#sometimes he brings holiday specific bunches to him and gifts too! | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

genesisrose74 · 4 years

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Christmas with the Karasuno Boys (HC’s)!!

Part 1: Daichi, Suga, Asahi, Nishinoya, Tanaka, & Ennoshita

Part 2 (Kageyama, Hinata, Tsukishima, Yamaguchi, Kinoshita, & Narita) here!!

A/n: Tumblr said my word count was too much so I’m splitting this bad boi up into two parts :p Enjoy!!

*****

Daichi

A huge romantic during Christmas, 10/10 quality cliche times spent together

You wanna go ice skating? Hell yeah sweetheart, he will make it the most beautifully romantic thing you’ve ever seen

Like straight out of a holiday postcard type beat

Istg the rink he takes you to looks like a more heartwarming version of Rockefeller Center

He’s a big keeper of tradition when it comes to making plans, but doesn’t mind a bit of nonsense fun when everything falls into place

Which is why you love to bring the team along on adventures because they make everything all the more entertaining

At first he’s confused like ??? You don’t have to do that just if they’ve been pestering you about it

But then he realizes you care as much about them as he does (hint: a hell of a lot) and they’re thus invited along for some stuff

Of course y’all also get some quality time together on dates with just you both

Anyways you and Daichi have talked a lot about traveling and how he was really interested in seeing new places

So as his gift you got him a carved map with a roll of red string and thumbtacks, so that he could plan out all the places he wanted to visit

You know how when Kiyoko found the “Fly” banner for Karasuno and all the boys cried?

Yeah

Like that but with lots more hugging and laughing

“You know you’re gonna have to help with mapping this out, right?”

“Is that an invitation I hear?”

“Oh, that’s a promise”

FJSFJDSK ALEXA PLAY AMERICAN BOY BY ESTELLE—

Please I love him; he is so damn sly and sassy I will die with this headcanon

Sugawara

I swear on everything that Christmas with him is equivalent to a Hallmark movie

It smells like joy and warmth wherever he is, and this season only amplifies it

He is such a cheeseball without even having to try

But it’s in the really endearing and heart-melting way,,, just MMM PERFECT

He’ll take you on a walk through those neighborhoods with those crazy light decorations in the front yard and buy you hot chocolate

If he sees a group of little kids gaping at all the lights, he’ll leave them starry-eyed with stories of magic, reindeer, Santa and so-forth

“You know, I’ve heard that Rudolph’s nose is supposed to be brighter than the world’s most powerful Christmas light”

Good heavens, children absolutely adore this man

Anyways he’ll make it a little game as y’all walk around this beautifully lit neighborhood, both of you with a different assortment of bingo squares printed on paper

First one to bingo chooses a movie to watch after getting back to Suga’s house

Will wrap a big fluffy blanket around you both and pull you into his chest while watching the movie

For his gift, you got a star named after him

It’s because y’all alway go stargazing for dates every month, just to sit out, talk and cuddle

Suga gave you the SOFTEST look after opening your gift and this cute little card you made 🥺

“Lets go try to find my new favorite star”

PLEASE HE IS SO SWEET

“Right now? Koushi it’s 11:30 pm”

“Just for ten minutes, and then I’ll get you home”

So y’all spend the rest of Christmas Eve on his roof, sipping warm tea and attempting to locate Star Suga

Asahi

Cuddle bear alert ‼️‼️

It’s basically hibernation time for him, because he’s not the biggest fan of cold

That’s alright with you though 😌 more coziness for you

Lots of quality moments indoors means more creative dates

A whole day devoted to chill present wrapping? Hell fuckin’ yeah

Nice music, pretty wrapping paper, shiny bows, maybe a little Christmas rom-com playing in the back — the whole shebang

You find out pretty quickly that despite how it sounds, it’s actually quite a satisfying and enjoyable pastime

Practically had to drag him out of your living room to secretly wrap his own gift

As much as he’s the king of timidity and soft™, he can be very playfully stubborn when he’s comfortable, hence why he was such an ass to get out of the room

I have no doubt that Asahi would melt for the most adorable, cheesy shit

So you not only bought him some really reliable headbands for volleyball use, but you also made a little coupon booklet

He can basically cash in paper promises for certain things, like getting to choose the next date idea, picking a movie to watch without any objection, having you make his favorite food, etc.

There’s one that he can exchange for a full out spa day trip, because good heavens he’s a sucker for those

Massage and exfoliation and everything — it makes him feel ✨refreshed✨

He was ecstatic fam, I don’t even know what to say

Like a puppy who just got a bunch of toys and a new backyard to play

Mans cashes in one almost immediately, and at first you’re confused

Like it’s Christmas time bubs, what are we gonna be able to do when most places are closed and it’s the holidays?

Then you read the paper

“Free hug (can be used and renewed <3)”

GIVE HIM HIS DAMN HUGS RIGHT NOW

He uses that one a lot throughout the upcoming days, to the point where he just keeps the paper on him for fun

“You realize you can just ask me silly, you don’t need to keep carrying the coupon around”

“Yeah, but it’s entertaining”

Cute little cheeky bastard

Nishinoya

LOVES LOVES LOVES CHRISTMAS

You know the 12 Days of Christmas? The song??

He gets you a small present EVERY DAY for all 12 days

Not to mention he has a big present that he saves for the actual holiday

Y’all are the type of couple to get ice cream in the middle of winter

Nishi loves his cold snacks any time of year, and you’ve thus picked up a similar taste

He will consistently pester you about what kind of present you got him

Gets pouty when you don’t tell him, but in the back of his mind he’s glad because it would ruin the surprise

Anything you get him instantly becomes his most prized gift tho

It could be a literal rock with googly eyes and he’d put it in a protective glass case for preservation

But of course you get him something better than that because he only deserves the best

He’s got this specific assortment of products to maintain his spiky hair and to make sure it’s healthy, but they’re pretty expensive to buy when he runs out

When he tore open your present’s decorative wrapping to discover a huge basket of basically every hair product he ever needed, he got wide-eyed

There was also a booklet of little notes you’d kept throughout the month that listed all the little things you noticed and adored about your precious boyfriend

He nearly CRIED reading them

“Baby, you didn’t have to do all that for me”

“You act like you don’t deserve all of it and more, Nishi”

Refuses to leave your side after that

Holding your hand, hugging you as tight as he can, etc.

He is head over heels idc idc

Tanaka

Another man who is obsessed with the holiday season and everything that comes with it

He is the biggest sap for this shit istg

Will spend hours trying to get you the best present of all time

And he succeeds exceptionally

Mistletoe? He’s got an ABUNDANCE on hand at any time, just to make sure he can get fair share of his kissies 🥰

His signature beanie appears in full force during winter

Sometimes you’ll pull it over his eyes before giving him a peck on the cheek and dashing off in the school halls

“I’ll see you after school, babe!”

Speech = jumbled + incomprehensible

“Uh hUh, you do that~”

He’s: adorable

I just know that he melts for really sweet and thought-out gifts

Like anything you give him he’ll adore, don’t get me wrong, but the ones done with special care and love are just his kryptonite

He brought you into a massive bear hug and spun you around when he opened a photo book of old pictures taken together, complete with lots of cute messages and anecdotes written alongside them

You and Saeko may have also gone in on another present for him without his knowledge

And on Christmas Eve, you dragged a curious Tanaka into his front yard to the sight of a shiny motorbike

It was Saeko’s old one that she’d held onto for a while, and an old schoolmate offered to fix it up nice in time for the holiday at a discount, so y’all decided to divvy up the lowered price and got it done for Ryu

Sweet boy was taken aback, with his hands clapped over his mouth and everything

Saeko patted him on the back as he stood there in shock, giving her baby brother a sweet smile

“All yours, little bro!”

Ya, Saeko fucking loves you 😌 and so does Tanaka

Overall very lovely, would cry to be loved by the Tanaka siblings

Ennoshita

After spending past Decembers with his fellow second year classmates (namely, the very enthusiastic Noya and Tanaka), he’s grown to know quite a bit about the different holiday events that go on around town

Still, Ennoshita is a pretty simplistic guy and is content with simply spending time with you

So when you recommended going to pick a Christmas tree out for your place together, he’s totally down

As long as he gets to help decorate too ☺️

Y’all end up picking a beauty of a tree ngl

It’s SO TALL

And a super stronk friend — fit for the most heavy duty of ornaments

It takes some damn work to get that bad boi inside and upright after driving back to your house

But like hell did that stop you

Now that it was all set up, sturdy, and given plenty of water, decorations were brought into the equation that same night

No rest until it’s all set up and looking mighty beautiful

Okay maybe some coffee breaks in between, but other than that the grind don’t stop ✋😤

Ennoshita is an expert at making Christmas trees look absolutely immaculate

Idk if it’s because he’s had to deal with cleaning up disorder for a while now?

Looking at you, ya second year loons

He just has the touch, fam

He’ll of course let you have input on which light colors, what type of ornaments, and so on

But honestly it’s really fun seeing him fully concentrated on making your tree the best it can be

He lets you on his shoulders to put on the tree topper 🥺

For his gift, Ennoshita really loves books, so you decided to get him 12 different (hardcover!!) stories — one for each month in a year

Along with a small sticky-note blurb on the covers of each to explain why you chose it, and to give similar title recommendations if he ends up enjoying

He was so surprised with how thoughtful and extensive it was

Loved it so much that he immediately started to read the first one, with you sat in his lap

“Chikara, you realize you’re meant to start this one in January?”

“Shh, I’m getting a head start”

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overwatch-does-stuff · 4 years

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Lindholm Family Headcanon Dump!

I know Michael Chu retracted the statement that Torbjorn has a bunch of kids, but Chu just quit so I make the rules now. It’s a LONG post under the cut because I got carried away. Mostly starring Torbjorn, but featuring Ingrid, Reinhardt, and Brigitte (plus a bunch of other kiddos that exist but I don’t have headcanon names for yet oops.) There won’t be any Bastion in this one because that’s an entire other post’s worth of content.

- Torb has a big family. He and Ingrid had a couple children of their own while he had a stable position in Overwatch, but they found out that they loved having little children around the house, so after all of their biological children moved out, they chose to volunteer in the foster system! This lead to them adopting at least four more kids. - Which means they drive a huge van everywhere. - Both Ingrid and Torbjorn are masters at driving as a result. - They’re exactly equivalent in skill with one exception: Ingrid can parallel park the van, a skill he has yet to figure.

- Their house is pretty big (the Overwatch paycheck paid well, that, along with Ingrid’s income,) so there’s plenty of room for all of them. - There’s three levels: upstairs (for the bedrooms and playrooms,) downstairs (for entertaining spaces/the kitchen and stuff,) and finally, the basement, which is Torbjorn’s personal workshop. - Most third world countries would kill to have a workshop as good as his. - It’s all because Ingrid spoils him so much. He gets just as excited for Christmas as his kiddos do. - “The latest arc welder? Aww, honey, you shouldn’t have!” - Ingrid doesn’t work in his field, but she listens to his special interests dumps, and puts in enough research of her own, that she knows just what to get him every year. - Ingrid doesn’t like getting gifts as much as he does, so for Christmas, he always makes sure to spend quality time with her. He jokes that he ‘sucks at planning dates’ but he really doesn’t! For her, it’s nothing but the top restaurants and most exciting experiences. She loves going ice skating in particular, something that he hates but will always do with her. - Torbjorn and Ingrid split the cooking equally. They’re a bit traditionally gendered with what they like to cook, with Torb leaning more towards grilling and Ingrid preferring baking, but it suits them just fine. - Their grill, along with every other cooking contraption in the house, has been upgraded in some way. In fact, Torb’s the one who grills only because Ingrid still can’t figure out how to use the damn thing since he upgraded it. - Their house is covered in contraptions of all sorts. Other than the grill, Ingrid utilizes every single one of them. Meals get served and sent around via chutes. The floors sweep and mop themselves automatically when they’re dirty. The dishwasher loads, washes, and unloads itself in record time. - You know the zany contraptions in the Addam’s family house? Think that, but more brightly colored. - However, Ingrid’s taste in interior decorating is the opposite of gothic or minimalist- she loves quirky, unique features and bright colors. - She loves thrifting. - The huge chair they got for Reinhardt in the living room was a thrift store find that she’s still very proud of. - She also has an old-fashioned “live laugh love” wall with all of the family portraits. She knows it’s cheesy, but it’s nostalgic for her. - She doesn’t just bring furniture home. She also brings home cats. - That’s right. Brigitte got her cat love from Ingrid. - It’s a long-standing tradition, with the first cat she brought home was over thirty years ago when they were a new couple. - Torbjorn swore that it would be her cat and that he wouldn’t take care of it. - He was wrong. - Very wrong. - He now loves his cats and calls them cutesy nicknames in whatever language he feels like in the moment. - He built them automated feeders, automated litter boxes, and even some automated toys. He spoils them rotten. - Every time Ingrid brings home a new cat it’s the same routine. He swears that this will be the last one and that he’s not taking care of this one! But that’s wrong and he knows it. - But, because Ingrid’s always bringing things home, she’s a little more tolerant when Torbjorn brings. . . a specific Omnic. . . home.

- But that’s a whole other fanfic that I would need to write, so instead, back to the parenting! - Ingrid is 100% a feral soccer mom. Torbjorn is just as bad. - They’re the ones screaming their lungs out at sports games. - They have a house rule where their kids have to participate in one extracurricular sport. It can be school teams, club teams, or even just working out on their own, but fitness is something that both Ingrid and Torb consider important. - Torbjorn, of course, built his own gym in the basement. He trained with Brigitte, and now he trains with another one of his daughters who’s taken an interest in weight-lifting. - But this all doesn’t mean that the Lindholms discourage more creative talents! - Torbjorn crafted a giant steel board where any arts and crafts get hung with magnets. One of his little boys is an artist and he couldn’t be more proud. - Brigitte experimented with metal art when she was a teenager, and many of her pieces are now permanent fixtures in the Lindholm home. - She crafted a particularly beautiful string of lights that hangs above the dining room table.

- Now it’s time for Uncle Reinhardt!!! - Okay, so maybe he’s called just ‘Reinhardt’ by the older kiddos, but everyone knows he’s essentially an uncle in all but blood. - He’s been invited to every holiday celebration for about. . . actually, he’s just always been there. - He’s a true multi-generational staple. Brigitte can’t remember a holiday without him, and now the younger kiddos are getting doted on by him every Christmas. - Rein loves telling stories for the children. He spends the entire car ride there planning his multi-hour epics. - Now that she’s older, Brigitte sometimes helps with the storytelling, contributing sound effects and such. - Something which just causes Torbjorn to laugh and shake his head. - Reinhardt also loves nothing more than being a walking jungle gym. As soon as he walks in the door, he’ll grab the nearest kiddo and put them on his shoulders. He’s often seen walking around with a kid in each arm and usually an extra hanging off his back. - Sometimes he gives Ingrid a heart attack when he starts throwing kids around, but hey, she’s known him long enough at this point that she (mostly) trusts him. - Everyone gets sad when Reinhardt has to leave, but he insists that there is justice that needs to be done. He soothes the kiddos by promising an even better story when he gets back.

- Now it’s time to get sad. . . here’s my Brigitte headcanons. . . - Brigitte was REALLY close with her father growing up. She spent so much of her time in his workshop learning from him, as one of the only Lindholm children to take a liking to machinery and engineering. - However, when she moved out. . . she found it difficult to escape his legacy. Everyone, many of the older industry professionals and the like, expected her to be just like her father. They tried to cajole her into finishing old weapons designs that Torbjorn had abandoned. - It was then that she learned the full extent of Torbjorn’s involvement in the Omnic Crisis. - She had a lot of trouble reconciling this news with her love for him. It’s still something she had great difficulty with. - This shock played a big part in her decision to give up on finding a job in the industry and instead accompany Reinhardt on his travels. - It wasn’t a decision that Torbjorn endorsed, which hurt their relationship even further. - But it’s not like he doesn’t try to keep in touch. They call every other weekend or so to catch up, but there’s always a tension between them that neither one is ready to address. - They will talk about it someday. They’ll figure things out. They care about each other too much for either one to give up. - In the meantime, though, Brigitte has gotten a lot closer with her mother. She calls her much more often. - They talk about all of the things that Brigitte wasn’t all that interested in when she was younger. Stuff like fashion, makeup, and more traditional advice, such as how to get a date or what it feels like to fall in love. - Ingrid also makes sure to show her how the cats are doing over the online call.

