#spain family reunion

[bruhnze]

Vacationnn - Lucy x Ona

Summary: Lucy wants to go to the Philippines and Ona agrees to go there over Christmas break.

Warnings: this is a fanfiction, this is fake, this is a made up story. A good old smut fic. Fluff. Smut. Minors DNI. Maybe a bit long build up, but i just can't help myself :) Ona being a brat. I repeat long-winded and wordy (the smut too). PART ONE NO SMUT YET BUT PT 2 IS BASICALLY ALL SMUT.

Words: ~4k

Written based on a request from @pinkygirl28 <3.

“Christmas in the Philippines?”

Ona had paused for just a moment when Lucy first suggested it. With both of them balancing their careers, with Ona playing for Barcelona and Lucy for Chelsea, it wasn’t easy to find time together. But she usually visited her family during the holidays. After some consideration she figured she would just do that before and after. A week away with Lucy was too good to pass up on, actually just a week would´ve been enough for her but Lucy really wanted to go to the Philippines, she had wanted it for a while now.

Once they’d booked everything during their next FaceTime call, Ona couldn’t stop thinking about it. The warm sun, the beaches, and most importantly, an entire week alone together. She couldn’t wait.

..

Finally, December had arrived, and with it, the long-awaited holiday break. Ona still remembered the excitement in their last few calls, packing their suitcases over FaceTime, laughing about how excited they both were for some nice weather, and the late-night conversation the night before they were finally going to see each other again.

The next day, Ona had flown from Spain to England first, meeting Lucy there, from where they boarded their flight to the Philippines.

It had been a while since they’d last seen each other in person, and though it felt bittersweet being in public for their reunion, the privacy of their first-class seats allowed for a few stolen kisses and lingering touches.

The, more then 16-hour flight, had been long but in some way it was nice. They had time to catch up, to talk about everything the other had missed while they weren’t together. They whispered quietly, holding hands around the divider between their seats.

But eventually, fatigue started to set in. Lucy had fallen asleep somewhere over the Pacific, her fingers still intertwined with Ona’s even in her sleep.

Ona, though exhausted, couldn’t seem to settle. She watched a series on her screen, glancing over at Lucy from time to time, smiling softly at how peaceful she looked. It had been a long flight and she felt exhausted, but seeing Lucy so relaxed made her happy anyways.

When they finally landed, the humid warmth of the Philippines wrapped around them like a welcome embrace, a sharp contrast to the biting cold of Europe.

Lucy had taken the lead in collecting their suitcases and getting the two of them to their destination.

They first took a cab to a little harbor, from where they sailed for about thirty minutes and then they had another car waiting for them. This time not a cab, but a car with a staff member from the resort, welcoming them heartily.

Lucy was still focused during the last part of their travels, paying attention to everything that was said and done, though Ona could see the soft glow of affection in her eyes each time she glanced over.

Eventually Ona dozed off against the window, lulled by the steady hum of the car and the hand on her leg that reminded her of Lucy’s presence beside her.

After about forty five minutes later they reached the villa. The sun was high in the sky. The villa was perfect, it was private, serene, tucked between lush greenery and with a glimpse of the ocean in the distance. It was the kind of place that felt like a dream, a perfect escape from the busy lives they led.

Exhaustion from the long journey hit them both as soon as they stepped inside and Lucy suggested for them to take a nap before dinner, knowing Ona hadn’t slept much during the flight.

Ona stifled a yawn and nodded, too tired to even think about anything else. They set their bags down and agreed to set an alarm, just enough time to recharge before the evening but not ruin their sleep for the night.

As they laid down, they instinctively curled against each other, their bodies fitting together as if no time had passed. The rustling of palm trees outside and the gentle hum of the air conditioning added to the peaceful atmosphere. Ona rested her head on Lucy’s chest, breathing in the scent she had missed so much and within minutes, she drifted off.

..

The alarm went off far too soon for Ona’s liking, she groaned in protest as the piercing sound dragged her from sleep. Face pressed against the pillow, she stubbornly resisted, not ready to leave the comfort of the bed.

Lucy, on the other hand, turned off the alarm with a quick tap and stretched lazily.

When she noticed Ona’s unwillingness to move, a chuckle escaped her lips. She rolled over and wrapped her arms around her grumpy girlfriend, pulling her close.

Without warning, Lucy launched a playful attack, peppering Ona’s face with kisses, on her forehead, cheeks, nose, anywhere she could reach.

When Ona didn’t budge she placed some kisses in her neck, whispering in her ear. "It’s alright, bebe. We’ll grab dinner and then you can crawl right back into bed."

"I don’t want dinner," Ona murmured, fighting to free herself from Lucy’s antics.

Lucy chuckled. "Ah come on babe, remember that we’ve got Christmas with 25-degree weather while everyone back home are freezing their tits off, especially in England." She chuckled in Ona’s ear, still tightly holding her close. Acting as if Ona’s squirming wasn’t happening.

Her light tone, combined with the reminder of their tropical paradise, tugged a reluctant smile from Ona’s lips. As much as she wanted to stay in bed forever, Lucy made her give in, even if it was begrudgingly.

"Alright," she grumbled, turning around and weakly pushing Lucy away, though there was a spark of happiness back in her voice. ‘’Let’s go then.’’

..

Their first evening was peaceful. After a simple yet delicious dinner at a local restaurant, Ona's fatigue won out. She was practically begging Lucy to go back to their villa and come to bed early with her.

"Please, Luce," Ona murmured, when they barely stepped foot back in the house. ‘’Can you come to bed too?’’

Lucy was not really one to go to sleep early, but she agreed and followed her girlfriend into the bedroom anyways, because nights together where sacred now that they lived apart.

After getting ready for the night they got in bed and Ona settled on top of her, falling asleep almost instantly with her head nestled on Lucy’s chest.

Lucy felt contend, holding her girlfriend close with one arm tracing slow, soothing patterns across Ona’s back. She stayed awake a bit longer, scrolling through her phone with the other hand, but her attention was mostly on the weight of Ona resting peacefully against her.

It wasn’t long before Lucy also fell asleep, lulled by the steady rhythm of Ona’s breathing and maybe because she was secretly pretty tired from the trip too.

..

The next morning, Ona stirred first, woken up by the shadows that disrupted the sun shining directly in her face. She was blinking groggily as she sat up in bed, leaning against the headboard.

She watched as a worker in a neat blouse and apron quietly entered their little private garden outside.

The worker placed a basket on the table without so much as glancing toward the bedroom, respectful of their privacy. But Ona made a mental note to close the curtains next time, they had forgotten to close them last night.

Next to her, Lucy began to stir now too. With a sleepy groan, she reached out instinctively, looking for Ona in her half awake state. Her hand found Ona’s legs instead, and Lucy clumsily bumped her head against Ona's hip.

"Oh," Lucy mumbled, half-asleep, but when she realized what had happened, she laughed softly and kissed Ona’s leg instead of the face she had expected.

"Good morning," Ona chuckled, watching as Lucy rolled back and stretched languidly across the bed, her long limbs sprawled out.

"Good morning," Lucy replied, her voice husky with sleep, a smile spreading across her face as she blinked up at Ona. "Did you sleep well?"

Ona reached out to gently brush Lucy's hair from her face, her fingers grazing her forehead. "Mhm, did you?"

"Yeah, slept like a log," Lucy said with a smile. "Have you been awake for long?"

"No, I just woke up," Ona said, glancing toward the garden. "Saw them deliver breakfast a few minutes ago."

At the mention of food, Lucy sat up, her expression lighting up. "Mmm, breakfast," she hummed, stretching again. Ona couldn’t help but laugh at how predictable Lucy was when it came to food.

"I'm curious what breakfast here is like," Ona said, "in the Philippines."

Lucy rolled out of bed, her energy already returning at the thought of food. "Well, let’s find out," she replied, flashing Ona a bright, eager grin.

The villa was perfect, but their little outdoor area might have been even better. A private pool glistening under the morning sun, there was an outdoor shower, sunbeds, and a small table with two chairs. Tall walls and greenery surrounded the space around them, creating a cocoon of privacy.

Even though the resort was already tucked away, with just a couple villas spread out across a big private piece of land, the seclusion of this space made it feel especially intimate. It made it seem like the rest of the world was far, far away.

The air outside was already warm and welcoming as they sat down to breakfast, the soft sounds of nature around them. It truly felt like vacation.

Unlike their usual vacations full of activities like cooking classes or tours, this trip was different. It was meant for relaxation. They had only planned dinners, with a special one on Christmas Day.

They had planned this to be a ‘chill by the pool’ type of vacation. Though knowing them, a bit of adventure, a hike or maybe kayaking, probably would sneak in at some point. But relaxation was the goal.

Lucy took the lead and unpacked the breakfast basket. "Uff, this looks amazing," she said, laying out fried rice, eggs, fresh mango, and a variety of other dishes. She set the empty basket aside and sat down.

Ona nodded in agreement. They’d pulled their chairs close together, but as Lucy glanced over at Ona next to her, she wanted her even closer. She reached out, tracing fingers gently along her back as Ona was adding pieces of fruit to both their plates.

With a piece of mango on her fork, Ona turned to Lucy and fed her, watching as Lucy happily accepted the bite. Ona took a piece herself, humming in delight at the sweet taste of the mango.

Lucy looked at her adoringly. "D'you want to sit on my lap?" she asked, chuckling at herself for her silly question.

Ona raised an eyebrow, a smile tugging at her lips. "Now?"

Lucy nodded. "If you want..."

Ona chuckled. "Is someone feeling a little clingy?"

"Mhm," Lucy admitted without hesitation. "I’ve missed you."

Ona’s teasing attitude shifted to tenderness, her gaze softening. "Aww Luce" She set down her fork and, without hesitation, climbed onto Lucy's lap, facing her.

Lucy welcomed her with open arms, her hands instinctively resting on Ona’s ass. "Hmm, perfect," she said with a grin. "But wouldn’t it be easier the other way around?"

"I’ll turn around in a bit," Ona whispered.

"But first?" Lucy asked, smiling cheekily, seeing Ona eying her lips.

"First, a kiss." Ona leaned in with a smile. "I’ve missed you too."

Their lips met in a sweet, lingering kiss. It wasn’t rushed. Both of them savoring the moment.

When they finally pulled apart, Lucy rested her forehead against Ona’s, smiling.

"I love you," Ona whispered, her fingers lightly brushing Lucy’s jawline.

"I love you too," Lucy murmured back, her hands comfortably settled on Ona’s hips. "I’m so happy we have some time together."

‘’Mhm, me too.’’ Ona smiled and gave her another quick kiss before sliding off Lucy’s lap, and sitting back down, now facing the breakfast. She shifted to sit sideways so Lucy could reach her food as well.

They happily ate their breakfast, taking in the scenery around them.

As Ona put another piece of fruit into her mouth, she glanced over at the pool, then beyond it, to where she could hear the faint sound of waves coming from and saw bright blue water and white sand.

"What do you think about going to the beach after breakfast?" Ona asked. "It’s so close. Do you think we are aloud to swim there?"

Lucy nodded eagerly between bites. ‘’Mhm, you can swim there, it’s part of the resort."

‘’You want to go?’’

‘’Yeah, sounds good.’’

Ona leaned back against Lucy, smiling. "It feels good to have days without plans for a change."

"Yeah," Lucy agreed, pressing a soft kiss to Ona’s temple. Lucy hummed as she lingered, placing soft kiss after soft kiss to the soft skin of her adorable girlfriends face. "I can’t wait to see you in those bikinis you packed," she murmured with a grin.

Ona turned her head and leaned in, smiling. Her hands moving up to cradle Lucy’s head as their lips met.

Her fingers slipped into the loose strands beneath Lucy’s bun, and with a small shift on Lucy´s lap, she deepened the kiss. Desire stirred inside her as she felt Lucy’s hands roaming her body, reminding her just how long it had been since they’d been close like this.

"You know," Lucy mumbled against her lips, "if we keep this up, we’ll never make it to the beach."

Ona pulled back slightly, biting her lip as she eyed Lucy´s lips when she spoke. "Maybe that’s not such a bad thing."

Lucy chuckled but leaned back in her chair, tilting her head. "Didn’t you want to go to the beach?"

Instead of voicing the desire stirring in her mind, Ona decided she’d rather make Lucy feel the same, she wanted Lucy to want her too. With a mischievous smile, she kissed Lucy once more before pulling back and turning her attention to breakfast. "Yeah, mhm" she said casually, as if nothing had changed. ‘’I want to go the beach..’’

To Ona’s frustration, Lucy seemed to not pick up on how she felt. She almost seemed unbothered, calmly continuing her meal as though nothing had changed. Pressing a kiss to Ona’s shoulder every now then.

Once they’d finished eating, they cleaned up the table together and putt everything back into the basket. As Ona fastened the leather clasps, the soft morning sun bathed her in a golden glow, and Lucy paused to take it in, admiration flickering in her eyes.

Ona noticed and playfully raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Nothing," Lucy said softly. "Just… that you’re gorgeous."

Ona rolled her eyes with a grin, she couldn’t hide how much she loved the compliment. She liked to hear Lucy still found her pretty.

She walked back inside, Lucy following close behind, as they made their way to the bedroom to get ready for the beach.

Lucy opened her suitcase, already knowing what she wanted to wear. She quickly laid her chosen bikini on the bed and started undressing, slipping out of the boxers and sports bra she had slept in.

But Ona had other plans. She grabbed her own clothes from her suitcase and headed toward the bathroom. Getting dressed there to keep Lucy from seeing her bikini just yet.

Lucy was too focused on getting dressed to notice Ona slipping into the bathroom. She was just done putting her clothes on when Ona reappeared, now dressed in loose shorts and a cropped top that showed off a hint of her toned stomach.

"Huh, did you change in the bathroom?" Lucy asked, visibly confused, glancing over to her girlfriend.

"Yeah," Ona replied casually, running a hand through her hair. "I wanted to see how my bikini looked, so I needed the mirror."

Lucy raised an eyebrow, a playful smile forming on her lips. "You could’ve asked me," she teased, stepping closer with a smirk. Wrapping her arms around Ona’s waist, she gave a cheeky squeeze to Ona’s ass, pulling her closer. "If you want, I can do a final check." Her hand slipped under Ona’s shirt, fingers grazing her skin.

Ona smiled. "You’ll see it at the beach," she teased, gently removing Lucy’s hand from under her shirt.

"Mm, okay," Lucy murmured, leaning in for a kiss, but Ona dodged it with a mischievous grin, leaving Lucy hanging.

Lucy huffed in mock frustration, "What’s that for? Can’t I get a kiss?"

"Nope," Ona smirked, playing with Lucy’s fingers. "Maybe later, when you behave better. For now, let’s get our stuff so we can go."

Lucy stared at her, mouth slightly open in disbelief. "Behave better?"

"Mhm," Ona chuckled, planting a soft kiss on Lucy’s cheek. "Like helping me pack, for starters."

With a playful roll of her eyes, Lucy followed Ona’s lead, moving around the room to gather what they needed for the beach. Ona grabbed their tote bag, packing towels, sunglasses, and a few snacks that where left over from the flight. Lucy added a bottle of water and found the sunscreen.

Sliding up behind Ona, Lucy let her fingers trace lightly over Ona’s exposed abs, pressing a kiss to the back of her neck. "How about I put on some sunscreen? Protecting you is good behavior, no?"

Ona laughed softly, shaking her head. "You can do it at the beach," she said, her tone firm but teasing as she pulled Lucy’s hands away.

‘’But.. why?’’ Lucy frowned, ‘’is something wrong? I.. what did you mean with behave better? Where you for real? Did I mess something up?’’

Ona didn’t respond right away, she just turned away with a cheeky smile, her eyes beaming with mischief she couldn’t hide.

It wasn’t until Lucy caught the look on Ona’s face, that the realization hit.

Ona was teasing her, she was playing a game. She’d been enjoying it all along. An amused grin spread across Lucy’s face as she realized she’d walked right into it.

Lucy’s eyes narrowed, studying Ona as she casually continued packing the bag, pretending to be innocent.

Biting her lip, Lucy couldn’t help but think about how she was going to handle her girlfriend, who had clearly woken up feeling like a bit of a brat today.

"Alright," Lucy finally said, still thoughtful but her voice lighter now. She watched Ona carefully, slinging the tote bag over her shoulder. The playful gleam in Ona’s eyes confirmed what she already knew. The game was on.

"Let me hold that for you, babe," Lucy offered with a grin.

Ona raised an eyebrow in playful suspicion, but handed over the bag anyway. She knew Lucy had caught on now.

As they headed out, the warmth of the sun greeted them, and the tension between them hung in the air. Walking hand in hand, Ona glanced at Lucy from time to time, noticing her being in her thoughts. But the gentle brush of Lucy’s thumb over hers let Ona know she was contend.

When they arrived at the beach, Lucy and Ona naturally gravitated toward the sunbeds positioned farthest from the others, preferring the bit of privacy it offered.

Lucy immediately pulled off her shirt, revealing her toned body in a way that Ona couldn’t help but roll her eyes at. She knew Lucy well enough to recognize when she was flexing her abs.

After putting her shirt and the bag down, Lucy unrolled the parasol between the beds, securing it in place with ease. Then, after that, she turned to Ona, sunscreen in hand.

"Are you finally ready for me to apply this now that we’re officially on the beach?" Lucy asked, wiggling the bottle playfully.

Ona rolled her eyes dramatically, but a small smile tugged at her lips. "Yes," she said, peeling off her clothes and tossing them onto the bed. Underneath, she was wearing a sleek bikini that hugged her curves just right.

Lucy’s eyes travelled along the freckled skin before she squeezed some sunscreen into her hands.

She started slowly, spreading the cool lotion over Ona’s shoulders and back, her fingers lingering a little too long in certain spots. "Mm, this bikini really looks incredible on you," she murmured as her hands slid down Ona’s arms.

Ona didn’t respond, enjoying the feeling of Lucy’s touch.

Lucy’s fingers grazed the edge of Ona’s bikini top, her lips brushing close as she murmured, "you prefer to go without this, right?" Her voice was teasing, just above a whisper, with a hint of a smirk.

Ona glanced around. Though the beach wasn’t packed, there were still a few couples lounging nearby, and the staff moving about were all fully clothed. She rolled her eyes again, this time at Lucy’s suggestion. "Yeah but it’s not the place or time for that, now" she replied.

Lucy pouted playfully. "Want to head back and sunbathe by our pool, then?"

Ona arched an eyebrow, chuckling. "You just said you liked my bikini and now you want it off." She tutted with disproval.

Lucy grinned, leaning down to kiss her, the kind of kiss that made it clear she wasn’t going to give up easily. But before she could push her luck any further, Ona took the sunscreen from her hand and, with a chuckle, ordered, "Come, take your pants off."

Lucy grinned. "For you? Always," she teased, chuckling about herself as she quickly unbuttoned her shorts and slid them off.

Shaking her head, Ona began rubbing sunscreen onto her silly girlfriend's back.

Her silly, but undeniably hot girlfriend she thought. She bit her lip as her fingers glided over Lucy's skin, feeling the firm muscles beneath her hands, every touch making it harder to stay focused.

Lingering here and there, she eventually was done and noticed Lucy was looking at her with a smirk, if she hadn’t so distracted she might’ve be annoyed by it, but it was only fair. She leaned over to the bag and put the sunscreen back.

With the sunscreen now applied, they both laid down to let it absorb into their skin.

Lucy quickly grew bored, it was hard for her to sit still. She glanced at Ona, who was lounging seemingly relaxed and unbothered.

"I’m going to grab us some drinks," Lucy announced, getting up and heading over to the beach bar.

Ona nodded and called after Lucy about the cocktail she wanted. She watched through her sunglasses, taking in how stunning Lucy looked in her bikini. Her gaze roamed over Lucy's toned legs and the way her sinfully good ass looked as she walked. It was a good thing Ona was wearing shades, hiding her eyes as she admired her girlfriend from afar.

Ona looked back at the water again, taking in the idyllic scenery.

After a while she noticed Lucy’s laughter in the distance. She looked to the bar and watched as she exchanged playful banter with the staff. Lucy's easygoing charm was infectious, and Ona couldn't help but smile at how effortlessly she drew people in. The staff members were clearly enjoying her company.

As Lucy was finally turning around and heading back to the beds Ona notices how the staff’s eyes followed Lucy as she walked, her athletic frame clearly drawing attention. She smirked knowing it was all hers to enjoy.

When Lucy was back, carrying two cocktails, Ona sat up. Lucy leaned down to hand her the drink, and she took it from her with a kiss in return.

They sat sipping their drinks, but Lucy’s energy hadn’t settled. Finishing her cocktail in record time, she stood up, stretching.

"I’m going swimming, see if the temperature is nice. I think it is, cus there’s a few people in, hm" she said, standing next to the bed digging her toes in the sand. ‘’I guess you don’t want to swim yet?’’

“Mhm,” Ona replied, taking another sip of her drink. She was perfectly comfortable, her head resting in the shade while the sun warmed her body.

“Alright, we can go together later.” Lucy said with a smile before heading toward the water.

“Mhm, later,” Ona hummed back, watching Lucy as she made her way to the ocean. Lucy stepped into the water without hesitation, clearly unfazed by the cold.

Ona settled back into her spot, soaking in the sun and enjoying the view of Lucy swimming through the clear, sparkling bright water.

After a while, Lucy noticed Ona was watching her and decided to put on a bit of a show.

She tossed her wet hair back as she emerged from the water, walking toward Ona with her abs flexed just a little harder than usual.

As she reached Ona, she leaned purposefully over her, letting droplets of water fall onto her girlfriend. She pretended to rummage through the bag.

Ona rolled her eyes, but the playful glint in her gaze gave her away. Unable to resist, she cupped the back of Lucy’s neck and pulled her in for a kiss. Lucy grinned into it, satisfied that her teasing had finally worn her down.

When the kiss eventually broke, Lucy smirked. "Mm, that was nice."

"Whatever," Ona muttered, but her flushed cheeks told a different story.

"Come swim with me, the water is nice" Lucy urged, still dripping water. "and tanning goes faster in the water anyways."

Ona chuckled, shaking her head as she looked up at Lucy. "You´re dying for me to swim with you, aren’t you?"

Lucy nodded, reaching out her hand. "Mhm.’’ She smiled her brightest smile. ‘´So can you please please please come with me."

With a playful sigh, Ona gave in, taking Lucy’s hand to let her pull her up before they walked together towards the water.

The ocean was cool against their skin, but it wasn’t long before Lucy’s hands found their way to Ona’s waist, pulling her close offering her some warmth.

Lucy’s body warmth against her in the cool water made Ona shiver slightly, and soon they were chest-to-chest, drifting closer as Lucy leaned in to kiss her.

What started soft quickly turned heated, Lucy’s hands slipping down to grab Ona’s ass, pulling her in tighter. Ona couldn’t help the surge of warmth that spread through her, the feel of Lucy’s strong grip making her head spin. But as much as she loved it, she couldn’t shake the awareness of being so exposed, swimming right in front of the sunbeds.

Reluctantly, Ona pulled back, breathless, her heart racing. "Babe," she murmured, glancing toward the beach. "We’re right infront of people."

Lucy pouted slightly, but her grip loosened. ‘’Mm sorry I got carried away,’’ she said, her voice a little lower, filled with disappointment. "But you’re right."

Not long later they got out of the water again. The swimming not interesting them both in the least.

As they toweled off, Ona caught Lucy’s eye. "Maybe we can walk a bit? I think there’s a smaller beach around that bend, maybe it’s a bit more secluded," she added.

Lucy’s expression lit up. She grinned. "Mm sure, you lead the way."

Grabbing the tote bag with their phones. They slipped their sunglasses back on and began walking hand in hand along the shore.

As they rounded the corner, disappearing from view of the other beachgoers, Ona abruptly stopped, tugging Lucy toward her and crashing their lips together in a heated kiss.

Lucy blinked in surprise, not expecting the sudden intensity. When Ona pulled away after only a few seconds, Lucy chuckled. "You were waiting for that, weren’t you?" she asked, her voice low and breathless.

Ona didn’t answer, she just grabbed Lucy by the waist, pulling her back in, her lips hungrily finding Lucy’s once more. Her hand slid to Lucy’s abs, feeling the hard, toned muscle beneath her palm.

The feeling of Lucy’s body against hers sent a surge of heat rushing through her, making her head swim. Ona's breath hitched, her mind going completely blank as the kiss deepened, her lips parting with a soft moan when Lucy pressed herself against her.

Lucy, sensing the tension rise between them again, grinned against Ona’s mouth. Her hands moved to grip Ona’s ass, squeezing firmly before lifting her effortlessly off the sand. Ona gasped as Lucy backed her up against a nearby palm tree, her legs instinctively wrapping around Lucy’s waist. The tote bag slid from Lucy’s shoulder, landing in the sand, but neither of them cared.

Lucy’s focus was entirely on the woman in her arms, the soft, desperate sounds escaping Ona’s lips driving her wild.

Ona’s hands slid up Lucy’s sides, slipping beneath her bikini top, her fingers brushing over sensitive skin. Her thumbs circling her nipples. It made Lucy shiver, her breath catching as the kiss grew even more heated.

"Babe..." Lucy murmured, barely managing to pull away enough to speak. She chuckled softly, her lips brushing against Ona’s. "We can’t do this out here-"

Ona groaned in frustration, pressing her forehead against Lucy’s, her body still trembling with need. "Then we should head back to the villa," she whispered, her voice thick with desire, ‘’now’’.

They both took a deep breath, laughing breathily as they looked at each other, still flushed and full of tension. Gently Lucy put Ona back on the floor and took the bag from the sand.

Hands interlinked, they walked back to their sunbeds, trying to act casual as they gathered their towels, clothes and slippers. The empty glasses had already been cleared away.

With one last desperate glance at each other, they headed back to the villa.

...

Part 2 :)

masterlists

[bosbas]

Chapter 7: something gave you the nerve to touch my hand

series masterlist previous part || next part

pairing: colin bridgerton x enemy!fem!reader WC: 3.4k words

Warnings: period-typical gender roles, a small part of the dialogue is in Spanish, idiots in love-ish moments (maybe idiots in non-hate?)

Summary: It took precisely two days in England for you to utterly despise Colin Bridgerton. It took him approximately twelve hours after that to hate you right back. But he doesn't care that you're the only person in the ton who doesn't like him. You're set to marry someone else anyway, right?

June 1, 1816 – A few whispers have been floating around about Lord Arthur Barlow’s whereabouts following his escapade with Miss Barrington at the Bridgerton ball, but this author must sadly say that she has no credible information on the subject. The Duke has likely paid his staff handsomely to avoid any news reaching the curious ears of the ton, much to our disappointment. While propriety suggests that his wedding plans to Miss Barrington should be in full swing, Lord Barlow is not particularly known for his propriety, and therefore we cannot assume anything.

Among other Montclair-related news, two of the Count’s children arrived in London yesterday: Lord Philippe Montclair IV and Lady Isabelle de la Torre, accompanied by their respective spouses and children. Is this unexpected gathering somehow linked to Lady Y/N's recent entanglement in scandal, or is it merely a coincidental family reunion?

You wrung your hands nervously in your carriage bound for Hyde Park, not quite able to sit still. Beside you sat Leonor, Philippe's wife, while your sisters, sitting opposite from you, observed your anxious demeanor with growing impatience. Isabelle, in particular, seemed annoyed by your restless gestures, her irritation palpable in the air.

“Y/N, for heaven's sake, it’s not like you’ve been compromised in any way!” said Isabelle, exasperated. “You’ll find someone else, and the Duke’s betrayal will be but a distant memory.”

