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piratefalls · 8 months ago

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welcome back to the latest edition of biweekly fic recs! as always, mind the tags, if you can't leave a nice comment don't leave one at all, and happy reading!

masterlist.

There's No Problem That San Diego Can't Solve by @historicallysam

Alex doesn’t even bother knocking; he simply twists the knob on the door and shoves it open. His eyes narrow as the door bangs against the wall and he sees Henry on the phone. Maybe (definitely) it’s rude but his blood is fucking boiling so he doesn’t really care.

All the Ocean was Sleeping by @sparklepocalypse

The worst part about being a siren in the modern era, Henry ponders as yet another ship flies past his cove at a speed that he knows will disturb the anemone gardens below, is the yacht bros. Between the sound of their vessels’ motors and the dissonant noise the humans call music, Henry’s singing has no chance of attracting anyone’s attention.

cause you're a classic, and i'm reckless by @firenati0n

“I've, actually, uh. I've never done this before.” At this, Henry stops short, takes a second as his gaze moves up and to the left, trying to recall something. “I've seen your films. You most certainly have done intimate scenes.” Alex clears his throat. He hopes his nerves aren't completely obvious, the slight waver in his voice about to give him away. “Yeah, well. Never with a man, so. Not at this scale, anyway.” “Would it help to, er, practice?" Henry winces a little as he says it, which does not inspire confidence. But Alex is shocked nonetheless. What the fuck?

Over Land and Sea by SatinBirds

Alex and Henry come from very different worlds, and still, they manage to find each other.

Clean Slate by smc_27

“Henry.” Pez comes over, puts both hands on Henry’s cheeks and looks him dead in the eye. “You are not a sad man who’s gotten dumped. You’re in the prime of your life, and I quite desperately need you to act like it.” “The prime of my life,” Henry scoffs, more incredulous than questioning. “I’ve just gotten out of a 15 year relationship, endured a divorce, am suffering an almost impressive case of writer’s block, and your hands are like bloody icicles.” Pez grins, doesn’t take his hands away. “Explain to me how this is my prime. Please.” Pez tilts his head, and sounds entirely serious when he says, “Literally anything can happen from here.”

in bloom by stutteringpeach

Yoo, can u hook me up with some flowers?? It's the busiest day of the year for florists. Alex texts Henry with a last minute request.

here is a map (with your name for a capital) by @alasse9

That day at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, Alex comes across the very same Prince Henry who just dismissed him having a panic attack in a bathroom. The choice Alex makes then has ripple effects neither of them could have ever expected. What's the story like, when they actually are friends all along? “So, you’re going back to England tonight, and you’ll spend the next three days pretending you two are the closest and best of friends until we can put this mess behind us.” And there are reasons he hasn’t told anybody this, good reasons, even though he’s sure June and Nora saw through him ages ago. Faced with his mom’s disappointment, though, and with the realization that the entire world apparently thinks he hates Henry and would willingly shove him into a fucking cake, he can’t stay quiet. “But we are friends,” he says, vehement and serious. “We have been for years. He’s—he’s probably my best friend, actually, along with Nora.”

thoughts of you consume by yrsonpurpose

Henry sees Alex appear on the red carpet in a blue suit that screams sex on legs and is ready to throw away all attempts at concealing their secret relationship in the name of dropping to his knees at the first available opportunity.

eyes on me by matherine

Alex’s hips buck back against Henry’s mouth the moment his tongue does more than tease, and Henry squeezes his hip in gentle consternation. But before he can say anything, Alex is already rambling. “Sorry, I’m — I’m sorry, I know you said not to move, and I’m trying, I — I’m trying to be good, I promise,” he blurts, voice shaking ever so slightly from something that certainly doesn’t sound like pleasure, resolutely refusing to turn his head so that he can meet Henry’s gaze from where he’s positioned behind him. Henry’s heart aches. “Alex — love, it’s alright. Where’s your mind?” Or: Sometimes, Alex needs a distraction. Something to take the edge off, to scrub away at the stress of the day. Some days, it works better than others.

the evolution of intimacy by Poutini

There’s no spontaneity anymore. One might think this boring. That the novelty had worn off. The spark snuffed. Absolutely not

Want Me by OrchidScript

Henry had always been weak for a nice smile, but his was impossible to ignore. Blame it on summer heat and a fresh flush in his cheeks. Blame it on sunset painting the outdoor bar sweltering, romantic colors. Blame it on two healthy glasses of albariño thrumming in his bloodstream, or the good music floating on the air. Henry could blame it on anything liked if he thought long and hard about it, but that didn’t change much at the end. The core remained the same: he had been gone from the jump. -- Henry and Alex hook up on a vacation in Spain. Henry falls a bit deeper.

fill my lungs with sweetness by @priincebutt

Henry George Edward James Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor wakes up at 3 AM on his birthday to an empty bed. What could Alex possibly be getting up to at 3 AM the night before his birthday? The possibilities are endless.

got myself in quite a tangle by coffeecatsme

"It seems I've gotten myself in quite a tangle." "Tangle?" Henry's voice is hoarse, eyes darkened as they travel over Alex's body. They stop at his crotch, and Alex can see it even under the dim lights—Henry's growing hard too, a visible bulge pushing at his sweatpants. Alex's cock gives a desperate twitch. "Y'know, I was trying to put them around the tree," he starts, gesturing at the plain tree at the corner. It's clear he didn't even attempt to touch it. "And somehow I've managed to completely trap myself. Can't even move my hands." Henry makes a desperate noise at the back of his throat as his eyes snap up to Alex's face. Alex flashes him a suggestive grin, teeth biting down on his lip. "Seems I'm completely at your mercy."

The Forces of Chance and Coincidences by @stellarm

Bad weather leads to a late flight that leads to no one being where they wanted to be, but maybe everyone was where they needed to be.

I've never felt safer (than when I'm with you) by viciouslyqueer

Alex takes the bag and opens it slowly, careful not to rip it, and gasps quietly as he sees what’s inside. “H, you didn’t…” Strong arms wrap around his waist from behind, Henry’s chest warm against his back. “Do you like it?” Henry asks in a whisper, resting his chin on Alex’s shoulder. Alex doesn’t know what to say. Gingerly, like he might ruin it with even the smallest touch, he takes out the silky fabric and holds it up in front of them. It’s a gorgeous dress, fancy too, in a deep red color with thin straps and an open back. It’s long, almost touching the floor even as Alex holds it up and has a slit on the left side that would probably end a little above Alex’s knee.

An Amateur's Guide to Professional Gift-Giving by anincompletelist

Alex, a former-law-student-taking-some-time-off turned professional part-time gift giver, is tasked with finding a gift for the most high profile client he's ever worked with, both in and out of the world of law. It turns out finding the perfect gift for the Prince of Wales might be easier than he'd anticipated.

Love At First Bark by everwitch

“I still don’t know your name, do I?” Henry watches Alex where he’s crouched down in front of David and gently scratching David below his chin. David absolutely loves Alex. Henry can relate. “It’s David,” Henry supplies. “Cool,” Alex says. “And what’s the dog’s name?” Henry blinks at him. “... David?” “What?” Alex exclaims. He looks from David to Henry and then back at David again. “Wow, okay, that is a choice.” Henry wants to sink through the earth and never come back up again.

don't let me get drunk again by headabovethewater

Alex had never wanted to cancel plans as much as he had while watching Henry pull a pair of light wash, tight jeans over his stockinged legs and bare ass. Christ, he’s getting hard thinking about it now.

The Beginner's Guide to Floristry by clottedcreamfudge

As if there's anything romantic about it; as if it's not the most humiliating death Alex can imagine. This is why he doesn't do relationships. This is why he never will. The risk, as far as he fucking sees it, is too great. -- Hanahaki Disease is a fictional disease where the victim of unrequited or one-sided love begins to vomit or cough up the petals and flowers of a flowering plant growing in their lungs, which will eventually grow large enough to render breathing impossible.

Everything you take, you make it better. So go on, take forever by @hgejfmw-hgejhsf

It's 2024, and nobody knows they're engaged. But they will, just as soon as Alex can decide what to wear to his birthday dinner. Henry has an idea and a special gift to match.

false pretenses by rizcriz

Henry spins around, glaring at Alex. “For christs sake,” He hisses, holding a hand out between them. “Can we just not? I do not have the capacity to pretend to hate you today.” Alex splutters as Henry turns on his heel and starts to walk away. He stares after him helplessly. “Pretend?” After a beat, he starts to follow after him, “What the fuck do you mean pretend?” Three years of breathing down each others necks, fighting every time they come in contact with each other. And if Henry is saying every single thing on his end has been pretend, Alex Claremont-Diaz is going to have a fucking breakdown. Because he has been harboring this stupid fucking crush and burying it beneath false antagonism, meeting Henry where he’s at, for three years, and if Henry is implying that they’re both faking it— -- or, Alex learns better.

turn the desert to glass (you would be the one) by @taste-thewaste

Henry and Alex's domestic bliss has lead to some changes in Henry's body. Henry doesn't really mind being a little chubby, but he wonders if Alex does. Alex, it turns out, does not. Not one bit. He does not mind one bit, and he is more than eager to prove it.

coming on fast like good dreams do by cricketnationrise

When Henry recovers from his unexpected factory reset, he still can’t really breathe properly and somehow Alex is still standing in front of him with a hopeful and excited expression on his face. “Run that by me again?” he asks faintly. “I need your help.” “Right…” “I need you to edge me. Like a lot,” Alex says with a shrug. Nope, it’s not any clearer a second time around.

as always, let me know if you want to be tagged in future lists, whether you're a reader or writer!

tagging @starkfridays @stilesgivesmefeels @midnightsfp @sarahjswift @enablelove

#rwrb #rwrb fic #rwrb fanfiction #firstprince #firstprince fic #firstprince fanfiction #red white and royal blue #alexhenry #alex claremont diaz #henry fox mountchristen windsor

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novankenn · 5 months ago

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Jaune 1/2 (v2-9)

Ren rose from his seat in the waiting room as new team mates Pyrrha and Nora exited the examination rooms. Neither looking too worse for wear. Though Nora still had one arm across her chest.

"So?" Ren asked.

"The nurse said my chest will be tender and sensitive for the next few days, and there will be bruising, but other than that I'm fine." Nora replied. "How about you, Pyrrha?"

"Nothing serious. I have to inform them if I start to feel dizzy or nauseous, but they feel I don't have a concussion, but want to be sure."

"That's good." Ren commented, before peering around the pair, "Um... what about...?"

"Jaune?" Pyrrha asked.

"Red?" Nora asked.

"Both I guess."

"I don't know." Pyrrha answered. "I saw her wheeled into one of the exam rooms, but no one has said anything to me."

"Ditto." Nora added.

"CODE WHITE exam room three." suddenly blared over the pa system. "CODE WHITE exam room three."

The trio looked at each other, and then suddenly moved out of the way of the doors to the exam rooms, as a couple nurses, several orderlies and two security guards rushed past. The trio looked at each other...

"LET GO OF ME!!!" a voice screamed out, "YOU'RE NOT DOING THAT TO ME!!!"

"That sounded like Red." Nora commented.

"I'M SO GOING TO KICK ALL YOUR ASSES AFTER THIS!!!"

"Yep, that's Jaune." Pyrrha deadpanned.

"Why do you keep calling Red, Jaune?" Nora asked.

"Well..."

"COLD! COLD! IT'S COLD!!!!"

"Maybe we should hold that conversation, until our fourth member is here?" Ren asked.

Twenty minutes later a green haired nurse wheeled as shivering and dead-eyed young woman wrapped in a hospital gown, and blanket, out into the waiting room.

"Ms Nikos?"

"Yes?"

"Your partner, is good to return to your room. Please keep her from doing anything strenuous for the next three to four days as she does have a concussion, but other than that, she is in perfect health."

"Can't get married now... violated... sullied." Jaune muttered.

"Should I be concerned about?"

"No. she's just over reacting to the pelvic exam."

"Pelvic exam? Why did Red get one of those?" Nora asked.

"Well, we have no medical information on Ms Arc, and as such, and as per the Headmaster's instructions we had to complete a thorough and fully body examination." the Nurse replied.

"That explains it." Nora commented, while Ren just stood there having no context about what was going on.

"Is there anything else we need to consider or know about?" Pyrrha asked as the nurse moved away and allowed Pyrrha to take control of the wheel chair, while Jaune continued to whimper and mutter.

"She does have to return in five days for another exam."

"I und... Jaune?" Pyrrha stuttered out as Jaune reached up grabbed one of Pyrrha's arms and was hugging it with vice like force.

"Don't leave me..." Jaune whined.

"Ms Arc, goodness you'd think you'd never had a pelvic exam before, which is absurd considering your age." the Nurse chuckled. "Anyway you are all discharged."

"Thank you." Pyrrha commented, as Nora just beamed the nurse a smile and Ren gave a slight bow of his head. Jaune did nothing but cling to Pyrrha's arm even tighter.

#Jaune 1/2 Vol 2 #ranma 1/2 #rwby #gender bending #jaune arc #pyrrha nikos #Jaune + cold water = Femjaune!#FemJaune! + hot water = Jaune #betrothal contract #nora valkyrie #lie ren #headmaster ozpin #glynda goodwitch

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lenoraslament · 9 months ago

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Lenora’s Love: A Tom Riddle Fanfiction

Chapter 5: Firestarter

In which our Lenora scares the living shit out of a flock of deatheaters and makes our Tommy Riddle very jelly.

It was a larger turnout than expected. Mulciber Sr and Mr. Malfoy both shot each other a look of accomplishment as Eldritch Diggory made his way through the crowd with a line of followers.

"Minister" Mr. Malfoy shook his hand, "what an honor".

Men of all pure blood houses arrived to compete, the word had been spread. Nora sat on a chair in the lawn, watching them all pour in like ants.

"This is ridiculous" she snorted, "why is it only men?"

Abraxas sat in a chair next to her, "fairer sex".

She laughed and kicked his chair.

"Nora" his tone shifted to a serious one, "please just stay out of the way".

She glared at Malfoy who was standing to join Tom and their group standing near the minister.

"We all know you can duel" he began to walk away, "you have nothing to prove".

Abraxas stood next Tom who was speaking with the minister. They shook hands and he winked at the boys, "I've got money on this boys. Don't let me down".

Arden Yaxley strode up to them with Jence Greengrass in tow.

"You should tell the minister to save his money" Yaxley looked at Tom.

"Especially you golden boy, I bet you're not as good as they say"

Tom looked unphased by his comment, " in order to get the honor to duel me today Yaxley, you have to get through two duels and then Nott" he crossed his arms on his chest, "I won't have to lift a wand to you".

Yaxley gritted his teeth, "Oye Nott" he picked up his chin, "if I best you, say I get that pretty little blonde that's always on your neck".

Theo lunged with Mulciber and Black catching him.

Mr. Mulciber walked over, "save it for the duels". They all straightened and took their seats.

Nora sat in the back alone watching. She had to admit they impressed her. The first set of rounds they all sat back down within fifteen minutes. Every single one of Tom's group won their first two duels.

Greengrass was matched against Tom. He was in their year but they never shared a dueling class. He was supposed to be top of his class, he was quick as fire some parent in the audience told her.

Tom bowed, taking confident strides away and turning at the ready. Greengrass could barely draw his wand before Tom disarmed him, leaving the crowd to gasp. He hit him with a leg locking spell knocking him to the floor. Within minutes he was claimed the victor. His moves were formal, loudly pronouncing spells he could easily do in his mind. The duel was clearly a performance to entice the pure blood audience to be in awe of his powers.

He even removed the leg lock on his opponent when the duel was done. Giving him his hand and pulling him up slapping him on the back for a good attempt

"Maybe next time Greengrass".

Eldritch Diggory beckoned him over afterwards, having him sit and talk while the next round started.

