#that's right. we are husband and wife now. thank you for attending the wedding everybody !!!!

[demigod-of-the-agni]

the spiritual successor to the spiritual successor of the spiritual successor of this first interaction

[rickmandowneyjr]

Can I request a snape x reader. With the trope of hidden family but humor fluff. See I love any fic where Minerva helps snape get into a relationship but the trope of 'your married and didn't tell me?!!!' will always hold a special place in my heart. Could you imagine the look of slight fear in his face when the reader makes an appearance at an ootp meeting because now things will go to shit and he knows he's fucked (insert I'm in danger meme) . Lmaoo

'yeah so severus told me for like the first 5 months he worked alone and had 0 colleagues. And before you ask :yes I would have loved to have you for the wedding but someone told me you were probably to busy'

'darling your making this so much worse,,, what happened to the vow to protect one another'

'yeah no offense severus but the angry Scottish lady might fulfill the' death do us apart right now'

'Fuck'

And Minerva is just like :I'm not talking to you severus 😠😔😔😠, to you (reader) however 🥰🥰🥰💓💓💓you may tell me everything.

(he gets her catnip to apologize)

I'm Sorry... His What?!

Fluff Pairing: Severus Snape x Wife!Reader Warning: implied smut(?), established relationship, Sev might be too cute to handle Word count: 2250 A/N: I loved writing this although it took me some time. I loved the lines you gave me and wanted to work them into the story naturally. I scrapped a lot of different drafts before finally writing this, so I hope you enjoy it, anon! :)

"Minerva, for the millionth time... I. Am not. Interested," Severus declared, walking through the door of Grimmauld Place. "What are you doing here, anyway? You hardly ever attend meetings."

"But why not?" She pouted. This was the third woman that Severus had rejected... this month. "As for your question, Albus said we have a new member joining the Order. A young witch, apparently," she answered.

"Wonderful," he rolled his eyes. "The young ones are always a little too enthusiastic for my liking," he scoffed, "It's like they've joined a club for afterschool activities."

They entered the meeting room which was already full of the Order members. Taking a seat, Minerva continued her attempts at persuading Severus to at least meet the woman before rejecting her.

"I'm not looking for someone," he informed. "I'm quite content as I am, thank you."

Just as she was about to speak, Dumbledore entered and Severus thought, 'Thank, Merlin. I've never been happier to see the man.'

Dumbledore spoke, talking about the newest witch to join them and Severus simply stirred his tea, uninterested in the introduction. As he took a sip, Dumbledore said, "Please welcome, [Y/N] Snape," and Severus spit out the tea, hitting the back of Sirius' head with it. Everybody turned to face him and he sunk lower in his chair, covering his face with one of his hands.

As you walked in, everyone turned back in your direction and Sirius asked, "Is she a distant relative, Snivellus?" He turned back to him and teased, "Because if she's a sibling, I might actually feel sorry for you since all the good-looking genes went to her."

Sirius Black. You'd heard all about the man from Severus but wanted to form an impression for yourself. Considering the fact that the first sentence he'd said in front of you had been to insult your husband, it wasn't a good one. With a clearly forced smile, you spoke up.

"His wife, actually," you said, and Sirius snapped his head toward you so quickly that you worried he might have injured himself.

"I'm sorry," he said, looking absolutely shocked, "-his what?!"

You furrowed your brows, wondering why he was so shocked. You'd never met any of them, but they were practically acting like they didn't know Severus was married. It took a moment, but it hit you as you observed the look on everyone's faces. You looked at Severus who was sweating profusely, refusing to look his left, where a woman - who you guessed was Minerva - was glaring at him.

His eyes finally met yours, a small smile appearing on his face even though he knew he was royally screwed. He could practically feel Minerva's stare burning into his skin, but when he saw you, it all just disappeared. You offered him a sheepish smile, mouthing an oops. Suppressing a blush at how adorable you were, he sighed before finally facing Minerva, and said, "Well now you know why I keep saying I'm not interested."

You walked over to Severus who didn't actually have an empty seat next to him since he wasn't keen on the chirpy, new recruit sitting next to him. That was before he knew it was you, though. He immediately shifted his chair and pulled a chair between McGonnagal and himself, simultaneously using you as a shield. Minerva's face softened as you sat between the two, looking extremely tense. You turned to face her and offered her an awkward yet warm smile which she kindly returned.

The others were giving Snape a confused look, but he didn't care enough to explain. The only person he did care to explain to, didn't look like she'd listen right then. So, he decided that he'd wait it out. The meeting commenced, and Dumbledore had a very pleased smile, knowing what he had done.

Through the course of the meeting, Minerva stopped glaring at Severus, her gaze studying you instead. She started off by asking you if you felt comfortable or needed anything. You were a little nervous considering how mad she was, but she assured you that it was Severus who she was cross with, not you. As the meeting went on, you felt more comfortable around her even though you hadn't actually conversed.

With the meeting finally coming to an end, Minerva immediately chirped with excitement over getting to know you. You giggled softly as the adorable woman poured you another cup of tea (she poured you the first one during the meeting). As you took a sip, she asked, "So, [Y/N], tell me about yourself."

Severus put his hand on the small of your back as you drank and said, "Well, she's-"

"You had more than enough time to tell me about her but you didn't, so keep that mouth shut while I talk to her, now!"

Severus' mouth closed instantly and you choked back a laugh at his reaction. He sank in his chair, fiddling with his wand as he eyed you. He mumbled so softly that even you could only barely hear it, even though you were seated right next to him. "It's like I'm back in school all over again. She's scolding me like a teacher," he complained, and you giggled.

"Well, I'm from Ilvermorny. I was only here on some work four years ago when I met Severus."

"Oh. So, how did you two end up together," she enquired.

"Well, we spent some time together - and I mean I pestered Severus to show me around - and a friendship developed. A year later, I asked him out and he said yes. And six months into the relationship, he proposed, to which, I said yes." A smile had appeared on your face as you told the story, which was mirrored on Minerva's face. It slowly faded as a realisation dawned upon her. She quickly shifted her gaze to Severus, giving him a deathly stare as she asked you, "Did you just say that you've been together for over three years?"

"Yes, nearly four actually. Our third marriage anniversary was last month," you informed.

"Merlin! It's just struck me that there was a wedding!" She said as her eyes found yours again. "I missed Severus' wedding!"

"Well, even though I learned of your existence only a month before our wedding - he had me convinced that he had no colleagues at work, which, given his tendency to not mingle, didn't seem unbelievable till I saw a letter from you, actually - I really wanted you to be there since he told me all about you," you said fondly. "He told me you were busy, though now I realise he never asked."

Severus finally sat up straight, leaning in close to your ear as he murmured, "[Y/N], my dear, the love of my life, you're making this so much worse. Whatever happened to our vow to protect each other?" He reminded, sounding frantic as he hid behind you.

You found this situation quite hilarious and joked, "No offence, darling, but Minerva looks livid, and I think she'll be fulfilling the 'till death do us part' clause of our vows."

Minerva let out a laugh at that and the two of you continued chatting as you told her various stories of your time with Severus. He, however, was not given the opportunity to speak since Minerva was mad at him right up until the two of you took your leave, excusing yourself for the evening.

As you entered your home at Spinner's End, Severus took off his robes, leaving him in his dress shirt and slacks as he said, "You know, I love you, but I'm very mad at you."

"What did I do? I didn't think people didn't know you were married. If anything, I should be the one mad at you," you mumbled.

You were standing in front of the mirror, readying yourself for bed when he walked up behind you. "I just assumed everyone knew since Dumbledore did," you said as you eyed him in the mirror.

"He didn't know," he stated, unbuttoning the top two buttons of his shirt.

"Well, he deserves an award for that acting, then," you said, recalling your conversation with the elder wizard.

"You never even mentioned the Order to me," he said, prompting you to tell Severus the whole exchange:

Sitting in the headmaster's office, you were sucking on a lemon drop as he said, "[Y/N]... Snape, you say?"

"That's correct. I realise we've never met but Severus has told me about you. Of course, I also knew of you before that," you chuckled awkwardly. "He's told me how you mentored him and it truly is an honour to meet you."

The man looked a little confused as he narrowed his eyes at you. "I would've loved to have you and Miss McGonnagal at the wedding, but Sev said you were busy. I understand, of course," you rambled nervously.

There was a twinkle in the man's eyes as he heard that and said, "Ah, yes. I've been waiting for Severus to introduce us. Why don't you come to the Order meeting tomorrow."

You nodded happily and he added, "Don't tell Severus. I'm sure he'd enjoy the surprise."

As you finished retelling the incident to him, Severus sighed and mumbled, "That sly old bastard," and you chuckled.

"It's not that bad to be associated with me, is it?" You teased.

"You know that's not it at all," he assured you even though he knew you weren't being serious.

"I don't see the problem, then. You don't have to hide it anymore. That must be a little relieving, right?"

"Yes, but then now that everyone knows, I'm going to have to share you," he said as he wrapped an arm around your waist, pulling you back into his chest. "I liked having you and all your time.." He placed a kiss on your shoulders and up your neck, speaking in between kisses as he said, "All. To. Myself."

You giggled as he lifted you and carried you off to the bedroom, showering you with kisses as he did.

-

It was the next week and Minerva was still cross with Severus about having kept your relationship a secret. That morning, you had spoken to Severus and he was sure he would win Minerva over, today.

He knocked on her office door, entering when she asked him to come in. She rolled her eyes on seeing him and said, "I'm still upset. Try again tomorrow, maybe."