- To be truthful, Ingrid isn’t too worried about Brigitte’s decision to live the rough-and-tumble lifestyle. It reminds her a lot of her own young adulthood, where she decided to pick up everything and move to the big city to get away from her parents. - She’s quick to remind Torbjorn that her own little rebellion is how they came to meet whenever he gets worried about Brigitte’s decision. - (They met at Ironclad. The only job Ingrid could find after her big move was working secretary. She fell head-over-heels for him immediately, while it took him a while to warm up.) - (Their first date was just walking around the city, with Torbjorn talking almost the entire time about random things he saw. He’d see the newest cars on the street and dive into what he knew about that industry. They’d pass by a construction sight and he’d point out what tool designs were similar to the ones he was working on.) - (When he realized that she was actually listening to him and taking him seriously, he agreed to a second date and never looked back.) - They aren’t a perfect couple- they’ve had their fair share of arguments, especially because they’re both deeply stubborn, but they’re always able to work it out in a way that makes them both happy. That skill is why they’ve lasted so long. - One thing they’ve never argued about, though, is Torbjorn’s commitment to duty. When they started dating he made it clear that his work was very important to him. Ingrid made it clear that she was willing to be patient. - It got hard when he was away for months at a time with Overwatch during the Crisis and its aftermath, but through constant online calls they managed. - The biggest surprise of Ingrid’s life was when he told her he wanted to have kids when the Crisis ended. - Turns out, having a major life crisis about how your career impacted the world makes someone want to find another purpose in life besides their career. - And thus, they dove into parenthood together. - Now they both couldn’t be happier :)

#overwatch #torbjorn lindholm #overwatch torbjorn #ingrid lindholm #reinhardt #overwatch brigitte #brigitte lindholm #I have so many feelings about Torbjorn and his family. . .#I'm not sure this is very articulate but eh #who cares #it's content

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dr-charlie-eppes · 4 years

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SHOOTING MY SHOT - A RedFinch College AU

HAPPY HOLIDAYS, @kathreestars. I was your Secret Santa as part of the @newsies-secretsanta gift exchange.

I really hope you love your gift. It is a RedFinch College AU, as per your request. I have never written either of these things, so I hope it’s good and in character (but no promises :D!) It turned out WAY longer than expected, too :P. Oopsie daisies!

The story begins below the cut, and I will also include a link to when I have cross-posted AO3 (sometime in January).

Please enjoy!

“Shooting My Shot” - A RedFinch College AU

0000

It was the night before Albert moved out of his childhood home and went to college. He was nervous and excited and rushing through packing his boxes. Sure, he should have done this earlier, but that didn’t matter now. Folding his last sweatshirt into a box, his mind wandered.

Tomorrow was the first day of a new chapter of his life. He was about to move to New York City to study paediatrics, starting his career as a children’s nurse. It was what he’d wanted for years; he was more than happy it was coming true. All the same, he was full of nervous energy. The next few days held so many unknowns. He was struggling to wrap his head around what was going to happen next.

A small mountain of pristine cardboard boxes, a visual representation of what mattered enough to bring with him, lay before him. Each was adorned with a great many strips of duct tape to keep them shut. He hadn’t labelled any of them since he would just unpack them the second he arrived, and he only had to open them to know what was inside. It seemed like a waste of time to go digging through his things to find a Sharpie to deface the boxes.

His phone dinged twice is quick succession. One was from Jack, letting him know he was on his way over from next door. They were travelling to college together in the morning, seeing as they had made it into the same school. The second was from Race, wishing him luck.

Race had been Albert’s best friend since kindergarten. They hadn’t spent more than about three days apart since they met, living in each other’s back pockets and practically joined at the hip for as long as anyone could remember. They had planned on going to the same school, rooming together through college. However, Race had been accepted last minute to his dream school in Brooklyn and was leaving Albert, following his passion for dance. Albert wasn’t mad, not at all; in fact, he was thrilled for his friend. Brooklyn wasn’t that far, so he was sure they’d see each other often. However, without Race, he wasn’t sure who he’d be rooming with.

Continuing to pack his boxes, Albert’s mind wandered to his roommate situation. He was, admittedly, nervous. Without Race, he would be rooming with an unknown student. By the time he’d worked that out, the deadline had passed to submit a request to be paired with someone specific; He would be added to the lottery to be paired up at random with his new roommate. He was worried about that: sharing his space with a whole stranger, stuck together in close quarters, learning to get along. What if he was paired with someone disrespectful, or homophobic, or creepy, or just plain annoying? Albert knew he could be hard to get along with, tending to mistime jokes and miss queues, rubbing people the wrong way. He could sabotage their relationship without even knowing. And even if he didn’t, that didn’t guarantee it’d be smooth sailing. They might not get along, but what could they do? They’d be stuck together for at least two semesters. Dorm rooms were sometimes roomy, but not enough to avoid each other.

The anxiety wasn’t productive: Albert knew that. He couldn’t help it. Change was hard; he didn’t feel ready.

And Jack Kelly was not helping matters. Sure, Jack was one of his best friends - basically a brother, really - but he was an ass. He would do anything to embarrass or inconvenience Albert. That was in part due to their prank war, which had started in ninth grade when Jack replaced his gym shorts with a purple tutu and was still going strong on their first day of college. Of course, he’d never miss an opportunity to get Albert back. Nothing was sacred, no object or situation safe from Jack’s interference. All things considered, Albert should have seen this coming.

Jack offered to help him carry them to the car; there were a few, and it was already late, so Albert accepted. That was his first mistake. Jack took one look at them and started goading him.

“You should label your boxes, Al.” He said as he picked them up.

“No.”

Then, on the landing, “How are you gonna know what’s in ‘em? It’ll be a pain to unpack.”

“I know what I packed, Jack.”

“They look naked without labels.” He whined as they walked out the front door.

“Shut up.”

They started to load them into the car, slotting them in the trunk with the lightest ones on top.

“What kind of psychopath just puts their stuff in a box and closes it up?” Jack questioned with an edge of challenge.

Albert rolled his eyes, taking a medium sized box - possibly containing his desk lamp - and stacking it on top of the others.

“This ain’t a pass-the-parcel, Al, you’re allowed to know what’s in the box.”

“If you don’t shut up, Jackie, so help me, you’ll be trying to run without kneecaps.”

The seemingly endless prods and pokes continued as they loaded all his unlabelled boxes into the car. Jack continued his stream of nonsense, his arguments devolving into snipes and jabs. Albert shut the trunk forcefully, fixing Jack with a look.

“I ain’t labelling ‘em,” he stated with finality, “I know what I packed, and I’ll just unpack when I get there. If they ain’t labelled, Ma can reuse the boxes for something else later without having to scratch the writing out. It’s just easier.”

Jack gave him an unconvinced look but shrugged and let it go. Al should’ve known that was suspicious. Jack never could back down from an argument. Why would this one have been any different?

His second mistake was leaving the car unlocked. They lived in a good area; there wasn’t any reason to lock it. Besides, who would want to steal a bunch of blank boxes full of sweatshirts and towels? However, this turned out to be his downfall. The lock was the only barrier between Jack and his boxes, the last defence. Without needing to steal Al’s mom’s keys, there was nothing standing in his way. He was free to wreak havoc on his things.

His third mistake was not checking his boxes in the morning. They were in a hurry to get on the road - which was not unusual - so Al planned ahead and double checked everything when he brought the boxes down. He knew he had everything he needed, saving time in the morning. Without those last minute checks, he had no chance of catching Jack's little prank before they arrived at the campus.

Jack hadn’t let on that anything had happened. Crammed in the back seat, surrounded by his own boxes and bags, he appeared to the world perfectly angelic. Well, as angelic as Jack Kelly could be. In truth, he was the same snarky and sarcastic man he’d always been, cracking jokes like normal. Albert had no reason to suspect a thing.

So you could imagine his shock and regret when he lifted the trunk to find his boxes, all labelled in Jack’s scratchy block letters with obscene and embarrassing labels. Roadkill - California to Texas. Grandma’s ashes - This way up! (Decorated with arrows pointing to the bottom of the box, naturally). Meditation CDs - Pokémon, Ru Paul, My Little Pony. And right on the top, the Crown Jewels of Jack Kelly’s mayhem: Dildos - Size M-XL.

It was hard to embarrass Albert - it really was. He’d spent his high school years being tormented and humiliated by Jack and had grown a tolerance for this kind of thing. Carrying a box labelled ‘dildos’ across campus was far from the worst thing he’d ever had to do. However, he did worry about what his roommate might think. If he was worried about being paired with a weirdo, others must be too. This was one of those first impressions you couldn’t take back. Joy of joys.

Undeterred, he grabbed the box and braced for impact. Making his way swiftly and unashamedly to his dorm, he ignored the stares and snickers of his peers. Look at my box of dildos, folks. Take it in. They could have guessed that this was a prank, but the surprise of it still caught most of them off guard. Albert pressed on through the crowds, rolling his eyes.

If they can’t tell that this is a joke, then they ain’t smart enough for college.

He just hoped his roommate could see the humour in it.

Speaking of his roommate, he rounded the final corner with his package. The door was slightly ajar, and he could see shadows moving under the door. Taking one final, bracing breath, Albert shuffled the box onto his forearm and pushed the door, embracing his fate.

A trick of timing, the universe’s cruel joke, caused Albert to enter the doorway at the precise moment that his new roommate fired a sticky dart from his Nerf gun. The dart shot through the air. It travelled with a great deal more speed than it should, zipping through the room. No doubt it would have continued into the hall had the doorway been empty. However, it was stopped by Albert’s moving box, adhering at the dead centre of the “O” in dildos.

All movement and sound stopped as Albert looked eyes with his new roommate.

What a first impression.

0000

Moments earlier, Finch had been alone in his dorm. The last few weeks had been a blur of emotions, and he was trying to wrap his mind around it before his new roommate arrived. His first impressions were often lacking, and he hoped that he could start out this relationship on the right foot.

His decision to come to this school had been rushed. Life had spiralled out of control, leaving bad blood between him and his folks. He got an offer to move here to Manhattan, far from them, and he jumped on it. His new life was stretched out in front of him. King of his own destiny, he surveyed his territory. And sure, a cramped college dorm room that he had to share with a stranger wasn’t much of a kingdom. But the hum of the radiator sounded like freedom, and the carpet was soft. He could learn to be happy here.

He was already unpacked, all three of his boxes piled up in the corner. In his hand, he held six plastic Nerf targets. He’d bought them at the dollar store in the ninth grade, using sharpshooting as an escape from life. Since then, his skills had grown, and he frequently moved them around to give himself more of a challenge. Mapping the room, he weighed his options. He was, of course, limited to his side of the room, which made it harder to place them in a way that would challenge him. Still, he was resourceful. And maybe his new friend - he really hoped they would get along - might let him spread them around a bit.

There was one classic place, though. In all the time he’d had these targets, one place stayed constant. He went and hung the first bullseye at the dead centre of the door on the inside. He could hit it with his eyes closed, in his sleep, or with his hands tied behind his back, but he didn’t care. The target on the door had been the most stable relationship he’d had in years, always there, always within reach.

He dumped the rest of the targets on his bed, liberating his Nerf gun from his backpack. It had been his first, and it was the favourite of his whole collection. Modelled like a sawed-off shotgun, it was easy to aim and familiar. He’d carried it with him everywhere since he’d gotten it. This little green and orange eyesore was practically an extra limb, an extension of Finch himself. He’d gotten more high-power guns since, ones that could throw darts faster than he could blink, but he loved this one the best.

Loading in a sticky dart, he aimed for the door and pulled the trigger.

In a statistically remarkable series of events, someone pushed the door open at the precise moment he pulled the trigger. They got in the path of the dart, the new target of the shot. Thankfully, the person was carrying a box - otherwise, they would have been hit square in the chest; not exactly a great first impression. The dart, however, sailed gracefully through the room and stuck to the stranger’s box with a satisfying sticking noise. It lined up perfectly with the writing on the box, centred in the middle of one of the letters. If he’d been aiming for it, Finch would have been impressed with his shot. As it stood, he wasn’t sure how to respond.

Bullseye, I guess.

0000

Both men stood, frozen in time. All the sound had been sucked from the room, leaving only a thick silence. Neither was sure what to do to break it. Albert wanted speak - he really did. Wanted to laugh, introduce himself, settle in. However, his mouth was dry, and any words died before they could reach his throat, all systems at a standstill. He couldn’t even walk through the door for fear he would break the spell.

Why? Well, the man in front of him - his new roommate, the one holding the Nerf gun - was insanely hot.

He looked like a Renaissance painting. Classically beautiful, without being plain. A long thin face that reminded Albert distantly of a horse, smooth angles that caught the light and held it. Bright pearlescent teeth and unnaturally brown eyes. He looked as if he had stolen the light from the sun, soaking in its warmth and making it his own. All his brightness and sharpness was contrasted with his soft, green sweatshirt and bare feet, the picture of domesticity. All of it was at odds with the keenness of his shot, the Nerf gun still aimed dangerously at Albert’s chest. Nonetheless, every inch of him was beautiful.

Of all the things he’d been afraid of, falling in love with his roommate was the least expected.

He was suddenly a lot more worried about his first impression.

0000

He needn’t have worried: because on the opposite side of the dorm, the same things were going through Finch’s head.

Finch had always been a sucker for a redhead; the man in front of him, with his strikingly fiery curls, was no exception. Every line of his face was beautiful - from the creases around his eyes to his goofy grin. His eyes were a sweet brown, like Nutella or hot cocoa, deep and inviting. They caught the light like a Pokémon trainer catches them all. His lips were pulling slowly out of a grin into a shocked gape. Even in his confusion, he was breathtaking. His arms cradled his moving box like Cupid cradles his bow - invitingly and full of undiscovered love. His legs were obviously strong, judging by the way his jeans were stretched over them.

Finch couldn’t move or breathe or look away. He needed to lower his Nerf gun, introduce himself and explain, something, anything. Instead, he stood, transfixed and in awe. If this man were the moon, then Finch were the tides - unable to move without his say-so. His every thought was directed by this beautiful stranger.

His new roommate.

His roommate.

His.

That snapped him out of it.

0000

The beautiful stranger cleared this throat.

“Sorry!”

“Nice shot,” whispered Albert.

The stranger smiled, brushing the back of his neck. He spoke again.

“Uh, hi?”

Albert nodded. That was exactly what he’d been trying to say.

“Hi.”

A moments more of silence settled around them. Neither was entirely sure how to come back from that introduction, and both were too transfixed by the other to risk saying the wrong thing.

Albert eventually found his courage. Shuffling his moving box onto one arm, he extended his hand in greeting.

“I’m Albert.”

Tossing his Nerf gun to his bed, the stranger followed suit.

“Patrick, but the guys back home called me Finch.”

“Why 'Finch'?” Albert asked.

“I put a bird in the principal’s office 'cause he was homophobic,” the boy - Finch - shrugged, “It’s my greatest achievement to date.”

Albert didn’t know if he could fall more in love than he was already. His heart felt like it might explode. This adorable, Nerf-gun shooting, homophobe-hating man was all he could think about. He was distantly aware that he needed to bring his stuff in from the car, needed to put down the dildo box and unpack, but he was happy just standing in the doorway watching Finch.

However, his standing was misinterpreted by his new crush, who suddenly smacked his forehead and stepped to the side.

“Oh, sorry, I’m totally blocking the way. Come in.” He swept his hands to the side like a waiter, ushering Albert in.

He took his chance, stepping in and putting his box on the empty bunk. It tipped merrily onto one side, revealing another of Jack’s secret messages. Albert flopped his head back with a groan. Finch caught sight of the new scribble as well. He couldn’t help but chuckle.

Albert excused himself to get the rest of his boxes from the car, but also so he could get some fresh air. Finch was beautiful and badass. He was unlike any other guy Albert had met. If he blew his chance with him, well, he’d never forgive himself. He might be getting ahead of himself, but he kept wondering what Finch might look like in a tux and what song their first dance would be to. His mom had always called him a hopeless romantic, so had Jack. He was inclined to agree. He loved the idea of falling in love and marrying his favourite person ever, having a husband to share life’s moments with. And yeah, he’d only known Finch for ten minutes, but every fibre of his being seemed to think this guy was the perfect candidate.

He daydreamed all the way back to the dorm, trying to think of something charming to say to Finch. A pickup line? Or maybe some poetry. Where was Jack when you needed him? That man could charm the pants off of anyone. Although, from memory, he and Davey met when Jack accidentally tipped his paint water out over the art room balcony and all over Davey’s head.

As he stepped through the door of his dorm, he took a breath and prepared to ask Finch out. However, his new roommate was already speaking, pointing at the box on his bed.

“Okay, I gotta ask-“

“-It’s not dildos, I swear,” Albert cut him off.

“-who defaced your box?”

“Oh.” Wasn’t expecting that. “Um, Jack. Pain in my ass.”

Finch nodded, snickering, and gestured the box in Albert’s arms. This one read TIME MACHINE - DISASSEMBLED.

“So is he ya boyfriend or something?”

“Oh, fuck no.” Albert laughed - imagine him dating Jack, yuck - and clarified, “He’s sorta my brother? Lived next door to me and my Ma. He’s just up the hall now, helping Davey unpack.”

“Davey?”

“Jack’s boyfriend,” Albert shrugged. He wondered what Davey saw in Jack but decided not to think too hard. Davey was a least twice as smart as Albert would ever be; he would have his reasons. He expressed this to Finch, who laughed and offered a similar anecdote about a friend called Spot who was dating some extroverted Manhattan twink with a sarcastic streak a mile wide.

“They’re perfect for each other because no one can understand them,” Finch smiled, “the peanut butter and jelly of people.”

They continued to laugh and talk about their friends, bonding over their weird friends with weirder names.

Albert ducked out for more boxes. He moved every crass title from his car to his dorm, unpacking them as he went to discover their real contents. Finch offered the help him carry them back to his mom’s car when they were empty.

