him smile. A real smile. His lips curled up and his teeth shown through.

“I love your smile.”

He wasn’t afraid anymore. How could he be? This girl made him smile. Not some half assed smile he’d give to please someone.. a real smile.

So maybe she’d love his mind too.

[sergeantrosabellaswan]

Once A Part of the Family, Always a Part of the Family, CHAPTER 1

SUMMARY:

Twenty eight year old Annalisa Stone had once upon another time dated fierce mob boss Bucky Barnes. After a vicious argument, she left him and seven month later gave birth to Sarah Jo and little Jimmy. When Bucky reenters her life once more, the hardened mother much open her heart once more to save the life of her son.

Mobster Bucky Barnes AU

TWO NOTES FROM THE AUTHORESS:

Inspired by a bunch of asks sent in to the now defunked @bucky-plums-barnes

Also, this is a brand new fic that I was working on before I took a break from the Marvel fandom- so do be certain to reblog and tell me what you think so far!

CHAPTER WORD COUNT: 1371

“Mommy?” Annalisa looked up from the book she was reading and smiled at her four year old daughter, who was glued to her younger twin’s side, like always.

“Yes, Sarah Jo?” smiled the mother, setting aside the book so that she was giving her children her full attention.

“Can Jimmy and I please watch some TV?” she asked ever so politely, making the single mother smile as she took up the remote and switched it onto Disney Channel, where Cinderella was playing.

As the twins settled down to watch the film, Annalisa couldn’t help but notice yet again how different the two were.

Their father’s dark hair, her bouncy curls.

His piercing blue eyes, her fair skin.

His smile, her freckles.

It almost hurt to look at them, but it was a comforting kind of pain.

Just then, a sharp knock sounded at the front door, making Annalisa’s eye quirk up.

“I’ll be back in a few minutes- you two, behave!” she sternly told them before limping off to answer the door. She reached it a few minutes later; her knee was killing her today; the sharp, burning pain making standing, let alone walking painfully agonizing. Against her better judgment, she opened the door without looking into the peephole.

“Steve?” she lowered her voice at the last possible second, not wanting for the man to know about the twins.

“Annalisa Stone,” he greeted her with a small smile. “You hadn’t changed much since I saw you last.”

“Yeah, that bullet was removed and I’d cut my hair since then,” she couldn’t help but sass him. She bit her lip and turned her head away from him, ashamed at her words.

“Down to business,” Steve said, quickly changing the subject as he reached inside his jacket. Annalisa flinched, thinking that he was going for his gun and shoot her. Instead, the man pulled out a few photographs and handed them to the single mother.

Annalisa’s heart stopped beating for a few moments.

The photograph was of the three of them- Sarah Jo, James Jr. and her at an ice cream parlor, eating frozen treats.

“What do you want from me?” she whimpered, her eyes shutting as she tried to calm the quickly brewing panic attack.

“The boss heard that he has a son,” Steve said, not noticing Annalisa’s shoulders sagging slightly at the somewhat relieving news. “He wants to meet him.”

“And if I refuse?” Annalisa was surprised at where her gusto was coming from; she was never this brave before.

“No one ever says no to the boss,” Steve chuckled darkly, motioning towards the window, inviting her to take a look outside. She limped over to the window and looked out, feeling as though she was going to have deadly heart failure.

There was a black a Lincoln outside, and leaning against the car was the one person who Annalisa had never though she’d see again.

James Buchanan Barnes.

The most dangerous and powerful mob boss on the entire east coast.

“Mommy?”

The single mother turned to Jimmy. his bald little head and deep bags under his eyes making her want to cry.

“Yes, Jimmy?” Annalisa asked, fighting back the tears that were threatening to stain her pretty face once more.

“Can Sarah Jo and I have some Teddy Grahams, please?” he asked, just as politely as his sister, the grip on his teddy blanket never wavering.

“Of course, sweetie,” she smiled, ignoring Steve as she limped over to the tiny kitchen. “Come here, munchkin.” Jimmy was at her side in an instant as she opened the cupboard and picked him up effortlessly, holding him so that he could get the box of teddy bear shaped snacks down.

“You know, you could’ve always asked me to help get them down,” Steve remarked dryly, resulting in Jimmy hiding behind her as shyness over crept him once more.

“I was getting along just fine without you in my life,” Annalisa stiffly responded, getting down two bowls and pouring in enough to satisfy two bellies until dinnertime. “Here we are, munchkin- come on, let’s go give Sarah Jo her snack!”

Jimmy followed after his mother with Steve taking up the rear, nearly tripping over a miniature toy truck. The three of them entered the cramped living room, where Stephanie was singing along to the movie. Her twin bounced back up to her with the snacks in hand.

Steve turned to her with wide eyes full of questions.

“Yes,” Annalisa answered his unasked question. “Twins. Sarah Jo is the oldest at eighteen minutes. Born October 21st.” A choked sob bubbled from out of her throat as she forced her knees not to crumple. “Jimmy is sick- he needs a new kidney…”

Steve sighed as he took out his phone, leaving the single mother to watch him with terrified eyes.

“Boss.” Annalisa knew who he was talking to. “The situation is more complex then we had originally thought.” She could hear mumbling on the other end of the line and she went over to the twins, getting down onto the floor with difficulty.

“Sarah Jo, James…” you whispered softly, licking your lips nervously. “How about if the three of us go for a little trip?”

“To Disney World?” asked little Jimmy, an excited glint in his eyes as he jumped up and down a few times.

Annalisa heard Steve chuckle softly under his breath, however she just ignored him.

“Maybe, if you both are on your tip top best behavior, understand me?” she asked them before going to get back up again, struggling as her bad knee refused to cooperate.

“Here, let me-” Steve seized her underneath an armpit and heaved her to her feet, keeping a hand wrapped around her shoulder as she regained back her balance once more. “You know something, Buck would happily pay for a knee replacement, if you wanted one.”

“Steven Grant Rogers.” The tall blond mobster’s face immediately developed a cow expression, causing for the four year old twins to erupt into giggles. “Don’t push it. I’m already letting the man meet my twins. We’ll take it from there on out.”

“Yes ma’am,” Steve meeped as the woman stopped by the coat closet to grab two duffle bags before going into the twin’s shared bedroom to start packing what all they’d need while away from home.

TAGLISTS ARE OPEN/ ASK BOX IS OPEN/ REQUESTS ARE OPEN/ PLOT BUNNIES ARE WELCOMED

If you liked this, then please consider buying me a coffee HERE It only costs $3!!!

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[agirlwithbigdreamsforher]

MR. AND MRS. BARBER

THE NANNY: ONE SHOT

MR. AND MRS. BARBER

Pairing: Andy Barber x Annie Johnson (OFC)

Summary: I present to you Mr. and Mrs. Barber.

Warnings: NONE.

A/N:  I honestly cried while writing this. The song I chose for them was “In your eyes” by Peter Gabriel.

Word count: 1609

Disclaimer: I do not give permission for any of my works to be copied, used, translated nor reposted anywhere else but here on this blog. Do not steal what you didn’t work for. Minors and ageless blank blogs don’t interact with me or my works. Reblogs and likes are always welcome. Thank you for reading this work of fiction.

GIFS not mine, you can find the credits in each gif :)

                                   ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

“I think I’m about to throw up.” Annie said as she was getting her make up done.

“Just breathe, darling. You are going to be fine.” Justin, the makeup artist, told her.

“Right, breath.” She took a deep breath and let the air out of her mouth.

“You should probably eat something.” Sharon said.

“Your friend is right. You need to eat before the weeding, I don’t think you want to pass out while walking down the aisle.”

Meanwhile Andy was at the house running around trying to get Jake and himself ready.

“Come on, buddy.”

“No! I don’t like the jacket!”

“Fine! No jacket, but you have to wear the vest and your bowtie.”

“I look stupid.”

“Hey! Language. Thank god, Annie is not here.” Jake ran to his room. “Jake! Please! Do this for me and Annie, it’s just one day, I promise!”

Jake crossed his arms, “I want ice cream.”

“This is not a negotiation!”

“My terms are final.”

“I get you ice cream if you let me dress you.”

Jake thought for a bit before smiling widely “Ok!”

It was 6:30 when Andy left the house along with Jake in the car.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Please, can someone tell me if Andy is here?”

Annie was ready in the room of the hotel where the wedding was taking place. Pacing around the room with a knot in her stomach.

“I’ll go and check.” Mark said.

Mark was about to leave when Tom walked in.

“Wow!” He looked at her sister lovingly, “You look so beautiful. You look like a princess.” His eyes watered.

“Please don’t cry. If you cry, I’ll cry and that will ruin my make up.” She hugged his brother.

“Yeah, you’re right!” He let out his breath, “Andy is gonna died when he sees you.”

“So, he is here?”

“Of course! I have never seen him so nervous by the way. Not even when he asked for my permission to marry you.” He winked at Annie. “Are you ready?”

“I think so.”

“It’s never too late to run away.” Annie slap him on the chest, “OW! I’m kidding!”

“Let’s go then.”

Annie hooked her arm to his brother’s and left the room, followed by Sharon and Mark.

A couple of minutes later they stood in front of the doors of the hall where all the guests were waiting for her to begin the ceremony.

The wedding march began to play behind the doors and then they open. Everyone were standing there looking at her.

“Breath” Tom said in a low voice and caressed her hand, “Focus on Andy.”

And she did. There he was, wearing a blue tux, smiling and with tears in his eyes. She smiled to him and then they walked.

Andy couldn’t believe what his eyes were seeing, Annie was like a vision, an angel. He could sword there was light coming out of her as he saw her walking down the aisle, she looked perfect; she looked beautiful as always.

Tom handed his sister’s hand to Andy. “Take care of her, will you?”

“I will.” Andy took Annie’s hand, “Hi.”

“Hi.” She smiled.

“Good evening,” The minister spoke, “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today in the presence of these witnesses, to join Andy and Annie in matrimony. Their time together, they have seen their love and understanding of each other grow and blossom and now they have decided to live out the rest of their lives as one. If any person can show just cause why they may not be joined together - let them speak now or forever hold their peace.” No one said anything. “Marriage is a commitment to life, the best that two people can find and bring out in each other…”

The minister continued as Annie and Andy shared loving looks at each other, not really paying attention to what was happening around them.

“I believe you have written some vows.”

“Yes.” Andy said as he took out a piece of paper out of his pocket. “Annie, I love you with my whole heart. My love for you it’s so great that I can’t express it with words. I promise to be your honest, faithful and loving husband as long as we both live. I will always protect you from harm, to stand with you against your troubles, and to look to you when I need protection.” A few tears were running down his cheeks at this point. He took a breath and continued. “Thank you for being a mother to Jake, for taking care of him, and loving him as if he was your own kid. I couldn’t ask for a better woman to raise Jake with. I love you, and I always will.”

“Annie?”

“Yes,” She turned to take her piece of paper from Mark, “Andy, you helped me when I needed the most. You are my every dream come true, and I can't wait for the reality we get to build together. I choose you and promise to choose you as my husband every day we wake. I will love you in word and deed. I will laugh with you, cry with you, scream with you, grow with you, and craft with you. To be your kin and your partner in all of life's adventures is all I could hope for in the world. Loving what I know of you and trusting what I don't yet know, I give you my hand. I give you my love. I give you myself, the good, the bad, and the yet to come. I love you with all my heart, Andy.”

“Andy, do you take this woman to be your wife, to live together in matrimony, to love her, to honor her, to comfort her, and to keep her in sickness and in health, forsaking all others, for as long as you both shall live?”

"I do."  Andy said confident.

“Annie, do you take this man to be your husband, to live together in matrimony, to love him, to honor him, to comfort him, and to keep him in sickness and in health, forsaking all others, for as long as you both shall live?" 

"I do." Annie said tearfully.

"Repeat after me, Andy" The minister said the lines and Andy repeat them.

"I, Andy, take you Annie, to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part." 

Annie then followed through.

"I, Annie, take you Andy, to be my husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part." 

“Can we have the rings?” Jake walked towards his dad and handed him the ring, while Sharon did the same with Annie.

"I give you this ring as a token and pledge of our constant faith and abiding love." They both said one at the time as they exchanged their rings.

"By virtue of the authority vested in me under the laws of the State of Massachusetts, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Andy, you may kiss the bride."

“Finally!” He said and got closer to her wife and kissed her.

“I now present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Barber.”

All the guests began clapping as they continued kissing.

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“LET’S WELCOME MR. AND MRS. BARBER!!!!!” The singer of the band said through the mic. Everyone cheered and clapped as they walked into the venue. “COME ON! LET’S HEAR IT FOR THE HAPPY COUPLE!” people kept clapping as they moved to the middle of the dance floor. “And now, please everybody take your sits, as the newlyweds will share their first dance together.” The room became silent, “This was a special request from the husband. Annie, this is for you.”

Andy grabbed Annie’s right hand as she placed the other on his shoulder; and the band began to play.

Annie still didn’t know what song Andy had picked for them. He always kept it a secret.

Love I get so lost sometimes

Days pass and this emptiness fills my heart

When I want to run away I drive off in my car

But whichever way I go

I come back to the place you are.

Annie listened to the song attentively as they swing back and forth.

All my instincts, they return

The grand facade, so soon will burn

Without a noise, without my pride

I reach out from the inside

She heard Andy began to sing and turned to see him. He was looking at her, with all the love he had in him. His hand caressed her cheek and she closed her eyes as they hugged each other.

In your eyes

The light, the heat (in your eyes)

I am complete (in your eyes)

I see the doorway (in your eyes)

To a thousand churches (in your eyes)

The resolution (in your eyes)

Of all the fruitless searches (in your eyes).

Oh, I see the light and the heat (in your eyes)

Oh, I wanna be that complete

I wanna touch the light, the heat I see in your eyes.

The song soon came to an end, and they kissed like there was no one around them.

“Congratulations Andy and Annie! We wish you a life time of happiness.” The singer said, “Now let’s get this party started. But first, dinner. Everybody enjoy and we will come back later to keep celebrating our couple.”

“I love you.”

“I love you more, Andy.”

[peachyghuleh]

Fanfic: The Outing (Copia helps the reader through a panic attack)

Hello lovelies! Hope you like this one! It's another Copia fic because I'm a Copia fangirl. This one is a lil longer but I wanted to make sure I set the scene.

In this fic, sister Imperator asks the reader to acompany Cardinal Copia, Aether and Dew on a shopping trip for ministry supplies. The reader's anxiety gets the better of them when they're shopping and has a panic attack. Luckily, Copia and the ghouls are there to make everything better.

WC: 2.3K

AO3 Link

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The day began pretty normally for me, I was doing my daily duties which happened to be dusting the windowsills and sconces in the hallways of the abbey. Sister Imperator made her way towards me, and I shot her a sweet smile as I always do “Good morning sister Imperator, how’s your Sunday so far?”

“Very good thank you sister, I do have a favor to ask though. Would you mind accompanying the Cardinal on a little shopping trip? We need a few essentials and I need someone to accompany him and his ghouls, keep them in line” she smirked.

“Of course, sister Imperator” I replied.

“Great! Go find C in his office, he should be ready to go by now” she told me.

I gave her a quick bow and made my way through the halls of the Abbey to the Cardinal’s office. I was about to knock on his door when it opened, the Cardinal caught my eye with a welcoming smile “Ah sorella, are you accompanying me today?”

“Yes Cardinal” I replied.

“Ah yes, we’ve known each other for a long time cara, call me Copia, it is my day off after all.”

“Thank you! Car- Copia” I said with a smile I simply couldn’t hide.

We began walking towards the huge doors of the Abbey, a few ghouls in toe, Dew and Aether tagged along for this trip. We walked in comfortable silence, just enjoying the magnificent architecture of the Abbey none of us were tired of, even after living here for so long. Once we got outside, Copia went to grab his car and I waited with the 2 ghouls. Aether put his arm around my shoulders “So, what flavour of ice cream are you getting?”

“Ice cream?” I said, pondering what he meant, this was just a supply run, right?

Suddenly, I felt 2 hands grab my waist, I turned around to see Dew standing there stifling a laugh. “Satanas, you scared the shit out of me Dew” I scolded.

