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cherrysoulth · 8 months

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What Hides In The Shadows - Chapter 6: Versus III

🩸New bloods are always exciting 🩸

💕Pairing: Taehyung x Reader

📝Summary:

"What hides in the shadows will let you see who you really are."

✏️Genre/au: Vampires, Alternative universe (Future of humanity), Sci-fi, Horror, Romance, Action, Vampires vs. Hunters

✏️Rating: PG 18+, explicit

📝Word count: 4402

⚠️Chapter warnings: blood, sire bond (implicit: dominance and obedience), vampire hierarchy, mentions of death

<<<𝕮𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 5 | 𝕸𝖆𝖎𝖓 𝖑𝖎𝖘𝖙 | 𝕮𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 7 >>>

“Anya…” escaped Yoongi's lips in a heavy whisper, glaring at you wide-eyed, completely caught off guard.

“What are you doing here?” you questioned, trying to stand but getting dizzy. Taehyung pulled you towards him before your knees met the floor.

“What did you do to her!?” Yoongi yelled, aiming towards Jimin who was closer, holding him by the collar of his white suit. Jimin didn’t move, his expression showed no emotion but he did raise his eyebrows slightly.

“Go ahead, hit me, if it makes you feel better. She won’t be less like us because of it--” Jimin replied with a cold tone you hadn’t expected from him. Yoongi tried, he moved, darted to punch him but against what your body was putting you through, you launched and hugged him, holding him still.

“I’m still me,” you whispered, feeling the tears go down your cheeks. “I’m still me.” Even if everything you felt turned those words into a lie.

The idea of him rejecting you twisted your heart as if it was going to shred. He turned around and held you close, you felt him shaking slightly, in utter shock.

“Jimin–ssi, guys, leave the room, please,” said Taehyung in the most unreadable tone he could make use of. Jimin stared at him, about to object but then looked at you crying in Yoongi’s arms and stepped back to obey. The twins followed suit aiming a short bow at Taehyung.

“What have they done to you, Anya? This is horrific,” Yoongi said with a husky tone that hid his emotions, pulling from the hug and resting his hands on your shoulders. You met his eyes and started drawing his features. He had always been beautiful but you felt your attraction to him enhanced. Your eyes drifted down to his lips and you wanted to feel their softness, taste his mouth. Something under his perfume, scent, and energy changed and you felt the want turn into a need. He swallowed but he didn’t look scared in the slightest. Taehyung cleared his throat.

“What--What are you doing here?” you asked again, taking a step back, seeing how you had practically absorbed Yoongi’s personal space.

“It’s--” Yoongi tried to speak but got interrupted by Taehyung.

“He donates blood in exchange for studying our kind. That’s how he came across his popular vaccine and generated so much wealth from it,” he pronounced sternly. “Right doctor?”

“Yeah. That’s it,” accepted Yoongi, trying to stay calm. You hadn’t stopped staring at him and he seemed to be unable to look away as well. Underneath his musk and whipped cream-scented skin, a watery undertone suddenly appeared. It felt like a winter breeze and cold salty water as if you were on board a ship in the middle of the ocean. The way it seemed to bottom in your heart as sadness sunk in.

“Oh Jeez… Suga… What have you gotten yourself into… If they find out–” you said while caressing his face. He looked startled and you sensed the possessive energy coming out of Taehyung at that moment and felt the hurry to move away from Yoongi.

“They won’t. He’s been working with us for the last two years.” Taehyung pointed out, calmer than you felt from him.

“Two years!?” you exclaimed, separating further from him. He looked conflicted and drew a thin line with his lips. You made the mistake of glancing at his throat, his scent tingled your brain. The musk over any other smell. Your body pulsated and you pushed yourself backwards, falling to the floor on your rear as one of your fangs poked into your lower lip, drawing blood. Taehyung was quick to help you up. “You gotta go,” you told Yoongi, meeting his eyes with an emotionless face. He stared at you in shock but also studied you since the cold blue eyes were now on you. Taehyung dried your droplet with his thumb and you heard him suck on it, like a kiss. Those tasteful lips and those long fingers. The sole image of that interaction raised your heartbeat and you felt your arousal spike. Taehyung pressed you against his body. He must have sniffed your state or sensed it somehow because you felt him starting to get hard and now it was him who smelled undertones of musk and vanilla, through his lavender and camomile-scented lotion.

You reverted back to what you felt in your teenage years; confused and overwhelmed by emotions that didn’t seem to have a source and getting horny by no means and reason. You hated that time and it didn’t seem like you were going to find much joy in your current circumstance either. But this time you had added pressure; sensitive to smells, connection to other's emotions, and, the ugliest one, the thirst.

“They told me to bring fresh blood,” Yoongi showed a big thermo and your stomach twisted. You started crying again, over Taehyung’s chest in desperate sobs. “When did you turn her? Damn it… This is such a mess. She can’t go back like this and they’ll definitely know she’s missing when she doesn't.” he pointed out.

“I told my uncle-- I’d be staying at the Hotel for a few days, maybe-- I’ll manage to act normal-- by then,” you said while sobbing.

“Could that be possible?” wondered Yoongi. He was genuinely concerned about how the whole thing would develop. You knew him well enough to catch on the majority of his cues and tells.

“Could. But she lost it just a minute ago… I feel like it would be sending her to an execution.” said Taehyung, caressing your hair. You looked at him.

“What are you planning on doing, sir?” Yoongi wondered, looking straight at Taehyung who was now staring at you. There was something soothing in your maker’s energy that brushed away any distress. His scent had changed to a river's water and woody kind, natural and relaxed.

“You can’t go out yet, you do understand now, right?” Taehyung told you, hand still caressing your hair and you nodded. “Now you should drink,” he said and walked towards the table and put it back in place gracefully and without an effort. Then he offered you a seat and made sure you were sitting properly at the table before calling Yoongi over, who obeyed. Taehyung started cleaning up the mess on the floor before he went to the kitchen for a wine glass and placed it in front of you and left the thermo.

“I can’t,” you pronounced. The idea of drinking blood from a glass of wine felt ridiculously excessive but the idea of drinking in front of Yoongi disgusted you to the core. If you were to succumb to the thirst and act like an animal, as you had done when drinking from the bag, you knew you could never look Yoogi in the eye again.

“Doctor, why don’t you go back to work? I can take it from here,” Taehyung told him calmly, giving him almost an angelic look.

“You guys freak me out when you act like that. It’s worse than if you tried to scare me off.” Taehyung only replied with a boxy smile. “I’ll be just outside if you need me,” Yoongi told you. He looked concerned and it made you feel bad. Nevertheless, he obliged and walked out the door. Taehyung took off the lid of the thermo and served you the blood. As soon as you caught the savoury scent, all you wanted to do was to drink without stopping.

"Enjoy. There's nothing wrong with enjoying it," he told you, putting his left hand on the upper part of the chair while offering you the glass with his other hand. You took the glass from him and sipped, immediately closing your eyes as your tastebuds got the hint of the thick liquid flowing across your tongue. It was true, there was no comparison when the blood was warm. Taehyung’s tasted like the most profound and unhinged yet classy part of nature. Like the depths of the forest and caves, like roses under the rain, like the roots of human existence, if those things would have a taste. The fridge blood prickled the sensations but now that something wild flowed through you as you swallowed slowly. You left the glass over the table and then opened your eyes to look at him. Then he served you another one and repeated the process three more times until you drank yourself full. Taehyung had joined you by your second glass but he only drank one with elegance and seemingly with a lack of thirst, as if he drank for pleasure. He must've caught your expression “If you are well fed, you’ll be less feral and less likely to attack someone too. If you get the chance, try dividing your intake into little portions during the day. It makes you feel less thirsty and you’ll be more calm about it.”

“But you said—”

“Two times a day. Yes, because that’s the normal way but there can always be a better way,” he said, finishing his last sip.

When you put the glass over the table by the end of your meal, you felt strangely drowsy, as if you were drunk. You rubbed your eyes but could barely keep them open. Taehyung stood and caught you in his arms when you blindly tried to stand as well.

"Listen to your body. It needs rest," he walked with you through the living room, then kneeled and pulled the lid of the chamber open, putting you in it. By the time your head touched the fluffy pillow, you were already out.

You woke up some time after, to a discussion going on in the living room.

"I really mean it. They know me. They trust me. If she can hold herself together I can walk her through to make sure she's fine," you heard Yoongi say.

"You'd love that, wouldn't you?" murmured Jimin. There was a tone that you could have confused with jealousy if you didn't know better.

"You need to get off your own ass. We wouldn't be in this mess if you didn't start it with your stupid vengeance plan in the first place." Jungkook cut him off with a tone you only expected from Jungsik.

"Careful there, boy," warned Jimin, "I don't need to show you your place, do I?"

"Let him be, brother. If you worry so much about status, I suggest you start acting accordingly to yours," Interrupted Taehyung. "Look where your spoiled-child tantrum has brought us."

"It was you who turned her and--" replied Jimin, trying to defend himself.

"But it was your fault!" shot Yoongi, "If you hadn't had a shit-show planned to hurt The Guardians, she would’ve just kept going with her life. Normally and happily. Nothing to hide—" he reprimanded. Taehyung was fast to shield Yoongi from getting in front of him when Jimin moved.

"You know the way she looked at him," Jimin murmured, "There's no way you agree with this…"

"If this prevents The Guardians from finding out what's happened, so be it," Taehyung replied. You pushed the lid open and stood out thinking the discussion was over.

"We could ask her what she wants," suggested Yoongi.

"Sounds like a great idea but I really gotta use the restroom," you said, walking your way toward it.

After washing your hands and brushing your hair to look more decent, you went out again to discover a powerman meeting with the other five men sitting around the table with their suits and a dead silence settled in the room.

You moved closer to them, walking calmly and observing them one by one before taking a seat yourself. It was difficult to tell Yoongi apart from the vampires, or rather the vampires from humans but when they all turned to look at you, you would’ve never been able to guess that there was only one human among them.

"What shall I decide, gentleman?" you wondered, the question made them look at each other.

"If you want to go back with Yoongi and play along to what your uncle thinks that happened," snickered Taehyung.

"Uh?" you didn't understand, "Going to the Hotel? Yeah, I can do that. Why is that an argument?"

"He meant the dating rumour," pointed out Yoongi, "I think it could distract him from any strange behaviour you might have and I could be around you to supervise whilst you figure out your next step, of course."

"Yes. You can't simply live amongst them anymore," declared Jungsik.

"This might give you some sort of closure," added Jungkook gently.

"Is it safe to do that?" you questioned. "My self-control is kind of questionable…"

"As long as you keep your guard up and use your head instead of your instincts you should be fine,” explained Taehyung, as if it was the most obvious thing, “My doubts are whether we’ll have time enough to teach you that, since you’ve told your uncle that you were quarantined in that hotel," he said, walking your way and caressing your face.

“Plus, that bastard General of your uncle is likely to send someone to check on you, right?” pointed out Jungsik. You frowned at him and he raised a brow.

"This sounds like a bad movie. A stupid plan if you ask me," Jimin pointed out. "It'll go wrong. Her place isn't there anymore, closure or not. Her place isn't with you, Min Yoongi," he spat, standing and Yoongi followed with a glare, "But I guess I don't really have a say here," Jimin shrugged.

Walking to the kitchen, taking two bags of blood out of what looked like a high-tech oven and emptying them in a jug, making your mouth water. A knock on the door interrupted his doings, "Come in."

Two heads poked through the cracked door when they opened it and two beautiful vampiresses entered the room.

"We wanted to say our welcomes to Taehyung," pronounced the brunette in a soft breathy tone.

At first sight, she seemed almost as tall as Taehyung with the slim figure that was a trademark of movie vampires in the past. Their own Underworld Selene, if it may, but with rounder features, big brown eyes with long and abundant lashes, and cooper-brown wavy long hair to her hips. To your inner amusement, you did imagine she could be the kind to get on black leather suits to hunt werewolves by the way she carried herself. But her nude clothing, inspired by Ingush's bridal dresses, made her seem more like the diplomatic kind. Also, the moment she stopped talking you realised she had an unreadable demeanour, making her more unsettling than the other vampiress resting bitch face.

The bleached blonde possessed a much darker eye colour like two profound and dark lakes that pierced you like the void, matching her sharp features. Her golden brown skin suited beautifully the soft purples of the hanbok hugging her curves and she wore her nails in a long stiletto cut, making her look like a ferocious princess. You could have sworn she acted as such with so low interaction.

"It's not a good moment, Cherry," interrupted Jungsik. She sternly met his eyes and arched a brow, making him chuckle but fold to a smirk and glance away. Jungkook, on the other hand, smiled sincerely when their eyes met and she appeared sweeter. When she moved to greet Taehyung with a hug, jealousy poisoned your veins. The blonde hadn't even moved and stared intensely at you. Cherry looked over to her companion when she noticed the lack of her presence beside her before she followed her line of vision.

"Oh Jeez…" she whispered and it seemed to you that her face brightened, "You got yourself a lover! You sneaky prince! No wonder you wouldn't come back..." she spoke while still observing you, seemingly forgetting about Taehyung. She hugged you, unexpectedly. "Welcome home, dove," she arranged your hair behind your ears. Her brightness earlier appeared to have vanished and replaced with a familiar sorrowfulness, "I'm sorry for what you have left to go through, " she turned to look at Taehyung again. The blonde had moved to hug him and was now kissing his cheek. Your blood boiled. "That was very cruel of you, Taehyung… I would’ve never taken you--"

"It's none of your business," he snapped, looking at her coldly while expressionless although you could sense his discomfort. The darkness in her eyes as she stood her ground stirred fear in you. Jungkook stood fast and hugged her from behind. By the way, he kissed her neck from behind to try to calm her and how heart rate immediately started slowing down, you understood they were likely a couple. It was only then that you caught their mixed scents, having been too distracted to sniff. Jungkook and Cherry almost smelled almost the same.

Curious, you also whizzed on the blonde’s smell and realised hers had a fainting essence similar to Jungsik. However, Jungsik did not seem to have any of her undertones. It didn’t take a genius to realise you were smelling an intercourse after-effect. Finally realising, what was so telling that the rest would know what you and Taehyung had been up to. You blushed, embarrassed.

"I'm Auria, pleasure to meet you," she said and you noticed Jungsik approaching. They looked serious at each other for a second until he invaded her personal space grabbing her by the waist. They smirked before kissing.

"Who would say they've been hooking up here and there for almost two hundred years, uh?" Cherry told you with a cheeky smirk, then winked at you.

"How long have you been together?" you asked her out of curiosity and trying to guess their ages.

"We met in 2020 when she was twenty-four and I was twenty-three but didn't start dating until fifty years later. In six days, on the 23rd of October it’ll be five-hundred and fifty-two years since we first shared blood," Jungkook explained. Your eyes widened to the startlement. They did seem to share a common ground somehow and the way they appeared to predict the other’s moves and act accordingly, made it obvious they had been really close for a long time.

"It's not a walk in the park as you may guess but with some effort, it is just as easy as any other thing," she told you. Taehyung appeared relaxed watching you speak with her.

"What took you so long to start dating?" A heavy silence fell on the room and all eyes looked at you. Jimin smirked in amusement.

"We were together during those years," answered Taehyung calmly, breaking the silence. As if spending half a century with someone wasn't a big deal, "But it's been really long since then," You looked at the way Jungkook and Cherry were with each other again. In a way, it felt as if their bodies, the cells of their beings vibrated at the same frequency. It amazed you. You perceived it very differently from Jungsik and Auria. The way Jungsik kept his hands at her hips pressing his whole body at her back. The almost imperceptible rocking motion. Their restlessness of their obvious focus on each other's movements, translated in sexual energy, was so high you felt like they would get it done right there and then, although the only thing they were doing was hugging.

“You may wonder in what category, you and the prince fall…" Cherry pointed towards the couple and then to you and Taehyung, "We normally share blood from both sides with the person we choose to be with and it stays mostly in a monogamous way. We don’t judge love or other kinds of relationships. We live way too long to limitate ourselves to a one specific way to do things, so any other kind of relationship raises no eyebrows in our society. Unless, of course, they were harmful to one or both sides.” Taehyung came close and put an arm around your waist, kissing your head again, apparently mindful of the others in the room.

“In your case, of course, it’s a weirder one. We don’t have this kind of bond or relationship with our minions--I mean, that’s what your kind is meant to be created for.” Jimin looked at Jungkook as he spoke. Something in those words had bothered him.

“Weirdly, he could choose not to take your blood and just leave it like this,” pointed out Jungsik, "This way, others will not let their possible attraction to you become a thing because, basically, you are owned." Auria slapped him in the chest and Jungsik giggled. She rolled her eyes with a smirk.

Taehyung didn’t say anything but you guessed, from how he looked at you to what he'd said previously, that he was more than disposed to do so but you still couldn’t put a finger on why. If what he’d done was mainly to avoid bigger damage by causing one that weighed less: Why was he so… loving?

🩸So warm🩸

How much you like? Let me know your thoughts and reblog. If you dare... 😈

I'll see your little fangs in two weeks! ❤️

Big thanks to @moonleeai for doing the beta for this chapter. 💜

Taglist: @taebangtanbabe

#bts au fic #bts angst #bts smut #taehyung x oc #taehyung x you #taehyung x reader #taehyung au #taehyung vampire #bts vampire au #jungkook vampire #Vampires vs Hunters

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eldritch-spouse · 2 years

Note

Headcanon that Patches is a babysitter for Adelo and Adrul

I literally can see the 2000’s style sitcom where Admin told Patches to keep an eye on them and its end up total mayhem

[Oh, I adore this.]

The Staff as babysitters

Some staff members were initially blacklisted from nanny charges, like Vinnel and Morell, but actually- Most of the team isn't half-bad at this?

Vinnel is, although sometimes a bit too violent with others in front of the princes, very entertaining! They love seeing jester man juggle random (preferably sharp but he's been whipped warned about that) things and tell dumb jokes. He's really perfect for cheering up the little lads and making sure they still see the bright side of things. Adelo's going to absorb some of his mean-spirited humor.

