#she was nice and timid before she met poppy

[cecilia01]

Ordinary

Chapter one Rumours

The arrival of a new fifth year student was a top secret, that only the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry professors and a few prefects heard anything about. So naturally, the whole school knew about it by time the shiny Hogwarts Express has left the London station on the sunny 1st of September, leaving a trail of grey mist on the platform full of witches and wizards waving goodbye to their relatives.

The cabins were full of excited faces with gleaming eyes, students greeting old friends, meeting new ones. Hardly was there anyone who dreaded going back to Hogwarts despite the enormous expectations and the mountains of homework waiting for them in the following year. Hogwarts just felt like home away from home to everyone who stepped inside, although no one could really fathom the reason why.

This year, the usual excitement was met with curiosity and wonder of the girl, who soon became the subject of all sorts of different rumours. One Slytherin professed loudly that she knew exactly who the mystery girl was, but out of respect for her privacy she wouldn’t share. ’You can’t imagine how inconvenient it would be for her if everyone knew. It’s best if it is only me, isn’t?’ she said. Others were wondering about which house she would get sorted into. ’She must be a Gryffindor, I can’t even begin to think about the courage it takes to start the school so late!’ shivered a timid Hufflepuff.

But the thrilling stories of the two-month-long summer holiday brushed the thought of the new student out of the minds of everyone except for the passengers of my cabin.

’I really don’t care which house she gets sorted into,’ proclaimed Garreth Weasley, sweeping his flaming red hair out of his freckled face, ’all that matters is if she’s pretty. This school could bear a few more fine gi ... HEY!’ Imelda Reyes’ roll of parchment missed his head by inches. ’It is not proper to talk like that in the presence of ladies, you idiot!’ she said with flaming eyes. ’Surely, you don’t mean yourself, Imelda.’ said Garreth with an smug grin. ’You are dead when we get to the quiddich pitch, Weasley!’ jumped Imelda on her feet, her neat dark ponytail flying behind her, raising her fist. ’That is enough now, you two.’ said Natsai Onai standing between the quarrelling pair, trying to make Imelda sit back down.

On the other side of the cabin Poppy Sweeting was showing pictures of all the fantastic beasts she managed to observe during the summer with her grandma to Amit Thakkar. ’And here you can see this adorable mooncalf with her babies, isn’t she just precious, Amit? Don’t you want snuggle them all?’ she grinned with a smile from ear to ear. Amit smiled kindly at Poppy over his open Advanced Astronomy Book 2, his brown eyes flickering through the drawings. ’Oh, I hate mooncalves. Something about their enormous eyes... Eerie...’ shivered Sebastian Sallow, grimacing his freckled face. Hearing this horror filled Poppy’s huge brown eyes. ’How can you say that?! They are the dearest animals on the planet. Here let me show you some of my drawing...’ she quickly sat down next to Sebastian showing countless pictures into his face, ignoring the boy’s attempts to escape.

Watching the situation unfold before me, I bursted out laughing, realising just how much I missed them all during those past two months. Summer is nice, but it can never live up to a few minutes with my precious friends. ’What do you think, Cecilia?’ Ominis Gaunt nudged my left knee with his, raising his pale eyebrow above his milky blue eyes. ’About mooncalves? I don’t adore them as much as Poppy, I reckon no one really can, but I am not afraid of them like Sebastian. How can he? It’s hilarious.’ I replied mopping my eyes with the sleeve of my robes. ’No, about the new fifth year. But I must admit it is quite funny.’ he chuckled. ’Haha, yes. Make fun of the one with the... what was the word... yes, phobia. Speaking of which, aren’t you irrationally afraid of spiders, Cecilia? It is bold of you to talk. I know all your secrets.’ sounded Sebastian under the pile of mooncalf pictures. ’Well, I don’t think it is wise to make assumptions about someone without ever meeting them... And I wouldn’t like to be in her position. Everyone wondering about me...’ I shuddered, ignoring Sebastian’s comments. ’Though, I would be lying if I didn’t admit I asked Samantha to check the library when we get to Hogwarts for information about anyone starting school this late in their life. She reckons there hasn’t been anyone in centuries.’ ’You’re thinking about the library already! A true Ravenclaw.’ said Ominis with a smile on the corner of his mouth. I opened my mouth to object, when Sebastian, desperate to escape the torture of mooncalf drawings looked out the window of the cabin and shouted in excitement. ‘Look! We can already see the castle!’ Everyone leapt to their feet to rush towards the window, pushing each other, stepping on feet, giggling and… there it was. Over the water of the lake, that was shining in the moonlight, on the great rocks stood the grand, majestic castle. The countless windows were sparkling with lights from the inside, the stone walls reflected the sparse moonlight and the towers seemed to be scraping the skies, with a million and more stars. I let out a deep sigh, hugging Natty from the side. She looked at us all, our eyes all gleamy, our mouth open in awe and said with a warm smile wide as the lake in front of us:

‘Welcome home!”

[xcamay]

Recruiting Chloe.

Hey there! I can’t believe it’s been years since I last published a fanfic on tumblr. And it’s been months since I last finished one... woo! It kind of feels great and rewarding though hehe. However, this is my first time writing a Choices fanfic, so I do hope it’ll be okay... Here goes nothing! Book: Queen B Pairings: Chloe x Veronica, and a little bit of Zoey x MC (Kate). Yes, I know many people don’t ship Chloe and Veronica, because “Veronica deserves better” and “Chloe’s an airhead and a meanie”, but I’m holding onto the fact that there’s more to Chloe than what we know... Warning: not entirely canon-compliant (seeing as I haven’t played since chapter 6 aired... I apologize if it sounds inaccurate sometimes). Also! This takes place after Veronica joined MC’s posse. And let’s forget about the Bacon-alia, okay? AO3 link ________________________________________________________________ “8:12 AM,” Kate slides her phone in her pocket and yawns, stretching her arms above her head, “Congratulations Zo, you got me out of bed early on a Wednesday. You know, the day we don’t have class in the morning.”

“Oh come on, I already apologized. But I really was craving some croissants this morning and I wanted you to try them,” Zoey smiles as she bites into her pastry, humming.

The two young women continue to stroll down the street at a relaxed pace, eating their respective croissant, joking around and sharing knowing smiles and glances. They stop next to a trash can, throwing the small bags while Zoey finishes her croissant, pinky finger raised.

“So? Verdict?” she offers Kate a wide smile, an eyebrow arched.

“Okay, you were right – they’re worth the awful alarm clock. Maybe we should get some more often. It’d be like our moment,” Kate grins as she steps closer, making Zoey grin back.

“Don’t we have enough moments already? You know, as roommates.”

“Is it really enough?”

“Do you think it is?”

“Do you?”

“Oh my god, Kate. Shut up and kiss me.”

“Your wish is my command, milady.”

They both smile before their lips tenderly meet for a few delightful seconds.

“Hey Zo,” Kate murmurs against her lips, “Let’s go back to our room.”

Zoey pecks her best friend’s lips one last time and nods, smiling. As they resume their walk, Kate slips her hand into Zoey’s.

“Wait a minute,” the new girl suddenly speaks, stopping in her tracks and squinting, “Is that Chloe over there?”

“Where?”

“There. Inside the coffee shop.”

“Huh? Oh, yeah,” Zoey blinks, “Wow. She… she looks so sad.”

“I wonder what happened… Oh well. She probably had another fight with Satan.”

“Not really, no.”

Kate jumps the moment she hears a new, additional voice next to her, “Holy shit! Veronica! Where did you come from?”

The famous beauty influencer rolls her eyes, her lips slightly tugging upward, “Wouldn’t you like to know.”

However, her light smile vanishes as she looks at her blonde-haired friend inside the coffee shop. She seems to be tormented, her brows furrowed and her gaze fixed on the table.

“This is supposed to be our moment,” Veronica sighs, an unexpected veil of sadness crossing her eyes.

Kate and Zoey glance at each other.

“What do you mean, your moment?”

“Chloe and I come here every week, on Wednesday mornings precisely because we don’t have class before 10. It’s just the two of us, for breakfast. No Poppy, no The T, no homework, no livestream… except if it gets interesting, of course,” Veronica smiles a little, but it promptly fades away, “There’s nothing else, no one else. Just Chloe and me. It’s our moment,” she pauses a second, then winces, “Or well… I guess it used to be our moment. We’re… not really talking to each other anymore, so well.”

Kate taps her chin several times, “I think it can still be your moment. Nothing’s here to stop you. Except if you don’t want it, of course.”

“No way. I still want it to be our moment.”

“I feel like there’s more to the story than what you’re telling us,” Zoey hums, barely trying to hide her curiosity, “Veronica, do you… uh…”

The two roommates share a glance, hesitating. Should they really ask something as private as that? As they ponder the answer to that question, Veronica beats them to it.

“Do I have romantic feelings for Chloe?”

They nod, and the ombré-haired girl sharply breathes in.

“I do.”

“Then go! Go get your girl!” Kate exclaims, almost bouncing on her feet like a child who was promised an ice cream.

Veronica raises her eyebrows, “You just want me to recruit her for you.”

“Of course not,” the new girl answers, at the same time as Zoey bluntly says, “Yes.”

“Zoey!”

The latter’s eyes widen and she immediately corrects herself, “No, of course not!”

The influencer rolls her eyes, prompting Kate to look sheepish as she scratches the inside of her elbow.

“One of you is at least being honest.”

“Alright… yes. And why not, anyway? With what we now know and with you helping us, I think it’s better if we get Chloe on our side. And I think she will be more willing to listen to you than us. It’s better if you recruit her yourself. But! We kind of want you two to be reunited too, you know?”

“Let’s kill two birds with one stone,” Zoey adds, serious, “Recruit her. But, most importantly, get your girlfriend back. Shoo, go.” ________________________________________________________________ As soon as she steps into the coffee shop, Veronica makes a beeline for the booth she usually occupies with Chloe on every Wednesday morning. However, she feels her heart break at the sight: Chloe is sitting there, alone, staring into space. It seems like she has barely sipped her hibiscus tea – two or three swallows at the most.

“Hey there.”

The unexpected voice startles Chloe, whose eyes widen when she realizes who is standing right next to her. Her heart rate instantly skyrockets.

“V-Veronica! You… Wh-what are you-”

“Is this seat taken?”

“N-no. But… I-I’m sorry but I have somewhere to be,” Chloe says as she abruptly stands, bumping into the table and almost knocking her white mug over.

“No you don’t,” Veronica hastily says, stopping the girl in her tracks. She lightly bites her lip, before adding in a whisper, “Chlo, please… Stay with me?”

“I-” Chloe gulps, eyes darting everywhere.

She looks conflicted, distressed – so much that it hurts Veronica inside – but eventually sits down again, fiddling with her fingers. She looks at everything, everyone but the beauty influencer sitting across from her.

“So,” Veronica clears her throat, trying to get Chloe’s attention, “We need to talk.”

