#so if we'll be having a wedding we'll probably just invite our friends (and maybe a few other close people)

[arrgh-whatever]

SO HAPPY FOR YOU AND YOUR PARTNER!!! Congrats on getting married soon!! :]c

my boyfriend and I will also marry soon also for documents BUT WE'RE VERY EXCITED. Wish you guys lots and lots of luck to you two!!!

Thank you!! :]

Congratulations to you both as well!!!!

[runningfrom2am]

the finer things in life // LTPF

summary: coryo merely tolerates you at the beginning of the series. this, is why.

pairing: coriolanus snow x fem!reader

wc: 4.6k

masterlists / nav / requests

tags/warnings: capitol brat!reader, maybe slightly ooc coryo, idk i tried my best. underage drinking/drug use (its just weed dw), some suggestive content that's not explicit (that's a first for me woah).

a/n: THIS DROPS SOME MAJOR LORE FOR THIS SERIES LIKE PLS- this is so fun and i hope you guys really like it bc i stepped out of my comfort zone a bit here. anyway, happy new year!! as a treat, have r and coryo getting way too messed up for their own good :)

this is mentioned in one of the parts of s2 (oh god i have no clue which one but trust me.) anyway, here's the night they were talking about.

series masterlist // playlist

"Hey, Coryo." You smile, sitting yourself down across from him at the lunch table.

"Y/N/N." He nods, hardly looking up from his food.

"So," You him, leaning forward with your elbows on either side of your plate. "Are you coming to Livia's big party this weekend?"

He shrugs, swallowing before looking up at you. "I don't know. Maybe. Feels a little... trivial."

"Ugh," You scoff, playfully rolling your eyes. "Of course it's trivial, Coriolanus. It's a birthday party for a seventeen year old that's probably going to have fireworks and a four tier wedding cake." You laugh. "But I have to go, so you should too."

He smiles at you a little, tilting his head with a raised eyebrow. "A wedding cake?"

"Probably. You saw the invitations." You chuckle. "We can walk together, and I'll see if I can sneak in some posca from our cellar. Please?" You plead.

"Won't your parents be driving you? I wouldn't want to impose." Coryo insists politely.

"Oh, god, no." You laugh. "They're allegedly busy. My father will be working, and my mother will be waiting for him to finish work. Can't tear her away from that. My theory is that they just don't want to go."

"Oh, I see." He replies. Your parents not attending social events wasn't uncommon. Their attention was notoriously hard to attract, and his parents had long since passed, so it was pretty standard for the two of you to either walk together or get your driver to take the two of you places alone.

"Yeah! I think we'll end up walking because my brother has tutoring and god forbid he walk anywhere, but that way there's no dreadful small talk with my family anyway."

"Fine." Coryo agrees. "Only because it's you. Also, I don't think talking to your parents is dreadful, Y/N/N."

"It is. Don't lie." You laugh, taking a bite out of your cookie and waving him off.

You hear the doorbell and run to answer it before anyone else can. "Mom! Coryo's here, I'm leaving now! Bye!"

"You're not going to invite him in?" Your mom asks, cutting you off in the foyer.

"We're already running late, sorry!" You insist, adjusting your hold on the two gift bags in your hands very carefully.

"Alright, well, have fun, dear. Extend our apologies to Livia's parents for us."

"Will do!" You nod, giving her a quick thumbs up before opening the door.

"What do you need a bag for?" She asks and you roll your eyes at your friend standing in front of you before turning to face her again.

"They have a pool, I might need to change." You groan.

"Oh, right." She seems satisfied with that answer. "Hello, Coriolanus, how are you doing tonight?" She asks, turning her attention to him.

"I'm well, Ma'am. Thank you. And you?" He smiles politely.

"We gotta go, Mom, bye!" You shut the door before she can answer.

As soon as you're out of sight from your house, you stop and dig through the tissue paper in one of the gift bags.

"Isn't that for Liv-" Coryo's question is cut off by you holding a bottle of a nondescript liquor out to him.

"This one is for us." You smile, taking another bottle out before shoving the folded-up gift bag into your backpack. "Cheers." You twist the cap off of yours, knocking it against the one he's awkwardly holding before taking a swig.

"Posca? Should we..." He clears his throat. "Should we really be drinking? I feel like we'll get in trouble."

"It's not Posca, it's better. Besides, no trouble if no one knows." You reassure him. "Also, I would bet money that we show up and Festus and Pup are already stumbling."

"You're the most terrible influence, Y/L/N." Coryo shakes his head with a smile on his face, opening the bottle anyway to try it.

"No!" You laugh. "This is good for us. It makes me more... digestible to these stuck-ups."

"Are you not included in that group?"

"Oh, Coriolanus Snow, we are at the top of the list."

The air in the expansive house is as hot and stuffy as it could possibly be. It reminded you so much of your own, but warmer, in a way. Maybe it was just the sheer volume of people inside and the buzz of alcohol in your system.

Livia's parents had been kind enough to leave the whole back garden and pool for you kids to enjoy, and to have your own space free from all of the adults who were also invited.

It was warm out for a May evening when you finally made it outside after saying your 'hello's to all your classmates' parents. Your own parents insisted that you spend a decent amount of time doing so, despite them not being able to make it. Coryo was known to do this as well, so you made your rounds together before thanking the Cardew's for the invitations and they showed you where all the other kids were outside.

Coryo already wanted to leave, and if you did as well, you were good at hiding it. He couldn't tell, blindly following you through the crowded house before making it outside.

"Party's here!" You call out as you step out onto the patio, allowing Coryo to close the door behind you.

"Y/N, you gorgeous girl, finally!" You're quickly greeted by Hilarius Heavensbee, and god, Coryo has never hated him more as the boy is wrapping his arms around you. His attempts at flirting with you are humiliating- Coriolanus doesn't know how he couldn't see that he was embarrassing himself.

"Hilary, you flatter me." You chuckle, gently patting his back with your free hand as you pull away.

"You know I try." He laughs, shrugging as he slides in between the two of you, draping an arm over your shoulder.

"Where's the birthday girl?" You ask, holding up the gift bag. "I need to ditch this."

"That's a good question..." Your classmate says, scanning the groups scattered across the lawn in search of Livia.

"I can carry that, if you'd like." Coryo offers, desperate to remind you of his presence. He wasn't going to let you ditch him- you were the only reason he even attended.

"Oh, no. I've got it. Thank you, though." You wave him off, looking up at the boy whose arm is sitting over your shoulder uncomfortably. "Hilary, could you grab Coryo and I some glasses, please?"

"Uh, yeah, sure." He says, stepping away. "What do you want?"

"Oh, just the glasses please. We brought our own drinks." You wink.

"Alright, but only if you share." He chuckles.

"I'm nothing if not generous." You joke, pushing him in the direction of where you see the beverage table is set up.

"His share is coming out of your bottle." Coryo says once the boy is out of earshot.

"Who do you think I am?" You ask, placing the giftbag on the ground and grabbing your bag off your shoulder, digging through the fabric you used to muffle the sounds of glass bottles rattling against one another. "I brought enough for the class."

"Of course you did." He chuckles, shaking his head slightly as you carefully pull another bottle out of the bag. "Be a doll, go dump this in the punch?" You smile up at him, holding it out to him expectantly.

"No! I'm not spiking anything." He laughs.

"Suit yourself, Boryo Coryo." You sigh with a teasing smile, placing your bags on the ground and walking over to the table at the side of the house, unscrewing the cap as you go.

"Where'd Y/N/N go?" Hilarius asks, returning to Coryo's side. He just nods over to you in response, not tearing his gaze away from your form as you dump the contents of the bottle into the bowl.

"Ah, gotcha." Your classmate laughs, holding an empty glass out for Coryo to take.

Coryo mutters a quiet 'thanks', refocusing himself on inspecting the glass in his hand for any dirt or fingerprints. It was spotless- of course it was.

"So, are you guys like... together? Or what's the deal?"

"Pardon?" Coryo is taken aback by the question, finally looking up at the boy.

"You and Y/N." He gestures toward you as you stir the bowl, simultaneously holding the mostly empty bottle up to your lips to let the last few drops fall onto your tongue. "You're always hovering around each other. Anything more to it? Everyone is wondering, but no one dares ask her."

"Oh. No." Coryo shakes his head, wishing his glass was full of whatever bitter alcohol you'd gifted him so he could down it all in one go.

"Sweet." Hilarius grins to himself, watching you intently.

Coryo raises an eyebrow at Hilarius, perplexed by his reaction. "What's so sweet about it?" he asks, trying to understand the amused grin on Hilarius' face.

Hilarius chuckles, leaning in slightly as if about to share a secret. "If you're not gonna go for her, I will."

Coryo's cheeks flush with a mixture of embarrassment and anger. "Be my guest." He spits through gritted teeth. He should have drank more- perhaps it would have made Hilarius's juvenile pursuits more tolerable.

Hilarius nudges him playfully, "Life's too short for missed opportunities, if you ask me." He looks back at you again, not so subtly raking his eyes over your figure and how it fits in your favourite party dress. "And that would be a damn shame of a missed opportunity."

Coryo glances over at you, catching your eye for a brief moment before quickly looking away. He clears his throat awkwardly. "If you say so. I find she's quite... overwhelming, at times."

"That's the best thing about her." Hilarius muses. "Just imagine it... You know what I mean? I bet she's just crazy. In a really good way."

Coryo's brow furrows at the implication, both from offense and intrigue. He knew you were stunning- even a fool could have told him that, but it was to make a mockery of your name to only look at you and see merely the potential of what you could do with your body. To him, you were like morning rain in the springtime; a breath of fresh air when you didn't have to defend yourself at every turn, but Hilarius Heavensbee didn't know the first thing about walking in the rain.

"Don't be vile." Coryo scoffs, giving a slight shake of his head.

As you finish up with the concoction in the bowl, Coryo watches you with a newfound awareness, a subtle curiosity lingering behind his stare.What would it be like? It's not something he has ever considered, or even had the time or desire to look at anyone that way. Especially not you, you were so personal to him it was off limits even in his own head. He didn't understand the seemingly overnight shift a couple years ago now where all the boys in your class started looking at you and the other girls like pieces of meat, but suddenly watching you lick clean the spoon you used to stir the punch, he could see that maybe they had a point. What it would be like to hear you panting into his ear. Tired, loving, even, like he was the only man in the world who could make you feel so, so good. To have your deep red lipstick staining his skin, his shoulders, his neck, possibly lower. The idea of having to explain the stains on the inside of his shirt to Tigris when he pleads with her to somehow get them out has his heartbeat racing... Likely, though, it was just the liquor starting to settle in his veins, is what he decided as he adjusted the front of his dress pants.

Hilarius chuckles at Coryo's reaction, seemingly unfazed by his disapproval. "Relax, man. I'm just saying, life's too short not to appreciate the whole package. Y/N's got the brains, the looks, and that fiery spirit. It's like having your cake and eating it too."

Coryo arches an eyebrow, unconvinced. "I appreciate her for more than just appearances, you know."

Hilarius smirks knowingly. "Of course, of course. I'm just speaking from a purely hypothetical standpoint. No harm in imagining what could be."

Coryo shoots him a skeptical glance, but before he can respond, you join them, empty bottle in hand. "What's the topic?" you ask, catching the tail end of their conversation.

Hilarius grins, shrugging. "Oh, just discussing the finer things in life. You know, like cake."

You raise an eyebrow, sharing a confused glance with Coryo. "Cake? Really? Are we eight?"

Coryo rolls his eyes. "Apparently, it's a metaphor for appreciating the whole package."

You raise an eyebrow, but neither of them care to elaborate. "Well, I hope you both appreciate this 'whole package' of a potion I just whipped up. It should be interesting." You nod back toward the table, taking one of the glasses from your classmate to pour the remainder of your bottle out for the three of you.

By the time your unknowing classmates started to loosen up, you were sitting in a circle in a corner of the yard with a few others.

"I have a present for everyone." You state in a pause of conversation, and Coryo watches as you reach into the front of your dress, into your bra, and pull out a small paper bag.

"Uhm- what is that?" Clemensia asks, leaning back as if the bag would explode.

"Weed!" You laugh, looking around at the suddenly silent group of kids you're sitting with as you peel the bag open, the smell wafting through the air making some of your friends scrunch up their noses in disgust. "Oh my god- have none of you ever seen weed before?" You knew they hadn't, you hadn't really, either, but it was fun to tease them.

They all share confused and embarrassed glances. "Guys, come on..." You chuckle.

"I don't think we should..." Festus mumbles, clearing his throat. Of course he was going to be a baby about it.

"It's harmless! It's a plant, how much could something that grows out of the ground really hurt you?"

"Have you ever heard of poison ivy? Or that stuff poor people in the Districts burn to clean their houses or whatever?" Arachne spits, side-eying the bag on the ground.

"Sage isn't poisonous." Sejanus grumbles, hardly audible next to you.

"Okay, yes, but this is just weed. It's fun. Trust me." You plead, looking around at your friends, eyes locking on Coryo to your left.

"Okay, big shot, have you done it?" Clemensia asks, clearly already knowing the answer.

"Well... No, but there's a first time for everything, isn't there?" You smile. "Coryo, come on." You point him out in particular and he curses himself because he knows he can't say no to you.

"Okay... what do we do with it?" He questions quietly.

You squeal, the alcohol really showing as you lean into him, hugging him excitedly. "That's my boy! We smoke it."

"Alright, how?" Hilarius cuts in, forcing you to look at him instead of Coryo as you furrow your brow.

"Uh... that's a good question. I brought matches, though."

Sejanus sighs. "Anyone have an apple?" he speaks drawing everyone's attention, confused looks now focused on him.

"An apple?" Someone inquires about specifics, but you're busy making yourself comfortable closer to Coryo, leaning your head on his shoulder. When he realizes you're there to stay, he quickly reaches for the bottle at his side to take another swig. He's far too sober to have you all over him like this, he wonders if you could feel his heartbeat the way he could.

"To make a pipe." Sejanus explains, like it's obvious.

You smile, nodding at him. "You heard the boy- someone find him an apple!"

"And a pen." He adds.

"And a pen!"

It doesn't take long for the supplies to be acquired and passed over to him as you sit in a circle on the grass, watching Sejanus carefully as he uses the pen to dig into the core of the apple. You wanted to remember how, but the alcohol in your system was making it difficult to focus. You had to completely block out anything else happening around you.

"Y/N." You blink at your friend as he drops the pen into his lap, holding his free hand out to you.

"Huh?"

"The weed." He shakes his hand for you to pass him the bag.

"Oh! Right!" You giggle, reaching out for the bag and handing it to him as he pries it open.

"What are you doing?" Livia's voice comes from above you and you swivel your head, quickly getting dizzy from the movement.

"Y/N brought weed." Hilarius answers for him, smiling wide. "Isn't she just the coolest?"

Coryo stares at him, moving his arm tighter around your oblivious form so your classmates could better see his hold on you.

"I- um..." The birthday girl is caught off guard, and quickly looks over her shoulder up at the house. "Can you not do that here? Take it to the park across the street."

"Oh- Oh! Of course, yes." You nod, scrambling to get up, immediately pulling her into a hug. "I should have asked, I'm sorry." You slur, not noticing how tense she is under your hold.

"Are you... drunk?"

"Maybe." You giggle, holding a finger to your lips as you pull away. "Happy birthday, by the way! I brought a gift for you, 'is over there." You point over to the table you placed the bag under, swaying slightly.

"Yeah... I already opened it, remember?"

"Oh, shit. Right! Well, I hope you like it, Liv. You're just the best..." You hum, hugging her again as she gives a panicked look to your classmates behind you, who just laugh.

"Alright, let's get you out of here. We're gonna go to the park, okay Y/N/N?" Coryo says, prying you off of Livia and giving her an apologetic look.

"Right!" You giggle, turning so fast you almost lose your balance. "Who's coming?"

"I'll come." Hilarius nods, quickly getting up alongside Sejanus, but no one else moves or says a word.

"You guys are babies!" You laugh.

"And Y/N is a drunk at sixteen. We all have flaws." Persephone speaks up, smug smile on her face as she walks up behind Livia.

Immediately, Coryo is bracing you from swinging at her as your smile drops within an instant and you try and throw yourself at her, manicured hands open and grasping for her hair which you just miss as he holds you back.

"Yeah, that's enough." Coryo grunts, trying to hold you back without hurting you. "We should probably go."

"Coryo, let me go, she-" You hiss, trying to pry him off of you. You didn't know when he got so much bigger or stronger than you.

"Like I said, a drunk." Persephone chuckles, chewing every syllable as it comes out of her mouth.

"That's precious coming from a damn cannibal!" You spit, still trying to get through him as your classmate stares at you in shock. "Yeah- did you even know what your parents were feeding you? 'Cause I do! You probably liked it, you vulture!"

Hilarius holds back a laugh, coming up behind you and pulling you back, taking you from Coryo's grip and hoisting you up over his shoulder to carry you away as you hit at his back, screaming to be let down.

"That's our cue." Sejanus mutters, patting Coryo's shoulder and brushing past him to follow after you and your friend. "Thanks for having us, Livia!"

Coryo is fuming as he watches your classmate carry you away, but he still really can't pinpoint why. It must be the amount of alcohol- he's never drank this much before, but he has heard anger is a symptom. He's seen it in your father. Now, he's seen it in you; but it's not like that kind of outburst was abnormal coming from you. He's probably mad at Persephone for bringing that out of you. It's her fault, honestly.

He silently grabs your backpack and your bottles, half-hazardly throwing them in before swinging it over his shoulder and following after Sejanus without another word.

"So," Arachne states once he's out of earshot, taking a sip out of her glass as she remains on the ground. "Are we betting on Heavensbee or Snow to lose their virginity to her tonight?"

The group very quickly became a hung jury.

"Listen, I know the truth, okay, guys, hear me out." Clemensia speaks up over her arguing classmates. "Tonight, specifically, it'll be Hilarius." She holds her hand up to stop anyone who started arguing. "Coriolanus will probably wait until they're married or something, but trust me when I tell you that he will marry her."

"Marry her? We're sixteen, aren't you getting ahead of yourself, Clemmie?" Festus laughs, shaking his head.

"Obviously he doesn't know it yet, he's denser than over stirred cake batter, but he just follows her around like a lost puppy. That will never change, also, he's the only one that she's never had a problem with! And she'll fight with anyone!" Clemensia states, nodding with the finality of her statement. "That's all I have to say."

"Wait, you're telling me Coriolanus and Y/N aren't together?" Pup asks, just joining the conversation after sitting there confused for the last few minutes.

"My point exactly."

"Sejanus, you wizard, show us the ways." You giggle, plopping down on the ground where Hilarius carefully let you back onto your feet once you reached the park, previous argument completely forgotten.

"Okay." He laughs, sitting down next to you. "There's three holes in the apple. You hold it on the side like this, then you put the weed on the very top hole..." He explains as he's doing it, and you watch intently. "Then you hold the match up until it's burning, and you'll put your thumb over this hole here once you inhale it through the last one..." His voice trails off as he holds the apple up to your lips, doing all the work but letting you just breathe in the smoke.

You try, eyes closed as the three boys watch you until you pull away quickly to cough it all out as the smoke burned into your throat. "Oh my god..." You laugh, eyes watering as you continue to cough. "Your turn."

"You okay?" Hilarius asks with a slight chuckle, rubbing gentle circles into your back.

"Fine." You nod, quickly wiping your eyes.

"Here." Sejanus holds the apple out to the boy next to you. He takes it, and Coryo feels like he can finally breathe now that Hilarius doesn't have his hands on you.

"Where'd you learn this?" He asks Sejanus, ignoring your classmate following the same routine you did.

