#so when she found evy as a child and got to raise her even for a little bit??? | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

thewintersoldierdisaster · 1 year

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a/n: after the gauntlet that was the honeymoon fic, i’m back with something shorter and sweet. i’m obsessed with girl dad drei, so that’s actually getting a bit of a focus the next few fics 🥰 again, posting this before i’m off to the isles/tampon bay (not a typo, i’m just a petty, grudge-holding long island gal) game, so give me a little positive energy in the tags!

word count: 3.4k

tw: nothing, just the standard google russian 🥲

summary: mother’s day in the svechnikov home

It’s too early for there to be so much noise in the house, you think briefly and through a haze of exhaustion. You roll onto your side, blinking, and Andrei nudges you and murmurs, “go back to sleep, I got it.”

The mattress dips and shifts as he climbs out of bed, stretching a little before he drops a kiss to the top of your head and pads from the room. You press your face back into your pillow and are nearly back to sleep when Andrei returns, the warm, solid weight of nine-month-old Dimitri placed against your side. Instinctively, you curl your arms around your son and tug the sheet up over his little legs. He quiets almost immediately, stretching his arms and legs out in the starfish position that’s a favorite of all the Svechnikov children, no matter how old they are.

“He should sleep a little longer,” Andrei whispers, running one large hand over the baby’s hair.

“Come back to bed,” you sigh, eyes shut and Dimitri’s little fist held in one of your hands. He smells like baby lotion and milk and it’s one of your favorite scents in the world. There’s a banging sound from downstairs and you wince.

Andrei chuckles a little. “Sleep, I’m going to go see what that is,” he strokes the back of his index finger over your cheek and you’re out before he even leaves the room again.

On his way downstairs, Andrei pokes his head into each girl’s room and once he sees that Alina isn’t in her bed, he has a pretty good idea of what the noise is and what he’s going to find in the kitchen.

Sure enough, there’s your second oldest daughter, pots and pans pulled out from the lower cabinets and a small pile of flour on the floor. Andrei clears his throat and Alina looks up, her hands still in the lower pantry cabinet. She grins at him innocently. “Oh, hiiii daddy,” she singsongs.

“Oh, hiiii Alya,” Andrei mimicks her tone, pressing his lips together so he won’t laugh. “What are you doing?”

The five (and a half! “Don’t forget the half, Daddy!”) year old slowly brings her hands back to her side and looks up at Andrei with his own brown eyes deployed to maximum adorable. “Makin’ breakfast for Mama,” she replies sweetly, with a faint undercurrent of ‘duh, isn’t it obvious?’.

He comes further into the kitchen and leans his forearms against the counter of the island, raising an eyebrow at Alina. She shuffles her feet and twists her fingers in the hem of her Disney Princess pajama tap. “Are you supposed to be trying to cook without me or Mama?” He smiles, just a bit, so she knows she’s not really in trouble. Andrei’s always been a soft-touch when it comes to disciplining the girls.

“No,” she sighs, “but I was gonna get you ‘cause I’m not even tall enough to get a plate out of the cabinet.”

Andrei doesn’t believe her for a second - Alina is nothing if not independent and resourceful. He’s pretty sure she would’ve just found something flat to use as a plate in a cabinet she could reach and call it a day. He starts picking up some of the pots and pans and says, “how about we work together to make Mama syrniki for breakfast in bed?”

“Ooh, yes!” Alina hops around in excitement, bouncing over to tug at Andrei’s shirt. “With bacon and s’berries?”

“Yes, with bacon and strawberries,” Andrei confirms on a laugh. “Do you want to see if Evie wants to help?” He pulls the child-sized stool from the corner and sets it against the island so Alina will be able to see and help.

She scrambles to climb onto the stool and shakes her head. “No! She’s too bossy and I just wanna be with you, Daddy,” she says firmly, pushing messy hair out of her eyes with the backs of her hands. Andrei chuckles and gathers her hair into a little pineapple of a bun on top of her head, securing it with one of the black hair ties he’s gotten used to wearing around his wrist. Between you and three daughters, odds are good that someone will have a hair related emergency around Andrei. Alina beams up at him, “thank you, Daddy! Now I can see.”

“Now you can see,” Andrei laughs. He gathers the ingredients for syrniki - farmer’s cheese, eggs, flour, sugar, and salt - and lines them up on the counter in front of Alina. She taps each ingredient and counts out loud, pleased to show off her skills.

“One, two, three, four, five,” she looks up at Andrei for approval and he nods, smiling.

“Try in Russian,” he says, switching languages so Alina can practice. The girls are mostly fluent, since Andrei, his parents, and Geno all practice with them. “Tell me what each ingredient is.”

Alina squints a little before counting off to five in Russian. She manages to tell Andrei the word for each ingredient in Russian, but gets tripped up by farmer’s cheese.

“Good job, Alya,” Andrei kisses the crown of her head. “Say it after me: fermerskiy syr.”

“Fermerskiy syr,” Alina repeats, mangling the new world a little, but Andrei still praises her attempt. “Can we start now, Daddy?” She’s clearly impatient with the Russian lesson.

He sets the measuring cups and a large metal bowl on the counter and nods, “we can start now, Alya.”

Alina grins and digs into the process, pouring ingredients as Andrei instructs her. She dumps flour in the bowl, getting half of it on the counter and her shirt. “Oops,” she looks up at Andrei with wide, worried eyes.

He brushes the flour from her shirt and then “accidentally” spills some on his own shirt. “Oops!” He mimics her, eliciting sweet, childish giggles. He brushes more flour from her face and she wrinkles her nose at him.

The eggs get cracked into the mix and Andrei picks out a few stray pieces of shell, carrying Alina to the sink and holding her by the waist so she can wash her hands. “Raw eggs can make your tummy hurt,” he explains while she soaps up, “if you eat them, even by accident, so you always have to wash your hands.”

“I know, Daddy,” she sighs, clapping her hands together and getting soap bubbles flying in the air. “Mama telled us that when me an’ Evie wanted cookie dough.”

“Mama’s always right,” Andrei teases and when Alina’s done with her hands, he sets her back on the stool so she can mix the dough. He leans against the counter and watches for the most part, since Alina’s perfectly capable of mixing on her own. She starts telling him a rambling story about magical fairies that he’s pretty sure she’s making up on the spot and his chest fills with love for his girl. The hardest part about hockey is how much time he spends on the road. FaceTiming with you and the kids only goes so far. So he’s grateful that Mother’s Day this year fell on the Sunday between Games One and Two with a Canes’ home ice advantage. If he had to be traveling today, he doesn’t think he’d forgive himself.

“Daddy, are you listening?” Alina huffs, frowning at him and looking remarkably like you. He laughs and smooths his thumb over her eyebrows, erasing the frown.

“Yes, Alya, I’m listening,” he says patiently, hoping she doesn’t ask him to repeat the entire story. Alina opens her mouth, but it’s Evie’s voice that cuts in, “Dad? What are you doing?”

Andrei looks over to the stairs where Evie’s rubbing at her eye with the heel of her palm, hair falling messily out of pigtailed braids, and a confused look on her face. Alina grins at her big sister and explains, “we’re makin’ syrniki for Mama.”

“Oh!” Evie’s face brightens and she looks wide awake now. “Can I help?”

“We finished the batter,” Andrei explains, pulling the bowl away from Alina. “And remember that the next step is to fry them in hot oil, so…”

“Only Mom and Dad fry things,” Evie parrots the refrain you and Andrei had drilled into their heads from the time they started showing an interest in helping in the kitchen.

“Exactly,” Andrei points the spoon in his hand at her. “How about you two put foil on the tray and lay out the bacon? Maybe wash the berries?”

Evie nods and dances to the fridge, pulling out the bacon package and going about her tasks with the confidence only a second grader can muster. She bosses Alina around and Andrei has to step in once or twice when Alina gets annoyed at being bossed around. But for the most part, they work well together as he fries the little cakes in oil and sets them on a paper towel covered plate. He loves seeing their relationship blossom and the way Alina follows Evie around like a little duckling always makes him think of himself and Geno. Evie sighs and shows Alina how to wash the strawberries and Andrei’s throat clogs a little with emotion.

When the syrniki are done and the stovetop is turned off, Andrei claps his hands together and the girls look over at him. “We’re almost ready to surprise Mama,” he grins at their enthusiastic cheering. If you’re not awake yet, you will be soon. “Alya, why don’t you go wake up Kira so she can join us. Evie, can you go down into the basement, behind the toolbox, there’s a big bag with Mama’s gifts from you girls.”

Alina squints at him as Evie darts off to the basement. Andrei squats down to Alina’s eye level and asks, “what’s going on, Alya?”

“What are you gonna be doing?” She cocks her hip, planting her hand firmly on it. With her sagging little bun and strawberry stained pajama top, she looks like a harried mother of a dozen toddlers and Andrei resists the urge to laugh.

“I’m going to get breakfast ready on a tray for Mama,” he explains. “So we can bring it to her in bed.”

Alina nods, clearly happy with his answer. “Okay,” she pats his cheek and skips off, calling behind her, “don’t forget the sour cream!”

Twenty minutes later, Andrei has breakfast plated and on the tray, Evie is holding the shopping bag, and Alina’s back with Kira, having held the three-year-old’s hand while they both slid down the stairs on their butts, the way Evie had taught them. Andrei ushers the girls back up the stairs, all of them moving extremely slowly behind Kira. He probably should have thought this out better, but too late for that now. “Okay,” he whispers outside of the master bedroom door, “we have to go in quietly just in case Mama and Dimka are still sleeping.”

Kira and Alina burst through the door, smacking it against the opposite wall, and Andrei winces. But you and Dimitri are already awake and you gasp in faux-surprise, since your daughters aren’t exactly the quietest humans. Carefully moving Dimitri off of your breast and adjusting your sweater, you grin, “oh my gosh! My favorite girls!”

“S’pise, Mama! S’pise!” Kira screams, grinning and climbing up on the bed.

“Happy Mother’s Day!” Evie says, practically tossing the shopping bag on the bed. Alina crawls into your lap, cooing over Dimitri before planting a smacking kiss on your cheek.

You kiss her back, squishing her cheeks between your thumb and index finger. She wiggles away and nearly kicks at the tray Andrei’s resting on the foot of the bed. “Oh, look, Mama! Daddy and I maded syrniki,” she crows, bouncing to her knees and pointing at the tray. Kira’s already reaching for a strawberry and Evie steals a piece of bacon.

Andrei grins at you, “better get some food before the little myshki nibble it all up.” He leans over to kiss you briefly.

“This looks delicious,” you say, shifting Dimitri in your arms. He squawks in annoyance when Kira rolls over and jostles him. She makes a kissy face at him and just as quickly, he’s giggling. You settle him on the mattress and he grabs for Kira with chubby hands. “Thank you,” you murmur, accepting the mug of coffee Andrei hands you, while lifting and curling your leg so Dimitri is in the reasonably safe position of being enclosed by your leg if he decides to move around. “You guys did such an amazing job.”

“I spilled flour but we cleaned it up,” Alina informs you through a mouthful of sour cream and syrniki. Andrei holds a hand under her chin to catch the falling crumbs.

“That must be my present then,” you deadpan, reaching out to get a forkful of your breakfast. “Oh wow,” you murmur around the mouthful, “that’s really good, Drei.”

He ruffles Alina’s bangs, “all thanks to my sous chef.”

While the kids nibble at breakfast, Evie pushes your presents into your lap. “You have to open the gifts, Mom! Wait until you see what we got you.”

It always makes your heart twinge when Evie calls you ‘mom’, missing the days when your oldest baby called you ‘mama.’ Andrei had nearly cried the first time she called him ‘dad’ instead of ‘papa.’ It’s probably how you ended up with four kids. The second one switches to ‘mom’ and ‘dad’, you need to have another.

Holding a piece of strawberry in front of Dimitri’s face for him to gnaw on, you unwrap your gifts with the other hand. Andrei’s finally sitting on the edge of the bed now, a mug of his own coffee in reach, but Alina’s draped over his lap, eating a piece of bacon and Kira’s standing on the mattress, holding his shoulders, with Andrei’s arm wrapped securely around her legs. Evie’s sitting cross-legged in the middle of the mattress, making faces at Dimitri so he’ll laugh and eating syrniki. There are so many crumbs on the bed.

You open the cards, not exaggerating when you exclaim over the handmade cards from the older two girls, stick figure drawings of you front and center on the covers. Kira and Dimitri contributed scribbles on another card, with their names printed underneath in Andrei’s chicken-scratch. His card - a Hallmark special - makes you cry with its inscription talking about how much you do for the family and how you’re the rock and the glue that keeps everyone together and how much Andrei loves you.

You look up and catch his eye, giving him a wobbly-chinned smile. He mouths ‘I love you’ and pops the dimple.

The pile of gifts include a glitter and paint covered picture frame from Evie complete with a photo of the two of you on the beach from last summer, Alina drapes a macaroni necklace over your head and you’re honestly surprised that this is still a thing kids are making in school but you love it nonetheless, there’s a new Stanley mug in Canes’ red to replace the one Andrei accidentally ran over with his car, a vintage Fleetwood Mac Rumours shirt you’ve been eyeing on eBay, and last but not least, a small black jewelry box that Andrei passes to Evie to give to you.

“Drei,” you murmur, “I really didn’t need anything.”

“I know,” he shrugs one shoulder, trying not to wince as Kira pulls at his hair. “I like spoiling you.”

“Open it, mama!” Alina sighs dramatically and Andrei tickles her, getting her shrieking with laughter and begging him to stop. The other three kids get in on it, laughing and making general noises of insanity. You sit back and watch them for a minute, stroking Dimitri’s soft baby hair and feeling so much love for these crazy people that are all yours.

“Okay, okay,” you call over the noise, “I’m opening my present from Daddy.” You pop the top on the velvet box and gasp a little when you see the necklace. It’s a thin gold chain with five horizontal letters on it. Two As, an E, a K, and a D. The little letters are studded with tiny diamonds and they glitter prettily in the light.

The girls crowd you and ooh and ah over the necklace. “It’s so pretty, Mom,” Evie gently traces one of the letters.

“It’s sparkly,” Alina says, a glint in her eyes. “I like sparkles.”

“Those are Mama’s sparkles, little magpie,” Andrei warns teasingly. He looks up at you, smiling shyly. “You like it?”

“I love it,” you reply, pulling the necklace from the box and dodging small, grabby hands to clasp it around your neck. It’s a shorter chain, so it hugs close to your neck resting at your collarbone. It layers perfectly with the cross you’ve worn every day since Andrei gifted it to you during your honeymoon in Greece. You run your fingers over both pieces, a soft smile playing at your lips. “This is the best Mother’s Day ever, all thanks to my favorite people.” You pull the girls close to you and kiss their cheeks and heads, making dramatic kissing noises so they’ll laugh. Eventually, after they’ve eaten all of your breakfast, they get bored of being in the bed and Alina and Evie roll off the mattress, heading for their rooms, knowing that lunch with the four grandparents is on the schedule for the day.

You’re left alone with Andrei and the two babies. They’re swapped now, Dimitri in Andrei’s lap and chewing on a chubby fist and Kira in your lap, playing with your necklaces. She looks tired and your smooth her hair back from her face while you snuggle her close. “This was so sweet, Drei,” you sigh. “I know you’re thinking about playoffs, but I appreciate everything you did this morning.”

“Solnyshka,” Andrei leans forward, mindful of Dimitri, and cradles your face in his hand. You lean into his touch and his thumb caresses your cheekbone. “You and the kids are the most important thing. I don’t get to play hockey without you here taking care of everything. Breakfast in bed and a few gifts are the least I can do.”

Feeling emotional, you angle your head and kiss the inside of his wrist. “Still. Thank you, my love.”

Andrei’s eyes twinkle and he tilts his chin to the breakfast tray. “I think you missed a gift,” he says and you reach over, pulling a little envelope out from underneath the empty plate.

Quirking an eyebrow at him, you murmur, “what do you have up your sleeve, Mister Svechnikov?” and open the envelope and withdraw a ticket confirmation page. There are little doodles - a sun, a palm tree, beach chairs, two stick figures in a compromising position - around the words and you finally focus on the location. Bora Bora. “What’s this?”

“This year’s vacation,” Andrei grins. “Just us. The parents, all four of them, have agreed to babysit for a week while we soak up some sun in a hut on the water.”

You shake your head at him, in disbelief. “How are you this amazing? How did I get so lucky?” You grin down at Kira. “Your Daddy is my favorite person in the whole world.”

“Me too!” Kira exclaims, lunging for Andrei’s lap. He catches her and laughs, kissing her cheek. She pats his face and frowns at the stubble.

“You deserve it and more, moya koroleva,” Andrei says. His tongue darts out and wets his lower lip. “More will have to wait though,” he bounces the kids on his lap. “When we have a less impressionable audience. For now…” he grabs your ankle and slides your across the sheets, slanting his lips over yours and biting at your lower lip gently. His tongue sweeps inside your mouth, the promise of more rushing through your veins.

And then Dimitri shrieks because Kira’s poked him in the eye and more is absolutely not happening. Andrei swoops Dimitri into his arms and gets off the bed, heading down the hall, and you lift Kira onto your hip and bring her to her own room to get ready. Evie’s singing along to the Alexa in her room and you can hear Alina telling herself a story. The noise echoes around the hallway, delightful chaos.

“Happy Mother’s Day, solnyshka,” Andrei winks at you. You grin back, loving every second.

#andrei svechnikov fic #andrei svechnikov x you #andrei svechnikov x reader #andrei svechnikov imagine #andrei svechnikov

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isleofdarkness · 9 months

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Please please p l e a s e tell us about literally any of those people more in depth I am so so interested and like specifically evie I’m p l e a s e

So, Evie

(Warning for child sexual abuse (meant to "train her for marriage,") childhood sexual assault, attempted childhood sexual assault, child abuse, isolation, starvation, mother giving her daughter an eating disorder by body-shaming her and encouraging said eating disorder, victim blaming, slut shaming, slut shaming a victim, queerphobia, racism, ableism)

Evie lost weight after she was born. Grimhilde was critical of her appearance from the very beginning. She didn't want a "fat" baby and starved her newborn daughter to force her to slim down. Most children lose their baby fat at around two or three and some have it until they're school age. Evie was forced to lose hers at only a few weeks old. Even when her daughter had been starved into what Grimhilde felt was a proper body (emaciated,) she never fed Evie enough. She didn't want her daughter to get "fat" again.

