#she moved on to her eldest daughter who just started living with her dad more

[creelkobblelaufeyson69]

Three times

Warnings: smut (cause I’ve got daddy issues)

Note: this is consensual, don’t worry!

She was waiting for family to return to their big house. She had found herself being the house sitter while her mom, dad, and brothers go out to eat. It was a new house as well, and she knew that this place was haunted before even finding out it could potentially be

A nice house like this suddenly on the market? That seemed way too good to be true. She was happy though that she was only helping her family move into the place, and could leave soon. She didn’t have a good relationship with her parents, but what lured her into helping was how it gave off a feeling to her that she couldn’t describe

She’s been wanting to go into the attic since she’s arrived as well. She hadn’t had a clue what could be drawing her attention like this, but she didn’t want to find out. She thought it would be a safer option to stay away from the attic

Adam and Barbara didn’t want to scare her off already, because she seemed much more chill than her family members. But they also didn’t want to scare the young boys. Barbara didn’t think summoning Beetlejuice was a good idea either for this job

But luckily for the couple, Beetlejuice has other plans. He’s seen what the eldest daughter looked like, and has definitely taken a liking in her. He knew he didn’t have much time to be alone with her in the house either. He was determined to get her up in the attic as well, so he just waits in the model for her to come in

It was getting later in the afternoon, and her family still hadn’t returned yet. At this point out of pure boredom and curiosity, she finally goes upstairs. Once she reaches the attic door, she takes out the key that opens any door in the house that was meant to be given to her father

But she couldn’t see herself letting the keys go. She easily unlocked the attic door, because Adam and Barbra were currently talking to Juno. Beetlejuice had noticed she was inside of the attic now, and smirks

“Hey, over here!” He calls her over, which makes her look directly at him. She crouches down to be at his level, which makes him feel a certain way. Whatever strong connection she felt was definitely present, and now she’s realizing it’s him who she was having a strong connection to

“My, you’re a handsome little fella” she says confidently, which makes him smirk. “I can grow bigger if you’d want me too. You just gotta say my name three times” he flirts, which makes her blush

“I’ve never had sex with a dead person before” she admits, which makes him smirk. “Well there’s a first time for everything, right?” She nods her head, and then asked what his name was. Soon a sign shows up pointing towards his head with his name on it three times

“Beetlejuice” she starts, which makes him continue to smirk. “Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice” he had vanished from the model of the town. She looks confused, until she heard a record playing in the background. She follows where the music lead her to, and found herself in the guest bedroom she’s currently staying in

When she enters, the bed had dead rose petals around it. A sexual song played on the record, and the lights were off. But Beetlejuice wasn’t in the room. Confused by the random disappearance, she was about to leave until the door slams shut on her

“You know, it’s been a while since I’ve fucked someone who’s living” he says out of nowhere, which makes her look at him. He was lying naked on the guest bed, which took her by surprise. “And fallen for someone who’s alive as well” she walks over towards her bed, with every intent of letting him claim her

Her clothes come off of her now, and she now laid underneath him. He kisses her on her lips, which makes her return the kiss. His hand goes down to her pussy, and he felt how wet she was for him. He pulls apart now, and grins. “You’re all wet for a dead guy. How exotic” he says as he places his hand back onto the comforter

Without any more waiting, he goes into her. Her hands intertwined with his as her head arches back. A moan left her now as he begins to thrust at an abnormal speed. The bed was squeaking as his lips attack her neck with hickeys

“Bee” she moans out, which makes him amused by the nickname given to him. He moans loudly, which made her happy that she was the only one in the house. She came all over him, without any warning. He stops, and pulls out of her

She was tired already, but he had just gotten started. He lowers himself to be facing her pussy now, and begins to lick her. Her legs comfortably wrapped around him as his tongue begins to vibrate against her

She was shocked by the action, but then remembered she was being fucked by a ghost. He continues to lick her with his tongue vibrating, which drove her to her second orgasm. Satisfied with her coming a second time, he stops

She now didn’t care that she was sleepy, and needed more pleasure now. He comes back to laying on top of her, and makes her look at him now. “I’m gonna fuck you harder this time, okay?” She simply nods her head, and soon he was back in her

His thrusting the same pace, but his cock was vibrating this time. She came already with moaning the nickname she had given him, which makes him also let himself come this time. She had to wait a while before he came in her. He gets out of her, and laid down next to her

Unaware how much time had passed, her thoughts were on her family. His thoughts were on how wonderful that experience was, and wished she could stay longer. But then a brilliant idea came to his head if he wanted to leave the afterlife

Clothes appeared on him, and now he’s standing. Her attention was definitely on him now. She sits up to see where this was going. “I need to tell you something very important” he started, which makes them slightly nervous about where this was going

“I-“ the phone goes off in the background, which throws her off guard. Clothes reappeared onto her as she stands up. “Just one second” she goes downstairs, with him following along. When she got to the phone, she picks it up from its holder and places it close to her ear

She wasn’t expecting a phone call, or a phone call to inform her that her family was dead. She went as pale as he was, and felt like fainting. The cause of death was unknown, but now this place had no owner again. She placed the phone back to end the call. “What were you gonna say, Bee?” She asked as tears came rolling down her cheeks

“Well it depends, what just happened?” She explained to him what had happened. A twinge of guilt sneaks into him, but he needed to leave the afterlife somehow. “I need to get married to leave the afterlife” he said casually after what she told him. She thought that was an excellent way to get her mind off of the horrid news

She smiles as tears continue to leave her eyes. He seemed shocked by her reaction, but smiles as well. “Let’s get married then” she says as she now wipes her tears away. Before anything actually happened, Adam and Barbra stood there in shock. She looks at the couple, and so does Beetlejuice

“Oh hello! You two must be the couple that died here originally” she says, which makes the couple more shocked. “Jeez, you guys act like news doesn’t eventually spread. Especially with something so tragic” then she was reminded about her family members that she lost

She was all alone. She also barely knew Beetlejuice to be considering him apart of this. This marriage thing was clearly just a way to make the two happy in two drastic different ways. Perhaps this is why the strong connection still exists between the two

But even Adam and Barbra feel differently now with the two standing next to each other. “There’s some weird connection here with us” Barbara says, instead of bringing up the marriage that’s gonna happen. She finds herself blush at that, but didn’t even understand this feeling either

This is what made her scared to go to the attic originally, because she knew about the couple being in the house, but no other entity. She thought it was gonna be some awful demon, just waiting in their to take her soul

Her thoughts also keep lingering onto her dead family members. ‘What had happened?’ She wondered. “Oh, that’s just coming from us” Beetlejuice casually says, but she was too focused on this strange mystery of her family. “Ghosts can do that? Even if you haven’t met the person yet?” Adam asks Beetlejuice

“I guess so. Not sure, since you know me pal: I don’t play by the rules of the afterlife. I mean what’s the point? I’m dead for fuck sakes! I shouldn’t have to worry about doing more work in the afterlife as well” Beetlejuice says as his attention goes onto his soon to be wife

He saw the color drain out of her; the likeness of her passing out. Beetlejuice gets her seated onto the couch, which took Adam and Barbra by surprise that he was capable of doing such a nice deed. Sure it was a small thing, but it was a big deal

She started to cry into his shoulder was the two were stated. Adam and Barbara were confused, and worried for her. Beetlejuice looks at the couple, and told the two to fuck off. The couple listens, since the two didn’t want to intrude on anything personal

Beetlejuice seemed to be all the sudden great at comforting people, and was quite surprised by the words coming out of his mouth. “You’ll probably see them again. And they’ll definitely look for you, because not all of us are locked up in one location” she sniffles, and then raises her head to make eye contact with him

She smiles again, and thanked him. The clock struck midnight, and the two had gotten married. After the first kiss, she goes in for seconds. He’s alive, which makes her pull apart. She admires him, and adores his dark blue eyes

“You’re gorgeous Bee” she admits as she continues to admire him. “Thank you” he says as he smiles. A year had passed, and she hadn’t seen him since still being in the house and after her family’s funeral. The two parted ways because he wanted to figure out the world himself

She thought about him everyday, and kept the wedding ring on her finger. She wondered if he kept his on as well, but she had doubts that he would keep his ring on. A new neighbor had just moved in next door. She planned on saying hello to the new neighbor to be on good terms day one

She currently sat on her couch, and was watching something random on the television. A knock on her door makes her get up from her couch. She opens the door to see Beetlejuice. Shocked, she just stood there until one of them said something

He was also stunned to see her face again. He took notice that she still wore her wedding ring. She checked to see if he kept his on, and noticed it was still on. Tears left her eyes as he instinctively kissed her on the lips. She returned the kiss, and soon the door was shut and she was pinned to the wall

Beetlejuice had missed her, and couldn’t stop thinking about her since they parted ways. Even with all the women hitting on him, his heart happily belonged to her

Tags: @stardancerluv

[missmarveledsblog]

That sparkle ( Daryl Dixon x Reader)

Summary :when rick grimes eldest daughter is found after ten years of being alone after catching her mother and shane together , she was presumed dead only to be found by daryl dixon his way home from a supply run.

Warning: it follows no storyline is alluded to be alexandria but again follows not certain timeliness all self indulgent fluff piece slight angst

Tired , sweaty and just all round done was the theme of the day, feet dragging along the ground even though every part screamed to stop . But stopping meant so much more , it could mean death so pushing on was the only option. The world went to complete shit , rules flew out the window the day the dead walked the earth and it only gotten worse years later. The threat of stopping wasn't only if a walker would get you because the living could be just as dangerous . it was something she learned in her years alone , keeping herself safe meant pushing the boundaries of her mental and physical boundaries. The sun beating down her back and the crunch of the gravel under boots all she wanted was to atleast find some water source close by . the sound of a bike had her alert she moved more in the road giving whoever it was the space to pass her by and hoping it wasn't some creep trying something because tired or not she could use a blade just as good . her eyes closed when the engine cut off and the sound of heavier footsteps came behind her. Hand on the blade as she turned ready to go out fighting with all she had left .

" y/n?" the voice , she knew it like a song of the past coming to her ears. It wasn't like she could forget it big part of the start of this whole mess . her eyebrows furrowed trying to figure if she was truly and lastly losing her mentality when she looked at the face of the past.

" daryl '' she croaked before everything went black .

He didn't know how he moved so quickly, giving shock of seeing her before him but it was her , he knew those eyes were ones that used to sparkle or fire up depending on the person aimed at . hauling her in his arms he went to his bike holding her like the most precious cargo before he set off . wondering where she went that night and the guilt of not following after . how days he spent looking for her or shane telling them she would come back til one day he didn't mention her again. That anger in her that night hell even merle kept his mouth shut which still surprised him to this day but then again his brother did have a soft spot for the girl , he said she was the only one who had balls and he agreed with that one.

Pulling up to the gate walls he wasn't surprised to see carol coming out to him was a routine they had but he notice her eyes looking at the now woman in his arms before he got off the bike her hair fell from her face and carols gasp was loud . 

" Get rick grimes" she yelled as she helped Daryl bring the woman in as another grabbed his bike . two shared a look before looking down at her face wondering maybe processing the face of the past . both unsure of what to say or where to begin to even explain how this was possible. " Oh sweet girl" carol finally said a tear falling down her cheek.

His feet moved on their own , while his brain tried to comprehend what the hell was going on , he told daryl not to bring anymore back unless he was there , they couldn't keep taking in strangers it never ended on a good term. But when he walked into carol daryl nodding a greeting to the sherif only for the older woman to move and his eyes falling to the face she was cleaning. He knew who it was straight away , more grown up but he knew that face he watched that face grow from a baby to a moody teen before everything happened . He had to be dreaming mind finally snapping all the losses coming in a wave and drowning him fully as he looked down at the face of his first born , the one that made him a dad.

" y/n" he stumbled back never thinking this reunion would of happened . she was gone when he found lori and carl back then and now here she was laid out before him. He later found out she stormed off one night after catching lori and shane and was never seen again presumed to be dead and yet ten years later here she was.

" she ok just worn out she woke a little so we got her iv of fluids and .." carols voice cracked.

" she's alive" he whispered looking between his two friends . could see the crowd trying to look as judith pushed past .

" whats going on" she asked confused.

" it's y/n , your big sister y/n" rick finally clear his throat turning to his daughter as she curiously inspected the woman .

" carl talked about her alot used to tell me he hope he was a good big brother as she was good big sister" she smiled .

" whatche lookin at an who gave you the permission to come inta our home" daryl growled at the gawking crowd. " OUT" He yelled slamming the door only for a groan to come from the girl. " shit sorry" .

" what , where am i" her eyes opening slowly trying to focus feeling like it was a fever dream.

" you don't remember we talked" the sweet voice of the woman she remember all those years ago .

" carol that you" she squinted before a smile took over.

" hey sweet girl" she hugged her close .

" so i didn't image dixon then huh?" she chuckled wincing at how dry her throat was til her eyes landed on the those blue eyes. One's she definitely didn't think she would see , she always said it even though they told her time and time again he was dead she never believe it and now the proof was standing before her. " d-d-dad your alive" she said trying to get up although the weakness took over and it was him pulling her into a hug holding her so tight she didn't care how it hurt or how her muscles ache . she ignored all of it knowing she was able to hug her dad again .

" you're alive" he repeat her own words holding her face in his hands hating how he couldn't protect her all this time .

"dad?" the little voice called behind her making y/n look around seeing the little girl standing their .

" who's this" y/n smiled although a little embarrassed knowing what a state she must look.

" this is judith you're little sister"he smiled holding his hand out as she took it timidly almost shyly coming over.

" carl?"she asked as a silence took over the room . that shake of her fathers head and the pain in his eyes told her what words didn't.

"You're so pretty" judith blurted out .

" well i mean it's the genes" y/n winked although on the inside her heart hurt knowing being found meant the confirmation of few faces she would never see again . the knock on the door snapped her from her thoughts when daryl was grumbling about "nosey assholes". Only a little boy and woman walked in standing back , the woman had a bag in her hand as the little boy was looking her over the same curious nature.

" we brought some clean clothes" the woman smiled softly.

" y/n this is michonne my wife and our son Rj" rick stood bringing the over closer.

" damn grime you dirty dog" she joke making the other chuckle . " sorry i kinda stink and look like death warmed up i'm sure not how you imagined meeting the one that started this kid club" she smiled weakly only judith ran and hugged her and Rj following suit. She pulled a face causing rick to tell them to be easy . " leave em" she shook her head finding herself already in love with the two kids.

"I've heard all about you " michonne spoke up.

" i swear it's all lies" she laughed imagining all the embarrassing stories the three had to tell of her.

" only the truth" rick countered.

" this is crazy"she finally broke out laughing because what else could she do. Ten years she had spent alone , never staying in one place too long knowing it never ended good if she did, that hope of finding the people she loved dwindled but maybe it stayed in her subconscious.

After the first day she was able to move albeit very slowly as carol helped her shower. She hid the tear that streamed down her face thinking of those that were truly gone . How she never got to see her brother grow up and never would or her mother to tell her she was sorry and to take that I hate you back . She was even crying at the fact she was having an actual hot shower all the emotions she held coming out in and going down the drain . When she got out , she couldn't help the content sigh at soft clean clothes going on her skin. Or trying not to swallow the food place in front of her whole , trying to keep herself reserved , holding herself back . 

She asked about them all and listened with tears streaming down her face at how they died , even shed tears for merle again two had an unlikely friendship no one saw coming or expected to happen. She talked lightly of the time alone ,taking about how she spent a lot of time sleeping up in trees finding it the safest left out the part of not only from walkers . She never did have that happen many tried and many felt her knife in the result , it made her more reserved to others made it a lonelier too . Once she let herself be open to company and it ended in heartbreak that sworn her off it completely. She listened to the kids taking off their adventure or there favourite things. She noticed the adult taking shifts making sure she was ok probably making sure she was still there too .

She had been back with her family a few weeks staying with Carol and daryl. One night she was restless , no even mention of sleep coming . She huffed and groaned before finally getting up walking out the front door closing it softly behind her. She looked up at the sky , letting the night air fill her lungs she spotted the tree right at the side of the house and that were he found her. Sitting on the branch eyes locked on the sky above like it was most normal thing to do but then again it was for her.

" I didn't run away don't worry" she called down eyes still on sky.

" brought ya this so ya don' freeze" he chuckled as she finally looked down to see the hoodie in his hands . She wanted to tell him she was fine til a breeze went by making her shiver only to roll her eyes and hold her hand out . " I'll join ya see what it's like" she could hear the teasing tone but didn't say anything feeling the branches move as he grunted and groaned climbing up.

" you better not break my branch dixon" she narrowed her eyes playfully at the man but she know it was strong enough hold them both.

" it my damn tree" he handed her the hoodie.

" was" she laughed before her eyes looked back up at the sky, a comfort she had form all those years wondering if her family was alive would they be looking same sky til she would pretend or tell herself they were . She used to even talk to the skies like somehow her words would travel to them and now she found herself doing the same thing for a whole different reason and hoping her words went a different direction. While the archer eyes roamed over her , he didn't know what it was but she had him pulled to her like a magnet or sailor to a sirens call . He felt guilty , sick to his stomach over it knowing she was Rick's daughter , who was 14 year his junior but yet selfishly he couldn't stop himself . How somehow those eyes of her still had that sparkle even after all these year , that whatever she went through no matter how bad it was she still had that sparkle in her eyes. Granted how long she'd been alone it didn't make her cold or hard , she opened her arms to the ones close to her loved ones though she was cautious with the rest no one could blame her for that , especially him since he was the same.

" thank you" she finally said Confusing him completely .

" fer what" he asked.

" for not giving up when I left , for bringing me home now" she smiled looking at him softly he could of sworn he stopped breathing for a minute.

" carol told me when I left that night you went out every day after trying to find me until you guys had to move" she explained .

" well I mean someone had te" he shrugged his turn to look up at the sky.

" I never meant to leave fully I was just so mad at her ,them , when I calmed down I realised I was lost tried to find my way back and my dumb naive ass went further away" she shook her head .

" you were a kid, they should of went after you , I should of , nah instead we all let ya walk off" he gritted still mad at himself.

" I mean I would of fought whoever followed I don't think we all expected including myself for me to get lost again my ass was naive" she place her hand on his shoulder rubbing it gently before pulling it away only his hand stopped it holding it in its place now fully expecting her to push him out of the tree but she didn't she opened her hand and let his fingers intertwine with hers . Words no longer needed as they silently enjoyed the company of the other .

The sun rising when his eyes opened wondering how the hell he didn't fall to his death but that thought soon didn't matter when he turned his head seeing hers resting on his shoulder . He almost studied her face seering the image to his brain . Her eyelashes that touched top's of her cheek ,the peaceful angelic face ,plump lips parted as she left out soft snores only a clearing of throats snap the trance she had him in only to look down at the amused smirks looking up at the two . More surprised at one fully expecting the man smirking to be beating him up for looking at his daughter in such a way .

" wha" was all he could muster to say.

" breakfast is almost ready" rick called.

" oh shut up" he shook his head.

" we didn't say anything " carol laughed making the body beside him stir .

" yer faces did, we'll be down now" he grunted as the two walked off laughing as she rubbed her eyes looking confused at first before giving him the most beautiful smile he's ever seen another image he never wanted to forget out him mind .

" breakfast is ready" he finally whispered wondering why his voice went so quiet . 

" COME ON LOVE BIRDS" Michonne called walking past.

It wasn't missed on how the two looked at one another at first rick wanted to put stop to it but he knew if he did it could mean losing her again and even if he was her father who was he to tell her what to do after so long of being apart . Now he found the good side to it , he knew no one would protect her better, nor could take better care of her. So when the two stopped being so oblivious to what was in front of them he would give his blessing.

What no one expected was it taken  so long month of the two finding out. She walked through town book under her arm , eye already finding his giving him a bright wave only for a man she'd met a couple of time to stand in her way.

" hey y/n how are you" god even his smiled annoyed her but yet she politely smiled back. The man that was watching how this asshole stole her attention so easily , he could see it on her face no matter how hard she didn't want to be there. Still finding the whole social aspect of this new way of life hard. He watched the man's eyes roam over her body although daryl couldn't blame the man didn't mean he liked it . 

The fact she looked out of this world wearing the sundress carol picked out for her but it didn't mean this asshole could look at her like a piece of meat. This man trying to take what was his trying to be the one she would be with and like a flip of a switch his feet moved across the street like he was set on a mission . Determined on a solo mission hell he'd take the beating he thought was coming but now that was last on the list of shit to worry about , ignoring the man when he cupped her face in his hand before smashing his lips to hers showing everyone that was around how he felt for the girl before him . 

Smiling into the kiss as her hand came to the back of his neck as she pulled him in a way of being closer . Something he thought was so wrong never felt so fucking right having her in his arms , her lips on his feeling her body pressed to his. He went to smile at the asshole when they pulled back only slightly disappointed to find the man gone but it faded the instant his eyes met her , that damned sparkle that had him a goner. Then a clearing of a throat turned to see his best friend standing looking at him , arms crossed.

" about damn time" was all he said . 

" I love her and I'll protect her ... what " daryl rambled before the words finally registered.

" could see it the day she came" rick laughed .

" you love me" she squeaked.

" we need to talk at home but also thanks man" he clapped rick arm before pulling her along to the house feeling everyone's eyes on her . " I love you too ya know" she laughed making him stop crashing his lips to her again , be dammed who was looking . 

" I don't know why but glad ya do" he chuckled breathlessly pulling back.

" because your the most handsomest , selfless person who look after everyone no matter what , you always think you don't deserve anything when you deserve more than this world has giving you , you make me feel safe , cared for , how could a girl not fall for all that even if your a stubborn ass at times" she smirked and there it was a different kind of sparkle in her eyes one he always saw but never could decipher then it all clicked making him want to hit his head against the wall at the months his missed out having her as his. But now and long as she would have him he would make sure that sparkle never left her eyes , now she was his girl .

[ssadumba55]

Special Gift (Andy Davis x Reader)

Request: Hi!! Could I maybe request Husband Andy x reader. They are married and have children on their own and they play with Andy's old toys? Hope you have  a nice Day! :)

The past few days had been rough on the whole family, but you were feeling the effects the hardest. 

You, your husband Andy and your three children had just moved into a new house. It was a giant leap for everyone and you hadn’t expected it to be smooth sailing but you hadn’t expected it to be this hard either.

The children had been excited about the new adventure at first but now that they were here, they were starting to show their reservations. They missed their friends, especially your eldest daughter who was the only one old enough to attend real school yet. She was nervous about starting a school somewhere where she knew absolutltely no one. To make matters worse for the children, the house was a serious fixer upper.

Andy had bought the house because it was a four bedroom, but two of the bedrooms were full of major hazards for the kids and it would take a while before you could get them ready. So in the meantime, they all had to sleep in one bedroom. To lighten the blow a little, you had let the two oldest pick out a bunk bed to sleep in, but it was still obvious how much they missed their own rooms back home.

Andy was barely at home, school was starting in a few weeks and as a new teacher, he had to attend meetings, get to know the staff, create lesson plans. So all the work adjusting the children fell squarely on your shoulders. It was exhausting, most nights you crawled into bed wishing you’d never moved in the first place but the move had been necessary.

Not only did you and the kids need a change of scenery, this house was much closer to Andy’s childhood home. His little sister, Molly, had finally moved out for good and his mother was lonely more often than not. Being at a good distance to visit would make both her and Andy happy, not to mention this meant the kids could see their grandmother more often. Still, if you had known this was going to be so much effort before hand, you may have had second thoughts.

It was past dinner time now, the children were in the living room watching tv. Andy almost always came home late the past few weeks. He promised as soon as he had the free time he’d take you out somewhere special, but that was easier said than done.

You absently scrubbed dishes, trying to scrub away these thoughts with it. With any big change, their were bound to be bumps in the road. Soon, everything would be back to the way it was before.

“Dad’s home!” Ellie, the eldest of the three, shouted from her spot on the couch. The shout snapped you out of your dish daze, head whipping to get a look at the clock. It was much earlier than Andy was usually home, the kids were normally tucked away by the time he got home, fast asleep.

The sound of little feet running could be heard as they raced each other to meet their father, each one wanting to be the first to greet him at the door. Sure enough, the sound of the keys in the lock and the door opening could be heard. You grabbed a towel to dry your hands, coming out to see what all the commotion was about. 

Andy was trying to enter the house and take his stuff off, but he was also holding a large box. Being bombarded with children while trying to carry something was not easy.

“Alright,” you entered the fray, scooping up your youngest, two year old AJ. “Go get your PJs on. Let dad have a second to breathe before you knock him over.”

There were pouts, but they knew better than to disobey your orders. They raced up the stairs wanting to come back down as soon as possible. Andy placed the box he was carrying down, untying his shoes and slipping his jacket off.

“You’re home early.” You noted and he grinned over his shoulder as he hung up his jacket.

“I would’ve been home much earlier but I had to make a pit stop,” he gestured at the box. You raised your eyebrows in silent questioning. “Something real special for the kids. Thought it might help ease the transition.”

You eyed the box doubtfully as he came over to greet you properly, kissing you softly. From atop the stairs, Ellie and Charlie groaned and gagged, still too young to understand stuff like romance and marriage. In fact, they were still at the age where they thought the other gender had cooties.