"Guess." Sejanus answers, looking over at him. "I don't smoke, but lots of my friends parents did. Back in Two."

"Right." The fact that they smoked around children didn't shock Coryo. Not one bit.

"Coryo, loosen up, man, you look like you're sitting with a stick up your ass." Hilarius offers it to him now, and he looks over at you. As if somehow you would tell him what to say.

"Try it!" You urge him on, shifting over so you're kneeling in front of him, taking the apple from Hilarius for him. "I'll light for you."

"Uh, okay, yeah." He swallows thickly, subconsciously leaning back a little bit at your closer proximity.

He takes the fruit from your hand, watching as your strike up a new match. "Tell me when you're ready..." You hum, moving even closer as he lifts the apple to his lips.

"Ready." He says quietly, and before you put the flames to the flowers, you're reaching up with your other hand to push his hair out of his face and hold it back for him so it doesn't somehow light.

He doesn't last long, looking into your eyes and trying to inhale the thick, abrasive smoke; it's only a second before he's pulling back quickly, coughing his lungs out as the other two boys laugh at him.

"It takes some getting used to, that's okay..." You smile, taking another hit while the flower was still burning.

You exhale, and it's smoother this time. "I did it!" You grin, choking only slightly over your words.

"Good job, Y/N/N." Sejanus laughs.

"You okay?" You ask Coryo and he nods, recovering from the coughing fit now as the weed really starts to take affect in your system.

You feel like your world is swaying as you kneel in front of him. "Did it work? Can you feel it?" You ask, and he shakes his head.

"It's the second hit." You determine, feeling bold as you straddle yourself over his lap. "I've got an idea. Do you trust me?" You whisper and he nods quickly, leaning back on his palms. Once again, not nearly drunk enough for this.

"Yeah, you know what, I've gotta get back. My parents are heading out pretty quick, here..." Hilarius makes an excuse, but you can hardly even hear him now. "Sejanus, you coming?"

Clearly getting the message he nods, standing up and dusting off his pants. "Have fun, you two. Get home safe."

"Bye!" You giggle, waving to them with your free hand.

The silence that surrounds you is deafening, particularly for poor Coryo, who is fighting for his life to not move. Not that he doesn't want you this close, apparently he does; if his body and his mind racing with thoughts are any indicator, the biggest problem is that he wants to touch you. He knows he shouldn't.

"I've got an idea." You say again, attention returned to him. "But you have to trust me."

"I trust you." He mumbles with a slight nod.

"Good." You smile, taking yet another pull from the apple, holding it carefully the way Sejanus told you to.

You painfully hold your breath, feeling the drug cloud your mind as you put it down gently on the ground next to you. Coryo starts to panic as you lean in closer, closer than you've ever been to him before, and god, did he hate and love where this was going.

You stop, lips brushing against his as you let the smoke out of your lungs, and all he has to do is breathe. Why is that suddenly so hard? He manages, somehow, feeling the smoke from your lungs flood into his own.

Once you move back, settling yourself on his lap and tilting your head at him, he turns to breathe it all out away from you. He doesn't know if he can look back.

You smile, settling your arms around his neck and subconsciously playing with the ends of his hair. "How does it feel?"

"Good." He says quietly, finally gaining the courage to look up at you.

"Good?" You hum with a slight nod, letting yourself get closer to him again as he rests a hand on your waist.

"Really good." He confirms, looking into your eyes; glazed over from the substances you so carelessly consume. "Y/N/N?"

"Yes, my dear Coryo?" You answer, already getting giggly.

He doesn't say anything more.

Fuck it.

With his free hand he's grabbing the back of your neck and pulling you closer, crashing his lips against yours.

"Y/N, hey." Coryo greets you, catching up to you just as you get to the front doors of the academy. He hasn't seen you since Saturday night- since he walked you home after you spent nearly an hour kissing him absolutely senseless at the park across from Livia's home. He couldn't stop thinking about it.

"Coryo, hi." You smile, textbooks tucked into your arms as you join him walking into the front doors of the academy on Monday morning. "How are you feeling?"

"Me? Fine." He shrugs, failing to mention the crippling hangover he was nursing for all of the day prior.

"What?" You laugh, sighing with fake disappointment. "That's not fair. I was dying yesterday. Literally, when I woke up I thought I had died and gone to hell. I don't even remember how I got home."

"You don't?" He chuckles nervously.

"No. I don't remember a thing." You laugh. "That's how you know it was a good night, so I've heard."

"Really? Nothing at all?" He asks, nervousness and disappointment flashing behind his eyes.

"Well, I remember spiking the punch." You laugh. "Why, did I do something bad?" Your laugh is replaced with anxiety as your voice lowers so only he can hear, catching the look in his eye.

Coryo clears his throat, avoiding your gaze as he shakes his head. "No, well... You did call Persephone a cannibal. Tried to fight her."

"Oh, well, that's standard." You shrug. "No big deal, then."

"Yeah. No big deal."

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[dotster001]

Blessed

Summary: Diavolo x gn!reader. You bring the angels with you to break the news of your upcoming marriage to your super religious parents.

CW: technically parents are religious, but I don't dig too deeply into it. Just the part where they wouldn't like you marrying the prince of hell.

A/N: This came into being because I was thinking about how I'd break the news to my parents if I was marrying Dia. I realized I'd probably have to lie my ass off.

You had calmly explained to Dia that it would be far easier to just… pretend that you weren't together. Your family was already on edge from the random bursts of time you disappeared. But the last thing your super religious parents would want to hear was that part of the reason was that you were the future king of hell’s fiance.

But no. Dia wanted to do the human tradition of “meeting the parents.” And whatever Dia wanted, Dia got, through whining, charm, and sheer stubbornness. What for him was a quirky little human tradition, for you was an incredibly stressful event.

To be fair to your parents, if the roles were reversed, and your child disappeared for months at a time and came back with a fiance, you'd be concerned. So you put some “protections” in place. You hoped it wouldn't come to it, but Simeon and Luke were going to be there. Just in case.

It wasn't going well. You, Diavolo, Simeon, and Luke, all sat awkwardly on the sofa while your parents gave you a stern glare. 

“Getting married? Where did you two meet?”

You'd told Dia what he could and couldn't say. You knew he couldn't lie, so you told him to keep his mouth shut. If his lineage came up…oh God. You didn't want to think about it.

“Is he the reason you keep disappearing?”

“Y/N, if you're in trouble,” one of them gently grabbed your hands, staring in your eyes, “you can tell us. We'll get you out of it.”

“And who's the kid?”

“I'm Luke! I'm a friend of Y/N’s!” He said happily, excited to be noticed.

“Well, it's all rather suspect,” one of them said, leveling another glare at Dia, who was simply smiling happily. “I can't support this marriage.”

“I assure you, I will take excellent care of Y/N,” he said happily.

“Again, rather suspect.”

“I have quite a bit of money. Y/N will want for nothing for the rest of their life!”

“And yet their family doesn't seem to be invited to the wedding.”

“Simeon,” you whined to the angel, who sighed and nodded to Luke.

“Please, we know you have reason to be alarmed. But we have been given a message,” Simeon said, Luke nodding along. The two of them stood up, and the room was filled with a blinding light. What your eyes could see and understand, were what you'd been told biblical angels might look like. Yet even that description was off. You just couldn't comprehend the forms in front of you.

“Be not afraid,” Luke ‘spoke’, though more accurately, he sang in a chorus of angelic tones.

“Our Father has sent us with a message. This union has been arranged and blessed by the heavenly Father himself,” Simeon spoke.

Not exactly false. When word had got out that you, an all powerful, dangerous, product of three realms, were dating the Lord of Hell, they'd all but demanded marriage. Perhaps it was a diplomatic move, maybe it was a way to keep you in check, but the Celestial Realm had pushed far harder than the demon lords who'd opposed a marriage.

This was your last ditch effort. If literal angels couldn't convince your parents, Dia had been instructed to get all of you out of there, then order Barbatos to take you all slightly back in time before you had told your parents.

“We promise to guard and guide your child, as our Father has instructed us to care for them,” Luke said.

If your parents dug into this, asking the whys and hows, you'd be fucked. But the awestruck look on their faces told you they were buying it. They seemed to be crying with joy. 

Simeon smiled warmly, then him and Luke returned to their regular forms, meaning you could actually look at them. Luke seemed smug, and Simeon seemed relieved.

Your parents tune seemed to have changed completely, now saying only good things about the marriage, eagerly asking if there was any way they could be a part of it, asking Dia all about himself, certain he had to be a good person to have been literally chosen by God for their child.

You sighed in relief as the angels took most of the questions. Dia smiled brightly next to you.

“That went so well! Perhaps I can show them my true form!” You dug your nails into his hand as you and the angels now lied your asses off about what that meant. All while Dia smugly laughed.

....

Tag list- @eccedentesiast-sapphic @your-next-daydream

[etirabys]

alright, I'm going to make a post detailing things I liked about my wedding because I think it will help my long term psychological health about it or something

the flowers were lovely, I liked the palette we gave our florist and she did a nice job. I've been fingering one of the leftover roses on and off for a day and slowly shredding it

when all the flowers dry up I think I'll try making rosewater

we chose alcohol we liked, and we have a lot left over, meaning we're set to host spontaneous parties and such

my boyfriend told me that while my hair dress and makeup made me look quite unlike my usual self, I looked very bridenappable

we set aside 5-10m for our photographer to take photos of us with our other partners, which was nice

my parents were happy!!! oh my gosh they were so happy. I managed to not ruin it for them out of revenge for making me do it which was a feat of heroism and also benzodiazepines. I have ancient brain grooves of punishing them for making me do hateful things by trying to make them just as miserable, and the temptation was immense, but I largely did not do it and I have a bunch of photos of them smiling and dancing

I don't have photos from our main photographer yet but @drethelin sent me some of his and they look great. I didn't expect to be this into the photos but I'm so psyched to have the rest. Will probably post some when I get them

the fancy cake we got had fondant that I liked. I had gotten small heart shaped samples of the fondant before and I had fully expected to enjoy eating a cake covered in it. And I did. It was like marshmallow with more conviction.

my two favorite college friends crashed at my place over the weekend and it was great catching up with them. they got along really well with my other friends and partners. just going on and on about French zoning policy

I look eh in hanbok but the giant looks beautiful in hanbok. He prefers hanbok to a Western suit and frankly looks more natural that way.

the DJ did a great job! Originally we planned for "maybe a little bit of dancing" (I looked at the guest spreadsheet and guessed maybe 7 people would be willing to dance, tops) but we got like 20 people in on it.

the afterparty I put together last minute was the most enjoyable part of the day. I was pretty dead (I'd gotten up at 7:30am to get hair done) but it was nice to be my normal self, not constrained by relatives. I occasionally went around rooms, noted what conversations were going on, and matchmade by fetching someone who I thought would especially enjoy that conversation

the giant and I didn't have the usual "we'll be able to call ourselves husband and wife" motivation since we got legally married years ago, so we invented "wife plus" and "platinum husband" to describe some imaginary next level of marriage we are on.

I was forced to learn how to iron to get the hanbok presentable, and now I feel like a more powerful human being

my relatives gave me money as a wedding gift. but my dad drummed it into me that they expect it back when their kids get married and I go to their weddings. and that it would be quite inappropriate if I failed to do this. I ventured tentatively that this would all be simplified if we simply did not give each other money gifts and he was so offended at my attack on tradition & decency that I hastily backtracked. but in theory I still win because of inflation? because it's an interest free loan. also their kids might not get married. or invite me

[canirove]

Best friends… forever? | Chapter 13

Previous chapter | Next chapter

Masterlist

"Is that for me?"

"Yep" Fran smiles, giving Mila a red rose. "It may be too much, but I don't know, I saw a guy selling them earlier and couldn't help myself."

"I love it when people get me flowers. Thank you." Rúben always gets her a bouquet after she's won a big game. After losing it too. Rúben...

"Are ok you?" Fran asks her. "You look... I don't know. Weird. Are you sure you want to go out?"

"I do, yes" Mila says. "I need to keep my head busy and stop thinking for a while."

"May I ask what has happened?"

"I'll tell you at the restaurant."

━━━━━━❃━━━━━━

"Wow."

"I know" Mila says, taking a bite of her food.

"So you are in love with your best friend, who happens to be Rúben Dias, the Manchester City player."

"I’m not in love with him. I am falling in love with him. It isn’t the same." Or that’s what she tells herself.

"And you came to that conclusion thanks to me?"

"Yeah... And I'm so sorry about it. You probably feel like I used you or something."

"Oh, it’s ok. I knew this was just a fling, that it wasn't going anywhere. Our lifestyles and the fact that we don't live in the same country, make trying something very difficult. To be honest, I'm flattered” Fran shrugs.

"Flattered? What do you mean?"

"You said you chose me because I reminded you of Rúben, and he is like... Fitness, style and career goals. And you, who know him better than anyone, found some of the things he has on me."

"That's... Weird. But ok, if it makes you happy" Mila chuckles.

"Very" Fran smiles.

"Then can we stay as friends? I wouldn't mind having someone I can visit in Sevilla."

"The doors of my house will always be open for you. But what are you going to do now? Are you going to tell Rúben?"

"Oh, no. No, no, no. Just the thought of it makes me feel this thing in my chest and... No."

"Then?"

"I don't know. We still have a couple of weeks left before the preseason starts, so I guess I'll go back to Portugal with the girls."

"You are leaving Cádiz?"

"Next week it is Eva's brother's turn to stay at the house, and he invites his friends. We have to leave" Mila shrugs.

"Then come to Murcia with me."

"What?"

"You said you've never been, right? I think I can convince Pablo to let me take you as my plus one to the wedding. If you want, of course."

"Fran, are you... Are you sure? Wouldn't it be awkward?"

"Nah" he says. "So tell me. Are you in the mood for a Spanish wedding or not?"

━━━━━━❃━━━━━━

"She isn't coming?"

"Nope. She's staying with some new friends she made" Rúben says.

For the first time in years, Mila is missing their "Portuguese gang" reunion at the end of the holidays. And it doesn’t feel ok.

"New friends? Who?" Bruno asks.

"I'm not sure. She just told me that one of them invited her to his wedding."

"That's odd, isn't it? They just met, and she is going to his wedding."

"Anything to stay away from us" Diogo says. "Or from Rúben."

"Or maybe just from you, who suddenly became the annoying one" Rúben spats.

"Hey, let it be peace" Bruno says. "We are on holidays, remember? Let's try to relax and have fun."

"I don't know how we'll be able to do that with grumpy cat over here" Diogo says, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I'm not grumpy" Rúben replies.

"Of course not" Diogo snorts.

"Ok, new rule. It is forbidden to talk about Mila" Bruno says. "She doesn't exist, understood?"

"Do you think you can forget about her for a few days?" Diogo asks Rúben.

"I can" he says. But he knows that is a lie. Even when he doesn’t want to, he finds himself thinking about her. And knowing that she is at someone's wedding, definitely with the guy she was talking with on that photo, doesn't help.

"Great!" Bruno says. "Let's cheers to that, and think what we want to do next. Maybe rent a boat?"

━━━━━━❃━━━━━━

"Mila, you look absolutely stunning."

"Thank you, Fran" she says, feeling her cheeks getting warm.

"I just hope they don't kick us out of the wedding."

"Why would they do that?"

"Because I'm sure you look ten times better than the bride, and today it is supposed to be her day" he says with a cheeky smile.

"Oh, shut up" she laughs, taking the arm he is offering her.

━━━━━━❃━━━━━━

"That has to be the most bizarre dance of my entire life" Mila laughs, letting herself fall on a chair.

"I just can't believe that, being Portuguese and spending your summers in Spain, you didn't know about Paquito el chocolatero."

"I don't know, maybe I'm normal" she shrugs.

"If you were normal, you would have known about it" Fran laughs.

"It is just so... The moves, you know?"

"I know."

"And everyone dances. Adults, children, the grandparents... Everyone!"

"That's Paquito el chocolatero" he shrugs. "Are you having fun?"

"Lots of fun. Thank you for convincing me to come."

"It's been my pleasure. Though maybe we could... End the night with... Actual pleasure, you know?"

"Fran... Are you asking me if I want to have sex?" Mila laughs, the woman sitting on the table next to theirs giving her an outraged look.

"Just one last time. As a goodbye. To me, to the summer, to Spain..."

"Ok then" she says after thinking about it for a few seconds. She only has a couple of days left of her holidays before she has to go back to Manchester. Before she has to face Rúben and her feelings for him. And God knows how that will go. So maybe having one last wild night with this very nice and very hot guy like Eva liked calling Fran, wasn't such a bad idea.

"You sure? If you don't want to do it it's fine, I totally get it."

"I'm sure" Mila says. "Your room or mine?"

━━━━━━❃━━━━━━ 

Author’s note: In case you are curious about what “Paquito el chocolatero” is, it is a super famous Spanish song with very particular dance moves that it is played on weddings and parties in general, usually when people already are a bit tipsy 😅

The moves that made Mila go 👀 are the ones you can see here at minute 1:27 😂

[ash5monster01]

Truths of Our Past Part 2

Pairing: Older!Charlie Dalton x FemReader

Warnings: mentions of suicide, depression, depressing thoughts, past trauma, facing trauma, romance, understanding, fluff.

Summary: You had met Charlie in University, were married shortly after, and had become accustomed to a beautiful life together. When you receive a wedding invitation to one of Charlie’s previous classmates weddings you discover that Charlie had a dark past, one he had been trying to forget. In the midst of it all you try to help him through it while finding out that he’s not the guy you thought you married at all. Maybe he’s even better.

word count: 2.8k

Part 1 ←→ Part 3

Masterlist

10/4/69

Day 2/8

You couldn’t remember the last time you woke up to the sound of birds chirping out the window. Before you even opened your eyes a smile was sliding across your face, rolling over to feel the sunshine pouring in from the window. Your mind instantly went to the poem Charlie had recited for you on the drive up yesterday and then your mind was on Charlie. He still softly snored beside you, he slept better here. He would probably never admit it to it but you knew it was the child in him, the innocenece. Slowly you pressed a hand to his chest, feeling his heart beat underneath your fingers and you leaned over to press a soft kiss to his hairline.

"Goodmorning beautiful" Charlie said, his eyebrows raising but eyes still shut with lingering sleep.

"You haven't even seen me yet to know I look beautiful" you told him and then his chocolate eyes were blinking open, focusing on you in your silk nightie and curlers in your hair. A lopsided smile appeared on his face as he drank you in.

"I don't have to look to know how beautiful you are" he said, the charmer in him, and you could only giggle like a school girl as he sat up to hug you.

"We better get moving, we have a long week ahead of us" you said between kisses that Charlie had pressed to your face and he groaned, wishing he could have a relaxing country side vacation here with you.

"Don't remind me" he told you, collapsing back into the bed and you could only chuckle as you removed the tangled covers from your legs and grabbed your toiletry bag.

"Cheer up Char, you get to see all the dead poets today" you told him, giving him a swift kiss on the lips before heading to the bathroom connected to your shared room. Charlie couldn't help but think not all the Dead Poets. They were missing the one person who would've loved being here the most. His heart constricted as he pictured the brunette boy so full of life, teasing Todd, making sure they all participated in wedding festivities. Hell he would've been bestman over Jeff. What hurt worse was Neil was here in Vermont, forever tied to this place, but he wasn't really here.

By the time Charlie made it downstairs most of your plates had been cleared, cups of coffee half drank, easy conversation happening between you and Chris while Knox read the paper at the head of the table.