While most people thought Morell would get weird, maybe have some odd urge to cook a god's offspring, he's actually very protective of the kiddos, and determined to cook for them. They're not allowed to enter the kitchen at random however, as no one wants them entering and seeing fresh kills. He would like to teach them how to make animal traps. Adrul specifically loves the chef's baking and has made cakes with him before. Adelo is surprisingly the one with the bigger stomach.

Patches is a nervous, nervous man. While initially a bit awkward, if not fearful regarding his lord's children, he tries to do his best. Problem is, the pumpkin-headed man is at times a little too lenient, and allows the siblings to touch lab equipment they shouldn't while he screams inside. If nothing else, he can take them outside, to one of the nearby stables, and tickle them pink with random horse facts. It would be his pleasure to teach them to ride. Although he sometimes enters long-winded rants that have Adelo groaning and Adrul's eyes twinkling.

Grimbly* knows about as much on how to take care of kids as he knows on how to build a spaceship, which is to say he's got no fucking idea what he's doing. So he settles for buying the princes pretty things and taking them out for ice cream. Because kids like shiny things, right? And sweets? Yeah. Adelo always manages to put a dent in his wallet (now he knows how Santi feels) and Adrul mostly just enjoys it when the bat tries to doll him up, as his centipede-like body is hard to work with.

(*By this point, he has transformed into his older form.)

Santi actually just straight up vomited when he felt Adelo's presence, Adrul's makes him enter a panic... Yeah. Even if direct contact with them is off the table while they grow, the incubus does feel fondness for the princes and occasionally sends them whatever children's toy is most popular these days.

Nebul is a great monster to pair the princes with when Belo's not around. Due to his increased sensitivity to other people's emotions, the wraith can more easily detect when one of the siblings is feeling depressed or anxious. Both kiddos think he "talks funny", his monotone voice being a source of great amusement apparently. The wraith is generally witty and good at showing them interesting new things. While they may never set foot in the shop for obvious reasons, Purpur is often brought out to play with them. Adrul likes to give the tentacle ball rides on his back.

Gallon is exasperated with the amount of times Adrul and Adelo ask to drink alcoholic beverages. One of them almost got his hands on an unsupervised Willow Twister and the slime's heart nearly stopped. He makes iced tea for them and says it's whiskey. It works for now. Adelo is very amused by the way he can stretch, so the angel will sometimes just run off with a tendril and she how long he can make it before Gallon pretends he's in great pain.

Fank-e is another one the little princes like a lot. Probably because he's loud and constantly decked in shiny weird stuff. Plus, he has a seemingly limitless supply of old Internet jokes and forgotten media. It's safe to say both Adelo and Adrul leave his hands covered in stickers, with three new bracelets and maybe a little too hyper for their own good. Nobody wants to deal with two hyper and powerful monster kids.

Sybastian's got a bit of experience from handling mimiclings, unfortunately Admin and Belo don't like it all that much when he tries to put either one of the siblings in his mouth for carrying. Even if both of them seem to have a lot of fun. The mimic is not the best for conversation, and maybe he shouldn't be trusted with cooking either, but he can keep the brothers safe in the garden while they play and torment Hellion.

Ludwig is a honorable mention, because after he gets serious help and becomes functional again, Admin does want the demon to be a part of her life and will let the children have contact with him. Lud is happy for her and treats the kiddos with nothing but love. He's a decent babysitter but he does need more of a filter when it comes to swearing. Adrul and Adelo call him "uncle Ludwig", and that makes him sentimental.

#Patches oc #Santi oc #Grimbly oc #Morell oc #Vinnel oc #Fank-e oc #Nebul oc #Gallon oc #Sybastian oc #Ludwig oc

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smkkbert · 1 year

Text

Time for a story - Salvation

Massaging the palm of her hand with her thumb, Felicity watched Oliver from where she was standing in the frame of the door. He was sitting on the edge of the bed, his elbows resting on his knees. He was turning a little device that looked like a button battery between his fingers.

Felicity had seen Oliver like that a lot these last days. He was absorbed by his thoughts regarding that little device that Felicity knew would take him into a universe where he hadn’t lost his parents and still had the family he had now. It had been a little gift so to speak that had been given to him by the Time Trapper, a supervillain that he had helped Barry to chase not that long ago.

Since Oliver had told her about this pocket universe that the Time Trapper had created for him, she had tried to find a way to help Oliver decide whether he should go there or not. He was quarreling with the idea of going there only for a short visit, but there were things holding him back.

After her research, Felicity could take these things off his mind, but there was something inside of her that made her reluctant to do so. She had been thinking about the reasons for that for quite some time too. The answer was easier than Felicity had wanted to admit at first. She didn’t want Oliver to go because she was scared that he would love that pocket universe more than he loved their life here.

She had been avoiding admitting this truth to herself because she had thought it was crazy. She knew how much Oliver loved her and how much he loved their life together. She knew that she never had to worry about having to compete with any other woman. He had chosen to spend his life with her, and he chose so again and again every day. Just like she did.

When Oliver went into that pocket universe, Felicity wasn’t competing against some other woman though. Their life was competing with a life where they had everything they had now and Oliver’s parents were alive. It was like mint chocolate chip ice cream was competing against mint chocolate chip ice cream with whipping cream and hot chocolate sauce. It was the same with some nice little extras.

“You are staring at me.”

Oliver didn’t even turn his head to look at her when he said that. He didn’t have to, Felicity knew. He had good instincts. He had probably known that she was watching him since the moment she had laid eyes on him.

With a sigh, Felicity crossed the distance towards Oliver. She sat down on the bed next to him. She gently put a hand to his back and rubbed it up and down his spine. Her free hand reached out for that device that would lead him to his pocket universe. Just like Oliver had done before, she was turning it between her fingers now.

Wasn’t it weird that something this small could lead you into a different universe? It felt weird. Felicity knew that much.

“So, why were you staring at me?”

Felicity shot Oliver a brief glance, lifting her left hand and showing him her ring finger with her engagement ring and wedding band.

“I think I have bought the right to stare at you whenever the frack I want.”

Chuckling, Oliver grabbed her hand and kissed her ring finger. He knew she was right. She was allowed to stare at him whenever the frack she wanted.

A long moment of silence followed. The short banter that had lifted the heavy atmosphere around them stopped and took the light moment of fun with it. Again, the heaviness was left. The decision that Oliver had to make was filling the air.

“I can’t go there,” Oliver said and took the little device back to hold it in his open hand and look at it, “not without knowing the things I need to know. I-“

“-am luckily married to a really, really smart tech genius that doesn’t shy away to ask some friends to help her find out everything her husband needs to know to make a well-informed decision that isn’t based on fear.”

Oliver perked up his eyebrows. A thousand emotions were showing on his fear. In the break of a second Felicity saw astonishment and admiration, nosiness and hope, excitement and worry. With these and more emotions showing on his face, Felicity could assume what it looked like in his head.

Felicity moved her hand from his back to his shoulder and all the way down his arm to his hand. She linked her fingers with his and held onto his hand tightly. She put her free hand on the back of his, so she was holding his hand between both of hers.

“I talked to Cisco and Caitlin to find out more about these pocket universes and with the help of Lyla we could fill in the blanks.”

Cisco and Caitlin had been the first Felicity had reached out to for help. They knew a lot more about these superhuman activities than she did, and they had chased the Time Trapper alongside Barry, so Felicity had assumed that they had profound knowledge of how these pocket universes were built and set up. She hadn’t been disappointed, but even they had needed to acknowledge some blanks they couldn’t fill. That had been the point when Felicity had asked Lyla for help, and she had been able to get Felicity the information that she wanted by interrogating the Time Trapper himself. After he had been captured, he had been given into the care of A.R.G.U.S., and they weren’t known for being squeamish when it came to getting information out of their prisoners.

“It looks like these pocket universes are indeed made of copies. In your case, I guess there were copies made from several times and puzzled together to make the universe what it should be for you.”

Oliver nodded his head slowly, telling Felicity that he had at least understood it enough for her to continue. Felicity was almost surprised that he had understood it already. She was the one explaining it, and she wasn’t sure if she had understood it. It was just too much to wrap your mind around.

“So it’s… real?”

“It’s… some kind of reality,” Felicity replied with hesitation, “I guess. I mean the way it’s made sounds like a virtual reality, but it’s like the realest virtual reality there is.”

Oliver made a face that told Felicity that he hadn’t really gotten that part. Admittedly, Felicity wasn’t able to phrase what she was thinking about whether or not this was real. She wasn’t even sure what she was thinking about it.

“The people there seem as real as possible. You can see them, hear them, touch them,…” Felicity shrugged her shoulders and scrunched up her nose. “They even grow older and die, but it’s all part of an algorithm. The parts of the world that were copied can change, but nothing new can be created. Felicity and Oliver will never have kids. Nobody there will ever have a baby. Nobody will ever invent new stuff. All those copies will live in a loop. The only time that is different is when Felicity is crossing their ways because she is the only real-real person there.”

With a long sigh, Oliver rubbed his hand over his face. “So when she told me that Oliver was waiting for her-“

“-she probably thought so because he was telling her that he was. Truth is that the moment she was gone, he was pulled back into his loop of a day. According to the Time Trapper, maybe a little activity was added to his day. He might have watched out of the window for a couple of minutes and thought to himself ‘Is she coming back to me now?’, but it’s not more elaborate than that and always the exact same thought without any emotion.”

Felicity shook her head. The thought was real, but it didn’t come to him naturally. It was entered into him. That took away of the reality of it.

“So when I leave that world, everyone will go back into their loop?” Oliver asked eventually. “Nobody will miss me or feel like something has changed?”

“Well, they will probably think about it once a day, but they won’t feel any emotion with it,” Felicity replied with whispered voice, “but just in case there is a way to stop that universe from working. Once we leave there, I can freeze the universe. It will just freeze in time, just like everyone in it.”

Oliver looked at her with unmoving face for a moment. When he let out a long breath, it sounded like he wasn’t sure if he should roll his eyes about it or shake his head in disbelief. He let his head fall forward and moved his fingers over his scalp.

Felicity stayed silent. She had told him everything that he needed to know. Now he had to be the one making the decision. It was his pocket universe.

It took a long moment before Oliver lifted his gaze towards her again. Instead of a look of clarity, Felicity found him frowning at her though.

“You said ‘once we leave there’.”

“You really think I will let you go there alone?”

No, he couldn’t have possibly thought that. The way that the corners of his lips twitched into a smile was enough for Felicity to know that he hadn’t really thought so anyway. Yet, he was glad that she had reinforced on that already.

Oliver nodded slowly, breathed in slowly and then breathed out even more slowly. He had made his decision. Felicity could see it in his face. She even knew what he had decided on before he said it out loud.

“I think we should go there,” Oliver said, “just for one day. I just… if this is the closest I will ever come to telling my parents about the life I have now… I think I need to do it.”

Felicity smiled and squeezed Oliver’s hand.

“I thought that this is what you would decide on, so I asked Raisa to have a great day with the kids. We are expected to be back after dinner.”

Although she said it casually and didn’t make it sound like a question, she certainly needed an answer to this. Oliver got that of course. He nodded his head.

“We are back to kiss the kids goodnight,” Oliver promised.

Felicity nodded. When Oliver said it, she knew that he meant it. He didn’t plan a longer stay in his pocket universe. He just wanted to check it out and have the conversations with his parents that he had always wanted to have. He wanted to have them when his head was clear, not filled with Vertigo-induced fears and hopes.

“So how does this thing work?” Felicity asked with a nod to the device that would be able to take them to the pocket universe.

Of course she already knew the answer to this. She had made sure to know everything that she could know about these pocket universes and the gates. Felicity knew very well that giving Oliver a feeling of control and the need for his leadership helped to keep his head clear.

Without saying a word, Oliver tossed the button battery-like device to the floor and the gate opened. Felicity could already look into the other world. Moira and Robert Queen were sitting on the couches in the living room of the Queen Mansion while their grandchildren were playing on the floor. Oliver and Felicity were there too, standing a little aside and watching their children while they were playing.

It looked like the picture-perfect family moment. Felicity got why Oliver felt the need to experience that – a picture-perfect family moment with his old and his new family. They both should be here, but they had never clashed.

“Ready?” Felicity asked, squeezing Oliver’s hand once more.

Oliver released a trembling breath. Although he didn’t look like it, he nodded his head. Hand in hand, they stepped through the gate.

→ → → → →

The delicious scent of homemade cookies filled the air. Raisa must have been baking. It was the scent of his childhood, and Oliver immediately felt pulled back into so many cozy memories of his childhood. He remembered days of sitting in the kitchen with her and just sneaking some cookies before they had cooked down because they were just the best when they were still warm.

Once Oliver had processed the scent that filled the air and the childhood memories that came with it, his eyes started taking in his surroundings. The mansion looked exactly the way it had been when he had last been there before it had burnt down. The mansion here had the same furniture, the same curtains, even the same photos standing on the mantelpiece.

Although those things that had influence on his memory were already a lot to take in and process. To watch the people that were here with him was even more though. His father, who he hadn’t seen alive in twenty years now, was sitting on the couch and reading in the newspaper like he had done every day that Oliver had known him. Instead of holding a cup of coffee in his hand like he usually had, he was using his free hand to pet Hawk’s head that was resting in his lap though. Moira Queen was sitting on the other side of the couch table with Baby Mia sitting in her lap. William and Emmy were sitting on the carpet near the fire place and playing some kind of science game on a tablet. Millie, Addie and Tommy were sitting a few feet away from them and playing parcheesi.

Oliver couldn’t say how many times he had envisioned something just like this. He must have dreamed about it at least a thousand times since the day that Felicity had told him that she was pregnant with their first child. He had wanted something just like that to happen for so long. Now the moment was here.

Suddenly the world around him started moving. The stillstand couldn’t have lasted longer than a split second, but Oliver got the feeling that the image had already burnt itself into his mind.

When the universe they had stepped into started working, there was only a split second for everyone to continue with what they had been doing. A short moment later, the chaos unfolded.

Robert was the first to snap out of his activity loop. His fingers let go of the newspaper, so some pages dropped to the tables, while others ended up on the floor. He frowned, looking at Hawk’s head in his lap.

“Whose dog is that?” he asked, the confusion in his face also audible in his voice. His gaze lifted, taking in the rest of the scene, and his frown deepened in response. “And whose children are those?”

Moira frowned, too. Although her arm tightened around Mia’s body to make sure the baby wouldn’t slip off her lap, she looked at her with disconcertment. When she turned her gaze away, her eyes found Oliver and Felicity just a moment later.

“Ms. Smoak,” she said, “what are you doing here?”

She had barely ended her question when her head suddenly snapped around. She looked at her husband sitting across the table and opened her eyes wide. All color left her face. The shock about seeing the man that she had married and that she had thought dead sitting right in her reach was visible all over her face.

Oliver had to admit that he hadn’t thought about this part. He hadn’t thought how confusing it had to be for his mother to see her husband again. She had lived the last years, thinking that he had died because he had. This universe was just a delusion of reality.

“Where are we?” Tommy suddenly asked behind them.

The kids had stopped playing and were looking around in confusion. Apparently, they had no idea where they were. How could they?

“This place looks familiar.” Emmy frowned. “Like a castle…”

“Whose kids are that?” Robert repeated, looked at his wife and frowned. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Robert, I-“

Moira loosened her arm around Mia for a short moment. The baby girl leaned to the side to reach for something on the floor and almost slipped of her grandmother’s lap. Moira barely managed to catch her.

“Okay.”

Felicity stepped forward. Mia reached out her arms for her mother immediately, and Felicity carefully lifted her into her arms. Mia snuggled up to Felicity’s side and formed a tight fist around the neckline of her shirt. She didn’t want to be handed to anyone else, especially not to people that she didn’t know.

“Kids,” Felicity said then, turning to William, Emmy, Tommy, Millie and Addie, “I know this is confusing, but let’s just say that we are on a little adventure here.”

“Adventure?” Tommy frowned. “What-?”

“What does that even mean?” William asked. “I was back at M.I.T. a couple of minutes ago and now I am here and-“

“Like I said,” Felicity interrupted him firmly, “I know it’s confusing. Let’s just say we are on the kind of adventure that the Green Arrow or rather The Flash would be involved in.”

While William frowned the other kids looked at Felicity with excitement.

“But we are never allowed on such adventures,” Emmy whispered.

“This time, you are.” Felicity winked at her. “But daddy needs to talk some things through with… with the others involved first, so we will go outside and wait for our time to come.”

Felicity nodded towards the doors. The kids didn’t move though. They were still looking around. Only when Felicity cleared her voice and repeated her nod to the door with a little more emphasis, the kids turned around and left. After a short whistle, Hawk followed them too.

“Mom, wasn’t that granny and grandpa?” Emmy asked on the way out.

“I will explain everything to you outside,” Felicity replied with a sigh.

The doors closed behind them, and Oliver was left alone with his parents. He was left alone with the very much alive copies of his dead parents, who didn’t know they were dead but one of them knew the other was dead at least, and this weird meeting was happening in the house he had grown up that had burnt down. Felicity would have certainly been proud for that internal rambling, but Oliver told himself to focus. He had come here for a reason, and he didn’t have too much time.

“How is it possible that you’re alive?” Moira asked Robert, put a hand to her surely racing heart and looked back and forth between her husband and son. “How?”

“What are you talking about Moira?”

Robert’s voice sounded angry which was unusual. Oliver couldn’t remember that his father had ever been angry. He could have been strict, but he had always been calm, deadly calm even. The way his wife looked at him had to be somewhat unnerving for him though.

“Dad, Mom,” Oliver said calmy, stepping between the two of them, “I know this is confusing.”

“It is,” Robert said, his voice still angry, “so tell me what the hell is going on here.”

Oliver nodded and already opened his mouth to speak, but he realized that he didn’t know how to explain this. The entire story of what had happened, where they were and what would happen now was so very crazy. If he had trouble understanding it, how could he explain it to his parents?