It was easy for her to say; after all, her own search for a husband had been nothing short of a fairy tale. Unlike the rest of your siblings, Isabelle had had a love match from the beginning, and it only made it easier that Carlos, her now-husband, had strong ties to the royal family. Though her love story had been one for the ages, the fact that it had happened so easily was making her quite unsympathetic to your loss of a Duke you weren’t even properly interested in. 

“I might as well have been! Lady Whistledown is still mentioning my involvement in the scandal, and your presence isn’t helping.” You thanked the universe that your mother was on another carriage with Louis, Carlos, and Philippe, and hadn’t heard you being rude toward your sister.

"And why should we care about the musings of this Lady Whistledown?" retorted Isabelle with a dismissive wave of her hand.

“These English people treat that gossip column like gospel,” said Charlotte, crinkling her nose in disdain. “Though I dare say, Y/N, your predicament isn't as dire as you're painting it," she added, casting you a knowing glance.

"You two can afford to be cavalier about it, being safely married," you sighed, feeling defeated, and turned your gaze back out the window.

As your carriage rolled into the park, Leonor leaned in, placing her hand over yours. “No te preocupes, cariño,” she whispered reassuringly, so only you could hear (Don’t worry, sweetheart). “En todo caso, te vienes a España con tu hermano y conmigo” (In any case, you can come to Spain with your brother and me).

You smiled at her, resigned, but grateful for her offer. As you surveyed the bustling crowd outside, predominantly comprised of eligible men, the allure of Spain beckoned. It would certainly have better weather than London. And at least there was no Lady Whistledown in Salamanca. Though with the seemingly endless sources the woman had, you wouldn’t doubt her abilities to follow you there, too.

Stepping down from your carriage and walking toward the crowd of people in the park, you made eye contact with one of the gentlemen who had called on you yesterday. Though his poem had nearly put you to sleep, you smiled politely anyway. Perhaps he would be the first to talk to you today and ask for a turn about the park, and you would be able to finally relax in the knowledge that at least one person was still interested in you.

Though you hadn’t seen or heard from Lord Barlow since the Bridgerton ball, he still lingered in your mind. He ended up being just like any other man, you thought, annoyed. You hadn’t necessarily expected him to be the picture of attentiveness and love, especially not when you had only known each other a little over a month, but it was still disappointing to see how it had all turned out. 

"Lady Montclair," a voice interjected, drawing your attention to your right. Startled, you turned to see Colin Bridgerton, sporting an uncharacteristically earnest smile.

“Mr. Bridgerton?” you inquired. 

You had thought your dance two nights prior had been a one-time event, a small courtesy on his part, for Eloise, so you didn’t look a complete fool upon your re-entry to society. So why was he here now? Had he come here to resume tormenting you? You weren’t quite sure you had the energy for that today, already feeling the familiar flutter of nerves as you thought about how many men you would have to impress and the intense scrutiny you would face from the rest of the ton.

“Would you care for a promenade?” his voice, a gentle invitation, broke through your thoughts.

“A prom- What?” you said lowly, careful that no one would hear you. “You already danced with me once, and it was more than enough,” you assured him. 

Colin was fighting an internal battle. He was torn between still being absolutely enchanted by you after one dance, and the larger part of him that was annoyed that you apparently didn’t want to speak with him today. Yet, true to form, Colin’s more combative side won out.  

“Well, I don’t particularly see gentlemen lining up to speak with you today, so I rather think you might need some more help,” he shot back. 

You felt your face flush as you gasped in offense. “That is so patronizing. I’ve barely been here three seconds! I hardly think that amount of time is indicative of whether any suitors would like to speak with me today.”

It was true; Colin had rushed to greet you moments after you had stepped down from your carriage. But aside from the fact that he was embarrassed by his eagerness and trying to cover it up, he was not about to let up, not against you. 

“Do you think, for once in your life, you could engage with me without throwing a fit?” he asked you, anger seeping into his words. 

You were speechless, your eyes wide as you stared at him. Your instinct would have been to get mad at him, but unfortunately, he was right. You were struggling to let yourself be vulnerable with Colin, never mind how good of a time you had had dancing with him. But you were too stubborn to accept his offer to walk with him. You simply stared at him, your eyes swimming with uncertainty, and silently willed him to keep pushing you to accept his help. It was the only way you would allow yourself to do it, and you were relieved when he held out his arm for you to take.

“Come along,” he said, rolling his eyes. “For both our sakes, we should just walk to avoid a scene.”

“Very well, then,” you relented, slipping your hand into the crook of his elbow. You were momentarily distracted by the feeling of his arm beneath your touch. It lit a fire inside of you that you weren’t familiar with, and you suddenly found yourself out of breath. 

“My sister can chaperone,” he suggested, gently guiding you toward where his family was situated. 

You could only nod dumbly in response, the flutters in your lower abdomen only growing stronger when he placed his hand over yours. Vaguely registering Daphne and Simon waving at you, you smiled and greeted them, grateful to have something else to focus on that wasn't Mr. Bridgerton's very well-sculpted arms. 

As you began to stroll, the Bassets a few paces behind you, you felt that your voice was stable enough to begin a conversation. “So, Mr. Bridgerton, indulge my curiosity and tell me more about your travels. Have you ever been lost at sea?”

Colin smiled at you, unable to hold back his fondness for you once again, and his breath was stolen from his lips as he made eye contact with you. You looked back eagerly, staring straight into him, and he was momentarily speechless. But you blinked, indicating that you were still awaiting a response, and he realized he had forgotten himself once again in your presence, an alarmingly increasing trend. 

After clearing his throat, Colin answered, “A few times, yes. Most unfortunate was the time we became lost in the twilight hours when it was freezing out, but the stars proved an exceptionally useful tool in helping us find our way.”

“The stars?” you asked, curious. Could it be that you and Colin had yet another thing in common? It was hard to parse who he had been with you the past few days with the man you had a rivalry with practically from the moment you arrived in England. Who was the real Colin?

“Yes, indeed,” affirmed Colin, his voice revealing a hint of excitement. “They’re actually quite a useful tool. Regardless of our whereabouts, we look at the same constellations, albeit from differing vantage points. For instance, if you look up at the sky any of these nights, and you see three stars close together arranged in a line, that’s-”

“Orion’s belt,” you finished for him, your voice soft. Then, seeing his amused, and admittedly curious, smile, you explained, “My governess used to take me outside at night, even in the winter, so I could look at the stars. I know a fair few constellations, and I always like to know which ones are visible to me.”

Colin shook his head in wonder. The universe was a cruel thing, to make you so perfectly suited to him and make you hate him more than you hated, apparently, anyone or anything else. But it wasn’t like he liked you any better, he reasoned.

“I’d wager you’d be a wonderful navigator, then,” he said. “I’m certain you’d never get lost in treacherous waters.” He had to physically bite his tongue to keep from suggesting that you go with him on his next trip around the world. 

You hummed softly in response. It never quite felt like you had a grip on where you were going. Usually, you just felt like you were groping around in the dark, desperately trying to find the right way to go. 

The promenade stretched on longer than anticipated, with both of you engaging in pleasant conversation throughout, and more than a few stolen glances. It was a shock, really, when Daphne cleared her throat politely behind you and Colin. You suddenly realized that you and Colin had been walking together for longer than was typically appropriate. 

“It might be time for Lady Montclair to promenade with someone else,” she suggested gently, a sympathetic smile on her face as she looked at Colin's crestfallen face. Turning away from you, she leaned over and whispered something unintelligible to Simon as the pair walked away back toward the rest of the Bridgertons, allowing you and Colin a few moments of privacy.

“Thank you,” you smiled at him, finding yourself slightly disappointed that your time together was ending. “I’m not quite sure I would have needed your saving again, but I appreciate it nonetheless.”

Suddenly, you noticed a piece of lint on the lapel of Colin’s jacket. You reached over, almost instinctively, and picked it off. Your fingers barely grazed his chest, and his words caught in his throat as he saw your hand reach toward his chest in slow motion. 

The two of you stood still, staring at each other for what felt like an eternity, one of your hands still extended toward him. Realizing your actions necessitated an explanation, you hurriedly brought your hand back to your side again and averted your gaze, avoiding eye contact with Colin.

“Lint,” you explained awkwardly. “On your coat.”

Oh, how could you have done something so brash? And in such a public setting, too, you scolded yourself. 

“I-Th-Well, I-Thank you, Lady Montclair,” Colin stuttered out, his brain short-circuiting from your intimate gesture. But you were already walking away, fists clenched at your sides as he saw you walking back to your family. 

Once more, you were intercepted by what could only be described as a horde of men vying for your favor. But, just like two nights prior, all Colin could feel was a pleasant warmth spreading through him as he watched you walk away, your laughter ringing like music in his ears. 

He knew what that was like now. To have you genuinely laugh at something he said. And it was different from how you were with these men. Even different from how you had been with the Duke. His heart warmed when he realized he had something of you that no one else did, and he wanted to bottle up your laugh and keep it in his breast pocket, forever a reminder of you near his heart.

A short distance away, Carlos observed with amusement as Colin stood there, seemingly transfixed by your departure. Standing beside him was Leonor, who had also been privy to the entire spectacle. The two often found themselves together during family outings, enjoying speaking in Spanish for a change. 

“La ama,” Carlos said to Leonor, his tone tinged with amusement at Colin's evident infatuation (He loves her).

Suppressing a chuckle, Leonor discreetly cleared her throat. “Y cuanto tiempo crees que será hasta que se de cuenta?” she quipped in response (And how long do you think it'll be until he realizes?).

---

In the late afternoon, you found yourself seated by the pianoforte, the pleasant notes of your scales filling the room. Across from you, your mother quietly engrossed herself in a book, while Isabelle diligently worked on her needlepoint. Suddenly, the tranquil atmosphere of your sitting room was disrupted as your butler made an unexpected entrance. 

“Lady Montclair, a visitor,” he said politely, bowing slightly. 

Your fingers stopped playing and you looked toward your mother, who had a questioning look on her face. 

“I hadn’t been expecting anyone. And at this hour? Is everything alright?” she asked the butler. 

His face flushed slightly. “My apologies, I meant Lady Y/N Montclair,” he corrected himself. “It’s the Duke.”

But he barely had time to announce your visitor before Lord Barlow strode into your sitting room, hair disheveled and bags under his eyes. He looked positively ghastly, and you wouldn’t have doubted it if he told you he hadn’t slept in a week. 

He was panting and slightly sweaty, clearly having rushed over to your home for some unknown reason, when he took off his hat and crouched next to the pianoforte bench.

“Forgive me,” he addressed the other women in the room. Then, turning back to you, he roughly grasped your hand, placing a wet kiss on the back of it. You slightly cringed in disgust, not particularly wanting this man anywhere near you.

“Y/N, my darling, I am so terribly sorry for what happened at the Bridgerton ball. It was unforgivable. Except that you must forgive me!” he pleaded, voice full of desperation.

You were utterly confused, and more than a little angry. Who did this man think he was, barging into your home at this hour and demanding forgiveness? You shared a look with your mother, who looked equally as scandalized. 

“Lord Bar-” you started, but before you could finish, he interrupted you, grasping your hand even tighter.

“No! Not Lord Barlow. Arthur. Your Arthur. It’s me; I’m here. What happened with Miss Barrington was a foolish mistake, and it will never happen again. Marry me, Y/N. Marry me and make me the happiest man in all of Mayfair. In all of England, even. Please,” he begged. 

Out of the corner of your eye, you saw Leonor leaving the room quietly, and your stomach churned uncomfortably at the idea of having to face this man on your own. You breathed deeply, calming yourself with the thought that your mother remained in the room before you addressed Lord Barlow. 

“I don’t understand,” you said, shaking your head. “What of Miss Barrington? She will be ruined if you do not marry her.”

He scoffed, throwing his head back and shaking his head in annoyance. “What of her? She is not as important to me as you are,” he said lowly. “I do not have with her what I have with you. I need you, Y/N. Please marry me.”

Letting the anger that had been slowly bubbling inside you take over, you snatched your hand out of his grip and stood up, towering over him. “Are you quite finished? You are completely unbelievable. I will not marry you, your Grace, and it is egregious that you would even suggest it. Do you truly have so little respect for Miss Barlow that you would leave her, ruined, as you married someone else? Do you truly think so lowly of me that you thought I would say yes?”

“Barlow, take your leave,” came a commanding voice from the doorway before the Duke could respond to you. 

With a surge of relief, you caught sight of Louis and Philippe standing firm with Leonor at their side, their expressions firm and determined, while she was looking anxiously between you and Lord Barlow. 

But the Duke was relentless, his desperation palpable as he pleaded his case, his words brimming with urgency. He stood up from where he had been kneeling and turned to face your brothers. "You don’t understand. I must marry your sister. I must!"

“I believe my brother asked you to take your leave, your Grace,” said Philippe, voice cold and cutting. “Louis, if you could be so kind as to escort Lord Barlow out.”  

Louis wasted no time, roughly grabbing Barlow’s arm and dragging him away from you as the man protested profusely. But your brother wasn’t going to let him hurt you again. It was bad enough that he had already done it once, but Louis would rather come to blows right now in your home than let the Duke stand in your presence for another second.

As Louis ushered Lord Barlow out of your sitting room, Philippe placed a protective hand in front of Leonor and pulled her behind him. Ensuring his wife’s safety, he turned to you, a concerned expression on his face.

“Y/N, are you alright?”

But you didn’t have time to answer, your father storming into the room with fury in his eyes.

“Was that Barlow I saw in the hall? Can someone give me an explanation?" he demanded, his gaze fixed on your stricken expression.

Your voice trembled as you confessed, still reeling from the shock of the encounter. "He asked me to marry him," you admitted, the words hanging heavily in the air. 

“She said no, of course. And put him in his place,” your mother added, eyes wide and fixed on the doorway still. It seemed that Lord Barlow’s unexpected appearance had been an unwelcome shock for her, too.

Your father placed his hands on his hips, staring at the two of you in disbelief. “Well done,” he finally conceded after a few moments of silence. 

You nodded meekly in response, not quite feeling anything right at this minute. 

“He is not worthy of you, Y/N. A title and fortune are important, of course, but so is honor. And he clearly has none,” said your father, disgust clear in his voice.

You’d heard this speech a million times, but this time the words rang loudly in your ears. A title and fortune are important, his words echoed in your mind. It was what your father always said, but this time you couldn’t help thinking: Colin Bridgerton, whom you had developed an inexplicable fondness for, possessed neither title nor fortune.

But as quickly as the doubt arose, you cast it aside. You reminded yourself firmly that Colin was not the sort of man a Montclair could marry. The reality was stark, and you refused to entertain the notion that such a match could ever be possible. You weren’t even sure that you liked the man, why were you thinking of marrying him?

—

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@sydneygal3107

[skywalker1dream]

Title: reconnecting

Max verstappen x reader

Summary: Years after drifting apart from childhood best friend Max Verstappen, you find yourself unexpectedly reunited during a family-planned summer holiday in Spain. Despite your initial reluctance to join, you discover that old bonds can reignite in the most unexpected ways.

Warning: none?

---

The sun was setting over the picturesque Spanish coast, casting a golden glow over the sprawling summer house your families had rented. You stared out the car window, feeling a mixture of nostalgia and irritation. Nostalgia, because you had spent countless summers with the Verstappens as a child. Irritation, because you hadn't wanted to come on this trip at all.

"Come on, it'll be fun," your mother had insisted, practically dragging you along. "You used to love spending time with them."

"Yeah, when I was ten," you muttered under your breath. But arguing with your mom had never been fruitful, so here you were, stepping out into the warm evening air, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in your stomach.

Your family was greeted warmly by Max's parents. You exchanged polite hugs and greetings, trying to push down the awkwardness. The house was stunning, with whitewashed walls and a terrace that overlooked the sparkling Mediterranean Sea.

You were just about to head to your room when a familiar voice stopped you in your tracks. "Hey, stranger."

You turned around, heart pounding, and there he was. Max Verstappen. He looked older, more mature, but his eyes still had that same mischievous glint.

"Max?" you managed to say, your voice catching in your throat.

"In the flesh," he replied with a grin. "Long time no see."

---------

Later that evening, after the initial shock had worn off and dinner was served on the terrace, you found yourself sitting next to Max. The conversation flowed easily among the adults, but you and Max were a bit more reserved.

"So," Max said, breaking the silence between you two, "what have you been up to all these years?"

You shrugged, poking at your salad. "Just life, I guess. School, work. The usual. You?"

Max chuckled. "I think you know what I've been up to."

"Yeah, I guess following your career doesn't really count as keeping in touch, huh?" You smiled, trying to lighten the mood.

He nodded, his expression softening. "I missed you, you know. We used to be inseparable."

"Yeah, well, life happens," you said, a bit more sharply than you intended.

Max winced. "I'm sorry. I should have tried harder to keep in touch."

You sighed, feeling a pang of guilt. "It's not all on you. I could have reached out too."

He looked at you, his gaze intense. "Then let's make up for lost time."

-----------

The next few days were a blur of sun, laughter, and rediscovery. You and Max fell back into a rhythm that felt both new and familiar. You found yourselves staying up late, talking about everything and nothing. One night, as you both sat on the terrace, the stars twinkling above, Max turned to you.

"Do you remember that summer when we were ten, and we tried to build a treehouse?"

You laughed. "Yeah, it was more like a pile of sticks than a treehouse."

Max grinned. "We were so determined though. I kind of miss that."

"Miss what? Failing at building things?"

He shook his head. "No. Just... us. The way we used to be."

You looked at him, feeling a warmth spread through you. "Me too."

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

As the days passed, it became clear that this trip was more than just a family reunion. It was a chance to rebuild something you both thought was lost. And as you sat together on the beach, watching the waves crash against the shore, you realized that sometimes, life has a way of bringing you back to where you belong.

Max turned to you, his eyes reflecting the ocean. "So, what do you say? Think we can give this friendship another shot?"

You smiled, feeling lighter than you had in years. "Yeah, I think we can."

And maybe, just maybe, it could be something more.

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

The summer house buzzed with the sounds of laughter and conversation. It felt like old times, but with an edge of something new and unspoken. You and Max had grown, and so had the dynamics between you.

Years after drifting apart from childhood best friend Max Verstappen, you find yourself unexpectedly reunited during a family-planned summer holiday in Spain. Despite your initial reluctance to join, you discover that old bonds can reignite in the most unexpected ways.

One afternoon, as you were chatting with Max in the garden, your mother approached, a wide smile on her face. "[your name], have you met the new neighbors? They're a lovely family. Their son, Aaron, is around your age."

You shot her a look, sensing her ulterior motives. "Uh, no, I haven't met them yet."

Max's expression shifted slightly, a hint of irritation flickering in his eyes.

"Well, you should come meet them. They're joining us for a barbecue tonight," your mother continued.

"Sure, Mom," you replied, trying to hide your reluctance.

That evening, as everyone gathered on the terrace for the barbecue, you were introduced to Aaron. He was friendly, charming, and clearly interested in getting to know you. You couldn't help but notice Max's jaw tighten every time Aaron made you laugh.

"So, [your name]," Aaron said, his eyes sparkling, "what do you do?"

Before you could answer, Max cut in. "She's actually really talented. She works in marketing and has a knack for creative projects."

You raised an eyebrow at Max. "I can speak for myself, you know."

Aaron laughed, oblivious to the tension. "That's impressive. Maybe you can give me some tips. I'm starting my own business and could use some marketing advice."

"Sure," you said, smiling. "I'd be happy to help."

Max excused himself abruptly, muttering something about getting more drinks. You watched him go, feeling a mix of confusion and concern.

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

Later that night, you found Max sitting alone on the beach, staring out at the dark waves. You approached cautiously. "Hey, you okay?"

He glanced up at you, his expression unreadable. "Yeah, just needed some air."

You sat down beside him. "You seemed a bit off tonight."

Max sighed, running a hand through his hair. "It's just... I don't know. Seeing you with Aaron, I guess I felt a bit... jealous."

You blinked, taken aback by his honesty. "Jealous? Why?"

He looked at you, his eyes searching yours. "Because I realized I don't want to lose you again. Not to anyone."

Your heart pounded in your chest. "Max, you won't lose me. We're just reconnecting."

He shook his head. "It's more than that. I think it always has been."

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

The next day, the tension between you and Max was palpable. Your families noticed, and during breakfast, Max's mother, Sophie, leaned over to your mother. "Those two have always had a special bond, haven't they?"

Your mother nodded, a knowing smile on her lips. "Yes, they have. Maybe this summer will be good for them."

As the day wore on, you tried to focus on enjoying the holiday, but your thoughts kept drifting back to Max and his confession. You decided to confront the situation head-on.

That evening, you found Max in the kitchen, helping to prepare dinner. "We need to talk," you said, your voice firm.

He looked at you, his expression wary. "Okay."

You took a deep breath. "About what you said last night. Do you really mean it?"

Max set down the knife he was holding and turned to face you fully. "I do. I think I've always felt this way, but I didn't realize it until now."

Your heart raced as you stepped closer. "Then why did you let us drift apart?"

He sighed, his shoulders slumping. "I was young and stupid. I thought I needed to focus on racing, and everything else fell by the wayside. Including you."

You reached out, placing a hand on his arm. "Well, we're here now. And we have a chance to start over."

Max's eyes softened as he covered your hand with his. "I'd like that. A lot."

---------

Over the next few days, the dynamic between you and Max shifted. There was a new closeness, an unspoken understanding that something more was blooming between you. The jealousy that had sparked in Max whenever Aaron was around seemed to dissipate as he grew more confident in your feelings for him.

One evening, as you and Max walked along the beach, he stopped and turned to you, taking both of your hands in his. "I've been thinking a lot about us," he said softly.

You looked up at him, your heart pounding. "And?"

"And I don't want to waste any more time," he said, his eyes intense. "I want to be with you, [your name]. For real."

You smiled, feeling tears of happiness prick at the corners of your eyes. "I want that too."

He leaned in, and as his lips met yours, you felt the past melt away, replaced by the promise of a future together.

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

The days that followed your confession on the beach were filled with a heady mix of tension and passion. You and Max were inseparable, yet the simmering emotions between you both seemed to heighten with each passing moment.

One particularly hot afternoon, as you lounged by the pool, Aaron sauntered over, his charming smile firmly in place. "Hey, [your name], up for a swim?"

You glanced at Max, who was sitting nearby, his eyes narrowing slightly at Aaron's approach. "Sure, why not," you replied, feeling a bit mischievous.

As you and Aaron splashed around in the pool, Max's gaze grew darker. He tried to focus on his book, but his eyes kept drifting to where you were laughing with Aaron.

Aaron swam closer, his playful demeanor making you laugh even more. "You know, I was thinking we could go into town tomorrow. There's this great market I think you'd love."

"That sounds fun," you said, catching Max's glare from the corner of your eye.

Max couldn't take it anymore. He stood up abruptly, the deck chair scraping against the tiles. "Actually, we have plans tomorrow," he said, his voice tight.

You turned to him, raising an eyebrow. "We do?"

Max nodded, not breaking eye contact. "Yes, I thought we could explore that secluded beach we talked about."

You saw the determination in his eyes and decided to play along. "Oh, right. The beach. Sorry, Aaron, maybe another time."

Aaron looked between you and Max, realizing he was outmatched. "No problem, maybe another time then."

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

That evening, the tension between you and Max was palpable. You found yourselves alone in the living room, the flickering light from the fireplace casting shadows on the walls.

"Was that really necessary?" you asked, crossing your arms.

Max stepped closer, his eyes burning with intensity. "Yes, it was. I can't stand seeing you with him."

Your breath hitched as he closed the distance between you. "Max, he's just a friend."

"I know," he said, his voice low and rough. "But I...."

He reached out, gently cupping your face. The world seemed to stop as he leaned in, his lips capturing yours in a kiss that was both tender and demanding. You melted against him, your hands sliding up to tangle in his hair.

The kiss deepened, filled with all the longing and passion that had built up between you. Max's hands roamed down your back, pulling you closer, as if afraid you'd disappear if he let go.

You broke the kiss, breathless, and looked into his eyes. "Max, we need to talk about this."

He nodded, his forehead resting against yours. "I know. But right now, I just want you. Is that okay?"

You answered by kissing him again, your lips moving with an urgency that matched his. The tension and passion swirled around you, making it impossible to think clearly.

As the minutes turned into hours, you found yourselves tangled together on the couch, the intensity of your make-out session leaving you both breathless and wanting more.

-----------

The next morning, you woke up wrapped in Max's arms. He looked down at you, a soft smile playing on his lips. "Morning," he murmured.

"Morning," you replied, stretching. "About last night..."

He kissed your forehead. "I meant every word. I want to be with you."

You smiled, feeling a warmth spread through you. "I want that too, Max."

Just then, your mother knocked on the door, interrupting the moment. "[Your name], Max, breakfast is ready."

You sighed, reluctantly pulling away from Max. "Coming, Mom!"

As you made your way downstairs, Aaron was already at the table, chatting with your families. He looked up, a curious expression on his face. "Morning, [your name] Did you sleep well?"

You felt Max's hand on the small of your back, a silent claim. "Yes, thank you," you replied, trying to keep your voice steady.

Aaron's gaze flickered to Max's hand, then back to you. "So, about that trip to town..."

Max's grip tightened slightly. "Actually, we're still planning to visit that secluded beach today."

You shot Max a look, then turned to Aaron. "Maybe another time, Aaron. But thank you."

Aaron smiled, but there was a hint of disappointment in his eyes. "Of course. Enjoy your day."

-----------

The drive to the secluded beach was filled with a mix of comfortable silence and playful banter. Once there, you and Max spread out a blanket on the sand, the sound of the waves creating a serene backdrop.

As you sat together, Max took your hand, his thumb tracing circles on your skin. "I can't believe how quickly things have changed," he said softly.

You leaned into him, feeling the warmth of his body. "Maybe it was always meant to be this way."

He looked at you, his eyes filled with emotion. "I don't want to waste any more time. I want us to be together, for real."

You smiled, your heart swelling with happiness. "I want that too, Max. More than anything."

He leaned in, capturing your lips in a kiss that promised a future filled with love and passion. As the sun set over the horizon, you knew that this was just the beginning of your journey together, and you couldn't wait to see where it would lead.

----------

And...that's it I think I will write part 2...tell me what do you think..byee

[rockpaperscissuhs]

HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH + BAND OF BROTHERS:

ANTONIO C. "TONY" GARCIA

Born October 15th, 1924, in Inez, Texas

Died August 18th, 2005 (age 80), in Burlingame, California

Tony Garcia was born in Texas but he grew up in Cheyenne, Wyoming. His parents were from Mexico and had immigrated separately into the States. Tony and his siblings grew up speaking English and Spanish. He decided to drop out of high school in order to enlist, and even borrowed a friend's prescription medicine to cover up a heart murmur for his Army physical. He was accepted for training in 1943, and he served a Technician 5th Grade with Easy Company from Holland all the way through the end of the war. After the war, Tony returned to Cheyenne where he finished high school, then he moved to San Francisco, working and attending college. Later, he met his wife, Nancy, and started a family. They were married nearly 60 years, and had four children together. When he wasn’t working at the department store warehouse which he managed for three decades, he enjoyed spending time with his family, traveling, dancing, and reading. He was described as a kind, generous, and gentle man, with a “playful sense of humor that belied his quiet demeanor.” The Band of Brothers series bible describes him as “very gung-ho and game” and a “family man and extremely compassionate.” He kept in touch with several of his friends from Easy, and he participated in many Easy Company reunions and events in the U.S. and in Europe. His family has said that he was very reluctant to talk about his combat experiences, but he did like to talk about the people he met, and the families who helped him. Appears in Episodes 3-5 and 7-10, portrayed by actor Douglas Spain

Sources below

SF Gate Obituary for Antonio Garcia

[eclairsnme]

♡ POV: Being The Itoshi Brother’s Elder Sister ♡

Part 1 / Part 2

The brattiness continues (with a sprinkle of denseness)

tags: idol!you, crack comedy, reunion, familial love, sfw, somewhat of a brat (⁎⁍̴̛ᴗ⁍̴̛⁎)

notes: she thinks highly of herself, it’s almost as if she’s the reincarnation of Gojo Satoru.

oh, spoiler alert she's going to meet someone who also thinks very highly of himself. ^_−☆chu~

ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔʕ⁎̯͡⁎ʔ༄ʕ⁎̯͡⁎ʔ༄

“Sae!”