On the way, he asked about Jack’s prank again.

“So, Jack’s a prankster?”

Albert nodded, “Yeah, we’ve had a prank war going since the ninth grade.”

“War, huh?” Finch raised an eyebrow. “How you’re gonna get him back?”

“No idea yet, but it’s gonna be big.”

Finch was sure that it would be. He told Albert as such.

“Let me know if you’ll be wanting help,” he smiled, playfully elbowing his ribs, “I’m a sharpshooter, after all.”

Albert wasn’t sure how that would come in handy, but he filed it away for later use.

0000

In their first week together, they circled around each other, teasing and testing. It was an easy tension of learning each other’s habits and personalities.

As it turned out, Finch was a troublemaker. With his keen eye and trained aimed, he and his Nerf gun could wreak all kinds of havoc. Albert found himself stuck with more darts than he’d ever seen. He learned to listen for the quiet ‘snick’ sound of the gun being loaded, hyper aware of the bright orange darts as they landed around him.

Finch used his talents for good, sometimes, shooting bananas off the hand with a carefully modified ‘knife dart’ - which turned out to be a Nerf dart with a straightened out paper clip in it. He could also switch the lights off from his bunk with one flick of the trigger. Both were pretty cool tricks, but Al found himself loving Finch’s cheeky moves more.

He had returned to the dorm after class to find that Finch had used his posters as target practice, using strategically placed darts to block out certain letters and leave crude messages for him. The next day, he was greeted with a flurry of darts as he entered the room, Finch raining down on him with his most quick-firing gun. He also left Albert notes on the dorm door, where anyone could read them - thanks for letting me borrow your toothbrush! and Adam from the butt-lift place called - they can fix your pancake butt! and Where’s the haemorrhoid cream?

Albert loved it. In return, he reset Finch’s ringtones to weird and embarrassing sounds and short-sheeted his bed. He also stole Finch’s hats and sweatshirts, basically combining their wardrobes into one mega-wardrobe. He also replaced all of Finch’s stationery with sticks of gum, which turned out to be less of a prank and more of a genius ice-breaking hack.

They grew closer. All the pranks led to them getting to know each other’s likes and dislikes, their insecurities and routines. The more Albert learnt, the more he wanted to know. Finch was becoming his best friend. The crush he was nursing grew into a warm and unexplainable thing. Each passing day brought new moments of friendship and growth. Finch challenged him, distracted him, entertained him. He was bright and annoying, glued to his hip like a loyal puppy and floating around him. Albert grew to love his company, loved how he would ask questions while you studied - that was more helpful than he could have known, helping Albert to identify the gaps in his knowledge. Finch was the puzzle piece he had been missing.

Finch felt the same, although Albert didn’t know that. He loved the way that Albert would respond to his cheek and snark with jibes of his own. Albert enjoyed his pranks and put thought and time into retaliating. He was quieter than Finch, happy to just share the room with you without needing conversation to fill the void. He seemed to light up when Finch asked him questions, explaining the complex medical topics he was learning. He was full of adrenaline and grace, not often static. Finch found himself following Albert’s movements when he paced, drawn in. Albert was his muse. He couldn’t get enough of the beautiful redhead.

0000

At the opening of their second week, Albert returned to their dorm with a twinkle in his eye and a bagel in his hand. Finch, with Nerf gun in hand, shot a dart into the hole of the bagel.

“You!” Pointed Albert.

“Me?” Questioned Finch playfully.

“How would you like to help me get back at Jack?”

Finch nodded, “I’m in. What’s the play?”

As it turned out, Jack had planned a secret date for Davey. They hadn’t had a lot of time since coming to college, so Jack wanted to do something nice. He’d told Albert that he and Davey were going to have a picnic on the sports fields in the evening. Super romantic, at least it was supposed to be.

“I want to crash their party,” explained Albert, “but I need your help.”

He then explained that they needed a way to get in and out fast. If they lingered, Jack’s wrath would rain down upon them. Speed is of the element, Finchy, Albert had said. Luckily, Albert had become sort-of friends with one of the security guards. This guard, Denton, agreed to ‘accidentally’ leave the keys in one of the school’s golf carts for their use. As long as they returned it in one piece, no one would be the wiser.

“Where do I come in, Al?”

“I want you to get your best Nerf gun -one o’ those ones that shoot really fast. While I'm driving, I want you to spray ‘em with darts. I got some toilet paper to throw. I just didn’t think that was enough. Plus, you’ve got a wicked sense of aim. I could use a little help.”

It was a solid plan. Like Jack’s box prank, it wouldn’t hurt anyone. Albert assured him Davey would think it was funny too. He was almost as much a part of the war as Jack or Albert. If anything, he'd take it as an invitation to get his own revenge. No one’s day’s gonna be ruined.

“I’m your guy,” smiled Finch, “when do we start.”

“We ride at six. Wear something stealthy.”

0000

Six o'clock rolled around quickly. Finch had ducked out to the dollar store, picking up some more sticky darts. When he returned, he found Albert. His crazy roommate was dressed like a cartoon cat-burglar, complete with a black turtleneck and war paint. He was hastily stuffing toilet rolls into his backpack. They were armed to the teeth with Nerf darts, toilet paper, and biodegradable party confetti.

“Looking good, Al,” laughed Finch.

He was also dressed for the occasion, a mismatched all-black ensemble. He even opted for some fingerless gloves he saw at the store. He had never been one to half-ass a prank. Besides, going all out might impress Albert.

“Ready?”

“Born ready, Finch.”

“Funny, I thought you were born ‘Albert.’”

A roll of toilet paper hit him in the head.

0000

The plan was in motion.

Denton had left the cart parked by the dormitories. They were set to go, just waiting for confirmation that Jack was in position. Sure enough, Davey posted a sappy picture on his Snapchat story, toting Jack’s merits as a caring boyfriend. They were clearly on the sports field, spread out on an honest-to-goodness checked rug, picnic basket and all. The sunset painted pastel lines behind them.

As the light of sunset faded to night, they started up the cart. Crammed in with the ammo and a truly gigantic nerf gun, Albert and Finch were pressed into each other’s sides. Unbeknownst to them, both were enjoying the contact, pining for more than just the necessary contact of the cart. They drove at agonisingly slow speeds towards the sports fields, staying in the cover of the shadows of the campus. If they were caught, it would all be over. Luckily, the pair thrived on adrenaline.

Their trip to the sports fields was short and silent. Albert couldn’t help but hold his breath as if the sound of it might give their location away. It didn’t occur to him that the sounds of the cart would get them caught before his breathing would. Finch kept directing him with hand signals, guiding the cart through a maze of secret tunnels that kept them hidden.

Eventually, the great secrecy of it all got the better of them. Albert could picture them, both dressed like the bad guys in a cartoon spy movie, zooming through the campus with reckless abandon. They weren’t going fast at all - he thought it might not even bruise if he fell out of the cart. But here they were, leaning and ducking with each move as if they were in a Fast and Furious movie. Finch was holding onto the roof to stabilise himself. They were surrounded be a hoard of completely harmless weapons, yet they acted as if they were heading into a war. That last thought, along with the image of what they must look like, cause Albert to giggle.

Once.

Twice.

A snort.

Then Finch started.

Their silent voyage was overrun with laughter. Finch was shaking, trying to contain his sounds. Albert was hiccuping out barks of laughter. The noise grew until it drowned out the hum of engines. Try as they might, there was no stopping it. Tears filled Albert’s eyes. Finch took hold of the wheel and directed the cart as he snorted. They continued on, the most joyful caravan in the country. They couldn’t stop their noise until they saw the sports fields.

It was a bracing and sobering experience. Two weeks of thinking and planning had led them to this. The importance of their mission overcame their joy. They pulled their adrenaline back in, the noise level dropping below the noise of the cart. It was time.

The light from the fake tea light candles on the rug guided them. A moment of quiet and a few hand gestures revealed that there would be no way to sneak up on them. The cart was too big, the moon too bright. The element of surprise would be lost too quickly if they approached cautiously. Albert made the motion for ‘step on it’, pressing his palm out in front of him. Finch nodded. Mouthing the words, Albert counted down from three. He threw the golf cart into gear, shredding across the lawn at max speed.

The pickup in speed caused them both to shout. Any semblance of sneaking in was abandoned as Albert and Finch began a deafening war cry of whooping and cheering. They bounced across the field, the cart shaking with effort. One hand on the wheel, Albert loaded himself with a roll of toilet paper. Finch aimed his Nerf scope, fixed on the happy couple.

Jack caught sight of them too late.

“ALBERT!”

A shower of Nerf darts cut off his cries. Albert hit him square in the chest with a roll of paper. Davey, shocked and excited, burst out gleefully at the shower of multicoloured confetti, picking up handfuls and tossing them at his boyfriend.

The drive-by took only a few seconds. There was chaos as they unloaded all they had at Albert’s friends. It would long be remembered as the highlight of the whole prank war. The picnic rug, previously set out romantically with breadsticks and candles, was now littered with darts and rolls of paper and a sprinkling of reflective paper strips. It was glorious. Strangely, it looked like the leftover mess from a child’s birthday party. In Albert’s eyes, this was perfect revenge.

“That’s for the boxes, Kelly!” He screamed as they sped off.

The cart barrelled across the fields and out of sight, leaving Jack and Davey in its wake. The boys, happy with their successful mission, tore off into the night in fits of giggles once more. They didn’t stop until they were well out of sight. Only when they had pulled the cart to a stop outside the security office did they finally calm down.

Pressed close and sweating awfully, they breathed through the rush of adrenaline. The whole evening had come to a crescendo. They both smiled, calming down.

“That was awesome,” Albert laughed, “Thank you, Finchy.”

Finch slung an arm around him, “Always, Al.”

They stayed intertwined for a second. Albert liked the feel of being so close to Finch, tucked into his chest safe and warm. He didn’t want to pull away, but he was becoming more aware of how close they were. This was closer than friends. He was sure Finch knew that.

Pulling back, he looked to his roommate.

“Finch?”

“Hmm?”

He took a deep breath. It was now or never. He was going to say something.

“Would ya like it if we-“

He was cut off by Finch’s lips on his.

Oh, yeah, let’s do that.

His brain went offline, surprised by the kiss. Finch’s lips were dry from the cold night air but soft and cool against his own. He could feel the flush of Finch’s cheeks. He gasped through his noise - a noise of shock and approval.

Finch pulled back as he tried to reciprocate. He looked him cautiously in the eyes.

“I sure hope I didn’t read that wrong.”

Albert chuckled. He pulled him in by the shirt, nearly tipping Finch out of the cart with his enthusiasm. This kiss was perfect. Longer and deeper than the other, they were chest to chest by the end. They weren’t yet used to this motion, so their chins and noses bumped as they moved, prompting little giggles between their lips. It was the happiest kiss Albert had ever had. Finch was warm and close and all his for a few moments.

Finch bit his nip with a mock growl, pulling back to smile at him. Albert looked flushed and overwhelmed. However, the smile that split his face betrayed his emotions.

“I hope that’s my last first kiss ever,” Finch whispered.

Albert looked shocked, but his smile didn’t fade.

“Okay,” he nodded.

They tumbled out of the cart a minute later. They knew that wasn’t the end of it. Finch was sure he wanted to marry Albert, but there was more to do. They needed to get to know each other more and finish college and meet each other’s families. They weren’t at the end yet, but this was a damn good place to start.

They walked back to the dorm with hands intertwined. No matter what happened next, Albert knew this was the start of a beautiful life.

0000

He was right, too. He and Finch got married six years later, after college. Never had there been a better couple, better friends, or better lovers. They had grown into the most badass and unstoppable team.

They drove away from their wedding with cans tied to the back of a golf cart.

0000

Again, happy holidays and seasons greetings, @kathreestars. Hope this is everything you hoped for. Best wishes, Corbin.

#Newsies!#newsies secret santa #for @kathreestars #gift exchange 2020 #redfinch #Albert Dasilva/Finch #college AU

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brooklynislandgirl · 3 years

Note

📝 for the answering of applicable questions, please!

~Quietly, in the Lower Garden District~

~Colour~

The man behind the counter is ready to reach over and strangle her. She can see it in his expression, so put upon by each time she shakes her head and asks if she can have another sample made. She almost wishes he would try, he'd lose more than the hour that she's been at this. That might be uncharitable of her but the man reminds her of the kind of person who, when not wearing his little vest, is exactly the kind of person who sees Beth and Anakin walking down the street together and curls a lip, makes passing commentary to other middle-age white guys. Too poor, too weird, too questionably ethnic to suit them. The kind of person who would walk faster when it got dark, or would lock up before they could make it to a door. There's more of those than either one of them care to acknowledge, and the irony is almost delicious. Except that sometimes Anakin cannot help but to be very aware of that kind of prejudice and it really takes another chunk out of his self-confidence.

"Allow me to explain again," she says softly, in crisp and enunciated haole. "I said I want a very specific shade of blue. A hint of royal with a tinge of cadet number five. Then mix at the edges a touch of Prussian and just enough Turkish Steel to give that depth soft edges. Then overly sky atop it all. Or better yet, please find me a customer service specialist who can, in fact, understand what I am looking for because clearly? You're not it." That might be her fault, she does want to paint the living room the exact shade of Anakin's eyes.

~Song~

She doesn't play as well as Andy could, and she would never be a singer though she enjoyed it maybe because it was more about intent than execution, one of the few things that held true in absolute. And sometimes neither one really mattered when he folded himself up like an envelope just so he could rest his head against her chest and instead of plucking strings, she only ran fingers through his hair. He closes his eyes and she focuses hers across the back yard. Beyond the pool and past the grass. Colours blur and fade and there's a ripple of dissonance within the Tapestry to make a boundary between what is solid and inflexible and what is hidden in a space outside of the Tellurian. Words they don't use in every day conversation. She isn't quite singing now instead humming a tune that would reveal more than maybe they're ready to dive into. Other words they don't use, either. Her palm comes to rest on his brow as tender as she knows how. The other reaches around him to tuck one of the knitted blankets around him. He doesn't seem to mind the combination of warmth between herself and the acrylic, is maybe the only other person who could be cold in anything else less than 80 degrees and 90% humidity. It takes an infinite amount of patience, skill, and mana to redirect the rain to a different part of the city. He'll forgive her weariness even if he doesn't understand why she will go to bed early, sleep in late. And that's okay. He doesn't need to know. It's better if he doesn't, it would spoil the gift. 'Cause I'm gonna make this place your home.

~Scent~ The balcony door is open letting muggy air move sluggishly in through the French doors. Beneath her the bed is a little too stiff for comfort. Her laptop almost too warm as it rests on her thighs and only serves to remind her that she should probably get out of the charcoal grey suit she's wearing. She closes the screen and pulls her glasses off, raising them so they rest in her hair. Takes a sip of the wine she'd bought at...some store she won't remember the name of... but that came recommended by the bellhop.

She didn't have the forethought before leaving for Baton Rouge to steal borrow something to bring along. For reasons that she didn't want to explain because there's no very polite way to explain she's grown used to having him sleep beside her. That there's something soothing that comes wafting up from his skin the closer he gets, arm wrapped around her, leg half thrown over. At the end of a day there's his natural chemistry that mixes with clean laundry and cigarette smoke, something sweet and spicy from his preferred night cap. Sometimes there's blood. Sometimes the distinct smell of wood or metal from something he's working on for himself, the kind of tinkering that seems to bring him peace like nothing else can. There isn't an exact name for it but she can recognise it at a thousand paces. It makes her want to burrow furtively into his chest cavity and find some way to live inside of that newly hollowed out space. Maybe just thinking about it was all she needed. Maybe it's some new kind of magick trick. Regardless, she'd managed to doze off just long enough to be startled when the door of her hotel room clicks shut and he's there. Pulled out of her day dreams and turned into flesh. With exactly the kind of apologetic grin she's become as familiar with as she is the smell of him. "Guess, I jus' couldn't sleep." And she knows there's more going on behind the sheepish look, and the way he stands at a polite distance away, maybe waiting for permission. She doesn't say a word. Only turns down the previously pristine other side of the bed before slipping from hers. The white silk blouse hits the floor seconds before she disappears into the bathroom.

~Meme~ She eyes Anakin. Looks at her phone. Back and forth for five solid minutes before she just starts giggling. Which turns into a laugh.

~Sound~ It's those little sub-vocalisations that get her. Every near guttural groan, every single one of those breathless whimpers that cling to the edges of her senses soft as cobwebs or hard as thunder. There are so many layers between them, so much context to be drawn from even a half of a sigh. They are a siren song even if she doesn't know what rocks he wants her to dash herself on.