“Dad.” Oliver took in a deep breath. Maybe it was best to just tell the truth and rip it off like a band aid. “Twenty years ago, we went on the Gambit together, and it went down. You didn’t make it, and it took me five years to get back home.”

He saw the incomprehension in his father’s eyes. He probably wondered if he should have his son tested for drug use. Oliver couldn’t hold it against him.

“Mom.” Oliver had to gulp hard. “Slade Wilson abducted Thea and you. He wanted me to choose who would live and whom he would kill. I couldn’t choose, so you decided to sacrifice yourself. You died seventeen years ago.”

It’s been so long, Oliver thought now that he had said it out loud. He knew a lot of things had happened. A lot of things had changed. Still, the pain of the trauma was still rooted deep within him. He had a lot of happy memories that he embraced himself with to hide the pain a little, and it had gotten less, but it was still there. Oliver doubted that it would ever go away completely.

“Like I said, I know it’s confusing. Someone with unimaginable powers tried to capture me by locking me into this universe, a pocket universe. You are copies of the people you were, and you were placed here with copies of other people that I love to make this universe everything I ever wanted. It’s a world where you are alive and get to meet my family. The kids that you have seen there are my kids. Well, they are copies of my kids at least.”

Oliver wasn’t sure if the expression on his parents’ faces were to tell him that they were close to suffering a stroke, or if they considered calling a shrink.

“Dad, I know that Thea is not your biological daughter. I know what happened with Goodwin. I know about the notebook. I know about the Undertaking.”

Robert’s head snapped around to Moira. She had put a hand to her heart, and looked at Oliver through tears in her eyes. Of course she knew that Oliver knew these things.

“I-“ Moira sucked in a deep breath and looked at her husband unapologetically. “After you died, things… things happened, and Oliver… I had to tell him, Robert.”

Although Robert looked worried, he put a hand to his wife’s back and nodded his head slowly. He might not have understood yet that he had really died, but at least he had realized that things he didn’t know about had happened.

“Mom, I also know that you paid Samantha Clayton a large sum of money to tell me that she aborted the baby.”

Moira’s face suddenly turned white. She tumbled back a step like Oliver had punched her in the face. Robert, although he looked confused about the news that there could have been or might have been a baby, put a steadying hand to Moira’s back.

“Oliver, I-“

“What’s important now,” Oliver interrupted his mother before she could say anything because he wasn’t sure if he was ready to hear it, “is that we are given this chance at spending the day together and doing the things we never got to do. You can meet my wife and my children, and we can make all the memories that we weren’t given in real life.”

Robert and Moira looked at each other. The expressions in their eyes were unreadable. Oliver thought about every possible outcome of this situation. There were at least a thousand reactions he knew were possible, varying from laughing and thinking it was a joke to completely freaking out about it. One of them might indeed suffer a stroke or a heart attack.

Oliver had to push that thought away though. It wouldn’t help him while he was waiting for his parents’ actual reaction. It felt like it took forever.

“None of this makes sense to me.”

Lowering his gaze, Oliver bit on his tongue. Maybe he shouldn’t have come here. His father had known about the Undertaking, so he knew how evil people could be. He didn’t know how powerful they could be though. If he, after years of knowing Barry, still didn’t understand it, how could they possibly understand it?

“But your explanation, as weird as it sounds, is the only one that explains this chaos. It explains why there was a dog on our couch and kids on our floor. It explains why everyone is behaving weirdly, and…”

Robert shrugged his shoulders. He really hadn’t understood it fully yet, but he did his best to wrap his mind around the possibility that Oliver’s story was true. He nodded his head slowly.

“I am willing to… engage with this… idea.”

Oliver couldn’t deny that he was surprised that his father was the one to agree to this first. He guessed it was the way Moira had looked at him before, completely in disbelief about Robert being alive. No matter why Robert had decided to engage with this idea, Oliver didn’t want to question it.

Hopeful to find a similar reaction in his mother’s eyes, Oliver looked at Moira. Although she should be much more open to the idea of this being true because she had known that he was the Arrow and she had been alive during the Undertaking, there were a lot more doubts in her eyes. She took in a sniffling breath and turned to look at her husband. Robert put his arm around her waist and looked at her intently.

It had been a long time since Oliver had thought of his parents and felt reminded of his marriage with Felicity. This was one of those rare moments, he guessed. The way that Moira asked Robert for his support without saying a word, Oliver had to think about the many times that he had Felicity had leaned on each other. Even with no word being said, they knew when the other needed support.

It was the first time that Oliver got to witness his parents like that and got to think about him and Felicity. His parents had died long before he had felt ready to commit to someone the way that he had committed to Felicity eventually.

“So the kids that have been here, the ones that Ms. Smoak took outside, are your kids?” Moira asked eventually, again taking in a sniffling breath. “All six of them?”

Oliver nodded. There were a million things he wanted to say right now. He wanted to tell them that William was his and Samantha’s son or that Mia was their foster child that they hoped to adopt by the end of the year. He wanted to tell them that Tommy wanted to be a doctor and that Emmy asked to take more and more lunch to school only for them to learn that she was giving it away to other kids that weren’t given any breakfast or lunch to take to school. He wanted to tell them that Millie was the easiest child in the world, always content and satisfied, and that Addie had come to them as an utter surprise that they couldn’t have loved more.

But Oliver said none of these things. He couldn’t. There was a thick lump in his throat. The millions of things that he wanted to say had formed one whole that made it impossible to speak. There was too much that he needed them to know for him to decide where to start.

“So you did leave your wild years behind you.” Robert sounded exactly like Oliver had remembered him all these years now. “When did Laurel and you get married?”

In some ways, Oliver had been married to Felicity for so long that he could barely remembered that he had ever been with anyone else. It didn’t feel like those times had been part of his life. It felt like some stranger had made these memories for him. Maybe that was even true because the person that Oliver had been was a stranger to him now.

“I never got married to Laurel. We broke up when… we didn’t get back together after I returned after the Gambit had sunken.”

Robert didn’t look surprised. He might have acted like he hadn’t known everything happening in his family, but Oliver was sure that he had known a lot more than he had let on. Given his own experience with unfaithfulness, Oliver guessed that his father had known that Oliver wasn’t faithful to Laurel. Looking back, Oliver guessed he wouldn’t have brought Sara to the Gambit if he hadn’t known deep down that his father had already known.

“I got married to Felicity.”

“Ms. Smoak?”

The way his mother reacted, nervous and even slightly taken aback, didn’t surprise Oliver too much either. She could probably guess that Felicity had told much more than just the fact that Thea wasn’t Robert’s daughter. She had told him everything that Moira had said to her that night, including that he would hate her if she told him the truth. She had tried to threaten her by using her feelings for him against her, but Felicity hadn’t let herself being threatened.

“Smoak?” Robert frowned. “Why does that name ring a bell? Distantly at least. Was she one of your classmates?”

“No.” Oliver shook his head and cleared his throat. “Felicity is a great deal in the tech world, has been since she was a young adult. Maybe you have heard of her that way. Queen Incorporated surely keeps tabs on promising up-and-coming stars of the branch.”

Robert’s frown deepened. “Queen Incorporated? You mean Queen Consolidated.”

Right, Oliver thought to himself. That was another thing that had changed only after his parents had died, and he had started his own family.

“No, I renamed the company to ring in a new area when Felicity took over the position at CEO.”

“Your wife is the CEO?”

“The best this company ever had,” Oliver said with pride in his voice, but he quickly remembered that he was talking to two former CEOs of the company, “no offense.”

The ghost of a smile flashed over Robert’s face. Oliver couldn’t say if it was because of how proud Oliver had stated that Felicity was leading the company or because of how he had tried to save himself from any anger being directed at him.

“The best CEO Queen Con- Incorporated ever had. Well, well…” He dipped his head to the side. “So the company is running well and-“

“Oh my God, Robert.” Moira slapped her husband’s chest lightly. “The company is not what matters right now.”

She stepped forward and grabbed both of Oliver’s hands. She had tears in her eyes and looked at him the same way she had looked at him back at Starling General during their first face-to-face encounter after he had returned from the island. There was hope and joy in her facial expression, but there was also worry and fear in it. She wasn’t sure if the son she knew was still the same person standing here in front of her now.

“Oliver, my beautiful boy,” she said, her voice sounding almost the exact way that it had all those years ago, “how- how are you?”

It was such a general question that it left Oliver with all the room possible to answer. He could tell his mother everything and nothing now because that was what she had asked for.

“My life has changed a lot in the past years,” Oliver explained, unsure where to start. “I have become mayor. I have invested a lot of money in charity. I have built a home for my wife and my children. I have gotten a dog.”

It was the part of talking about Felicity and the kids and, yes, even Hawk what filled his chest with the most pride. Becoming mayor had been a good thing and something to be proud of, but it wasn’t what he had wished so badly he could tell his parents. Giving money to charity made him feel good, but he had so much money that it didn’t feel like something that needed to be talked about. What he was really proud of was what he had achieved as a husband and father. He had built a happy family with the kids growing up in a somewhat safe and sound environment.

Maybe it was best to show them rather them tell them all of that though. That way why he had come here for. He had wanted his parents to meet the family that he had now.

“You should come outside and meet them.”

Moira, still holding Oliver’s hands, looked at Robert, who nodded his head. She then turned back to Oliver and nodded her head with a teary smile.

“We would love to meet them.”

They walked out of the living room and through the entrance hall into the garden without saying a word. There were still too many things to say for Oliver to choose which to tell now.

When they stepped outside on the terrace, Oliver took in the entire scene instinctively. Within seconds, he oriented himself and made out where everyone was and what they were doing. As safe as they probably were here in this universe and although he knew that they weren’t the kids he would raise until he died, he needed to make sure that he knew exactly where they were and what they were doing. If any crisis occurred, that knowledge would be needed.

William was carrying Mia around and showing her some flowers and just joking with her, making her giggle. Felicity, Millie and Emmy were playing fetch on the large meadow. Tommy was examining some stones that were set at the edge of the flowerbed. Addie was sitting in the middle of the floor of the terrace, leaning back against Hawk and telling him some story about an enchanted castle that she seemed to be making up as she spoke.

“Addie,” Oliver whispered and beckoned for the four-year-old to come over.

Addie looked almost nervous. She sucked in a deep breath, straightened up and patted some invisible dirt from her clothes. Once she had strolled over to Oliver and the grandparents she had never met, she stepped right next to Oliver, wrapped an arm around his leg and snuggled her head against his hip.

“Addie,” Oliver said slowly and moved his fingers through her blond hair, “this is your grandma Moira and your grandpa Robert.”

“I know.”

Moira perked up her eyebrows and kneeled down in front of Addie. Her face was completely soft, and she smiled at Addie warmly. She did her best to hide her tears, but Oliver could see them anyway. He was sure that Addie could see them too.

“You know?”

Addie nodded. Her arm tightened around Oliver’s leg as if she was seeking his support to answer. She kept her eyes on her grandmother though.

“I’ve seen photos,” Addie said, “at our chimney and in photo albums and at Aunt Thea’s home. You are Granny Moira and Grandpa Robert like Robbie.”

“Robbie?” Robert smiled and bent forward a little to bring his face closer to Addies while they were speaking. “Is that your brother?”

“No.” Addie chuckled. “He’s my cousin.”

“Your cousin?” Moira shot Oliver a quick look. “Thea has a child, too?”

“Two,” Addie answered quicky, “Robbie and Louis.”

Moira put a hand to her heart and took in a sniffling breath. Robert, who might not show his emotions that much but was visibly affected by that piece of information too, put a hand to his wife’s shoulder. It had to be a lot for them to take in how much their children’s lives had changed from what they remembered.

“Mom, Dad,” Oliver said softly, “this is Adelaide Megan Queen, the youngest of Felicity and my biological children.”

Addie frowned. “Mia is younger than me.”

“Right.” Oliver tapped the tip of his index finger against Addie’s nose. “Biological children means children that were born from mommy’s tummy.”

Addie leaned her head back and frowned at Oliver even more. “And what’s the name for children that were found in dumpsters?”

“A dumpster?” Robert asked.

“Long story,” Oliver replied briefly, lifted Addie into his arms and looked at her intently. “Does it matter what it’s called?”

“Nope.” Addie shook her head. “She’s my sister anyway.”

“Good girl.” Oliver placed some playful kisses on Addie’s cheek before he leaned his lips against her ear. “Do me a favor and get your siblings, okay?”

Addie nodded her head and started running to her siblings the moment that Oliver set her down. Oliver looked after her with a smile.

“A dumpster?” Robert asked again, cocking his head.

“Yes.” Oliver sighed. “Someone placed her in a dumpster, so Felicity and I would find her and take her in.”

“That was really generous of you,” Moira said.”

Oliver shook his head. “No, it really wasn’t generous. It was just right.”

The way his parents looked at him was something Oliver hadn’t seen a lot in his youth. He saw pride in their eyes. They supported the decision he had made and found it to be something great. Although Oliver was an adult now with a child that was almost an adult too – or at least felt like he was – he took pride in the fact that his parents were proud of him.

Tommy was the first of the children to arrive on the terrace. Just like Addie before, he was a little shy. He stepped next to Oliver and smiled cautiously.

“Tommy-“

“Tommy.” Robert chuckled. “How much did Tommy give you name your son after him?”

“That’s-“

“-a long story?” Robert asked.

Oliver scrunched up his nose and nodded his head. Everything was a long story when you hadn’t seen each other in decades. Saying that out loud wouldn’t do any good though. It was hard enough as it was.

“Everyone thought Uncle Tommy was dead, so mom and dad named me after him. And after you. Then Tommy came back, and now we both are Tommy.” Tommy grinned and shrugged his shoulders. “I like Uncle Tommy.”

Robert perked up his eyebrows. “You were named after me?”

Tommy nodded his head. “My name is Thomas Robert Queen. I am eight years old and I really want to be a doctor one day.”

“A doctor?” Moira smiled. “That is an ambitious aim.”

“Maybe.” Tommy shrugged his shoulders. “But I’ll try anyway.”

“That is a good attitude.” Moira winked at him. “I am sure you will make it.”

While Oliver was listening to the two of them, he also watched his father. He looked at Tommy like he had just told him that all his dreams would come true one day. Oliver guessed that having a grandchild named after him was something Robert hadn’t expected. He probably just really understood now that all of this might be true.

When Hawk started playing with a butterfly, chasing it with short breaks where he stood still and just watched it, Tommy’s attention was attracted by it. Oliver guessed it was his way of signaling that meeting his grandparents that he had always known to be dead was a little too much for him. That was why, when Tommy leaned his head back and asked for approval without saying a word, Oliver nodded his head, and Tommy went off.

“Your children are all very well-behaved.”

Oliver cocked his head at his mother. “Why do you sound so surprised?”

Moira smiled guiltily. “I’m sorry. It’s just… we tried our best, but we had to deal with drugs and fights.”

“And a patrol car that has been peed at.”

Snapping his head around, he looked at Emmy with narrowed eyes.

“Where have you heard that?”

“Uncle Tommy told me.” Emmy ginned unashamedly. “He told me a lot of things.”

“Remind me to rip his head off when I see him the next time,” Oliver mumbled and pulled Emmy in front him by her shoulders and turned to his parents. “Mom, Dad, this is the perfect proof that not all my children are that well-behaved.”

“Hey!”

Emmy’s complaint was accompanied by a frown and a pout that made Oliver’s heart warm. He stretched out his tongue towards her, making her laugh.

“And I’m the one that’s not well-behaved?” She rolled her eyes and turned to her grandparents. Oliver could feel her shoulders tense slightly when she took in a deep breath and reached out her hand. “Hi. I’m Emmeline Harper Queen, your granddaughter.”

“I’d say you are very well-behaved,” Moira said and shook Emmy’s hand, “so it’s a pleasure to meet you, Emmeline.”

“Thank you.” Emmy shot a pointed look back at Oliver before she turned to Robert. “It’s the first time that I meet a grandpa… I think.”

There had been a short time after Emmy and Tommy had already been born when Noah Kuttler had returned to Felicity’s life. She had been pregnant with Millie at that time. Noah’s return had given her hope that she could build a real relationship with him. All he had wanted had been using Felicity for his personal gain.

“So your mom’s dad is-“

“-not in the picture.” Emmy shrugged her shoulders. “I have nice grandma though, and she is married to Aunt Laurel’s father, so I kind of have a granddad.”

“Quentin isn’t married to Dinah anymore?” Robert asked Oliver.

Oliver just shook his head. To explain that divorce he would have to go into details of what had happened on the Gambit. He didn’t want to do that, so a simple no should be suffice.

“I wish I could meet your other grandma,” Moira said, “I am sure she has great stories to tell about all of you.”

Oliver frowned. He couldn’t imagine these two in a room together, never mind telling each other stories about their grandchildren. Oliver really tried to picture it, but Donna and Moira were so different that it seemed impossible.

“Oh, you need to meet Millie.”

Saying that, Emmy took three steps toward Millie, who was waiting a little aside for her turn it seemed. Emmy grabbed Millie’s hand and pulled her closed to where Oliver, Moira and Robert were standing.

“This is your granddaughter Camille Olivia Queen. She is younger than Tommy and me, but she is older than Addie, but only a year.”

“And one day,” Millie added.

Moira, who sensed that her granddaughter was rather shy, kneeled down in front of Millie and smiled at her.

“It’s nice to meet you, Camille.”

“Millie.”

“Millie,” Moira corrected quickly, her smile growing even warmer. “And what can you tell me about yourself, Millie?”

Millie puckered her lips like she was thinking really hard about this question. That was something that was really true to her and her character. She didn’t take things too lightly. When she was asked something, she was very considerate of the answer.

“I like winter,” Millie answered eventually, “and I like ice cream.”

“That’s a nice contrast,” Robert said.

Moira smiled and reached out a hand. Millie only faltered briefly before she stepped forward and put her hand in Moira’s and let herself be pulled a little closer. Millie looked at her grandmother for a long moment. When she sudden put her arms around Moira’s neck, Oliver couldn’t say who was the most surprised.