Theo stupefied Yaxley who flew back. He caught himself hitting Theo back. An electric buzz echoed as magic flew across the area.

"May I?" Cygnus approached Nora who watched intently, moving her head as he stood in front of the duel.

"Only if you do so quickly!" She snapped back and he smirked at her intensity as she watched them duel.

There wasn't any letting up from Yaxley, Nora watched with her teeth gritted fearing for her friend.

Come on Theo she thought, hit him with something stronger She thought as she watched her mouth moving silently.

While she watched the duel Black watched her.

Theo was hit on the shoulder, he cried out dropping to the floor but kept his wand up defending himself. Yaxley closed in as Theo struggled to stand .

Lenora gasped Fiendfyre, use it to push him back. Fiendfyre she thought frustrated.

Flames sprouted from the ground, crackling and growing. Yaxley began to step back as it grew. Fear flooded his face. The crowd gasped and murmured in panic, Theo looked in awe and sprung to his feet.

Black touched her hand "Nora" he said but she was in a trance her lips moving.

Tom stood in surprise and looked to Theo whose face looked as shocked as his own.

His face poured over the crowd until he saw Cygnus and Lenora.

Her mouth was moving as if muttering. Black looked scared trying to shake her arm.

Tom excused himself from the Ministers box and drew out his wand, "Finite Incantatem"he began to utter trying to reverse it.

He could keep them at bay but was unable to completely extinguish.

Black tried not to draw too much attention to her as he tried to get her attention.

Abraxas and Avery looked at Tom, was he doing the spell? They couldn't figure it out until Tom caught their eye and shook his head.

Abraxas saw Nora in the crowd, he knew.

Lestrange saw everything happen from a distance. He began to tear through the crowd ready to kick her chair out from under her to stop her.

The pull was strong, the flames were growing up to eight feet within minutes, even Mulciber senior called out "Alright Nott, you've got him now let's end this".

Black and Tom made eye contact for a moment. Do something.

Black put one hand around the back of Nora's neck. He pulled her head to the side with a quick tug and caught her cheek with the other hand. Then he kissed her roughly.

Almost pulling out her of her chair. His hand snaked around her waist and she made a muffled sound. Lenora's mind cleared for a moment. She felt his tongue collide with hers and she gasped. He smelled like leather and vanilla, she was surprised at how roughly he grabbed her although it that moment she didn't mind.

Happily she returned the kiss, her hand touching his shoulder.

The flames died down and Theo yelled "expelliarmus" disarming Yaxley and was declared a winner.

All the boys took a breath of relief except for Tom. He was too busy watching Black pulling back from their tawdry exchange.

Read More Here:

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stargazer-sims · 10 months ago

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The Art of Living Dangerously

Cody: Hey, Nora!

Nora: Cody? What the hell are you doing here?

Cody: You mean here at school, or here in the basement? Because if it's the basement, I could be asking you the same thing. Shouldn't you be in class right now?

Nora: How did you even get into the school?

Cody: Come here, and I'll tell you everything.

Nora: I missed you.

Cody: I missed you too. Where have you been for the last couple weeks, anyway?

Nora: Nowhere important.

Cody: It must've been fairly important, for you to miss a week of school.

Nora: You're supposed to be explaining to me, remember? Not the other way around. Now start talking or I'm not kissing you any more.

Cody: You don't mean that.

Nora: Don’t I?

Cody: I don’t think so. You really do need to know why I’m here, though. I'm on my work placement.

Nora: Excuse me? Your work placement? You mean, from university? Are you saying you're teaching here? You didn't think that was something you should've mentioned before we ran into each other at school?

Cody: I would've told you, if I could've reached you. You weren't answering my phone calls.

Nora: No, because my parents took my phone. You didn't text, did you?

Cody: No. I remembered what you told me before. If you don't answer a call, then don't send any texts.

Nora: Good. At least you're not a total idiot.

Cody: Why did your parents take your phone?

Nora: Because my brother told them he thought I was earning my own money doing stuff online.

Cody: What kind of stuff?

Nora: You know what kind of stuff. Anyway, my parents didn't find anything. I'm not stupid enough to keep my videos on my phone after I upload them, and I always delete my browser history.

Cody: If you're doing what I think you're doing, I don't like it. It's dangerous.

Nora: How is it dangerous? I don't use my real name and I don't tell people where I live.

Cody: And I'm guessing you also don't tell people that you're under eighteen?

Nora: What difference does that make? It didn't stop you from getting into my pants, did it?

Cody: That's different. You're over the age of consent, but that still doesn't make it legal for you to get online and sell... stuff. You actually do have to be eighteen for that, you know. Plus, as I recall, you were the one who pretty aggressively got into my pants. You and your fake ID at the Blue Velvet.

Nora: Aren't you glad I had that fake ID?

Cody: I'm glad I found out it was just to get you into nightclubs and that you weren't too young for the other stuff.

Nora: I imagine you were.

Cody: So, are you ever going to tell me what you came down here to the basement for?

Nora: Cutting class, obviously. I hate math, and I don't feel like sitting in the same class as my cousin Caroline, the queen of numbers. She's humiliated me enough today.

Cody: What happened?

Nora: Her and her stupid friend kept saying I'm pregnant.

Cody: *worried* You're not, are you?

Nora: No idea. I'm just pissed off that they accused me of it.

Cody: But, shouldn't you know? I mean, you do look like you've put on a little weight lately. Have you been sick or anything?

Nora: Not you, too. Please don't start. I swear, I'll completely lose it.

Cody: Hey... I'm not starting anything. I kinda like your cute chunky belly, and your boobs being bigger is pretty hot, honestly.

Nora: Are teachers allowed to say 'boobs'? Couldn't you get fired for that?

Cody: Student teacher, and only if somebody overhears.

Nora: Want to see how much bigger they really are?

Cody: Yes, but not at school.

Nora: Wouldn't the risk make it more fun?

Cody: N-no.

Nora: You know you want to.

Cody: I think you want me to want to.

Nora: Guilty.

Cody: Nora, we're going to get in trouble.

Nora: He says, while doing the thing he'll get in trouble for.

Cody: I want you like crazy right now, but I'm totally serious. We can't do this at school. Even if I'm not actually your teacher, I'd still get my ass fired for this. I don't want to wreck my whole future for a few minutes of fun in a deserted hallway.

Nora: I need you so bad...

Cody: We have to stop, Nora. I mean it. I don't want to, but you know I'm right.

Nora: Yeah, I know, but I'm going to be distracted all day, thinking about you and your big, beautiful—

Cody: Nora!

Nora: Muscles. I was going to say muscles.

Cody: No, you weren't. Now, you take that cute belly and boobs off to class, or wherever you were planning to go just now. If you really don't feel like staying at school, the spare key to my flat is in the flower box by the front door. You can go there, so at least I'll know you're safe.

Nora: You'll come straight home after school?

Cody: Yes.

Nora: And you'll give me all your attention?

Cody: I'll do whatever you want. Then afterwards, we're going to have a talk.

Nora: About what?

Cody: About a lot of things, not the least of which is what’s supposed to happen next. I'm not playing around, here. From now on, you have to be honest with me about everything. We can’t associate with each other at school, and I don't want you doing whatever it is you're doing online any more, and you have to straight-up tell me the truth about whether or not you're pregnant. Got it?

Nora: Ooh... bossy. I like it.

Cody: I'm not joking.

Nora: Neither am I. I didn't know you could be so tough. It's a total turn-on.

Cody: Go home and wait for me, and don't do anything stupid, okay?

Nora: Yes, teacher.

Cody: *sigh*

#ts4 #sims 4 #willow creek #willow creek high school #tw sex mention #tw pregnancy mention #Leonora DeLuca #Cody MacAllister #stargazersims

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jennycalendar · 2 years ago

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christmas, 2022

a very special tumblr extra: what the kovacs-cervenak family is up to in the time of now.

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Ellie drew a glittery snowflake on her cookie, tongue between her teeth as she perfected every careful swirl of icing (and determinedly ignored Bella and Art, who were both giving her shit, again, about putting this much effort into a cookie that somebody was going to be eating in two minutes anyway, especially when she couldn’t even bake). The very minute that it was entirely complete, she turned around, smacked the cookie against Art’s forehead, and said, “Eat that, sucker,” before darting out of the kitchen so that Aunt Ellie wouldn’t be able to tell her not to waste food. Which would have been a total victory had she not realized, like, two steps out of the kitchen, that she was now unable to continue her excellent artistic cookie vision, so she stopped in the middle of the hallway and sulked for a minute before she heard Aunt Ellie saying, testily, “ELEANORA ALICE CERVENAK—” and ran the rest of the way up the stairs.

Mom and Dad were necking in the upstairs hallway. “Gross!” Ellie yelled. “Do you not have a bedroom for that?”

“Nora put mistletoe in the hall, Elle, look!” said Mom, who definitely sounded like she’d been partaking of some serious eggnog.

“Oh, no, it’s to the left,” said Dad, “we’re not quite under it, Jenny, look—”

“Invisible mistletoe,” said Mom sagely. “Invistle-toe.” And then she and Dad both started giggling, which was a relief, because it meant that they were not going to notice that Aunt Ellie was totally on the warpath. So Ellie ducked into her room and shut the door behind her just as she heard footsteps on the stairs.

Three knocks on the door. Crisply, Aunt Ellie said, “Eleanora. Get out here.”

“Aww, Nora, don’t yell at her, it’s Christmas!” Mom whined.

“No more starting food fights,” said Aunt Ellie through the door. “We have talked about this.”

“Yeah?” said Ellie. “Well, why don’t you tell Art and Bella to stop being little bitches about my artistic vision?”

“There are other ways to handle conflict,” said Aunt Ellie. “Ways that do not waste food. Wouldn’t that snowflake have been nicer if someone in the family had actually gotten to eat it?”

“No,” said Ellie, smiling sweetly even though no one could see her. “It was predestined for Art’s forehead.”

Another series of knocks. “Elle?” said Art, in that overly saccharine tone of voice that meant he was totally going to kill her when she opened the door. “I’m really sorry I said your cookies were pointless, even though you were using literally all the icing and you weren’t letting Jesse near any of it, even though Jesse is an actual child and should have the cookie-decorating materials—”

Ellie opened the door all the way, saw that the cookie had left a snowflake imprint on Art’s forehead, and said, “Aww! Festive!” before shutting the door again.

“So we’re starting early this year with the melodrama?” said Uncle Don. “What exactly happened?”

“Ellie monopolized the cookie-decorating station and attacked me with icing,” said Art. “And now she’s hiding in her room instead of facing retribution.”

“I was provoked!” said Ellie.

“Can’t hear you,” said Art. “Door in the way.”

Indignantly, Ellie opened the door, started to say, “I was—” and was met with a cookie in the face. She shrieked, tossing it aside. “Arthur!” she said. “You’re wasting the cookies!”

“Oh, so she can understand it when it’s her,” said Aunt Ellie. “Eleanora, please refrain from creating your usual levels of Christmas chaos. When there are this many people in the house, things tend to escalate very quickly, and I would like to not have a repeat of the Great Food Fight of 2019.”

“That was Mom’s fault!” said Ellie, gesturing to Mom and then regretting it. Mom and Dad had gone back to kissing. “Stop that,” she said, but they were very clearly not listening.

“They’re off duty,” said Aunt Ellie, waving a hand.

“Why can’t you be off duty?” Ellie demanded.

“Your Aunt Nora is the cog in the well-oiled machine that keeps this family running,” said Uncle Don, kissing Aunt Ellie on the cheek.

Literally what was in the air that had all the parents kissing this Christmas. “You know what would solve this problem?” said Ellie.

“Don’t say extra icing,” said Mom, who had come up for air.

“Extra icing,” said Ellie.

Mom untangled herself from Dad to give Ellie a look. “Elle, whenever we give you extra anything, you spend the entire party making more of it than anyone at the party can eat,” she said. “Which means we have Christmas cookies cluttering up the kitchen for weeks, because you don’t actually want to eat them, and I don’t want to eat them, and Dad ends up eating all of them so that you don’t feel bad about your artistic efforts going unappreciated, and then he gets sick from the actual art supplies that you used to make some of the cookies and didn’t tell anyone about.”

“I thought they were nice cookies,” said Dad.

“Do not start,” said Mom, pointing a finger at him. “Do not.”

“Dad likes my cookies!” said Ellie hopefully.

“There were glue in the cookies,” said Art to Dad. “Those were not food-safe. I’ve been studying food science—”

“Yeah, it doesn’t take a few books on food science to know that glue in cookies isn’t edible,” said Ellie snidely, realized too late that her attempt to belittle Art had undermined her own argument, and let out a defeated huff. “If I promise not to put glue in the cookies—”

“Baby girl, I love you to the moon and back, but your promises fall to pieces in the face of your larger projects,” said Mom, ruffling Ellie’s hair and totally ruining the perfect look that Ellie had spent like thirty minutes disheveling in the mirror. Now her hair was just actually disheveled! God, parents were the worst sometimes. “Trust me. I know how that kinda thing works. You tell everybody you’re gonna go to sleep at midnight, and then you’ve got just one extra line of code to work out—”

“Art can’t say my cookies are stupid,” said Ellie.

Mom’s eyebrows shot up. “Arthur,” she said.

“I didn’t say stupid!” said Art. “I just said…ill-conceived and a waste of time!”

“Yeah, you’re not getting off on a technicality there, hon,” said Mom. “Just because you and Milo are on the rocks—”

“WHAT WE’RE NOT ON THE ROCKS,” said Art very loudly.

“—does not mean you get to be tetchy with your sister when she does what she does every year,” Mom finished. “There are much more patient ways to tell her to save some icing for Xander’s kids.”

“Ah, yes,” said Dad. “Jenny Cervenak: pinnacle of patience.”

Mom hit him with a sprig of mistletoe. “United front, Rupert.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Ellie came back downstairs, Xander’s stupid kids had used up all the icing, which would have made her kill Art for making her have to leave the kitchen, but then Aunt Ellie not handed her a spoon and said, “Try this, Eleanora.” Which turned out to be the first taste of Aunt Ellie’s special sauce, which she never let anyone try until it was out of the pot. “How’s that?” asked Aunt Ellie.

Ellie smacked her lips. “Delish,” she said. “You’re an actual icon, Aunt Ellie.”

“See, that,” said Art. “Injustice. How come Ellie gets to call you Aunt Ellie and everyone else has to stick with Aunt Nora?”

“Do I look like an Aunt Ellie to you?” said Aunt Ellie.

“Yes,” said Ellie, at the same time Art said, “No.”

“There you go,” said Aunt Ellie, and turned back to the special sauce.

Ellie went over to the kitchen table, where Art was sitting and staring out the window at Milo, who was having some conversation with Spike outside. “How come Spike’s all bundled up?” she asked. “Wouldn’t he not need to wear a big winter coat, on account of being dead and stuff?”

“He likes to be included,” said Willow, sitting down at the table next to them. “Hi, Ellie! You make any glue cookies this year?”

“How does everyone know I put glue in them?” said Ellie. “Is there, like, a group chat where everyone talks about my failed art projects?”

“Honey, the last batch of cookies you made were eighty percent glue,” said Willow. “And I’m not sure how you did this, but the glue was a concentrated lake in the center of the cookie. Kira took this really big bite and hacked up enough glue to make a glue stick.”

“Oh, no, the glue got Kira?” said a dismayed Aunt Ellie. “She never said a word about it! Poor darling.”

As if on cue, Kira entered from outside, still a little pink in the face from the snow. “Um, Ms. Kovacs, you have any more hot chocolate?” she asked shyly. “Ezra’s getting a little cold.”

“And he’s suffering in silence, isn’t he?” At Kira’s rueful nod, Aunt Ellie made a little tch sound. “Men.”

“Does Mr. Kovacs do stuff like that sometimes?”

“Not often,” said Aunt Ellie, “but Eleanora’s father seems to be hell-bent on doing it enough for both of them. Do you remember when he nearly got heat stroke at Stacia’s graduation?”