"I understand that I've upset you but I feel like I should explain why I did it." He took a deep breath and continued, "Every good thing in my life has been taken away. I guess, in a way, I was trying to prevent that. It's silly, but I just thought-" He sighed, "I thought if I didn't officially declare that I was happy, the universe wouldn't take it away from me."

Minerva's gaze softened as she looked at him sympathetically while he stared at the floor. Before she could say something, he looked up and spoke.

"I have something for you as an apology," he said, pulling a bag of catnip from behind him to lighten the mood. He didn't miss the hint of a smile that Minerva let slip accidentally before returning to her frown.

"Do you really think this makes up for lying to me for three years?" She asked. She was no longer mad at him, but she wouldn't let him know just yet. Especially with him joking, she knew he was fine.

"No. Which is why-" he said revealing another bag, "I have this." He smirked as Minerva cracked a smile, feeling a little relieved.

"Though amusing, it still doesn't make up for it," she said, shifting her attention to the papers she was grading.

"I thought as much," he sighed, setting the bags down on a chair. "Thankfully, I have one last thing. I saved the best for last, so if this doesn't work, I'm at your mercy."

Severus stepped closer to her desk, his hands gripping the edge of the desk nervously as he spoke. "I received some rather good news this morning," he started.

"Did you now?" Minerva asked in an amused tone, not looking up from the papers she was grading.

"Yes," he continued. "[Y/N] and I," he paused, taking a deep breath before continuing, "We're pregnant, and I wanted you to be the first to know..."

Minerva's hand stopped writing and she was absolutely still as her eyes shot up to meet Severus'. When she realised he was being serious, she jumped up and pulled him into an embrace, holding him tight as she said, "I'm so happy for you Severus. Good Godric, I'm going to be an auntie!" She squealed with excitement.

"Well, not quite... I want you to be the child's godmother," he said, a faint blush creeping on his cheeks as Minerva pulled away from him, giving him a shocked look before smiling the widest smile he had probably ever seen.

"Yes! Yes yes yes! Merlin, a little Snape! Aaahhh!!" She was visibly vibrating with excitement as she hugged him once again.

"I take it I'm forgiven then?" He asked, knowing what the answer would be.

"Yes, you dunderhead! I stopped being mad at you the moment you explained yourself but there's no way I could've stayed mad after hearing that."

He finally wrapped his arms around her and sighed, glad to have his friend back.

[wandawiccan60]

Together As One

Alfie Solomons X OC(Amara Solomon’s)

A/N: Hey everybody I hope you all are having a good day so far. I came up with this idea for Alfie Solomon’s about him getting married. The inspiration came out when I went to attend my aunt's wedding a night ago and I wanted to bring this idea to life. And it made me think about it almost the whole entire night after I left and I said “you know what if Alfie gets married and it was a very magical moment for both Alfie and Amara?” And here it is guys I hope you guys enjoy this little short story that I create. And this is the first time I’ll be writing something the same and yet was really having lots of fun writing it out. But as always guys thank you for reading and sticking and as always please Enjoy!!!

Summary: It was a day and moment in both Alfie and Amara’s life that they have been waiting for almost 9 months now. While Amara is undoubtedly nervous and scared about what the future holds for her with her new husband, knowing that they will be united together as one for the rest of their lives hoping to bring nothing but happiness and a new life for both newlyweds.

Word Count: 2,454

WARNINGS: None(not really)

TAGS: @hecatemoon87, @theshelbyclan, @kittycatcait219, @zablife, @tomhardyspinkyfinger, @alikaheroes

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It was a very warm and bright sunny afternoon on the day of Alfie’s and Sonya’s wedding. For which they were both very nervous ever since the night after he and Amara came back from going out to dinner to celebrate their final night as boyfriend and girlfriend. Only for Alfie to wonder and think after he left her at her parent's house. That after he proclaims Sonya as his, he will in no doubt forever for the rest of his life promise to cherish her every day, keep her safe, spoil her with so much goods, and most of all want to start a family of his own with her. Hoping that no matter how many children he will be blessed with, he’ll try his best to be the best father figure that he’ll ever be for his future children. While hoping to be the best husband for his Sonya, no matter how many good or bad days they’ll have they will always find a way to work things out together. He only wishes to see the most in his marriage life is them both showing each other their love and appreciation that knowing they were meant to be together for a reason. And Alfie himself couldn’t ask for someone as special and precious as Sonya.

As Sonya’s older sister, Lena, helped her adjusting her long sleeve wedding dress for the last time trying to hold back the tears that were building in her eyes. While her mother, Helena, gently putting the white veil with some flower patterns on the edges above her daughter's head. Her dark black hair was styled in an updo bun with two white roses attached in the middle, with little baby’s breaths surrounding them. Once both women finished with the final touches, they took a step back to admire the gorgeous bride before they make their way to the ceremony.

“Oh Sonya, once Alfie sees how beautiful you look his mind will be blown away I assure you,” Lena said while she squealed in excitement.

“Thank you sister, I just wish I wasn’t feeling so nervous and scared. Just makes me think after the wedding if I won’t be an acceptable wife and mother for him? What if I fail to raise our children, and what if he will ever get bored of me and leave me?” Amara said while she had a worried expression her eyes now looking down on the floor.

But her mother, Amelia, gently cupped her daughter's chin with her right hand, making her look up from the floor.

“My daughter, I was once you when I married your father, not knowing if we were meant to be together and if I will never be enough for him. And I was very wrong after he told me that he will never replace me for anybody else, for I was his to protect, cherish, respect, and love until the ends of this world. Don't let these delusional thoughts get to you my love, for I want you to only think the positive things and I guarantee you, Sonya, that you will be a wonderful wife and one day mother for Alfie. I know he is thinking right now how lucky he is to have you as his,” Amelia said which made Sonya get some sense of realization that her mother was right, she should not think so negatively, especially today.

“Yes sister, think only about the positive things that you and Alfie will bring for each other, I know he as well is thinking about how blessed and unexpectedly lucky he is to have you in his life,” Lena said to which she smiled at her little sister.

“Thank you really both of you, this makes me now feel better and be more confident for what the future will hold for us, thank you mother and you as well sister, I love you both very much,” Sonya said while she hugged both her mother and sister.

As the three women made their way outside of the front door of their house, where her two aunts, Ava and Lillian, gasped in unison when they saw her niece in her beautiful wedding dress. While her uncle Carmiel, just smiled as Sonya was walking down the cemented stairs.

“Oh, Sonya you look so wonderful, darling.”

“Alfie is such a lucky man, yes he is,” Ava said while she then gave a gentle hug to Sonya.

As the chauffeur driver opened the door of the black Bramwith car for Sonya, everyone made their way inside the vehicle and after everyone got in they now made their way to the synagogue in Camden Town. Sonya and her family lived somewhere in Hilldrop Estate, almost a mile away from where Camden Town was and where Alfie goes to work at his rum distillery every day. She will always remember the first time Alfie asked her out on the night he came to pick her up with a bouquet of roses in his hands. They first met when she one day was wandering around Camden Town when her eyes caught sight of a jewelry store. As she entered the store she was mesmerized by the sight of many pieces of jewelry from gold, diamonds, silver, anything that a woman can’t imagine. But as she caught sight of a particular emerald green filigree flapper necklace that's when she met the Jewish gangster of Camden Town himself.

“Good afternoon miss, how may I help you today on this fine lovely day?” his deep gruff voice said while Sonya at that moment heart skipped a beat.

And from that moment on, she knew that her world would turn upside down, not knowing at that precise moment, that they would one day get married only to know that today is finally coming true.

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As Alfie nervously paced back and forth in one of the prayer rooms inside the synagogue, he couldn’t believe that today was already the day that Sonya and he will be husband and wife. His hands began to sweat while he continued from one to the other. He also had a hard time telling himself if he also would be a good husband for Sonya, hoping that she will never get tired of him. He also felt afraid that if he one-day screamed or even lays a single hand on Sonya for any idiotic reason, he will never forgive himself if she leaves him. Those are one of the things that he is most afraid of himself if they ever get into an argument or have a bad day at work.

As the door of the room that he was in for the past hour was opened, Sonya’s father, Joseph came inside letting Alfie know that Sonya has just arrived. Alfie then got a bit more nervous knowing that he was minutes now away to see his bride.

“Alfie, Sonya is here now, she is still receiving blessings from everyone that we know and came, you must come with me. The elders are waiting for you in the other room for you to sign and seal the ketubah but we must go right now,” Joseph said and Alfie nodded his head in reply while he tried to steady his beating heart which he failed to do so.

Joseph knew that body language just like he did on the day of his wedding day. As he closed the door behind him and then he walked across the room and sat down in one of the wooden armchairs that were next to a small fireplace. He gestured for Alfie to sit down on the other armchair next to him and Alfie then took a seat.

“I’m sorry Joseph if I seem a bit unsettled yea, I know that today that your daughter will be me soon to be woman, and I just.., I’m just scared if I won’t be the greatest husband and maybe a future father that she expects me to b-.”

“Alfie Solomon’s, do you not hear yourself in what you are telling me? You were just like me, scared, nervous, and overwrought when I also made Amelia my wife. I was also telling myself if I was going to be the best husband and father for her. But no matter how many cynical thoughts were going through my head at that time, I was told wrong when she gave birth to my two beautiful daughters. I knew after Amelia welcomed my girls into this world, I had to protect and cherish my three women for they are my world. And I told my wife that I will never replace her for anybody else and she as well told me felt so lucky to have me in her life. So Alfie, as my daughter will be placed upon your hands, always remember this, don't ever let those outrageous thoughts get to you. For one day you will look back at this moment and laugh at how wrong you were after this time,” Joseph said as he placed a hand on his left shoulder.