Andy laughed, using his head to gesture to the next room and walking away to pick the box up. You followed the kids into the room, sitting on the couch while your husband took the floor to be closer to them. Slowly, he opened the box and began divvying it’s contents between his three children.

The box was filled with toys, not really modern toys. They were definitely all older, they looked like they had received a lot of love over the years but they were in no means in bad shape. A plastic green dinosaur and some little green aliens for baby AJ, a slinky dog and some potato heads for Charlie and a ragdoll horse and piggy bank for Ellie. 

Andy took the time as he handed them out to explain that they weren’t just any toys, they were his toys from when he was a little boy. What was left of them anyway, he explained that when he was younger he had had to move from his home too and that these toys had helped make it a little more bearable.

You sat back and watched as the kids connected with their father over the toys. When he held the toys and talked with his kids, he looked ages younger, almost like he had way before Ellie was born when the two of you were a young couple just starting to try things out.

The last three toys he had in the box were the winners of the whole thing though. It was like Andy had known these would be the winners and as such, had saved the best for last.

To match her horse, Ellie was given a beautiful ragdoll cowgirl. She had actual yarn for hair and on her back, a pullstring. When you first noticed the pullstring, you chuckled to yourself. Such an old doll, there was no way that thing still worked. Ellie pulled on it though and the cowgirl yodelled.

For Charlie, a Buzz Lightyear action figure, you recognized this one from your own youth. You had had one much the same. He must’ve had his batteries routinely replaced because everything about him still worked, from the retractable helmet to the buttons that made him speak to his karate chop action. There was something so nostalgic about watching your son zoom around the room with a toy you used to spend hours with, pretending he too was a spaceman in uncharted space.

And for AJ, a ragdoll cowboy in much the same fashion as the cowgirl. Instead of yodelling when you pulled his string though, he spoke different phrases. When Andy pulled it to get the attention of his youngest son, the cowboy cheerily claimed, “You’re my favourite deputy!”

Andy helped each of the kids write their names on the bottom of their new toys feet, something he said he had done when he was younger. When the special moment was over, you reached down to pick up one of the now forgotten original toys he’d given them from the box.

“I think Slinky Dog is injured who could’ve done this!”

And just like that, Jessie, Woody and Buzz were on the case. You and Andy took turns playing the rest of the characters, creating villains and other side characters to aid and impede the heroes as they went about their mission. Andy so easily got into character, it was almost second nature to him. You couldn’t even remember a time the five of you had sat and played like this before, the sound of laughter and tinny toy voice box phrases filled the air as you all ran around chasing each other.

Playtime that night went on way past bedtime, and ended with all five of you passed out on the couch.

“I’m not as young as I used to be.” Andy groaned, when the two of you woke up from your doze. You made a noise of agreement, playing like that had been so easy when you were as young as your kids were now, but decades later the muscles in your body ached slightly from the strain.

Gently, he picked up the boys and you grabbed your girl, carrying them up to the steps to their room.

While Andy tucked them in, you went back downstairs to collect the remaining toys the kids hadn’t fallen asleep with and leave them in the room for when they woke up. By the time you entered, the kids were dozing in their respective beds, blankets tucked up to their chins, Woody, Buzz and Jessie tucked safely in their new owners arms.

“Ready for bed, Evil Doctor Porkchop?” You joked as the two of you shut the bedroom door. Andy flushed, laughing awkwardly.

“It’s just a silly thing I made up as a kid.”

“I thought it was cute, I like when you play the villain.” You winked and he laughed, trying to stifle them so as not to wake the kids.

“You weren’t so bad yourself as the horse.”

“I was a horse kid I have lots of practice…”

Unbeknownst to either of you, as your voices drifted into the distance from the kids bedroom, the toys jumped to life.

“Yeehaw!” Jessie whisper yelled from the top bunk, managing for a brief moment to sneak out from under her kids arm to lean over and look at her friends. “Did you get a load of Andy?”

Woody gave her a pointed look from across the room from baby AJ’s crib, a look she could just barely see in the dim light of the nightlight. From the bottom bunk, Buzz’s whispered voice spoke; “It sure is nice to be back where we belong.”

None of the other toys could disagree. Bonnie was a nice little girl but she’d grown up too fast. Soon, they were once more sitting on the shelf collecting dust, craving playtime once more. None of them in a million years would have guessed they’d end up back in the Davis household.

Woody didn’t say anything from his spot but he had to agree. When it came to kids, none compared to the Davis kids. Andy had given him a new purpose in life, to watch this little guy grow and he couldn’t wait to do it by his old owners side. In the dim light, he gazed at the new scrawl on his foot poor little AJ was too young to actually write on his own but his dad had helped him; the cowboys fingers grazed over the words Andy Jr. on his foot. It felt like coming home.

Back in your room, you had already fallen back to sleep. Andy lay watching your breath come in and out in even huffs. Today had proven he’d picked the right person to be his life partner. In the future, he had a sneaking suspicion he was going to have to paint two roundup themed rooms and a Buzz Lightyear themed one. But for now, all he cared about was the fun they’d had as a family. This move really was going to be okay, he decided, pulling you close. For all of you.

[baekguuuuu]

Enchanted

Characters: Baekhyun x Reader

Genre: TimeTravel!au (this is the last one i swear), romance, angst, Heavily inspired by Enchanted by Taylor Swift

Word Count: 20.5k

Disclaimer: As mentioned, this fic is heavily inspired by the song Enchanted. This is purely fictional and not based on what happened in real life.

Summary: Tired of constant fights of your parents, you found herself in the attic where an old wardrobe stood at the corner years before your family moved in the house.

What could an antique furniture do to change your life?

This is not how a family is supposed to be. 

Constant arguing. Constant yelling. Constant throwing whatever they could reach at each other. 

Constant discussion about divorce. 

Being the eldest daughter in an Asian household was a lot to take—an overwhelming roller-coaster of emotions throughout my entire life.  

I must be the sacrificial lamb amongst my siblings. 

My grades must be soaring high. Anything beneath an A was unacceptable, and I must prepare for an earful about “not being good enough.” 

Dreams? I dismissed the meaning of that word a long time ago. My only career choices are engineering, accounting, law, or medicine. 

Art is stupid. That was what my dad said when I was in fifth grade, and wanted a camera for my birthday. I was fascinated with taking pictures when I was young. Instead, I got a sad birthday cake from the grocery store and an outdated Jansport backpack as a gift. 

You might think, “Oh, life must be financially burdensome for their family.” I felt so, too. And that was true. But my parents would do things differently to my siblings. 

I tried to be the daughter they wanted me to be and didn’t ask or think ill towards my parents. However, when I started middle school, I learned that my parents just have favoritism. 

And clearly, I was not their favorite. 

The middle child, who was just a year younger than me, got to join a Taekwondo lesson as a child, not because our parents wanted him to, but because he wanted to. After a year, he switched to football. After that, he was into boxing. 

Just a coincidence? 

No, he was our mom’s favorite. 

The youngest was three years younger than me, and she was enrolled in an Art school. She also wanted to be a ballerina. My parents were supportive of her. They paid for classes and for her goddamn shoes that needed to be changed every other week. 

I thought Art was stupid, Dad?

Oh, right... she was his favorite. 

It would be a few more months before I graduated high school, and I couldn’t be more thankful that I received a full scholarship to a university that, fortunately, my parents have always dreamed of. 

For years, I’ve already decided to live away from home and opt to stay at the dorms; yet again, I don’t have the right to decide for myself, don’t I? 

My mom and dad agreed to let me stay in their house until I got my degree. They were too afraid that I would lose track of my supposed-to-be dream of becoming an Engineer. That was their choice, not mine. 

I wanted to take pictures, but they wanted me to build structures. 

Tonight was the same as the other nights.  

My dad had just gotten home from his nine-to-five desk job and a drinking session with his colleagues, while my mom claimed that she was so stressed from her part-time admin job that she still had to cook and clean after us. 

I was the one who did the grocery shopping; I did not own a car and had to ride the bus with plastic bags in my hands. I was the one who washed the dishes and threw the trash out because, apparently, the youngest in this household just got her nails done, and the chores would ruin them. 

Dad said the middle child should be excluded from the chores because he is a man. I honestly don’t get the logic behind his words. We are in the 21st century, not in the 1900s. 

Despite all my efforts, I was still not being credited. Yet again. 

Dad was an old-fashioned guy. He wanted to be served by his wife and his daughter—well, only me because his precious youngest daughter can’t do shit. 

I was already in my bedroom and ready to tuck myself in bed, as it was a school night when Dad arrived. He banged on the front door behind him as he came in. It started with yelling, cursing, and throwing stuff, as usual. 

Then, the divorce. 

It’d be like this every single time I could identify the scenario as a routine in this house. 

The only thing I could not and could never accept was that after this night, my mom would post on her social media how perfect our family was—or, more accurately, how she would portray it. “My family is my everything,” she would caption our family photo on Facebook. 

Bullshit. Everything is bullshit. 

I was seated on my bed; my eyes were closed as I listened to their argument. “I don’t love you anymore, I haven’t for the past ten years,” my dad screamed, earning a violent sob from my mom.  

Then I heard a glass shattering on the ground—Mom probably threw another of her vase collections to dad. “Then leave! I don’t need you here! I don’t need anyone in this family. All of you can leave for all I care!” 

The only thing I could do was bury my face in my hands to muffle my sobs. Whenever I thought I was already numb to this situation, I’d be proven wrong. It was still painful. To be in this family.  

After a while, the house turned silent. There was no shouting, cursing, or throwing objects. It was just an eerie silence. Then suddenly, the door across my room opened and closed, and then the bedroom beside mine. 

Oh, right.  

Mom had to comfort my brother, telling him it was just an argument and everything would be fine.  

Obviously, Dad went to my sister’s room to do the same. 

I almost forgot that this is also part of their routine—comforting their children. 

Some people might think they would come into my room after calming down their favorite child.  

No. They never did. 

I had to wipe my own tears because no one would do it for me. 

With a heavy heart, I pushed the comforter away from my body and placed my feet on the floor. Wiping the leftover tears, I went out of my room, and the only place I could think of was my safe place—the attic. 

Unlike other houses, our attic is well kept, courtesy of the loner in this house—me. You barely could see dust, spiderwebs, and all that stuff. This was my only escape from this house since my siblings thought they were too cool to hang out with me, while my parents plainly didn’t care. 

The hand-pulling light bulb dangled from the ceiling as I turned on the source of brightness in these four walls. 

A sigh escaped my lips while I looked around the room, inspecting if someone had come in without my knowledge. When I confirmed that everything was in its place as I left them, I pulled out my iPhone from my pyjama’s pocket and was glad that I had charged the device before I came up here.  

February 20, 2020, 01:50 AM, the date and time read. 

With my legs crossed, I sat on the wooden floor as I scrolled through my gallery for the random photos I had taken the past few days.  

I automatically smiled at each file. Some were pictures of my friends at school, while most were pictures of trees, trails, random people on the street. 

I was focusing on one picture I took last week: a police station built over a hundred years ago. It was near my house, and since I was a kid, older people would tell us stories about how it was requested to be demolished and relocated to a much more commercial place several times but was protected by an influential family. 

My thoughts were too occupied that I didn’t hear the scratching noise at the corner of the room. It took at least ten seconds for me to grasp that something was inside the old wardrobe at the very far end of the attic. 

I wasn’t a scaredy cat; at least, I believed I was not. But when the scratching continued, I jumped on my feet, turning on the flashlight on my phone to shine some light at the dark corner of the room. I’m praying it was just a mouse or a cat—anything but the G word. 

“Hello?” I stupidly called in a small voice, thinking whatever it was would respond to my greeting. It took at least five seconds before the scratching against the wooden door of the wardrobe became a bit louder. 

I should have been running back to my room, screaming my lungs out for help, but instead, I took a step towards the noise, opening the wardrobe door slowly. I exhaled before rolling my eyes when I saw the tricolor cat I adopted from the streets a few days ago. I had to beg on my knees to my parents to let me keep the feline. 

I clicked my tongue, carrying the purring cat in my hands. “How did you get in here, you silly?” 

Closing the wardrobe door, the old hanging light bulb suddenly went out, and I could feel my heart pounding loudly in my chest. I hugged the kitten close as I fumbled on my phone to turn on the flashlight again, but the scratching noise came back before I could click the icon. 

And this time, it was louder than ever. It couldn’t be the cat I was holding. I could feel his fur in my hands, paw and nails—everything. It was not him who was making the eerie noise. 

The hair on the back of my neck was reacting to my fear, and the lump in my throat threatened to escape as a wail. 

The noise was coming from behind, not from inside of the wardrobe. 

I may excel in my studies and be the top student in our class, but I was a loser when it came to survival skills. I was a slow-witted, pathetic human being. The first thing that came to my mind was to hide in the wardrobe and close the door. 

Which I did. 

With my eyes closed, I hugged the kitten on my chest tighter, praying for my life rather than calling for help. I couldn’t count how many times I chanted every prayer I learned from being forced to go to church every Sunday with my family. 

I waited until the noise stopped before I could open my eyes. I was too frightened to move and could only peek through my lashes. It was too dark inside the wardrobe, and I couldn't see anything. I moved my foot to push the door a little bit, and I couldn’t help but sigh in relief when a light peeked through the door. 

I didn’t notice when my bare feet touched wet grass instead of the wooden floor of my parents' attic. I didn’t feel the summer breeze instead of cold winter air. I didn’t notice the bright sun and clear sky when, in fact, I clearly remember that it was past midnight when I went to the attic. 

Not until I instinctively hugged the cat who was supposed to be in my arms when I came into the wardrobe just to find out that he was nowhere to be seen. I turned around to look inside the furniture, but my furry companion was also not there. 

My eyes were wide as I slowly took in the unfamiliar surroundings. Empty lots and vintage cars that I could only imagine seeing inside a museum were now on the bumpy road. People were also wearing crisp suits, dresses, and fancy hats. 

A passerby would give me a weird look, analyzing my current state: in shock and in my Winnie the Pooh’s pyjamas. 

I was too terrified to move a muscle, and I couldn’t find my voice to speak out. I stood on my spot for an eternity, trying to convince myself that this was just a dream. 

It should be. 

When I finally found the courage to move, a hand grabbed my arm, preventing me from moving from my spot. Slowly, I looked over my shoulder and saw two uniformed personnel eyeing me from head to toe. 

“We received a report that an odd lady is wandering about.” The man with a badly shaved beard spoke, removing his hand from my arm and showing his baton, probably to intimidate me. 

“I—I’m,” I cleared my throat when my voice broke, “I’m not wandering about. I—I’m actually lost.”  

I assume the two police officers looked at each other before one of them nodded his head and asked me to follow him. I had no idea what was happening or where I was, so I followed what they asked me to. 

We arrived at a small complex with other uniformed personnel present. When I went in the door, they all looked at me warily. I could only hang my head in fear and embarrassment as I followed the man to a small room at the back. 

There was a small table and two chairs across from each other, and he sat on one of them. I stood by the door, waiting for an invitation to be seated. 

“You may take a seat,” the policeman extended his arm towards the chair before him. 

I obeyed and gently took a seat. I was fidgeting with the ring on my index finger. A few weeks ago, I bought it from the street of Hongdae and forgot to remove it before going to bed. 

“Before we start,” the policeman sighed, lacing his fingers together before putting them on the table, “may I ask what you are wearing?” 

I instantly inspected my clothes; it was just an ordinary pajama I bought online. It’s 100% cotton, but that’s not the point. 

“I—uhm... it's a pajama I ordered online, and they were on sale—” 

“I beg your pardon?”  

I felt my bottom lip tremble, too intimidated by the policeman interrogating me and had no idea what I was supposed to tell him. Helpless was an understatement to explain my situation.  

“It’s—uh... pajama?” 

He visibly fumed, pursing his lips as he eyed me with concern and, at the same time, exasperation. “You are unmistakably unwell, and I require to have knowledge of your origin for the reason we can have a conversation with your guardian by allowing you on loose.” 

I quickly shook my head, denying his claim that I was somewhat insane by just saying pyjama. “I’m not unwell, sir. I—I’m just… confused. I-I don’t know where I am.” 

The officer squinted his eyes, his lips forming a thin line. “You don’t know where you are?” 

I slowly nodded, unsure if I was saying the right thing at the right time. “Yes, sir.” 

He let out a breath, shaking his head not so subtly. “You are currently in Jung district. We spoke the same language then I deduce that you are from this country. Unless you are espionage?” 

Jung district? That means I was still within the area. But why were they assuming that I was unwell just because of my choice of sleepwear or using words that normal people didn’t particularly use? I had to use my last few brain cells to comprehend the word “espionage.”

Espionage? 

Wait—spying? 

My eyes widened, and I quickly shook my head. “N-no, sir. I’m not a spy or some sort. I’m just—I’m an ordinary student who goes to school at—” 

“Silence!” the officer roared, slamming his palm on the table that separated us. His voice and action echoed across the small room, making me jump from my seat and tremble in fear. 

I whimpered, my head hanging low. “I’m sorry.” 

The officer was quiet for almost a minute until I heard him sigh, making me peek under my lashes. He was shaking his head, hands on the table, as he stood up from his seat. “You need to be detained until the Chief gets here. You need to substantiate that you are not a spy.” 

“Wait—” I got up from the metal chair. The legs of the furniture made a screeching noise against the cement floor. I held on to his arm, which was a bad idea, as he immediately grabbed both my wrists and held me on the table.  

I cried out in pain when the side of my head was slammed forcefully on the surface of the table. “S-sir, please. I swear to God, I’m not what you think I am.” 

My choice of words might have been another bad idea, as he fumed and mumbled under his breath how I used God lightly. A tear escaped my eyes when I saw a handcuff that looked different from what I’d seen on television, the internet, etcetera. 

I was escorted to the corner of the room, where two separate prison cell exists. As I entered the bars, I saw someone in the other cell. He was sitting on the floor, hugging his knees and hiding his head in his folded arms. 

My sniffling went louder when the officer who handcuffed me slammed the cell door as soon as I flopped on the floor. My figure trembled as I instinctively hugged my knees like the man on the other cell.  

I closed my eyes, praying that this should be a dream, that I would wake up from it, and that it would be over the second I opened my eyes. However, before I could finish my mumbling, with my eyes still closed, I heard a subtle “psst” on my left.  

My left eye opened about a millimeter while shifting slightly to where the sound came from. The man I mentioned earlier was looking at me, though his head was still leaning on his folded arms.  

His hair was jet black, his eyes were droopy, his nose was exquisite, and his lips were perfectly pink and glossy. 

He cautiously placed his index finger on his lips, gesturing to be hushed. I slowly nodded, not knowing if I could trust my mouth to speak any longer—because the last time I spoke, it led me here. 

My confirmation made him smile. His eyes went to the officer on the other side of the room, who was busying himself with something on his desk. When the officer seemed not to care about our small movements, the man in the other cell turned his attention back to me. 

“Hey,” he carefully whispered, “what brings you here?” 

I shrugged, mirroring his position, leaning the side of my head on my folded arms. “Long story.” I couldn’t help the sigh escaping my nostrils.  

The man noticed my distress state and sent a comforting smile.  

He had the most beautiful smile I’ve ever seen in my life. 

“What about you?” I decided to ask when he caught me staring at him longer than anyone should have. 

He also shrugged, heaving a deep sigh, “Long story.” 

I shut my eyes and bit my bottom lip to stop the tempted snicker that wanted to escape my mouth—he was mocking my response earlier. When I opened my eyes to look at him, he was already staring at me with a gentle smile on his face. 

My cheeks started warming from his gaze, and he probably recognized the pink shade on my skin, so he silently chuckled.  

We were just looking at each other as if trying to analyze the dancing orbs staring at one another. I was trying to figure out why I turned calm from just looking at him when in reality, I was an awkward person who would stutter at a simple “How’s your day?” at the grocery store. 

I opened my mouth to ask for his name, but a loud voice boomed around the corner. The man on the other cell snapped his head to the culprit at the same time as I did.  

A man was wearing a neat tuxedo, his almost grey hairline receding. He looked at the man I was talking to with an anxious look while he examined his state: sitting on the dusty cement floor, he looked dehydrated, and beads of sweat were visible on his forehead from the warm summer weather. 

The intruder turned his head to the officer who escorted him to where the tiny prison cells were—and he was also the one who banged my head on the table to handcuff me and the officer who was guarding the cells. “Do you know what you have done?” 

The two officers were both silent, their intimidating appearance slowly fading. 

“San,” the man on the other cell suddenly called. I turned to look at him, and his gentle smile was gone. He shook his head at the man in the tuxedo asking him to stop talking. 

The man in the tuxedo—or San, sighed in defeat, not before glaring at the two officers. “He’s the youngest son of General Byun.” 

I furrowed my brows; General Byun rang a bell in the deepest corner of my brain. I swear in my pathetic life that I heard that name somewhere. 

However, before I could rummage through my already messed-up brain, I heard the man on my left distantly sighing as he stood on his feet, dusting his pants. 

The police officers, who looked terrified, immediately ran to open the cell door on his side. They removed their hats and bowed their heads, apologizing for keeping him in there. He must’ve been from a noble family. 

I kept my mouth shut while watching the scene before me. I was not moving a single muscle, too scared that I might do something wrong again, which would lead to much more trouble. 

I watched him walk towards San, who was holding the door open for him with my lips pursed. 

I didn’t even get a chance to get his name. 

Before he could walk out the door, I noticed how tense he was and turned on his heels. His eyes met mine, somewhat with sympathy. He stood before the officers, whose heads were still hanging low, ashamed of what they had done with this man. 

“She’s coming with me,” the man announced, which made me gawk, and San looked at him like he suddenly had two heads connected to his neck. 

“B-but sir—the girl needs to be detained until the chief—” the police officer who slammed me on the table stammered, rejecting the man’s proposal to let me out of this prison cell and to go with him. 

The man just smiled, reaching out to the cell door and shaking it impatiently for the officers to open it. “I will let my father know about it. I’m confident that he will have a conversation with the chief should a problem arise.” 

San hastily walks towards the son of the General, holding his arm gently. “Sir, you cannot mingle with a criminal.” 

The man let out a psssh, waving his hand to San as if he uttered the most ridiculous thing in the world before nodding to one of the officers to open the cell door. “She was with me when I climbed the wall and managed to run away when you whistled like there was no tomorrow.” 

When both officers hesitated to open the cell door, the man shook the bars again, creating a loud rattling noise. The officer who slammed my head on the table scrambled to his feet, clumsily looking for the set of keys hanging on his pants. 

When the door finally opened, I was still unmoving on my spot, on the dusty cement floor, hugging my knees while I watched four men wait for me to get out. 

As I previously mentioned, my survival skill was set to zero. I may be academically competent, but I knew nothing if it was unrelated to my studies. 

That was a huge problem. I know. 

My friends in school were trying to help me cope with the outside world. However, the sources have been limited as I was only allowed to get out of the house if it was for school matters, or chores. I had to beg my parents to let me go out with my friends on weekends. 

I probably took a while, lost in my thoughts, when the man held out his hands, sending me his gentle smile again. “Come?” 

Sparing my last functioning brain cell, I got on my feet, my hand reaching out to his. When my palm touched him, a smile slowly spread on my lips. My anxiousness gradually faded, replaced by a gentle breeze that soothed my nerves. 

San walked in front, the police officers trailing just a few steps ahead as they accompanied us to the off-white bumpy vehicle parked by the curb. 

As the officers bowed their heads for the trouble, San opened the door, and the man still holding onto it tugged my hand. The corner of his lips quirked up as I looked at him with round, probably scared eyes. 

“I’m not going to hurt you,” he assured me, his thumb unconsciously rubbing a comforting circle on the back of my hand. “I will just send you home safely.” 

Relief crashed through me, and I believe he noticed it because he chuckled huskily.  

Once I was seated in the leather seat of the vehicle, I realized that he was still holding my hand. I smiled, a bit awkward when I tried to slip off his hold. 

“Oh,” he gasped when he realized what I was doing, “my apologies.” 

His touch lingered on my skin when I removed my hand from his hold. Embarrassed, I placed it on my lap, fiddling with my fingers, waiting for him to speak. 

I heard San clearing his throat in the driver’s seat, waiting for an instruction from the man beside me. The latter turned his head to look at me, and I was instantly allured.  

“Where to, my lady?” 

I ignored the blush from the way he addressed me, shifting my attention to San, who was waiting for a direction of where to drive me. 

San scrunched his forehead when I recited my address and the landmark near my house. Nevertheless, he started the vehicle and drove off the curb. 

My palms started to sweat when I looked out the window. The establishments on the road that I knew by heart were not there. Instead, there was soil and tall grass all around. 

“Apologies, madam,” San met my eyes through the rear-view mirror, “but the road you referred to does not exists I believe.” 

“H-huh?” Was all I could mutter before the man beside me clicked his tongue in annoyance. 

“And could you enlighten me as to why you did not tell it beforehand?” the man beside me huffed. His gentle exterior had faded, and he had turned to show his authority. 

“S-sir Baekhyun, I—” 

Baekhyun. 

The man’s name was Baekhyun. 

“She’s already terrified, San,” Baekhyun explained. “The last thing I want to happen is for her to regret coming with me.” 

Unfortunately, I had the cheek to blush at his words, though I managed to ignore that my face was likely crimson red. “I—it’s fine,” I muttered awkwardly. The interruption made Baekhyun turn his head in my direction. 