“Very much his fault,” said Stacey, shutting the door after Kira. “Something is seriously wrong with that guy.”

“That’s my dad, you bluestocking,” said Ellie with relish.

“God, you are so Giles’s kid,” said Willow, a badly stifled giggle in her voice.

Abruptly, Art stood up, eyes still on Milo, and hurried outside. Ellie couldn’t hear what they were talking about through the window, but Milo’s smile got all plastic and touchy and he went back inside, leaving Art with Spike and that one friend of Stacey’s that kept coming to everything. Really boring name. Jim or Jake or something. Ellie didn’t care enough to remember it. “Hey, Elle,” said Milo, sitting down across from her at the table. “How’s tricks?”

“Are you gonna break up with my brother?” said Ellie, who had no interest in beating around the bush. “I don’t think I’ve seen you guys in the same room this whole party.”

“That—” Milo sighed. “Can you maybe understand why I might not want to talk to my boyfriend’s little sister about our relationship?”

“No,” said Ellie. “Your boyfriend has the coolest little sister on the planet who knows everything about relationships. Paging Doctor Love—oh, wait, you’ve reached her, and it’s me!” She scooted her chair forward, sitting up on her knees. “C’mon, man. I bet I can fix you guys!”

“Eleanora,” said Aunt Ellie, a warning in her voice.

“No, Aunt Nora, it’s, um, it’s fine,” said Milo awkwardly. “I just, y’know—it’s—” He was already getting up from the table. “Uh, hey, Kira! That’s a whole engagement ring! So you and Ezra—?”

“Ooh, yeah, you didn’t hear?” Kira glowed, flashing the diamond. “I made, like, a billion posts on Instagram!”

“I’m kind of on a social media detox?” said Milo. “You know—after—”

“After Art’s twenty thousand posts from the twenty thousand countries he’s visiting?” said Ellie. “See? I do know what the problem is!”

Aunt Ellie pinched the bridge of her nose and said, “Eleanora, why don’t you go tell Isabella she can try the special sauce?”

Which Ellie normally wouldn’t have done, but Milo was kind of looking a little bit kicked-puppy, and suddenly she did feel a little like a dumb little kid who didn’t know what she was talking about. And it had been mean, saying that to Milo, who was nothing but nice all the time. So she got up, flashing Milo an I’m-really-really-sorry smile, and hurried out of the kitchen to the backyard, which was full of everybody and everybody’s family and everybody’s family’s girlfriends and boyfriends and whatever. Xander was telling a small crowd some story about some monster he and Sonia had fought back when they were with the Council, and Spike had gone over to bring some hot chocolate to Buffy, and Mom and Stacey’s super boring friend were having boring science conversations at the picnic table, and Bella—

Bella was sitting way far away from the party. With Clementine. Clementine with the tattoos who she never stopped yelling at. And they were sharing cider. Clementine’s nose was almost as red as her hair, and she was giggling really hard at something Bella was saying, and Bella was, like, actually smiling. Which Ellie didn’t even know that Bella could do. Surreptitiously, she snapped a photo, then turned to leave—

—and almost collided with Dad. “Oh!” he said, grinning. “Ellie! I was just about to see how your mother’s little snow gremlin is doing!”

“Did Mom put something weird in the shed again?” said Ellie warily.

“Now, Ellie, your mother would prefer her experiments to be viewed nonjudgmentally—”

“One of them tried to eat your face,” said Ellie.

“Yes,” said Dad. “Well. It did apologize after it gained full sentience.”

“So what’s to keep the snow gremlin from eating everybody at this party?” Ellie asked, leaning against Dad a little as they walked towards the shed. “Force fields?”

“Family magic,” said Dad. “Nothing gets in or out of that shed unless it’s directly related to a resident of this house.”

“And Mom doesn’t consider her snow gremlins babies?” said Ellie. “That doesn’t sound like Mom.”

“…Ah,” said Dad. Now he looked a little concerned. “I may have to have a little chat with Jenny about the permeability of her wards.”

Ellie looked at the shed. Then she looked at the multiple Slayers at the party. They can handle it, she decided. She had bigger fish to fry. “Did you see?” she said. “Bella and Clementine!”

Dad blinked. “What?” His eyes landed on Bella, who was taking a tiny little sip out of the mug that Clementine was holding. “Oh,” he said, smiling softly. “That’s—that’s very sweet, Ellie.”

“Sweet?” said Ellie. “It’s so weird! What is going on, anyway? How come everybody picked Christmas to be all gooey?”

Dad gave Ellie this funny little grin. “You really are so terribly like your mother,” he said, and there was so much love in it that Ellie couldn’t even pick a fight about it. So annoying.

#fic #noon at the museum tag #(might need to switch that tag up!)#let's go with --#never mind the years of wasted time #<33 #anyway the INITIAL plan was to post this on christmas #but i wasn't sure when the fic itself would be finished!#and this contains a giant planet sized spoiler for the sequel #so i held it back a TINY bit #it's still getting posted in december though so big win

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agentfinder · 5 months ago

Text

This one is not written in Tumblr style. Sorry for that.

PHOTO BOMBSHELL

A snippet for the post Salem AU

DAMAGED GOOD.

Weiss was…perplexed? Perturbed? She wasn’t sure which word best described her current feelings.

It was Wyatt’s fifth birthday today and her serious, studious, little boy had an absolutely adorable request. No big party with his friends. No outing in Pennycle’s many family friendly areas. And, thankfully, no trip to one of Joan’s beloved beaches. A quiet gathering of family, blood and found, was all he wanted. A full family portrait to go along with it was the last of his request. But why wasn’t he ready for the photo?

Not that he would be present-less. The coffee table in the main library was completely hidden by wrapped packages and gift bags. Hovering near the gifts were Ren and Nora’s daughter, Pyrrha. Glued to her side was Wyatt’s older sister, Joan, and a little further away was her Weiss’s half brother, Corvus. Wyatt wasn’t with them but a quick scan of the room found him where his mother figured he would be.

Sitting on the bay window seat that everyone jokingly referred to as ‘Blake’s nook’ was its “owner” seated comfortably despite the swell of a pregnant belly. In fact she hilariously perched her current book on her belly and was reading aloud. Wyatt was sitting in the opposite side, a book leaning on his legs.

Weiss strolled over to him, “Wyatt, dear, should we take the photo now?”

“Of course not Mother, everyone is not here.” His blue eyes, darker than her own, seemed to be posing a request to her.

Another look around the room showed Jaune and Ren talking quietly by the fireplace. Nora, Yang, and her own wife, Ruby were near the buffet tables chatting excitedly. Winter, Willow, and Whitley had busied themselves setting up the photo area and Klein was standing behind the antique non-digital camera Wyatt thought was so interesting.

Weiss pressed her lips together tightly as she walked across the room to his wife.

“Petal,” the blanchette said to get her love’s attention, “Wyatt says everyone isn’t here.”

“He said he was okay that Oscar and Emerald were unable to get here.” Ruby answered.

Weiss tilted her head, continuing to look at her wife. “I think we know who he means, sweetheart.”

Ruby sighed loudly, looked over to the fireplace and after thinking for a few seconds started walking toward her son. She got halfway across the large library before Wyatt noticed and turned his head to look into an “unoccupied” corner of the room. Ruby nodded slightly before changing her route to stop near the corner.

“It’s not everyday that I learn my five year old MAY be more mature than me. Regardless, he says your family, so please join us for the photo.”

A full minute passed. Then two. Suddenly the background shattered like glass showing a smiling and nodding Neopolitan. Ruby decided to not mention the moisture in those different colored eyes.

“OKAY EVERYONE IT’S PICTURE TIME!” Ruby hollered out taking the shorter woman’s hand in hers and walking with her towards her in-laws. She could see Winter squinting at the two of them and knew the placements were going to need a quick rearrangement. Upset in-laws or upset son. For Ruby it wasn’t even a contest.

White Rose in Bloom Event

Okay, since @white-rose-week isn't hosting this year, to not take their week for next year, we'll do it on another week this year.

During the week of July 8th to July 15th, this blog will have some WhiteRose prompts up for creators, artists, and writers to make some WhiteRose content.

Day 1 : Hobby enthusiast girlfriend / supporting your Hobby enthusiast girlfriend

Day 1 : Western AU (Cowgirl and Land Baron)

Day 2 : Domestic Life

Day 2 : Mecha / Gundam AU

Day 3 : Beach

Day 3 : Business AU (Bakery/Banker/Cafe/Florist/Etc.)

Day 4 : Family Pictures

Day 4 : Dragon AU

Day 5 : Lazing in Bed Together

Day 5 : Fantasy AU

Day 6 : First Kiss

Day 6 : Demon Hunters AU

Day 7 : Halloween Costume Party

Day 7 : Royalty and Knights AU

Day 8 : Free day

Look forward to what ya'll have in store.

#rwby #ruby x weiss #neopolitan #jaune arc #white rose fans blog #white rose in bloom #nora valkyrie #yang xiao long #blake belladonna #weiss schnee #ruby rose

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arc-misadventures · 2 years ago

Text

Would You Care To Join Us…?

Jaune: Nora, I need some help.

Nora: What do you need, Fearless Leader?

Jaune: How do I get together with, Weiss?

Nora: You still like her?

Jaune: Yeah… I just needed some time to greave… And… And, I’m ready to move on. So any ideas how I could rekindle the flame, so to speak?

Nora: Hmm… Oh I got it!

Jaune: Really, what is it?!

Nora: Do her mother!

Jaune: Eh…?

Nora: Bang, Mrs. Schnee; and when, Weiss walks in, and catches you in the act! You ask her to join in on the fun!

Jaune: Your joking…

Nora: Hey, if it happened to me, I’d join in.

Jaune: Good gods, you’re serious?!

Nora: Hey, you wanted a idea, and I gave you one. What do you have to lose, I mean, even if she says no, you’re still going to have some fun! So~?

Jaune: …

Jaune: Haaa…

~~~

Willow: Oh~! Jaune~! Right there! Right there~!

Jaune: Ahh~! You feel so good, Willow!

Willow: I can feel so many years of bent up stress being drowned away in raging ecstasy~! Do me hard you magnificent stud~!

Jaune: Hehe~! With pleasure, Will…?!

Winter: Mother! I have good news; father has been put into prison for… for…?

Jaune: Uhhh…

Willow: Oh no…

Winter: What the…?!

Jaune: Uhhh… H-Hi, Winter… W-Would you care to… to j-join us…?

Winter: …?

~~~

Jaune: It worked!

Nora: But, you did the wrong sister.

Jaune: I did the wrong sister…

Nora: Well then… Just do, Winter next!

Jaune: …

Jaune: Meh… why not?

~~~

Winter: Ahhh~!

Jaune: Enjoying yourself love~?

Winter: Why haven’t I done this ages ago?!

Jaune: Cause’ you haven’t met a man like me before~!

Winter: Then make me…?!

Harriet: Winter, where the hell are you?! We’ve got a m-m-meeting… to… to… Uhh…?!

Jaune: …

Winter: Oh shit…

Harriet: Uhhh…?!

Jaune: W-Would you care to join us, Harriet…?

Harriet: E-Excuse me…?

~~~

Nora: Harriet?!

Jaune: Yeah… She… She caught us…

Nora: Did she join you two?

Jaune: Yeah… she did.

Nora: Wow… Are you going to do her next then?

Jaune: She asked for a second run, so…

~~~

Harriet: Ahhh~! Quick, and hard just the way I like it~!

Jaune: I aim to please, my dear~!

Harriet: You still got some steam in you then, Arc~?

Jaune: Enough to tire you out, and then some~!

Harriet: Oh really now~? Care to prove then?

Jaune: With pleasu…?!

Elm: Harriet, where are you?! We’ve got training to… to do… Uhh… W-What’s going on here…?

Jaune: Uhh…?!

Harriet: Training.

Elm: Training?

Jaune: Yeah… Training… Would you care to join us for some… training?

Elm: Hmm~! I could use some endurance training~!

~~~

Nora: Elm?

Jaune: Yeah… Thunder Thighs is not a joke…

Nora: Hehe~! Knew it!

Jaune: Yeah… Oh?! I have to get going, Elm wants to…

Nora: To~?

Jaune: Do some more endurance training…?

Nora: Nice!

~~~

Jaune: Enjoying the view~?

Elm: How?! Are?! You?! Oh gods~?! C-Carrying?! Me?!!

Jaune: Hehe~! I’ll answer that after…?!

Nora: Heyo~! Fearless Leader!

Elm: N-Nora?!

Jaune: I should have seen this coming…

Nora: Hehe~!

Jaune: Would you care to join us, Nora~?

Nora: I’m all yours, Jaune-Jaune~!

~~~

Jaune: You were going to do that as soon as I mentioned, Elm, didn’t you?

Nora: Hell yeah! And, it was glorious!!!

Jaune: Okay…

Nora: Lets do it again!

Jaune: EH?!!

~~~

Nora: Just like that, Jaune! Just like that~!

Jaune: Ah! You harder to put down then, Elm, Nora!

Nora: Thunder Thighs, baby~!

Jaune: Hehe~! Of course my little Spark~!

Nora: S-Spark~?!

Yang: Hey, Nora, have you seem my copy of the… of the…

Nora: Hey, Yang!

Yang: H-H-Hi… N-Nora…

Nora: You busy, or would you care to join us?

Jaune: Hey, that’s my line!

~~~

Nora: Spark~! Hehehe~!

Jaune: Okay…? I think I better tell, Ren about us…

Nora: Oh, I already told him… Spark~!

Jaune: You did?!

Nora: He approves!

Jaune: Oh… O-Okay then…?

Nora: Hey, aren’t you supposed to see, Yang in five minutes?

Jaune: Oh shit?!

~~~

Yang: Mmm~! Mama likey~!

Jaune: Mama~? Why, Yang I never knew you were into that kind of thing~!

Yang: I can’t help it… Ohhh~! I love the taste of it all~!

Jaune: Really now? It does give you a rather spicy flavour now. I like it~!

Yang: Really now~?! What do you taste like?!

Jaune: You tell me…?!

Blake: Yang, were you wearing one of my shirts again?!

Yang: No, your shirts don’t fit around these girls.

Blake: Then who stretched out my shirt…?

Yang: Beats me.

Blake: Haa… I liked this shirt… Oh, hi, Jaune.

Jaune: Hi, Blake! You busy?

Blake: No, not really.

Jaune: Oh, good… Would you care to join us then?

Blake: Wait… Are you two having sex?!

~~~

Nora: She didn’t realize you two were having sex?

Jaune: You think someone like, Blake would realize that sooner… but, evidently not.

Nora: Well what did you expect from a blushing virgin?

Jaune: Not a collar, and leash…

Nora: Beg pardon?

~~~

Blake: Ahh?!

Jaune: You enjoying yourself, Pet?!

Blake: Yes, Master! Ahh~! Thank you, Master~!

Jaune: Aww, such a good little kitty.

Blake: Ohh~!

Jaune: How about I give you a reward for being such a good…?!

Ruby: Hey, Blake, I finished that, Ninja of Love book you gave me. Can I have the next book… p—please…?!

Blake: Ah-ah-hahaha~!

Jaune: Uhh… Blake’s a little out of it, perhaps you should come later?

Ruby: O-O-Okay…

Jaune: …

Ruby: …

Jaune: …?

Ruby: …

Jaune: Or… would you care to join us instead, Ruby?

Ruby: Ahhh~!

~~~

Nora: Ruby’s into those books?! They’re trash!

Jaune: She’s a young woman, whose exploring her sexuality…

Nora: …

Nora: And…?