Alfie then had a bit of a flashback when he and Sonya took a walk on the beach next to his Margate house. He remembered that day that she told Alfie while walking on the beach, felt lucky to have met him. Even if she knew about Alfie's true identity, about his underground life as the gangster of Camden Town. It worried Alfie for Sonya knew who he really was, not wanting to see her get hurt or even worse get her involved with his meeting his “friends” that he knows. But Sonya didn’t care much about who he was from the outside, what she cared about the most about Alfie is his sense of humor, intelligence, his fearlessness but most of all he has such a big heart. And once Sonya gave a big kiss on his right cheek on that day, he knew that his strong brick wall finally broke down after that.

“I will promise you right ‘ere and right’ now Joseph, and I swear upon God and cross me heart yea, that I will protect, keep ‘er safe, worship he’, love he’, and be the best ‘usband and future father that she will ever ‘ave and I am grateful that she will be mine to preserve for the rest of me life sir,” Alfie said as Joseph smiled back at the big man.

After Joseph’s small talk of encouragement made Alfie calmer and at peace, they then made their way to join the elders. For him to sign his contract to promise to take care of Sonya, love her, support her, protect her, everything that a man has to do to keep his wife happy and safe. And once Alfie finally finishes signing the ketubah, both the mother and father of Sonya in tradition break a glass plate to mark its closing. Everyone in the room cheered and clapped while Alfie had a big smile on his face as it was time to go and see his future bride.

As the elders sang a traditional song in their old language while escorting Alfie to him to see Sonya. Alfie felt again nervous but extremely joyful to now see Sonya, and as they entered the great hall of the synagogue, Alfie’s breath was taken away. In the middle of the grand architecture of the hall, where Sonya now was smiling at Alfie, he couldn’t believe his own eyes how beautiful and magnificent she looked in her white wedding dress. As Alfie still walked his way to Sonya, while the elders still sang their traditional song, it was time for the ceremony of bedeken.

As Alfie stood in front of Sonya only for her smile to grow bigger now that they were both close to each other. Alfie then covered her in her white veil as a sign of respect towards her, while he was offering Sonya both a blessing and his heart. As everyone started to cheer and clapped, it was now time for the main ceremony of the wedding to begin.

As they both stood next to each other under the traditional chuppa that symbolizes the home they will grow in together. They then looked at each other and for a moment Alfie thought that all of this was nothing but a dream. But as the ceremony continued, Sonya and her mother then circled around Alfie 7 times as a symbol to break down any barriers between the two newlyweds. Sonya couldn’t help but also feel anything but joy and warmness in her heart. Then after, one of the priest elders then prayed for both of them in their Jewish language. Then afterward, they then shared a cup of wine and both then slipped their rings that represented their united bonds as one. As the ceremony was coming to a closing end, Alfie then broke a glass cup covered in a white cloth breaking into pieces with his right foot symbolizing marriage.

Everyone clapped and cheered loudly for the two new love birds, while Alfie and Sonya now holding hands could now start a new life forever.

As they made their way to the yichud, as a traditional way for them to have some alone time for the first time. Once they made their way inside their room the door then closed behind them, and once the door was closed Alfie without a second kissed Sonya hard on the lips. Making them both moan in between their lips. As they kissed for a good moment or two, Sonya then looked back at Alfie in the eyes, as both of their foreheads touched each other.

“I love you so much Alfie Solomon’s, forever and ever until the ends of this world,” Sonya said while she placed a hand against his left cheek, feeling his trimmed beard against her skin.

Alfie placed two fingers on Sonya's chin, making her smile once again looking deep into those blue eyes of the Jewish king.

"I as well love you more my lovely and sweet queen, my Sonya Solomon's," Alfie said while he lift her up from the floor as they both twirled in a circle making Sonya squeal and giggle at the same time.

Once the wedding ceremony was over, Alfie and Sonya then made it back to Margate house. As both now Mr. and Mrs. Solomon's hold hands while Sonya's head rested gently against Alfie's left shoulder. They both now were thinking about the many possibilities of what their lives will be like. Now that they were finally together as one and knowing what the future holds for them it will be something they will never get tired of.

A/N: Thank you guys so much for reading my short and cute wedding story of Alfie. Let me know what you guys thought and please as always leave a comment and also please reblog I'll appreciate it so much guys really you all rock. As always guys I will be still doing my other fics while making more parts for The Witch of Camden Town you guys have been loving it and I feel happy you guys like it so far. And as always guys I'll see you in the next one. See Ya!!!

[hiraethenthusiast]

"I love you most."| t.h.

pairing: actor!tom x reader

warnings: floof attack.

synopsis: tom gives you the best wedding you could've gotten. he's in love with you madly, that's what he says.

a/n: guess who wants this? i do. i absolutely adore a loving husband no matter what, and i adore heartfelt gifts even more! i hope you all like this fic, this one's really close to me! tpwk everyone!

listen to clinton kane's i guess i'm in love

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“So do you, Y/N Y/L/N take Tom as your lawfully wedded husband?” The priest asks you while you and Tom look at him with impatience in your eyes.

“I do.” You say, making everyone cheer and making Tom smile.

“And do you Tom Ho-” “I do!” He shouts before the priest could even complete his sentence, making everyone at the altar erupt into laughs.

“Let him finish bubba” You laugh along, signalling the priest to go on when Tom mutters a small ‘sorry’ to him.

“Do you, Tom Holland, take Y/N Y/L/N as your lawfully wedded wife?” He asks again, while Tom looks at you with nothing but adoration in his eyes.

“I do.” And everyone cheers once again, and you gently squeeze his hand.

“So I shall now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.” The priest says lastly before getting off the stage and as if on queue, Tom sweeps you under his arms and holds your waist before pressing his lips to yours. The moment was wholeheartedly content, his and your parents, both with tears in their eyes, even Paddy and Harry shed a few, because the moment was so pure to just not cry at. Tom kisses you as if he was the luckiest man on Earth, like he had achieved something which he thought he could never. He pulls back to look at you beaming with the biggest smile he’s seen on you in years, and smiles to himself once again.

This was the best day of both of your lives till now, and there was no doubt about it.

After 4 years of being together, Tom finally proposed to you, and then forgot where he kept the ring, but you couldn’t care less because the man you were in love with was now, going to be a forever favourite in your lives. And today, he was now your husband from your fiance, and you couldn’t be anymore happier.

You both settle down after roaming from one place to another greeting every guest that had attended your wedding, finally for a drink and some food. Harrison sits right behind you, completing the duties of best man with all his will, and you smile at him. The twins and Paddy come in a bit later, but your eyes are looking for someone else. Where’s Tom? Your question was answered when you hear the clinking of a glass, just to find your handsome husband there.

“May I have your attention please?” He looks directly at you and you blow him a kiss, him pretending to catch it making everyone laugh. Actors.

“Thank you all for attending and being a part of our very wonderful day, I swear you guys are our favourite people” He says while chuckling.

“Today is the day I married my wonderful and stunning lover, Y/N and in recognition of that, I decided to give you the best gift of this evening.” He says, making you wonder what he got for you.

“I remember when Y/N once told me that she always loves heartfelt and handmade gifts filled with love more than people buying her the gift of her choice. She likes the element of surprise, as she likes to say. So Y/N my darling, I thought you might notice and scold me for it but you didn’t, not even once in this 4 year old relationship, and trust me this is going to shock you. I’ve managed to record every important and goofy moment of our lives, from falling on a staircase to the time I proposed to you, I have it all. I’ve compiled them into one sweet video for you, while your favourite singer of them all, Mr. Clinton Kane sings a song for us! Please give him a huge round of applause!” You jerk your head to the place where Clinton enters from, and he waves at you making you wave instinctively as well.

You look back again towards Tom, who was smiling sweetly at your little fangirl moment and continues.

“I’d also like to thank Harrison and Harry for helping me edit this video, because I’m literally so dumb without anyone of these four with me.”

“Can you put the lights out and start the video please?” He asks one of the workers there at the venue, and jogs up to sit down beside you, giving you a small peck while you take a hold of his hand.

And on queue, the lights are dimmed and the video starts to play. You can hear the faint strumming of the guitar that Clinton is currently playing, but you aren’t able to identify the song just yet. You look ahead towards the screen, and your eyes light up when you see Tom dressed up in his wedding tuxedo, you finally realising that this bit was filmed just a few hours ago.

“Hello my lovely wife! Well, I’m filming this part before the ceremony starts but I think I’m pretty certain on showing you this video after we’re married. This was...boring. Anyways, I hope you enjoy the video my love, and don’t hit me when we get home! I love you so so so much, enjoy!” He says before shutting off his camera, while everyone laughs at his goofiness and you glare at him playfully. The video rolls again and you look forward, but suddenly realise the song. It’s ‘I Guess I’m In Love’, you say to yourself. Tom had proposed to you after a few days when the song came out, and somehow on the night of him proposing, this song was played. You labelled it ‘our song’ and he happily obliged. 

“Haz hold the camera correctly for god's sake...” You hear your husband’s voice and move your head towards the screen, smiling brightly.

“Oh I’m obsessed. With the way your head is laying on my chest.” Clinton starts, immediately soothed by the presence of your lover and the melody in your ears.

“I am holding the camera nicely mate bugger off! Nikki taught me well!” Harrison says in the background making everyone giggle.