“Oh, Sweetie.” Moira was visibly touched by the hug and rubbed her hands up and down Millie’s back. “It’s really so, so nice to meet you.”

While Moira and Millie were holding each other, Oliver noticed that William approached them. He was still carrying Mia on his hip. She had rested her head against his shoulder and was baby talking to herself. If she was talking to anyone else, Oliver doubted that anyone would understand.

The realization what William’s approach meant made Oliver’s shoulders tense. He was barely able to talk to his mother about this. With William being there, it was even worse. Oliver had to contain his own feelings to give William room for his. He had been a child that had been robbed of his chance at having his father around. He knew that his father had been nothing like the man he was now back when he had been a child, but it was still a sensitive subject.

Luckily, William looked as little ready to have this conversation as Oliver did. That was why Oliver took Mia, who reached out for him already, from William, kissed her cheek and held her in front of him, so she could look at her grandparents.

“This is Mia,” he said, “our foster child.”

“The girl from the dumpster,” Robert said with a frown.

“We don’t call her that.” Oliver looked at him intently. “She is so much more than that.”

Oliver considered telling them that she was their biological child. Telling them that this was a pocket universe had been part. Telling them that the world consisted of many different earths that always shared some history but were so different in some things just seemed impossible though. It was too much.

“Hello Mia,” Robert said, took her little hand and shook it, “it’s nice to meet you.”

Mia hesitated. For a moment she didn’t do anything. She didn’t react at all. When she did react, she squealed and kicked her legs.

“I think she likes you,” Oliver said and kissed Mia’s temple. “I think she really likes you.”

“That’s good.” Robert smiled at her. “I intend to love and be loved by every one of my grandchildren.”

Oliver felt his chest ache in response. He wouldn’t get the chance to love his grandchildren or be loved by them. He wouldn’t get to meet them. This was the only day that he would have with them.

“And this is my son, William,” Oliver said suddenly.

He almost surprised himself by saying this. He guessed it was less painful to talk about that than to think about the fact that his parents had never really met his children. He had made his peace with both of these things in some ways, but the first was something that his mother had chosen that had a huge affect on one of his children. Maybe that made it even harder and even worse.

Moira looked sincerely sorry. She didn’t like this conversation. It was unpleasant for her. She barely dared to look at William. Her gaze dropped to the ground only for her to flash a glance at William a second later. It went like this for several minutes it seemed.

“I’m your grandpa Robert,” Robert finally broke the silence, reached out his hand and smiled at William. “It’s nice to meet you.”

William hesitated, but he put his hand in Robert’s and shook it. “I’m William. It’s nice to meet you too. Dad told me a lot about you.”

“Not just the bad things, I hope.”

“No, of course not.”

Turning to Moira, William sucked in a deep breath and held out his hand to her too. “Hi.”

Moira was so surprised that it seemed to take a moment for her to realize that William was taking a first step towards her. She caught herself just in time before her hesitation would become weird. She smiled nervously – there seemed to be a first for everything – and shook William’s hand.

“Hi, William.” She looked him up and down cautiously. “You look a lot like your father did at your age.”

The air was suddenly filled with so much heaviness that even William’s little sisters seemed to notice it. Mia released a low whine and squirmed in Oliver’s arms. Emmy grabbed Millie’s hand and pulled her away to where Tommy and Addie were playing with Hawk.

“I am very sorry for-“

“You don’t have to say it.” William squeezed his eyes shut for a moment before he looked at Moira intently. “And it’s okay. I have forgiven you a long time ago.”

Moira perked up her eyebrows and so did Oliver.

“You did?” she asked.

William shrugged his shoulders. “I always had a good life. I might have wondered where my dad was when I was a child, but I get it now. I had a great childhood and even though things have been weird when I first got to know dad and the family he had then already, I am kind of glad that I have missed some things in dad’s past. I mean I have heard of some hard times and given the times that I have been part of, I can’t even imagine what it would have been like if I had been a part of dad’s life back then already.”

Oliver didn’t need long to understand what William meant. If people or the media had known that William was his son by the time that the Gambit had gone down, they would have hunted him. After Oliver’s return and the first allegations made against him being the Hood, it would have been even worse. Oliver didn’t even want to think about what life would have been like for William if he had been in the picture when the world had found out that Moira had been involved in the Undertaking that had destroyed the Glades.

If Oliver’s life had always been the way it was now – calm and structured – William should have been a part of it from the start. Since Oliver’s life had been very different during the time that William had been a young child, maybe it had been for his own best that he hadn’t been part of it.

It didn’t really excuse Moira’s decision though.

“I… I think I did what I thought was best for my son.” Moira shook her head. “Seeing the life he- the life you have now, Oliver, I feel so sorry that I have robbed you of that, William. I am truly sorry.”

William nodded his head slowly and shrugged his shoulders. “What you did wasn’t right, but I get I guess why you did it and… if this day is all we have, I don’t want to spend it being angry with you.”

“Moira nodded her head, tears welling in her eyes once more. “It would be nice to really get to know you.”

“Yes, it would be.” William smiled shyly and pushed his hands into his pockets. “I think someone else wants to get to know you first though, so I will… keep the others company.”

He turned around and hurried away to the lawn where his little siblings were playing with Hawk. They had found some stick that they were playing fetch with. Hawk caught the stick midair most of the time, but he always brought it back, put it to their feet and waited patiently to be allowed to catch it again.

Felicity was nearing the spot where they Robert, Moira and Oliver with Mia in his arms were waiting. She had kept her distance the entire time, giving Oliver the time to introduce the kids to his family. She knew that he was the one that needed to make memories here. She would remember this too, but it was mainly important to her because it was important to him.

As soon as Felicity was standing at his side, Oliver shifted Mia’s body, so he could hold her against him with just one arm. He used his now free arm to wrap around Felicity’s waist and pull her against him. In a lot of ways, introducing her was actually the most important part because Felicity would take this memory with her too.

“Mom, Dad, this is my wife. Felicity.”

“It is a great pleasure to meet the woman that my son loves so much that he has decided to commit to her.” Robert reached out his hand. “I’m Robert.”

Felicity shook his hand with a smile. “It’s an honor to meet you too. When I was in school and later at MIT, I followed a lot of your work.”

“Oliver told me that you are in charge of Queen Consol- Incorporated now. I was wondering what the focus of the company is now. These last weeks, I-“

“Robert.” Moira touched his arm and shook her head. “I am sure that we don’t get to have a lot of time to spend with Oliver and his family. I don’t think that the company is what you and Felicity should talk about.”

Robert puckered his lips and nodded his head in agreement. Turning to Felicity, he asked, “So how did you and Oliver meet?”

Felicity shot Oliver a smile that touched him deep in his heart. Their first meeting would always be special to them. After a lot of dead ends and detours, it had taken them to where they were now.

“He brought me a laptop to repair,” Felicity said, “that he said he had spilled a latte on, but it actually had bullet holes.”

“Bullet holes?” Robert perked up his eyebrows.

“Never mind.” Oliver shook his head. “Fact is that she helped me with that laptop, and I came to her again and again and again.”

“With better excuses, I hope?”

“No,” Oliver and Felicity replied at the same time and laughed.

Robert smiled and was about to say something, but Addie approached him and took his hand.

“I want to show you something,” she said and pulled at his hand.

Robert shot a brief look back over his shoulder to Oliver and Felicity. Oliver wasn’t sure if he asked for approval or if he was just generally unsure about what he should do. It had certainly been a while since he had taken care of a child the last time. Even when Oliver and Thea had been children, Robert hadn’t been around that much.

Oliver only nodded his head, and Robert’s face relaxed a little. He sucked in a deep breath and smiled at Addie.

“What do you want to show me?”

Watching the two of them leave the terrace and going down to the lawn, Oliver smiled. He was sure that if Robert had been given the chance at watching his grandchildren grow up, he would have been very close with them. He had always had high expectations on Oliver, and he would have had high expectations on his grandchildren, but he would have been a lot softer towards them. Oliver was sure of that, especially given how lenient he had been with Oliver a lot of times when, looking back, maybe he shouldn’t have.

“I know what I have said the last time that we have met doesn’t really look like it,” Moira interrupted the silence, looking at Felicity, “but I think that I have known that you could be the right woman for Oliver the moment you have come to me and confronted me about what you had found out. With who Oliver is, he needs someone strong and someone who is not afraid to speak her mind. I am glad that he has found you.”

“Thank you.” Felicity smiled. “And I understand why you said what you said. You wanted to protect Thea from knowing the truth. You knew that Malcolm Merlyn would use Thea’s vulnerability to use her. You wanted to protect your child, and as a mother I understand that. I would do everything to protect my children from harm, so…”

Moira held out both of her hands for Felicity. When she took them, Moira pulled Felicity into her arms and hugged her gently. She whispered something in her ear that Oliver, although he really tried, couldn’t hear. When the two let go of each other, they both smiled for a moment.

Mia made herself be heard in that moment. She released a low cry and made an angry face.

“Someone doesn’t get enough attention, I’d say.” Moira smiled at Mia. “I think we should change that and show you around a little.”

Although Mia couldn’t possibly understand what Moira had said to her, she squealed happily and reached out her tiny hands for her grandmother to take her. Moira did so, resting Mia on her hip and started talking to her while she was showing her around the garden.

Oliver felt a breath that he hadn’t known he had been holding leaving his lungs. Tension fell of his shoulders and leaned his head against Felicity’s for a moment. She rubbed her hand up and down his back in response.

It was beautiful to watch his mother talking to Mia and making all the stupid face to make her squeal and keep her happy. It was just as amazing to watch his father being surrounded by his grandchildren and talk to them and laugh with them. It was incredibly unfair that none of this had happened on their earth and in their universe.

“It’s great to watch all of this,” Felicity whispered.

Oliver nodded his head and tightened his arm around Felicity’s waist. “Yes, it is. It’s… a beautiful moment.”

“It will be hard for you to leave here, won’t it?”

“Maybe in some way.” Oliver pulled back a little, so he could look Felicity in the eyes. “But I know we have our kids waiting at home for us to come back. That’s enough of a reminder that we have to go back. I just-“

Oliver bit down on his tongue and looked at his parents and his children. You could say what you wanted, but he still felt like this wasn’t real. He felt like a pocket universe just cheated on reality. It pretended to be reality because it was real, but it wasn’t reality.

“I just want a little more time.”

He knew it was a lot to ask. Every second that they spent here, it would be harder to leave. Felicity certainly knew that too because she knew Oliver so very well.

Still, she nodded her head. “Okay. Just a little more time.”

Oliver rested his forehead against Felicity’s. He doubted that he would forget why they needed to leave this universe. If he did, he knew that she would remind him why they needed to go back. If that didn’t work, she would force him to go back. He knew she would, and he was incredibly grateful for that.

→ → → → →

The day felt so unreal that Felicity felt like she was caught in some dream that she didn’t wake up from no matter how hard she pinched herself. Thinking about it, it actually felt like she was caught in Oliver’s dream rather than her own. That made it even weirder.

They spent a lot of time in the garden. Oliver and Felicity watched Moira and Robert getting to know their grandchildren for a while before they eventually joined them. Oliver’s parents were surprisingly good with the kids which surprised Felicity. She guessed with Raisa being around during Oliver’s and Thea’s childhood, she hadn’t seen the Queens parenting their kids much. Then again, she knew that that wasn’t fair since Raisa was part of their lives too, and still she didn’t think of herself as a bad mother.

Later they went inside. Raisa – who was just as confused about this as everyone else – had prepared coffee, tea, lemonade, cake, chocolate blancmange and waffles. It was like paradise for the kids. When they thought nobody was looking, Robert and Moira even fed Hawk some crumbs of cake or waffles and pushed a small spoon of chocolate blancmange in Mia’s mouth. They loved spoiling everyone around them it seemed.

While the kids were playing some time later, Oliver and Felicity told Moira and Robert everything else they wanted to know. They gave them insight on what had happened the past years and what their lives looked like now.

When they wanted to sit down for dinner around the large table in the dining room, Raisa came in and announced that Thea, Roy and their children had just arrived. What followed was another emotional reunion. Of course Oliver had told his parents about Thea and her life too, but seeing it with their own eyes was something entirely different. Roy and Thea on the other hand had woken up in this pocket universe, thinking everything was the way that it always was until they had received a text from Felicity, telling them to come over. That had been when they had noticed a newspaper article mentioning Robert and Moira.

“Thank you,” Oliver whispered during dinner, grabbing Felicity’s hand and squeezing it gently, “for inviting them over.”

Felicity smiled, holding Oliver’s hand between both of hers. She watched Roy talking to Robert nervously, while Moira and Thea talked about Robbie and Louis. The latter was sitting on Moira’s lap, while she was feeding him.

“I thought if we were having family dinner, they should be here too. That is what our family dinners would have been like.”

Oliver nodded his head, and Felicity could see the sadness in his eyes. Although he was making these great memories, he knew that it was just for the day. Soon they would have to say goodbye, and there was no coming back. What they had had today had to be enough for the rest of their lives.

“Maybe I should have asked Thea if she wanted to come here too,” Oliver said eventually, “to the pocket universe I mean. They are her parents too.”

Felicity squeezed his hand once more. “If you tell her what happened, I am sure that she will understand.”

Oliver sucked in a deep breath and nodded his head. He wasn’t entirely convinced. Felicity could see that. She knew that she was little she could say or do to convince him otherwise though, so she just stayed quiet.

Glancing at his watch, Oliver squeezed his eyes shut. “When we want to spend a little more time with the kids before they go to bed, we need to leave.”

Slowly Felicity nodded her head. She knew he was right, and she knew how hard it would be to say goodbye. There was something else in his eyes though, something even darker.

“Stopping this universe is not killing them,” Felicity whispered, shaking her head. “We erase it from existence, but it was never meant to exist. It’s… it’s like they are x-dimensional prints that we commissioned to be printed, but now we looked at some proof copies and decided to give them back. It’s… complicated, but it’s not killing them.”

Oliver didn’t look convinced. He looked at the face of his parents, his sister, their kids, and he didn’t look the slightest bit convinced. Seeing that, Felicity put her fingers to his chin and turned his head around, so he had to look at her.

“It’s not killing them,” she assured him, “I swear to you. If we stayed here and you died, everything else would to. This universe only exists as long as you exist. It feeds from your thoughts and feelings.”

Maybe Oliver still didn’t look entirely convinced, but he nodded his head and pulled back his shoulders. The change in his position didn’t go unnoticed. Moira put the little plastic spoon she was using to feed Louis away and tightened her arms around her grandson. She smiled, but it looked nervous and insecure.

“It’s time?” she asked.

Oliver nodded his head and held onto Felicity’s hand tightly. “Yes, it’s time. We have to go back.”

Robert and Moira shared a look. They had certainly felt like all of this was completely crazy, but the craziness also told them that this goodbye was a goodbye forever. As crazy as it sounded, it had to be true with how crazy everything else had been.

“Dad.” Oliver cleared his throat, got up and approached Robert, who was getting up too, at the head of the table. “Thank you for trusting me with your mission. It became my mission. I changed it, but your mission was the foundation of it. It has become so much more and-“

“My son,” Robert interrupted him and put a hand on his shoulder, “all I want for you is to appreciate the worth of your family and the worth of your privileges more than I did most times. If there is something I want you to take from me, it’s that.”

Oliver swallowed visibly and then nodded his head. After this day, he didn’t have to say that he had taken that from him. Robert had certainly seen it in the way Oliver had been around his children and he had heard it in everything Oliver and Felicity had told them.

Robert and Oliver hugged each other, and it made Felicity’s heart ache to watch it. It ached because she felt sorry for her husband who had to say goodbye to his dad now and would never see him again. She also felt an ache that came from missing her children. She was here with their copies which was the same in many ways, but she knew in her heart that it wasn’t. That was the only difference she needed.

When they released each other, Oliver turned to Moira. She was doing her best to hold onto her self-control but tears were welling in her eyes and she was shaking visibly. Thea took Louis from her, so she could focus on Oliver. The moment the baby was taken from her, she clutched the backrest of her chair. Oliver approached and just hugged her without saying a word.

“My beautiful boy,” she whispered, tears falling from her eyes now, “oh, my beautiful boy.”

Felicity felt a burning in her throat and tears welling in her eyes. Robert seemed to notice it. He walked around the table towards her, wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her against his side. It was weirdly comforting, and Felicity wasn’t sure if it was weird because she hadn’t known Robert for long or because she had never experienced this fatherly love. Either way, she leaned into his side and rested her head against his shoulder.

“I love you, Mom,” Oliver whispered, “and I know that everything you have done, even though it’s not right, was done to protect us. I get that, and I respect that. And I forgive you, and I love you.”

“I love you too,” she whispered, “and I am so, so happy that you built this life that you showed us today. I always knew you would.”

Mothers knew such things, Felicity guessed. Her children were still too young for Felicity to know, but she was sure that she would know once they were older.

“You will take care of him, won’t you?” Robert whispered, leaning his head so close to her ear that only she could hear him. “You will make sure that he doesn’t do anything stupid.”

Felicity looked at Robert and nodded his head. “Of course I will.”

“Good.” He smiled sadly. “Because I can see the way that he looks at you.”

It was weird to hear him say that. All those years ago, Moira had used the way that Felicity looked at Oliver as a way to threaten her. Robert didn’t use his observation like that though. He just wanted to put emphasis on the meaning she had in Oliver’s eyes.

“Felicity.” Moira turned to Felicity now, approached her and hugged her. “It was so nice to meet you again under better circumstances. My son couldn’t have picked anyone better. Thank you for being a part of his life.”

Felicity didn’t know what to say to that. She didn’t feel like it was right to thank her for being a part of Oliver’s life. She was a part of his life because she loved him and because she had chosen to spend the rest of her life with him. There was nothing she could say to what Moira had said to her.