We were interrupted by Copia pulling up in front of the doors in his classic white chevy. He indicated for me to ride shotgun which I gladly accepted and hopped in the front passenger seat while Aether and Dew took the back seats. The ride into the neighboring town was peaceful, we had the windows down the entire time, the wind blowing through my hair instilled a much-needed sense of calm within me. Copia decided we needed some music, since I was the passenger, I assumed the role of DJ and started playing Ghost. It started with ‘Kiss the Go-Goat’ which we all gleefully sang along to, Copia even commented on how he liked my voice. I then put on ‘See the light.’

“Ah cara, I love this one, it’s such an underrated song!” the Cardinal exclaimed.

“It’s one of my favorites!” I replied, a smile beaming on my face.

We all began singing intently:

‘Every day that you feed me with hate

I grow stronger

Drink me, Eat me

Then you’ll see the light’

We quickly pulled up into the town and Copia parked up the car, making sure to fill the parking meter.

“So, what were the essentials Sister Imperator wanted us to get?” I asked.

“Just a few things, black candles for mass and some incense.” He answered.

“We always make a day of it though little one, we go shopping and make sure to get ice cream!” Dew said as he strolled on ahead like a child who was too excited to wait for his parents.

I really needed a day like this, I had so much pent-up stress and anxiety and just needed something to take my mind off everything. We started in a clothes shop, it seemed particularly busy, which wasn’t unusual since it was a Sunday. Aether and Dew wandered off on their own, looking at the men’s section, while Copia followed me to the women’s section. He picked up a black pleated skirt and held it up excitedly “Ah, Sorella! This would look very cute on you, si?”

“That’s adorable Copia! I’m not sure it would suit me though” I said, coyly, not being a very confident person.

“Nonsense Cara! Go try it on, if you like it, I will buy it for you, si?” He offered.

I decided to go try it on in the fitting rooms, surprisingly I actually really liked the way it looked. It made me feel confident, which was something I didn’t get very often if at all. I made my way back out to Copia ready to tell him that I loved it. As I exited the changing rooms, I noticed it was far busier than it was when I went in. A lump formed in my throat, and I grew warmer by the second. Dew came behind me and grabbed my waist “ooh what have you got there, little one?” he grabbed the skirt out of my hands, “Sexy! Are you getting it?”

I nodded slowly in his direction, feeling overwhelmed by the amount of people who were in the shop. “Are you okay?” Aether asked with mild concern on his face. I managed to snap out of it briefly to give him a smile and grabbed my skirt to take to Copia. “I’ll get this one if that’s okay?” I asked Copia. “Of course, Tesoro, anything for you” he replied, with a comforting smile.

We made our way to the cash register and my heart sank as I realized how big the queue was. “We’re gonna go wait outside Cardi” Aether informed us as both the ghouls left the shop. The longer we waited in line, the more anxious I became, the blaring white lights in the shop made my head feel foggy and the heat made me feel dizzy. I grabbed onto Copia’s arm, feeling my heart begin to beat out of my chest and my lungs unable to fill to capacity. Nausea overtook me. Copia looked down at me with concern, “Sorella, are you okay? You look pale.”

“I-I need to-to get out, I need to go” I mumbled before slowly stumbling out of the shop, bumping into shoppers and clothes racks as I went. I made my way outside and leaned up against a brick wall, slowly sliding down to my bum, feeling the air escape my chest but unable to fill the space it left. Dew and Aether rushed over to me, shortly followed by Copia rushing out of the shop to find me. “What’s going on?” Aether asked, using the softest tone he could.

“I-I…can’t…breathe…” I muttered, grasping for air between words. It felt like there was a huge weight on my chest, like someone was sitting on me.

Copia knelt beside me, placed his hands on either side of my face and turned me toward him “Cara, you’re okay, we’re here.”

Aether sat beside me, holding my shoulders to comfort me while Dew stood in front of me to shield me from potential onlookers. I felt chills throughout my body and the sheer anxiety I felt in that moment was dizzying. It was a terrible cycle, the anxiety made it harder to breathe and the breathlessness made me more anxious. “Breathe with me little one, in…out…in…out” Aether guided me through my breathing until I felt like I could catch my breath again.

Warm tears trickled down my face as I realized I had succumbed to my anxiety once again. Copia wiped my tears away gently and pulled me into a warm embrace, the smell of cologne and his breathing pattern grounded me in the moment. “Cara, it was just a panic attack, you’re okay, we’re here.”

“Maybe we should take her back to the Abbey” Dew suggested.

“No, I want to enjoy my time with all of you. I can’t let my-my anxiety get the better of me” I sobbed.

“Okay sorella, we will stay out, lets just get you somewhere quiet and we have a drink of water, si?” Copia said.

Aether and Copia helped me up off the cold floor, holding an arm each to steady me, the panic attack had left me dizzy. We made our way to an area with picnic benches and parasols, “Sit, please Cara” Copia pleaded as he gestured to one of the seats. Dew had already gone to get some drinks, he came back pretty quickly with 5 drinks, a juice box for Copia, an energy drink for himself, 2 waters, one for me, one for Aether and another juice box? “Here, have some juice too, it will help with the dizziness” Dew handed me a water and a juice box which I thanked him for and took sips of both.

“I’m sorry” I muttered.

“Tesoro, please don’t apologize” Copia requested, “Do you know what bought this on?”

“I-I just…it was the clothes shop…I came out of the changing rooms and it was just so busy, I got hot and bothere. Then I felt like throwing up and it just got worse.” I sobbed.

Copia put his arm around my shoulders, embracing me “it’s okay cara, how about we go back to get that skirt and move on, we can go to shops which are less busy, si? You can wait outside with the ghouls while I get your skirt.”

I nodded, feeling better already with his presence and patience. After sitting for a while, we made our way back to the shop, Copia went back in to get my skirt and we waited outside in the shade. “You gave us a bit of a scare there little one” Dew told me. “Next time, please tell us if you start to feel off” Aether added. I tried to apologize but Aether cut me off “Nope, no apologizing, we just care about you.”

“Thank you” I shyly responded.

“Ah tesoro, I got the skirt you wanted” Copia showed me inside the bag, I tried to grab the bag from him, but he wouldn’t let me hold it “I will hold this for now, you just relax, eh?”

I smiled slightly, realizing that I had people who cared about me truly. We made our way down the strip of shops, stopping every now and again to look in shop windows. We made it to the shop which sold the black candles and incense we were sent to pick up. After making our way in, I began looking around at the curiosities which were contained in this shop, ones you wouldn’t expect to see in towns as unsuspecting as this one. Copia caught me looking at a pentagram necklace, it was silver so it wasn’t exactly cheap. “You want this one tesoro?” he pointed to the necklace.

“N-no Copia, its too expensive, plus you already got me this skirt!” I replied. “I think I’ll go wait outside, I can feel myself getting warm again.”

I waited outside the shop, ghouls only a step behind me, making sure I was okay. Copia wasn’t long and came out with a bag full of candles and incense. “So, is it ice cream time?” Dew questioned. Copia nodded with a smile forming on his face, “We’ll get ice cream and then head back.”

As we approached the ice cream shop, I began deciding what I wanted. Mint choc chip is my favorite. Dew opted for double chocolate chip, Aether had strawberry and Copia opted for vanilla. “I’ll have mint choc chip please!” I told the cashier. “Make it a double scoop please” Copia interjected, that put a huge smile on my face, I didn’t have ice cream often at the ministry.

We grabbed our ice cream and began to make our way back to Copia’s car. “Hmm, I never saw you as a mint choc chip girl” Dew said flirtatiously. “It’s my absolute favourite” I replied, feeling ice cream drip down my face, “although it’s already starting to melt, I’m not sure I can finish all this.” Copia took his handkerchief out of his pocket and put his finger under my chin, taking the handkerchief and wiping the melted ice cream away. It was a nice feeling, like I had a father. Dew and Aether ended up sharing the last of my ice cream as we approached the car.

We all piled into the car once again, “Crank up the air-con Cardi, it’s roasting in here” Aether pleaded. Copia turned the air-con up and I felt a rush of cold air hit my face, it was very much welcome in the heat. We waited a couple of minutes to set up the music, I started to feel cold and shivered a little. “Do you want me to turn off the air-con cara?” Copia enquired. “No, no Copia, I know it’s warm, I don’t want to impose, I’ll be okay, I decided to wear shorts today” I laughed.

Copia took off his jacket and placed it on my lap, it was warm and comforting, “Here tesoro, this will keep you warm until we get back.” I melted at his generosity and father-like tendencies.

We decided to listen to Year Zero on the way back, all of us chanting to the opening:

‘Belial, Behemoth, Beelzebub

Asmodeus, Satanas, Lucifer’

As we approached the Abbey, we turned down the music we had blasting on the way back and Copia pulled in front of the Abbey front door. “Would you both give us a minute?” Copia asked the ghouls. They both obliged, offering me a thanks for a great day out as they made their way into the Abbey.

“I have something for you tesoro” Copia told me as he handed me the silver pentagram necklace I was eyeing up earlier.

“Satanas, this was expensive, why?” I asked, confused about why he would do such a nice thing for me.

“Oh tesoro, you are worth so much and deserve the world, we all love you here” he answered.

I reached over, embracing him in a hug, tears streaming down my face, knowing that this is where I belong, and this is my family.

“Thank you, Cardinal Copia.”

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Peachy⛧Ghuleh

[alohajun]

♡ ICE-CREAM STORE ONEESAN — WATANABE HARUTO

haruto x fem!reader | wc : 0.8k words | content : possible grammar and spelling mistakes, lowercase intended, mentions of ice-cream, fluffy stuff, haruto has a mini panic attack bc he thinks his sister is kidnapped (?) | loki's lines : totally not derived from the moment i fell head over heels after helping a lost kid find her brother at a supermarket ... yes both siblings stole my heart, i demand compensation

“airi! airi! where are you?!”

haruto was panicking, not knowing where his sister had wandered while he had gone to get her the balloon she had been eyeing when they passed the vendor.

“shit, shit!” haruto had his hands in his hair, frustrated at the situation as he tried to find his little sister. “where did you go off to, airi?” he muttered, running around the park frantically.

the tall male retraced his steps, going back to where he had left his sister before he went towards the balloon vendor. i told her to stay, and she usually listens … so where is she? he thought, feeling his chest tighten at the horrible thought of his sister being kidnapped.

no, it’s not possible. this is a public place. kids don’t get kidnapped in parks, right?

just as haruto took out his phone to inform his parents, the familiar ringtone rang, and he looked down, seeing an unknown number. am i getting a ransom call right now? has airi really been kidnapped? he couldn’t help but let his mind run wild, his heart erratically beating as he answered the call.

“hello?” a soft female voice was heard on the other line, and haruto held his breath, hearing the words that followed. “watanabe-san? ah! watanabe haruto-san? is your sister, perhaps, watanabe airi?” the voice asked, and haruto vigorously nodded before realizing you couldn’t see him.

“yes, yes! please, tell me she is there with you!”

“yes, she is! there is an ice-cream parlor next to the bicycle renting place. do you know that place, or should i come to you?”

haruto shook his head again before he replied. “no, no. i know the place. i will be right there!” he ran as quickly as his long legs would take him, somehow automatically knowing where to go.

the male let out a sigh as he came across the ice-cream parlor, walking inside before looking around. his eyes landed on the familiar figure of his sister sitting at a table, deliciously eating away a cold treat you had served for her as you waited for her brother.

upon seeing the ash-green-haired male enter the ice-cream parlor, you stood from your seat, getting ready to greet him as an usual customer, but seeing his frantic gaze and slight resemblances to the little girl you just met made you recognise him.

“watanabe-san?” you greeted, a warm smile on your face as you gestured towards his sister. “i’m sorry, but i gave her an ice-cream. is that fine? it’s on the house, though! don’t worry, i just–” your words were cut off as haruto wrapped his arms around you, embracing you in a hug, which took you by surprise.

why is he hugging me … and not his sister?

haruto snapped out of his daze, apologizing profusely as he pulled away. “i’m so sorry about that, but uh, thank you very much for finding airi. i thought i lost her,” he explained, and you nodded, having some understanding about how a sibling would feel. “seriously, i thought she was kidnapped.”

“oh, no.” a small laugh escaped your lips before shaking your head and covering your face with your hands. “our store gives freebies at certain times throughout the day, so when the announcement is heard, people usually rush in here.”

“oh …”

“airi was caught with the crowd and came here. she looked lost, so i thought maybe she couldn’t just decide a flavor, but then she told me she was waiting for her brother to buy her a balloon and started crying,” you explained, smiling at the balloon the male had tied onto his wrist. “i called you as soon as i could get your number from her. and also gave her a treat because ice cream makes everyone feel better!”

haruto smiled endearingly at the way you spoke, feeling his heart threaten to pound out of his chest. ah, kawaii. she’s so cute. he thought, pulling himself together as he took ahold of his sister’s hand after she finished eating.

“thank you for helping me find my brother, ice-cream store oneesan!” airi hugged you, and you crouched so you could properly hug the youngest. the watanabe siblings must like hugging. “you are seriously the best!”

unable to help yourself, you pinch the younger’s cheeks, giggling. “and you are seriously the cutest!” you cooed. “please be careful, though, airi-ya. always hold on to your brother’s hand, okay? don’t get lost again! otherwise, this oneesan will also be very sad.” you smiled as the female earnestly nodded, waving to you as she left the store.

as haruto left the park, he could only think about visiting again. just to see the ice-cream store oneesan his sister came to like within a short amount of time — because he felt like he did too.

TREASURE MASTERLIST

© 2022 ALOHAJUN | PLEASE REFRAIN FROM COPYING OR REPOSTING MY WORK WITHIN OR OUTSIDE THIS SITE

[mysticalrambling]

Coming Home (C.E)

Chris Evans Fanfiction (Fanfiction Masterlist)

Summary: dad!Chris Evans. Chris comes home to his twins fighting and he scolds them. But he also takes care of their wounds with you and then you all go out to eat ice cream and have a family day.

Warnings: None. Minimum angst but fluff all the way.

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"Where are the kids?" Your husband came and sat right next to you on the couch. It was a shock to him when he didn't see his two little munchkins clinging to his legs the moment he entered the house. It has been kind of their routine from the moment they could walk on their little two legs.

“They are busy playing in their play room. Why are you not happy about it?” You knew that after a full day of shooting, coming home to two energetic kids was tiring and stressful. So you were shocked when he wasn’t glad to have a moment of peace by himself.

“Well, they are a part of my routine now. It feels weird not having them jumping around me.” The three year olds have always been more attached to Chris than you. Initially, you were a little jealous that the twins focused all their attention on your husband but now you were glad. Having a piece of quiet while he handled the children was pretty awesome.

You both had pretty successful careers and when the twins came into your lives, you both decided that you would handle it all together. In the start, each one of your married girlfriend told you that you had to quit your job as the marketing head because being a mom was a full time job. You were scared and when you shared your concerns with Chris, he consoled you and told you that you would both do it all. Having successful careers while being good parents.

“Just spend sometime with me while Emma and Jason are distracted.” Pouring him a glass of wine, you leaned in to him with your head on his shoulder.

“That is a good way to spend my evening. How was your day, sweetheart?”

“It was hell. My boss gave me a project to complete with a bizarre timeline and when I couldn’t complete it on time. He just took it all out on me in front of my colleague.” Today was humiliating for you and you couldn’t wait to get home, drink a nice glass of wine and relax. “Hated it, babe. How about you?

“Well, my co star couldn’t get her part right so we had to do the same scene five times. We are behind on shooting now and I have to get up early tomorrow morning so that we can catch up to the schedule.” Sighing, he took a long sip of the red liquid and felt his muscles relaxing.

There was a moment of silence that enveloped the room and you just basked in it. “A crappy day for us both.”

“Indeed. Let’s do something exciting then.” He kissed you and just when things were about to get heated, a piercing scream interrupted the moment.

“What-What is happening?” He was still in a haze and couldn’t properly interpret anything.

“It looks like your kids are fighting again.”

“Are you going to handle them?”