“She’s coming shut up” 

“What’s this Tom?” You ask him, as he looks at you like a kid in love.

“Y/N”

“Tom” You say in the same manner, feeling anxious by the second.

“So we’ve been dating for 4 years and trust me those have been the most beautiful four years of my life. I know this is so out of the blue, but Y/N Y/L/N, will you do the favour of marrying the person who loves you immensely? A.k.a. Tom?" He says and you laugh. You hold on for a few seconds, looking in his eyes which were filled with desperation.

"Yes" You say and his face lights up like a Christmas tree. He can't stop beaming and searches for the ring in his pocket, only to find out that he didn't have it.

"Oh I'm a mess. When I overthink the little things in my head."

"I have the ring I promise." He says, moving frantically.

"Tom-"

"I swear I kept the ring in my pocket-"

"Tom-"

"How can I be this stupid you probably don't want to marry me anymore-"

"TOM!" He jerks his head towards you as you shout his name.

"It's okay. I just want you right now." You say and he immediately hugs you, the tightest of them all.

The clip ends and you knew the tears were coming very soon, Tom senses the action and rubs your knuckles., giving you a hearty smile.

The second clip rolls in soon, your eyes brightening almost instantly.

"You seem to always help me catch my breath. But then I lose it again, when I look at you, that's the end."

"Why the hell are we on the top of the Eiffel Tower? And why do you want your phone to crash?" You ask him, while he struggles to make a video with his phone while the winds roar at the top of the monument.

"Because I want to remember this moment!" He shouts, making you smile even more.

"My goof"

"Your goof"

"You're lucky I love you"

"I wouldn't have it any other way darling" He says and gives you a quick peck on the lips, this moment too pure to realise.

"Why do I get so nervous when I look into your eyes? And butterflies can't stop me falling for you."

"Now we may invite, a very handsome young lad, who happens to be Spiderman, Mr. Tom Holland!" Harry shouts in the video, while you all pretended to have a grand gala when you couldn't attend Tom's premiere.

He walks in wearing a black tuxedo, his shirt buttons open from the top, looking dashing.

"Thank you for inviting Harold, but please, call the star of today's night." Tom says, making everyone groan about how in love he was with you.

"Patience Thomas. Now may I present, the queen of today's night, Ms. Y/N Y/L/N!" Everyone applauds as you walk down the stairs as you hear your name. You reach the door wearing a red and black dress, the clothing complementing your body more than ever. Everyone seems to keep clapping but your attention is towards that one dummy, who's standing like he's seen a ghost.

"..Oh wow." He's speechless, and everyone knows it. You blush at your boyfriend's gesture and nudge him in the shoulder, as a signal to stop staring.

"I hope you all understand that I scored a jackpot, thank you" He sees and everybody laughs.

You laugh along with the other guests, remembering the faint memory from over two years back. This was one of the most fun nights you've had with Tom. While you laugh at the clip, all Tom can do is stare at you in awe. How did he get so lucky, he thinks. He watches how your face glows when you see someone happy on the screen. He truly was blessed.

"And darling this is more than anything I've felt before. You're everything that I want, but I didn't think I'd find. Someone who was worth the wait of all the years of my heartbreak. But I know now I've found the one I love."

"Please don't go" You sniffle on Tom's shoulder, asking him to stay one last time before his flight leaves for Atlanta.

"If it was in my hands darling I'd never leave your side." He says, trying to hold back tears.

"It's okay, I understand." You say, pulling back and clearing your throat.

"Awh Y/N please don't cry." Tom tries to persuade his emotions by telling you to stop, but a tear falls down his cheeks in an instant.

"I'm sorry." You say, chuckling lightly, making Tom chuckle too.

"I'll be back before you know it."

"I know you will be"

"Please board the flight for Atlanta which leaves at 1330 hours" The flight attendant announces, and you know it's time to let him go.

"Come back home to me soon okay?" You say, wiping your tears.

"As soon as possible"

"I love you" He says.

"I love you more."

"I love you most." You can't argue with that now.

"Bye bubba" You say, giving him one last kiss, a very long one indeed, that left you both searching for oxygen.

"Bye darling" And he leaves to board his flight. You look in the same direction until he disappears and you turn around.

"Harrison, are you crying?"

"No-" He sniffles and you laugh.

You knew you were going to cry as soon as you saw the location. This was one of the hardest moments of your life, letting your lover go away from you for so long, and you weren't ready for that. You wiped your tears while Tom rubbed your hand with one of his, the other cleaning his tear stained face. You look back to see Harrison crying once again, and you laugh a bit at him before giving him your hand for comfort. He really was the best man. You blow a kiss to your family and Tom's, who were currently high on emotions. Even the brothers had tears in their eyes. You really did get the best family.

"And I love the way. You can never find the right things to say. And you can't sit still an hour in the day. I'm so in love, let's run away because us is enough."

The rest of the video were some clips of you and Tom being goofy and so in love, which were a delight to watch. The song played in the background, adding its own special touch, which was necessary to bind this moment together. All these moments which Tom managed to shoot secretly were a lifelong reminder of how much your person loved you. He loved you.

And that is all you need.

The video gets over and Tom looks at you with puppy eyes.

"So, how was it?"

"You're the reason my makeup is ruined and I have mascara stains" You say, laughing while crying.

"That good, huh?"

"That good." You say and he pulls you in for a hug and kisses your forehead.

"I love you bubba"

"I love you more" He says, kissing your cheek.

"I love you most." 

He couldn't argue with that.

"But I know now I've found the one I love."

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

tagging some friends who'd like to read!

@evanssimpybaby @hollandsmushroom @tomsoxytocin @scarletspideyy @leafy-holland @t-lostinworlds

[vintagedolan]

mixtape | epilogue

authors note: I truly cannot thank you enough for your support, love, kind words and overall interest throughout this story. Writing this whole thing has really changed my life in a lot of ways, both through my characters and through proving to myself that I can actually bring something like Mixtape to fruition. I love you all, loud, from the bottom of my heart. I hope this epilogue is all you hoped it would be, and now we can finally start with post-fic concepts. Enjoy!!!

| masterlist | faceclaims | playlist |

“Four… Five… Seven!”

“Six babe. Five, six, seven.”

“Five seven.” 

In Beks smile, all Grayson could see was Indiana. As far as the rest of his daughter, she looked just like him. Brown hair, brown eyes, even the same little dimple. But her smile, and the feeling it gave him in his gut? That was all Indiana. His wife, who was unfortunately still pacing a bit in the terminal, a coffee in her hands. 

As soon as she realized that they were back from their walk, she perked up, putting on her brave face for Beks so she didn’t think anything was wrong. 

“Mama! Hi mama!”

“Hi sweet girl.” She held her hands out for her daughter, smiling when she gleefully reached for her. Grayson passed her over without a hesitation. As little as their almost three year old was, she was her mom’s biggest anchor when things got hard. 

“You okay?” He asked it quietly while Beks was distracted, twirling a piece of her mom’s hair around her little fingers. 

Indy looked at the clock. 5 minutes till boarding. 

Her face was enough of an answer for her husband, and he frowned.

“Nauseous?”

She nodded. 

“We’ll be okay,” he offered, reaching out for her free hand to squeeze it and trace a heart. It relaxed her a tiny bit, but she still bit her lip.

“My whole world is about to be in a plane, out of my control.” She turned her head to kiss Bekah’s hair. “She’s so small. Nothing I could do if…”

“Hey, hey none of that. You know what Bethany says about the doomsday stuff.”

“Unhelpful, unlikely and unproductive.” Indy whispered her therapists words back to herself, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. She’d gotten better about flying, accomplished things she never thought she would. Charlie and Devin’s wedding in Oregon, her own wedding in Maui, flying back and forth to see Lisa, trips to Australia even. But things changed when she got pregnant. Now, her heart lived outside of her body, in a tiny almost toddler who was as content as could be on her hip. The flight to Jersey had been decent, but the way home seemed like an impossible hurtle.

“It’ll all be over in a few hours. And then we’ll be home, back to our bed and our house.” Grayson wished he could fix it, wished he could take it on himself. But all he could really do was squeeze her hand and stay calm.

Indy nodded, but when the gate attendant came over the intercom she felt like she could vomit right there. She silently passed Beks over to Grayson and fumbled for their boarding passes with shaky hands. 

“Plane daddy! There’s a plane!” Bekah smiled, pointing out the window as another aircraft taxied by. 

“Yeah! It’s big, isn’t it,” Grayson tickled her belly and kissed her cheek as he readjusted the diaper bag over his shoulder and headed into the boarding lane behind Indy. They made their way down the jet bridge and into first class, Indy moving to the window seat and immediately holding out her hands for Bekah. They’d been blessed with a very happy baby who was content most of the time as long as she had a familiar face with her. She sat on Indy’s lap and played with the necklace she had on, rubbing at her eyes with the other hand. 

“You tired bubba?” Grayson sat down and ran a hand over her back. Beks nodded slowly. “Here, c’mere, give momma a break.”

Indy passed her back over, melting like she always did when Bekah leaned forward onto Grayson’s chest, relaxing fully in the safety of his arms. She loved nothing more than seeing the father he was to their little girl. It was more than she could have ever asked for, and she watched as he moved her just enough to get his seatbelt on, knowing she would be asleep in a few minutes.

He hummed to her quietly, moving a hand over her ear to quiet the inevitable announcements from the flight attendants, and Indy watched as her eyes fluttered closed, long eyelashes resting on pink cheeks. 

“Is she out?” Grayson dared to ask after a few minutes.