"There he is, your pancakes are in the oven to keep warm" Chris informed Charlie and he thanked her as he walked towards the kitchen. Just as she said his pancakes were on a plate in the oven, tufts of steam still spiralling from the top of them. He made his way back to the table, not without stealing a cup of coffee for himself first. You had greeted him with a kiss once he was sat beside you and he felt his heart yearn for a life like this. A big private home with a warm kitchen smell mixed wih the breeze from outside. He was so tired of small apartments and footsteps from peope who live upstairs.

"Here Charlie, eat fast and we'll head over to meet with the rest of the guys" Knox said, sacrificing a sheet of the Monday paper to hand to Charlie. He smiled at him in a thanks and briefly wondered when they had turned in Mr. Mcallister.

Charlie had followed Knox's orders, excited to see his friends. Leaving you two behind to wait for Chris' mother and the other kids while they grabbed their coats and got into Knox's car. Charlie had found himself enjoying the time they were spending on the familiar roads. That was until Knox turned onto the most familiar rroad of them all and his stomach dropped as he realized where Knox was heading. He tried to not seem uneasy as he pulled at the collar of his shirt that suddenly felt way too tight. "The venue is Welton?"

"Oh yeah, it's the biggest place in town so Todd sorta had to settle. Kind of full circle though right?" Knox spoke, not entirely realizing his uneasiness at being back here.

"I haven't been to Welton since I was expelled" Charlie quietly said, trying not to feel small in the front seat of Knox's car. Knox turned a few times to look at him and he realized what this had meant. All of them had stayed, finished out their senior year, got used to Neil not being there. Charlie didn't, for Charlie Neil was still here attending classes and sneaking out for the play.

"Oh, well..." but Knox didn't know what to say so he kept his mouth shut and tried to let Charlie process it on his own as he pulled beside Todd's car that was parked out front. Charlie stayed silent the entire way through the front doors, down the hall, and into the large atrium where most Welton mixer events had been held. Instead there was the familiar faces of Welton alum lining tables and chairs.

"Nuwanda! You're late, demerits!" Todd called as he saw the boys enter the room and suddenly all of the boys attention was on the pair in the doorway. Charlie couldn't fight the smile that reached his face as Todd teased him. Something he never would've dared to do when they first met.

"Demerits never scared me Todd" Charlie said, the sly and cocky personality coming to him in a full sweep. Todd just shook his head with a chuckle as he moved to wrap Charlie in a hug.

"I'm glad you and the wife could make it" Todd told him as he pulled back and Charlie gave him a nod as he moved to greet Knox as well. Charlie could only chuckle as he spotted Meeks and Pitt's staring back at him.

"Gentlemen" Charlie teased as he approached them and they both laughed, giving him quick hugs because they were pretty sure it had been since Charlie's wedding they had last seen each other.

"Charles, dapper as ever" Meeks told the boy, yearning for the years they spent almost all their time together. Seeing people who used to always be there that you haven't in a while could do that to you.

"Here he goes, already bowing to the almighty Nuwanda" Pitts spoke and Knox just chuckled.

"He’s just sucking up so he can get out of telling him how he lost his virginity" Meeks eyes were shooting daggers at Knox for throwing him under the bus but the rest of the boys were hounding with laughter.

“Virginity?! Meeks pray tell” Charlie was grinning at the red head and he just rolled his eyes before holding up his hands.

“It’s no big deal, can we focus on the topic at hand. Todd getting married” Steven directed the attention off him, eyeing up their blonde friend who now held his shoulders with much more confidence these days.

“Okay I get it, Todd actually talked to a girl. Ha Ha, very funny” Todd said holding up hands in a defense and the boys all laughed.

“We’re happy for you man just the Todd we met couldn’t even read a poem in front of us” Knox said clapping his back and Todd shook his head.

“Keating changed that” he said and Charlie felt like all the air was sucked out of the room. The other boys seemed fine but for Charlie the last time he was here Keating was still his teacher.

“Did you ever get ahold of him?” Pitts asked and Charlie rose his eyebrows in confusion.

“I tried a few times but nothing. The wedding invite is out there so I can only hope” and Charlie realized Todd was trying to invite Keating to the wedding. Hell it had been ten years. He always pictured Keating happy, back in London, raising a family of boys that could think freely.

“Would’ve had better luck inviting Nolan” Meeks said and Todd just chuckled.

“Even if he did get it I understand not wanting to come back here. Welton wasn’t kind to any of us” Todd said, moving to grab some more chairs.

“That’s true, but for some reason we’re all still here” Knox said glancing at Charlie who hadn’t spoken in a while.

“It’s almost like nothing changed” Charlie said but that wasn’t true. Everything did. He hasn’t been the same since that week. All the boys even knew it wasn’t true but they pretended it was. Even as they finished setting up the chairs and tables, Jeff Anderson joining them after dropping off the kids. It was normal and all at the same time it wasn’t.

“I wonder how much trouble those boys are getting into over at Welton” Ann future Anderson said, a newspaper veil hanging from her hair as she wrapped ribbon around her center piece. You perked up immediately.

“They’re at Welton?” you found yourself asking and Ann’s college roommate Maggie beside her nodded.

“Yeah, that’s the venue” Maggie confirmed and you found yourself glancing at Chris and Rachel, Jeff’s wife. They all looked at you, confused why you’d be concerned.

“Charlie hasn’t been to Welton since he was expelled” you spoke and a look of realization dawned on Chris’ face.

“Oh, I don’t think any of us realized” she said apologetically, her hand reaching to grab your own.

“I’m sure he is fine, probably just a shock to the system” you said carefully, mind now concerned about the mentality of your husband. Wanting to comfort him as he relived his past.

“I don’t get it” Rachel said and Ann shot her a warning look which made her back down immediately.

“I bet they’re having fun, those boys always have stories about the shenanigans they’d pull” Ann said standing, watching as she walked to the shelf in the living room, newspaper veil slinking behind her. “Todd is always talking about the fun they had”

“Charlie doesn’t really talk about it much” you whispered, unsure why it made you feel left out to not 100% know about his Welton days.

“Here” Ann said and then she was grabbing a photo album off the shelf, the red leather cover sliding into your hands. You felt almost sneaky, like you were doing something without asking permission. But you opened the cover anyway and we’re met with pictures of the boys so young, Welton blazers to match.

“Wow, look at Knox” Chris giggled beside you, the boy even so handsome back then. “It feels like forever since I’ve seen him like that”

“Look at Charlie” you muttered, eyes falling to the boy with a smile wider than the world itself on his face. Hope glimmering in his eyes. Arm wrapped tightly around the shoulders of the brunette boy you didn’t need to ask who to know who it was.

“He’s so charming” Rachel squealed for you and you chuckled. Charlie would’ve loved hearing something like that.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen him smile like that” you found yourself saying and Chris gave you a look.

“I have” she said and you turned up to look at her. Her face unreadable but clearly trying to get a point across.

“When?” you asked, curious as to if it was from a time before you. Maybe at that play.

“Your wedding of course, at least when he wasn’t shaking with nerves” and just like Chris had planned a smile broke across your face, the memory of Charlie at the end of the aisle, tears in his eyes appeared.

“Gosh, you guys are making me miss him and it’s only been two hours” but you figured that’s what it should be like. Loving someone so much that even after a minute apart you miss them. That’s what it must feel like for the boys who miss Neil. The only difference was they didn’t get any relief to that pain.

“That’s normal sweetie, I miss Knox even when he’s with me sometimes” Chris said a giggle escaping her lips.

“I’m not entirely missing Jeff right now but we did just drive ten hours here together so” Rachel added and the girls laughed.

“I wish I had someone to miss” Maggie spoke and Ann just pouted at her.

“You will soon enough Mags. I promise” and then words of encouragement were coming from each of the girls, easing her insecurities, and promising prince charming would come along. Yet your mind was on your own prince charming, a mix of emotions coursing through you.

Love of course, so much love. But there was jealously, over not being included in his past. Not knowing it wasn’t all bad, that those boys had a life full of hope. Then there was anger, anger over not realizing sooner there was so much more to Vermont and Welton. Then above all there was sadness, because there was no doubt that Charlie had been battling much bigger demons the entire time you had known him and he hadn’t even allowed you to help. You could’ve helped him, faced those demons together. You loved him so much you’d do anything for him and it hurt to know that he didn’t want to confide in you enough to help him with this.

You couldn’t escape these feelings even as you laid in bed that night, the covers pulled up to your chest, a book in your hand, and Charlie’s glasses laid on your nose. You hadn’t turned a page since he had returned from a drink and cigar shared with the boys. You could smell the smoke on him but he looked so handsome with his hair a bit tousled and tie loose around his neck. He was Charlie in every sense of the meaning but then you flinched because you thought you knew everything about the boy in front of you, and turns out you barely scratched the surface.

“You look good in my readers” Charlie grinned at you through the mirror on the dresser. Your eyes flicked up, heart clenching because you missed him. Maybe the person you missed wasn’t really him.

“I forgot mine at home” you muttered, eyes flicking back down to your page. Charlie frowned as he turned to fully face you, tie now abandoned and fingers dancing down the buttons of his shirt.

“Everything okay my love?” he asked and you felt yourself sigh, it was silly. To be upset with him for not wanting to share something so deeply personal. But isn’t that what marriage is. Knowing everything and loving them in spite of it.

“Yeah, I’m fine” you gave him a forced smile but he knew better than that. So once he shed his shirt, left in the white tank underneath he was sitting on the edge of the bed, arm locked around your knees as he faced you.

“No you’re not” he said and you audibly groaned, not meaning to be so melodramatic but you couldn’t help it.

“Why don’t you tell me about this place?” now Charlie was even more confused as you asked this, unsure of how to respond. “It’s just I saw pictures today, of you so happy. You always made it seem like you were miserable, why did you keep the good from me?”

“I don’t know what you mean” but he did. He knew exactly what you meant. He had tried, tried to tell you about the moments that made all of it worth it. He just couldn’t bring himself to remember the good when all it did was remind him of the bad.

“Whatever Charlie, I’m going to bed” and in a swift movement you had dropped your book and readers onto the table beside you and turned to face away from him. Charlie sighed, aching to tell you everything, to not make you feel so far away. You were the one person he wanted so close.

“If I talk about the good, I’m reminded why the bad hurts so much” Charlie whispered but you didn’t move. You didn’t want to comfort him, you wanted to be let in by him. Charlie sighed as he stood, leaning down to press a kiss to your cheek.

“You’re all the good I need” he said before turning the lamp off on your side of the bed. Your eyes were shut but you heard him get ready for bed and soon enough the bed dipped beside you, the click of his own lamp turning off. You pretended to sleep and maybe he knew you were pretending too but you didn’t stop him from pulling you close, holding you like as if he let go you would disappear too.

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[doctors-journal]

13 August

It might be nice to see John again. I ran into his wife, Maria, while I was picking something up at the grocery store for mum, and she said she'd tell him I'm back in town. Maybe we'll meet up and kick a football around. It really has been ages.

I’m sure mum would be happy to get me out of the house. I've mostly just been hanging out while dad’s been at work. I’ve helped a bit with the chores here and there, but I’ve mostly just been whiling the time away, flipping through the news and poking around at my old things. I even still have my old books from med school. See how far that got me.

I should be doing something, but it just doesn’t happen. It’s a terrible excuse, but it’s all I’ve got. At least I found out I can still drive—it’s been a while, but I made it into town alright. I saw a few people I recognized at the store, and there were more who seemed to know me, probably through mum and dad. One woman who I didn’t recognize at all came up to me at the checkout and apologised for trying to get me kicked off the football team in high school. She must be the mother of one of my old teammates, but I don’t know who. I guess it’s better late than never.

I ran into Maria, John’s wife, by the produce. She’s from Portugal, I think. I don’t know her very well. We only met once or twice before the wedding, and then I left for Syria. I recognised her though, and she came over to me and said hello. She was surprised to see me. I didn’t really tell anyone I was back in the country. We made some small talk. She asked how I was doing, and I just shrugged. She said John would be happy to see me. I just hope he’s not furious with me for not telling him I’m back.

I guess the detective—Justin—isn’t the only one who’s been avoiding old friends. Clearly something happened between Justin and his friends, but maybe he’s just as frightened as I am that they won’t get it and things will just never be the same. They can’t be the same. I’ve changed too much.

John and I were best friends until I left for Syria. Even when I was studying in London, we’d get together as often as we could and kick a ball around for old times’ sake, chat about school and work. Sometimes our old teammates would come too. I was always closer with them than anyone I met in university. But so much has happened since then.

According to Maria, John is still an immigration lawyer. He’s pretty successful. She seems to think we’ll have something to talk about. I hope we will. Mum is already thinking about inviting John and Maria to dinner sometime before I leave again. That might be easier, but I want to see him first. It’s the least I can do. Depending on how that goes, then maybe they could come for dinner.

I haven’t even done that much today, but now I’m all worn out. Somehow, the less I do the more tired I end up. It was also never this hard being home, seeing everyone at the store, talking to mum and dad. I love them, but coming back into my room I took a breath of relief. Even spending time with Justin wasn’t like this. He’s a lot, but at least he didn’t crowd me or worry. Maybe it worked because we kept each other at a distance, not that it helped in the end.

[medanperan]

i'm not interested in getting married anytime soon but seeing weddings make me wonder wouldn't it be so tiring & boring to just sit still all day long on the stage? i feel like when i am having a reception of my wedding i'd like to wander around and seeing the guest i will have them invited, talk to them, and make sure they know they're invited because they mean something to me & i appreciate they're coming, and having fun because it's not everyday your families relatives and friends make time to come & see you. maybe i get all of this wrong but isn't it a waste of time to invite so many people & they only talk to you for a few minutes and you don't remember everyone you've invited because on that day you're too busy sitting still with the person you'll have the rest of your life with? like we'll have the eternity with that person but we probably won't have the chances to see the person we invite to our weddings ever again.

[scythe-of-house-aurkus]

Starting to think about who the main cast might be chilling out with us in Cantha! We know it will be likely be some characters we're familiar with, some new Canthans, and that they have some more freedom with the core cast:

Gonna throw this under a cut. It got long. I ramble, sorry.

So let's start with our most frequent compatriots, Dragon's Watch:

Taimi - Whether it be in-person or through comms, I feel like this is a gimme. She's our resident dragon magic expert, so ofc she's got to tag along in some capacity as we somehow tackle the dragon problem for the last time. Plus it's about time to make good on the S4 revelations with her illness no longer being in remission. (Also I think we'll see Gorrik, but he'll be with Taimi. Though there are beetles in Cantha too!)

Kasmeer - Likely, but I'm also a little torn on this one. We definitely need more Kas and Jory time (and not just as a unit). Anet didn't really get the chance to make good on their plans for the two in IBS, but Kasmeer was also with us in PoF. Will they double up on expansion exposure time? I think she will make an appearance but may spend a good chunk of that time doing her own thing. (I will say this: if we get a status update on the Kasjory situation as they like to do, it better be invitations to the wedding. Let them be happy ffs)

Marjory - This is a given, and not just bc Marjory's of Canthan descent. Ofc she needs more screentime and a dedicated character arc. We gotta deliver on the whole "my dead sister is inhabiting my sword" thing . And if there's weird stuff going down in Cantha? We're gonna want our detective friend with us. She's also got some potential family stuff that can be brought up with it being mentioned in S2 that her mother isn't very trusting of strangers. Why is that?

Rytlock - More a maybe, venturing into unlikely. His story reached its head in IBS, and it ended in a natural stepping off point. He's literally had more screen time than any other member of Dragon's Watch, bar maybe Taimi if you count comm chatter. I think it's likely he'll be spending more time in the Homelands instead of traipsing around with us. BUT he's also basically the game's mascot, and he was with us in both HoT and PoF in significant capacities. Will EoD follow that trend?

Braham - Also a maybe. I flip-flop constantly with this. His arc also reached its close in IBS. He had a lot of dedicated growth in S4 even before that. But there are things that make me think we may see him in EoD or at least in post-EoD story plans: a) being distinctly not dead after the IBS finale and b) the story potential there. Now that he's free from his mother's legacy and the choking reins of prophecy, there's room to explore what he does now with that freedom. Where does he go next? (On a side note, in the Sunqua Peak fractal there's that 'very tall and strong' character Hyo-Sonn introduced that is speculated to be a norn. Could be our in!)

Rox - Highly unlikely at this point I fear. However it was executed, her arc was clearly done in S4. She appeared for one DRM, but if we ever hear from her again, I'm pretty sure it will just be another cameo.

Now onto core characters that would either be new, or in one case, very recently introduced to us:

Jumping off the Braham bullet point, I think we're going to be dealing with some kind of isolated Norn community from the teases in Sunqua Peak! Norn are naturally loners that wander, so it kind of makes sense to me that a group might have found their way to Cantha at some point in history. Did they go so far north they wrapped around the pole and circumnavigated the globe to Cantha? Does that mysterious hole in the Far Shiverpeaks lead to Cantha? Dredge tunnels?? Regardless of how they got there, we'll probably have a representative from them with us in some capacity. They've just got to be careful to make it feel not too much like an Olmakhan situation.

Canthan character(s). Duh, this is a gimme. We're going to need some local friends. We know this lady from the concept art shown so far will be a character. Going off of art alone, I'm speculating she has some sort of ties to the Jade Wind and/or Sea. We shall find out! Beyond that, I don't want to speculate too much since so much of Canthan culture has likely changed since GW1.

And then the one we just met, Kalidris Sparrowhawk - Oh you know, the Tengu have beef with Cantha. If they're reopening their borders in any capacity, something's going to happen there. Kalidris stood out too much to be a one-off character in a DRM, and it sounded like she'd earned a bit of prestige for her actions there. Maybe she gets sent with us as a Tengu envoy of sorts? Either way, I feel like we're definitely getting the peppy birb.

Bonus round: cameos! Characters who I think will not be part of the core cast but may show up in some extremely minor way:

Faren - It's tradition at this point. If he doesn't show up out of left field doing something you would expect Faren to be doing, well, that'd just be sad. He'll probably appoint himself Kryta's ambassador to Cantha or something.

Canach - Another out of left field one. He's done adventuring with us, but I don't think he's gotten over that gambling problem. We'll probably find him in some shady betting ring in the dank depths of Kaineng City. And once EoD wraps up, he'll take his winnings and buy up all of Tyria. The reign of Canach begins.

Bangar - Hear me out. He's another case of "oh, he's not dead? interesting." Which means we have the melted snowcone available for comedic relief over comms. What do you think it should be? Snargle Goldclaw reading his latest novel out loud to an unwilling captive audience? It's what he deserves.

EDIT: smh I forgot to add a potential returning character, and it's a big one - Mai Trinn. It's a mystery where she went at the end of S1. There are Aetherblade teases in the trailer. She will probably factor in.

[tokyo-daaaamn-ji-gang]

Good day mate!

We're hitting the 40 mark again soon and I'm sweating like buckets if I'm honest here lol good thing I'm so cool or else I would already be a puddle of blorb (¬◡¬)✧ I'm actually nearly crying lollolololol

I would never ditch you jojo/sanzu/hacker person or bot(?) We married/will marry and exchanged weird facts so that's basically like a promise

I will always take your words out of context, here watch me: So if you threw it at someone would it hurt them then? Oh I know! Would it kill them? Perfect murder weapon, kill someone then eat the evidence (the topic was about a cookie)

I likem them too there was probably a whole bunch hatching in our garden and that's why we have so many. One was in our hallway today(?) He came through the open door

Oh yes! We'll have a forest wedding and invite all our immer demons to dance and sing!! And of course pur mutuals and ken wakui! Do you think he would turn up if we tell him we're having a bonfire?

Well if you know roughly who achilles is you will get why the ending is so freaking sad :/ still crying over patroclus

I don't know! I'm just giving the facts I never asked a jellyfish why.