This undernutrition- which has been a constant for Evie's entire life- has left Evie with so many problems. Evie is small considering how tall her parents are, standing at 5'3 (Grimhilde is 5'10 and Chernabog is 6'4) and she's clearly underdeveloped. The poor girl looks like she's thirteen without her makeup. Her bones are weak. She gets sick easily. She nearly died several times as a child from hypoglycemia. She has to carry sugar tablets because doctors can't yet tell if her pancreas will recover. She's on so many nutritional supplements. If she wasn't getting those, doctors are sure she wouldn't have made it even another two years. Deprivation of the nutrients and vitamins her body needed was doing damage to her organs, decreasing their ability to function.

To discourage her daughter from "cheating her diet" (trying to eat enough for her body to function,) Grimhilde taught her calorie counting from a very young age. She would give Evie clothes she knew would be too small and acted as though the clothes didn't fit because her daughter needed to lose weight. When Evie dropped weight she couldn't afford to lose, Grimhilde praised her. That was the only time Evie ever got praise, and she was desperate for it. She would refuse to eat anything for days just to see her mother's smile of approval.

And the homeschooling Evie grew up with... well, let's just say she had a very unusual education. While her mother taught her history and royalty stuff, that was the closest she came to teaching Evie a normal curriculum. Evie was taught to read, but just barely. The second she could read, Grimhilde moved on rather than continued to nurture the skill. She taught Evie basic addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, but only the basics- not even teaching her daughter how to do multiple operations in the same equation, not even trying to teach multiplying and dividing with numbers larger than twelve. Most of Evie's education would be household chores, homekeeping, beauty, the "right way" to act and look to attract and keep a prince, and how to raise children. Oh, and one more thing.

Grimhilde made sure her daughter knew how to sexually attract and please men.

When Evie turned six, her mother started her on potions that would keep her from getting pregnant, then (I have been trying to find a way to word this gently for hours but I can't, so I'm just gonna say it) let a few of her guards rape her daughter while Grimhilde lectured her about everything she was doing "wrong." Despite the circumstances, Evie was forced to play along and do what her mother told her to do just to get it over with.

Her bedroom, which had once been her beloved refuge, had become a place she couldn't stand due to all of the horrific memories made in that room. She soon found solace in the castle's overgrown gardens, where she could hide away from her mother, the guards, and the entire world.

That garden was where she first met Malcolm.

She was in the garden one morning when she was seven when, without any warning, a boy with blue hair baseball-slid through a tiny gap in the bushes. Before she could even think of screaming- who would help her, anyway?- Malcolm quickly covered her mouth and pulled her behind an overgrown rose bush.

"I swear I'm not gonna do anything, but-"

"Where are you?"

Evie felt the boy go completely stiff, breath coming far too quickly but with practiced silence- who even developed the skill to hyperventilate silently? It was clear he was afraid of the old-sounding woman who seemed to be looking for him. Evie briefly considered trying to call out to her in case the boy was dangerous, but she didn't. Somehow, she knew he wasn't. He was terrified, shaking and tense, the same kind of terror Evie felt when her mother was angry.

The next five minutes were some of the longest of Evie's life as the two hid behind the bush, waiting for the woman to give up or search somewhere else, praying she wouldn't think he had gone into the garden. Malcolm finally let her go when the woman's voice had gotten decently far away, but he didn't relax until she was well out of earshot. He took several deep, shaking breaths once the danger had passed, rocking slightly and reaching up to his buzzed hair, moving his hand as if trying to run his fingers through long hair he didn't have and cursing when he realized.

"I'm sorry," He whispered once he'd mostly calmed himself down. "For... kinda kidnapping you. If Mother Mim had found me, she woulda killed you as collateral. I didn't know anyone was in the garden, I swear."

"You're hiding from your mother?" This is the first person outside of her palace that she's ever met, and he's a boy her age with dark blue hair who's hiding from his mother. He was so much like her that it was hard to be mad at him. And how could she be afraid of someone just like her, especially when she'd just watched him openly have a panic attack in front of a stranger.

"Yeah. Do you have a knife?"

Pardon? That was definitely not how she expected the conversation to progress. "No? Why do you need a knife?"

When his blue eyes finally meet hers, he suddenly looks so much older. In her moments of vulnerability, when she dared look in her cracked mirror, she knew her eyes could look like that. "If Mother Mim finds me again, I'm not going back. I want a knife so I can cut my throat."

Well.

"I know where I can get you a knife." She'd never felt that way with her mother, had never been so desperate to hide from her that she'd rather cut her throat than let her mother find her, but she'd definitely felt that way about her mother's guards. Still, she never would have acted on it. Whatever this boy had gone through had to have been worse than anything she could ever imagine. How could she complain when this boy was so desperate to escape that he would rather kill himself than be caught? (Malcolm doesn't like that she thought that. He'd had a shit life, sure, but at least Madam Mim didn't let the people torturing him use sexual violence. They're traumatized in different ways, but neither of them had it better or worse than the other. He doesn't want her to compare her trauma to what others have gone through, and he definitely doesn't want her thinking her trauma isn't bad because someone else has different trauma.)

She led him to the groundkeeper house, a small house on the property where someone had once lived and stored tools to care for the gardens. The person who had lived there was long gone, but their belongings remained and the house was still stable. A bed with dusty blankets, a kitchen with ancient cookware, and a garage full of tools that, while rusted, she knew from experience were still sharp. The small house even had running water. To her knowledge, she was the only one who knew of it. She was certainly the only one who ever had any reason to struggle through the overgrown plants to get to it.

To the first person her age she had ever met, she offered a house. She'd never seen anyone get so happy.

She didn't need to sneak him food, just told him where the edible plants were and helped him identify the ones that were poisonous. He taught himself how to use the old canning and preserves equipment, creating jams and the like for when winter came. There was sugar cane and maple trees in the garden, which helped. He even found a few different plants that he knew could be used to make flour (there was a book of plants and their uses in Grimhilde's library. Evie had snuck it to him.) He was absolutely thriving in the groundskeeper's house.

Evie would go out to visit him every chance she got. As he began to feel safer, his true personality showed. He was so happy, kind, and gentle, so unlike everyone else in Evie's life. He was a joy for her to be around. When she was with him, she could completely relax. For a few months, everything was starting to feel almost good.

And then everything came crashing down.

Even in her isolated garden, Evie was still on the Isle. When someone heard about a beautiful little girl who walked the isolated grounds of that palace completely alone, with no one around to protect her when she was too far away for anyone to hear her scream, he got interested. When he found out that the rumors were true, it didn't take him long to attack her.

Evie managed to drag herself to Malcolm afterwards, in too much pain to even crawl. Malcolm wrapped her injuries and helped her out of her shock, then let her sob for nearly an hour about what had happened. He wanted her to stay in the house, night having fallen, or at least walk her back to the palace, but she had to leave and he had to stay. If Grimhilde found that Evie had left her room, Evie would be punished. If she found out that Evie had left her room to spend time with a boy, she would be apoplectic. Evie had to get back to her room alone. She used salves her mother had taught her about to get rid of her bruises and speed to healing of where her skin had broken (while keeping the wounds from scarring,) and she pretended nothing had happened. She knew that he mother would be furious to learn about what the man in the garden had done to her.

Furious at Evie, of course. Not at the man for assaulting a little girl who wasn't even in her teenage years.

Evie was terrified to walk to see Malcolm but, as she did so nearly every day for nearly two weeks without issue, she slowly started to feel safer. She assumed her attack had just been a one-off thing.

She was wrong.

After she was attacked a second time, Malcolm secretly started following her through the garden, hiding in the overgrowth. The third time that man appeared, Malcolm was ready. He tried, he really did, but he wasn't an excellent fighter. The man was far bigger than a seven-year-old boy and far stronger. Evie had tried to help Malcolm fight him off, but she didn't know how to fight. The man beat Malcolm until he could barely move, then assaulted Evie again. He made sure to threaten to assault Malcolm too if the boy ever got involved again. Malcolm didn't care, but Evie did. She begged him to never interfere again.

He did, of course, but the man wasn't able to make good on his threat. He didn't even get the chance to assault Evie. Because Agony Olympian had gotten involved.

The man was a known rapist and Agony had seen him going somewhere with a suspicious look in his eyes. It had set off alarm bells, so she had followed him. She got to the garden just in time to see him put Malcolm on the ground with a bone-breaking punch to his jaw and grab Evie by her wrists.

"Hey, dickhead." Never before had she been so happy she was half ghost. There was no entrance like her phasing through the bushes. "Let her go. I'm only gonna say it once."

He, of course, didn't listen to another seven-year-old. He tried to attack her, too, and quickly found out two things;

One, her left arm was metal and packed one hell of a punch.

Two, he really should have known better than to piss off a little girl nicknamed Agony. The least he could have done was not backhand her and knock her sunglasses off of her face.

I think we all know how that ended.

Agony covered her eyes with her arm (she didn't want to just close them because that's less effective and she didn't want to hurt Evie or Malcolm) and tried to find her sunglasses, but she had no idea where they were and obviously couldn't see them. Evie saw them nearly a yard away (he slapped her that hard) and, even though she wasn't 100% sure why Agony needed them back on at sunset, she grabbed them and pressed them into Agony's hand.

Evie was, thankfully, not badly hurt, but Malcolm's jaw was cracked and he had a few busted ribs. They got him to the groundskeeper house and got him as fixed up as they could. Agony wanted to get him to Facilier's, but hearing that his mother was Madam Fucking Mim quickly changed her mind. She taught Evie how to diagnose, set, and tape broken ribs, then showed Evie how to feel the difference between a crack/fracture (Malcolm's jaw) and an actual break (his ribs.) Evie very quickly realized that Agony wasn't going to do "whatever that was" and hurt her or Malcolm. In fact, she wasn't going to hurt her or Malcolm at all.

Agony was the first girl her own age she had ever met. The first girl she'd ever been friends with- the second friend she'd ever had. Evie was absolutely thrilled.

Unfortunately, it didn't even take a full day for that one to come crashing down.

Evie woke the next morning to her mother calling her. When she went into the throne room, her heart stopped at the sight of the man who had been assaulting her. Her mother looked perfectly calm. Too calm. That look always meant danger.

"I've heard some very interesting things about you, my daughter. We need to talk."

Her slap sent Evie to the floor.

Evie dared not get up as Grimhilde screamed at her. She screamed about the company Evie was keeping, using every racist term towards Black people that she knew, calling Agony a cripple and Malcolm a retard (along with several other derogatory terms for people with Down Syndrome that I won't repeat,) insulting them based on their backgrounds (Agony's "whore mother" and calling Malcolm a slave because of his mother-) if there was a way Grimhilde could insult the two, she used it. She blamed Evie for her assault, shaming her for "being a cheap whore instead of a princess" and acting as though Evie had consensually had sex and hadn't been a child raped by an adult. She forced Evie to apologize to her, then forced her to apologize to the man who'd assaulted her for the "trouble she'd caused" and having people "hurt an innocent man."

That was the longest week of her life. Grimhilde forced her to stay in the guards' barracks for five days as punishment for being assaulted. She could barely move for three days after.

(Agony and Malcolm had very much realized that Evie hadn't come out of the palace in a while, but Malcolm wouldn't have been able to spring her even without broken ribs and Agony was busy because a Sanctum had been called and the person who was in her house was in such horrible shape that the Last Resort Kit came out to try to ease its suffering so that it could die not in extreme agony. Because it was Ace, it did the medically impossible and survived. But that's a story for another time.)

I am going to pause this post here because it is so long and I am so tired, but there is, of course, way more to the story.

#descendants evie #genevive isabella char #stargirl1331 #the darkness speaks #descendants #descendants au #isle of darkness

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fruitdragon · 2 years

Text

So I haven't slept properly in the past 3 days. Have had way too much coffee today and I'm currently eating a box of alcoholic chocolates.

I have many ideas for fanfiction right now.

Idea 1: White Collar x DC. Fucking A/B/O universe. Tim is Neal, he is an Omega. His scent blockers make it appear as if he is a Beta. One day Jason in full Red Hood gear, come storming into the building smelling like an Omega nesting mother. In this universe Jason basically adopted Tim the minute he saw him. Everyone is freaking out. "Neal" stands slowly and reaches for his neck to remove his scent patches. His scent calms Jay down and and while the office is still confused they slip away. Nesting heat I would like some ABO without it being sexual.

Idea 2: White Collar x Disney descendants. Yeah I know. So the core for managed to sort of universe hop/dimension travel, it was one of Carlos's inventions and they can go back and forth. And Carlos ends up becoming Neal. In this universe Mal and Evie are Hades kids, Maleficent and Cruella had Carlos together (expand how you wish) and Jay is desperately in love with Carlos. One day Mal visits the office, to check if Neal is ready for "family weekend" Peter Burke is an ass, and is very demanding of what family weekend is because "Neal doesn't have any family, I would know." Mal tears down a bunch of assumptions. Like "why don't you have any records of him before he's 18?" (Dimension hopping but they don't say that) "What's his actual eye color not just the contacts?" (Chocolate brown) "Do you know he has to dye his hair to keep it looking like that?" (In universe the black and white hair is natural) "What's the name of his first boyfriend?"(Harry Hook, but he's with Jay now) "Do you know how many siblings he technically has" (Mal is a half sibling and Evie is her half siblings, other family? Is Oscar his younger brother in this universe.) "At what age did he try chocolate for the first time? No at what age did any of us have actual food for the first time?" (14 for Carlos, 15 for Mal, Evie was 16- I HC Evie as the oldest) "what were his mother's charges in her first arrest her second arrest and her third arrest?" (First arrest animal abuse, kidnapping, property theft. Second arrest conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder, arson, and animal cruelty. 3rd arrest child abuse, animal cruelty, assault, sexual abuse of a minor, and second degree attempted murder of said minor). Diana and Jones are actually great. "So you wear the hat too?" (If you make this world have at least minimal amounts of magic it becomes even more fun, when abilities could be revealed)

Alt: Jay comes in and most the same information gets out but in a wildly different way

Idea 3: alternate universe where all of Batman's kids turned into villains of some sort. Dick Grayson as Renegade, Jason Todd as Red X or Red Hood, Tim Drake as jester after being Joker Jr, Damian is still a prince of the League of Assassin's, Cassandra is still Orphan only she's a terrifyingly silent assassin, Stephanie as spoiler becomes a better version of The Riddler as Clue. There are still found family vibes maybe the rest of Young Justice is also villainous of some sort. That universe comes in contact with a semi-normal DC universe, it's very disconcerting. Everyone is confused Renegade almost stabs someone, Jester is giggling hysterically, and whenever anyone asks about Batman they all flinch. In their Universe, Batman is a terrible dad (F-), in the semi-normal one he gets a solid B+

Idea 4: Danny Phantom x DC Universe. Bruce Wayne is a clone of Danny Phantom and he knows it. Danny can't really properly raise him since he is not really got a human life anymore and Bruce is still half human, but he still sticks around like the weird uncle figure or whatnot until the Waynes are killed. After that he kind of becomes more of a father figure along with Alfred who is definitely Clockwork in this universe. Yes that means that Damian Wayne is technically an Eldritch abomination of some sort. The rest of the surviving clones kind of act like aunts and uncles to the rest of Bruce's kids and it's great. Yes this is a trans Danny and trans Bruce universe because I stan (also I'm Trans and really appreciate it). Yes that means that Damian technically does have to be cloned unless Talia has a dick or Ra's al Ghul is the father. Maybe that means that all of Bruce's kids gradually become more Eldritch due to Eco- contamination. Jason is one of the most outfits because he died and came back, Bruce is more supportive in this universe, Danny is crying hysterically like I'm a grandfather of many Eldritch children. In universe that means as soon as Kon-El is revealed and Superman reacts badly, Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne have a very public falling out. Also Conner is adopted into the family because why not.

"Hello Superboy, my code name is Batman. I am the clone of a hero known as Phantom. Would you like to come with me? I have several brothers and sisters you could meet." Robin pipes up in the Background

"Does this mean we're getting a cousin B? I'm totally feeling the Aster." All Robins are with Bruce at the same time

#fanfiction #send help #white collar #White CollarxDCU #dc comics #disney descendants #Batman #prompts #danny phantom #dpdc

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tillyashton · 1 year

Note

Death: Name one thing your muse has lost that they wish they could get back.

A portrait found in the updated Fallhaven Codex titled: "Known Witches: Evelyn Brasher." The information in the marginalia was simple: 15 years of age. Accused: Witchcraft, March 26th, Year 33. Conviction date: March 26th, Year 33. Executed: March 26th, Year 33."

March 25th -26th, Year 33. Fallhaven, Drustvar.

In a pew by the window, Tilly focused only on the sermon being given and the sounds of her own quill scratching along her notepaper. Until of course, another's palm covered her page. "I really can't believe you eat them. Are you even listening to me, Tilly," came the hushed whimpering from the other side of the bench.

After their military service, Gordon and Brenda Ahston married in 617 K.C., settled and built their hog farm, and had Tilly, their only child, nine months later in 618 K.C. The Brasher's, neighboring vegetable farmers, had been in Drustvar far before that. Tilly had always heard that they had wanted to purchase the abutting acreage the Ashton's now owned, but because they had four children to feed, they could not raise the money to do so. Out of the four: Fallyn Brasher, Nathaniel Brasher, Jackery Brasher, and Evelyn Brasher; TIlly was most fond of Evelyn Brasher. She was a redhead with a mean streak, but regardless, had always been nice to Tilly. They had had their fair share of juvenile bickering and jealousy, mostly sparked by Evelyn's unfair beauty, but the pair had always found their way back together.