Indy nodded, her eyes burning a bit as she fought back tears. Bekah just looked so small, and fragile, and the plane was moving and she felt like she couldn’t control anything, not even her emotions. 

“Do you want to hold her? Would that help?”

“No, she’s comfy it’s okay, I don’t want to wake her up,” Indy whispered, shaking her head. Even still, she stretched a hand over into Grayson’s seat, trying to catch her breath and focus on the feeling of his hand in hers, his wedding ring cold against her fingers. She looked at him, tried to lose herself in him the way she always had. He looked the same as that first day outside of Frazier, with a healthy amount of scruff. His hair was a bit shorter than it was then - Lisa always gave him a good haircut when he was in town. But his smile was still the same, and his eyes just as warm when he looked back into hers. 

“Breathe baby. I’m right here, we’re gonna be there before you know it. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

She willed herself to believe him and put a headphone in her ear, started her playlist and closed her eyes as the plane moved towards the runway and her daughter slept. 

Things were slightly better once they got into the air. It didn’t surprise her that Grayson fell asleep within the first hour. She could tell he was fighting his eyelids as he tried to stay awake in case she needed him, but the warmth and weight of Beks was enough to lull him off. The way she knew for sure was when his thumb stopped rubbing against the back of her hand. Indy didn’t mind - if he wasn’t awake he wasn’t worrying about her at least She took the time to look at them - really look at them for a while. Bekah was so active, always exploring and getting into things. It made moments like these rare, especially as she got older. She’d never understood what her mom had meant, when she said her heart had grown two sizes to accommodate her and Charlie. 

In all those months after they got back together, she had thought it was impossible to love someone as much, or more, than she loved Grayson. She proved herself wrong after he became her husband, and again when they found out they were having a baby, a girl. Her love for him grew even more while she was pregnant. And then Bekah Nicole Dolan had entered the picture, and their lives had never been the same. It felt like just yesterday that she was watching Grayson cry in the hospital room, holding his baby girl for the first time. Since then there were two birthday parties, almost three years of watching her grow into herself, watching her learn, watching her develop her own little personality. She was Indy’s new favorite thing to study, and she kept herself busy for most of the flight looking through old pictures on her phone. It calmed her more than she thought it would, and kept her occupied until Beks woke up from her nap. 

It was a nice distraction for her to focus on keeping her daughter entertained and happy once she maneuvered her out of Grayson’s lap. They colored after Indy fished the coloring book and crayons out from her bag, and they looked at pictures, and watched out the window, Bekah asking “what dat?” over and over again at all the things she could see on the ground. 

The flight attendants message to prepare for landing was what finally woke Grayson up from his slumber, and his bleary eyes were immediately guilty. 

“You should have woken me up,” he pouted, already looking her over for any sign of her anxious habits. 

“We’re okay. I got a handle on it. Glad you’re awake for landing though,” she reassured him, reaching a hand out for his again. He happily took it, and smiled when Bekah leaned over to put her hand on top of theirs, always wanting to be involved. The landing was smooth, and Indy took her first truly relaxed breath in hours once the plane stopped moving at the gate. Bekah felt it, felt her chest rise and fall so dramatically that she turned and smiled up at her.

“Breathe mama,” she said, just like her dad always did. “Big breaf.” Her ‘th’ sounds were still f’s, and Indy selfishly hoped they stayed that way for a while longer. She over exaggerated her next breath so Beks could feel it. It satisfied her enough it seemed, and she held Grayson’s hand as they walked off the plane and into the airport. Grayson’s back hurt by the time they made it to baggage claim from the way he was crouched over to keep his hand in hers, but she was determined to do it herself and keep him close. 

All that went out the window when she saw who was waiting for her by the baggage carousel. 

“UNCLE ETEE!” 

Ethan smiled his widest smile and crouched down with his arms open, ready to catch her as she ran as fast as her little legs would take her. He caught her and tossed her up in the air just to hear her giggle. 

“Hi bug! How was Jersey?”

“Good! I saw Grandma Lisa and daddy showed me a waterfall and we stayed in the other house and momma made pancakes. Where’s Miles?” Her attention jumped around like a pinball in the machine, but she looked down to Ethan’s left side where there was usually a very cute five year old.

“He’s home taking care of Aunt Eden, making sure little Maisie isn’t giving her too much trouble.”

“Is she still in her belly?”

“Yeah bug, for a little while longer. But, she missed you so much that she wants everybody to come out to the beach for a little while before it gets dark. And if mommy and daddy are too tired, you can just come with us.”

Indiana wanted to cry. She knew what her brother was doing - giving her an out in case the flight had gone badly, a chance to recuperate if need be. Truth be told, she was still nauseous, but her nerves had settled and the thought of seeing Eden and her nephew were too good to pass up. She’d missed them despite only being gone for a few days. 

“We’ll all go, just gotta get changed at the house first,” Indy said, and she felt Grayson perk up beside her, somewhat surprised by her answer. 

“Alrighty then, let’s roll.” Ethan led the way with Beks on his hip, Grayson managing most of the bags on the way out to the car. Things had gotten better since they’d traveled with Beks as an infant - less equipment required for a toddler, especially one who was easily entertained by her parents. 

Before they knew it Beks was in her car seat, thrilled that her dad climbed into the backseat to ‘hang out’ with her while he gave his wife shotgun. Ethan played Cudi, the clean versions, and everyone in the car sang along, even if Bekah was mostly just humming and kicking her feet. 

It took about 30 minutes to get to the main gate of the houses. Indy could still remember the first time she’d been in a car pulling up to the same spot. Things were a bit different now - they’d bought out their neighbors house when it went up for sale, tore down the fences and made it all one big backyard with each of the couples in their own space. E squared kept the original house - it’s where they’d raised Miles after all. Indy had enjoyed getting to make the new house her own. It wasn’t lost on her that it was the bigger of the two, with Grayson’s dream of a big family always at the back of his mind. 

It was on Indy’s too, especially when she saw Eden waiting on the porch of their house, her bump on full display, framed out by her bikini and cover up. Maisie Rae Dolan was due in two months, and the whole crew was counting down the days until her arrival, none more so than her mother. 

Miles came around the corner at full speed once the car stopped, running around the car to find the only one he ever looked for. Grayson couldn’t get her out of her carseat fast enough, but as soon as Beks was on the ground Miles was hugging her.

“Hi best friend!” Bekah said as soon as her face wasn’t buried in his shirt.

“Hi! I missed you! Daddy helped me make a countdown and I counted all the days until you came back and now you’re here! Do you wanna see it?!”

“Yeah!”

Grayson had to catch the two of them before they went barrelling towards the house.

“Hold on guys, if we wanna make it to the beach early enough to get into the water we all need to get changed and packed up. We’ll see you there Mi, okay?”

Miles nodded once, then immediately turned to Ethan.

“Dad, can I ride with Uncle Grayson and Aunt Indy?”

“They just got back babe, gotta give them a minute to settle in. But, if mom’s up for it we can go early and look for some shells, okay?”

He threw a wink to Grayson as he unloaded the bags. Meanwhile, Indy was on the porch, catching up with Eden. 

“Any changes? Contractions or anything?”

“Other than her kicking my spleen every five minutes and sitting on my bladder like a throne, we’re golden.”

She didn’t look golden. In fact, she looked exhausted. 

“Miles wearing you out?”

All she had to do was look at her and Indy was laughing.

“Whenever you need us to take him, just send him over.”

“You act as if you too do not have a child that wears you out.”

The pair looked over at their husbands, and their kids. Miles was attempting to climb the tree in the front yard, which was his new found mission he’d been working on. Ethan stood guard below, shifting back and forth to catch his son in case he lost his balance trying to maneuver the first main branch.

Meanwhile, Beks was picking flowers one by one and holding them in her fist. Indy watched as she carried her mini bouquet over to Grayson and held it out proudly. They watched as she stuck her tongue out in concentration while she tucked one behind her dad’s ear.

“Yeah… so whenever you need us to take him, just send him over,” Indy repeated with a laugh that Eden quickly joined in on, holding her bump with her hands. 

“Go get settled, if Beks gets ancy we can load her up with us.”

“She should be fine, we hate unpacking night of anyways. We’ll see you in a little while.”

She was halfway across the lawn before Eden called after her.

“Oh! Before I forget, I had some extra stuff lying around that definitely won’t fit for a while, or ever, after this one -” she pointed to her stomach. “I left them and some other stuff for you in your closet. Anything you don’t want just bring it back and I’ll throw it in the donation pile.”

Indy threw her a thumbs up and rounded up Beks, headed back to their house. She could breathe easier as soon as she was inside the familiar walls. Their house was modern, but every space was warmed by something personal, most of which was made by Grayson. With the transition away from social media and into behind the scenes production, he had more time to build and perfect his craft. Family touches were everywhere as well, from the picture frame on the coffee table from last christmas to the booster seat in the kitchen table chair where they all sat to eat dinner every night. Indy’s work badge was still on the counter, with the nemo sticker that covered her last name so no one could look her up and realize just who she was married to. But below it you could still read the name of the pediatric hospital she called home.

All those thoughts were fleeting though, considering Beks was on a mission to get to the beach. 

“I’ll get her ready if you pack the beach bag?” Grayson offered. Indy smiled and nodded, heading back into the bedroom to get changed herself. When she got to her closet, she found the pile of things from Eden - some of her tighter dresses, jean shorts, bikinis, a few bottles of perfume with a note scribbled, smell makes me sick now. Fml. Beside that was a box with a note; pregnancy tests, won’t be needing these anytime soon… hopefully lmao.  