I gave him a tight smile before asking San to pull over so I could get out of the vehicle and familiarized the surroundings to find the correct path to my house. 

Baekhyun followed my suit when I stepped out, his shoe wear gravelly strides over the pebbles on the ground to walk beside my figure.  

I was starting to lose my mind when I realized that the area was just grass—no houses or buildings. It was pure, empty land. 

“Holy shit,” I mumbled under my breath and was already on the verge of crying. 

Where the hell am I? 

“Holy—what? I beg your pardon?” 

Baekhyun was eyeing me concerning how I was yanking my hair out of my scalp, also probably saying things I wasn’t supposed to say... again. 

However, it wasn’t long until his fingers circled on my wrists, pulling them away from the strands of my hair. I let my muscles relax, slowly unclutching my fingers away. 

That made Baekhyun smile. He nodded his head, “We’re alright. You're alright—you’re safe.” 

“Sir?” San’s voice interrupted the scene, though it went unnoticed by Baekhyun, who was still looking intently at me. 

“Speak to me?” His hand that was holding my wrist travels to my palm, wrapping his fingers around my hand. 

“I—” I choked on my words, having to take a deep breath to speak clearly, “are we in Jung district?” 

Baekhyun nodded his head, confirming my question. “Yes, we are.” 

Mentally crossing my fingers, I asked him another question and hoped that he would say the answer I wanted. “Jung district, South Korea?” 

That made him furrow his brows and look at me like I just muttered the craziest thing he could ever hear. “Were you referring to the southern part of Korea?” 

“Sir, I think we should consider going back to the police station,” San walked briskly to pull Baekhyun away from my reach. “She could be an enemy from that country and knows who you are.” 

“W-wait—” I screeched; my chest started to heave from the information that I was absorbing one by one. Espionage. Empty land. The old model of vehicles. Enemy. The southern part of Korea... 

“Do you mind telling me the date?” My mind started to get lightheaded, but at the back of my mind, I was hoping this was just another weird dream I would get from time to time. 

“Today’s the second day of September,” Baekhyun answered, snatching his arm from San, who tried to pull him away. “Are you feeling unwell, sweetheart?” 

Despite the nausea, I shook my head and continued to confirm my assumption. “Wha—what year?” 

Baekhyun’s frown deepened, clearly not comprehending the point of my questions. Despite that, he still answered my question, and fortunately, I could catch it before my vision blacked out. 

“Year 1920.” 

Oh, shit. 

My forehead felt damp pressure as I slowly regained consciousness. The muscles of my fingers were flexing on their own, and I took a deep breath before shifting my eyelids open. 

I blinked a couple of times before visualising the face hovering over my lying figure, eyeing my current state with concern. 

Baekhyun. 

“Hey,” he stopped me when I tried to sit up. His hand held my shoulder, pushing me back on the spring mattress I was lying on. Once the back of my head hit the soft cushion, he removed the damp cloth from my forehead, brushing the hair stuck on my skin. “Would you like some water?” 

I contemplated for a few more seconds before remembering the things that I’d been told before I passed out. I quickly sat on the mattress once again, ignoring the puzzled look on Baekhyun’s face when I hurried away from his touch until my back reached the wall. 

“I’m not dreaming?” I croaked, feeling my body tingled from another panic episode, “I—I’m supposed to be in the attic. Who are you—where am I?” 

Baekhyun sensed my fear. He withdrew his hands, which were trying to reach out, and instead raised them in front of him, showing me his empty palm before giving me an assuring smile. “Calm down, darling. I will not hurt you.” 

“I—” I swallowed the lump forming in my throat, “who are you?” 

“My name is Baekhyun. Byun Baekhyun.” he answered calmly, his voice trying to soothe my nerves. 

“Baekhyun,” I repeated. Although I’d already heard his name from San, it felt nice to say it from my lips. “Where—where am I?” 

“We are in my house, though I have to apologize for bringing you in the staff’s quarter as I can’t be seen carrying an unconscious lady to my chamber.” 

I quickly scanned the room and saw a couple of bunk beds across the room. I had to bite my bottom lip when it trembled. “And you said that it’s year 1920?” 

Baekhyun nodded his head, stating the obvious. “Is everything all right? Speak to me. I could help.” 

“I’m—” I snivelled; my body trembled in fear. Baekhyun finally found the courage to reach for my hands, holding them in his.  

“Shush,” he squeezed my fingers, attempting to calm me, but when my body wouldn’t stop quivering, Baekhyun had done something that I wouldn’t expect him or anyone to do for someone you barely knew. 

He bent his neck so he could press his lips on my knuckles. His lips—they were damn soft, and it lingered on my skin even when he pulled away. 

When he brought his eyes to meet mine, he smiled, his eyes forming a crescent shape as he did. “I’m here. You’re all right.” 

Though slowly, I finally managed to nod as I was still hesitant about my surroundings. But somehow, despite being a stranger, he could shift every fiber in my body with serenity. 

“What’s your name?” Baekhyun climbed on the mattress, sitting a few inches away from me, and surprisingly, I didn’t hurry away this time. 

I uttered my name as I watched his orbs dance around my facial features. The way he repeated my name and sounded made me even more captivated. 

“Can you tell me where you are from?” Baekhyun continued, “I could send you home. Otherwise, I can send someone to look for your family.” 

“I’m—” I took a deep trembling breath so I would not have to break again—hopefully, “I’m going to sound crazy, if you want to throw me back to jail, that’s fine—I understand you, but—” 

“You’re rambling, love.”  

I was this close to passing out again from the endearment he kept using on me. I thought that having my name would make him call me out differently, but I was wrong. 

I leaned forward to his ear, and he immediately understood what I wanted to do. He tilted his head so I could reach him quickly. I whispered, “I’m not from here.” 

When Baekhyun leaned back to meet my eyes again, I expected him to look confused, but he looked calm and nodded his head. “I realize that.” 

His response made me widen my eyes. I gasped, “you do?” 

“Yes,” he replied, “I would always wonder on the road and this is the first I saw you—” 

“No!” I cried out, burying my face in my hands. “That’s not what I meant.” 

Baekhyun held the sides of my head, gently tilting my head up so he could see my face. “I’m sorry, it was not my intention to make you distress. But can you please clarify what you meant with your statement?” 

I thought San was just waiting on the other side of the door as he burst inside the quarters with my wail. “Sir?!” 

Baekhyun hissed, peeking behind his shoulder to glare at San. “I told you to not come in.” 

“No—wait, I’m sorry,” I hiccupped, touching Baekhyun’s arm to calm him down as he looked like he would tackle San any second—poor man. 

Baekhyun heaved a sigh before telling San to close the door behind him. The old man stayed by the door as Baekhyun waited for me to clarify my previous statement. 

“Baekhyun,” I started, and the man nodded, urging me to continue, “please don’t freak out, okay?” 

Because I’m already freaking out. 

He nodded his head again, this time interlacing our fingers together. 

“I was at the attic in our house when I heard this weird noise coming from a wardrobe, so I went to look for the source of sound. Then something weird happened, the light went out and the noise went from the wardrobe to whatever was behind me and it made me hid inside the wardrobe instead of running away, or screaming for help.” 

Baekhyun frowned upon hearing my choice of action—hiding in the wardrobe instead of running away. Nonetheless, he continuously nodded his head as he acknowledged my words. 

“Then I waited for a few minutes before opening the wardrobe, and when I stepped out, I was already here, in this place.” 

I glanced at San, who had a baffled expression like he was trying to analyze the information I’d just given, and Baekhyun, who kept looking at me with a frown on his face. 

“Say something,” I nudged his hand, which was holding mine, making him blink before clearing his throat. 

“Apologies,” he has an odd expression that I can’t read, “are you saying that you’ve been kidnapped? Are you from the other country?” 

Hearing the other country, San widened his eyes, and panic appeared on his face. “S-sir, I warned you, she might’ve been a—” 

“No–no,” I shook my head, quickly denying his allegation, “I’m not a spy, or some sort.” 

“In that case...” Baekhyun mumbled. My heart felt like it dropped when he untangled his fingers with mine. “What are you?” 

“I’m just an ordinary human being,” I explained, my voice getting wobbly. “I’m a citizen of this country—well, not in this year, but I am.” 

This time, San decided to speak up, “Not in this year?” 

I was never good at interrogation, especially when I could not voice my opinion in our home. If I did, my parents would never fail to invalidate my emotions. 

I didn’t even know I was already crying until Baekhyun tried to wipe my cheek with his fingers. I automatically leaned away from his touch, and I think that confused the man as I was not rejecting his advances until now. 

“Just let me go,” I croaked, my eyes pleading to Baekhyun as I told him, “I promise that I will not bother you any longer, or talk about how you helped me out of prison, just—please...” 

The quarter was silent for a few minutes, and my heavy breathing and my sniffling could be heard across the room.  

“Where will you go?” Baekhyun inquired, finally deciding to speak up. “If you don’t know where you are, where will you go?” 

I whimpered, “I—I don’t know. I’ll figure it out, I guess...” 

To say that I was disappointed was an understatement when Baekhyun nodded, moving away from the mattress so I could get out of it as well.  

When my feet touched the floor, that was only when I realized that I was bared foot all along. There were already scratches on the soles of my feet from walking since I got here, but I ignored the stinging pain and continued to walk out the door. 

I was pretty lucky I didn’t bump into someone on my way out. I sneakily glanced around the lot, and it was huge. The staff’s quarters were separated from the manor built in the lot's centre.  

It was already dark outside, probably because I had passed out, and it took a couple of hours before I regained consciousness. The night posts on the road were few and not as bright as they were in my time. The road was still dirt with pebbles. 

If this was near the Jung district I grew up in, I would know all the alleys and everything, but there were none. 

It took me approximately an hour and a half to walk before the police station could be seen, but instead of going straight to the cell again, I turned the other way, hoping to find the wardrobe. 

After another fifteen minutes of walking, I reached the old wardrobe again. My heart was pounding in my chest as my hand reached out to the knob, opening it. 

It was empty. What did I even expect? A magical light bursting out of the furniture? 

I was standing on my feet, unmoving. I was slowly realizing and analyzing all that stuff in my head. 

Was the police station the same institution that was built near our house? 

If that were the case, my feet would automatically bring me here by heart. This was where my house should be. 

I broke like a dam. Violent sobs came out of my mouth when I saw the empty lot. Even our neighbors’ houses were not there. As if to add salt to my wounds, the rain poured. Though I didn’t want to go inside the wardrobe again, I had no choice but to find shelter while waiting for the rain to stop. 

I’ve always been afraid of the dark. Since I was a kid, I always had a nightlight with me. My parents... they never bought me a new one. 

My father once gave me a small light bulb that I could plug directly into the outlet to have light at night, while my precious younger sister got a ballerina lamp. 

I remember my mother scolding me when the electricity went out due to bad weather, and I screamed from the top of my lungs when darkness illuminated my small bedroom. “You’re not a baby anymore! You need to toughen up! You’re scaring your little brother!” 

I was only eight at that time. 

I never have someone on my side. No one to look out for me. Except for my friends in school. They’ve been there for me. And they gave me an adorable duck nightlight as a gift when we were freshmen. I still have it, using it, and will forever treasure it. 

I was only used to my friends who were worried about my well-being; hence, when Baekhyun acted like he would save me from my miserable thoughts, it was awkward, but I let my guard down because he made me calm. 

I wouldn’t blame him for acting distant when I narrated what brought me here.  

Who in their right mind would believe I came from a wardrobe like the one in The Chronicles of Narnia, where the Pevensies hid and met Aslan? 

I somehow wished it would be like that. It’d be much easier to handle than being stuck in the 1920s when a war was going on, and everyone would identify you as a spy. 

Holy crap, what if they’d capture me as one? Would I be executed? 

I still wanted to go to university, get my bachelor's, master's, and hopefully PhD. 

Thousands of thoughts ran through my head at once. I clutched the side of my face while weeping in extreme anguish, regretting the days I wished I wasn’t with my dysfunctional family. 

Although I was nobody’s favorite in our household; I’d still take that over this. 

As I took another deep, trembling breath between my sobs, I felt a calloused, warm hand over my cold one. My shoulder jumped from the sudden contact; my head whipped up attentively.  

“Hey.” 

Baekhyun’s finger wrapped around mine as I whimpered upon recognising him. A sense of comfort rushed through my nerves even though I barely knew him. 

He tugged on my hand to make me step out of the wardrobe, and I simply set my feet on the muddy ground. I could feel his gaze as he eyed me with concern when I didn’t stop sobbing, though it was more of a hiccup. 

“What were you doing in there?” Baekhyun asked when I calmed down a little bit. I raised my head and looked him in the eye, seeing San a few steps behind him. 

I unconsciously squeezed his hand holding mine, and my heart couldn’t help but flatter when he tightened his hold, tugging his bottom lip with his teeth in anticipation of my answer. 

“This is the wardrobe I was talking about,” I peeked behind my shoulder to look at the strange furniture. “I swear to God, Baekhyun, I—” 

“Slow down,” Baekhyun cut my sentence off, “I apologize if I let you leave earlier, but I promised that I’m not going to hurt you and let someone hurt you.” 

I jutted my bottom lip, wiping my eyes with my other hand as I sniffed. Though I stayed silent, I found comfort in his words. 

Baekhyun gently called my name, his thumb consolingly rubbing at the back of my hand. “I apologize for what happened earlier. It was an unjustified action of mine. I should not have let a lady wander alone at this time of night.” 

I nodded, accepting his apologies as I tried to look him in the eye without making my orbs quiver in fear. “I swear, I—I’m not joking around.” 

“About what?” Baekhyun inquired, frowning. 

“About what I’ve said earlier,” I choked a sob, sniffling like a child. “I really am not from here. I came from this furniture—” I swung my hand to gesture at the eerie wardrobe behind me, and Baekhyun’s eyes shifted to look at the antique for a second.  

“Would you mind expounding what you meant, sweetheart?” he straightened his back as he bent to see my face clearly, though he was not that tall—just a few centimeters taller than I was. 

I think San also became curious about why he took a few steps forward so he could hear my explanation clearly. 

I pulled away my hand from Baekhyun, rubbing my face tiredly before exhaling heavily. I was preparing myself in case Baekhyun and San thought I was some sort of insane being or, worse, a spy from another country. 

“My house was supposed to be built in this lot,” I pointed my thumb over my shoulder again, indicating the empty lot behind me, “and this antique wardrobe was in our attic even before my parents purchased the house, and no one bothered to get rid of it.” 

Baekhyun nodded his head but said nothing, so I decided to continue. “As I've said earlier, I hid inside when I heard something and when I opened the door, I was already here.” 

I saw San from the peripheral, tilting his head and his eyes squinting on the empty lot I was referring to, but I tried not to look away from Baekhyun’s intense gaze. He was studying my face as if tracing any sign that I was lying. 

“I’m not lying, Baekhyun, I swear,” I croaked, noticing how his orbs wavered upon hearing his name coming out of my mouth. 

He blinked after a few moments, his tongue peeking out to moisten his bottom lip. “When you said that this is where your house was supposed to be and yet you’re not from here...” he exhaled through his nose, eyes closing for a second before looking directly into my eyes as if begging me to tell the truth. “Will you be able to shed light on that?” 

Finding courage that Baekhyun was finally willing to listen to me without the thought that he must’ve identified me as an enemy, I nodded my head, not before clenching my fingers from what I was about to say. 

“You said that we are currently in year 1920?”  

Baekhyun confirmed by nodding his head, and San, intently listening, nodded.  

I continued, “Before I went inside the wardrobe, I checked my smartphone—” I saw how Baekhyun scowled, but I didn’t bother explaining, though I took a note at the back of my head that it’d be for another conversation. “And I clearly remember, the date was 20th of February...” 

Baekhyun and San widened their eyes as if it were the most bizarre thing they’d ever heard in their entire life. 

But I bet that was not the oddest thing they’d hear tonight. 

“And the year was 2020.” 

I was back at the staff quarters in Baekhyun’s house. I was seated on the mattress, having been awoken earlier as I waited for San, whom I could hear talking to other staff about how I was his niece and working for the Byun family alongside them. 

I stared at my feet, all dirty and wounded from walking all over the place barefooted. However, I didn’t mind the stinging pain a bit. All I knew was how my heart was lightened up when Baekhyun said that he’d take care of me and instructed San to take me in while we looked for an answer on how to return to where I came from—originally where I came from. 

“Do you believe me?” I whispered while sitting beside him inside their vintage vehicle while San drove us back to Baekhyun’s house. 

He looked at me puzzlingly at first, making my heart feel like it dropped to my stomach, but it quickly vanished when he smiled gently. “One thing my grandmother told me when I was still a child that remains in my mind up until today and that is: To believe the impossible.” 

I heard San calling my name from the door, cutting my thoughts from an earlier event. I looked up from my feet as he stood by the door with a basin and towel. 

“Sir Baekhyun asked me to give these to you,” San walked beside the mattress as he set the basin with warm water and handed me the towel. “He wants to apologize for not being able to give these to you himself. They can’t be seen here, particularly when other workers are finished in the main house.” 

I gave San a kind smile, lifted my feet from the floor, and soaked them in the warm water. I sighed in relief when my aching muscles and skin touched the warmth.  

“Thank you, San. And don’t worry about it. I’m more than grateful that you let me stay here, and that’s more than enough.” 

I hurried to the side when San asked if he could sit beside me. He plopped himself, staring ahead, seemingly in deep thought as I waited for him to ask questions that I knew he was keeping in, as Baekhyun could be pretty scary when he was around him. 

“Is it improper of me to ask you if you really are from the future?” he inquired. His voice was low and quiet as if he didn’t want anyone to hear our conversation. 

I smile sadly, my index finger picking on my thumb—a habit I have had since childhood when I’d be too scared or nervous. “I also couldn’t wrap my head about it.” I tried to cover up my nervousness with an awkward laugh, but it failed. It just sounded like I was about to pee my pants any minute now. “Is it improper of me to wish that this is just a dream?” 

For the first time I’ve met San, though it wasn’t that long, he chortled, and it made me beam, flashing him a toothy grin. 

“What does the future look like?” San asked before turning his head to the side to yawn. I looked at him fondly. He was such a hardworking man, especially for someone like Baekhyun, who was strict with his employees. 

I shrugged, lifting my feet from the basin to wipe them with the towel I had been given a while ago. “There are no flying cars, don’t worry.” 

My response made him cackle. He wiped his teary eyes with his hand, shaking his head while calming himself down. “I apologize if what I’m about to say would be inappropriate. However, I have not thought that you are hilarious from the way you cowered in fear when talking to Sir Baekhyun a while ago.” 

I scrunched my nose, “I’m an awkward person to talk with, but I don’t know... I feel comfortable with you. Though you really did give me a fright when you claimed that I was a spy.” 

“I apologize for that Miss, I—” 

“No worries,” I shook my head, cutting him with an unnecessary apology. “But yeah, Baekhyun was obviously caring and kind, but could be quite intimidating, not the bad kind of intimidating, but you know—” 

“He really is,” San agreed, nodding his head, probably to not make me feel wrong from talking about his employer. “But he’s a good man. He was just raised to be stern, although he can be mischievous on occasions. Do you want to know why he was in the prison this afternoon?” 

I was dying to know and glad I didn’t have to ask anyone about it. I quickly nodded, signaling San to tell me what had happened. 

“Sir Baekhyun did not agree to meet the lady his mother was forcing him to marry—” Oh, boy... if I said that I didn’t feel anything upon hearing that information, I’d be a liar. “Consequently, he ran and hid for the whole day. He came back in the middle of the day and rather than coming through the gates, he climbed on the wall at the back of the main house to furtively get to his chamber.” 

I hummed as an answer as I could not form a proper sentence to acknowledge his words. Though I had no relation with Baekhyun, it felt weird having some sort of connection, unconsciously, towards him. 

Given my lack of response, I thought San would end the day and retrieve me to his room as it was getting late, but he must’ve been that interested in the idea of me being from their future. 

“What is a smartphone?” 

I felt my lips spread a wide smile as I explained something I was passionate about. I’d love to discuss the technology that will have developed a hundred years from now. It was late, but I didn’t mind. 

It was going to be a long night. 

The next few days, I slowly grasped the routine of working for the Byun family. It was exhausting, as there were three separate houses, though I only attended the staff quarters and the guesthouse. 

The guesthouse was mostly occupied by relatives and associates from other cities, whom I was informed to stay away from. 

I haven’t seen Baekhyun since he decided to take me in and delegate my well-being to San, who was probably the friendliest and most understanding person I’ve ever met in this dimension—what I liked to call it, secretly. 

At first, I was downhearted that Baekhyun didn’t reach out to me or even send a message to San like he did the first night I came here. Still, when San advised that Baekhyun was in trouble about the marriage stuff with his mother’s friend’s daughter, I slowly came to realize that I was just someone whom he helped and he had other things that he needed to take care of. 

“How old is he?” I asked San when I followed him to the garden built at the back of the main house. It was late afternoon, and I had nothing to do except follow San around like a good niece. “I mean—if you don’t mind me asking.” 

San flashed me a kind smile before inspecting a Gloriosa Daisy bed to ensure the gardener did his job correctly. I also learned that San had been the butler of the Byun family for almost twenty years. “Sir Baekhyun had just turned twenty last May.” 

I nodded my head, my lips forming an O shape. “He’s older than me as I expected, but we’re almost the same age.” 

“It’s impolite to ask for a lady’s age, thus my lips will be sealed.” 

I laughed at San’s statement. My booming voice echoed across the empty garden. The old man’s eye crinkled in delight upon seeing my reaction. 

“I’m eighteen, San.” I told him my age anyway. I shrugged my shoulders when he looked at me like he was expecting me to be twelve or something. “Anyway, isn’t twenty too young to be married? Or is it normal in the olden days?” 

San grimaced at my choice of words but laughed nonetheless. “It is indeed young to get married at such age, but it’s considered as norm, particularly to prominent families.” 

I was about to respond to San’s statement when my eyes travelled to the main house. There was a large window facing the garden, and there he was, Baekhyun, standing inside the house. He was wearing a white dress shirt as he stared at us in the distance. 

I raised my hand and subtly waved at him, a tight smile on my lips. San realized the absence of my response, so he turned his head to see what other things caught my attention. 

He immediately bowed his head upon seeing Baekhyun inside the house, looking at us blankly. Baekhyun didn’t even bat an eyelash to San and kept his eyes on me before turning his head away and walking off from the window. 

I sighed dejectedly, turning to San, who just shrugged his shoulders. “Sir Baekhyun is having a difficult time with the arrangement he’s requiring into.” 

I nodded understandingly, starting another conversation with San, who instantly shifted his focus to the topic I was discussing. 

I felt bad complaining about my life situation when Baekhyun, who was undoubtedly a good person, was forced to do things against his will. I understood that we probably wouldn’t be able to talk for quite some time or until San and I find a way for me to get back where I came from. 

I never thought that that would be the last day Baekhyun would stop distancing himself away. 

I have been awoken by soft knocks inside the quarter, where I have been staying for a week. It was the smallest room, but San defended that they preferred me to be alone instead of mingling with other household employees. They would instead not take the risk.  

I truly understand, though, and I honestly don’t mind. I also have the smallest bedroom among my siblings, so it didn’t matter. 

Squinting my eyes, I propped on the mattress using my hands as I peeked at the mantel clock on the bedside table. It was two in the morning. 

San had never knocked this early to instruct me on a chore, so I was confused. What could he possibly need to wake me up in the middle of the night? 

Nonetheless, I grumpily threw my body out of the bed after lighting up a lamp before walking to the door to open it. 

“Hey.” 

I was half-asleep and wasn’t prepared to see Baekhyun, in his sleepwear, standing on the other side of the door. His closed fist was raised in the air, and he was about to knock on the wooden door again. 

I blinked several times, trying to get the sleep away from my eyes when I heard 'sBaekhyun's melodious laughter again after days of not interacting with him. 

“Did I wake you up?” His husky, deep voice made my insides do some flips.  

I shook my head, opening the door a bit wider so I could step out. “It’s okay...” 

I felt his eyes on me for a while, and when I found the courage to look up to his face, his lips formed a smile, eyes crinkling as he did. “Do you mind coming with me for a bit?” 

Without any hesitation, I nodded, closing the door behind me as I followed his steps outside. It was summer, but at night, the breeze was slightly cooler than during the day. 

We walked for almost ten minutes until we reached the garden at the back of the main house, where Baekhyun had seen San and I talking in the afternoon. He led me to the hedge maze on the further side of the lot. 

“Don’t worry,” Baekhyun suddenly chuckled, snapping me out of my thoughts. I looked up to him with wide eyes, not knowing what he meant by the unexpected assurance. “These shrubs are not that tall. You can scream for help if you think I would be doing something inappropriate.” 

I opened my mouth to deny his assumptions of my thinking, but no words came out. Hence, I just waved my hands desperately.  

Baekhyun’s eyes twinkled as if he was adoring every reaction of mine. He shook his head and turned on his heels to continue walking in the labyrinth. 

“How are you doing?” he inquired, looking ahead of him. 

I glanced at his side profile, pursing my lips, when I noticed the bags under his eyes. “I’m doing alright... I guess. San has been helping me a lot.” 