"Tilly, are you even listening to me," came Evelyn's whisper again, but this time with more intensity.

"I'm trying to listen to the sermon and take notes, Evy, please," Tilly said in a pleading tone as she continued to stare down at the Fallhaven Codex. "Witches can easily corrupt the foolish mind, and we must guard--"

Tilly's words were cut short as Evelyn's elegant digits flipped a few pages of Tilly's notebook over fresh penmanship causing ink to splatter and bleed across several pages. Now that her notes were ruined, Tilly angled her hips slightly to turn to Evelyn.

"It's just a fact of life, Evy! Just as we have dominion over the Earth, so too do we have dominion over the beasts of the Earth and the fish of the Sea. You eat the cabbages from your crops, surely?" Ever since one of the Ashton's female hogs had pushed the runt of the litter away from her during a feeding session, Evelyn had become obsessed with it, even going so far as naming the runt "Sir Pig."

"What about Sir Pig," Evelyn asked. By now, her whispers were beginning to carry through the cathedral hall. Tilly straightened herself along the pew and turned back through ink-blotted pages. People were watching them now. With a simple shake of her head, she gestured delicately to remind Evelyn to lower her voice. "He won't be taken for slaughter for quite some time."

"We've got to do something," Evelyn cooed. Tilly could feel Evelyns's breath along the nape of her neck. Evelyn always drew closer when she wanted something, and for reasons beyond Tilly's comprehension, Tilly usually fell for it.

Tilly closed her eyes and sat on her palms as Evelyn continued to whisper along her neck. "Your birthday is just a few hours away, isn't it? Just meet me at the hill just before dawn. I have something to give you."

And so, at dawn, Tilly obliged her friend and met her at the property border. A crimson light peaked over the hills, and as the fog began to evaporate, Evelyn climbed the top of the hill and stood beside Tilly. Palm to palm with Evelyn, Tilly watched in horror as the escaped Ashton hogs destroyed every newly sowed Brasher cabbage and pea crop in sight. If Tilly's father saw this--if Evelyn's father saw this, she was sure that the cold war between neighbors would turn violent. She would never be allowed to see Evelyn again and the thought ripped her heart into pieces. Despite Tilly's inner turmoil, the runt in Evelyn's arms snored thankfully along the girl's spring silks.

Tilly punctuated Sir Pig's snoring with panic. "You let the hogs loose? This is what you wanted to give me? To show me? You know how violent they've become! We have to put the hogs back up, now... BEFORE they get to Fallhaven Square and destroy anything else! Evy you--"

Just then, she saw the metallic glint of a rifle marching up the hill. "Mister Brasher," Tilly plead down the hill. "I can explain! It was just a girlish prank!!" Her words had come too late, Gordon Ashton had already spotted Michael Brasher from the other side of the hill. When both men reached the top, rifles drawn on one another, Tilly could barely hear her own thoughts over the hollering of the two farmers.

"What's the meaning of this, Michael? You mean to get me sued so you can take me' acres," came Gordon's accusation to Michael.

"You mean to starve us all and let your hogs go around destroying the crops," Michael accused Gordon.

The tale-tell metallic click of both men's rifles sounded through the fog as they prepared their shots.

"It was just a prank," Tilly yelled as she looked over to the silent Evelyn. "Evy, tell them!" As Tilly continued to study her friend, she noted that Evelyn looked weak. Like all of them, she had grown so thin over the last several months. It was difficult to slowly starve.

Evelyn's answer didn't come soon enough for the two patriarchs, and in her disobedience, Michael grabbed Evelyn's arm.

"Witches got your tongue, girl? Speak, damn it!" A loud whack punctuated Michael's demand and Tilly lunged in an attempt to keep Evelyn from falling to the ground entirely.

In that moment, Evelyn looked so crazed, so tired, defeated. "I AM A WITCH," she roared. Upon her confession, both men turned their rifles to her.

"A witch," came the bellow of both men.

"No! No, oh Evy! No!" From the ground, Tilly clung to Evy as the dew grew so heavy around her lashes that tears had begun to fall. "She's tired, she's starving and she's saying things she doesn't mean! She just needs some poppy's milk to help her sleep--"

Matylldah's words were knocked out of her as the butt of her father's rifle struck her across the jaw and sent her flying from Evelyn's form.

"I danced in the woods with the witches just last night as I have every night," Evelyn bellowed again in confession. "I've beguiled everyone in this town, and you all will choke on your own blood before this is over!"

Tilly's right ear began to burn as it was tugged from behind. Her tendons and muscles that rested in the pit of her arm grew sore from the constant pressure applied to it. In the chaos, Brenda Ashton had joined the party and had pulled Tilly from the ground to march her back to their Farmstead while the two men had begun to pull Evelyn down the hill toward Fallhaven Square. It was the last she ever saw o her friend, Miss Evelyn Brasher.

Thanks for the ask, @celliciferworld!!

#inbox asks #world of warcraft #alliance #Fallhaven #Drustvar

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hannahhook7744 · 1 year

Note

Hi!

For the story-with-lyrics thing, I’ve got a suggestion for you: The Other Side by Margo for Freddie Facilier.

The lyrics go like this:

„I think it's kind of funny That I make you run and hide Why am I a villain? If I speak what's on my mind

Now you're on your knees, say a prayer for me 'Cause I'm misunderstood Please, explain to me how an enemy Could ever look this good?

So, give me your secrets Just look into my eyes You know you can trust me You know you can trust me, right? Sike

[...]

I'll see you on the other side Maybe, someday we could be friends I'll see you on the other side You know you can trust me But, I wouldn't trust me“

Feel free to pick whatever part of this you like, and if you could add CJ, I’d be forever grateful to you.

Trigger warnings; Child death, child abandonment, kidnapping, child neglect, depression, violence, blood, etc. Sorry if this sucks I tried my best. Frankie Facilier is @dragoneyes618 's oc.

🐸🐸🐸🐸🐸🐸🐸🐸🐸🐸🐸🐸🐸🐸🐸🐸🐸🐸

“I think it's kind of funny,

That I make you run and hide…”

The earliest thing that Freddie could remember was her first day of preschool.

She’d been only three at the time, her little brother—Frankie—was still alive, and Celia hadn’t even been born yet. Her mom was still around, though her face Freddie could not to this day properly recall, and her dad had been happy.

Truly happy and proud of her and her brother and the girl her age that Freddie couldn’t recall either.

Yet, little Freddie had still brought a level of chaos with her that was truly her own everywhere she went. The classroom being no exception as she unleashed a horde of frogs onto her oblivious classmates the moment the teacher's back was turned.

Some kids shrieked in fear and took off running.

Some kids hid.

Some kids shrieked with glee.

And some kids (like Evie) even tried to catch them in hopes of nabbing themselves a prince.

And as the teacher shrieked and cursed at them all as she tried to round up the frogs, Freddie howled with laughter till she was in tears.

“Why am I a villain?

If I speak what's on my mind…”

Freddie hadn’t known at the time that that would be one of the last few good memories she’d have for some time.

How could she have?

How was she supposed to know that in just two years her whole world would be flipped on its axis?

How was she supposed to know that her mom and the girl would disappear from her life without a goodbye?

How was she to know that her brother would die and that her father would fall into a deep depression?

How was she supposed to know that her father’s memory would grow foggy as he lost sleep trying to raise her and her sister while running the school, the shop, and the arcade?

She hadn’t known.

Of course she hadn’t.

She had to learn the hard way and it hardened her—causing her to stop caring about anything but her sister.

Because she had already lost one sibling and she wasn’t going to lose another—even if she had to fight to keep them.

Even if it caused people to see her as a villain that she wasn’t.

“Now you're on your knees, say a prayer for me

'Cause I'm misunderstood…”

Freddie was seven the first time she got in a fight over Celia. She had stumbled upon an older kid dangling the old voodoo doll her dad had given Celia out of the younger girl’s reach and she had seen red.

Next thing she knew the kid was on his knees, sobbing and holding his bloody forehead—staining the floor—as she handed her gleeful little sister her only toy back.

She remembered Celia’s toothy grin and the way she gently cradled the doll as if it was a real person in the way only a three year old could.

She remembered the way the crowd parted when she fled with her little sister and the younger duo who had stared at her with something akin to awe as they did so.

“Please, explain to me how an enemy,

Could ever look this good?”

The duo found her two days later at lunch and joined her. Still looking at her with awe.

She quickly learned that the two were six and that they were best friends who wanted her to be their bestfriend.

And halfway through lunch, she found out that their names were CJ Hook and Zevon Sorcerer of Enchania.

The daughter of Captain Hook and Zarina.

And the younger son of Yzma and Cedric Sorcerer of Enchania.

Freddie didn’t know it then but the two of them and Zevon’s siblings would become her best friends in the world and that she wouldn’t spend a day apart from them until she hitched a ride to Auradon via Mal and some AKs.

“So, give me your secrets,

Just look into my eyes.”

Freddie hid Cj in her closet after she kidnapped Ben, unwilling to sell her out after Zevon was sent back to the isle—yelling and screaming about how it was Auradon’s fault that his brother was dead.

Cold and still as Cj quietly explained that Lil Yaz was gone due to a disease that was preventable in Auradon. How a stomach ache had turned into cold chills and sharp pains that caused the usually stoic boy to sob and curl up in his bed, screaming for his mother and shrieking in pain when he was touched.

Cold and still as she realized her friend was gone for good and that he’d never wipe her tears away again after her father once again forgot her birthday due to stress and overworking himself.

Cold and still as she stared at her unsent letters, and wondered how she would know if the same happened to Zevon, her father, Yzla, or Celia if she stayed in Auradon.

How would she know if the same thing happened to CJ if she was caught and sent back to the isle like Zevon was?

“You know you can trust me,

You know you can trust me, right?

Sike.”

So Freddie lied when people inquired about whether or not she knew where CJ was,

Lied about the last time she saw her.

Lied about the fact that CJ was still in her closet until she wasn’t.

Lied about how close she was to Zevon and the brother he spoke of.

She lied and lied and lied until she didn’t know what was true anymore.

“They say I'm the devil,

So, I painted my heart black.”

Freddie allowed herself to turn to stone and acted as if she didn’t care about anything related to the isle other than Celia.

Acted like she didn’t care about when CJ disappeared from her closet around the same time Ally did.

Lying and lying about anything and everything that had to do with the isle except her sister.

She stayed on her best behavior, hoping that they’d allow her sister to come over too.

“I kinda like the danger (I kinda like the danger),

So, I'm never turning back.”

Missing the danger from back home that she kinda liked. That she kinda missed even if it scared her. Even if the thought of her sister being in the midst of it caused her heart to race in a way that was different from the way it raced when she, Zevon, and Cj started fights or when they blew things up together.

It raced in a way that she didn’t like.

In a way that made her sick.

Yet she still behaved and didn’t allow herself to bring Celia there herself in order to not ruin the chance she was given. In order to not ruin the chance Celia could be given.

Even when her patience was running thin.

“Don't you know that I do this to survive?

Please, forgive my sins.”

Because she had to.

So Celia and her could survive.

Survive like Frankie and Lil Yaz, and all the others hadn't.

#disney descendants #descendants #melissa de la cruz #disney #celia facilier #freddie facilier #descendants au #disney descendants au #disney descendants headcanons #descendants headcanons #descendants alternate universe #disney descendants alternate universe #disney descendants fanfiction #descendants fanfiction #descendants fanfic #wicked world #etc

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happyhauntt · 2 years

Text

the first time tessa calls regina ‘mom’,,,, i will never recover from writing that

#biologically they're aunt and niece #but the whole crux is that regina WANTED to raise evy #and cora made her believe the baby died #so regina lost a sister and a niece in one fell swoop #so when she found evy as a child and got to raise her even for a little bit???#it was EVERYTHING to regina #regina is a mother to tessa in every way that matters #and when tessa accepts that?? i'll literally pass away #* ch: tessa chen / evangeline.#* fic: oculus.

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highlifeboat · 2 years

Text

Something was amiss, Zoe knew that when she woke up in the middle of the night and found the spot beside her on the bed empty. The soft purple glow of the lava lamp sitting on the dresser gave off enough light for her to see Mia had managed to slip out of bed undetected, and the realization stirred up the anxiety in her stomach. She knew it was ridiculous to assume the worst, but it didn’t keep her mind from racing with all kinds of ideas. Ideas she tried to shove to the back of her mind as she pushed herself out of bed and made her way towards the slightly ajar door.

Zoe pushed it open more. There weren’t any other lights on within the apartment, and the southerner tensed with the noise of rustling from the darkness. She swallowed, paranoia pushing her to once again imagine the worst.

It probably was just Mia rustling around.

But what if it wasn’t?

What if it was Mama, or Daddy, or Lucas, or… her?

Or what if it was Mia, but it was her Mia?

That thought probably scared Zoe the most. Flashes of hiding from Mia as she stumbled through the Baker Home plagued her mind as she stared into the darkness of the apartment hall.

”Zoe, come out… Evie has a gift for you…”

”I know you’re mad… Come out! Come out so we can talk, sweetheart!”

”GET YOUR FUCKING ASS OUT HERE, GODDAMN IT!”

”Zoe, please….”

The memories sent a shiver down her spine, and, perhaps out of the deep rooted fear, she backtracked a moment and gingerly picked up the metal baseball bat propped up near the bed. More as a precaution than anything else. Even if it wasn’t something horrific, it was good to be prepared. With a long inhale she stepped out into the hallway, bat gripped in both hands, eyes trying to scan the dark to see if she could spot any sign of her missing companion.

The rustling got louder as she approached the main room of the apartment. Hesitantly, she peered around the corner. In the small kitchenette she spotted the silhouette, lit up by the moon shining in through the window. It was hunched over the counter, back turned to the woman as she slowly started to approach it.

Then she paused.

“Mia?”

The older woman jumped as Zoe flipped the lights on in the small kitchen, eyes wide as they stared at one another. Zoe raised an eyebrow at the sight of her girlfriend, half naked, and mouth full of a peanut butter sandwich, the rest of which was quickly dropped onto the counter. Mia straightened, the surprise on her face suddenly turning into something much more fearful. Zoe started to approach the other woman, only pausing when Mia began to press herself against the counter, letting out a small whimper. She sank to the floor, knees to her chest as she wrapped her arms around herself. Zoe pursed her lips, looking between the discarded food on the counter, and the woman on the floor.

“You…. snuck out of bed…. to make a sandwich?”

Mia simply whimpered again, arms tightening around herself when Zoe took another step towards her. She looked so small as she buried her face in her knees. So scared. Her entire body was tense, like a child bracing for the next hit from their father’s belt. Zoe’s chest tightened, gently setting the baseball bat on the floor as she knelt in front of the woman. She gently touched Mia’s arm, earning a sharp inhale and a flinch.

A quiet sigh escaped Zoe as she rubbed Mia’s arm with her thumb. “It’s alright, hun. I ain’t gonna hurt you….” She stated softly, though it didn’t get Mia to look at her. She chewed the inside of her cheek. “Heck… this is… uh…. actually a good thing.” She tried to reassure. Mia peered up at her through a curtain of hair. “Yeah… Yeah! You came out here, and you got food all on your own. Without me havin’ to hound you at all.” Zoe gave her a small smile. “It might not seem like a lot, but… this is good, Mia. This is progress.”

Mia lifted her head up more, allowing Zoe to cup her cheek.

“This is good.” She repeated, running her thumb along Mia’s cheek. “You’re doin’ so good….”

The older woman pursed her lips for a moment before leaning her head into the touch. They stayed like that for a moment, before Zoe took Mia by her hands and stood, pulling her girlfriend from the fetal position she’d been in. Mia shifted on her feet, hesitating before taking Zoe’s arm and tapping on her wrist.

“S-o-r-r-y. R-e-a-l-l-y-h-u-n-g-r-y”

Zoe chuckled a bit. “I would imagine…” She chewed the inside of her cheek again, watching Mia hesitantly glance towards the other half of her sandwich. “Actually… I could use a bit of a midnight snack myself, anyway.”

She slipped out of Mia’s hand, moving to the other side of the small kitchen and digging through the cupboard until she pulled out a granola bar. The other watched her as she peeled the wrapper off and took a bite from it. Turning back to Mia, she nodded her head at the sandwich half.

“Better eat it before I do.” She joked.

Mia gave the smallest amused huff, but quickly grabbed the sandwich and started stuffing what she could into her mouth, and Zoe laughed a bit while telling her to slow down so she wouldn’t choke. She couldn’t say this was exactly the direction she thought Mia’s recovery would go, but she also supposed midnight snacking was better than nothing at all.

Part of her just hoped it wouldn’t become a habit.

#i bring zia #drabbles #mia winters #zoe baker #zia #tw implied ed #implied ed #tw implied eating disorder #tw implied abuse

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actualbird · 3 years

Text

luke pearce comes back from his 8 year disappearance a father, for he has adopted a child

wc: 877

disclaimer: this idea is not up for grabs for other ppl to write it or use it. i will write this as a full fic myself, i just wanted to wordbarf ideas out first

so you cant convince me that luke "orphan boy" pearce would NOT adopt, if ever he were to have a child.

i know the whole "my parents died when i was very young" thing doesnt pop up much in luke's stories, nor does he express too many negative emotions on it, but im sure that if he ever were to make the choice to raise a kid, he'd want to adopt. he'd want to give another kid who lost their parents a life and happiness they didnt think they could get anymore.

but choice isnt really a factor in luke becoming a father. he couldnt say no. he wouldnt.

still figuring out the exact PLOT of how the child HAPPENS but it's linked to NSB stuff. maybe the kid was collateral leftover from a mission and luke was the one who did this mission (AND NO HE DIDNT KILL THE PARENTS, somebody else did, somebody evil, and luke kills THAT evil person), luke was the one the kid immediately imprinted onto and by the time luke got back to NSB HQ, the little girl was clinging to his leg fiercely, the blood splatter on both of them be damned.