Well if they are big enough probably. They eat fish and paralize them to have an easy meal. Depends how big they are and there are big ones. Like really big

Not gonna lie the Jessica thing caught me absolutely off guard. What is the story behind it?

New facts are here:

Dolphins sleep with one eye open

Alfred Hitchcock Was afraid of eggs

In Alaska there was a cat the major for a long lonf time good for them!

The biggest ocean waves are beneath(!) The surface

- your mikey （´・｀ ）♡

Well don't cry that'll make things even worse!!! Is it at least a little cooler over there now? It's cooled off here.

Exchanging weird facts appears to be our love language I'm glad you wouldn't just ditch me though ♡

I remember talking about that cookie!!! It really would make the perfect murder weapon.

Oh wow you've got a lot of butterflies then? And you had a new friend in your hallway!!!!

Yeah demon wedding!!! We're inviting all the mutuals? We better make sure we get a lot of seats then. I'm not sure Wakui would turn up for a bonfire. Maybe we should tell him two siblings are having conflict instead? He seems to like that.

I'll find a jellyfish and ask it for us then.

Apparently Jessica first appeared in his the merchant of Venice play, and just like that Shakespeare invented a whole new name.

Dolphins what??? Like they're just always watching out for something???

Lmao afraid of eggs, that is so random though.

Good for that cat I'm sure the cat deserved it!!!!

Yep that's the ocean for ya, it'll trick you with it's small looking waves above then destroy with it's killer waves underneath.

You want some facts back?

In ww2 Poland had a bear registered in their soldier ranks, the bear fought too.

Rubber bands last longer if you put them in the fridge

If you put sugar on a cut it will help to heal the cut.

-Your Sanzu 💗

[neo-culture-mafia]

My Peace (w.ykh)

the cutest boy ever

— Warnings: Bruises

— Genres: Fluffy, warm and overall adorable uwu.

— Words: 1.6k

— Summary: “He used to think he didn't deserve to be loved, and that the life he had was too dangerous for him to ever let anyone in. But you worked your way through his heart and proved him wrong, right when he thought he could never enjoy being wrong before.”

— Requested by @min-inu “I'm new to this blog (I love it) and I'm a huge fluff enthusiast 🥺 Can I request something with Lucas (+ female reader? I don't know if I have to specify) where he comes home from work late at night and he's stressed because a deal went wrong (or something else) but as soon as he sees the reader who is barely awake and waiting for him he feels calmer and she does things to cheer him up (lots of cuddles and kisses, maybe a cute date too). Also can I request more than once if it's not a problem?”

— A/N: I absolutely loved your request 🥺 I was craving for some Yukhei's content and didn’t even know it lol And please, feel free to send in more requests, okay? I hope you enjoy this!!

To say he was pissed was an understatement. When Lucas came back to the base and Kun put his eyes on him, he already knew Yukhei was about to explode. After he got in Neo Culture, Yukhei learned how to control his anger issue, but he still had problems with coping with failure.

“Can I give my reports to you tomorrow?” Yukhei asked, staring right at the floor, too afraid that he would explode at himself if he looked at his leader's disappointed expression. If only he knew Kun was way more worried than disappointed.

“You don't have to do this, you know?” Kun turned his chair so he would be staring at the window instead of Yukhei's face. “Avoid looking at me. Feeling shame at yourself. We'll manage to close that deal.”

“They attacked us. I don't think there's a deal to be considered anymore.” Yukhei murmured, closing his eyes and trying the hardest that he could to not start punching and kicking stuff around him. Neo Culture was the family he had never had. The feeling that he somehow had failed the only people who welcomed him do their own home was barely unbearable.

“We're all alive, aren't we?” Kun questioned, slightly turning his face to the side so he could look at the younger one behind him. Yukhei was still afraid to look at his leader, but as he managed to shily give him some attention, he was met with a warm smile coming from the older one. “Then, we'll figure out something. As long as we're together, we can achieve whatever we put our focus to.” He turned his chair back to its initial position, forcing Yukhei to stare at the floor again as he checked his wristwatch.“It's late. Don't worry about your reports, we can do this tomorrow. Go be with Y/N. She is in your dormitory.”

For the first time since he had entered the room, Yukhei face seemed to be no longer twisted by anger anymore, thanks to the mention of your name.

“She's here? I thought she was at home.” He looked right at Kun's eyes, making the leader's smile go even bigger from before. Young love was really adorable. “Yeah, she said something about not wanting to leave you alone after a tiring mission,” Kun added, grabbing a few papers and starting to go over them. He only looked at Yukhei again when he realized the young man was still sitting on his office’s chair. “... why are you not running there yet? Go! You're dismissed!” he exclaimed, pointing at the door and proceeding to laugh at the sight of Lucas running out of his office.

If before Lucas' heart was beating fast from anger, now his heart was beating fast at the thought of seeing you. Besides Neo Culture, the only person who allowed him to be himself with no judgments at sight was you. You had nothing to do with his lifestyle. You weren’t part of the mafia, and God forbids if you ever demonstrated any interest in the business. Yukhei's mind wouldn’t even know how to proceed with the constant feeling that he could lose you at any second.

The only thing that kept him from exploding when he was in the field was the thought of being in your arms again. He needed to come back and see that beautiful smile of yours one more time. And that’s the first thing his eyes started to look for after he had opened the door.

You were close to his desk, apparently taking some food out of plastic bags, and even if he was indeed almost dying from starving, his first impulse was to run and hug you from behind. Your perfume turning to be the only thing he could smell, blocking all of his senses from anything else that wasn't related to you. He could tell you were tired since your whole body almost jumped when he suddenly hugged you.

“You’re back!” You exclaimed with a smile on your face as you felt your boyfriend's face resting on your shoulder. He had his eyes closed and some bruises on his cheek, but he looked pretty much alive to you, and that was all that mattered. “Uh oh. We should take care of those. Sit on the bed, I prepared everything. Including food, but since I didn’t know if you preferred Mexican, Korean, or Japanese, I ordered them all.” You started to blab, hoping to get a smile from your playful boyfriend, but as he just stayed still, you began to worry. “Baby? What is it? Is everyone okay?” You asked, turning around to face him properly, being careful when touching his body.

As he opened his eyes to look at you, any words he could possibly say just disappeared at the sight of you. Your messy hair confirmed his suspicions that you had probably dozed off at some point of the night. Your swollen eyes tipped off that at some point you thought he wasn't coming back and then proceeded to cry. Your worried gaze confirmed how relieved you were for seeing him only with a few bruises. Your lips saying that you loved him made his smile finally appear as he realized how much he loved you. And he hated the thought that Neo Culture wasn't the only one who he failed tonight. He failed the person he loved the most in the entire world when he didn't show you how grateful he was for still being alive. For being by your side. His favorite and most loved place to be.

You were his personal place of peace. And you needed to know it.

“I love you. Oh God, I love you so much. I never thought I would love someone as much as I love you.” He pushed you a little so he could start pecking all over your face, making both of you giggle at his action. “You kind of scared me for a second.” You pushed him a little and smiled at how bright his face now looked. “There is nothing to worry about. Not when I’m with you.” He replied to you with the words he was actually saying to himself.

The world outside could wait. All the violence, gunshots, and uncertainty could wait. Now, he was with his personal gift from heaven. The one capable of bringing the best out of him. His one and only. His Everything.

“Look, I do appreciate all the kisses and stuff but I won't stop bothering you until you let me take care of your bruises.” You pecked his lips and then started to walk backward, holding both of your boyfriend's big hands, seeing the biggest smile appear to his face. “Okay doc, treat me.”

In a matter of seconds, you were sitting on your bed, having Lucas’ head laying on your lap as you cleaned his cheek bruises with a cotton pad. He had his eyes closed so he could just enjoy your touch, and as much as you loved seeing him relax, which rarely happened, you wanted to fill him in on what you did during the days he spent on mission. Especially when you knew he didn’t like to talk about the missions when he was tired.

"So, I met Mark's girlfriend." You started, causing Yukhei to look at you with a puzzled expression on his face. "Mark's girlfriend? What was she doing here?" "She came here to get a few papers. Something about her and Mark going on a vacation." You shrugged, gently closing Yukhei's eyes with your fingertips so you could clean the bruises on his eyelid. "We went out for a meal together. She reminds me so much of Mark, it's almost like they're the same person. No wonder she's dating him for four years, they really complement each other well." 

"They really do. I'm still waiting for the wedding invitation of those two." Yukhei commented, making you laugh at the situation your newest friend had told you. "Oh, you're gonna have to wait a little more then. Mark almost freaked out some days ago thinking that she wanted him to propose when she actually wanted to adopt a dog together!" Yukhei couldn't help but laugh at how Mark that sounded like. "That sounds like something Mark would do, for sure." 

"I know, right? He almost freaked her out too, she thought he wanted to break up or something." You added, putting two stitches on your boyfriend's worst bruises and letting your hand go and play with his messy silver hair. "I'm done. Now, we should get some food in that belly of yours." 

"What? No, right when it's starting to get good!" he whined, pouting like the big baby you knew he was. "You can take a shower first if you like, but if I know you enough, you're starving,” You pointed at the small desk full of delicious smelling food. "and that’s why I got your favorites. The burrito is smelling especially nice tonight." "You're unbelievably perfect, and that was the lowest punch ever, but I still love you anyway.” He stated, giving you a quick peck before getting up from the bed and running towards the desk. 

                                                            ...

"So, now that I'm no longer starving and smelling nice thanks to that cologne you gave, what do you say about..." Yukhei stopped himself from talking and drying his hair with a towel when he noticed your sleeping figure evolved in a warm blanket. 

I knew you were tired. Yukhei smiled at the view, silently giggling at his own thoughts. There weren't enough words to describe how much he appreciated all the effort you did to make him feel comfortable after missions. He knew you abdicated a lot from your life for the two of you to be together, things you thought you couldn't live without, like your freedom to walk around with no bodyguards. And even though he tried to push you away to stop you from getting too close to him, you two just couldn't be apart. You consciously chose to be with him, and he loved you so damn much for that.

As he laid down next to you, slightly pulling you closer, and placing a soft kiss on your forehead, he voiced out the words with the most affection he had ever put into words before: 

"You are my peace, baby. I will always come back to you, no matter what happens.”

[guigz1-coldwar]

'Ride of the Valkyries' : New chapter for "Redemption in a Spirit in a Cold War" is out !

'Ride of the Valkyries'

"I'm going to get through an lot of things before I can fullfill my goals in life but I already know that I'm not alone to do them ! "

Chapter Summary : It's the first day back on the mission to save Adler for Yirina & Park and both are going to have an unexpected ride to do with the others......

To read it on AO3, click here !

Words : +3300

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

That talk I had with Hudson was for me, very strange to do because of the last time we did have one, he wasn't really friendly towards me and even if here, he was more acting like an creepy man, we did have this talk between us and surprisely, I managed to not get myself angry against him or him to behave like if I was still nothing or just an terrorist from the East. Despite the goods words that happened between us, I prefer to keep my distances with him and avoid to talk to him too much, still staying suspicious against him.

After that, I could finally walk to get to sleep for good...in the dorm. Like in the old days in the safehouse, back to go to sleep with people around and hearing the others sleep either loudly or silently, why it has to be an dorm ? Sleeping in an car is maybe better than an dorm but I can say that I have enough to sleep on backseats and I ain't going to sleep in the helicopters. All night, I didn't dream so much but most part of my sleep was me, having an flash coming from my fake memories of Vietnam, short but very troubling to relive, it must be my presence here that are making me relive them.

Anyway, I did succeed to have some sleep in here, waking up in the morning, even if the bed I used wasn't very comfortable and some peoples were making some noises while sleeping....better to not know who did this. Then, I go took an shower and dress myself in my military outfit as Woods suggested, he said that it was better for us to be ready at any occasions and to not lose time to change our clothes, gear up and then leave. Once I was dressed up, it was time for me to go join my workplace that I shared with Park, not forgetting to take an coffee before.

"How was sleeping ?" Park asked me as I was arriving at our workplace, an cup of coffee in hands, she was also dressed in military clothes and already awake.

"Terrible." I replied in an low voice before taking an sip of the cup and looking around to see that there weren't an lot of people inside the hangar, only Garrett & Wolf were there at their respectives desk. "With the not comfortable bed and some people sneering all night, I wasn't able to have an better sleep." I added, sitting up on my chair.

"Same." She breathed, her left hand tapping on the desk.

"Good to see that we had the same night." I whispered with an smile as our beds were next to each other without been totally together. My words make her laugh,

"I had to cover my ears at one moment." She stated, looking outside the hangar, trying to find someone. "It's probably Woods who did this." She suggested to me.

"I don't know, you should be asking." I proposed but she rolled her eyes around to me in an lovely way.

"And having me getting into deep troubles ? You can dream, Yiri." She added to her rolling eyes, making me grin, drinking my coffee at the same time. "I ain't going to get myself in trouble with Woods because I thought that he was making the one sleeping not very silently."

"Yeah, you're right." I said in an funny tone, thinking that Woods could really kill us about it.

"Damn, I knew that my military clothes were going to fit well in you." She exclaimed, seeing me dressed up. It's true that even after 2 months, I'm still using Park's clothes that she is giving me and her equipment.

"Thanks but I think that one day, I will have to use my own clothes." I told her but her clothes on me wasn't disturbing me at all to be honest, as long as I'm in some clothes, I'm good. "In fact, yeah, I love your clothes." I continued pointing at me & her.

"It doesn't bother me at all." She proclaimed, taking my right hand in her hands after I put my cup down. "You know well of it."

"Yes, I know." I admitted in an low voice, getting my head down to look at our hands. "By the way, I didn't have anything during the night, except the fake memories." I bit my lips, redressing myself on the chair, our hands still together. "Guess that been here is making me think of them."

"I know that it's all fake but....what did you see in those memories ?" She demanded, her voice sounding pretty curious.

"Well..." I started, trying in my head, to think of them as it was mainly & only flashes. "They were pretty short and only flashes, you know ?" I explained and she nodded. "I just had this image of me....piloting an helicopter by my own."

"Seriously ?" Park questioned, sounding normal and I nodded. "Do you think you can actually fly an helicopter ?"

"I don't know to be honest." I replied, raising my shoulders to her, taking an look outside to check the multiples Huey on their helipads. "Maybe yes, maybe no, I can't tell."

"Maybe you can know about this later in case." She proposed to me, gesturing the helicopters with her head.

"We'll see." I sniffed before we removed our hands from each other, mine back on the cup of coffee and hers, on her lap. "Before going to sleep, I called Zasha."

"Oh !" She smiled at hearing me talk about Zasha. "How are they ?"

"Great !" I said, proud of it as I checked my cup before finishing the rest of coffee inside. "They're saying hello to you from Portnova & them too and they said hello to Portnova for us !" I added, wanting to tell her about this.

"Nice, I think that they're doing great in Century House." She thought and for that, I nodded again.

"They're doing really great, they told me that they defeated the others of their team in an game called 'Bullshit' !" I told her and she laughed about it, she is maybe knowing about the game.

"Well, I can say that Zasha is already the best : beating the other in 'Bullshit' is an big exploit to do." She stated, sounding amazed to hear that.

"Also, we're invited the 4h of June, them & Portnova want to celebrate their wedding in private with us." I continued of telling her the call I did to Zasha and she grinned.

"Cool, I will put my best dress then." She exclaimed, giving me an lovely glare to me. "I'm sure that we will be going at their party, we have to." She added, making me smile that Park is considering the two as big friends, it's very nice. As I was thinking about seeing me in an dress, I looked around to see Garrett that was looking worried.

"Why Garrett is like that ?" I demanded, seeing him tapping his feets on the ground, an sign of big stress.

"The recon team aren't making any radio signals since an hour and he's fearing the worst as Song is in it." Park responded, feeling bad in her voice.

"Damn, is that the recon team helicopter ?" Wolf spoke up in the hangar and by that, we all looked outside to see an helicopter arriving rapidly on the base. We quickly got up from our seats to get outside, watching the helicopter landing not even on his helipad.

"Seems that they're back." Woods was also there, he was already outside the hangar, out of range from our sight as we decide to get ourselves next to the helicopter, discovering some wounded people inside. "What happened ?" Woods asked nervous to the pilot.

"The recon team....they have been ambushed...those behind were an part of it." The pilot replied as he was having his hand towards his shoulder, he was wounded and his co-pilot was dead. The helicopter was in bad shape.

"Where's the others ? Where's Song ?" Garrett questioned him, almost angry after he checked everyone in the transport and not seeing Song here as they were transported away by other personals.

"They stayed behind....to cover our escape....fuck, my shoulder." The pilot breathed before Woods decide to get him out gently from the cockpit.

"Fuck, do you remember where are they ?" Woods demanded as the pilot was starting to get taken back by medical personal.

"Yes...check the maps in the cockpit, it's their current location...be quick." The pilot finished before he was brought away. Then Woods got inside the cockpit to take the maps like the pilot told him before going out.

"Okay, okay." He whispered, checking the maps in his hands. "Everyone, gear up, we're going to save the others !" He ordered and in an second, we run straight towards the hangar to put our equipment up.

Thanks to Woods's idea to always be dressed in military clothes, we took less time to put on ourselves, the numerous pieces of equipment : vest for my mags of my MP5 and an holstler at my knee, holding my precious M1911. Once we were done, we quickly joined Woods back to another helicopter as the another one that came back was riddled with bullets and too dangerous to fly with.

"Good but before flying up.....I need an co-pilot !" Woods exclaimed to us, already having his equipment ready and we all looked at each other.

"You're going to take the commands ?" Wolf asked him, an bit confused.

"I know how to fly that : I didn't do the Vietnam War for nothing !" Woods responded honestly, pointing at the helicopter behind. "So, I'm asking again : who is talented enough to fly that with me ?" He repeated his questions and suddenly, Park's eyes fell on me.

"Yirina knows." She told him, looking him back and my eyes went wide.

"Wait...."

"Nice, so get yourselves inside and be ready !" Woods cut me straight as I was going to protest about having Park tell him that I know how to fly an Huey even if it was fake.

"I'm sorry." Park whispered to me, sounding very bad before she installed herself behind in the transport bay with Garrett & Wolf as for me, I have no choices to install myself in the co-pilot seat with Woods at our pilot.

"You're sure that you're okay to fly that with me ?" He demanded to me as he was starting up the engine of the helicopter.

"Yes but...Bell knows how to do it, not me." I told him straight, raising my shoulders to him and with that, he realized that he was with someone that was knowing only an little about flying that thing.

"Well, you'll learn from an expert !" He bragged, sounding enthusiastic as the blades start to turn and the engine to go hot. "Everyone, be ready, we're going high !" He added as the helicopter was going up with me as an pilot and me as an co-pilot....damnit, why did you do this, Park ? At least, I will learn from Woods.

We started to fly away from the base to get to the last location that the recon team including Song, Sims & Mason were and to be honest, the co-pilot part was pretty easy to understand as I was assisting Woods on telling him where to go and to make sure that the things in the helicopter was working well for him. Behind, the others were silent, not even talking even through the headsets we need to use to speak because of the rotors noises.

"We shouldn't be too far now." I told Woods, checking the maps in my hands after some long minutes of flying over the jungle.

"Thanks." He said, trying to see from afar if there were anything unusual around here.

"I hope that Rivas is making an hell of an show on the ground." Wolf exclaimed through the headset, breaking the silence that was behind for minutes.

"Who's Rivas ?" I questioned him, looking around to look at him.

"Guerilla expert that's part of the recon team, coming from Nicaraguan Autodefensas." Woods was the one to reply to my question instead of Wolf. "She's very helpful and like Wolf said, she's kinda the best on making the work done."