“Oh no!” Laughing at his incredulous request, you picked up your glass again. “You wanted to spend time with them so go on.”

Chris got up from the couch and went upstairs. Emma and Jason love each other to death but they have been fighting from the womb. Emma is the stubborn one and while, Jason backs out most of the time. Sometimes, he retaliates and it turns real bad, real fast. They were pretty hot headed, just like you.

“What is happening here?” The dad mode was fully in place when he saw his little girl sitting on the floor with hands pressed to a bloody forehead and his little boy trying to console her.

“She pushed me and then I pushed her. Not my fault. But she hurt, daddy.” The panic in Jason’s eyes was evident.

“(Y/N)! Come here, right now!” You scrambled to your feet as soon as Chris’s voice boomed across the living room. “You never hurt your sister, Jason. This is not alright.” The stern voice was new for Chris but the situation required it.

“But, daddy-”

“No excuses, Mister. Now, apologise to your sister and no toys for you for the whole week.” He got in to action with the first aid kit that he took out of their walk in closet. Emma was still crying her lungs out even when Chris tried to console her. She was not letting him touch the wound and was squirming uncontrollably in his lap.

“Daddy, why you always bla- blame me? Hate you.” Hiccuping, he stuttered on the big words and then stomped out of the room. You tried to stop your son but he just ran past you.

“What is- Oh my god!” The blood was now soaking up your little girl’s shirt and she still wouldn’t let Chris touch the wound.

The one thing that your kids inherited from your husband was the fear of blood and stitches. The small three year old knew that a boo boo that hurts really bad will lead to stitches. You knew how to handle all three of your babies in situation like these. Taking Emma from your husband, you hugged her lightly.

“Bubba, I need to look at your boo boo and then you can have the Elsa bandage.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.” When she removed her chubby, little hand, you were relieved that the cut was not big or deep. A bandage would just do the trick. You softly hummed a tune in her ears while you applied an antiseptic to the wound and then the band aid. She had tears streaming down her face and she was sniffling quietly. Chris took her from you when you were done and gently rocked her in his arms. He always loved it when both your children seeked comfort in you. It reminded him of how lucky he was to have you. “Where did Jason go?”

“I scolded his regarding this and he threw a tantrum.” When Emma heard Jason’s name, she further curled herself into his chest.

“Give her to me.” Raising her face by holding her chin, you sternly asked her. “Tell me what happened, young lady?”

With a guilty tone, she told you both that she was the one who pushed Jason first. They were both playing with the doll house that Chris bought Emma as her third birthday present. Jason wanted to add his toy cars to the doll house but she won’t allow it. She pushed him first and he hit his wrist on the small coffee table but then he pushed her back. When she fell back, she hit her head on the side of the wooden house.

“You are going to apologise to him, Emma. I told you that this much anger is not alright, bubba.” Chris took her to the twin’s room that had two different themes running through it. Emma was never a fan of the color pink so she went with purple and Jason really loved yellow, so he got that. The room looked like a clown’s den but Chris was never the one to deny his children’s requests. They had his whole heart well, except you.

“Jace, Emma would like to say something to you.” Setting her on her feet, she went towards his elder brother by barely three minutes.

“I am sorry, Jacey. Never should have pushed you. Kiss your boo boo to make up?” He nodded gently when his sister climbed in to the body. Extending the bruised wrist, Emma held it in her hands and lightly pecked on it. Meanwhile, you got a numbing cream for Jason and you stopped in the doorway with Chris and watched their interaction. They were your and Chris’s two little bundle of joys and you both couldn’t get enough.

“I am sorry that I yelled at you, baby. You two will not have your toys for a week. But who wants ice cream right now?” They both jumped at the mention of their favorite treat.

Chris had a way with the children. He completed all their wishes from eating ice cream as dinner or buying the most expensive toys for them. Making them happy was his primary job and he fulfilled it with great joy. However, he knew when to step up. He knew when to tell them no because he didn’t want his children to be some spoiled brats. He knew how to mediate and that was one of the many thing that you loved about him.

“I will get your jackets while daddy will help you with your shoes.” Going downstairs, you placed Dodger’s food in his bowl because you were going to be out for sometime. Chris always turns a simple outing to a full blown family day. A walk in the park, dinner at a high end restaurant and then shopping at the mall.

“Let’s go.” He buckled both the kids in their respective booster seats and made sure that they both had their preferred stuff toys. God knows, if they didn’t have them on their car ride.

The ice cream place on the fifth avenue was your favorite because it was where Chris took you on your first date. Both the children went for chocolate ice creams and Chris cleaned them up after they were done anything. It was so wholesome to watch him perform his dad duties.

“Then Oliver tried to eat dirt and the teacher gave him a time out.” You never understood why your son was friends with that boy because all he ever cared about was dirt.

“That’s why I hate boys. They are dirty.”

“That’s right, bubba. They are all dirty and disgusting. You stay away from all of them.” Gently nudging him with your shoulders, you playfully scoffed at him. He was sometimes very protective of his children.

“Ollie said girls also have icky germs.”

“Yes. You also stay away from them.” Chris was full on laughing at the situation right now because both the kids were in some serious thoughts.

“Okay dadda.” They both started skipping on the side walk and already started bickering about who was their dad’s favorite. He took you in his arms and kissed you on the forehead.

“Thank you for all this, babe. I love you.” He was truly thankful for you and for everything that you brought in his life.

“I love you too. Now let’s buckle them in before they start pushing each other again.”

Hope you guys enjoyed it!!

._._._._.

A/N: Dad Chris Evans is a dream so I wanted to write a little blurb related to this idea. Hope you guys enjoyed it. You guys can send in requests but I will get to them a little bit later because I am focusing on my drafts right now. Tell me if you guys want to be added to the tag list.

Taglist: @justile

Like, comment and reblog.

[diegos-butt]

Driving me crazy part 10 - the epilogue

Captain Nathan Syverson x Hazel Murphy (tall!plus size ofc)

Summary: a year in the life of Nathan and Hazel

Wordcount: <0.8k

Warnings: noneeeee

A/N: this series have some to an end! I want to thank everyone who read it, enjoyed it, loved it, and went along this ride with me. This chapter is a little different than the others, so i really hope you like it!

A lot has changed ever since Nathan and Hazel spend their first night together. Many dates had followed, but every single one as special as the other. They had dinner uncountable times, went bowling (which Nathan loved, and Hazel hated), ice skating (Hazel loved this one because she could cling to Nathan even though she could ice skate perfectly fine), museum hopping, shopping (Nathan thoroughly hated it, but seeing his girl happy with her new purchases made up for it) and so much more.

The year had gone by so fast. After two months, they were inseparable, and Nathan spend his time mostly at her place. Hers was cosy, warm, soft; she made the place feel like home. On one night, while watching a movie, Nathan had straight up asked her: “Can I start telling people you’re my girlfriend or do you need some more time?” He had finished it off with a kiss on her forehead. Hazel’s heart filled with love and happiness. She had grabbed his face and admitted: “I’d love that.”

You’d think they would get sick of each other, spending so much time at work and home together, but nothing less was true. They loved it. Plus, the inn had become her second home. Nathan’s parents were the kindest and Harper, his sister, was one of her best friends. Their bond had only grown stronger in the past year.

Just over six months, after their first night, it had become inevitable. Nathan was never at his apartment anymore. So, one day Hazel decided it was enough. “Babe?” she asked after dinner. “Do you want to waste any more money on that apartment of yours or are you just gonna move in with my officially?” Nathan had laughed and took her in his arms. “I thought you’d never ask.” Hazel smiled, “good, because I already rented a truck for this weekend.”

Holidays were something Nathan didn’t care about, well, he used to never care about. Their first little holiday was a weekend away together. That one made Nathan realized it wasn’t so bad, he got to spend every second with his girl without his family interrupting. But after going on an actual vacation, for two weeks, to the beach; he realized it was all he ever wanted. Seeing Hazel with as little clothes on as possible was something he could never get tired off. Strolling on the beach, holding hands, eating ice cream, laughing, and having fun: he swore to himself to take her on a vacation to the beach at least once a year.

After ten months, Nathan hadn’t been more sure than anything else. Hazel was the one he wanted to spend the rest of his lives with. To create a family with. To grow old with. The moment he knew? He couldn’t pinpoint it to one moment, he realized it every morning he woke up next to her. Being fairly certain she felt the same, he decided not to wait, but to get a ring and go for it. He knew she wouldn’t want a grant proposal, in public. She would hate that, so one day, he took a day off. He told her he had to go to the next town to buy supplies for the hotel rooms there were renovating, which was the one and only time he had lied to her.

Nathan did go to the store, but to buy an enormous amount of fairy lights and he quite literally bought the whole flower shop. The rest of the day was spend decorating the house. Every single room to be exact. Hazel had come home just as he had finished changing his outfit. Black trousers, and his black turtleneck because it was her favourite. Once her eyes laid on the room and him, everything clicked together and there was one last thing to say: “Yes!”

They couldn’t wait to get married, so they didn’t. The wedding practically planned itself. Within two months they said the famous words to each other. The large garden of the inn was the perfect venue. Nathan’s parents, Harper, and Hazel’s family and friends helped plan and organize the entire event. Everything was taken care for, and above all, it was everything Hazel and Nathan ever wanted. Flowers, lights, and pictures everywhere, the people they loved where there, great music, funny speeches; it was almost like a fairy tale. Nathan would never forget the moment Hazel walked down the aisle. He didn’t think she could be any prettier, but in that moment, she was ethereal.

And right now? They stood at the beginning of the rest of their lives, together.

•••

All pictures found on Pinterest/Instagram

[haitaniapologist]

BEACH DAY !

pairings — inui seishu x gender-neutral!reader.

genre — fluff, slight angst.

warnings — an unhealthy obsession with using dashes instead of commas, sentences with strange structures and grammatical errors because english isn't my first language, spoilers of inui's backstory, mentions of a character's death, a bit of suggestiveness, mentions of children and forming a family, occ inui, mentions of stabbing and knives.

word counting — 1.8k

song — we were only kids, mcfly.

notes — for @lulovestr <3 thank you so much for putting this idea in my head and making me writing again !!!

hot sunny days always used to mean one thing for the inui family: the beach.

it was something he used to do with his parents and sister before the accident — it didn't matter if they lived far away from the sea, his parents would always pack the car and take the two children to the beach when the sun was shining high in the sky.

he remembered picking up beautiful shells with akane in the sand, so they could give it as a gift for their mom — who would always keep them in a special box in her drawer — or dirtying his fingers with melted chocolate ice cream and hearing his sister laughing at his dirty fingers and face. his father would always join akane, saying seishu was just like his mother: they couldn't eat anything with chocolate without dirtying their lips.

but those good times weren’t going to return. akane's death, his parents' now strained relationship and his involvement with the black dragons and toman, made such precious times were buried in inui's heart, and he tried to stop thinking about it too mcuh. he could still smell the salt in the air, hear akane laughing at him, and see the fond smiles on his parents' faces. it was always painful to recall such memories — it was painful to recall everything before akane's death. so seishu shut down his heart to his childhood traditions and moments, and thus, he stopped going to the beach.

until he met you.

you who would hold his face with such gentleness and love that made his eyes tear up; you, with your easy laugh and a smile who could brighten any room; you, who accepted him with all his flaws and scars, who didn't care if he was an asshole who threatened to kill man or woman who stayed in his way when he was too obsessed with the legacy of someone who took care of him as if inui was his own flesh and blood. you, who saw seishu as more than his scar or his inexpressive face, who could bring a smile to his face with anything you did.

you, who made him feel like a child again.

and that’s why, when you told your boyfriend — after watching the weather forecast in the news on a tuesday evening — that you wanted to go to the beach, inui started to make the same preparations he remembered his parents doing. to easy snacks, cold drinks and enough towels to dry yourselves, seishu couldn’t help and remember his childhood. it was a topic that he’d already discussed with you, and you knew how much it still troubled him, but sometimes he wished he could just erase everything off his head.

maybe this day at the beach would be good for him to move on. to make new memories there, and to look forward to new trips — not because of nostalgia, but excitement to watch you and your reactions.

and this was already proving to be true.

inui couldn’t help but smile fondly at the sight in front of him: you looked like a child seeing the ocean for the first time, a huge smile adorning your features and a fire in your eyes that inui never saw before.

“we should find a good place to put our things, baby!” you said, helping seishu take the bags out of his car. “not too close to the water but not too far from it too.” you explained, one arm holding two towels and the other carrying your own bag, with everything you thought you might need. it had been some years since you went to the beach too, and asking your mother what you should bring was quite embarrassing in your opinion — both you and inui were grown adults, you could handle a day on the beach without supervision from your mothers. “what do you say?”

“i don’t really have a preference.” seishu was trying to hold back his excitement for being back at a place he used to love as a child, but you could read him like an open book. your boyfriend looked like he had won a big prize in the lottery — his blue eyes were shining with happiness and the sea breeze messing up his blond hair was just complimenting his look, making him even more handsome in your eyes. your bright smile made him stop looking at you, too embarrassed to be caught like that by his partner. you poked his cheek, seeing a faint pinkish color gracing his pale skin. “stop it, y/n.” seishu tried to scold you, but his voice wasn’t laced with irritation or anger, but rather with tenderness.

“why?” you whined, interlocking the arm holding your bag with one of his, a pout in your lips. “you seem so excited to be here.” you stated, pulling seishu with you to a place you found to be good to put your things there.

“i used to go to the beach with my parents and sister when i was younger.” your boyfriend answered quietly, looking at anywhere but you. “we stopped going since the fire.”

you nodded, not wanting to extend the chat and bringing painful memories for inui. it was good for him to talk about what happened and not bottle things up, you knew that, but the painful expression on his face every time he spoke about what happened to his sister was like someone stabbing you with a knife a million times. “well, then, what if we showed each other what we used to do at the beach when we were younger? i’m sure it was a fun time for you.” seeing your boyfriend nodding made you smile. “but first, we need to make our little place neat in the sand and put on sunscreen.”

inui and you fell at a calm pace of unpacking the things and arranging the towels under the sunshade, and when you deemed your little sanctuary to be perfect, you called your boyfriend over — who was watching the crashing waves while you made sure everything was perfect — to put on sunscreen. the smell reminded you of your own childhood. how your mom used to scold you for putting too much product on your face — you were a big kid, you could do it alone! — and then you would complain how your eyes were itchy and irritated, or how your grandfather used to make a mess of his face too only to match you.

“are you okay, dearest?” seishu asked, quite worried, seeing the thoughtful expression on your face.

“yes! the smell reminded me of my grandpa.” you replied quickly, waving your hand in front of your face as if to say it was nothing. “come here quickly, sei. the faster i put sunscreen on your back, the faster you can go to the water.” at the mention of swimming, you saw inui’s face light up, and a giggle left your lips.

“stop laughing, or you’ll go to the water with me in a way you won't like that much.” your boyfriend threatened with a playful tone on his voice, looking at you over his shoulder.

“who said i’m not going to like going to the water?” you replied, playfully rolling your eyes, while putting sunscreen in your palms and spreading it on inui’s broad back. it wasn’t an action you weren’t used to — your hands could always be found positioned on seishu’s back while he was over you on nights your love couldn’t just be expressed in words — but doing it in public made you quite embarrassed. you could feel your cheeks heat up at such thoughts, but inui seemed to be enjoying your ministrations a bit too much. you could swear you heard him whine when you took your hands off his back, but his next words surprised you a bit.

“let me return the favor, y/n.”

you nodded dumbfounded, turning your back to your boyfriend and observing the sight before you. when you two arrived, the beach only had a few families and some groups of friends, but now it was starting to get a little crowded. but it didn’t matter — the only person you needed was right behind you. the coldness of the sunscreen against your warm skin almost made you moan, and inui chuckled at your reaction. “stop.” you complained, which only made him chuckle again. however, inui’s gentle hands took you off guard. you knew he could do wonders with his fingers, but you never thought he would be so gentle applying sunscreen on someone’s back. the patters he was drawing in the smooth skin of your back were relaxing, and a satisfied smile soon found it’s way to your lips.

you couldn’t help but wonder how gentle he would be with your own children.

before your imagination could make more cute scenarios of inui with kids, seishu’s hands left your back and found their place on your waist, and, before you could even react and protest, you were thrown over his shoulders and he started to run in the direction of the sea. you knew what your destiny was, but you would make your boyfriend suffer because of it.