"luke saved me," she said, quiet yet fierce. luke gave her his real name because there's no way he's ever going to lie to a child. "so he's mine now!"

everybody finds her adorable and finds luke's immense panic about the situation adorable but it's aaron who finally manages to get the little girl ("my name is evie," she giggles, grabbing for the lollipop aaron is bribing her with. "gimme that and i'll let you talk to luke alone!") to get some snacks from the vending machine with his spare change.

aaron is the one who watches luke have a bit of a breakdown over it all. evie said that luke saved her, and he did, and he cant even bear to think what would have happened if he got to her too late (but he has to think about how he was too late to save her parents). luke is 20 years old and this kid looks at him like hes her entire world, and right now whether he likes it or not, thats true. because her real world was ripped away from her and luke has to pick up the pieces and mend them together into something soft and safe and happy.

"the NSB will place her somewhere shitty," luke says, clenching his fists. "you know they dont give a damn about what happens to people like her. the mission is done."

"but you cant be the one to do this," aaron tells him. "at the very least, you cant do it alone."

"i cant," luke sighs. evie starts walking towards the two of them, a pile of candybars in her arms, and luke lets himself smile. "i'll need all the help i can get."

anyway long story short, luke adopts evie. aaron and his wife look after evie when luke is away on missions. something something more stuff about how basically everything is taken care of and evie lives a pretty wonderful few years with her odd family ("luke is dad, aaron is dad 2, mrs. yishmir is mom 2," evie says. then she blinks up at luke. "dad, when are you going to get married?" and luke chokes on his energy drink)

FAST FORWARD. luke is back in stellis like canon and when he reunites with mc, he's holding the hand of a little girl with bright eyes and a vibrant smile.

"my name is eve pearce!" she introduces herself to mc. "you can call me evie! im detective pearce's best assistant!"

and so everything in canon is the same but not quite

(and my plan in this fic is one HELLUVA nxx ot5 found family (maybe full polycule or platonic, still figuring it out). but yes, mc and the other nxx boys supporting luke and taking care of evie along with him and being there for him every time he has a breakdown over how hes a bad father and how he'll never be enough.

and they let him vent but also they lovingly bonk him on the head from time to time, LUKE PEARCE U R A WONDERFUL FATHER, SHUT THE HELL UP, AND THIS IS A LEARNING PROCESS, OKAY!!!! a learning process for all of them. because theyre all gonna squeeze in and do their own weird brand of parenting with luke. because nxx investigation team means family and family means NOBODY GETS LEFT BEHIND!!!

it takes a village to raise a kid, as they say, and evie is very very happy that her family just got A WHOLE LOT BIGGER. shes a bit confused tho as to who luke is going to marry, theyre all so cool, afterall!!! can he marry all of them? she'd like that. that would mean she'd get SO MANY BIRTHDAY GIFTS!!! >u<)

#tears of themis #luke pearce #xia yan #tot luke #if u take this idea im taking all the money in ur bank account

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blackbutlerfandomnerddomain · 2 years

Note

I'm loving this new series, may I please ask for a scenario where Auradon prep knows of Audrey's true lineage and possibly the affair. The angst is real here, and should be part of the books or movie. So much potential

I love this series too!

I guess it all started when Audrey was 8-years-old.

She and Aurora were having a nice fun garden day of play and snacks. It was autumn as the leaves of orange and reds have proven, and all of a sudden she heard the loudest scream from her small child's lung echo across the air. It was louder than most children of that age and there was legit fear and pain. She turned and ran the fastest she ever moved to her child, who holds her now red fleshed hands sitting beside a burning rose.

The queen as hurriedly brought her child home as she can't get the image of that rose out her mind.

After that, little Audrey fell asleep with help of Fauna while Flora gets the marry out of her mind.

And since then Aurora knew she needed Malfie beside her so much. How would she even explain such magic to her child when she herself lacks magic? She was happy Philip was there to comfort her, so happy that they found good grounds to stand on to play the part of a happy family since their divorce. So happy he stays even when the child he raised isn't even close to his.

As the autumn rain fell down against the large window of her bedroom, Aurora thought of that night where her mind of a perfect family broke in a rift of the two sides of loyalty. . .

As the rift began to grow Aurora rubbed her stomach, looking lovingly towards the green eyes of her loyal and beloved husband. Even in this state of confusion he's still so kind of loving to all, helping others stand and not knowing what to say when the words got him. "You will stay Auradon if you so wish. As husband of Queen Aurora and father of the heir." Malfie looked so happy, smiling to big at the guard's words. His smile dare say even grew when hearing the happy squawk of Farja in the back.

But then his looked to his mistress. Now she's powerless and has a child to watch over alone

Aurora knew the confliction he was feeling right now. He swore loyalty and protection to both with different context and now he's here to choose.

She knew... She knew with any decision he made he was going to hurt.

"You can stay here with them if you want." Mumbled Aurora as her gentle hand caressed her love's soft and pale cheek. Malfie's eyes widened as he grabbed her hand gently, "Aurora, me leaving you alone while you carry my child is worst than leave my friends behind-" "They're not just your friends and mistress my love, they're your family. I will fight long and hard for us to reunite, but for now you must protect your mistress to the end..."

Evi walked in with a chipper footstep, letters hold tightly in her hands and a smile on her pretty face. "We got mail~!" She chirped in a sing song tone.

The rest of her friends knew what the mail means, since they just got things from their parents. Their parents' minions.

Quickly hands grabbed letters with their names on it and opened them up.

Jay chuckled as he red it, "Jay, the Isle has gotten better thanks to the items you shipped from Auradon. Please send the thanks to Aladdin and Jasmine as well for their ever so nice gifts. Your father would say it through letters and mail but he's still very bored out of his mind with you gone. He literally still has your baby cloth hidden he just stares at, I'll send you a picture. I will write more letters soon, I so swear, keep practicing your magic until then. With lots of care and love, Farja." After he said the name the enveloped popped out some red and orange glitter and small streamers, causing the male holding it to jump and groan. "I just cleaned the floor Farj!"

The three friends chuckle at their friend's misfortune as Evi opens her letter happily and reads aloud in a way to show the well written words were written, "Dear Evi, I hope as I write to you you are in amazing health and bright sprites. Your mother and I miss you terribly much. Thank you so much for sending us that lovely herb gardening kit, your mother's been keeping care for it since she got it. And thank you so much for the lovely golden and pearl comb you sent for Pretty Scar, she's been using it very single day. Joe wishes you well as well as he searches for Uma and Lady Hook has been looking for both Harry and Gil since Gaston hasn't noticed his own son was missing just yet. But happy knew on them, Veil and Lady Hook got themselves a nice little hut by the ship to stay in. Write to you soon, Apple Poison."

Carlos aww'd a bit with the news of Lady Hook and Veil's upgrade on living while Mal more pouted, "Kind of sucks for Joe. He basically raised Uma and now she's missing somewhere." "Yeah that does suck. He's kind of more of her dad than babysitter." Mentioned Evi, sad about the moment as well.

Without missing a beat Carlos red his letter, catching the many papers that spill out after, "Dear Carlos, I hope everyone's treating you well. Your mother and I have been designing more things after your recent yet short visit to the isle." He handed the designs that fell to his friends as he continued reading, "Me and Jack actually have been thinking of a small trip though to where is a weird thought. I heard about your girlf- Oh no..." His friends laughed hard when his smile dropped. "Guys this is serious Dal knows about Jane!" Carlos quickly left for reasons unknown as Jay asks, "What's so bad about him knowing he's in a relationship? Even his mom is happy." Mal chuckled, "I think it's more of the fact Dal would tease him so much worst than when we were children."

After a moment of giggling Mal red her letter, "Hello dearest Mal, sorry it took me so long to write, keeping things in order was hard but alas it had to be done. Thank you for sending me those lovely pictures of your mother's newest cage decoration, it joined my wall of memories as fast as the others did. I am very happy to hear that things worked out well with you and Prince Ben, you took make a lovely pair. Tell Aladdin and Jasmine that Farja's been talking my ear off on their gifts for me please. I sent you some things from the Isle you and your friends might enjoy. Also, please give a nice warm happy hello and care to Audrey and her mother for me. With love and passion, Malfie."

Evi giggled as she turned to Jay, "I believe someone has a love with some royalty~" Jay makes a face, "Farja's not in love with them. They're just shiny." He turned to Mal and re read her letter, "He's funny on wanting you and Audrey to be friends." "I know, it's so bizarre. And I try, she just refuses."

"Hello Mal."

The three turned their head to see a very beautiful blonde standing in the doorway with a gentle smile.

Quickly everyone bowed, "Queen Aurora."

Aurora giggled softly as she walked in the room more, her voice softly spoken, "Sorry for the sudden visit. May I speak with you Mal?"

Mal's green eyes looked around wide eyed, her friends leaving with their's and Carlos' letters in hand until it was just the two in the room.

The half fae smile awkwardly, "So," She started. "Sorry if this sounds rude but what is the reason you wanted to speak to me?" "Of course. You are fine Mal." Aurora said, a small giggle leaving her lips. Her violet eyes look to see the letter and picks it up with gentle hands. Mal watched silently, not knowing what to say or do. She watched as the woman's smile soften. "You raised you good didn't he?" "Malfie? Yeah. He raised me like a father should I guess."

Mal regrets her words when seeing the sad twinkle in Aurora's eyes. Crap! "Hey...I'm sorry if I upset you-" "No no you're fine."

The two sat on Mal's bed to shift into a more comfy talk.

Aurora was first to speak, "I came here to tell you something important. Something that is needed to be said." Mal, though confused, nodded and listened.

The words said next were a sharp arrow piercing through think lairs of skin and nerves, icy numbness filled Mal's body while the room felt like a oven on overdrive burning. Her mouth felt dry as her ears rang a bit from the hot of shock.

"...what..?" She asked in a low whisper, a lump forming in her throat.

Aurora bows her head down and stared at the letter in hand, her heart soft and sore from the lies and stories she had to tell and spin about for years for the sake of others.

The days that followed the sudden announcement on social media the rumor mill of Queen Aurora's sudden vote on opening the Isle for the villains and their minions to come to Auradon when they feel like it as a sign of unity. The rumors starting and buzzing when she was on a talk show and talked about reuniting with Malfie. Her husband.

Audrey felt so much pain through those agonizing days. How could her own mother say that with a straight face? After everything Maleficent has done?!

She cried in her pillows for each night since, refusing comfort or eyes of her family. She already lost her so called friends since the coronation, she had no one to talk with no more...

"It's all her fault..." She whispered in a harsh sad voice, tears on her cheek smearing her makeup as she looked towards the newspaper of her mother during her interview and this "Malfie" guy before the Isle was closed up for the first time with red letters that say "Possible Affair?" in big better of bold. Her breathing picked up as she thought of how this all happened cause of Maleficent. Her cursing her mother. Her minion causing and breaking a marriage. And her daughter stealing away her boyfriend.

With a scream she threw the paper to her mirror, watching it shatter much to her shock. Even more shock when she sees green flames on the paper.

She slowly glanced down to her hands to see soft flames on her fingertips. Flames that don't hurt her. Slowly she closed his hand to make the flame glow more, a sinister idea slowly spreading her mind like a black canvas of freshly doned black and grey paint.

"She will pay. They will all pay."

#disney villain recruiters #disney villain recruiter au #disney aurora #audrey descendants #mal descendants #malfie

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renegades-garbage · 3 years

Text

Chapter One- Two Families Broken

The first chapter! I’m kinda proud of this one so I hope you like it!

This takes place ten years before the actual story just like the beginning of Renegades, so they will be older in the next chapter don’t worry.

Anyways I hope you enjoy it! Love you all!

Tags- @the-wee-woo-royal @aaaangie

CHAPTER ONE

Nova had always been a mature child. It came with the territory of living with the Erudite. Everything functioned like a well oiled machine there, so, despite only being 6 years old, when her parents asked for help with chores or her baby sister Evie she was ready to lend a hand.

She wasn’t sure how long it had been since her Papa had asked her to put Evie to sleep with her powers, but when she woke up after their nap she felt well rested. Nova could see the sun setting through the large windows in her house.

She laid there for a few moments perfectly content before she heard her father’s voice in the living room. Nova hopped off the couch and walked down the hall leading to the main room of their home.

When she got there she was greeted with the sight of her Mama and Papa on their knees and a strange man pointing a gun at them. Her mouth fell open and terror struck her heart.

“Please don’t hurt my family.” Her Papa was saying. “Tell him they haven’t done anything wrong.”

Him. Who is Him? She racked her brain for an answer but found nothing.

“I can’t do that. My orders are to leave no witnesses” the man said. Just before raising the gun to her father’s head and firing. Tears filled Nova’s eyes and let out a scream. “PAPA”

Her mother whipped her head towards her, just now realizing she was there. She started to get up, trying to go to her but the strange man shot her too. Blood was splattered everywhere, the walls, the windows, the plush carpet. Nova’s heart was pounding in her chest and tears were now streaming freely down her face.

The man turned his head to her and she ran to her bedroom. She ducked into a closet hoping the man wouldn’t find her. She heard him opening cabinets, slamming them closed, and yelling to her, playing a cruel game of hide and seek.

She sat down pulling her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms around herself. The Renegades will come. The Renegades will save me. Nova thought to herself, her parents had always taught her to put faith in the Dauntless soldiers that worked for the renegades.

Just then she heard a sound. A baby crying. She had left Evie.

She started sobbing even harder knowing that if she tried to save her sister, they would both be killed. I should’ve brought her. I could've saved her.

The Renegades will come. She thought again just as a gunshot silenced her sister’s cries.

There was silence, save for her shaky breaths, for a few moments before she heard the footsteps. For a split second she was naive enough to think it might be someone coming to save her. A renegade coming to save her.

But that thought was ruined the moment the closet door was flung open.

“Found you” the man said, wearing a sadistic smile, and lifting the gun to her head.

Before Nova could even think she was raising her hand to the man’s wrist, grabbing it, and letting her power roll through her.

He fell to the ground. Asleep. Nova walked over, shaking, and took the gun out of his limp hand. She aimed it straight at his head.

Pull the trigger. She said to herself. Just pull the trigger Nova.

But no matter how many times she repeated the mantra to herself she couldn’t do it. She couldn’t bring herself to kill this man even though he had slaughtered her family.

She stood there for what felt like hours, though it could have been mere seconds, before someone walked through the door. A renegade! She thought, but then she turned around and realized that it was just about the farthest thing from it.

“Uncle Alec” She cried as she ran over to hug him. She didn’t see him much as any relations with the factionless were frowned upon, but she needed comfort. He returned her embrace.

“You can’t call me that anymore okay. It's Ace now, Uncle Ace.” He said in a calm voice. She didn’t know why he was asking this of her, but she agreed. She just wanted to get out of here.

“The renegades didn’t come.” Nova said to him.

“You're right,'' he said. “Those people don’t keep their promises, you can’t trust them, okay, my little nightmare?.”

“Okay” she said

“Let’s go”

She only nodded and sniffled before letting him lead her out of her home. She could still hear the

BANG

of the gun echoing through her skull.

- - - - - - - - -

Adrian had just woken up from a nightmare. A recurring one that he couldn’t seem to shake. It always involved a dark figure looming behind him, and often his mother, Lady Indomitable would leave only to never return.

He steadied his breathing and wiped the tears out of his eyes. He sat up and looked out his window at Amity’s rolling hills and orchards that always brought him comfort.

He heard the front door creak open, and though normally he was able to go back to sleep after his nightmare, this time he needed to see his mom. He needed to make sure that she was ok.

Adrian’s mother was Lady Indomitable, a superhero. All of the renegades hired to be superheroes were Dauntless. Except for the members of the council from other factions. Adrian often feared for his mother’s safety, but she almost always came home unscathed.

He hopped out of bed and walked to his door nearly tripping over some stray art supplies. At only seven years old Adrian was quite the artist, partially because of his gift- making drawings come to life.

When he opened the door he was not greeted with the sight of his mother getting home from a long day of work like he thought he would be. What he saw instead was Captain Chromium and the Dread Warden, or as he knew them, Uncle Hugh and Uncle Simon, standing in his living room with tears in their eyes.

As soon as they heard the door they looked at Adrian with a pitying look in their eyes.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

Both men sat down and gestured for Adrian to sit down as well. His two uncles looked at each other and finally Hugh cleared his throat and spoke.

“Adrian, your mother. She.. Something bad happened to her and she…well.” He couldn’t seem to find the right words. Visions from Adrian’s nightmare began to fill his head again.

“What happened? Where's mommy?” he asked.

“She…She’s gone honey. She passed away tonight.” Uncle Simon said through his own tears.

Adrian immediately broke down crying, and Simon and Hugh brought him into a hug. “Why? What happened.?” he asked

“She fell, from very high up.” Uncle Hugh told him.

“But she can fly.” Adrian said.

There was silence, it seemed they too were baffled by the fact that she died this way.

“Lets go to our house” Uncle Simon said “We can come back for your stuff tomorrow. Okay?”

Adrian only nodded and sniffled before letting them lead him out of his apartment. He could still feel the eyes of the dark figure from his nightmares on his back.

#renegades trilogy #renegades trilogy fic #Supernova #archenemies #nova artino #adrian everhart #ace anarchy #hugh everhart #simon westwood #georgia rawles

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erismerald · 3 years

Text

𝑰 𝒃𝒆𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒂𝒔𝒕 (Jacob Frye x reader) 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓 1

Hello, my lovely assassins, I've been away from writing for a while but I'm back! And I bring you a story of our beloved assassin Jacob Frye X F!reader, I don't know yet how many chapters this story will have but I hope you like it and have fun with it, I just want to remind you that I am open to requests if you want to send me a message!