"She's THE best, man." Wolf called him out, insisting well on that.

"I know, Wolf, I know." Woods said, staying focused on flying that Huey with me as his co-pilot. "Anyone is not having an air sickness ?" He asked to everyone.

"All good !" Park responded as I looked towards her as Garrett only nodded to me, he was probably thinking about Song's state right now and I understand him. "You both doing great." She added, making me smile until we heard an big explosion.

"Shit, that's surely them !" Woods expressed and when I looked back in front of me, I could see an explosion coming from an specific place in the jungle. "Yirina, try to contact them." He pointed at me the radio of the helicopter that I took in hands. Woods gave me, during the flight, the frequency that the recon team is using.

"Recon team, can you hear us ?" I started, speaking through the radio, awaiting for an answer but nothing came. "Recon team, are you receiving this message ?" I repeated again.

"Yirina, is that you ?" I heard through the radio and it was Mason himself that was speaking.

"Mason, are you okay ?" I asked, worried. "Is everyone okay on the ground ?" I added, seeing Garrett peaking his head between me & Woods.

"We're fine but we will not last any longer so be quick." He ordered in an concerned voice. "We are at where the red flares are !" He continued as I looked around to see multiples red flares on the ground.

"There !" I pointed to Woods the location.

"I got this !" He told me, getting the helicopter in that direction as I was trying to communicate more with Mason but the radio went off as the gunshots on the ground was getting closer. "Shit, those fuckers are firying at us !"

"What are we doing ?" Garrett demanded.

"We land with the engine still going on and once everyone got in, we're flying away." Woods replied as he was getting close to the landing zone. "Yirina, you're taking the commands, I will help the other." He continued as he was landing the helicopter

"What, no !" I protested over that, meaning that I will have to fly that thing by myself back to the base and that Woods just landed it.

"Trust me, you will do this !" He proclaimed as he was starting to take his XM4 in hands behind his seat. "The others, with me outside !" He ordered, getting outside with Park, Garrett & Wolf to provide some firepower to the remainder of the recon team.

"For fuck sake." I thought to myself as I was starting to move myself from my seat to get on the pilot seat.

Honestly, I will have everyone's lives in hand at the moment I will have to take off and once I got myself settled in the pilot's seat, I already wanted to get back to my former seat...until I touched the commands and in my head, I could see the same flash I had this night....seeing me fly by myself an Huey with Sims & Adler, firying from the helicopter and now, it was looking like that...I was able to fly an helicopter, that Huey, like if I always did this.

I looked outside for an second to see Woods helping Mason to get inside, he wasn't wounded but he was helping nonetheless, Garrett was helping Song as Park, Wolf were with Sims  & an woman that I presume to be Rivas to provide some suppressing fire to cover their retreat back inside the helicopter. Then, it was time for everyone to get away back into the chopper.

"Yirina ?" Sims called me out, seeing me at the pilot's seat as Woods was installing himself on the co-pilot seat...at my place. "Are you not forgetting the old times ?" He scoffed, seemingly forgetting our last time we talk to each other.

"No time for jokes, get us fly away !" Woods ordered as he was right, not time for fun right now before I start to take off.

"Is everyone well attached ?" I asked everyone, wanting to know in case I have to make some dangerous manouvers....in case.

"All set !" Garrett answered as I was staying focused on flying that Huey away from the combat zone.

"Shit, they've got aerial support !" Rivas shouted, discovering her voice and I quickly looked behind us, discovering....

"An Hind ?" I exclaimed, surprised to see that here.

"Damnit, Perseus is seriously not joking !" Wolf told us.

"Try to hit it with that mounted M60, Wolf !" Woods ordered, looking behind him. "Park, take the other one." He added before he got back to look in front of him. "You're okay, Yirina ?"

"Why I shoud be ?" I raised my voice to him. "We've got an Hind pursuing us and you think that I'm okay ?" I told him like that as I was trying to save everyone with me, having the commands on an american Huey.

"Well, I've got something for you." He whispered to me before he activate something on the controls panel with his hand and then, I could hear some loud classical music coming from some hidden speakers.

"What....what's that ?" I demanded, confused.

"That's Richard Wegner....Ride of the Valkyries !" Sims was the one to respond to me. "Believe me, like in the old times !" He added, joking again as the music was going in. "Still having the Vietnam's spirit, show that Hind who we are !" He exclaimed to me as I was trembling until I got myself back well & determined.

"Let's do this !" I said in an determined voice, starting to fly low just above the tree as an mean to avoid the multiples bullets that the Hind was shooting at us and Wolf & Park trying to shoot it down while the music were going loud in the helicopter, I'm already imagining the other's faces about it. "This bastard ain't going to go down." I breathed, seeing the Hind still behind us after some minutes.

"We have to shoot it down before we can go back to base." Woods explained, we couldn't let this Hind getting away, we have to destroy it and we're in an Huey who has only two mounted M60 against an helicopter armed with an minigun and rockets.

"You didn't bring your minigun, Wolf ?" Rivas spoke up.

"My....oh, my 'Death Machine', yes !" Wolf expressed. "Grigoriev, try to not move the helicopter too much, I'll try to shoot that chopper down." He ordered to me as I was evading the missiles that the Hind was sending us.  "Good, now, try to put the Huey in line so I can fire !" He added, making me move the Huey in position, allowing him to get prepared and I quickly looked at him, holding an minigun in hands as everyone was sit down, letting him get some space. "Surprise, fuckers !" He shouted before he start firying with his minigun towards the Hind who received the multiples bullets from the 'Death Machine'.

"Yeah ! Got it !" Mason expressed his joice when the Hind bursted into flames and starting to go down. "Nice job, Wolf and nice fly, Yirina." He added as I took an deep breath, finally free to not make too much zig-zag around the Laotian jungle.

"Thanks." I said in an low voice before I took back the commands and slowly getting away from the sector back to the base.

"We got saved and we got what we need for." Song told us.

"Nice job from everyone !" Park affirmed, making me smile after what we just did to be honest, with me flying an helicopter as I didn't know about it earlier, I can thanks Woods for that.....

"Guess that we will have to celebrate that with an drink !"

[avrelia]

Do you think we'll see Zuko and Mai's wedding in the comics? How do you imagine it? I bet Zuko will panic ahaha but they'll be super adorable! And Mai's dress will be awesome

I highly doubt we’ll see any wedding of the original AtLA characters in the comics. I would love it, of course, but I think we have to use our own imagination. Generally I have now no idea about whether the storyline will be continued, or will Aang and his friends stay kids forever until they are old or dead in Legends of Korra. The only announced comic coming is the solo adventures of Katara during the events of the series, and maybe that’s what we’ll have for another ten years, or maybe once life action series are up and running, we’ll get more comics as well. I just make up my own stories at this point.

Now, how do I imagine this wedding business? First Zuko would be more eager to get married than Mai. He is the Fire lord, and he starts feeling pressure to have a wife. So as soon as Mai with him, he’d be ready. Mai, on the other hand, might want time to consider. It’s easy to break up with a boyfriend, it’s quite another matter to divorce a Fire Lord.

But then when both are ready – how to balance the necessity to have a grand state affair as the royal wedding must be and yet have something resembling normal human fun?

Here the panic comes in – there are so many things that can go wrong, Zuko does his best not to run like a headless chicken-pig. Mai deals with her panic by locking herself in the room and throwing knives at furniture.

The last three royal weddings happened when Fire Nation was at war with the rest of the world, and inviting foreign dignitaries wasn’t an issue. Now should they invite the Earth King? The Chief of the Northern Water Tribe? The Southern one will be well represented, so they cannot forget the rest… it’s a diplomatic nightmare.

But the list of diplomatic guests will be easier to handle than the family ones.

Ok, fathers are not invited, with them being in prison and all that. Should they be told though? Zuko doubts, but Mai is firmly against it. Let them find out by accident, if they will.

What to do with Azula? Neither of them particularly wants to see her, but not invite her is even worse. At least if they invite her, she has a chance to refuse.

The traditional ritual and all the formality are a pain that cannot be forgone.

The wedding clothes? Will be very rich, very uncomfortable, probably rather old. When Zuko will be presented with richly decorated robes that all royal grooms in the past two centuries wore on their first wedding night, he’ll blanch – he is not going to touch anything his father wore on his wedding. Mai notes: “Fire is a dangerous thing, I’ve heard clothes could burn by accident.” So a fire-related accident happens, and Zuko’s good mood is restored.

Despite small accidents, nothing bad happens, and they go through the wedding fine, with the help  of their friends, inane jokes and laughter.

[the-letter-horror-lover]

Chapter Eight

۞

It wouldn't open.

He'd been staring at the damn thing, willing the envelope to just burst open for what might have been hours now. It was still on the desk, where he'd left it a couple of days ago, somehow hoping it would disappear. Unsurprisingly, it hadn't. Figures. Things he wanted like his collectables and unread books vanished daily – if Gray really thought he didn't know it was him, he was an even worse psychologist than everyone thought – but that bloody letter was still lying there, taunting him with its unopenness.

Ciel heaved a sigh, a familiar throbbing behind his eyepatch that always reared its ugly head when he was stressing out.

Okay, so maybe it wasn't the letter that he was getting so bent out of shape over. Maybe it was easier to focus his irritation on the letter and its sender than on Alois and his idealistic words the other day.

He'd be damned if he was going to start listening to the blond psychopath now.

...And there he was, letting his thoughts crawl back to that conversation, again.

The letter wasn't going to open itself, Ciel finally relented. It should have done, because he wanted it to, but the world really wasn't working in his favour today. With the umpteenth sigh of the day, he rose from his bed and dropped into the deskchair.

He'd already cleaned his room, or at least rearranged the mess, twice. Every item on the desk apart from the letter had been moved, moved, moved again. All his books were in alphabetical order, his dozen identical clothes neatly folded.

Glancing around the room, he realized with a sinking feeling that there was actually nothing left to do but to read the letter.

The envelope only said 'Ciel' in her painfully familiar, even now, elegant hand. There was patches that were slightly off-colour, and somehow he knew she'd stuck little stickers there but thought better of it. He wondered if she had agonized over this letter as much as he was.

He tore open the envelope.

Dear Ciel,

Auntie Ann says that she'll give my letter to you. I hope she does, she's been so forgetful since she got engaged to Arthur. Speaking of which, I'm going to be a bridesmaid! I'll get a beautiful dress, new shoes, my hair done, the full works. The wedding is going to be the summer of next year, which will be nice, though I have to admit I'm a little disappointed. That means we'll have to wait a whole year! They should have the wedding in winter! What's more romantic than snow?

Do you still like the snow, Ciel? I wonder. We used to always play in the snow, though you'd always be mean and push ice down the back of my dress. At least until your chest starting getting bad. I think of you whenever it snows. Wondering if you can breathe all right. You always managed to lose your inhaler. It was lucky Auntie always carried an extra for you.

I think of you when it doesn't snow too. I've got a whole drawer full of letters I wrote, but never gave to Auntie. I'd read them when I was done writing and think how pointless they were. Meaningless ramblings about my day, about my friends whose names you don't know nor care to, about events that I'll have forgotten all about by the time you read about them. Those letters just seemed like they'd waste your time. Maybe one day I'll show them to you, when you come home.

You're probably wondering why I'm sending this letter if I didn't send any of the others. Remember when we were little, and our Mothers would joke about the day we'd get married, planning all the little details to make us blush, like the little snowflakes on the invitations, and my orchid-bouquet? They'd make us practice our waltz, because they wanted that to be our first dance, even though you could never quite get the hang of leading me. It was fun, wasn't it? Even when you stepped on my toes, I was having fun.

I'm engaged, Ciel. You probably don't remember him, you never had much of a head for names and faces. I can't show you his face, but his name is Leo Baskerville. He's very good to me, takes me dancing and out to fancy meals, buys me pretty things and treats me like a princess. I think I love him. You'd think he was an idiot.

For the longest time I put off setting the date. No one, even myself, understood why I was so adamant not to pick a day for the wedding. Then I realised. I said I'd wait for you, Ciel. Back then, when Auntie Ann came in tears and told me you wouldn't be coming home, I promised that I'd wait for you. I suppose a part of me, the part who didn't want to set the date, was still waiting for you. But I can't wait any longer, Ciel. It's funny, isn't it? A little girl always dreams of her wedding day. The big white dress, the roses, the beautiful church. And for me, when I pictured my groom, I pictured you. Not the little you who stepped on my toes when we danced, but the man you would grow to be. I never thought as a little girl that I wouldn't know that man.

I'm going to marry Leo. Our first dance will be the waltz, he's a beautiful lead, and my bouquet will be orchids. I guess I'm just selfishly trying to ease this guilt by writing to you. I feel as though I betrayed you, the you who I grew up with and whose last name I'd add to my first name in my head, by not waiting. But I still hope. I hope that one day you'll come home. Not to be my husband, because I will be a loyal and loving wife, but just so that maybe I can get to know the man you've become, Ciel.

No longer yours but always with love,

Lizzie.

And Ciel smiled, a genuine smile, maybe the smile that he'd given Lizzie once upon a time when they'd danced and she'd only giggled when he'd damn-near trampled her dainty little feet. It had been the longest time since he'd smiled like he was smiling now, and it almost hurt.

Little Lizzie Middleford was getting married. She was right that he didn't remember that Leo person, but regardless, he mentally changed her name to Lizzie Baskerville, and it sounded right. So much better than Lizzie Phantomhive would have sounded, no matter how many times she may have chanted the name in her head.

Ciel tried to picture just how Lizzie might have looked now, but couldn't. To him, she would always be the beaming girl with the doe-like eyes of enchanting emerald and hair like liquid gold. With her shrill cries and streaming tears when she didn't get her way, but her tinkling laugh and that warmth she gave everybody without reserve.

Little Lizzie was getting married, and she had the blessing of the man Ciel Phantomhive had become.

۞

The elation simply wasn't destined to last.

“Late...” Ciel muttered to himself, twirling a pawn between his fingers. As pathetic a competition as Ash proved these days, he found himself bored enough to wander out into the leisure room that night. He was beginning to wonder whether Ash had again been struck by one of his too numerous to be innocent illnesses, when someone opened the ward door.

He frowned, but greeted, “Hello, Hannah.”

“Hello, Ciel,” that voice that was so soft it was a whisper responded, the woman coming over to the empty chair, the dim lamplight doing little to illuminate her. Ciel had to squint if he wanted to see her at all.

“Ash ill again?” He set the pawn down, moving it to the most advantageous place mechanically. He wouldn't have to try with her.

“It would seem so,” she responded, mimicking Ciel's movement with little to no thought.

They played in silence for a while, the game doing nothing to lift Ciel's boredom, before Hannah spoke again. An unwelcome question.

“How are your sessions with Dr. Faustus going, Ciel?”

He looked up at that, and she must have moved at some point, because he could see her properly now.

“A-Ah-”

Bile rose in his throat.

A plastic smile twisted her lips, feral, mirth glistening in her eyes as the colour fled Ciel's face.

His first thought was that it grew back, but even in such a sickened state, Ciel wasn't stupid and knew that was impossible. Eyes didn't just grow back, especially not when they were clawed from someone's very skull.

His second thought was oh christ I know that colour, and he did. It took but a second to place the murky grey that had glared at him oh-so-many times for whatever unknown slight, that had once belonged to Peter, that now stared out at him in amusement as he tried to look away but couldn't.

“Is something the matter, Ciel?” she asked softly, innocently, and that eye followed his hands as he brought them up to cover his mouth.

There were still faint lines around her eye where stitches had clearly been, and he didn't know why but seeing those barely-there scars were what sickened him the most.

“G-Gonna be sick-” Ciel choked out, jumping from his chair so quickly it clattered to the floor. Hannah didn't move to stop him as he stumbled away from her as fast as he could, his own eye glued to his door, needing to get into his room even though the door wouldn't lock and she could easily just come after him, but it was his room and that meant safety-

He wasn't surprised when hands wrapped around him, but that didn't stop him from thrashing around, trying to escape their grasps. His skin crawled everywhere he felt their touch, and if he'd been able to, he would have clawed at the flesh to stop that revolting crawl.

“Shh, Ciel,” he heard Hannah say distantly, a hollow echo of comfort in her tone.

Two of the triplets, nameless as far as he was concerned, held him steady as the third knelt in front of him with the needle. Hannah's hand grasped his cheeks, keeping his head still.

The default thought so instilled in him that it came as often as air returned, that maybe if he just kept still, let them do as they please, retreated inside himself and waited, then it would all be over soon enough, maybe even painlessly.

And, as always, Ciel killed the thought. Like hell would he be forced to his knees.

It was so hard to remember that resolution when the drug spread through his veins like wildfire, burning all sense away. He fell limp in their hands, his body no longer listening to his screams to escape them.

۞

That heartbeat was a vicious flutter beneath his fingertips, so like the wings of a butterfly caged by hands, loose enough to live but tight enough to ensnare. There was a thrilled satisfaction that he was the one making his heart beat in such a frenzy, furthered when the boy's hands clung to him instinctively as his head broke the surface. Clutching so tightly at his arms, because he was his lifeline, he was relief from the pain – ah, but you are the one inflicting it, aren't you? only for his own good, always for his own good – and the boy knew it.

Ciel choked and spluttered, couching up water that was more like ice, lashing his captor and saviour with a glare colder than any freeze. His chest rose and fell, heaving heavily, his breath a wheeze.

“What did you do, Ciel?”

The same words as always transpired between them, and it was the unspoken words weaved between the spoken, I want to help you, I want to make you better, I want to free you, that fell on deaf ears as Ciel resolutely kept his lips together.

He almost sighed, “It's unfortunate you're being so stubborn, Ciel,” as the boy left him no other choice than to force his head beneath the water's surface once again.

Claude tightened his arm around the boy's waist as he flung out his arms and legs, not a fraction of aim, just desperation to hit the man as his lungs burned and spots danced before his eyes. He tightened his fist in the silken cobalt hair, making sure Ciel didn't get air until Claude granted it to him.

As Ciel's back hitched, movements becoming more frantic, Claude pulled him back towards his chest again. Water flooded the linoleum floor they were knelt on, every inch of Ciel saturated through.

“What did you do, Ciel?”

His skin was ice to the touch now, body racked with violent tremors, but Claude knew that had little to do with the temperature and more with their proximity. Ciel was too busy forcing the water from his body to pull away though, even when Claude began to aide him, rubbing small circles on his back.

Again he could feel that heartbeat, fingers skimming over his collarbone, so brittle and fragile. Just a little pressure, a little too much force, and the bones would snap, the fluttering heartbeat would cease.

But of course he wouldn't do that. No, he thought as Ciel finally caught his breath enough to try wrenching away from the too-intimate hold Claude had on him, because the powerful protect the weak. We protect that fragile heartbeat, and we fix those broken bones.

“What did you do, Ciel?”

And the first step to fixing the weak was, of course, to make them see just how broken they were.

۞

“Ciel?!” His voice missed its usual exuberance, so heavy with worry that it almost drew him to waking.

“Wha-What's wrong with him?” She knew, of course, had seen it before, but could think of little else to say. Her speechlessness was unusual enough that it almost pulled him to consciousness.

Oh god, it hurt. Head was pounding, like something was inside his skull trying to claw its way out, and had he drank fire because his throat burned so damn much, and where was all the air?

“What do we do?” That voice was never calm, yet now they were taking charge of the situation, and it was so funny he wanted to laugh, but there wasn't enough air to breathe, nevermind laugh.

The voices all melded into one and he could no longer put a name or even a face to them, and then he couldn't hear them at all.

۞

“Joker!”

“Sebastian!”

“Joker!”

“Sebastian!”