The clacking of your high heels echoed throughout the airport as you chase your damn little brother.

What a sight out of a bad Netflix series, except it’s real life. But this is more like a horror movie for a celebrity like you. In your pristine clothes and all, chasing like a wild animal!

“Sae!” You huffed, trying to catch up with him.

Damn, that soccer player with his long legs.

What is a celebrity like me ME chasing a mere man down like that! -

That is exactly what your manager thought too, as he tries to keep up with you.

So, how did you exactly come to this point of peak desperation?

It all started last night when Sae relayed to you that he’s going back to Spain straight after the Japan U-20 match.

In all honesty, you didn’t really care all that much since an idol like you had better things to do (^-^)v.

Then it struck you. As a good sister… I should stop him!

Unlucky for you, being oblivious to all else except idol-related issues is your biggest flaw.

To put it simply, you were pretty dumb when it comes to relationships.

And that was the start of your plan to “stop” Sae from returning to Spain.

Lucky for you, Sae was smart. He halted his steps and said, “Sister, are you stupid?”

But his EQ wasn’t all that great.

“S-stupid?” You stuttered out at his bluntness.

“Yes.”

Sae looked around their surroundings noting that they had already caught the attention of some prying eyes.

Sigh

Sae continued, “Just go back home.”

“But,” you gave him your best puppy eyes. V✪ω✪V

But, indeed, he was unaffected by your usual antics.

“What business do you even have in Spain?”

“Well~ the business of being a good sister!”

A tangible silence ensues from the absurdity.

“Idiot.”

“Sae, is this how you see your sister? As an idiot, uncaring sister?” You asked him squarely still trying to put on your Oscar-worthy acting skills.

Alas, Sae did not respond to you but instead said, “I’ll let you know when I reach Spain.”

Sae entered his departure terminal leaving his pouty older sister.

Sighing, he looked back and gave you a little wave, after seeing you smile, he walked further in until you couldn’t see him.

Besides the two celebrities — a top idol and football prodigy — was their manager profusely bowing to each other to apologise for today's event.

Being a manager is not an easy job, especially when attending to the Itoshi siblings who do not have the best attitude.

Your manager turned to you, “Let’s get on with our schedule today shall we?”

“Did that act look like I was a very caring sister?”

Caught off guard by your question, Mr manager stuttered out a yes.

You let out a satisfied grin.

Job done !＼＼\\٩( 'ω' )و //／／

Mr manager sighed.

–

Inside the car, you asked Mr Manager what your schedule was for today.

“A commercial shoot for this up-and-coming game you will be promoting, a meeting with our sponsors and…”

And everything else that came out of his mouth just drowned out. You checked your phone and saw no reply from Rin.

I wonder how Rin is feeling after crying so much that day…

“Also, someone called our studio just now. It was a German man — I’m not sure what he said but he did mention your name specifically, and he addressed you by your real name.”

Your ears perked up.

“A German man who knows my real name?”

In your life, you only personally know one German man and his name is Kaiser something.

You met him a few years back in Germany. You thought he was an extremely unintelligent person as he kept speaking to you in German even though you didn’t understand a single word that exited his mouth.

You remembered he kept saying “Süße” (*sweetie) and he would always kiss the back of your hand, which you thought was a German thing.

What a culture shock it was, people in foreign countries sure do have a very different way of greeting people compared to in Japan.

“So did that man mention his name?” You turned to Mr manager.

“Michael Kaiser. He also left his personal phone number it seems.”

“Give me that number.” You held your hand out.

“D-do you even know this man? He could be a stalker!”

“Maybe~”

“Maybe?!” Mr Manager raised his voice, then he paused for a moment, “Hold on, that name Michael Kaiser sounds real familiar…”

As Mr manager wreck his head about that, you thought back about this Kaiser person.

Back when you were having your world tour in Germany, you had some free time to explore the streets of Germany. So you snuck out of your hotel room, it was all fun and games until you lost your way in a foreign country you have never visited before.

As a young girl, stuck in an unfamiliar country, unfamiliar street, and unfamiliar language, you could only cry.

That was when you met Kaiser.

Ah! How embarrassing it was to cry in the middle of nowhere now that you think about it! (´°̥̥̥̥̥̥̥̥ω°̥̥̥̥̥̥̥̥｀)

So pathetic of me!

Both of you were pretty much strangers, you were surprised he remembered you and how he still managed to find you.

Oh! I really am a worldwide star! ↖(^ω^)↗

You giggled to yourself.

“Ah, I remember now!” Mr manager exclaimed, practically screaming into your ears.

You pushed Mr manager away and side-eyed him, “What is it?!”

“Michael Kaiser! He is a popular prodigy football player from Germany!”

Football player?

“Is being a football player a popular occupation these days?”

So this Kaiser person is a football player too? And a prodigy at that too? The world really has no shortage of prodigies huh?

Of all the football players you know, all of them are dubbed prodigies. That being said, you only know three football players — Sae, Rin and now, Kaiser.

“Mr manager, don’t tell me you are a football prodigy too?”

“Surely you jest, miss. I-if I was a prodigy,” he hesitated for a second then said in a hushed voice, “I wouldn’t be working for you.”

“What did you say?” You frowned at him.

“N-nothing!”

“As punishment for saying that, go call that Kaiser person and ask what business he has with me.”

“But I don’t speak German!”

“Go figure it out then!”

I shouldn’t have said that Mr manager berated himself.

“Oh, after my schedule, drive me to that restaurant I told you about,” you snickered, “I’m going on a ‘date’ with my youngest brother.”

—

“Did you wait long?”

You tapped your younger brother who seemed lost in thought.

“No… I just arrived too.”

He visibly looked disturbed by something and you knew exactly what it was.

“Are you still upset by your brother?”

Rin clenched his fist and swallowed down his frustration.

You placed your hand over his clenched fist and pacified him, “Don’t let it get to you alright? Sae is still going through puberty!”

A few days ago you booked (more like Mr manager booked) a private room in a fancy hotel restaurant, to treat Rin to something nice since you thought he looked pretty melancholic.

“Sister, puberty ends at the age of 16 for males.”

“Well, Sae will forever be a little boy to me! Anyways, order what you want! This sister of yours will be treating you so order up!”

You took a glimpse of the menu and salivate at the picture of the A5 Wagyu steak. Oh, how succulent and fatty it will be!

However, you reminded yourself that you have to watch your weight. As an idol, one cannot stress the importance of weight management.

You used all your 10 fingers to mentally count how much you’ve eaten today.

You grimly looked at the wagyu steak and fries and decided to go for a simple duck confit with a side of salad.

Rin glances toward you to see what you are ordering and saw you intensely glaring at the picture of a steak.

“I’ll get the duck confit with salad, what about you?” You close the menu bidding farewell to the steak.

“The wagyu steak for me,” Rin replied.

You signalled the waiter and placed the order.

After ordering, what followed was an air of silence and strong awkward energy.

After being an absent sister for god knows how many years, you’ve never really communicated much with this teenager Rin. You were only close to him when he was just a teeny tiny boy playing football with Sae. Even then, he was still closer to Sae.

Rin will only approach you whenever he was upset with Sae. He will then subsequently cry to you about his problems. Now he still cries to you as you recollect the day the U-20 match was over and Rin poured his heart out.

Not knowing how to proceed with this conversation or the lack thereof, you prompted him with a question, “Do you have a girlfriend?” (๑╹ω╹๑ )

Rin stared at you as if you were joking around, “I do not have time for that.”

“Is football the only thing on your mind?”

“Yes.”

“You are just like your brother.” You frowned at Rin and the other little one.

Rin’s resentment grew inside of him like a tumour as he is reminded of his brother.

Uh-Oh, I shouldn’t have said that.

You quickly tried to divert his attention.

“Ooohhhh look at this Rin! The photo for my photoshoot! Don’t I look absolutely gorgeous here?” You held up your phone and nervously giggled.

Rin eyed at your phone.

“It looks alright.”

“Just alright?”

Just like a game of ping pong, it’s your turn to seethe. In your list of top 100 things that annoy you, to have someone not acknowledge your beauty was number 97! It’s on the lowest scale because 9 out of 10 times, people will appreciate your beauty. The rest are just haters! _:(´ཀ`」 ∠):

Humph! I’ll let that slide just because you are Rin-Rin.

You tried to think of a topic and were reminded of something.

“So what’s the deal with Blue Lock? Are you doing well there?”

Rin summarised his full experience in Blue Lock and he didn’t forget to sprinkle in his hate for this boy called Isagi and of course your other little brother.

Your little brother really needs to get some therapy with all these astonishing degrees of anger and hatred.

Then the food came interrupting Rin’s heated tirade on how much he hated Isagi and Sae.

You both had a hearty dinner and Rin kept shoving beef steak onto your plate despite you saying no, so you had no choice but to eat it.

It was a very conflicting experience having to eat something you love yet having calorie restrictions.

The life of an idol sure is tough.

After finishing dinner, both of you left the restaurant. Before leaving the hotel, you excused yourself to the toilet.

The toilet was so far you could’ve just walked half a marathon, not to mention it was secluded at the very corner of the hotel.

You sighed, at least I think I burned some calories.

“Süße!”

“!!!” You felt someone’s hand snaking around your waist. ⊙▽⊙

Thinking it's some creepy stalker of yours, you reflexively swatted the hand away. But the person in question was firm.

Perfume wafted through your nose as he presses his body against yours.

You let out a soft squeak at the contact. (〃ω〃)

Finally making eye contact with the man, you realise it was someone you know.

“Kaiser?” He smiled like a Cheshire Cat as you mention his name.

“Meine Leibe,” he brought you to a warm embrace, to which you similarly return his hug.

German’s greetings sure involve lots of skin contact, you thought to yourself as you felt Kaiser’s heat radiating through you.

He finally released you from the hug.

You quickly took notice of the rose tattoo that seemed to go from his neck down to his left arm which he didn’t have before when you met him in Germany.

You pointed to his tattoo to somewhat question him since you didn’t speak a lick of German.

He lifted his left hand for you to have a better look. You held onto his hand to inspect the tattoo but he had a better idea. He pushed his hands against your lips.

A soft shriek escaped you.

Your lipstick was sure to have stuck onto his hand. And more importantly, you have to reapply your lipstick!

What is this man thinking! ಠ╭╮ಠ

While you quickly reached out to your purse for your lipstick, you saw Kaiser bring his left hand to his own lips staining his lips in the process from your peripheral.

When you finished reapplying your lipstick, Kaiser was intently watching you.

You instinctively tried to rub off your lipstick from his lips but he was faster to grab your wrist and pulled you closer to him, so close that you were just a few inches away from his lips.

What’s wrong with Germans and their love for skin contact? Is this normal in Germany?

“I’ve been wanting to meet you for so long, meine liebe,” Kaiser said in German.

You drew a big fat question mark in your head. ( •́ ⍨ •̀)

What did he just say? And why does he look like he’s going in for a kiss?

True enough, Kaiser brought his lips to your lips. He invited his tongue through your parted lips tasting you for the very first time. He allowed his hands to yet again snake around your waist pulling you closer to him as if you weren’t already stuck to him.

What is this? This is a German greeting too right? ╭( ๐ _๐)╮

His other hand found its way to your chin. He tilted your chin slightly up to deepen the kiss.

As much as dancing your tongue with an old German friend was exciting, you couldn’t help but realise you were still in public. What if someone saw you?

You place both hands on Kaiser’s chest, slightly pushing him away and breaking the kiss.

“What’s wrong, Liebling?” His hands are still on your waist, trying to pull you back to him.

“Sister?”

You quickly detach yourself from Kaiser catching a glimpse of Rin from the corner.

You noticed that he was blushing. Oh, he definitely saw all that.

(๑•́ ₃ •̀๑)

“Rin!” You exclaimed feeling like you were caught in the middle of some illegal act.

“Is that your boyfriend?”

“Boyfriend?”

That’s unbelievable, never in your whole life have you had a so-called “boyfriend”. What is Rin on to make him believe that?

“Then, why were you kiss-”

You promptly interrupted Rin from his imagination, “This is my friend, Kaiser!”

You pointed over to Kaiser, and he took the opportunity to catch your hand into his grip and ultimately hold your hand.

“-just a friend,” you tried explaining it to Rin. (ノಠ益ಠ)ノ彡┻━┻

Rin, however, looked over at his sister and the blonde-with-blue-streaks-haired man who is almost as tall as Sae, who was just a second ago kissing so intimately and now holding hands like a couple would behave.

Hard to believe they are not a couple; what kind of friends eat out each other's face.

Kaiser? Rin ruminates on that name.

Rin knows a Kaiser who looks just exactly like him.

“Michael Kaiser,” Rin carefully enunciates his name, which causes the man himself to grin at him.

“Rin-Rin, you know him?”

“Prodigy player and also a member of the New Generation World XI,” said Rin glaring at Kaiser. (⩺_⩹)

In response, Kaiser didn’t say a word but just responded with the usual smug grin.

“What? When did you learn German, Rin-Rin?”

“What’s your relationship with my sister?” Rin continued to question Kaiser.

Kaiser brought your hand to his lips and gave it a gentle peck, “what do you think, Itoshi Rin?”

“You know me?”

“The little brother of Japan's football prodigy, Itoshi Sae, and you who will always live in his shadows as a nobody.” Kaiser snickered at Rin.

Raw anger shot through him. He yet again clenched his hand into a tight fist, seething with anger. Every word from him stung him.

Unsure of where this conversation is leading, you stared in confusion. That was until you saw Rin sudden change in mood.

What had made the conversation turn so sour for Rin?

You were dumb but your EQ was not that severe to not see that Rin was somehow at the losing end of the conversation.

You let go of Kaiser’s hand and ran to your little brother.

“What’s wrong?”

You saw the dark, gravel look on him almost as if he was about to break someone’s joint.

Placing a hand over his back and patting him just as you did when he was younger, you guided him down the hotel’s hallway towards the exit.

“Let’s go home.”

“Meine leibe?”

He received no response from you, instead he only saw your retreating figure.

☆〜（ゝ。∂）the end (for now) ☆〜（ゝ。∂）

< you have reached the end! thank you for reading babes! (〃∀〃)ゞ I really appreciate all the love you are giving to this ongoing series! look forward to more spine-crawling fluff! ʅ（´◔౪◔）ʃ *evil laugh* the harem begins now>

Part 3

[so-many-sainz]

amigos de la infancia — carlos sainz jr

social media au

carlos sainz jr x childhood bestfriend!yn

❀⊱┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄⊰❀❀⊱┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄⊰❀

📍Monte Carlo, Monaco

Liked by yninstagram, landonorris and 430.492 others

carlossainz55 Eventful race, next stop home. ❤🇪🇸

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reyesvdc 😍❤🇪🇸

yninstagram yesssss I'm ready to get back home for the spanish gp 🤓🙏🏻

↪ anasainzvdec get back home now you have a wedding to attend ↪ carlossainz55 you better

📍 Barcelona, Spain

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yninstagram aaaaaa mi querido fútbol club barcelona 🤩❤💙 (my dear FC Barcelona)

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anasainzvdec stop trying to give your dad a heart attack

carlosonoros nononono🥴

ynsbestfriend madrid madrid madrid hala madrid

↪ yninstagram nasty 🚫

carlossainz55 🤨 para ya (stop now)

landonorris see you soon missy

↪ yninstagram fucking finally, one meeting per year is not ideal, our club won't survive ↪ p1_coach the carlos's annoying friends club annual reunion is taking place this weekend????? ↪ carlossainz55 didn't you get an invite, ruperto?

yninstagram and anasainzvdec added to their story

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carlossainz55 Friday en casa 🌶❤🇪🇸

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p1_coach yes baby!!!! 🌶🌶

anasainzvdec vamos carlitosss🌶😍

yninstagram Team 55 🧸❤

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yninstagram que finde!!! 😎🧸🌶 almost forgot how much I love the engine's sound❤❤❤❤

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robertomerhi jjajajaa que personaje!! (idk how to translate it)

blancasainzv miss you peque😍

fanuser omggggg look at him!!!🥺🥺🥺

landonorris how come I didn't get see you?

carlossainz55 🌶🧸❤

reyesvdc 🐶🐶🐶🐶💗💗💗

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team55_ Carlos this weekend in his home race via yninstagram

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fanuser 😍😍😍

fanuser so handsome

fanuser who the hell is sheeeee👹👹👹👹👹

↪ team55_ family friend!!!

fanuser omg the things I would do to be in her instagram close friendss💀💀💀💀

fanuser dont be shy @yninstagram give us more

fanuser yn took soooo many pics this weekend, I saw her taking a good carlando shot, WHERE IS IT???😭😭😭

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yninstagram my cute old friend got married today, wish you all the happiness blanqui 💗

✅ got the bouquet, missing the groom ⁉️

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anasainzvdec 💗💗💗💗😭 preciosisima estas

ynsbestfriend we can arrange a thing or two about what's missing 🤭🤭🤭

fanuser no way

carlossainz55 jajajajaja no groom no wedding

↪ yninstagram I missed that detail too

guzmandeman I know some volunteers yninstagram

reyesvdc ❤❤❤

4 weeks later...

[fanficfish]

explaining characters in hetalia badly: family member archtype edition

an incomplete list for funsies

just imagine they're all at a big family reunion lol

Germany: The closeted cousin who still hasn't figured it out.

Prussia: The cool older cousin who's jacked up on the remnants of the energy drinks he chugged during finals week trying to study for his med school exams. Probably specialized in kids medicine, but he's too jittery to confirm.

Italy V: The cousin who's a cousin because someone married someone a couple months ago and has no idea about all the ettiquette rules ye and what not to discuss in front of Great Aunt Sarah.

China: Great Aunt Sarah

Italy R: The cousin who's just hit his highschool years, and has decided MHA and Valorant is his whole personality.

England: The one manning the grill.

France: The one actually manning the grill.

America: The guy who's young enough to be your older brother but old enough that he's a dad. Don't worry, he's cool- he won't make you babysit, but he's gonna show up with those kids in biker jackets and they'll do a fun dance to entertain everyone halfway through dinner.

Russia: The uncle that apparently is a war vet. Definitely saw things he shouldn't have seen and you don't leave your kids with him. Tells the wildest stories over dinner though.

Canada: The cousin who you forget exists because he's actually normal. Actuality has probably spiked something.

Japan: The one hiding in a room playing video games. He might share if you ask nicely.

Lithuania: Someone's spouse. Not sure whose, but he made a nice caserole.

Sweden: That one distant relative who you almost forgot to invite.

Finland: The guy who showed up and you're not sure where he came from, but he's kinda fun so no one questions it.

Norway: The one who was forced to tag along with the rest of the family.

Iceland: The one who pretends he doesn't want to be there but he'd show up even if he wasn't invited because the food is kinda good.

Denmark: The one bringing the alcohol and manning the bar you didn't kow you had.

Latvia: The one trying to sneak underage drinks.

Estonia: The one pretending to be a normal person with his "honor student" and "full ride scholarship next year" but is secretly helping Latvia sneak a drink.

Spain: The uncle who's been married ten times.

Switzerland: The one who only showed up because he was begged to. Either ends up in the corner watching the game or in the middle of the table retelling some grand tale.

Liechtenstein: The one bringing all the delicious deserts and a fruit tray and forced Switzerland to socialize.

Austria: The one insisting on putting on the radio the moment the "go ahead" for the food is said. Might have even called up everyone to remind them to bring their instruments.

Hungary: The one who gets everyone dancing the moment Austria whips out the fiddle tunes.

Seychelles: The one who innocently suggested a board game after the dance-off winds down.

Hong Kong: The cousin who sticks around long enough to say hello to the aunts and uncles and grandparents and get some food before hiding in the room with Japan.

Belarus: The cousin who's a movie-cutter highschool "popular girl" and spends the whole time on her phone texting her boyfriend.

Ukraine: The aunt that break up the board game fights and bans it from future events.

Luxenberg: You don't know what he does for a living, but he brings cool stuff for everyone.

Netherlands: The globetrotting uncle who you're pretty sure knows everyone and everything.

Belgium: The cool aunt who's single and living life.

Phillipines and Thailand: The fresh-out-of-collegers cousin who keeps taking photos of everything.

Malaysia: The fresh-out-of-colleger cousin also taking photos but only aesthetic ones.

Taiwan: The aunt that starts making smoothies unprompted.

Monaco: The cousin who brings a book to read in the corenr.

Cameron: The uncle you don't want to get into an argument about sports with. Switzerland does not head this warning.

Greece: The uncle who drove all day and night to get here with a full car, and is now knocked out on the couch.

Turkey: The funny wine grandpa.

Cyprus: The college dropout who now works at a seven-eleven.

Egypt: The cousin who's studying history and is pretty average except you have photographic evidence that he sat next to a pond and talked to ducks for half an hour and was very serious about it.

[catherinetheprincessofwales]

Family reunion: The Spanish and British Royals. Third cousins, King Felipe IV of Spain and The Prince of Wales with their respective children, Infanta Sofia and Prince George of Wales, at the UEFA EURO 2024 final match between Spain and England. 14 July 2024

[blueberrypancakesworld]

Lessons for the last castellan

Ramón Salazar x fem!teacher reader

warning : fluff, hurt/comfort, kiss, little emotional

Summary : Every nobleman had to follow the etiquette of rules and this also applied to the latest Kastelan Ramón Salazar. What the aristocrat didn't know was that it was a teacher who would come to his castle at his age. A lord who had to restrain himself to learn and a teacher who saw more than potential in a gnome was almost the beginning of a fairy tale.

info : Ramón even though it's the first of November and winter isn't quite here yet I thought why not something a little more emotionally fluffy, so enjoy the read :)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At the age of twenty, according to the official law, everything belonged to him. After the death of his parents in the tragedy, he was the eighth and currently last Salazar in Spain.

A nightmare for some other families, but for the young lord something that brought him status and influence, an influence that compensated for many other things he did not have.

Although he had already inherited all the lands and the castle with the death of his last blood and had been Lord Salazar from a young age, up to this point no one had told him anything, let alone told him what to do.

From the morning he applied the pink lip rouge, hoping to cover his own shame and resemble his early ancestors, to the day he spent his time strategising and building and the night his gaze lingered long in the fireplace.

What he didn't realise, however, was the letter that was brought to his castle one autumn day, ,,From the estate of your honourable father my lord" the servant had told him when he opened the letter and recognised the black writing as that of his father.

His shouted command chased the older man out as instead of words of goodwill, apologies and fatherly care he found only an order.

A visit that would come to him to carry out the office of castellan with honour, full of grace and wisdom, he was to rule for as long as he lived…a bad joke, as Ramón thought, who didn't need to look in the mirror to know how long he had left, ,,Liar…my own blood is laced with lies!" he hissed, crumpled up the paper before throwing it into the fireplace and letting himself fall almost powerlessly into the armchair.

A heavy sigh fell from his lips as he realised that despite the death of his parents he would never escape them, ,,Even in death you wish you had power over me father" Salazar muttered bitterly and closed his eyes exhausted as the pain of his fragile existence and the rage was too much for him. Even as a lord, the ghosts of the past were never calm, something was never going to change.

The time of waiting seemed to kill the young man even faster than it already was, the application of his make-up in the morning became more and more shaky as the date of the teacher's arrival approached.

His shouts and orders became louder when something didn't work and the fire in the fireplace was only kept alive by him with scorched speeches.

And at the end of the day he locked himself away alone with the decades-old wine, tears blurring his make-up. Pictures of his father thrown in the corner shared places with his beloved mother which he pulled out again full of shame and he decided to do it differently.

,,I'm the new lord so I'll do the greeting how I want" he decided at the end of the night and gave the picture of his parents one last contemptuous yet loving look before closing his eyes and hoping for a good reunion.

Waiting in the main hall on the balcony, he looked down when he saw the person wrapped in a cloak enter, his few servants already taking care of the luggage and preparing the classroom, ,,Welcome to my castle, I am Ramón Salazar eighth castelan of this estate and all the lands standing around," he announced, looking down as the person took off the hood of the cloak.

Not an older man stood there with bad posture and yellowish teeth, not even a lad or anything else to his surprise a young woman stood there with a slight smile on her lips she looked up at him, ,,A pleasure to meet you my lord…pity you are not facing me for a proper introduction" she said.

Ramón instantly felt the shame and anger flush his cheeks and he was grateful for the make-up applied. As a Castellan, I am above her…and yet she is right, he thought and retreated from the stone mamoor railing to walk down the stairs to her.

The closer he got to her the more nervous he became, a fact that bothered him, he had no reason and yet as he stood opposite her he bowed lower than he had intended because when he saw her satisfied smile he felt the brief pride in himself.

He had done something right and had been recognised for it…and maybe it was the first time someone had looked at him for more than a few seconds without looking instantly disgusted…maybe she was actually quite nice he dared to think as he held out his hand to her.

,,How pleasant and courteous Ramón" she praised him, her smile was satisfying and he could feel the warmth on his cheeks but not out of anger but perhaps out of something in his heart.

The lessons consisted of hardly anything new that he didn't know besides normal subjects like maths, physics, history he put special emphasis on family history to write down everything meticulously for her, ,,If the extent itself is too much for you, my library is at your disposal until the time of my first forefear…my dear Miss" he bowed slightly and smiled when he saw the small brooch with the blue rose on her simple black dress, one of his favourite flowers which she had learned in a meal with him.

As annoyed as he had been with her in the first few weeks, he had to admit that her intelligence and almost cheekiness amused him, ,,My dear miss, flattery won't get you anywhere, besides, the library is asking for heaven on this subject my dear Ramón" she returned and a quick rattle of her keychain reminded him that she already had access to almost everything in the castle.

The subject was more of a reminder from the lord to give him something harder next time, something that would challenge him and not mother him, a thought that also made him angry.

For a few weeks, which soon turned into several months, she was something like a point of calm, this something in reality that reminded him that his family was history and nothing more and that she was the only thing that kept him here and didn't make him go crazy.

Because his thoughts might have been calmed too often between the hatred of his family and his blood by her lovely existence. Something she probably saw in his gaze and held her next to him, ,,If you like, I would like to have another meal together… and perhaps a private conversation in your chambers," she said.

Watching him successfully as the expression of distaste on his face disappeared and he resumed the posture he had learnt, kissing the back of her hand briefly and letting her go with a ,,I will gladly accept the audience, once again my being is yours" and he heard the opening and closing of the large wooden door which gave a soft creak as he remained.

Alone in the room and felt the warmth of her hand on his cool hand, the voice of his parents fell silent and the two of them only listened for a moment. A moment in which he had only himself and her.

But the warmth she radiated, the blush on her cheeks and the grin she gave him when his lips kissed her hand had enchanted him. A rapture that didn't diminish until the moment he had dressed himself up and set a few cakes on the table in his room and a few books on his favourite subjects in history, knowing that she was just waiting for him to make a mistake and they would both go to the library together to look for the solution.

Before there was a knock at his door and he opened it for her the gold buttons of his tails flashed to match her earrings which he gave her as a present for the first month, ,,A pleasure to have you here" he said as she entered to make room for her before he closed the door and sat down on the couch with her.