“V, not now…”

“Then when? You’ve been avoiding me ever since you made up with Poppy. We haven’t even been able to spend some quality time together. We don’t laze around on the couch anymore, we also stopped doing our makeup together. You… you’re not coming to my room anymore. Look, we haven’t even had our Wednesday breakfast in weeks now.”

“You don’t understand!” Chloe seems alarmed for a second, but then she lowers her gaze, her light blue eyes reflecting a sorrow she is desperately trying to hide, “I… I-I can’t be seen talking to you…”

“Chlo, look at me.”

But Chloe weakly shakes her head, nibbling her lips, while Veronica resists the urge to grab her hand.

“Chloe.”

…

“Chloe St. James.”

This time, the girl looks up, albeit hesitantly.

“She won’t do anything to you. I promise.”

“She can-”

“Believe me, she better not.”

At this, a light (but pleased) smile graces Chloe’s features, which makes Veronica grin back. The moment only lasts a few seconds though, Chloe’s smile disappearing as she drinks a mouthful of her red-colored tea. The influencer clears her throat and places her hands on the table.

She wants to hold Chloe’s so bad.

“Chlo-”

“Sorry you had to wait,” a voice suddenly interrupts her – it’s the waiter who always serves them. They offer Veronica a welcoming smile, “The usual?”

“Uh, no, thank you,” then she hastily adds, an idea crossing her mind, “Just your best lava cake, please.”

At this, Chloe blinks, but keeps her mouth closed.

“Right away!”

And they leave. Veronica’s eyes land once again on her dearest friend, warmth, affection and worry dancing in them.

“I knew something was up. The moment you left me on read and started avoiding me, I knew something happened,” she sighs, “And surprise, surprise. Poppy’s the one behind all that, right?”

Chloe doesn’t answer – but her silence is enough.

“Chlo, she- she doesn’t have to control your life like that. You should be the one making decisions for yourself. You do whatever you want to do with whoever you want to.”

“I-”

“So what if you want to befriend Kate and Zoey? Or what if you want to spend time with me, the ‘traitorous cow’? She has no right to dictate your life.”

Chloe bites her lower lip, “V-”

“Chlo, you’re… you’re your own person. You’re not Poppy’s little lapdog-”

“I’m her second-in-command!”

“No, you’re- ah. Thank you.”

Veronica lets the waiter put the plate and the spoon on the table, before they leave. However, she doesn’t touch it, yet, capturing her friend’s attention once again.

“Chloe, no, you’re not her second-in-command. You’re the main pawn in her game, that’s all,” the blonde-haired girl lowers her gaze, pain twisting her features, and Veronica reaches for her – to no avail as Chloe’s hand immediately moves back, “Chlo…” she softly says, “You… do realize that, right? You know that ranking first is more important to Poppy than… you?”

“But she’s…” Chloe grabs her mug, seeking some support. Her knuckles quickly turn white before her shoulders sag, heavy, “She’s my best friend…”

“No, she’s not. Okay, she’s the first person who reached out to you here, I’ll give you that. But a best friend? Seriously? A girl who’s too blinded by her crown and who even goes as far as plotting revenge on you just because you ranked first for, what, a few hours? Do you really call that friendship? Is she really your best friend?”

Chloe bites her lips while sliding a shaky hand in her hair, the other still gripping tightly the mug’s handle.

“Chlo… You’re… you’re so much more than what she reduces you to.”

The blonde gulps with difficulty. She looks torn between so many things – what Poppy, her best friend, expects of her, their seemingly one-way deep friendship, her own needs and desires, the pressure which comes with her reputation at Belvoire, the dear friend she fell in love with…

“You deserve so much more.”

Veronica tentatively brushes Chloe’s fingertips with hers, her warm brown eyes never leaving her face, gauging her reaction. A tremor runs through Chloe, forcing her hand to let go of the mug and move back.

“Chlo…”

The beauty influencer can hear her heart suffocate, ready to crack. She is about to retract her own hand when she feels the tiniest, most hesitant caress on her fingers. Chloe looks at everything but Veronica, a light frown appearing on her face while her lips quiver, indicators of her internal, bone-crushing conflict.

“I-” Chloe starts, her voice clogged with guilt and sadness.

She draws in a deep, shaky breath and, finally, looks up when Veronica’s fingers interlace with hers. Her vision blurs as she holds back her tears.

“I miss you. I miss you so much.”

Veronica’s heart skips a beat, and she breathes back, “I miss you too.”

The grip around their intertwined fingers tightens, as if they are scared of letting the other go and losing her for good this time. Chloe’s first tears start rolling down her cheeks the moment their eyes meet, which prompts Veronica to immediately stand and sit on the booth seat next to her. She wraps an arm around her shoulders while the blonde-haired girl covers her face with her hands, sobbing quietly.

“Hey, hey,” Veronica whispers as she closes her eyes and presses her forehead against Chloe’s temple, heart painfully squeezing, “I’m so sorry I made you cry, Chlo… But you have to face the truth. It’s- it’s better if you do.”

“But it hurts…”

“I know… I know. The truth always hurts.”

Chloe shakily sniffs while slowly unveiling her face, trying to wipe all her tears away. She ends up smearing mascara under her eyes and removing her concealer. She looks so tired. Drained. Veronica’s brown eyes soften as she reaches for her purse and quickly pulls out a cotton pad and a vial filled with transparent liquid.

“My hero,” Chloe gives a weak smile, her light blue eyes still shining with tears, “I’m such a mess.”

“No,” Veronica gently dabs the damp pad under Chloe’s eyes, “You’re perfect.”

“V…”

Chloe’s body start shaking again from the tears she is desperately trying to hold back. No one has ever said things like that to her, not even Poppy, her supposed best friend. She could have, so many times – when they were getting dressed for a party together, for example.

You look nice in that dress.

This skirt’s color looks good on you.

Just… a compliment. Some recognition. A little something which would have made her feel like she was somewhat important, like she was worth it. But no. No one has ever said something nice to her. No one… except Veronica. But with Veronica… it only happened when they were in bed together.

You’re beautiful Chlo, she said the first time she undressed Chloe, making her blush.

You were awesome, she murmured once in the shower, pulling Chloe up and kissing her like she was the only one for her.

Chlo, you’re gorgeous, she groaned the day Chloe straddled her, their breathless moans mingling together in a sweet, loving melody.

You know what? I feel so lucky right now, she smiled when Chloe took her time removing her dress, slowly revealing her new red lacy lingerie.

I want you. And only you, she breathed in the crook of Chloe’s neck the day they had their most agonizing fight, kissing every inch of her jaw, throat and collarbone.

I love you, she cried out once, delirious, intoxicated by the friction, the caresses, the kisses they shared during their most passionate night. Chloe’s heart had never beaten as fast as it did that night.

Of course, all these times mean a lot to Chloe. She fell in love with her friend, after all. But right now, at the coffee shop, it means the world to her.

Veronica gently cups her face and brushes her thumbs on her skin, wiping away some tears. A tingling sensation dances in the influencer’s wrists the moment Chloe curls her fingers around them. Their eyes meet for a second and, when the blonde offers a weak smile, Veronica leans in, tenderly capturing Chloe’s lips. Something bursts in their chests, akin to fireworks, while their mouths slide together perfectly, in harmony. Once, twice. Chloe brings their bodies closer, arms wrapped around her lover’s neck, and the latter smiles, her hands landing on Chloe’s hips, right where they belong. Their lips meet again for the third time, impatient.

When they break the kiss, they press their foreheads together, the tip of their noses brushing.

“Babe, I promise it’ll be okay…” Veronica whispers as she strokes Chloe’s soft blonde locks, looping one behind her ear.

A soft, muffled laugh escapes Chloe’s lips as more tears roll down her cheeks, “You know, I really like it when you call me babe.”

Veronica chuckles and kisses Chloe one more time.

… Okay, three more times.

“Feeling better?”

“A little,” the blonde sniffs, hastily wiping some tears away, “I’m still scared though. What am I supposed to tell Poppy?”

“Nothing. Just… forget about her. We’ll deal with her later,” Veronica pecks the tip of her secret lover’s nose, “Just know that you’re not alone anymore, okay? We’re in this together,” and another peck – on the lips this time, “Babe.”

Chloe’s cute little laugh warms Veronica’s heart. She doesn’t look as downcast as earlier; she even looks relieved, like a huge weight has been taken off her mind, and her smile is more sincere, more instinctive. She looks more like herself – like the girl Veronica fell in love with.

“Now, I believe there’s a lava cake waiting for us before class starts. What do you say?”

Chloe snuggles against Veronica, burying her face in the crook of her neck, “Sounds perfect.” ________________________________________________________________ Meanwhile, outside the coffee shop, two girls give each other a high five, squealing in delight. ________________________________________________________________ Aaaaah I’m super nervous. :’3 But well, I do hope you guys liked that fic!

Thanks for reading and please, take care of yourself and your loved ones! See you. ♥

[remmyswritings]

Coffee or Tea Part 2: Lavender Matcha Tea

I told myself I’d post this on Monday, but honestly I’ve been so excited by everyone’s responses that I figured I’d post it a day early. I hope you all enjoy this as much as I do! Any and all pictures I post are from Unsplash, except for the moodboard from chapter 1 which had been made by the beautiful @willowbleedsonpaper​. 

Also, if you want to be on the tag list but aren’t currently then let me know. 

Coffee or Tea? part 1: chai tea latte

It had been two days since he had seen Y/N and Teddy was starting to get nervous. It wasn’t just any type of nervousness, it was that pit in the middle of your stomach feeling, the one that won’t stop gnawing at you until you’re satisfied, and Teddy hadn’t been satisfied. He was anything BUT satisfied. All these thoughts running through his head “What if it was a one off?” “What if I was just imagining that she was into me?” “What if she stopped working there?” “Was that even her regular shift?” “Should I ask the owner? No that would just be super weird right… especially if she doesn’t want to talk to me… no I’d just look like some stalker…” Still these thoughts didn’t stop him from checking through the window of the cafe for her… just one last time. His bundle of joy, wait she isn’t his he reminded himself, wasn’t there, at least he thought so. A crunching of tree leaves and the reflection of someone standing behind him in the window caused him to turn around. 

“Hi Teddy… Looking for anyone in particular?” She smirked.

Shocked, he could only stand there, watching her with her hip popped out, using it to support a basket that seemed to be carrying pastries, smiling as if she didn’t just scare the crap at him… maybe she didn’t realize she had. “Oh… H-Hi Y/N… Nice to see you here.”

“Well I do work here.” Suddenly looking down as if surprised by her outburst. A bit quieter, she remarked, “But it’s nice to see you too.”

Realizing that she had to go inside, he opened the door for her. And suddenly, as if it were magic, she transformed from a slightly timid woman to a confident and energetic leader. She hopped over to the bar, placing the basket down on the table, before swinging her body over to the other side. Looking to Teddy once again, she motioned for him to wait and stepped to the back, speaking to someone who seemed to be her boss. Then, within a blink of an eye, she was back at the register waiting for Teddy to approach… the ball was in his court now. 

“So… Teddy… what can I get for you today?” She teasingly stated.