“put me down, seishu, or i won’t kiss you for a month!” you managed to say before the water engulfed you.

—

the sun wasn’t high in the sky anymore, but the wind was still warm. after a few sessions of swimming and inui getting scolded by you for taking you to the water before you could even prepare your hair for the damage the salt could inflict in it, you two found yourselves seated in the towels you brought and eating chocolate popsicles.

it was peaceful. one of inui’s arms was hugging you by your shoulders, and, despite the heat, you still nuzzled yourself closer to him. you knew seishu preferred to display affection in close doors, and you wondered what made him so affectionate today. maybe it was the memories of his childhood, as he told you that him and his family used to come to the beach too when he was a kid. you just hoped your presence was enough to comfort him from the sadness you thought such nostalgia could bring to him. lifting your head to look at your boyfriend, you saw an image you never expected: seishu’s lips had an outline of chocolate on them, and it was almost dripping from his chin.

“oh my god, sei, you’re just like a little kid.” you laughed fondly at him, while inui only rolled his eyes. he was used to that — akane used to say the same thing before cleaning his mouth with a napkin, exactly what you were going to do. but instead of seeing his sister, as he expected he would, your smile blocked any sad reminders he could have. after cleaning his mouth and returning to his embrace, seishu could only hug you tighter.

he smiled down at you, grateful for having someone like you in life. inupi was now excited to the new memories he would make with you in the beach.

[jeonggukookies]

too young || six

summary: you and jungkook meet up after a surprise delivery happens at the school

word count: 2,018

genre:  parent!au, single dad!jungkook angst

one || two || three || four || five || six

When you thought about your first heartbreak, you’d thought you would be nonstop sobbing in your bed, being surrounded by empty jars of melted ice cream pints and sad movies. You thought that despite the distance, your mom would make the trip and drive all the way to see you, rub your back in small comforting circles and take care of you as if you were a sick child. You thought that everything would hurt so much that you wouldn’t even want to move. 

The only problem? Your first heartbreak didn’t feel like that at all. 

It was all practically numb.

You didn’t fall apart when you did something that reminded you of him. 

You didn’t start breaking down when you watched him pick up Jules and didn’t bother to come in to your office to say hi to you. 

You didn’t crumble to pieces when you had no notifications on your phone from him.

You lived your life normally again just without Jungkook and Jules. 

Alone.

There were no more screams or echoes of noise from Jules and her cousins when you peacefully relaxed, there was no more idle music playing in background as you did your work and there were no more soft breaths and snores next to you in your bed. 

Your mom called you every night on the phone, checking up on you. It was like she wanted you to cry and to feel some pain, just so she could go down there and be there for you. But you told her that you were fine and will deal with whatever negative feelings when they come. 

Life went on whether you liked it or not. 

Three weeks after the break up, at the end of March, there was a familiar knock on your office door after the last school bell rang. You haven’t talked to Jules since the night she found you looking at pictures of her mom, and you really hope it wasn’t awkward when you talk to her. 

It’s the first time you see Jules’s hair was down, strands of her hair going in every direction. She looks like a mess. Tears streamed down her face as she ran towards you, hugging your legs. “Can you help me?” 

“What’s wrong, Sweetie?” 

“I lost Jungkook’s mp3 player,” she cried, rubbing her face on your black dress pants to wipe her tears. “He’s going to kill me!” 

“It’s okay, Jules.” Bending down to comfort her, you wipe her face and stroke her hair. You’ve never seen her this sad, and it made your heart sink. “I’m sure he’ll understand. Things like this happen all the time. It’s okay.” 

She shook her head. “Auntie Moon Soo is coming soon, and I can’t leave without the mp3 player. I can’t.” 

“Why don’t we ask her to come look for it with you?” You asked softly. “That way 3 people are looking for it.” 

Namjoon’s wife, Moon Soo comes out of her van, she’s surprised to see you standing next to Jules. She doesn’t say anything to you at first and tries to reassure Jules that’ll be alright, that they will find it before Jungkook goes home tonight.

When it’s been over 30 minutes, retracing Jule’s steps from her locker to the gym to the playground, she goes to the bathroom, making you and Moon Soo wait outside for her. 

“I’m sorry we had to meet like this in this circumstance,” she said, offering a kind smile. “I heard a lot of great things about you, and I’m sorry things didn’t go well at the dinner with the girls.”

You hear Jules flush the toilet. “It is what it is.” 

“I know what it was like,” she said. “They made it seem like I wasn’t good enough for Joon, and we took a small break too. But at the end of the day, it’s about how you feel about Jungkook and Jules that matters more than their opinions, especially if they brought up Sarah.” 

“I’m almost done!” Jules shouted, turning on the sink. 

“But that doesn’t change the way Jungkook feels about Sarah.” Tears were forming in your eyes, and you bit your lip to hold them back. “But I’m glad you and Namjoon were able to overcome it.” 

“It’s been like what, almost a month? Jules knows Jungkook can easily buy her a new mp3 player, or even a phone, anything she wants, honestly. But think about it...I’m sure she misses you and is using this as an opportunity to spend time with you again.” 

“Can we check out my classroom?” Jules finally opened the door, getting out of the restroom. 

The three of you walk quietly over to her class where she looked through every desk (without touching their things) and looked over to the place where she reads books in the class. She lifted the bean bag in the corner of the room, revealing what she has been looking for this whole time. “Yay!” 

“See, everything is okay.” Moon soo smiled. “Are you ready to go, Jules?” 

She nodded, but then stared at you with her piercing eyes. “Is this going to be the last time you’re going to talk to me?” 

“Of course not, Jules.” You took a breath. “I’m here for you always.” 

“I have to tell you something.” But before she could tell you, she pointed at Moon Soo. “Why didn’t you go to the bathroom when we went, Auntie?” 

Moon Soo raised her eyebrows, then looked down at what Jules was pointing at. She then began holding on to her stomach with a pained look. “My water just broke.”

_______

“Hey!” Namjoon exclaimed, rushing through the hospital doors. Before he goes to Moon Soo’s room, he went towards your direction as you waited outside the room with Jules. “Thank you so much for bringing her here safely and for being there for her at that time. I seriously cannot thank you enough.”

“No worries,” you let out. “I’m glad I was there.” 

He’s about to say something, but you hear Moon Soo scream Namjoon’s name, making him go into the room as quickly as he can. 

Your phone in your blazer buzzed. 

[seokjin]

the whole fam is coming in about 10 minutes 

thank you for taking care of jules

will be there soon and you can leave

“Are you leaving when they come?” Jules asked as she looked down at your phone screen, seeing the texts from. “You’re not going to stay to see the babies?” 

“I don’t know yet.” You lied, knowing you were going to leave once someone is here able to take care and watch over Jules. As much as you wanted to see the twins, you didn’t want to see some specific people. You were doing fine right now in your life and didn’t want to ruin that if you saw Jungkook or some of the girls. “I have a lot of work to do still, Sweetheart.” 

“Will you see the babies with me on different day then?” 

“I hope so.” You couldn’t make an empty promise to her. “Are you excited to have more cousins?” 

She nodded. “I like my small family, but sometimes, I hate being alone. The cousins help me forget that I can’t have any brothers or sisters.”

You sighed, wrapping your arm around Jules. “Never forget that you will always have your family, your uncles, aunts and cousins to support you. They will always be there.”

“Will you?” She asked, looking up at you, once again, her eyes were so piercing.

“I hope so.” You rubbed her back in small circles. 

“I heard what Auntie said when I was in the bathroom,” she said. “I missed you, but I had to find this mp3 player. Jungkook’s new song is on here. I’m always the first to listen, and I didn’t want to lose this song.” 

“That’s good you found it then.” 

She’s about to tell you more, her mouth is slightly opened, but she doesn’t say anything more and started to stare in the direction behind you. Letting go of her, you turned behind, seeing Jungkook walking towards you two. 

He paused, not expecting to see you here, but then continued to walk forward as you looked away, not wanting to meet his eyes. “Are you okay?” 

“I’m hungry,” Jules answered with a pouty look on her face.

He laughed, taking his leather wallet out of his back pocket. He hands her a couple dollar bills, telling her to get something for the three of them from the vending machine. “Go crazy.” 

“You know I will,” she joked. 

There’s awkward silence in the air now, with Jules gone. Jungkook then sat down in the empty chair beside you, with his head turned to you as you looked down at your hands in your lap. He doesn’t know where to start and what words to say. How ironic, coming from a songwriter. “Hey.”

“Hi.” 

“Did you eat yet?” He asked. 

“Nope,” you replied, still not looking at him. “Did you?”

“Not yet.”

“I should get going.” You finally took the first step, grabbing your purse off the ground. 

Before you could take another step, Jungkook reached forward and grabbed your wrist, stopping your movement. “I never loved her, you know.” 

You wanted to shake him off, go on your own way, but you kept standing in front of him, facing away from him. “What?” 

He sighed, wishing he could look you in the eyes. “I never answered you that day because I was too scared to admit it out loud. I never got to tell her either, and I knew she loved me. The thing was I only thought of her as a sister, someone I had to protect. And I was afraid that if I actually told someone that I didn’t love her before she got the chance to hear it from me, I would somehow hurt her even though she’s gone.” 

“Jungkook,” You said this name, but he kept talking.

“I know that’s no excuse, but I am so sorry. I never wanted you to feel like that, and I should have just told you. No one has been competing with you.” He let go of your hand and stood up. “I don’t want you to be Sarah because I love you for who you are. I want you for who you are. My life feels incomplete without you.”

Finally turning around, you stared at Jungkook. It’s the first time finally looking at him up close in three weeks, and he looked like death. Dark circles were under his eyes, his hair was a mess. You could tell Jungkook felt too much.

And he did. For the last three weeks, he got up every morning, trying to ignore the pain he was feeling in his heart. He tried to continue his life like everything was okay, but all he kept thinking about was you. He wanted you to see you when he picked Jules up from school. He wanted to hear you laugh when he watched a movie with Jules. He wanted to you next to him when he was alone on Wednesdays. He wanted to hear you cheer for Jules when he watched her soccer games. He just wanted you. 

With all the pain he had been feeling, he’s been trying to figure out his feelings and all the words he wanted to say to you that night, and now that he was finally letting all of it go, he was crying right in front of you.

“You saw me more than Jule’s guardian. I felt like you were the first person to honestly see me for me. I want to live spending more time with you, watching Jules’s games, hearing all your different opinions and views than mine. And I am so sorry that I damaged us in the process.”

“Hey, Y/N!” Namjoon rushed out of the room. His jaw dropped once he saw you and Jungkook together, looking all sad. Still, his smile on his face reappeared as he asked, “Do you guys want to see the babies?” 

____ 

hi this is so long overdue i apologize, i’ve honestly been stuck :( hope you all have a good day and enjoy permission to dance<33 lowkey not proofread either:/

[lorirwritesfanfic]

Gut Feeling

Author's note: Look at me thickening the plot with a chapter I didn’t even plan ahead 😃 [Original characters are creations of this author. The others are owned by Pixelberry Studios]

Book: Desire & Decorum (modern day AU) Pairing: Prince Hamid x MC (Daphne) Rating: T Word count: 4701 Reading time: ~19min Summary: A causal gathering on Sunday afternoon for just close friends will become a nightmare for Daphne and Hamid as unwanted guests invite themselves to the party.

Daphne gazed out the clouded sky as Hamid sped up to cross the Bosphorus bridge. Despite the light traffic and the uplifting song playing in the background, the lady couldn't shake off her worries. Sevim Osmanoğlu's eighteenth birthday party was a casual event just for friends and a few relatives of the birthday girl. Yet, this party was anything but casual for her.

Her heart thundered inside her chest at the thought of meeting her boyfriend's friends and relatives for the first time. According to Hamid, only his sisters and brother-in-law were the family members invited. However, all her instincts told her to be cautious. She couldn't quite understand where this feeling was coming from. She simply knew she couldn't keep her guard down.

As the car rolled to a stop, her stomach fluttered. How did they arrive so fast? What happened to the chaotic traffic she heard about?

Ugh... I hate Sundays!

The door to her side opened and Hamid offered his hand. Attempting to hide her nervousness with a smile, she took his hand and climbed out of the car.

His brows furrowed. "Are you feeling well, aşkım? Your hands are cold."

Shit! I knew I forgot to wear something today...

"Yeah, I think I forgot my gloves in the dryer..." She simpered.

"But your hands are a bit sweaty." Worry was visible in his features as he cupped her face with one hand. "Do you feel dizzy again? Do you need a moment to sit down?"

"Hamidciğim, I'm okay. Really. It's something else..."

"Something else?" Realisation suddenly dawned on his face. "This is about meeting my friends, isn't it?"

"And your sister."

"Nesrin? But you two have already met!"

"That was ages ago... Who knows how she feels about me now?"

"Aşkım, you have no reason to worry about. Nesrin is one of the most understanding people I know. I know you two will get along once you have a chance to talk." His thumb caressed the back of her hand in a slow and soothing motion. "And like I said before, Sevim explicitly stated 'no pictures inside the party' and 'no boring grownups' in the invitation."

"Is there a special reason behind it?"

"I don't think so. Sevim is turning eighteen. She doesn't want parents around, judgemental glares of our uncles and aunts or gossip blog giving backhanded compliments about her and her guests. She wants drinks, loud and annoyingly catchy music and to have fun with her friends."

"And sugar rush from eating too much cake with ice cream."

"It wouldn't be Seviciğim’s party without them."

A chuckle escaped her lips.

"I know you're still worried about what happened yesterday, but I assure you everything is handled. We don't owe explanations to anyone and we can leave whenever you want."

"I don't know... Wouldn't it be weird if you leave your sister's party so soon?"

"Sevim will understand."

Daphne appraised him for a moment. Sevim is always in his last call list, the one person in his family he tells everything. It was no exaggeration when anyone said she was his favourite sister.

"Shall we?" He asked, squeezing her hand gently.

"Yeah."

With that, the couple walked towards the front gate, greeted the security staff and crossed the snow-covered gardens.

"How are you going to introduce me?"

"The same way I always do. 'Hi! Allow me to introduce you to the woman of my dreams and owner of my heart, Daphne Wang.'"

"That's not how you do it..." She pursed her lips to hide a smile.

"It's not for lack of trying..." He whispered.

"Stop it..." She elbowed him lightly in the ribs, making him laugh. "This is serious. I'm meeting your friends here."

"I'm aware of it. And they already know who you are and what you mean to me."

"Do they?"

"Of course they do." His arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer. "I can't wait for them to meet you. You're going to love them."

She beamed in response. How couldn't she if his excitement was infectious?

"What's the word for girlfriend in Turkish again?"

"Kız arkadaş. But that term is confusing. Some might think you are just a friend. Whenever I refer to you, I call you sevgilim."

"My lover?"

"It's what you are," he murmured, placing a kiss on her forehead.

Once they stepped inside the main room of the venue, a K-Pop song blasted on the speakers. Teenagers chatted and danced to the beat whilst a few young adults sipped colourful drinks at tables spread around the dancefloor.

Just then, a radiant Sevim sauntered over.

"Hey, you two made it!"

His features brightened up at the sight of his youngest sister, who greeted him with a tight hug.

"Happy birthday, kardeşim¹," he said, producing a small box of an Egyptian jewellery designer Sevim had mentioned a few times as an inspiration to follow the same path.

"Abi², these are..." Sevim trailed off staring at the custom-made turquoise ear cuffs in adoration.

"Pretty awesome? I know. I helped design them," he bragged.

Daphne chuckled, knowing full well he simply chose the gemstones. But it was so sweet of him to give his sister a piece specially designed for her by someone she admired.

The girl elbowed him softly and then hugged him tighter. "Thank you, abim²."

"You're welcome, canım³."

Sevim then turned to Daphne and gave her a hug. "Welcome, yengeciğim⁴!"