𝑾𝒂𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔: Some fluff and Near Rape

𝑾𝒐𝒓𝒅𝒔: 3306

𝐋𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐧 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟎

You just got off the plane, you look around you, a feeling of excitement and euphoria fills your chest in a comfortable warmth, your gaze fixed on the incredible sight you had, you are amazed, it was your first time in London, and since you were a little girl you wanted to visit that wonderful city, You listened to the bedtime stories your grandmother told you, about the city, about what happened before it became as free a city as it is now, since you were 5 years old you have tried countless times to convince her to come with you to London, it was just you two against the world, she raised you in place of your parents, since they never cared much for you and your well being, and now you had just turned 18, and on this school trip you finally have the chance to make your greatest wish come true, you were so excited that it was hard to breathe, until you felt a hand lightly resting on your shoulder, it was your best friend F/n, she was looking at you with a huge smile, she knew how much you had asked your nanny to allow you to make this trip, In fact, you smiled as you remembered the conversation you had with her:

𝑭𝒍𝒂𝒔𝒉 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌

"Ahm nanny, can I talk to you? "You said leaning against the frame of the glass door of the living room, the atmosphere around you, was nostalgic, you loved the rain and the cold, your grandmother was sitting in a small brown armchair, old with time, in front of the big fireplace, the glass roof that both of you had built some summers ago allowed you to see the rain falling, even during the night, it was really calming, in her fragile hands was a book, you knew that book well "Ah that book ...." You approached slowly, and like a child you sat on the carpet looking at your grandmother with a gentle but mysterious smile.

"I know that look my dear, do you want to tell me something?" she asked already knowing what your look meant, you sighed through your nose and gave her permission for the trip "Y/n...." she said with a sweet smile, but before she could say something disapproving, you interrupted by putting both your hands on her lap on top of the book.

"Nanny you have told me so many stories about that city, why don't you let me explore, I.... I have saved enough money to be able to afford the trip, besides F/n will be there with me, can I go? I promise to draw everything I see, to show you nanny, but I want to find out who I am, so far I don't know where I belong..." you said sadly, it was true, you had a family legacy that tormented you for nights on end, your grandmother said it was a brotherhood that helped people but in your view they stole people's lives, to protect? It wasn't right, and you never accepted it, and preferred to believe it was just another bedtime story made up by your grandmother to make you a stronger person.

"Y/n... I wouldn't deny it dear, I encourage you to go, I'm too old to keep you here, besides it's only a month, what could go wrong? I just want you to be careful, and not to be fooled by anyone, and take this" she got up from the chair and walked to a wooden box hidden in the shelf, from there she took out a necklace, made with a coin? "This necklace belonged to a very important person, one that you know and that will make you know a better world and discover who you finally are" she gave you the necklace with a smile and let you enjoy it on your fingers.

"Who did it belong to?" you asked, curious about the small necklace that had been handed to you.

"Jacob Frye. That necklace belonged to Jacob" She said would be, but confident, you laughed a little, she looked at you confused.

"Nanny, you know I don't believe in bedtime stories anymore, Jacob Frye and Evie Frye are just characters in your stories, that you told me to put me to sleep, but they didn't exist but thank you for giving it to me, I will wear it proudly, even if it didn't belong to Jacob, it belonged to you and that's worth a lot, and Thank you for letting me go, I'll be eternally grateful," You said kissing her hand and smiling at her "Well now, how about I make you some tea and you read me some of your book of tales, remind me who was who?" she laughed and nodded, watching you disappear into the darkness that surrounded you.

𝑬𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝒇𝒍𝒂𝒔𝒉𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌

"So excited huh?" she smiled and put her arm over your shoulder, as you laughed a little, it was a strange but warm feeling that you were in a place you had dreamed of so much.

"Of course, I am, you've seen the atmosphere! Can you imagine the adventures we'll have in a month here? I'm so excited I can feel my body energetic, I want to know, I want to visit, being here is just a demonstration that my journey to find out who I am, is going to go well!" you said excitedly as you picked up your bag and moved it to your classmates.

"I like seeing you like this, ever since you found out you were coming here, you've talked about nothing else" she laughed, you smiled shyly, grabbing the necklace your grandmother had given you before you left

"Where does that necklace come from anyway? Did your grandmother explain it to you?" F/n asked as she sat in front of you waiting for the teachers and the rest of the class to arrive.

"Well, she told me it would be useful to me in my future, I didn't quite understand, she said it belonged to one of the Frye twins, the ones she tells in the bedtime stories when we were little" you explained watching and twirling the pendant chained around your neck.

F/n smiled and thought for a moment before speaking, she seemed amused in her own thoughts, it was funny to see her like that you thought to yourself as you heard the teachers calling you to go to the bus.

"Do you think it could be true?" She asked getting up, and following the others, you stopped for a small moment, looked at the necklace, and smiled, Nah... it couldn't be true, could it? Since you were little you knew the story of the Frye brothers, their fight to save London from corruption, their adventures, your nanny loved to tell you those stories when you were younger, when she left the room you stayed awake for hours looking at the stars in the sky, closing your eyes and trying to feel the emotion they had, they were your heroes, you always admired them, but they were just bedtime stories, right? it couldn't be true, maybe your grandmother just said that to remind you of old times? You shake your head and go on your way.

*Time skip*

When you arrived at the hotel you were informed that you were going to make a night tour of the streets of London, you couldn't be more excited, you looked at F/n and she noticed your look immediately.

"I know that look," she said a bit teasingly "tell me what do you want to go and see?" you grabbed her hand and stormed out of the room "ahm calm down young lady, you are going to rip my arm off" you laughed a bit as you got into the elevator.

"You know I'd like to go see Big Ben at night and walk around there, what do you think? we could have dinner nearby, I want to draw the streets at night, to show my grandmother" you answered, going through the small backpack you had, confirming that you had everything there, pencils... sketchbook... wallet... watercolors... phone... you got scared when you heard F/n calling you, you were too lost in your thoughts.

"Hello? land call Y/n I've been calling you for 5 minutes" she looked at you with an amused smile on her face, you looked forward and finally noticed that you had arrived embarrassed, you looked to the side and smiled trying to disguise it "Come on let's go I'm hungry" she pulled you out of the hotel while signaling for a taxi.

As you walked through the streets of London, you imagined what it must have been like in 1850, you were always connected to history and literature, you loved to draw and your grandmother always fascinated you with her stories and her adventures here in London, it was here that she had met your grandfather, would the future also await you with unexpected adventures and romances?

*A few hours later

You were in a cafe near the big ban drawing the environment around you, in a way it seemed magical, it seemed that it wasn't real, you sighed happily while you put back the watercolors and your notebook in your bag, you looked at F/n and a group of friends that were with you.

"I'm going to the bathroom, I'll be right back!" you said, getting up and picking up your backpack, heading for the cafe's bathroom.

"Okay, try not to take too long, we'll be going to the hotel soon" F/n warned you as you walked away.

The bathroom was very rustic, it looked like it was from 1880, that was an interesting thing, when you finished doing what you had to do, you went to the small sink and looked at yourself in the mirror, your hair was tied up in a clumsy bun, and your eyes were more sparkling than usual, a small shade of pink adorned your face, you felt free, inspired, you were ready to have this adventure.

you made a little shell with your hand and took some water on your face to refresh it, when you looked in the mirror you saw a shadow behind you and the light had failed for a few seconds, suddenly you looked back afraid, but... there was no one there, could you have imagined it? Were you so tired that you imagined someone behind you? You took a deep breath, picked up your backpack and headed back to your friends' side, but something unexpected happened, when you left the cafe the atmosphere had changed, it didn't even look like the same cafe you had visited, the people were dressed in an old way, they spoke old English, what had happened? You felt fear invading your mind a little, still quite confused, you approached the bartender in an attempt to get an answer, but he seemed a little surprised to see you, he looked at you from top to bottom, with a disapproving look.

"ahm sorry, but what happened to the cafe? And did you happen to see a group of students on the outside terrace, do you know where they went?" He looked perplexed by what you had said.

"I'm sorry miss but, who are you? and what are those clothes you are wearing? And the student girl? I don't know where you come from but I don't want prostitutes or liars in my pub, if you can get out of here, I would appreciate it" you looked at him outraged, what does he meant by a prostitute? Clothes? Ahm you were really lost, but you respected the gentleman's answer and left, when you left you got an even bigger shock, the environment had changed, there were no cafes, the streets were badly illuminated, the people dressed differently, feeling a wave of fear invading your body you started to run like crazy, looking for someone who could help you, after many panicky minutes and without getting any answer you just sat down in an alley and started to cry, where are you? How could you have stopped there? Not even 10 minutes ago you were with your friends, and now you were alone.

You felt the raindrops wet your body and taking advantage that the rain disguised your tears, you hugged your body and tried to breathe, doubts and fears went through your subconscious until you heard the footsteps of someone approaching you, a feeling of hope invaded you but was soon replaced by fear.

"Hey there doll, want some company for tonight?" a man in his forties approached you, and crouched down beside you, he looked you up and down and examined your body, you tried to get up but he pulled you down and pinned you against the wall.

"You look strange, you don't look like you're from here... but I don't care, you'll do for tonight," he said trying to remove your clothes, you screamed and cried, while that pig undressed you and pinned you to the cold wall, the memories of your grandmother, your friends passed in your eyes while you felt your body being abused, you wanted to escape, you wanted to go home, you weren't ready for this... you should never have come .... out of nowhere you felt his body leave yours, he had fallen unconscious on the floor, you looked forward and saw another man, this one looked to be in his early 20's, his costume was different more hidden, he looked at you and helped you to pull yourself together, when you finally finished you looked up at him, his almond colored eyes bewitched you, he put his thumb on your face wiping the tears that were falling.

"I... I don't know... help me..." You fell to your knees on the ground but your body was held by the mysterious man who had saved your life, you felt safe and somehow protected in his embrace, but you weren't strong enough not to cry once again.

"Shhh love, it's ok" he hugged you tightly and pulled you closer to him "You look a little heated, do you have somewhere to stay?" His voice was husky but mesmerizing, but you couldn't answer as you had collapsed in his arms passed out, the fear, the cold, the pain had overcome the last thing you heard was him asking your name.

𝑱𝒂𝒄𝒐𝒃 𝒑𝒐𝒗

With a sigh the assassin took your face lightly, noting every feature of your face, his eyes slid down your body, it was true what he had heard, the rumors that there was a strange traveler roaming the streets was true, but your clothes looked nothing like what he had seen so far.

The rain fell on your bodies, he was afraid you would get sick, even though he didn't know you he couldn't leave you on the street after what had happened, in one movement he gently picked up your body and took your backpack, and went towards the streets calling for a carriage to take you to the station to take refuge on the train, and take care of you.

Getting into the carriage slowly, so you wouldn't be woken up, not that it would be possible to wake you up because you were fainting from exhaustion, but to prevent it, Jacob put your body on top of his, and with his coat wrapped around you, to warm you up.

"Evie will freak when she sees me... what the-" Jacob stopped his words as his gaze was drawn to the necklace that adorned your neck "How come she has this?" he said holding the necklace in his fingers and looking intensely at you "You really are an unexpected traveler."

The streets of London were bustling, the fight against Crawford Starrick, had not been won yet and there was still a long way to go, but still the streets of London was mesmerizing and agitated, the rain was a strange charm of the city, Jacob knew the streets well, he spent most of his time on the streets freeing people from the clutches of the templar.

But he was curious about this strange traveler, during the early evening some Rooks had told him about this mysterious girl who desperately asked crazy questions to people, some even theorized that she had escaped from some asylum, but Jacob had to see with his own eyes this strange girl who had stopped the city with her unusual appearance.

When he arrived at the station, he saw Grennie carrying some boxes of groceries into the train, and when he approached him with a girl in his arms, Henry ran to meet him helping him out.

"What the hell have you been doing now Jacob? Who this girl?" Henry placed his palm over her face, the heavy breathing and the heat she was eradicating were just signs of a strong fever "This girl is burning up we need to get her to a doctor" He said trying to pick up your body but Jacob refused.

"I am sorry my dear Grennie but unfortunately we can't take her to a doctor, she isn't from around here... I found her because of rumors of a strange traveler in town, but I didn't believe it until I saw her lying on the ground with a Blighter on top of her undressing her, the poor thing was terrified, I couldn't leave her there, but look at the way she looks" Jacob removed his coat a little from over you revealing the clothes your real look. "I don't know where she is from but inside her bag, there is some evidence that she isn't from here, I think it might be useful to us, on our mission... just..." Jacob looked at grennie's face with an abandoned puppy dog look.

"I...I don't know Jacob, Miss Evie will freak out about it, but since she might be useful, we can try to wait until she wakes up so we can ask her who she is" Jacob smiled at the answer, Henry opened the door to Jacob's wagon and helped him lay your body down on the small couch, where Jacob use for sleeping.

"Jacob I just got some news... What is going on here?" Evie said abruptly entering the "room" she looked at Jacob with a disapproving look, she walked over to your body examining you, you are burning up with fever.

"She was helpless with a Blighter on top of her doing God knows what, I wasn't going to leave her there alone, besides she's sick, I felt obligated to bring her here, besides Evie.... She is the girl of the rumors, if what they say is really true that she is not from here, she can be useful to us in this fight." Evie stood up and faced Jacob, she knew he was right but she didn't want to admit it, she knew well that her brother sometimes acted before he thought but at this moment he had the right thing to do.

"We'll take care of her until she recovers and we can get answers from her, we won't leave her on the streets, it's really dangerous, but try to consult me before you bring anyone else here, remember that we have a mission to accomplish, and "personal feelings, can compromise the mission" ". Evie said stroking your hair, "Now both of you get out of here, we can't let her sleep in her wet clothes or she'll get even sicker, and Mrs. Green can call a private doctor to come here to examine her?" Evie smiled sweetly in Henry's direction, who replied just as sweetly, walking off with Jacob, leaving you and Evie alone.

#jacob frye x reader #assassin's apprentice #jacob frye headcanon #jacob frye #assassin's creed #fanfic #evie frye x reader #evie frye #uncharted #samuel drake x reader #sam drake #dbh connor x reader #until dawn

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chrispineisagoddess · 2 years

Text

[The Mummy/Ardeth x Jonathan]

Warning: male pregnancy

Part 1 / Sorry for mistakes

Around the world, less than 500 male babies were born with a pregnancy gene. It was only known in so many places due to the low cases. Not many doctors knew but the only way you’d know if your male baby had the gene is if they come out with a large red birthmark below their bellybutton. Luckily… Jonathans Doctor knew and tells his mother her child possesses the gene. Jonathan grows up with the known fact that he’s capable of giving birth. His mother did not spare him. She told him to keep it a secret though and to not reveal his tummy if he couldn’t help it. She had heard stories of some grown males being killed for it. Younger males being bullied. While she raised her son to be tough… the thought of losing him was sickening. When Evy became a teenager and so much more aware, she was just as protective as their parents. As an adult, Jonathan has slept with mostly females. Some of them weirded out or even disgusted seeing the mark but most didn’t care. The number of males he had almost slept with he could count on one hand but in the end, only slept with one he truly felt a connection with. The fear the other had of Jonathan possibly getting pregnant despite them using protection lingered and so it didn’t last. That had broken Jonathans and when Evy heard, she almost went after the man but he had stopped her. After that, he mostly slept with woman. Everything changed when he meets Ardeth. He can’t help but feel attracted to the strong and mysterious Medjai. He tried to hide it but when clinging to the Medjai after getting a scarab cut out of him, he didn’t notice himself clinging for too long until he looked up to see Ardeth staring at him. He quickly let go and tried to cough as a way to hide but groaned at the pain of the cuts. The Medjai had ripped pieces of his robes and used them to wrap his chest and hand up. “Thanks gent. Much appreciated.” The Medjai smiled. “Of course friend.” Afterwards, he wasn’t gonna go near him afraid his feelings would be obvious. In the end, they had parted. He tried to act sad cuz the Medjai was ditching them but really… he was sad he’d never see Ardeth again. When they had gotten back, things were back to normal except Evy and Rick were romantically involved. After Jonathan had healed, he felt confident to go out and drown himself in his sorrows. He was incredibly sad due to his failed love life. It was then he heard a voice next to him at a bar and it was none other than Ardeth. “What’re you doing here?!” He asked the Medjai but he just stood and lifted his hand. The English man stared before taking it. He took Jonathan to his horse and helped Jonathan up. He wrapped his arms around the leader and held tight. “Where’re we going?!” I had said out loud but got no answer. We were going into the dessert though. After an hour or so, we came upon lights. It was night as well. We came upon a small village, many stares came their way. I smiled at some children and they giggled. After a while, I was lead to a large tent a while away from the others. When we entered, it was lit inside. A bed lay on the ground with some bags on the right side. On the opposite side was a small table and paper. “Are you tired?” The Medjai asked. “Well… a bit.” I said. The Medjai grabbed his hand and pulled him. “Come… rest.” He took Jonathan’s coat and Jonathan just fell onto the makeshift bed. I must’ve been more tired than usual cuz I don’t remember falling asleep. I had woke in the morning very hungry tho. On cue, Ardeth enters with breakfast. The days that followed had Ardeth telling Jonathan about his home. He had to leave every now and then. He was the leader. Sometimes he took Jonathan out on a ride. He found that the Medjai often had his hand on his lower back. He didn’t read too much until that. After a while, I ask him. “Why’d you bring me here?” . The Medjai looked at him and smiled. “Because… I care for you Jonathan.” He has been using the English man’s name a lot. Those words made the Englishman blush. “Oh- thank you Ardeth. I also care for you.” Ardeth chuckles and Jonathan is confused.

Part 2

Ik the pov is a bit not good cuz it goes from 3rd pov to someone else pov to Jonathan’s pov. Ehh.. hope you enjoy tho

#The Mummy #Ardeth x Jonathan #AU #Mpreg #fluff #Mpreg AU #Jonathan x Ardeth #part 2 is too long and now I have to write a part 3 💀#PARTS

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alottanothing · 3 years

Text

Kismet

Summary: Evie prepares a meal for the stranger who helped her and finds herself more than a little smitten.