Looking at her, he decided to see if he could make his time last. “Well, I’m not sure. I’d figured I’d try something new again.”

“Did you like the drink I gave you last time?” Genuinely concerned that he did not enjoy it.

“Oh no,” he reassured her. “It was amazing. I’m sort of surprised I hadn’t tried it before. I just figured I’d try something else today, expand my taste buds a bit.”

“You know, I’m sort of surprised, my boss says that until the other day, you always ordered the same thing. What was that she called you? Oh… ya… Mr. Earl Grey,” She laughed.

“Um… well who knows maybe I wanted to try something new… or maybe, I wanted to meet this new barista who I’d never seen before.” As he said this, a line began to form and while he really hoped to continue his sentence, he knew the other customers would be bothered by it. “Anyway, I don’t want to hold anyone up, so anything that you can recommend to me?”

Y/N looked pensive, going through every tea she could think of imagining, which one Teddy would like the most… but then again he said he wanted to try something new. “If you want to try something new I’d recommend our Lavender Matcha Tea. It’s a new version that our matcha expert on staff came out with just this morning… Oh and I’d pair it with a lemon poppy seed scone from the basket that I carried in earlier.”

“Lavender… wow I never would have thought of that flavor, but I trust you. I want to ask more but I have a feeling your other customers won’t be happy with me,” He smiled bashfully.

Y/N found the action endearing and couldn’t help but blush in return. “I’m sure I can spare you a couple minutes after I finish making your order to talk some more.”

And off she went. Once again Teddy couldn’t help but observe her movements, they weren’t graceful today… no they were more marked, she seemed a bit on edge yet comfortable. It astonished him how much in control she appeared even with the tenseness she carried in her body. Then, just like the last time, she seemed to appear out of nowhere, with a smile and his order. “

One Lavender Matcha tea with a lemon poppy seed scone.” Placing his order down in front of him, Y/N then hopped over the bar, placing herself on the stool next to him. It seemed as though she had done it thousands of times before. Suddenly, Teddy realized just how close she was, with their knees skimming past one another, almost touching yet not really. Nonetheless, Y/N didn’t seem to notice, so Teddy forced himself not to notice either. 

“So,” looking up at Teddy’s brown eyes in such a way that he imagined her peering into her soul, “what do you want to know Teddy?”

“So many things,” he blurted out. “Sorry… I didn’t mean- um… I think I’m curious about the basket with the pastries. I thought the cafe’s pastries were made in house.”

“Surprisingly, they never were. These are actually from a shop called ‘The Creature Confectionery,’ it’s a family business run by the Lovegoods. I happen to be good friends with their daughter Luna, so when I started working here, she helped me set up an arrangement between her mom and my boss,” She rambled on about how she met Luna when she first arrived in London, the two quickly connecting over their thirst for knowledge. Yet all Teddy could think was “Wow, she’s even more stunning when I talk to her.” 

Five minutes, turned into 10, which then turned into 30. His tea and scone had been devoured long ago, yet neither of them seemed to notice just how much time had passed since Y/N sat down in her stool. At least that was until the next set of customers walked in.

“Ted, mate, there you are,” a voice exclaimed. “We’ve been looking everywhere for you.”

Teddy and Y/N turned around to see two men standing side-by-side, who seemed to embody two different sides of the same coin. Y/N realized that the one who spoke was a blonde-haired man she’d recognized from time to time. 

“Oh, Malfoy, Zabini. What are you two doing here?” Teddy seemed confused seeing his two friends in front of him. “I thought we weren’t supposed to meet til later tonight.”

Finally the blonde-haired man��s companion spoke, “Malfoy’s lecture got cancelled, so we figured the three of us plus Parkinson and Greengrass should hang out.”

“Oh, sorry ‘bout that boys. I guess I just got caught up with Y/N here,” Teddy looked down ashamed.

The two men then turned to fully look at Y/N, as if they hadn’t even bothered to pay attention to her until her name fell from Teddy’s lips. Their gazes surprised her, yet she held up her guard, even when they seemed to take in her appearance recognizing her as a barista. Y/N only hoped that no belittling comments came from either of the men yet they never did.

“Nice to meet you, love. I’m Draco Malfoy, and this is Blaise Zabini,” Malfoy held out his hand for Y/N to shake. Once he did, she released her breath, not recognizing that she had held it in the first place.

“It’s nice to meet you both, but… wow… look at the time, I should get back to work,” a timid smile sitting on her face. Before leaving, she turned to Teddy, her voice now quieter than it was earlier, “It was really nice chatting with you. We should do this again sometime.”

The second she disappeared, Teddy turned to his friends and exclaimed, “What the bloody hell was that for?!”

taglist: @willowbleedsonpaper​, @summer-writes​, @obsessedwithrandomthings​, @firewhisky-kisses​, @potterverseimagine​, @in-slytherin-we-trust​, @weasleybees​ 

[yandere-daydreams]

A Yandere!Momo/OC commission for the wonderful, perfectly-named @lesbiansportsanime! I went a bit,,, absolutely crazy,,, with the flower metaphors and her OC’s background, but I couldn’t help it. Ren was just so fun!

Word Count: ~2.1k

TW: Implied Stockholm Syndrom, Toxic Relationships, Kidnapping and Implied Trauma. 

Poppies were an odd choice, for this time of year.

Momo couldn’t help but focus on the black and yellow flowers, intermittently dispersed throughout an otherwise unnoticeable bouquet. It was a rare sight, especially in the summer heat, the flowers already starting to dry-out despite the over-filled vase they’d been placed in, the container alone nearly blocking the sight of the girl across from her. She had to peer around it just to see Ren, a problem not helped by the girl’s apparent disinterest in her company. Instead, Ren chooses to occupy herself with the delicate petals, running her thumb over the closest black-spotted poppy, hardly noticing when the mug in front of her ran empty. Momo was the only one who minded the set-up, apparently.

But, Ren was the one who’d chosen this cafe. The least Momo could do was try to enjoy it, all things considered. Already, the guilt ate at her nerves, biting and tearing and burning at whatever it could reach, her resolve the only thing standing between her current mindset and a complete breakdown. It’d taken more time than it should’ve to fix her make-up after the last incident, only hours before her and Ren were supposed to meet. Momo’s reputation would never recover, whether or not she was in costume.

Hands encircling the ceramic tea-cup in front of her, Momo attempted to peer over the poppies, breaking the silence proving to be harder in practice than it was in theory. “Have you been doing well, Ren?” She paused, after the question, smiling despite herself. She could never help it, not when she remembered how passionate Ren had been after graduation, her internship already having guaranteed her a rescue-based career. She’d been vague about the details, but Ren had been happy, so Momo was happy too. “I haven’t heard much from you, not since your new job was finalized. You know how worried radio-silence makes me, I can never trust you to take care of yourself.”

There was a heavy sigh, Ren straightening her back and leaning into her chair, tearing herself apart from the bouquet with quite a bit of effort. “I’ve been… busy, that’s for sure,” She started, shaking her head. “I’m not great at making plans, you know that. But, my agency decided to give me more solo-missions and leadership roles, and… the change was a little forced, I guess.” There was a lapse, a laugh, a timid fidget as she tugged her jacket’s sleeves over her hands. “I don’t think I realized how much it would bring back, but I’d like to say I’m handling it. As well I can, anyway.” Suddenly, Ren’s gaze focused, flickering from the table to the girl in front of her. Momo went stiff, automatically, but the response was quickly covered by a calm smile. “What about you, Yaoyorozu? You look like you just ran over a puppy.”

Now, that was her Ren. As blunt as she was observant. Momo’s smile widened, her hands coming to rest in her lap. "Are you still using such a formal name? I thought I was ‘rozu, to you.”

“Are you still avoiding the question?” She mocked, rolling her eyes before leaning forward. “Be honest with me, ‘rozu. You could never hide it, not when you’re planning to do something terrible. What is it? A new, morally-dubious mission? Is Creati taking on a vigilante persona? Or…” Ren drummed her nails on the tabletop, smiling conspiratorially. “Or, did my favorite heroine slip a little something into her tea, recently?”

At this, Momo couldn’t help but cringe, her expression faltering for the blink of an eye. Still, Ren didn’t miss the nervous tick, her grin fading as a frown took its place. She opened her mouth again, but closed it just as quickly, the chuckle Momo let out clearly catching her off-guard. “I’m sorry,” She mumbled, hesitantly, averting her eyes. “But... it wasn’t my tea, Ren.”

She only had a fraction of a second to express her shock, moving to say something before her features relaxed, muscles losing their constant tension as she made an attempt to stand, only for her knees to buckle as soon as she put her weight on them. There was an attempt made to scream, but Ren lost the ability to before she had the chance, collapsing and colliding with the table, knocking over that hideous vase along the way. Flowers scattered, water spilling, the resulting crash drawing the attention of the cafe’s other customers. But, it only took a flash of her Hero’s License and a few disconcerning waves to dismiss the forming crowd.

Momo could only hope no one noticed how careful she was while lifting Ren’s body, how she did her best to hide the blonde’s face from anyone who got too curious.

She never really could disguise how much she hated it when people looked at someone else’s property.

~

Ren was never where she was supposed to be, when Momo came home.

Momo hadn’t told her to... be anywhere specific, no, that would be too cruel. Ren was her lover, not her pet, her treasured jewel meant to be looked after and maintained until its caretaker was no longer capable of doing so. Still, her room had been set up in a way that would let Ren comfortably sprawl out in bed or sit at her vanity or lay on the love-seat without straining her tether, and yet for the past week, Momo’d been met with the sight of the damn thing taunt and tangled, it’s wearer leaning into the windowsill on the other side of the room.

Escape wasn’t a concern. Every exit was locked, the glass was bullet-proof, and the aforementioned chain was firmly attached to Ren’s ankle, its cord unbreakable, even against Ren’s Skism. Not that she could use it, of course. The quirk-canceling bracelets had been difficult to find, but it’d be worth it. No one should have a power that self-destructive, as far as Momo was concerned.

And with Ren, Momo was always very, very concerned.

Regardless of her skepticism, she took a step into the room, stopping to admire the collection of houseplants on Ren’s bedside table. Despite her reservations, she’d been caring for them meticulously, even the most recent aloe (the poor thing had been half-dead when Momo brought it home) green and thriving under such an angel’s care. But, in Momo’s presence, Ren didn’t look away from her fixation, not until there were arms wrapped around her waist, the Heroine’s head resting on Ren’s shoulder, trying to spot whatever had Ren so anxious. "You’re here every time I check on you,” She explained, when Ren moved, trying to get a better look at her captor. “Is something wrong? I’ll fix it for you, but you’ll have to tell me, first.”

There was a shrug, a deep breath, but no verbal reply. Ren hadn’t been speaking much, lately.

Momo sighed. “I know you don’t like it here, and I’m sorry about that. If I could keep you safe willingly, I would, but… you’re too determined, Ren. If I tried to tell you the world was dangerous, you never would’ve listened to me.” She let herself pause, checking for any signs of acknowledgment, but if Ren could hear her, she certainly didn’t seem to want to. Unperturbed, Momo continued. “There are people, out there, bad people. Terrorists and murderers and Villains, not that I need to tell you that. All I want to do is keep you safe, from yourself as much as everyone else. You understand that, don’t you? I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I let anything happen to you.”