She looked at the table and the sideboard and seemed pleased with it and a sigh escaped her as she savoured the freshly brewed tea that had been poured into the fine porcelain cup, ,,A pleasure to enjoy this," she said and they both smiled, a smile that didn't leave either of them until the moment she found his ancestor in the books, his exact chapter and that of his parents.

Ramón was so absorbed in reading about the Napoleonic wars that he only looked up from the book when he saw her pause in her reading…she had seen the image of him in black and white in his first form, as an ugly child, misshapen and more dead than alive, ,,Don't look at it!" he cried out, knocking the book from her hands.

Ramón clutching her hands painfully, his name on her lips and she saw it clearly, the other side the hate-filled death side, ,,Never look at me like that again!" he screamed and she saw in the mirror her fearful look, fear, hate and disgust were the emotions he was always met with…it didn't have to be like this.

She shook her head slowly, a look of fear turning to understanding and pity as she saw the tears threatening to blur the white make-up, ,,I won't…Ramòn, look at me, what is it that you see?’ she said slowly, moving her head closer to his, the two of them almost touching.

She saw exactly how he paused she looked at the ghosts of his parents the voices of hate and dislike shouted at him and he shook his head slightly before he gave a cautious, ,,A-Accept and...love?" and held her hands more gently.

She placed her hands on his cheek and nodded, ,,Yes…that's right no bad image only the truth you see with me is important" she reminded him, giving him what she really thought and showing him what she thought of him as she pointed to her reports which he took and left.

Touched by every hour that made him smile and love her words were honest, encouraging him to keep going but most of all her own affection that increased whenever she saw the honourable lord and not that other past mistaken side.

,,It's the truth" he said softly and she nodded in agreement before stroking his cheek the white stained her hand too before pulling him into a gentle kiss, the first kiss of love for real love since his parents’ marriage since the moment before his birth.

Love as she heard his relieved shaky sigh she herself felt the joy in her rapidly cupping heart as she realised that Ramón's father had been wrong, his son the eighth castellan was greater than he would ever be he had a heart and he was capable of loving in his own special way.

It was the moment when Salazar Ramón had the hope that he could truly become the eighth lord who overcame all others with hope and love instead of hostility and hatred in his heart.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

@lovesick-on-the-loose , @goldenponcho , @ramontism , @xgrisleyx

@trash-flowerss

[beetlelark]

Wow! Lark drew art of an oc of theirs that isn’t Ivan! Sound the alarm!

Jokes aside, this is Camilla! Another oc from my ou, Verses of Eternity. She’s not a major character in the storyline but she’s connected to some bigger names.

Camilla was born sometime in the middle of the 1600s in Spain. The whole community she lived in was affected by a sickness that decimated the community and no one survived— except for Camilla. She was saved by a vampire who happened to be traveling through the area: Μανεθών (Manethon.) Manethon took pity on her suffering and changed her, and Camilla joined him and a Spanish man he had turned in 1606 named Luis traveling across Europe. Luis and Camilla did not get along but their sire eased things and over time they did become closer but after almost 200 years Camilla had grown restless and dissatisfied. She wanted to branch out on her own.

Manethon was a recluse and kept his children by his side, Camilla was done with it. Manethon blessed her request to leave (not that it would have stopped her from leaving if he hadn’t) and there were no hard feelings involved. With the exception of Luis. Luis took Camilla leaving very hard and viewed it as abandonment and that she didn’t care about them. It didn’t help that within 50 years of her leaving Manethon disappeared and Luis was now alone.

Camilla was unaware of their sire’s vanishing for some time as she was focused on living a life of excitement and discovery across the globe. She eventually settled in the Americas and started to pursue various activities involving show business and entertainment, and that’s where Luis tracked her down to. Their reunion was not great. Luis was really ugly to her and placed every sort of blame on her over Manethon leaving him and also her leaving him. After the reunion, they didn’t speak again for some years.

In modern day Camilla is a fairly successful pop star and has resumed communication with Luis. It’s not easy, especially on Luis’ end, but the both of them are trying to move on from the past since they’re all the family they have left.

That is until an old world vampire with ties to their sire suddenly forced his way into Luis’ life and put a wedge in their healing relationship.

[just-a-random-hobbit]

Miguel O'hara × Italian!spider!reader hcs

Idk don't ask, I was in the mood for writing smth w a lot of self insert SO

Here we go

It's gonna be messy sooooo sorry not sorry

! Yes, I'm studying Spanish at school, but I'm kinda an ass w it. Sorry for the mistakes !

Since you entered the spider society you only spoke English, but sometimes some Italian words slipped

Same thing happened w Miguel and a lot of times you heard him speaking w himself in Spanish

Next thing you know is that with Miguel you talk in Italian and he talks in Spanish with you, except for a few words yow two can understand each other

An example?

"MIG, TI HO PORTATO IL RAPPORTO SULL'ULTIMA MISSIONE"

"MIG, I GOT YOU THE REPORT ABT LAST MISSION"

"Mh bueno, dámelo"

"Mh good, give it to me"

"VA BENE MA DOVE CAZZO SEI?"

"ALRIGHT BUT WHERE TF ARE YOU?"

"¿PRQUE COÑO GRITAS? ESTOY AQUÍ, ¿DONDE PIENSES QUE ESTOY?"

"WHY TF R U SHOUTING?, I'M HERE, WHERE DO YOU THINK I AM?"

Lovely

Once you brought him some 'nduja (idk maybe you're from Calabria or went there for the holidays) and he loves that, I just know that he does, you can't say otherwise

If you like football you'd watch some matches w him and talk abt them for a few days

I also just know that you two talk shit abt Americans or people in general who cook an abomination and call it "Mexican food" or "Italian food"

Spices vs herbs, an endless war in the kitchen

Sometimes false friend words kick in and the conversation is hilarious

"Mmh ayer he comido unas gambas riquisimas"

"Mmh yesterday I have some delicious shrimps"

* disgusted * "tu cosa?"

"You what?"

(Gambas in Spanish means shrimp, in Italian it means leg) (omg idk if this is a word used in Spain and not in Latino America hold on a sec) (ok in Mexico it's camarón, can we pretend for a sec that it's also used gamba?) (It's not bc I don't have a lot of dialogue ideas, ofc not...)

"¿Me traes aquél vaso porfavor?"

"Can you hand me that glass please?"

* confused * "oook?" * hand him the flower vase *

(Vaso in Spanish means glass, in Italian it means flower vase)

(Ik these situations are really clichés but I still find them cute and funny)

You are siesta/pennichella mates

Now imgine if you get closer and closer w Miguel and invite him over for the Sunday lunch, (probably since you are a spiderperson you don't have a lot of relatives anymore, BUT LET'S IMAGINE THAT AT LEAST GRANDMA IT'S STILL WITH US)

Like- how cute it would be, w grandma saying to this beast of a man: "ma stai sciupato, mangia ancora qualcosa" ("you are so thin, eat some more") and he just keeps eating what she gives him bc he can't say no.

I also think that he's not really used to big family reunions, I read a few comics but I didn't catch any hint of a big family tree, so maybe he'd be kinda disoriented if you have a really big family.

For all my northern lovelies (me included) he's gonna be surprised when he sees that we aren't the italian bubbly and cheerful stereotype, but kinda cold and grumpy.

Another thing for the northeners: he's gonna bitch abt the time we usually have lunch and dinner. Lunch at 12/13 and dinner at 19/20???? You must be joking (Yes, the average northener eats early, obviously it depends on the family. In my experience and the ones of my friends these are the usual eating times)

If you still go to school and (like me) go to school also on Saturday: he's shocked. That's it. Just shocked that you have only one day to rest. But this helps to remind him that taking breaks it's important, so you two hopefully spend some time relaxing together, taking a break from school and being spoderman/spiderwoman.

Again, for people who go to school: he listens to your meltdowns. Even if he's from the future and from another country he understands that the school system stopped evolution in the mid 20th century and it fucking sucks.

If you struggle with subjects like chemistry or science he's more than glad to help you

If you go to a liceo he kinda sees himself in you and your experience, so with lots of subject to study and standars super high

If you have Spanish as a second foreign language at school he's definitely going to help you. YOU HEARD ME? YOU AIN'T GOING ANYWHERE UNTILL YOU LEARNED PERFECTLY TODOS LOS IRREGULARES DEL SUBJUNTIVO!!!!! (I really need his help)

If you go to a professional/technical (idk how to translate themmmm) institute with subjects in the field of engineering and computers he's gonna help you if you need help, giving you some tips and extra informations so that you can be the best of your class.

Let's say that you live in Milan: there aren't a lot of skyscrapers, but there are still some buildings on which you can swing decently. Same thing goes for most of the big cities

Now let's say that you live in a small town, in the middle of the countryside, where the tallest building is the bell tower of the church: "how the fuck do you swing and jump and- do litterally all the spiderthings?" And you just show him that you attach you webs on the top of the nearest strong tree or house. He's just like:

Hhhhhh WHAT SHOULD I ADDDD

IDFKKKKK

Bye

Edit: ok got 3 more hcs

The idea of always having a sweet breakfast was kinda weird to him, and didn't really got used to it really fast. But with some time he found the combinations that he preferred: espresso and gocciole

He's team gocciole

He's also team lemon estathé

[hadesisqueer]

Checking the Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter OC's I made when I was 14/15 and I was on something because I created a family that was so complicated.

Spanish woman named Isabel has an affair with Hercules in his Roman form in the mid-late fifties. She has a Demigod daughter named Marta. Marta becomes a prominent figure at Camp Jupiter in her time there, becoming even Praetor for a while. She goes to college there and moves back to Spain in her early twenties. She becomes a teacher and marries a Romani guy (the Romani part was so important to me back then because I'm Spanish and part Romani so yeah) named Manu. They have two kids, Pedro and Lola. Being a Legacy and all, Pedro chooses to go to Camp Jupiter as well, where he becomes another important guy and all since he got good references from his Praetor mom. Lola chooses not to go; her mom just trains her a bit so she can take care of herself and she tries to live a normal life and chill, stays in Spain, goes to college and all and visits her brother every summer. When Pedro retires he starts working and on his twenties he lives in San Francisco and tries to chill too. Then one spring he meets Proserpina aka the Roman form of Persephone and she ends up liking him so they have an affair, which results in the birth of their daughter, Adriana, a few months later (I firmly believe Persephone should have Demigod children in canon btw). Meanwhile in summer Hades finds out about the affair and he's pissed off so he shows up at San Francisco to see the guy and then he sees Lola and he's like damn okay. He likes her and he ends up having an affair with her —Proserpina/Persephone can't be even mad because she hooked up with the brother lmao— IN HIS GREEK FORM, which results in the birth of their daughter, Elena. Therefore there are now two other demigods in the family, one is Roman and one is Greek. Elena goes to Camp Half-Blood, Adriana goes to Camp Jupiter. Elena doesn't know she herself is a Legacy or that her grandma and Adriana are demigods too, and Adriana knows Elena is a Legacy but not about the fact that she's a demigod (she just thinks her auntie simply wants her to live a normal life and doesn't tell her) because everyone is obssessed with making sure neither of them figure that out for the whole Roman and Greek rivalry because it could cause a mess. So every time there's a family reunion everyone is like "DO NOT TELL YOUR COUSIN ABOUT THE GODS SHE DOESN'T KNOW A THING NOT A WORD" and the girls are like "OKAY DAMN"

Eventually they find out when they're older and it's not the whole Roman and Greek thing that makes them feel weird but that aside being cousins they are also technically step-sisters.

Anyway that was a mess lmao

[wardenparker]

Sassenach and the Spaniard - ch 13

Pero Tovar x female reader Co-written with @absurdthirst​

Delirious with sickness and near to death, Pero Tovar finds himself on the doorstep of a village outsider who nurses him back to health just before the winter snows descend. With a black cat for company, a mask on her face, and a biting wit that intrigues him, Pero comes to find out that his new companion is more than what she seems.  ✨  Inspired and influenced by Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series. ✨ Reader is described as disabled and having hair long enough to cover part of her face.

Rating: E for Explicit! 18+ just like this blog Word Count: 24.9k Warnings: **Blanket warnings for this fic include cursing, food mentions, references to previous sexual assault (multiple characters).** Extremely Emotional Pero (EEP!), Pero versus technology, vaginal sex, unprotected sex, rough sex, oral sex (f receiving), fingering (referenced), biting. Mention of suicide (theoretical).  Summary: The long awaited reunion of our soulmate pair is not without its dramatics. Notes: Great big giant bear hugs to everyone for being so kind and supportive while I was dealing with covid! I’m so, so glad to be back and to return to my beloved Soulmate Sundays. I hope this chapter was worth the wait!

Ch 1 ~ Ch 2 ~ Ch 3 ~ Ch 4 ~ Ch 5 ~ Ch 6 ~ Ch 7 ~ Ch 8 ~ Ch 9 ~ Ch 10 ~ Ch 11 ~ Ch 12

When the time comes, Cabello is packed down with supplies with a heavy heart. Pero feels as if he is being torn in two – yet there is no question what his choice must be. The life he has established here with his adoptive family or his soulmate. He must journey to the Stones to see if he can make his way to you. The babe is growing, sitting up and recognizing him with coos and squeals when he comes in from the fields with Briac or when Arwena brings out a large stone jug of cool spring water to quench their thirst. The house is repaired, the fields starting to bloom again, and it is time for him to leave.

Even the colder months are not so cold on the Valencia coast. The farmhouse is cozy and its inhabitants welcoming the morning slowly when Pero comes back inside to say his final goodbyes. Baby Perito is cooing happily in Arwena’s arms as Binx curls protectively around the young mother’s feet. Briac is minding the porridge over the fire, but he stands when the door opens.

“The horse is ready.” Pero admits, wishing that he did not have to leave, that he could take all of them with him. “I should leave to get to the boat soon.”

“You should not delay.” Arwena tells him, though she cannot keep the thickness out of her voice. She wishes that you could come back to them here - to this beautiful life they have made in Spain - rather than lose both of you to the Stones. But she knows that Pero belongs with you as surely as the sun belongs in the sky.

“I know.” His own heart is heavy and he’s delayed putting back on the protective leathers so he can hold Perito one last time. “Give him to me.” He insists, walking over to her and the babe.

“He is full of joy this morning.” She has no hesitation in handing her son to the warrior - seeing only a babe in his grandfather’s arms and nothing else. “I think he knows that you will be happy again soon.”

“I have been happy here.” Pero protests, never wanting her to think that he was unhappy living this life with them. He just wasn’t whole. He never would be until he is back with you, if he is back with you again.

“Sí. But you will be happier when you are with her again.” Briac does not take it as judgment or any type of statement against the life they have built. He would not be happiest without Arwena and he knows that Pero feels the same about missing you.

“Hola, bebita.” Pero carefully takes the child and immediately is cooing at him. It has been a joy having the little one around and he has learned a great many things about a child, including how messy they get. Still, the namesake of his never fails to bring a smile to his face.

Perito squeals and giggles, reaching for his abuelo with one tiny hand and wiggling fingers. The habitual scowl on the older man’s face makes the baby laugh.

Pero will let the child pull and slap at him as long as it doesn’t happen to Wena. He knows that the child can be rougher with him and he is just a baby. “You are going to be a handful for your mamá.”

That makes Perito giggle again and Arwena laughs in turn. “He will have the whole orchard to play in, and we will make sure he has siblings to pass the time with.” She is glad for this morning to come for Pero’s sake, but so terribly sad to see him go. “His first sister will be named for her. It has long since been decided.”

“She will weep.” Pero predicts, knowing that you would have loved watching their - your - family grow. “Just so you know. Just like I wept.” The day Perito had been born and named for him, the warrior had shed tears of joy and humble gratitude.

“These are for her.” The stack of letters tied up with string are mostly her thoughts and musings from the last few months. They are words of love and hope, and even sometimes melancholy. Arwena presses them into Pero’s hands with a smile. “I know you will deliver them faithfully.”

“It will be something that is given to her as quickly as possible.” All of them know that first will be the reunion between soulmates, but he will not forget it. Nor would you let him.

“You have enough food to last you? Enough herbs to make your tea?” Since Pero has no talent with fire, Arwena has made him a potion that would provide him warmth from the inside and taught him how to brew it himself. “It will grow colder as you journey north.”

“I do.” Pero nods, aware that he has made fires the normal way without magic for his entire life, but he knows Arwena worries. He looks to Briac. “I– I wish for you to carry my sword.” He tells the man he looks on as a son. “Pass it to Perito when he is old enough to lift it.”

“How will you journey without it?” His eyes widen and his throat tightens, gratitude and pride making his chest puff up to hold the boundless swelling of his heart. “Padre, I am honored, but you must be safe.”

Shaking his head, Pero motions towards the table where his weapons are still laying. “I will have my axe. I will be safe, I wish for you to carry it as you have decided to carry my name.”

“I will do so with pride.” Briac swears, not hesitating to embrace the man he has come to love and respect as his chosen father. This parting will be much harder for Briac in many ways and Arwena steps aside to let the men have their moment to say goodbye.

It is more gentle than it would have been if the baby hadn’t been between them. The back slapping covers the raw emotions of the moment. “He will know fine stories of his abuelo,” Briac promises, caressing his son’s forehead tenderly.

“And his abuela.” Pero smiles as he wishes that you could see this baby.

“And his abuela.” Enough good words could not be spoken about the woman who saved his soulmate’s life, and Briac knows that Arwena will always sing the songs you taught her and carry your magic through to their children.

There is one last kiss to the baby, a move that never fails to make Arwena smile - the sight of such a gruff mercenary being soft for her child - and Pero hands the boy to his father. “Come give me a hug, girl.” Pero huffs at Arwena playfully.

“Insolent man.” Arwena laughs to mask the tears, practically falling into his arms to embrace him. “So gruff with your daughter.”

Despite his gruff tone, his arms are like steel around her, holding her close. “Cuidar a nuestro familia.” Take care of our family. Pero whispers in her ear. He has made it known around the village that the land and the house is theirs, knowing the elders will respect it.

“Siempre.” Always. She nods against his chest, letting only a few tears fall there. She will save the rest for after he has gone, when she sits before the fire and holds little Pero. “Everything we are is thanks to you.”

“Te amo.” Pero murmurs, leaning back and gazing on the face of the girl that has come to mean so much to him. The one you loved like a daughter or a sister. “Siempre.”

“I will love you always.” Nothing could ever shake that truth from her. It lives in her very bones and the air that she breathes. “You and Sassenach gave me the courage to command my own life, and I hope to God that you will live out the rest of your years together as joyfully and freely as we will live ours here.”

“If I cannot….” Pero breaks off, unable to speak it for fear of it coming true. “I will return.”

“You will always have a home with us.” As desperately unhappy as it would make him to not be able to reach you, she would always welcome him back with open arms. “And if one day you should return with your wife by your side, we will welcome you both.”

“Aye.” Pero nods again and leans in to kiss her check gently. Emotions are thick and if he stays too long, he will weep. “I should get my leathers on.”

“It will be a long journey. The more daylight you have to get you to the port, the better.” Arena wipes her eyes and steps back, giving him the space he needs to move around. “I know you have thought of what you will say when you see her,” she hums as she takes the baby back from Briac. “But…what do you think her time will be like? Can you imagine it?”

“Foreign.” Pero worries about that. Wonders if you will hate him being in your time, encroaching on your freedom and having him rely on you for everything. At least until he learns to navigate your strange time.

“She spoke of her home being very beautiful.” Sensing she has struck a nerve, Arwena immediately vies for the positive. “Warm and sunny all year long.”

Pero shrugs, knowing that it will not be Spain. He wonders if it is close in temperature. “I will find out when I make it to her.”

“We will pray for you.” Though Pero has already said his goodbyes to the priest that has come to mean so much to their family, Briac has invited Malcolm to be with him and Arwena that night for supper to mourn the departure of their friend together. He knows they will pray together then.

“I know you will.” Pero is still not as spiritual as Father Malcolm would like, but he has respected the religion of his birth. “I am grateful.”

“All will be well.” Arwena rocks Perito in her arms and offers the elder Pero an assured smile. “I can feel it my bones.”

******

Without the small family he has made, the journey is miserable for Pero Tovar. He doesn’t sleep as well as he does, hearing the baby stir or Briac and Arwena murmur softly from their room. Lonely for the first time since he had awoken at your hearth, recovering from an illness which would have ended him, he endures the rocking of a boat that he hates, wishing he was at the Stones already.

It takes weeks to get to the Stones, and the carefully portioned out food stores that he has traveled with have kept both him and Caballo strong despite the misery of the journey. His horse is gone now, though, left at the inn in Inverness where he stopped for an ale before venturing on to the Stones. If he does not make it through to you, he can collect Caballo that evening and begin the long journey back home to Spain. If he succeeds, the innkeepers will have gained a trustworthy steed.

There is an air of anticipation, a tingling in his belly that he would have considered nerves if it weren’t for his years as a mercenary. He’s worried, that’s what he tells himself. Worried that he won’t make it through, or he will and you will have died. That is his worst fear.

The sound of buzzing fills his ears slowly but steadily. Something you had spoken of so long ago but he had all but forgotten in the haste and panic of his last trip to this place.

The wobble in his step has to be the uneven ground, the unsteadiness to his gait attributing to the way that his heart races. Sweat trickles down his brow, despite the snow on the ground. He watches, listens to the surrounding woods as he creeps towards the Stones.

The wind kicks up, a determined gust that seems to urge him forward and sweep him toward the center standing stone. The place he last stood with you in his arms, and the place he had knelt and wept so fiercely after losing you. It has been a year since then, though sometimes it feels like mere days and others it could be an entire lifetime.

His bag is slung over his shoulder, dagger at his waist and his axe is strapped to his back. Sure that he would not need them because of what you had told him about your time, he still cannot risk leaving himself exposed and unable to defend himself. He sees the faint bloodstains still present after a year and he exhales softly. “Sassenach…bring me to you.” He murmurs softly, reaching out to touch the stone that had brought you to him, and taken you away.

******

The pair of hikers stopped to rest on the top of the hill where Craigh na Dun stands hurries over when they see the crumpled form of a large man in dirty clothes amongst the Stones. “Sir!” The smaller man’s heavy Irish accent is not altogether unfamiliar to Pero’s ear though it has been nearly two years now since he last laid eyes on William. “Are you alright?”

Pero feels like he is about to throw up as soon as his eyes open. Shaking his head and blinking at the pair of people in strange clothes, he chokes out a sound of surprise that he has done it. “What year is it?” He demands roughly.

“Uh…it’s 2022…” The Irishman’s companion has a flat and deep voice, coupled with a concerned look of confusion on his face as he creeps closer. “Are you feeling okay, mate?”

“Where is she?” Pero demands, your name nearly bellowed as he stumbles to his feet and starts to spin around to gather his bearings. “Sassenach!”

“There’s nobody else up here.” The Irishman tells him, one cautious hand pulling his friend back from the odd and potentially dangerous stranger.

“Where is she?” Whipping around, Pero sends the Irishman a withering glare. “I’ve traveled too far to lose her now! Where is she?”

“Where is who?” He probably should just step away and leave the man to his own devices, and the Irishman shrugs. “Whoever you’re looking for isn’t here, mate.”

Sharp pain rips through Pero’s body, especially his face. Growling, almost shouting, Pero hunches over with one hand over his face and the other reaching for his dagger. “Arrrrrghhhh!”

“Dude…” The Irishman’s companion winces to see the scar rip its way across the stranger’s face. “You…you have a hell of a soulmate,” he grimaces at the idea of being stuck with a facial scar.

It takes him a minute, the leaves crunching underneath his feet as he sways. The pain eases and he blinks several times before Pero starts to laugh maniacally. Tossing his head back and barking out a harsh laugh as he drops back down to his knees again. Relief makes him unable to stand another minute as he realizes you are alive and he is still your soulmate in this time.

“Okay, uh…you have a good day, man.” The hikers retreat as quickly as they can, now determined not to get tangled up in whatever this madman is up to. That’s plenty enough weird for them today.

Traveling through time is disorienting, and thirsty work. Pero is parched, climbing to his feet to stumble towards the small river that had been near the Stones. He needs to find you, but first, he needs to drink.

The stream is much smaller than it once was, running downhill toward the city of Inverness with all its modern delights and busy occupants. There is barely enough to scoop into his hands, and the warm summer sun couples with a lack of snow to tell him for certain that it cannot be winter that he has arrived in.

“The water is different.” Pero huffs, shaking his head at the taste but he is thirsty enough that he continues to scoop up the water until it slacks off, sighing as he wipes his hand on the back of his bracer and stands to truly look around this new world for the first time.

Cars whiz by on a nearby road, the commotion more noise than he had heard since the battlefield. The sight of Inverness and its loch are completely transformed into an enormous city of twinkling lights even in broad daylight. It is a remarkable and unbelievable sight.

He is a fish out of water. Completely thrown out of his element and the only thing that makes him feel relatively normal as a sound in the sky makes him look up to see a strange bird racing overhead is the axe in his grip. Overwhelmed and overstimulated by everything around him, Pero scowls and keeps his head on a swivel as his boots slap against the hard trail with strange markings.

The horseless carriages you had told him about are far faster than you had said - or at least than he could understand. They zip around him and blast their ear-piercing alarms at him and some of the men inside even curse, until one seems to begin to chase him specifically.

Pero’s gaze is over his shoulder as he hustles faster. Watching the strange thing you had called ‘car’ stop abruptly and turn around to zoom back towards him. He speeds up more, nearly running when he hears it get louder, looking over his shoulder again to see it gaining on him.

“Pero?!” Sarah rolls down her window, calling out the name she memorized months ago and hoping he will stop running as she pulls her car to a stop on the side of the road. “Pero Tovar!” She had just gone out to run an errand. A rare errand that took her outside the city - to a particular music shop that carried the specific guitar that would be Hadley’s birthday present in a few days. She had never expected to actually see this man who might supposedly come through the Stones one day.

Pero turns, axe firmly in his grip. “Who are you?” He snarls, squaring his shoulders as if he was about to battle the Tao Tei again. “How do you know that name?”

The broadest grin in the world spreads across Sarah’s face as she jumps out of her car and gets a good, long look at the scar running down the man’s left eye. “My name is Sarah,” she tells him, keeping her distance because of the weapon. “And I…I know your Sassenach.”

At the strange woman’s words, his guard drops, shoulders slumping and his axe swings down to his side. Anyone not familiar with the weapon would have chopped their leg off, but the handle just bangs against his thigh. “Where?” He chokes out, stepping towards her almost desperately. “Where is she? Is she safe? Her illness….how long has she been here?”

“My god, you’re really real…” She laughs out of sheer disbelief, practically cackling with glee and waving him toward her eagerly. “She is safe, and recovering at home. Please come with me?”’ She motions to the car behind her. “She asked me to look out for you before she went home. It was six months ago.”

“Six–” Pero shakes his head, unable to fathom the difference in the way time moves. “How long had she been gone from this place? When she returned?” He warily glances at the strange carriage she wants him to approach. How do they work that thing? He had seen fantastic things at the Wall, but this is beyond his belief.

“Only a few minutes.” Sarah admits, taking a cautious step forward. She needs him to trust her if she’s going to keep the promise she made to you. “I own the inn that she was staying in on her visit.”

Pero narrows his eyes at the strange woman in front of him. It is almost too convenient that someone who knows you appears almost instantly. “Is this some kind of test?” He demands. “How do I know the woman you speak of is my Sassenach?”

“Did she explain to you what a cell phone is?” Pulling hers from her pocket, Sarah is prepared to call you in Florida right on the spot. It is barely past seven in the morning for you, but she doesn’t think you will mind being woken up for this.

“A magic box.” Pero narrows his eyes even more at the strange thing, jumping back slightly when it displays a strange light and a portrait on its face.