Anyone with any experience at St. Victoria's would attest with utmost honesty that Soma Asman Kadar, information-bank and self-proclaimed Prince, was a child. Even at twenty years old, he was a child. If he wasn't the centre of attention, if he didn't get his way, if the curry Bard made was just that little bit too hot, all hell broke loose.

Soma was very aware of how people viewed him. He played on it, even. Which was why, at times like these, there was nothing he loved more than the looks on people's faces when he acted his age.

“Freckles, Ciel's shivering has gotten worse. Go and get your quilt for him,” Soma instructed, looking very much the Prince he pretended to be as he lounged in Ciel's deskchair, gesturing the girl away.

She tore her eyes away from Alois, scowl now being thrown his way, but after a quick glance at the trembling mess on the bed, she nodded and stalked out the door. Alois hmph'd, folding his arms across his chest.

Soma had already been discarded from the argument. He'd been ready to go and get Agni to help, but neither Alois or Freckles were very agreeable. At least Freckles disagreed in a more agreeable way, though.

An awkward silence developed between the two boys, broken only by Ciel's rattling breaths.

Soma never did handle silence well.

“So... Nice weather we're having, huh?” He injected as much enthusiasm into the words as possible, but the poisonous look Alois shot him made clear the attempt was unappreciated.

“Yeah, the weather here usually sucks. Now, winters in India, man are they something!”

Were those crickets he could hear?

“... I hear there might even be snow next week!”

Alois just carried on glaring at him.

“Y'know, that's pretty impressive, Alois. I could never go that long without blinking. My eyes get all tired and scratchy and blurry and-”

“Stop talking.”

“Yessir.”

It was anyone's guess who was more grateful for Freckles' return. At least until Alois caught sight of who was following behind her.

“I said no, you stupid cow!” the blond hissed, and if it had been anyone else on the receiving end, they'd have retreated as quickly as they could. As it were, Freckles was more than used to Alois' mood swings – she was fairly sure his even worse than normal temperament towards her was solely down to her gender and his dislike of said gender – so she just flipped him off.

Joker gave a sheepish grin, “Nice to see you too, blondie.”

“What the hell is he gonna be able to do to help? Nothing we couldn't do. We need someone from the staff-”

“No staff! They can't be trusted!” Freckles cut off, bordering shrill.

Soma just sighed. That was pretty much the back-and-forth they'd been having for the past hour and a half. As Freckles and Alois resumed their circuitous argument, Joker came over. He rested his good hand on Ciel's forehead, grimacing.

“Don't need a thermometer to know that ain't right.”

“We can just toss him in the shower and run the cold for his temp. It's his breathing that's the problem,” Soma informed, and as if on cue, Ciel broke out into throat-tearing coughs. It wasn't the coughs that concerned them so much as the trouble the unconscious boy had regaining his breath afterwards.

Joker frowned.

“Well... for a start, I don't think more covers are a good idea. We need to get his temp down, not jack it up more,” as he said it, the man ripped the blankets away, “What he needs is his inhaler...”

“Which is why we should get Sebastian! He'll help!” Alois jumped at the slightest hint in his favour.

Freckles groaned in frustration. Honest to God, she wanted to slap the blond psychopath. Preferably with a brick.

“What part of no staff aren't you getting-”

“As loathe as I am to disagree with a lady, I'm thinkin' blondie has a point. Sebastian's a good bloke, s'far as I've seen anyway, risked his ass to help me out. God knows I'd be missin' more than an arm if he hadn't come alo-”

“That was Smile, not him!” Freckles looked positively betrayed, and Joker couldn't help wincing. The idea that the person she thought could solve all the problems, he was painfully aware a lot of the other patients saw him that way, was willing to actually ask staff for help. It was nothing short of sickening.

“Doll,” she softened at the rarely-used petname, “Smile wouldn't have gotten as far as the door without Sebastian's help and you know it. He needs our help, and you being stubborn over this isn't helpin' at all. There's no way we're gonna be able to get his inhaler by ourselves.”

Freckles looked everywhere but at Joker, face crumpled somewhere between thought and anger, and it was all he could do not to scrap the idea just to get rid of that expression so unbecoming of her.

She didn't say anything more, didn't relent to Joker's reasoning, but her silence was the most permission she was going to give them.

۞

“I mean, you've got to appreciate the work he's put into it!” Ronald beamed, eyes shining with mirth behind his thick-rimmed glasses, skipping along beside the fuming Sebastian. When said livid man turned the most ferocious of glares on him, the younger man only seemed more amused.

“The stitchwork! I didn't know he was capable of that, must have practised for weeks. He'll have been working on it alllll night long.”

How was this person still alive? Surely someone should have murdered him by now. Sebastian was seriously considering taking the job himself. While he was at it, may as well take care of that demented, overly-flamboyant, excessively loud, argument-for-an-entire-human-race-genocide Grell Sutcliffe.

“Hey, Sebastian! Have you got a... flurgle.”

To those less versed in the language of Soma, 'flurgle' is the approximate translation of 'oh wow, that Grell guy has stitched his name onto your ass, but whoa, you don't look happy and if I laugh I'll probably die.' Unfortunately, thanks to Agni, Sebastian was rather fluent in Soma-nese, and the purple-haired man's attempts to swallow his laughter only served to further annoy him.

Tittering, Ronald sauntered away, leaving the two alone.

“Have I got a what?!” Sebastian hissed, really not in the mood for more laughter at his expense. It would have been fine, except Grell had somehow managed to get at all of his pants, and had hidden anything and everything he could have used to get rid of the branding.

Soma masked a bark of laughter as a cough before recovering himself.

“C-Can you spare a sec?”

Sebastian followed the clearly giggling man, frowning as he realised where they were going.

He'd never been inside Ciel's room before. It was just as he expected it would be, though. A little larger than this own, and much nicer. Plush carpeting where his was wooden flooring, new-looking wallpaper where his was discoloured and peeling away, everything was a royal blue. There were two bookcases on opposite ends of the room, completely full. Not only with books but with figurines, a quite excessive amount of snowglobes, a flood of toys – if Ciel had been conscious, he'd have made clear that they were collectables, not toys – and so many different board games. There was a large desk, papers scattered across the surface, along with a myriad of sweet wrappers. The room itself was as messy as its inhabitant, clothes sprawled across the floor, the cupboard open and a mountain of broken toys tumbling out. He had an itching to start tidying up a little, just enough to actually be able to see the floor.

There was even an ensuite bathroom.

“He's sick.” Joker's voice pulled him back to the moment, and it was more the fact that Joker was there than his words that alarmed Sebastian.

Ciel did not like people in his room.

There were five people in his room.

It was a good thing he was unconscious or he would have blown a gasket.

He was whiter than white. You could almost see the veins spiderwebbing beneath his skin, he was so pale. The sweat plastered his hair to his face and neck, the sheen making him look even more translucent. His chest heaved, and Sebastian could almost feel how painful every difficultly-drawn breath was.

“What's wrong with him? He was fine yesterday,” Sebastian stated, crossing over to take a closer look. Like every other person in the room had, he rested a hand on Ciel's forehead, frown deepening at the heat.

“He's got asthma or somethin'. Gets worse when he gets a cold, I guess,” Joker offered, shrugging one shoulder, “He had a session with Faustus, so I'm guessing he got tanked.”

Filing away the term for later investigation, Sebastian made to pick Ciel up, “I'll take him to the Infirmary.”

“NO!” four voices bellowed unanimously. Soma even jumped up from his seat.

He'd have argued, but Ciel chose that moment to worsen his gasping. It sounded like every breath was the first after drowning, resisting every step of the way to go to his lungs. Unconscious of his movements until he was actually doing them, Sebastian turned Ciel onto his side, and the wheezing thankfully subsided.

His clothes were soggy and the heat was literally radiating from his body.

After working at St. Victoria's as long as he had, Sebastian didn't argue, trusting that the patients knew what they were talking about, “So what do we do then?”

“He needs medicine,” Soma spoke up, “But more importantly, his inhaler.”

Sebastian was moving immediately, glancing around the room.

“Nah, mate. It ain't here. It got confiscated after... an incident with Faustus.”

Joker and Freckles started snickering, Soma grinning. At Sebastian's confused expression, Freckles enlightened him.

“Well, Smile don't like being touched, and Dr. Faustus can get real handsy with him. In his defense, Smile did tell him to get his hands off. He didn't, so Smile made him. Let's just say that Dr. Faustus didn't wear glasses before that day.”

Joker cut off his laughter abruptly, “Yeah... it was funnier when he could breathe though...”

“His inhaler is somewhere in Dr. Faustus' office. Get some medicine from the Infirmary and get the inhaler, then get your ass back here before he suffocates or somethin',” Freckles instructed.

As much as he hated being ordered around by people younger than him, especially when they were copping an attitude for some reason, Sebastian heeded Freckles' words and was out of the ward in minutes.

۞

If Sebastian had been on such a mission a month before, he'd have been darting around corners, hiding behind plants and skulking in shadowed alcoves every step of the way. As it were, he had more than a little knowledge now, so walked the hallways free of fear. Laden with the essential flu treatments, cold compresses and cough medicine etc., he made his way towards Claude's office.

People who saw him in the corridors didn't ask why he wasn't at his post, didn't enquire as to why he had half the Infirmary's stock in his arms, didn't even demand to see identification. It was no longer odd to him; everyone went about their own business, and nobody asked questions about other peoples.

There was not a single camera in any corner either.

Dropping his loot into one of the chairs outside, Sebastian rapped on the door of Claude's office. He had a fleeting hope that maybe the man wasn't there, which was crushed as his dulcet tones granted him entrance.

“I'm sorry to bother you, Claude, but I was hoping you could spare a minute?” Plastering on his best for-the-boss smile, Sebastian shut the door behind him.

Claude was sat behind his desk, poring over some papers, and actually looked put-out. Well, if that wasn't almost an emotion. Miracles do happen.

“...I'm rather... busy at the moment, Sebastian. What is it you need?” His tone was clipped, and Sebastian was fairly sure that was irritation in those amber eyes.

“Oh, I'm terribly sorry,” the sarcasm seemed to be lost on the bespectacled man, “But I just needed to enquire about the protocol for leaving the Hospital grounds? Agni tells me there's a process that needs to be gone through first.”

Every time Claude adjusted his glasses, Sebastian had to bite back his smirk, picturing Ciel spraying Claude right in the face with an inhaler. He could just see the smug expression on the boy's face, could imagine how very satisfied he must feel whenever he saw Claude donning his specs.

Claude appeared to be weighing the pros and cons of telling Sebastian to bite him. Clearly, the cons won out, and he gestured for Sebastian to take a seat.

“Given the importance of our work and for the patients' safety, security is rather tight. You'll need to submit a request for temporary leave, which the Chairmen have to authorise, before you can go. If it's not too personal a question, why exactly do you need so sudden a leave?”

He had to be careful of his answer there. After all, he didn't have any contact with the world outside of the Institute, so blagging a relatives death was out of the question. Besides, he had no intention of actually going anywhere, so it needed to be something easily cancelable.

“It's not terribly sudden; my sister was pregnant before I came here, getting on in months, and she'll have had the baby by now, I believe. I'll never hear the end of it if I don't show face at least once.”

He didn't have a sister, and he hated babies. He could easily forge a letter off his imaginary sister announcing her travels, making it impossible for him to meet up with them.

Claude nodded.

“I see. Excuse me a moment while I go get the necessary documents,” he stated, rising from his chair and leaving the room.

No sooner had the door clicked shut behind him than Sebastian was on his feet. Going by what little he knew of Claude Faustus, and half of that was Sebastian's musings on what an asshat he was, things like confiscated 'dangerous' items were probably kept in his desk.

Could the man be more predictable?

The inhaler was lying in an otherwise empty drawer, looking almost like a trophy given its own special place.

That wasn't creepy at all.

He shoved it in his pocket, closing the drawer. As he was crossing back around the desk to the chair, his hand grazed over the papers on Claude's desk, knocking them to the ground. Biting back a curse, he stooped down to pick them up.

Soma stared up at him listlessly from the discoloured photograph attached to one of the sheets of paper. His face was missing the usual beaming grin and shining eyes that Sebastian was so used to seeing, and maybe it was that that ignited his curiosity.

His eyes scanned the topmost paper.

Thursday 29 th March, 2008:

Patient X27 displaying marginal improvements. Has been in Room 1800 for six days since the incident. In today's session, admitted to forming friendship with Aleister Chambers and asking Chambers to take him outside 'for fresh air'. However, still denies any acts of violence towards Chambers, insists that Chambers' death was completely accidental.

Saturday 31st March, 2008:

Patient X27's emotional state deteriorating. Use of the wire caused severe panic and produced no positive results. He still maintains that Chambers' death was not his doing.

Wednesday 4th April, 2008:

Patient X27 began pleading for bathing rights. His continued state of unclean is beginning to distress him. Possible guilt over his hand in Chambers' death, Chambers' blood still coating him an unwelcome reminder? Continue observation.

Friday 22nd April, 2008:

Patient X27 has reverted to childlike behaviour. A ploy to lull into false sense of security? Monitor this. Refuses to answer any questions, rejecting food and drink, progressed overnight into rocking in the corner of the room and crying.

Monday 8th May, 2008:

Patient X27 released from room 1800 after childlike behaviour ceased and he attempted to strangle Dr. Phipps. Granted a bath. Returned to ward. Continue observations, risk level raised to six point five.

It wasn't until Claude's approaching footsteps reached his ears that Sebastian tore his eyes away from the page, hurriedly replacing it on the desk and taking his seat. With difficultly, he trained his face back into its polite smile, trying to keep his panic at bay.

Soma had killed some former member of staff? After 'forming a friendship' with them?

Sebastian forced the thought from his mind, accepting the sheets Claude handed him with a smile and taking his leave from the office.

Agni wasn't necessarily in any danger. It could just be a misunderstanding. After all, Sebastian didn't have any faith in how 'mad' some of the patients were, no matter how much the other staff members would insist upon it. Why should he believe that Soma had murdered someone-

blind faith in someone who may be planning to use Agni to get out of the ward and kill him as soon as? Agni didn't know, Agni couldn't know, Agni genuinely felt something for Soma (murderer) and wouldn't believe something like that even when Soma had his fingers wrapped around Agni's throat-

he had to warn Agni.

۞

When Sebastian got back to Ciel's room, Soma was the only one there with the sick boy. He greeted Sebastian with a bright grin.

“Hey! Thought we were gonna have to send a search party out for you.”

Sebastian didn't answer, overly aware of just how close Soma's hands were to Ciel's neck.

Soma jumped up from his chair and Sebastian tensed.

“Here, gimme the inhale-”

“You can go,” Sebastian cut across, words sharp enough to cut, “I'll take care of him.”

Soma faltered, grin slipping away. The coldness of Sebastian's words and the unreadable look in his eyes stung the younger man, and he took a step back, putting a little space between them. He wondered for half a second if he'd angered Sebastian, but could think of nothing offensive he'd done.

Forcing his smile back into place, he decided Sebastian's mood was simply worry over Ciel, and his dismissing was simply because he wanted to be alone with the youngest boy, “Right. I'll see you later then, Sebastian.”

۞

“Ciel, wake up,” Sebastian said, shaking the boy's shoulder. His temperature had gone down a lot over the last two hour, thanks to the compress and what little medicine he'd managed to give Ciel during the short period he'd been awake earlier. During that period, Sebastian had been witness to something very few in the World could claim to have seen; a delirious Ciel Phantomhive.

Sebastian could honestly say it was the single most oddest thing he'd ever seen.

Ciel Phantomhive, in his experience, was serious, proud, independent and so many other things. He gave off an air of superiority without even trying, without it seeming conceited; it was simply how things were. He kept everyone at arms length and even that distance was a privilege. When he looked at you, you were the only person there, everyone else seemed to melt away.

Today, though, he was a child.

“C'mon – no, keep still – you have to take it,” Sebastian insisted, beyond exasperated. Still groggy, Ciel rolled over and buried his face in his pillow, effectively avoiding the spoon of medicine. Complaints of its taste were muffled by the cushion, and any time Sebastian attempted to roll him back over, Ciel just shuffled further away, closer and closer to the side of the bed.

Sebastian was starting to entertain the prospect of letting the little bugger just fall off.

“You take it!” Ciel snapped, tearing the cold compress from his forehead and whipping it at Sebastian's too-close hand. He had a full-on pout on his face now that would have mortified the usual Ciel.

“I'm not the one who's sick, Ciel,” Sebastian sighed, clinging to the last dregs of his patience.

“Neither am I!” The statement would have been more convincing if it hadn't trailed off into wheezing coughs. For the hundredth time, the boy sucked on the inhaler.

“Yes, you're the picture of perfect health.”

Sebastian took the momentary distraction to shove the spoon into Ciel's mouth, clamping a hand over his lips to make sure he didn't spit it back out. Again. Ciel took that as a chance to smack him around the face with the compress. Again.

If he'd known how much effort playing nurse was going to be, he'd have left Soma to take care of the brat, murderer or not.

His mind was still reeling over the information, and he decided to take advantage of Ciel's current state to get some answers he probably wouldn't have gotten if the boy was healthy and aware. Still, even sick and acting like a five year old, Ciel was still Ciel, so subtlety was called for.

Ciel, fully medicated, curled back up on the bed. If the glare was anything to go by, the boy was sulking.

“I heard a name today. Aleister Chambers. I think he used to be a member of staff here?”

Ciel's glare worsened.

“He was a complete and utter ponce.”

Sebastian cocked a brow.

“You weren't fond of him then?”

“No shit, Sherlock.”

“Any particular reason?”

Ciel shrugged, rubbing his nose on his sleeve.

“'Cause he was just irritating.”

“I was under the impression you found everyone irritating,” Sebastian couldn't help stating.

“You're irritating,” Ciel muttered beneath his breath, sitting up and rooting through a drawer in his bedside cabinet. He looked more and more depressed as his hand went deeper, until he let out a cry of victory, pulling his hand back out.

“Thanks... So I heard he was rather close with your friend, Soma?”

Pulling the wrapper off the lollipop, Ciel examined it closely before sticking it in his mouth, “Soma? Not particularly. Don't think they ever said two words to each other, actually.”

Sebastian didn't question Ciel's honesty. In the less-than-pristine state he was in, Ciel had no reason to lie, and even if he was fully healthy, Sebastian still would have believed his words. He'd already invested too much in the boy not to trust him, after all.

Still, he had his doubts. Sebastian knew perfectly well that, at least before he started working at the Institute, Ciel had spent most of his time in his room. Soma could have befriended Chambers without Ciel's knowledge. It was hardly as though Ciel made other people's friendships his business.

He had enough doubts to be worried for Agni.

۞

“Hey, Sebastian. How's Smile doin'?” Freckles asked, closing the door behind her. She was over her previous bad mood already, just glad that Ciel had gotten his inhaler back. He looked much better than before. He wasn't panting for breaths anymore, some colour had come back into his face and he was sleeping soundly.

“Much better. He'll probably sleep through the night now,” Sebastian yawned, stretching out of the hard plastic chair. Taking care of the boy was much easier when he wasn't conscious.

“It's almost eight, so I'll take over for ya. Figure I'll just crash in here.”

“Right,” Sebastian rolled his shoulders to get rid of the stiffness, “I'll check in tomorrow then. Good night.”

“W-wait!”

Sebastian paused at the door, looking back over his shoulder at the uncomfortable-looking girl.

“Hm?”

“Um... just... thanks, y'know. You, er, you really helped us out... G'night.” She turned her back to him, but not quick enough to hide her slowly reddening face. Sebastian chuckled, leaving the room.

It was on his back towards the dorm building that Sebastian came across Agni, who greeted him with a cheerful wave.