"Thank you, Seviciğim."

Hamid cleared his throat loudly and side eyed his sister.

"What? I call Daphne yenge all the time!"

"Excuse me?!" He stared at his girlfriend in disbelief.

"It's true," the lady answered with a smug grin and then handed the birthday girl a large bag. "Happy birthday!"

Sevim looked at the bag and at the Viscountess. "You found it?"

"I did."

The young girl squealed in excitement as she opened the bag and furiously ripped off the wrapping.

Hamid gave his girlfriend with another confused stare. "What did you buy her anyway?"

"BlackPink first vinyl album! Yengem⁴ gave me the limited edition of BlackPink first vinyl album!" Sevim shouted.

"And the new tote bag," Daphne added pointing to the logo on the bag.

Sevim immediately pulled Daphne in another hug.

As a crowd of teenagers gathered around them to admire the exclusive vinyl album, the lady exchanged glances with her boyfriend. A combination of pride and joy gleamed in his eyes. Perhaps, it wouldn't be so bad if they would stay a little longer.

After giving an hour impromptu K-pop makeup tutorial for Sevim and her friends, Daphne sat on a bar stool and watched the girls dancing in the middle of the room whilst a DJ performed on a small stage. It never crossed her mind that all the Pinterest looks she saved over the years would make her so popular at a party. She always had been advised to tone down a little if she didn't want to stand out too much during courtly functions or even at informal parties. Yet, here she could simply be herself and have fun.

Suddenly, a familiar alluring scent wafted her nose as a glass of mimosa was placed before her.

"Thank you."

She smiled as Hamid sat by her side and clinked glasses with her.

"I figured you might need a drink after your first Blink abduction," he taunted.

"Don't be mean..." She nudged her boyfriend playfully. "They were attentive and asked interesting questions. By the way, I know Sevim is a jewellery and gemstones connoisseur, but her ability with adding face gems to makeup is something else."

"It seems you had fun with them."

"I did."

"Hm..." He lifted his glass of mimosa to his lips, hiding a smile behind it.

"What?"

"It's cute to see your enthusiasm while teaching them K-Pop makeup. You looked almost as giddy as you do when you're painting."

"Almost?"

"Yeah. You look a bit different when you're painting. When you're painting, you look more ecstatic..." He smirked and leaned in to whisper. "Kinda like when we..."

"Hamid!" She slapped his arm playfully.

He cackled.

"I can't believe you thought about that while we're at your sister's birthday party!"

"I didn't. Well, not until now..."

Daphne was about to hide her face with both hands when Hamid pulled her close to kiss her cheek. As a couple of giggles escaped her lips, a flash of light in her direction provoked a sudden feeling of self-consciousness.

"Are you alright, aşkım?" He asked, pulling away to study her face.

"Yeah, I..." The lady frowned slightly. "For a second, I thought I saw somebody taking a picture of us."

"Really?"

"I'm not sure... It felt like someone was watching us, but I don't know. Maybe I'm still wary because of last night."

"Maybe..." Hamid glanced around and gestured for a security guard to come over.

"Hamidciğim, it was probably nothing..."

"I know. But it doesn't hurt to warn the security staff just in case."

After Hamid's brief conversation with the guard, two of his sisters approached the couple.

"None of the guests are in possession of their phones. But the head of security is checking the cameras just in case they missed someone and some of the guards are talking to the staff," Nesrin informed.

"Thank you." Hamid nodded to his sister.

"I'm so sorry about this. I didn't mean to cause a disturbance over nothing," Daphne apologised.

"Don't be. We all want our privacy to be respected. Security staff is looking into it and even if it's a false alarm, you still did the right thing on telling abi," Nesrin explained.

"They're doing their investigation discreetly to avoid a commotion, aşkım," Hamid said as his thumb rubbed the back of her hand in circles.

"And Sevim's wrath, obviously," Malak added, making everyone chuckle.

Daphne looked around the room, but stopped herself before anyone noticed. Last thing she needed was to look paranoid in front of Nesrin and Malak.

"Everything will be fine," he affirmed with a reassuring smile.

Without saying a word, the lady nodded, wanting so badly to believe him. Even if her instincts told her otherwise.

Embers glowed as the flames spread along the wood logs, bringing some warmth to the air. Whilst the crowd of teenagers gathered around a K-Pop idol invited for a brief appearance, Daphne and Hamid joined Nesrin, her husband Kaan, Yusuf's older brother Ali and his wife Sanem on the lawn near a small lake, where a bonfire was built to make s'mores. The fun conversations by the fire whilst eating snacks were such good distractions they barely noticed how much time had passed.

"Sanem, you need to stop recommending me vampire series. Girl, I can't go there again! I can't!" Nesrin dramatically whined.

"But I need someone to fangirl about A Discovery Of Witches with me! Please!" Sanem pouted. "I promise you'll love it."

"That's precisely the problem," Hamid joked.

Nesrin reached for a bowl with Jelaxy Watermelon gummies and threw one at her older brother.

Everyone laughed.

"I'm with Sanem on this. All Souls trilogy is superb. The attention to detail the author had while creating the world-building and every supernatural creatures lore is pretty amazing. Both the book and TV series are great," Daphne commented.

"Thank you, girl!" Sanem placed her gloved hand atop Daphne's and smiled. "See? Daph knows what I mean. Come on... You said you've been missing a good vampire story."

"I have to admit I like it," Ali confessed.

"Oh, not you too!" Kaan winced.

"But it's a good story!" Sanem insisted. "Isn't it, Aliciğim?" She looked at her husband, as though seeking his confirmation.

"Arkadaşlar⁵, as the one here in a relationship for a longer period, let me give you a piece of advice." Ali placed a hand on both of the other men's shoulders. "When you get home and find your wife with her eyes glued to a book, you either join her or you'll get reeeaaally lonely at night."

"Reeeaaally loooonely..." Sanem taunted.

Laughter erupted again when a phone began to buzz. Nesrin glanced at her phone and smiled apologetically. "I have to take this. Excuse me."

Kaan's jaw twitched as his wife stood up.

"Sounds serious..." Ali commented.

"Nah... That's just my wife's new assistant following her around like a shadow," Kaan grumbled.

Hamid tsked. "I always tell Nesrin not to bring work home. She never listens."

"Is it Berna again?" Sanem asked.

"The very same," Kaan replied.

"She was helping with the party organisation this week. Maybe that's why they've been talking so much," Sanem explained.

"Sounds like she is trying to impress madam Raisa," Ali commented.

"Whoever she is, I feel terribly sorry for her," Hamid joked.

After a few minutes, Nesrin returned to the group.

"Everything alright, canım?" Kaan inquired.

"Yeah. Berna is coming over to help gather everything we're taking back home. Abi, can I talk to you for a second?"

"Sure..." Hamid moved closer to Daphne and whispered. "I'll be right back, okay?"

"No problem."

He then kissed the top of her head and followed his sister inside the building.

"You two are so cute together," Sanem began.

"Thanks," Daphne replied with a coy smile.

"No wonder he can't shut up about you, Daph. You are as friendly and easy to talk to as he is," Ali acknowledged.

"I wouldn't go that far..." Daphne answered, trying to shake off the countless times she felt like an outsider.

"Have you been dating for only two months? It looks like you know each other so well..." Kaan inquired.

"Actually we've known each other for nearly four months."

"Is that it?" Kaan's brows went up. "I've known Nesrin since for six years and sometimes it's like I barely know her."

"That's marriage, my friend. I've known Sanem'ciğim since we both wore diapers and every other day I learn something new about her," Ali explained.

"It's still the early days, Kaan. It'll get better with time," Sanem replied with a reassuring smile.

Daphne looked down at her glass and took a sip of her drink. It was probably not a good idea to point out that most arranged marriages she knew were filled with resentment and regret.

"Too bad madam Raisa can't see how happy Hamid is right now," Ali commented.

"I know, right? He hasn't been this cheerful since Osman bey was alive," Kaan added.

"Osman bey?" Daphne asked.

"His grandfather, a.k.a. the last prince of the Ottomans? He hasn't told you about him, has he?" Sanem concluded.

"He mentioned that everything he knows about sailing and fishing, he learned with his grandfather. But that's all. "

"Well, it's a start," Ali said, looking at his wife and Kaan, who nodded in agreement.

"Maybe in time, he'll tell you more about Osman bey," Sanem comforted.

"Yeah... Maybe..."

As the others changed the subject, Daphne looked around, admiring the outdoor lights when the imposing figure of a woman came in her direction. A shiver ran down her spine as she recognised the woman.

Oh, shit...

"Hello, everyone!" Raisa said in Turkish plastering a smile on her face as the four of them stood up to greet her.

"Welcome, anneciğim,⁶" Kaan rushed to her, kissing her hand then lifting it to his head.

"Thank you, dear," Raisa replied, placing a hand on his cheek.

As Hamid's mother greeted Ali and Sanem with hugs and air kisses, Daphne wondered if Raisa was speaking to all of them in Turkish assuming she couldn't understand it.

The woman then turned to Daphne, her brown eyes swept over her from head to toe and she pursed her lips slightly.

"I see Hamid introduced all of you to his new friend, Miss Wang," she forced a smile as she finally spoke in English.

Friend... Daphne pressed her lips together in annoyance.

This was how they were supposed to introduce each other to anyone who wasn't a close friend or family. But to see Hamid’s mother using that word hurt like a slap in the face.

"It's Lady Wang, mum," Sevim corrected as she appeared behind Daphne, holding her by the shoulders. "Abi's girlfriend is a British noblewoman."

Daphne's cheeks flushed in response. Though she knew why Sevim was doing it, for some reason, this whole situation was even more uncomfortable than the encounter at the hospital. At least there weren't any witnesses the first time.

"Is that so?" Raisa arched one of her perfectly shaped eyebrows.

"Yup! It's Viscountess Daphne Wang-Foredale, mum," Sevim added with a smile and a glare that matched her mother's.

"Huh... I assumed you were just an art student," Raisa said in appraisal.

"I am, ma'am."

"She did that painting of the Bosphorus bridge abi has in his loft," Sevim declared.

"That artwork is yours?!" Kaan turned to Daphne in shock.

"You must've missed Hamid's ten minutes speech, Kaan. He literally can't shut up about it," Ali quipped.

"I was really tired the day I went there and I thought he was just talking about you in general. He does it a lot..." Kaan simpered.

The young ones chuckled. Raisa on the other hand didn't seem too amused with the conversation topic.

"In all fairness, he's so right to brag about it. It is a beautiful piece inspired by the view from his balcony. A creation by no one other than his girlfriend," Sanem praised.

"It's too minimalist to my liking. It lacks colours," Raisa scorned.

Daphne gritted her teeth as anger began to spread within her. "That painting is supposed to be just a rough sketch in ink pen and a few touches of watercolour pencils, ma'am. It’s how Hamid asked me to do it."

"Really?" Raisa snickered. "Ah, you kids are so full of ideas... Add more vivid colours in your future works, tatlım⁷. I'm sure you'll do great next time."

Inhaling sharply, Daphne balled her hands into fists as she told herself she couldn't cause a scene by smacking that smug grin off Hamid's mother's face. No matter how tempting it was.

"Mum, I heard you showed up unannounced here to help. Even though you promised me you wouldn't come." Sevim placed both hands on her mother's shoulder. "So how about we go back inside and do exactly what you told Nesrin you came here to do?"

The young girl guided Raisa back into the building, but not before she looked back at Daphne and mouthed "Sorry, yenge."

"Well, that was..." Kaan gestured with a hand, clearly trying to ease the tension.

"Madam Raisa in her most pure form," Ali grimaced.

"Sorry about that, Daph..." Sanem empathised.

"It's fine…" Daphne said as she forced herself to smile. "I'm going to take a walk by the lake and see you guys later."

Walking away, she waved to the group of friends and breathed in the cold air of the evening.

As she walked by the shore, the lady replayed that day in her head. This odd feeling she had before arriving... For a while, she believed it was because she would finally meet Nesrin in person and be introduced to Hamid's friends. But it wasn't. In the back of her mind, she knew Raisa could show up at any moment. There was no way that day would end well.

She then fished her phone out of her pocket to check the time. Would it be weird to ask Hamid to go home now?

He did say we could leave whenever I want...

Placing her phone back in her coat, Daphne turned around and made her way back to the main building.

Near the back entrance, she spotted Hamid and heaved a sigh. At least, she wouldn't have to get in and face Raisa again.

Yet, he wasn't alone. Next to him, a girl not much older than her touched his arm fondly.

Excuse me?!

Just then, Hamid gently pushed the stranger's hand away and said something in Turkish.

With quiet steps, Daphne walked towards them doing her best not to be seen. Whatever this was, she had to know.

"I heard you've been looking for a wife, sir," The girl said, looking at him through her eyelashes.

"What?!" He eyed the girl in confusion. "Look, Berna, I don't know who or why they told you this, but you got it all wrong. I'm not looking for a wife."

"I could be your girlfriend then," Berna purred as she moved closer.

"I beg your pardon?" He asked taking a few steps away from the girl.

"I’ll give you anything you want, sir..."

Instinctively, Hamid pushed her hand away it moved to touch his cheek and kept his distance. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Sir, I—"

"Do you want to why you can't be my girlfriend? Because I already have one. And there's nothing you can offer me because Daphne is the only one who can give me what I need!"

Daphne stopped in her tracks. He may have said he would shout it to the world if he could, but to witness it was something else entirely.

"Aşkım?" Hamid called as he noticed his girlfriend standing just a few feet away.

"Aşkım?" Berna glanced at him and then at Daphne.

"Hi!" The lady grinned as she approached the girl and extended her hand. "Berna, isn't it? I'm Daphne. The girlfriend Hamid was talking about."

Berna stared wide-eyed at the viscountess taking her place beside Hamid.

"It's getting a bit colder than I can handle here. Can we go home now?" Daphne asked, feigning to feel cold.

"Of course, aşkım," he answered, pulling her into a hug. "Let's go home."

On the way to the parking lot, Hamid cleared his throat and began to speak in English again. "I see you're a lot better at understanding Turkish than you said you were."

"I only understood some of it. And I didn't know I could until now."

"What did you hear?"

"The part where she said you were looking for a wife."

Hamid let out a tired sigh and shook his head.

"But I don't understand why you were out here talking to Nesrin's assistant."

"Nesrin introduced her to me and mentioned her interest in international relations career path. That's what I was talking to her about before the whole 'looking for a wife' thing started."

As the lady narrowed her eyes, Hamid paused before her and held both of her hands.

"Aşkım, I can't explain what I could possibly have done to make a girl I've never met before think I was leading her on. But I wouldn't trade what we have for anything else."

She looked down at his hands caressing hers as her eyes welled up. Before she could say anything else, his arms encircled her frame.

"I'm sorry, aşkım..." He breathed.

"It's not your fault. You didn't do anything wrong. It's just..." She sniffled. "After what happened yesterday, I was worried about meeting your friends, then your mum showed up and—"

"Is annem here?!" He pulled away to look at her.

"Yeah... Apparently, she came to help take back home the cake, Sevim's gifts and unused party favours."

Hamid's jaw tightened as he closed his eyes and grumbled. "Allah kahretsin⁸!"

"What?"

He then fished the car keys out of his coat pocket and placed them in the palm of her hand. "Get in the car. I'll be back in a minute."

"Why? Where are you going?"

"I forgot my scarf in the kitchen while I was helping the girls earlier. I'll be right back, okay?"

"But you have your—"

Before she could finish what she was going to say, he marched back to the building.

"Shit..." Daphne mumbled.

Once she unlocked the car, she walked in and waited. From afar, she watched Hamid arguing with Raisa. Whenever his mother pointed her index finger at him or tried to touch him, he stood his ground, with squared shoulders. His frame towered over hers as the fight seemed to get heated.

Just then, Raisa her hand raised up. He didn't move. But before her hand reached his face, Nesrin and Malak held their mother back. He said something and stormed off, followed by Sevim, who didn't seem pleased with her mother either.

Outside the building, Sevim held him by the hand and gave him a hug. He frowned slightly, exchanged a few words with her and kissed the top of her head.