Holding her breath, she waited, closing her eyes and digging her nails into Ren’s tank-top and waiting, until tears had begun to form. Momo knew this was necessary, she knew she had to do this, but… fuck, she didn’t know if she could, not if Ren was going to be miserable because of it. One dark thought led to another, the plans she’d tried to repress resurfacing. Terrible, awful ideas, rope and riding crops mixing in with Ren’s smiles or her screams, whichever Momo managed to rip out of her first. It wouldn’t be hard. Ren was helpless, here, weak and fragile and moldable, if Momo put her mind to it. It would only take a few days, a few hours if she used the right-

Just as quickly as Momo’d begun to spiral, she was pulled out of it, perking up as Ren turned, shifting, repositioning herself until Momo’s cheek was pressed into her chest, Ren’s fingers starting to card through her hair. It was comforting, caring, more so than she deserved. The affection was cold, joyless, but Momo leaned into it nonetheless, content to nuzzle into the gesture as much as Ren would allow.

“You’ll keep me safe?” She asked, quietly, her voice hardly audible. “Promise, ‘rozu? Don’t lie to me about this.”

Momo didn’t hesitate, she didn’t even think. 

“I promise.”

~

The orchids were a little much, honestly.

They were nice in theory, their majority being the only requirement enforced when Ren asked for a greenhouse, but the sheer number of bleeding red and white petals, of dark green leaves. of hanging pots that were so easy to walk into was damn-near overwhelming, some days. She’d tried to suggest bring in a spike of gladiolus or lavender, but Ren had dropped the topic once Momo’s enthusiasm wavered. It hadn’t taken her much time to catch onto her captor’s… temperamental streak. 

Either way, the orchids stayed.

Now, she cared for them dutifully, doing her best to ignore the shock-collar wrapped snuggly around her neck. The humidity had been perfected, a complicated ventilation system keeping the shed from overheating, and Ren had spent so much time watering each individual plant, she was afraid they’d start to wilt from the attention alone. The boredom wasn’t what bothered Ren, she’d gotten used to hours of nothingness when he was in charge of looking after her, but she couldn’t fight the emptiness that captivity left, nor the irritation that came with Momo’s constant buys for her favor.

It was something that lingered in her mind as she leaned down, taking a better look at the greenhouse’s corners for the third time that day. Tiny sprigs of forget-me-nots could be seen emerging from under the walls, eating away at the cement floor as they found their way into the greenhouse. Ren wasn’t sure why it irritated her so much, she just… couldn’t stand to look at them, for whatever reason.

It was the light blue, how harsh it seemed, she supposed, grabbing at the stems and jerking them out of the cracks they’d filled. Their eyes, too, brown and black and dark, like they’d never seen a ray of sunlight in their lives. Even after the visible portions of the infestation had been ripped up, Ren couldn’t help but stare at the weeds, glaring down at them. Why were they still following her? She was safe, now, why couldn’t she forget them? When were they going to leave her mind and, more importantly, when were they going to stay gone?

When was Shigaraki going to stop hurting her?

Before she realized it, the flowers were on the floor, torn apart and crushed as Ren’s heel ground them into the pavement. She used more force than she had to, determined to rid her world of something so disgusting, pulverizing the plant and its repulsive, obedient leaves under her foot. Ren was tempted to glare, to spit or do something to show his disrespect, but she managed to pull herself out of her rage, clenching her fists at her sides and forcing herself to take in a breath, if only to calm herself down.

Luckily, the greenhouse door took that moment to swing open, Momo having undone the locks quietly enough to avoid drawing Ren out of her thoughts. The blonde didn’t waste time, spinning on her heels and rushing into her partner’s arm, hardly even taking notice to the light sparks running down her spine as she got closer to the door. She slotted herself against Momo perfectly, hugging her as tightly as Ren could manage, a surprised giggle only encouraging Ren to force herself closer, to fall deeper into strong, secure, safe arms.

“Someone missed me,” Momo laughed, her hands finding Ren’s back, rubbing small circles into her rigid shoulders. “Everything alright, princess?”

She forced herself to look up, biting her cheek at the slightest of separations. “I… can you stay here, for the rest of the day? I don’t want you to leave me so soon.”

There was another laugh, another soft touch, one of her hands coming up to cup Ren’s cheek and tilt her head back. The kiss was sweet, delicate, everything Ren wanted from a protector.

She almost managed to ignore the fact that Momo hadn’t answered her question.

[labyrinth-runner]

All You Need Is Love

Chapter 10 of The Greatest Thing

Christian x OC 

Moulin Rouge Fanfic

Read the rest here

As the days drew on, Estelle spent more and more time with Poppy, learning the ways of the courtesan. At first, Poppy was hesitant to teach her any more than just suggestive speaking, but Estelle was her friend and she didn't want her to lose the man she loved to someone because they had more experience with certain things than she did. Watching Estelle's confidence grow as they went on was perhaps what Poppy was most proud of, not that Estelle had ever been timid, but that she finally understood her full worth on her own and knew how to carry herself in a way that showed that. Their goodbye the night before Estelle left for Paris had been tearful, but Estelle had promised to write and tell her all about the Moulin Rouge and how Poppy was so much better than any of the women there. The next morning, however, saying goodbye to Mary had proved to be a bit harder than Estelle had anticipated.

"I can't believe you're leaving to travel for months," Mary had pouted as she sat on Estelle's bed while she finished some last-minute packing.

"You know precisely where I'm going and why I'm going there," Estelle replied.

"Yes, but, what are you going to do once you find him? What if he's with someone else? Oh, Elle, I don't want your heart to get broken and for you not to have your sister there to pick up the pieces," Mary sighed.

"I'll be fine. I may not have the best sister in the world with me, but I'll have Annalise," Estelle chuckled.

"What will you do if you stay in Paris?" Mary asked softly. "With him?"

"Annalise and I already have a plan worked out should I decide to stay," she replied.

"You'll have to let me know. I know father cannot know, but I wish to know should you stay there," Mary pleaded.

"Alright. If I stay... I'll write something cryptic in your letter. Something that you would know, but father would not should he read it," Estelle said thoughtfully.

"What would you say?"

"Something poetic and meaningful," she murmured. "I've got it! If I stay, I'll tell you: 'The lights in the city are so bright that they light up the night, vanquishing the dark.'"

Mary chuckled. "It's certainly poetic."

Estelle had a small wistful smile on her face as she sat on the bed next to her sister, "It certainly would be true."

"I'll miss you," Mary sighed, resting her head on her older sister's shoulder.

"And I'll miss you. If it weren't for you, this house would be unbearable," she admitted, wrapping an arm around Mary's shoulder.

A knock sounded at the door and their butler looked in. "Miss, the carriage has arrived."

"Thank you," Estelle smiled, picking up the last of her luggage to head downstairs. She paused next to the butler for a moment, "Take care of them for me while I'm gone, please."

"Of course, Miss. Like my life depends on it," the butler said with an affectionate nod.

Estelle made her way down the stairs to place her final bags in the foyer for the carriage boy to load. Then, she hesitantly made her way over to the cracked door to the library. She heard the muffled voice of her father talking, and when she peaked in, she saw that it was to the painting of her mother.

"Keep her safe, Maggie," he murmured.

Estelle had a sad smile on her face as she knocked on the door. Her father immediately straightened.

"Come in," he stated.

Estelle walked into the room. "The carriage is here, father. I didn't want to leave without saying goodbye."

"Yes, well," he said, turning to look at her where she stood a few steps in the room. His eyes scanned his daughter in her dark blue traveling dress with a black jacket and a matching hat and parasol. She looked so much like her mother did at her age that if he didn't know any better, he would think that he had traveled back in time. "You will write, won't you?"

"Of course, Father," Estelle smiled. "I would be a fool not to keep my family apprised of my adventures."

"I'm sure your sister would be disappointed if you didn't. She does live vicariously through you," he mused.

Estelle was taken aback by his demeanor. For a moment, he seemed like his old self again. He didn't look at her with sorrow, but he was looking at her with regret.

"Father, are you well?" she ventured.

"Of course, child. I am just pensive this morning," he replied.

"Father, you needn't worry about me. I'll have Annalise. We'll be perfectly fine," she reassured him.

"Oh, I'm not worried about that, Estelle," he said with a small smile. It was true, he wasn't worried about her traveling. Deep down, he was worried that she'd never return home after seeing the world, having found somewhere special and then finding London lacking in comparison. "Now, your carriage has arrived, has it not? You should go. You don't want to miss your ship."

Estelle hesitated for a moment, deciding on what to do. However, sentiment won in her mind and she went and hugged her father. "Goodbye."

After a moment, he rested his hand on her back. "Do not cause any scandal."

Estelle shook her head as she pulled back. Her father gave her one last nod of acknowledgement and she left.

The trip to Paris had been fairly uneventful, with the exception of Annalise suffering from motion sickness on the boat. The rocking of the waves lulled Estelle to sleep in comparison, but only until Annalise found herself feeling sick once more and needed someone to hold her hair. Their first day in Paris had been slow. Annalise had to meet with some of her father's friends as they owned the flat that her father had rented out for them for the week. Estelle played along, truly grateful, but she was chomping at the bit to get out and into Montmartre to the address that William had given her. She wanted to know what kind of place Christian had been living in. She wanted to see the people he interacted with, but most of all, she wanted to see him. She needed to know that he was okay, although somewhere in a place inside her that she kept hidden, she selfishly wanted to know if he missed her as much as she missed him.

After their obligatory lunch date, Estelle gave Annalise a pleading look.

"Fine. I'll handle tea with Father's former mistress myself. I always did like Cecile best. She at least had the decency to give me a gift whenever she saw me," Annalise said, rolling her eyes.

"Anna, you're the best," Estelle grinned.

"I know," Annalise winked. "Now, get out of here."

Estelle did just that, making her way out into the street. She found a carriage, giving them the address and soon enough she found herself outside of a slightly shabby building.

"He's living here?" she murmured to herself. Hastily, she made her way into the building, going up to the apartment indicated on the address. She knocked on the door multiple times, but heard no response.

"Excuse me, Mademoiselle, but, are you looking for someone?" a short man asked as he and another, taller, man came down the stairs.

"My friend," she replied, turning to look at him. "According to the address on this letter, he lives here."

The smaller man's eyes widened as he elbowed the other man in the thigh, but the other man had fallen asleep on his feet.

"Is everything alright?"

"I do apologize, but are you Mademoiselle Devereux from London?" the short man asked.

"I am... I beg your pardon, but have we met?" Estelle asked in confusion.

"Non! My name is Toulouse. I am a friend of your friend. You're just... precisely how he described," Toulouse murmured.

"You know Christian?" she asked excitedly. "Would you know where I might find him?"

"He's at the Moulin Rouge rehearsing," Toulouse replied, "We are going there now. Would you like to accompany us?"