Jaune: I was trying to come up with a reason, but I couldn’t think of anything. those books are trash, just trash…

Nora: He… Told ya.

~~~

Ruby: Ahh~! Big bro! S-Slow down~!

Jaune: Oh-ho-ho~? I didn’t take you for that kind of girl, Rubes.

Ruby: S-S-Shut it! I-I just find it… H-Hot! Okay?!

Jaune: Oh, don’t be upset my little, Rosebud…

Ruby: R-R-Rosebud…?!

Jaune: Big brother, doesn’t mind at all~!

Ruby: Oh gods… T-That’s so hot…!

Jaune: Relax, Rosebud, your big brothers gonna take good care of you…?!

Weiss: Ruby, are you okay?! I heard you calling out for… f-f-for…? Oh gods…?!

Ruby: H-H-Hi, Weiss… Big bro…?! Jaune! Jaune was just showing me some… W-Wrestling! Some wrestling moves! That’s all! Hehe…?!

Weiss: Wrestling? Really now…?

Ruby: Yes…?

Jaune: W-Would you care to join us, Weiss? I can give you a proper demonstration of you’d like.

Weiss: A proper… Demonstration… Hmmm~?

~~~

Nora: You got a date with, Weiss?!

Jaune: Hell yeah I did! It just took me, eight tries!

Nora: Uhh…?

Jaune: Y-Yeah… That… That came out wrong…

Nora: Yeah… Well, you’ve got a date with, Weiss then?

Jaune: Yep, tomorrow.

Nora: Cool, you better let me know how it comes out!

Jaune: Will do, Nora! Thanks again, I owe you one.

Nora: We can just go at it again, and call it even.

Jaune: Say what now?

~~~

Weiss: Oh, Daddy! Daddy more~! More~!

Jaune: Anything for you, Princess.

Weiss: Oh, Gods yes~! I love you, Daddy~! I love you~!

Jaune: I love you too, Princess.

Willow: My, oh my, what’s this~?

Weiss: EEP?!!

Willow: Daddy’s giving his lovely girl such a loving embrace? How sweet~!

Jaune: H-Hi, Willow…

Willow: Hello, Jaune~! Tell me, if your not too busy… Can… Mommy, join you too~?

Jaune: Well, I don’t mind at all, Willow. But, what do you think, Princess? Would you care if, Mommy joined us too?

Weiss: …

Weiss: W-Would you care to join us… M-Mommy…?

Willow: Mmm~! It would be my pleasure, dear~!

~~~

Jaune: …

Nora: …

Jaune: So… I accidentally started a harem trying to get together with the girl I like…

Nora: Evidently…

Jaune: Yeah…

Nora: …

Jaune: …

Nora: Do you think anyone else may join?

Jaune: I won’t make any plans… But… Maybe, Neon?

Nora: Oh yeah, she seems like fun!

Jaune: I bet she is.

#rwby #jaune arc #blake belladonna #yang xiao long #weiss schnee #nora valkyrie #ruby rose #winter schnee #willow schnee #harriet bree #elm ederne #neon katt #rwby colourguard

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howlingday · 2 years ago

Text

Whitely presses the emergency button.

Whitely: Orange is faking tasks!

Roman: Uh, I am not.

Whitely: You were standing still in the laboratory for almost a full minute!

Roman: Uh, I am trying to reverse Doodle search what kind of dinosaurs are in these fossils!

Ruby: I don't think we have enough evidence to vote yet.

Winter: I concur. Let us skip.

No one is ejected.

Roman presses the emergency button.

Roman: Okay, so, according to reverse Doodle search, none of these fossils match with any known fossil records, because they are cartoons.

Weiss: Shut up and let us do tasks.

Whitely: White sus.

Weiss: Nice try, bedwetter. Jaune saw me do trash chute.

Jaune: It's true! I did indeed see her shoot trash.

Whitely: Then they're both imposters!

Ruby: Whitely, there's only one imposter.

Whitely: Um...

Weiss: lmao bye kid

Whitely: WAIT! NO!

Whitely was ejected.

Whitely was not the imposter.

Qrow hits the emergency button.

Qrow: RAVEN

Raven: Qrow is the imposter.

Qrow: Raven has been chasing me the entire game and is CLEARLY trying to kill me!

Raven: I just like watching you run, bird boy! Plus, I saw Qrow come out of a vent.

Qrow: YOU LIAR! You did not!

Raven: Did too!

Qrow: Did not!

Raven: Did too! Sus! Big sus! Big bird sus!

Winter: Qrow, is this true? Are you, indeed, sus?

Qrow: I have been watching the security cameras for half the game, and the other half Raven's been chasing me!

Weiss: Well, Jaune and I were in security when the button was pressed, and I didn't see you there.

Qrow: That's because I was the one who pushed the button!

Weiss: Don't yell at me! Jaune, vote Black!

Jaune: Yes, Miss Weiss!

Qrow: WHAT?!

Qrow was ejected.

Qrow was not the imposter.

Raven hits the emergency button.

Raven: Hold up. Nora, where have you been all game?

Nora: I finished all my tasks, I've just been running around.

Roman: Already?

Nora: Yeah!

Weiss: How is that even possible?! We just started this game, and half of it has been emergency meetings.

Jaune: How do I do the card minigame?! I don't understand!

Nora: You can do it if you know how to ZOOM! Also, doing all the tasks as the imposter is so much easier, because you can vent, and the imposter doesn't have to do tasks.

Jaune: How do I vent?!

Weiss: Wait. Raven said she saw Qrow vent, but he wasn't the imposter.

Raven: Can I curse?

Ruby: No.

Raven: Oh yeah I lied. lmao I just hate that bird brain.

Weiss: Bye

Raven was ejected.

Raven was not the imposter.

Winter hits the emergency button.

Winter: Miss White, I fear I have grown suspicious of you. You have been eager to vote off our many compatriots a

Winter: Sorry. Character limit.

Winter: And yet none of them were the imposter.

Weiss: Are you serious? Jaune already said he saw me do trash. I'm clear.

Ruby: Visual tasks are off.

Jaune: Yes! Miss Weiss private messaged me to tell everyone I saw her shoot trash.

Weiss: #$%@!

Weiss: $%@#!

Weiss: %@#$!

Weiss: @#$%!

Winter: Lying AND swearing? Your crimes are numerous indeed.

Roman: Psh! Not that numerous.

Weiss was ejected.

Weiss was not the imposter.

Nora presses the emergency button.

Nora: How we all doin?

Nora was ejected.

Nora was not the imposter.

Jaune presses the emergency button.

Jaune: pls

Jaune: Vote me off

Roman: Uh...

Jaune: I have failed Miss Weiss. I could not protect her. It is only right that I follow her out in the airlock!

Roman: I can respect that.

Winter: Miss Rose. You are the only one left with an emergency meeting button. After voting off Mr. Arc, please vote me off.

Ruby: Why?! After Vomit Boy, there will only be three of us left, and if we vote it down to two, then the imposter wins!

Winter: Among Us is simply a game. The imposter changes every round, and their crimes have no consequence. I, however, am a specialist, a real one. It is my job to solve crimes and uncover criminal activity, yet under my w

Winter: Sorry. Character limit.

Winter: Yet under my watch, I have sent several innocents out into the unforgiving vacuum of space. I am unfit to wear this badge.

Winter: The only imposter

Winter: is me

Roman: ACAB

Jaune was ejected

Jaune was not the imposter

Winter was ejected

Winter was not the imposter

RUBY WAS THE IMPOSTER

Whitely: I'm so mad! She didn't even kill anyone!

Raven: See, this is what I keep saying! Y'all need to get more comfortable murdering children! Vindication for Raven! I'm the real winner.

#rwby #epithet erased #epithet erased among us skit #whitely schnee #roman torchwick #ruby rose #winter schnee #weiss schnee #jaune arc #qrow branwen #raven branwen #nora valkyrie

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razorblade180 · 4 years ago

Text

Actor AU

Ruby:*looking at cameraman* You know in the show how we ham up the fact Blake likes fish? Well actually.... *points behind her*

Blake:*stuffing down sushi roll*.....What?

Ruby:Absolutely nothing changes. That sushi bar is her playground.

xxxx

Nora:Aye cuz, you ready for your big scene!?

Penny:*getting face painted* Time to die! Wooo!

Nora:Woooo! *whispers* she’ll be back. Ssssshhh!

xxxxx

Blake:Now most people might think Yang and Adam would cause some friction offset with all drama in the show. *looks at food bar*

Adam and Yang: *dancing while eating doughnuts*

Blake:*snickering* They are the biggest clowns here. Ruby, come get your sibling before they choke!

Ruby:Real or fake one!?

xxxxx

[Vol2]

Weiss:*balancing on chair* Boom! Told ya I could do it. All balance baby.

Yang:This her fifth attempt. Please tell me we got the second one on film?

Bloop!

Weiss:So Blake, What is wro-aaah! *smacks against the door.*

Ruby:Weiss!!!

Yang:HAHAHAHAH AHAHHAAAAA!!!!

Bloop!

Yang:*wiping her tears* God that was hilarious. Her body just went wham!

Weiss:Shut up!

xxxx

Weiss:Psssst! Look at this bitch over here. Practicing for his debut.

Whitley:*reading his lines*......!? *flips her off*

Weiss:*smiles* He’s gonna do great.

Whitley:Imma steal all your light. *smiles* They’ll make me the new ‘W’ for RWBY.

Weiss:Brothers, I tell ya. I don’t know if he’s more annoying on or off set. Got a whole ass trailer with his name on it. Such a diva. I’m so proud.

xxxx

[Vol2]

Ruby:I just wanna say I’m the greatest sister ever. I got connections and influence so... *points to set*

Coco:*winks* Surprise!

Ruby:I got her a small part. Got siblings all up through this set.

Adam: *chilling on a roof* I actually earned my part!

Ruby:Somehow! “PerFect! SeT THe ChARgeS!” What kind of line delivery!? Hahaha!

Coco: “YaNG! IS tHat yOu!?”

Adam: “YAng!? Yaaaaaaaannnnnng!”

Ruby:*red* Shut up!! That was my first read and I was younger!!!

xxxx

[V5]

Weiss:Your mom kidnapped me!?

Yang:You kidnapped her!?

Raven:And proms tomorrow!? Yes I kidnapped her! I’m a god damn bandit!

Yang:*keeping it together* Y...You fiend! How could...hehe. H-How.....

Raven:*snickering* You...you good?

Yang:Why prom!?

Raven:I don’t know!?

Vernal:*activley laughing*

xxxxx

Pyrrha: You know I asked my girlfriend is she ever misses me on set. *smiles* Smart ass said if I did then you’d be alive.

Cinder:*barges in* Am I wrong though!?

xxxxx

[V8]

Emerald:You just can’t go to Vacou! Cinder-

Mercury:Forget about her. You’re backing the wrong horse here. She doesn’t care! See ya around Em. *kisses her and walks away*

Emerald:......*looks at camera, then the hall* Di..he didn’t realize..?

Tyrian:I don’t think he has!

Crew:*laughing*

Mercury:*walking back* Did I just kiss you?

Emerald:*holding laughter* Took you long enough! It’s only been what fans wanted forever! Eight volumes Mr.

Mercury:*face palming* My bad everyone.

Tyrian:I was just stunned! I thought I missed part of the script! Couples, focus man! I know you love your girlfriend but I need ya too hate her a bit right now!

Emerald:*laughing* Please put this in features!

xxxx

Salem:*controlling grimm*

Oscar and Neo: *flossing off camera*

Salem:....Fuck *smiles* Damn you two! Let me be serious!

xxxx

[V8]

Ren:You cheated your way into Beacon!

Jaune:And you cheated on Nora!

Ren:WHAT!?

Jaune:WITH ME!

Ren:IT WAS ONE TIME! *hits bike* I WAS SO AFRAID, AND YOU WERE SO WARM!!!! *tears up*

Yang:*Amazed and confused* And the plot thickens!!!

xxxx

Oscar:James, you need to calm down. Now I know you miss Oz-

Ironwood:I miss no one. *shoots Oscar* No one.

Ozpin:*off screen* Nooooooooo!

xxxx

[V8]

Oscar:I’m not upset you left. I’m upset you came back.

Ozpin:Fine I’ll go get some milk and cigarettes. Shit, wanna be alone so much.

Oscar:Oh my god hehe...d-dad no! Wait! Haha c-come back! What do I tell mom!?

Jaune:And that was the last time Ozpin ever showed up.

xxxxx

Cinder: You know I hope I get another fight scene with you Jaune.

Jaune:Why’s that?

Cinder:You know, took your partner’s heart and rearranged your crush’s guts. *smiles* Jealous?

Nora:My lord...

Jaune:This is who I deal with off set. Cinder unchained. Witty as hell.

xxxxx

Penny: *dancing with Oscar*

Nora:You know...starting to think my cousin wasn’t excited to comeback for me. Fine, I’m not salty. I bet Cardin would love to come back. Get the whole family up in here.

xxxxx

Soldiers:*aiming guns*

Ironwood:Making progress? *strokes beard*

Watts:*strokes mustache*.........Yeah.

Ironwood:......?

Watts:......Huh? Oh are we filming!?

Ironwood:Oh my-yes! Haha! For like a minute.

Crew:*laughing*

Watts:My bad, zoned out.

Ironwood:Man is just stroking his mustache out of character as guns are pointed at him! *nudges him*

Watts:I..I got nothing. *face palms*

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redhairedwolfwitch · 3 years ago

Text

There's A Place Where The Lost Things Go - Legacies x Noralise!Daughter!Reader

You Can't Save Them All

B/m/n = biological mother’s name

Staring up the ceiling from where you fell asleep in the apartment you stayed in with your aunt, you ignored your phone and the ache in your heart.

"Is she alright?" Nora frowned, watching over your form, sulking on the couch.

"Something's wrong." B/m/n concluded as Mary-Louise huffed an 'obviously'.

"Shouldn't you be going to the school soon? You don't want to be late?" Valerie asked as she spotted you not moving.

"Maya broke up with me over text this morning. She met someone else."

Nora glared as Mary-Louise's nostils flared in anger, B/m/n let out a sad sigh, wishing she could comfort you.

Valerie's hand froze as she was reaching for the blood bag in the fridge, "then whoever she met is a serious downgrade from you, Maya will live to regret her decision."

"Don't kill her, please. Least her excuse was better than Lock's... am I really that unlovable?" You glanced over at your aunt, seeing her glare at the mention of Lock, then the sadness in her eyes at your question.

"You are worthy of love, Y/n. You are full of love and humanity, never doubt that. Your mothers loved you, and I love you, my sweet niece." Valerie replied, placing the glass of blood down on the countertop so she could comfort you.

"I wish she could see us."

///

"Some of us process these traumas by suppressing what happened. For others, it's easier to bury it deep inside and pretend like nothing's happened at all. Still, others may take a different route, such as..." Emma trailed off her talk as Hope finished.

"Pushing people away in an attempt to self-isolate? Because everyone they love is in perpetual danger, which often results in them being perpetually dead. See? There. That's it. That's my therapy. Can I go now? Because Landon's outside trying to fly and Y/n's not here to be a spotter-"

"I'm afraid not, Hope, because the point is, we can all do better at processing the traumas we've been though. Ms Hildegard will be joining us, eventually, since her teleportation power does grant her the ability to arrive to destinations quickly... Doctor Saltzman has asked me to conduct a special group lesson today." Emma explained as MG and Josie tried to disagree.

"They can't sense she's already there?"

"Her cloaking is enhanced by angel magic, witches can't sense her. From what I can tell anyway." Mary-Louise explained as Nora smirked, proud of your power.

"I, for one, could really use this, and I'd appreciate everyone's support." Lizzie admitted as MG admitted he was down to help.

"Where is she going?"

"To enter like she hadn't been in the room the entire time." B/m/n realised as Nora and Mary-Lou exchanged glances.