~Setting~

She cringes. "I don' wanna tell ya." He's helping her work on a psychological profiling assessment that's required of her continuing education class, which is all part of her professional development. But she's worried because it's going to sound incredibly racist, coming as it is not from a white-passing woman of colour but one of incredible privilege who absolutely knows what it's going to sound like. But she cannot resist the look of self-accusation and anxiety that creeps into his micro-expressions and doing anything else would feel incredibly dishonest. Something she doesn't want to foster in him. "Somewhere 'round sunset. Da bayou waddah look like it on fire. Dere's some soft Zydeco music goin' on in da backdrop. Air's hot an' heavy like steam 'tween lovers an' if ya real quiet, can hear da bayou jus' come alive wi' oddah souls. Dere's pirogues bobbin' along, an' you can smell some ono grindz cookin' somewhere. Spanish moss all hangin' down from cypress an' willow trees. A mixture of old spirituals an' dat beautiful, melodic pidgin dat get spoke down dere...I know is nevah really li'dat.... also make me t'ink of witch blood an' Mokole dat pass as gators... all dem ghosts an' da kine ya nevah can put ya finger on but dat give ya chicken skin jus' t'inkin' 'bout..." ~Fashion Style~

Clothes litter her floor. Flung without a care to their resting places. Some on the edge of her bed or the arm of a chair. Suits and jeans and tee-shirts. Undergarments and socks. Like some small hurricane exploded out of the closet, just with less water. There's sarongs too. Luau shirts that just aren't him. Shoes too. Finally, she steps back and examines her handiwork. A frame work of satin boxers that will caress the most delicate parts of him without bunching or pinching. An accent of which are picked up in the suit lapels and bow tie. White shirt, black buttons. Silver cuff-links. Socks that are thin as a Friday night prayer, and absolutely voluptuous Paolo Scafora oxfords in a blue so dark they look black at first glance, polished to a mirror gloss. Dior and Stefano Ricci. Famous labels from famous houses of style.

If the gala wasn't required...Anakin wouldn't be seeing the light of day and there'd be very different reasons the clothes would be laying scattered about.

But she kind of also misses that scruffy plain, slightly tattered tee-shirt and skinny jeans even she would have a hard time getting up past her own hips, and questionably aged converse. Aesthetically speakin, Anakin is ever clothing designer's wet dream and she has never wanted to be a circular scarf more in her life. "Wow. Jus'....wow." ~Feeling~

"Belonging."

It's all she says before she kisses him. Softly and sweetly, a little wet from a stray tear that slips down between their lips. Admitting this is admitting that maybe, just maybe, she loves him, too. Which puts a countdown on everything. Which means that he's going to find the wherewithal to leave her and to take with him every that makes her feel even the littlest bit real. She doesn't know if she'll survive the loss, so it's best that she make the most of it before he goes. ~Animal~ "If you were one dem changing breeds? You'd be a were-fossa. Dey are dese medium sized ....well. Dey kinda look like cats, but also...dey don't. Related to da civet but also like...mongooses. Mongeese? Wha'evah. Dey from Madagascar. Da Malagasy got kapu of a kind an' actually are sorta afraid of dem, an' wi' good reason...dey carnivorous ay-eff." She glances over. "Don' laugh! Dey beautiful an' rare an' I really like dem a lot. An' I'm not gonna tell ya any more about dem. Gonna make a new animal, an' call it a' Anakin." There is every possibility that she will do this. Some day.

~Holiday~ Christmas. It will always be Christmas. Not the lights and snow and carollers, though there's plenty of that to go around. Not the chill and dank air, not the interminably long night, not even because of gifts. It's not a childhood of Santa surfing or canoeing, and it isn't sandcastles and malasadas left by the lanai doors from Hawai'i, either. Maybe it's a touch of the peace and goodwill often associated with the season, and how he came to find her when he needed her the most. But if she had to give just one reason, it's that he brought her back a sense of wonder that she'd thought was lost when her world had shattered. He took something terrible and turned it into something beautiful. That isn't an ordinary, every day kind of magick and she doesn't know how she will ever be able to express her love and gratitude for him.

"Wha'ya t'ink about mebbe da Bahamas dis year? Get out of da city for a lil while, I promise I won' make ya go for da beach."

~Season~

When Beth thinks of seasons, she thinks of it being a mainland phenomenon. Her own islands only really have two: Kau from May to October, where everything is beautiful and averages about 85 degrees give or take, and Ho'oilo from November to April when the best tides bring in the biggest waves. It's only cooler by about ten degrees. Which is maybe why she always feels so cold so far away from home. And why she likes it here so much. She knows other places have as many as six seasons, broken up into more agricultural and solar tied patterns of weather and climate and sometimes even just spiritual nature. But taking all of Anakin into account, she would have to say... "Monsoon. It's da time of life-giving rains. But also it can be dangerous for the same reason. Cool but lingers along your skin. An' it's somet'ing I keep wi' me always, waitin' for it."

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thefandomsinhalor · 4 years

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Title: Let Your Heart Be Light

Author: thefandomsinhalor

Fandom: Supernatural

Pairing: Castiel/ Dean Winchester

Summary:

On Christmas Eve, five-year-old Dean meets a boy of the same age, named Castiel. With every passing year, their friendship blossoms, and soon, Dean knows that he is drawn to his friend more deeply he’d like to admit.

The question is: will he do something about it before it’s too late?

Read on AO3

(I will update throughout the month)

Read Chapter One below :)

Chapter One: Thursday, December 24th, 1998

“Dean, honey, what do we say?”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome! Ho-ho-ho!”

The man pretending to be Santa Claus amicably bopped Dean’s head before walking away to the next couple of children standing by, awaiting their present.

Yes, Dean Winchester, despite being five-year-old, wasn’t fooled by this imposter. He knew this man couldn’t possibly be the real one.

It was quite simple, really. It was late afternoon, he hadn’t climbed down the chimney, nor had he any cookie or milk laid out for him.

And then, there was the gift in question.

Dean didn’t want to seem ungrateful, as he knew his mother wouldn’t like it, but he had been very specific in his letter to Santa.

And there was no way this flat, though large, box contained the very intricate race track set he had begged for.

But that was fine. As he had concluded, this man wasn’t Santa. He was just pretending. Like the one at the mall. Or the one near the video store.

No. The real Santa was yet to come.

“Don’t you want to know what you got?” his father asked him.

Glancing around him, Dean realized that nearly every child had already torn open the wrappings and were enjoying their Christmas surprises. Fire trucks. Coloring books. Dolls and soldier toys. Even Sammy, sitting on his mother’s lap, was hugging a cute teddy bear.

Feeling the stare of both his parents on him, Dean began tearing off the metallic blue and silver wrapping, which had snowflakes of various shapes on it, and was left staring at his present, puzzled once he had opened the box.

He had no idea what he was looking at. It was a thin layer of material, of a bright yellow color, with adorable bees depicted on it, stretched across a wooden frame, and a string attached to it.

“Oooh, that’s nice,” said Mary gleefully.

Noticing his confused state, John asked him, “Do you know what this is, Dean?”

Frowning, he shook his head at his father.

“It’s a kite,” he said kindly. “You make it fly.”

Dean lowered his eyes to look at his present again.

“Like in Mary Poppins,” said Mary. “You remember?”

He nodded.

“Next time we go to the park,” said John, “we’ll try it. Or even when we visit Uncle Bobby. He certainly has the open fields around his house for it.”

A grown-up, one of many present swarming around in the house, then called out to Dean’s parents. It was a nice lady named Tamara who smiled at Dean and wished him Merry Christmas.

“Isaac is somewhere in the parlor talking with Rufus and Bill Harvelle. They were asking for you, John,” she said to Dean’s father.

“Bill?” said Mary. “Did he and Ellen bring little Joanna with them?”

“That’s what he said. I was just on my way to find them.”

Keeping Sam in her arms, Mary stood up from her seat, scanning the room for her friend.

“I’ll go check on Isaac and the others, and then I’ll catch up with you to see Ellen and the baby,” said John, smiling at his wife’s eagerness to see the newborn. He then turned to his son. “Do you want to say hello with me, Dean? Or would you prefer going with Mom, Sammy and Tamara?”

Dean shrugged. Talking to grown-ups wasn’t exactly what he considered a thrilling activity. Of course, there were exceptions.

Due to his lack of enthusiasm, however, his mother then suggested, “How about you stay here with the other children?”

Another questionable prospect, thought Dean.

Most of the kids in the living room, laughing and playing with their new toys, seemed much older than he was.

And more importantly, he didn’t really know any of them.

The celebration, which Dean and his family were taking part in that day, had been hosted by Mr. Donatello Redfield, one of Dean’s neighbors.

Except for when John had raked his lawn in the fall, a task dutifully assisted by Dean—though he had mainly played in the pile of dead leaves while his father had done most of the work—Dean hadn’t had much interaction with Mr. Redfield.

He remembered that he had been very generous at Halloween when he and Sam had stopped by his house. Mr. Redfield had given them enormous delicious candy bars. And Dean also recalled him letting him taste his spicy chicken wings on the Fourth of July, in the previous summer.

But nothing much beyond that, and especially during Christmastime. For reasons unknown to Dean, Mr. Redfield didn’t make a fuss of the holidays. He typically travelled somewhere exotic and returned home in the new year with a sunburn on his nose.

This year, however, had been different. For health-related reasons, or so Dean had heard, Mr. Redfield had been recommended to pause his travels, and given his holiday habits, many of his concerned neighbors feared he would feel lonely and had wanted to keep him company.

So, due to numerous dotting neighbors, friends and colleagues showing up at his doorstep throughout the months of November and December, Mr. Redfield had decided to host a Christmas family-friendly party on Christmas Eve to thank everyone.

His first ever.

The crowd was merry. Laughter and cheers from children and adults alike filled the entire house.

But despite the jolly vibe in the air and the numerous children present, Dean hadn’t been too keen on exploring on his own.

When he told his parents why that was, his mother said, “That’s a good thing, sweetie. It means you can make a new friend. Okay?”

Assessing his mild hesitation, after he had glanced apprehensively at the other children, she pointed out that he had nothing to worry about and that if he was shy, he could start by joining another of their neighbors. For example, Mrs. Missouri, a kind and generous woman, was comfortably sitting in a rocking chair, telling a story to a few children gathering around her, and listening with attention and with wide eyes, near the fireplace.

Suddenly determined to prove that he was not shy, Dean shook his head and said, “I’ll go play with the others, first.”

Even if he really wanted to say hello to Missouri as well.

“Alright, buddy. Do you want me to hold this for you while you do that?” said his father, pointing at his kite, but Dean expressed that he wanted to keep it with him.

And without further ado, young Dean turned on his heels and joined the group of children, searching for a new friend.

He was briefly tempted to approach a joyous girl with a blond ponytail and a sheriff’s hat that was too big for her. She was laughing with her friend who had a very strange haircut. His hair was very short in the front, but really long in the back. They were playing Connect Four, which Dean enjoyed playing.

He changed his mind, however, when a bunch of older children swooped by, running around, taking a lot of space.

Feeling somewhat intimidated by them, Dean briefly glimpsed back to the spot where his parents and his brother had been a moment ago.

But they were no longer present, as he knew they wouldn’t be.

He swallowed hard and decided to go near the large window across the room to avoid the bigger kids. He kneeled next to the Christmas tree, taking in the overwhelming scent of pine and cinnamon, and observed the room from this new angle, holding on tightly to his kite.

Everyone else seemed to know each other and blissfully occupied themselves with their toys.

Which made sense, thought Dean, as their toys could be enjoyed in their current environment.

Unlike Dean’s.

“Hello.”

Dean looked up.

A boy his age and height, with bright blue eyes and thick, wavy dark hair, was suddenly standing right in front of him. He was wearing a green knitted sweater with an angel on it and his socks were different colors.

“Hi.”

“Do you want one?” the boy asked politely.

He was holding a square box against him with one hand.

And then, Dean’s eyes fell on what the boy was presenting him with his other hand.

Star-shaped sugar cookies.

“For me?”

The boy nodded.

After Dean accepted his generous offer, the boy sat next to him and they both ate their treats next to each other.

“What did you get?” he asked Dean, nodding at what he was holding.

Pursing his lips, Dean showed him his kite. Expecting the boy to be as disappointed as he was, he was then stunned to see the boy’s eyes widen.

“You’re so lucky,” he told him.

“You think so?”

“I like bees,” he said, after nodding. “And kites are fun.”

“I’ve never had one before.” Eyeing the box that the boy had rested next to him, he said, “What’s yours?”

And the boy slid himself closer to Dean to show him.

Right next to him.

They delicately opened the box together.

And to Dean’s delight, the boy retrieved a giant rainbow slinky.

“Whoa! That’s so cool. Can we play with it?”

“You like it?”

His eyes glued to it in adoration, Dean nodded.

“Do you want it?”

Young Dean blinked. “What?”

“We can exchange, if you want.”

“Really?”

And moments later, both boys were content with their new presents. Dean certainly believed that he had gotten the better end of that deal. At that thought, a mild pit grew in his stomach, not unlike when he sometimes lied to his mother about brushing his teeth.

Feeling uneasy that he had perhaps taken advantage of his new friend’s generosity, he asked him, “Are you sure you don’t want the slinky? It’s really fun and the colours are nice. It was yours first. I—if you changed your mind, it’s okay.”

But the adorable boy in question did not mind. In fact, he informed Dean that the main reason why he was so keen on having the kite was because his brother had one of his own. So now, he would be able to accompany him to the park without having to constantly ask him to share.

Reassured—not to mention, very glad to know he could keep his rainbow slinky—Dean said, “I have a brother too. He’s younger than me.”

“I have more than one brother. I have three. They’re all older than me.” The boy hadn’t said it with as much enthusiasm as Dean had. His brief morose expression disappeared though, and a warm grin spread on his face when his eyes met Dean’s.

His bright blue eyes staring back at him.

“What’s your name? I’m—” started saying the other boy, but he was cut off by an impeccably dressed teenager, who had stopped right in front of them.

“Castiel, there you are. Come, now. We have to go.”

Dean’s new friend shook his head vehemently at the teen. “No. I want—I just made a friend. Can I stay a little longer? Please?”

“Aunt Naomi said we have to leave now or we’ll be late.”

“Michael, please? I’ll—”

“She asked me to find you. I found you, now come on.”

“Michael,” hissed a woman. “It’s time to go—Gabe, stop! You’re making me dizzy.”

A child with sandy hair, not much older than Dean and Castiel, was running relentlessly around her, chortling and unspent.

“Castiel, say goodbye.” And his brother presented him his hand, signalling to him that he had to leave immediately.

He turned facing Dean and said softly, “Goodbye.” And added, waving at him, “Thank you for the kite. I love it.”

“Bye.” And Dean thanked him as well.

He watched his new friend walk away towards his family members, a large group, mostly consisting of older kids and adults, and disappeared through the crowd.

Feeling lonely once more, Dean was suddenly sad when he realized that he never had the chance to tell him his name.

He comforted himself, however, that he had caught the boy’s name and was eager to tell his parents of his new friend and the very first Christmas present he had ever received from a friend.

And that was the day Dean had met his best friend Castiel Novak. His best friend of many years to come. And one day, perhaps, something more.

Read on AO3

(where I will update throughout the rest of the month)

#Destiel fanfic #spnpetra #destiel fluff #spn fic #SPN xmas #kid fic #growing up #my fanfic #spn fandom #spn fam #spn family

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snowslasherr · 5 years

Text

here's a little something i’m making for all of you because you deserve it ♥️ if you don’t have a valentine you have all of these babies and me as well ♥️ i love you all so much, stay safe and take care of yourselves! i'm sorry if this is too short to be a holiday special :')

i'll add a read more thing later im sorry for clogging up ur dash

Dwight Fairfield

poor boy he'd be so nervous

dwight's really good at keeping track of the days in the fog, so he'd have extra time to prepare

he just wants to make you happy : )!!

he'll nervously tug at your sleeve at the campfire. go along with it and follow him blease

after near 20 minutes of walking in the woods you were about to ask where you're going, but before the words slip out of your mouth you see what he's been leading you to

a couple dark vines are concealing a small space, with a little creek running through the middle. the trees loomed over it, much taller than some of the other trees. crows were settled on some branches but flew away when you stepped in. the whole area was littered with flowers that dwight had planted himself, with the help of claudette. he wanted to make the perfect spot just for you.

"do you like it?"

what a stupid question. of course you like it. smh ❤

theoretically you can both sit there for hours, but trials get in the way. either way, it's perfect. he's perfect.

although he wasn't expecting anything from you it was a pleasant surprise when you whipped out a little gift. you'd gotten meg to help you force convince danny to let her borrow his camera, so she could take pictures of you both. of course, dwight didn't know this

meg was a surprisingly good photographer. the photos weren't blurry and they would make a good gift even in the normal world.

when you gave them to him he teared up and spent the next half hour quickly stuttering out how much he loves and appreciates you : )

Meg Thomas

oh boy

meg is a lil bundle of energy

you'll just be chilling at the campfire, maybe lounging around talking to nancy or jeff, when meg just nyooms in and grabs your hand. you squeak and she just starts zooming away, dragging you along with her.

meg tends to keep her offerings in a secluded place (a hollow tree trunk) because sometimes the other survivors tend to get the offerings mixed up. unfortunately, meg found this specific tree while on a run. she looked like she was having the time of her life, her braids flying behind her. she was fast.

she finally stopped and you could have a well deserved break. but that break was unfortunately cut short, because meg only stopped to pick up a small photo, before she burst back into a run.

when you got back to the campfire, she barely looked phased. you were panting, trying to catch your breath, and she looked relatively calm. she slipped the photo into the fire and then skipped off to the woods with you, to avoid passing out in front of the others.

when you woke up, the both of you were in the ormond resort. the entity had accepted the offer. you didn't even want to ask how she'd gotten the legion to stay out of their realm for you two

neither of you were dressed properly, but like almost everything in the fog, the temperature was fake.

which led to the most obvious situation

snowball fight!

she's so extra with it. she'll build a whole fort while you're pelting her with snowballs, paying no mind to it.

she makes it so big that you could hide in her fort and attack her with snowballs from the inside.

eventually, the girl gets worn out. it takes a while. but she still wants to keep going, so you two make snow angels with connected wings.

after you're both too tired to do anything else, you're pulled back to the campfire, grinning and tired

Claudette Morel

sweet baby. absolute sweetie.

smol lil claudette just pokes you on the arm, gesturing for you to follow her.

of course, you do. don't deny her she's babey

she's taking you down a long homemade path that you've never seen before. maybe because claudette spent hours between trials clearing it out just for this day, and finished it before she came to get you.