"That would be lovely, thank you," she smiled, but then she looked at the taller man, "Although, I do believe he is asleep."

Toulouse sighed. "That's Santiago. He does that."

Estelle nodded, following them to a magnificent building with a windmill atop it. Her eyes widened in awe.

"It is quite a sight the first time," Toulouse smiled.

"It is," she murmured.

Inside however, was not an amazing sight. As Toulouse and Santiago went forward into the rehearsal space, she stayed a few paces behind, watching them from behind a pillar. Her eyes softened as she spotted Christian laughing, but then she noticed the other woman sitting in his lap. She was beautiful, with red hair and bright red lips. Her outfit had significantly fewer layers than Estelle's. Estelle felt her heart drop. Had she been replaced? She swallowed the lump in her throat. She had to leave. She pushed her way back through the double doors and into the courtyard for air. Perhaps this had been a mistake. Perhaps she should never have come. Perhaps she should have just-

"Ellie?" a voice called out.

Estelle looked up, locking eyes with him.

"Christian," she said softly.

They stood in silence gazing at each other for a moment as if neither believed that the other was truly standing before them. The world had slowed, letting them hear their heartbeats in their ears until it sped back up again and they were rushing into each other's arms to hold each other tight.

"I don't understand," Christian said, pulling back, "What are you doing here?"

"I'm on holiday with Annalise," she replied. She didn't want to tell him that she had come here for him, not when he was clearly with another woman.

"How long are you here for?" he asked softly.

"A few days," she replied.

"Come, let me introduce you to everyone," Christian grinned, taking her by the hand and leading her back into the building.

"A-are you sure?" Estelle stammered.

"Of course. It'll be nice for them to put a face to the name."

Estelle blushed. A face to the name. He talked about her?

"Everyone, I'd like you to meet Ms. Devereux. She's my friend from London," he grinned.

The red-haired woman's eyes alighted at this new information. "So you are the infamous Ellie."

"I wouldn't say infamous..." Estelle trailed off. She couldn't tell if the woman was kind, or if there was a hint of jealousy in her eyes, but the air between the two of them and Christian felt charged. Estelle was worried that she had disrupted something by being here.

Christian introduced everyone to Estelle and she learned the woman's name was Satine. Then, they had to get back to rehearsal.

"Christian, have you finished that scene yet?" Satine asked.

"No. I'm still working on the seduction scene," he sighed.

"Perhaps I can help you after," Satine winked.

"T-that's quite alright," Christian stammered.

Estelle looked away. "I should head back."

"Let me walk you out!" Christian replied.

The walk out of the building was silent, but once they were outside, he sighed.

"She's just a friend," he said.

"It's alright. After all, I'm just a friend, too," Estelle said with a sad smile.

Christian ached to correct her, but this wasn't the time, nor the place. "When can I see you again?"

"Annalise and I have things planned the next two days. Then, we have a fairly open day in case anything of interest came to our attention. The following day we leave," she explained.

"Then... I should like to take you out on that day. There's a lovely café that I think you'd enjoy," he smiled.

"Alright," she replied. She gave him the address of her flat and sighed. "I'm glad to see you doing well."

"And I am glad to see you," he said pointedly, taking her hand and kissing her knuckles. "I'll see you soon."

Estelle nodded and got into her carriage to return to the flat.

When she got back, she found Annalise waiting for her with a piping hot pot of tea.

"Well?"

"He's at the Moulin Rouge, writing a play. I think... I think he might have found someone," she said with some difficulty.

"Nonsense. If she's from the Moulin than he's either paying her, or she's scamming him," Annalise said dismissively.

"You didn't see the way they were," Estelle sighed. "There's definitely more to it than that."

"Are you going to see him again?" Annalise asked.

"On our open day," she replied.

"Good. Well, we have dinner reservations. You may wish to get changed," Annalise sighed.

Estelle nodded and went about it, but her mind was still on Christian.

In fact, her mind didn't leave Christian the next few days. The more she thought about him, the more she wondered if she would actually be able to leave him again. However, then she thought of Satine and figured that he may be just fine if she did.

When the day finally arrived to see him again, she was a bundle of nerves. Questions swirled in her head about whether she had been foolish to think that they would be reunited and pick up where they left off in London or if she had been right and he did miss her. As they walked in silence with her hand on his arm, she felt as though she were suffocating in the confines of her own mind, and oh how dark a place it had become there. She didn't think that even the city of lights could illuminate her darkness.

"Darling, you've been awfully quiet," Christian murmured as they sat at the table in the café.

"I just have a lot on my mind," she replied with a small smile. "But, enough about me. How have you been?"

Christian gave her a look of concern, "Well, I've found some friends who are very supportive of my work. They're not at all like the fuddy duddies of London society that we had to interact with for the season. I've been working on something new. You saw some of the play rehearsal, actually, but I've honestly been stuck."

"Stuck?" Estelle asked, leaning forward. "That's not like you at all. Back in London you seemed to go on about anything that interested you without trouble."

"I know. I'm writing this play about a penniless sitar player who falls in love with someone well above his station, but I'm having some difficulties with it," he sighed.

"You're having a hard time writing about love?" she asked incredulously.

"I know. It's hard, though, especially when my muse has been in London," he said softly.

She blushed. "I'm sure there's some courtesans who would know more about seduction that I will ever know."

"There's a difference between just seducing a woman's body and seducing a heart. You've always been good at both, if I may be so bold," he blushed.

"Then, I shall help. After all, what kind of muse would I be if I didn't?" Estelle replied with a wink. Her fears about Satine drifted away. She felt like they were back in London again.

"I would love that."

"Well, would it be instant attraction?" she asked in amusement.

"Yes, darling, I suppose it would," he smiled. "Although he has followed her career for quite some time, but when he first lays eyes on her... oh, the world stops."

"But, she's a courtesan, and he's a penniless sitar player. I think he would have to seduce her a bit in order to have her even look at him twice," she replied with a small smirk as she took a sip of tea.

"S-seduce her how?" he asked. His tea cup trembled slightly as he put it on the saucer.

"You're the writer, you tell me," she replied, crossing her legs, a trick she had learned from Poppy. Her skirts slipped up a bit and exposed her ankles, causing him to blush harder. She knew he'd been spending a lot of time at the Moulin Rouge, and she could see the appeal, after all, he was a man. However, the fact that her childhood friend was still flustered showed that he really hadn't changed much since she last saw him in London all those months ago.

His eyes traced over Estelle's face as if trying to decipher her. She'd grown since she'd last seen him at the start of the season in London. Back then, he'd been just as much of a dreamer as he was now. However, that was one of the things she loved most about him. He was a dreamer. He didn't see life just as it was, but how it could be. Talking to him made her want to believe that anything was possible… that she could find a match that was made in love as well as good standing. When he left, it was like there was a void in the London scene, and in her heart that she could never fill. Sure she'd had marriage proposals, but they weren't from the man she'd wanted the most. In this moment, watching him study her, she realized that she wasn't content to just let him slip away again, not when talking to him made her feel so free. Part of her, though, was still upset with the way he'd left things. It was apparent in her eyes. The passion within them burned, keeping him in place with the heat of her gaze as she challenged him to acknowledge it and the hurt that he'd caused by leaving.

After a moment of silence, he spoke. "You're mad at me."

Estelle blushed and looked down. "Nonsense. Why would I be mad? I'm not your keeper."

"I should have said goodbye," he sighed. "I owed you that much. I owe you so much more. That night, my father and I had a fight and I just left. I didn't think anyone would care that the hopeless dreamer had left. I'd been there for multiple seasons at that point, and everyone's father was telling them to steer clear of me."

"I cared," she said quietly before taking another sip of tea.

"You were the only one that ever did," he said with a small smile. "Which was why I couldn't say goodbye. If I had, I would never have been able to leave."

"You hurt me," she admitted. "I worried that it was something that I'd done."

"No," he said emphatically, taking her hand in his. "Ellie, you were the one good thing about London."

"One person isn't enough of a reason to stay in a place where you are ultimately unhappy," she said with a sigh.

"Not if you love that person. Love is a many splendored thing," he smiled. "Love lifts us up where we belong. All you need is love."

Estelle chanced a look around the small Parisian café that he had chosen to meet in. It was more colorful than the one's they had frequented back in London, but somehow seeing him here… this felt correct. In a way, she'd always felt like he was out of place in London when compared to everyone else. The colors back then were muted and his personality shone like the sun in comparison. But here? Here she felt like he belonged. He still stood out, as only someone like him could, but he also was a fixture, a focal point in a painting. The eye was drawn to it, but it wasn't out of place. Love may lift one up where they belong, but she loved him enough to want him to be in a place where he already felt at home.

"Annalise will be looking for me soon," she replied with a sigh, gathering up her parasol and purse.

"Will I see you again?" he asked hopefully.

Estelle paused to take him in. "Would you want to? I thought you wanted to cut ties with all the… oh, what did you call them… 'fuddy duddies' of London society?" she asked with a raised brow.

"Darling, I could never call you that. You were always so much more than our peers," he replied, getting up to walk her back to the flat.

"I'd love to see you again," she smiled as they made their way through town, parasol shielding her from the sun. It felt just like old times, and she was not about to let him walk out of her life again. She chewed her lip in thought, choosing her words carefully. She felt like Christian had missed her, but she couldn't help but worry that she may be wrong. "Perhaps I could convince my companion to continue on without me on our holiday. I've found Paris to be a bit too lovely to leave."

"You'd stay?" he asked in amazement as they came to a stop outside her building. "But, how would you pay for your flat?"

She turned to him with a small smile, "I was hoping that perhaps I could stay with a friend?"

He flushed at the suggestion. If she were anywhere else, with anyone else, they'd remind her immediately that that wasn't proper. Estelle could even see it in his eyes that he was warring with himself on whether or not to say it now, but to do so would be to say he still cared about the rules he'd left behind in London.

"Are you sure you'd want to stay with a friend in Paris when your best friend is traveling on?" he asked tentatively.

"Of course. I'm sure I could help my friend with his writing," she winked.

He was speechless, something that she'd seen rarely. It made her heart ache. Surely her affections weren't one-sided. No, this was the right choice. She knew it in her heart.

"I'll pick you up tomorrow," he said softly, taking her gloved hand in his and placing a quick kiss across her knuckles.

"Good night, Christian," she replied with a slight blush as she entered the building, leaving him on the front step. Estelle picked up her skirts and made it up the stairs to covertly watch him from the window that overlooked the street. She stifled a chuckle as she watched him stand on the steps dumbstruck for a moment before breaking out in a smile. He turned to walk down the street, jumping and clicking his heels together mid-air happily before continuing on his way.

"How'd it go?" asked a voice from the next room over.

She walked in to find Annalise in her corset and changing into her dinner attire.

"It went well, but I have to talk to you about something," Estelle sighed as she sat on the edge of the bed.

Annalise had a small smile on her face as she pinned up her golden hair. "You want to stay."