Indy rolled her eyes and laughed to herself, putting everything away in its right spot and pulling out a nice bikini from the stack to throw on. She grabbed one of Grayson’s long sleeve shirts to put on over it before she headed back out. The bag was mostly prepped already with the essentials - the beach was a common Dolan outing after all. All she had to add was towels and a sandwich for Beks in case she got hungry. 

Food was the last thing on Bekah’s mind it seemed when she came down the hall, already asking if it was time to go. Indy wasn’t one to brag, but her daughter had to be up there with the cutest babies of all time, especially in her custom 2T sized spread positivity hoodie over her bathing suit and tiny chaco sandals. Her hair was still in the tiny space buns that Indy had put them in earlier, only adding to the way she was making her melt. 

Indy loaded up the car while Grayson threw on a speedo and regular shorts to cover up with, not bothering with a shirt. Indy preferred it that way - she enjoyed the view, which she had plenty of time to admire from the passenger seat once they were on the road. Grayson held her hand, looking like a Raybans model in his sunglasses, tattoos on full display as he drove. Her favorite was still the forever scribbled out across his ribs, especially with the script right below it. Bekah Nicole. His daughter's name. 

It still amazed Indy how lucky she was, to have the life that she did, to have found the love that she had. It took her breath away at times, made her stomach feel like it was floating when she remembered that the man beside her was hers, forever. She turned around the check on Beks, who was telling a story that made no sense, although Grayson was acting like he understood every single word. Their perfect little girl. Even then, she would still tear up if she looked at her for too long. 

The secret beach, somehow, still seemed to be their little secret. There were a few couples, but it was mostly empty apart from the other Dolan family that had beat them there. Grayson followed close behind Bekah as she ran through the sand towards Miles. 

“Now remember, you have to flip them over and if you even think there might be a hermit grab in there, you put it back because that's his home,” Ethan was informing his son when they reached the group. Eden was already lounged out in a chair, feet buried in the sand and hand absentmindedly rubbing over her bump. She peeked an eye open when she heard Indy start setting up beside her, looking to check on her son before she relaxed back down. 

“Momma? You take me in the waves? Pleaseeeee,” Bekah asked before Indy could sit. 

“Sure babe,” she smiled, pulling her shirt off quickly before scooping up her daughter and heading towards the water. Grayson wasn’t far behind them, ever the protector, wanting to be close by in case they needed anything. 

The water was chilly against Indy’s toes when she got into the break, and she bent down to let Beks stand in the frothy tide. As soon as the water got her feet she squealed, spinning around and reaching up.

“S’cold momma!” 

Indy laughed and picked her back up, unsurprised to see Miles and Ethan headed down the beach towards them, undoubtedly with the same idea. She was glad Eden was getting some much needed rest time, so she grinned and bared the cold water on her stomach as she got deeper in, jumping dramatically as the waves came through just to get a giggle out of her daughter. Grayson joined in on the fun, taking his turn to toss Beks up into the air and catch her with a splash and kisses all over her cheeks. They kept playing until the dad’s arms were sore, seeing that Miles wanted in on the fun, and the sun was beginning to set. Beks was cold by the time they made it back to the chairs, and Grayson immediately wrapped her up in a towel and snuggled her up against him, resting his cheek on the top of her head as she curled into his chest. 

Indy put her own towel over her shoulders, and the warmth of it was almost enough to have her lulling off to sleep. She fought it off, catching up with Ethan while Eden got Miles ready to go. The kids were wiped, and with a day of travel under her belt Beks was asleep on her dad’s shoulder before they even made it to the tesla.

“Watch this,” he whispered, showing off his skills of placing her in her seat without waking her up. It was impressive, truly, but even more so was the fact that he drove carefully enough through all the traffic on the way that she was still dreaming peacefully when they got home. 

“We have to wake her up to get her changed,” he pouted, not wanting to disturb her after the day she’d had. 

“I got it. You start on dinner, I’m fucking starving.” 

“Deal,” he grinned, leaning across the console to kiss her quickly before getting out. Indy exited the passenger side, opening up Beks door and talking to her quietly until her eyes opened, blinking wide and confused.

“You’re okay babe, we’re home.”

Indy soaked up the cuddles from her groggy daughter on the way into the house. She didn’t bother with anything else - they’d do a bath first thing in the morning. Instead, she moved to the ocean nursery, changing Beks quickly into a fresh diaper and pj’s before laying her down in her bed underneath the jellyfish Eden had helped design for the wall. She kissed her forehead and rubbed her back until she lulled back down, exhausted from the excitement of the day. 

Indy felt salty, her skin tight from the water, but she didn’t have the energy to shower. Instead, she headed into her room and grabbed another one of Grayson’s shirts along with some running shorts, taking them into the bathroom with her to get changed. 

The cabinet was still slightly open, and she reached down to close it when she saw it. A box of tampons - unopened. It took a minute for her to do the math, and she wasn’t 100% on if she was late or not, but that familiar knot tied in her stomach when she was unsure. Quietly, she locked the door and rummaged around for the pregnancy tests she’d just hidden away.

In the kitchen, Grayson was humming to himself as he strained the noodles for the mac and cheese - two boxes in fact, considering how hungry Indy said she was. The fridge was low considering they’d just gotten back, but he managed to scrounge up some fresh-enough fruit to cut up and put on a plate on the counter. 

Indy came back into the kitchen so quietly that he barely noticed as he was stirring in the vegan cheese.

“Jeez Dee, you scared me,” he teased, pulling her in for a hug. “How yah feeling?”

“Exhausted,” she mumbled, relaxing in his hold and melting into his chest. He loved when she did that, let him hold her after a long day. He didn’t pull away until she did, the smell of mac and cheese luring her away. 

Grayson took her hips with his hands and helped boost her up onto the counter, passing her the bowl he’d made for her. They ate quickly and quietly, the idea of curling up in bed more and more appealing as the carbs started to settle into their systems. When they’d cleared their bowls Indy moved to the sink, only for Grayson to shake his head.

“I got it. Go get in bed, you had a hell of a day.”

She sighed, kissing his bare shoulder once before getting up on her tiptoes to ask for a real one. He obliged her, bending down to catch her lips with his. “Love you,” she murmured, running her fingers over his back as she walked towards their room. She peaked in on Beks to make sure she was still out before she headed back to the bedroom, pulling out the test that she’d tucked away in her waistband. 

She blinked three times, hard.

Two lines. Two very dark lines. 

“Holy shit.” 

Emotions raced through her so fast she couldn’t catch a single one to give it a name. She barely had it together enough to hide it behind her back when Grayson walked in a few minutes later seemingly unfazed.

“I’m gonna shower real quick, you wanna join?” He offered, looking down into his dresser drawers for a pair of boxers.

“Uh, yeah, yeah I’ll join but can you do me a favor really quick?”

“Hmm,” he asked, turning towards her.

She held out the test in her shaky hand.

“Can you add this to the shelf?”

The shelf itself was on the wall beside him. All the old pictures had made their way over to the new house with some new additions, including the positive test that had told them they were having Beks, her ultrasound, her first birthday party. 

It took Grayson a moment to process, and then his hands were shaking too as he took the small stick and looked at it through his blurry eyes.

“Really?”

“Really.”

“For real?”

“For real.”

“We’re having another baby.”

“Yep.”

“Another Beks.”

“Yep.”

“Holy shit.”

“Yep.”

“Holy fuck!” The excitement finally broke through the shock, and before she could move Grayson’s arms were around his wife, spinning her around as he buried his face in her neck.

“You’re pregnant. We’re having another baby.”

“It doesn’t feel real yet. I just took the test before dinner.” Indy’s eyes were watery, her hand automatically going over her stomach.

“It will. It’ll fly by, just like with Beks. Holy fuck, I’m so excited. I love you so much.”

“I love you more,” she whispered, pulling him to her again for another hug.

“Not possible,” he said, shaking his head and kissing her shoulder. 

“Well, I love you forever then. I love our family, forever.”

Grayson couldn’t find the words. Instead, he just kissed her, forever grateful for every moment that had led him to right there, his whole world and future under one roof - everything he’d dreamed of within his hands.

[hurricanery]

If You Went Away - pt. 6

A/N: Here’s part 6 of If You Went Away! Thank you for the encouraging messages <3 This fic might only have one or two more parts, but I have other exciting things planned!

Other parts here: part 1 // part 2 // part 3 // part 4 // part 5

-------

(present day)

“You look….cheerful?” Maggie gives Amelia a once over as the brunette walks into the attendings lounge.

Amelia squints back at her as she reaches for her purse and starts changing out of her scrubs. “I don’t know if cheerful is the right word, Maggie.”

“Okay….happier than usual as of late?”

Amelia smirks as she pulls her jacket on, then sits down to zip up her boots. She hadn’t realized her current emotional state was such a topic of conversation, or even observation.

“Scout’s got his last check up with Nico today. Right now, actually. So I’m out of here early.” She relaxes back into the seat.

“Oh? And where’s Link?” Maggie questions, sitting at the table across from Amelia.

“He’s in surgery. So it’s just me,” Amelia explains. “But, we’re just….excited he doesn’t have to have his arm wrapped up in that sling anymore. Especially for this weekend.”

“What’s this weekend?” Maggie’s eyebrows pull together in confusion and she watches as Amelia huffs out an exasperated sigh.

“Link’s parents' wedding….” Amelia mutters under her breath. If her outlook seemed cheerful when she walked into the room, it was definitely dwindling now.