Baekhyun nodded his head, a tight smile on his eyes, and something irked me when it didn’t reach his eyes. “I’m glad to hear that. I apologize if I’m not around these days.” 

“Oh—no, no,” I laughed nervously, scratching the side of my head as I tried to think of a better response to that. “I—I’m thankful enough to you for letting me stay here. That’s—that’s... uhm... more than enough. You don’t need to apologize.” 

Baekhyun darted from my eyes to my lips, which I nervously bit. When I cleared my throat, he blinked like he was snapped out of his trance. He forced a cough, chuckling awkwardly. He tipped his head to the side, asking me to walk beside him. 

“Say,” Baekhyun murmured, our footwear making a pat sound against the ground. I peered on my side to let him know that he had my attention. “Hundred years from today, does people, even then, are being imposed on what they should be doing—or who they should be with?” 

My lips automatically turned downwards, knowing his situation from San. I sighed before shrugging my shoulders. “Well—it’s different. Rich and influential people still do have those circumstances, but they have a bit more freedom, I think? People have become more open on different status in life, culture, education—that kind of stuff.” 

Baekhyun heaved a sigh upon hearing that, and I couldn’t help but feel guilty. I could’ve just said yes to make things livelier, but that would mean I’d be lying. 

“Then I can take for granted that you have the benefit of freedom?” he asked, his tone a bit playful to lighten his damp mood. 

I crinkled my nose, wrapping my arms around my figure when a cold breeze passed. “Don’t get me wrong, I came from an extremely ordinary family, but no, I do not have the pleasure of enjoying any kind of freedom.” 

Baekhyun scowled, his steps coming to a halt before turning his head to glance in my direction. “Are you being arranged to someone as well?” 

I snorted, shifting my weight to my other foot. “I could barely go out of the house to hang out with my friends, what more on dating.” 

“Dating?” he breathed, uncertain of the word's meaning in my vocabulary. 

“Oh—” I gasped, murmuring a soft apology. “Dating is a term we used when someone would be going out—most often with the intention of evaluating each other's suitability as a partner in a future intimate relationship.” 

Baekhyun took a few seconds before nodding to acknowledge that he understood what I meant. “That’s what dating is...”  

I hummed and followed his steps when he continued walking on the path again.  

“Then you have yet experience dating, I presume?” 

His question caught me off guard, and I couldn’t think of a better response but to laugh awkwardly—inside my head, pathetically—my shoulders curling forward in embarrassment. How I wish... 

And I could only hope I didn’t say that out loud. 

But I think I just did... by just taking a glimpse of Baekhyun’s facial expression. He had a twinkle, almost mischievous, look in his eyes; his lips quirked up. 

“Anyway,” I smiled at him, feeling comfortable conversing with him when San assured me several times that Baekhyun was a good man and I should not have any doubt about him. “Is everything okay—are you alright? Not that I mind, but is there any reason why you called me at this time?” 

Guilt flashed through my nerves again when his shoulder visibly deflated as he sighed. Why do I always have to say the wrong thing at the wrong time? 

“I was worried about you, to tell you honestly,” Baekhyun quavered, tilting his head to look at the stars in the dark sky. “I feel terrible that I have not reached out when I was the one who told you to stay here.” 

I smiled sadly, my hand itching to pat his shoulder, but I decided to keep my hands to myself. “You don’t need to worry about that, I’m doing just fine. It’s sad that we have been trying to get me back to my time to no avail, but San has been taking care of me like I’m his real niece or something.” 

I ended my sentence with a laugh to make things lighter, and I was glad that it made him smile. 

“That is delightful to hear,” Baekhyun beamed, and I couldn’t help but mirror his smile. 

We were just looking at each other, and our orbs danced at one another’s features. Unknowingly, he raised his hand to tuck a loose strand of hair behind my ear. When his finger touched my cheek, I finally realized his action. 

At the same time, I tensed, not disregarding the heat that was starting to creep up from my neck. 

“You have a ravishing smile,” he commented; the tip of his finger lingered longer than it should’ve been on my skin, leaving a burning sensation on the largest organ of my anatomy. 

Baekhyun must have noticed my speechlessness as he retrieved his hand and tucked it on his back. He scratched the back of his neck with his other hand before pointing back to the staff quarters. 

“Let’s get you back. You’re freezing, and I don’t want you catching a cold.” 

I was a hundred percent sure that I was not freezing. In fact, my whole body was on fire. 

Ever since that night, I would expect a knock on my door in the middle of the night. I got used to it to the extent that I’d be pacing back and forth when the mantel clock would hit two o’clock, and he was not here yet. 

There was one time when it was almost three in the morning, and I thought he’d not come, so I decided to go to bed. I needed to be up early in the morning, or San would be in trouble—and I did not want that to happen. 

I was asleep when I didn’t hear him knocking on my door. It was when I felt fingers on my forehead, brushing my fringe, and then it travelled to the bridge of my nose. I let out a grunt before forcing my eyes to open. There he was, sitting on the edge of the mattress as he stared at me at my messiest state. 

I was so embarrassed that I instantly tried to turn my back on him and cover my face with a blanket, but his movement was swifter than mine. He was chuckling huskily as he fought for the blanket from my hands. 

“Why do you shy away, my little dove?” 

I’ve gotten used to the nicknames he used every time he saw me. At first, I would blush like mad and stammer. Though now, my face still flushes, I somehow manage to live with it. 

It was another night of strolling with Baekhyun. He was slowly getting bolder as he suggested walking outside the hedge maze and sitting on the ground around the bed of flowers. 

My arms hugged my knees, and I stared straight ahead while Baekhyun leaned on his arms as he looked at the dark sky. 

“Darling?” 

I hummed, leaning the side of my head on my folded arms to look at him. Without tearing his eyes away from the sky, he inquired, “Would you like to dance?” 

My brows furrowed at his sudden request. Nevertheless, I got up on my feet and dusted my bottom as I held my hand out for him to take. He had a broad smile as he took my hand in his, hoisting him from the ground as well. 

“I don’t know how to dance, but I’d say yes anyway because I know you’ll bug me for the rest of my life if I rejected your offer,” I grumbled, playfully rolling my eyes before following his lead. He had a hand raised in the air for me to take, and a hand was positioned on my waist. 

Baekhyun laughed at my sentiments, “I’m still astounded on how you were this adorable little sheep I’ve saw in the prison to becoming a lioness who would pounce on me when she gets a chance.” 

I mumbled an apology when I stepped on his foot. I gave him a stinky eye at his metaphor but couldn’t stop the bashful smile on my lips. “I told you, I’m awkward at first, but I’m talkative when I get comfortable.” 

A gasp escaped my lips when his hand on my back pulled me closer to his chest. Baekhyun leaned his head on my temple as he continued to lead the dance. We swayed slowly and gently; I could feel his heartbeat on my chest, his breathing in my ear. 

Finding comfort in our position, I courageously leaned my head on his shoulder, closing my eyes when both arms tightly wrapped around my figure. 

“Please tell me I’m not the only one whose feeling it,” Baekhyun whispered, his nose buried in my hair. 

Since the first day... I’d like to say. But instead, I just wrapped my arms around his torso, nodding my head to confirm his words. 

I reluctantly pulled away when Baekhyun loosened his arms. When I tilted my chin to peer at him, he slowly leaned, and I thought he would smash his mouth on mine without thinking—but I was glad he didn’t. To be honest, I was not ready. 

“Pardon me,” he pursed his lips, scooting his face a few inches away from mine when he saw my widened eyes. “I’m certain that you are the only thing that fills my head these days... and it’s insane.” 

“Why—” I cleared my throat when my voice cracked, “why me? I’m not—” 

“Why not you?” 

I squealed when Baekhyun, who must’ve lost control, briefly dived to place his lips on my left cheek. It was short, but his soft lips left a tingling sensation on my cheek.  

Why not me? I have no idea. I’ve never been someone else’s choice before. I’d always be left out. To say that this was strange is such an understatement. I truthfully don’t know how to react nor know what to say. 

Baekhyun nudged my cheek with the tip of his nose to snap me out of my trance. He looked at me worriedly as he pulled away and held my face in his hands instead. That didn’t help my racing heart as I was fully aware that he could now see my crimson-red face, and most probably, my ears were blushing as well. 

“Would you like me to give you some time to think?” 

Dumb-founded, I nodded my head as I could not find myself to utter any word. I couldn’t be more thankful when Baekhyun smiled and walked me back to the quarters with his hand still on the small of my back.  

I was wonderstruck, blushing all the way home. 

San knew what happened, and he was skeptical when he asked what I’d been doing, saying that I had been yawning for the whole day. I stuttered, trying to find an excuse for my lack of energy. 

“I never doubted that you came from the future, but you are clearly being dishonest right now, Miss.” 

He looked so disappointed that I had no choice but to tell him the truth: that Baekhyun had been knocking on my door in the middle of the night for a quick stroll around the manor, and what had happened with his employer's son. 

San looked so shocked that he did not expect my answer. “You’re bluffing.” 

I chewed my bottom lip and sighed, “I wish I am.” 

I followed him around the guest house again. A few staff members were dusting the place, as someone would visit the Byun family in a few days.  

San had to go to the corner and grab a chair to sit on. “This is going to be a disruption. Sir Baekhyun, he—he needs to obey his mother’s order.” 

I pursed my lips before nodding my head. “I know, San—I know, and I also need to go back to where I came from. Don’t get me wrong, you’ve helped me a lot, but this is not where I belong.” 

San nodded understandingly; his fingers rubbed his temple as he thought. Before we could even say another word, we were startled when the staff in the area could be heard fussing. 

I peeked over my shoulder and saw Baekhyun walking in the door. A neat dress shirt and a waistcoat adorned his torso, and black slacks on his bottom.  

My eyes automatically widened, my head snapping in San’s direction, who looked surprised simultaneously, in panic as I was. But unlike me, San quickly stood up from his chair, bowing his head in respect to Baekhyun. 

I forgot I was supposed to be an employee and was about to walk away to pretend I was busy dusting a piece of squeaky-clean furniture when San grabbed my arm, forcing me to bow my head. I did, exaggeratedly, which was embarrassing as heck. 

It was the first time I saw him during daylight since I met him at the police station. He looked unbelievably dashing. 

“Sir Baekhyun,” San greeted him. His voice was professional like he didn’t just scold me for sneaking out with one of his bosses. “Is there anything I can help you with?” 

Baekhyun didn’t even smile when he pointed his finger directly at me. “I need her to come with me for a moment.” 

My head whipped to San’s direction, shooting daggers on the side of his head with my eyes as if to beg him not to let me go with Baekhyun, who freakin’ stole a kiss on my cheek, sniffed my hair, and made my stomach do all those gymnastics shit my younger sister loved doing. 

All the other staff looked so surprised, but instead of looking suspicious, they looked worried that Baekhyun was asking for me, probably thinking that I had done something that got on his nerves. 

San looked hesitant for a second or two before nodding his head with a smile on his face. “Right away, Sir.” he placed his hand on my shoulder, pushing me gently to walk in Baekhyun’s direction, who was already holding the door open for me to follow him. 

I kept my chin dipped as I followed him to the staff’s quarter. He opened a door where cleaning materials were placed and closed the door behind him after he checked that no one followed nor saw us. 

“Did I—did I do something wrong?” I stammered; my voice was so small as I cowered down by his intense gaze. 

I watched him put his hand inside his waistcoat, fishing out a familiar machine from its pocket. I immediately gasped, snatching my smartphone from his hand. “W-where did you get this? Oh, my God, I thought I didn’t bring it with me.” 

Baekhyun’s stoic face finally faded and was replaced by the smile I was familiar with. “You dropped this when you went unconscious by the road. I had forgotten that I had this with me. I apologize, love.” 

I gulped at his endearment choice for the day. I froze on my spot, not moving a muscle, and I bet he noticed it. He chuckled huskily; his hand went to pat my head.  

Clearing my throat, I forced myself to look at his eyes, “Thank you for this. But you could’ve just waited until everyone’s asleep before giving this back to me.” 

Baekhyun just shrugged his shoulders, and a smirk formed on his face. “Perhaps it was a rationale to see you.” 

I playfully rolled my eyes, shaking my head, slowly getting used to his advances.  

“You looked beautiful under the moonlight, but you look absolutely stunning when the rays of sun are kissing your skin, love.” 

I shook my head, my lips caught between my teeth to prevent myself from smiling too widely. I shifted my attention to my phone, my heart clenching for a second when I pressed the button on the right side. The thought of it not working was about to kill me.  

I took a sharp breath when the screen lit up. The infamous Bited Apple logo appeared on the screen. I peeped under my lashes to see Baekhyun’s reaction, and his mouth was open as he stared at the device in my hand. 

“Wha—what is that?” he gawked, taking a step forward to look at the device closely, our arms brushed at the proximity.  

“It’s a smartphone,” I answered, showing him the screen when it finally loaded to my lock screen. I was not even surprised when the signal showed No Service. Like, hello? 

“It’s like a combination of computer and a telephone,” I explained, showing him the contacts I saved. “You can also use this for taking pictures, videos, and stuff.” 

I raised my head to look at him, and his expression indicated that he was having difficulty understanding what a smartphone was all about. 

I scrunched up my face, feeling guilty to feed him such information when he was probably not familiar with those functions in the first place. I knew a mechanical computer was invented in 1822 but was not digitalized until 1942. So, I wouldn’t blame him for looking lost. That was my bad. 

I opened the camera app and quickly snapped a picture of him. The photo came out a bit blurry. I grinned widely before showing him the image, and his jaw dropped. 

“This thing has been invented?” he gasped, thrilled to see a photo of him within seconds. 

“Yes!” I squealed; my head turned to glance at him, only to find out he was already looking at me. 

My smile slowly faltered when I watched his orbs dart from my eyes to my mouth. I gulped audibly, not finding the will to scoot away. “I—I thought chivalry is a must in the olden days?” I breathed on his face, but he didn’t even flinch.  

“I have never done this before,” he responded, inching a bit closer, making me hold my breath and my hands instinctively hold on his sides. “I have never felt something like this before.” 

Baekhyun exhaled through his nose before closing his eyes and opening them again when he leaned his forehead on mine. “I have been drawn to you since the day I saw you at the police station. I have been trying to elucidate why this is happening to me. You are the first person I would love to see in the morning, and the last person I would love to be with before I go to bed.” 

It was a short brush of our lips, but I felt the spark when they touched. A flash of warmth was spreading through my whole body.  

I let out a deep, trembling breath when Baekhyun’s hand travelled to my back, caressing it over the fabric of my blouse before it went to cup the back of my neck. It was clear that he wanted to smash his mouth on his mind, but it was apparent that he was stopping himself from doing so. 

“Say something,” he fretted, nudging my nose with his. 

“Baekhyun, I—” I croaked, “what do you want me to say?” 

A muscle in his jaw twitched, but his eyes still looked at me gently. “That you feel the same way... do you?” 

My lower lip quivered, torn into two things: If I’d be honest and say that I was indeed attracted to him, and even though I felt the same way, I still needed to return to where I originally came from, that I didn’t belong here. 

“Baekhyun,” I whimpered, “I need to get home... my family—” 

“Stay here,” Baekhyun instantly responded, cutting me off; both of his hands cupped my cheeks, making me look directly at his orbs, “with me—stay here with me.” 

I pressed my lips together, contemplating whether staying would be a good idea. Will my family look for me? Will they even notice that I was gone for quite some time? Will they even care? 

“May I love you?” 

Without thinking much further, I nodded my head, a tear escaping my eye when I realized that I made an impromptu decision that would affect my entire life.  

Baekhyun broke into the biggest smile I’ve ever seen; he giggled breathlessly as his thumb caressed my cheek. He slowly leaned forward, tilting my head to get better access to my mouth. 

My friends in school told me that the first kiss would feel like butterflies in your stomach, but heck no, it felt like someone fired up fireworks in my nerves, making the tip of my fingers and toes curled from exhilaration.  

Baekhyun’s lips were soft. That was all I could think about initially, but when he started nibbling my pillows, I began thinking differently. He knew what he was doing, and he was good at it. 

I was a bit disappointed yet glad when he decided to pull away. I fluttered my eyes open, seeing how he looked at me with his lips all red and glossy. 

“I thought it was just going to be a peck,” I panted, rubbing my mouth with the back of my hand. “That was my first kiss, you know.” 

“Forgive me, my love.” Baekhyun had the cheek to laugh at my statement, dipping his head down to steal another kiss. “That was the closest to heaven as I will ever get.” 

San, once again, knew what happened. Not exactly what happened, but he had his eyes squinted when I came back to the guest house actually to help them clean the place. 

I avoided his eyes the whole time, but when we were done with the task, he asked me to stay behind. “I beg you to tell me that my thoughts are incorrect,” he pondered, and his jaw went slack when I let out a nervous laughter.  

I honestly thought that what happened would create such an unpleasant atmosphere, but gladly, nothing really changed—except for the fact that Baekhyun became more open to requesting to see me during the day. 

“Baekhyun—” I tried to push him away when I was asked to deliver a meal to his chamber because, apparently, he was not feeling well. It was true, though. He fell while riding a horse with his older brother and twisted his ankle. It wasn’t that bad, but he used it as an excuse to be pampered. “Someone might see.” 

It was the first time I entered the main house. It was huge, and having no sense of direction, I got lost several times. Fortunately, another staff member saw me struggling with a tray and seemed to be losing my mind. She was kind enough to point out Sir Baekhyun’s room. 

Baekhyun was able to walk, though limping; it wasn’t as bad as I expected. It had been three days since the accident, so I assumed he was already healing.  

That explained why he was able to jump off his bed when I knocked and asked permission to come in. He almost tackled my figure as soon as I set the metal tray with his food on the table near the floor-to-ceiling window. 

“May I have kiss, please?” he pleaded, almost batting his eyelashes at me. I turned my head side to side, as if someone was in the room, before leaning in for a quick peck. 

I was relieved when that seemed to satisfy his need. 

Often, though, he’d still knock on my door in the middle of the night. There were times when I’d be exhausted and unable to get up and open the door for him. Hence, I once told him that the doors in the staff quarters didn’t have some sort of lock, so he could come in directly to my room. 

He was hesitant at first, saying that someone might get the wrong idea, but then he remembered that only San knew about us. 

“I trust San,” I told him, hurrying on the mattress to give him space to lie down. “He won’t tell anyone.” 

Baekhyun hummed, shifting on his side, observing my tired state, droopy eyes, and hugging the blanket on my body. “I speculate that San already had the wrong idea. He has vivid imagination.” 

I let out a breathless laugh, tilting my head to look at him. The corner of his lips quirked up upon noticing my attention to him. I already knew what he was thinking, and it’d not be the first time he’d discussed it. “Let’s not give San’s receding hairline another reason to step back.” 

It was Baekhyun’s turn to laugh. However he didn’t even try concealing his boisterous laugh I had to cover his mouth with my palm. “Baekhyun!” I hissed, scowling at him. He nodded, fingers wrapping on my wrist to pull my palm away from his mouth. 

He kissed my knuckles, and I thought he’d put it back on my side, but he kept holding my hand in his hand and even placing our hands on his chest. “I will patiently wait, my love.” 

I smiled widely, inching closer to place my lips on his. I am glad to say that I finally got used to being affectionate and intimate with him. Although, we haven’t gotten that far yet. 

Baekhyun exhaled through his nose as he tangled his finger in my hair, grabbing the back of my head to tug me closer. I grunted before pulling away. He looked confused for a moment, but when he realized how deep I was looking into his eyes, his frown faded away.  

“Thank you,” I said under my breath. 

“For what cause?” 

“Everything,” I murmured. “I’ve always thought that I’d be unlove for the rest of my life. You’re the first who made me feel wanted.” 

Baekhyun knew my story regarding my family. He was surprised but did not say anything against them. Instead, he assured me that he’d never leave my side. “No matter when you need me, I will be there. I will never leave you. I will always come and find you.” 

His movements were fast. In a matter of seconds, his lips had crashed into mine. I was taken aback that my breath was caught in my throat, fingers clenching his back underneath the fabric of his shirt. 

My heart felt like it was going to jump out from my chest when his hand came in contact with my chest, squeezing my bosom. I sensed the lump in my throat; my hand went from his back to his face, pushing it away from mine.  

“Baekhyun—Baekhyun,” my voice was stern, trying to wake him up from the daze he had snapped out of. 

He closed his eyes, retrieving his hand away from my chest. “I’m—I’m sorry, that was not my intention.” 

I felt his panic, caressing his face,, which seemed to calm him down as he leaned his head on my palm. “It’s okay—you’re okay. I know you didn’t mean it. I was just surprised; you did nothing wrong.” 

“I did! I—” 

I shushed him, gathering the small amount of courage I had to place his hand on my chest again. Baekhyun widened his eyes, tugging his hand back, but I held it in place, smiling at him.  

“I’m sorry that I’m not ready to do it yet,” I smiled before drawing my lower lip between my teeth. “But this is okay, you can touch them—you can touch me.” 

Baekhyun was initially reluctant, but with a kiss on his forehead to let him know that I was confident, he started exploring my features as a woman.  

My sleep was long gone; my head was laying on Baekhyun’s chest as he buried his nose in my hair while we talked about things in our lives, mostly him asking about my life ninety-nine years from now. 

“I really thought people from the olden days were conservative,” I admitted, “no offense, though.” 

Baekhyun playfully snarled. His hand, which was on his back rubbing in circles, suddenly pinched my side, earning a shriek from me. “I really hope you would stop saying olden days. You are making me feel old when I’m only twenty.” 

I scrunched up my face, tilting my head to kiss his chin. “I mean, you’re probably older than my grandparents.” 

He rolled his eyes before pretending to leave the bed. 

“I’m kidding,” I laughed, pulling him back and hugging his torso like a bolster, tangling my legs with his. 

His hand automatically reached my back, resuming his previous action. “I do wonder what historians had written about our time. It’s normal to make love. I did it the first time when I was fifteen.” 

I bolted out from his touch, sitting up on the bed while I looked at him with wide open eyes. “Are you serious? I could barely order in a restaurant without stuttering when I was fifteen.” 

“It would be different in your time?” Baekhyun inquired, genuinely curious and ignoring the fact that he had just told me his sex life had started when he was fifteen.  

I cleared my throat, shrugging my shoulders. “I mean—my life was only between school and home. Others did the same as you, I think. I just—you know, assumed that it was marriage before sex in this century.” 

Baekhyun wriggled his brows on me, sitting up on the mattress. “Are you asking to marry me?” 

I gawked at him, grabbing the pillow at the edge of the mattress and chucking it to his face. “Excuse me?” 

He chuckled, snatching the pillow and placing it out of my reach. He asked me to lie down again, which I did, but not before sending him a glare. 

“What are people like in 2020?”  

I yawned, finally getting lulled from how Baekhyun massaged my scalp with his fingers as I lay on his torso, my face tucked in the space of his neck. “Almost the same, but we dressed differently, and people became creative in dyeing their hair.” 

I felt his lips on my forehead as I closed my eyes, scooting closer to his side if possible. 

“Government allowed people to dye their hair?” 

I grunted, “Even males dye their hair pink.” 

“A man with pink hair?” Baekhyun marveled, “who would do that?” 

“What?” I chuckled lowly; I was this close to dreamland. “I think it’s adorable. If possible, I’d dye your hair pink so I can recognize you anywhere I’d go.” 

I heard him scoff, hugging my body tighter.  

“No, thank you.” 

It wasn’t that long before San informed me that Baekhyun’s mother was suspicious of his son’s whereabouts. I was confused initially because Baekhyun had been staying in the manor since we’ve been together, but when San reminded me that the youngest son of Byun's family was a mischievous creature, that hit me.  

There had been idle talk among employees that their Sir Baekhyun had been having an affair with someone on the premises. Some employees would quickly turn their heads on me since they had been noticing Baekhyun would always ask for me, and some wondered who it might be. 

Instantly, I asked San for help with the situation, and he immediately told me that he would handle the employees’ whisper. “May I request that you two tone down? If you could pass it on to Sir Baekhyun, he won’t handle my suggestion lightly when I’d say it directly to him. I’ll talk to other maids about this.” 

Surprisingly, Baekhyun agreed when he came over to my room. He said that it would be our only choice to be together. He assured me that he would handle his mother and would find a solution to our dilemma. 

When things were getting better after a few weeks of not seeing each other, and his mother was finally forgetting Baekhyun’s odd behavior, I accidentally bumped with the, as San informed me, the chief of the police station where Baekhyun and San first saw me. 

I wasn’t supposed to be in the guest house, but one of the staff had eaten something terrible and was advised to rest for the rest of the day. As San was already occupied, I offered to cover her tasks while she rested. 

The chief was eyeing me like a hawk as if he was examining my face like I was some sort of criminal. To which I was identified the first day I arrived in this century. 

I still couldn’t get a hold of Baekhyun. Consequently, I asked San to deliver the message to him instead, as San was always in the main house for his duty as the main butler for the family. 

That night, Baekhyun finally knocked on my door at two in the morning. I opened the door wide to let him in before closing the door behind us.   

Baekhyun smiled, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ears. “Hey.” 

Without wasting time, I told him what had happened with the chief and how uncomfortable it made me that someone outside the manor had recognized me. 