"You will all have an important role to play in this simulation. Oh, stop looking at me like that! It'll be fun. This device was created by Professor Rupert Vardemus. The real Professor Vardemus. He's quite famous in mystical therapeutic circles. It's his variation on a Chambre de Chasse. All your psychological concerns will be transferred inside to form a shared narrative. Now, the world you create together can be anything, from pirates at the high seas, to spies in the Cold War. But no matter what it ends up looking like, it will be designed specifically to help you. Out here, you're unconscious. You'll have no awareness that you're in a simulation. Welcome, Miss Hildegard, glad you could join us." Emma interrupted herself as you entered, tugging your hood over your head as everyone looked at you.

"Have you been crying?" Hope mouthed, reaching out for you but you shook your head, not in the mood to talk, and instead listening to Emma explain the therapy box more, like you hadn't been invisible and eavesdropping for the last fifteen minutes.

"The bond between Y/n and Hope..."

"Don't phrase it like that, for a moment I thought you meant sirebond." Nora snapped as B/m/n sighed, raising her hands in surrender.

"Not a sirebond. It's something else entirely."

You didn't even acknowledge Jade when she walked in late.

///

"There's a place where the lost things go." MG monologued as you wiped at the bar, glancing towards your co-worker as she poured someone another drink.

Glancing at the singer, you realised it was Emma, your eyes drifting around to realise that Lizzie, Josie, MG and Raf were all in the establishment too.

"Landon's? That's a bit on the nose..." You whispered before glancing at the words on your wrist.

Apricus.

"Sunny? Wow. That's just great." You murmured, not realising it shouldn't have been possible for you to be presented with your self-awareness word so early until Hope ordered you to grab another bottle of bourbon from the back.

You had no idea that the game had already changed.

Emma Tig was eliminated.

///

The therapy box meant you weren't supposed to have access to your magic, but becoming self-aware so fast gave you an advantage as you kept to the shadows, watching MG investigate something at Landon's as Hope went to the back for whiskey.

"We're closed. You should have gone home an hour ago." Hope pointed out as she spotted you.

"You know me, Hope. I go where you go." You hummed, but Hope sighed.

"You say that, even knowing I chose Landon over you, over everyone?" Hope raised an eyebrow, but you just hummed, kissing Hope on the forehead before walking away.

"We have a bond, Hope. Just neither of us noticed. I'm your guardian angel." You playfully winked, passing MG as you went to exit Landon's through the front door.

///

"You're not supposed to be here." A voice called out from the other end of the alley as you glanced around.

"Yeah well, if you're lost, the place is that way." You gestured behind you, before something wrapped around your neck and tried to take away your breath.

///

"I really wish we could see what was going on inside that blasted box." Mary Louise growled, her anger dissipating as Jade woke up from the game.

"If Jade was ejected from the simulation prematurely, that would mean the rules have changed." Vardemus suggested as Jade grumbled about knowing she had liked Josie since seeing her in the prison world.

"Yeah, no shit, Sherlock. Your little therapy box tattooed me!" You exclaimed, gaining the attention of Emma, Vardemus and Jade.

"It did what?"

"What the bloody hell happened in that bloody thing!" Nora exclaimed as Mary Louise looked pissed and B/m/m took a closer look at your wrist.

"Ms Hildegard-"

"Y/n, what happened?"

"I was self-aware the minute I was there, the word was on my arm the moment you started the game, then some weird voice in an alley tells me I'm not supposed to be there, then I get taken out by force before figuring out what was going on, but I sensed it."

"Sensed what?" Jade quirked a brow, watching as the word on your arm began to glow brightly, along with your fingertips.

"My powers get stronger around dark magic. Whoever's in control of the box, is full of dark magic. Whilst I'm full of sunlight, thus, apricus." You shrugged as Emma and Vardemus processed what you said.

"You don't think-"

"It has to be. There's no other answer." B/m/n concluded, as your three mothers knew who the killer was.

"You were self-aware from the beginning?"

"Yeah." You nodded as Vardemus looked at Emma, processing everything.

"So, the question we should be asking ourselves is, why they did it?" Vardemus concluded as you huffed.

"Now I get why you were Sherlock Holmes."

///

"Lizzie, she got her escape word but she's still in the game!" MG stammered as he woke up, out of the game's claws.

"And, Josie died. I saw it. So why is she still in there?" MG asked, glancing over at the sleeping Josie.

"We were right."

"Y/n, what are you-" Jade began, watching as you gently placed your hand on Josie's shoulder, grimacing as you tried to siphon.

"Fuck- I was right..." You murmured, staring at your palm as you pulled your hand away.

Josie was the one behind all of this.

///

"Did you have a breakthrough, or did the killer get to you too?" Emma asked, hurrying over to Raf as he woke up.

"I don't know." Raf admitted, his hands on the sides of his head as he processed what he'd seen after his self-awareness word.

Mortem.

///

"Oh thank god! I was beginning to think I need therapy myself!" Emma realised as Hope and Lizzie both woke up, immediately hugging each other before Hope spotted you.

"Ow, what was that for?" You asked as Hope whacked you on the shoulder.

"Guardian angel, seriously?"

Nora snorted with laughter as Mary-Lou smirked and B/m/n rolled her eyes at your cheesiness.

"Um, not to burst the bubble, but, what are we going to do about Jo?" MG asked, focussing you and Hope back on Jo as Lizzie and Emma looked over too.

///

"The Salvatore School is the most amazing place I have ever been. And the most dangerous." Emma admitted, continuing to talk but you teleported away, landing on Hope's bed with a soft thump.

"Like I told you before, Y/n and Hope share a bond like no other."

Hope wasn't there. She was looking for Landon.

///

"This isn't you, Jo."

Josie's eyes turned black as she grinned, "it is now. So get used to it. 'Cause this look is here to stay." Josie announced, clicking her fingers for a quick costume change.

Stirring from where you lay, you jerked up as you felt MG catch the sleeping Hope in his arms, glaring up at dark Josie after.

"Shit!" You exclaimed as you felt the trembling, the destruction from the werewolf transformation chamber, as Josie escaped, leaving a porton of the school on fire in the process.

"Why does she remind me of someone from Y/n's readings about the school? Um, hang on, the name will come to me... Katherine Pierce!" B/m/n announced as Nora and Mary-Lou shrugged, no clue about who Katherine was.

///

Life Was So Much Easier When I Only Cared About Myself

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that-blue-vault-dweller · 3 years ago

Note

I thought of a funny one. Nora and her companion are just chilling when a rat crawls out and runs forwards Nora. She screams and just decides to crawl up the wall like fricking Spider-Man and she refuses to come down.

Oh, gosh, the mental image that sprung up in my mind when I first read this 😂😂😂

Thank you for the request, and I hope you enjoy! 💙💛

Cait - "It's just a stupid rat! It's probably gone now! But more importantly, how did you even get up there that way?!"

Piper - "Just hold on! If I can figure out how to climb up there like that, I'm going to be right up there with you!"

Curie - "Ooh! A rat! It is very cute, is it not? But wait! Madame, how have you managed to climb up there? You are like a spider on the wall!"

MacCready - "AAAAGGHHHH!!!! Oh, wait, I mean... Umm... A rat! Ha, ha... Umm, how did you get up there, anyway? Is there a special trick to it because I'd kind of like to learn? Heh, heh...."

Deacon - "Woah... All that for a rat? You must have a serious phobia to be able to literally climb up a wall and hang on for so long."

Codsworth - "Good golly, Mum! I forgot you were so terrified of rats! I'll rid ourselves of this infestation right this very moment!"

Hancock - "Please let me be high... I'm honestly too tired to do this today..."

Danse - "Incredible... May I ask how you're holding yourself up there? It honestly does not make logical sense."

Preston - "Woah! Did you see that thing run toward you?! Wait a minute... General, I think you need to calm down some!"

Valentine - "It's okay, kid. I think it's gone now. You can retract the claws now and come down from the wall."

X6-88 - *swiftly withdraws his gun and shoots the rat* "There, Ma'am. I have taken care of the situation. You can come down now."

Dogmeat - Growls and immediately chases after the rat. After all, this thing just scared his person, and no one scares his person! He does not come back until he has locked his jaws around the thing and has shaken it to death. Then he comes back and proudly presents his prize to F!Sole.

Strong - "HAHAHAHAHA, tiny human scared of rat! Tiny human climb up wall, HAHAHAHA---"

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kyoshisimp · 3 years ago

Text

Continuation of the Belmont-Arc prompt (Really need to come up with a name for it)

Qrow and Trevor close in and begin their close quarter combat with the cartoony dust cloud hiding them from view. The crowd is hyped and the bets get more eccentric, from who will win to who will be the first to lose an article of clothing. An errant sock flies into the crowd, causing them to go into a frenzy as they try to surmise whose it might be.

The ones more or less out of the loop would be our dear sister teams, who are taking in the revelation from 3 of its members.

"Those buffoons are related to you?!" Weiss shrieked at Yang, Ruby, and Jaune.

"Well, one of them is our Uncle Qrow," Yang says, gesturing towards herself and Ruby. "And it looks like he's been drinking."

"They both look like they've been drinking!"

"Yeah but he usually doesn't have a drinking buddy with him. So that's weird."

"That's what's weird?!"

"Kinda expected from Drunkle Qrow," Ruby says, slightly mesmerized by fighting happening in front of her.

"Who cares about all of that?" Nora exclaims. "Let's see some professional carnage!"

Weiss' eyes twitch. Seeing as she is getting nowhere with Ruby and Yang, she turns to Jaune, who's clutching his hair in panic.

"And you, Arc! That other idiot is your uncle?"

"More or less," Jaune says monotonously, hunched over, already dead inside. "He's technically a distant relative. He's Trevor Belmont of House Belmont."

"House Belmont?" Weiss asks, raising an eyebrow.

"I'll... explain later," Jaune sighs. "Right now the important thing is to make sure they don't kill each other."

"Oh I'm sure it won't be that bad," Ruby says optimistically.

Just then the two fighters broke apart, glaring harshly at each other. Qrow reached back and took out his enormous, fuck-you sword (officially known as Harbinger). "Try to keep up, dog breath."

JNPR and _WBY all turn to shoot a deadpan look at Ruby.

"Well," Ruby says sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head. "The future's unknowable, right?"

"Oh, aren't you a glutton for punishment?" Trevor says, his hand grabbing a handle on the side of his hip. "I suppose I'll indulge you."

"Looks like things are about to pick up," Blake said.

"YAY! MORE VIOLENCE!"

"That's hardly a cause for celebration, Nora," Ren says.

"HERESY!"

"How do you think this is going to go, Jaune?" Pyrrha turned towards her partner, only to be shocked to see a vaguely human-shaped dust cloud where her partner had stood. "Jaune?"

Pyrrha turned back to the brawl and blinked, seeing that her partner somehow teleported to his uncle's side, struggling to restrain his arm.

"Huh," Ruby says. "Is it just me, or did he move faster than I can?"

"UNCLE TREVOR, NO!"

"UNCLE TREVOR, YES!"

"THAT'S OVERKILL!"

"NO SUCH THING AS OVERKILL, JAUNE-JAUNE!"

"NORA, I WILL PUT YOU IN THE CORNER AND HIDE THE PANCAKE INGREDIENTS IN THE TOP SHELF!"

"Eep! I'll be good!"

"Jaune, as much as I want to catch up, I'm going to need a minute to take care of that walking untrimmed nutsack over there."

"You are not using the whip!"

"I'll just get a few licks in! Nothing serious."

"How is an EXPLODING FUCKING WHIP NOT SERIOUS?"

"Tch, well now you've ruined the surprise."

The crowd watches on with morbid curiosity, being thrown for a loop seeing a nephew trying to stop his uncle from using a whip. Jaune continues to restrain him when he looks over and suddenly stops. He let his uncle go.

"Ah, glad you see it my way, dear nephew! Now then, where were-"

"I just remembered something, Uncle Trevor," Jaune said looking quite chipper. "You don't normally travel alone. Where's Aunt Sypha?"

"Oh she's busy meeting with the old coot and the dominatrix."

"Ah, so she's around?"

"Yes."

"In hearing range."

"Yes, why are you-" Trevor suddenly stiffens.

"Trevor, dear. Would you please turn around?" an accented female voice calls out sweetly.

Trevor gulps and slowly follows the command to see his wife, Sypha Belnades.

(I chose her season 3 outfit, the most badass looking one, in my opinion)

Sypha has an closed-eyed smile on her face, her bangs casting an eerie shadow on her face.

"I leave you alone to talk with the Headmaster and I come back to see you already drunk in the middle of the day, picking a fight with the other manchild over there."

"Hey now, that's-" Qrow started.

"Do not speak, Qrow. You'll have your turn in just a moment."

"Wel , uh, you see, umm, the thing..." Trevor is shifting nervously, eyes darting everywhere before landing on Jaune. "Jaune, help me out here."

"Perish."

"It's a good thing it's almost summer," Sypha continued. "I imagine you're going to sleep with a nice chill tonight."

"Well looks like you're in for it," Qrow says. "Have fun with-" Suddenly he feels himself stiffen and lift off the ground, a purple glow outlining his whole body. He glances over to see Glynda Goodwitch glaring into his soul. Ozpin is next to her casually sipping his mug.

"Picking a fight in the middle of a school day in front of a crowd of students, Qrow?" Glynda says ominously calm.

"Would you believe it was bad luck?"

"I'd rather blame you."

"Well that's unfortunate."

#rwby #castlevania #trevor belmont #qrow branwen #jaune arc #sypha belnades #glynda goodwitch #ozpin #crossover #nora valkyrie #weiss schnee #yang xiao long #pyrrha nikos #lie ren #blake belladonna

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novankenn · 1 year ago

Text

Reluctant Hero?

= Thirty-Three = (Chapter List)

Nora: So, to the bullhead station?

Jaune: And get on one of those death-traps? No way. We're taking the Delta.

Cardin: (From the back seat) Beacon is on the top of a cliff, how is this bucket of... (Nora shot him a glare over her shoulder, cutting him off)

Nora: So how are we getting back without a bullhead?

Jaune: (Guiding the Delta through Vale's traffic.) There's an old access road from Vale to Beacon. We're taking that.

Nora: An OLD road? Can we... even make it?

Jaune: The Classic can make it through anything, oh ye of little faith!

Cardin: How are you so sure?

Jaune: If this old gal could get me and my friends up to the... um... she just will, trust me. Nora, hit play if you please... we need some cruising music.

Nora gave Cardin a questioning look over her shoulder, only to get a shrug of his shoulders as a response. So she reached over and hit play on the old tape deck.

youtube

Jaune: Oh yeah, that's the stuff!

Nora and Cardin sat back, giving Jaune a similar look, as he started to tap the wheel with his cybernetic hand, while also singing along... very off-key.

Despite Cardin and Nora's reservations, the Delta 88, or as Jaune called it "the Classic" was easily handling the rutted and rough very unmaintained road that lead from Vale proper to Beacon. Though neither was appreciating Jaune's singing.

After the fifth repetition of the song, as apparently the tape was just the one song, Nora had had enough and reached over and ejected the tape.

Jaune: Hey! (Taking his eyes off the road and giving Nora a look) I was...

Cardin: LOOK OUT!

Jaune/Nora: SHIT!

The beowulf hit the front of the Delta, was flipped over the hood to slam into the windshield, causing it's head to burst in a spray of goo that coated the glass. A second impact caused Jaune to slam on the brakes.

Cardin: What the f...?

Nora: Where the FUCK did that come from?

Jaune: (Attempting to use the wipers to clear the windshield, so he could see) I have no... Crap baskets.

Nora: Jaune? (Looks out the smeared windshield, seeing the approaching forms of at least three more beowulf and two missing Beacon applicants.) Crap baskets.

Jaune: Well, we have a choice, Lady and Gent.

Cardin: And that would be?

Jaune: Do we get out and fight, or?

Nora: Or?

Jaune: Do I run them over?

Cardin: Are you serious?

Jaune: Ah yes, I am serious! What do you think I would joke about running people over? That's cold man, real cold.