“Oh my god, I totally forgot about that! I thought that already happened?”

“I wish,” Amelia breathes. “They started planning this years ago. But then, ya know, the whole pandemic….and some other stuff got in the way….but that’s all over now and they’re finally ready, I guess. And so….yeah, that’s happening this weekend….” She trails off, zoning out as she thinks about the event ahead.

There’s brief silence as Maggie watches her sister’s anxiety overcome her previously lighthearted disposition.

“How’s Link feeling about all of this?”

“Ha,” Amelia laughs sarcastically. “Not great. He still feels pretty….betrayed? By his parents? Maybe that’s the feeling?”

“Hm.” Maggie hums, digesting the information and slowly coming to terms with another realization about the situation.

“His parents put him through a lot,” Amelia explains, becoming more animated as she continues. “But I just keep trying to tell him not to take it so harshly....You know? I mean….they found their way back to each other after all this time. Why is that so bad?”

“Hmmmm,” Maggie hums again, drawing the sound out a bit more. She smirks, scanning Amelia’s face like she’s onto something.

“I mean, it’s kind of inspiring, right?”

Maggie pauses for a moment, deciding her next words. “Let me get this straight….you find it inspiring?”

Amelia shrugs, still not catching onto Maggie’s perception of her words.

“You find it inspiring….that two people can make their way back to each other after….certain difficulties?” Maggie smirks.

And Amelia frowns, the comprehension of Maggie’s attempt at an analogy settles in.

Maggie watches as Amelia’s face goes blank with realization. But then the brunette is standing up suddenly, pushing away from the table.

“Maggie no!” She throws her bag over her shoulder, getting ready to leave. “That’s not….no. That’s not what I’m saying. You’re putting words in my mouth.”

“Hey,” Maggie smiles as she folds her arms across her chest, watching Amelia as she hurries towards the door. “You’re the one that said it. I’m just putting two and two together.”

Amelia turns around once more before reaching the door, but Maggie’s smug look causes her to roll her eyes. She pushes through the door, letting it slam shut harshly.

_______

The following day Amelia runs around the house anxiously, trying to make sure everyone is ready for the wedding.

“Scout!” She yells from the kitchen as Scout sits with his eyes glued to the TV. “Come on, time to get ready!”

After some convincing, Scout finally follows his mother up the stairs and into his bedroom.

“You can go back and watch your show once you get dressed, okay?” Amelia walks to the closet, pulling out a tiny suit jacket and matching pants. She smiles to herself as she pulls the garments from the hanger, running her hands over the fabric before laying them across Scout’s bed.

“Why do I have to wear that?” Scout whines.

“Because weddings are like fancy parties,” Amelia smiles as she crouches down to help Scout into his wedding attire.

Scout frowns, adjusting to the uncomfortable suit jacket that his arms have just been guided into.

“Why are Grandma and Grandpa having a wedding? Are they already husband and wife?”

“Well….” Amelia bites her lip. Mentally sighing at just how smart Scout can be sometimes.

“You can do a wedding as many times as you want?” He questions, squinting up at Amelia.

“Uh, yeah….” She slightly frowns at the accuracy of his question. It was an easier explanation than the reality. “Yeah, you can.”

“You and daddy aren’t married.” Scout says matter-of-factly.

“Um, no,” Amelia mutters as she begins helping Scout into his dress shoes. Her pulse quickens at the direction this conversation is taking.

“Why not?”

Amelia sighs, out loud this time. She hears the shower turn off in the next room and knows that Link is probably finishing up getting ready, while she remains completely unready.

“We just aren’t….” She offers shortly, standing up once she’s satisfied with how Scout’s outfit comes together. “Not everybody gets married.”

Scout looks up at her curiously. “But you said you can have as many weddings as you want. I think you and daddy should have a lotta weddings!”

Amelia can’t help but to laugh at this.

“Okay, buddy,” She grins down at him. “Let’s see how you like this wedding, first.”

“Can I go finish my show now?”

Amelia nods, and Scout takes off down the stairs while Amelia heads to get ready herself.

_______

45 minutes later and Amelia has her dress and heels on. She’s done her hair in soft waves and she’s just finishing up the final touches of her makeup when Link enters the bedroom, walking past the adjoining bathroom, Amelia hears him softly gasp.

She pauses her lipstick application, glancing at Link through the bathroom mirror. She raises her eyebrows at him.

“You look….” Link stutters, scratching at the back of his neck anxiously. “The dress…..the blue is a really nice color on you. You look really nice.” He shrugs, dropping his hands to the side.

Amelia suppresses a blush. It was a dress she’d worn to Alex and Jo’s wedding years ago. She was relieved at the chance to re-wear it, since nobody she knew would be at this wedding, or know she was recycling it for the occasion. She was just happy to not have to purchase another dress.

“Thank you,” She smiles slightly, resuming her task in the mirror. “So do you.” Her eyes dart back to him briefly. “I’m almost ready.”

“No rush.”

“Well, I don’t want to be late. So….there’s kind of a rush.” She laughs under her breath. “You’re just not excited about this at all, are you?”

Link sighs as he sits on the edge of the bed, still in Amelia’s line of sight through the mirror. He shakes his head. “No….but, starting now, I’m going to be positive about this.”

“Hey,” she mutters, starting to put away her makeup products. “I’m nervous, too.”

“Hm?” Link looks up at her as she re-enters the bedroom.

“I’m nervous to be around your family….I don’t know,” she mutters anxiously, reaching for her coat and purse. “They have no idea we were even….apart….” she cuts herself off from going in that direction. “They just don’t know me very well.”

Link nods. Knowing there is so much more to it. So much more that Amelia didn’t say.

“Let’s just make the best of it tonight,” He offers.

And Amelia nods in agreement.

_______

After a short ceremony in which Amelia and Link struggle to keep Scout settled in his seat and non-disruptive, they are completely relieved to have moved on to the reception part of the night.

They smile their way through introductions and explanations. And Amelia grits her teeth at the repetitive questions from distant family members.

‘How long have you guys been together?’

‘So nice of you to finally bring Scout around!’

‘What are your plans for the future?’

Amelia holds back her discomfort. And holds a tight smile. The only thing anchoring her being the equal dismay on Link’s part. The impatient tightness in his voice as he answers the same questions over and over weirdly brings her comfort. Just to know that she’s not the only one feeling totally out of place here.

The question that sets her off the most though, comes from Link’s uncle. But, when Link is asked whether or not he’s ‘being courted by the Mariners for another contract this upcoming season,’ Link reaches over and squeezes Amelia’s shoulders assuringly.

She sighs in relief at the vagueness of his answer.

“We like to take things one step at a time.”

And Amelia turns away from Link’s uncle, gazing up at Link, surprised by the feeling that swells in her chest.

_______

As the night continues, the energy becomes much less stressful. Although Link was very much not looking forward to this event, the energy of the room is having an effect on him. His relatives are dancing and talking and celebrating. It’s an overall joyful atmosphere. And Link is relieved. Relieved to be not so burdened by his initial distaste at the idea of this wedding in the first place.

Link smiles as he glances across the room. He watches as Amelia pulls Scout onto the dance floor, reaching forward for his little arms. She bends slightly as she twirls him around, Scout in a fit of giggles.

Link watches the two of them for a few more minutes, until the fast-paced song switches over to a slower one. There’s a round of cheers from family members and friends as the atmosphere changes and couples begin arranging themselves for a slow dance.

The next thing he knows, Link is crossing the dance floor himself.

“May I cut in?” He asks as he approaches, looking pointedly at Scout, his tone playful.

Scout glances between his parents as Amelia drops his hands. He looks around the room at the couples swaying slowly, then he’s nodding excitedly as he turns back to his parents.

“I can take him over to where some of the other kids are playing,” one of Link’s family friends chimes in suddenly and Link smiles, nodding a thank you as Scout runs off to be with the other kids.

Then they are alone. Just the two of them surrounded by other couples.

“Dance with me?” Link reaches a hand out to Amelia.

And she hesitates only briefly before taking it. Her pulse quickens out of nowhere and she tries to suppress the feeling that grows, the feeling that’s reminding her of every high school dance ever. Because she isn’t in high school. And this isn’t some high school crush. This is Link. The father of her child. And this is his parent’s wedding.

His hand clasps around hers, pulling her forward, and his other arm settles around her waist. Amelia’s free arm automatically rests over his, her hand coming down to rest against his shoulder.

There’s still a slight distance between them, the uncertainty of their positioning quite evident. Until Link pulls her even closer, so that she’s putting more of her weight against his chest. Amelia suppresses a gasp, looking briefly between his eyes. Before the eye contact becomes too much and she glances past him, over his shoulder instead.

“So,” Link murmurs, allowing her eyes to drift away from him. “Tonight wasn’t so bad.”

“Mhm,” she hums in agreement, her eyes settling on Link’s parents behind them. “Your parents are cute.”

Link shifts them around, so he can have a better view of his parents in the center of the dance floor.

“It took them a while to get to the cute stage, in my opinion,” Link looks back down at Amelia. He still towers over her, even when she’s wearing heels and it makes Link smile. Amelia laughs at his words, rolling her eyes.

“You’re always going to hold it against them, huh?”

Link shakes his head, like he’s deciding something. “No….no I won’t. I can be happy for them.”

Amelia nods up at him, and holds eye contact. She adjusts herself, letting her arm slide up further, resting around the back of his neck.

“This was fun. Scout had fun.”

“He did,” Link murmurs, letting his hand begin circling a repetitive pattern across her lower back.