"How did you-"

"You're my best friend. I know he's the reason you turned down everyone else, and I know he's the reason you would never be happy with anyone else," she replied, looking at Estelle in the mirror. She placed her hands in her lap as she turned to face her friend. "How am I going to cover for you?"

Estelle smiled. Annalise was a schemer. "Well, I figured I could send you the letters for you to send to my family. That way, they'll think I'm with you."

She nodded, "Alright. That's one problem taken care of. Now, how will you pay for the flat? It'll be expensive on top of anything else you might need."

Instinctively, her nose scrunched up as she prepared to break the news to her. "I'll stay with Christian."

"I cannot allow my best friend to stay in some hovel," she sighed.

"It won't be a hovel," Estelle replied, "If Christian is there, then it's home."

She chuckled and shook her head at Estelle. "The two of you are a match made in heaven, that's for sure."

"Does that mean you'll go along with it?"

"If this is what you truly want. Just… include a letter to me along with your reports to your parents so that I may keep track of you," she replied, coming over to take Estelle's hands in hers. "And, if he even dares to break your heart again… I will break him."

With a chuckle, Estelle patted her hand on top of her's. "I'll be fine. Thank you, Annalise. I couldn't ask for a better friend."

"That's true," she winked, getting up to finish getting dressed. "Now, get changed. We have a standing reservation for dinner and then we're going to the opera."

With a happy sigh, Estelle pushed up off the bed and went to her room to get dressed. She was determined to make the most of her last night with her friend, but she was also excited to see what tomorrow would bring. Part of her felt like a Bohemian, turning away from everything she knew and living unchaperoned with a man. She wasn't as innocent as she once was, thanks to Poppy, but few people knew that Estelle knew about those kinds of things. Poppy had taught her many things about men, and she wondered how Christian would react to them. Then again, considering his current company, he may not even be shocked.

The rest of the night was spent with Annalise on the town. When they came back to the flat and were going to go their separate ways, Annalise stopped her.

"Stay with me tonight? Like when we were girls," she smiled.

"Just let me get changed," Estelle replied, disappearing into her room.

She emerged a bit later in her nightgown with her hair flowing around her shoulders.

The two of them laid next to each other, staring up at the canopy of the bed.

"Are you nervous?" Annalise asked, looking at Estelle out of the corner of her eyes.

She let out a sigh at her question. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't."

"About living with Christian?" she asked.

After a beat of thinking, Estelle answered. "It's not quite that. I trust Christian. I'm more nervous about living with just him to rely on. What if… what if our relationship doesn't grow? Then I'm stuck here."

"You wouldn't be stuck," she reassured, turning to face her friend. "You'd never be stuck. I'd rescue you if you ever needed it."

"I appreciate that," Estelle said with a small smile. "Now, we should sleep. You have a long day of traveling tomorrow."

Annalise yawned in agreement and turned the other way to sleep. However, Estelle stayed up a little bit longer, looking up at the canopy, worrying whether or not this was the right choice. However, in her heart she knew it was. After all, the life here with Christian may not be what she was used to in London, but all she needed was love, and she felt as though Christian could give that to her. With that thought, her worries were gone and sleep claimed her.

The morning was a blur of packing and saying goodbye to Annalise. It wasn't long before Christian showed up after she left.

"Good morning, darling," he beamed as he picked up her luggage and placed it on the carriage she'd rented. He offered Estelle his hand to help her into the buggy, crawling in after she'd settled herself into the seat.

"I must warn you," he started nervously.

"Christian, you're an artist. I'm not expecting the Taj Mahal. A house is only a house. What makes it a home are the people inside," she replied pointedly.

He blushed. "Right. Of course, darling."

The carriage pulled up outside his building and he picked up her things. Not wanting to watch him struggle, she helped him by carrying some of her lighter suitcases. She had told him that she wasn't expecting much, but that still didn't prepare her for the apartment with a massive hole in the ceiling. Vaguely, she remembered his friends telling her they fell into Christian's life on the walk to the Moulin the other day. When she saw those same faces popping through the hole in the ceiling now, she realized they had meant it quite literally.

"Christian! You didn't say you'd be bringing home a woman," Toulouse smiled.

"Hello, Toulouse," Christian said, blushing awkwardly. "You remember my friend, right?"

"Oh, yes. She is hard to forget."

Estelle cleared her throat as she set about unpacking her things into the room.

"Toulouse, if you don't mind, would you talk to the land lord about fixing the hole in your floor? Now that there's a lady here, I'd like to give her some privacy."

"Of course!" Toulouse replied before disappearing back up into his own apartment.

"Sorry about that," Christian said sheepishly.

"No need to apologize. Your friends are sweet," Estelle smiled. Then, she turned to spot the portrait on the wall. "Christian... is that...?"

Christian blushed. "Yes, well, I was missing you terribly and Toulouse painted that for me to cheer me up."

"It's beautiful," she murmured, reaching up to straighten it on the fireplace.

"You are," Christian replied before sitting at his desk to write on his typewriter.

Eventually, she pulled up a chair and sat next to him.

"What scene are you working on?" she asked curiously.

"The one we were discussing the other day in the café."

"Oh, the seduction scene! Well, how does he end up seducing her?"

"I…well… I'm still working that out. That's why we've been going to the Moulin Rouge so much outside of rehearsals, but it hasn't helped inspire me in any way."

Part of her had to be happy at that. She was sure that Satine would have been a great help with this, but since she wasn't, Estelle figured she could implement some of the things she'd learned from Poppy.

"Well… you've always had a way with words. Why not have him make suggestive comments?" she suggested, a small smile toying at her lips.

"Like what?" he asked, turning to her.

She bit her lip, debating on whether or not to push her luck. Gently leaning forward so that her lips were inches from his ear, she whispered, "Well, he could speak softly into her ear."

He stiffened before shivering slightly at her actions. With satisfaction, she watched his Adam's apple bob as he swallowed, "A-and, what things would he say?"

"Things like… sometimes at night I dream about what it would be like to have you underneath me as my hands slide up your chest," she murmured in his ear.

"I-is that so?" he stammered, blushing furiously.

Hesitantly, she placed a hand on his thigh. "He touches her thigh, slowly sliding it up as he tells her how much he wishes there weren't any fabric in the way."

His eyes nervously flicked to her's. This was a side to her that he'd never seen before, and quite frankly it scared him. It wasn't that he didn't like it, but rather that he wasn't used to it. She was so bold and confident. Her eyes looked like they would devour him on the spot, which made a flicker of a thought flash in the back of his head. Clearly someone would have had to teach her this in order for her to replicate it. Had someone else had her before he could? Yet, he couldn't talk since he hadn't been chaste either. There had been one drunken night that- He banished the thought away as he looked down, seeing himself start to tent in his pants and reluctantly he stayed her hand.

She took his chin in between her thumb and forefinger, turning his head towards her so she could search his eyes. "What is it?"

"He's supposed to be trying to seduce her," he said quietly, "Because he knows that she's used to being the one working for affections."

"He came from far away to see her for himself," she replied softly. "When his eyes fell on hers, it was love at first sight. He vowed he'd never let her go. He wants her."

His eyes bore into hers. "She wants him, but she doesn't think she has the right to love him after everything she has done."

"Everyone has the right to love," Estelle murmured, sliding closer to him. "He wants to undo her clothes and let them fall to the floor. He knows its a sight others have seen before, but it will be his first time, and that's all that matters to him. Especially since he didn't need to pay for it."

"She showed him willingly," he replied, cupping her face. "Because he saw her soul first."

"He wants to kiss every inch of exposed flesh and worship her," she added, "Nothing is too good for her in his eyes. He wants to use his hands and lips to memorize her skin, to show her how much he cares."

They had gotten so close in their word exchange. Her eyes were wide as they gazed up into his.

"What are some of the things he says?" Christian asked innocently.

"I know you're used to things being rough, but I want this to be loving. I want to kiss every inch of you, leaving little marks where only we'll know where they are, so that when you see them, you'll know you belong to me. I want to show you the stars that hide behind your eyes," she said intently.

Christian's eyes widened, feeling his pants unbearably tight. Estelle was just talking about the play, wasn't she?

"A-anything else?" he asked breathily.

"I want to make love to you until my name falls from your lips over and over again like a nun praying the rosary. Like it's reverent to you and sacred, because you are sacred to me and I'll worship you like the celestial presence on Earth that you are," she continued.

His heart was hammering in his chest. Her words were beautiful, but somehow he knew she wasn't talking about the play. She hadn't been since she sat down. Although, she was wrong about one thing. He was the penniless sitar player, and she was the woman who was out of his depths now, and he had done this to them. He wanted her so badly, his breath hitching in his throat as she opened her mouth to speak again. He knew he couldn't take another round of whatever she was going to say and instead he kissed her. It was a desperate kiss to shut her up, but she kept trying to talk, so he kept swallowing her words with his mouth until Estelle gave up. She slid herself across to sit in his lap, unable to straddle him like she wished due to the restrictions of her skirt. Christian let out a groan as she sat on his lap, reflexively wrapping his arms around her.

Panting for air, Estelle pulled back and rested her forehead against his.

"You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that," she gasped as her breaths mingled with his.

"I should never have left you," he replied.

"No, this was the right decision for you," she said pointedly.

"But, I lost this. I could have had this so much sooner," he sighed."We both could have been happy in London. I could have belonged to you and been happy."

"At the cost of the freedom to be who you truly are, Christian. That is true happiness. I could never have allowed you to give up on that. I could never ask that of you. You're a dreamer, and I love that about you. I love that you challenge me to dream of a better life, of a better world. I love that you're trying to create that world with your art," she replied frantically.

His eyes snapped up to her's, blue like the sky. "You do?"

"I do, because I believe in it. I believe in all this," she replied, gesturing to the room around her. "Freedom, beauty, truth…" she trailed off to look at him, smoothing her thumb across his cheek as she softly added, "Love."

"The greatest of these is love," he replied with a small smile.

"I love you," she replied softly.

"I love you, too, Ellie," he grinned before kissing her softly. "More than anything."

Estelle sighed, leaning her head against his shoulder. "I have to ask, though. What is Satine to you?"

Christian looked down in shame. "In truth, she's just a friend."

Estelle chewed her lip, dreading the answer to her next question, "Have you slept with her?"

"Once. We were working on lines and we were both very drunk," he replied. "It... it didn't go well."

"How did it not go well?" she chuckled.

"Well, I kept calling her 'Ellie'," he admitted.

Estelle sat up straight, "Oh?"

"And what about you? How did you learn all of... that?" he asked.

Estelle looked down, "I may have befriended a lady of the night on Grub Street?"

Christian chuckled. "Why?"

"I thought that was the kind of woman you wanted. Especially since you ended up here," she replied like it was obvious.

"Ellie, you're the kind of woman I want. I was just too dumb in London and didn't know how to admit it when I had everything to offer, and now I have nothing to offer but the truth," he said emphatically.

"That's not true," Estelle said softly. "You have love to offer. All I need is love."

[luvxlunaria]

Pop Pop

Pop Pop

My Grandfather....what an amazing man he was. A humble man with so much wisdom and always knew how to make me smile. A man I considered my hero; a man who taught me that even through the hard times you can smile and laugh.