He was about to come back to the car when Nesrin called his name. She mouthed something Daphne couldn't understand. He looked back at her, nodded and made his way back to the car.

As he got in, Hamid placed both hands on the steering wheel and sighed. His shoulders still squared, jaw clenched. He seemed tired. And upset. But mostly tired. Then he started the car.

"Is it okay if I just drive for a while, aşkım?"

"Sure..."

With that, he manoeuvred his car out of the parking lot and drove off.

The colourful lights of the bridge reflected on the windscreen as they crossed the Bosphorus strait. He hasn't said a word since they left. Neither did she. It was clear that he needed time. And silence. Whenever he was ready, he'd talk to her again.

After a long drive by the shore, they finally stopped somewhere less crowded and climbed out of the car. His sullen eyes were fixed on the Maiden's Tower covered in snow.

"You felt it, didn't you?" He uttered, cutting through the silence. "You knew in your gut something like this would happen. Just like you said you felt it the day I fell off my motorbike, when your brother fell off his horse, when your mother passed away."

"Yeah..."

"Does it happen often? Do you always know when something bad will happen?"

"Not always."

"But how do you know?" Hamid shifted in his seat to look at her. "Are there signs? What do you feel? How does it start?"

"I'm not sure. I—"

"But you feel something!" He insisted as anguish clouded his features. "I need to know what it is. I need to understand how you know these things before it happens so I can find a way to stop shit from happening."

Daphne cupped his face with one hand. "Hamidciğim, I didn't stop any of those things."

"But you could have! If I had just listened to you..."

His shoulders slumped in defeat and leaned over, resting his forehead on her shoulder.

"Why didn't I just listen to you?" His voice faltered as her hand caressed the nape of his neck.

"None of us have the power to prevent situations like what happened earlier. All I do is brace myself and hope I can do my best in worst-case scenarios."

"I know..." He breathed. "I always tell myself I can handle my mother's criticism. I've heard her question my faith many times. She says I'm too inclined to western culture, and my lifestyle is too permissive. Most of the time, I don't mind." He then sat up to gaze at her. "But when it comes to you, I can't take it."

"You didn't have to go back there and argue with her again."

"Yeah, I did." His brows knitted in frustration. "She had done this before and she wouldn't stop it until I did something about it."

"Wait, she did what?"

"Ugh..." He shook his head, mumbling something unintelligible before looking back at her. "I didn't tell you before because it was no big deal. Two weeks ago, she paid me a visit and brought an old friend of hers."

"Let me guess. Her friend has a young daughter in the right age for marriage," Daphne concluded, pursing her lips.

He nodded. "But nothing happened. The minute Derya complimented the painting of the Bosphorus bridge, I started talking about you and she gave up. In less than five minutes, she came up with the lamest excuse to leave."

Daphne pressed her lips together to fight back a laugh. "I know this is irrelevant, but what did she say?"

"She began to ramble about picking up a hamster... But she doesn't have one. She's actually scared of rodents. I've seen her panic over a lab rat in high school."

The two of them chuckled. His good humour, however, didn't last long.

"I'm growing tired of this... I shouldn't have to keep justifying my life choices to my own mother. I just want to live them."

"I'm sorry..." Daphne looked down at her hands.

"Don't be. I'm not going to sacrifice my happiness because anne thinks she knows better," he said in resolution.

The lady then leaned her head on his shoulder and hugged his arm. She couldn't encourage him to keep his distance from his mother because of her. But she still wanted him to know she'd support him regardless of what he decided.

"What do you want to do now, Hamidciğim?"

"Eat, veg out with you under the covers..."

"Good thinking."

"I knew you'd like it..." He smiled softly. "Let's go home."

"Okay."

After sharing a tender kiss, the couple walked back to the car, buckled their seatbelts again and drove back home.

_______

¹ kardeş(im): (my dear) sibling

² abi(m): (my) older brother 

³ canım: my darling 

⁴ yenge(m/ciğim): (my/dear) sister-in-law (also applied to uncle's wife)

⁵ arkadaşim: my friend friend 

⁶ anneciğim: my dear mom 

⁷ tatlım: my dear

⁸ "Allah kahretsin!": Turkish expression of frustration equivalent to "god damnit".

[snelbz]

Life As We Know It {Chapter 30}

Summary: After the sudden deaths of Nesta’s sister and Cassian’s best friend, they gain guardianship of their nephew, Nyx.

Based on Life As We Know It (2010) and a prompt sent in by anonymous for our Nessian fanfic contest. This is a modern au.

Written with @tacmc.

Life As We Know It Masterlist

Shelby’s Masterlist

Tara’s Masterlist

A/N: Wow. The final chapter. Tara and I are so glad you've come along on this journey with us. We've absolutely loved writing this story for you all and we hope you've enjoyed it as well.

Nesta looked around their home.

It was decorated to perfection - at least, that had been Nesta’s goal. The theme for Nyx’s second birthday was space cowboy, which had happened when Cassian wanted a cowboy theme while Nesta wanted an outer space theme.

It had been a challenge to perfect the space cowboy theme - especially when it came to a two-year-old’s birthday party.

There were aliens with cowboy hats and paper cows on UFO balloons. In the corner of the living room, there was a horse wearing an astronaut costume - a decoration that Cassian had created, and one he was quite proud of.

Nesta herself wore a “space-like” outfit that reminded her fondly of Zenon: Girl of the 21th Century. When Cassian came down the stairs, however, it looked like he had just walked out of the Wild West.

He wore chaps over his jeans, and Nesta found her mind wandering on those chaps alone.

She hoped he kept them.

They would be useful in the future.

He also wore a plaid button down and a cowboy hat.

She thought he should keep the cowboy hat, too.

Nyx, however, looked like the cutest little mess Nesta had ever seen. His onesie looked like a spacesuit, but on his head, instead of an astronaut helmet, he wore a teeny little cowboy hat. On his feet were genuine cowboy boots.

Nesta laughed as they reached the first floor landing, and Cassian’s grin widened.

“Now introducing our two-year-old space cowboy,” Cassian said, unable to control his laughter.

Nyx’s grin was wide as he clapped. “MAMA!”

Nesta laughed, taking Nyx into her arms. Yeah, he looked ridiculous, but he also looked oh so cute. “Happy birthday, sweet boy.”

Nyx took Nesta’s face in his hands and gave her a big, sloppy kiss.

With a chuckle, Nesta said, “Thank you, that was very sweet. Now, let’s go make sure everything’s ready, yeah? Our guests will be here soon.”

“Dada,” Nyx said, pointing to Cassian. “Hi-hi.”

Cassian laughed. “Hi, bud.” He went straight for the corner and adjusted his astronaut-horse.

Nesta just shook her head and brought Nyx into the kitchen.

It smelled delicious.

Nesta had spent the entire morning cooking.

At first, she had no idea what to make for a space cowboy party, but she really felt like she nailed it. She had a taco bar, which worked for every type of party, and baked and decorated a cake that looked like Cassian’s horse in a spacesuit.

It was ridiculous.

And absolutely perfect.

Nesta looked at the clock. “We have twenty minutes, Nyx. We have to make the homemade tortillas and get out the salsas.”

“What about the alcohol?” Cassian asked, sweeping into the kitchen.

Nesta rolled her eyes. “It’s our two-year-old’s birthday.”

Cassian blinked. “So, no whiskey, just wine?”

Nesta clicked her tongue. “Check the wine cabinet.”

“Yes ma’am,” Cassian winked, tipping his hat before he left the room.

Nesta snorted, even though she found it deeply charming and handsome as hell.

Yeah, she definitely hoped he’d keep that outfit.

Nesta took the dough out of the fridge that she had rolled earlier that morning and a rolling pin. When she had countless flat, doughy circles she dropped them in the oil-filled skillet one by one. Fifteen minutes later, she had a giant stack of flour tortillas and was carrying them, alongside a tray filled with different types of homemade salsas, to the table she had set up in the living room.

There was a quick knock on the door and it cracked open before Nesta could even turn towards the door.

“Oh, my.”

She laughed at Azriel’s reaction to the house, turning to see him carrying in a stack of presents, Elain’s camera bag and Persephone’s diaper bag. “Go big or go home, right?” She chuckled.

“You decided to go big at home,” he replied, shaking his head.

Nesta wasn’t surprised to see that Azriel hadn’t dressed up, wearing his traditional all-black attire instead, but a little space princess in cowboy boots ran in right after him and she couldn’t stop the grin as she looked at Seph.

Elain was a just a few steps behind, and as she came in, she dropped a black cowboy hat atop Azriel’s head. He rolled his eyes, but said nothing as he adjusted the hat, and was off in search of Cassian.

“Okay, you’ve outdone yourself,” Elain announced, beaming as she looked around the house. “This is awesome.”

Nesta shrugged. “He only turns two once, right?”

“I’ve got the wine!” Cassian announced, pushing through the kitchen door with two bottles of wine and a glass of whiskey.

Nesta chuckled. “I thought we said wine only?”

“We did,” Cassian said, setting the bottles on the table. “For the guests.”

“Am I a guest?” Azriel muttered.

Cassian snorted and motioned to follow him into the kitchen.

In the middle of the room, Nyx and Persephone were dancing to the techno space playlist Nesta had put on.

Elain laughed, quietly. “I need to get out my camera. Anything I can help with?”

Nesta shook her head. “You’re good. Take pictures and send them all to me.”

Elain promised she would, and Cassian and Azriel came back out with their full glasses of whiskey. Nesta looked around.

Elain was right.

They had done well.

Nesta hoped the rest of the guests thought so, too.

Before they knew it, the house was full, people were laughing and eating and drinking and Nesta couldn’t help but smile from where she stood to the side watching it all.

What a difference 365 days could make. Nesta couldn’t believe it as she watched Nyx and Persephone play with Viviane, who had also come dressed up, much to Nyx’s delight. He kept stealing her hat, and she let him, donning his tiny one instead, though it didn’t fit on her head.

She couldn’t help but think of the two people who were missing though. The two people who should have been here. Her eyes drifted to the cross Cassian had made, where it sat on the mantle, it’s permanent home.

A set of strong arms wrapped around her waist and she leaned back into Cassian’s embrace.

His chin was resting on her shoulder, and he said, “Nyx is happy. We’re happy. But… It doesn’t feel right without them here.”

As always, he knew exactly what she was thinking. She gripped his arms over her abdomen and held him there, letting him know she understood.

“They’re here, though,” Cassian whispered into her ear. “They’re here and they’re watching us, watching him. They wouldn’t miss today.”

Nesta nodded and held onto him tighter. If she would have tried to say a word, the tears would have come.

Sad tears because she missed her sister and brother-in-law.

Happy tears, though, because she loved Nyx, and she loved Cassian, and she couldn’t believe how far they had come in the last year.

Clearing her throat, and wiping a tear that had snuck out, she announced, “Let’s open gifts and have some cake!”

Cassian kissed her cheek before he was on the floor, Nyx climbing on top of him, and helping the two year old open his gifts.

It only took one or two gifts before he was completely distracted by trying to play and wasn’t even paying attention as Cassian opened his gifts one by one. But they made it through the pile and Nesta carried in the astronaut horse cake, which had Nyx on his feet and chanting, “Cakecakecakecakecake!”

With Cassian’s help, Nyx blew out the big “2” candle and narrowly avoided a smash cake for the second year in a row.

“Not this year, bud,” Cassian chuckled, carrying a confused Nyx to his booster seat in the kitchen. “We’re all going to eat this one. Not just you.”

His irritation disappeared as soon as Nesta sat a piece down in front of him, but he made nearly just as big of a mess as he had the year before.

“Nesta!” Elain called, and she turned from where she was cutting more pieces in the kitchen. “Come here, I want to get a picture of you guys.”

Her eyes found Cassian’s and they softened, thinking back to the picture they’d been forced to take a year before.

“Still think you’ll burst into flames if you brush arms with me?” He asked, pressing a kiss to her temple.

“Maybe,” she said, and he chuckled as she wrapped an arm around him. “But I’m not as bothered by it as I used to be.”

Cassian grinned, and Elain took a picture of their little family.

*

It was the day after Nyx’s second birthday and all three of them anxiously waited in the living room. It wasn’t that they were scared about the visit, but after last time, there was a little bit of nervousness surrounding them all.

Well, everyone but Nyx.

He was giddy as he played with all of his birthday toys.

Nesta was pacing, while Cassian watched a hockey game around the path she was wearing into the carpet.

“Come sit down, Nes,” he said, reaching for her hand. “They told us it would be this afternoon, but that could be anytime.”

“I know, I know,” she said, biting her nail. It had been a horrible habit of hers when she was younger, but now it only appeared when she was nervous

He caught her other hand in his. “Sit,” he repeated, tugging her towards. “You know what the doctor said about stress. It’s not good for—.”

A knock on the front door had Nesta bolting for it, and Nyx asked, “Hello?”

Cassian couldn’t help but chuckle as he stood and walked to him, crouching down in front of him. He smoothed Nyx’s dark hair back from his face and said, “I need you to be good today, okay? Be a good boy and daddy will take you to get ice cream after dinner.”

He nodded and repeated, “Ice cream.” Or he tried, but he couldn’t quite pronounce it.

Cassian could only grin down at him.

“You’re taking too long,” Nesta chastised, hurrying toward the door.

Cassian rolled his eyes but said nothing more as Nesta reached the door, smoothed down her non-wrinkled dress, and opened it up.

Alis Birch stood on the threshold, a folder in her hand, and, surprisingly, almost wearing a smile. “Nesta, it’s a pleasure.”

Nesta nodded, hesitantly. “Yes, you too. Come in, please.”

Alis crossed the threshold and nodded at Cassian. “Good afternoon, Mr. Nazari.” She looked at Nyx. “And glad to see you wide awake for one of my visits.”

Nyx smiled as he waved, and said, “Hi-hi.”

“Ah, he’s talking,” Alis said, going into the living room and smiling at the toddler.

“Oh, he hardly ever stops,” Cassian snorted. “Picks a new word up every day, I swear.”

“Sit,” Nesta said, sitting in the chair. “Please.”

“Thank you,” Alis said, taking her place on the couch. “I hear someone just had a second birthday.”

“Yesterday,” Nesta said, nodding. “We had a party. He had fun.”

“Good, plenty of toys and excitement, I assume?” She asked, watching as he played with a chunky, wooden puzzle made of farm animals. As if it were a gift from the gods themselves, he slid the cow into the right hole, and grinned up at Cassian. “Mooooo!”

He chuckled as he sat on the arm of Nesta’s chair. “Good job, bubba. Cows do say moo.”

He kept on grinning but went back to his puzzle.

“So,” Nesta said, clearing her throat. “What sort of questions do you have this visit?”

Alis didn’t say much, just looked around at the living room and kitchen. Cassian’s astronaut horse was still set up in the corner, as he’d insisted it was a work of art and as such, deserved to be displayed for at least a few more days. “Honestly, I don’t have many today. You two have made it very clear that Nyx is your main focus, and I can tell that he’s very happy and is thriving under your care.”

Cassian doubted she knew it, but Nesta released a breath she’d been holding and nodded. “We love him, more than anything. We— We’ll always miss Feyre and Rhys, but it’s not just about doing right by them anymore. Nyx has…” She took Cassian’s hand and continued. “He’s become our son, and we’ve become a family. And we couldn’t imagine it any other way at this point.”

Alis nodded and jotted a few notes in her binder. Nesta could have sworn a hint of a smile was on her face. “And, as far as the relationship between the two of you goes, where do we stand? It’s been a few months since we last discussed it.”

Cassian was the one to answer. “We’re engaged. We have been since Christmas, and, since Nyx’s birthday just passed, the wedding planning will start soon. And actually, we’re also—.”

“We couldn’t be happier,” Nesta said, interrupting him, holding up her left hand and showing the sparkling diamond on her ring finger. She gently squeezed his hand, and he didn’t ask, but nodded. “We couldn’t be happier and neither could Nyx.”

Alis looked from Cassian to Nesta to Nyx, and nodded. “I’m glad to hear it. I’ll put in a good report, and you have nothing to worry about. Truly, I wish you all the best.”