Previous Part: Hope

Word Count: 5707

Warnings: Language

Tag List: @ramilicious, @txmel, @edteche2, @gloriousdarkangelsworld, @diasimar, @xmxisxforxmaybe (Let me know if I missed you, or if you would like to be added to the tag list)

A/N: Okay, I almost didn't get this up today because I was up most of the night sewing kilts for Highland Weekend at the Ohio Renfiare. BUT I stayed awake and did my final read-through, so this should be mostly okay. I skipped a couple steps in my editing to get this up on time but I think, for the most part, it's okay. If you see a grammatical booboo, just ignore it, I'll get in here sometime this week with my other two editing steps and find it, then repost this. Capisce? Okay, cool...now. I hope you enjoy it, I also hope my trying to phonetically write Mer's accent doesn't get too annoying. I know you really shouldn't write accents, but I think it helps add to the characters. And I do try to keep it to a minimum so it doesn't get annoying. Thanks for the love the first part received last month! I know waiting so long between updates is a bit sad after weekly updates with LtR. But life is busy right now and once a month is all can guarantee.

Jonny did not know how to keep a house.

In fact, Jonny did not know how to do much more than drink, argue, and get into fights. He was nothing but a thorn in Evie's side—never mind how much she needed him for a place to lay her head. A necessary thorn was still a thorn. Given the opportunity, she would rip it out as soon as she could and dress the wound promptly so she was finally able to heal better. She stayed only because she had no other choice. And every time Jonny raised his voice or stumbled in reeking of alcohol and red-faced, Evie could hear her best friend's warning in her head. Cynthia had begged her not to go with him, but she hadn't listened.

Oh, how she wished she had.

Luckily, Jonny wasn't the kind of man who liked to stay home which eased the ache of the ever-present thorn in her side. Whatever money he did have, he spent out on the town—the town being New Orleans. Like Evie, Jonny had been born and raised in the Big Apple, the noise and the chaos was part of him. As such, he hadn't taken to the quiet suburban life Bridge City offered as well as Evie. She liked the quiet, easy flow of the sleepy town. Her housemate loathed his new home. He thrived in disarray, thus, he found a group of like-minded young men to run amok with in the neighboring metropolis every chance he got.

If Jonny had been any sort of amicable company, the notion of him leaving most every night to wreak havoc several miles away would have been upsetting. Thankfully, his penchant for city life meant a good portion of Evie's days were spent out from under Jonny's tyranny. The hours he was gone were blissful and calm, and she relished in them. Whether she was creating art or tending to chores around the old house, Evie didn't care as long as Jonny wasn't there—never mind how lonely the routine often was.

Evie had never gotten the chance to meet Jonny's maternal grandmother, though she suspected she would have liked to. Unlike her grandson, she seemed like any other sweet elderly woman judging by the furnishings she'd left behind. There were dozens of lace doilies, and table cloths with soft patterns, decretive china even, but it was the plethora of photos the old woman kept that told Evie she'd carried a kindly heart. All of them were kept in pristine albums or intricate frames; they were the only barbles that seemed to have been cleaned or dusted with any regularity which spoke of how much she must have treasured them. Evie loved those tiny trinkets and black and white memories. It didn't matter that they were not her legacy of family heirlooms to keep, she adored them anyway.

She couldn't count the number of times she'd replaced a broken frame that had fallen victim to Jonny's drunken belligerence or scrubbed tirelessly at a stain he'd left on the patterned tablecloths. It proved to be a hefty undertaking, but dwelling in the fantasies of someone else's history let her forget the grief of her own. She was willing to sacrifice a little elbow grease if it allowed her mind to roam away from the shadow that never really seemed to vanish.

For all the effort Evie put in on the interior, the cottage held little in the way of curb appeal. The porch was sunken in the middle, the paint was peeling off in chunks, and the yard was mostly weeds. Worst, however, was the screen door which squeaked so loudly, every dog in the neighborhood howled in protest every time someone crossed the threshold. The outside needed love that Evie simply didn't have the energy to lend. Despite the grit, however, the foundations were sturdy enough that she didn't worry. The cottage proved to be stronger than she looked—a feat Evie felt she had in common with the old house. And while it was a swell enough place to rest her head, it never truly felt like home. Home was somewhere safe, and as long as Jonny lived under that roof she wasn't safe. Not really.

Fortunately, Jonny wasn't home when Evie returned after her run-in with Mr. Shelton—Mer, she corrected herself with a hint of a giddy smile. Without her housemate there, her evening promised to be hopeful instead of lonely, and she wasted no time in figuring out what to make for dinner.

With her red pumps replaced by her worn-in slippers and her blue checkered apron secured around her waist, she set a pot of water to boil and dialed the phone conveniently located in the kitchen. Every evening she called her sister-in-law to pass the time and keep up on unimportant gossip back home; this time, however, Evie was excited to finally have some good news to share.

"You got the job, didn't you?" Cynthia Clarke asked on the other end, sounding hopeful. "I knew you would."

Evie grinned, still amazed how the sound of Cyn's voice always seemed to settle some of the ever-present anxieties buzzing in her head. She missed her friend so much.

"I didn't even say yes."

"Did you or did you not get the job?" Cynthia pressed.

"I did," Evie confirmed and her smile grew hearing her friend cheer on the other end of the phone.

"See! I knew it." Cynthia said. "My gut feeling is always right."

Evie rolled her eyes and shook her head fondly.

"I think I'm gonna like working there too, so that's good." she mused as she stood at the stove, eyeing the pot of water she’d set to boil.

"That's so great, Ev. I'm so proud of you." Cynthia paused before continuing. "So, what are you up to tonight? Avoiding Jonny?"

"Sorta," Evie nodded even though she knew her friend wouldn't see.

As she continued to watch her cooking pot of water she told Cynthia all about her trouble with Jonny's car and the man who'd been so kind to help her.

"Wait. You invited the stranger over who fixed the car?" Concern was heavy in Cyn's voice, and Evie half expected a lecture to follow.

Despite knowing each other since childhood, Cynthia had taken on the role of her protector since Evie's family was no longer in the picture. The war had claimed Evie's father, and brother—although they'd never found her brother, Jimmy after he disappeared behind enemy lines. Evie never lost hope that Jimmy would one day be found, Cynthia though, was certain her husband was never coming home. After Cyn’s brother, Charlie, died at Normandy Cynthia had difficulty believing anyone was going to make it home. As for Evie's mother, losing a child and her husband to the war was too much for her tender heart and she passed not long after. Ever since, Cynthia was overcome with the need to act as Evie's guardian.

"He wouldn't let me pay him," Evie explained. "So I'm making him dinner—it seemed like the least I could do."

"I suppose…." Cynthia didn't sound convinced, if anything she sounded slightly irritated there was no quick way for her to argue the logic. "Just be careful, Evie. You don't know this guy—he could be another Jonny Doyle. Or worse."

"He's not," Evie said quickly. She wanted nothing more than to tell her friend all about how benevolent Mer was, but she decided against it. Cynthia would only argue that point somehow.

A long pause followed, and Evie wedged the receiver between her ear and shoulder so her hands were free to work on the meal.

"So, what are you cooking?" This time, there was a hint of jest in her friend's tone when she spoke.

The art of cooking was one creative outlet that Evie struggled with, second only to music. In her youth, her mother did all the cooking—it was a passion of her mother's—thus Evie had done little more than watch in wonder as her mother whipped up meal after meal effortlessly. Breakfast she the meal she was probably best at, apple pies too, but anything beyond that Evie required a step by step guide to prepare. And even then she lacked confidence. Thankfully, when she'd fled south, she remembered to grab her mother's cookbook. It was a cumbersome tome with yellowed pages and notes scribbled into the margins: a piece of art itself cultivated over years of collecting recipe after recipe starting the moment her mother stepped off the boat that brought her from Ireland. And like a witch and her spellbook, Evie depended on it.

"Spaghetti with garlic bread," Evie admitted feeling as though the meal lacked a certain something.

Pasta was something she knew held a low degree of difficulty when it came to preparing. Surely she couldn't mess up pasta.

“Mmm, I can almost smell it,” Cynthia said.

“Shut up.”

“No, seriously,” Cyn replied. “You’re mom’s spaghetti recipe was always my favorite.”

A doleful smile pulled at the corners of her lips, thinking back to her mother happily cooking in the kitchen as she sang a Celtic tune. It seemed strange that those moments would never again play out, instead they’d become bittersweet memories Evie could only relive in her mind.

“Mine too,” she murmured, suddenly missing her family.

Neither of them said anything for a moment, and Evie’s mind roamed the dregs of her grief before blinking back into reality and the hope of something happy to come.

“I need to go, Cyn,” Evie told her friend with a sigh. “I don’t want to burn the garlic bread.”

Cynthia chuckled and said her goodbye, only after making Evie promise to call her in the morning to let her know how everything went.

With her second hand restored after hanging up, Evelyn reached for her mother’s cookbook to give the steps another look over to ensure she had done everything and added every herb and ingredient she was supposed to. She’d followed everything perfectly, even factoring in the little notes scribbled into the margins left there by her mother—those she smiled at fondly and traced the fading ink with her fingers. Everything was as it should be. Even so, without a taste, Evie knew the sauce she had prepared would never be as savory as what her mother made so effortlessly.

“You were the artist in the kitchen, Ma,” she said with a shrug. “I’ll stick to paper and canvas.”

For the smallest of a moment Evie thought she would hear the warmth of her mother’s laugh, and when it never came she sighed again, trying not to dwell on the shadows behind her. What mattered was the light ahead.

Despite her lack of confidence, the meal came together without any severe hiccups. The noodles were not overcooked, the sauce was a complementing mix of savory and sweet (though, as she had guessed after a tiny taste, was not nearly as good as her mother's) and the garlic bread was nicely golden. A small tingle of pride manifested in the form of a surprised, but satisfied, smile as she surveyed the dinner before her.

“Not bad, Ev,” she told herself, knowing her mother would have been delighted.

With the cooking done, Evie threw a glance over her shoulder to the clock mounted on the wall, triggering a surge of anxiety to bubble in her gut. Stranger, perhaps, was the amount of excitement coursing through her veins. It was as though all of her happiness was riding on whether or not she would see Merriell again. None of it made sense; the man was little more than a stranger. The coupling of nerves and delight was not a feeling that put her ill at ease, however. She trusted it. And it was that peculiar sensation that seemed to fuel her movements.

With a few minutes to spare, Evie wandered into the small bathroom to freshen up. She made sure her hair was still pinned the way she liked—up and pretty. Her make-up was holding up nicely despite the heat; all she needed was a fresh layer of lipstick to complete the illusion of a put-together young lady. It wasn't often she wore a dress with heels and a face of cosmetics—she liked to when the opportunity arose, but she was just as comfortable in a pair of old overalls and smudges of charcoal on her face.

Just as she wiggled back into her red pumps—discarding her worn-in house slippers with a couple of calculated kicks—a knock on the door signaled Merriells arrival. Immediately a grin curled onto Evie's lips and her heart began to pound an anxious-excited rhythm. A blush threatened to color her cheeks to give away the torrid muscle beating in her chest—her ever yearning heart already making leaps and bounds for a man she had known for mere hours.

Don't be ridiculous—she warned herself taking in a deep breath to curb the eagerness coursing in her veins. Untying her apron, she tossed it along with her discarded slippers and went to answer the door, taking one last deep breath to steady the fervor in her heart.

Merriell had changed and showered. The sweet bouquet of his shampoo coupled invitingly with the musk of the aftershave he'd chosen, making it difficult for Evie to keep from soaking in the scent he carried. His curls were still somewhat damp—too much moisture in the air to keep the heat from drying them on his way over—though they fought to spring back into their previous fluff. The grease-covered, jeans he'd been wearing had been replaced by a nice pair of tan slacks, and the buttoned shirt he wore was a soft shade of green that made his eyes glitter a deeper emerald as he stood under the glow of the porch light. All Evie could do was stare—utterly beguiled—every rational thought in her head lost to her.

Mer smirked, amused by her ogling. "Hiya."

Evie blinked, coming back to reality, suddenly feeling foolish, and uttered a nervous "hi" before swinging her arm to invite him inside.

"Come in."

Merriell's smile grew as he crossed the threshold, inhaling deeply. "Mm, smells tasty in here."

He gently forced a bottle into her hands as he passed on his way to investigate the savory smells in the kitchen.

"I wasn' sho what ya was makin', but I figured wine usually goes with anythin'."

"Oh, thank you." Evie glanced at the label, unable to read the French words printed there. "You didn't have to bring anything."

"I know," Mer shrugged, placing his hands in his pockets. "I just wanted to make a good impression."

There was something almost boyish when he smiled then—cheeks coloring pink ever-so-slightly—that made him even more of a mystery. One Evie was eager to solve.

"Well," she said placing the bottle on the kitchen table. "It should go perfectly with dinner."

His expression lost a hint of its boyish charm as it grew into a look of delight.

"Make yourself at home," Evie gestured vaguely between the table and the sofa in the living room as she ventured to the cabinet where the stemware was kept.

She placed two crystal glasses on the table along with the wine and retraced her steps to fetch some of the nicer china Jonny's grandmother had kept. Mer watched her, his gaze, gentle and attentive, and a little bit yearning as she methodically sat the table.

"Need help with anythin'?" he asked finally.

"Nope," She replied with a smile. "Everything is almost ready."

The hearty red sauce on the stove was beginning to boil again which told her it was hot enough to serve, and Evie eyed the pot with scrutiny, praying silently her attempt at cooking would go over well.

"I'll pour us a glass then," Mer announced.

"Great, lemme…" Evie spun to fish for the corkscrew in the drawer of misfit utensils, finding it, only to turn to see Merriell holding his lighter against the neck of the dark bottle just below the cork.

Before she could ask, a loud pop sounded, causing her to jump as the cork went flying.

"Oh my goodness!" she laughed, a little surprised, a little impressed. "Where did you learn to do that?"

Mer shrugged, a sly expression on his features, and left her question unanswered.

"How much ya want?" He held the open bottle over the top of her glass, waiting patiently.

"Enough," she said, tossing him a coy smirk without really meaning to.

He bit his lower lip as he smiled, chuckling under his breath when he poured a generous glass of red wine for each of them. She thanked him as he took his seat and grabbed his plate to dish out their dinner.

"How much pasta would you like?"

Mer's face lit with charm and mischief as he turned to face her.

"Enough," he grinned.

The expression on his face was playful, his smirk devious and amused by his own response and his cheekiness settled warmly in Evie's stomach. Not only did she revel in it, but she also played into his whimsy and scooped as much spaghetti into his plate as she could before coupling it with the savory sauce and a slice of bread.

Despite being only strangers, the atmosphere that bloomed that evening was not marked by any hint of bashfulness, instead, it was relaxed and amiable. Warmth that Evie had longed to dwell in again—that unrefutable kindness she'd lost with the passing of her family—flowed uninhibited from the man sitting adjacent to her. His conversation was cautious but still jovial and genuine. It was the first time since running south Evie could recall what life felt like without grief and fear weighing upon her. Merriell was a stranger, but she felt safe with him. Jonny had never made her feel that way.

"So," Evie spoke as she twirled the last bit of pasta with her fork. "What is it you do, Mr. Shelton?"

Mer cast her a look of disapproval—no doubt in retaliation to being addressed so formally—before his features softened back into a neutral, yet somehow still amused side smirk.

"Nothin' too excitin'," he stated vaguely. "The odd jobs are what I like ta do the most—like fixin' ya car this aftah noon."

Without really meaning to, Evie leaned forward, resting her elbow and chin on the table, utterly enchanted by the beautiful stranger at her table.

"You like to get your hands dirty, huh? Fixing things?" she was entirely too intrigued with the thought of what he could do with his hands.

He shrugged, suddenly modest after a foray of playfully arrogant smirks and glances. It made him abruptly twice as charming.

"I've always had a knack for it, I guess." Merriell finished the food on his plate with the help of his remaining garlic bread to mop up the sauce still left on his dish.

"What about you?" he asked after chewing. "Ya workin' anywhere?"

All at once, a proud smile lit up Evie's face. After all the excitement of seeing Merriell again, she'd almost forgotten about her good news.

"Actually, I just got a job today—the general store downtown, Southern Comfort."

Mer's face lit up too, "Birdie's place?"

"Yeah, you know it?" Of course, he knows it! She thought, Bridge City's population was slightly less than the number of people who lived in a single district back home in New York. Everyone knew everyone else.

"Sho do—I was practically raised there…ole Birdie's like a second mothah to me."

"Really?" Evie found a great deal of comfort in that notion. In fact the more she thought on it, the more she realized how similar the old woman and Mer were; they radiated the same magnetism and sincerity.

"Mmhm," he nodded, his eyes focusing elsewhere as the veil of memories danced across the contours of his features. "My mama used ta work there…once upon a time…"

"Does she still work there?"

Merriell's face lost a hit of its levity and he swallowed as though to fight off the onslaught of sudden emotion threatening to cast a shadow onto his expression.

"No…" he said softly. "She—uh—she died, about a year ago."

Shit!

Abruptly, sick knots twisted into Evie's stomach, feeling callous, but understanding of the quiet misery he hid under layers of charm and arrogance.

"Merriell, I'm…I'm sorry—I didn't mean…"

He met her eyes and cast her a quick smile—doleful, but enough to ease the awful feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"It's okay," he reassured her, reaching for his glass of wine and taking a good gulp before changing the subject. "Birdie's great—you'll enjoy workin' for her."

"I hope so…" Evie said softly, still too embarrassed to meet Mer's glance longer than a second or two.

For the first time all night the atmosphere they shared felt cumbersome—perhaps more melancholy—than she'd wanted it to get. Evie sat, worrying her bottom lip, her fingers toying with a loose thread in the table cloth as she stole quick glances through her lashes in Mer's direction.