“Aye,” Sarah can’t help but laugh lightly at that. “A little. It is a device that does many things. It will allow you to speak to her. To see her right now.”

“Show me.” As much as he distrusts that magic box, his desire to see you outweighs it. “Conjure her.”

“You have to come closer.” Still she unlocks her phone and selects your number from her recent FaceTime list. The last time you talked was just a few days ago - sharing tea together across the ocean while you told her about more things you found in your grandmother’s grimoire. The phone begins to ring as they wait for you to pick up and Pero inches closer with great caution.

“Sarah?” Barely awake, wrapped in a light robe over your chemise as you wipe the sleep from your eyes and wait for the coffee to finish brewing, you aren’t even looking into your phone screen when you pick up. “Is everything okay? It’s early.”

“Sassenach.” Pero whispers in awe, eyes wide as he stares at the portrait of you. The fact that it moves, that he can hear you is pure magic itself. He can’t tear his eyes away from the profile of your face, his heart bursting that the first sight of you, hearty and hale, that he has seen in over a year.

“Pero?” You nearly drop your phone but manage to hold it up higher, tears instantly springing to your eyes when you see him standing beside Sarah and hear the sounds of traffic in the background. “You—how? I–I—can’t—you’re really here?” There aren’t words in any language or any time to express how shocked and overjoyed you are all at once as you stutter at him over the phone.

“How–” Pero’s eyes shift, begrudgingly, away from the magic box and he looks for you to appear around the woman holding it. “Where are you– come here.” He chokes out. “Sassenach?”

“I am far away, mi amor.” The hand not holding your phone reaches out, wishing you could touch him. “But I will come to you as quickly as I can. The very first flight to Scotland that I can get. I swear.”

“I’ll keep him safe,” Sarah promises, knowing that that is the most important thing she can possibly do now.

“Thank you, Sarah.” You’ll be in her debt forever for this, and you don’t ever care. Not for a second. “Mi amor, please stay with Sarah. I—” The way you shudder with fresh sobs makes you cover your mouth, showing him that his wedding band sits firmly in place on your hand where he placed it in Gretna. “I am in Florida. The place across the sea that I told you about. It will take a day for me to get to you.”

Pero frowns and shakes his head, unhappy that he must spend another minute away from you. He had expected you to be here when he came through the Stones. “I do not understand–how?” He huffs, pouting that you will be so long to get to him. “A day?”

“I’m going to get on the first flight to Scotland,” you promise, already aching that you can’t be with him immediately. That he came after you and you weren’t there waiting for him. But he came after you. You know he wouldn’t leave you. “Do you remember that I told you once about great carriages that fly through the air like birds and you laughed and called me bruja?”

“You are a bruja.” Pero nods, his fierce pout slightly relaxing and he glances up to the sky before he looks back at the box and leans in. “I think I saw one, Sassenach. It looks very odd, shiny like a blade winking in the sky.”

“Yes!” The sound and sight of him makes you feel like you could fly yourself right across the ocean even without a plane, and you carry your phone with you as you hustle through the apartment to throw some things into a bag. “One of those will carry me across the ocean to get to you, and we will ride one together to come back to Florida.” He’s here. He’s here. He’s actually here.

“A day?” Pero demands. “No more? It has been a year since you disappeared from my arms.” He takes a shuddering breath. “I–I tried, mi amor, the Stone would not let me go through before I learned magic. I did not leave you. I did not send you back alone on purpose. You– you were dying.” He chokes out.

“You learned magic?!” Once again the phone nearly drops from your hand but you catch yourself in your shock. “I want to hear everything when I get to you, cariño. I will be there as fast as I possibly can be. Please go with Sarah for now. She and her soulmate will keep you safe. Sarah knows our story. I told her everything after I left the hospital.” Sinking down on your mattress, you sigh softly and reach for him again, wishing you were already in front of him. “Mi amor, you saved my life. The doctors said another day or two and it would have been too late.”

It’s ugly, the way Pero scrunches his eyes closed to keep from crying. His choked sob at being right is relieving him of the guilt he has carried for you going back despite your plan to stay. He hadn’t failed you. He must sway on his feet because a hand touches his arm and he nearly jumps again. “Yes.” He manages, opening his eyes and blinking away tears to see your face on the magic box again. He wants to see you, for real, to touch you and pull you into his arms. “I will do what you ask.”

“I will send messages to Sarah letting her know how close I am. How much longer you will have to wait.” If only you could send yourself through a text message. You would do it instantly no matter the danger. “I’ll be there as quickly as I can, mi amor, I swear it.” A long, drawn-out breath leaves you and you search his face, just so grateful to see him again. “Love…how long has it been for you?”

“A year.” Pero wants to reach out to touch your face, but he is scared that it would make the box’s magic stop working. “There is much to tell you.”

“It’s been six months for me.” You sigh again, smiling softly. “Arwena? Briac?”

“They send you their love.” He promises, his heart aching because he knows they will never see each other again, but he is here with you. He had done it. “I have many letters from the girl.”

“You will not believe what I have to tell you about her. Or show you.” Blindly tossing things into the open bag on your bed, you smile at him and wish to god you could wrap your arms around him. “Te adoro, cariño. I will be with you as soon as I possibly can be.”

“I have missed you.” Pero murmurs softly, ignoring the woman who is listening in with apparent fascination and studying him like he is an unknown creature.

“I have missed you, too, amor.” More than you can possibly say. Your fingers flex again, but your smile only grows wider. “A day, love. No more. I promise you.”

He grunts, unhappy with the prospect of having to wait, but there is nothing that he can do. “I will wait.” He huffs.

“I love you.” They’re simple words, but unwavering and unfailingly true. “And I will see you soon.”

“I will take care of him,” Sarah promises. “Hadley will feed him and I’ll set him up in a room. He’ll be just fine.”

The picture cuts away and Pero is left feeling unsure, shuffling slightly and bewildered that he can be talking to you one moment and then you are gone. A car flies by the pair of them standing on the road and blasts noise out as it passes, making him jump and re-grip his axe. “Mierda.”

“You must be overwhelmed.” Sarah observes gently, tucking her cell phone back into her pocket. “Things now are very different from when you are from. But…if you’ll trust me a little like she’s asked? I’ll make sure you’re safe.”

"I–" He would do anything that you tell him, his trust in you complete and if you say that this woman is to be trusted – he will believe that. "I do not know what you need from me." He confesses, unsure of those car things that are flying around at the speed of an arrow. You want him to get inside one?

“For now, let’s start with having you get in the car and I’ll bring you back to the inn.” Sarah sidesteps to open her car door to let him see inside, figuring that the whole thing must be fairly terrifying. He knows nothing of this world, yet he came here anyway. For love. “My soulmate, Hadley — She’s an amazing chef. I don’t know much about time travel but strange things always make me hungry. Food can be comforting, ya know?”

Pero grunts in acknowledgement of that universal truth. He had been too nervous to attempt to eat before making his way to the Stones. His frown is permanently etched on his face as he examines the inside of this car and he looks over to the woman for a confirming nod before he tries to climb inside.

“Excellent.” Sarah breathes a sigh of relief before reaching in to point out the seatbelt. “Do you see this strap here? If you pull it across your chest there is a device at your hip that it fits into. The buckle on the strap just clicks into it. For safety.”

He thinks about the gear that the Cranes would wear on the wall. To prevent them from falling to their deaths as they leapt out into the space. Confident that the ropes and hoops would hold them and bring them back up. Only the monsters accounted for the bloodshed during battles there. He grunts and yanks on it, frowning even more when it yanks back and refuses to completely go around him.

“Careful.” Quickly climbing into the driver’s side of the car, Sarah reaches across to help him with the seatbelt and smiles when it clicks into place. “There are lots of things these days that you have to be gentle with.”

His eyes are darting around the car, trying to absorb things that he doesn't understand and there is a moment when his axe is dropped on the floor of the tiny box that he is in and his hands fly for whatever he can grab when the demonic thing that he is in lurches forward suddenly.

Thankfully, the drive to the inn doesn’t last long. Pero clearly despises it and Sarah is eager to get him out of sight - although in a car like this he just looks like a man in a costume. “Hadley!” She calls, herding the ancient mercenary into the brick walls of the inn. “Honey, you’re not going to believe this!”

It is a house, Pero recognizes that but that is where his understanding of the building ends. It's strange, completely different from what he knows. Bright with a light that is whiter than the flicker of a fire and there is this strange noise that fills it. A humming or a buzzing like bees are around. He stays quiet, nervous and on edge as he tries to remember everything you had told him about your time.

“Mo chridhe?” Hadley’s head pops out from the kitchen as soon as she hears her wife’s voice, but her eyes go directly to the man standing nervously behind Sarah. “Oh my god…”

Pero shuffles, eyes flickering between the two women as he stands there. They are lovers, married if the rings on their fingers are any indication, and while Pero doesn't care about what they do it's surprising that they are allowing him into their home. Perhaps it is not shunned in this time like it would have been in his.

“Mo grá, he came through the Stones today.” Sarah beams, urging Pero toward the kitchen with a huge smile on her face. “I’ve already called our friend. She’s on her way, so she should be here tomorrow. Pero…” she looks up at him and there is nothing but awe and excitement on her face. “This is my wife, Hadley. Hadley, this is Pero Tovar.”

"Wife." Pero nods, looking towards the other woman and shuffles forward. He cranes his neck and looks around again, feeling out of sorts and his mouth is dry. "Buenos dias." It seems as if they are the only ones in such a large manor and he wonders if they are wealthy.

“Buenos dias.” Hadley nods, swallowing thickly as she tries to shake off the surprise and awe on her face. “You—you must have a lot of questions.” She knows she does. She can only imagine he has more. So in true Hadley form, she pulls out a chair for him at the little kitchen table and immediately starts bustling around to cook something.

He doesn't know what to do so he stands there until Sarah motions for him to sit. Shuffling over, he sets the axe down on the small table with a thud and the seat groans as he plops down into it. The other woman, Hadley, opens a door that makes Pero gape. Strange things fill it although he recognizes a few vegetables. "I–what is that noise?" He demands, unsure of where to start but there is a louder buzzing noise now that has him looking around the kitchen.

“Oh!” Sarah grins, realizing that this is about the giddiest she’s been since the week she married Hadley. This is the most insane and unbelievable thing that has ever happened. “It’s the dishwasher. Erm…a device that washes our dishes for us, so that we don’t have to do it by hand.”

"Device?" Pero frowns, unfamiliar with the word and he looks around the strange room. "Where is your hearth? How do you cook, heat water for this device?"

“Did she ever explain electricity to you?” Hadley asks, knowing that you had said that you told him more than you should, but not exactly what.

"The strange magic that allows fireless light and 'power'?" Pero asks, frowning again, wondering how he will ever adapt to this time if he knows nothing about it.

“Exactly.” Nodding, Sarah decided that - all things considered - it probably isn’t too early for a drink. “This is a refrigerator,” she explains, opening the fridge again to grab two bottles from the door. “It keeps things cold without needing ice. Would you…uh, she said you like ale?” Sarah asks, offering him one of the bottles.

Pero eyes the bottle, strange and small with writing on it before he looks up at her. After a moment, he nods. "I do." He wonders how electricity would allow things to stay cold without ice or snow.

Sarah twists off the bottle cap and offers it to him again, hoping that a small show of hospitality might help things along. “Electricity is everywhere in our time. Some people even think it has taken the place of magic in a lot of ways, but I don’t know about that. The fact that you’re here…that is real magic.”

Pero takes the bottle, staring down at it when it is cold to the touch despite it being warm outside. "Magic is useful but only for some." He agrees, sniffing the contents before he brings the bottle to his lips.

“It has served my family well enough.” Sarah smiles, taking a sip from her own beer. “I might not have magic, but my ancestors did. Some of them, at least.”

Pero nods, relaxing slightly and looking at the bottle again. The ale tastes different from what he is used to, but it is refreshing. "That is good." He grunts, turning it up again and draining it quickly.

Both women chuckle, and Hadley grabs another bottle for him. “Your wife said you like spicy food,” Hadley poses, hoping to continue to make this extraordinary man feel more comfortable. “You must be hungry?”

The cold ale slides down into his belly and Pero nods. "Sí, spicy food warms you from the inside." He murmurs, taking another sip of the new bottle. "Gracias, I know that I am a stranger to you. How many coins for the food and drink?"

“She was heartbroken to come back without you.” Sarah tells him, remembering how many tears you had shed the night you sat with her in the library. “She knew you would not have left her willingly. There hasn’t been a single day she hasn’t thought about you, Pero. I promise.”

"It took a long time to learn the magic I needed to come through the Stones." Pero bites his lip, looking down at the bottle and wondering how much you told these women about your time in his world. Even though he has not seen much, he can tell that it is completely different.

“She’s so glad that you did.” It would have been obvious to anyone, the awe in your voice and the way you lit up hearing his. Seeing his face for the first time in months. “Tomorrow when she gets here, you two can stay as long as you need. There are things about this world that I’m sure she’ll want to teach you before you decide to stay.”

“I–have a coin.” He promises, pull a small pouch from his belt. He won’t let you care for him in everything. He can help.

“No, please.” Sarah shakes her head, though she has not stopped smiling. “We will settle any debts later. But I have dreamed of meeting you since your wife first told us you might arrive. I’m so glad you’re here.”

His brow pinches in confusion, unsure why the woman would want to meet him. “Sassenach has to travel, so I am here until she arrives.” Pero murmurs to himself. “What shall I do?” It’s not uncommon to have him help for his lodging. Chopping wood or hunting. It is a strange place but there must be something he can help with.

“Would you be willing to tell us your story?” Sarah thinks of the stacks of journals and cases of photographs and other evidence in her study - her entire family’s collective effort all in one place. It’s pretty much the only thing in the study. “I have hers sets down…her story of traveling to your time, but mostly of you. It would be wonderful to have both sides of the story.”

Pero frowns, wondering what you might have said about him. Worried that it might not be very good, considering what he is. "What would you want to know?"

“Anything you are willing to share.” Sarah takes a sip of her beer and reads his concerned expression before shifting to give him her full attention. “You can listen to her story if you want to hear her voice again. I recorded it. Which is…like preserving the memory of her voice in an object you can play any time you like.”

"Sí." His agreement is immediate, almost slightly desperate. "I–it does not feel real." He explains, confused by his own thoughts. "She is not– I could not touch her. Yet I could see her, hear her." He will not fully relax until he is touching you again.

“We call it technology.” Hadley explains, though she knows the word will mean nothing to him. “That is the magic of our time. Science and technology.”

Pero is not a learned man, but he is smart. He had to have his wits in order to survive as long as he had. Nodding, he tucks away the strange words to ask you about later. "I see."

“For now?” Sarah offers him the most supportive smile she can. “Know that you’re with friends. Safe. And with friends.”

Reminding himself that you had said he could trust them, Pero nods again. Hadley is still rushing around the kitchen and he looks to Sarah. “Can I tell you while I eat? I am hungry.”

“Of course.” No matter when he is ready to tell his story, Sarah will be ready and eager to hear it. “Do you mind if I record you too? You don’t have to do anything but talk. The recorder will take down everything you say so I can write it down later.”

Pero nods again, unsure of what it means to record, but he will trust your judgment. You’ve never steered him wrong. “Yes.” His stomach grumbles slightly at the smells that are filling the kitchen.

Hadley’s spicy Szechuan noodles with veggies and chicken is a quick and easy recipe that she modified from an old friend, and she knows from Sarah’s replaying of your tapes that Pero spent time in China - so when she piles three bowls high with the delicious dish and brings them to the table she’s glad to see him perk up at the scent. “‘Ere we go.” She smiles happily but fixes Pero with a serious expression. “If you don’t like it, I won’t be offended. We have plenty of other food about to fix for you.”

“It smells good.” Pero insists, reaching for a bowl greedily. He frowns at the metal object in the bowl and pulls it out to inspect it. “What is this?”

“Forks look different now,” Sarah grins. “Three prongs instead of two. And you don’t have to carry them with you. Any place you eat will provide them for you.”

Grunting, he’s suitably impressed. This time must be very wealthy. He bites it and then pulls it out of his mouth again. “It is not silver.” He murmurs, not quite finding it to be steel either.

“Silver is rarely used these days.” Sarah tells him with a shrug. She’s just as excited for spicy Szechuan noodles as Pero seems to be. “Only the very rich or old-fashioned use it. These are a combination of steel and…aluminum, I think? That’s what most people use now.”

Humming, Pero examines the fork carefully. He has used one exactly three times in his life, all while being treated at a lord’s table. The rest of the time, he ate with his dagger or his hands. “No doubt you are very rich to have these.” He compliments before he starts to dig into the noodles.

The women smile at the compliment, deciding not to get into the mechanics of the distribution of wealth right now. “We are lucky to have our own business and for it to be doing well.” Hadley praises instead, knowing how hard Sarah works.

Pero isn’t listening, instead he is hunched over his bowl, having a moment with the food. Reminding him of some of the flavors he had in China, his eyes are closed and he is letting out a groan that is nearly obscene.

“Hadley’s food is amazing.” Sarah offers the praise right back to her wife and takes advantage of the moment to sneak a photo of Pero enjoying his lunch to send off to you. “Pero,” she says his name to catch his attention when she checks her phone. “She’s boarding the plane now. She’ll be here very, very late tonight.”

“Plane?” He searches his memory. “The thing in the sky.” He nods and motions to Sarah’s box. “Did she write you on that?”

“She did.” Sarah turns her phone around to show him the text message thread. “It is like…letters that can be sent instantly through the air.”

“Magic.” Pero huffs, shaking his head and dives back into the food like he has not eaten in months. His mood brightens at the prospect at seeing you again.

******

The flights seem interminable. St. Augustine to New York is just a little over two hours, but from there it takes another ten hours to get to Inverness. A rental car at the airport takes more time than you had hoped, but it’s late at night so you just decide to be grateful that someone is even working the rental desk. You feel like you’ve been shaking since Sarah called you this morning, so unbelievably excited and nervous to see Pero again that you could almost explode. The drive from the airport to the inn is negligible, thank god, and you pull into the small parking lot beside the building much faster than is probably safe. At this point he is mere steps away, and Sarah had texted you his room number so you could sprint past the front desk and straight upstairs as soon as you get inside.

Top floor. Top floor, room in the corner. Room 315. Standing in the hallway you have to force yourself to stop and breathe, barely holding back overwhelmed tears as you knock softly on the door.

It takes less than a second for Pero’s boots to thunder across the floor and the door is snatched open. The fierce scowl on his face freezes and the dagger that is in his hand clatters to the floor. “Sassenach.”

“Pero!” Your bags drop from your hands and the tears are instant as you practically fling yourself through the door to wrap your arms around his neck and bury your face in his chest like you’re trying to burrow as deeply into his body as humanly possible.

After several hours alone in the room he had finally felt comfortable removing his leathers so he was in just his breeches, boots and tunic. Groaning at the warmth of holding you again, he feels whole. For the first time in a year, he is complete again. His own tears spill hot, soaking into your hair as he breathes you in. “God, Sassenach, I– you’re–” he chokes out and crushes you to him.

“You’re here.” You breathe, sobbing into his chest just as desperately as he is into your hair. “You’re really here.”

“I am sorry.” He breathes out, needing you to know that he never wanted to send you back on your own. When he made the decision to take you back to your own time, he put aside his very valid fears for your sake. “I tried, amor, I tried to come with you. You disappeared from my arms.” He sobs, breaking down again for the first time since that night at the Stones.

“You have nothing to be sorry for.” Nudging him backward into the room, you barely glance behind you to drag your bags in too, then pull the door shut and turn the lock. Alone with Pero in your own time. This is the moment you have been dreaming about for the last six months without fail. “Mi amor, you saved my life.” Wrapping your arms around him again, you let him get out every tear he has to cry. “You are my savior. Mi angel. I would have died if you hadn’t been brave enough to get me to the Stones.”

“Mierda.” Pero chokes out, eyes red and tears wetting his cheeks as he pulls back and cups your cheeks. “Te amo, te amo, te amo.” He promises, lunging forward and pressing his lips to yours desperately.

“Te amo.” It is absolutely surreal to be in his arms again, and you feel like you could burst apart from happiness at being able to kiss him again.

He can’t stop kissing you, again and again as he tries to convince himself that this isn’t a dream. He had tormented himself several times over the past year. Dreams so realistic that he had woken up angry that you weren’t in his arms.

The two of you stumble together, clinging to each other and refusing to separate for so much as a breath. He had said it was a full year for him, and if your own six months of heartbreak without him are anything to go by, he has been in hell just as you were.

“I–” Pero pushes back towards the bed that takes up a large portion of the room. He has to touch you, he will feel like he’s going to die if he doesn’t. “Amor–” he groans, his hands starting to roam, although he doesn’t have easy access like he did when you were in his time. No skirts to lift.

The way you giggle against his lips is music to his ears, even when you stop kissing him momentarily to drink in the sight of him in front of you. Electric lights, modern furniture, and Pero Tovar. It is very literally your fondest dream come true. “Modern clothing is harder to get into than just throwing my skirts up,” you tease, popping the button on your jeans and drawing down the zipper so he will not have to wrestle with them to get you out of your jeans.

He grunts, huffing at you as he starts to kick off his boots. He knows he needs to clean up, bathe if he can figure out how that happens here, but he doesn’t think you mind right now. “Skirts are better. Easier to make you squeal.”

“I’ll switch back to dresses immediately.” Flats, jeans, and blouse are all gone in mere moments, desperate to have the feeling of oneness back that always comes from intimacy with Pero.

He doesn’t care about what you wear, he cares you are here. The eagerness that he has for you is the result of not having you for the last year. He had grown very used to being in your bed and between your thighs. “Hermosa.” He whispers, pushing his breeches down to reveal the threadbare underclothes you had stitched for him.

“You still have these?” It’s surprising to you that they survived, considering you were never the best seamstress in the world.

“Of course.” He scoffs, surprised that you would even question it. You had given them to him. They were one of his most precious possessions. “I have kept them.”

“Pero…” Your hands caress his face, thumbs dragging down the line of his jaw as you look up into his eyes. “I don’t care when or where we are, mi amor. But I never want to be without you again.”

He swallows, his own head immediately bobbling in agreement. “Never.” He agrees, his voice lowered to a rough whisper. “I–I lost my scars. I didn’t know if you–” he chokes up slightly, clearing his throat.

“I lost mine too.” You had realized in the car on the way to the airport that what you had thought was a weird Charley Horse or some other odd pain this morning was actually your scars coming back. His scars coming back. “Te amo, mi amor.” You promise him, stepping forward again to press your lips to his.

Your lips on his ignites a fire inside him. The hunger for you flashing to the boiling point and Pero wraps his arm around you to turn you so that you fall back into the bed with him braced over you.

Crashing down into the bed is like being transported, and suddenly you’re back in the little stone cottage in Brittany without any concerns beyond each other’s pleasure. Your hands grasp and wander, reminding yourself of the shape of him. He tastes the same - of memories and joy and every good feeling in the world. “Pero.”

Your name pours from his lips as he starts to frantically kiss your body. Every inch he can reach while his hands squeeze and massage your breasts. Desperate to reacquaint himself with your taste and sounds.

Every inch of fabric is torn away, every inhibition tossed aside in the desperate need to feel each other again. Your fingertips trace every mark on his body, memorizing them all over again and each moan loosed from your lips is swallowed up by the constant stream of deep kisses shared between you.

He would prepare you, treat you like he had so many months ago as you were discovering each other’s bodies, but he is too frantic for you. “Lo- siento.” His cock slips between your thighs easily and he ruts up against you.

“I’m not.” The low chuckle from deep in your chest makes both of you smile even momentarily, but it’s cut off by a moan when he grinds against you again. “Please, Pero — fuck.”

“Tu serás mi muerte.” You will be my death. Pero groans, reaching between you so he can line up. It’s been a year and he knows he won’t last but he can’t wait another second to slide inside you.

You’ll apologize to Sarah in the morning for making a racket, but the utter bliss of feeling him inside you again has you gasping and crying his name, nearly sobbing again in relief. There is nothing like this feeling - it is coming home again.

Pero’s eyes would close if he did not want to memorize your face again. Teeth clicked together to hold onto some semblance of control while he growls out your name. “F-fuck.” He hisses, unable to hold still, rocking his hips while he is buried as far as he can go in your body.

“D-don’t—” You gasp out, fingers digging into his back to hold him close and feel his heartbeat against yours. “Don’t hold back, amor.”

Permission granted, Pero goes crazy. Lips, teeth and hands all working in tandem while his hips start to furiously move. Feeling like an untried boy with his first tumble, he gasps and groans as you take him.

Meeting his rhythm might be a challenge if you weren’t also so damn frantic for him. Six months without the touch that makes you feel whole means that you don’t hesitate to bite your nails into his skin or bruise his neck, sucking on his salty skin and making sure he will bear your mark for days to come as you rock your hips in time with his.

“Madre de Dios.” Mother of God. Pero’s body lurches forward when you are just as aggressive as he is, just as frantic. All the worries, the fears that you wouldn’t be happy he was in your time dissipates in the frantic pace of his uneven thrusts.

It could have been five minutes or five hours. All that matters is that you are wrapped on him again, panting out his name as you climb closer and closer to a shattering orgasm. Nothing in the world could be as perfect as this - no dream of your reunion ever came close to this reality.

Now Pero squishes his eyes closed, body tense and primed to cum. Overwhelmed by the euphoria coursing through his body. “Sass– fuck, fuck!” He pulls you with him over the cliff, desperately tangled in each other and pouring everything you are into a kiss as the two of you cum together, shaking and shattering in each other’s arms.

Shuddering and gasping, Pero pours himself into you. His very soul fusing with yours in an interwoven pattern that would never be unknotted.

“Te amo.” You cling to him, eyes open like you’re afraid he’ll disappear if you shut them even for a moment. “Te amo para siempre.” I love you forever.

His arms stay pushed under your back, holding you close as he says against you. “I love you.” He murmurs, turning and tucking his head into your neck, hot tears fresh in his eyes. “I– alma gemela.” Soulmate. “Amor de mi vida.” Love of my life.

“Mi esposo.” My husband. With your arms wrapped around him, you hold him close to your chest and blink back more tears as your heartbeat returns to normal.

It takes a long minute, but eventually he manages to shift off of you. Reluctantly pulling out of you with a groan and curling up against your body, unable to stop touching you.

“I’m sorry it took me so long to get here,” you murmur, well aware that you lost your temper at several airline employees to get across the ocean as fast as humanly possible.

There is a moment where he huffs, pulling back to frown at you as if you are crazy. "One year, amor." He grumbles. "It took me a year to get back to you. What is a day? We are together now."

“Forever.” You lean your forehead against his and sigh. “I tried to get back to you, amor. I went back to the Stones but they wouldn’t let me through.”

“Loca.” Crazy. He huffs, pulling you close. “You – you almost died.” He murmurs quietly. “I would rather you be in your time and alive, than dead in mine.”

“I don’t want to be without you.” The fact that he saved your life is something you will never forget, and if your roles were reversed, you would have done the same for him. But months apart have proved to you that you are no longer your full self without him.

“I am not leaving you, amor.” Exhaustion hits him like a wave now that you are in his arms. It’s been a very long day and he has been on edge. “Never. You will have to send me away.”

“Never.” He lies on you heavily, a feeling you relish and remember fondly. “Sleep, my love. We can talk more tomorrow.”

“Stay.” He murmurs sleepily, eyes already drifting close. “Be here when I wake.” The plea is soft, breathed out as his body relaxes.

“Nothing could drag me away.” The promise is murmured against his temple as you lay a kiss there, letting your eyes close a moment after his, at peace for the first time in months.