Nora: They're getting closer!

Jaune didn't wait for any further conversation, as he put the Delta 88 into reverse and stepped on the gas.

Cardin: What are you doing?

Jaune: I need room to get up to speed!

Nora: (having rolled down her window and peeking past the goo covered windshield) I think they know what you're planning on doing!

Jaune: Too late now! (Jaune hit the brake, put the Delta into drive and stomped on the gas.)

Forty-One hundred pounds of steel met a few hundred pounds of flesh at about fifty-miles and hour. Cardin winced at the sounds of bodies being knocked aside, over and under the car. Jaune didn't even flinch as he kept the accelerator floored and the wipers going.

Cardin: Can you even...

Nora: Let go, you bitch!

Deadite Student: (Half climbing through Nora's open window. It's twisted claw like fingers tangled in Nora's hair.) I will swallow your soul!

Jaune: Cardin do something!

Cardin: You do something!

Jaune: I'm driving!

Nora: Get off me, cunt! Someone, just do something!

Deadite Student: You will all die! There is nothing you ca...

BOOM! The Delta swerved dangerously as everyone now coated in gore shook their heads trying to ease the ringing in their ears, thanks to Cardin firing his shotgun inside the cab of the car.

Nora: I GOT IT IN MY MOUTH!!!

Jaune: WHAT?

Cardin: AHHH!!! MY EARS!!!!

Jaune: WHAT?

Thirty minutes later, the goo splattered trio exited the gore covered car. Glynda sighed as she looked them over. She knew she was supposed to ask, but she really didn't want to. Really, she did not want to know what those three menaces had gotten involved in. But it was her job to keep tabs on the trio.

Glynda: Would you mind explaining?

Jaune: WHAT?

Glynda: Why are you yelling?

Nora: I NEED MOUTHWASH!!! OR BLEACH!!

Glynda: I... ah... CAN, SOMEONE, TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED!

Cardin: (His hands pressed to his ears) I'LL NEVER LOOK AT ROADKILL THE SAME WAY AGAIN!!

Glynda: Roadkill?

Nora stumbled away from her teammates making a bee-line for the fountain, and as shocked students and a dumbfounded Glynda watched she dunked her whole head in to the cool clear water. Jaune stumbled about to the rear of the Delta 88 and popped the trunk. Glynda's shoulder's dropped as she watched as the young man, pulled out a six-pack of beer and proceeded to walk over to a nearby bench.

Glynda: WHAT HAPPENED? WHY ARE YOU ALL SO... SO... GOOEY?

Cardin: DID YOU SAY SOMETHING, TEACH?

#rwby #ash vs evil dead #horror themed #jaune arc #cardin winchester #nora valkyrie #deadites #deadite grimm #Youtube

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idkthisisjustforfanfic · 4 years ago

Text

that makes four.

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PART 4

Tristan had slapped his menu shut before you could even sit down. He’d been begging you to try a new place in Encino with him, you figured it was a good excuse to get Zoey out of the house and to let Maeve and CeCe duke it out in Shelli and Irv’s backyard instead of yours.

It was all work talk at first, he offered an update on a meeting you missed to drop off Maeve at a friend’s and Zoey sucked down a glass of wine promising to pump and dump before the night ended.

But now your plates were in front of you and you twirled spaghetti around your fork when she asked: “How’s your pool boy?” You stared up at her, unimpressed.

“He’s not my pool boy, and he’s fine.”

Tristan raised his eyebrows across the table. “Would you let Harry Styles be your pool boy?”

“Can we not talk about him like this, please?”

“Oh come on,” Tristan pulled a face. “If you’re not going to sleep with him at least let us fantasize.”

You must have twitched, a quick glance in Zoey’s direction or a quiver of your lip. Zoey leaned in and her voice was serious. “What was that?”

“What? Nothing.”

“What do you mean what was that?” Tristan asked.

“She made a weird face when you said that.”

“No I didn’t,” you defended. “I just don’t like talking about him in public, especially like this.”

“Bullshit,” Zoey laughed, leaned back in her chair. “What are you not telling us? Did you see him shirtless again?”

You let out a breath, wiped at your mouth and wondered if telling them would be the biggest mistake of your life. You couldn’t even get the words out before Zoey leaned in.

“You had sex with him?!” her eyes nearly bugged out of her head, Tristan’s fork clanked against his plate when his jaw dropped open.

You’d made it a whole week, almost. You pushed the thoughts down and brushed them under the metaphorical work rug. The body wash prototypes were in, you were booking models to do a photoshoot, video shoot, everything was getting lined up for the rollout in another few weeks. You didn’t have time to tell them about something silly and stupid and maybe a part of you didn’t want to fill them in because you were afraid they’d burst your bubble. It’ll never work out, what happens when his house is ready, he has a tour to go on.

“Be quiet,” you looked around and worried if anyone had overheard Tristan’s not-so-subtle name drop. “It’s not a big deal, okay? It’s not like it’s gonna be a regular thing.”

Tristan pulled his head back, offended by your words. “You had sex with him and you’re not going to make that a regular thing? Have you seen him?”

“Yes,” you made a face at Tristan. “I have seen him.”

“You are going to hit and quit Harry Styles?” Zoey leaned in and said his name much more quietly now.

“Well,” you dropped their gaze for a second, reluctant to be honest with them in fear of their reaction. “It’s happened once, and then we kissed once but CeCe came down, but she didn’t see anything. I’m just too old to be hooking up with a twenty-four year old.”

“Wait, okay, slow down. When did this happen?” Zoey asked.

“After my birthday dinner,” you shrugged. “We came home, had wine, the girls were out.”

“And when did you make out with him aside from that night?”

“The next night. And we didn’t make out, it was barely even open-mouthed.”

“Ew,” Tristan grimaced.

Zoey snapped to get your attention. “So twenty-four hours after you had sex, you kissed him?”

You made a face at her, unsure where she was going with it. You hadn’t been clocking or documenting your sexual encounters. “I don’t know, probably.”

“This is straight out of a trashy romance book written for middle aged women,” Tristan leaned back in his seat and took a pull from his glass of rosé. “I mean that in, like, a nice way.”

“Okay,” Zoey leaned forward. “So, nothing has happened since a week ago, then?”

“No,” you shook your head quickly. “Just those times. And I don’t think anything should happen again.”

They both groaned at the same time, Zoey’s shoulders sunk and she rolled her eyes. “You deserve to have sex with a hot guy.”

“I never said I didn’t.”

“Even if he’s younger than you.”

“I don’t want to traumatize my children.”

“Well you don’t have to have sex in front of them,” Tristan made a goofy face and you waved him off.

Zoey snorted out a laugh but you ignored their immaturity.

“I mean that having Harry here is already probably confusing for them, right? Their dad leaves, their grandpa dies, now we have some stranger in our house and he’s playing with them in the backyard and--”

“Being more of a dad to them than Luke ever was?”

Zoey’s words brought a sigh out from between your lips. “Exactly.”

“Having a positive male role model is good for them,” Tristan said.

“Sure,” you nodded. “But what about when Harry moves out? He’ll just be another man that will leave them. They’ll be super fucked up.”

Tristan reached forward and took your hand in his. “Hey--it’s more about the fact that they have you and they have other people who love them. Who cares if their idea of a family isn’t the stereotypic, heterosexual norm?”

“I know,” you relented. “I just don’t want them to be poorly adjusted.”

“Okay, that sounds like something an obnoxious prep school guidance counselor would say to you,” Zoey eyed you with skepticism.

You shrugged your shoulders. “It was Maeve’s teacher.”

“Okay, fuck that teacher!” Tristan nodded. “Your kids are adjusting, and that’s because of how good of a mom you are to them. And mommy deserves a pool boy.”

You couldn’t help but laugh, even if his words were worthy of an eye-roll. Zoey tried not to let wine drip from her nose after a snort escaped between sips.

“Not my pool boy!” You giggled.

“Which is good,” Tristan nodded, his tone completely serious. “That would be so cliché even Nora Roberts wouldn’t write it.”

Slumber parties always made you anxious. They were one of those things that made you question how on earth people trusted you to watch a group of children when sometimes, you still felt like one yourself.

Maeve’s 11th birthday party was no exception. Five other girls danced around your living room and CeCe sat at the counter while you iced cupcakes. Her little face was scrunched into a pout so intensely that it almost made you giggle.

“You alright?” You asked her, dish towel over your shoulder when she let out another sigh.

“Just wish I could play with them,” she held her palms towards the sky in exasperation, reaching for a container of sprinkles when you let out a laugh.

“You get to go for ice cream with Uncle Jeff, remember? You’re gonna go to the beach, too, I think.”

You’d been trying to bribe her all week: a new tutu, a new doll, anything she wanted just to make her give up and accept the fact that her older sister didn’t want her at her slumber party.

And you couldn’t blame either of them. Of course Maeve didn’t want her younger (and very loud, dramatic, and demanding) younger sister trailing behind all night. But, on the other hand, of course CeCe felt left out when she saw all of the older girls arrive with their sleeping bags and birthday gifts.

She sighed again, your conversation interrupted by a ringing from your cell phone on the counter beside her.

“Uncle Jeff?”

She was right, you reached for the phone and held it up with your shoulder, hoping the laughter from the living room wouldn’t travel it’s way into the speaker.

“Hi--are you here?”

“Y/N, I am so sorry to do this--”

“Oh god, Jeff, no!”

“I just got called into the office because one of my artists apparently just posted some stupid shit on the internet--isn’t there someone else who can hang out with CeCe? Where’s Tristan?”

“I don’t know where he is, but I doubt he’d be thrilled to play dress up or skip through a park.”

“Zoey?”

You could hear traffic through his line, his karma for backing out at the last minute was having to sit on the 405. “She has a ten-week-old infant, Jeffrey.”

“Well where’s Harry? Can’t he pitch in?”

You let out a groan, CeCe had taken to pouring sprinkles into her hand and lapping them up with her tongue.

Harry was upstairs, hiding away from the girl gang currently singing karaoke and sipping on juice boxes. He had the day off and had dipped out in the afternoon to meet a friend for lunch. You tried to mind your own business--he could come and go as he pleased and just because you had slept with him once didn’t give you the right to suddenly start asking questions about his plans.

But the universe pitied you, apparently, because right when you told Jeff you’d figure it out and hung up on him aggressively, Harry pranced down the stairs and headed for the fridge.

“How’s it going down here?” He reached for a juice box, crisp apple, and fumbled with the straw when he turned to face you.

“Everyone is alive and nothing is broken,” you scanned the counter, another batch of cupcakes still in the oven with 10 minutes to go.

With the straw now between his lips, he raised his eyebrows. “Bar’s that low, huh?”

“Well, your friend Jeffrey just bailed on watching CeCe and going for ice cream.”

She was blissfully unaware of the change of plans, still licking sprinkles out of her palm, but now swiveled around on the stool to watch the girls jump around in the other room.

“I can take her,” he shrugged nonchalantly, ran a hand through his hair when you stared at him for a second.

If traffic was Jeff’s karma, Harry must have been yours.

“Are you serious? You wouldn’t mind?”

“Not at all,” he smiled. “CeCe? What do you say we do ice cream and pizza?”

She turned around at the sound of her name, her eyes lit up. “Pepperoni?” She asked.

“Of course,” Harry replied to her like it was a crazy question.

“Is Uncle Jeff coming?”

“He’s not,” You informed her, arms crossed over your chest. “You’re alright to go with Harry?”

You didn’t mean to make it awkward, but mom mode kicked in and you realized CeCe had never spent time alone with Harry except maybe in the backyard.

“Yeah!” She hopped down from the stool and grinned up at him. “Can I get a milkshake?”

Harry looked over to you and when you nodded, he held out his hand. “As many as you want.”

“That’s not what I said,” you called after him, watching as he led her over to the back door. He plucked his keys off the hook on the wall and smiled at you over his shoulder. “Please don’t be out late, text me when you get where you’re going!”

CeCe shouted a bye mommy!!!! before they disappeared into the driveway. A sudden raise in your pulse had you questioning what type of mother lets their 6-year-old get in the car with a pop star who’s probably hounded by paparazzi and maybe even doing cocaine on the weekends.

You picked up your phone and it rang four times before Zoey answered. “I need you to talk me off the ledge.”

“What ledge?”

The timer beeped and you gloved up to retrieve the rest of the cupcakes. “I’m apparently a psychopath because I just let Harry take CeCe for pizza and ice cream.”

You could tell she held back a laugh. “Why does that make you a psychopath?”

“Because he’s a stranger! What if he never comes back with her? What if he gets chased by paparazzi and CeCe is the next Princess Diana?!” The thought shuttered through your bones, a shiver down your spine when Zoey cleared her throat.

“Okay, so, as a mom, I totally get that. But I also think you’re freaking out too much.”

The cupcake tin rattled onto the granite. “How?!”

“He’s not a stranger, he’s been living with you guys for like, over a month now.”

You thought about it for a second. Two weeks turned into a few more, four weeks slipped by easily. What felt like it was going to be a blip on the radar now felt like a totally normal thing: dinners with him as the fourth seat and texts to him in the middle of the day asking if there was anything he was in the mood for.

“I just can’t believe I trust him enough to do that, I guess.”

“Y/N, he’s a good guy,” she laughed. “He likes your kids and he definitely likes you.”

“We’re not going there,” you said. “I have a house full of ten-year-olds and cupcakes to frost.”

“Okay, well, you’re not a psychopath. And there’s nothing wrong with having feelings for him.”

“Zoey! You are starting to sound like the psychopath!”

“I’m alright with that,” laughter through the phone when you told her you had to go. Love you, see you later, pinch Benny’s cheeks for me.

You were swept up in the excitement of the night. Your own pizza was delivered before 8pm, a movie turned on by 9pm. They decorated cupcakes at the dining room table and proceeded to eat more than they could fit in their tummies.

Maeve was in heaven, opened presents when you snapped pictures on your phone. Harry had texted to let you know they’d stop at Shelli and Irv’s before heading home. If CeCe came home in the middle of presents, she’d probably break down right there.

So when you heard the alarm signal a new entry, you hoped CeCe was too tired to argue with you about sleeping in her own room and not in Maeve’s with the rest of them. Your legs were folded beneath you on the couch, noise in the kitchen when Harry rounded the corner with CeCe asleep on his shoulder.

You stood up, eyebrows high when he smirked in your direction. “She’s out cold,” he laughed. “Fell right asleep on the way home.”

“It’s like a ten minute drive from their house,” you said, opening your arms to take her. “Sorry, here.”

“I can bring her up...just lead the way,” he motioned with his head for you to go first up the stairs. He followed you down the hall and to CeCe’s room, pink walls and a plush carpet underneath her twin-sized bed that still seemed too big for her.

He put her down when you flipped on a nightlight, watched when you tugged the duvet over her and kissed her on the forehead. You sighed when you stood up straight beside him, voice quiet. “I’m not waking her up to brush her teeth cause she’ll freak out and want to be included in the party. Am I a bad mom?”

He crossed his arms over his chest, smirked down at you quickly before looking back to her. “You’re a great mom.”

You elbowed him in the ribs playfully. “You have to say that.”

“I do?”

“I’m your landlord,” you laughed, leading him back into the hallway.

“I thought you were my friend?”

A sigh, the darkness a cover for your confusion and your fluttering heart beat. “Yeah, that too.”

He was quiet for a second, if it weren’t for the bedroom of kids down the hall you’d pull him into you despite better judgment. He stared down at you with a dimpled smile, but you took a step back.

“Thanks for taking her, and hanging out with her. You really didn’t have to.”

“I had fun,” he reassured you. “We got a pizza and ate in a park near Westwood Hills, then got ice cream, visited with Shelli and Irv,” he listed it off like it brought him as much joy as it did her.

“Hey, not to be weird or anything, but--how’s your house coming?”