He was nursing the alcohol in his glass with the same sadness she'd caught plaguing him as he sat at the bar hours ago. And while Evie was eager to know if his grief stemmed only from the loss of his mother, or perhaps more, Merriell was still too much of a stranger to warrant such questions. It didn't matter how easy it was to be near him, she had not earned the right to know his narrative.

A soft sigh broke past her lips as she fought to find a way to properly allay the gloom that was quickly ruining an otherwise wonderful evening. It wasn't until her eyes found their desert sitting on the counter, waiting to save the day, that she perked up.

"Got any room for apple pie?" Evie asked with a hesitant smile. She hoped he wanted to stay long enough to have a slice, though she would not have blamed him for wanting to leave.

Immediately Mer perked up too, the shadows on his features retreating with the promise of something sweet.

"I was countin' on it—seems as how you promised a slice earlier," he said with a boyish grin.

When she stood, he did too, helping clear away their dinner plates, and letting them soak in the sink to be washed later. Evie cut them each a slice of apple pie and the delight on Mer’s face made her smile too seeing him lick his lips as his grin continued to grow. Catching that flash of his tongue was like a bolt of hot lightning striking her without warning; a blush rose so quickly on her cheeks Evie had to look away to keep the blunder a secret. Thankfully, the pie was more than enough to hold Merriell’s attention away from her.

“Mmmm… Almost looks too good to eat,” he said ogling the desert in front of him.

When Evie chanced a look his way, the expression on his face caused her to chuckle, “‘oughta be, I made one for my pa every year for his birthday since I was nine. It’s probably the only thing I have any confidence in making in the kitchen.”

“Coulda fooled me,” Mer quipped as he loaded his fork with as much pie as he could.

The moment he took a bite, his brows creased, and eyes closed as he chewed painfully slow. Those few seconds were like agony. Evie’s heart was pounding in her chest with so much anticipation she feared she might faint as she watched him sample the only thing she could actually make that was worth a damn.

“Fuck me, if that ain’t the best apple pie I’ve evah had the pleasure of tasting.”

A somewhat nervous, but relieved chuckle sounded in the back of Evelyn’s throat as she watched Merriell shovel a larger bite of pie into his mouth.

“Mmm… Yep. God damn delightful.”

“Stop,” Evie said sheepishly, suddenly afraid he was overselling his reaction to keep from hurting her feelings.

“No,” he wiped his mouth and leaned across the table to meet her gaze with a sincere expression that stole away all the doubt writhing in her stomach.

“I mean it. If I wasn’t so full of pasta, I’d eat that whole damn pie right now.”

“Well,” Evie grinned softly, trying not to let her blush color her cheeks too obviously. “Thank you. And you’re welcome to take the rest of it when you go.”

Excitement took form on his face with a smirk that was sweet but roguish all at once—a sort of debonair charm that amplified his magnetism—as if his bright eyes dark curls and razor-sharp jaw did not make him alluring enough already. Again she had to look away knowing the pink in her cheeks would be too strong to combat.

“Imma have ta take ya up on that offah. An’ I’ll be thinkin’ ‘bout you every time I cut me a slice.”

That blush was unstoppable; her heart was suddenly so smitten, it felt as though butterflies were fluttering merrily in her stomach. She felt weightless with warmth and hope swelling in her bosom, fearing any slight breeze would carry her off. It was ridiculous how at ease Evie felt sitting there eating pie with a complete stranger. The conversation had been easy all night; even when it had delved into less savory topics he still made her feel comfortable. Evelyn had forgotten what it was like to be in the company of a man who wasn’t easy to anger, who was genuine and kind and wanted only to live in the moment.

For a time the whimsy of the atmosphere faded as the warmth in her heart ached, suddenly missing her brother James and Cynthia's brother Charlie. Both of them were good men, kind and genuine—like Merriell—but they had been swallowed by the rages of war. Brave young men were lost forever, while a man like Jonny Doyle was still alive How was that fair?

No matter how pleasant her thoughts could be, they always fell back to the grief that plagued her. She sighed, deeply, pushing those intrusive memories back into the depths of her mind so she could find joy once more in the moment with a kind stranger.

When Merrill finished his plate he made a beeline for the sink full of soaking dishes.

“Oh, no,” she said jumping to her feet. “I can do those.”

Merriell, however, shook his head. “Uh-uh, you did the cookin’, I can do the cleanin’.”

When Evie tried to argue, Mer simply shook his head, his grin amused but determined as he kept scrubbing the dirty dishes.

“Let me help at least,” she suggested. “I’ll dry and put them away.”

Before he could protest, she snatched the freshly rinsed dish from his hand and began wiping away the droplets of water clinging to the porcelain surface, throwing him a smug smirk that made him chuckle.

“Alright,“ he smirked.

She watched him for a moment not really paying attention to her task as he scrubbed the old plates clean, overcome with a blissful vision of peaceful domesticity. It made her stomach fill to the brim with whimsy and her heart was fluttering again; had this stranger bewitched her already? Or did what she feel bubbling lightly in her gut like a seltzer stem from an end to her loneliness—even if it was only for a few hours? Evelyn didn’t know. Nevertheless, she was intrigued with a profound feeling and she wanted to dwell in it for as long as she could.

Occasionally as he would hand a freshly washed dish her way, his calloused fingertips would brush against her skin, igniting a spark she didn’t know how to react to. It was more than an amicable tingle racing from the tips of her fingers right to her heart. And each time they touched, Merriell would cast her a gentle smile that held nothing more than his inherent charm and magnetism. She wondered if he felt it too, or if her need for companionship was playing a dirty trick on her.

When the dishes were all back in their usual places—the night drawing to a close—Evelyn realized she was not ready to say farewell to her Beautiful Stranger. She longed to stay up all night just chatting with him, she did not care about what, Evelyn only wanted to stay encompassed a while longer in the blissful warmth he brought into her life. Once he was gone, all she would be able to do was stay up and ponder the significance of those little touches and the sparks they brought.

Thankfully, Merriell lingered on the old rickety porch, one hand in his pocket, the other holding onto his plate of leftover pie, seeming to stall their inevitable departure.

“Well,” he said with a grin. “Thank you for invitin’ a stranger ovah for dinna.” He paused, glancing at the leftover pie in his hand. “Can’t recall ever having a better plate of pasta, an’ nothin’ evah gonna beat this pie.”

Evie quickly looked at her feet to hide another blush.

“It was the least I could do,” she told him before looking back to meet his eyes. “You have no idea how much of a savior you were this afternoon…”

A glint of concern flashed in his eye, his brows beginning to crease as his unspoken question lingered between them.

She thought about telling him—telling him how Jonny was nothing more than a throne in her side, and how much she cherished Merriells company—but Mer was still a stranger. It wasn’t right to unload so much onto someone she’d only known for a few hours.

Before Mer could offer any reply, the sound of screeching tires stole all their focus as an old wagon pulled along the curb—narrowly missing a collision with the mailbox. The rowdy passengers were laughing and shouting loud enough even before the door opened to let Jonny stumble out. He staggered on drunk feet and screamed a handful of profanities to his buddies in the car which made them all roar with laughter.

It was only after the wagon full of hooligans pulled away that Jonny began to stagger towards the house, and it was exactly then that Evie’s fluttering heart became consumed with panic.

She and Mer watched him cross the yard, unseen, both frozen: Evie in fear and Merriell in confusion. Jonny’s intoxication level inhibited him from taking notice of them until he was at the base of the steps leading onto the porch. Immediately, his eyes narrowed and he frowned.

“Who the hell are you?”

“Jonny, this is Mr. Merriell Shelton,” Evie said quickly, willing her voice not to shake.

The Doyle’s were not known for their hospitality, nor were they known to trust most people. Especially strangers.

“He helped me this afternoon with a bit of trouble I was having,” she explained vaguely, hoping to thwart any more suspicion. “I made him dinner to say thank you—he’s just about to leave.”

Jonny eyed Merriell, seizing him up as best he could through drunken lenses. Mer stood his ground, eyeing him back with a subtle intensity that never so much as cracked under Jonny’s scrutiny.

Finally, being the better man, Mer held out his hand in a friendly manner, “nice ta meet ya.”

Jonny cast a prolonged glare at Merriell's open hand, his brows furrowed and part of his lip hiked up in a sort of snarl. Instead of returning the kind gesture, Jonny made a show of spitting at his feet before tossing his heavy leer at Evelyn.

"Evie, do not invite any more strangers into my house. I don't care if they are dying." He shoved past them both, purposely bumping Mer's shoulder (most likely in hopes to start something) muttering as he went: "I don't trust any of these filthy southerners."

Shock sent Evie's jaw slack; this time the redness in her cheeks was a symptom of embarrassment instead of infatuation. She should have known Jonny would say something rude and uncouth. Without another thought, she grabbed Mer by his sleeve and pulled him across the lawn until they stood next to his truck parked along the curb.

"I am so sorry about him," she said, crossing her arms and glaring at Jonny's house, ashamed and angry.

Mer shrugged as he placed his partially eaten pie in the passenger seat through the open window before fixing his hands in his front pockets.

"Ya boyfriend's a bit of an asshole."

"He is not my boyfriend," Evie corrected vehemently. "I don't think he knows that though. I'm just staying here until I can figure some things out."

Merriell was quiet a moment, nodding silently. It seemed as though he was taking his time processing the whole situation. There was compassion on his face and behind his eyes, but it was guarded somehow. Evie caught it though and she was grateful when he didn't ask the questions plainly forming in his mind.

"Well," he said finally, his tone light as one corner of his mouth quirked into a grin. "Since he ain't ya othah half, I feel more inclined ta leave ya with this…"

Gently, Merriell caressed her upper arm as he leaned forward to plant a tender kiss on her cheek. He let his lips linger slightly longer than was common for such an act, that all at once wove a new hopefulness into her heart.

"Dinna was swell," he added as he pulled away, his smile somehow more charming than it had been all night. "Hope I see ya again, Evie."

"Me too," she murmured.

Evie watched as he got in his truck to leave, her hand held to the cheek he'd graced with his kiss. And when he drove away, it took everything inside of her to keep from running after him.

#Beautiful Stranger Series #Merriell Shelton x Original Character #Merriell Shelton #Snafu Shelton #HBO War #The Pacific #The Pacific Fanfiction #Rami Malek Fanfiction

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shenanigans-and-imagines · 3 years

Text

Hold Me Close

John Constantine x Original Female Character, Angst/Hurt Comfort

A/N: So this little bit of self-indulgence turned into a thing, because it's me and of course it did. I'm still in the early stages of developing Evie and her relationships, so please let me know what you think.

Warning: Mentions of child neglect, lots of crying

Summary: After an emotionally draining day, Evie finds herself with some unexpected company.

Word Count: 2.6K

The Waverider was completely silent, a rarity on the best of days, and a blessed relief to Evie.

She sat in the kitchen, holding a warm cup of tea in her hands. She hadn't taken a single sip in the fifteen minutes since she made it.

All the emotions of the day were simmering to the surface. A tightness clung to her throat making it hard for her to breath. She needed to cry. She needed to sleep. She needed to scream. She needed so many things, all she could do was sit and stare into nothing.

"Are you ever going to drink that?"

Evie blinked. Looking up, she finally noticed John leaning against the doorway, fully dressed in his usual white shirt and tie.

"John? What time is it? Shouldn't you be asleep?"

"I could ask you the same thing."

She wanted to say something smart. On any other day she might have, but she was just too tired to be clever. Instead, she raised her mug to her lips and finally took a sip.

It was warm and did its job, loosening the lump in her throat, but it did little to help with the one in her chest.

"Need something stronger?" John suggested.

She shook her head. "This is about as strong as I can handle right now."

"Fair enough."

She expected that to be the end of it. But he surprised her, walking into the kitchen and pouring himself a drink.

"What are you doing?"

He shrugged. "Well, you know what they say, misery loves company."

"And what have you got to be miserable about?"

He gave her a cynical smile. "Oh don't you worry love, I’ll think of something."

He took a seat beside her and raised his glass in a toast.

Evie obliged, clicking her mug against the tumbler before drinking.

They sat in silence for a moment. It was comfortable, but there were questions hanging in the air that needed to be addressed.

"What are you doing here, John?"

"I told you."

She shot him a skeptical look.

He let out a sigh. "I don't sleep most nights. I saw you in here and..." He met her eyes, his expression softening. "I saw the look on your face when you saw your mum."

The tightness came back in her throat. Quickly, she turned back to her tea and took a long swig. All it did was stall the inevitable.

"How much did Michael tell you?" she asked, with a twist in her stomach.

"Not much," he admitted. "Just that his dad died before he knew him, didn't talk to his mum and that his sister was about the only parent he ever really had."

Evie huffed out a short laugh. It certainly sounded like the description Michael would give, and a more accurate one than she was willing to admit before.

"I take it there's a bit more to it than that," he continued.

She nodded. "Just a bit."

She took a drink, once again assuming a natural end to the conversation.

"You're just going to leave me with that?" he asked.

Her brow furrowed. "Why do you want to know?"

"You seem to know most everything about me, whether I like it or not,” he answered, casually. “I like to work on an even playing field."

Evie considered him for a moment. It seemed like a reasonable answer. Still she couldn't help but feel her problems were childish compared to his. There was a reason she kept them to herself. Nobody actually wanted to know.

She turned her head away, her fingers rubbing absentmindedly against the mug. If she kept her mouth shut for just a few moments, he'd forget the whole thing.

She could feel the pressure building behind her eyes. Her grip tightened. She willed herself to breathe.

"Evelyn..."

She stopped.

Looking down, she finally noticed rough fingers pressed gently around her wrist. She followed the line connecting the fingers to a hand, then to an arm, moving her gaze ever up until she dared a glance at the man they were attached to.

John’s expression was not soft, but his eyes held something she had not seen in a long time; a need to understand. How could she say no to that?

“My dad died when I was eight,” she began, swallowing the roughness of her voice. “My mum took it really hard. She might as well have been dead that first year. I’m not sure she even left her bed. Gran watched after her and didn’t want me or Michael causing trouble.

“Eventually though Mum was able to leave the house and Gran even got her a job at a pub not far from where we lived. But, it didn’t last long. Mum just...wasn’t there anymore. She’d forget to go into work or mess up orders or any number of other things until eventually they had to let her go. She didn’t work after that. Dad’s life insurance kept us afloat and Gran helped so, it wasn’t like we were starving. Even so, she would still...forget. By the time I was ten I was cooking most of the meals and made sure to stop by the shop on my way home from school, that sort of thing. And Mum would just...drift. It was like living with a ghost.”

Evie paused, giving herself a moment to collect her thoughts.

“I can remember my dad, before he died. I can see his face. I remember bedtime stories and how he called me his little Evie Rose. But, for whatever reason, any time I try to remember what my mum was like, I draw a blank. Every memory I have of her is as this...corpse. It was easy for me to believe she was always like that. I convinced myself she couldn’t help it. She didn’t choose not to be there. She was trying and I just needed to pick up where she couldn’t. That was my job.”

Her throat tightened. She sucked in a breath and let it out with a slow quaver.

“But seeing her today, before...everything. She was real. She was real and alive and...there.”

Warm tears spilled down her face. She wiped them away, trying and failing to keep them in check.

“I know grief affects people differently. I know it does. I can’t imagine losing the love of my life like that. But I was her child. Michael was just three years old. We were alive and scared and confused, and we needed her. I needed my Mom and she wouldn’t…”

There was no stopping the tears now. Anger and resentment and grief twenty six years in the making poured out of her. It burned her skin, even if she tried to hide it, ever aware of the man watching her in careful silence.

“I spent so long telling myself it wasn’t her fault. I blamed myself for not doing better by her. But she never cared. I know she was grieving, but at some point she decided her grief was more important than her own children.”

She stopped, forcing herself to fill her lungs with much needed air.

“And I would get so angry. I used to think Michael was just being selfish, that he only cared about himself. But he knew. He knew what she was doing was wrong. He just wanted me to see it too. God, I said so many awful things.”

Guilt weighed in her stomach as she pushed away her straggling tears. She could still feel the prickling behind her eyes, but she didn’t want to spill any more than she had. She had no right to them.

“I’m just a horrible mess of a person.”

A scoff came at her side.

She turned, to see John shaking his head.

“Something funny?”

“Aye, everything,” he said, sardonically. “Trust a Catholic to come to that conclusion.”

“Excuse me?”

“Oh c’mon Evie, you’re not a horrible anything. You looked after your brother and your mum when no one else would. When you should have given up on her is a matter for yourself to deal with, but you’re not a bad person for holding out hope. As for Michael, I have a feeling he’s not as resentful as you think he is. Besides, he definitely had some of it coming.”

Evie couldn’t think of what to say, but the corner of her lip did quirk up, just a little. Still, guilt lingered and exhaustion was now taking the place of her anger. The prickling was back, reminding her of the tears still left to shed.

“Now, how about that drink,” John said.

Evie let out a long sigh, rubbing her hand across her face. "Not a bad idea. Honestly, what I could really go for is someone to just hold me for two or three...hours." She tried to make it sound like a joke, but the strain on her voice made her attempt at laughter come off as forced and awkward.

The look on John's face only made her feel worse. He had been uncharacteristically kind to her already. Now, she just made an embarrassing situation down right uncomfortable.

“I’m sorry I laid this all on you,” she said. “I should just go to bed.”

She stood quickly, not even bothering to grab her mug as she headed towards the exit.

She barely made it two steps when a hand grasped at her own.

“Wait.”

She turned.

He was still sitting. His eyes focused on their intertwined fingers. The expression on his face was unreadable. For a moment, she thought he’d let go and forget the whole thing. But then, he came to a decision.

Standing, he took a step toward her, never dropping his grip for a moment. He watched her, carefully checking she had no objections to how close he was.

Her stillness was his answer.

Reaching out his free hand, he cradled her head and guided her to him.

For a moment, neither of them knew what to do.

His hand slipped from hers, but found no place to land, as if he wasn't sure where exactly to touch her. All the same, the intent was felt.

Taking initiative, she leaned into him, resting her head against his shoulder as she wrapped her arms around him.