They chatted work for a while as they made their to their rooms, and it was when Agni mentioned Soma, and smiled so damn happily, that Sebastian snapped.

“Stay away from Soma.”

The words were out of his mouth before he'd even thought about them, more a sharp order than a simple request. Agni's face fell, but not into a frown. A frown Sebastian could have handled, a frown Sebastian was expecting.

Agni glared.

Sebastian had known Agni for so many years now, had certainly pissed the man off with his cockiness and flakiness plenty of times, had endured exasperated lectures from him whenever a woman he spurned took out her hurt on Agni, had been insensitive and just a downright asshole to him sometimes, yet Agni had never glared at him before.

“Look, I can't explain how I know, but... he's dangerous, Agni. He's using you. If you let him, then he's going to hurt you-” Sebastian hurried to explain himself, but Agni was hearing none of it. The usually impeccably polite man ceased the flow of words with a sharp wave of his hand, grey eyes hardening.

“Enough.”

It was a single word, but said with such ferocious anger that even Sebastian had to step back. A part of him, a part that was getting increasingly larger as Agni's glare grew more venomous, was angered that Agni was trusting Soma over him. Had they not been friends for years? Had Sebastian not helped him get through some of the most difficult moments in his life? And yet Agni was willing to place more trust in a person he barely knew, had barely known for such a short time?

“Fine. What happens has nothing to do with me,” Sebastian snapped.

He washed his hands of the matter.

۞

Chapter 9

Chapter Text

۞

Chapter Nine

۞

Steady hands cracking it open in a skilful way rarely seen in that kitchen, the egg dropped into the pan without a single scrap of shell. The yolk sizzled, breaking the silence in the room, and soon enough several strips of bacon joined the fray.

Ah, perfection. Not a single smell of burning, either.

“Yo, Sebastian!” Bard strode through the kitchen doors, grinning widely, ever-present cigarette hanging unlit from his teeth. His chef's apron was already stained an ashy black.

“Smoking in bed again, I see,” Sebastian observed, filling the kettle.

Bard's grin turned sheepish.

“Heh... well, y'know, these uniforms, bloody flammable....”

“Coffee?” Sebastian asked as the water boiled, moving around Bard fluidly while the blond began his own breakfast.

“That'd be crackin'. Want me to take care of that for ya?” He gestured to Sebastian's masterpiece.

“No. Don't even look at it.”

There was a theory circulating the asylum that Bard's mere gaze could turn the most exquisite of delicacies into poison. Sebastian was a firm believer in it.

Sebastian had become something of a permanent fixture in St. Victoria's kitchens over the past two weeks. His ongoing argument with Agni had only worsened in that time. It was probably the already present annoyance there that made him abandon any semblance of manners in favour of edible meals and outright demand that Bard let him make his own. Half expecting to be flamethrower'd, he was pleasantly surprised when Bard just told him to 'knock himself out' and happily handed over ingredients. Since then, Sebastian had been coming down every morning to the kitchens and having breakfast with them. While certainly not his first choice in company, they were a lot more tolerable morning companions than Will and his death traps or Grell and his... well, he was a trap in and of himself.

“That fucktard Ash was down here yesterday. Gave me a right lecture about sanitation and how I 'must use the proper cooking utensils'. Bollocks to him, man's never used a fork for more than food, I'll tell you that!”

Bard was of the opinion that if you hadn't circumcised a man with a spoon by the time you were twelve then you just couldn't call yourself a man.

“And get this; the prissy SOB said they're cutting my funding! 'More important things, a drain on our resources, blah blah blah'.” Sebastian was quite a fan of Bard's Ash impression. It was quite on the mark.

“He's not your boss. Surely he doesn't have the power to cut your funding?”

“That's what I said! Where he gets off preaching to me...” Bard trailed off in an aggravated mutter, skewering the food formally known as sausage. No doubt he was imagining it was a certain lilac-eyed man.

As Sebastian sat down at the table, the other two musketeers dragged themselves into the room. Finny dropped into a chair and let his head fall to the table with a dull thunk! Meirin wasn't even conscious enough to blush when Sebastian greeted her.

They soon woke up when Bard skidded their plates across the table to them. Honestly, the two had stomachs of steel, and god knows what unearthly substance their teeth were made from.

“It's hardly as though they gave me that much in the first place, yanno?”

Finny blinked sleepily up at Bard, shovelling the food clumsily into his mouth, “Whatcha talking about?”

“The Pillock.”

His maiden name, of course.

“Huh? You too?” Meirin exclaimed, “Angela came to see me yesterday! She said the cost of the plates that got broken are coming out of my pay cheque.”

“Me too! She said my mowing was uneven and told me to use a ruler.”

Sebastian was fairly sure Finny had never touched a ruler in his life. His baffled expression only reinforced that.

The entirety of breakfast was spent bitching about the siblings, and Sebastian found he didn't mind all that much. Yes, the trio was far from his usual type of company. Bard's overall coarseness and fondness towards all things flammable, Finny's excessively childish disposition and Meirin's complete inability to look him in the eye without her head imploding were dampeners, that was for certain. However, he found himself becoming, if not warmed up to those attributes, at least accustomed to them.

Well, there were worse ways to spend a morning.

۞

It wasn't snowing. It should have been, but that's English weather for you.

For as long as he could remember, Snake had always abhorred Christmas. There was just something about the day itself that he simply couldn't tolerate.

Maybe it was the good cheer. Don't get the wrong impression; Snake could be very cheerful, though most found it hard to tell, and liked other people to be too. It was contagious, a smile, a thing he very much liked to see. However, the good cheer at Christmas was just so... false. Adults spending money they didn't have on toys their kids didn't want but would have to pretend to like. Well, should pretend to like, though most didn't opt for sparing the gift-givers feelings. The awkward and tense social gatherings of in-laws who hated each other but acted otherwise, with hugs like punches and kisses like bites, asking how their year had been and feeling sorely disappointed to learn their house hadn't burnt down.

Maybe it was the fakeness of the holiday itself. The image of Christmas was one of warmth, massive banquets, a beautiful sheet of snow falling at just the right time, family and friends banding together. In all his twenty years, not one of his Christmases had been like that. Not that he expected them to be, but it was certainly false advertising.

Even the religious aspects of the season were lost on him, faith not something he ever recalled possessing. He didn't even believe in Santa Clause.

Maybe if it had snowed last night, he'd feel better, Snake thought as he stared out the window. He usually avoided looking out the window, the thick bars across the glass caging him in and making him restless, but he always made an exception in December. Maybe that second he looked would be the second the first snowflake would fall.

With a small sigh, Snake tore his eyes from the window, rolling onto his side. The arms around his waist tightened, and he felt a little better.

“No snow,” Drocell murmured, and it wasn't even a question anymore.

“No snow,” Snake confirmed, inching closer to his companion until their chests were touching and their breaths were mingling.

“Snowin' in Alaska,” Drocell yawned, words slurred with sleep, “Lot o' snow there.”

Snake always loved a sleepy Drocell. His violet eyes hazy and unfocused, copper hair a shaggy mess, and always so much more clingy than he ever let himself be any other time. Not that his partner was particularly distant, but he was so very careful to keep any physical contact, even the slightest brush of hands, to a minimum outside of their rooms. God forbid any of the staff knew, knew to use this against them.

“Definitely Christmas in Alaska then.”

“Pagans, whole lot of 'em.”

Snake much preferred the idea of Winter Solstice than Christmas. No particular reason, maybe the name was just better to him. Drocell had told him all about it back on their first Christmas together. Honestly, Snake could remember little of the details, but the name had such a nice ring to it.

A crash from outside the door set them both on guard, all sleepiness abandoning the elder man as his arms tightened further around Snake.

A rapping on the door, vaguely resembling Jingle Bells but only vaguely, had them relaxing.

“A lady's present, let's keep it PG, boys!” Without further warning, Joker flung the door open and bounced into the room with a grin. Beast followed behind him, ready to shield her eyes if she needed to, looking as happy as Drocell at the early morning call.

“How can you sleep in on Christmas?! Up, up!” No matter how many years had passed, Joker's December enthusiasm had yet to let up in the slightest.

Beast nearly nodded off where she stood, until Joker grabbed her hand and pulled her from the room, no doubt to harass everyone else too.

“He's not human, getting up so early in the morning,” Drocell grumbled as he pulled himself out of the bed, dragging a hand through his dishevelled hair. Snake followed suit, already missing the warmth of sleep. Once they were more-or-less dressed, they trudged into the leisure room.

Joker had worked his way around the bedrooms and roused almost everyone, the groggy masses collapsing onto the couches and chairs, cursing their unofficial leader and his impenetrable good cheer.

Soma was the only one unaffected by the early hour, bouncing up and down in his seat and humming some mishmash of Christmas songs off-key. Everyone in the room collectively damned him to hell.

“Ow – come on, Smile, it's – okay, put the toy down, it's pointy – sorry, collecta – Yeesh, fine, man!” Joker huffed, skidding out of Ciel's room and just missing the door hitting his arse as it swung shut.

It was an annual thing. No-one would have bothered if it weren't for Joker, and it wasn't as though anyone else really exchanged gifts apart from him. He was doing his rounds now, handing out little things he shouldn't have had that he'd accumulated over the year; books that weren't paperback and so faded you couldn't make out the words, comics, new hair and toothbrushes, real soap, not that industrial crap they usually got, even food that was deemed too nice for them. Joker made sure everyone got something, and something they'd want, the only reason he wasn't flogged for dragging them up at eight in the morning.

Snake accepted his gifts with a small quirk of the lips, “Thank you.” Christmas may not have been his favourite time of year, far from it, but what Joker was doing had very little to do with the actual season, and he couldn't have been more grateful for it.

More than the little trinkets Joker handed them with a grin, he was giving them a sense of normalcy despite their title of patient, the idea that they were doing the same thing people all over the world were doing.

It was nice to feel normal every once in a while.

“Incoming!” Soma hollered from over by the door, hiding his stash beneath him on the chair. Everyone else followed suit as the familiar beeping rang out and the ward door opened, the staff on shift spilling in. When the purple-haired man saw who was coming in first, his eyes narrowed, but a smug smirk formed on his lips.

“Mornin', Sebby!” Soma greeted, overtly cheerful.

He'd been hurt, at first. Ever since that day Ciel had been sick, something had changed between him and Sebastian. At least, something had changed in Sebastian. He was fairly sure he'd done nothing to warrant such blatant hostility. It was almost scary, how cold Sebastian had become. Sure, they'd hardly been bosom buddies or anything before, but they'd at least gotten along. Now? Now, Soma was certain Sebastian wouldn't piss on him if he were on fire. And a lot of his fellow patients were pyromaniacs.

If there was one thing he was certain of, it was that Sebastian was doing everything he could to keep him away from Ciel. Well, he could go straight to hell. Screw him and his mancrush, he was Ciel's best friend – despite what Ciel and Alois said to the contrary – and some bipolar pretty-boy wasn't going to change that any time soon. Although, his increasing clinginess to Ciel was probably annoying Ciel more than it was Sebastian. Still, a point had to be made! Sebastian could glower all he wanted, which he certainly was, but he wasn't going to change anything.

Hurt had quickly made way for anger when Soma had learnt that Sebastian was the cause for Agni being so out of sorts lately. Sebastian being an ass to him was one thing, but he was meant to be Agni's friend. Best friend, if Agni's fond words over the past few years were any indication. That was another thing entirely.

Sebastian didn't scare him, that much anyway, and he wouldn't chase him away.

“They... got along just fine, if I remember. I wonder if something has happened,” Snake mumbled to his companion, watching the exchange of glares between Sebastian and Soma in puzzlement. Drocell followed his gaze.

“Odd.”

It was the way he said the single word that threw Snake off.

“...Drocell?”

He was looking unusually thoughtful. Drocell thought non-stop, but he rarely showed it. He blinked slowly, dragging his eyes from Sebastian.

“I can't help wondering... the longer stays in The Room, Peter's death, Joker's arm... Yes, they harmed us before, but there was at least a degree of subtlety, but now...” It was more like Drocell was talking to himself than to Snake, but Snake listened ardently, a knot forming in his stomach, “We knew something was changing... but when did it start?”

Snake was being addressed now, and his brow furrowed.

“The changes?”

“Hm.”

“I... I'm not sure.” That was the truth. Snake did his best to block everything but them out of his mind. It was the easiest way to sleep at night.

Drocell's eyes crawled back to Sebastian, “...I reason that it began shortly after that man started working here.”

۞

“Oh, here.” Sebastian sat up in the chair, grabbing the post-it note from his back pocket and handing it to Ciel. Ciel rolled onto his side, plucking the note from Sebastian's fingers. He quickly scanned it, rolled his eye exasperatedly, and put it on the bedside cabinet.

Ever since Finny had learnt of Sebastian's friendship, if that was the right word, with Ciel, he'd adopted Sebastian as messenger boy and constantly gave him sweets and notes to pass over to the boy. Before, he'd have just said no, but since no-one was going to see now, Sebastian saw no harm in it. Besides, whatever Finny was writing on the notes sometimes elicited the most curious expressions from Ciel that he probably wouldn't have seen otherwise. He was sorely tempted to read the notes himself.

A few days after Ciel had been sick, he'd learnt of Sebastian having been in his room. Sebastian had expected him to blow a fuse, yes, but he'd hardly thought he'd be quite that angry. Throwing a few choice words Sebastian's way, Ciel had disappeared into his room and not re-emerged for a good three days. Then, apparently over whatever little hissy-fit he was throwing, he invited Sebastian inside. Of course, the door had to be left open, but Sebastian didn't fail to see the significance of Ciel's invitation. Sure, people like Alois and Soma burst in whenever they wanted to despite the less-than-welcoming reception they received, but Sebastian had been invited. Was some of the trust he'd invested in the boy being returned, at least a little?

Sometimes they played a variety of the games Ciel had at hand. Sometimes they just talked.

Today, Ciel was in one of his rare talkative moods.

“Tell me about yourself,” Ciel more commanded than requested, looking very at ease lounged on his bed.

Sebastian blinked up from the book he'd been reading, found amongst the mess on the floor. One of these days someone was going to have to tidy up. He doubted very much it would be the owner of the mass of crap.

Shaking his head with a smirk, Sebastian replied, “You wouldn't find my story very interesting.”

Ciel tossed him a scathing look.

“You think I waste time on people I'm not interested in?”

Well. He hadn't expected that. Coming from Ciel Phantomhive, that was quite the incredible compliment. Succeeding in keeping the smugness from his face, Sebastian relented.

“Alright. I was born in Los Angeles. I've never known my Father, never particularly wanted to, and I get along well with my Mother. We were neither rich nor poor, moved around a lot for her work, and we eventually settled down in New York where I got a good education. Once I left college, I started moving around a lot on my own to wherever a job I wanted was. Now I'm here. Like I said, nothing terribly exciting there.”

Ciel nodded, chewing on the nail of his thumb, a habit of his that made Sebastian wince.

“Hmm. So, where during the 'good education' did you meet Agni?”

Sebastian frowned. Seeing that, Ciel continued, “You used to mention him quite often. Lately it's like the name is taboo. What, have the two of you had a little lover's spat?”

Uncomfortable with where the conversation had turned to, Sebastian decided a topic change was in order.

“We're... having a misunderstanding. Nothing serious. So, what about you? What's your story?”

Sebastian didn't miss the way Ciel tensed, biting down on his thumb hard enough to draw blood, before he answered, “What was the misunderstanding?”

Annoyance surged up at the blatant dismissal of his question.

“Nothing of significance,” Sebastian bit out, the sharp tone making it clear more questions weren't welcome.

“Significant enough to stop the two of you talking though.” Ciel, unsurprisingly, chose to ignore the warning tone.

“Clearly. Are you going to answer my question?”

Ciel rolled his eye mockingly, “Contrary to popular belief, I'm quite the boring topic. Ask another question, maybe I'll answer it.”

It was out of his mouth before he could stop it.

“Another question? Alright. Fine. How about you tell me about The Fire?”

The colour drained from Ciel's face at an almost comical rate, and Sebastian cursed his irritation getting the better of him. He just couldn't help it though. Never before had he invested as much in a person as he had those past few months with Ciel, and he was getting tired of the take, take, take. He never answered questions, and on the so rare they were non-existent occasions he did, it was in bloody riddles and hints. He'd let him out of the ward for Christ's sake! And with his albeit limited knowledge of what St. Victoria's was like, he doubted getting fired was the worst punishment for insubordination. He'd taken a risk in the boy; would it kill him to return a shred of the trust Sebastian had given?

“You've... read my file.”

It wasn't a question, and unsure what to say, Sebastian stayed silent.

A wicked smirk fell over Ciel's face, “I wasn't aware Orderlies had those rights.”

Sebastian knew he'd crossed a line, but damn it all if he was going to back down.

“Surely nothing about this place surprises you anymore? I've answered your question. In fact, I've answered every single question you've ever put to me. Isn't it about time you answered one or two?” Sebastian challenged.

The smirk flickered, more plastic than anything else, and Ciel was just looking right through him now.

“Leave.”

۞

If you had walked down the twelfth hallway on the third floor of St. Victoria's Staff Dormitory on Saturday 25 th December 2010, you'd have seen a man with a face of thunder. His annoyance with the world was positively palpable, complete frustration in every step he took. You'd have done well to turn heel and run, because that man was not one whose path you wanted to cross that day.

Sebastian stormed down the hall. First Agni, now Ciel, who the hell else could he completely piss off? Well, he still didn't think the whole Agni thing was his fault. It was Agni who was refusing to even look in Sebastian's direction, just because Sebastian actually gave a damn about what happened to him, and not many people could claim that.

Ciel, though... well, that may have been his fault, a little. Still, he did have a point. Sure, he probably shouldn't have let slip he'd read the brat's file. Probably shouldn't have asked about something he'd read in it. Especially when it was obviously a sensitive topic – what the hell wasn't with the brat though – but even so, he did have a point. He was damn tired of knowing nothing about Ciel yet being expected to go along with whatever he said, and-

Sebastian paused mid-step. His head was swimming, and he stumbled over to the wall for support before he fell to the ground. His throat closed up and he couldn't breathe, panic swelling in his chest. No-one was around to help, he couldn't breathe let alone call for help, and-

then it stopped. Air flooded his lungs, his head cleared and his feet were once more steady.

The abrupt sickness was gone, but unease remained, twisting his stomach into knots. On edge, Sebastian pushed off from the wall and continued back to his room.

۞

Steady hands cracking it open in a skilful way rarely seen in that kitchen, the egg dropped into the pan without a single scrap of shell. The yolk sizzled, breaking the silence in the room, and soon enough several strips of bacon joined the fray.

Ah, perfection. Not a single smell of burning, either.

“Yo, Sebastian!” Bard strode through the kitchen doors, grinning widely, ever-present cigarette hanging unlit from his teeth. His chef's apron was already stained an ashy black.

“Smoking in bed again, I see,” Sebastian observed, filling the kettle.

Bard's grin turned sheepish.

“Heh... well, y'know, these uniforms, bloody flammable....”

“Coffee?” Sebastian asked as the water boiled, moving around Bard fluidly while the blond began his own breakfast.

He paused as he went to sit down at the table, that same uneasiness from the previous night coiling around him again. That sickness hadn't returned, and he'd felt right as rain that morning, but something didn't feel right. He just couldn't put his finger on what.

“You won't believe this. Ash came to see me again yesterday. He's signed me up for some fire safety course! Utterly ridiculous. I know how to use fire safely,” Bard ranted, divvying up the food between two plates.

Sebastian frowned.