He sensed the shift in the air too, but he didn’t know that it came from a place of fear. A question you had to ask: this was temporary, this wasn’t real, this was just a convenient set up and you couldn’t lose sight of that.

“Oh, yeah--I’m going over on Sunday to see it. Apparently there are still issues with the plumbing that have to be updated. They said it might be a few more weeks.”

“Okay, I just didn’t know.”

“Yeah, is that okay? I can try to find somewhere to stay if you need me out?”

“No,” you said it quickly. “I don’t need you to leave.”

“Okay,” he said, his eyes still on yours. He reached forward to brush a piece of hair behind your ear. “I like staying here with you guys.”

“...I like it too.”

“Mom?” Maeve’s head poked out of her bedroom. “Hayley spilled soda on the carpet!”

He stepped back from you quickly, like his reflexes were getting better each time. You laughed at his sudden movement, “coming!”

He smiled down at you and let out an exaggerated sigh once Maeve’s door was slammed shut and the music was back on, a magnetic pull between your chests that maybe he felt too. “Hayley, Hayley, Hayley.”

But again, a rush of uncertainty and self-doubt made you grateful for the interruption, your stomach weaving itself in knots when you stared at your ceiling fan and hoped that sleep would come.

Work picked up in the next week, Tristan was in your office most days with spreadsheets and graphs and to-do lists that made you feel like you needed a margarita at 2pm. On Wednesday Harry made dinner and CeCe had a meltdown when you forced her to take a bath.

Friday night entailed dinner at Shelli and Irv’s, the girls and Harry and Jeff too. You stood in the kitchen with a glass of wine in hand, Shelli watched as their chef sautéed something through steam. When Jeff pulled Harry away to show him a new guitar Irv had been gifted, you ignored the smile on Shelli’s face.

“How are things going?”

“Fine,” you said, casually and calm and cool. “How are you?”

“Y/N,” she smiled. “Does Jeffrey know?”

“Know what?”

“About you and Harry?”

“No,” you told her quickly. “There’s nothing to know, alright? We were drunk, it was not a big deal.”

“Alright,” she held up a hand, effectively resigning when she sipped her Pinot Grigio, a disappointed sigh before she asked: “How are the girls holding up?”

You sighed, unsure if she’d really drop it. You told her about Maeve’s birthday party and caught her up on the body wash debut. Deadlines were quickly approaching, the launch party was being scheduled and production was full steam ahead.

You almost thought you’d make it through the rest of the night without any drama--no more mention of Harry or the happenings between you. But eventually he and Jeff found their way back to the kitchen and you hoped that no one noticed how close Harry stood to you.

Jeff was in the middle of filling you and Shelli in on Harry’s album plans: they were wrapping up production and soon they’d announce the release date, his excitement cut off by a shout from the backyard.

“Mommy!” CeCe’s voice was shrill and desperate as it rang through the house. She let out a loud sob and when you looked up, you saw her clutching her elbow with a new grass stain on her shirt. She was fine, it was one of those moments where she thought the world was ending but everyone else knew getting knocked over by her sister wouldn’t kill her.

“She’s fine,” Maeve rolled her eyes, a quick look down to CeCe who’s eyes were already filled with tears.

“No I’m not!” she screamed back at her sister.

You looked to Shelli with an exasperated look, set your glass of wine down on the counter. Before you could make any movement, though, Harry’s hand hovered on the small of your back. “I’ll go, enjoy the wine. She’s fine.”

He was right, there was no question that CeCe would survive her scraped elbow and bruised ego. He moved towards the backyard and you were frozen in place when Jeff’s forehead wrinkled.

“What was that?” he asked, eyebrows strung together like tea lights once Harry was out of earshot.

“I don’t know--what do you mean?”

You looked over at Harry, now on the ground in front of CeCe who’s wails were much quieter. She wiped at her wet eyes, a little laugh escaped her lips when Harry brushed the grass off of her elbow and cracked a joke.

“Well, he seems pretty good with them,” Jeff leaned against the counter, the sliding door providing a perfect view as CeCe stood up and raced back towards Maeve.

“Yeah, I mean, he is.”

“He also touched your back in a funny way.”

Shelli raised her eyebrows and sipped at her wine again.

“And now my mom is making a weird face,” Jeff’s eyes narrowed when he looked at you. “Are you--is there, like, something going--”

“No,” you said quickly, a finger pointed at Shelli and another pointed at Jeff. “Do not say anything in front of the girls.”

Shelli stifled a laugh but managed to look incredibly innocent at the same time.

“Oh my god!” Jeff said this with a noise of shock, eyes wide when he looked between you and Shelli, then back out to the yard where Harry laughed with Irv. “Oh my god, and you knew?”

Shelli shrugged her shoulders, a don’t blame me look crossed her face when you took a swig of wine to calm the pounding of your heart.

Jeff had always been protective and caring and like a brother. Not in a weird way, not in the you can’t date my friends way. Just in the sense that he wanted to know who you were hooking up with and he’d been encouraging you relentlessly to stop picking assholes ever since you filed for divorce.

But this was different, this was a friend of his and a client of his. It was someone that his entire family knew and this was probably the worst choice of rebound.

“Please relax,” you said this with a look of warning in his direction. “I will explain to you what your lunatic mother is smirking about but you have about fifteen seconds to wipe the look of shock off your face before he comes back in here.”

“She’s fine,” Harry waved a hand once he was back in the kitchen. “And what look of shock are we wiping off of our faces?” The dimple was there again, the corner of his mouth pulled up and he scanned all three of you for any sort of information.

“Just that you are so good with the girls,” Jeff covered for you, a confident nod when he hoped Harry would believe him.

“That’s surprising to you?” Harry pulled his head back, an obvious look of mock offense. “I’m great with children. They love me.”

Maeve came in from the fading light, out of breath from running around with whatever ball they’d gotten their hands on. “Who loves you?”

“Kids,” Jeff replied for him.

“Oh,” Maeve said. “Yeah.”

“Yeah?” You looked down at her, unsure if she was agreeing or just voicing that she understood.

She shrugged, plucked a chicken skewer from a dish in front of Shelli. “I mean, I like having him around.”

Harry was practically tickled pink. “Thank you, Maeve.” He turned to rub this in Jeff’s face. “See?”

“He cooks well, plays outside with us, definitely funnier than mom,” Maeve kept listing things off, pulling laughter from the rest of the crew.

“Maeve!” You whined. “I’m funny!”

“You’re like, sometimes funny.”

“Sometimes funny is better than never funny,” Harry nodded in your direction, an attempt to soften the blow.

CeCe had wandered in behind her sister, she picked at the scrape on her elbow until you called her attention. “CeCe--do you think mommy’s funny?”

“Mmmm,” the thought on it for a second, put her finger to her chin and scrunched up her nose. “Sort of.”

Jeff let out a big laugh at that, Harry tried to stifle one and you dismissed the jabs. “Okay, well, it’s not like anyone here is a comedian.”

“Harry’s funny,” CeCe said with a smile. “He reads books in silly voices.”

Jeff’s eyebrows shot up at that again, amused and surprised by the fact that Harry was in on the bedtime routine. But it was infrequent, sometimes CeCe would beg for more time outside or another thirty minutes of TV.

If the tears got aggressive or the tantrum became too much, she perked up pretty quickly if Harry offered to read with her. It was way more exciting than reading with you, Maeve had explained.

After showering Harry with compliments, the girls were excited to sit on Shelli and Irv’s patio. Pink lemonade and a delicious dinner, though neither of them would even so much as take a bit of your salad.

They ran around some more while you sipped wine, Jeff and Harry had been talked into a two versus two soccer match and Irv laughed his head off when Maeve actually scored on Jeff. Darkness came and CeCe crawled into your lap, eyelids getting heavy until you buckled her into the backseat.

You’d taken one car, CeCe’s booster seat was too clunky to move over to Harry’s so you drove and felt slightly embarrassed about the crayons and coloring books scattered on the floor of the backseat.

“Mom, can I have another sleepover this weekend?”

“With who?”

“All of the girls from last weekend.”

“Honey, no, that was a big party for your birthday.”

“I’m aware,” she shot back quickly. “But we all had so much fun and we wouldn’t be as loud as we were last time.”

“I said no, Maeve. You can do something with your friends if you want but we’re not doing another sleepover right now.”

You’d been hesitant about it in the first place. A group of ten and eleven-year-olds? With Harry in the house? It felt like a recipe for disaster and aside from a few excited stares when they were first dropped off, you all escaped relatively unscathed.

You worried at first about the whispers from other moms--she’s letting a twenty-four year-old live with her children?--but you soon realized that they were almost more excited about sneaking a glimpse of Harry than their daughters were.

“You’re so annoying,” she quipped from the back. “You never let me do anything fun.”

Harry’s lips twitched up in a tiny smirk, a sideways glance in your direction. You’d already told him how awkward it felt to discipline them with him right there, a glass of wine in the kitchen one night and he teased you about your frustrated mom voice.

“Maeve--don’t be rude. You just had a birthday party and now you want another, basically.”

“No, I want to have the same girls over. It’s not my birthday so it’s not a birthday party.”

A left turn into the driveway. “But you want me to order pizza and make cupcakes and you want to drink a bunch of soda again?”

“Yes.”

You pulled into the garage and cut the engine, turning to look at her. “Maeve, sweetie, I love you. But no.”

She let out a huff and shoved the door open, she typed in the entry code and slammed the door to the house before the rest of you could even climb out.

“The drama,” CeCe shook her head, tired steps towards the house.

“The drama is right,” you told her with a laugh. “Go wash up and I’ll come up in a few, okay?”

She scampered up the steps, you dropped your keys on the counter inside and then turned to look at him. “Do you have a second?”

He nodded, leaned on the counter. “What’s up?”

You didn't know if it was a good idea, but you'd spent enough morning drives to school lecturing about how honest is the best policy, so you figured you'd give it a shot.

“Uh, well--Jeff may or may not be suspicious about you and...me.”

Using the phrase made you nervous, like he’d laugh and think it was stupid. You and me.

“Oh,” he said, eyebrows arched. “Did you--why did that come up?”

“Well you went to handle my crying child, which is--you know--”

He laughed a little, “too boyfriendy of me?”

Your heartbeat picked up in pace, your face felt hot and it suddenly felt like he was watching you too closely.

“No--I don’t know--you touched my back and he just asked what was happening.”

He deflated at that, hung his head low for a second and then looked up. “Oh, I--uh--I’m really sorry, I hope I didn’t make you uncomfortable.”

“No!” You felt bad, that wasn’t the message you were trying to convey. If anything, you wanted to give him the out and the okay that he didn’t have to do this. He didn’t have to step into your family like some hero for you or your daughters. “You didn’t make me uncomfortable, I just--I don’t know where you are at, I guess.”

“And now Jeff is asking questions,” he laughed, a nod like he knew where you were going with it.

There was no label necessary. It wasn’t that type of thing, you knew that. “That’s what you walked in on after CeCe got hurt.”

Another nod, like the puzzle pieces were fitting into place. “Right. Got it. Was he--how did he seem? Did you tell him that we--”

“He put it together,” you cut him off, again careful of the words used around the girls even though they were upstairs and--by the sound of it--bickering in the bathroom. “But he was fine with it. I just think we need to be careful, you know. The girls...and this is temporary, and--”

“Absolutely.”

“So, you know, just--”

“Yeah.”

An awkward silence. “I should go tuck them in.” You turned on your feet and headed for the stairs before he could reply, desperate to get out of the situation out of fear of having to find more words to string together in a messy jumble of emotions.

Another slammed door from Maeve when you reached the top of the stairs. You knocked twice. “Can I come in, please?”

“No!”

“Maeve,” you leaned against the doorframe. Harry came up and offered an awkward smile. “Please let me talk to you.”

“I’m not talking to you!” She shouted.

Harry came over and knocked. “Maeve? It’s Harry--can I come in?”

Silence for a second, her footsteps were audible on the wood floor. The door opened a crack, she peered out with narrowed eyes. “Fine--but not her.”

You looked over at Harry, unsure of his game plan but also fed up with the theatrics and the overreaction. He shrugged his shoulders half-apologetically, a smirk in your direction before he slipped into the room.

Did you stay and listen? Was it weird? What would he even say to her?

You decided against it, headed for your own bedroom and tugged on pajamas after you flicked on CeCe’s night light and kissed her goodnight. At least only one of them was being dramatic today.

Five minutes passed, then ten. You tried not to look at the clock and focused instead on a book Zoey had told you was a must read.

Eventually there was a knock on your door, Harry pushed it open and smiled. “Do you want some intel?”

“Duh,” you said. “Come in.”

He walked forward and sat on your bed, a sigh when he brought his eyes to yours again. “Well, she said you’re annoying again.”

“Of course.”

“She’s just grumpy. Said Hayley wanted to have a sleepover this weekend because it would be better at her house.”

“Ah,” you nodded. “Some 5th grade rivalry.”

“Classic, really.”

You laughed. “Was she okay talking to you?”

“Yeah,” he nodded, eyebrows low on his forehead. “Opened right up.”

“Well, we do know she likes you more.”

He rolled his eyes. “She just likes that I’m not you.”

“Feels like that’s the same thing.”

Quiet for a moment when he angled towards you, scanned your face with his eyes.

“I guess I’ll go say goodnight.”

“Oh, I tucked her in.”

Your mouth tugged into a smirk. “You what?”

“She said she didn’t want you to come in.”

“So you tucked her in?”

He let out a laugh, explained the process like it should have been obvious. “Yeah--pulled up the blanket. Patted her on the head. She said she brushed her teeth.”

You leaned back against the headboard, the same buzzing feeling in your chest took flight when he asked: “why is it so shocking to everyone that I’m good with them?”

It slipped out before you could think of the possible consequences. “Because you’re young.”

“I’m not that young.”

“And Luke was just--not like that. He was pretty disinterested after CeCe was born.” You hoped this was enough of a redirection.

“You’re really caught up on my age, aren’t you?”

“No.”

He raised his eyebrows and offered a look that said: bullshit. When he didn’t speak, you cracked a joke.

“Or...you are not hung up enough on how old I am.”

“Why should I care how old you are?”

“Cause you’ve had sex with me and you’re living in my house.”

“Both of those things I am aware of. And feel really good about both of them.”

You let out a laugh at his nonchalance, folded your arms over your chest when he stood up. “You’re something else.”

“I’m not,” you disagreed.

“I think you are,” he nodded, leaned closer to you and offered a challenging glare. His hair was messy, he’d been running around in the backyard with them at Shelli and Irv’s, a few glasses of wine in him seemed to loosen him right up to the point that he was ready to slide tackle your six-year-old.

He watched you for a second, almost like he was waiting for you to stop him. You didn’t, though, you wanted him to kiss you just as much as it looked like he wanted to close to the distance between your chests.

Instead of telling him you shouldn’t, instead of telling him that the girls were down the hall and this was risky, you pulled him on top of you, tugged him by the t-shirt until he flopped down on your bed with a laugh against your lips.

He lifted himself up after a clumsy moment, looked down at you and smirked.

“What?” You asked playfully.

“I don’t know if I’ve ever been so turned on by someone in my whole life.”

His words circled around you, pulled your body up to melt into his when his hand cupped your face. He laced his fingers through the hair along your neck, the warmth from his body made your pulse rise with each second.

“Are you sure you’re okay with this when they’re home?”

If the dimples on his cheeks weren’t enough, if the way his tattoos littered his skin wasn’t enough, if the look in his eyes right now on top of you was not enough to create a full-on mom fantasy in your head, the way he talked about your daughters was.

“Yeah,” you tugged him back against your mouth, felt the way your hips tilted against his without any thought. His hands moved to your wrists, holding them in place when he trailed his lips down your jaw, down your neck, pressing kisses in a line along your collarbone.

His hands were warm when they grazed your hips, connecting with skin beneath the fabric of your shirt. You grasped for the hem of his and tugged it over his head in a quick motion, eager to reconnect and feel his skin against yours.