Jake Park

he didn't really have big plans for valentines day. dwight reminded him and he kinda just shrugged it off

he probably won't ever have a huge celebration for valentines day, it's not his style. he's a chill guy.

he'll probably sit with you in a clearing near the forest, holding his arm out for the crows to perch on, and showing you how to do that as well

he'll want to just lounge around, comfy day. you wanna get up? nah. comfy day. not today amigo.

consider yourself extremely special if he gives you a bouquet. it's rare, but he might!

the crows will dance around and bob their heads when you cuddle. they don't know what they're doing but let's just say they support your relationship. he totally didn't train them to do that.

he cares, kind of. he knows it's a day to be sappy but again, not really his style. he'll take the opportunity for a bit of affection though.

Nea Karlsson

nea has been planning this for a while, lets say.

every trial that you go in without her is an opportunity! she's been making a detailed mural with the few spray paints she's been allowed by the entity.

she's sure you'll be proud of her. and to top it all off, she finished just in time for valentines day. what a coincidence!

after you get back from a surprisingly laid back trial, you don't get a chance to rest before nea's smiling and telling you to follow her. you complain for a moment, but gave in anyway. you always do

she jumps over a couple logs and puddles, before coming across a couple lone brick walls. they look like nothing at first, but then you walk around to the other side.

nea's smirking as you're in awe, looking at her and then the mural.

"it's beautiful," you whisper, eyes shining. "but not more beautiful than you."

she does a complete double take at the cheesy generic line. she crosses her arms, looking away. but you can see the smile that she was trying to hide. she looked so pretty when she smiled.

Laurie Strode

she'll organize a little something :)

if you can imagine a party room, maybe one similar to one you'd see at a young kids birthday party, that's the kind of thing she'd set up.

it's just a comforting and safe scene, so she thought it'd be best

she collected a lot of offerings for this, please like it : (

she would've baked something but there's no ingredients in the fog besides corn

if you want corn though go for it

it has the vibes of one of those really good cookies from Walmart or something (okay i googled it they're called lofthouse cookies)

in the end she just wants a comfy safe environment,, it's so nice compared to the brutal things that happen in trials

Ace Visconti

do not let this man near flowers or anything of the sort. he'll take a bunch and

so cheesy

he'll take some random thing off the ground that looks cool (like a dandelion or a shiny rock) and say it's a luck charm, and pass it to you.

ace, handing you a flower tied to a funky rock with a piece of grass: happy valentines day :)

he'll set up a whole area beside the campfire for you two and if anyone steps into it he'll kick them out

if he finds a heart shaped rock he'll riot and get nea to spray paint it red. ultimate luck charm. because it's a reminder of him.

Feng Min

small little gamer :)

i'm convinced feng will take you on a romantic trip to taunt killers

myers is tired of it. susie thinks you guys are cute. evan is not having a good time. sally is supporting you. it's chaos

feng is just holding your hand, walking you around the autohaven wreckers. philip is cloaked and is too scared to be hit in the face with a pallet to uncloak.

feng is really short and she's climbing on things to be taller than you, just for the fun of it.

piggy back rides!! she loves piggy back rides. yeehaw

pick her up and carry her around? heart eyes motherfucker

Quentin Smith

aw what a cutie

he forgot about valentines day, but no fear! you didn't

after you guys swim he'll act like he's really tired so that he can rest his head on your lap. you know he's lying cause he keeps silently laughing as if he's a genius sneaky trickster

when you just happily say happy valentines day he's like 😳

he panics

just reassure him it's fine and you did something!

he's still upset about forgetting, but he's quickly distracted by you.

you've found a secluded spot in the woods, the only disturbance being the occasional core popping in to see what's up

you set up a blanket fort. you'd burned quite a few offerings for this. it worked out better than you expected it to, and you were pretty happy with it overall.

you spent as much time there as you could before being pulled into a trial

the time spent together made up for the offerings burned

Kate Denson

both of you set it up together

you stayed at the campfire, nothing crazy

kate played her guitar, and she showed you how to play a song or two (assuming you don't know how to already)

if you want to sing you are welcome to :)

kate will encourage you all the way even if you sound like nails on a chalkboard

she'll make anyone who comments negatively on your voice have a time out. no questions asked. they're older than her? don't care time out.

it's just,, nice and cozy,, and uninterrupted by trials

Jeff Johansen

big cuddly man!

like nea he'll also do something art related!

but it'll still be unique of course

instead of a mural, he'd do a small-ish but still breathtaking painting.

the rest of your day would be spent just chillin. if you're unlucky enough to be ripped into a trial, he'll bring a toolbox to get out as soon as possible. yknow. for more chillin.

Jane Romero

she'd be pretty extra

again, meg would force convince danny to let her use her camera. she'd have a big photoshoot, as best as she can with the limited resources. claudette would set up a scene, and you and jane would pose for the pictures

they turned out really good!

jane keeps them in a secure place and she won't tell you where if you say anything negative about how you looked. not risking it babe!

(phew finally done! i'm super sorry i was a couple survivors short, i didn't wanna burn myself out. if you like it please reblog? i made this in less than 24 hours to surprise you guys. i hope this is a decent special!)

#the killers fear meg #she is too powerful #that took so long #i'm sorry guyssss it's not the best but i worked hard on it #i'll do the killers another day #dbd survivors #my writing

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sheepyships-archive · 4 years

Note

what if you.....answered all of them......for tsuki 😳 — @cringyalienships

t...tsukishima?? oh my fuckin god ofc scout you know me so well. thank you for sending an ask! @cringyalienships (gonna be answering w my self-inserts/ocs bc they’re basically me just look not like me shhdgsj-)

strawberry: before getting together, how did your F/O realize they had a crush on you? How did they act around you once they realized they were head over heels?

uhh, well, it’s tsukishima, it was probably something that built up that he tried to repress it and brush it off like it was nothing, but when he couldn’t and he realized it was romantic feelings, he was probably like, “fuck my life.” and he couldn’t bring himself to hate aika for it, because she was just being herself and doesn’t have control over his feelings. as much as he wanted to avoid her, or be cold to her, he also couldn’t bring himself to do that either(he believed that he didn’t deserve her(BRUH), but even though he thought that, he wouldn’t go out of his way to hurt her to make her avoid him), so he just continued on with life, but eased up with teasing her than with others, and even joked with aika to try and get closer. he just waited to see any signs of her feeling the same way. (LET KEI TSUKISHIMA BE SOFT 2020 I WILL FIGHT ON THAT)

rose petal: what traditions do you and your F/O share?

for holidays, they definitely celebrate halloween together, aka: aika forces tsukishima to wear a costume while saying “i got this for you with my money, you have to wear it” and he just groans and puts it on reluctantly while complaining. but usually they go to a store and buy a bunch of candy instead of going house to house(they both agreed that it's better if they just went and bought candy than walking around for two hours). occasionally they will hang out with some of the others. just normal traditions between them are probably doing things like listening to music together, or talking about music or suggesting/showing music and bands to each other(this happens a lot more than they like to admit), and this can go on for HOURS.

cherry vanilla: how does your F/O show their affection for you?

they both show it in small ways in public by helping with schoolwork/studies, sharing earbuds, even just looking at each other, they don’t want a bunch of people to flock around them just to ask about their relationship, so they aren’t super affectionate. but when they are alone, they act like they’ve been touch-starved for their entire lives, and are basically holding onto or resting on the other at every moment, and a lot of the time they nap or spend the night at each other’s houses. but, whenever either of them get hurt, whether they’re in public or not, they will immediately go to them and patch them up/help them feel better the best they can(whenever tsukishima’s hands get injured while playing volleyball, she’ll kiss the spots that hurt, and tsukishima will kiss the callouses on aika’s hands from playing guitar, or any other injuries or scars).

coconut mango: what mementos do you and your F/O treasure?

they definitely cherish letters/origami crafts they give each other(aika makes origami gifts for tsukishima, tsukishima writes letters, i don’t make the rules). but the one they both treasure the most is a small dinosaur plushie that aika was able to get at an arcade, which she secretly bought with the arcade tickets that she won. as they were leaving she looked at tsuki and said, in the most serious tone she could muster, “i have to admit something to you.” at first this kinda freaked him out at first until she took out the dinosaur plushie with a huge grin, that earns her a glare and a elbow jab to the shoulder which made her laugh. aika always brings it to tsukishima’s house with her and he teases her about it.

nectarine: do you and your F/O live together? If so, what does your living space look like?

while they don’t live together at the moment, they definitely plan on living in a small apartment and aika has more experience in getting an apartment and living in one. they kinda just knew their plans without ever talking about it, and when aika does mention it to him, he just says, “i mean, it doesn’t need to be a mansion or a big house, we don’t need a whole lot. i definitely don’t, just you... and your snake.” aika falls in love for a second time, but also smacks his chest and is like, “YOU JUST WANT ME FOR MY SNAKE!!!” which makes them both laugh.

pineapple: what toppings does your f/o like on their pizza? what about you?

tsukishima is the basic bitch who would only like plain cheese on his pizza(i can’t say much though), and that’s it, he thinks it’s too much of a hassle to ask for extra shit on his pizza. aika likes those burger pizzas, where they have burger shit on a pizza, she is in love with it and tsukishima definitely makes fun of her for it and they get into small debates about which is better.

lemon sorbet: does your F/O get jealous easily?

i don’t see tsukishima getting jealous easily, and if he does, it’s rare. he knows that aika is SUPER loyal to him and their relationship, and would probably insult someone if they tried to get her to break up with tsukishima or if they began to flirt with her(something she definitely adopted while being with tsuki), and he’d never do it to her either and doesn’t see the point in doing it when he has a girlfriend who he cherishes a lot. they are both head over heels for each other.

key lime: how would you describe your self-ship’s aesthetic?

tsukishima literally IS the smart cocky kid aesthetic, blonde bitch boy, but with the glasses. now aika is literally an emo but also a chaotic mom friend, but she also has a pinch of pastel goth. both together they probably have the intimidating “we look like nerds, but we could beat you up, and we will depending on the situation.” but they’re also super chill so they won’t unless it’s necessary(aika will throw hands for tsuki if you push her to that point, so don’t test her).

pistachio: when was the last time that you or your F/O cried during a movie?

one night aika probably brings over the land before time(my childhood movie it is so good) and forces tsukishima to watch it, and after some convincing they do. at the hella sad scene at the start(if you know you know), as they’re watching it aika starts to tear up, and buries her face into tsuki’s shoulder to hide it, but her crying was a mix of the scene being sad, and it reminding her of past shit that happened. tsukishima realizes she’s crying and before he thinks about teasing her, he realizes that it’s not just because of the movie and just hugs her instead while pausing the movie, waiting for her to calm down. but after she does, he teases her jokingly to try and make her laugh, it works, of course. (you can see where the angst side of me came out)

matcha: what kind of gifts does your F/O give you? Are they always buying you little presents or do they invest only in larger items for birthdays or holidays?

they’re never really buy gifts unless it’s a special occasion, but most of the time they’ll make playlists for each other since they both like music, and like i said before, aika gives me the vibes that she would make origami-themed things and break into tsuki’s locker and leave them there, or she’ll just leave them on his desk, or in his room, etc. OH AND AND!! whenever the earbuds/headphones they have break, they definitely end up with a new pair by the end of the day with a note that says ‘try not to break these ones, love you. <3′.

blue moon: is your F/O very routine-oriented or do they like to go with the flow? How routine-oriented are you?

tsukishima is semi-routine-oriented, go to school, go to volleyball club, go home, study, listen to music, sometimes it’ll change depending on what happens or what is occurring in the future. he probably doesn’t mean to do it on purpose and doesn’t stress over a schedule, it’s just what comes to him naturally. with aika, she just goes with the flow, she used to be more heavily routine-oriented in middle school because she was more popular then and felt pressured to be “perfect”, and went through life on a schedule. but after meeting the people she hangs out with in highschool(aka monti), she fell out of it and began to just, not really care?

cotton candy: post the last picture of your F/O that you saved!

i don’t think y’all realize how much i love this and how many times i have this picture and the gif saved, it’s not healthy.

teaberry: where would you like to travel with your F/O someday?

honestly, they probably try to look up museums to go to that are more based around dinosaurs and dinosaur fossils, where they are, how much it would cost to go there, etc. they want to make sure everything is perfect if they do ever travel anywhere. but honestly, even if everything went wrong, they would both probably think it was perfect anyways because they’re together.

raspberry swirl: how does your F/O cheer you up when you are feeling down?

usually whenever aika is feeling down out in public, even if they’re in the same room, tsukishima will shoot her a text with a link to a song he found with a text that reads: ‘reminded me of you, i hope you know that i’m here if you need someone to talk to. i love you.’ after sending it, he watches her reaction and relaxes when he sees her smile and look at him. but in private, he’ll hug her from behind and hold her, letting her do what she needs to do to feel better, whether it’s crying, sitting there in his arms, hugging him back, etc. after awhile he’ll start to kiss her face, shoulders, hands while mumbling ‘i love you’ after every kiss. then afterwards he’ll say, “this stays between us.” and this makes aika almost cry laughing.

red velvet: what is your favorite food to bake with your F/O?

they for sure make cookies together, specifically chocolate chip cookies, they both agree that chocolate chip is the best and make them together. usually, it’s tsukishima doing most of the cooking because aika is goofing off, or gettng distracted by her friends, and she will definitely steal cookie dough and be sneaky about it, but tsukishima catches her EVERYTIME, even when he’s not looking he just knows, and can sense it. but when they finish, they are super good and aika always praises him about it. aika also definitely makes tsukishima dino-themed treats and food in general, which makes tsukishima glare at her and say, “y’know i like other things, right?” and aika just shrugs and comments, “dinosaurs and reptiles remind me of you, sooooo...”

OH MY FUCKING GOD IM SORRY THIS IS SO LONG AND TOOK ME SO LONG TO TYPE UP I GOT VERY DETAILED AND LIKE MULTIPLE TIMES I HAD TO STOP AND CALM DOWN BC I AM SO IN LOVE WITH THIS DUDE LIKE JWJWHRFJHWERJ???? ANYWAYS I HOPE YOU LIKE IT!!!!!!!!!

#sylvie . answers ➷#sylvie . rambles ☙#🌕 fill . the . void 🎧#hq!!#haikyuu!!#👾 scout .#sylvie’s f/o ask game 1!!

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razorblade180 · 5 years

Text

Seasons Beatings

[The Void, Vytal tournament ring]

Everyone falls into a random seat. Their weapons right beside them and they are wearing their actual clothes for a change. Lucas checks his katana before putting it on his left hip. Jael examines his baggy Belladonna purple fisherman pants and smoky gray tank top. She’s really into his sneakers that match the whole outfit.

Jael:Yep, definitely a Menagerie kid. Fashionable yet functional.

Lucas:You know it. Why are we?

Jael:Beats me? I don’t hear a test commencing. Also this place is usually blank so this is uncharted territory.

A few rows above them in the north bleachers. is Valerie in a light brown coat with fur around the collar, sleeves, and bottom rim. Underneath is a pink shirt with a white lightning pattern that makes it look like it’s cracking. Navy blue tights and light brown fur boots complete the look.

Valerie:Sup guys.

Jael and Lucas:.....

Valerie:It’s not real fur you two so relax. Geez, so touchy. *smiles*

Lucas:Well....

Jael:You can never be too sure. Did you bring us here?

Valerie:Never been here before in my life.

Nicholas and Summer sit on the opposite side with Tenzen right behind them in th south bleachers.

Tenzen:Hey you two. What’s shaking?

Nicholas:Ooh you know, school.

Summer:Skipping school.

Tenzen:Those are two very different things but I respect both sides. I was in the middle of a nap but this is way more interesting. Anyone see Yujin?

Yujin:I’m over here Tenzen!

He looks to the right and sees her jumping and waving in the west bleachers. Sienna and Jacquelyn sit next to her.

Yujin:You think he can hear me?

Sienna:I’m pretty sure you can just go sit next to him if you miss him.

Yujin:*blushing* Pfft I don’t miss him. I’m just letting him know I’m around.

Yujin:Sssshhh!

Jael:Anyone notice the disturbing lack of Carmine?

Everyone:.....

Valerie:Come now, there’s no way she’s apart of this. Carmine never wants to participate she just naps and brags about being strong.