Most kids say they visit their grandparents once in a while or a few months. It wasn't like that for me...I lived under the same roof as him, my aunt, and my Great Grandparents (Dad's Side)  I remember we moved there when I was really young from a not so nice neighboring town. My parents were so unsure of the move due to reasons we shall not say but, you welcomed my father home with open arms. You had that heart that I try to mimic so much...you love those who you considered family. You did so much in your life but, through all the stress you always showed people love and that is why I try to continue to love those as you taught me how to.

You had Three sons from one marriage, then my father and, his sister. You loved them all the same and even though I always heard how much hell your ex-wife would give you...you always proved to be the best for your family. You kept us in check and made sure we all respected those who came before us and taught us how to stand up for ourselves when times were tough. You always knew what to do. You supported each and every one of us and always kept in touch

You had so many careers growing up too. You were a bouncer, an NYPD Officer, A Chef, A local politician, and a Little League Fonder. Even though you did all those crazy things that were so serious...you were comedic as anything. Your sense of humor always lit up the room and brought such joys to your colleagues, family, and friends. Not only could you be comedic you could be the biggest prankster of all and I remember all the times you would tease mom and scare her and look to me like, "I got her again."

One thing I miss most about times with you too...is how you made sure our culture was in our lives. You taught me Spanish and how to cook certain dishes. You'd invite all of our family to come over on Sundays and in our basement, we'd have huge gatherings full of good food, stories, dance, and music. Your basement was almost a speakeasy and you'd always be behind the bar serving drinks to our family and friends that came by. I would always sit behind the bar and listen to you all talk and I think that's where I gained my courage to speak. I always wanted to be like you any way I could. Perhaps this is why I grew up so fast because instead of playing outside as much I'd be by your side always wanting to hear "Grown Up" Stuff and just do all I can to be like you.

I remember our family trips to Puerto Rico where you taught us more about our culture and you would show us the places you lived when you lived there. We met many of your brothers and sisters and family members we never met in the states. You also gave us an opportunity to live in such a beautiful place during our stay and I remember just opening up a curtain to seeing an ocean every morning. Some mornings we'd catch you out there with our Grandmother trying to walk out of the ocean...it often kicked your butt and you tried to get out. My sister and I would laugh and wave and you'd laugh right back. Its moment like that I will never forget and often wish we had more of.

I am still haunted by the day you passed away...it forever haunts me. I remember the night before I was in a mood and as Mom spoke to you I stood by the stairs just listening to you speak. I didn't tell you "Goodnight" or that "I loved you" as I did any other night. I don't know why I didn't that night but its something I regret to this day because such simple words like that I can't say any more to you.

I remember going to school that day just feeling uneasy and unwell. You were leaving that Monday to go see your niece get married in Puerto Rico and I was so envious of you going. You had a doctor's appointment that morning. I remember sitting in 7th Period, World History with Mr. Becker...I hated that class and all I wanted to do was go home. About 15 minutes into class...I was called to the office. I didn't know why but, most kids assumed I did something wrong.

When I got there I was greeted by my Principal, Vice Principal, and a secretary. They all had saddened looks and just said that I was going home early today. I had no clue as to why I was going home but, I got my things and went on my way. My father came and picked me up and my sister and did not say a word the entire car ride home. My sister and I looked at each other clueless as to what was happening.

We pulled into the long driveway and when Dad stopped the car he wasn't sure how to say it but, he then simply said, "Pop Pop passed away today."

I didn't even want to look at the house and we kept crying asking how and my father was tearful saying you had an aneurysm in your bedroom. We've always known death...since my 8th Birthday it was common for family members to pass away...however your death shook me and I felt like I couldn't breathe and the world I knew was over.

I remember Dad had to fight me to bring me inside let alone up the stairs because I was panicking thinking his body was still in the bedroom. I kept asking if it was a dream and that this was a really mean joke and that everyone needed to stop lying to me. I could see the pain in my mother's eyes because she was the one who tried to save you as best as she could. My young brother only a few years old also scared to walk into that room because I was told he was next to him as he died.  I couldn't sleep I couldn't even eat for days and was forced to just to keep going.

Your services were the hardest because everyone in our town knew who you were. It was why my school couldn't even tell me about your passing because you were such good friends with everyone. We had to have a three-day service just so that people could say goodbye to you and during your burial just the caravan of cop cars and local people that lined the streets of our town to say goodbye to you.

I hope you knew how much we all loved you and how we wish you were still here with us today. I wonder do you approve of the woman I've become or have I become too timid? I wish I could ask you just to know how you feel. I wonder in the world beyond our own...was it tough to see our family turn the way it did? I often just want to have one more minute with you hell I'll take a day or two if I could. I just miss your voice and soul so much.

They say as time passes by wounds are suppose to heal...time doesn't heal all wounds I am afraid. I sit here staring at one of the last photos I have of us wishing you were still here. I wish you could have seen the woman I've become here in the flesh instead of from the beyond. I hope that during some of my harder times that you were able to see I have survived and I am going to keep trying to fight every day in honor of you. I miss you so very much and love you so much. I hope that the day we are reunited you greet me with that sense of humor you always had and a warm hug.

I miss you Poppie & I will love you Forever & Always.

[valkirsif]

Unthinkable CH 24/???

Tom Hiddleston x Reader

Warning SMUT

Word 3200

"Tommy welcome home," Diana said fondly, hugging her son,

"It's nice to be home," said, holding her tight, "Mom, she's Y/N" said, loosening her embrace and turning to take the woman by the hand, Y/N made timid steps forward

"Pleasure Madame" she said in a breath,

"Nice to meet you," said welcomingly, shaking her hand, "Come in, the kids are uncontainable since Emma warned you were back," Y/N followed the others home in Tom's hand, breathes ... breathes ... she kept on repeated, the dark wooden parquet was covered by a red inlaid carpet and welcomed guests at the entrance,

"Y/N you can take off your shoes, we are used to being barefoot" Diana said kindly, the woman nodded and leaned next to Tom's, heard shouts come from the room, "What they will have combined this time .." said disappearing into the next room,

"Darling all right?" Tom asked, raising her face, "You're so silent," Y/N stared at him, did not know what to say,

"I think so," she replied softly, "You could have told me that we would have come to your mother's dinner.." looked down, "I do not think I'm ready for that,"

"I apologize, I took it for granted that you would like it," he said sweetly, "I wanted them to see how happy I was, after what happened they were worried about me," continued seriously, "If you feel uncomfortable we can go away" concluded, clutching her, the woman paused to think a second and shook her head,

"Sorry I had not thought about how you were when I met you, we never talked and Rice just told me you were having a bad time," she looked at him feeling guilty for thinking only of herself, "Let's go do not wait for your family" said smiling and kissing him,

"Oh Darling I love you", took her by the hand and led her to the hall where the women of his life were waiting for them, two children ran towards them jumping and laughing,

"Uncle uncle" they shouted happy, Tom picked them up laughing

"Here they are my favorite monsters!" there was joy from all the pores, the smallest leaned towards Y/N to touch her hair, the woman picked him up naturally,

"She's Poppy .." Tom said introducing her with nickname, he stared at her questioningly,

"..but you can call me aunt if you want.." she said smiling at the man, the children burst out laughing and the tension faded, it was his family and she was happy that he wanted to introduce her,

"Guys go wash your hands is almost ready," said Sarah, coming out of the kitchen, "And you have not yet greeted me properly," she laughed, going to meet his brother and holding him,

"Darling, she's Sarah the oldest among us," said cheerfully, introducing her,

"Pleasure and welcome to the family Y/N" Sarah hugged her, Y/N was starting to relax, Tom's family was expansive and affectionate, that's who had taken that part of the character,

"Tommy do you think about the aperitif?" Emma asked as approached, the man nodded to the bar,

"Darling what do you take?" asked smiling, Y/N approached hugging him

"What you're doing is fine Thomas" smiled, resting head on his arm, "I feel so good right now" whispered, the man passed her a glass,

"Try it is Scottish sherry," he said, turning around and bringing his women a drink, Y/N had never drank anything like it. the sherry was sweet and spicy and warmed it in a moment,

"Do you like it?" Diana asked, the woman nodded

"That's great, thank you," Sarah called for dinner and the group moved to the dining room, they chatted like any family, it was almost 11 when they said goodbye,

"Thanks for tonight Thomas," Y/N said, turning to of him and kissing while he fastened her belt,

"The children love you but I had no doubts and my mother liked you a lot," he smirked putting in motion

"I had a great time, I'm sorry to have reacted by closing when we arrived"

"It's all right, I have to remember that some surprises make you anxious" laughed putting a hand on her knee, "said that tomorrow shopping, Sammy arrives at 9 to abduct you, probably will make you try all the clothes atelier but you will not be alone" the two laughed heart, arrived home collapsed exhausted.

Y/N opened eyes at 8 o'clock the previous day had been long and full of emotions, went down into the kitchen and made coffee while running the family chat, even the others had come home safe and healthy Rice was traveling to the Sweden for a job, told them about the evening and how she felt, Sammy's voice blew her up,

"Good morning, you're an early morning Y/N" chirped, hugging her, "Where is he? Will not be sleeping yet!” she said coming out of the kitchen like a fury, "TOMMY..TOMMYBOYYY" heard her screaming as she climbed the stairs, Y/N was astonished, as soon as she woke up it was deadly to have Tom's best friend buzzing around her luckily she had put on a dressing-gown before going down, heard the scuffle coming from the hall and went out drinking coffee, she saw something very familiar Tom in boxers with Sammy on his shoulder, she reminded her of the awakenings with Rice at the sea and a half laugh escaped her,

"Little banshee annoying" he said laughing, throwing her on the sofa, "Someone warned poor David ..",

"How unkind you are, just because I woke you up.." Sammy laughed, "I would never have burst into the room if I had not seen Y/N in the kitchen, you know that I respect your privacy.." said innocently, a little too innocent, Y/N thought as carried a coffee tray for everyone,

"My King morning" she said smiling leaning on him and rubbing face on his neck, "While you punished the bride I made coffee, breakfast is in the oven," laughed winking at Sammy,

"My Queen's" he answered hugging and kissing her, "I start to taste coffee in the morning"

"I..sorry but it's really too strong for me.." Sammy said, "How do you drink more than one a day?", Y/N laughed, passing her milk and settled on the sofa,

"We should also take the decaffeinated, I do not want to give the tachycardia to all your guests" laughed at the man, now very awake, "Thomas you mind checking breakfast while I take a quick shower and I get dressed, I would not be late"

"I'll take care of Darling", Y/N went up and threw herself into the shower, sighing, in her mind the morning would start with coffee and hot sex in the shower but the arrival of Sammy had sent her programs upstream, did not pretend to warn before arriving, she and Rice had never done it, but ringing the bell would have been a good idea, wiped herself off and put on t-shirts and pants and got out, the scent coming up the stairs made her hungry, she found Tom and Sammy in the kitchen and stopped to look at them, if had not known they were just friends their intimacy would have bothered her,

"Darling the muffins are delicious, come before they get cold" Tom moved the stool and served it,

"Thank you," she said kissing it, "Oats and chocolate love each other" laughed,

"Would you give me the recipe? David would like a lot," Sammy said with a full mouth, she was a very good woman despite her heels and perfect hair was starting to like her,

"Of course, one evening we could organize a dinner together and I'll give you some tasty recipes" Y/N answered, "Is David too grown up child?",

"I see you understand" Sammy winked at her, "You're really crazy about him," Sammy said seriously as soon as Tom got up to get ready, "Sorry if I look overprotective"

"I understand you I'm like you when it comes to Rice," Y/N said expected a similar conversation sooner or later, "And you're crazy about him, is that so obvious?"