He tasted like wine and smelled like summer, yanked your panties down to your ankles and used his fingers to pull quiet gasps from you like no one had ever before. He held onto your headboard and thrusted into you after you begged: please, please fuck me.

S’probably my favorite thing to do, he said.

The lights were long off and when your heart beats settled and you wiped sweat from your forehead, he laced his fingers between yours.

“Does Jeff want to kill me?”

“No,” you giggled, turned on your side to get a better look at him. The moon through the window illuminated his nose, his eyebrows, the specks of light green in his eyes as they devoured you. “But I’m sure you’ll get a talking to.”

“Should I not talk to him about it?”

You knew what he was asking, you knew he really meant what am I supposed to tell him? What does this mean?

You didn’t have an answer. You didn’t know what he should say or how you should address any of this, because at the end of the day you were a mom and a business owner and he was eight years your junior. He had an album to finish and tour and you knew how that worked.

You watched your dad’s busy lifestyle pull his marriage apart at the seams. Late nights, dinner parties, too much coke in the 80s before you were born and all of those signs pointed in one direction: this would never last.

It couldn’t last, nothing about the equation made sense. Harry + you = fling, rebound, a hook up or friends with benefits type situation that would eventually fade into a memory when he went on tour or when he got the call: your house is finished!

You didn’t have to answer him, though, the pattering of feet in the hallway as a little voice shouted mommy! had you shoving Harry out of bed and onto the floor with a thud before CeCe could push the double doors open.

“Mommy! I had a bad dream!”

“Hi, honey, oh, it’s okay,” you were upright in bed and welcoming her into your arms when Harry grimaced in the dark.

He mouthed a few swear words as you held CeCe, squishing her face into your shoulder to keep her eyes from landing on Harry. You gestured at him wildly with your free hand, ordering him to duck down and remain unseen.

“It was just a dream,” you told her, “you’re okay. Do you want me to walk you back to bed?”

“No,” she cried out quickly. “Can I sleep here?”

You hesitated, then nodded and looked at Harry in the dark. “Of course, yes, you can fall asleep here and then I’ll bring you back to your room.”

“Okay,” she said, the steadiness of her voice returning when she crawled out of your lap and to the spot where Harry had just been. She tugged at the comforters, pushed the pillow in different directions before she let her head rest atop it.

She let out a sigh, her eyelashes fluttered against her cheeks and soon enough Harry poked his head up to look at you with wide eyes as you rubbed CeCe’s back.

You held up a finger to your mouth, gave him a threatening glare when he bit back a laugh. You rolled your eyes--it wasn’t funny. She almost walked in on the two of you and while she’d already endured some traumatic things this year, seeing her mom hooking up with the pop star from down the hall would be sure to take the cake.

When Harry caught your gaze again, you smirked, he giggled, clamped a hand over his mouth and watched you for a second.

“Be quiet!”

“You’re the one talking,” he laughed.

“Well she’s asleep now, but we can’t bring her back yet or she’ll wake up.”

“How long do we have to sit like this?”

“A while,” you told him with certainty. “This is called parenting.”

But he did, he sat on the floor on the side of the bed, watched you watch her and eventually, he picked her up from the mattress and followed you down the hall to her room. She softened into him, head on his shoulder and arms around his neck. The sight of it made you want to replay the earlier scene in your head over and over.

She didn’t stir, a few heavy sighs when you pulled the comforter back up to her shoulders, and once the door was shut behind you both, you smirked up at him.

“I think you should go back to your room.”

“Really? After all of that?”

“After almost getting caught by my six-year-old? Yes.”

He laughed and rolled his eyes playfully, crossed his arms over his chest. “Fine, but maybe we can do that again at some point and have it end differently.”

You nodded. “I think that sounds doable.”

He leaned forward, kissed you quickly, and then turned to head for his own room. “Goodnight, Y/N.”

“Goodnight, Harry.”

Harry came home from his house tour with good and bad news. The plumbing was fixed, which sped up their timeline, and yet the painters and interior decorator had gotten behind because of it, pushing the timeline out a few weeks.

You weren’t sure which part was good and which part was bad, because by now you were having trouble imagining what your house would feel like without him in it.

You got the news when he strolled in, athletic shorts and a baseball hat on his head when Jeff clapped him on the back. “Fancy seeing you here.”

Harry eyed him suspiciously, reached into the fridge for a juice box. “I live here…”

“Oh, I know you live here.”

“Hello, hi,” you waved at Jeff. “Please do not be weird.”

“That’s all he knows how to be,” Harry offered you a fake-apologetic look.

“That’s all he knows how to be,” Jeff mocked him. “Actually, I know how to be cool and not weird about the fact that my childhood best friend and my adult best friend-slash-artist are now, you know, involved.”

Your stomach did a somersault at his wording, a quick look in Harry’s direction, sure that he would deny the accusation or play it all down.

You found it hard to believe that Harry would be in support of labeling this as anything. Why on earth would a guy like him want to be tied to you with any sort of label or phrasing or word?

“Moving on,” Harry said with a nod. “Are we down to meet up with Tom and Sam tomorrow?”

“Yeah, and we have to do that phone call on Tuesday to go over tour dates.”

Maeve ran in then, a smile on her face when she looked up at Harry. “I have something to tell you.”

“Yeah?”

“I learned a new chord on the guitar. By myself.”

“You did?” He acted way more excited about it than he likely was.

Jeff smiled and then told Maeve: “If you learn enough chords maybe you can be his guitarist.”

“Really?!” She beamed.

“No,” you shook your head.

“Of course you would say that.”

“Maeve--you’re a kid, you can’t go on tour.”

“She’s right,” Harry said with a sweet smile, “You’re a bit too young for life on the road.”

“I’m eleven now, though!”

“I know! And very mature for eleven,” he complimented. “I’ll tell you what. You can for sure come visit and come back stage and maybe even bring a friend if your mother lets you.”

She looked to you quickly, excitement in her eyes when they all waited for your response. “Yeah--we can go at some point...see a show or something.”

“Hayley is going to die, oh my god!” She squealed with delight and then moved to sit at a stool beside Jeff.

He had half a sandwich on a plate, one he picked up on his way over for a boring Sunday afternoon of lounging by the pool. Maeve reached for a chip from the bag in front of him.

“By the way, mom, she invited me over Wednesday after school to work on a project, so can you bring me?”

“I have to bring CeCe to dance, sweetie.”

“Well I need you to bring me to the store to get supplies for this stupid poster-board thing we have to make! And Hayley’s mom said she had a question about Luna--something about a moisturizer or something.”

“I can take CeCe to dance,” Harry shrugged, almost like an onlooker in the room. “S’not a big a deal.”

“Are you sure?”

Jeff and Maeve crunched on chips between you, watching the exchange.

“Yeah,” he said. “I’ll just need to put her booster seat in my car.”

“And bring her a snack for after--she’s always cranky and hungry.”

He laughed, “I can manage that.”

“What would we do without you, Harry?” Maeve asked, a smile on her face.

Jeff put his chin in his hands, teasing. “Yeah, what would we do without you?”

“No one would get anywhere, people would seriously be missing out on my chicken tacos, and this house would be a lot less fun to live in.”

Maeve nodded in agreement, another chip stolen from Jeff. “True, true, and true.”

A few nights later it dawned on you that Maeve and Harry were as close as ever, spending evenings in your dad’s old office while Maeve tried to wrap her arms around a guitar long enough to strum a few chords.

CeCe didn’t seem to feel too left out, she was more than happy to be an audience for Maeve when she’d come running into the living room: Harry taught me a G chord!

On Tuesday night after school it was CeCe’s idea to go for pizza, she chirped about it in the backseat the entire way home, and after learning that the body wash production was behind schedule, you weren’t in the mood to cook.

You took Harry’s car--showed him how to strap the booster seat in and make sure it wouldn’t budge. He wore a hat and sunglasses which both girls found hilarious, but to you it was almost disheartening. What did it mean for him to be seen out with your family?

He sat beside CeCe and cut her pizza into tiny bites so it would cool off, Maeve sipped Mountain Dew from a straw and filled you in on the latest with Hayley. This week was going well, though Hayley said something annoying in the cafeteria.

It felt normal, not weird for him to be sitting across from you, his feet against yours beneath the table and a smirk in your direction every once in a while.

Both Tristan and Zoey had been dying to hear more details. It slipped out one day in the office that okay...maybe it wasn’t just a one time thing, and now the group chat you had with them was blowing up every day.

They were excited for you, rooting for your comeback and rebound and eager for you to just admit that there was something there. But you weren’t able to do that, especially not when everything in your heart wanted to.

By the time you’d all finished eating, he dipped out the back to pull the car around front. You pointed at Maeve and told her to watch CeCe while you went up to the counter to pay for the pizza.

The woman behind the register smiled when you approached. Long acrylic nails, wrinkles at the corner of her eyes made it obvious that she could have been your mother.

“We had one large plain and one small with pepperoni,” you told her.

“Oh, you’re all set, sweetie, your boyfriend paid on his way out.”

Your head pulled back in surprise. “Oh--he’s--we’re not,”

She let out a laugh at your hesitance. “He was just as taken back when I told him he had a beautiful family--said they're not his, though."

You forced a laugh, if only to match the humor in her voice when you turned on your heels to head back to your booth. The thoughts started spinning when Maeve and CeCe climbed into the back of Harry’s car.

He smiled at you when you slid in, patted you on the thigh before he turned around to make sure both girls were settled--Maeve clicked CeCe’s buckle into place and then he put the car into gear.

Sleeping with Harry was mostly meaningless, right? He was attractive and living in your house and clearly you both got something out of it. Convenient, easy, fun. Most of your brain had you convinced that there’d never be any more to it. There was no way that Harry would be interested in sticking around: two kids, a business to run. You didn’t exactly come with no strings attached.

And he corrected the woman too--not my kids, not my family, not my wife, not my anything. Had she settled on the next step down when she called him your boyfriend, or had he offered the label to avoid an awkward encounter?

It felt immature, your heart beating with urgency as you thought about it the whole way home, beads of sweat along your hairline and not from the warm weather. He sensed it, eyed you from behind his sunglasses when he parked in the driveway. Maeve and CeCe raced to the backyard, leaving the two of you alone.

“Everything alright?”

“Yeah, all good,” you offered a small smile, the same response you gave to one of the girls if they caught you on a bad day.

He followed you inside, kept his eyes trained on you when you dropped your purse on the counter. “What?”

“You seem off.”

“I’m fine,” you lied again. What were you supposed to say? The woman behind the register at the pizza place is making me question the relationship we have and what it means?

You weren’t 17. You were 32. He was 24. All of these numbers swirled in your head when he took a few steps closer to you, eyes out the window quickly to make sure neither of the girls were watching you through the sliding doors.

He pushed a piece of hair behind your ear, lips turned down when he looked over your face. “You can talk to me, you know.”

“I know,” you caught his wrist and held on for a second, like if you let go he’d disappear and take everything between the two of you with him. You closed your eyes, knew better but still said: “the woman behind the counter called you my boyfriend.”

He let out a laugh, unaware that your words were actually a confession. “She called you my wife, said the girls were cute. I told her I couldn’t take credit.”

“Yeah,” you forced another smile.

“Is that--are you, did that bother you?”

“No,” you shook your head. “I just didn’t want you to feel uncomfortable.”

“I’m not,” he said, eyes still on you like he wasn’t quite sure where your head was at. He pressed a confusing kiss to your forehead but then said something about calling his sister. You checked work emails and night faded into morning like it always did, no matter how uncertain life was, you always had that.

The next afternoon you brought Maeve to Hayley’s, dropped her off with glue sticks and markers and a plethora of project supplies. A yoga class after that, had her home and with dinner on the stove by 6pm.

Eventually, CeCe burst through the door with a smile on her face. Her pink tutu was around her waist, her legs clad in light pink tights and her hair in a messy ponytail on top of her head. “I had the greatest time at ballet!”

You turned around in the kitchen, eager to hear about her day. “You did?”

“I did,” she nodded confidently. Harry came in the front door behind her, sunglasses on his face and CeCe’s unicorn backpack in hand. Maeve was sat at the counter with a pencil, growing angrier with fractions by the minute.

“Why’s that?”

“We danced to a fun song, and we played a fun game, and everyone loved Harry!”

Your eyebrows rose at that, eyes caught his when he lifted the sunglasses. “They did?”

“Moms, not the six-year-olds.”

This caught Maeve’s attention--she sounded almost disgusted. “Moms?”

“I guess ballet pick-up is typically a mom thing?”

You shrugged. “I mean--I don’t see a lot of dads there, so yeah.”

CeCe shimmied out of her tutu and then climbed up to a stool beside Maeve. Harry walked to hang her backpack on a hook by the backdoor, you questioned if it was even worth asking.

“Were they, like, hitting on you?”

“I mean, not really.”

“Not really?”

He walked over to the island and leaned on it, the dimple in his left cheek let you know he liked the hint of jealousy in your voice. “Maybe a little.”

Dinner simmered on the stove, evening sun brought a glow to the kitchen that made his eyes even more green than usual. When you didn’t reply he broke your gaze, let out a sigh and said: “I’m going to shower before dinner, yeah?”

“Sounds good,” you nodded quickly, embarrassed by the silliness of your question. Of course the moms were hitting on him, of course they were intrigued by his presence and of course they couldn’t help but say hi or even ask for a photo. It shouldn’t have surprised you in the slightest.

He was up the stairs and out of sight quickly, CeCe picked up an extra pencil of Maeve’s and started doodling on her agenda book. You pushed sautéed veggies around in a frying pan and pretended that all of this was normal.

“Hey mom?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you like Harry?”

You turned around quickly, Maeve’s eyes were inquisitive but not judgmental.

“Do I like Harry? Of course--he’s nice.”

“No, I mean do you like like Harry?”

CeCe didn’t seem too interested in your answer, she hummed to herself and kicked her feet back and forth. Maeve, though, waited patiently while you tried to piece together words that wouldn’t make the roof blow off of your house.

“Harry and I are friends, sweetie.”

“You’re not answering my question.”

You let out a forced laugh. “What is making you ask this?”

“You seemed jealous about the other moms.”

“I wasn’t jealous,” you defended. Were you really about to get into it with your eleven-year-old? Would you really defend yourself and make this the hill on which you'd die?

She watched you for a second, looked back down at the worksheet in front of her. “You seemed jealous.”

You were thankful for the fact that she wasn’t making any eye contact now. You let out a sigh and decided that not responding was your best option. Adrenaline coursed through your veins, had it been that obvious? Was she old enough to pick up on the undertones of your relationship?

You turned back to the stove, watched the vegetables sizzle in the pan as your mind started to cave in on itself. All of this was getting out of control, right? First the woman yesterday and the dizziness that overtook you when she said the word boyfriend. Now Maeve sitting at the counter with a curiosity in her that you couldn’t really blame her for.

The doorbell rang, CeCe’s head popped up in excitement. “Who is that?!”

“I don’t know,” you said. She hopped off her stool and took off the door as you followed behind her. You hadn’t planned on a visit from Jeff, maybe Tristan needed last minute approval on a product.

But when CeCe yanked the door open with both hands and an excited smile on her face, you didn’t expect to see Luke, hands in his pockets and eyebrows raised high.

“Daddy!”

“Hi sweetie,” he knelt down on one knee, wrapped his arms around her when Maeve made a noise of excitement before rushing over. She crashed into him, pushing her way into their hug.

“What are you doing here?” she asked excitedly.

“I wanted to visit, I was in the neighborhood,” he said with a shrug, eyes glancing up to you.

It was bullshit, he’d always been good at talking his way out of things or coming up with an explanation, smile sweet and words even sweeter. He backed away from them when they let go, stood back up and smiled at you, a quick nod in greeting.

“How’ve you been?”

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