Spotlights immediately shine down on each of them before spinning around the stadium. They converge in the middle as the platform rises. The giant screens turn on to focus on it. The sound of tapping echoes through the room and keeps everyone’s attention on the middle. They can’t believe their eyes; specifically Valerie. Carmine stands in the middle tapping her right foot and a confident smile clear as day in her face.

She’s wearing calf high combat boots that match her sand colored cargo shorts that stop just below her belly button. Red tear away sleeve hug her arms to show off her toned arms and stop righ before her shoulders. Everyone can see her flat stomach with the red crop top she has on and makes the tips of the X shape scar on her back visible. It’s hard to make out from a distant the Arc crest is visible to Yujin right above her left hip. Around her neck is a silk scarf that matches the same sandy yellow as her bottoms. Despite all that, it was hard not to notice her red contacts were out and the decent sized curved blade on her back that looks like it was dragged right out a video game. It sort resembled a dorsal fin with knicks on the outside of it. The handle had worn bandages on it it and connected to a circular piece before the blade actually started. Last but not least, black fingerless gloves.

Carmine:Hello every-

Tenzen:No combat skirt?

Valerie:No hood?

Carmine:It gets pretty windy and hot in Vacou so no to both of things.

Tenzen:But you’re a Rose!

Valerie:Yeah a hood would be perfect for the sun beaming on you too.

Carmine:My last name doesn’t mean I have to- stop ruining my entrance! I set all this up and this is what you say?

Yujin:I think you look awesome!

Carmine:(At least one person cares) As I was saying, hello everyone. Enjoying the holidays? Well it’s getting better. I’ve decided to be less secretive around you bunch and give y’all what you wanted. A proper match.

Everyone:Eyes widened

Carmine:You heard me. Think of it as my gift. Each one of you will enter the ring one at a time and we’ll show off our skills. Aura matches are too long. So you can also win by ring out or a lethal pin. Don’t worry about tiring me out either. Each match restores all of us to peak condition after fighting. In other words.....

Lucas:Get crazy with it.

Nick:This is a really weird holiday gift. Do we get anything if we beat you?

Carmine:Hmmm I’ll let you all decide that if one of you manage it. In case you haven’t noticed, I don’t plan on losing.

Jacquelyn:Few rarely do.

Carmine:Indeed..... Anyone is welcome to jump in first. *stretching* ‘Tis the season and all that jazz. Who am I kidding though? One of you is already dying to jump in.

She closes her eyes and shakes out her limbs. Suddenly her foot pivots and her entir body turns around; putting immense force into a right hook until it’s stopped by a hand. Her left hand raises in front of her face to catch what feels like someone else’s right hook. Carmine opens her eyes to see Tenzen with an excited look in eyes that matches her own. The audience is left quiet as the pressure builds in the air.

Valerie:I....I didn’t even see him move.

Yujin:Don’t feel bad. Most people don’t.

Tenzen:This is unexpected. How’d you know I was coming for you?

Carmine:The moment I talked about fighting I could feel my hair start to stand up. Might as well as screamed “let’s fight!”

Tenzen:What can I say? I’m an eager man!

He slides his leg in between her and sweeps both feet. Before he could follow up with a throw, Carmine twist her body mid fall and one leg on either side of his neck and locks them. She finally lets go of his fist and uses the free hand to support her dangling upper body. All her strength is used to bring her body as quick as she can into a handstand; flinging him in the process. Tenzen rolls out of the throw and sees his opponent standing upright and pacing side to side slowly. Her eyes studying him. He begins to do the same and stretch his neck.

Tenzen:(Okay, let’s not get too eager. Talk about a leg press.)

Carmine:(He’s fast and extremely nimble. I won’t catch him off gaurd like that again. Last thing I need is a drawn out fight. I’ll go for a pin next time.)

He tried taking a step back but Carmine took one step forward. Not just that either. She was mimicking each move he made down to the swing of his arms. Her body tensed the moment his left foot jerked forward then calmly back into a steady pace. Letting him build up speed is dangerous, but giving him time to think wasn’t good either.

Valerie:Geez they’re really trying predict each other’s movements uh?

Lucas:Can you blame them? One just got thrown and the other can’t make a sloppy move and get blitzed. If he body checks her and misses then he might fly out the ring.

Valerie:Can’t you see what we’ll happen next?

Lucas:Yeah but that’s boring. I’m more invested this way.

Tenzen:Alright let’s do this....

Pink lightning crackles around his clothing before vanishing from sight. Orange sparks pop around Carmine as he reappears to her left with is semblance activated. There isn’t enough time to react and connects a jab that digs into two ribs. He then pivots on his front right foot and slams into Carmine’s upper back with a left elbow strike. Letting her counter is not an option. She tries turning around into a side kick but misses completely as he jumps overhead head; grabbing her shoulders. Electric shocks prevent Carmine from grabbing the sleeves and she gets thrown across the ring with incredible force.

Tenzen:Ring o-

Carmine pulls out the sword and stabs it firmly into the metal flooring; stopping all momentum before she flings herself right back at him without the blade. An aura blast from Tenzen pushes her back to the previous direction until she once again manages to grab the sword to slingshot herself with even more speed. This time Carmine pulls out a small black rod from her left pocket that extends into a hollow nightstick that crashes right into Tenzen face when Carmine flies pass him. The impact makes his head fly back and he finds himself starring down the barrel of it right before what looks like a musket round is fired into his back. The impact feels like a slammed against a wall Ursa and makes him stumble forward. His head comes back up just in time to side step what should’ve been a sword still sticking out the ground, yet there was. Spinning like a saw right by him.

It’s no sniper rifle but the gun is nothing to snuff at. Carmine points it backwards and the recoil from the next shot is enough to push her forward slightly keep her from ringing out a second time. The assault continues with her running back at him and catching the sword with her right hand. Carmine front flips into a cross slash with both weapons but is blocked by Tenzen holding his tonfas in front of him. Neither budge an inch in force or from the deafening sound of the clash. However, only one is smiling now. The other is regretting going first.

Tenzen:Your ...your sword.....How did you-

Carmine:If I told you then it makes it less impressive. Like how you and Ren can fit entire weapons in your sleeves. You gotta teach me that sometime.

They finally push apart. Carmine swings her weapons in tandem but Tenzen is more than fast enough to react. Everyone of her strikes his met with a perfect block using his tonfas that protect his forearms. Left, right, above, thrusts, she consistently keeps the pressure on him while constantly trying to sweep a leg. There isn’t one pivot or slight shift in footing that he doesn’t account for and immediately maneuvers around while trying to find an opening. The others are amazed by his footwork except for Yujin. People don’t flock to him when he dances for nothing. Still, it was interesting to see him struggle for once. Also unnerving since she still has to fight.

Yujin:(Come on, show her what your made of...)

Finally an opportunity arises. Tenzen baits her into using her weapons to hook the inside of his. Carmine swipes outward “disarming” him but leaving herself wide open. He immediately drop kicks her in the chest to get a little distance. The spry boy lands on his back spinning with his legs out like a helicopter. Aura swirls outward and knocks her even further away but she braced herself for it. He has more than enough space regardless. Tenzen dismounts backwards of his hands and concentrates aura into his right hand while using it to pull the lightning dust out the sleeve. Stadium lights flicker. Carmine isn’t quite sure what she’s witnessing. All she knows is Tenzen’s hand is now ungulfed in pink lightning while his discarded tonfas lay apart but currently has a current running jumping between the two. The metal floor definitely isn’t helping....

Carmine:(He made a trip wire out of electricity!Won’t let me dodge to the other side huh? Certainly can’t block that attack head on either. Jump into the air? No, I’ll be a sitting duck. Hmph, not bad.) You got skills.

Tenzen:You ain’t see nothing yet!

In a blink of an eye he launches himself at her with an aura kick. Carmine smirks and hurls pass him towards the ground. The spin on them is enough to make them bounce off the floor and redirects the sporadic currents of electrified aura anywhere else while she dives to a safe spot; only getting grazed. One bolt finds it’s way towards the west bleachers where Jacquelyn counters it with her own lightning.

Jacquelyn:Phew......

A second one flies to the south where Lucas bounces it safely off his scabbard and up into the air.

Valerie:Wow....

Lucas:Okay... I might’ve peeked ahead once.

Valerie:No complaints from me!

Summer:I’m glad we’re on this side when Carmine dodged.

Nicholas:Right!?

Back on the area was still far from safe. Carmine was officially disarmed but not out of ideas unknown to Tenzen. He was already on his return trip with a smaller version of his attack; he was losing steam. It was time to put Arc endurance to the test. Dodging twice would be too predictable. Instead she rushed right at him and grabbed the charged fist; shocking her. More importantly, catching him off gaurd. Quickly he pulled his grandfather’s knife out his shoe and tried to bringing down to her chest. The blade was avoided by twirling behind him while maintaining the grip on his hand to pin it. Without hesitation she swept both legs and let her weight come crashing down on top of his back. Carmine reached for the knife and brought it to the side of his throat; all while his clothes shocked her like a bug on a zapper.

Carmine:You’re pinned with a knife!!! Match over!

Tenzen:......crap.

He deactivated his semblance and the aura in his clothes. Carmine hops off of him and lays on her back. Both her clothes and skin are a bit roughed up momentarily before a light shines down; restoring both fighters. Tenzen didn’t move as he was still catching his breath and replaying the last few moves in his head. Yujin could tell from her seat that he frustrated with his performance.

Tenzen:(She had a counter for basically everything I thought of. Even clearing the floor; catching my attack...) *tenses up*

Losing wasn’t new to him and he’s not a sore loser. Still, it felt like a blowout and that’s because it was one. He probably would’ve stewed on the ground longer of his thoughts weren’t cut off by the feeling of a hand on his shoulder. He tilted his head to the side to see Carmine looking at him. No smug look, no pity, just simple curiosity and a hint of amazement.

Carmine:When Yujin said you were basically a ninja she wasn’t kidding. I don’t know anyone who can move quite like you do. Also that hidden knife? If I went for a throw or a different pin then that could’ve really sucked. You’re just full of neat mix ups aren’t you? Who knows what would’ve happened if I let you do anything really crazy.

Tenzen:*red* Yeah well, you are too much to for me. Felt like I was read like an instruction manual. That’s some crazy reaction time. Even if I could reach full speed without flying off the edge, you’d have a plan. I can see it in your eyes.

Carmine:And I can see who I fought is only just finding his groove. Beacon better watch out. Their power bill is gonna suck. *holds out hand* Good match, I’m glad we fought.

Those words. They were so sincere. Carmine wasn’t the type of person to coddle. A few conversations with her was enough to know she has no problem being direct with people. If he’s getting praise then he earned it. In the end Tenzen got a gift after all. He smiled at her before taking her hand to get up. Quickly he grabbed his things and walked to the bleachers.

Tenzen:I’ll be watching the other matches closely. I still wanna know that sword trick you did and what you got up your sleeve.

Carmine:Hopefully everyone is as interesting as you.

Tenzen:*going to west bleachers* Hey Jin.

Yujin:Hey uhhh, you weren’t over here.

Tenzen:Are you saying you don’t want me around?

Yujin:No no! Just....*pats seat* thought you wanted space.

Tenzen:I’ll be alright. Rather spend time with you like I always.

Yujin:*red* Do as you please.... anyways, any good advice when I go?

Tenzen:Not exactly hehehehe. Honestly I’m starting to think declaring herself as the strongest wasn’t just ego.

Jacquelyn:You don’t say....

Sienna:You see anything you think you couldn’t handle?

Jacquelyn:Not really, but’s that’s sort of the problem.

Sienna:I don’t follow.

Jacquelyn:Her semblance, I didn’t see her use it.

........

The three of them tried to recall it but came up with nothing. Their attention turned back to Carmine who was calmly sipping out of a water bottle and shaking her limbs out again.

Carmine:Alrighty then! Who’s next?

#carmine arc rose #my oc’s #rwby #yujin xiao long #lie tenzen #sienna frost #jael frost #jacquelyn frost #val valkyrie #nicholas schnee #summer schnee #lucas belladonna #seasons beatings #renora #rwby lancaster #dragonslayer rwby #rwby knightshade #rwby whiteknight

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memoriesofyourdread · 5 years

Note

akishinji for the ship thing

Always AkiShinji for all the ship things.

who hogs the duvet: Okay, so it’s a constant fight in their sleep because Shinji is always cold because of taking those suppressants, and Akihiko can’t even subconsciously lose a fight. They may or may not have woken up to a ripped duvet.

who texts/rings to check how their day is going: Shinji texts to make sure Akihiko isn’t being an idiot while he’s in the country, but when Akihiko’s abroad fighting bears and training, Akihiko keeps up on calls because he misses his boyfriend.

who’s the most creative when it comes to gifts: Shinji, most definitely. Akihiko tries, bless his heart, but it’s always something that’s more utilitarian. Shinji appreciates it still, but Akihiko eventually learns that he can offer kinky sex things as bday gifts that are bit more creative than sock and turtleneck sweater.

who gets up first in the morning: This one’s difficult, because Akihiko is most definitely an early riser to go on a run, but I feel like Shinji is an early riser too. Though, I think Akihiko wins out by way of just by way of if Shinji doesn’t have to be awake for anything, I think he’d sleep in. Akihiko doesn’t know what sleeping in is unless Shinji’s holding him down.

who suggests new things in bed: They’re both morons about this kinda thing until they hit their stride. After they figure out something sorta kinky by accident like Shinji liking his hair pulled, it all goes downhill from there. And let’s say when Akihiko comes home from his world tour of training, he’s got months worth of ideas to share with Shinji.

who cries at movies: BOTH. But specific ones only, and they will hide said tears and pretend it didn’t happen. Give Shinji animal movies like Homeward Bound or Look Who’s Talking (did I just date myself, I think I just dated myself) while Akihiko will cry for inspirational sports movies like Remember the Titans (most definitely dating myself, damn) but also anything with super sad family feels, but they avoid those movies in general.

who gives unprompted massages: ...welp, I read that as messages. Let’s try this again. Depends. Shinji will give Akihiko massages if he looks like he needs one after a good training session, BUT he will not do it if Akihiko looks like he’s pushed himself too hard. Akihiko, however, always loves rubbing Shinji’s shoulders when Shinji looks like he’s had a rough day.

who fusses over the other when they’re sick: Shinji is the mother hen of all mother hens, but he’s also the worst patient, so when Akihiko tries to fuss in return, he gets shoved out of the room.

who gets jealous easiest: Akihiko, most definitely shows it the most. He wears everything on his sleeve. Shinji gets jealous less easily, but boy, does he get petty when he is jealous.

who has the most embarrassing taste in music: Akihiko just listens to whatever his friends tell him, and his S.E.E.S. underclassman are a bunch of trolls, soooo. They introduce him to shitty pop and so much more, but everything that has a fast beat, Akihiko loves because it becomes good work out music.

who collects something unusual: Probably Shinji. I can’t think of what, but I bet he’d have a secret collection. Akihiko doesn’t seem to be a person for material things, for the most part. He might have an accidental weird collection of things from training around the world.

who takes the longest to get ready: They’re both pretty quick, but Shinji manages to be dressed well first. Akihiko might be done first, but without Mitsuru (and her staff on speed dial, because let’s be honest, she doesn’t dress herself either), he’s a hot mess that thinks a ragged cape is a good idea. Shinji usually marches him back to the bedroom to get him dressed properly.

who is the most tidy and organised: Shinji is, but Akihiko isn’t exactly a slob, so much as anyone is a slob in comparison to Shinji’s organizational skills.

who gets most excited about the holidays: Akihiko stopped getting excited about holidays after Miki died, but after every thing with Nyx is over, and Shinji’s out of his coma, Akihiko starts to get hype over spending holiday with Shinji and his friends. Shinji thinks it’s cute, even though he will never admitted it.

who is the big spoon/little spoon: Shinji’s usually the big spoon, because Akihiko gets clingy and likes it when he can snuggle into Shinji’s chest. If Shinji’s clearly having a bad day, Akihiko will definitely be the big spoon to let his boyfriend hide from the world for a bit.

who gets most competitive when playing games and/or sports: They’re both competitive as hell, but Akihiko takes it to a new level on most occasions. When Shinji’s no longer feeling it because Akihiko’s taken it way too seriously, he tends to distract Akihiko by touching or kissing him. In a way, Shinji tends to win in those situations, so it soothes his competitive streak in the end.

who starts the most arguments: They are equally dumbasses about starting arguments and making them go on for much longer than they should. Every once in a while, if the arguments go on too long for petty reasons, Mitsuru or Kotone will find a way to smack their heads together. It tends to be a deterrent for continuing stupid arguments, since no one wants a Mitsuru execution or Kotone’s pranks.

who suggests that they buy a pet: Akihiko, because he knows Shinji won’t bring it up, even though he really wants a fluffy companion, since Koromaru tends to stay with Ken.

what couple traditions they have: Sometimes, instead of having a fancy date for an anniversary, they just go to Hagakure and get ramen. Also, October 4th is definitely a chill day. They eventually spend it with Ken, but for a few years, it was just not leaving the house and doing nothing but cuddling and not talking about it.

what tv shows they watch together: Their tastes in TV don’t tend to overlap, unless it’s some sort of nostalgia bomb from when they were younger. Reruns of the original Featherman, reboots of cartoons that they loved that didn’t age well but the reboot does it better, and stupid shows about paranormal things. Sometimes, it ends up being related to shadows and personas.

what other couple they hang out with: YukaMitsu, because Yukari’s big on getting Mitsuru out of the house and out of the office, so double dates with her besties is a great excuse. AiKo tend to be fun to have wander adventures with, since Aigis is still new to a lot, even years later, and Kotone is an enabler. The boys can never say they’re bored hanging out with them.

how they spend time together as a couple: Usually, sharing a good meal or chilling at home. Occasionally, when needs must (and they really must, because Shinji doesn’t even want to be a backup Shadow Operative), they’ll be together on an op for the Shadow Operatives, like trying to find out what the hell is going in Tokyo and what are the Phantom Thieves really doing.

who made the first move: Akihiko. Always Akihiko, because the likelihood of Shinji believing he doesn’t deserve good things is very high.

who brings flowers home: Neither are really flower people, but sometimes, Akihiko will get some to be romantic. Shinji doesn’t really mind all that much, though he won’t say it.

who is the best cook: Obviously Shinji. Akihiko could probably burn water, but I don’t think Shinji never tried to teach him. Whether Akihiko had the attention span for it, is another story...