"I'm surprised he did not notice it," she laughed. "From what I saw in the hotel, you did not notice anything, it was so bright he looks at you like I've never seen him do with any other", Sammy was right if only he had noticed it right away..but you know when you're in it you do not notice the details,

"You're right, after we talked to the hotel and the thing came out I started to see how he looks at me, I'm starting to see me as he sees me" he answered seriously, "I understand every day more than a wonderful man"

"What a tender," Sammy laughed, mocking her, the women burst out laughing, they understood each other instantly, they were chatting pleasantly,

"I'm here, I wanted to leave you a little 'to know you but from what I see you understand very well" smiled happy to the two women, "If you're ready let's go" said giving his arm to both, "Sammy you have the car or take my?" churches,

"I have mine, you notice too much and I do not really want to waste time with fans and autographs", Y/N laughed, even she would have done without it on her first outing, she was already quite nervous.

They parked in the basement and took the elevator that led them straight into the studio, they were greeted by two employees who made them sit in the living room,

"Would you like something to drink?" they asked carrying a tray of sweets, nodded, thanking,

"I could have some water, please," Y/N asked,

"Are you okay Darling?" Tom's tone made her smile,

"Do not worry, I'm sick," she smiled, between the street in reverse and Sammy's guide.

"I did not think about it, it must be deadly for you, it happened to me in France" said Sammy, the dressmaker arrived and took measurements to Y/N before letting her assistants in with their clothes, a blaze of pastel tones of green and blue one more beautiful than the other,

"I would exclude the greens with her complexion," said the dressmaker putting a dress in front of her, Sammy gave her reason and started to make her try on one dress after another,

"This is perfect!" rejoiced in the tenth outfit, "What do you say Tommy?"

"With the band on her breasts it will be beautiful" the man answered looking at her, Y/N felt relieved after hours of dress, bare and measures was saturated and the shopping day had just begun,

"Thomas, are we very far from the shopping area?" the woman asked once in the parking lot,

"If you feel like facing the risk of fans we can take a walk, we are not very far" laughed hugging her,

"So as not to climb a car willingly affront your armies" said close to him, greeted Sammy and walked hand in hand through the streets of London, Y/N observed all fascinated by the chaos and the multitude of different humanity, was struck by different perfumes, she was getting hungry, they passed a pub and stopped,

"Thomas if we ate something?" she asked in front of the entrance,

"Darling willingly, I love pub food" he smiled making them way into the room, they were greeted by the innkeeper who recognized Tom and made them sit in a booth, the waiter took the order and disappeared behind the counter,

"There is a beautiful atmosphere here, just as I imagined" it felt great, the food was delicious and also appreciated the dark beer that served, ended the lunch and reached the first store that Tom had chosen to redo the wardrobe.

"Mister Hiddleston welcome, follow me Miss Dita comes immediately" the assistant escorted them to a living room and served champagne before going out,

"Wow what a service" Y/N always amazed at that kind of treatment, "Is it normal that there are no other customers?" asked not seeing other people in the shop,

"At the moment the atelier is all for us, for you.." Tom answered, the woman stared at him shaking her head, "I want you to have fun",

"You're amazing, when you said you had made appointments I did not think I meant this.." he was about to say more when the door opened and Dita Von Teese reached them in all its splendor,

"Wonderful creature thanks for the availability" Thomas said getting up and kissing her hand,

"You're the usual seducer Thomas, I'm glad you thought of me to dress your mate," she replied smiling and turning to Y/N who had sat too low to move, "Ben come darling, I can see you standing please "said to the woman who blinked and moved,

"Excuse me, Miss Von Teese, I was dazzled, I did not think I would have had the pleasure of knowing her," Y / N answered, getting up, with the corner of her eye she saw Tom smile,

"It's lovely," said Dita, smiling. "Give me somebody and you should take off your clothes," she asked, turning around, she nodded undressing without problems, Dita looked at her taking notes before giving her a dressing gown,

"Sabine clothes," said to the intercom, "While we wait we choose the underwear, Thomas told me that you like corsets"

"It's true, they make me feel beautiful," she replied, "If it were available I'd like the model that Gaultier created for you," said almost embarrassed, Dita laughed, calling the assistant,

"Do you want to try it?" she asked with a nod to Sabine, Y/N nodded happily, Dita helped her to tighten the laces, "It's enchanting, from the face I would say that Thomas also appreciates"

"Darling you're an attack.." smiled slyly making her blush, she spent the next two hours choosing clothes for various occasions and more or less daring linens,

"Are you having fun?" Tom asked as they went out to go to the next appointment,

"Seriously I'm in seventh heaven," she said, euphoric, close to the man,

"If I had not booked I would take you home just to be able to look with that corset" he whispered warmly, the woman smiled savoring the return, the second atelier was sportswear Y/N chose several pants and lost between t- colorful shirts and blouses, Tom was the person patience and helped her in the choice of wardrobe, had insisted to spoil her

"Thomas, please tell me we're done," sighed the woman, it was late afternoon when they left the store and wished to get comfortable on the sofa,

"Darling you're the first woman I know who does not like to go shopping," he laughed, stopping a taxi, giving directions to the driver and holding the woman to him,

"It's not that I do not like to go shopping but it's 9 o'clock I feel I'm not used to it" laughed relaxed beside him.

"I listen to the voicemail messages I'll meet you in the hall," said the man fumbling with the keyboard, Y/N took the opportunity to go up to the room and undress with only the corset on, returned to the room, closed the curtains and got comfortable on the couch waiting for him by zapping, after 10 minutes Tom had not yet seen, the woman got up to get a drink, opened the cellar and chose a sweet wine, opened the bottle and returned to the hall through the hall to see that he had done, found him talking on the phone, she clinked glass to get his attention, the man turned and glared at him,

"..can I call you back?" he said to his interlocutor before attacking, "..you.." he imperiously aimed, Y/N laughed, making the innocent,

"I did not want to bother you ..." she said walking backwards slowly to return to the room, ".. if you want to finish the call I can always start to..", she could not finish the sentence Tom's arms trapped her pushing against the wall, he took the bottle and glasses out of her hand, resting them on the table and kissed her, putting hands on her ass,

"Darling .." he snarled, "..this dress.." he said, running his fingers over the feathered silk of the corset, turned her face to the wall and unzipped his pants, the woman moaned when bit her neck, scratching her bare shoulder blades she opened legs as impatiently as he, penetrated her hard, moving quickly inside, hands slipping on the fabric and creeping under the feathers to tighten her breasts, Y/N cried tarnished by lust,

"..you could not wait to bang against the wall, right?" he growled, planting nails in her hips to keep grip, "You like being treated like a cat in heat," laughed, enjoying her moans and her warm body, "Do you want more Kitty?" whispered on her neck, "Do you want me to do it?", "What do you leave a new mark?",banged her hard at every question, "Did you lose your tongue?" “You need me stop? "

"My lord..fuck me..I want more.." the woman mumbled out of her, "I'm yours ..", the man laughed maliciously on her skin brought a hand between her legs and played with clit increasing the blows, Y/N was shouting followed by Tom who was panting leaning against her shoulders,

"I'm starting to think that taking you with me on the set is not a good idea if you think I welcome you dressed like that" he laughed, putting hands on the wall and letting her turn, "Not counting the screams" the woman smiled and kissed him,

"I promise to be good, just flannel pajamas and socks, and I will try to turn down the volume but it will not be easy, it's not my fault if you're so good" answered back to his chest, the heart still running fast,

"I can always gag you little temptress" he looked at her as if he liked it, "Now if you allow me to end the call while you wear something less dangerous" he kissed her and gave a spanking making her laugh,

"Ok do not put too much Thomas" Y/N put her oversize t-shirt and got comfortable on the couch, took the phone that was still off and looked at the messages,

§ Poppy I hope the restiling went well .. that shirt does not make you absolutely justice§ did not understand what you were reading, 

§Simo of what you are talking about? §

§If you did not keep your cell phone off you would know it§ answered Marco sending a picture in the chat, there were Thomas and her as they entered the pub,

§Damn I did not notice anything, we stopped to have lunch§

§With so many beautiful places, have you had lunch in a pub? §

§I wanted to try something typical, it's not always all champagne and oysters Simo§

§Contact how high-class shopping is!!§ , even Niko was curious, like everyone, knew her and knew that shopping was not among the things she preferred, she laughed to herself

§What to say, beautiful when you have the store at your disposal and an army of assistants§ answered vague just to intrigue them more

§A little detail and give !!!

§Ok ok .. first atelier to try the wedding dress, we have put a lifetime on it§

§What did you choose? § asked Roby

§I did not choose anything I was Sammy's barbie:) §

§ From a photo we had lunch and went to my personal paradise..met Dita Von Teese !!! § , let them unleash with questions before continuing,

§ I literally slaughtered clothes and corsets, even in the second store I have been unleashed in more casual clothes every day.

§Have your man's account dried up? §

§Sincerely I have no idea, I did not see the bill, we just went in and out, the clothes will be delivered tomorrow§

§Just because you know it, since you live in your pink cloud, on your social networks your photos with Tom are depopulating§

§You are officially one of the most hated women I hope you are ready§ concluded Gian, the woman opened the social she used more and had no trouble finding the photos, so many pictures, she got up the anxiety did not notice anything did not read the captions and the comments did not want to know what the strangers thought of her, the only comments she read were those below the engagement announcement, some were positive others much less but tried not to notice "they" did not know her, Tom reached her cheerful, giving her a toast,

"Thanks Thomas I was really hungry" smiled taking the plate and placing the phone down,

"Please Darling, I assume you have seen the pictures .." he said quietly, "What effect do they make?"

"I do not know, see me so beaten on social is strange because I have not noticed anyone click" sincere answer, "I'll have to get used to it like all the rest" laughed putting on the lap of the man who squeezed caressing her back,

"That's the spirit" he smiled kissing her, "They do not teach you how to handle these things at school" laughed, "Now let's relax and think about tomorrow's dinner with Chris, do you have any idea?"

"Since you love them I thought lasagna and roast with potatoes, you like the menu," said the woman,

"Approved! We'll have to do the shopping, as you noticed the fridge is semi-empty, tomorrow morning we get up early so I'll walk around the neighborhood "

"It seems like a good idea," she said finishing the toast, spent the rest of the day on the couch watching old movies and flirting.