******

Pero jumps, reaching for his absent dagger when there is a noise that is foreign, dragging him out of his exhaustive sleep. Gasping when he feels someone next to him, it takes a moment to remember yesterday. He had made it, you were here and in his arms. Instantly settling him like nothing else could.

“Sorry.” You mumble, peeling your eyes open at the sound of your alarm. You had taken off of work for a family emergency, but forgotten the simple things like shutting off your daily alarm on your phone. At least your jeans are close enough to the bed that you can just reach over and grab the device to shut it off.

“Are we…under attack?” He asks, looking around in bewilderment. The blaring had sounded like a horn, a signal for a battle to begin.

“No, amor.” A soft chuckle bubbles through you and you turn back to Pero to wrap him in your arms. “I have to wake up at a certain time each day. The alarm wakes me.”

He groans, frowning slightly as he wonders why you have to awaken so early today. Instead of asking, he burrows into your arms, the doubt of his future here already intrusive this morning. The dream hadn’t helped.

“What’s wrong?” You may have only had a few months together in his time, but you know that groan. He is upset and trying to mask it with grumpiness.

“Nothing amor.” The last thing he wants is to make you wonder if he is unhappy being with you again. “The noise hurt my ears.”

“You’re a poor liar, Pero.” Tipping your head back lets you look him in the eyes, and you bite your lip in concern. “Talk to me?”

Staring at you for a long moment to see if you will back down, he blows out a breath when you don’t. “I had a dream.” He admits, rolling his eyes as if it is of no importance. “It…rattled me.”

“A dream of what?” It must have been something vivid to make him so upset this morning.

He knows he won't be able to distract you. Pulling away, Pero rolls to his back to look up at the ceiling. The whitewashed walls are a stark contrast from the thatched roof of the home he had left to come here. "Your time is different, sí?" He asks, not expecting an answer. "I– I could not learn how to be here, to live and you–" sighing softly, he closes his eyes. "You wished I had never come here."

“That will never happen.” You can promise him that without hesitation, and draw him close with one arm around his waist. “If you are unhappy here, we will try to return through the Stones together. It is as simple as that. I meant when I said that I do not care where or when we live as long as we’re together.”

"I– I want to try to live here with you." Pero admits quietly. "You have suffered so much in my world." The fear of you being attacked again or being branded a bruja again is enough for him to want to stay.

“It is very different.” To pretend otherwise would be an outright lie. “But if you are unhappy here, I would go back with you. I don’t care. I only care about staying with you.”

"I have only been here a day, amor." Pero murmurs. "We don't know if we tried to go back when we would be there." The idea that Briac and Arwena would be dead or elderly breaks Pero's heart.

“Would you like to see some of my world today?” If he wants to stay here there will obviously be adjustments to make, not the least of which will be clothing. “If it sounds like too much, we can just stay here at the inn today.”

“No.” Pero shakes his head, aware that he cannot hide away. “I do not wish to hide from your world, but I–I look strange here, sí?”

“We can get you some new clothes.” Fingers brush his hair from his forehead and you leave a kiss there in its wake. “I told you about clothing shops once. Merchants who sell ready made clothing.”

“I had believed you to be joking.” Pero admits, shooting you a sheepish look. “Since your sewing skills are poor.”

“I never had to sew my own clothes,” you shrug, knowing the idea of shops for everything will completely boggle his mind. “We will see if there are any modern clothes you like.”

He frowns, unable to even imagine it. “I will wear whatever you choose.” He tells you, knowing that you would be able to better decide.

“We will find you something.” Ducking your head, you press a kiss to his chest and offer him a soft smile. “I heard you liked Hadley’s cooking yesterday. Do you want to share a shower and we can go downstairs for breakfast?”

“It was good. Like the food I had at the Wall.” Pero grunts, feeling better now that he has talked to you. This time is strange to him, but it seems as if you have settled back into your world with no issue.

“Come, amor.” Sitting up, you tug on his hand a little to get him to follow you. “We can share a standing bath and I can give you your first pieces of modern clothing.” The layover in New York had been short but given you the chance to think - and you had grabbed a t-shirt and a pair of jeans that you hoped would fit him.

“Standing bath.” He hums, admitting that it sounds nice, cleaning up. He had been nervous about things and hadn’t even looked to see where the chamber pot was.

“I think there are some things about this time that you will enjoy.” Leading him into the bathroom, you point out the sink, toilet, and shower and explain all three of them as best you can. “Indoor plumbing. It keeps things clean, and homes smell far better.”

“I– this room was here behind the door?” He asks, eyes widening as he looks around. “Is that the chamber pot you were talking about?”

“You can sit right on it, and there is paper just there to clean yourself. Just press down on this button when you’re done and it all goes away.” Modern technology will take quite a bit of getting used to, but you know Pero can adapt.

He’s doubtful but he reaches over and pushes the button, jerking back slightly when the toilet starts to flush. Frowning to himself as the water swirls in the bowl. “Mierda.”

Trying not to laugh, you can’t help but bite back a grin at his reaction. “It can’t hurt you. It’s just water.”

"It disappears." He huffs, looking at you as if you are the crazy one. He looks back down at the bowl and almost reaches out to press the button again. "It is a chamber pot, sí?" You nod and he gives a small shrug. "How do I piss in this?"

“Stand and aim at the water.” Oh, introducing him to this world is going to be infinitely entertaining. “Or sit and aim down. It is up to you.”

He huffs and cuts his eyes at you, sensing he is being teased. “Hush woman.” He grumbles, sidling up to the bowl, his bladder is active this morning already.

“Remember, you missed me,” you tease, slipping out of the bathroom quickly to grab your toiletries from your carry on. The miracles of dental hygiene were a wonder to rediscover and you still can’t wait to brush your teeth every day.

“Of course I did.” Even as he is relieving himself, he calls out to you. Aware that even with your biting tongue he has missed you. Maybe because of it.

“I missed you, too.” You promise him when you reappear - toothbrush and toothpaste in hand and your other things spilling out on the countertop. “Life is…incomplete without you.”

Pero nods, accepting that to be true. After all, you had come to him when you learned he was here. “What is all that?” He asks, motioning towards your bag.

“This time values cleanliness,” you explain, lining things up for him to inspect after he flushes. “Here.” Turning on the sink startles him slightly but you pump a little hand soap into his hands and put them under the tap. “Most soap is liquid now. Lather your hands with that and they will be clean and smell of perfume.”

Pero frowns and brings his wet hands up to sniff. “Everything smells like rich lords?” He huffs, wondering if his smell offends you now. It had been too cold to bathe before he got to the Stones.

“Sort of.” It makes you laugh to hear it put that way. “When we get home we can find a scent for you that you like. One that isn’t so…lordly. They make things that smell like the woods that I know you would love.”

“I wouldn’t mind smelling like a lord.” Pero concedes before he scowls. “As long as I am not as stupid as one, I will be fine.”

“No one could accuse you of being stupid, mi amor.” Quickly brushing your teeth, you explain the concept of toothpaste and mouthwash to him and concede that it does sound a little odd but it feels very nice, so Pero tries the mouthwash you have and ends up sitting it out in disgust after just a few seconds. “It takes getting used to,” you laugh, pressing a kiss to his lips and raising an eyebrow at him. “Do you think we can manage a shower without fucking?”

“You are naked.” Pero growls, shaking his head as he pulls you close. “I thought you told me how you loved the idea of fucking under your warm waterfall?”

“I absolutely do love that idea.” And you won’t deny it for a second, especially not when he growls like that. “It was an honest question, not a judgment.”

“I want to clean first, but I want you again, amor.” He will admit that easily. “I miss our bathtub.” There had been times that the water had been reheated several times while you and he had lazily made love in the tub.

“I have a large one in the apartment in Florida.” The one here at the inn is small - too small for that kind of activity - but you don’t mind right now. You have a lifetime with Pero. This just proves it.

"Apartment." Pero rolls the foreign word around on his tongue and wonders what it means. Instead of asking, he turns towards the glass of the shower and grunts. "There is a lot of costly glass in your time."

“It is not so costly anymore.” Reaching in, you turn the knob and watch the water explode from the heads built into the wall. “And we have something called plastic now. Which is like an imitation of glass, and much harder to break.”

Pero's eyes widen, filled with awe as he watches the water cascade down into the small little room beyond the glass. Unable to have imagined your 'shower' until right now. "Mierda." He shakes his head, eyes flickering around the room to find where the water comes from. "I don't understand."

“There is a pipe inside the wall.” Stepping inside to show him that it’s safe, you offer him your hand to help him inside. “The pipe brings water from a heating tank through the inn, and it comes out through here,” you explain, pointing to the shower head with your other hand.

He has questions but he doesn't want to waste the hot water. So he climbs inside the glass room with you, immediately letting out a filthy moan when the hot water hits his skin. It's hotter than any tub of water he's ever bathed in and it feels amazing.

“A warm waterfall.” It had been the best way you could describe it to him and you happily let him sink against you under the hot water.

"You can live in this room." His eyes slip closed and he rolls his head back, sure that he actually died and this is his version of heaven in the afterlife.

“Isn’t it wonderful?” Pressing a kiss to his chest, you will happily hold him for as long as he wants to stand here and enjoy the hot water.

"Better with you here." He promises, turning his head and pressing his lips to your temple and leans his head against yours. "Are you ready to make me smell like a rich lord?"

The shower does devolve a little, with hands wandering and pleasure for both of you, but when you eventually shut off the water and climb out you’re relaxed and ready to start the day. “I brought you some modern clothes,” You tell him, handing him a fluffy towel from the bathroom shelf and taking one for yourself. “I don’t know if they’ll fit you well, but I kind of had to guess.”

He feels cleaner than he ever has in his life, layers of skin seemingly stripped down until he practically squeaks. He does smell flowery, but he doesn’t mind it because you smell the same. Watching in fascination as you rub something under your arms, he takes it from you and sniffs it, frowning but lifting his own arm then switching to the other to copy you. “You have no hair under your arm anymore.” He realizes. “Or on your legs.”

“No.” Last night had been far too frantic for any kind of inspection, but you had readopted shaving about a month after returning to your own time. “It is the fashion now. And it’s what I’m most used to.” Worry creeps across your face though, and you bite your lip. “Do you hate it?”

“No?” Pero frowns and sets down the deodorant. “Do I need to do it too?” He asks, glancing down at his legs and wondering how you got your skin so smooth without cuts. “It would take a lot of passes with the dagger.”

“No, amor.” That makes you giggle, and you lead him out into the bedroom to pull his new clothes out of your bag. “It is the fashion for women. You have nothing to fear.”

“Good.” He grunts, feeling a little awkward. “It is fine if you like your legs hairless. I do not care as long as you are happy.”

“Just as long as my cunt still keeps its hair?” You smirk slightly and hand him the fresh jeans, boxers, and t-shirt before grabbing clean clothes for yourself.

“You would have that bare too?” Pero’s eyes widen and he looks down to your cunt before his brow lifts, trying to imagine it. “Truly?”

“Some women do. Some men do not like hair there or use it as an excuse not to give a woman pleasure with their mouths. But I know you do not feel that way.” It’s a pain in the ass to keep up with, but you had done it in the past for other lovers. At this point the other thing you care about is that Pero is happy, so if he wanted to experience it then you would shave for him happily.

That makes Pero scowl. “They have hair on their ass don’t they?” He huffs, shaking his head at how weak men are in this time. “What does hair have to do with eating a woman’s cunt and making her cry in pleasure?” He smirks and steps closer to you. “What do you say?”

“Honestly?” Even having him step closer with that sexy little smirk highlighting his love dimple makes your throat run dry. “You never had any trouble eating my pussy before now, but if you’re curious I’ll shave.”

“I should eat it now.” He rumbles, eyes darkening slightly. “So I can see if there is a difference with it bare if you want to show me.”

“Would you enjoy that?” Your panties are in your hand but are already being tossed aside before he can even answer you. Apparently fingering you until your legs gave out in the shower was not enough for him.

“I am a hungry man.” Pero growls, reaching for you and dragging you over to the bed that feels like a cloud. “Your cunt is a feast I have missed.”

“We might never leave this room today.” Not that you mind, not with your legs opening automatically to let him lie between them or whatever else he wants to do.

“That is fine with me.” Pero smirks down at you as his fingers caress both of your knees, shuffling between them. “Everything I need is right here.”

“We have lost time to make up for.” His year apart from you has made him hungry and you can feel anticipation tingle through you completely.

His grin is wicked, dangerous as he ducks his head down and bites your knee before starting to kiss up your thighs. Breathing in the clean, fragrant scent of you. He had fucked you and fingered you so far, now it was time to eat you.

Pero has always had a predatory edge to him that you found sexy rather than alarming, and it all comes rushing back to you with hot cheeks and a rapid pulse as he sucks bruises into the insides of your thighs on a slow descent to his prize. His ability to have you panting and begging is uncanny, and you squirm underneath him in delicious anticipation.

“I’ve never savored a meal the way I savor you.” He groans, burying his nose in your curls and inhaling your scent. Cock already throbbing but he’s going to do this. Needs to like he needs air. Greedy, his tongue darts out to carve through your folds.

Your sharp gasp makes him chuckle, the filthy sound of being utterly pleased with himself rumbling through you when he’s barely even begun to taste what you have to offer him. One of your hands threads through his damp hair readily, knowing he likes it pulled tight as much as you do, and grinning when he grunts and opens his mouth wide to seemingly swallow your entire cunt whole.

It doesn’t matter what time Pero is in. You taste the same. Feminine and musky, better than his favorite ale or his beloved cheese. If he could survive off of your cunt alone, he would do it. His fingers dig desperately into your hips and drag you closer.

Anyone within about twenty yards of your room could instantly guess what is going on inside but you just can’t bring yourself to care right now. Not when the only thought you can manage to have in between gasping his name or cursing vividly is how much you’ve missed him. It’s a miracle that Pero managed to get through the Stones and not one you’re apt to take for granted - and because of that you will be happy to stay in this room all day if it means being devoured by your soulmate’s talented tongue.

There is a rhythm to your pleasure. The way your hips roll tells him how to keep time. His groans are filthy as they pour into you and he loves every gasp and cry of his name. Soon he will have to do something else, but for now, this is his only task.It's impossible to think that you only had a few months together so many centuries ago - the way he knows your body should speak to an entire lifetime of pleasure. It's like you hadn't missed a single moment, bodies rising and falling together in that bed as he licks into you over and over again.

Eyes fixed on your face, Pero watches. Watches the way your lips part on a gasp or your teeth sink into the tender skin of your bottom lip when you think to stifle your sound. He watches the way your eyes flutter under your lids as you writhe in pleasure. His tongue flicks over your clit again, wanting to watch as you fall apart for him again.

There is nothing subtle or understated about the way he devours you. Pero's focus is entirely on pushing you over that last edge of pleasure now, and there is obviously no gap in his memory of how to do so. His lips curl into a satisfied smirk just before your eyes clamp shut - head tossed back on a cry of his name as you fall apart beneath him.

There’s always a moment right before your thighs try to close around his head. One where your entire body shudders and nearly lifts off the bed. The edge right before over stimulation and Pero groans into you when he feels it again. His tongue easing up as you gasp and moan, slowly circling your clit to bring you back down to earth.

"Fuuuck." You couldn't do anything more than collapse right now even if you wanted to, legs still shaking just a little and gorgeous aftershocks shooting through your system as Pero places soft kitten licks and kisses everywhere he pleases.

“Mmmm.” Pero lifts up, shuffling up the bed to lay down beside you and his arm easily drapes over your body. “Now that I remember what you taste like, you can cut your hair off and I’ll see what bare cunt tastes like.”

"I doubt it will taste any different," you giggle, rolling your eyes at him as you curl into his side. This is the only place in the world that you want to be right now and you're so grateful that you have this chance again. "But you can have as many tastes as you want, amor."

“Good.” Everything is right when you are in his arms and he sighs softly. “Show me the clothes you brought me?” He asks, knowing he can’t wear his breeches and tunic around town.

"You want me to move after you make me cum twice in twenty minutes?" Grumbling at him is only teasing, of course, but you throw him a playful pout as you reach for the stack of clothing on the bedside table. Boxers, Jeans, and a t-shirt that will hopefully fit him well enough to go out and try on an actual wardrobe. "These are only temporary. If they're not comfortable for you, we will pick out other things at the store today."

“Do you have enough coins to purchase such things?” He asks, frowning as he holds up the jeans. It is a strange type of cloth but it seems sturdy.

“Yes.” Standing up, you grab your own panties again and slide them on, before looking back at him cautiously. “I have lived with careful finances for most of my life, and have a job that pays well.” Not well enough for all the bullshit you have to deal with, but you’re very comfortable. “While you are adjusting to life here, I can provide for you. Though I know you well enough to know that you will not allow me to do it forever.”

Pero frowns and nods. “I will trust that you will not take on too much.” He murmurs, knowing you will share if it becomes too much. There is too much between you now. “I will try to ease your worries wherever I can.”

“I would not feel safe with you living the life of a mercenary or soldier in this time.” It’s a lot to admit, but knowing that a lot of his former standard practices would now be considered war crimes? It just doesn’t sit well with you. “There are many paths you can choose now, amor. You can start fresh. Be whatever you choose to be.”

His lack of learning still worries him and he frowns. “What would I be able to do?”

"Anything you wish." Cost be damned, you would make sure that Pero has the opportunities in this lifetime that he never could have had as a medieval farmer's son. "Even get an education, if you wish. There are even special educations you can get for certain jobs. Training. Instead of apprenticeships, we have training programs now for anyone who wishes to join."

His brow raises and he nods. “That is very - anyone can do it?” He whistles, knowing there were many titles he could not hold because of his birth or lack of wealth. “Interesting. I could become a huntsman.” He offers, knowing he would be able to hunt any game for a wealthy lord in your village or surrounding lands.

"There is not much call for huntsmen anymore." Slowly getting dressed, you smirk when Pero watches you put on your jeans with intense interest. He's leering a little, yes, but he's also learning the new garment. "But to be a butcher is a very good occupation. Or to work on a farm or a ranch, if that is what you want to do." Offering him your best and most encouraging smile, you throw your shirt on over the ultra soft bra you packed and grab your sweater. It may be July in Scotland, but that's a hell of a lot colder than July in Florida. "You don't need to rush the decision, love. Let's just enjoy ourselves today. How does that sound?"

“Sí.” Pero nods, his own clothes going on much slower and you have to help him with the button of the jeans when he huffs in frustration. “Do I walk barefoot?” He asks, wiggling his toes in the new socks you made him put on. “These are your shoes?”

"You can wear your boots under the jeans." They would be well hidden from view, and only look slightly out of the ordinary if someone decided to pay extremely close attention. To the casual observer, he's just wearing leather boots. "I had absolutely no idea of your shoe size, so I decided not to guess."

“Shoe size….” Pero frowns and then shrugs it off, pulling the shirt over his head. At least the tunic is familiar, although tighter than he was used to. “How does it look?” He asks, holding his arms out for you to inspect him.

"You look very handsome." It's not an exaggeration in any way, shape, or form because he is always handsome. Is it slightly odd? Perhaps. But that is through no fault of his own. It is because you lived essentially naked with the man for months on end in the cottage. "Come and look in the mirror. Tell me what you think."

He had been startled when he discovered the costly looking glass in the room. Having it make him reach for his dagger a few times when his reflection was captured in its view. Pero dutifully walks over to you and turns, much more interested in looking at you, although he does stare at himself for a long moment. “This is– what I am?”

"Are you comfortable?" The jeans look a little baggy on him and the t-shirt is working overtime to stretch across his broad shoulders, but for guessing sizes on a man you hadn't seen in six months it's not too bad.

“The pants sit weird.” He admits, tugging on them slightly. “But I am thankful.” He adds, not wishing you to think him ungrateful. “It will take time to get used to.”

"There are other types of pants that might be more comfortable." It's beyond you not to want to touch him all the time, grateful in your own right. Simply that he is here and so willing to try to live life in your time. It is more than you had ever let yourself hope for, really. "Just because I brought you these does not mean you have to like them."

“I am used to...fitted breeches.” He admits after a moment, wiggling his hips slightly. “Though I could hide many weapons.”

"We can certainly find you something tighter if you would prefer it." God knows you're the last person in the world to discourage him from flaunting what he's got. "However...the concealed weapons...are a bit illegal now. By a bit, I mean very."

Pero frowns fiercely. “You cannot carry a dagger or sword?” He huffs. “What kind of place is this?”

"The kind of place where you will need a license to carry a weapon." You shove your hands in your pockets and shrug at him lamely. "No one carries swords anymore. Or daggers, really. We have...they're called firearms, and they are not needed to defend yourself for the most part. Things are much safer than they used to be."

He is skeptical about that, knowing that no matter when in time it is, there is evil in the hearts of men. Still, he grunts and puts down the dagger that he had been about to slip into his waistband. Or the leather belt you had told him was the modern version of his.

"It will take getting used to." Especially for someone like Pero, who had been a warrior until literally yesterday. "Are you ready to get some breakfast before we venture out into town, love?"

“What is there to eat?” He perks up at the prospect of food. Despite the time travel, he loves to think with his stomach and those noodles were tasty. “Do you think she will serve more of those noodles for breakfast?”

"Maybe she'll make some more for us for dinner if we ask." You have no doubt that Hadley would be happy to honour the request and take the compliment for exactly what it is. "But let's go downstairs and see what she's made for breakfast this morning."

Pero grunts, unused to having something different for breakfast beyond leftovers or some bread and cheese. But then again, the idea of cheese has him pulling on his boots and quickly following you.

******

“Well there ye are.” Hadley grins unrepentantly when you and Pero appear in the kitchen, hands tangled together and looking infinitely more relaxed than she’s ever seen either of you before. “I thought I heard ye were awake.” There is nothing but warm teasing in her tone, though there had been a noise complaint this morning that Sarah had already swept under the rug. Nothing to bother you with, not during such a happy reunion. “This morning there’s Quiche Lorraine, scones, and a salad of arugula, fennel, and grapefruit all ready for ye. Coffee and tea, a’course. And some juice if ye’d prefer.”

“Thank you, Hadley.” Your warm hug is full of gratitude, knowing that Hadley and Sarah had taken on quite an adventure yesterday in looking after Pero. “Everything sounds wonderful.”

Pero grunts, unsure of anything that she had just said. You sound pleased and there is one thing that you had talked about a lot. “Coffee?” He asks, looking at you. “Tea? You said you missed those things.” He reminds you, eager to see what the fuss is about.

"Would you like to try them?" His curiosity makes you smile, and you take Hadley's invitation to skirt the kitchen counter and make drinks for yourself as she excuses herself to clean up the dining room. "They both have caffeine in them, so you may feel jittery or energized." Explaining the properties of things like sugar and caffeine to him had been like explaining any other potion that he watched you brew. Not very difficult at all.

He huffs and rolls his eyes. “So you feel like every man when he’s too deep in his cups.” He muses, sniffing the air and approving of the scent.

"It's slightly different, but not too much." Amused at his blasé reaction, you pop a capsule into the Nespresso machine to brew into the waiting mug below and flip on the electric kettle after making sure it had water in it. "I will make both, and you can try them." Cream and sugar are easily obtained, and you portion out two plates of food from the usual overabundance of Hadley's cooking. The woman really is incredibly skilled.

Everything is strange and there isn’t an open flame or cauldron to be found. The only thing remotely familiar to Pero is the black skillet that the woman, Hadley, is hovering over like a hen protecting her chicks. He looks over at you for reassurance, the sounds of the kitchen along with the hum that seems to be constant throughout this space loud.

"Sit, amor." He looks a little lost so you try to give him a little direction, setting the tray of coffee and tea things on the little kitchen table before you put down two identical plates of food. "This is coffee," you put down a mug of fragrant black coffee in front of him and then another of rich, unaltered tea. "And this is tea. Most people add milk and sugar to them, but you don't have to."

“Sugar?” Pero frowns and looks up at you again, unsure of what you are talking about. “What is sugar?”

"This." The little ceramic bowl painted with flowers has a spoon in it, and you scoop some of the crystals out to leave on the rim of the saucer that his teacup is currently sitting on. "Try a little of it on your finger. It's sweeter than honey and far easier to come by."

Sweeter than honey. That gets his attention. He had always been eager to get his hands on honey, loving the sweet nectar. Risking stings to claim honeycomb from hives. Reaching out, Pero manages to grab a few granules of the sugar between his fingers and bring them up to his lips.

You grin when he groans, knowing how much he loves sweets. When he had discovered that you could make jams from some of your dried fruits he had nearly dragged you into bed in gratitude. "We'll have to find a chocolate shop today," you decide. "Too much sugar all at once will make a person feel sick, but chocolate is absolutely divine. Sweet and rich and creamy and just...absolutely delicious."

Pero moans again, thinking about sweet things. “Make– can you–” he nods towards the drinks you set in front of him. “Make them how you think I would drink them.” He begs.

"I'll make them how I like them, how about that?" When he nods again you shift the cups around, adding cream and sugar in measured amounts to each one and stirring them before moving them back in front of him. "If you don't like either of them, there are other things to drink."

The tea is first. Pero takes a cautious sip and hums. It’s good, but it reminds him of the herbs you would boil in water. “This is your tea, huh?”

"There are many different kinds. This is one of them." But you can see the way his lips are curled and you shake your head. "Not to your liking?"

“It is fine.” He won’t insult your favorite brew but it is not exactly what he had been expecting. “The coffee, right?” He asks, picking up the still frothy and rich looking drink.

"I think you'll like that more." Despite having humble beginnings, Pero does have a taste for the rich and luxurious. You happily take the tea from him though, glad to have a cup this morning despite being fully awake.

“Does it go with cheese?” He asks, frowning when he doesn’t see any among the breakfast fare.

"It can." You grin, stifling a giggle. "There is cheese in the quiche, amor. Try a bite." Picking up a bite for him on the fork that was set in front of him, you're happy to offer him the first bite of one of your favourite breakfasts. Although at this point you're thinking you might find a place that does charcuterie for lunch.

There is probably nothing that you offer him that he won’t try. His mouth opens and he accepts the bite, eyes widening slightly as he quickly inhales the delicious, eggy pie. Groaning, he nods. “That is– very good.” He hums, lifting up the the coffee cup to his lips to try it. Another, louder moan escapes his lips on the first sip.

“And so is the coffee?” You guess, grinning when you put his fork down in front of him. For the way Pero loves food, he will likely end up loving modern foodie culture above everything else - although definitely not the pretentious diets.

Even though the coffee is steaming hot, Pero continues to slurp it down like it will vanish from in front of him. Moaning the entire time until the entire cup is down and he is licking his lips and looking disappointed that it is gone.

“Do you see why I missed it?” Laughing lightly, you pop up from the table to get him a glass of orange juice to go with the rest of his breakfast and leave a kiss on his cheek before you sit back down. “We can get another cup later, while we’re out. I don’t want to give you too much caffeine all at once until we know how sensitive you are to it.”

Pouting slightly, he wants to scoff and boast that your modern day drinks won’t affect him, but he doesn’t know that. Instead he just sets the cup down and reaches for the juice, eager to try it since he is more familiar with this than anything else.

Breakfast - brunch really, considering how late in the morning it is - passes easily and quickly. Pero has never been one to dawdle over his food and Hadley's cooking is too good for you to not enjoy eagerly. Before too long you're hand in hand again, heading outside to the rental car that you picked up from the airport. "There's a shopping mall we can go to," you tell him, checking your phone for men's apparel stores in Inverness. Thank god for Google. "It's...malls are indoor markets with permanent merchant stalls. The stores are there every day, for anyone to shop at. They're a little bright, and pretty loud, though. So if it's overwhelming for you, we can go somewhere else." The noise of the future is definitely a difference that you noticed when you came home, never having known anything different before you went to his time.