#p3 #p3p #akishinji #akihiko sanada #shinjiro aragaki #yukamitsu #minaigis #head canons #i had a lot of fun with this #thank you anon #anon #answered asks

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enchantedcourts · 7 years

Text

kallias/viviane headcanons

as a lover of the winter court and christmas I'm making a list of headcanons

-kallias is such a stick in the mud sometimes and always wants to go by the rules and viviane is such a happy go lucky person who gets shit done but also has fun doing it

-they have their own little lake within their court where they go ice skating at night after long days and they laugh and hold hands and viv will sometimes trip kallias who will fall on his butt and she'll just laugh

-they'll go on walks through their towns to say hi to their people and whatnot and viv will convince kallias to go into local stores and stuff to buy pastries and decorations (which his court staff would usually do) for the castle

-everyone loves viv and little kids in town will always try to get her attention which she just adores and she'll ask them what they want for xmas and make sure she has them all memorized

-they'll stroll through their gardens at court during the day sometimes when it's too snowy or slow to get anything done and viv will suggest ways to renovate the gardens when kallias will hit her in the back with a snowball to which viv will reply "you call that a throw??" And throw one right back in his laughing face

-during the holidays viv gets really involved in decorating and festivities and she'll be baking cookies in the kitchen when kallias will just be passing through and snatch a few cookies and handfuls of candies while she reprimands him

-viviane will be finishing paper work and other things to give kallias a break from high lording all the time (winter time in the winter court is especially busy believe it or not) and kallias will bring in some hot chocolate and cakes for her while they curl up by the fire and they debrief each other on different statuses of business

-they have their own christmas tree in the main room of their castle which they always decorate together (or have decorated together since they've been married, viv makes him but he loves it)

-kallias is such a sucker for mistletoe kisses he'll hang mistetoe under the door of every room in the castle as an excuse to kiss viv whenever

-they have a huge winter court christmas ball where everyone is invited to the castle to meet santa and drink eggnog and hot chocolate and eat a bunch of pastries

-specifically one year at the ball santa couldn't make it and viv had to coerce kallias into putting on a beard and red suit

-he says he hated it (he didn't) but Viviane found it hilarious and the kids loved him and he does it again every year after

-each year for christmas they get each other the cutest gifts, kallias always gets viv a new charm to add to her bracelet and beautiful new dresses along with a couple gag gifts that make her smile

-she'll get him the ugliest sweaters and common clothing to fit in with the holiday spirit which he always wears to make her happy

-winter holiday times are the best for the both of them bc it's super happy and loving and fun for everyone in their court

-kallias literally feels like the luckiest guy ever to have a wife and best friend and consort who is also his mate

-viv loves kallias so much and always has even when they were good friends before under the mountain she brings out his fun and loose side which everyone knows he needs from time to time

-at night in bed they'll curl up next to each other and kallias will leave little kisses on viv's forehead as she falls asleep bc he loves her so much

290 notes · View notes

soap-brain · 6 years

Note

For the ship thing, culmets :)

hello yesssss :D

who hogs the duvet: hugh, because he gets cold easily, so he’s accustomed to already always having the duvet, and just because there’s a paul in his bed now that isn’t going to change

who texts/rings to check how their day is going: both of them, whenever they have a free minute and the mental capacity

who’s the most creative when it comes to gifts: paul is creative but it takes him some time knowing the person to know what to get them; hugh is creative more early on

who gets up first in the morning: hugh for his morning run, but he’d rather sleep in usually; paul is the natural early riser

who suggests new things in bed: hugh. unless paul has been doing interesting kinds of research

who cries at movies: paul (hugh thinks it’s cute)

who gives unprompted massages: paul all the way. sometimes also to shut hugh up when he needs to think

who fusses over the other when they’re sick: paul doesn’t really know how to handle sick people, and sick hugh is all kinds of horrible; on the other hand, hugh kinda enjoys it when paul is sick, because he can dote on him to his heart’s content

who gets jealous easiest: ohhh both of them! though hugh shows it more. paul tries to ignore it and just kind of... internalize it

who has the most embarrassing taste in music: hugh says it’s paul. paul says it’s hugh

who collects something unusual: hugh collects tiny snowglobes

who takes the longest to get ready: paul has specific hairstyling requirements. hugh sometimes only showers and brushes his teeth (because paul kinda likes it if he grows his beard out a little)

who is the most tidy and organised: paul is. hugh decidedly isn’t and it drives paul up the WALLS

who gets most excited about the holidays: hugh! for him, christmas starts the day halloween is over. paul has to remind him of thanksgiving (which hugh isn’t overly fond of, but as long as paul cooks he’ll be plenty happy about it)

who is the big spoon/little spoon: paul is the big spoon, because he loves snuggling into hugh like that, and hugh loves being warmed and snuggling his butt into paul :D

who gets most competitive when playing games and/or sports: hugh is pretty competitive generally; paul usually needs a while, but once you’ve gotten him invested he’ll do everything he can to win

who starts the most arguments: paul bc he loves to playargue

who suggests that they buy a pet: hugh. paul smiles all shy and adorable and asks, “really?” (their first pet is a (neutered) tribble because not many other animals are allowed on starships, and they both love it to death)

what tv shows they watch together: they both have their own tv shows, and neither really understands the other’s fondness for his, but they always watch together anyways; they might work on something while the other one’s fav show is on, but they’ll pay enough attention to be able to keep up; hugh has two historic shows (one a very stereotypical victorian drama, the other one a slightly steampunkish version of the late 19th century) and a soap opera; paul has a very cheap romance drama that he watches simply to complain about it, and a bunch of nature documentaries

what other couple they hang out with: michael/tilly (if it were canon) and definitely chril!

how they spend time together as a couple: most of the time they quietly keep each other company while working or reading, other times they’ll play boardgames or watch something or just chat or simply snuggle and doze together

who made the first move: well uh. technically paul :D

who brings flowers home: paul!! duh

who is the best cook: also paul, even though hugh is getting better

@sixclawsdragon and @pumpkino i’m afraid you guys were too slow :p

#culmets #discovery #anonymous #ask #answered

19 notes · View notes

petercapaldork · 7 years

Text

A Secret Santa

Here is my MM Secret Santa gift for Apollo888 on Fanfiction.net, which I shared via Google Docs first. I wanted to make sure it was shared here as well. Happy holidays and enjoy!

Read on ff.net: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12774346/1/A-Secret-Santa

Pens scratched and pages rustled as students revised their essays, a hum of silence filling the room along with a hint of anxiety.

Mary watched in silence from her desk, on hand to help any who needed it.

It was difficult enough to encourage concentration so close to the holidays, but especially trying to maintain while students worked on essays over Jonathan Swift, Paradise Lost, and other Restoration period topics. Students were clamoring for next term and Gothic literature, like Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, or to delve into a bit of Austen.

But after a month-long holiday break. Mary was aching for it herself.

“Miss Grantham, how much longer until the period is over?”

The class looked up, all waiting with bated breath for her answer, and Mary glanced at the clock on her desk, about to respond with, “Half an hour,” when she heard a loud bang from down the hall. One of the girls nearest the ajar door screamed and dropped her pen.

Mary rose from her seat as the students began to murmur amongst themselves about the source of the sound, but she already knew where it had come from.

The chemistry lab.

“Please continue your revisions, I’ll be right back.”

Once out in the corridor she found Anna Bates, the French teacher and her neighbor.

“What on earth was that bang?” Anna asked, looking in the direction of the sound.

“I’ll give you a wild guess,” Mary said.

“Oh mon Dieu,” Anna said as Mary turned for the science wing. “Don’t be too hard on him.”

“The rest of us are working on revisions and studying for final exams and he’s going to blow up the school,” Mary replied, leaving Anna to mutter in French under her breath. Mary knew she could count on her friend to keep an eye on her own students while she told off the school’s very own mad scientist.

Her heels clicked their way down the granite corridor, taking her under holiday decorations that student groups had hung at the beginning of December. Holly and garland of evergreen boughs and Menorahs, paper snowflakes cut out and snowmen tapped to the walls made the entire school festive and ready for the season. Mary’s own classroom had been decorated by her students throughout the month to liven the place up, remind them of home, and give them a break before the final push for exams. And now it seemed they’d get another one.

“Now we just witnessed--Maggie what was the term for the chemical reaction I just showed you?”

“An exothermic reaction of ethanol vapor, Mr. Crawley.”

“It was combustion, more specifically,” another girl piped up.

“Yes, very good, Claudia.”

The students, or the female students at least, all giggled at the teacher’s praise before he returned to his lesson with animation.

“As opposed to endothermic reactions, in exothermic reactions, the enthalpy, or stored chemical energy which is a thermodynamic quantity, it is lower for the products than the reactants. So who can tell me what that means for this experiment?”

At this query, Mary knocked hard on the slightly open door. Twenty faces turned toward her, surprise on the face of Mr. Crawley while the students looked on in great interest.

“Ah, Miss Grantham, what brings you here?”

“May I speak with you privately?” she requested, plastering a smile on her face for the benefit of the students, most of whom were familiar to her.

“But of course.” He turned to his class. “I’ll be right back and someone better have my answer about the enthalpy for this chemical reaction. It might even have an answer that is quantifiable.”

He followed Mary out into the hall, leaving the students looking nervously at each other, but interested in what their teachers were discussing.

“What can I do for you, Mary?” He pushed a pair of safety goggles onto the top of his head. “What brings you down to our laboratories?”

Mary forced herself not roll her eyes at him and his antics of sometimes pretending to be a mad scientist. His getup complete with a white lab coat, it wasn’t much of a stretch, although it was adorable. Not that she’d let him know that. He had enough admirers from most of the teenaged girls in the school.

She’d known Matthew Crawley for over three years now and she still couldn’t figure him out. They weren’t the most chummy of colleagues, oil and water at times, but he loved to get her riled up.

“Well, Doctor Crawley, if you and your minions could refrain from blowing up anything else this afternoon, we’d be much obliged. The rest of the school is trying to study for exams, not put on a show and wonder if we need to call the fire department.”

He raised his eyebrows in amusement, clearly not troubled by her tone or her Despicable Me reference.

“My class is studying for exams. Did you not hear me drilling them on exothermic and endothermic reactions? We’ve already studied the Periodic Table and gone over units about ionic bonding, balancing equations. This is the final unit to review before we have our exam tomorrow.”

“And your review involves possibly blowing up the school?”

“I have a fire extinguisher on hand, but the combustion is pretty well-contained, I shouldn’t need to use it.” He smirked, and Mary’s frown deepened.

“Seriously? We are trying to keep things quiet for the students and maintain a bit of calm before the holidays. You know how hard that is, Matthew. You’re deliberately trying to break their concentration!” She was growing so angry that she had to drop her voice to a whisper to keep herself from yelling at him. Her fists clenched.

“I am not, Mary,” he said, holding out his hands in surrender. “Our subjects are just very different animals. Yours is all talking, writing, thinking. Mine is very hands-on. The students can’t learn about exothermic and endothermic reactions without seeing them in action. It’s chemistry.”

There was a half-smile, one that she found herself on the receiving end of more and more lately. The other women teachers called Matthew “charming.” Well, Mary knew he could be when he wanted to be. Apparently this was one of those times.

“It made one of my students shriek in surprise. So keep it down or I’ll complain to the headmistress,” she said, but could feel her resolve to be angry wilting slightly.

He smiled again, blue eyes sparkling.

“We’ll try our best to keep the explosions to a minimum, Mary,” he agreed, and Mary hardly dared to believe him. “I’ll see you at Dr. Hughes’ holiday party, won’t I, if not sooner?”

For the first time since entering the corridor, Mary happened to glance over Matthew’s shoulder, startled to see the door was not quite shut on Matthew’s classroom. From the narrow window beside the door, she could see that the entire chemistry class was dead silent and hanging on every word of their conversation. No one was trying to work out any equation regarding the chemical reaction. Mary couldn’t tell if it was because half the girls were in love with Matthew, or if they were interested for some other reason.

“Yes, I’ll be there,” she said, brief. “I should get back.”

“Happy Shakespeare-ing,” Matthew said, bringing down his safety goggles once more.

Mary didn’t bother to correct him, wanting to get away from the enraptured gazes of the students.

“Don’t burn the place down,” she requested, and Matthew laughed, giving her a salute.

“Aye, aye.”

Mary simply nodded stiffly before walking away.

Anna was still outside when she returned, but had clearly been flitting between their two classrooms to check on both groups of students in her absence.

“What happened?” she asked, crossing her arms with great interest.

“Matthew is doing some kind of experiment, an exothermic reaction that is obviously intended to drive us all crazy but not to burn down the school, according to him. I fully chastised him for conducting such a loud test right before exams, but he told me it was part of his review process,” Mary complained. “What a bunch of-”

“Des ordures.”

“In English.”

“Garbage,” Anna said. “I know he likes to get a rise out of you, but does it have to be at the expense to the rest of us?”

“You think he’s conducting experiments this close to exams to toy with me?” Mary asked.

Anna shook her head. “Not exactly. Just you’re really the only one who would be upset about it, aren’t you? La querelle d'amoureux.”

“La que...what? Amour? That means ‘love’. Anna, what are you talking about? Matthew and I are hardly friends, we’re not in love!” Mary dropped her voice again, agitated by her friend’s insinuation that there was something going on with her and Matthew. “What else did you say? I don’t remember anything from high school French class.”

“That makes me feel like my job is worthwhile,” Anna said, wrinkling her nose. I said, ‘A lover’s quarrel’. You really need to brush up on your French.”

Mary scoffed. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“No? The whole school has been talking about you two for the past term, even the students. What do they call it these days, ‘shipping’, I think? Oh, yeah, everyone ships you with Mr. Crawley,” Anna said, matter-of-fact.

“That’s ridiculous.”

“Ridiculous or not, it’s true,” Anna replied, backing into her classroom and leaving Mary dumbfounded in the hall.

The following day Mary returned from a hasty lunch in the teacher’s lounge to prepare for an afternoon of grading while her last group of students finished up their essay revisions. She was as ready for the holiday break as the students were and all that stood in the way was another day of final grading and tomorrow evening’s holiday party at the home of Dr. Hughes and her husband, Mr. Carson.

Mary couldn’t wait.

She turned on the light, absentmindedly walking over to her desk and about to unlock the drawer where she kept finished essays to grade when she noticed something out of order on her neatly organized desk. Two packages wrapped in brown paper and tied together with red ribbon had been placed in front of her chair, an envelope tucked beneath one of the bands of ribbon.

Frowning, Mary picked up the envelope and pulled out a nondescript holiday card. Inside, only two words had been written, “From Santa.” She didn’t recognize the handwriting immediately, but thought perhaps the gift was from Anna and her husband had written the card, or even a student had dropped it off on her desk during lunch.

The contents of the packages would prove her wrong.

After sliding the ribbon off from around the packages, both of which were clearly books, Mary removed the brown paper from the top one to find a book entitled, Coping with Difficult People: The Proven-Effective Battle Plan That Has Helped Millions Deal with the Troublemakers in Their Lives at Home and at Work. Reminded of the incident with Matthew yesterday, Mary again thought of Anna and laughed at the title of the older, which was evident from the worn, multi-color cover. She set it aside, picking up the next book to unwrap it.

Pulling the brown paper off and looking at the marbled hardback cover, Mary nearly dropped the edition she held. She felt as though she should be wearing gloves rather than hold it with her bare hands, and with bated breath Mary glanced at the spine of the book to read the words Mansfield Park. She exhaled slowly, gingerly opening the cover to look at the frontispiece: Mansfield Park by Jane Austen; Persuasion by the Same.

The publication date was 1833 by Richard Bentley, which Mary knew to be the second publication of Persuasion, her favorite Austen novel, and the first single-volume edition.

But who else knew she was such a nerd about it?