Moira squeezed Felicity’s hands when she released her from the hug. The expression in her eyes was intent, and Felicity felt the need to nod. No matter what Moira asked of her, she knew that she’d do the best she could to do whatever Moira wanted her to do. It was for Oliver after all.

Slowly, Felicity let go of Moira and stepped to Oliver’s side. She looked at the face of her loved ones one by one and tried to comprehend how weird this moment was. It would never come back.

“I guess we don’t say goodbye because we will see each other in a couple of minutes?” Thea asked, frowning.

“I guess you’re right.” Oliver nodded. Then he turned to Felicity. “All of this is weird.”

“I know.” Felicity put a hand to his heart briefly before she hurried to take the little device out and opened the portal. Their bedroom was waiting for them just like they had left it this morning. “Time to go home.”

She grabbed Oliver’s fingers and laced hers through them. Leaving here was hard for him. He looked at the faces of his family and the pain of knowing it was time showed on his face. Felicity was sure that he would be haunted by this in his nightmares. He would leave and be back in his life the year after he had returned from his five years away.

But that wouldn’t happen now. Now they would come back to their life in Starling City. They would come back to their jobs and their home and their kids. They would come back to a good life.

Tightening her hold on his hand, Felicity approached the gate and took Oliver with her. He was walking backwards, watching the people around the table for as long as he could. Felicity knew how much he wanted to remember this moment, so he could remind himself of it whenever he missed his parents or regretted that his children had never had the chance to get to know their grandparents.

Only when they reached the threshold of the gate, he sucked in a deep breath and gathered his courage to turn around. He looked through the gate at the other side that was waiting for him. His body was full of tension.

“Oliver.”

Felicity’s voice was lowered to a whisper, but it was all Oliver needed. He looked at her, saw the encouragement in her eyes and visibly relaxed. His shoulders lost tension. His lungs released the air they had been holding. Smiling, he nodded his head at her.

“Time to go home,” he whispered.

Felicity smiled back at him and nodded her head too. “Time to go home.”

They took the step through the portal at the same time, knowing it was indeed time to go back to the life they had and be grateful for what they had and the memories they had been able to create today. That was what this pocket universe had been – a chance to make memories that real life had never been able to offer.

Thinking about it, Felicity knew that that were the words she would use in case Oliver would ever need reassurance that their decision to leave there had been the right one. She doubted he would, but just in case she would memorize those words just like she would memorize this day. After all, it was nice to know that her parents-in-law would have liked her if they had ever had a chance to meet her as Oliver’s wife.

Back in their bedroom, Oliver looked at Felicity. “Back home.”

Felicity nodded. “Right where we belong.”

Oliver touched her cheek with his fingertips. “And with whom we belong.”

Again, Felicity nodded. “Yes. With whom we belong.”

* * *

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aesopsoul · 6 months

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holiday niche

(nov. 29 2021)

our holidays used to be spectacular, a gigantic event that lasted until the next week, having the time of our lives with endless gifts, wonderful food at all times of the day, and the best part? family.

now, i’m not one that is extremely immersed within the family, like my other kin. as time progressed, however, i’ve come to conclude that i adore observing and absorbing my family and their little niches that only occur in the holiday season.

as the years come and go, holiday gatherings have dwindled down to just my parents and sister, my grandparents and aunt.

which i believe my family has agreed to be just enough.

i suppose the best way to define our little cluster of a family is "tight-knit." i never knew much of the family drama until fairly recently, and i learned that there’s a pretty good reason we don’t visit cousin jennifer and don’t go out of our way to see her snot nose kids, either. every member of our family has something slightly off with them, that seems to come out more often than not during the season of giving.

my aunt’s favorite aspect of the season is seeing my sister, me and my father, she loves to talk to us and only us.

it's always has been that way. we won’t even have the time to take our shoes off or to put down the food we brought with us before she swoops in to take us to her bedroom and watch the newest funny video she’s found online.

her room, while a bit cramped, is a safe place. lit mostly by natural light, candles, and a single lamp, it’s cozy and safe. incense burning and the sound of water filtering through a mini rock formation that sits on her dresser, her posters from korean bands and japanese films covering her walls from corner to corner, polaroids and printed family photos from the 2000s, her rabbits, and scenery stuck in her mirror that sits on her vanity, in which is covered in multiple hairbrushes, korean skincare, miniature figurines, and a stack of photos not yet hung up. the floor pillows and blankets covering the carpeted floor offer a sense of comfort, since we all can’t fit on her twin sized bed safely anymore.

if we weren’t hanging in her bedroom, it would be the kitchen/dining room that we all would be in. my grandmother seemingly permanently stuck within the confines of the kitchen, whether it be by the counter or over the sink, i would sit on the barstools or stand by the oven and talk to keep company, telling of my recent affairs with the general public between my jobs as a barista and a cashier, there are always quite the characters. my grandparents tend to not leave the house as much, simply with their fear of the current global pandemic and world affairs (as well as my grandma never getting her license renewed), my aunt takes them on outings as often as she can, depending on her insufferable job at the county police force. my grandma always tells me that she’s glad im able to relay the funny and bizarre aspects of the world to her as often as i can, and always says “oh im glad i don’t work, i simply would not be able to handle it!! people suck.” and while she is right that people do suck, i also love seeing people and how they get excited about whipped cream on a hot chocolate or the polite chuckle in response to kids crying in the cart behind them.

i love being around people and just observing them.

with dinner drawing near, my grandma always calls out to the rest of us, despite the fact that we’re all still in the dining room,

“now go grab something to drink!”

and we listen, my sister and i head to the finished basement to the mini fridge; stocked with sodas, chocolate milks, and waters. selecting a sevenup or sunkist, we are offered a glass by my grandma for such high-end drinks.

once we are all seated at the table, and food is passed around, my grandpa- seated at the head of the table- asks my father- who is seated at the other end- if he had caught the game last night. it never mattered what the game was; basketball, baseball, or football, my dad’s response was always “i saw half of it, turned it off whenever we were so far gone there was no chance.” and with a hum in response from my grandpa, he would divulge into a play-by-play to my dad of the final moments of the game, regardless if the points were 45-2, with our designated team being the 2. With always the dreaded questions of how school or work has been lately, i love to tell of the fun characters that come into the coffee shop in town, or how my classmates still don’t know the difference between your and you’re. treading lightly on the current political climate, since so many of us have such opposite views, it’s better to just sigh dramatically and go “it’s been rough” and leave it at that.

the clinks of forks and knives against the fine china as someone gets up to get another helping out of the linked crockpots, dinner slows until the final fork stops. in which we are left to clean up and talk of anything new and exciting that’s left to discuss, as my grandmother retreats to the kitchen, and my aunt, sister and me into her bedroom, we let the adults talk until it’s time for dessert of either a pie, cake, or an array of small treats. either way, the main aspect that always brings us back to harmony is food. and nobody knows it better than my grandmother.

regardless of the season or time of year, there is the comfortable routine that is always brought on by the smaller part of our family, and frankly, im glad we stopped with the overwhelming amount of family within one place. the stuffy air, and the lacked avoidance of political and social talk. perhaps it was always meant to be this way.

#writers on tumblr #new writers on tumblr #open to criticism #creative writing #stream of consciousness #stream of thoughts #short story writing #writeblr

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trixytheunicorn · 4 years

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Roommate: I'm gonna go get some whip cream

Me: *makes a face*

Roommate: I know it's late-

Me: Just whip cream? By itself?

Roommate: Yep.

A minute later

Roommate, walking back into room: *dispenses whipped cream straight into mouth, stuffing herself and having difficulty functioning*

Me: You collapse beneath your hubris.

Roommate, who doesn't know the definition of hubris, and whose mouth, upon opening, is filled with only whipped cream, rendering speech functionality useless: Whuh-

Me, who saw the question coming but didn't expect her mouth to be a void of cream: *explodes with laughter*

#laughing rn #college antics #she's still absorbing that whipped cream #and every time I hear the sound of it dispensing I hold back the urge to laugh #ada thinkthunk #yes i say stuff like this aloud #she said afterwards that she felt like one of those playdoh toys and if she wasn't careful she would end up with cream coming out her nose

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jaigny · 2 years

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Regina Black as DEMONICA!

Regina Black (Real name)

Demonica (Drag name)

Age: 26

Pronouns: Them/They

Sexual Orientation: Allosexual

Traits: Gregarious, Party Animal , Hot Headed & Self Absorbed

Regina was born as Intersex.

After leaving her parents home in Oasis Springs for the city, they went to their very first drag show in Bridgeport and it was at that moment they knew that they wanted to expand their fabulous self out more into the world via Drag.

So Regina introduced herself backstage after talking to the manager and thus introduced themselves to the rest of the Show Qweens, learning what it takes to make a successful drag, the makeup, costumes and even invited Regina back before opening hours as a trial run and thusafter the group thought over what name to give Regina since she liked horror and thriller movies and such -- thus Demonica was born.

Though she was a beginner into the Drag industry the crowd loved her hilarity and looks -- though most were probably quite juiced and don't remember -- but they as well as the queens egged Regina to continue her Drag Queen journey.

That was about 2 years ago and even now as she gets paid part time either dancing on stage or serving drinks as a drag barmaid in her latest gussied up outfit. Later that night while the qweens were cleaning up and chatting about as they pulled heavy synthetic wigs and eyelashed off in a satisfied sigh, one Drag Qween called Milkshake ( Think Katy Perry with whipped cream and cherry bra but enormous implants) only clad in her top and one half of her face wiped off alone with her hair net still pinned in place gave an almighty squeal as she shoved her smartphone into the other drag queen's faces which got everyone talking and chatting about the Atticus Drag Competition and all the experienced queens gave it a thought that Demonica should make an entrance -- though Regina said they'd be in Oasis Springs visiting their parents and might be able to enter but if not there would always be another opportunity.

So when in Oasis Springs much with their families support one evening and a good location not to far from home incase it was difficult with their outfit maneuvering etc Gussied their self up and posed - though bt nervous - for their first competition behind a eroded stone wall their little heart out.

*Her files will be private*

P.S. I'm still kinda working on all her outfits and looks so it was only a quick photoshoot.

@mangosimoothie

This was out of my normal sim making and it was fun - though i tried my best when you have her files your free to edit her more accurately.

#the sims 4 #atticariotdragula

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collidingxworlds · 2 years

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Plotted starter for @aubainmary - Gabriel & Mary McCall

Louisville, Kentucky. A city in the States not too different from many others, with its skyscrapers, busy roads and little shops. People walked along its pavements, the traffic flooded, and all life went on, absorbed in its routine and unaware of what dangers lurked in the shadows just outside the lines of what was considered expected and “normal”.

Even when a disturbance rippled the flow, be it a mildly annoying occurrence or a more gruesome crime, the creases tended to be smoothed out quickly, swallowed away in the mass of individuals, each and every living their existence in the role of a faceless protagonist, that populated the city, leaving behind just a few broken pieces that were forgotten just as quickly.

This considered, the fact that the recent incidents that had been happening all over the area hadn’t attracted the attention of the most prominent part of the public opinion despite their oddness. The three deaths had been ruled out as accidents, despite the fact that some details just felt off, while the victim of the other episode was spending her days in a psychiatric ward, heavily sedated, while the doctors waited for her to come down from the peak of her psychotic break.

Because, after all, monsters and ghosts weren’t real. Because, after all, a person couldn’t have humanly managed to saw themselves in two without bleeding out first. Because, after all, inanimate machines just didn’t come to life with murderous intents.

Gabriel, or Loki, as he was called these days, pondered mankind’s stubborn incredulity not without a good dose of amusement. There was something wondrous in how blind humans could make themselves, even to the most obvious facts, when they defied their logic and understanding. It made playing his pranks almost too easy at times. But then again, in times like the current, with hunters lurking around everywhere and the End of Times quietly crawling closer and closer, perhaps it was better that way. He had lived through eras where he had been feared and worshipped, enough to be allowed to almost walk in the open wearing the mask of the persona he had chosen to be, but things had changed. Not necessarily for the worst, but enough to force him to adapt his tactics.

And thus how he had ended up there, making and serving milkshakes, all delicious and some also spiced up with a curse, when the receiver deserved it, in his eyes. Why wait for the souls to fall into Hell’s gaping jaws, when he could serve a good old Earthen contrappasso with whipped cream on top?

The bell set on top of the shop door rang, snapping him out of his thoughts and warning him that a new costumer had arrived. The Trickster’s golden eyes shot up from where they were locked on the fresh fruit he had been cutting up and landed on the blond woman who had stepped inside the shop

The first thing that stuck his inhuman sense was the strong smell of dough and sugar that filled his nostrils, but the mouthwatering scent was quickly forgotten as soon as he felt the unmistakably heavenly aura that she was giving off. Tainted, impure, but still celestial in nature. A single word, one with the taste of the forbidden, echoed in his mind, loud and clear.

Nephilim.

“Hello there!” He greeted, in a politely friendly tone. His hand moved to “casually” adjust his tag, which currently spelled “Steve”. Easy to speak, even easier to forget. “Welcome to Sweet Shakes.” Ugh, what a boring name. Whoever had come up with it could have done much better. “What milky delicacy can I provide for you today, Miss?”

#* They call me Gabriel * ::ic ; Gabriel::#* Imagination. The final frontier. These are the voyages... * ::threads::#* Dough and Grace * ::thread::#aubainmary #(( I hope this works! ))#(( lmk if you need me to edit it! ))#violence tw #(( beam me up scotty ::queue:: ))#v. God of Mischief and Trickster extraordinaire ::pre series verse ; Gabriel::

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clarawatson · 3 years

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It Only Takes A Taste (2)

Pairing: Aaron Hotchner x [Fem]!Reader (GN pronouns, fem coded) Summary: it’s your second time meeting Aaron. He’s still flustered and precious but he (might) manage to give you his number. W/C: 2113 Warnings: none yet! A/N: i haven’t got chapter names yet, just accept they’re all called ‘it only takes a taste’ haha. AO3 tags: @willowrose99 @genevievedarcygranger @maryosprinkle @kleff03 (if you want to get added, lmk!!) Where am I in this series? 01 | 02 | 03 | 04

The next time you meet him, it’s 2am. Rita’s three weeks off her due date. She’s been staying at Joe’s place, with his wife, because the heating’s gone out in her apartment and her super is a foul man. If you were inclined to murder, he’d be first on your list. Right now she’s out the back, trying to wipe chocolate sauce off her uniform. The baby’s been kicking for hours and knocks things around the counter sometimes. At least it isn’t throwing her ribs out this time.

There’s a couple of teens drinking milkshakes in the window, they’ve snuck out after bedtime and they’re giggling to each other about how bad they are. You’ve seen their parents drive by twice (they’re regulars after school) but no one’s come in yet.

The agent drives by, and then does a u-turn and comes back. It was literally a double take, no matter how you look at it. You clearly saw him slow down and try to look in the window as he tried (desperately tried) to stay on the main road. And then he’d turned around and come back.

He’s even prettier dry than he was wet. (Your mind spirals to where that could have gone, which is not something you expected from a 2am shift). He’s loosened his tie and his hair is falling free of the gel. He looks less tired, and yet more tired. A different kind of tired. This one would be fixed by a good night’s sleep.

“Hi,” he says with a little quirk in his lip that could be him fighting off a smile.

“Hi,” you return with a full smile. He sits in front of you and steeples his fingers under his chin.

“I’m Aaron.”

A fortnight you’ve been wondering his name and he just swans in and hands it to you on a silver platter. Bless him and his beautiful brown eyes.

“Y/n,” you introduce. “And what can I get for you tonight, Aaron?”

“Maybe not a coffee.” He doesn’t break eye contact with you. He has such a cheeky smile you almost want to reach over and wipe it off his lips. “A hot chocolate would do. I’ve got to sleep enough to take my kid to school.”

“Have here?” Your hands hover over the in-cups and the out-cups. He taps his finger against his chin.

“In.” He folds his hands and you notice he’s not wearing a wedding ring. Kid, no wedding ring, weird hours. Could be a score, could be a serial killer. Could be both! No. Not both. There will be no fraternising with serial killers. Not if you respect your life.

Would it be weird to ask him where he works? If he works for one of the alphabet soups, will it get you in trouble? Maybe. People don’t like you poking around when sensitive information could be involved. You still ask anyway while the coffee machine has it’s little dummy spit at having to work at two in the morning.

“Quantico,” he says. He probably saw you trying to figure out how to ask. And that’s really all he can say. Maybe. He waggles his eyebrows just a little and you think he’s maybe a little too cheeky for this early in the morning. If Rita was working she’d be swooning all over him.

“That’s very prestigious, but, sir, I don’t think you have the security clearance to be in this diner if you only work at Quantico. We deal with Area 51.”

“Long commute,” he teases.

You raise an eyebrow. “That’s what the uneducated think. I can break a few rules as long as you don’t start asking questions. No asking about where they keep the aliens, okay?”

“Never.” He wraps his hands around the mug as you push it to him, absorbing it’s warmth.

“Did your son like the cookie?” you ask. Is it weird to remember he has a son after one interaction? Or the cookie? But he smiles. It’s okay.

“He’s actually in love with it. He’s not stopped talking about it. I think my sister-in-law might kill me.”

“Joe’s magic in the kitchen. I’ll save a couple of cookies if you know when you’ll be in next?”

Is that too forward? Maybe. He pulls out a little day book and places it before him.

“Is Thursday too soon?”

“No,” you say, shaking your head. You make a note to tell Joe you’re working on Thursday. “Sounds like a good day to collect a cookie.”

“If someone could cut this monster out of me, that would be GREAT!” Rita yells in the kitchen. Her voice is still far too loud out here. Aaron finally drops his gaze from yours, grinning into his hot chocolate.

“Shit, babes, I’m serious. I’ll got for a pocket knife at this point. I’m hot, and it’s not hot, I have to piss every four minutes, I can’t even sit in a car properly and taking the MET is stupid because I still have to pee!” She stops up short, seeing Aaron, and blinks as if she could erase her last comment. “Hi, sorry, you’re rain boy.”

“I prefer Raymond.”