“Those two officers must’ve sketched my face and showed it to the chief,” I gasped, nearly choking a sob. “They probably didn’t believe it when you said that I was with you. They saw me idling near the wardrobe, Baekhyun! What if they—” 

Baekhyun shushed me by tugging my arm so he could pull me to his chest. He ran his fingers on my hair, knowing it would always calm me. “It’s going to be all right. I will talk to father once I get the chance and ask for help. Please wait for me.” 

Turned out that it was too late to ask for help. The chief came over the following day, going straight to the lady of the house: Baekhyun’s mother. 

My heart was beating so fast when San told me that Lady Byun was asking for me. I almost cried on the spot because I already knew what would happen. 

Despite having soft facial features, Baekhyun’s mother was terrifying. Her voice was stern, and her eyes were like those of a lioness ready to eat her prey anytime, and that prey was obviously me. 

My head was hanging low as I stood in front of Lady Byun sitting on a chair in the middle of a room. An employee was also standing in the corner with worried eyes on me. 

“Remind me to dismiss San for letting in a criminal in this household,” she said, her voice cold and void of emotion. 

Instantly, I shot up my head, looking at her with wide, pleading eyes. “No!” 

She raised her eyebrows at me, unable to believe that I just raised my voice. I quickly bowed my head to apologise, “I apologize, madam. I didn’t mean to shout. But San didn’t do anything wrong.” 

“Are you saying that my judgement was unjustifiable?” she taunted. 

I shook my head, “T-that’s not what I meant, madam. I—I will take full responsibility and will leave the manor in an instant.” 

She scoffed, smiling bitterly. “You are aware that my husband is the General, am I correct?” 

I shut my eyes momentarily, letting out a deep trembling breath. “Yes, madam.” 

“And if the people heard about the Byun family letting a criminal on loose, do you know what would happen?” she argued, not letting me go quickly. 

I nodded, my eyes getting watery from the overwhelming confrontation I didn’t want to be in. “I—I understand very well, madam. I will surrender myself to the police. But please,” I croaked, forcing myself to tilt my chin to look at her in the eyes, “San didn’t do anything wrong.” 

Her eyebrows twitched. “If San is dismissed, I would like you to know that it’s your liability.” 

I raised my hand to wipe a tear that escaped my eyes, whimpering in agony. Everything was going so well. I finally accepted the vast possibility that I wouldn’t be able to go back to my time and spend the rest of my life here—with Baekhyun.  

Then this happened. 

San was frantic when he saw that I was being escorted by two police personnel. He tried to stop them, but when I gave him a smile that didn’t reach my eyes, I told him that it was okay and also thanked him for everything he had done for me. 

San called my name for the last time before I was asked to enter the police vehicle, and when I turned my head to him, the old man cupped his mouth as he teared up. I wept as I mouthed an apology for bringing him into this mess.  

The ride was filled with my sniffles, and the two officers were in silence as they listened to me cry. I didn’t even see Baekhyun before I got to be imprisoned for something I was forced to identify with. I wasn’t even able to say goodbye, at the very least. 

I just want to hug and kiss him and tell him that I'm sorry to leave when I promised him I’d stay. 

When the vehicle came to a halt, I waited until one of the officers would open the back seat door where I was seated. I was staring into space and moved robotically when I stepped out. 

However, before I could even take another step, I heard the stomping of footwear getting louder, like it was getting near where I was. I peeked over my shoulder and saw Baekhyun sprinting to reach my spot. 

The officers instantly tried to stop him from getting near, but I had no idea how it happened because the next thing I knew, my arm was hurting from Baekhyun’s tight grip, and my lungs were burning from dashing away from the officers who were whistling like mad as they chased us. 

Baekhyun had told me that he knew everything about the place, so I wasn’t surprised when he took a turn to a forest—trees around the area for more manageable hideout. We were both panting when we stopped running and being the most unathletic student back in school, and I sounded like I was fighting for my life. 

Baekhyun embraced me, and his musky scent instantly calmed my nerves. I started sobbing as I wrapped my arms around his torso, and I could hear him sniffing as well. 

“I’m sorry, my love,” Baekhyun kissed the side of my head, tightening his arms around me. “I did not expect the chief would talk to my mother.” 

I nodded my head understandingly. 

“Father is still out of town; I have not gotten the chance to ask for help. I’m sorry I was not there,” Baekhyun croaked into my ear, “I apologize, my love.” 

Before I could utter a response, we pulled away from each other when the officers' distinct voices could be heard.  

We continued to run to the other side of the forest. When we saw that we were at the edge of the forest and the road could be seen, Baekhyun wanted to turn around, knowing how dangerous it would be to be seen running on the main road.  

However, before I could follow Baekhyun’s steps, I heard a highly subtle purr of a cat. I stopped in my tracks, eyes scanning the forest to look for the familiar sound.  

Baekhyun called my name when he noticed I wasn’t following him any longer and grabbed my hand to continue our mission. 

“Baekhyun—wait—” I pulled him back, asking him to turn his voice down. “I could hear something.” 

He scowled but tried to focus on the background noise if there was indeed a cat. 

My eyes widened when a vivid meow, and a tricolor feline showed himself from behind a tree. 

It was the stray cat that I adopted! 

The cat looked straight into my eyes, as if trying to communicate with me. He remained unmoving for a while before walking towards the main road. 

“No,” Baekhyun tugged my arm when I stepped forward to follow the kitten. “The main road is not safe. We cannot risk—” 

“Baekhyun, that’s my cat!” I responded with a high-pitched voice. “We were both inside the wardrobe. I didn’t know that he was here.” 

He gritted his teeth, contemplating if he should let me follow the animal to the main road. With his jaw clenched, he exhaled through his nose, holding my hand as we walked to the main road and followed the cat’s steps. 

The tricolor animal was sitting in front of the wardrobe on the side of the road like he was waiting for me. His vast eyes were on me, and his tail was moving slowly. I stared at the cat for a few seconds until he jumped inside the wardrobe, where—surprisingly—the door was opened. 

He kept looking at me and then meowed when I didn’t move a muscle. Was he asking me to get inside the closet? 

I snapped out of my thoughts when Baekhyun squeezed the hand he was holding. I looked at him, and he had a sad smile, like he was also noticing how the cat was asking me to get inside the wardrobe. 

Am I going back to my time? 

“Wait—Baekhyun, no,” I choke a sob, “I promised that I’ll stay, I’ll be fine in prison—” 

“My love,” Baekhyun cupped my face, pressing his lips on my forehead. “It’s going to be all right. Your safety is my priority. I also promised that I would always come to find you, didn't I? Can you wait until then?” 

“Baekhyun,” I whimpered, nodding my head while hugging him tight, afraid that it would be the last time I’d see him once I got back to where I came from. “I love you.” 

He smiled sadly, placing a kiss on my lips. A tear escaped from his eye. “I love you, too.” 

I was a crying mess when we finally let go of each other. When I went inside the wardrobe, I looked at him for the last time, giving him a smile despite my tear-soaked cheeks. “Please don’t be in love with someone else,” I joked, playfully squinting my eyes on him. 

“Please don’t have somebody waiting on you,” he responded with a mischievous grin. 

I bit my bottom lip to stop myself from sobbing. I nodded my head, giving him a last smile before closing the door of the wardrobe. 

February 20, 2020, 02:00 AM, the date and time reads. 

I was still sitting inside the wardrobe with the door open when I felt my phone in my hand. I remembered that I had left it inside my room in the staff’s quarters. 

Was everything just a dream? 

But it was too vivid to be just a dream.  

Remembering the picture I took of Baekhyun, I opened my gallery to see if it would be there, but it was nowhere to be found. And when I examined my clothes, I was back in my Winnie the Pooh-printed pajamas. 

I cried myself to sleep that night, not because of my parents' constant fighting or the fact that no one came into my room to comfort me, but because I was slowly being convinced that it was indeed just a dream. 

Two years had passed, and I was about to finish my second year in university. 

I decided to major in Aerospace Engineering and minor in Physics. My parents weren’t opposed to the idea, especially when the word Engineering was present in my course. It was goddamn stressful, but I was having fun. I loved learning, which was one of the few things I was good at. 

I met new people at uni, but was still in contact with my high school friends. Due to our busy schedules, we rarely got to catch up. 

Wendy, whom I met freshman year, introduced me to her circle of friends. Her friends weren’t all nice, but they were usually bearable. So, I decided, why not stick with them? 

Irene, the oldest among us, scolded Chaeyoung when the latter, once again, winked at a guy who passed by our table in the cafeteria. 

“Do you really have to do that to every person you see who has a dick?” Irene hissed, grabbing Chaeyoung’s chin to make her look straight ahead. She was about to break her neck after following the guy she winked at. 

I peeked over my MacBook to see the chaos at our table. Though it wasn’t new since this usually occurs almost daily, it was still entertaining to watch. I shook my head before focusing to the case study I was working on. 

Chaeyoung groaned, slapping Irene’s hand away from her face. “Can you have me my little fun? I’m already stressed enough with schoolwork, please don’t add up.” 

Irene scoffed, rolling her eyes on Chaeyoung. “Please! I’ve never seen you read a single paragraph in your course.” 

“You did not just say that!” Chaeyoung dramatically gasped. “I do my part in studying, thank you very much. Just because I’m not a nerd like her, you would say that I’m not taking my studies seriously.” 

Without even looking up from the screen of my Mac, I commented, “I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that.” 

“That’s not nice, Chaeyoung,” Wendy clicked her tongue, glaring at the youngest at the table. 

Instead of apologising, Chaeyoung rolled her eyes, opening her smartphone to spend time on her precious social media profile.  

I smiled at Wendy, shaking my head to let her know that I didn’t take it to heart. At first, I was offended whenever Chaeyoung would call me a nerd or sometimes a pushover, but after spending time with them for almost two years, I could say that I got used to it. 

Seulgi, majoring in Performing Arts, came to the table panting as she ran across the hall. I passed her my tumbler while she caught her breath. “Thank you,” Seulgi hugged my head, a habit she had of hers. 

“So, guys,” Seulgi began, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand after she chugged the iced cold water in my tumbler. “I think I’ve got a date.” 

I gasped, abandoning my Mac momentarily to give Seulgi my full attention. Since I was the busiest among us when it came to studies, I would not always hang out with them and I I didn’t know all the details about their lives. 

I once heard from Wendy that Seulgi liked her friend. They’ve known each other since they were kids. However, as pessimistic as Chaeyoung was, I learned from her that this guy was not interested in any relationship. 

“Of course, I already asked him out,” Chaeyoung easily responded, rolling her eyes, when she was asked how she knew this detail. “He was cute, alright, but his friends are way more handsome. He’s just rich, so I asked him out.” 

Seulgi had been so afraid to confess her attraction towards this friend, but Wendy and I have been bugging her to do so. Irene... is just being Irene. Do whatever you want, she said. 

“And?” Wendy pressed on, eager to know the details from Seulgi. I nodded, smiling slyly to let her know that I was also interested to learn. 

“Well—it wasn’t like a date as in date,” Seulgi explained, chuckling nervously. “But since it was his senior year, there will be a small celebration in their house tomorrow. He asked me to come...” 

“That’s nice!” I squealed while Chaeyoung rolled her eyes. 

“I thought he really did ask you to spend the night with him or something.” 

Irene had to slap Chaeyoung’s arm so she could shut her mouth and stop ruining Seulgi’s moment. 

Chaeyoung whined, rubbing the spot where Irene hit her. “It’s true, though. I mean, good for you, Seul, but he doesn’t date! He told me himself.” 

That made me scowl, “Why is that, though? Previous bad relationship? Else, he swings for the same team.” 

Chaeyoung, the most exaggerated one she was, clapped her hands, catching the attention of other students. “I thought about that, too! I mean, his hair is pastel pink to begin with! And oh! I heard from someone that he believes that he’s a reincarnation of ancestor!” 

We rarely agree on things, but we were unstoppable when Chaeyoung and I do. Not when I was interested in after-life matters. 

“Okay—okay,” Seulgi laughed, raising both hands to stop me and Chaeyoung from uttering another nonsense. “He is not gay, alright? And he just has his beliefs that we all need to respect. He was named after his ancestor because of family matters, there’s nothing wrong with that.” 

I jutted my bottom lip, and guilt crashed through me. “Sorry, Seul. I got excited.” 

Seulgi patted my head to let me know that she didn’t mind. Instead of apologizing, Chaeyoung made a face, turning her focus back to her phone. 

“Anyway,” Seulgi continued, “would you guys like to come?” 

Irene didn’t even waste a second to shake her head. She didn’t like being around men. “No, thanks.” Chaeyoung pretended that she didn’t hear Seulgi’s offer. That leaves Wendy and me in the fraction.  

“I mean,” Wendy shrugged, “I’ll go. I don’t really have anything and since you asked, I’m assuming you need someone to be with?” 

Seulgi nodded her head eagerly, faking a cry for Wendy. “Thank you, Wen! You really are my friend.” 

I thought I was safe since Wendy had already said that she’d go with Seulgi, but when I felt two pairs of eyes burning at the side of my head, I let out a sigh, shaking my head. “I have a case study to work on.” 

Wendy made a face, closing the lid of my Mac, “Yeah, a case study that isn’t due in five weeks.” 

Seulgi held my arm, giving me a pleading look. “Please, please. I’ll buy you coffee. I need all the support I can get. This would be a once in a lifetime chance, please.” 

Sighing in defeat, I nodded, finally agreeing to whatever it may be. “Iced white chocolate mocha with eight pumps of mocha sauce, stirred whipped, and extra caramel drizzle.” 

“That’s not a coffee, that’s diabetes in a cup.” Seulgi commented, earning a glare from me.  

“Then have fun with Wendy and your pink hair crush.” 

“I’m just kidding!” Seulgi laughed, opening the lid of my Mac so I could continue my work. “Text me your order, that’s too long for me to remember.” 

Seulgi didn’t specify if we needed to dress up or if there would be a dress code for this small celebration of her friend. Wendy and I talked on the phone, and she was stressing out because she remembered Chaeyoung’s words clearly about how rich this Seulgi’s friend was.  

“Oh, my gosh, what if we arrived there in our jeans and dirty sneakers, then the people will be in their tuxedos and evening gowns?” Wendy babbled on the line. I was still on campus, having a lecture to attend, and had to go straight to the address Seulgi sent on the group chat she created specifically for this event. 

I laughed at Wendy’s state; I could hear how she was rummaging in her closet. “It’s going to be fine. We are just going to be there for Seulgi, not to impress anyone. If there would be dress code, we’ll just pretend to be one of the servers then.” 

That made Wendy laugh. I heard how she plopped on her bed, groaning on the line. “What are you wearing, anyway? You’re going straight from uni, right?” 

I examined my clothes for the day, mentally slapping my face when I chose to wear something so casual, forgetting that we had to attend something in the evening for a moment this morning. “Uh... jeans, loose white t-shirt under a plaid shirt—and oh! An old Nike shoes.” 

Wendy’s whined was loud from the other line. I laughed at her reaction, and I had already expected this kind of reaction from her—or anyone else. “Out of all days of the week, why did you dress up like a trucker today?” 

“Probably because I had a lecture that goes from nine in the morning until five in the afternoon. I need to be comfortable throughout the day, ever thought of that?” 

Wendy continued to whine, and I couldn’t do anything but shake my head, laughing at my friend’s reaction. “Just wear any clothes you have. We’re going to be there for Seulgi, that would be the only purpose of our presence. To make you feel better, we’re supposed to look bad so Seulgi would look much prettier. I’m done here and I’ll be on my way in a few.” 

I had to take the subway and a bus just to get to the address we were supposed to be at. It was almost an hour of travel using public transportation, though the waiting time for the subway and bus was already included in that time frame, but still. 

I opened the Map app on my phone as Wendy and I looked for the address. We decided to meet at the bus station, and I was glad we did. It was awkward to walk in a suburban area by yourself, not when the neighborhood was really that high-end. 

“I wonder how Seulgi became friends with this guy,” I pondered, looking at my phone for directions. 

Wendy linked her arms with mine, needing support as she decided to wear wedge sandals. She didn’t listen and chose to dress herself appropriately. Although, it was a good thing to be presentable. I just felt out of place. It was my fault, anyway. 

“I heard that Seulgi’s ancestor had been working for their family since the nineteen hundred.” Wendy answered, pointing to a massive gate that was the pin destination on my phone. Finally. 

When we pressed the doorbell, the gate was opened as we mentioned Seulgi’s name. Once we got inside, I saw a house that was too familiar. My voice was stuck in my throat as I stared at the structure longer than I was supposed to. 

When she noticed that I wasn’t responding to her comments about the manor, Wendy called my name and looked over her shoulder to see me frozen on my spot. “Are you okay?” 

I slowly turned my head to her, my index finger pointing to the house in front of the lot. “T-that’s—” 

“Oh,” Wendy glanced to where I was pointing at. “The security right there said that it’s where the staff stay. All carts were taken so he said that we need to walk to the main house.” 

Right then, my eyes started scanning the place slowly. It was the Byun’s manor. There were some changes, but I knew the place by heart. My heart was thumping inside my chest loudly, and my fingers felt clammy. 

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Wendy held my arm; concern was evident in her voice. “You look like you’re going to pass out.” 

I forced myself to nod, giving her a tight smile. “Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. Just a bit tired.” 

She looked hesitant at first, but when I grabbed her arm to walk to the main house, she threw her doubts away. She admired the manor as we walked further into the lot. 

I was honestly not feeling well. My head was spinning a little bit, I felt nauseous, and I wanted to convince myself that it was just a coincidence, that there was no way in hell that it was true, that it did happen in real life. 

Not when I finally truly accepted that it was just a dream. 

Not when it took me years to finally move on. 

When we were ushered into the main house’s dining hall, a few people were already conversing with one another. I kept my mouth shut as Wendy tried to look for Seulgi, who was already here as she informed me. 

I sat in the corner of the dining hall while Wendy looked around the place. I felt so out of place, but it didn’t bother me much since I focused on how I would cope after this.  

Acceptance and moving on were the hardest things I’ve ever done in my life so far. I was unable to eat or drink water. I was unable to function or sleep. I didn’t know where I would go. I didn’t have someone to talk to about this. 

No one will believe me. 

It was a process of healing, accepting that it didn’t happen, and moving on from the emotions that were built. It took me a long time, but I did it.  

But when I wanted to be there for a friend, I didn’t know it would harm me more than I could ever imagine. 

I was snapped out of my thoughts when a butler caught everyone’s attention. It was a special occasion, and the family would open the library hall, where antiques from their ancestors hundreds of years ago were kept. 

Wendy was an Art major; she got excited and pulled me up from the chair I was sitting on. “Seulgi said that some of their ancestors were great at painting canvases. Let’s go and see!” 

I could only smile at her, unable to say anything.  

The butler would patiently explain something when someone asked. I followed Wendy around when I noticed Seulgi was not here with us. “Oh,” Wendy shrugged, rolling her eyes playfully, “she’s with him. She said that she’ll introduce us later.” 

I stopped in front of the framed document and hung on an empty wall. It was a land title. I was about to walk away from it when something caught my attention. 

Was that our home address? 

Before I could react further, Wendy hollered my name, asking me to come over as the butler would finally show the paintings she was excited about. 

Art is stupid. That was what my dad said, but it was not. Every canvas was beautiful. Even though I knew nothing about art, unlike Wendy, I still appreciated each piece displayed in the hall. 

I was walking further down the hall, and I didn’t even notice that I’d been separated from Wendy. From paintings, old portraits were displayed on the other side of the hall. My lips slowly spread into a smile when photos of the old city were shown. 

Observing each photo briefly, my feet brought me to the end of the hall, where a black-and-white photo was taken. There was too much noise, but I knew that face. 

“San,” my mouth fell open as I let out a deep, trembling breath upon recognizing the man who helped me. That’s San. I couldn’t be wrong. I know his hairline, as offending as it might be. And it’s him. 

My chest started to heave, but I forced myself to continue observing the portraits. Another photo caught my attention. It was three images merged into a single frame. It was a picture of the wardrobe that was in our attic. It was captured on an empty lot. The next photo was of the same lot, but a house was being constructed on it. The last picture was when the house had been built completely. 

It was my parents’ house. 

My hand raised to cover my mouth as I let out a sob. I couldn’t believe this was happening right now. Then I felt my phone vibrate in my hand.  

It was a notification from iCloud that the syncing of my files was completed. I was confused, as I clearly remembered that I turned off the feature to automatically sync my files. I opened the backup storage and saw the newly added photo. 

It was a blurry candid photo of a man in a white dress shirt and waistcoat. 

Baekhyun. 

It was the photo I was looking for two years ago. It did exist. 

Then I saw something hung on the wall at the very end of the hall; however, the lights weren’t turned on, and there was a stanchion. Despite knowing that it was prohibited for a reason, I decided to follow my instinct and walk towards the stanchion. 

A painting was hung. Though this side of the hall was dimmed, I could still see the messy painting. A figure hugging her knees, her feet bare, and her face hidden on her folded arms. Fingers peeked out, and the ring bought from the streets of Hongdae was visible. 

The painted character was a weird interpretation, but it was my Winnie the Pooh pyjamas.  

That was me. 

In the prison cell where I first met Baekhyun. 

“Baekhyun,” I whimpered, closing my eyes for a moment, trying to remember his voice, his touch, everything about him. 

When I opened my eyes to admire his messy work once more, I noticed the handwriting framed below the painting. I leaned a bit to read what it said. 

“My thoughts will echo your name until I see you again. 

I’ll spend forever wondering if you knew... 

I was Enchanted to meet you.” 

I finished reading it with a deep, trembling breath. My shoulders were starting to shake from wanting to wail so badly, but I knew I needed to keep it in as I didn’t want to create a scene where a lot of people around. 

I wasn’t even able to calm down when I heard my name being called. The voice was Seulgi’s. I plastered a smile, wiping my soaked cheeks with my hand before turning around. 

There he was, eyes were already locked on mine. 

His eyes whispered, “Have we met?” 

Across the room, his silhouette started to make its way to me. 

My eyes followed his every movement, from how his eyes danced around my face to his pink hair bouncing with every step. 

I could feel my bottom lip quiver when he stood right before my eyes, our orbs locked to each other as Seulgi introduced us. 

“He’s the friend I was telling you about!” Seulgi gushed, and I felt terrible I didn’t even acknowledge her presence. “His name is Baekhyun.” 

Instinctively, I repeated his name, missing how it felt to say it from my lips. “Baekhyun.” 

He smiled gently, and it was the same beautiful smile I had ever seen.  

His eyes darted to the painting behind me before shifting his gaze to the ring on my finger, which was similar to what was in the painting, then to my face, his orbs danced around my features. I was so familiar with his smile that it could replace my anxiousness with a gentle breeze that soothed my nerves. 

“Hey.” 

This is me praying that this was the very first page. 

Not where the storyline ends. 

[champangekisses]

Afterglow | R.C. & J.M.

Part One

Word Count: 5.4k

Warnings: swearing, banter, arguing, anger, suggestive, flirting

Summary: Reader’s first day back in the OBX after a year away is one to remember.

A/n: Part one to my first fic. I’m as excited as I am nervous to post this, I hope you enjoy!

All I could hear was the shouting, the constant rustle in the trees, the dogs barking uncontrollably. The flashlights shone through the trees and bushes as the sheriff and fellow deputies tried to desperately catch up to us. The fear set in, the rush of adrenaline still persistent in my body. I started to go numb as the limbs of the trees and bushes consistently smacked me all over. Then finally it happened, right before my eyes—my greatest fear became my living nightmare.

One Month Earlier

“Y/n! Make sure you pack yourself something nice to wear, remember no white!” My mom yelled up to remind me for the one hundredth time from the base of the stairs. I left the OBX a year ago, moved out to the middle of nowhere with my mom and her new husband and started a completely new life with them. Today, I finally get to go home, but unfortunately only for a week.

The Thornton’s eldest daughter is getting married off to some kid who graduated from law school, nothing special other than the groom comes from a wealthy family, and that's all that really matters out there. Keeping the rich - rich. My mom was always obsessed with the idea of me having a lifestyle almost identical to hers but I never was one for the shinier things in life, I just wanted to smoke pot and surf.

I had a plan though, she had always promised me that we would return off of one condition. “You will never see those worthless kids ever again.” Her words replayed in my head like the unmistakable tune of the piano keys I kept tapping ever so faintly as I waited by her bedroom entry, only to retain her opinion of the attire I had picked for the dreadful day to come.

“Y/n? Do you need something?” I quickly zoned back in, collecting all of the vindictive thoughts and stuffing them in a folder labeled drafts. I turned quickly to face her, she was in the middle of packing almost every nonessential item in her bathroom.

I gradually made my way to her bedside, settling down while staring at the ardent red dress in the palm of my hands. “What do you think about this one?” I spoke excitedly, masking the deceitful thoughts I was creating effortlessly in my head.

“I love it! The red dress has always been my favorite.” Her eyes glimmered at the thought of seeing me finally fit in with the kooks or as my step dad would say, the well educated kids. I gave a gentle smile to her before proceeding back through her reimposed bedroom doorway, gliding my fingers ever so delicately over the keys of the piano once more before continuing back up the staircase.

The trip there was awful and boring, outside of the plane windows you saw nothing but the many shades of green, luckily we were there within the matter of a couple hours. We took the latest flight that ultimately landed us at Charleston around eight in the evening. Exhaustedly as I am, I took it into my best interest to sleep during the next three and a half hours of our drive to the Outer Banks.