His clothes still held the scent of detergent with just a bit the tobacco smoke she secretly loved. She let herself breathe it in, enjoying the warmth against her cheek and the firmness of his body.

Slowly his hands found purpose. One wrapped tight around her waist while the other curled gently in her hair.

For a while, they just stood there, neither of them daring to break the quiet calm that had settled in the air.

"It's alright Eves," John whispered into her ear. "I've got you, love. It's alright."

It was only then Evie realized she was crying again. The tears and emotions leaked out of her, spilling over the side like an over filled sink. She was starting to shake, trying and failing to keep her breath in check all the while John held on, pressing her even closer into him.

"You're alright," he promised. "I've got you, Eves. You're alright."

The tears weren’t as violent as before. This was catharsis. The last breath of emotional release she needed. So, she let herself feel.

She cried for her brother. She cried for her father. She cried for what might have been and what was. All of it came out in gentle sobs made bearable by the man who wouldn’t let go.

She wasn’t sure how long she stood there, but after a while she had nothing more to give. Her breath returned to something manageable. Her heart, no longer quiet as heavy. Still, she couldn’t pull away from John just yet. She was too tired and he felt too good. She could see herself closing her eyes and staying right there until her legs gave out.

“Not that I’ve got anywhere to be,” he said, gently. “But were you serious about the two to three hours thing?”

She laughed, a real one this time; short, but bright and welcome.

“No,” she assured. “I wouldn’t do that to your reputation.”

He didn’t say anything back, but she took the hint.

With a great effort, she pulled herself from him, leaving her skin colder for it. Now that she had a proper view, a sudden spike of embarrassment shot through her.

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” she said, immediately reaching to brush away the obvious stain on his shirt.

John looked down as if just noticing himself.

“Oh believe me, I’ve been covered in worse. Besides, holy woman’s oughta be good for something.”

“I’m not that holy,” she said, with not as much annoyance as that sentence usually carried.

“But you are good,” he countered. “You can’t be anything else.”

Again, something was missing from this usual exchange. The irony had somehow disappeared. The way he was looking at her now, she could believe he meant them.

Then, something happened. His expression became pensive. His eyes shifted away as he took a small step back, putting some visible distance between them.

“You should get some sleep,” he said, his tone now back to its usual guarded self.

Her brow creased in confusion. “You sure you don’t want company?”

“I think if this whole exercise has taught us anything it’s that you need to stop worrying about other people all the time.”

His tone was curt, but there was something performative in it, making it land awkwardly on its intended audience.

All the same, Evie knew rejection when she heard it and felt the intended hurt in her chest.

Apparently it showed on her face as John gave a long sigh. “Look just, get some rest and you can worry about me tomorrow, yeah?”

She nodded, but she couldn’t bring herself to leave just yet. She didn’t know what she had done to make John’s mood shift so abruptly, but she needed to fix it. He had helped her, after all. It didn’t feel right to end the night like this.

With cautious determination, she took a step forward, effectively closing the gap he had created.

John appeared frozen in place, his brow creased in confusion.

Taking the opportunity, she stood on her toes and pressed her lips to his cheek. She was met with rough stubble and the smell of whiskey, a combination she was surprised to find she liked. But couldn’t appreciate it as John turned his head, meeting her eyes.

“Now, why would you do something like that?”

Evie swallowed, a sudden dryness coming to her throat. His lips were much closer to hers than she anticipated.

“I just wanted to say, thank you,” she said, softly. “You’re a good man, John Constantine.”

He looked down at her, his throat and lip tightening as he shook his head. “No, I’m not.”

She smiled knowingly. “Yes you are.”

She kissed his cheek again, this time lingering just a moment as if touch would convey the truth of her statement more than her words could.

“Goodnight, John,” she whispered.

To her surprise, he didn’t push her away. His eyes lingered, floating between her eyes and lips and back again.

She held her breath, wondering if he would lean down and feel her lips for himself. She wondered if she would let him.

But he hesitated. A breath was drawn in and his gaze settled on her eyes.

“Sweet dreams, Evie.”

She nodded, feeling the moment slip away as quickly as it had come.

She settled back down on two solid feet, turned and walked back to her room without looking back. Only when the door closed did she allow herself to linger on the burning of her lips and the hard thumping in her chest.

She didn’t know what truly happened between her and John, but there was no use denying it. Something was different and time would only tell what that meant.

#legends of tomorrow #legends of tomorrow oc #arrowverse #arrowverse oc #john constantine #john constantine x oc #john constantine x reader #evelyn doyle

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bedbellyandbeyond · 3 years

Photo

Only Vampires

(Story Post)

Nari wasn't sure why he trusted these two vampires, but he wanted to know what they knew and so he followed them to their home. They didn't live more than a block north of where the library stood. They must've lived there a long time to afford such a big house, but then again, he had no idea what the housing market was like here. Either way, any active and diligent vamp over 100 years old could secure themself considerable wealth if they tried. Nari himself hadn't focused on capital during the majority of his life though, but he still did well for himself. The front doors of the house were very big, with stained glass windows, but Wesley and Everett took him around to the back door which was average sized and let no light in. This wasn't an issue right now as it was an hour to midnight, but he guessed that any daytime travel came through here, so they'd grown accustomed to it.

Inside was a small mudroom with another door at the other end. Nari waited for Everett to take off his shoes before he removed his own because wasn't sure what the traditions were in this country, but he was only further confused when Wesley took his shoes off but Everett kept them on. “Um, shoes on or off?” Nari had to ask. Wesley wacked Everett's leg with his loafer. “Shoes off, please.” Nari was relieved and did as told. “Alright.” “I'm not sure why we adopted that,” Everett said, reluctantly removing his footwear and then promptly putting on a pair of slippers. “My family always wore their shoes inside, his family wore shoes inside… Not to mention, it doesn't matter at all what Wesley wears.” “It's for our housemates,” Wesley said. “We have several housemates from across the world, you'll find Nari. The general consensus has been shoes off. We do our best to be accommodating.” He then proceeded to pull out a set of wheel slippers and socks and maneuvered them onto his chair. Nari thought for a second and then raised a hand. “I hope you don't think I need somewhere to stay. I'm well established.” “No, no,” Wesley said. “We just like to help anyone when it comes to library matters. As you may have noticed, it is not very accessible to all vamps of all shapes, abilities, and colours. We like to help anyone find the knowledge they need.” Nari nodded. “I see. So you steal the books for them.” “I told you, we borrow them,” Everett said as he led them through to the main hall. “Evie does think of himself as a modern-day Robin Hood of Knowledge, though,” Wesley said. The main hall was a lot more modern than Nari expected for a house apparently full of vampires. It was open concept with a lovely kitchen with granite counter tops. Further on was the living room and stairs, both up to the next floor and down to the basement. An elevator had also been installed beside the stairs for easier access to all floors. Nari’s hosts took him down to the basement, which was set up as a games room and study. There was pool, and darts, and even a pinball machine on one side. Some lounge chairs, a sofa, and a set of bookshelves on the other. There, they found another pair of vampires, one with her nose in a book, the other passed out on the couch, an open book on his chest. “Ah, glad some of you are here,” Wesley said going over to the reading nook. “Inaya, please meet Nari. We met him at the library.” The conscious vampire got up and smiled. She wore a hijab and had big round eyes framed with detailed eyeliner. She offered a hand to Nari. “Nice to meet you. Are you looking at a room?” “No, no, I’m just getting a little extra help with my research,” Nari said shaking her hand. “It’s nice to meet you. I’ve never met, well, a vampire like you.” “A hijabi vampire?” Inaya chuckled. “Me neither. That’s why I’m here.” “To find more?” Nari asked. “No, to learn about being a vampire,” Inaya said. “I didn’t know anything about them really until I was turned, and I didn’t have any other vampires around to teach me. Figuring out how to be a vampire and muslim at the same time is difficult. Blood is haram, you see.” “Ah.” Nari nodded. “Have the books been helpful?” “Some, yes. Wesley seems to know how to find me good reads,” Inaya said. “I’ve tried entering the library on my own, but it’s always been a hassle. They always find some excuse not to let us in.” “I understand,” Nari said rollimg his eyes. “It's a different excuse each time.” Everett went over and kicked the end of the couch to wake its occupant. “Rise, Jeremiah! Meet our guest!” Wesley frowned. “Evie, let the boy sleep. He's probably been studying tirelessly, the poor kid.” It was too later however and the sleepy vampire stirred and sat up, rubbing his eyes. The book he had been reading fell off his chest and onto the floor. The bang made him curse and scramble to pick it up. “Shit, it better not be busted… These old ass books…” “Language, Jeremiah. You know the rules,” Everett scolded. “Shit, sorry, Ev,” the vampire huffed. “Not my fault you woke me up.” “I have half the mind to discipline you,” Everett said, crossing his arms. “Yeah, that’ll look good, you pasty old Brit beating my black ass…” the young vampire mocked. He noticed Nari. “Who’s this little mosquito?” Wesley put a hand on Nari's shoulder. “This is Nari. We're helping him in his research.” The other got up and offered a hand to the newcomer. “It's Jez, but these old farts insist on calling me by my whole name like they're my damn mother or something.” Everett huffed. “Seriously, if you don't straighten out your language, I'll—” “The entire concept of vulgar language is inherently racist,” Jez interrupted, his entire diction changing just to prove a point to old Everett. “My use of swearing is not abusive, but instead cathartic, emphatic and idiomatic, forms of swearing that are not meant to offend anyone. For you to tell me what words I can and cannot say is a blatant form of oppression and reduces my abilities to cope with pain or misfortune.” Everett frowned, his lips pursed. “Fine. But could you tone it down just a bit?” “No.” Wesley came up behind Everett and patted his back. “Relax. We're all adults. Anyway, where's Paolo?” “He's in his room,” Inaya said. “Probably working.” “Ah, okay. Nari can meet him later,” Wesley said approaching the coffee table. From out of nowhere, he pulled out a book and offered it to Inaya. “I found an Arabic tome with stories from Turkey in it. I’m hoping it might help you.” “Oh! Maybe!” Inaya took the book gratefully. “I appreciate it, Wes!” “Where did you pull that book from?” Nari asked, a bit dumbfounded. “The library?” Wesley said, a little confused by the question. “No, I mean… I didn't notice it on your person before,” Nari said. “Oh! It's pocket magic,” Wesley said. “Easier than carrying them around.” “Pocket magic is some real basic level shit,” Jez said, eyeing Nari. “If you don't know that, what abilities do you have?” Nari shook his head. “…I never learned vampire magic. Well, except a blood purifying spell I found the other day.” Everett placed his hands on Nari's shoulders. “Oh dear, so you've just been going about your life with all the cons and none of the pros to the whole vampire thing? Sounds miserable!” Nari frowned. “I didn't know I could learn any of it…” “You absolutely can!” Everett said. “We will show you the basics.” “Honestly, it's fine…” Nari said. “I don't plan on sticking around long, and my partner has enough magic for the both of us…” “Your partner knows magic but you didn't know you could learn it?” Inaya asked. “They didn't try to teach you?” “He’s not a vampire,” Nari said. “He doesn't know what I'm capable of doing as one.” “What is he, then?” Jez asked. “A dragon?” “No, he's a wizard,” Nari said. “A wizard?” Wesley inquired, his voice a little concerned. “Like, a human wizard?” “Uh, yes,” Nari said. “The magic isn't the same, though he's convinced he can learn vampire stuff…” Everett started shaking his head. “Do you always engage in romantic relationships with humans?” “Yes.” Nari frowned, reading the negative energy coming from his acquaintances. “You say that like it's bad. Are you going to tell me we're not supposed to do that? It's taboo or something?” “No, it's fine! I mean…” Everett put his hands on Wesley's shoulders. “He was unturned when I fell for him…” “But we weren't trying to reproduce, that’s for sure,” Wesley said. He placed a hand on Nari’s arm. “It’s no wonder you’ve been having trouble… You can't have children with humans. It never works.” Nari clenched his jaw. “That's not…My information came to a 1-in-8 chance that a vampire can complete live birth.” “It's more complicated than that,” Everett said, pulling out one of the books be grabbed. “It's likely the one successful time out of eight, their partner was another vampire. The odds are much better with two vampires. Like, 1-in-3.” He opened to a page that displayed a large family tree on it. “Any time in history that a vampire successfully completed a pregnancy, both parents were vampires. Any pairings with children from one unturned and a vampire were from before the vampiric parent had turned. Or, there has also been the occasional time a vampire sired a child with an unturned person, but it is rarer.” Nari frowned and sat down on the couch. “But…I… Isn’t there any magic that can help?” Wesley shook his head. “Not that we've found. Your best bet is to try with a vampire.” “But I don't want a child from someone else…” Nari said. “I want one with Diederich.” “I'm surprised you even date unturned,” Jez commented. “It's sad stuff watching humans grow old and die all the time…” “Diederich isn't just any human, he's immortal too,” Nari said. “He knows really powerful skills and spells.” Jez rolled his eyes. “So, easy fix. Just turn him.” Nari shook his head. “No, I can't do that.” “I could teach you,” Everett said. “Or I could do it.” Nari glared. “No, I don't want to turn him. I wouldn't do that to someone.” Everett sighed. “Nari, I don't know what to tell you. Your goal is to have a baby with your partner. Both of you need to be vampires for that to happen. That's all there is. We don't have any other advice.” Nari looked down at his hands, his eyes brimming with tears. “So, all those times I tried… Complete waste of time...” Wesley rubbed Nari’s shoulder. “You didn't know…” He looked to Everett. “Would you give us a moment? All of you.” “Of course, love,” Everett said, kissing Wesley on the forehead. “Come along now, children.” “We are not your kids,” Jez groaned as he got up reluctantly and followed Inaya and Everett upstairs. Once they were alone, Wesley sighed and rubbed Nari's arm. “Before you turned, did you have any children?” Nari slowly and sniffled. “Yes… My son, Tae-seok. He was just a baby when I turned…” “Is he alive?” Wesley asked. “No… He passed away around the turn of the millennia…” Wesley sighed. “When did you start trying for another baby?” “We tried for several years when Tae-seok was young… But his father, Eun-young, died in a factory accident when Tae-seok was still a child. I didn't try again until well after my son passed away too.” “With your current partner?” Wesley asked. Nari shook his head. “No, my previous relationship. It was an accident… But I wanted it to work out. I had a little hope.” “I'm really sorry, Nari,” Wesley said. “It must be difficult to hear about the circumstances of your pursuit… And I'm sorry about Evie. He thinks turning people will always fix everything. It doesn't.” “But he's right though… If Diederich were a vampire, we'd have a much better chance,” Nari said spreading his hands. “If he were turned, we could try…” Wesley shook his head. “I can tell, you don't want to do that. It sounds like your experience with being a vampire has been more negative than positive and you don't want to subject someone else to that.” “I don't. Diederich is… He’s so lovely, and he's happy…” Nari said. “I don't want to take that from him.” “I understand. It isn’t easy. I don't always love being a vampire either… And I certainly wouldn't make that decision for someone else,” Wesley said. “You do realise that if you did manage to give birth to a baby, you'd be choosing a life as a vampire for them too?” Nari blinked. “Yes, but… I…” He paused. “…With Diederich, since he's unturned, I thought that they might not be…” “Well, even if you could reproduce with a normal human being, you’re a vampire. Your kids would be vampires.” Nari grit his teeth. “…I guess I just…you know, if I could have a baby again, I didn't care what they were… But now just saying it, that’s sounds so incredibly selfish… To subject my own child to the exact same curse I've suffered for their entire life…” Wesley rubbed Nari's knee. “I think you need to think about your situation and talk to your partner. Really work out what path makes the most sense for both of you, and any possible children in the mix. What's best for everyone is what is important.” Nari nodded slowly. “Yes… I just want to be with Diederich… I should go…” Wesley checked his watch. “Where are you staying? Evie can drive you over.” “It's okay, I can walk…” “No way, this time of night, any drunk vampires tumbling out of a bar will want to pick a fight, and while I'm not saying you can't hold your own, you don't know much magic and vampires around the library know their stuff.” Nari sighed and told Wesley his hotel. “I do appreciate you guys trying to help me… You’re honestly the nicest vampires I've ever met.” “Aw, it's nothing,” Wesley said going to the elevator. “Each of us understands the difficulty of being accepted in the vampire world. But we've been very lucky and those who have should give.” “So, is this sort of a boarding house for vampires using the library?” Nari asked. “Sort of… We keep the rent super cheap though because the house was paid off many, many years ago. Our housemates just split utilities. Evie and I cover the taxes and insurance.” Wesley smiled. “If you ever need somewhere to stay, we'll be here. First month is free for long term. Of course, we won't charge you if you just want to come over and visit.” Nari nodded. “That's more than generous, thank you.” They rode the elevator together and met with Everett at the back of the house. “Good talk?” Everett asked, spinning his car keys. “Yes, I think so,” Wesley said. “Inaya and Jeremiah are back in their rooms, then?” “Yeah.” Everett unlocked the door. “Alright, Nari. We won't keep you any longer than you'd like. Wes said you needed a ride, yes? Come along.” Nari blinked. “When did he tell you?” “Come on, now.” Everett placed his hands on his hips. “You really do need a rundown on basic magic. You could teach toddlers mind connection.” “I really don't know anything, then…” Nari frowned following him out. Wesley waved as they left. “Hope to see you soon!” Nari waved again before going to the garage with Everett. “You should consider coming back tomorrow night,” Everett said, unlocking the car. “Jeremiah will teach you everything you need to know.” “I might take him up on that. At least I'll have gotten something out of this trip.” “Well, there you go. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.” “Hm… Yes, I suppose.” “Oh, and you still have to meet Paolo! He’s Asian like you too! Wouldn’t guess from his name though, would you?” “You really don’t think before you speak, do you?” “Hey, respect your elders.” “Sorry, grandpa.”

#lore #Nari #Everett #Wesley #Jez #Inaya #vampire

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