There’s a beat where you try to figure out what the fuck he’s talking about. The cheeky demeanor falls from his face.

“Rain Man! Tom Cruise! Smile." Aaron has no option but to smile at Rita. Too late you realise she's checking the alignment of his teeth to actually equate him to Tom Cruise. "Raymond, for sure. Shit, that’s funny,” Rita laughs, groans, and turns on her heel out the back. She needed to pee again. Aaron smiles just a little.

“Want some pie?” you offer. There’s still a bit left. Joe won’t be in for another hour or so, but there’s some in the oven to take out just before three. Aaron nods.

“Yeah, please.” He puts too much money in the tip jar again. Hands you the exact money for the pie. Had he looked at the menu online? Maybe he had. You take a slice out for him, then a slice for yourself. No harm in that. The whipped cream goes on his like a mountain. You put a bit beside your own pie slice, but Aaron’s grinning.

He looks like he may do something childish. He doesn't, though, as you join him in pie eating. The teenagers start giggling about something they're watching on their phone.

Rita comes back looking more tired than usual. Her whole body looks tired as she gets her purse and rubs her belly.

"Say bye to Rita," she says without much playful effort.

"Bye Rita," you return and kiss her cheek as she lifts it to you.

"And to Baby."

"Bye Baby, be good for Mom."

Rita snorts. Joe gives you a list of things to do while he's taking Rita home. Apparently Lola's coming in to replace Rita, but that's only going to be proven by Lola actually turning up. Aaron raises his hand around his fork and waves. Rita waves back and waddles out the back.

"Is she okay?" you ask Joe, and he nods. He waves goodbye to Aaron, even though he hasn't introduced himself yet. Aaron waves too.

"That's a lot to worry about," Aaron says. You shrug and reach over the counter to Aaron's plate, taking some of his cream. He laughs and puts his arm around it to protect it.

"They're family. Less worrying, more caring."

He nods as if he understands. "Might use that sometime."

"You're welcome to."

He gives you a smile that only uses half his face. Gosh, he's cute. But it’s nothing more than fleeting night time visits, right? Okay, maybe not, he clearly turned his car around because he saw you working. You catch him staring at your left hand, studying it intently. No one wore rings at the diner, just because everything got stuck underneath them and there was nothing worse than having a maple syrup adorned wedding ring.

“There’s no one,” you tell him, which flusters him entirely. He smiles and looks down at his pie, blush creeping over his face. “Weird hours in a place like this? Hardly a brilliant base to build a relationship on.”

“Yeah.” He might want to say more, but he’s smiling at you again. “Weird hours, strange place, know that story.”

“Sucks, hey?”

“Oh yeah.”

The teens from the window go home when they’ve finished their milkshake. You tell them to get home safe and pray their parents don’t come in asking where they went. Aaron scraps his plate, scooping up the cream and pie soupy mess.

“I have to go,” Aaron sighs. He runs his hand through his hair and his fingers get stuck in the left-over-gelly-mess. You smother a giggle as he rolls his eyes and pulls his hand out with tiny little crack-crack-crack’s. It sounds painful.

“I’m going to shower and get this shit out of my hair.”

“It’ll look nice without it in.”

“Yeah?”

“Oh yeah.”

He blushes, returning to the man you’d met coming out of the rain.

“Well I’ll remember that for next time.”

Your heart jumps. Next time! There’ll be a next! Time!

“Listen, hey, um,” Aaron says as he stuffs a couple of bills into the tip jar. “Here--” he stops again, then shakes his head like he’s giving himself a vote of confidence. “This is…” he stops again and licks his lips, then pulls out a business card from his suit pocket. He scratches his number onto the blank back, and then Aaron at the top. “My number,” he managed to finish.

“Thanks,” you respond before wanting to smack your head onto the counter. Thanks?!?! There are a hundred better things to say. “W-when do you want me?” When do you want me??? “To be here, on Thursday, for the cookies.”

Aaron’s gone red. Your face is hot. This is a disaster. There’s no fixing this disaster. There’s no fixing it at all. But Aaron smiles all the same.

“U-uh. I’ll text you?” he looks so flustered.

“You haven’t got my number,” you giggle, because he hasn’t. You’ve got his. He looks like a tomato as he blushes even more. “How about I text you my number, and you tell me when you’re free, and I’ll make sure there’s three cookies set aside for you that no one else buys.”

“Three?”

“You, your son, your sister-in-law.”

“I could really use you at work,” he laughs and… sits back down. Four seconds ago he was in such a rush to leave, and now he’s looking at you like you’re his whole world. He’s so precious, you wish you could just put him in a jar and protect all that goodness from the evils of the world. Surely he couldn’t have met too many of them just yet? He’s still got a smile that could brighten up the night sky, people who’ve seen all the hurt and pain in the world can’t smile like that.

“I don’t think I’m clever enough to get into Quantico. Unless they like people serving them coffees,” you smile gently and he tilts his head while looking at you. A curious puppy. You want to lean over and squish his cheeks for thinking you could be anything more than a server at a roadside diner.

“You’d brighten the place up.”

“You brighten my place up.” Corny, highschool grade flirting. He smiles all the same. Can he smile any more than that? Probably not, he might combust and become a star. “You know you don’t have to keep putting money into the tip jar, right? Not the amount you do. Most people just put in their change.”

He looks at the tip jar. “It’s for Rita’s hospital bills, right? It’s why she won’t look at it, because she’s embarrassed, but also why you and Joe count every bill that goes in it.”

“Alright, Sherlock Holmes.”

“It says on the jar,” he jokes, and points to the permanent marker that’s bled through the otherside of the tip jar. You laugh. Aaron laughs.

“I do have to go.”

“Go,” you laugh. “I’ll text you when I’m off my shift.”

He nods, looking a little sad to go, but also a little excited. He must really love his son.

“I’ll see you on Thursday, Y/n.”

“I’ll see you on Thursday, Aaron,” you return and watch him leave. Shit, he’s even cuter leaving. He even waves from his car before he drives off. You’re close to squealing when the bikie gang pull up, flooding the carpark, then all come in ready for their coffee. At least Aaron’s hot chocolate warmed up the machine for them.

#It Only Takes a Taste #aaron hotch x reader #aaron hotchner x reader #diner!au

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sisterspooky1013 · 3 years

Text

Better Than Sex

Author: SisterSpooky1013

Rating: Teen and up

Words: 1666

Tagging: @today-in-fic

Read it on AO3

“Better Than Sex Cake” Mulder read aloud from the menu before looking across the table at Scully with his eyebrows raised in question.

They had just concluded an evening traipsing through an (alleged) actual ghost town, though no signs of ghosts were to be seen. Just a lot of graffiti, dirty mattresses and a used condom or two. Now they were sitting at the first diner they came across, Mo’s Café, and Mulder was considering the sex cake.

“Knock yourself out, Mulder, I’m sticking to coffee.”

“You aren’t curious as to whether this cake is, in fact, better than sex?”

“Well I’m sure it’s better than bad sex, but if it were better than great sex the population would die out because everyone would skip procreating and just eat cake.”

Mulder considered her statement. “Isn’t ‘bad sex’ somewhat of an oxymoron?”

She gave him an incredulous look. “Are you being serious?”

Now it was his turn to look incredulous. “The only bad sex is no sex, as far as I’m concerned.”

Scully shook her head ruefully. “Must be nice to be a man.”

Just then the waitress came by to take their order. Scully requested coffee and dry toast, while Mulder opted for coffee and the aforementioned sex cake. After she collected their menus and retreated to the kitchen, Mulder eyed Scully appraisingly, gaging her mood. Sometimes she was open and willing to talk about things of a personal or private nature, other times she kept her lips as tight as a steel trap. He suspected he might have a chatty Scully on his hands, and didn’t want to waste the opportunity.

“So, if I’m understanding correctly, Scully, there would be a circumstance under which you would choose a piece of cake over sex?”

She screwed up her mouth a little, not in consideration of how to answer the question, but whether to answer it at all. “Depends who the sex is with, I suppose, but yes, I could think of a few times where cake would have been a more enjoyable option.”

“Hm” was his only reply as he sat back against the seat of the booth, absorbing this information.

“Are you saying you’ve never had sex that was subpar enough that cake would have been better?”

He pulled in a deep breath and looked to the ceiling briefly, and she could imagine him running through his mental file of sexual encounters. “I don’t think so, no.”

“Is it wrong that I feel compelled to kick you right now?” She asked, just a hint of playfulness in her voice.

He laughed.“I’m not saying that every single time was Oscar-worthy, but even the worst was still better than some flour and butter.”

“And they say male privilege isn’t real” she deadpanned as the waitress came by to present them with two coffees, cake, toast and a tray of sugar and cream. She mixed the accoutrements into her cup while Mulder sipped his black, followed by a bite of the cake, which looked like a basic white cake with some kind of custard and whipped cream on top.

“This is pretty good, though I can’t say it lives up to its name” he said around the food in his mouth, pushing the plate towards her and holding out the fork suggestively. She took it and stabbed a small bite, meeting Mulder’s eye as she pulled the tines from between her lips. It was good, as most cake is, but nothing to write home about.

“Well?” He asked expectantly.

“Well what? She returned, wiping her finger at the corners of her mouth.

“Is it better than sex?”

She paused before answering, knowing that Mulder was going to keep picking at this until it got uncomfortable. He liked to do that, to see how far he could get her to go before she blushed and demanded they change the subject. He took immense pleasure in making her squirm, and even more in getting her to reveal something personal that he normally wouldn’t be privy to. Sometimes, she had as much fun indulging him as he did in goading her. She wasn’t above sharing something that she knew would shock him, just so she could see the look on his face. She liked that she could still surprise him.

“Not better than all sex, but certainly better than some of the sex I’ve had, regrettably.”

“What would make sex so bad that cake is better? I must know.”

“I think you can use your imagination, Mulder.”

“Come on, Scully, you could be saving some poor woman from ‘worse than cake’ sex with me in the future. Consider it an act of charity.”

She shook her head at him, but couldn’t hide the smile that tugged at her lips.

“Your answer lies in that drawer full of tapes that aren’t yours, Mulder.”

“How’s that?”

“Let’s see, sex starts when the man presents his erection and ends when he ejaculates. The woman howls like an animal no matter what he’s doing, though her orgasm is never mentioned. There is no foreplay. Would you like me to continue?”

He swallowed a mouthful of coffee he’d been holding, afraid he might choke. He’d never heard her speak so openly about sex before, especially not sex she had personally experienced, and though he’d been the one who initiated the conversation he was suddenly afraid he was going to have to walk out of this diner trying to hide a bulge in his slacks.

“Fair enough, Scully, but porn isn’t real. It’s like an action movie. No one actually hangs off the skids of a helicopter mid-air, it’s just fun to watch.”

“I’m glad to hear that you’re aware of that, Mulder, and I would implore you to spread the news to the rest of the male populace.” She punctuated her statement with a loud crunch into her toast.

Mulder’s mouth fell open slightly as he studied her, trying to tell if she was joking or embellishing.

“People really do that? Have sex like they do in porn? Men you’ve slept with?”

She rolled her eyes. “Mulder, if you’re going to sit here and tell me that you have never done that, even as a young man, I’ll have to call BS.”

He put his hands up in defense. “I’m not saying I emerged from puberty as Don Juan, but I don’t recall ever not being invested in my partner’s experience. I’m sure my skills were lacking at the outset, but I always tried.”

She looked at him derisively from under her eyelashes. “Well then, you really should get out there more, Mulder. Share your gift with the world.” Her voice was laden with sarcasm.

He laughed and ran his hand over the back of his neck. “How am I coming out to be the bad guy, here Scully? I’m not the one who gave you a ‘worse than cake’ lay.”

She smiled at him but her tone remained facetious “of course not, you’ve demonstrated that your skills in this area are unparalleled.”

“Damn straight!” He said with a slap of his palm on the table, and they both erupted into laughter.

They held eye contact as the laughter subsided, awkwardness descending over the conversation. He had made reference to the two of them having sex, which was a topic he’d only made innuendo about, never mentioned directly. Trying to break the tension, Scully finally spoke.

“Well, I guess you can see why I don’t bother dating.”

“I guess I can” he replied, swiping the last crumbs of cake off the plate with his finger.

“Why don’t you date, Mulder?” His expression registered surprise. “Or do you? I don’t want to be presumptuous.” She felt a pit in her belly at the idea that he may actually have a secret love life.

“No” he spat out, chuckling a little. “No, I definitely don’t date. It’s just too complicated I guess. I’m kind of a serial monogamist anyway.”

“Really?” Now it was her turn to be surprised.

“Yeah, for the most part. I’ve had a couple flings, but the vast majority of the women I’ve slept with I was in a relationship with. The emotional aspect is important for me.”

She studied him, imagining a version of Mulder who would be so considerate and giving. She didn’t need to imagine it, really, she’d seen it. While he was capable of being selfish and obtuse, he had also been incredibly tender and caring with her on many occasions. He had certainly shown a proclivity towards chivalry; opening doors for her, walking closer to traffic on the sidewalk, helping her into her coat or holding an umbrella for her. The idea that such gestures would extend into the bedroom was logical, but it still set off a stirring in her belly. In what other ways might he be so attentive to her needs? She swallowed the last of her coffee and tried not to think about it. Maybe later, but not here. Not now.

“Well, I hate to state the obvious here, Scully, but I don’t think you’re going to happen across the guy that will give you a 5-star experience if you never put yourself out there.” As soon as the words left his mouth he wanted to kick himself; why the fuck was he encouraging her sleeping with other people?

She smiled demurely and shrugged “for now I get my thrills from ghost busting and the occasional slice of really good cake.”

He bobbed his head and smiled back, pulling out his wallet and setting his bureau credit card on the tabletop.

In truth, she had already happened across that guy. He was sitting in front of her at a shitty diner in the middle of nowhere. And while she hoped that she may enjoy that 5 star experience in the future, for now just being in his presence, laughing and seeking the answers to the mysteries of the universe together, that was better than sex.

#the x files #txf #dana scully #fox mulder #gillovny #msr #sculder #xf fanfic

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tinydooms · 3 years

Note

Could I have a #13 with Rick and Alex, please?

Prompt: "Are you cold?"

Chicago, Illinois, November 1927

A brisk wind blew off of Lake Michigan, whipping down Chicago’s streets, tugging at hair and clothes and nipping at exposed skin. Alex, who had been running around scattering pigeons, came hurrying back to Rick.

“Done,” he announced, holding his arms out to his father.

“You’re done!” Rick exclaimed, feigning surprise as he swung his toddler up into his arms. “Already? I think there are a few peaceful pigeons left that you haven’t bothered yet.”

Alex giggled and burrowed into his father’s chest. His cheeks were scarlet and his tiny hands, holding the folds of Rick’s coat, were red. He shivered.

“Are you cold, bucko?” Rick said. “Let’s go warm up.”

Rick turned away from the water and set off across the park, back towards the Art Institute. Grant Park was as beautiful as he remembered it, full of trees and lawns and a brand-new ornamental fountain that lit up at night--his mother would have loved that. He and Margaret had often come up to Grant Park on the weekends, to visit the museums and listen to free concerts. Rick was glad that this was one memory that would go undisturbed. It wasn’t home anymore, Chicago, it was just another city. Once upon a time a young woman and her son had lived here, and then they left, and now the woman was gone and the son had returned with his own wife and child, and frankly, he couldn’t wait to leave.

Still, the Bembridge Scholars paid the bills, and they had sent Evie to oversee the unpacking and setting up of Egyptian artefacts from the British Museum. That it was her first big gig since having Alex meant that the pressure was on, but she was bearing up remarkably well. The exhibit was going to be fantastic. But then, Rick thought with a grin, of course it would be, with Evie in charge.

He bounded up the steps to the museum now, bouncing to make Alex laugh, and pushed his way through the ornate front doors, heading to the cafe.

“Mum’s going to meet us at four,” he said to Alex, “and--” glancing at his wrist watch “--we’ve got ten minutes. Shall we get some coffee?”

“Choccit,” Alex said, grinning.

“Chocolate. Great idea. We’ll have two hot chocolates, please,” Rick said to the waitress at the counter.

The drinks, when they came, had enormous caps of whipped cream floating on the surface, and there was a marshmallow on Alex’s saucer. The little boy, only just turned two, raised his spoon with a glint in his eye.

“Careful, bucko,” Rick warned. “I didn’t bring you anything to change into, and that stuff’s hot.”

He held Alex on his lap and helped him to spoon the whipped cream into his mouth, wiping his chin every so often. No one had warned Rick that being a parent was so messy, but at least this was a good mess. Alex was a tiny terror and Rick loved him so much it was a constant ache in his chest. They sat at the table trying not to make a huge mess, Alex leading a conversation that consisted of mostly unintelligible phrases on his part and comments about the food and the weather and the museum from Rick. So absorbed were they that they didn’t notice Evie until she was settling into the seat opposite.

“Hello, boys,” she said, dropping her hat, gloves, and bag on the table and leaning over to kiss her menfolk. “What have you been up to?”

“Oh, we had a good day, didn’t we, Alex? Want to tell Mum what we saw?”

“Fish!” shouted Alex. “Birbs!”

“That’s right, we went to the aquarium and saw the fish--you’ve gotta go there, Evie; it’s absolutely bananas--and then Alex chased some birds.”

“‘S cold,” Alex said, and shivered dramatically. He reached for Evie. “‘S windy. I don’t like.”

“It is called the Windy City,” Evie said, taking Alex into her lap and hugging him. “You’ve got chocolate milk all over your face. Have you been eating it or bathing?”

Alex laughed, and Rick and Evie grinned at each other. Parenthood was busy and messy and often exasperating, but it was also more fun than either had expected it to be.

“Would you like a hot chocolate, my love?” Rick asked.

“You know what,” replied Evie. “I think I would, before we brave the Windy City.”

Rick grinned and went back to the counter. For this woman and this child, he would brave anything.