Nesta smiled, and it was genuine. “Thank you, Mrs. Birch. Thank you.”

“I’ll leave you all be,” Alis said, standing. She closed her binder. “If you ever need anything, please reach out.”

“We will,” Cassian said. “Thank you.”

With one last smile, she said her goodbyes and was gone.

Nesta leaned against the closed doors and sighed a loud sigh of relief. “We did it. We’re done.”

Cassian pulled her into his arms and hugged her, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “I never had any doubts.”

She pulled back and looked up at him. “I sure as hell did. Who knew an old woman could be so terrifying?”

He chuckled but shook his head. “What now?”

“We wait for Tarquin to reach out to us. There’s some official paperwork that will have to be signed after she submits her report and findings, but…” She looked over at Nyx who was still engrossed in his puzzles. “We’re officially a family.”

Smiling, Cassian leaned down to kiss her. “And we didn’t tell her about this one because…?”

His hand brushed over her abdomen, over the life that was growing inside.

“I’d say we’re entitled to a few secrets of our own,” she replied, smiling. “Besides, they’re more focused on ensuring Nyx is taken care of. We’ve proven that time and time again.”

They’d found out Nesta was pregnant just a few weeks before. Not even ten weeks, and for that reason, they hadn’t told anyone, not even Elain and Azriel.

“Fair enough,” he muttered and kissed her, again.

Nyx had walked up to them and was tugging on Cassian’s pant leg, begging to be picked up, which is exactly what he did.

They hugged him tight, and felt an overwhelming amount of peace.

A year of ups and downs and chaos had passed, but they had made it.

They were a family.

All four of them.

[idkthisisjustforfanfic]

that makes four.

story page | talk to me + join the tag list

PART 1

Your feet dangled down from the stool, elbows on the granite counter when Jeff turned around. “Alright,” he said, lips in a thin smile when he revealed the plate of reheated lasagna that someone dropped off in the last few days. “Smells good.”

You looked up at him with an unimpressed stare. “It looks a little disgusting.”

“It’s vegan, I think.”

“Jesus,” you rolled your eyes. “You start one all natural skincare line and people think you only eat plant-based shit.”

He let out a small laugh, set the plate down and watched as you picked up the fork. One bite--mediocre. Not exactly hot enough, but after all Jeff had done for you the last few days, you didn’t have the heart to demand he put it in for another minute.

“So--do you think it went well?”

You laughed around the food in your mouth, picked up a paper napkin and let your head tilt to the side. “As good as a funeral could be.”

The lights in your kitchen were dim and the sun had already faded behind the trees, the house quiet after people finally filed out. Friends, extended family, strangers you’d never met had flocked to Los Angeles for the funeral of your famous father.

It’d been coming from a mile away. His health declined, an obvious result of the cocaine and the cigarettes and whatever else he’d ingested regularly in the 70s. A heart attack a year ago put him on a fast track to the afterlife, but he always joked that he’d probably end up in hell.

Being in the music industry ruined him, in a way--it ruined your parents’ marriage and it ruined a lot of the relationships your father had. Blow outs and big fights that left him exiled from a lot of social circles, sometimes never speaking to people again after one bad phone call. But it was never like that with Irv.

“Well, I’ve never seen my dad cry so hard,” Jeff smiled. “He really loved him.”

Another bite of the soggy noodles and fake cheese. “I know.”

A comfortable silence, the doors off the kitchen were open, a breeze from the backyard let the southern California warmth blow through the sheer curtains when you sipped at your left over wine.

Jeff was the closest thing you had to a sibling, his family was all you had left at this point. You were tossed in the bathtub with him and his siblings as a baby, shoved into family photos and tagged along for vacations.

Being closest in age to Jeff meant people always hoped it would be the two of you that would end up together. Happily ever after or having babies of your own. But when you saw Jeff wolf down a whole pizza at his bar mitzvah, any hope of a spark between the two of you had been permanently extinguished.

His older sister was the one who told you what it meant to have sex, and after your mom died, his mom helped you pick out a dress for your Sweet Sixteen.

She was the one who talked you off the ledge when you found out you were pregnant only a few years later, she was the one who threw you both baby showers and she was the one who helped you through your divorce only six months earlier.

So now that your dad was gone, too, you wondered where you fit into their family and what your definition of family even was.

Before the thought could cross your mind, the front door was pushed open and the sound of high pitched giggles floated in from the foyer.

CeCe’s tiny voice echoed down the hall. “Uncle Jeff?”

“Is that my CeCe?” He took a few steps forward and she ran straight into his legs, he hoisted her up onto his hip when Maeve rounded the corner with Tristan in tow.

“Hi honey,” you opened an arm so your ten-year-old could fit into the side of you. She leaned her head on her shoulder. “How was ice cream?”

The easiest ploy to get them out of the house while you hosted some kind of awkward afterparty.

“Fine,” she sighed. “But Tristan said that funerals are a selfish attempt by the living to hold on to someone after they’re dead.”

You blinked a few times and looked down at her, shocked by the words and apparently, her ability to understand them. You looked over at Tristan, arched eyebrows to communicate how displeased you were.

His eyes went wide when Jeff choked down a laugh. “I didn’t--I don’t know what you’re talking about Maeve.”

You kissed Maeve on the head. “Well, Tristan is wrong about a lot of things, trust me. But you two should go get ready for bed, it’s been a long day.”

You looked over at him again--younger by two years and easily one of the most important people in your life. You met him only a year after you started your business, he had a knack for brand management and eye for design that you couldn’t pass up. He was way too sarcastic and cynical to be your regular babysitter, but Jeff and his family were basically in the receiving line beside you.

Jeff let CeCe climb down and Maeve took her by the hand as they headed for the kitchen stairs to the second floor, leaving you alone at the island with two of your closest friends.

He waited until he heard the water turn on from their bathroom sink, then whispered in Tristan’s direction. “Great idea to say that to a ten-year-old and a six-year-old after their grandpa dies.”

Tristan rolled his eyes theatrically, “she asked why so many people came and why she’d never met any of them if they loved her grandpa so much.”

“Well, you can expect a bill for their therapy in a few years,” you laughed, forking more lasagna into your mouth.

Tristan made his way over to the fridge and pulled out the glass dish, helping himself to a piece when Jeff took a seat beside you. “How are you holding up?”

“Fine,” you glanced at him sideways, suspicious about any ulterior motive he might have.

“Okay, Y/N,” Jeff laughed, Tristan eyed you from over his shoulder like he didn’t believe you. “Let me try again. How are you feeling emotionally?”

You cleared your throat and swallowed the most recent bite of dinner. “Oh, you mean cause my husband left me six months ago and my dad just died and now I’m a single mom with two fiesty daughters who just inherited a giant house aaaaaand,” you drew out the word for dramatic effect. “I’m a business owner who barely gets any sleep?”

“That’s what I was getting at, yes,” Jeff nodded and fought a smirk.

“I’m alright,” you sighed. “Tired. Kind of freaked out about what the fuck is going on in my life, but, I’ll survive. I always survive."

You knew you would--in fact, you’d been waiting for this moment for the last few weeks. When Jeff’s mom called to tell you your dad needed to be put in hospice, you prepared. You talked to Maeve and CeCe and explained it all in a way they’d understand. His life on earth is over, but we can still talk to him and visit a pretty garden to remember him.

It was a lot to deal with only a few months after your high school sweetheart turned husband admitted he’d been having an affair and moved out, you saw on Facebook that he’d since bought a motorcycle and was spending most of his time at bars along the coast. That whole fiasco was harder to explain to your children.

And now suddenly everyone wanted to make sure you were okay. Frozen dinners, offers to drive your kids to and from their extracurriculars, a lot of attention was suddenly thrust onto you and your family, as if you hadn’t always hated that growing up.

But you knew the time would come when life would settle back down. Cousins and aunts and uncles would fly home, people would stop asking how you were doing post divorce. Dust would settle and the sun would set on this chapter and frankly, it couldn’t happen soon enough.

So here you were, the funeral was over, the dinner in his honor at Jeff’s parents, the media coverage was starting to die down and life could return to normal. Or, at least, a new normal.

Your dad had been a fixture in your life--weekly dinner dates with grandpa gave you a minute to yourself after working long days and answering endless phone calls. A glass of wine on the couch or even dinner with Tristan and Zoey was a nice escape from breaking up fights or figuring out how to reattach the head of a Barbie doll after someone shoved someone into a closet and tears and screaming ensued.

“You will definitely survive,” Jeff nodded.

Tristan came and sat, forked into the lasagna and made a face when he realized how bad it was. “Is this fake cheese?”

“Unfortunately,” you nodded.

Tristan made a face and then cleared his throat. “I, for one, think this is the start of a new chapter for you. New opportunities, new love,” he smirked.

A quick retort: “Yeah, that’s obviously the first priority right now.”

“He’s right, though,” Jeff said. “You have a fresh start, a totally new chapter.”

You nodded--they were right, but easing into a new chapter felt a lot better than trying to dive right in.

“Speaking of a fresh start, you know, changing things up,” Jeff forced a grin in your direction. “Can we actually talk for a second?”

You eyed him suspiciously, put your fork down to bow out from eating the world’s worst lasagna. “Yeah?”

“I have kind of a weird favor to ask. And--I know it’s kind of bad timing, with everything going on, but--just hear me out, okay?”

Instead of replying, you watched him, lifted your brows to encourage him to continue and tread carefully.

“So I have a client who isn’t from here, he bought a house but it’s in the middle of getting renovated. There’s kind of been a lot going on, it’s a long story.”

“Okay,” you nodded, unsure where he was going with it.

“He needs a place to stay, and I was wondering if maybe he could stay here for a little.”

“Here, like, here here?” You pointed to the floor of your kitchen, an elegant upgrade from the more modest house in Woodland Hills you’d occupied before the divorce.

Along with the death of your father came the inheritance of his Bel Air estate and all of the bedrooms, the four car garage, the manicured lawn and the pool out back. Some people thought you should sell it, use the cash to make trusts for the girls or save for college.

Selling it didn’t feel right, though. It was the house he worked so hard for, the house you called home for the later half of your teen years and the place you always came back to when things got hard. So instead of putting it on the market and closing that chapter, once again, you returned to the safe haven in the hills when you didn’t know where else to turn.

“Yeah, I know it sounds crazy, but you have the room and it might be fun to have someone else around and--”

“I have two daughters, Jeff, I can’t just let a stranger live with us.”

“He’s not a stranger, Y/N, he’s my friend. We’re really close.”

“Who is he?” Tristan asked, waving his fork in the air to remind us that he was still present.

“Harry Styles.”

Tristan’s eyes nearly bugged out of his head. “The kid from the boyband?”

“No way,” you shook your head, dismissing it before you could even let his name register. “I’m not having a pop star boy band kid stay in my house.”

“Okay,” Jeff held up a hand to get Tristan to relax, then moved to point at you. “He’s 24, number one. He’s not a kid, he’s, like, only a few years younger than us.”

“Yes,” you nodded, “exactly. I don’t need a 24-year-old living with my daughters.”

“He’s not like that, though. He’s responsible and he’s a family friendly dude, and--”

“Then why can’t he live with you? Or with your parents?”

“I don’t have the room,” he said. “And my dad hates house guests.”

You rolled your eyes, it was obnoxious, but it was true. Irv hated having people stay over almost as much as he hated it when your dad beat him in golf.

Jeff took your silence as an opportunity to continue selling you on the idea. “He just finished his tour, he’s working on his second album. He’s probably going to be in the studio a lot, Y/N. Do you really think I would let some crazy party animal live with my nieces?”

Another eye roll from both you and Tristan.

“Is this like, just a few nights?” You asked.

“Like, two weeks. Tops.”

“Two weeks?!” You shook your head. “No--I can’t put them through that after all the shit that’s been going on this year. Why can’t he just stay in a hotel?”

“Cause that’s lonely and he’s a people person and--I don’t know, it might be good for you to have someone around.”

You rolled your eyes that, was it a jab at your new status as a single mom or new status as a fatherless daughter? Unsure.

Jeff stood from the counter and grabbed for his phone on the far end of the island. “Just think about it, okay? I’ve gotta run. A few weeks, built in babysitting, maybe--he’s great with kids.”

“I’ve already thought about it,” you told him, resting your chin in your hand and offering a sugary sweet smile. “No fucking way.”

“Mommy!” CeCe’s voice called from upstairs, you hoisted yourself up, ready to tuck them in and forget that Jeff had ever asked such a ludicrous question.

“I would owe you big time--it might be fun! You’ve got the room, he could be a positive male influence on the girls.” He wiggled his eyebrows at the end of his sentence--like that would really sway you.

“And I’m not that?” Tristan pulled his head back, offended.

“You’re the one who told them funerals are stupid,” Jeff said with a sarcastic smirk.

“And you’re the crazy one trying to let a stranger move in here like it’s an AirBnB,” you shot back at Jeff. “So maybe they do need a better male influence than both of you.”

“Mommy!” CeCe called again, more impatient this time.

“I’m coming!” You shouted. “You, let yourself out when you’re finished eating this terrible meal,” you pointed at Tristan and the lasagna. “And you,” you pointed at Jeff with a smirk. “Please never speak to me again.”

He was already heading for the door, keys in hand when he blew you a kiss. “Love you, see you soon!”

“Love you,” you called back, bounding up the stairs, mom mode activated.

**

A text message the next day when you were at work:

Jeff Azoff (1:43pm): 🙏😇🙏😇

You blew air from your lips, Zoey sat across from you at a conference table when you took a late lunch. She was the first friend you made when you started high school, your long time confidant aside from Tristan and Jeff and a sure bet to tell it like it is.

Now she regularly popped into the Luna offices and she loved nothing more than acting like she was a higher up at your business. She’d rather be doing that than admit she was a new mom with no clue what the next chapter of her life would look like. You had that in common.

Her two-month-old son, Benny, sat in a carrier on the ground, his eyelashes fluttered when Zoey put her feet up on the chair beside her.

“What’s the sigh for?”

“Jeff is being annoying.”

“What’d he do now?”

You looked over at her, nose deep in her phone when you took another bite of the burrito bowl she’d picked up for you. You didn’t know if it was worth it to explain it all. Zoey was excitable, never one to turn down an adventure and her aptly timed identity crisis that came with becoming a mom was sure to make her encourage bad decisions even more.

She looked up at you, suddenly aware of the wheels spinning in your mind.

“Spill it,” she instructed. She put her phone down and let out a breath, clasped her hands and waited for you to fill her in.

“He asked me to let a friend of his stay with us in my dad’s house.”

“Your house,” she corrected. “Deed’s in your name now.”

“My house,” you nodded. “And I feel weird about it.”

“Who’s the friend?”

“Some client of his,” you tried to wave it off as if the name didn’t matter.

It didn’t, really. You’d long been exposed to the rich and famous just because of the nature of your father’s work. He was one of the biggest managers in the music industry in partnership with Jeff’s dad, so you were no stranger to beautiful people with beautiful cars and beautiful homes. When Jeff took on the family business, you only grew more accustomed to it.

“So a celebrity?” she shimmied her shoulders in excitement. “Which one?”

“Harry Styles,” you said the name slowly, quietly, even though it was just the two of you in the second floor conference room and even though this was your office that you bought and you owned and you ran.

“He’s hot,” she nodded casually, less impressed than you’d expected.

“He’s also like twenty-something, so it's disgusting for you to say that.”

“Oh relax,” she dismissed your concern. “He could be your pool boy.”

Zoey--who also grew up in Southern California and spent plenty of time at your house as a kid--hadn’t yet grown so accustomed to the coming and going of celebrities. Her parents owned a florist shop in Santa Monica and in high school you had to tell her she could only come to a Britney Spears concert if she didn’t cry when you inevitably met her in the green room thanks to your dad.

“I have children,” you reminded her. “A ten-year-old who might as well be fifteen and a six-year-old who would think I literally bought her a human playmate.”

“But if he’s friends with Jeff I highly doubt he’s a serial killer,” she reasoned.

“Wow, you are completely missing the point.”

“What’s the point, then?”

“It’s weird--I can’t have a stranger move in with my kids.”