My body started lightly being pulled in one direction, then the other with every winding turn the old road took. With my eyes closed and slowly waking up, I started imagining the scenery of the old famous hang out at John B's. It was like dreaming in slow motion, watching as the sun kissed the water while we overcame the dying urge for a good time with uncontrollable laughter. Before my imagination concluded the car slowed, turning unhurriedly through massive gates that sat imperishable at the end of the elongated driveway.

Pulling up to the front doors of the old Tanneyhill Estate, I glanced into a dining room window staring at the distinctive profile of well-known Rafe Cameron. Our arrival made the inevitable distraction from the conversation at the dinner table which caused him to turn, concentrating on the moving vehicle on the other side of the very same window. The car stopped and I regained focus, grabbing my hand bag from the floorboard of the SUV before undoing my seatbelt.

Glancing down at my phone to check the time, I rested my hand on the door handle. Before I could put the energy into finally pulling it towards me, Ward swiftly swings the car door open—smiling almost as if he has never seen such a wonderful sight in his life. While demanding he help my stepdad with an argumentative tone, he reaches out for my hand and mildly holds it to help me out of the car.

I mumble a soft thanks before glancing to the front doors, locking eyes with the golden boy. Meanwhile behind me, Ward was continuing to the next car door, assisting with any need my parents had. Rafe never broke eye contact, even when he shifted his posture to lean against the framework, crossing his ankles while his hands stayed in his pockets. His smirk turned into a devilish grin that wreaked nothing but chaos. He sent chills that vibrated my bones, and even once received was not sufficient enough for the goosebumps coming to life on my neck.

I stared at the walkway in front of me, with each step the pit in my stomach grew. I could feel his eyes on me like the force of rain during a downpour. The closer we were, the weight of his stare grew even more burdensome. I felt so compliant around him, so timid. I finally reached the top of the stairs, I swung my arm out to grab the handle but Rafe had already beaten me to it. My hand gently landed on his, my anxiety quickly rising as I ripped mine back to me. His daunting smile let out a faint chuckle that only I could hear.

“If I don't get the door for you, I'm sure I'll hear about it later from my dad.” His tone was so taunting, as if he wanted me to react. I continued through the entry room, following the long narrow hallway to the backside of the home. Sarah was sitting on the love seat that was shared by her younger sister Wheezy. She wasted no time swiftly moving her head to look at the shadowed figure stepping into the light of her living room. Sarah immediately shot up, pushing everything from her lap directly on top of her sister. I prepared my body for the impact of Sarah’s as she pulled me in. We stayed continuously hugging for what felt like forever—neither of us comprehending quite yet that we were in reality. Ward hurried with the luggage, trying to push us in and assign us our rooms. We wasted no time getting ready for bed, I was anxious for what my tomorrow would bring.

I ended up sleeping in for far too long though, waking up to the smell of bacon and eggs way past the time I should be. Shooting myself up off the floor, I scurried into the bathroom across the hall. I shut the door quickly and immediately started the shower water. The only problem was that I forgot the clothes I needed to change into, so I wrapped a towel around me as my hair stayed drenched. Cracking the door open, I checked the hallway making sure nobody was able to witness the embarrassment I was about to endure. I darted across the hall, running through the entry of the bedroom I assumed was mine. I slammed the door a little too hard before turning around to look for my nonexistent clothes on the floor. Rafe, laying down on his bed, props himself up using his forearm and elbow.

“Since when did we share a room?” I jump by the sudden question asked towards me, not prepared to potentially be interrogated. I almost lose my towel in the process while Rafe begins to chuckle at my distress.

“Excuse me?” I questioned as I felt my face starting to warm as his stare intensed.

“You’re excused.” He replied with a smirk as his tone quickly became playful, I started to become flustered before popping off on him.

“You disrespectful brat! All of our interactions have ended with me being uncomfortable. You couldn’t even open the door for me out of courtesy when we first arrived! Now I'm here, sitting in a towel and you won’t even get up and help save me from this embarrassment! You’re such a jackass.” My voice started to raise as the fire within me started to spread.

Rafe shot up out of the bed as if he was being demanded to by a drill sergeant. His mood switched, intimidating was an understatement. He approached me with the same devilish smile he once had just last night, his hand reached out to hold my jaw—gentle yet firm. My breathing stopped, I couldn’t even say a word to him. Rafe brought his mouth to my ear, the closer he got the more submissive I became.

“Do you really want me to leave?” His voice made my skin crawl, my heart started pounding and my breathing came back but in manual.

“Get off of me, you mutt.” I smacked his hand away from my face which caused him to laugh before his tone shifted once again and he turned away from me.

“Get out.” He demanded. I felt even more embarrassed, I glanced at my feet noticing that I still wasn't dressed yet and it was going on late morning. I started to make my way to the door as Rafe seated himself on his bedside, I grabbed the handle and swung open his door. Walking out as if I meant to, I attempted to keep my confidence. I knew all too well that he watched me leave, my mom’s words played in my head as I proceeded down the hall once more. A dog will always remain a dog.

I finished getting dressed before making my way to the kitchen, my mom already had a cup of coffee waiting for me.

“What happened to you? I heard you get out of the shower and then it took you quite some time to get ready.” My face began to burn, Rafe’s words replicating a broken record in my head. My eyes wide open looking down at my feet with the mug full of coffee to my mouth, I sipped at it before placing it back down onto the island where she was sitting.

“I had some trouble with putting my outfit together.” I replied, hoping that was enough to get her off of my back. I couldn’t exactly tell her what happened or she would take it as a connection and mentally start wedding planning.

“Y/n! Come over here!” Sarah yelled from the back patio. My mom shaking her head in approval, I went on my way from the previous conversation and walked into an even more enlightened one. Sarah approached me with a growing smile while pulling what looked to be Topper away from Rafe whom he was actively having a conversation with. Rafe from afar glanced over at them approaching me before sitting down on patio furniture and gluing his face to his phone.

“Y/n, I wanted you to be reintroduced to my now boyfriend, Topper.” Sarah announced as I smiled, knowing that eventually they would connect. Topper has always had something special for Sarah, it was only a matter of time before she noticed.

I stepped aside from the conversation, staring off into the distance, watching the waves ever so lightly wash against the dock and the sailboats glide effortlessly against the water. I missed this, but I missed my friends more than anything. I stood there, with my mug in my hand and the coffee sitting dormant inside soon growing cold. Dreaming of the moment I see them, the Pogues.

Then, as my imagination settled, a figure started walking towards the house from the dock. Taking all of my attention away from my long forgotten wishes, they looked worn from a long day's work. When they grew closer to the back patio we shot each other a curious glance, our eyes locked which then became intense within seconds. I lost my grip, everything going numb before the mug shattered beneath me.

John B.

My lifelong best friend, walking through the yard of my now greatest enemy. Not one soul wasted time to come to my side, except for Rafe. He kept a glare on John B. as he continued down the pathway, you could see in his dark malevolent eyes that he was not welcomed here by him. Meanwhile, Ward ran to us from around the house while my mom and Rose came from the back doors.

“Y/n are you okay!? What happened!?” My mom grabbed my wrists and pulled me to her for a reply.

“N-nothing mom, I'm fine. Please.” I pushed away from her, running inside as Ward cleaned the pieces of porcelain. I went straight to the bathroom, not even sparing a moment to close the door. I turned on the cold water from the sink, staring motionless at the unrecognizable girl in the mirror while my eyes started to burn as the tears formed. I cupped the freezing water before bending over to splash it on my face, hiding any evidence of my emotion.

“I can’t believe I'm asking this but, are you okay?” With both hands gripping the bathroom counter I turned my head sharply to the door, Rafe stared at me with one eyebrow slightly raised while keeping one hand on the doorframe for support as he stood. I gave an angry chuckle before I collected myself.

“Yes, I'm fine. You can go now.” I seethed, Rafe rolled his eyes before making his way back down the hallway, mumbling the entire time before he stepped outside and back to tending to his dad’s needs. I wouldn’t go back outside, solely to prevent myself from becoming even more embarrassed by the scene I left behind. I went into the kitchen, watching my mom and Rose laugh over something that I had absolutely no interest in hearing about. Rose kindly handed me a glass of water before asking if I was okay. I felt myself turn pink, before I could even thank her and reassure her Sarah ran in from outside.

“Y/n! If you’re up for it, Topper wants to take us out for a ride in his new boat?” I turned to my mom waiting for her approval before running away from this nightmare. She sent me a soft smile before returning to her gossip session. I followed Sarah back out to the patio, ignoring the urge to apologize a hundred times for the mess I had created.

The boat wasn’t much to brag about, I don’t even remember the name of it honestly. I did enjoy the scenery though, and being able to let the water hug my fingers as we cruised back toward the dock. As we pulled up to tie off Rafe just couldn’t keep his mouth shut any longer

“So Y/n, why did you freak out like that back there at the house?” He questioned with an upward curve forming at the corner of his mouth. It made Sarah and Topper turn their heads to give me their full attention, and I couldn’t help but to glare at Rafe. This made him smile, his sunglasses hiding his eyes that had probably nothing but pure enthusiasm as he taunted me.

“So Rafe, why did you come check on me when I ran inside?” I teased, his smile soon fading while Sarah and Topper turned their heads back forward, hiding the smiles they held from the total humiliation they had just witnessed. Rafe had nothing to say but I felt accomplished knowing I officially put the pretty boy in his place, reminding him that two can play his game.

Once Topper tied the boat off we all hopped out. Rafe was of course the first one while I was last, which I didn’t mind because I wouldn’t want the help out. We all walked back to the house together until I realized I had forgotten my sandals, I turned around not even sparing a second to tell anybody. I hopped back into the boat and within seconds had found them, once I stepped out a familiar voice chimed in my ears.

“Hey there, stranger.”

My heart skipped a beat as I instinctively turned my head to look on the second level of the yacht that sat beside me. We made eye contact before I cracked a smile.

“I'll be damned; John B. Routledge.” I replied, he already had a glowing smile on his face, the same one as when we first met in school.

“Why don’t you come down here so we can be on the same level?” I tried to convince him, but luckily for me he had the same idea. John B hurried down, grabbing onto the side of the boat for him to throw himself over. While running to me to trap me in a hug, the strongest one I've been in so far. He pulled away from me but not letting go just yet.

“Y/n, you have to come to the bonfire tomorrow night. Everybody will be there and I know Kie, Pope and JJ would love to see you.” He encouraged me as I froze, not knowing how to explain that my parents absolutely despised him and the Pogues.

“I’m sure we will see each other. I know Topper and Sarah have been talking about going while we were out today.” I replied warily. John B had a concerned look on his face that had a splash of frustration before popping the one question I wished he hadn’t.

“So, you’re hanging out with the Kooks now?” I pushed him away from me.

“It's not as easy as you think it is to go back to how I once was; I have strict rules to follow and if I want to stay here for as long as I intend to do so, I have to play along.” I retorted as he stared at me wide-eyed. I knew he was confused and probably a little hurt by my reaction but that was the easiest way to tell him. I was suffocating myself staying in that home but I had another six days to try to prove to my parents that we should come back.

“I’m sorry John B., but my parents told me the only way I could come back is if I stay away from you. But -” I bit my lip, staring off into the horizon as the sun started to trinkle its way down to the water. John B grew impatient while I questioned myself to tell him my plan.

“But what Y/n?” He whined, making me snap out of my trance.

“But—if they just think I am a Kook, then they should get convinced quickly. Making it easier to hang out with you, since you know…they won’t be keeping a close eye on me.” John B sighed, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand as he kept a stare down at the boards of the dock.

“I mean, I don’t think we have any other choice.” He replied looking back up to me, a soft smile formed once more on his face.

“Look at it this way; we finally got the Pogues back.” I smiled in response, it felt refreshing talking to John B. His voice reminded me of the soft waves as they caress the sand on the shore, the crackle of a fire that's burning at night to devour the darkness around you.

“I will see you tomorrow John.'' I smiled as I turned away from him.

“Don’t keep me waiting Y/L/N.” he replied as I started my way back to the house, blushing with a smile as I continued down the dock.

John B. was my best friend. I would be lying if I said he wasn't cute, but my eyes were on somebody else—precisely from a year ago. I stepped in through the doors that welcomed me back into the kitchen. Ward had taken Rose and my parents out for a nice dinner on the water for a warm welcome home. Sarah, Topper and Wheezy got dressed in time for the remaining two hours to be filled with laughter in the pool out back. I rounded the corner into the hallway before I was stopped by none other than Rafe, he was leaning against the wall with a look of disappointment growing on his face.

“So what was that all about?” He questioned, I stood there making awkward eye contact. Was he watching me?

“Hello?” Rafe poked once more, I furrowed my eyebrows before sending him an attitude.

“I don’t think it’s any of your business.” I pushed myself past him as he turned to watch me leave.

“It could be mine or it could be your parents’.” He barked back to me. I stopped walking as he slowly progressed towards me. I stood in fear of what my parents would do if they ever knew. I could feel his presence behind me, the goosebumps rising on my back and arms like a mountain range protruding through my skin. I turned around, finally gaining the courage to face him.

“Excuse me?” The anger spilling through my teeth.

“You heard me.” Rafe shot back at me, as if he planned out exactly what I would say to him. He lived for this, the mess he creates in my head and the endless ways he taunts me just to get me to react. He was a soulless, mediocre bastard of a person. The devil was such an understatement at this point, I only wanted to hit him but I wouldn't hear the end of it from my parents.

“Leave them at the cut, Y/n. You’re on figure eight now. You need to start acting like it.” I scoffed at him before ditching the conversation by walking away and into the guest bedroom I was staying in. Rafe followed, but stayed at the door.

“Don’t think that I don’t know how bad you want to come home, if I was you I would hang with us.” He suggested, I sit on the bedside before looking over to Rafe, one eyebrow raised before laughing at him.

“You really think I want to be friends with you? Sarah is the only kook I actually enjoy being around, but you? You are a plague that walks the earth, you only want to cause harm and enjoy watching as everything falls apart. I would never want to be associated with you, ever.” I felt my rage start to rummage through me as Rafe rolled his eyes before shutting the door, mumbling some more as he made his way back down the hallway towards the kitchen.

I put myself to bed, anxious that Rafe now has something to control me with, but how did he know that I wanted to come home? I’ve only told Sarah, and I know she wouldn’t ever tell Rafe anything, so was he eavesdropping? I brushed it off ultimately, it doesn’t matter how he found out. What matters now is that he knows.

After my cup of coffee with my mom the next morning, I wasn’t too excited to be having to go to the bonfire with the Kooks, but I don’t really have a choice right now. I tagged along with Sarah for the afternoon while Topper and Rafe did. I don’t know, Topper and Rafe things?

“So Y/n, what made you change your mind about the bonfire? When Topper and I brought it up, you seemed super uninterested.” Sarah didn’t hold back her question as she was incredibly suspicious. It caught me off guard so I took a minute to think about my response.

“Honestly, I just needed to get out and enjoy myself since I'm not promised more than this week.” I lied while the pit in my stomach grew. What if I don't stay? What if I go back? I couldn’t stand the thought of it, but I had to prepare myself for the worst. Sarah didn’t seem too convinced with my answer, giving me a raised eyebrow with a smirk following really gave it away.

“Okay, well we need outfits for tonight. Almost everybody in the OBX will be there, sometimes school aged visitors show up too if they’re looking to get away from their family.” Sarah continued on about the bonfire, while I searched through the never ending clothes racks. We finally finished our shopping spree and made it back in enough time to get ready for the fire. I was a tad anxious not knowing if I looked good in what I picked. Honestly though, every woman out here has the same fashion sense unless you're a visitor. As Sarah was finishing up I gradually made my way to the kitchen, lazily pouring myself a glass of water before becoming interrupted with an unwanted guest. Leaning against the counter’s edge closest to me, Rafe rested his chin in the palm of one of his hands while sneakily trying to reach under the cabinet for his father’s whiskey with the other.

“Can I help you?” I mucked up the courage to speak while avoiding any eye contact, back facing the glare I knew he was giving me.

“Your shorts, pull them down some.” He spoke as if he was agitated, I immediately felt the rage take over my body once more as if I was becoming a wildfire that couldn’t be put out.

“How dare you comment on my shorts! You don't own me nor my body nor my mind, and I will never and I mean absolutely never do a single thing you tell me to do!” I screamed at Rafe in a tone as if I was scolding a troubled teen, but he wasted no time to crack a smile before chuckling a bit, switching positions so his back can rest on the wall behind him and tucking his hands back into his front pockets before closing his eyes and pulling his head down towards the floor beneath him.

“I never said to take them off, but when your shorts are riding so high that it looks as if your ass is suffocating it just looks…I don't know, it's funny.” He replied with a soft attitude, the embarrassment raced across my face as if it was in a marathon going for first place. Swiftly yet unsuspiciously, I grabbed the bottom of one side of my shorts as I tightened the grip I had on the glass with my other, tugging the god forsaken things down as much as I could. Rafe had a steady grin while keeping his eyes closed, knowing only too well what I was doing. I gulped down the cold water before flipping the glass upside down in the kitchen sink, then without a second thought started my way back to Sarah’s room. Leaving Rafe with his new found bottle of whiskey, and the satisfied smirk he continued to hold onto that only made the night jealous with how dark its intentions were.

I quickly stepped into Sarah’s room, shutting the door with my back before elegantly sliding down until my bottom touched the freshly installed carpet. I shut my eyes before exhaling the breath I held in for what felt like eternity.

God, I hate him.

My mind was full of anger while my body said otherwise, I couldn’t ignore the fact I desired him. Everything he does, he knows it’s working as if he needs me to want him. As if he wants me to need him.

“How does this look?” Sarah’s voice intruded my thoughts. Luckily, she didn’t seem concerned for my growing silence moments after following the slight blush spreading across my cheeks.

“I think you look great. Are you finally ready?” I quickly spoke, before jumping to my feet with a mask of excitement that only hid pure anxiety. We made our way down the spiral staircase, following Sarah’s lead as we made it to the last step. My fingers effortlessly slid down the white handrail as every imperfection of the wood protruded from the thick sealant, so well that I was forced to acknowledge the splinter left behind from it. I winced at the pain as Sarah bolted to Topper, jumping into a hug which resulted in the air being filled with laughter.

I realized a little too late that I should’ve brought a jacket to the bonfire. The ocean left little kisses on my cheeks as the breeze picked up, which carried the slightest bit of mist from the crashing waves in the distance.

“Y/n?” Topper spoke out softly, my concentration returning to him as I snapped out of the trance that the water had on me.

“I’m sorry, what were you saying?” I asked, ignoring the worrisome look on his face as he continued.

“Why exactly do you wear that ring all the time? You’re not like, engaged are you?” You shared a quick chuckle with the blond as you mindlessly played with the tiny band with your thumb, examining the delicate piece of silver that carried a microscopic engraved heart. Your mother requested it to be on there, she said it would add character or something like that.

“Oh, this little thing? It’s a purity ring, gifted to me by my parents for my birthday last year.” I answered, glancing back up to Topper who was taking another swig of his beer before lowering the bottle with a soft sigh and pink cheeks.

“Oh, interesting. Uh, do you see Sarah anywhere? She said she was grabbing herself another drink but she never came back.” He asked as the air thickened with tension, his eyes frantically scanning the faces of the individuals in front of us.

“I just want to make sure she’s o…” I turned to face him, curious yet concerned about what had made him lose his train of thought. His eyes darkened while his knuckles turned white from gripping the now empty bottle in his hand, I couldn’t get a word out before he made his way forcefully through the hoard of people in between us and his target.

I scan the crowd ahead of him before my eyes land on Sarah talking to John B. My heart started racing as I prepared myself for the conflict about to happen. Looking at my surroundings frantically, I feel a hand snake around my waist.

“Now, how has the Kook life been treating you?” A familiar voice spoke out while leaning towards my ear, the music so loud it was almost impossible to think.

My heart fluttered as every butterfly made its way to my stomach as I turned to face him, JJ’s smile matching mine as we sat in silence for what felt like eternity. I would leave this Kook life within a blink of an eye if it meant I could stay here in this moment with him forever, and surely by the looks of it, he felt the same. I glanced down at my beer, a soft pink grew on my cheeks but luckily the dim light of the fire hid my embarrassment quite extensively.

“Terrible.” I whispered, looking back into his eyes with only inches of separation between us. His breath reeked of bourbon and cigarettes while his eyes searched mine, as if trying to find the life they once emitted. Sadness soon filled the space between us as the memories washed over him and I. We stood in complete silence as if we were waiting for the other to speak, sharing the suffocating tension we had created. I stepped towards him, never breaking the gaze we held as I wrapped one arm around his neck and closed the space between us with a hug.

“I just want to come home J.” I whimpered in his ear while trying my best not to shed a tear, especially not at a party full of Kooks.

“Then come home, baby.” JJ hummed before hugging me tightly. Before I could process what I had just done, a scream echoed through the area and I remembered.

Topper.

[the-holy-ghosted]

*holding out my hands completely unbidden and unprompted*

Hey I heard y’all got ocs in here? Ocs hello?? Hot ocs in my area????

hi im gonna pretend i didnt get this asked to me by somebody else before i clicked a wrong button and tumblr erased the whole post. taking this unbiased opportunity to jump into these characters.

i have had these ocs for upwards of 7 or 8 years, who went untouched for a VERY long time before getting picked back up and refurbished as of about 2 years ago. it is with MUCH pride i tell you that they intertwine very deeply with a friend's own ocs (YOU!! WHO SENT THIS!!) and they've helped me build up these characters into something i'm incredibly proud of and ought to share by now

without further adieu: some pirates, some 19th century fantasy (a LOT of fucking fantasy), and like 8 years worth of worldbuilding that i am STILL not done with. enjoy

FIRST of all let me show you who we're working with:

Who the hell is that?

Leo Blackwater (he/him) - 56 yrs, 5'6'', 152 lbs

Captain of the ship The Eclipse.

Widower of 19 years. only recently decided to open his heart back up; she wanted him to be happy, after all. She's a sensitive topic, even now. so any prodding or teasing on the matter of moving on will be met violently.

Bounty hunter. Smuggler. Doing pirate things, you see. Polite old dad, a warm personality to lure you into a false sense of security and turn you in for a pretty penny.

Disabled after a beam cracked and landed on his knee, breaking it. It never healed right, and hes slower for it, especially in old age. Despite this handicap making him more vulnerable, he does not carry much in the way of weapons.

Eldest of 6 siblings. Son of a humble small town fisherman; perhaps not all that glad for his son's criminality, but the money he sends home makes it forgiven.

Father of one, a daughter, captain of her own ship.

Formed his love for the sea at 18 on his father's fishing boat. Never much respect for the Navy proper. But, after being in the right place at the right time and earning the reward money for a highly wanted pirate, he started to get ideas...

Percius (Percy) Blackwater (they/them) - 48 yrs, 5'10'', 150 lbs

Younger sibling of Leo. 3rd child of 6.

Takes up a number of jobs on Eclipse. Took up the role of second in command after the passing of Mrs. Blackwater.

Respects and trusts their brother's choice in livelihood. Begged since they were young to let them sail with him. Didn't realize what it entailed until they were already aboard.

Unmarried. They're a bit busy right now.

Willing to be called uncle by their beloved niece, for lack of a better word.

Betelgeuse Blackwater (she/her) - 30 yrs, 6'5'', 240 lbs

Captain of The Starlight, all-female crew.

Bounty hunter. Smuggler. Learned her way of living from her parents.

Inherited her face and density from her father, nothing else. Prone to brute force rather than wit and cunning. This works for her just fine.

Quite awkward, if she likes you.

Eldest (and favorite) grandchild, an only child, a totally different woman if you see her around family. Towers over father, but makes herself small for a kiss hello.

Was only about 7 or 8 when her mother passed. She remembers what little she has of her fondly, and greets her kindly when she looks in a mirror.

So whats going on?

What a funny question!!! I got no clue. But I'll start by explaining a little worldbuilding lore (cringe explination incoming):

There is magic in this universe. Not one that's denied or marveled at, but exists as much as everything else you dont pay attention to around you. Its as real as gravity. It's a honed skill in some, frowned upon by others, used unwisely by a small (but not unheard of) few. Magic makes itself present in a number of ways; it's hard to find written rules of these things unless you know precisely what you want and what you believe in. In many areas, some small towns appear to be protected by nameless elements and energies. It's more often that you find individuals who put in the work to harness their beliefs into something tangible, all calling their faiths and abilities something different from each other. Again, its not unheard of for individuals to use these abilities for their own poor intentions. If someone like Leo is lucky, bagging a Magic user is worth every ounce of hassle it takes. He seems to get away with feats like this often, though port authority fears him enough not to ask how. The Blackwaters won't admit foul play, though, if you're in the right town listening to the right gossip, you might hear a rumor or two about Betelgeuse's warm touch and a spitfire attitude when shes angry.

So whats up with Leo?

hehehehe.

As aforementioned, Leo has recently made himself a bachelor. He has no shortage of acquaintances and colleagues in his line of business. His demeanor, if you trust it, is very welcoming to new colleagues. He's not looking for something to jump too quickly into, he's happy to take things slow as he navigates romance again after so long.

And then he captures Roark.