Pero eyes the car, noticing that it is different from the one he had been in yesterday. “We will…it is the same as other caaaars, sí? It is faster than an arrow?”

"Yes." You nod slightly, but squeeze his hand and try not to laugh. It is completely reasonable for him to be wary of cars. "But I am a better driver than Sarah. I promise you will be safe with me."

“Mierda.” Pero huffs, looking at the handle and reaching for it to copy the way he had seen Sarah open it yesterday. “You must think me stupid.” He grumbles quietly, completely out of his element and feeling as if there is so much he does not understand that comes natural for you.

"Not at all." Slipping into the car beside him, you reach for his seatbelt and show him how to situate it comfortably across his chest. "I had to learn an entire way of life as an adult once too, amor. I know it can be difficult. And scary. But I was lucky to have kind friends then, to teach me the things I did not know. I only want to be that for you, if you'll let me."

He realizes you did have to learn how to live in his world and you had thrived there. That, more than anything, makes him smile slightly. He reaches over and takes your hand, bringing it up to his lips. “Te amo.”

"If you have questions, as I am sure you will, ask them." His kiss to your hand is answered by a chaste but thorough kiss to his lips, and you offer him a reassuring smile. "Te amo, cariño. We will find the way in which you fit into this world. Together.”

This trip is less terrifying than the first. More relaxed simply because it is you that is beside him. The major anxiety of his first trip extinguished by your presence and safety. Cars pass by and houses dot the landscape before you enter the town, making his eyes widen when he sees how large it is compared to the small villages he is used to. “Mierda.” He whispers in awe.

"Inverness is a city now." Knowing that he must have come here at some point if he and the others brought you back to the Stones, you drive through the oldest parts of the city to let him see something that he might recognize the shape of before continuing on to the mall. The large, busy building is imposing from the outside and you park reasonably fair enough from the entrance that you can take your time walking up and give Pero time to adjust to the idea of one of the largest buildings he's ever seen in his life that has nothing to do with royalty or war.

It takes him a moment. So many people, the bustle that has nothing to do with survival taking him aback, he narrows his eyes as he surveys the area. Shaking his head after a moment. “It is so different.” He whispers after a long moment.

"Yes." There's no way to deny that. You both climb out of the car again and you reach for his hand, as much to be a comfort for him as to remind yourself once more than he is actually here. That it isn't a dream. "It is different, but that doesn't make it better or worse. Some things are easier now, but that just means that there are other things to be worried about."

“Everyone moves so fast.” He muses, watching people rush by the two of you. He had thought he moved with purpose in his time, but it seems as though people are running from merchant to merchant. Was there a limited time they could be in the shops?

"Some people say that people could stand to slow down these days." You chuckle a little, linking your fingers through his and guiding him through the walkways of the mall. "I have felt that way myself, since returning."

It is so very different. The light is brighter than the sun and the sounds, different ones challenging his ears to keep up. Pero bristles when someone bumps into him but you are there to calm him down with a stroke to his arm. It’s nearly overwhelming and he can’t seem to keep his eyes from darting around from every movement he sees.

The first men's clothing store that doesn't seem to favor athleticwear is where you steer him, hoping that by limiting the number of directions all the sights and lights and sounds are coming from you can keep Pero from being too overwhelmed. Having explained the concept of trying on clothes and using dressing rooms to him in the car, you're hoping this will go somewhat smoothly.

If he is honest with himself, Pero hadn’t believed you about the ready made clothes. Jaw dropping when you pull him into the store and he sees racks upon racks of clothes. All seemingly the same. “¿Qué clase de brujería es esta?” What kind of sorcery is this? Pero breaths out, reaching a hand out to run over the button up shirts of multiple colored boxes.

"La magia puede ser divertida. Por eso te casaste con una bruja." Magic can be fun. That is why you married a witch. You tease him, picking out one of the plaid shirts he is touching in a size you think will fit him. It will all be a fresh shopping hell when you're at home dealing with American sizes, but he just needs a few days' worth of clothes in order to get there.

“It is wealth that I’ve never imagined.” He admits, craning his neck to see all the fabric, much of it unfamiliar. “What would you have me wear?”

"I would have you be comfortable." Although you know that for him comfort is a very different thing, it is an honest answer. Summer means that there are t-shirts and polos in dozens of different designs, short-sleeved button-down shirts, and even some long sleeved things in soft cotton and linen. Shorts, jeans, and more linen options for pants hang along one wall. "Why don't we try on a few things in different fabrics and sizes, so we can find what will be the most comfortable for you?"

“Whatever you want, Sassenach.” This is your time and he will follow your lead, although his eyes drift over to a purple hued shirt. Only wealthy lords could afford brightly colored cloth. The darker squares made it appealing and he looks to you for approval.

"You like this one." It isn't even a question, you can see the way his eyes light up at the purple plaid cotton button down. Seeing him get excited about something as relatively simple as a shirt makes you feel just a little more relaxed and assured about this whole trip, and you take one off the rack that you think will fit him, plus a size larger because he's built so broadly. "I like it, too."

“You do?” He’s almost shy about it; never giving much thought to clothes because they were a necessity rather than an indulgence, but this is the definition of luxury. “Then we will get it.”

"Does anything else catch your eye?" There are other purple shirts, other plaids, and other soft materials to be had, and you wonder which things he will gravitate toward.

Pero frowns slightly and looks down at the shirt he is wearing and the points at the shirt that is on a rack. A Henley. “That is different from this.” He comments. “I will try that?”

"Sure. You can try that." You're sure you've done a damn poor job of hiding how excited you are at the prospect of Pero trying on anything that will cling to him, but it doesn't matter. The only thing that matters to you is that he leaves here with things that he likes and doesn't mind wearing. The fact that you get to play dress-up with your soulmate is a fringe benefit.

Pero doesn’t miss your happiness as he starts to shift through things. Rejecting some outright and agreeing to others until there is too much. “Amor, I have one ass.” He huffs. “I cannot wear all this.”

“People have more than two or three sets of clothing now, amor de mi vida. This is just so you can try them on and we can find your size.” The employee who takes the small stack of pants and hangers from you seems nonplussed about the fact that you obviously intend to go into the dressing room with Pero, and does not stop you from disappearing behind the closed door with him. The little stall is barely big enough for two to stand in, but you can sit and mind your business in the corner easily enough.

“Truly?” He shakes his head and looks at the pile of clothes. “Now I just put them on? To fit them like armor?”

“I’ll keep everything organized for you.” The purple shirt he loved is the first thing you hand him, and a pair of gray pants that are stretchier and softer than denim despite probably being made of a nearly identical fabric.

He notices you watching as he undresses and smirks at you. “See something you like, amor?”

“Always.” And who are you to deny it? That would be downright untrue. “But it is rude to use a dressing room as a place for pleasure simply because I see something I like very much.”

“Hmph.” Pero frowns but he doesn’t argue with you, knowing that you might have different rules for propriety than in his time. Even then you are his wife and not some common wench he paid for the pleasure of her body.

“We’re not animals, mi amor. We can wait until we get back to the hotel to have another tumble.” Though the frown on his face does make you laugh, knowing that if it weren’t for public decency laws, you would gladly just have each other right here on the dressing room bench.

Pero narrows his eyes at you playfully. “I know that.” He grumps at you. “It is my cock that does not listen. It is bewitched by you.”

“Sshhh!” You nearly burst out laughing, forgetting momentarily how matter of fact he can be. “It is also not polite to talk about sex quite so loudly in public.” Of course, it never was, but Pero has never cared. You just don’t want him to have a cross sales clerk to deal with when he is trying to learn a whole new society. Pero smirks at you and lifts a brow, about to say something else but he doesn’t want to embarrass you. Instead he just winks at you and starts to strip his pants off.

The purple shirt fits him almost perfectly, though nothing can offset the way his shoulders make him larger than life. The pants take a few tries to get right, however, since years as a warrior has given him a trim waist and a preference for clothing that he can move in. You’ll have to explain later the magic of things like simple sweatpants. “What do you think?” You ask him, nodding to the mirror after the third pair of pants. These hug his ass so well that he actually has one in them and you’re prepared to say a prayer of thanks to the fast fashion gods for it.

“Do you like it?” For him, that’s all that matters. He doesn’t want to shame you, since it is obvious that the two of you are soulmates. “Does it– do I look like a man from your time?” That is his biggest worry, that people will know that he doesn’t belong here, belong with you.

“Yes, amor. You certainly do.” There’s room enough for you to stand next to him, and you slip out of your seat to put your arms around him and squeeze gently. “I want to try to give you the best chance at a normal life here that I can. If you hate this clothing and want to wear something else there are lots of options, I promise. I will always find you handsome no matter what.”

“This is comfortable.” He admits, moving around as much as the small space would allow. “I just want to make sure you like it. I could be bare assed and not care.”

"That would certainly attract you some extra attention." You snort at the mental image, just thinking of how many people would end up staring at the well-endowed and well-built Spaniard.

“What now?” He starts to drag the clothes off again and put the original clothes on, not sure what was next for you.

"Do you want to try on the other shirts?" He had found a few different styles and you definitely don't object to watching him try on clothes. "Then we can see about finding you some shoes? And maybe..." You bite your lip, not because he is shirtless - although that's a good reason - but because you're almost afraid to ask. "Maybe you can tell me...about Arwena and Briac? Whatever you know, anyway?"

He hadn’t mentioned them because he did not want you to feel bad, but now that you have brought it up he is happy to talk about them. “I have letters, from Wena.” He tells you with a grin, reaching for the other shirts to try on. “A stack of them. She was writing you almost one a day.”

"Where did you go?" What you really want to ask is what the hell happened when you got sick, but the dressing room in the Eastgate Shopping Centre Fatface is not the place for what you have a feeling is going to be a serious conversation. Much better to keep it light, if you can. At least for now.

“After you…disappeared, we traveled to Skye to seek out the mysteries of the Stones from Father Malcolm’s clan.” Pero explains, remembering how unresponsive he had been while traveling to you.

"You met Grandmother Ede?" Remembering the old woman brings a smile to your lips, although you might be smiling a little bit more right now watching Pero fight his way into the tight Henley shirt he picked out. "Did...Malcolm go with you? From Gretna? I-I don't remember much after the morning after our wedding."

“Yes.” You wouldn’t have remembered anything. Pero turns and sighs softly, knowing that you would have wanted to exact your revenge yourself. “Your monster, your dragon, was slain outside the stables in Gretna. And Wena– she took out the bastard that hurt her. The Father came with us to the Stones to return you and keep us safe from questions.”

"Who did it?" As quiet as the question is, and as probably inappropriate as the timing is, you need to know. If Wena had slain her own dragon then you only actually need one guess to know who slayed yours - but you want to hear it from him.

“I made sure that I repaid him for your injuries, for the injuries he had visited upon other women.” Pero murmurs, his eyes flashing with satisfaction of the blood he had spilt on his hands. It had been the last man he had killed so far and if that was the end, he would be content with it. “He knew terror before he drew his last breath.”

"Mi guerrero." My warrior. It's probably not something other people would be proud of, to know that their soulmates had spilled blood in their name. But considering what was done to you? Standing again, your arms find his waist easily and your face tucks into the crook of his neck, breathing in the smell of your soap and new clothing along with the scent that is only his. "Gracias, mi amor. I...I do not know if I could have done it myself."

“You could have.” Pero has no doubt of your strength, he knows you would have done it if only to spare any other from suffering your fate or worse at his hands. Still, he preens slightly under your praise and hums softly at the feeling of you in his arms. “I only did it because you were too sick to conjure your flames.”

"So Wena had to confront her father after all?" The thought stung and festered over the months – wondering what had become of all the people you had left behind. Even when the answers are unpleasant, it is still good to have them. Knowing Arwena was strong enough to face her father and her attacker and still move forward completely validates all of your belief in her.

“She was amazing, amor.” Pero murmurs, knowing that you would be proud. “Her handling of that shit stain who claimed to be her betrothed was magnificent. Briac was proud of her, even if he itched to kill the bastard himself. And she did it while carrying the babe.”

“She was already pregnant?” You look up at him with wide eyes, although you’re not sure why you’re so surprised. The road from Brittany to Scotland hadn’t exactly afforded anyone a great deal of privacy. So much so that you had all joked about it at length.

“Yes.” Pero smiles, remembering her pregnancy fondly. Even if she had complained about the travel and the upsets of having a babe growing inside her. “You are an abuela. A perfect little boy.”

“It is…more than that, I think.” Your thoughts redirect instantly to the grimoire, sitting safely under lock and key in your apartment. The list of names in the back cover begins with you - something that makes sense if it is contributors, but also if it is family. And if Pero is calling you an abuela, then they certainly still considered you family. “I was going to tell you tonight…the whole story.”

“You should read her letters. I was there when she gave birth. She�� they named their son after me.” He whispers, a proud smile on his face. “They took Tovar as their name as well.”

“You kept our family safe.” It’s just a whisper back to him, but you tighten your arms around him and hold on, for the first time feeling absolutely grateful that the Stones hadn’t allowed him to follow you immediately. He was needed. He was needed in that time and place, to make sure that Arwena and Briac and their little boy were safe. To make sure that you…that your family line would truly begin. “I need to tell you something, amor.”

Pero frowns, worry making the creases of his eyes more prominent than they normally are. “What is wrong?” He asks, fearing that you might have learned something horrible about the time after he left.

“Some months ago, Beth and I were cleaning…” Beth was cleaning, you were resting, but that is beside the point. “And we discovered a box from my own abuela. Some belongings of hers that she meant to pass on to me before she died.” Your fingers twist in the Henley he is wearing and you know you’ll be buying it for him regardless of the fit, just because it has already been stretched. “Wena’s book was among them.”

Pero frowns and shakes his head. “I do not understand. She had the book. She would write in it and read your writings all the time.” He huffs. “How do you have it?”

“I did not understand either,” you admit, urging him to sit with you and lowering your voice a little. “But the back of the book…there is a list of people who contributed to it over the centuries. M-my name is there. Right at the top…and the most recent…is my abuela.”

He frowns again, biting his lip. “They were happy when I left. Little Perito was growing like a weed and Arwena was already speaking of having another child.”

“Yes.” When you nod again, you take both of his large hands in your smaller ones. “And I believe that that family…it is possible that I am their progeny.” And the beauty and oddity of it always manages to bring a tear to your eye, if you’re honest, making you shrug at how impossible it seems. “I believe that Arwena and Briac may be my ancestors.”

It takes him a moment to really grasp what that means and when he does, his hands tighten on yours. “You– mierda, their kin?” He huffs, nearly blown away, although all he can think is that your magic made it possible. Without you there, Arwena might never have been strong enough to save herself.

“I think so.” Leaning into his side of such a relief. To be able to discuss this with someone who holds the same affection for the younger couple is a weight lifted off your shoulders. “I have no way of proving it, of course, but I will show you the book when we go home. It is a miracle that it has lasted.”

“She was talking about a way to preserve the book.” He murmurs. “To pass it down to her children like you did for her.”

"It seems to have worked." And for a spell like that to have lasted for a thousand years? Arwena must have become a far more powerful witch than either you or her had ever thought.

“Amor…”Pero looks over at you. “Do you believe you were supposed to go back? To find her and me?”

"I have believed for a long time that I was meant to go back in order to find you." It feels like a large thing to admit - almost a confession - but you know that Pero can appreciate a little better now the enormity of finding yourself in an entirely new life. How difficult and scary it can be. How thinking that you are there with a purpose can be such a relief. "I've thought that since the day you came to my doorstep. But now? I don't know. It seems...foolish to think that any of it happened by accident."

“Too much of a pattern to be an accident.” Pero wraps his arms around you and sighs softly. “They wish us to return, if you wish to.” He confesses, knowing you would be upset at him if he had not been truthful with you.

"Do you want that?" Tilting your head back, you manage to leave a kiss on the corner of his mouth and try to read the expression on his face. If he wants to try to go back, you will. You just have no idea if it will work. Or if the Stones would even send you back to the same time if it did.

His frown is conflicted but then he blinks and shakes his head. “No.” He growls softly. “I– I cannot risk losing you again.” He had nearly lost you forever and just the idea of you vanishing and him remaining or him returning without you is enough to make his heart start to hammer in his chest. “I– will not survive it.”

“I can’t lose you again, either.” Burying your face in his chest hides the frown on your lips, knowing that he probably would be happier in his own time. But you respect him enough to let him make his own decision, and you love him enough to be grateful that his choice is you. “I promise I will do everything I can to make you happy here, cariño. I swear. On our family.”

“I don’t care where I live.” Pero promises you, pulling back so he can cup your cheek, his thumb brushing the base of your scar. “As long as you are with me, I am happy. You are my home.”

******

After trying on more shoes than a bride with an unlimited budget and finding an old fashioned sweets shop to introduce Pero to the wonder of modern candy, you had walked around the mall a little while longer. His curiosity generally overcame his discomfort, especially when he would get the odd compliment or smile from a stranger than thought he looked quite good in his short-sleeved Henley, jeans, and Doc Martens. You had just giggled, told him you completely agreed that he looks good, and taken him for his very first ice cream before heading back out to the car.

“We can eat that every day?” Pero asks again, licking his fingers even though there is no more of the sweet ice cream left on his skin. “Different kinds? There were so many at that merchant.”

“We can buy it in containers from the market and bring it home any time we like,” you giggle, delighted with how enraptured Pero has been with the easy delights of the modern age. He was very literally like a kid in that candy store earlier, and you know you’ll have to stop him from overdoing his sugar intake and ending up sick.

“I want to try every one of them.” He insists, practically smacking his lips in anticipation. “But they must go in that big steel box, sí?”

"Yes." When you reach the rental car, you unlock the doors and set the half-dozen bags from your bag into the backseat. "But we have one of those - they're called freezers - at the apartment. I think I might even have an ice cream maker in the cupboard somewhere. We can try making our own, if you want."

“There is so much to your time.” Pero shakes his head, nearly unable to believe that he is not in some fantastic dream. “I don’t know how you experience it all.”

"You don't." Shrugging slightly, you open the car's passenger door for him before going around the car and letting yourself into the driver's side. "There are countless things that I have never done. But that's okay. I just make sure not to waste time doing things I don't like unless I have to."

He contemplates that silently as you turn on the car and pull out of the parking spot to go back to the inn. “I wonder if the Wall is still there.” He murmurs softly, looking out the window. “I would like to see it again. It was magical, bruja.” He looks over and tosses you a grin. “So high you will not believe. It is bigger than anything else in the world, I am sure of it.”

"You're right." In some ways, at least. "The Wall is one of the great wonders of the world. Most of it is still standing, and people visit it in droves every year." You glance over at him at a traffic light, loving the look of excitement on his face. "We could go, one day. If you wanted to. China is very different now than it once was, but we could definitely go and visit the Wall."

“Have you ever been?” He feels like you would have spoken about it after revealing the truth about where you came from, but maybe you had thought to spare his feelings.

"No," you shake your head as you turn back to the traffic, making sure to drive safely and not too fast so he isn't uncomfortable. "I haven't. I had never even left my country until I came to Scotland to see the Stones."

Pero snorts, smirking slightly at how that had turned out for you. “What ‘countries’ would you say you have visited now? Is Spain still there?”

"Spain is certainly still there." Rolling your eyes slightly is just good humor, but it makes him laugh and that was your only goal. "I had always wanted to see it even before I met you. The city I live in was founded by Spanish settlers. Adventurers. A very long time ago, but not as long ago as your time."

He grunts, slightly proud of his Spanish brethren for traveling across the large ocean you told him separated your land from Spain. Especially since the end of the world was that way. “Good.” He shuffles slightly, a little motion sick from how fast the car was going. “I will take you there one day. When you want to see where I settled Wena and Briac.”

"Was it your homestead?" That had been the plan, after all, but anything could have happened to prevent them from actually making it to his village in Valencia.

“It was.” Pero closes his eyes, smiling slightly as he remembers the home he had only left a month ago but was now a thousand years in the past. “The house was empty, still standing. Wena birthed our nieto in the same bed I was born in.”

"How old was he when you left?" It must have broken his heart to leave that small family behind, knowing how close they had all become. Knowing that he had actually been an abuelo to little Pero and that he must have helped Briac fix up the farmhouse that he was raised in.

“Little Perito was four months old when I left.” It’s strange to think that he is now dead and his bones are dust in the earth. He had lived a full life and most likely had a family since you are thinking you come from their line. “They were happy there. Father Malcolm settled there too, at the church.”

"Malcolm went with you?" Somehow you had imagined that he might have stayed behind in Skye with his clan. Or perhaps you had only thought that because you had wanted to think it would have made him happy.

“He did.” Pero nods. “It was good, to have a man of the cloth take up for Wena. To settle people if rumors were to start.”

"It sounds like you were happy." And like you would have been, too, if you had managed to make it there with them. It might have been even happier than you had been in the cottage in Brittany because you didn't have to fear the village turning against you. Pero is right - having a man of the cloth to stand by Arwena's goodness could only have helped.

“There was something, or someone, missing.” Pero reaches over and squeezes your knee. “Your presence was missed every second.”

“I missed you all so much.” Your hand over his is a warmth and a comfort, and you steer the car down the main road easily with your other hand. “I think yesterday was the first day I didn’t cry for missing you all, and it was because you called me so early in the day that I hadn’t had the chance yet.”

“We are together now.” Pero rumbles, pleased that you had missed him as much as he had missed you, although he hates to hear that you cried. “Nothing will tear us apart.”

"I'm afraid we'll have to be married again." Not that it's a thing you're afraid of, per se, but it's something that you had gone over and over again in your mind since waking up in the hospital. If Pero ever made it through and if he wanted to stay, it's something you would have to take care of. "I don't think modern governments are in the habit of honoring thousand-year-old vows."

“I will marry you a thousand times, if that is what it takes.” He doesn’t care what he has to do, even if it's to kill someone. As long as you are happy and he is with you, that is all that matters. He will find a way to provide for you. He’s made arrangements that hopefully would have survived a thousand years.

******

The inn is bustling when you return, filled with new arrivals checking in that all look like they’re part of one big party. You and Pero slip through the lobby with your bags with just a wave and a shout from Sarah to make sure you come down for dinner later.

Pero follows you up to the room, comfortable enough here but there were a lot of people down there. He feels exposed without his dagger on him and he hates it.

“We can hide up here until the crowd dies down.” You offer, setting his bags down at the foot of the bed. “Did you have fun today, amor?”

“It is different.” Pero admits, still blown away by the casual luxury that is available in this time. “I just feel…naked without a dagger.” He admits. “There must be some weapon I can carry.”

“We can find you something.” Not being terribly well versed in concealed carry laws, you tilt your head and think for a second before a possible solution comes to mind. “There are things called pocket knives now. Blades that fold into their holster to be carried in your pants pocket. How does that sound?”

His eyes narrow, imagining how a blade could fold. “Fantastic.” He mutters to himself before he nods eagerly. “I must see this ‘pocket knife’ and have one.” He tells you with a satisfied look.

The flash of excitement in his eyes makes you laugh, and you pull him down on the bed next to you to put your arms around him. “We’ll get you one when we get back to Florida. You’ll have lots of options.”

That makes him feel better, grumbling slightly at your amusement at him. “I carry weapons.” He huffs at you, his own arms wrapping around you and he pulls you closer as he flops down onto the marvelously comfortable bed.

“And if you would like to continue carrying weapons, I understand.” After all, he had spent almost his entire life with a sword on his hip. “Maybe I can ask my friend if her soulmate’s security company needs an extra pair of hands?” It had crossed your mind, obviously, but if Pero wanted to continue to be a warrior in this time - if that is what makes him most comfortable and fulfilled - you would gladly talk to Beth and William.

“Like guards?” Pero frowns. “People still need hired swords in this time?” He was familiar with the work, sometimes being hired by a lord to guard his home from his enemies. It was the easiest of the work he had done.

“Will’s company mostly works for businesses. They provide private security for companies rather than people.” Lying in bed with him has always been the most comfortable place to be, and you nuzzle into his side so easily. “I don’t really know the ins and outs of it, but…he knows all about you. I’m sure if you wanted to talk to him about it, he would be happy to.”

“It will be good to earn coins to help you.” Pero acknowledges, surprised when you had told him that the bartering for skins or game was nearly completely dead in your time and coin was how you bought everything. It worried him, because in his time, coin was the hardest thing to come by and he wanted to contribute. To not be a burden.

"We will find you something that you enjoy." The last thing you want is for him to settle down with you in this time only to end up regretting the choice because twenty-first century American grind work culture makes him miserable. Shit - it already makes you miserable, he shouldn't have to be, too.

“Enjoy?” Pero chuckles and looks up at the ceiling again. “Bruja, the differences between your time and mine are vast.” His hand rubs up and down your back, sliding underneath your shirt so he can touch your skin. “We do not do things we enjoy, we do things to survive. My joy comes from being with my soulmate.”

"I love you, too." His hand on your back is steadying. Comforting in a way that lets you just shut your eyes for a second before looking up at him again. "But I already have a job that I hate that makes plenty of money. If we can find you something that you don't hate, I would love that for you. That's all."

Pero frowns, not happy with your comment. “Then I will learn your world and make sure that I can provide for you. So you can leave what you hate and go back to what you love.” You had loved your potions and herbs, healing people. He will make that happen for you.

"I can't ask you to do that." Especially since you don't actually know what path you would take if you could start over. Healing had been rewarding, but modern medicine is very different. Cooking is fun but not a career path you had ever been interested in. And your college English degree practically has dust on it by now. Your main hobby had been photography but that is a tough as nails path to take. "As long as we're together, everything will be fine."

Pero grunts, the idea that had been forming in his head one that he will need to ponder on before he talks to you about it. Learning your world will be daunting enough but he learned magic to be here and he was going to put in the effort.

******

It's a few hours later, after wandering hands turn into slow lovemaking, you and Pero get dressed again and wander down to find out what Hadley has made for dinner. The large party that checked it early seems to be a wedding party that is trickling out for the night, maybe out for bachelor and bachelorette parties or else out for a large dinner, and Sarah looks relieved to see them go when she flashes you both a smile from behind the front desk.

“It always smells good down here.” Pero tells you, sniffing the air and his mouth waters at whatever Hadley has prepared for dinner. The food tastes so different but he is overwhelmed. Especially when you had shown him a selection of cheeses.

"Smells like garlic and duck." You could practically float downstairs, following the scent of cassoulet into the kitchen where Hadley is just beginning to scoop out four bowls of the gorgeous provencal stew while Sarah cuts slices of fresh baguette to pile into a basket accompanied by herb goat cheese and honey. "We thought we could all eat together tonight," Sarah offers, smiling when you and Pero walk into the room hand in hand.

“Do you not eat with your guests often?” Pero asks, tilting his head curiously. He would think that the honor of the lord's table was still granted to those visiting, although it might be a separate area, according to rank.

“When the place is full up it can be hard,” Sarah admits. The tray of bread and toppings gets drinking glasses and flatware added to it, and lately a large decanter of wine. “But…we had something we wanted to surprise you with tonight.”

That has his interest and apparently yours from the way that you tilt your head curiously. Pero focuses on the wine and smirks, wondering if it is as good as his time.

“Dinner isn’t surprise enough?” They’ve already done so much for you, in the support they’ve given you over the last six months and the way they took Pero in yesterday without hesitation, you don’t know what else they could possibly do.