#prompt games #asks and answers #The Mummy #Rick O'Connell #Alex O'Connell #I have never actually been to Chicago so I can only hope I got the layout of the park and the Art Institute right #this is what Google images is for #also the Shedd Aquarium wasn't opened until 1930 #but I am taking Authorial License #I hope you like this tooth-rotting fluff #Evelyn Carnahan

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peachyteez · 4 years

Text

mint chocolate chip ice cream ≫ DAY FIVE, WELCOME.

this abandoned, shy bunny hybrid loves hanging around the open field area of the recovery facility. one day, with the help of jungkook, another bunny hybrid, jiyu meets mingi. after days of mingi being too shy and running away from her, a bag of carrots and mint chocolate ice chip cream was all it took to seal the deal.

PART OF THE HEAVEN SERIES.

✧ taglist: @defsoul15, @jaeminpeachy, @joongiebug, @sunsethw4, @t-tbinnie, @chanyeolol, @danibookmarks, @hello-its-ya-boi, @murralyn, @alienmashup, @panini, @moon8894, @koasworld, @taetae123094, @luv3rxcha, @treasure-hwa, @etherealbyeol, @hwaseongzzz, @lovely-sanie, @orbitiiny, @pirate-of-the-dark-seas, @babydolljo, @ms-starlight, @everrrlasting, @bls-luv-me, @atzgiggle, @arohabyeol, @rainbowmagicpixecorn, @soverystupid, @ayetothezee

feel free to let me know if you would like to be on the list!

✧ notes: i miss mingi :(

back。| next。

“alright guys, i’m heading out!” jiyu called out to the four hybrids as she put her shoes on. “remember, no burning the penthouse down, don’t let any weird people inside, and stay in one piece, yes?” she joked.

hongjoong playfully scoffed as he and the others came to see her off. “who do you think we are?”

she gave each of them a ruffle on their heads. “remember that one time yunho almost broke the flooring because he and seonghwa decided to try a wrestling match—”

“okay, i took a nap one time,” hongjoong defended.

“i’m kidding, bubs. just stay safe, yeah?” since she sent yuta out the day before to get mingi’s adoption forms, she was scared that they would discover her and send someone to her home. despite it being a low probability, she was still taking safety precautions.

“don’t worry about us, jiyu! we’ll be fine here!” yunho reassured. “we were just going to spend most of the time teaching mingi how to play with the switch so don’t worry about us doing something weird...and i promise i won’t break anything,” he sheepishly added.

“...what’s a switch?” mingi asked, cocking his head to the side in confusion. ever since spending his days with jiyu, seonghwa, hongjoong, and yunho, he’s never felt as free and happy in his life. with the exception of yunho, he’s been slowly opening up to jiyu and the two oldest hybrids. not only to them, but he's been slowly breaking out of his shell to the world; he’s grown quite loud, and jiyu realized that he talked quite a lot and he could make anyone in the room laugh with his antics.

“...you’ll see soon,” seonghwa chuckled. he was still quite salty at the fact that he now had to share the switch with three other people when before, it was just him and sometimes jiyu. but, as yunho put it, sharing is caring.

“okay, bye for real, you guys,” she quickly said before opening the door and blowing them air kisses before leaving. “and remember to eat!” she reminded as she ran down the hall towards the elevator.

“yes, mom!” hongjoong teasingly shouted back as they all waved her goodbye. once the elevator door closed, hongjoong closed the front door and locked it. seonghwa, yunho, and mingi were already explaining what video games were and how to play them. “they really are little kids,” he whispered under his breathe as he joined them on the couch to watch them have a tournament in mario kart.

noon came around before anyone realized since they were so absorbed in their match (surprisingly, mingi caught on how to play really quick and had been destroying the other three for the past hour). seonghwa had taken a break and decided to cook something for lunch rather than getting delivery. he felt bad for always spending jiyu’s money on takeout, despite her reassuring them that it was okay.

in the middle of him stirring the kimchi jiggae, they all heard the doorbell ring. they froze, yunho instantly turning the volume of their game down. they weren't expecting any visitors, and it definitely wasn’t jiyu. mingi started to panic. what if they found him? would they hurt the others? are they in danger? his bunny instincts started to take over and he immediately hid behind the couch. although...it wasn’t the best place considering his height; his ears and tail could still be seen. yunho and hongjoong stood by the couch, prepared to protect mingi in case people were here to take him.

seonghwa quietly tip-toed towards the door and peeked through the peephole. an elegant black cat hybrid was standing outside with some files in his hands. he carefully opened the door and peeked out so only up to his eyes could be seen. “can i help you?” he asked the stranger outside.

the cat hybrid looked bewildered before relaxing. “is miss—i mean, jiyu home?” he asked. “she did tell me this was where she lived...?”

“what do you need with her?” seonghwa asked, still not letting his guard down.

“ohh,” the cat’s eyes widened in realization, “i’m yuta, her personal assistant from the main house,” he politely bowed. “i guess she never mentioned me.” yuta eyed seonghwa’s wolf ears. “you must be the wolf hybrid...” he mumbled under his breath.

seonghwa opened the door wider and looked back towards the other three. “it’s okay, he knows jiyu,” he reassured before gesturing for yuta to come in and closing the door.

yuta walked in and looked around, his black tail lazily swinging around. “is there a hybrid named mingi here?” he asked. yunho pointed to the couch and yuta almost chuckled upon seeing the shivering ears and tail. “don’t worry, i’m not here to hurt you. in fact, i come with some news.”

mingi slowly peeked over the couch, his doe eyes shaking with nerves. “you won’t hurt me?”

yuta shook his head before a shiver ran down his spine. “if i do, jiyu’s going to have my head and curse my bloodline for as long as she lives,” he nervously chuckled.

the other four sweat-dropped at his comment.

“anyways, i’m going to assume jiyu’s not here?” yuta asked, his nose sniffing for her scent.

“she went to work and she won’t be home until six...” hongjoong said before glancing up at the clock. it was two, meaning yuta had another four hours at least until she came back.

yuta pursed his lips. “i don’t have much time before jiyu’s father knows i’m missing, so i’ll just pass the news onto you guys and you can tell jiyu,” he decided before laying the manila folder onto the table. “all the things you need are in there, i’m pretty sure you all know what it is,” he slyly smiled before waving over his shoulder and leaving.

the four looked at the front door, utterly speechless at his exit. “he’s just as mysterious as jiyu...” yunho commented. “what’s in the folder?” he asked.

hongjoong opened the folder and after a moment of staring at the papers, their eyes widened in recognition. “a-are those—” he stuttered.

squeezing between yunho and seonghwa, mingi peered at the documents and his heart skipped almost three beats. “h-how—?”

“mingi’s adoption documents...” seonghwa mumbled in awe.

the three broke into cheers as mingi just stared, dumbfounded, at the papers. the cheers around him faded into white noise as he carefully picked up the documents.

“am i dreaming...?” he asked in a daze. yunho threw his arms around his best friend and pinched his side, causing him to yelp.

“nope, you’re awake!” yunho laughed.

seonghwa ruffled mingi’s hair. “welcome home, mingi.”

to say that jiyu was absolutely confused when she came back home was an understatement. mingi was still sobbing out of happiness on the couch while yunho, hongjoong, and seonghwa comfortingly pat him.

her protective instincts immediately kicked in. “what happened to mingi?” she asked. “is he okay?”

hongjoong chuckled. “don’t worry, he’s more than okay,” he said before handing her the manila folder.

peering through the content, jiyu’s jaw practically fell to the floor before her eyes whipped to mingi. she let out a little squeal before throwing her arms around the bunny. “welcome home, minmin!” she grinned.

mingi ended up crying harder as he returned her embrace, making them chuckle. while giving him soothing pets on the head, she realized that yuta must’ve came while she was at work, meaning he met the four of them. “i guess you all met yuta?” she pulled a sticky note from the bottom of the papers.

you owe me one, miss jiyu :P

she chuckled and slightly rolled her eyes.

“he’s quite a...mysterious character,” yunho said, trying to find the nicest way to put it.

“he kind of reminds me of you...not in a bad way!” he quickly added after seeing the insulted look on her face. “you both just seem like you hide more than what you want people to see.”

jiyu stopped petting mingi on the head at his words. he wasn’t wrong. with the exception of seonghwa and yunho, hongjoong and mingi don’t know of her background. it’s not that she wants it a secret, she jusy never got around to telling them. but growing up in a cold-blooded business environment taught her to hide her emotions to prevent weaknesses from showing. she just grew up so used to not confiding in people about how she felt; she so used to not having the right to complain about her pre-planned life.

“...jiyu...jiyu!”

snapping back to reality, she realized all of them were worriedly staring at her. hongjoong gave her an apologetic look. “s-sorry, i didn’t mean to upset you...” he whispered as he looked down at his lap. his ears drooped.

“no, no, you didn’t upset me,” she reassured with a gentle ruffle of his hair. “it’s just new for me to hear that,” she sheepishly chuckled before standing up.“come on, why don’t we go get some ice cream to celebrate for mingi?”

“in this cold weather?” seonghwa asked as he looked outside. “winter’s coming.”

“all the more reason to get ice cream,” she childishly reasoned, making their hearts melt. it wasn’t often they saw that side of her.

“alright, alright,” seonghwa pretended to give in, but in reality, he would’ve gone from the beginning.

“sound good, mingi?” she asked. “or do you want something else?”

mingi looked up at her from the couch with his sparkly eyes. “can i get mint chocolate chip flavor?” he asked. (hongjoong made a quiet gagging sound at the mention of the flavor, making seonghwa lightly smack his arm.)

jiyu affectionatey smiled. “of course, mingi. anything you want.”

#9th member of ateez #ateez imagines #ateez scenarios #ateez angst #ateez fluff #song mingi #song mingi imagines #mingi imagines #mingi scenarios #ateez mingi #hybrid au #kpop hybrid au #ateez hybrid #hybrid!ateez #ateez au

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httpsohnpouts · 4 years

Text

𝐩𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐧. | 𝐤𝐢𝐦 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐧.

𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆: royal!younghoon x lady’s maid!fem reader

𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐑𝐄: angst but not really + fluff // enemies to friends

𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒: younghoon’s a bit sassy/socially awkward but nth too extreme

𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐓: 1.5k

𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄: happy (belated) birthday my beaby @chaoticdeobi, ily endlessly, i hope you like it! i hope you had a great day!

the hall was grand, to say the least. the walls painted in the finest mix of white tie and matchstick; but to any common eye, the paint was just simply cream. portraits of the family’s ancestors hung perfectly on said walls, golden plaques engraved with their names and the years from birth to death, situated just below them.

you could say the hall was the largest part of the building but yet, younghoon was always found hiding away in the undercroft. his time well spent at the very end, paintbrush in hand as he delicately placed the brush onto the canvas, an elegant piece forming in its wake; finding comfort and solace in the peace that he got, a break from his reality, hence why his father had gifted him the space and the utensils for his twelfth birthday.

a slight sigh left younghoon’s slightly ajar lips of concentration, brows knitting together as he couldn’t quite get the right angle of his paintbrush, “it won’t work if you’re holding it so awkwardly.” it took the man by surprise, spilling his water pot over his fresh set of white trousers, nobody ever wandered into his space during the day as the staff working in the castle feared him and his intimidating gaze nor did they ever sneak up on him upon knowing of his tendency to become scared easily.

fury burning in his eyes as his fresh whites absorbed more and more of the tainted water as he sat there, whipping his head in the direction of the voice who stood behind him, arms folded and they leaned against the porcelain walls, legs crossed in a way that just screamed arrogance.

“excuse me, who the hell do you think you are sneaking up on a royal, did you not see the ‘do not disturb’ sign?” with a sigh, younghoon scurried to wipe off his trousers - not that it would do anything considering fabric isn’t waterproof and the damage was already done - huffing again, “oh, forget it. clean this up, i take it you’re a maid? now if you excuse me.”

it was dinner time now, and everybody knew that the king wanted the whole family to sit around the dining table together, occasionally discuss important business him and his wife had to deal with, or something they wanted younghoon to participate in against his will; but in his eyes, it was all apart of the family bonding.

“where’s mother?” younghoon asked as he adjusted his newly fixed hair, the constant puffing of breath out of his lips having messed it up. watching the kitchen staff busily prepare the table for their meal.

“one of the cleaning workers knocked over your mother’s glass of wine and it went all over her new gown. she’ll be down in a few- oh look, she’s coming here now.”

placing her palm upon her husband’s shoulder, younghoon’s mother took her seat at the dinner table, a familiar face following behind and standing to the side of the room with the other staff, you. you were his mother’s lady maid. if it were anybody else, he would’ve apologised for the tone he gave you earlier when he mistook you for part of the cleaning staff.. but what right did you of all people have spying on him in his private space?

“son? are you listening?” his father called to him, realisation hitting younghoon that he hadn’t stopped gaping at you since you walked in the room. adjusting his collar before prompting his father to continue speaking.

“as i was saying, your mother and i have to leave the country for a few days. you are in charge of taking care of your sister whilst we’re gone as well as the staff. we trust you with this son, don’t disappoint us,”

“oh and y/n, you will be staying here for the time being, your services aren’t necessary on this trip. you’ll be in charge of our daughter when younghoon is busy, understood?” whilst younghoon’s father was a kind and generous man, he definitely wasn’t the most respected man in the castle for no reason. his striking and powerful demeanour spread for miles, no one dared to disobey the king, not knowing exactly what he’s capable of but not wanting to find out either.

younghoon’s parents were gone for most of his childhood, along through his teenage years and then into his early adulthood. so it’s safe to say he grew up isolated and alone for most of his life. his only source of socialisation was when his sister was born seven years ago, when he was seventeen. they’re practically attached at the hip, wherever younghoon went, his sister followed and vice versa. his sister was mature for her age, much like younghoon himself, she had to learn how to take care of herself from an early age; that included knowing how to dress appropriately, know how to do her own hair and makeup for any special occasions the family hosted or attended to as well as the basics on how to behave as a royal should. the only difference between the siblings was that now, younghoon had responsibilities he had to take care of- preparing to be king once his father passes or if he steps down from the throne, maintaining a clean record as well as the constant fear of practically falling apart at the seams.

it wasn’t and still isn’t the ideal life for one to live, seeking his father’s approval and permission for pretty much everything he does. the burden weighing upon his shoulders just itching to make his knees buckle and collapse, making it hard for him to do pretty much anything “normal” like making friends or doing typical things you’d do in your twenties; it wasn’t that he liked people keeping their distance from him, nor the fact that everybody in the castle had their own misconceptions on him and his behaviour, all of which turn their topic of conversations onto him whenever he walks into the room.

it was a couple of days later when younghoon found himself sitting on the top of a hill just outside of the castle gates, observing the vast and majestic view that clouded the sky. the blue replaced by a faint red hue whilst the clouds floated aimlessly. the only sounds heard consisted of younghoon’s breathing, the small flow of water beside him and the odd bird that flew by every now and then. he can’t remember the last time he felt pure peace. everything being far too fast to keep up, like a black hole or a tornado, something you’re quickly swept up into until you completely disappear and break.

“they’re going absolutely mad looking for you in the castle, sir.”

you.

without sparing you a glance, younghoon let out a sigh, his shoulders tensing slightly at the thought of going back to the place that causes far too much stress.

unpropping yourself from a nearby rock, settling a comfortable space from younghoon, staring out at the landscape that looked like it just came out of a painting.

“what’re you doing here?”

“i came to find you, duh. they’re going sick at the thought of you having fled the country or something.”

“no, seriously. what’re you doing here?”

“contrary to belief, sir, but i actually want to be your friend. not your foe, regardless of how hard you try to push me away. don’t you ever get lonely in that big place?”

younghoon snickered at that, “you think you know me huh?”

“not at all. that’s why i’m saying i want to, i know what it’s like to have my childhood swept from between my feet, floating between self-doubt and uncertainty of what i’m going to do with my life and how i’m even going to do it on my own. i know far too well what it’s like to be alone my whole life, my parents either too busy preoccupied with work or too tired to spend time with me when they get home at the end of the night.”

for the first time, it felt like someone wasn’t pitying him, or mistaking his standoff-ish personality for something for malice and ill-intended. for the first time, he felt heard and understood.

“how about a restart?”

“huh?”

younghoon was turned towards you now, his hand extended to you, “hi. i’m younghoon. not prince younghoon, not sir, just younghoon.”

“nice to meet you, just younghoon, im y/n. i hope we can be great friends.”

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nerdygirl8203 · 3 years

Text

Old Money, New Feelings- Chapter 9

Warnings: angst, drinking, sleeping around, mentions of smut, fluff, bookstore work

Summary: Trying to escape the thought of Ransom proves difficult, especially when you work at a bookstore and Ransom’s grandfather is a famous author

Pairing: Ransom x fem!reader

For months I've kept my head in my job. Maybe money can make you happy. Even the idea of feeling something other than numbness and pain is a welcomed thought. Maybe if I have some one night stands the pleasure will make me forget about how Ransom made me feel. It never works. It isn't until one day at work when I realize just how much I'm still hurting.

"Y/N, I need you to work this Friday! It's all hands on deck!" Dawn, my boss, tells me. When I found out who was coming to do some signings for a book I immediately all but begged for the day off.

"Dawn, I can't be here. The man's grandson and I have some history!" I explain deciding to tell the truth is better than lying. I don't ever want to do something to cause the pain finding out you have been lied to causes. "I don't care if you cut off the grandson's cock! You will be here!" She says in the boss tone she only uses when your job is on the line.

Friday comes with the speed of light not giving me anytime to get myself mentally prepared. Since it's a book signing we are always supposed to be wearing better than our normal work clothes. I put on the fancies clothes I can while still not being too formal. I make sure my outfit fits my body well enough to show but not so well that I look like I'm trying too hard. I finish getting myself ready making sure I look good enough to eat.

After getting to work, and a few minutes of convincing myself to actually go into work and save my job, I walk into the bookstore I have grown to both love and hate. Today I definitely feel more hate towards the stupid building. I take a deep breath making sure to get a good whiff of the amazing book smell that I love. With that I get into work mode. My lips split into a polite but welcoming smile. I make sure it seems to reach my eyes. I keep my posture open and welcoming to everyone.