Roark Renshaw (he/him) - 68 yrs, 6'6'', 250 lbs (CREATION OF @skelelephant)

World's worst man.

Captain of The Red Hound, took this position by force at the age of 21. The crew that remained after his mutiny had naught the will to defy him, choosing to follow out of curiosity more than anything else afterward.

Professional menace. High-seas whore. Good old fashioned murderer, committer of pirate crimes as you'd imagine. Terribly smug about it.

Unknown origin, unknown motive. He cropped up out of thin air and has made himself a name to be feared ever since, doing a service to the red flag The Hound flies.

For all his force, he is not one easily captured. For all his reputation, he is reckless. He caught Leo at a bad time, unfortunately.

Roark is a household name among most port towns, wanted dead or alive for the better half of his life by the Navy. His nature is not unlike that of a rabid dog, compared often to his ship's namesake. It is a state of being that none have been able to tame him out of, not by any rotating carousel of lovers he finds among port towns or the enemies he finds in equal amount, and one that gives the bounty over his head a lot of zeros. One that Leo, for all his skill, saw as a pipe dream. Leo knew of him, certainly. Roark has been on his radar since before his wife's passing- they'd spoken of capturing him fondly, joked about like some impossible fantasy. But for all his reputation comes bad habits that lower his guard when he needs it most. Stumbling drunkenly out of a tavern one evening, docked unknowingly at the same port as The Eclipse, he is disarmed and captured before he knows it.

This is a victory unheard of. It seems only fitting that Leo Blackwater would bag him, Roark having not expected to meet his match in such a mild man. Before the crew of The Hound have enough notice, Eclipse sails off to deposit the dog that is Roark Renshaw to the navy for a glorious execution, and an even more glorious reward. Leo has the gall to boast this to his prisoner, who seems almost humored. Hes quite charming when hes disarmed, a feature of his that seeps into the cracks of Leo's resolve and that itch the loneliness that he had yet to satisfy. Hes dangerous even with his hands tied.

This is what solidifies Leo's decision to turn him in. A man who so loved to be chased and so loved the rotten attention he recieved, who needed to be put down. It was a thrill, though, to capture the hound himself and be one of few to ever do so. To be revered as Roarks captor would make one want to do it all over again.

By luck or by the hunger for chase that gnawed on Roark and Leo's ribs, Roark finds the moment to escape as hes being escorted off the ship. Leo, notably, makes a piss poor attempt at catching him.

Seen as a dire fluke from the outside, the captains know it was on purpose. They've found themselves amidst a game of cat and mouse, that gives them a small purpose for at least a little while. You bond very closely when trying to kill each other, you know!

So what's their deal?

Well, their deal is that they *make* a deal.

Though Roark might be a big fish in their career pond, he is not the only one. Eventually, always eventually, there is another to challenge Roark's reputation. He wants the pirate out of his way, and Leo could always use another bounty. But hes slippery... moreso than Roark, who lets himself into Leo's jaws on purpose.

So... an alliance is formed. Temporary, of course, they split this bounty and part ways. So they say. But Roark is a charming man, and fulfills the loneliness and search for companionship that Leo wanted... and Leo is collected and steady, more than the majority of Roark's colleagues. They stand out to each other. They're comfortable. Attached.

So... after the bounty is collected they choose not to end their truce. Spend more time together. Work together exceptionally well. Balance each other out, in a way.

So they're together?

GAY AS CAN BE, BABY.

probably the only existing drawing of them Together despite how much we both draw them seperately.

Their alliance spills over into something... fond. Affectionate, even. A few meetups at a port town turn into a lot more working together peacefully. This leads to some... interesting wires to cross between their own respective enemies, interesting wires between one another. They get to know each other very personally in some strenuous circumstances.

Anyways! Now that they're on the table, I feel a little more comfortable to talk about them more. Draw them more. Answer some questions, if anybody has any. I did leave a lot open-ended...

[theaterqueen1985]

Months ago on the Azris Discord server someone had mentioned the concept of Eris losing his memory as he aged due to the Beron's abuse from over the years, which led to this idea festering in my mind and for a while I'd thought about writing it into an actual fic, but I just don't have the time, but I still want to share the idea.

Eris dies at like 1867. He lived long enough to see his children grow up and fall in love. He got to meet his grandchildren. He’d stepped down from his High Lord mantle at around 1750 when his memory started to go. After everything that Beron had put him through eventually even his immortal body starts to give out. His mind was slipping for decades forgetting so many important things from his life. He’ll often talk about people who’ve already passed on (his Mother, Helion, Azriel’s Mother, sometimes even Beron) as if they’re still alive. He remembers Az and their children easily enough, but everything else is just a mess. All the nieces and nephews are a hot mess of names, he mixes up his brothers and who they’re all married to and whose kids belong to whom. He doesn’t remember people’s ages anymore and constantly thinks that old major events happened a lot sooner than they had been (i.e. Hybern war happened a few years ago). Lucien tried to help, searching for a spell to do something helpful, but it was pretty much impossible to find a cure as this was hardly ever seen in Fae. He eventually passes away in his sleep. Az finds out only moments after when the mating bond is cracking and eventually fades out. The funeral is at the end of the week for the beloved High Lord who’d managed to save Autumn from the hateful path that it had been led down. Eris’ body was burned and his ashes released in the wind. A gravestone was placed beneath the tree where Eris had spent so much time with Az and their children.

Az tried to stay strong for his children who’d lost their dad sooner than anyone had expected. Their daughter threw herself into her High Lady work (though with the world at peace, there wasn’t too much heavy work she constantly needed to do). She and her husband (Thesan’s eldest son) and their own children do what they can to find peace and move on in light of her dad’s death. Their son stayed in the Autumn Court as well, but Az had to leave. Everywhere he looked reminded him of his lost mate. Eris was Autumn personified so of course the Court would remind him of Eris. He traveled for a while, visited his friends and family, but seeing them all so in love and them constantly asking if he’s okay. He returns home to Autumn and is greeted by both his kids excitedly hugging him. It’d been about a year since he’d been there so after spending some time with them both he goes to visit Eris’ gravestone. He spends hours talking to him. Az admits that when he’d heard the stories of those ancient Fae who could die of a broken heart he’d thought they were absolute nonsense, but now having lost Eris, it hurts so much more that he actually understands those stories' pain. As Az sits by that tree for hours and as the sun’s setting he sees Eris standing there smiling at him, the gray gone from his hair, looking just as he had the day they’d mated. “It’s my time isn’t it?” “Only if you wish it to be.” Azriel knows the children will grieve. He knows his friends and family will be heartbroken, but he can finally see his mate again. The male he loves so much that it’s hurt to be away from for such a long time. So when Eris reached out to him he took his hand and stepped through to the otherside. 

Rhys and Cassian notice something’s wrong immediately. Their bargain tattoos begin burning. Rhys was with Nyx and Feyre at a meeting with Lucien and Elain and their children in the Day Court when his tattoo started burning. Cassian was with Nesta on a date at their favorite cafe in Velaris when his are burning. Nesta winnows him to Autumn where Rhys already is cradling Az’s head in his lap. Cassian dropped to his side both the batboys trying so hard to wake Az. Rhys is in his mind and sees those final moments but still attempts to bring him back. Nesta, still practically the goddess of death, knows there’s no bringing him back. His spirit is already so far on the other side. Silently she utters the prayer she’s heard enough to make sure that he passes safely. Nesta goes to find her niece and nephew. It’s important that they know what happened. Az’s daughter was with her youngest reading a book and his son was up on a ladder pulling down a book to read. Both are surprised to see Nesta there. She pulls them both into the hall and has to tell them the news. They rush out to where Az, Cass, and Rhys are. Az’s body was cradled between his brothers, both with tears down their cheeks. Az’s kids joined them. 

Azriel’s funeral was similar to Eris’. He too was burned and his ashes scattered. His name was placed next to Eris’ so that their memories would continue to live on together even though they’d both passed on. Both kids grieved again, but they also knew it was for the best. Their Baba had been miserable since their Dad’s passing (and they’d told that to their family in the other courts). He’d tried so hard to act as if he’d been able to peacefully move on as if he hadn’t lost half of his heart when their Dad had died. They’d honestly both been surprised that he’d lasted a year even. Both children made sure to make it a priority that they visit that gravestone often because without their parents, so many other’s lives would be so much worse off than if Autumn had just been left to rot and fester. Instead they’d both poured their hearts and souls into raising Autumn from the ashes so the future generations might be able to live peacefully and safely in the court that had known pain and suffering for so long.

[rhodeybugg]

My MD AU shipkids: A slightly more detailed list.

N x V :

Crumbles/Crumbs [formerly Castiel] -

N and V's eldest son. Disassemblers, like Workers, start their lives in the egg-pod state, and eventually "hatch" after a few weeks of external incubation, where they age and grow similarly to humans. Crumbs looks like V, but has the sweet and goofy personality of his father.

Biscuit, their daughter, was born a few months after her brother hatched. Much to Uzi's disapproval, V was already carrying Biscuit's core while she was nesting with Crumbs and waiting for him to hatch. Biscuit is a perfect mesh of both of her parent's appearances, but tends to act more like her mother.

Uzi x Thad:

Basil - Uzi and Thad's oldest son. He looks exactly like Thad and it scares his dad sometimes. Major mama's boy. Despite having half of his coding and personality from Uzi, he's surprisingly calm. While hatching, Basil refused to leave his shell and wouldn't move until Uzi held him.

Soto - Secondborn. There's a two-year age gap between Basil and Soto. Soto, similarly to Basil, looks like Thad [minus the eyes], but has a bit more of his mother's temper. Soto is the only offspring of Uzi and Thad to display leftover traits of the solver [he's got teeny tiny wings.]

Beretta + Sear - The twins were Uzi and Thad's last attempt to have a daughter [who Thad promised Uzi could name after a gun.] Unfortunately for Uzi, Thad and Lizzy both have a higher chance of producing twin cores. Sear was an oops. Beretta is a carbon copy of Uzi, right down to her love of making clueboards. [Thad is scared. He should be.] Sear managed to get a mixture of both of her parent's appearances, but is more shy and quiet than Beretta. Sear is usually attached to Thad's hip, she's a daddy's girl.

Basil, Beretta and Sear all got the purification strand of the solver via Thad.

Doll x Lizzy:

Suriva + Valentina - Twins, the only two children Doll and Lizzy ever wanted. Suriva is mute [she can speak, she just doesnt want to], and communicates with a little roach keybug that she has adopted. Valentina is essentially a clone of Lizzy with Doll's looks, right down to Lizzy's fashion sense. Suriva is the opposite, looking like Lizzy, but being the quiet and reserved sister. Suriva can and will kill you.

Suriva is a solver carrier, passed down by Doll. Valentina was spared and got the purification strand of the solver via Lizzy

Darren x Rebecca x Emily:

Hollyn -

After Sam was killed during the Cabin Fever field trip, Rebecca and Darren added her to their relationship, knowing that she needed someone to love and lean on after losing her partner. The three share a genuine bond, and Darren loves his girlfriends.

With this, Hollyn is a physical mesh of all three of her parents. Since Rebecca's core was damaged by Uzi, she lost the ability to carry a droneling core, meaning Emily carried the three's child. Hollyn is a booknerd, but got Rebecca's sass, and Darren's...well, being darren. She and Valentina meet up on tuesdays to geek out over books they found from the old human library.

Zara x Tessa:

Carmine -

After taking out the cause of the Elliot Family's curse, Carmine was created thanks to the miracle of JcJenson and their science experiments. Zara and Tessa each gave a sample of their DNA, and once a stable egg was created, Zara aggreed to be the one to carry her. She's got Tessa's auburn hair and Zara's freckles, and loves everything about drones just like her parents. Tessa and Zara agreed that her middle name was to be "Louise" as a nod to her grandmother.

Reese: A leftover droneling from an abandoned company project, Reese was set to be disassembled, but was saved by Tessa. He was raised alongside Carmine, and while he knows he's a different species than his sister, they may as well both be human. Reese was given the middle name "James", similarly to his sister, as a respect to his grandfather.

Carmine picked up drone habits from Reese, such as attempting to sleep upside-down on their bunk beds, and Reese had to learn the hard way that he can't constantly eat human food like Carmine [it makes his tummy hurt :(]

J x Sive:

Ren - The eldest and only daughter of the two.

After being reunited with her long-lost girlfriend, J and Sive rekindled their relationship on copper-9, and came together to have a child.

J was the one that carried Ren, and it was the first time anyone had ever seen J be soft and loving.

Ren looks soft and sweet like Sive, but is just as militant and demanding as J. She looks up to both of her mothers, but is usually trailing behind and attached to J's hip. [She wont admit it, but she likes getting approval and snuggles from both of her moms.]

[scryptids]

katelyn tarver / she/her  ———  no way is that AURORA ‘RORY’ MILLS.. they’re a 34-year-old HUMAN notoriously known for being CYNICAL  &  OVERPROTECTIVE but there are some people who have seen them being SENTIMENTAL  &  SUPPORTIVE.  if you ask me, they remind me a lot of freshly laundered towels stacked neatly beneath the bartop, an impressive collection of overalls hanging in her closet, an old guitar that desperately needs tuning, and coming home to the smell of a home cooked meal, but that could just be because they’re considered the BARGAINING CHIP around town. just keep an eye on them  &  see if their true colors shine through..

TW: parental death

full name: aurora calliope mills birthdate: november 2nd age: 34 height: 5’5” occupation: bartender at the obelisk ship status: it’s complicated bio:

as the eldest daughter, rory had unrealistic expectations forced upon her before she could even learn how to talk

she was born to parents who lived in the lower district, their apartment so small that they were practically tripping over each other at all times

but they were in love, and even though they only had one bedroom and barely any money to their name, finding out that they were going to be parents thrilled them

they struggled for a while while rory’s dad worked full time, insisting that her mother stay at home so they wouldn’t need to pay for daycare

but they could barely make rent, let alone put food on the table, and the closer his wife’s due date got, the more the patriarch of the family began to panic

that’s when he turned to the skyport mafia, and that’s when their lives seemed to improve

he was paid well for essentially being a gopher, doing odd jobs that he was asked to do with little to no complaints

the money he was bringing in allowed the family to move into a small house in the lower district; it wasn’t much, but it was big enough to start a family in

by the time november rolled around, aurora made her appearance into the world

she was sweet and goofy, and immediately she was the light of her parents’ lives

aurora’s world was always full of creative hobbies to quell a curious mind

rory and her mother would go on walks every day, picking flowers and handing them out to strangers

she was gifted her first guitar when she was just five years old, and she took that thing with her everywhere

her parents enrolled her in guitar and singing lessons, both of which she picked up quickly, and soon enough she was making up silly little songs for her family

it was clear that she was a good-natured kid, and her parents didn’t worry about her making friends

when she was nine, her little brother sirius was born, and she was convinced that he was just what the family needed

of course she fussed over him all the time, insisting that she needed to help her parents take care of her baby brother

but things weren’t as great at home as rory made them seen; behind closed doors, her parents began fighting on a regular basis

her father wouldn’t come home until the wee hours of the morning, and her mother was starting a slow decline into a depression that she just couldn’t break herself free from

of course this worried aurora, and in order to try and help, she started spending more time at home to look after her mother and sirius

while she was old enough to understand what was happening, her little brother was still learning how to walk and talk, and she wanted to protect him from whatever was going on

but shortly after sirius’s second birthday, aurora’s mother announced that she was pregnant again

instead of feeling joy for getting a new sibling, ro felt a sense of dread that she would never be able to shake

her father spent less time at home, leaving his wife and kids to fend for themselves while he was off doing god knows what

ro did most of the caregiving, noticing that her mother looked more rundown than usual, and she didn’t want to have to worry about it

when jupiter arrived into the world two months early, the family took more than one hit

ro's mother lost too much blood during childbirth; she'd had an underlying condition that no doctor had picked up on, and ultimately she lost her life after having her third baby

aurora felt lost; her mother had always been there for her, and now she had a toddler and a tiny baby to care for

her father was nowhere to be found, unreachable despite aurora trying to find him

rory and sirius were sent to live with their aunt in the middle district, and each day they would go see jupiter at the hospital until she was strong and healthy enough to be released

they were happy at their aunt’s house; life was fairly normal, and ro could learn how to be a kid again while navigating the trials and tribulations of puberty

and their aunt likes having them there; she’d never had children of her own, and the mills children viewed her as the mother they desperately needed

they were there for five years before their dad showed up again to throw a wrench in the life that they had worked hard to build up

he’d landed himself in hot water with his bosses, racking up a casino debt that he had no means of getting himself out of

he needed aurora’s help, demanding she get a job to help pay off his debt

ro wanted no part in his life or helping repay what he owed, but since she was a minor she didn’t have much of a choice

and so the mills children packed up their lives again and moved back to the lower district

ro just barely managed to graduate high school, finding that having to balance a job and two young children on top of schoolwork was nearly impossible

despite being brought back to help her father financially, ro put as much money into a savings account as she could, fully intending to get a place with sirius and jupiter without their dad

it was taking longer than expected to save up as much as they needed, but she was nearly there

and then, just after ro’s 24th birthday, her father dropped another bomb on her

his debt was too deep and nothing was being done about it, so he did the only thing he could think to do: he essentially sold his daughter off to the mafia

without ever consulting her or asking for her opinion, ro’s dad set up a marriage between her and fionn keoghan, a capo in the skyport mafia that she’d only met a handful of times before

ro still went through with moving her and her siblings to a new apartment in the lower district, hoping that cutting ties with her father would get her out of the situation he’d thrust her in

unfortunately it wasn’t that simple, and while aurora was left alone by the mafia, she was often reminded that, eventually, she would have to marry fionn

now, ten years later, aurora and her siblings live a fairly comfortable life

they all work jobs, but ro doesn’t expect jupiter or sirius to help with household expenses, happily shouldering that burden

she does everything she can to keep her siblings away from the mafia, but every time she thinks she’s being successful, fionn comes back around as a not-so-gentle reminder of what her life will look like in the near future

she tries to avoid him as much as possible, picking up as many shifts at the obelisk as she could as a distraction

she’s been trying to save up to purchase a house, living in a state of delusion thinking she won’t have to move in with fionn at some point

despite all of the hardships she and her siblings have been through, ro likes to keep a positive attitude

her method of coping is through dry humor, and her banter with the regulars at the obelisk is usually what lands her the good tips

overall, ro is just trying to find her way through life while keeping her siblings close by, and she refuses to let herself or them settle for anything less than they deserve

[asteria-argo]

If you are looking to ramble about Disaster Prone Teenagers, I’d love to know what both of their families look like in this AU?

Like for instance- does this mean that Eddie has oldest sister problems? Is she roped into babysitting her baby sisters all the time? Is most of their family still in Texas? Does her dad travel back and forth? Did he even make it to her quinceañera?

Assuming Buck’s home life is similar, what about the Maddie-and-Doug situation? Is Maddie perhaps keeping her sister at more of an arms length, more afraid of what Doug might do if Buck were to run her mouth around him? Does Buck still have a motorbike at that age that she rides around like a jackass? Does she have the exact same haircut?

My Most Beloved Mutual Readwing I am kissing you on the mouth I love you SO much for this ask. Their family situation is one of the main things that I am rotating in my brain constantly since I first came up with this AU a few months ago.

We'll start with Eddie, because I love her a lot and she means everything to me. Eddie's family, her mom, dad and two sisters are all still in El Paso. She moved to LA for what was supposed to be one summer after a Traumatic Event that is a whole post on its own to live with tia pepa and her abuela and then she just... never went back?

She has that Eldest Daughter Syndrome where she'd been raising her sisters since she was barely in double digits and moving to LA was the first time she really got to just be a teenager without the burden of being the second parent while her dad was busy with work. The deal was always that she would go back to El Paso eventually, but the more time she spends away the less she wants to go back. She definitely has a lot of guilt about it, because she feels like she's abandoning her sisters, and her parents don't really help with that because they want her home regardless of the fact she's happier in LA.

As for the Quinceanẽra, after a brief amount of research I have discovered that around the time the Traumatic Event took place would have been when she was supposed to be having it, so there's some fun angst potential there where I think Eddie ended up missing out on that milestone. There's also some solid potential for a hurt/comfort fic where she finally gets to have it, just a little later than normal, but I would have to do more research into it before writing anything like that since I'm not that well versed in the cultural significance of Quinceanẽras. Clipboard Buck helping her best friend plan her Quinceanẽra is a very fun potential fic in the verse though.

And Buck, oh the Buck of it all. Buck's family life is actually a lot different in this AU, unlike Eddie's whose is mostly the same just adjusted for teen angst instead of grown up angst, mainly because Daniel lived in this AU. At least until Buck was about 14.

It changes everything and nothing at the exact same time. Buck grows up being constantly micromanaged, not because her parents are worried about her, but because they don't want something to happen to her in case Daniel needs her. Daniel, being a reasonable person, thinks this is absolutely insane and does his best alongside Maddie to give Buck a semi regular childhood despite the pair of them having their own issues with their parents. Then, Maddie meets Doug, and it's just Daniel helping keep Buck afloat in their house.

When Daniel is 22, and Buck is 14, he goes into kidney failure. He doesn't survive, and their parents blame Buck, who refused to donate one of her kidneys too him. The first time Maddie sees Buck since she moved to Boston with Doug at 19 is at Daniels funeral.

Maddie and Doug move back to Hershey after Daniel dies. Things get steadily worse over the next year, Doug proposes to Maddie and they get engaged at the same time Doug becomes more outwardly abusive, the Buckley parents become steadily more neglectful of Buck in their grief over Daniel, which leads to Buck spending more time with Maddie in order to get away from them. which opens the door for two things. Buck sees how terrible Doug is to Maddie, and Maddie sees how terrible their parents are to Buck. This culminates in the two of them running away to LA together the night of Maddie and Dougs rehearsal dinner, after Maddie sees Doug get violent with Buck, because while I don't think she would be ready to leave for herself, I think she would for her baby sister.

As for Bucks hair I genuinely have,,, so many thoughts about it. I think Buck is a very stereotypical pretty, feminine cheerleader archtype. She's got this long, curly blonde hair that has always been at least mid back length since she was 10 years old, which is why when she chops most of it off during a Dramatic Moment and gives herself the classic bisexual bob it's a major deal for everybody involved. Which is in itself it's own fic about self image and expectations ect ect that I can and will get into eventually.

[hockeylvr59]

Honest Love Part 9 || Cale Makar

Requested: [ ] yes [x] no

Authors Note: When Laura and Gary come to town, a bombshell announcement gets dropped and Gary and Cale talk about some other future life changes. This chapter is a good portion of Secret Love Chapter 25 from Laura and Gary's POVs but there's some new stuff in there as well.