“Why not?”

“Because first their dad left us and now their grandpa died.”

“Sounds like they need a new man in their life.”

You ignored the similarity of her words with Jeff’s from the other night. “I just think it’s crazy.”

“Okay,” she sat up straight and suddenly looked like this was morphing into a business conversation. “How long?”

“Two weeks.”

“Oh my god,” she turned her palms towards the sky. “Just do it.”

“What? No!”

“It’s two weeks--it’ll take your mind off of all the shit that’s been going on, it’ll be a fun distraction for the girls. You have so much space in that house you will never even know he’s there. And you’re helping a friend.”

She wasn’t wrong: Harry could likely stay in the bedroom all the way on the other end of the hall from where the girls slept. Maeve was thrilled to get her own room in the move and CeCe would occasionally run into your room after a nightmare, so the space was a plus.

He’d have his own room, his own bathroom. Hell, he could even park in the extra garage and enter from the back of the house. Maybe you wouldn’t even notice he existed.

You sighed, tugged at your necklace when you met her gaze. “I just feel really protective over them right now. I feel like Luke ruined their sense of family and now with my dad gone--”

She stuck her tongue out in disgust at the sound of your ex’s name. “I get that--but they have you. They have Jeff and his family and they have me and Shawn and now Benny.”

You offered a small smile at her reassurance. She was right in a lot of ways. The Azoffs were as much a family to your daughters as they had been to you. Shelli and Irv were like grandparents, they offered to babysit plenty of times and they always managed to get the girls the most amazing birthday presents.

But something in you knew it wasn’t the same. You’d dreamed of giving your daughters the sense of family you never had: a mom and a dad who loved each other. One house, not two that had two different beds and sets of books or toys.

Luckily and unluckily, your ex hadn’t made a huge deal about custody. Visits here and there were outlined in your divorce papers, but at this point in time he didn’t seem the most interested in maintaining a relationship with his daughters, even though he promised way back when that he’d never leave.

Getting pregnant with him during college wasn’t planned, but he swore you’d make it work and you tied the knot only a few months before Maeve was born. Things were good at first, you always knew you’d have more than one--if only to combat your own only-child loneliness--and then CeCe came five years later when you felt a little more prepared.

“I don’t think it’s going to traumatize them, Y/N. I mean, the least you could do is meet the guy.”

You watched her for a minute, blew air from your nose in a huff before you picked up your phone.

Y/N L/N (1:56pm): Fine. I’ll meet him.

Three days later you pulled up to a cafe in Brentwood and took a deep breath in the parking lot. If he was creepy, you wouldn’t go for it. If you got even the slightest weird vibe from him, you’d ex-communicate Jeff and only go over to visit his parents with the girls when he wasn’t around.

You’d already been leaning towards just doing it, especially once Tristan got a glass of wine in you and reminded you what your dad would have said: he who helps is one who prospers.

A few sleepless nights left you staring at the ceiling and wondering if you were crazy. You just now had the chance to let life settle down and here you were, mourning the loss of your biggest supporter, trying to piece yourself back together post divorce, and considering letting a stranger move in? Grief really did do strange things to people.

But when you walked in and found them sitting at a table in the back, something clicked.

Your dad was already fond of your possible houseguest, which you only knew from overhearing previous conversations between him and Irv about how proud they were of Jeff for picking up the family business, and now it all made sense.

A small part of you--probably the stupidest part of you--wondered if there was something cosmic about it. Your dad was always one to let his artists stay in the house, if they weren’t creepy, of course. You grew up with bands rehearsing in the backyard and going to shows at the Troubadour before you were old enough to drive, and you turned out fine.

“Hi,” Harry stood, offered a hand and introduced himself after Jeff gave you a kiss on the cheek. “Harry, pleasure to meet you.” Polite, maybe a bit of a kiss ass. Your dad must have loved him.

“Y/N,” you nodded, sat down when Jeff tugged out a chair for you. “Thanks for--uh--meeting with me, I guess.”

“Thanks for maybe letting me stay at your house,” he offered a sheepish smile, held your gaze for a second when Jeff adjusted the sunglasses clipped to his shirt.

“I’m actually surprised you guys haven’t met before,” he said.

“I’ve been a little busy this year,” you reminded him with a nod. “But--nice to finally meet you.”

Harry nodded, a dimple in his left cheek ignited a tiny spark in your chest, but you pushed Zoey’s words out of your mind. Two weeks, it wasn’t a big deal. He’d be in and out and this would be a blip on the radar.

“We can order coffee or something, but Y/N, I’m assuming you have like, a whole interrogation mapped out?”

You pretended to laugh at Jeff’s joke, turned to Harry and offered a no-nonsense smile. “I have two children, I got divorced earlier this year and my dad just died. So I don’t need any drama or anything. This is temporary and I’m doing this to help out a friend. Jeff, that is, not you.”

He laughed at your clarification and nodded. “Right. This is just me living in your house. No drama. Short-term.”

“And obviously my children will be there, so no guests.”

“Yes ma’am.”

“Okay I’m not that much older than you,” you said it quickly, offered a small smile when he looked a little scared.

“Sorry--no, I didn’t mean that in a rude way.”

“No ma’am,” you added a rule, pulling a laugh from both of them when you lifted another finger in the air to count them off. “No drugs or alcohol, unless it’s like a glass of wine at dinner or something,” you shrugged.

“Look,” Jeff leaned forward. “Y/N’s kids are great, she’s got a great skincare company and she’s a kickass human. And you need a place to stay, so don’t fuck this up.”

“You both have my word. No drugs, no alcohol, no guests, no ma’am,” he smirked in your direction. “I’ve lived alone for a while, so, it’ll be nice to have some roommates.”

You nodded slowly and watched him for a second. A hoodie with the name of the management firm your dad and Irv had started, a backwards baseball hat and simple Ray-Bans. You ignored the fluttering in your veins from just looking at him, your own words echoed against the walls of your skull: he’s also like twenty-something, so that’s disgusting.

This was his brand, you were sure. Something Jeff had worked hard on--the looks, the smile, the exact formula that management firms drooled over was playing out in front of you. You sipped your drink once the waiter delivered three cappuccinos. Two weeks, tops.

**

Los Angeles afternoons were meant for playing outside, which is what your daughters did best if they weren’t busy pulling each other’s hair. You had dinner on the stove--enough for five--and a knot of nerves in your stomach when the wheels of his fancy car crunched atop the gravel.

The girls ran to greet him and Jeff showed him around the house. Now, Harry sat across from you at the table, Maeve to his left with an unimpressed look on her face when you cleared your throat. “Okay, gratitude time.”

Jeff set his fork back down, a guilty look on his face to admit he’d forgotten about your pre-dinner ritual.

CeCe squirmed in her seat, let out a sigh when Maeve protested with a flutter of her eyelashes. “I don’t have anything to be thankful for,” she informed you.

“That feels a little hard to believe,” you nodded, losing patience for her attitude over the last few days. “CeCe, do you want to go?”

Your younger daughter looked up at you, scrunched her mouth and thought about it. “I don’t have anything either.”

You tried not to groan aloud. After the week you’d had and the sudden changes in your life, disciplining your daughters felt like the last thing you wanted to do, if only they’d just behave.

“I can go,” Harry lifted his hand sheepishly as if he was sitting in a classroom and not in your dining room, a dimple on his cheek when he smiled sheepishly.

“Take it away,” you motioned towards him.

“M’thankful for being here, having a place to stay--and what looks like it will be a delicious meal.” By now he had a bit of smug look on his face, maybe proud of the fact that he’d broken the ice and stepped up to the pre-dinner prompt.

“Mom’s cooking is a solid six out of ten on a good day,” Maeve looked over at him, her fork now in her hand as if she was ready to dig in.

“Okay,” you leaned in and caught her gaze. “Drop the attitude or go to your room.”

“I’m thankful for Emma,” she named her friend, her quick submission after she rolled her eyes told you she just wanted to eat and get this over with. “She warned me today that Hayley was wearing a shirt I wore last week so I think she’s copying me.”

“Okay,” you nodded, you’d accept anything at this point. “CeCe? Last chance.”

“I’m grateful for pudding.”

Harry let out a quiet laugh, you nodded and said: “Great. I’m thankful for you two,” you smiled at them, hopeful that this nightly tradition would hold some type of meaning, more than just eye rolls and pre-pubescent angst from Maeve.

Jeff looked over at the girls, “I’m thankful for my friend Harry getting to meet my other friends, CeCe and Maeve.”

“Aww,” Harry smiled, a hand clutched to his heart when he looked between them.

“Alright,” you were annoyed by how good your daughters were at turning on their charm for anyone but you. Jeff was often the fun uncle, just like your ex had been the fun dad, which left you forcing them to play this gratitude game every night after they finished their homework.

CeCe wasted no time digging into the spaghetti on her plate, leaving Jeff to ask Maeve: “so what are you going to do about Hayley?”

“I don’t know,” Maeve sighed. “She’ll die when she finds out that you’re sleeping over,” she pointed her fork at Harry.

“He’s not sleeping over,” you corrected. “He’s staying in one of the guest rooms, remember?” You’d already explained it a few times to them. A few weeks, he’s working on more music, he’ll be busy, he’s not here to play with you.

“Whatever,” Maeve said. “Maybe I’ll hold it over her.”

“Maeve,” you looked over, unsure what had gotten into her. “I thought we talked about this stuff with Hayley?”

“I know--but she just keeps annoying me,” Maeve explained.

“Dump pasta on her head,” CeCe suggested with a giggle.

“Don’t do that,” you looked at CeCe and poked her in the stomach.

“I personally am a big fan of that idea,” Jeff smiled over at CeCe. “But it’d probably be better to just forget about it. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.”

“Or the sincerest form of annoying,” she retorted.

Harry let out a laugh at that, caught your gaze when you wondered how soon it’d take him to get annoyed with your kids.

They were great--smart, funny, clever, definitely witty and sometimes dramatic. But they were good kids.

You remembered how tough it was to adapt to motherhood, even though they were your own. Something told you that Harry, no matter how short his stay would be, was not in the chapter of his life that entailed finding joy in playdates and pillow fights.

But he made it through dinner, quiet but friendly and as soon as Maeve was finished, she begged him to play squishball outside before sunset.

“Squishball?” his eyebrows dipped together. “Never heard of it.”

“It’s basically just baseball but with a softer bat and a foam ball cause mom doesn’t want us to break our skulls,” Maeve informed.

“I never said break your skulls,” you argued.

“But it’s what you meant,” she shrugged.

“I would love to play,” Harry laughed, unbelievably entertained by the back and forth he’d already witnessed. They yanked him outside and set up their tiny diamond, CeCe pulled on a tutu just for flair and you and Jeff were left to handle the aftermath of a family dinner.

Jeff put the final plate into the dishwasher after a little bit and offered a hesitant smile when he turned around. “So?”

“So what? It’s been like an hour and a half of him being here.”

Their laughter from outside was audible, CeCe shrieked when Maeve made contact with the bat and sent the ball soaring into the air. “The girls clearly love him.”

“Of course they do--they love anyone for the first two hours.”

“I think he’ll be good for you guys.”

You rolled your eyes, wiped the counter with the sponge when he continued.

“And you guys will be good for him.”

This got your attention. “How so?”

“He’s a people-person, never likes being on his own too much. Some structure and responsibility is good for him.”

“So I’m babysitting him?”

“Oh my god,” he laughed. “Relax, will you? This could be a mutually beneficial thing if you let it, that’s all I’m saying.”

You didn’t read too much into it, you figured Jeff was peppering you with reassurance only to calm your nerves or quell your concerns. When he was finished helping you clean, he hugged the girls goodbye and waved over his shoulder, leaving Harry alone in your house with you and your daughters and nothing but good intentions.

You left him downstairs at first, helped CeCe brush her hair and sat on the floor when Maeve picked out her clothes for the next day: hopefully Hayley doesn’t own this dress.

When you headed back downstairs an hour later, the girls were tucked in, the lights were off, and your usual plan would have been to check your work emails if it weren’t for the dimpled guy in your living room.

He stood at the bookcase, hands clasped behind his back when you found him.

“Hi, sorry--bedtime is always a--” you paused, not even knowing the right label. “A shit show. But thanks for playing with them earlier.”

He laughed, turned around and offered a smile. “No worries--they seem like great kids.”

“They are,” you assured. “Maeve’s been a bit snarky lately but I think that’s just the whole beginning of puberty thing.” You cringed a little when the words left your mouth, wondering if it was too much information for someone who likely had cooler things to do than talk about ten-year-olds and training bras.

But he smiled, shoved his hands in his pockets when you said: let me show you around.

He’d arrived at the worst time. Homework, dinner prep, CeCe crying because Maeve finished her homework first. You didn’t have the chance to give him a tour and you figured it would be better coming from you than from Jeff, that way you could remind him of all the rules.

You showed him the ground floor first. The library, the family room, the two offices and the three different remotes that all worked different TVs or speakers or lamps. He marveled at the pictures on the wall in your dad’s old office space, he was a legend, he told you.

He climbed the stairs behind you and whispered in response when you pointed out what was behind each door. Bathroom, Maeve’s room, CeCe’s room, guest room, another bathroom, master suite, guest room, his room.

You pushed the door open and stepped aside to let him in. Gray walls, a wooden four-post king-sized bed. Throw pillows you’d picked out when you moved in a few weeks ago, a dresser to the left. He looked around and nodded. “S’perfect.”

“Good,” you said, walking over to a small linen closet in his attached bath. “Towels are in here, should be soap and stuff in the shower--had our housekeeper stock it.”

“Thanks,” he nodded again.

“I don’t know where you parked, but there’s a garage in the back that my dad used to keep some of his sports cars in--there’s definitely room and that way you don’t have to leave yours out if it rains.”

Were you talking too much? You just wanted him to feel at home or at least welcomed.

“Amazing,” he said. “Thank you.”

A repetitive answer but it didn't stop you from rambling.

“Keurig’s on the counter--creamer in the fridge. Should be plenty of food but obviously feel free to stock what you like. Except like, weed.”

“Weed doesn’t go in the fridge...” he eyed you suspiciously, the same dimple appeared on his cheek and you rolled your eyes.

“I know--I know weed doesn’t go in the fridge.”

“Just the no drug policy,” he nodded.

“Right. Am I forgetting anything?”

He shifted his weight on his feet and shrugged his shoulders, a subtle shake of his head. “I don’t think so.”

“Okay,” you nodded, one final look around the room to make sure he had what he needed. His duffle bag was already in the corner, you’d told Jeff to put it upstairs and out of the way so CeCe and Maeve didn’t get nosy.

“I just have a question actually, if that’s alright.”

“Yeah?”

“When did you move in here?”

“Uh, beginning of August, so like, almost a month ago.”

He nodded, his eyes curious despite the fact that he didn’t ask more.

“We had to put my dad in hospice, I was looking for a place anyway after,” a quick motion over your shoulder to gesture to the girls. “My divorce, so--a lot of change, but it’s been nice to be home.”

He nodded thoughtfully, the quiet of the bedroom suddenly felt heavy. “S’a beautiful house.”

“Thank you,” you looked around the room again, if only to put your eyes somewhere other than his face. “I felt shitty about redecorating it at first, but--it was a little too much of a 70s bachelor pad.”

“Leave it to Walt,” he joked.

That piqued your interest. “Did you know my dad? Like, did you spend any time with him?”

He pushed his lips out in thought but shook his head when he sat down on the bed. “Not really--met him a few times at events with Jeff, but I never spent any quality time with him.”

You nodded--he was a busy guy, popular and well respected in his industry. “He was a good person, good grandfather, too.”

Harry smiled at that. “Always heard that Irv was the balls but your dad was the heart.”

You laughed, scrunched your nose at the saying you’d heard a hundred times. The two of them were partners in crime, two peas in a pod, yet they couldn’t be more different. He spoke again before you could reply, voice soft in the sleepy house.

“I mean, if you're his daughter he obviously did something right.”

He held your gaze just long enough for you to feel something, something you pushed out of your mind so quickly that your hand was on the door knob before he could even say goodnight.

Two weeks, tops.

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