Halfway through the book signing and it's going well. I begin to think Harlem either doesn't remember me or is taking pity on me and not forcing me to talk to him.

"Y/N, I need you to go and get Mr. Thrombey a coffee with two creams and one sugar." Dawn tells me. She is calm and it can't help but flow off of her and absorbs into me. "Of course ma'am!" I say trying to sound eager.

I quickly walk to the café near our bookstore. This isn't anything new. Whenever we have guests I'm always the one to grab coffees, muffins, sandwiches, or anything else since I'm the newest hire. I wait at the counter for a fresh pot of coffee to be made for Harlan. It doesn't take me long to zone out. I'm only awoken from my daydreaming when my coworker, Molly, says my name.

"Y/n, you okay? " she asks softly and sweetly. I've always liked Molly. She works hard and I don't think there is a mean bone in the girls body.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just didn't get enough sleep last night. Thank you though. I will definitely see you later.” I say before walking away. No matter how many times I've had to walk away without tipping I'm still not used to it.

I go back to Dawn with the coffee in hand. “Hey Dawn. I have his coffee.” I say and I look at her with a smile.

"Okay, go give it to him. He’s in the breakroom." she says with a smile, I never told anyone at work about my relationship, if one could even call it that,with the famed authors grandson so Dawn most likely thinks she is giving me the chance of a lifetime to meet one of my favorite authors and not that she’s actually sending me to a nightmare.

I look at her shocked. On one hand I only meet Harlan a handful of times so he most likely doesn't remember me but on the other hand there is a small chance that he does remember me and this will be very awkward however Dawn is being very kind and If I turn down this offer she will see me as ungrateful. I decide that me having a very small chance of having an awkward encounter is better than my boss thinking I'm not grateful of her kindness.

"Okay I'll bring this to him." I say and I smile weakly at her.

After I say that I will my feet to drag me to the breakroom. Once I get there I take a deep breath to calm my nerves. I gently knock on the closed door, "Mr. Thrombey, I have your coffee for you." I say in my most professional voice.

"Perfect, come in!' his soft voice says through the break room door.

I walk in feeling like I'm walking into the lion's den. I keep my head down hoping he doesn't recognize me. I put his coffee down on the small table that stands before him. After I set the coffee down I decide to smile up at him. "I hope you enjoy your coffee, sir." I smile at him and I start to leave. Right when I think I made it and he forgot me I hear him say my name.

I turn to see his eyes on my face, studying me. "Are you y/n y/l/n?" he asks in a kind and soft voice and just like that my hopes are dashed. “Yes I am. It's nice to see you again sir." "How are you, dear?” he asks in a nice and soft voice that holds no malice. "I'm okay.” I say softly "You know, Ransom misses you dearly." he says. I can't help but look at him like he has three heads. How could he miss me if he is the one that cheated and broke my heart. I don't know what to say so I just nod. "I don't know what happened or what you said to him but it whipped him into shape. "He says with a slight chuckle I take his bait and I ask "what do you mean?" "well he got his life together. Now he's my apprentice and he is even writing his own book, he asked me to bring a copy of what he’s made so far with me. He saw I was coming here and hoped you would be working and willing to read it. I believe he still loves you he is coming here later. Please talk with him.” Harlan is practically begging on Ransom's behalf. How is any person supposed to say no to that?

Harlan then gives me a story that looks unfinished and short. Even so him wanting me to read it before it's even done does tug on my heartstrings even though it's probably a tactic to get his bed-buddy back.

I gently take the makeshift book in my hands. I can't help but be amazed by seeing Ransom's name under the title claiming him as the author. However what amazes me more is later when I open the book and I see a hand written note addressing me.

It reads

"Dear y/n,

Hello my dear. I know that this is probably pointless but I have to at least try to get you back not as a fuck buddy but as my girlfriend if you will have me. I know I was horrible and what I did was worse but I fell in love with you and I was scared of that. I am so sorry I hurt you because I was scared of loving you. You did not deserve The treatment I gave you. As soon as you left I realized that I messed up and that I only wanna be with you. If you set rules that we can't have sex but we can be together I'll gladly go by those rules. You make me want to be a better person.

I understand if you don't accept my apology. If I was you I would never want to see me again but I'm begging you to give me a chance to make it up to you.i tried to have sex with others to get you out of my head but it didn't work. You did something the people aren’t related to me couldn't do. You made me fall in love with you. I love you, y/n. I hope you’re read ing this and I'm not just writing to no one. Just know that if you forgive me and give me another chance I'll spend the rest of my life making it up to you. Please give me another chance my love.

I love you,

Ransom”

I can't help but be chocked up seeing his message for me. I never would have guessed Ransom to be the write a letter type. My brain screams at me for making the decision that I make. I unblock his number and I text him “ we can meet after I finish work. My shift ends at 6.” with that I turn off my phone and I get back to work like nothing unusual happened at all when in all actuality one of the most unusual things ever has happened; Ransom said he was wrong.

#knives out #ransom drysdale #chris evans #old money new feelings #ransom x y/n #ransom thrombey x you #ransom x you #ransom thrombey imagine #ransom thrombey x reader #ransom x reader #ransom thrombrey #ransom drydale x you #harlan thrombey #x reader #reader #love #fluff #ransom fanfic #ransom fluff

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vannahfanfics · 3 years

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ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ NYOOMS IN hellooo i would really love to request a sokai fic with the lollipop prompt!! personal anecdote: lollipops were the first sweet i ever hand-made for valentine's day because i wanted them to last longer than chocolates, bahaha :D thank you so much for all your wonderful work!!! ♡

Hi, liesles! Thank you for waiting patiently for your request! I thought it would go really well with a prompt from @sokaiweek, “Be Mine,” so I hope you enjoy what I’ve come up with!

Sweet on You

“Ahh, it feels like forever since I’ve been to Twilight Town!” Kairi cried jubilantly as she ran down the forest path, eager to escape the woods where they’d hidden the Gummi ship and reach the town proper. She stopped to spin on her heel in the dirt, flashing Sora a brilliant smile. “Of course, the last time I was here, I was hiding from the Organization,” she joked, twirling a lock of her short auburn hair around her finger. Sora snorted at her cheekiness, amazed at her ability to reconcile with what was probably a pretty harrowing experience. But, that boundless optimism was one of the many things he appreciated about Kairi.

“Well, now we don’t have to worry about them,” he smiled back, leaves crunching under his feet as he followed after her. She waited for him to join her on the path, standing there with her hands clasped behind her back in that adorable way that never failed to make his heart flutter. He was glad to see that even after everything they’d been through, some things still hadn’t changed.

“So? What do you want to do while we’re in town?” he asked when he reached her, sliding his hands in his pockets. Kairi walked along beside him, a spring in her step.

“I want to visit Olette, Pence, and Hayner, of course! Oh— and Xion, Roxas, Isa, and Lea, too. I want to try those pretzels and sea salt they brag about so much!” she giggled. He loved her giggle, he realized dreamily. It was the sweetest of sounds, sweeter than even the bells of Scala ad Caelum ringing in the dawn blush light. “But you know,” she said suddenly, snapping him out of his daze, “I didn’t really get to enjoy the town much last time, since I was hiding away. Before we do that, can we explore a little bit, Sora?”

“Absolutely! Anything you want, Kairi!” he agreed immediately.

Ugh. He could hear Riku laughing now, calling him “whipped.” How was he supposed to refuse, though, when she was asking him so cutely with that excited shine in her eyes and that pretty smile on her lips? Saying no would be downright criminal!

Giggling with delight, she scampered down the path again towards the triangular gap in the brick wall that served as the entrance to the woods. Yeah, Sora reconciled with a soft smile as he watched her skirt swish around her thighs and her hair bounce around her shoulders. He was definitely whipped for Kairi. He’d always been, really. She was his light.

The sunlight enveloped them as they stepped out into the city, warm and welcoming. The tram was trundling by, rocking gently on the tracks with its metal gleaming in the sunset haze. Sora had always liked Twilight Town, not just because Roxas’ heart lay dormant inside of him. It reminded him a bit of Destiny Islands— the warm sun coating his skin, the breeze carrying the scent of trees, the atmosphere of peace and tranquility. He paused at the edge of the ledge to close his eyes and savor the sunbeams playing over his face. He cracked an eye open when he felt Kairi stand next to him.

“I can see why they love this place so much,” she hummed, observing the honeyed skyline with lidded eyes. “It really is beautiful…”

He could sense the “but” lingering on her tongue.

“But… It’s not home?” he guessed, and she looked at him with a wan smirk.

“Yeah. But it’s home to them, so I suppose that’s all that matters,” she shrugged, her look turning cheery, and he couldn’t help but grin. She always found the bright side of things— she always found the light. “But, you could definitely pick a worse home to have.”

“Yeah, that’s true.”

Kairi took another moment to scan the horizon, watching the golden light play across the oranges and browns of the buildings. Then she cocked her head to the side with a girlish laugh. Her smile was nearly blinding as she declared, “All right, enough sightseeing! I wanna go shopping!”

“Yes ma’am!” he said with a salute, and Kairi laughed again. Gosh, if he could only hear one sound for the rest of his life, it would be Kairi’s laugh, no question. Her giggles floated in the air as she hurried down the steps to the causeway. If Sora tried hard enough, he could see them floating around like bubbles, little iridescent, rainbow films of her beautiful laugh. He reached up to touch them, but they skipped just beyond the edges of his fingertips to float up, up, up into the honey-colored sky and red-tinged clouds. That was okay, though, because there were always more where that came from.

“You know, I’m surprised to see so much green here,” Kairi commented as she looked at all the small planters and flower boxes adorning the city. They perched on windowsills, rested on tables, sat on porch steps, or were positioned along the sidewalk. Flowers, ferns, herbs— everything and more could be found in the myriad of little pots littering the city streets, and their bright green fronds and stalks almost glowed against the background of autumn colors. “It really does make everything a little bit homier,” she hummed in contentment.

“Yeah, and gives Little Chef a lot of ingredients to gather!” he added with a bright grin.

“Oh, right, of course. That’s very important!” she giggled, prompting Sora to raise an eyebrow challengingly.

“What? Are you making fun of me?”

“No, it’s just nice to see that your love for food hasn’t changed,” she chuckled. “You either think with your heart or your stomach!”

Sora opened his mouth to object, then closed it because it was true. It still felt like he was being made fun of, but darn it, she just looked too cute with that teasing smirk and the tip of her tongue sticking out between her teeth! Oh, he was whipped all right, more than Little Chef’s best frosting. He looked out to the road, and a smile played over his lips as he considered just how much Kairi had him wrapped around her finger.

It was then that he spied something resting beside the main shopping complex, and he started thinking with his stomach again.

“Speaking of love for food…”

A cute little cart was parked beside the complex. Pink and white heart-shaped balloons that were tied to the handle bobbed in the breeze, their metallic surfaces gleaming. Red, white, and pink streamers adorned the white cart’s side, and inside, an assortment of candies rested on a soft bed of baby-pink faux grass. Sora’s mouth began to salivate immediately upon clapping eyes on it, and Kairi laughed at him. For the first time that day, he was too absorbed in the promise of sweets to fixate on how much he loved her laugh.

“What’s this? This is new!” he exclaimed as he pranced up to it. The young woman chuckled at his excited approach, flicking her bangs out of her face and primly resting her hands against her chocolate-smeared apron.

“Hi there! This is a special promotion that the local chocolatier is doing for Valentine’s Day.”

“Valentine’s Day?” he echoed. Was it really February? Time sure flew when you were running around saving the world.

“What’s the promotion?” Kairi asked, peering around his shoulder to admire the assortment of candied goods nestled in the plastic stringy faux grass.

“We’re giving away free samples today!” the attendant chirped. “Please, pick whatever you like— for yourself, for someone special.” She gave Sora a playful wink, which made his cheeks turn as pink as the decorations on the cart.

Thankfully, Kairi had become too engrossed in the heart-shaped cake pops to catch the candy seller’s jibe. After carefully studying one for a moment, she plucked it out of the display and promptly took a chomp out of it. She hummed exultantly as she chewed the red velvet and red icing, then opened her eyes to smile at the attendant.

“This is delicious! Oh, we should bring everyone something, don’t you think, Sora?”

“Totally, as long as the attendant doesn’t mind. We don’t want to run off with all her stock.”

“Please do!” she smiled pleasantly. “We want everyone to be able to enjoy these sweet treats. All I ask is that you check out the chocolatier sometime soon to look at our complete stock!”

After promising to follow through, Kairi and Sora began picking out free samples to bring to their friends. They tried to choose a variety while still choosing things they thought they would each enjoy. While Kairi was debating between a mini strawberry shortcake and a chocolate eclair, Sora discreetly stowed a wrapped heart-shaped lollipop in his shorts pocket.

Of course, it didn’t go unnoticed by the candy attendant.

Someone special? She mouthed with a smirk playing over her lips. With a sidelong glance at Kairi that melted into a loving smile, he nodded. Someone special, indeed.

After making their decisions, Sora and Kairi headed off to rendezvous with their friends. They were delighted to find the treats well-received (though comments of pretzels and sea salt ice cream were made… and comments turned into procuration, but Sora was never going to complain about more food!). They watched the sunset from the clock tower, all of them squashed together on the ledge so tightly that poor Pence almost fell off, but it worked out all right and they had a good laugh about it.

Just as the last red rays of the setting sun were spearing across the sky in their last goodbye, they said their farewells and headed back to the Gummi ship. Kairi pranced along the path, cooing at the fireflies flitting through the trees and underbrush to fill the gloomy forest with an earthy green glow. It was a town of sunset and greenery, two things so at odds with each other yet complimented one another so well here. And at the center of all that beautiful color was Kairi.

She danced in a circle, laughing jubilantly as she whirled her arms around to scatter the fireflies like a thousand leaves. Her hair flowed around her face like an autumn breeze, and her skirt swished around her legs like florets on the wind. The green flickering lights and puddles of moonlight illuminated her form, and in that moment, she looked like an angel descended to earth.

“I love you,” he whispered in reverence. He found his throat closed up with emotion, but he kept going in his head. I love you. I love you so much it hurts. I can’t imagine life without you, because I love you, I love you, I love you, and I always have. He wasn’t sure when he started crying, but Kairi saw them gleaming in the moonlight, and that’s when she stopped dancing to look at him in concern.

“Sora? Sora, what’s wrong?” she gasped and ran up to him. He just looked down at her while she raised her hands to his cheeks, sweeping away his tears with soft, gentle brushes of her thumbs. “Talk to me,” she whispered, oh-so-sweetly that his heart broke with happiness.

“Kairi… There was something from the candy cart that I didn’t share with anyone else,” he whispered, his voice hoarse with emotion. She knitted her eyebrows together in confusion as he procured the lollipop from his pocket and held it out to her. She looked up at him, then down at the lollipop. She took it, turning it over to peer through the plastic film at the simple words etched in white icing on the front of the pink lollipop.

BE MINE.

“Sora…” she murmured, looking up at him. He smiled sweetly even through the tears that still spilled from his eyes. She looked beautiful even in the way she kaleidoscoped in his watery vision. He reached up to cup her face in his hands, and he marveled at the way her cheeks nestled so perfectly against his palms, like they were made to be held by him and only him. Her eyelashes fluttered as she stared up at him in bewilderment, surprise, and hope.

“I love you,” he whispered again, but so she could hear this time. “I love you, Kairi. You are the light of my life, you know that?”

“Yeah,” she said, her voice breaking as her own tears broke through the dam to flow down her face. They beaded against his palms, roughened by his years of wielding the Keyblade, but still soft enough for her to cuddle into his touch. “You’re the light of my life, too. I’m yours, Sora, I always have been.”

He smiled at that, a broken smile because his mouth just simply couldn’t display the sheer amount of joy welling up inside of him. He petted her cheeks, wiping away her tears as she hiccuped sobby little giggles that just made her cheeks warm with embarrassment. He leaned forward to press his forehead to hers, unable to stop himself from whispering, “You’re so cute.”

“Stop… You’re gonna embarrass me,” she complained, even though she laughed.

“I can’t help myself. You are.”

“Can… Can you just… Can you kiss me already, please?” she sniffed, her cheeks shining like pink opals in the moonlight.

How could he ever refuse, especially whipped for her as he was?

He immediately rushed in to do as she said, but he let his zeal get the best of him, because his nose collided with hers. Nervous apologies tumbled from his mouth but Kairi just giggled and guided his face back down, nosing his cheek to prompt him to try again. He took it slower this time, easing himself in to experimentally brush his lips over hers. Kairi waited for her to find his rhythm, but he could feel her excitement in the way her mouth trembled. After a few tentative pecks, he smoothed his lips over hers in a full, sweet, passionate kiss, and she melted against him.

Forget the candy cart— Kairi’s lips were the sweetest thing he would ever taste, period.

He kissed her again, and again, and again, until Kairi was fleeing his advances with giddy, bubbly laughter. His lips still fluttered over the places he could reach— her cheeks, her nose, her forehead, her jawline, even her eyelids. He was just drowning in love and he didn’t know how else to get it out besides showering her in affection.

“Sora,” she insisted as she ran from his lips again, and this time, he just pouted at her. She placated him with a little peck to his pursed lips, which did make him feel a little better. “We have all the time in the world now,” she reminded him with a sweet smile. “I would like to go home at some point.”

Right. Home— the home he shared with his friends, with his family, with Kairi. He pulled away to link his hand with hers, while she peeled the plastic off the lollipop to pop it into her mouth. The BE MINE flashed in the moonlight, making Sora’s heart swell with adoration. Kairi didn’t mean for it to be a question, but he answered it in his heart anyway.

Always, Kairi. Always and forever.

Enjoy this oneshot? Feel free to peruse my Table of Contents!

#sokai #sokaiweek #sokaiweek2021 #sora x kairi #kairi x sora #kingdom hearts #kingdom hearts iii #kingdom hearts 3

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