“Why are you only setting two plates?” he asked, and Bard paused mid-rant to give him a confused look. Before Bard could reply, Meirin stumbled into the kitchen, and Bard handed her one of the plates, sitting down himself with the other. Sebastian glanced over at the doorway for the missing player, but no-one else came through the door.

“Where's Finny?” Sebastian asked Meirin. After her usual fluster that Sebastian was actually talking to her had passed, she scrunched her nose and gave a breathy laugh.

“What do you mean? Who's Finny?”

Sebastian looked over to Bard, expecting to see a bemused expression to match his own, but his face was a mirror of Meirin's.

“Alright. What's the punchline?” Sebastian sighed, half-expecting Finny to jump out from behind the door, to laugh with the others at the joke. No-one jumped from behind the door, though, and there was no amusement in either of the faces looking at him. Only growing concern.

“What're you talking about, man? You feeling okay?” Bard asked with a worried frown.

The unease that had coiled around Sebastian tightened. There was no joke here. God knows none of them could lie to save their lives. They... genuinely didn't know who Finny was.

۞

Chapter 10

Chapter Text

۞

Chapter Ten

۞

“Man, this place has really gone to the dogs since last time, huh?” Freckles commented, scrunching up her nose as she glanced around the garden. Ciel nodded absently, eye roving the unkempt lawn. She was entirely right. As far as he remembered, the gardens were always surprisingly nice, considering where they were. Sure, a little messy, but still tasteful. Now leaves coated the ground like a carpet, the bushes were haggard and in desperate need of a trim, the branches of the trees starting to become gnarled.

Even the bench the two sat on was dirt-encrusted.

“They should get a gardener or somethin'.”

Ciel just nodded absently again, barely listening to what she was saying, so Freckles stood up with a sigh and ran over to join Dagger and Jumbo.

Ciel frowned as she left, the pounding at his temples making its presence known once again. With a hiss, he pinched the bridge of his nose and bade the headache away. For the past two days, his head had been splitting, no matter how much he tried to sleep it off.

Stupid Sebastian.

The headache was, of course, Sebastian's fault. In fact, anything that happened that Ciel didn't like lately was Sebastian's fault.

Stupid Sebastian and his stupid sticking his nose where it didn't belong.

How the hell had he even gotten his hands on his file, anyway? For fucks sake, Claude, get a lock for your drawer.

Ciel tossed his legs up onto the bench, laying down for a bit of cloud-watching.

He didn't know what exactly was in the file. It wasn't as though he had ever had the opportunity to read it. Somehow he doubted he'd want to if the chance presented itself. Still, Sebastian had known about The Fire... If he knew about The Fire, what else could he know about?

Them? What they'd done, or worse, what he'd done?

The thought chilled him. More than he'd imagined it would. It went without saying that he didn't want anyone knowing what he'd done, but why did the prospect of Sebastian knowing twist his stomach into knots so much?

Seriously? Playing blind can only go so far. You know perfectly well why-

Ciel bolted upright on the bench with a snarl, banishing the little voice from his head.

۞

He'd long since surpassed confusion and was well into the realm of completely fucking baffled.

With a well-practised ease, Sebastian smoothed the frown from his face, the usual slight smirk taking its place.

Either every single person in St. Victoria's was a master liar or not a single person knew who Finnian was. It had been a long morning of cornering staff, both those he knew and those who didn't even register in his mind, and trying to wheedle any slight hint of foul play from them. So far, he'd received nothing but blank faces and concern for his well-being.

He doubted they were all lying. Even if they were masterful in the craft, enough so to catch him out by some miracle, there was the question of why Finny? After all, the boy was nothing but a minor character in the grand scale of things. The none-too-bright gardener was hardly an important player. So why would he be targeted by whatever was going on?

Better yet, why was Sebastian the sole exception?

It had been just over a week since his fight with Ciel, and Finny's disappearance. Although Ciel had made in perfectly clear in that time that he had no intentions of reconciliation, Sebastian threw caution to the wind and made his way over to the boy's room.

Ciel was the expert of St. Victoria's, its veteran patient. If anyone could shine some light on the situation, it would be him. If he hadn't been affected, that is.

“What the... Get out!” Ciel snapped as Sebastian strode into his bedroom, ignoring protocol and closing the door behind him. He ignored the boy's indignant spluttering, walking up to the desk where Ciel was sat, looking him dead in the eye.

“Finny.”

One word was all it took for Sebastian to know that whatever was going on had happened to Ciel too. There was no recognition in his eye at the name of his friend, just a flicker of confusion amidst the annoyance Sebastian's presence caused.

“What?” It was quite astounding how much irritation Ciel could inject into the one short word.

Ignoring him, Sebastian ran a hand through his hair, dropping onto the edge of his bed. The sheer amount of exasperation and anger was like a ton of bricks falling on him, and he needed a moment to clear his head.

This was getting ridiculous. People didn't just vanish off the face of the planet! A person couldn't just be erased like that! Sebastian had found no-one like himself who remembered the blond, found no trace of him within St. Victoria's. Yet he remembered, remembered only a week earlier when he'd sat and had breakfast with him, talked to him, endured his bubbliness with far more patience than he usually would have. He clung to that memory as he raised his head to return Ciel's impatient look, and tried again, “Finny.”

“Why do you keep making that noise?”

No. There was nothing. No spark of recognition, just more confusion than before.

“It's a name, Ciel. Your friend's name,” Sebastian stated, watching his face intently for any sign of... of anything. The only thing he saw was Ciel's increasing discomfort under such blatant scrutiny.

“What the hell are you talking about? I don't know anyone called that... Has Grell slipped you something?” Ciel leaned forward in his chair, returning the assessment with mild amusement.

Sebastian almost shuddered at the idea. Honestly, if he hadn't have taken a leaf from Will's book and started booby-trapping his room after the unfortunate pants incident, he wouldn't have put it past the deranged redhead to do just that.

“Look, this is going to sound weird – it is weird – but just listen, alright? You're mad at me, I get that, and if you really want to then we'll talk about it later-”

“There's nothing to talk about. You had no right-”

“Listen. Up until a week ago, there was a man – Finny, Finnian, whatever – working here. He was the gardener. The two of you got along, it wouldn't be completely wrong to say you were friends. But a week ago, he... he disappeared. Not just disappeared, but it... it's like... it's like he was never here at all. It looks like I'm the only one who remembers him.”

He was going to say more, but stopped as he gauged Ciel's reaction. He'd expected the boy to laugh in his face, make some sarcastic comment, something along those lines. He did none of that. Rather than mirth on his face, there was pity.

Before Sebastian could continue, Ciel shook his head, “There's no 'Finny', Sebastian.”

“...Yes. There is.”

“No. It's only to be expected. This place, it does things to your head. Believe me, I know. Quite a weird little fantasy you're cooking up, I have to say, but it's just that; a fantasy.” Ciel's words were laced with the same pity that lay in his eye, the traces of anger from before draining away as he looked at Sebastian like there was something wrong with him.

Alright, he hadn't expected Ciel to just agree with him straight away, but what the hell was this? The brat was talking to him like he was the mental patient!

“Environment effects mind. It's a proven fact. I'm actually surprised it took this long for the place to start taking its toll. Take the day off, get some sleep, rethink this Finny thing tomorrow when your mind is more rested.”

It was unbearable, the sympathetic and downright patronizing tone used to spoon-feed him advice. He didn't want rest, he didn't need rest. This wasn't some side-effect of being in the Institution too long – or was it?

[mimipaloma]

like angels can fly, we'll never die

Mimi thought about Zander every time she was in an airport, but this time was different. They were at the same exact gate this time that Mimi and Zander were spotted at the first time. Those pictures circulated the internet and her life was forever changed. Her friends stopped talking to her. People at school wanted to be friends just because of them. And it solidified her relationship with him. They were found out, and they never tried to hide again. When Zander died, a part of Mimi died. It had been almost four years since he died, and Mimi still wasn’t the same. She listened to his music the entire way to Hawaii, thinking about a conversation they once had. 

“If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?” He asked. 

Mimi thought for a while, “Hawaii.”

“Hawaii?” He sounded confused. “Anywhere in the world not the country.”

“I mean it! I think Hawaii is beautiful, and I’ve never been.” Mimi explained. “You’ve already been on a world tour, so it’s not fair for you to judge my dreams.”

Zander laughed, “Okay, okay. I just figured if I was going to plan a trip for us, it would be to somewhere like... Italy or Paris or... I don’t know, Bali.”

“We can go there for our honeymoon,” she teased. “I wanna to go Hawaii first.”

Zander just pulled her closer, taking her in, “Okay babe, we can go to Hawaii.”

They never made it to Hawaii or even to a wedding day, so any dream of having the honeymoon in Europe was over. Now, she flipped through wedding magazines, not for herself but for Rae. Rae and Atti were getting married. Travis and Milania had been engaged for ages, and Casey and Stone’s wedding was coming up that fall. Before she knew it, Caiden and Britton would be married. Colbie and Soren. Maybe even Cal and Maisie, and by then Bryce and Ryder would’ve probably eloped. Mimi always thought she’d be the first. Maybe not before Milania and Travis, but definitely before Rae, though she’d never say that outloud. 

Because there were so many of them on the plane, they all sorta chose where they sat. Everyone was switching seats. Rae and Atti sat together, Mollie and Noel were together. Britton and Caiden. Isaiah was sitting with Brooklyn and Noa to help with the triplets, even. Though since that one failed date, her relationship with Isaiah hadn’t been quite right. Mimi sat in a row with Kennedy and Mina, and though she didn’t really mind, she wished she had a friend to talk to. So instead, she just listened to Zander’s music. Particularly Beside You, over and over and over again. It was her favorite of his. It was a song about her. 

Once they were all settled at the houses, Mimi got changed and walked out to the beach, putting her feet in the sand and water, trailing her fingers across the top of the water. Tears poured from her eyes almost immediately, and she just sat there and cried and cried and cried. One of the little girls must have gotten Nora because after a while, Nora grabbed a towel, draped it around Mimi’s shoulders, and brought her in to get dry and calmed down. Nora put her in the bathtub at her house, running the water until it was lukewarm and let Mimi scrub the sand off of her body. 

Mimi calmed down enough to finish a bath, get changed, and head down stairs for a snack. Nora’s home was sort of like the hub. That’s where a lot of the supplies were and the good snacks that were in bulk. If you needed something, Nora’s house was definitely set up for it. It was only the first day and Mimi could tell that already. Nora made it clear though--Mimi did not have to participate in anything on the vacation that she wasn’t ready for. She didn’t have to be out on the beach. She could stay in her room the entire time. 

“Where’s Rae?” Mimi asked once she reached the kitchen. Someone rattled off that she and Atti met up with Britton and Caiden at a waterfall, but that Atti had organized dinner for everyone and they’d be back soon. She asked where Avalon was after, and Bo pointed at the door of Grey’s room, warning her not to go in. Kinley and Kylie were out taking pictures with Morgan shortly behind them, and Mollie and Noel were on a walk too. Mimi just wanted to scream. She didn’t know what to do, where to go, or who to talk to. So she grabbed her phone from the counter, a juice box from the fridge, and a kiss on the cheek from Nora before she went back to Milania’s house, just the next door over. 

“Mimi!” Ramona called from the living room. She was in a matching swimsuit with Frieda. “Will you come down to the water with me and Fifi and Papi?”

“Oh, girls, I don’t know if Mimi’s feeling up to it. She just took a bath,” Travis said... News spread quickly. 

“Maybe in a little bit,” Mimi said, petting her hair. “Thank you for inviting me.”

Travis gave her a smile, and Mimi popped the straw in her juice box and walked up the stairs to her room. She opened the drawer, pulled out a box, and then the bottle of Zander’s cologne. She sprayed it on a t-shirt and slipped into it, crawling into her bed. Her AirPods snug in her ears, Mimi clicked the song she had on repeat all day. She just wanted to be beside him. 

When we both wake up underneath the same sun And time stops, I wish that I could rewind So close but so far away...

[theres-a-fine-line-fic]

Chapter Fifty Three - Let Me Catch You Up To Speed

In less than 2 days, I was fully finished up with working in the studio and starting maternity leave. Josh was more than relieved that I would be at home more often, but still concerned that I would get bored easily or wouldn't have much to do. I wasn't really in the mood to do much, as by now it was the start of April, and the wedding planning was in full swing. The planning was taking up the majority of my time, between fixing the menus, the decorations, the seating plan... the list was endless!

Josh was still on the Oceania leg of the Emotional Roadshow Tour, and was beginning to get sick of being away from home and the bump. He had left the country with Tyler, Jenna and the crew on March 22nd and had one more show on the 8th in Perth before he could fly home and relax for a little while before the wedding and the resuming the North America portion of the tour.

I'd been kept busy so far with Doctors appointments, check ups and wedding planning. So far, I didn't know the sex of the baby, I wanted to be surprised, I handed the envelope containing the information over to Jenna and Tyler for safe keeping! I had told them they could know, and Josh too if he wanted, but not to tell me until closer to the time.

Josh was currently near Perth, and 13 hours ahead of me, meaning when he video called me just before bed, it would be closer to breakfast time for me.

"So we have the show coming up tonight, and then I swear as soon as we finish, I'll head straight to the airport and I'll be home with you as soon as I can!" Josh looked exhausted, probably not sleeping much with us being on opposite sides of the world.

"As much as the baby and I can't wait to see you, just make sure you're staying safe and doing what you have to do before you get home!" I smiled, trying to reassure Josh that we would be okay in the meantime.

"I know Ava, but it's just so difficult being away from you both! I know we have friends and family there with you, but it just doesn't feel the same y'know! I want to be with you every step of the way, not missing anything." By this time, I was 5 and a half months along, more than halfway through the pregnancy, and I knew it felt like Josh was missing out.

"I think the most exciting thing is that I have a lot more stretch marks now!" I laughed, lifting my top and turning to the side so Josh could see.

"You still look as beautiful as ever, just means our little bun is getting bigger and healthier every day!" Josh smiled at us. As small as extra stretch marks seemed, it was something huge to us. We were so excited at every milestone and new occurrence, apart from the random nosebleeds that had began to happen at odd times- apparently a common side effect of being pregnant for some women! So glad to be one of the lucky ones... not!

As I turned back I could feel a hard kick just below my ribs, causing me to exclaim "Ouch!" loudly.

"Are you okay? What's wrong, Ava, do you need me to come home?" Josh jumped up, panic written all over his face.

"No, no, no! Everything is okay, the baby just didn't like me moving, that's all! They're getting stronger by the day, I can't wait for you to feel the kicks soon! It feels like we're going to have another drummer in the family!" I laughed, rubbing my hand over the spot where I'd felt the kick. Josh instantly began to calm down, looking relieved at the simple explanation. We were interrupted by a loud knock on the door, before Tyler entered the room.

"Hey, we have an interview in about 20 mins and then we have a soundcheck in about an hour- hey Ava! What are you doing up so late?" Tyler walked over to Josh and sat next to him, beginning to chat to me.

"Hey Tyler, it's not really that late, it's only-" I paused turning my head to check the time on the clock on the bedside table. "Oh, it's 2am! I didn't think it was so late!" Josh quirked his eyebrow at me, as Tyler shook his head.

"You should probably be in bed, get some rest and we'll call you after the show, okay?" Tyler suggested, while Josh agreed. Tyler then said his goodbyes and left the room so Josh and I could say our goodbyes too.

"I promise I'll be home as soon as I can! Look after yourself and the baby and I'll be cuddling you and making you endless cups of tea again before you know it!" Josh smiled, waving and telling me he loved us before hanging up.

================================================================

I woke up around 9am with a start, there was a loud banging coming from the front door. I pulled on a pair of leggings and a tight T-shirt, dressing quickly before sliding my feet into a pair of fluffy sliders. My usual Adidas sliders were now far too small and uncomfortable for my swollen feet and ankles.

I moved as fast as I could to the front door as the knocking continued, making me question the importance of my early visitor. As I opened it, I was greeted by Jordan holding a large parcel box. "Hey, sorry I hope I didn't wake you up? I was too excited to wait any longer, it's been sat in our house for 10 minutes now!"

I laughed as I let him in, carrying the box before he set it on the kitchen table. "I was almost awake anyway, besides I'm excited to see what this is!"

Jordan gave me a big hug, before finding a pair of kitchen scissors so we could open the box. "I swear that baby gets bigger every time I see you, and I only saw you a few days ago!"

"Tell me about it! Do you want to see the latest trick? C'mere!" I grab Jordan's hand, placing it on top of the bump, before asking the baby, "Hey, Josh will be home in a few days, are you ready to see daddy? Are you all excited to cuddle daddy again?"

A shocked look appeared on Jordan's face as he realised how hard the baby kicked. "Woah that's some kick! She's excited to see daddy for sure! When is he due home?"

"It should take him about a day and a half to fly back, so hopefully I'll see him tomorrow afternoon? Maybe tomorrow evening at the latest? Not too long to wait, but you know I'll just be wishing the time away until then! So anyway, what's in the box?" Jordan smiled, handing over the scissors for me to open it.

I began to carefully open the box, removing the layers of packaging tape, only to be met with little mesh bags of flower petals and biodegradable confetti resting on top of the white tissue paper. I raised an eyebrow at Jordan who grinned and shrugged. He clearly knew what it was, but wouldn't ruin the surprise. I carefully lifted the delicate bags out, placing them on the table beside the box. Pulling back the layers of tissue paper, I could see a beautiful blush coloured material, adorned with diamanté's. It wasn't until I pulled it fully out of the box that I realised why I thought the shade looked familiar! It instantly brought back memories from when Josh and I had gone out on our date the first time he was expected to propose. We had stopped by a bridal shop on our walk back to the hotel, and I had seen the most beautiful dress.

"It's the dress you saw when you were in Lincoln, Josh called the shop and asked what they could do, he explained that you would be almost 7 months pregnant when you're ready to get married, but that you had your eye on this dress before you were even engaged. He also asked them to tweak the dress a little so it wouldn't be the exact copy of the one you both saw. So it's like he hasn't seen the dress before the wedding. No more bad luck!" Jordan smiled as my eyes began to fill with tears, I couldn't believe Josh had gone to all this trouble! As I laid the dress on the table, I could see the changes Josh had made, the bottom of the dress had a subtle cotton Candy pink ombré trim that faded into the blush coloured dress. The fabric was almost a jersey style material, allowing for growth while still holding tight to the bump, and at the back of the dress at the bottom of the skirt, the words "Dun and Dun" were embroidered into the train with a golden thread. It was so perfect, better than I had ever hoped.

"Jordan, it's perfect, he did such an incredible job!" I tried to hold back tears, as Jordan beamed beside me. It wasn't a traditional dress, the same way that Josh and I didn't have a traditional relationship, so it was a perfect match.

"You still have a matching veil, that should arrive in the next few days, along with your shoes. We're getting so close to you becoming my sister in law officially!" Jordan explained, everything was all tying together quickly and there was definitely excitement in the air. "I think we're going to pick our suits on Wednesday, so that gives Josh some time to get home and get settled back in again before we get into the final preparations right?"

I nodded agreeing with Jordan. "Well that would give me time to invite Jenna round to try on the dress and make any alterations necessary, then I think we have planned to start making little party favours?" Everything was coming together nicely! For a relationship that had blossomed so quickly, to becoming a family in such a short time, it still felt like this wedding and birth was a long time coming. It wouldn't be long before Josh and I were finally Mr and Mrs Dun, and then only a little longer before our child would make their debut.

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

Hi long time no update! So the photos give an idea of what I think the dress would look like just to give you an idea. Hopefully this chapter isn't too bad as I'm definitely rusty at writing! There will be a time jump in the next chapter, but excited for it, as that chapter has been sat in my drafts since 2017! As always, let me know what you think! Xo