“A’course not.” Hadley huffs, rolling her eyes like there isn’t a Nutella soufflé in the oven for dessert. “Sit an’ eat, an’ we’ll tell ya.” You don’t have to be told twice, helping Sarah set the little kitchen table for the four of you as Hadley sets out full bowls of fragrant, delicious cassoulet. Sarah pours out the wine and dinner is served as easily as that, but the younger of the two women is obviously a little eager. Or else nervous. “I’ve had a call with my auntie earlier today,” she starts, looking at you with a meaningful glance. “Sarah’s tía went through the Stones to 1692,” you tell Pero. “She stayed a few months before coming back.”

Pero shakes his head, eyes wide. “Did–did she go back? Or did someone come with her?” He asks, wondering about others that might have come through and been out of their own time.

“Auntie never spoke of anyone special from her travels.” Sarah shakes her head, wishing she could tell him otherwise. “But she spoke of another traveler that she had known…a woman whose story she took down for the archives…and that the most difficult thing she encountered was not having papers.” Papers. Your face falls noticeably, realizing that even though you had to grab your driver’s license and your passport in order to get to him, you had forgotten that he would need those things too.

“Only lords have papers.” Pero huffs, shaking his head. His name might be recorded in the church when he had been baptized as a baby, but his parents couldn’t read, or write, so there was no family history other than the stories his had been told. Nobility was the only class that matters as far as proving you are who you say you are.

"Not anymore." You glance at Pero beside you, already setting your fork back down in your bowl and trying to figure out how the fuck to deal with this road block. "Everyone has them now."

"We dinna bring it up to make ye sad." Hadley assures you both, nudging her wife. "No one cleverer than a MacLeod woman when ye find yerself in a bind."

Even Pero can see the problem with needing papers. He frowns slightly and his fork stops halfway between the bowl and his lips. “Shit.” He hisses under his breath.

"Luckily for you both, I have a slightly checkered past that comes with excellent connections." It really isn't something she would otherwise be proud of, but right now it's something that is so incredibly important. "In two days Pero will have a Spanish passport that even the king wouldn't see a problem with."

Pero has no clue what a passport is, but you slump down in relief makes him believe that it is important.

"Two days?" You nod, swallowing your fear and leaning slightly on Pero's arm beside you. "We can do that. I–I don't care what it costs. Whatever you had to promise, it's worth it."

Sarah snorts and shakes her head. “Cashed in some favors.” She assures you. “We just need to add photos to them. Also have a birth certificate and Visa for him so you can start getting him documents in the States.”

"I don't even want to know how you managed all of that." You're clutching Pero's hand for dear life at the table, feeling like you could burst with appreciation and gratitude for everything that Sarah and Hadley have done. "I–I can't possibly say how grateful I am. You've done so much for us."

“MacLeod.” Pero rocks his jaw, thinking back about the brief time that he had spent on the Isle of Skye and the conversations he had with Father Malcolm during the year that he had spent learning the magic he needed to get back to you. “You’re kin to the old woman who told me her theory of the Stones.”

"My family has collected the stories of people who traveled through the Stones for hundreds of years." As everyone starts to slowly pick up their forks again, Sarah sits up a little straighter with familial pride. "Did you...in your travels, did you encounter Clan MacLeod?"

"Oh my god..." you look to Pero in shock, realizing that you never connected the dots before now. "Malcolm was a MacLeod."

Pero nods, and gives a small smile. "The old woman...." He grumbles in admiration. "Do you have a story of a Spaniard coming to ask how to get through the Stones?" He asks Sarah.

"I...think so?" There are a lot of stories, as unbelievable as that seems, and Sarah takes some time to roll back through all the stories she's read since she started taking an interest in the Stones as a teenager. "I remember a story about a man who wanted to follow his wife through the Stones? He was with his children and...a priest? A cousin? I can't remember now, it's been a long time since I read it." She puts her wine glass down, looking at him in utter fascination. "Was that you?"

"It was." Pero closes his eyes and reaches for your hand. "If it– if she had told me there was no hope, I was planning on settling Wena and Braic and then..." He swallows, voice breaking slightly. "Make sure I fell on my sword."

If anything in the world could make you lose your appetite, it's the idea that Pero had been ready to refuse to live without you. Your fork is down again instantly, letting you cover his hand that you are holding with both of yours and squeeze it tight in your grip. "I was going to come back to you, if you didn't come through," you promise him, feeling the lump in your throat stick and pull at your heart. "I'm still taking medicine for the infection that almost killed me, b-but when it was done...I was going to go back through the Stones. To find you again."

"It doesn't matter now." He sees the panic in your eye, the horror in the tilt of your brow and he doesn't want you to worry. He lifts both of your hands up to his lips and kisses the back of them. "I am here with you, where I belong." Pero is not a sentimental man, or at least he pretends not to be, but his soulmate brings it out of him.

"So what will you do with a few more days of vacation?" Sarah asks, wanting to lighten the mood a little and help the unique couple feel a little happiness and positivity for their new start.

"What is this vacation people keep talking about?" Pero frowns in confusion, never hearing the word before this time. "Tell me about it."

"It's what we call the time when we aren't working." You explain, not letting go of his hand but understanding that crushing his finger bones isn't going to help anybody. "The time that you spent in the cottage? Your winter months where you didn't sell your sword? We would call that a vacation now. Although most vacations are when you just go away to have fun somewhere. Like a honeymoon, for instance."

“Honeymoon?” Pero remembers you using that word when you had married but he had been too busy making you his wife to care. The idea of a vacation is logical when you explain it. “I see, so most vacation when the weather is bad in their area.”

"A honeymoon is a vacation for a newly married couple. A time when they can be alone after the chaos of planning their wedding and just spend their first times as husband and wife as a pair." It was a time that was rudely interrupted for the two of you but also for Arwena and Briac, when you got sick. "And...yes, actually. Like people who live in a very cold place will often go somewhere warm for vacation. Or people who live in hot or rainy places might go to a place with lots of beautiful snow in winter to enjoy that difference."

Accepting that, Pero grunts and lets go of your hand to pick up his fork again. The food has cooled down but he doubts it will affect the taste. “So I should give you a honeymoon when we remarry.” He decides, smirking slightly at the idea.

"Where would you want to go?" Watching Pero pick up nuances of modern life more quickly than he thinks he will is equal parts amusing and endearing. He's so much more clever than he thinks he is and it's wonderful to see. "To the Wall? Back to Brittany or Valencia? Or someplace new?"

“I do not know.” He gives a small shrug of his shoulders, although his face is smug. “Somewhere you wear as little clothes as possible.” He winks and leers slightly at you, ignoring the manners that would say that he shouldn’t say such things in front of Sarah and Hadley.

For their part, the other couple burst into snickers, completely amused by the way your shoulders shrink just a little bit in embarrassment but without any shame. "We went on a cruise," Sarah offers, beaming happily at her wife. "To the Caribbean. Jamaica was gorgeous."

Pero frowns again, unused to the words she is using, but your eyes widen slightly. You like the idea, obviously. “Then we will go on this.” He nods. “A cruise.”

"A cruise is a ship," you explain, amused that Pero has simply jumped on board with the idea without knowing what all of it is. "You told me you hated to travel by boat, mi amor." Shaking your head, you take a sip of your wine and pull out your phone to Google Caribbean vacation photos. "If you want to go to the islands...they are very hot places with beaches where people swim and drink and bathe in the sun. And women wear things like this," you turn your phone screen to show him a picture of a beach covered in women in bikinis and men in various versions of bathing suits.

Pero’s eyes nearly pop out of his head. He’s seen flesh, but often whores would not undress. You had been the woman he was most used to seeing. “They– in public? And they are not…selling their wares?” He leans in and whispers the last part, a flush running up his neck and over his cheeks.

"Maybe some of them." You shrug, loving the look of shock on the gruff Spaniard's face. "But that has nothing to do with what they wear. Women have more freedom to dress as they please in this time."

“Do you own these?” He jumps on the question immediately, eyes darkening at the thought.

It would be easy to mistake the question if you did not know Pero as well as you do, but your lips quirk into a smirk at his very direct and very intense interest in bikinis. "Yes," you tell him simply, trying not to laugh. "Two of them."

The noise he makes would be mistaken for disapproval if it weren’t for the fact that he is nearly devouring you with his eyes. His cock twitches violently and his fingers tighten around his fork so tightly, he’s surprised he didn’t bend the metal. “You will show me.”

Sarah and Hadley can't help themselves, they burst out in giggles politely hidden behind their wine glasses. Their laughter takes you with it, and you smother it in pressing an earnest kiss to his lips. "I promise, amor. Florida is very warm and I like to go to the beach."

“If that is what you wear, I will like this Florida. But I will cut off the man’s hand who touches you.” He vows, suddenly stern when he realizes other men would want you.

"I don't think anyone would dare come near me with you glowering at them like that." Lord knows you wouldn't, if you were on the outside of the situation.

“Good.” His growl is softened by the absolute smugness of your assessment. “I will be eager to see you walk around in such things.”

"I'm sure you will," Sarah smirks. "Maybe tomorrow you should have your soulmate show you what lingerie is."

Again, another word that Pero doesn’t understand but he is smart enough to know it must have something to do with the scandalous outfits that you are talking about now. Pero bobbles his head immediately and turns his eyes on you. “You must teach me, bruja. Your time is very freeing. I must know about this lingerie.”

“I’ll take you shopping again tomorrow.” You promise him, shaking your head a little in amusement at his sheer enthusiasm. It is going to be extremely fun to teach Pero about some parts of the modern world. “This time we’ll pick out a few things for me, instead.”

______

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[simmi23]

I wanna see William afton headcanons of ur AU

WILLIAM AFTON HEADCANONS OF SIMMIVERSE AU!!

(Btw, this is *NOT* a copy of Mobox87, this is sorta inspired but not intended to affiliate with them cause of the controversy. )

• William Afton in this AU is not like most versions of him, (obviously) because William wasn't a psycho to begin with. In fact, he was just a normal guy. Although, he had a terrible childhood in many ways.

• When he was just a child, his father wasn't around him much nor did he care for William, who was also an only child. Will lived with his mother who was loving, but not good as a mother, she only cared about other things which drifted her away from Will, she cared for him, but she just didn't know how.

• Being independent from childhood, at elementary school..William was self indulgent and very observant of what he learned, he was very intelligent and creative. But he only had 1 friend, Gron. Will was lonely, and nonchalant sometimes, though he tried to be more positive. During school, Will would avoid people due to being afraid of people, though one girl caught his mind, a girl he crushed on. Will never felt this way for anyone, but for her, he did.

• Will spent his teenage years focusing more on his ability to create something technical and mechanical. With that, Will was way too smart to the fact that he graduated high school early (according to US college system), at 16 he entered college. This gave him the opportunity to create more things and build on his future.

• This led to William meeting his business partner, Henry Emily. They were both very opposite but they still figured ways they could create a great business that would benefit all ages. Something fun and entertaining. They were building the process of 'Fredbear's Family Diner' a place where children and adults come alike.

• (*Still deciding this*) For William's ethnicity, he is European with a slight Hispanic decent, (he is Italian/Spain) but he moved to Hurricane, Utah for studying and applying his works.

• William soon met this girl he crushed on years before, again. They started talking and soon they became friends..well, more came to that and they started dating. Renata Rennings was her name and that's how he met his wife. Their relationship described as a song would be "Mine". He loves her very much and wouldn't want to lose her, and when he did, that's the beginning to how he went nuts. She was the only person in his life that ever showed him 'love' and made him feel 'loved.'

• William loves his family and children a lot, he even made things for them with his efforts, and he also tried to be the best father ever. This sorta changed when his wife died, because he began to be mentally abusive to his kids with anger and drinking too much but he only did this out of depression, he never meant to hurt them. William also got a scars from doing self harm. Sadly, William would also try to kill himself. 😕

• Will became a psycho and a murderer after being so depressed and broken to losing his wife and kids from his creations, (but the C.B situation was because he wanted to kill a child and blame henry.) William and Henry had many disagreements to the business, but Henry got more credit than Will, which made him resentful. Henry also pressured William with too much work and occupations.

• William made remnant because he was tormented about the idea of death, even though his life wasn't "fair" after everything that happened to him, he wouldn't want to have death to sum it all up. Meaning, he just wanted to be normal and happy. He never got that. Will was miserable with being misjudged, misinterpreted, and unlucky. Remnant was also made to "revive" his family, though it didn't work. (not until reunion AU) Remnant was also for youth. When William was springtrap; he started to regret things but slowly due to the ignorance of believing his life was 'unfair'' and ''everyone should suffer if I did''.

• Will mainly hated Henry, not the kids he murdered (bc he was out of his mind.) or Michael. But truly, William hated himself. The 'Old man consequences' (Red Crocidile UCN) taught William everything he did wrong, and how he should change it. Turns out, William and Glitchtrap/Burntrap, AREN'T the same. (this is terribly hard to explain) Glitch/Burntrap are just (AI Virus demon and Mimic) and/or mockery of William as his punishment for what he did. Because the real William is in hell still, (or in reunion au as a dead person w his family).

Sooo yeah! That's pretty much it and this took me soo long.

[abstract-moth]

Hi there! So, how was life during the hiatus? are you still in the same country? are you still in uni? do you have fresh cat photos? just in general, how have you been? :3 missed you!

Hello!!! I appreciate you checking in on me!

I tend to disappear during summer bc spring exams finish, then I immediately go home to the US, return to Europe only to get slammed by summer exams, and then the new school year stops. This year my September was increasingly busy because in addition to the new school year and new people moving into my building, I decided to change rooms. Nonetheless, I'm back!

During the summer, I did a lot of traveling. I briefly went back home to visit my mom, then my dad. Then I went to Spain for a family reunion. I liked Spain a lot, but unfortunately didn't connect well with my extended family. Oh well. I also visited a few friends who live in other cities. Then it was summer exam time baby. After that, it was clean up time for the building and moving to my new room. I was swamped.

Yes, I am still going to uni in the same country. I'll be finishing up my bachelors this year. Fingers crossed that the course load doesn't get too crazy. Right now I'm just focusing on meeting all the deadlines for the various group assignments we have.

My new room faces the garden. Our garden has brick walls that connects to other properties. So we have two cats that consistently crash our balconies. If I climb down the fire escape, I can even pet them :)

This black and white cat is well fed, has a nice coat, and doesn't fight too much for food. So safe to say he's well looked after and just likes to explore our garden from time to time.

Meanwhile this black cat is always in our garden, extremely affectionate but flinches away if you touch him too quickly, has no teeth, lots of dander, and very skinny. So I'm about 85% sure he's a domesticated housecat but likely neglected/abandoned/abused. Anyway I'm buying him cat food and feeding him a little bit everytime I see him. He waits until my window some days. I also don't know if he's a boy or girl.

For the past year, I have been slowly working on my mental health. It's a continuous process to improve my health and my habits. My new room helps a lot. I'm trying to fill it with plants, because those always improve my mental state. I'm also consistently going to bed before 2am and waking up before 10am (a win for me). For several weeks, I have also consistently not spent more than 30 minutes on Instagram a day.

I'm still trying to figure out how much time I want to spend on tumblr. I first joined it during the pandemic and my gap year, so I would literally hours and hours on the site. Once I was attending school and had other obligations, I became anxious that I could not devote as much time to it as I used to. Which is a bit silly in retrospect, but media consumption is a coping mechanism of mine.

It's very unlikely that I will quit tumblr entirely. After all even during my summer hiatus I was still checking the app from time to time (my huge ass queue did not come from no where). And my original intention of wanting to engage with fandoms and improve my writing still stays the same. It's more about my personal time management. So for now, I'm back and I'll be here for a while 😊

How have you been?

[eclairsnme]

♡ POV: Being The Itoshi Brother’s Elder Sister ♡

Part 1/ Part 2/ Part 3/ Part 4

An introduction to the oldest sibling

you are a very popular idol in Japan (˶‾᷄ ⁻̫ ‾᷅˵)

tags: idol!you, crack comedy, reunion, familial love, sfw

notes: well… being popular and also being the eldest of the Itoshi siblings, you are undeniably very dramatic, sassy and gorgeously demanding in every way.

ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•

“Why isn’t he answering my calls!”

You scowled and threw your phone across the room, scaring your manager in the process.

“C-calm down,” your manager scurried to pacify your tantrum.

Pouting cutely as Mr manager massages your back with nervous peals of laughter, you complained, “Does he not love me anymore?”

You just completed your commercial shooting for the day and were looking forward to surprising your cute youngest brother. Why? Well, it is obviously not because you are the most loving sister but because you saw Rin and this blue lock thingamajig on the news by chance٩( ᐛ )و .

It just hit you that you’ve never really stayed in contact with your family members being so busy with your line of work. Being popular is no easy task sigh suffering from success ✌︎('ω')✌︎.

So, seeing your youngest brother in the news instead of yourself prompted you to feign the “concerned-older-sister” role.

In your Versace heels, you sauntered towards the strewn phone. Very bothered and annoyed by how Rin is not picking up the call, you continuously and unyieldingly called him.

And finally, the call went through.

“Rin-”

“WHO ARE YOU AND WHY DO YOU KEEP CALLING ME?! STOP IT!”

Your eyes twitched, “and who are you supposed to be?”

“YOU ARE THE ONE WHO CALLED ME, AREN’T YOU SUPPOSE TO KNOW WHO I AM?”

*BEEP*

The stranger on the other side of the call aggressively put down the phone.

Oh… you got the wrong number. After years of having no contact with Rin obviously, he would have changed his number. Ehe ~

Blushing at your silly mistake, you gripped your phone and quickly dialled another saved contact which you know will definitely be the right number… hopefully ╮(╯▽╰)╭

As soon as you pressed the call button, the other side of the line quickly picked up the call.

“Sister.”

How you missed that deadpan voice that brought you butterflies to your stomach so much that it hurts.

“How can you be so heartless to your sister, Sae,” you dramatically whined at him, “but it flatters me that you picked up the phone so quickly. I think I just fell in love! Aren’t you in Spain right now?”

A quick calculation on Japan and Spain’s time zone, Sae should still be asleep right now. Was it because he is always waiting for his deadly gorgeous sister to call him\(//∇//)\?

But his next sentence brought you out of your delusion.

“I’m in Japan right now, didn’t you see my text?”

“Oh,” you managed to blurt out. You definitely did not see that text. (・・?)

“Why did you call? You rarely call,” Sae broke the silence with a fact.

Yes, a FACT that you never bothered to contact either Sae or Rin since pursuing your dream of becoming an idol at the tender age of 12 years young. It’s been years since you have spoken to them, therefore it’s a fact that you have been a very absent sister.

That does not mean you were not aware of the inner workings and happenings of the Itoshi household. Be it the brothers having some drama between them or Sae finding success in Spain or whatever. You have your own sources, it only depends on how fast or slow news reaches you, an example being the ever-so-elusive Rin.

You quickly cleared your throat and proposed, “Let's go on a date to catch up since you are in Japan!”

At the very corner of the room, Mr manager stumbled upon the very word “date”.

“That’s impossible,” Sae said word for word leaving you extremely astonished.

“Why?”

Sae mentally sighed at you —his sister. He always knew you weren’t the brightest star in the sky but he did not want to explain that you being the most popular idol in Japan and him being the best football player in Japan casually hanging out together in public despite being siblings is just a present for the media —literally making it Christmas for them.

He could already imagine the headlines.

“Are you embarrassed by your sister, Mr hotshot,” Sae's lips drew a line at your overly dramatic tendencies.

“No… let’s just not meet in public,” he tried to compromise.

There was a silence on the other side of the line until you spoke up, “Alright then, 12:30pm at my house.”

“Ok. When- ”

“Today.”

Sae looked at his watch: 11am. He didn’t really have any plans today too.

“Ok.”

“I’ll send you the location!” With that, you hung up the phone.

Yet again, Sae let out another long mental sigh. He got some explaining to do to his manager.

You on the other hand, mentally cheered.

Whatever you want, you got it. Talk about being extremely demanding — thank goodness your little brother was extremely compliant.

~

Hearing the doorbell ring, you wasted no time opening the door and embraced the person in front of you not caring about personal space.

Sae could only stand still hands still on each side of his body — stood rooted on the ground.

“You’ve grown so tall!” You took a good look at Sae. Oh, what a handsome young man he has grown into! You wondered how many girl's hearts he has broken with his devilish looks, especially with that deadpan expression of his.

“That goes the same for you too.”

That is true, you were above the average female height making companies want to hire you to be their model. Perfect body, perfect face — the perfect recipe for being the most popular idol! ☆〜（ゝ。∂）

“Don’t you miss your sister?” You smiled cheekily awaiting his response.

“Not really,” as expected from your younger brother.

“Don’t be so cold~ I prepared some of your favourite dishes.” You led Sae into the dining room. The table was filled with delivery food.

She must’ve rushed to order all these, Sae thought to himself.

Despite being a cold and arrogant football player, Sae still knows how to respect his elders. He sat on the chair and slowly helped himself.

“Eat up!” You cheered.

You took a sit in front of Sae eyeing him as he elegantly ate the food with the most immaculate posture.

The reason why you called Sae out or more accurately over to your house was to obviously get Rin’s number.

You could have easily gotten his number from your parents but before your brain could get to that idea, Sae was already in front of you. So uh why not just ask him. (๑･̑◡･̑๑)

You wouldn’t consider yourself stupid, and some people might even call you a bimbo oh the audacity, but that’s beside the point!!

“Do you have a girlfriend?” That was your way to break the ice. Ehe~ ✌︎('ω')✌︎

“No time for that.”

“Does Rin have a girlfriend?”

“Sister.” Sae stopped and eyed you.

“So does he?” Ignorance was a blessing so you keenly eyed Sae waiting for his response.

“…”

“Can I have his number then?” You shamelessly took out your phone and gave it to Sae not caring if he was uncaring or not.

To be honest, you weren’t too sure if Sae had Rin’s number due to their damn drama going on but part of you were confident Sae had it. After all, he’s an older brother to Rin.

And true enough, he did have Rin’s number. Sae took your phone and inserted Rin’s number without referring to his phone, meaning he knew his number by heart.

Oho~

You took back your phone and smiled, “what a good brother you are.”

Sae did not say a thing to that.

“So where are you staying while you are here in Japan?”

“Hotel.”

Hotel? Hmmm, you could finally be a good older sister if you allowed him to stay in your penthouse. That is right! What a great idea from my brilliant mind!

“Come stay with me,” you offered, or more like you demanded, “Don’t reject me please, Sae.”

You held both of his hands with a good grip and looked at him with your best puppy eyes that won the hearts of millions. No way he can say no right? PLEASE JUST SAY YES.

Sae wavered and thought about it. He would immediately leave after the U-20 Japan vs Blue Lock match, so it’s just a temporary adjustment.

“Ok.” He surrendered.

Plus, he could never win against his only older sister.

-

Ring. Ring. Ring.

Rin looked at the unknown number and decided to ignore the call.

“Who was that?” Isagi, who was beside him doing yoga, asked him.

“Unknown.”

“What if it’s someone or something important?”

“If it’s so important then I would already have the number saved already, no?”

-

“Rin-” you sobbed (crocodile tears ƪ(˘⌣˘)ʃ), “he really don’t care about me anymore…”

It’s nighttime, and you are in your silk pyjamas still trying to get through Rin to no avail. Sae who is on the sofa highly entertained, listening to your ruckus like it’s a soap opera.

Then it really dawned on you — the realisation that what if Rin really hates you. But you quickly dismissed the idea.

Nah no way~ Rin doesn’t even hate Sae. He’s just being a tsundere, plus, he’s still going through puberty!♪(´ε｀ )

You looked over to Sae and asked him, “How am I supposed to get close to cute little Rin Rin?”

Sae thought to himself about the upcoming U-20 Japan vs Blue Lock match. He was about to suggest to you to watch them play, however, he soon realised that you aren’t just a normal person — you, Miss Top Idol, watching a football match. Let that sink in.

-

-time skip-

Murmurs and excitement filled the stadium on match day.

Although it’s not summer, you dressed in all black — black fedora, black jacket, black pants, black sunglasses and black mask — it was a portable sauna. All that trouble to disguise yourself to not garner attraction.

Breathing heavily under the mask, your sunglasses began to fog up. You swear you looked like the most suspicious person right this second.

Not only that, sweaty spectators were all around you. How could a renowned celebrity like you stand this kind of treatment?

You stared long and hard at the empty football field. Where are they?

This was taking too long and you were starting to get very impatient and uncomfortable.

Slowly you took out your fedora, letting out your silky dark hair to flow out of its restraints.

The next second, you took out your jacket. Underneath was a simple white shirt that revealed your smooth skin.

As the time ticked away, you also took out the mask — that to be very honest, was starting to annoy you, your sunglasses kept getting fogged up! (´°̥̥̥̥̥̥̥̥ω°̥̥̥̥̥̥̥̥｀)

Not knowing when the match was going to start, you tapped on the shoulder of the young boy right next to you.

“When is it going to start?”

The young boy turned and felt something stuck in his throat. The moment he laid eyes on you he thought you were a celebrity. Even though the sunglasses were hiding half of your face, he really thought you looked like someone famous.

“E-eh,” he stuttered.

“Eh?” You repeated after him.

“There! They are about to come out!” His attention was immediately drawn to the field.

The roars of the crowd erupted throughout the stadium as U-20 Japan and Blue Lock emerged to the field.

You squinted as hard as possible trying to take a good look at the players.

Sae and Rin then appeared in your line of sight, both of them in different jerseys.

SAE! RIN! You felt yourself feeling more excited than you should.

-

Sae’s eyes course through the crowd to your allotted seat (that he assigned you to). Rin, who was right beside Sae, followed his brother’s line of sight.

Rin found out that his brother was looking at a woman. She was waving at Sae (or someone else, it was hard to tell with the crowd) animatedly. But the more he looked at the woman in sunglasses, the more she looked awfully familiar.

“Sister?” Rin finally spoke up.

Rin momentarily reminisce the days when he would be in the warm embrace of his sister whenever he cried.

But before any sappy sibling reunion, the match between the two brothers was just about to start.

-

Aww~ Rin also grew up so handsomely, and to think he is taller than Sae. You thought to yourself, happy.

As the match went on, you were met with a conundrum. Which team should you be supporting?

When U-20 Japan scored a goal, you cheered. When Blue Lock scored a goal, you cheered.

The young boy beside you was also confused as to who you supported.

The match continued with great intensity. You continued with your cheering in spite of not knowing too much about football.

In the end, Blue Lock won and the crowd went crazy.

You saw Sae talking to Rin in the middle of the field. Sae looked impassive as usual and Rin, you noticed, had an expression on him that caused your elderly sister's instinct to activate.

-

Turns out, what you witnessed was the part where Sae was gassing up Isagi instead of acknowledging Rin’s growth as a striker.

“-and,” Sae continued, “your sister has been calling out for you. Don’t ignore her.”

Rin stared at Sae’s back as he parts from him.

True enough, when he turned back to the crowd, he saw you mouthing his name.

Rin jogged towards your seating area and as he approaches, his right hand rubbed the back of his neck feeling bashful.

-

Up top at the spectator's seat, you saw Rin jogging towards you.

You hasten your steps down the stairs and gave your littlest (and very sweaty) brother the warmest embrace.

“You did great,” you softly whispered.

No matter how big he gets, he is still a kid.

“H-hey, isn’t that the popular idol?” The murmurs in the crowd continued, interrupting your reunion.

The spectators soon became privy to the idol in the stadium.

How did this come to be?

Well, to put it simply, you carelessly took off your last remaining “cover-up” —your sunglasses— in the heat of the moment as soon as the match ended. ˚✧₊⁎❝᷀ົཽ≀ˍ̮ ❝᷀ົཽ⁎⁺˳✧༚

To say the least, the very next day news began pouring out about the Itoshi Siblings.

☆〜（ゝ。∂）the end (for now) ☆〜（ゝ。∂）

<;no pairings yet! *evil laughing* I plan to create a blue lock harem>

Part 2