Warnings: none / Word Count: 1,940

~~~~

Laura’s POV

Gary had already had to tell her more than once to relax and they hadn’t even reached Denver yet. But Laura couldn’t help but be excited to go down to Denver and spend a week with her eldest son and his girlfriend who was essentially already her daughter. It had been just over two months since they’d made the big move in together and Laura was anxious to see how things were going for them now that they were living together and planning a future. 

They were meeting them for dinner and Laura was itching just to hug them both after so long. Thankfully their flight arrived on time and after renting a car, she and Gary headed to their hotel, checking in and getting settled. They each grabbed a quick shower before dressing for dinner and Gary texted Cale to confirm the restaurant. 

Arriving at dinner, Laura held Cale and then y/n tightly noting that there was something different about them both. They still looked happy and completely in love and so she attributed the difference to just how they had settled into their relationship continuing to evolve. 

When they were standing, Cale had a hand resting on her lower back and when they were seated, she had a hand resting on his knee but otherwise things seemed normal and content. 

“Yeah we’ve been talking a little about maybe buying a house.” Hearing her future daughter in law mention that made Laura look between the two of them before looking at her husband who had raised an eyebrow. 

Though Cale wasn’t on a long term contract yet, he was eligible to sign one this summer so it wasn’t a complete shock that they were starting to think about putting down roots. 

“After all, someone here wants a dog at some point and you guys shouldn’t have to stay in a hotel every time you want to come visit.” No one could deny that her points made sense and so the topic was left at that. With Cale and Gary talking about last night’s game, Laura inquired about what things they might be looking at wanting for Christmas. 

With Calgary drama, Taylor drama, and other topics mixed in, dinner passed quickly and it wasn’t long before they were saying good night after making plans to spend tomorrow afternoon at the apartment. 

++

With Cale having practice in the morning, Laura had made Gary take her out for breakfast before the two of them just wandered around Denver a bit, still getting to know the city their son called home now. 

On their way to the apartment they stopped and picked up lunch to take over, but when Laura walked into the apartment she could already smell food and could hear Cale banging away in the kitchen. 

“You’re dad texted that we were bringing lunch, why are you cooking?” 

“Because Y/N wants soup.” Cale’s reply left her even more confused because Laura knew that they had picked up y/n’s favorite food and that Gary had texted that specifically to Cale.

“But you knew we were bringing one of her favorites.” 

“Mom…she wasn’t feeling well this morning okay.” Cale stated with a sigh. “Soup is easy on the stomach, that is not.”

Y/N had looked like she’d felt fine last night so Laura was worried about what could have caused her to wake up feeling ill this morning. 

“Is she sick? Cale, why didn’t you tell us? If she’s not feeling well we can go find something else to do.”

“She’s fine now.” Laura should have known her son well enough to pick up on the fact that he was starting to get annoyed but she was too focused on her son’s girlfriend and her wellbeing to notice.

“Seriously Cale, if Y/N isn’t feeling well she should be resting, not having to worry about entertaining us.” As much as they wanted to see them, they could push this off until tomorrow or Thursday when Cale had another practice only day. 

“Mom. Relax.” Cale’s tone was forceful but Laura wasn’t about to let it be. 

“Cale…we’d rather her rest now and kick whatever this is quicker than…”

“Y/N’s pregnant.” It was stated so bluntly that it didn’t even process fully and Laura gripped the counter as her face morphed into shock and awe. 

“What?” She hadn’t even realized she’d spoken until y/n herself appeared, sliding under Cale’s arm and tucking herself against his side. Looking at Cale and then over at y/n again Laura swallowed the lump forming in her throat. 

“You’re pregnant?”

Unlike the lump, the tears welled uncontrollably and when y/n nodded and stepped away from Cale for a moment before setting a series of what were unmistakably ultrasound pictures onto the counter, it all slowly started to click into place. 

“How do you feel about being a grandma?” Y/N asked and Laura couldn’t remain in place any longer, flying around the island to pull her daughter into a hug. This was something she had dreamed of for years and now it was actually true after everything. 

“You’re pregnant. You’re really pregnant.”

“Yeah mom. I’m pregnant.” 

“Oh my lord.”

As the tears finally fell at the realization that her baby was having a baby for real this time, Laura couldn’t help but be a little confused. They had only been together for about six months, certainly they hadn’t made the decision to have a baby already…before they’d even gotten engaged. 

“This wasn’t planned was it?”

“No, it wasn’t planned.” Her son confirmed, speaking up for the first time since dropping the bombshell news. Remembering all the drama from what seemed like ages ago but was really less than a year, Laura needed confirmation that this time it was a good thing. 

“But you’re happy?”

“We’re so happy.” Cale confirmed. “Best surprise ever.” The way her son looked at his girlfriend told Laura that his statement was absolutely the truth and that he couldn’t be more thrilled that they were expecting, even this early on. 

“Oh this is so wonderful.” Laura couldn’t help but exclaim. “How far along are you?” Looking down she couldn’t see any evidence of a baby bump yet and if the ultrasound was recent, it was clear that it was still very early on but she needed to know exactly when they were expecting their first grandbaby.

“8 weeks.” Y/N replied. “So still very early but the doctor says everything looks good. We’re due mid-june.” Wiping her tears away, Laura couldn’t help but bounce. Next summer they would have a grandbaby to dote on and love. 

Hugging her daughter again, Laura moved to pull Cale into her arms kissing his head. “It’s so much better when it’s with the right person isn’t it?” She whispered to her son. 

“Yeah it is.” He agreed, smiling brightly. “It’s a completely different feeling. I can’t wait to be a dad to our little pumpkin.” 

“Pumpkin huh?” 

“Yeah. Just a little nickname.” The way Cale grinned suggested there was more to the story than that but that he wasn’t really willing to divulge it. Glancing over, Laura saw her husband hugging their future daughter wishing her congratulations. Then he came over and pat Cale on the back sharing a look with him about there being some things they needed to discuss later with this new news. 

That could wait though and with Y/N stirring soup that appeared done, Laura was reminded that it was now far past lunchtime and their food was likely well on its way to cold. 

As they sat down to eat, Cale looked at his girlfriend before looking back at them requesting that they keep the news of the pregnancy to themselves for now. It was still early, Y/N was in the first trimester and they weren’t ready to make any public announcements yet. Cale added that he was going to tell Taylor when they played in Boston in like 2.5 weeks so even that was off limits. Laura knew that that made sense and she would respect those wishes as hard as it may be to keep it a secret. 

“So this is why you’re really looking at buying a house huh?” Gary questioned as they wrapped up lunch causing Cale to shrug. 

“I mean yeah. A baby is only going to fit here for so long. They kind of need their own space. And a house would give us privacy and prevent neighbors from having to hear a crying infant. So it’s something we’re discussing.” 

Now knowing that it wasn’t going to just be the two of them for much longer, buying a house certainly made a little more sense and Laura and Gary both knew that they would make a choice that was right for them. 

+++

Gary’s POV

Having spent the day inside playing games since it was a little too cold outside and Cale didn’t want Y/N doing too much with how easily she got fatigued, his wife suggested that Cale and his dad go out for dinner and she and y/n would have some girl time there. 

With there being things he wanted to discuss with Cale now, Gary wasn’t about to turn that down. 

He certainly wasn’t about to pull any punches either. As soon as they got into the car, Gary dropped his first big question. 

“So…when are you going to put a ring on her finger?” 

“Before the baby comes. I just don’t have the details figured out yet.” The speed at which Cale had an answer told Gary that this was something Cale had been thinking about. “I don’t want her to think I’m proposing because of the baby. I mean she shouldn’t because us getting married has always been a when not an if but…I just don’t want there to be any doubt.” 

It made sense and Gary certainly couldn’t fault him for that. 

“So you’re ready to be a dad?” Gary transitioned. 

“Were you ready to be a dad when mom was pregnant with me? Like I know you were older and maybe a bit more established in your relationship and stuff but like caring for a baby were you ready? Because I’m not sure anyone ever really is, but I would do anything for that little clump of cells she’s growing into another human being, I know that.” 

It was a rare occasion that Cale was so certain of something but also spoke with such a fond, emotional tinge. If Gary had at all doubted his maturity in handling this he couldn’t any longer and he nodded. He may not have all the answers but at least he knew which ones he was lacking enough to address them. 

As Cale pulled into the restaurant parking lot Gary couldn’t help but throw one more comment at his son mostly in jest. 

“Just can’t believe in the span of a year you’ve gone through a scare and an actual pregnancy. And I thought I taught you sex ed.” 

Shrugging, Cale smirked and replied before climbing out of the car.

“Yeah I mean using condoms probably would have helped but with y/n it was inevitable anyway.” 

Maybe he should rethink that maturity thing after all…or at least go smack some sense into Taylor because one grandchild was more than enough for now. 

+++

As much as this had come as a shock, both Laura and Gary were certain of one thing, this baby was a blessing and they couldn’t wait to watch Cale and Y/N raise a baby of their own.

[jamethinks]

Phone broke so we have to go to town to get it fixed hehe. More importantly Martha and Henry headcanons bc they're my favorite ship

Henry did get married as we saw but he did eventually grow to love his wife but more as a best friend if anything. They had five daughters together and the youngest is barely out of high school. They all (with the exception of the youngest) got married, moved overseas and had kids. They all attended Eden and very imperial scholars of course. The youngest is being cared for by the oldest. The second oldest passed as a child (as most kids born in the 30s did) and then the mom passed shortly after the youngest was born (late stage cancer).

Henry loves his family and cherished his wife. They had good relationship even if it wasn't a very romantic one. He I'd also very close with his daughters and granddaughters and corresponds with them regularly.

Martha on the other hand had a bit of a rougher time. After the war she got married to a commissioned officer and she genuinely loved him and was able to move on from Henry. During WW2 he went to war while stayed in Ostonia to work for the Blackbells as part of their elite security team. Unfortunately, he did end up dying and she gave up oh love after that. She continued to work for the Blackbells, specifically with Becky's dad who had grown very attached to her.

Technically her actual job is as his personal bodyguard but he also has her looking out for Becky. Martha actually planned on retiring before Becky but after her parents got divorced and Becky's mom left she decided to stay and help. She never had kids or her own but she does support her relatives even helping one get into Eden.

Henry started hanging by the school gates in order to catch a glimpse of Martha when she would pick up Becky, and awkwardly try to strike up a conversation. He was eventually able to get her number and then called her every night just to say good night. Martha can tell he's trying to start something but she's choosing to ignore him and trade him. She constantly refers to him as her former professor teasing him for calling her his student. Even when he's a bit more direct with his flirts she responds very curtly and even scoldsfor being inappropriate.

Bonus: Martha didn't realise how thought she was dead or that Henderson never found out she lived. So one day while taking papa Blackbell to school she ran into him and greeted him so casually. Henry went pale and fainted immediately because was fully convinced he saw a ghost. His wife the scolded him because she did tell him he just ignored her.

Bonus: Henry is constantly trying to hint his that his wife died 15 years ago and he's completely available but she keeps ignoring him. And all his daughters (sans the eldest) love Martha and are Aldo desperately trying to hook them up.

Used the swipes feature on my keyboard to type this so tomorrow I will have to check for typos hehe. Good night.

[tricornonthecob]

Can you do a headcanon dump, I’m curious to hear 👀

I have so many that tumblr threw an error and broke down and deleted all the things I wrote so lets see if I can be less verbose (impossible.) My thoughts are mostly fleshing the fuck out of the Phillips family because I love them.

Samuel Phillips's older siblings were from his father's first wife, who died. While still young, his own mother dies in childbirth giving birth to a stillborn daughter.

After this, he's treated poorly by his dad and siblings. He gets really into exploration and new worlds as a way to cope, and he also finds natural talent as a swordsman and horseman, but nothing he excels at is ever enough.

As an adolescent, he forms a strong father-son surrogate bond with his fencing tutor, a wizened old bachelor and veteran of Queen Anne's War (? I need to look at the timeline to see if this works)

Through a mutual friend of his fencing tutor, he is introduced to the idea of joining the army as a light dragoon. His father is furious at this decision, but by this point, 20-something Sammy Phillips is thrilled to do anything to stick it to the ornery old bastard.

------

I don't have as much fleshed out for Lady Phillips, since most of my headcanons have revolved around Major Phillips, but I have some bits.

She's the eldest daughter of a new-rich merchant.

Her name is Eliza. I also named Mrs. Radcliffe Eliza. The two Elizas became best friends forever at the age of four because they were both named Eliza. This is how it goes when you are four.

The future Mrs. Radcliffe is a ho, but her parents are spacey as hell so she does what she wants. Eliza's parents are more parenty, but still reasonable. Eliza gets bit by the rebellion bug all the same.

Our Eliza and Samuel meet at a ball that they're both attending, although the Elizas kind of maybe crashed the ball. Just a little bit. I need to sort out how.

Our Eliza and Samuel get shotgun wedding'd, although they do love each other.

Him and Eliza have trouble conceiving, and he's then shipped off to war.

He gets wounded heroically and sent back to Britain for a bit - and to be knighted! - where he convalesces and they finally have Sarah. He still has a hankering for war - and some unfinished bidness - and manages to return, despite the wound in his shoulder hampering some of his movement.

The situation in North America is looking good for Britain politically, but its turned very ugly.

When the war is over he comes back to see his infant daughter and breaks down. She looks alot like him - but, more specifically, she looks like his mother, with some of Eliza's features.

Despite loving his family, he's become restless with PTSD and can't resist the call to go back to America. When word of Pontiac's war reaches him, he's practically chomping at the bit to return.

What he returns to is even more frustrating for him, and it also begins his friendship/working relationship with the Shawnee.

He goes back one more time to Britain, but by now is totally over it. His relationship with Eliza is in tatters and Sarah is starting to show some teenage angst. He leaves for a job with the Hudson's Bay Company - which he rapidly abandons to go land speculating.

------ My headcanons for LK-timeline and post-LK are a bit simpler

Lady Phillips, to cope with the stress of everything, became an avid gardener and illustrator of plants in Britain. She brings this with her to America when she moves and, eventually, decides to curate and publish a ladies' gardening magazine with the help of James' printing company.

James is a pigeon guy. He got interested in them when he was living in the streets. Later in life he breeds and races pigeons. Sarah originally wasn't thrilled but turns into the Dads Who Did Not Want Pets meme.

James is also able to sing - not amazingly, but also can hold a tune. When he and Sarah have babies, he discovers he loves singing them lullabies and insists on it.

James will also read them humanist literature because of course he does.

TBH I envision he and Sarah having only daughters, but that is largely due to the fact that I am extremely partial to Family With Only Daughters vibes (myself being a member of a Family With Only Daughters.)

James is completely incapable of denying any of his children anything. It is a problem.

I also imagine they had a little bit of trouble having kids, but they manage to have a few anyway.

Major Phillips is a dry, aloof bastard and at first James doesn't know how to deal with the humor and the stand-offishness, but Major Phillips does grow to like James.

Grandpa Phillips, though not fully able to do fencing any more due to injuries he sustained in war, still has a sword collection.

He also loves to play with his granddaughters, possibly making up for all the time he lost with his own daughter.

James is extremely anxious to ask for Sarah's hand, until Major Phillips point blank tells him to.

Henri doesn't stay in France for long and comes back to be Uncle Henri to the Hillips babies. They love him because of his hijinks and the fact he's always bringing them bonbons and little toys and such.

Major Phillips meets Henri and has no idea what to make of him.

Henri becomes a baker. Because I said so, thats why.

Mrs. Radcliffe and her husband are 18th century swingers. You can't tell me that woman doesn't have the look and mien of a swinger.

Lady Phillips is extremely pissed at Major Phillips for a very long time for good reason. She moves from their old home to America mostly for Sarah, but also because she has no real say in the matter.

Y'all have heard my James and Sarah are horsegirls headcannon. To expand on it, they will sometimes race when they're feeling flirty.

Both of them come to Caesar to talk about their feelings, but especially James. James is not very subtle about it and at least Henri and Moses know he's doing it.

James eventually adopts Caesar and he lives out his final years in good care getting fat on grass.

During the postmaster general timeframe, Sarah's introduced to a neighbor's feisty pony, Flip. She eventually adopts him.

Sarah and James first bone at Yorktown. tbh.

Udney is a himbo. I'm 50/50 on him and Sarah actually messing around a little at one point pre-James courtship - Sarah being mad at James for whatever reason, Udney 100% being her type, and teenagers/young adults not being particularly well-equipped for self control.

I also don't like first-time energies in ships - a quirk of mine - so I've also played around with James having a rebound he doesn't realize is a rebound when Sarah goes to Britain, because again. Teenagers/young adults sometimes make Decisions.

----

Anyway these are just some of my headcanons.

[cruetrimeblog]

The Unfortunate Story of John List

John List was the only child of German American parents born in Bay City, Michigan. His parents' names were John and Barbara List. John grew up in a Lutheran household which led him to become a Sunday school teacher just like his dad. John worked as a lab tech during World War Two. He served three years before being discharged in 1946. John went on to earn a bachelor's degree in business administration. He then earned a master's degree in accounting.

John was called back into active duty in 1950 due to the advancement of the Korean War. He met a woman named Helen Taylor while stationed in Virginia. They began a romantic relationship and got married in December of 1951 in Baltimore. The two decided to live in California. Due to his work as a successful military accountant, John was reassigned to the Finance Corps.

John completed his second tour in 1952. He went on to work as an accountant in Detroit. He later took a job as an audit supervisor in Kalamazoo, Michigan. This is where he and Helen raised three kids together. John became a general supervisor by 1959.

Unfortunately, Helen suffered from alcoholism. She became increasingly unstable over the years. Her daughter (before she met John) Brenda, moved out of the family home in 1960. The rest of the List family moved to Rochester, New York where John was offered a job with Xerox. After becoming the director of accounting services, John accepted a job as Vice President and comptroller of a bank in New Jersey. This is where the family moved into a large estate in Westfield, New Jersey named "Breeze Knoll." The home was a 19 room victorian mansion.

John decided to kill his entire immediate family on November 9, 1971. When the kids left for school that day, he shot Helen in the head. She was 46 years old at the time. He then went upstairs where he shot and killed his mother Alma who was 84 years old at the time. Then John decided to sit and wait for his kids to come home from school. Patricia and Frederick List were the first to arrive. The were 16 and 13 years old. John shot and killed them both. Afterwards, John proceeded to make himself lunch, run to the bank to drain his mother's accounts, then went to the local high school to watch his eldest son John Jr. play soccer. When John Jr. was finished playing, John drove them both home. John attempted to shoot his son shortly after they entered the home, but the gun misfired. This gave John Jr. a chance to fight back against his father. But it was to no avail. John shot him several more times. John Jr. was the only victim to be shot more than once.

After the murders, John placed the bodies of his family into sleeping bags and lined them up in the ballroom of the family home. However he had to leave his mother’s body upstairs, claiming she was too heavy to drag downstairs. John then sat down to write a five page letter to his pastor stating that he killed his family to “save their souls.” He proceeded to try cleaning up the scene, but he also eerily cut his face out of all of the family photos in the home. He turned the radio all the way up, turned on every light in the house, and left without a trace to start a new life.

The bodies of the List family weren’t discovered until around a month after the murders. The neighbors weren’t suspicious at first, because the Lists tended to keep to themselves. John wrote letters to his kids schools and jobs to explain that he was taking the family out of town on a trip. He canceled the milk, mail, and newspaper deliveries. Neighbors finally alerted authorities when the lights in the home started burning out.

Investigators started by examine the outside of the house and determined that nothing seemed amiss. Police returned on December 7th after getting a call from Patricia’s drama coach when she couldn’t get an answer at the door while trying to pick Patricia up for her lesson. Police entered the home through a small window in the basement, and found the bodies.

This crime was the most notorious felony in New Jersey since the kidnapping of the Lindbergh baby. There was a nationwide manhunt issued for John. The family car was later found at JFK airport, but there was no evidence that John ever got on a plane.

Breeze Knoll was eventually burned down nine months after the murders. The fire was ruled as an arson but is still unsolved. A new house was built on the land in 1974

John took a train from New Jersey to Michigan, and then to Denver where he settled in 1972. He got a job as an accountant and started using the alias Robert Peter Clark. He joined his local Lutheran church. It was while attending this church that he met his next wife Delores Miller. They got married in 1985. The couple moved to Virginia in 1988, and John got a new job there as an accountant.

An episode of America's Most Wanted covered the List murders in 1989. A forensic artist assembled a bust of an age progressed John. This bust was eerily similar to John's current appearance. Less than two weeks after the show aired, John was arrested. John denied his true identity for months. He was extradited to New Jersey in 1989. John didn't admit to being who he was until February of 1990.

During the trial, John admitted that the family was struggling financially after he was laid off from work in 1971. However, he kept his unemployment a secret from his family. He would leave for work at the normal time, but just spend the day reading the newspaper at a local train station. He made ends meet by stealing money from his mother's bank account. Some of the List children had taken on part time jobs to help out the family.

During the trial, John was diagnosed with OCD. John was too proud to accept welfare, so he saw his only financial option to be killing his family, sending them to heaven, and starting a brand new life.

John was convicted of five counts of first degree murder on April 12, 1990. He was quoted saying, "I feel that because of my mental state at the time, I was unaccountable for what happened. I ask all affected by this for their forgiveness, understanding, and prayer." The judge responded, "John Emil List is without remorse and without honor. After 18 years, 5 months, and 22 days, it is now time for the voices of Helen, Alma, Patricia, Frederick, and John F. List to rise from the grave." John was sentenced to five consecutive life sentences. This was the maximum penalty at the time. John quickly filed for an appeal, but was equally as quickly denied.

John admitted during an interview with Connie Chung in 2002 to not considering suicide as another viable option because it would bar him from entering heaven where he hopes to reunite with his family someday.

John died at the age of 82 in 2008 from a bad case of pneumonia. He was being held in New Jersey at the St. Francis Medical Center. He has since been referred to as "The Boogeyman of Westfield."

[vacantgodling]

Oh no, sorry about the last ask **sent it and immediately saw the post that Alizath is a place** ^^' But please still provide The Information

LMAOOOO NAUR that’s my bad. like i said i talked about this wip like once and never mentioned it again pfffff

but basically the information:

who is alizath

this fucky landmass up north. the smidge of yellow at the bottom is galeré, the country paramour’s mess takes place in cuz SURPRISE… these share a universe pff

what is alizath?

a hot mess basically. the government is run by “courts” or factions (perhaps cults… at least one of them kinda is) and there’s a central parliament that’s supposed to be the voice of the common people. like. it barely is but we move.

anyway tho there’s the iron spring, the titanium summer, the brass autumn, and the steel winter.

we mainly focus on the brass autumn bc the “dad” of our mc kirsi, used to be the ruler of the brass autumn but then he was framed for killing a guy and was exiled.

the story? well basically kirsi is supposed to bring favor back to her family by attending socialite events so that her father can be allowed back into alizath. also so that they can stop being horribly poor (they aren’t terribly bad off cuz they’re getting help but it’s complicated).

the real plot however is found as kirsi starts getting close to people and it becomes very apparent that the iron spring wants to become a sole monarchy. power struggles, romance, death, chaos, war, and more ensue!

but some basic important to know characters:

kirsi: she’s the mc. she’s also adopted (does not know this), part of a prophecy (definitely doesn’t know this), and isn’t fully human (kirsi knows jack shit about anything basically)

jeanna sunniva: she’s kirsi’s aunt who helped raise her for the purposes her brother has. she is strict but very protective over kirsi and her life has been Rough

juven: current leader of the brass autumn in his father’s stead. he’s also one of kirsi’s love interests (end game ot3 situation). he’s too young to be shackled with this shit but yknow. he’s here now. also he wants to keep alizath out of the hands of the spring and would rather it turn more into a republic or smthn.

amarette: juven’s best friend and from the titanium summer. his mama hates him teehee. he, juven and kirsi are end game ot3. he just wants to be able to live his life how he wants.

greye: eldest daughter of the iron spring who hates her father and is uh…. plotting lmao.🧍‍♂️

lord flykrost: the leader of the steel winter and tbh the only one with a head on his fucking shoulders. he values his family more than anything and is ready to turn the steel winter into its own nation at the drop of a hat to protect his family and the citizens who live in his region. very chill dude but he used to be the head of the general alizathan army so idk don’t fuck with him

lady love: lord flykrost’s wife and she’s scarier than him. she did settle down and loves those loyal to her fiercely. she and jeanna used to be good friends but why hmmm 🤔

and a bunch of other characters but yahhhhhhh

how did you get inspiration?

dude i used to love the app game helix waltz (it’s no longer a thing rip) and i wanted to make a story where i could romance my favorite character juven (i didn’t change juven’s first name but a lot about him otherwise has changed lol) sooooo this story got born out of that.

so yah i hope that’s a good overview pff

[riveranova]

(A/N): Just woke up from the best dream I ever had?? And all of you have to suffer the consequences c: A lil short, sweet (and corny af) something. I love Dad Jokes.

I present you:

,,Dad, can you put on my shoes?'' - Dad!Jin Grandet x Fem!Reader

Warnings: Dad Jokes. Horrible, horrible Dad Jokes

Character: Jin Grandet, Ikemen Prince

Word count: 576

''No, I'm afraid they wont fit me.''

Silence.

''Mummy! Dad is doing it again!'' came the annoyed reply of your youngest daughter, Emilia. Laughing, Jin helped her put on her shoes, a goofy grin on his face.

Ever since Jin became a father, his demeanor had changed almost completely. You didn't know what it was, but the previous Womanizer- Prince- Jin had now become a Dad- Jokes- King- Jin. Something about the fact that he now had children flipped a switch inside him.

Seeing it happen live in front of your eyes was the funniest thing you could imagine.

You came out of the kitchen laughing, a tray full of cookies in your hands. ''You’re making the kids mad.''

''No, I'm Jin.''

''And I'm tired of this shit.'' your eldest son, Paul, said while snagging a cookie off the tray as he passed. "You're all mad already." He started walking up the stairs of the palace - two at a time.

Jin got up from his seat in front of Emilia, who was now wearing her shoes, and grinned after him. ''Be careful on the stairs, they are always up to something!'' Paul replied with an annoyed grunt and Emilia let out a giggle. Jin tousled her hair. ‘‘Time for our evening round. Come on.'' the two walked through the corridors and into the adjoining rose garden.

Emilia clearly took after her father. She shared the love for his brothers – her uncles – and insisted on visiting each one every evening, giving them a huge bear hug and wishing them good night. Like Jin, she loved Luke the most. And Luke doted on her like he was her big brother. It was genuinely cute to watch as Luke lifted the much smaller Emilia into his arms and cuddled her.

Paul was more like you but very much acted like Yves. When the two were in the same room (or the same kitchen), something unexpected was always bound to happen. Yves made it his mission to take Jin's first child under his wing and teach him every imaginable recipe and technique in the art of baking.

It was to be expected that under the circumstances, Paul would develop a sweet tooth.

You put the tray with the cookies on the windowsill and watched Luke and Emilia out of the window.

The evening sun bathed the event in a soft gold and a smile spread across your face. Two strong arms wrapped around your waist, and you jumped until you realized that Jin had moved back to your side. Luke was outside, still carrying Emilia around like she was flying like a bird, and you could hear her loud, happy laughter all the way into the palace.

Jin stole a cookie from the tablet. ''You know, I think I'm like that cookie.'' he said as if that wasn't a weird statement at all. ''I don’t even want to ask...'' you mumbled. Jin turned you around in his arms and grinned.

''It's good to have a tough cookie like me on your side. Y'know? I'm kind of dough-pe.''

Silence.

‘’I’ll never bake cookies for you again.’’ You picked up the tray of cookies and walked down the corridor to give Licht and Yves a few, an amused smile spreading on your lips. Sometimes in the past, you wondered if you made the right decision in leaving your old life to come to the palace as Belle, but-

‘‘I think me and my jokes would be considered… relation-chip goals!’’

Yeah. Yeah you did.