After gingerly wrapping the nearly 200-year-old book and tucking it away in her desk, Mary made a beeline for Anna’s classroom. She found Anna grading French exams at her desk.

“What’s the big idea?” she asked, not bothering to preface her visit.

“What are you talking about?” Anna looked up from her tests, confusion on her face.

“The books you left on my desk. That 1833 edition of Mansfield Park and Persuasion had to cost you upwards of £1,000 or more.” Mary’s tone was scolding and also baffled that her friend would purchase such an expensive gift for her. “What were you thinking?”

“Someone bought you a book that cost £1,000?”

“You can give it up already, I know it was you, Santa,” Mary said. “How many people here even know Persuasion is my favorite Austen novel? And the other book with it, Coping with Difficult People? Who would buy me such a book?”

Anna’s eyes widened. “Not me, I swear. And honestly, after the row you had with Matthew yesterday, that one sounds like a book he’d buy you as a joke.”

Mary rolled her eyes. “It doesn’t explain the second edition. The book that’s practically a paycheck. Why would he get me something like that?”

“Well, il est amoureux de toi,” Anna murmured, not meeting Mary’s gaze.

“You know I hardly understood a word you said except for ‘amour,’ but he is not in love with me,” Mary said, indignant.

“That’s exactly what I said, and we’ve all just been waiting to see how long it takes for the two of you to do something about it. It’s been three years and, God, it’s good so see Matthew finally doing something,” Anna said. “Plus, we’ve been taking bets in the teacher’s lounge and mine was about to expire.”

Mary’s jaw fell open. “I can’t believe you, my friend, have been making bets about my love life!”

“Oh, come on, it was harmless, and the whole school knows about you two. If you thought the students were bad, well, the teachers are even worse.”

“Clearly,” Mary said, eyes narrow. “But I really don’t think it was Matthew.”

Anna shrugged. “Who else could it be?”

“P-perhaps, Dr. Hughes-?” she began, but Mary was floundering. “Or a student.”

“What student is going to buy you a book that costs that much? Want me to ask Matthew tomorrow?”

Mary shuddered at the thought. “No, don’t bring it up,” she said. “I’m certain it wasn’t him. It has to be someone else. We don’t even get along.”

But the more she denied that it could be Matthew, the more she felt that she was wrong, and not just based on the facts in front of her.

His behavior over the last year had been so much different than it was before. In the past, they didn’t see each other much. Sure, they ran into each other in the teacher’s lounge or the halls on occasion, but ever since term began in September she saw Matthew practically every day, even on weekends as she shopped in town, which had rarely happened before. In these instances he’d gone out of his way to interact with her, making small-talk about her family, what she was doing in her off-hours, and generally being pleasant. So, in hindsight, she was wrong; they didn’t always get along, but it was clear that he often tried to be friendly when he saw her, especially outside of work.

And now she wondered, how did he know where and when she shopped, what she liked to read? Was he stalking her?

“He makes you laugh,” Anna said, interrupting Mary’s thoughts about her whereabouts last weekend when she ran into Matthew outside a shop while looking for gifts for her two sisters and their husbands. “Although sometimes you force yourself not to.”

Out in the corridor she could hear the sounds of students filing back from lunch for their final rounds of exams before the holidays.

“It wasn’t him,” Mary repeated, more and more unconvincing by the minute.

“Mmhmm,” Anna demurred, eyes returning to her exams as students began to file into the room.

Unfocused, Mary returned to her own classroom, the Austen edition weighing heavily on her mind as it sat locked at the bottom of her desk drawer.

The holiday party at the home of Charles Carson and Dr. Elsie Hughes provided a ceremonial bookend to the school term every year for the staff. Being welcomed into the home of the headmistress and her husband, while intimidating at first, was usually a highlight of Mary’s holiday season before she went home to a family visit that included happy sisters and their husbands and lots of nieces and nephews, as well as endless commentary on her own singleness. Plus, it gave the staff a chance to imbibe on the more traditional holiday spirits and richer treats of the season after completing final marks. But for Mary, this year she was keen to avoid Matthew. Or confront him. She hadn’t decided what she wanted.

As she stood in a corner of the sitting room, nursing some mulled wine that Mr. Carson had poured for her, she kept glancing to the door in expectation of Matthew’s arrival. She hadn’t seen him since receiving the gifts, but in the day that followed, she had resolved to bring it up when she saw him. And two glasses of wine in less than an hour had almost strengthened her resolve enough for her to see it through.

“How is he not here yet?” Mary finally spoke, interrupting Anna’s conversation with her husband John about some incident regarding students that Mary had not been paying mind to.

“Matthew, you mean? Perhaps he is, but you’ve trapped yourself as far away from him as possible. Good on you,” Anna said, taking a sip of her own drink more daintily than Mary’s final gulp of her mulled wine. “How many of those have you had?”

“Not nearly enough,” Mary said. “I’m going for a refill, does anyone need more to drink?”

“No, but some food would be good,” Anna ventured. “I saw they had those little puds, didn’t you see, John, the tartlets?”

“Maybe later,” Mary said, leaving the pair in search of more to drink.

She slipped through the crowd of her colleagues, issuing perfunctory greetings to those she hadn’t seen yet, but really making haste toward the dining room where the refreshments were being kept. She switched out her mulled wine for a glass of champagne, taking a long drink as others filtered in to refill their own glasses or plates. As she drank, she watched as Matthew entered the room, deep in conversation with Mr. Carson. Both men were in search of more food, already holding plates in their hands.

She wondered when Matthew had arrived, although it was obvious he hadn’t bothered to seek her out. See, Anna? It wasn’t from him.

“Now, that’s where I think you’re wrong, Matthew. Sure Manchester United has some quality football players, but when it comes to the Premier League, it has to be-”

No one heard Mr. Carson’s response because Mary found herself interrupting the two men’s conversation.

“Matthew, might I speak with you?”

Neither had noticed Mary in the room, as there were others about as well, but both were surprised at her interruption.

Looking flummoxed, all Matthew said to Mary was, “Sure.” To Mr. Carson he begged to be excused, setting his plate aside before following Mary from the room. Mary held onto her champagne glass.

She led him out to the sunroom overlooking the back garden, knowing the chance of being interrupted in there would be slim since it was chilly and almost like being outside. The wood-burning stove that sat in one corner of the room was cold, as the occupants of the house had not expected anyone to bother going out back, although they had decorated the room for Christmas. Lights had been strung across the ceiling along with garland and other tinsel, bringing the festive feeling of the house out into the back garden.

“What’s up?” Matthew asked. His original shock at seeing Mary in the dining room had quickly been replaced by ease.

But Mary was on edge. She hesitated briefly before saying what first came to mind.

It was like word-vomit, but more rehearsed.

“Sir Walter Elliot, of Kellynch Hall, in Somersetshire, was a man who, for his own amusement, never took up any book but the Baronetage; there he found occupation for an idle hour, and consolation in a distressed one; there his faculties were roused into admiration and respect, by contemplating the limited remnant of the earliest patents; there any unwelcome sensations, arising from domestic affairs changed naturally into pity and contempt as he turned over the almost endless creations of the last century; and there, if every other leaf were powerless, he could read his own history with an interest which never failed.”

Even reciting the first paragraph from her favorite novel did little to relax her as it usually could. During her speech, Matthew’s eyebrows had risen slowly out of confusion, but now he frowned at her monologue.

“What’s this? Are you going all English-major on me for some reason that I don’t understand?” he asked.

She sighed, aggravated, but no closer to figuring out where the blasted books had come from.

“Never mind. Someone left two books on my desk yesterday. Anna thought it might be you, but she was clearly incorrect. I told her it had to be someone else,” Mary explained.

She turned to go, champagne glass still in-hand, when Matthew spoke.

“I can listen no longer in silence. I must speak to you by such means as are within my reach. You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope.”

Mary halted abruptly, shoulders tense. She set her glass on a nearby shelf holding some books on bird watching and a pair of binoculars before facing Matthew again.

“What?” Her voice was a whisper, a hush of disbelief.

A half-smile played across his lips, eyes dancing.

“For you alone, I think and plan. Have you not seen this? Can you fail to have understood my wishes?”

Mary’s heart throbbed madly in her chest, her pulse making it difficult to hear her own thoughts, if she even had any in her head anymore.

“What...what are you saying?” She shook her head. “You did buy those books for me?”

He nodded.

In spite of all the warnings from Anna, Mary was shocked. “Matthew, that book must have cost you over a thousand pounds.”

“It’s not important,” he said, gentle.

“But w-why would you do such a thing?”

Looking nervous for the first time, he moved a few steps toward her, reaching out to take her hand.

“Mary.”

He only spoke her name, but she felt a jolt of electricity move through her at his voice, his touch, willing her to step toward him.

She was closer to him than ever before, his blue eyes warming her like the sun on a summer day as she gazed at him. The current that she had felt when he spoke her name now hummed through her, and she wondered if he felt it too, that energy that had always lay beneath the surface now coming to life under the twinkling lights.

With her free hand she reached up and, after a moment’s hesitation, brushed her fingers through his hair. This final touch was all the encouragement Matthew needed to erase the remaining space between them.

He kissed her, the territory unfamiliar and yet she was completely at ease. Not that the kiss wasn’t exciting; no, her heart pounded wildly as Matthew backed her into a wall, she tugged on his hair and even parted his lips with her tongue. It wasn’t that.

She felt no embarrassment at snogging Matthew, even in the sunroom of Elsie Hughes and Charles Carson. If anyone were to discover them, she was sure she would shrug it off and, hell, even kiss him again. It felt right, as though they should have been doing this all along.

He pulled back from her, smiling once more and Mary found herself genuinely smiling for the first time that night.

“You don’t know how long I’ve wanted to do that,” he said, hands on Mary’s waist. “God, I’ve had such a schoolboy crush on you.”

“You hid it well,” Mary said, brushing her thumb against his cheek. “Especially the constant teasing and jokes about chemistry. And lately showing up at my regular shops in town? I was beginning to think I had a stalker on my hands. But never would I have guessed such a grand gesture was awaiting me. How did you even know Persuasion was my favorite Jane Austen novel? Did Anna tell you?”

“I wasn’t I going to ask her that,” he said, leaning into her touch. “No, last spring I overheard some of my students mention it so I started calling rare bookstores for early editions. It is amazingly difficult to find a first printing, so I had to settle for the second.”

“Last spring? You’ve been planning this for almost a year?” Mary was astonished he would put so much effort into a gift for her, but then she remembered Anna’s words from a few days ago, well, the English translation: he’s in love with you.

She felt warmth and panic at the same time.

“I may have gone a bit overboard,” he admitted, oblivious to Mary’s conflicting emotions. “I just wanted you to have something you’d enjoy.”

“Were you planning on revealing your secret identity to me, Santa?” Mary asked, her hand gliding down his neck until she laid it on his shoulder. She played with his shirt collar, fingers brushing against the knot of his tie to distract herself from any concerns she had regarding Matthew’s precise feelings for her. She felt like she’d already come to terms with her own, which were stronger than she realized.

“In good time,” he said, refusing to answer, but still grinning. “I didn’t expect you to drunkenly confront me before I got the chance.”

“I’m not drunk,” Mary said. “I just wanted a straight answer, which you hardly gave me.”

“Quoting from your favorite book isn’t direct enough for you? Next time do I need to ride in on a white horse?” he teased, kissing the end of her nose. “But wait, wait, wait. You know how I feel. What about you? Why’d you let me kiss you? As a courtesy?”

“No,” she said, feeling self-conscious now that he was asking Mary to share her thoughts aloud. She kept her eyes on his tie.

“As a ‘thank you’? What?” She could hear the growing frustration in his voice, as though he didn’t believe that it wasn’t some drunken kiss. That she regretted it.

She met his gaze again, for she did not regret it, only wanted to do it again. She was surprised he hadn’t pulled away from her, that his hands still remained on her waist, warm and reassuring.

“For someone who spends most of her time studying the works of great authors who write of beauty and glory and...love, well, I am not adept at sharing my own feelings at the ready.”

Matthew’s eyes softened. “Is it too much for me to ask you to try?”

She cleared her throat, resolving not to look away until she was done.

“I cannot fix on the hour, or the spot, or the look, or the words, which laid the foundation. It is too long ago. I was in the middle before I knew that I had begun.”

Mary’s fingers wrapped around Matthew’s tie, pulling his face closer to hers.

“Contrary to popular knowledge, I didn’t memorize the whole of Persuasion to impress you. Just those few lines,” he joked.

“That line is actually from Pride and Prejudice,” Mary said, smiling in response.

“Haven’t read it and I didn’t see the movie,” Matthew said.

He rested his forehead against hers for a brief moment, and Mary half-wondered why she had fought Anna’s assertions the previous day about Matthew’s feelings for her, and her own feelings for him. But instead of contemplating them further, she kissed him again, all but forgetting her hesitation as their lips met.

“So, I should warn you about something before we go back in there,” Mary said, Matthew taking her hand after their prolonged snogging session.

“And what’s that? Have you been tearing the mickey out of me behind my back?” He joked. Other than the incident a few days ago, she couldn’t remember anything that would have caused her to speak of him to someone else at all, let alone poorly.

“Nothing like that,” Mary said, halting them on the threshold of the sunroom before re-entering the kitchen. “It seems the other staff had this bet going about when the two of us would get...romantically involved. Anna told me about it the other day.”

“Hmm.” He didn’t look overly nonplussed by the realization, but actually seemed to find it rather funny. “Do you think it’s too late for me to get in on some of that action?”

“Matthew!” Mary scolded him. “Since you’re one of the reasons they thought there was anything going on at all, there would be no way they’d let you place a bet.”

“I mean, the odds were actually only fifty-fifty that I’d win anything,” he observed. “And I could really use some extra quid. My girlfriend has expensive taste in books.”

Mary felt herself blush for the first time that night, but didn’t question his use of the word ‘girlfriend’.

“Well, no one told you to buy it,” she said, teasing him easily. She retrieved her champagne glass, not wanting to leave it for their boss to find later.

“You’ve known me for over three years now, Mary. You should realize by now that I am a man of big gestures.”

“Is that why your chemistry lab is constantly on the verge of blowing up the school?” she questioned, leading him back inside.

“It’s called hands-on learning, love,” he retorted as they walked entered the kitchen to find Dr. Hughes preparing to take more trays of hors d'oeuvres into the dining room.

“Mary, Matthew, what on earth were you doing out there? It’s bloody freezing-” She began to scold them in her Scottish brogue, but halted when she saw they were holding hands. “Oh, damn, I can’t believe I lost the bet!”

“You too?” Mary asked, setting the champagne glass aside. She was astounded even the headmistress of the school was involved in the petty gambling ring like the rest of the staff.

“Oh, everyone wanted a piece of the action, it was such a sure thing,” Dr. Hughes said. “But the key was timing. I thought it would take the two of you at least until next spring to soften up. Some of us hadn’t factored in the enchantment of the holidays.”

“Or expensive gifts,” Matthew muttered.

“Gifts? Do tell.” Dr. Hughes had all but forgotten the trays of brie and decorated biscuits that were in her hands.

“Matthew gave me a Bentley edition of Mansfield Park and Persuasion. 1833,” Mary explained, proud. Matthew shifted, uncomfortable for the first time that night, but Mary cast a smile at him and he rebounded with a small grin.

“My, oh my, how romantic,” Dr. Hughes replied, stunned. “And everyone knows what an Austen fan you are, Mary. Didn’t you take your class to Winchester last spring just so you could show them her final home and resting place in Winchester Cathedral?”

“I did,” Mary said. Visiting the places where her favorite authors once lived, wrote, and even died was, at times, morbid, usually invigorated Mary.

“Well, I suppose I should get ready to empty out my pocketbook. Charles will not be pleased.”

“How much had the pool gotten up to?” Matthew asked with interest.

“A couple hundred quid,” Dr. Hughes admitted. “Rather silly, but nearly all of it will go to Anna Bates.”

Mary snorted. “That seems like quite a conflict of interest. Shouldn’t there be some sort of regulations on whether Anna should be allowed to participate?”

“Maybe we can get her to donate it to the school trip fund,” she replied. “Or your wedding, hmm?”

With this, Dr. Hughes then exited with the trays, unaware of the discomfort she had left between Matthew and Mary.

“From secret Santa to wedding planning, huh?” Matthew finally spoke, breaking the silence that threatened to last for endless minutes. “Well, I hope Anna does contribute her gambling winnings, I haven’t the funds to throw a wedding.”

“Please don’t listen to them,” Mary requested, meeting his eyes once again. “They’re all much too invested in our relationship.” She could tell the blush that had happened upon Matthew calling her his ‘girlfriend’ was creeping back into her cheeks, and wondered if she could blame it on the heat of the room if he asked.

“You’re not embarrassed, are you?”

Mary could tell he was unsure, and she again wanted him to know that she did not regret a moment that had passed since they’d entered the sunroom.

“By you? Of course not,” she said, giving his hand a squeeze. “Sure, I wish our colleagues were less involved in our relationship, but I’m not embarrassed.”

And to give him a final reminder, aware that they could be seen through the doorway to the dining room, Mary kissed her secret Santa.

#mm secret santa 2017 #for Apollo888 #downton fanfic #mary x matthew #downton abbey #my writing

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