Link notices the song change. Back to an upbeat tune, not so much fit for a slow dance. But it seems to take Amelia a moment to catch on. Because before she’s noticed the beat change, her head drops momentarily to rest against Link’s chest. They’re still swaying back and forth slowly, as if the song hasn’t changed.

But then the DJ makes an announcement, something about requests for other songs. And Amelia shakes from her reverie. Stepping out of Link’s embrace, she takes in the atmosphere of the increasingly crowded dance floor.

“We should probably find Scout,” she mutters, eyes scanning the room.

Link follows after her as she begins crossing the room. They approach the kid’s table to see Scout sitting with his head resting down in front of him. He’s surrounded by other kids but he’s fighting off sleep with his head resting against his arms on the table.

“Think we should call it a night?” Link mutters, and Amelia nods, gently stepping forward to wake Scout up.

_______

Link hears light snoring as he drives them home. He glances in the rearview mirror, to the backseat, and smiles to himself at the sight of both Amelia and Scout sound asleep. She’d insisted on sitting back there with him for the drive home. Link shakes his head now, realizing it was probably because there was more room back there for her to drift off, too.

The car pulls into the driveway and Link turns the engine off, stepping out and around to Scout’s side of the car. He opens the door gently, not wanting to wake him up. He lifts Scout as carefully as possible, and that’s when Amelia stirs. She sits up suddenly, eyes darting around in confusion.

“Hey,” Link whispers. “I’m going to carry him up. You should head to bed, too.”

Amelia nods, realizing her surroundings. She climbs out of the car, following after Link and Scout inside.

_______

Amelia takes a makeup wipe to her eyes as she rests tiredly against the bathroom counter. She blinks sleepily despite herself, but would never go to bed without taking her makeup off first.

Link huffs as he enters the bedroom, glancing at Amelia through the open bathroom door before sitting on the edge of the bed to slip his shoes off. “He is not as light as he used to be,” he laughs, referring to carrying Scout to bed.

“Mhm,” Amelia hums, “He’s growing up so fast.”

Link disappears from Amelia’s line of sight, entering the closet to hang his suit jacket and slip on some sweatpants. He collapses into bed shortly after while Amelia finishes getting ready for bed.

She’s still wearing her dress as she heads to the closet and Link’s voice causes her to pause for a second. “You should wear that dress more,” He mumbles sleepily.

And Amelia rolls her eyes, holding back a smirk, as she enters the closet to change.

She appears a moment later, dressed for bed. Her equally exhausted state leads her to collapse onto her side of the bed in similar fashion to Link.

“I’m serious,” Link mutters. Amelia turns her head to the side, noticing how his eyes remain closed. She’s relieved that he can’t see her sheepish expression.

“I want to start over, Amelia.” His eyes open now, searching for hers. And Amelia swallows her nerves. “I want to take you on a date.”

She laughs. Because this is not what she was expecting.

“What?” She mumbles through her uncertain laugh.

“And I want you to wear that dress.” He sounds like he’s fighting off sleep again and Amelia finds herself hesitant to agree to him while they’re both so exhausted. Hesitant because she doesn’t know how much he means it.

“You don’t have to answer me right now,” Link continues, muttering into his pillow a bit as he settles onto his side, eyes closing again. “But promise me you’ll think about it?”

Amelia breathes a sigh, biting her lip as she glances at Link’s resting face.

“Okay,” she whispers. And then lets her own eyes shut, too.

//

[mordoriscalling]

Life (of) Surprise (3/5)

Jaskier lies to his family about being engaged to Geralt for the second time… and there are way too many surprises involved.

Part 4 of the Singer and the Sailor AU that no one asked for but I wrote anyway (again). Warnings: Jaskier and Geralt have a serious argument in this one.

(Part 1) (Part 2) 

III - A Surprise Realisation 

Geralt never thought he’d get married again, much less to a man. Leave alone a man like Jaskier, who is loud, bright, and charismatic; unlike Geralt in so many aspects that by all means, their relationship shouldn’t work as well as it does.  

He’s a divorcee. His previous relationships didn’t last. Rationally, he knows he should’ve been more cautious, yet when Jaskier got down on one knee that April morning, Geralt found himself unable to say no. He was so tired that day, but that wasn’t the reason he said yes. He agreed to marry Jaskier because back then – as he looked into Jaskier’s eyes, blue like the cloudless sky above them – he realised that it seemed right.

Jaskier’s always accepted Geralt the way he is, with all his problems and mistakes. Jaskier is both safety and adventure. He’s trustworthy and unpredictable; a fascinating contradiction that Geralt could see himself exploring for the rest of his life.

Or so he thought.

“Eight months,” Geralt grits out, his emotions balancing at the edge of fury.

Jaskier says nothing, his eyes cast downwards, standing in the middle of the room with the air of a puppy about to be kicked.

“We’ve been engaged for eight fucking months,” Geralt growls, “and you’re only telling me this now?”

“I wanted to come clean,” Jaskier answers weakly. His voice doesn’t waver.

The steadiness of his voice shouldn’t be surprising, though. Jaskier’s a singer. A performer. A very good one. Geralt didn’t have an issue with that before. The only problem with Jaskier that Geralt’s ever truly had it that Jaskier can be extremely inconsiderate at times.

Now, the former and the latter seem to have merged into something that Geralt isn’t sure he can forgive.

“You didn’t think about doing that earlier?” he asks.

It’s New Year’s Eve. They’re in Jaskier’s childhood bedroom, where they’re to sleep for the night. Downstairs, a party is about to begin, with both Jaskier’s and Geralt’s family and closest friends in attendance. Jaskier’s parents, Wanda and Alfred. Rozalia and Silvio, Amelia with Nasir and their daughter. Triss, Essi and Eskel. Aiden and Lambert. Vesemir, Yennefer, Ciri, Dara.

Geralt suspects that everyone is waiting in the dining room already. Yet, this is the moment that Jaskier chose to tell him about the circumstances of their engagement.

“I didn’t have the courage,” Jaskier replies, “I was afraid you’d take it the wrong way.”

“Have the fuck am I supposed to take it any other way?!” Geralt barks, making Jaskier flinch. “You told your family that we’d marry before you asked me to marry you.”

It’s dark outside the tall windows. The only source of light in the room is the chandelier above Jaskier’s head, hanging down from the high ceiling. The lamps cast Jaskier in a warm glow, and to Geralt, it seems as if he saw his fiancé for the first time. There’s a stubborn set to Jaskier’s jaw as he still refuses to look at nowhere but the wooden floor.

“You did that for what?” Geralt demands, “So that you look good in front of your family? Is... us some kind of fucking performance for you? Have you been pretending from the –”

“No,” Jaskier cuts in. His gaze is finally on Geralt, and he appears genuinely aghast at the notion. “The only pretending I’ve ever done is lying to myself that our engagement was for real the whole time! I told everyone that we’d marry because I wished it so badly to be true! I wanted it to happen, so I said something that would force me to make it happen.”

The confession would be heart-warming if not for the last sentence, which makes Geralt’s blood run cold. He walks up to Jaskier slowly, staring him down, trying to see through the (distracting, deceptive) blue of his eyes.

“You would’ve made it happen?” he murmurs, his emotions treading the dangerous line again, “If I’d said no, would you have persisted? Manipulated me, as you did with the spring wedding?”

A broken noise escapes Jaskier’s lips. “That wasn’t my intention! I’m so sorry that I made you feel this way. Please forgive me, I never meant it like that–”

“I’m starting to doubt every word you say,” Geralt interrupts, because now their nearly three years together feel fake.

Jaskier takes a step back, hurt written all over his features. Tears well up in his eyes as he exclaims, “I’m not lying! I’m not lying when I say that you’re the only one that I want to marry.”

Geralt doesn’t want to hear it. He moves to walk away but Jaskier grabs him by the arm. “Dammit Jaskier,” he growls, “don’t–”

“Listen to me,” Jaskier says, insistent.

 Geralt tries not to, looks away to distance himself, but Jaskier’s voice is that of a siren – arresting and irresistible, powerful even when hushed.

“I never thought that I’d settle down. I fell in love too easily. One day a woman from the bar would have my heart, and then next it would be a guy at the bus stop. Commitment wasn’t my thing.”

Geralt scowls, about to ask how that information is supposed to help in the current situation, but Jaskier speaks first.

“But then, then I met someone who’s so deeply fascinating that I can’t stop thinking about him. He’s been through so much and yet he’s nothing but kind and considerate. He has so much presence but he rarely uses it to his advantage. He feels so much and yet he shows nothing. He...” Jaskier chuckles, the sound somehow both warm and sad. “He’s honest with me and calls me out on my mistakes, challenging me to be better. Thanks to him, I don’t stop learning. With him, it seems like... like we’re writing a gripping book. A... a story I want to go on and on.”

A story without an ending may not be a happy one, Geralt muses. He says nothing, though, still looking away, and Jaskier speaks up again.

“From the moment I met you, I’ve wanted you to stay, but perhaps–” he cuts himself off, releasing out a shaky sigh. He lets go of Geralt’s arm at least and then utters, “Perhaps I love you too much. Maybe it’s not healthy, after all.”

Pain seeps through every syllable as Jaskier says this. Geralt has to swallow hard because that, that seems so wrong. How can it not be healthy when the only time they truly breathe – truly relax and let go – is as they are around each other?

Geralt stands frozen, listening to Jaskier’s sniffs, and tries to process all that he’s heard. He has to fight his fervent want to believe Jaskier’s loving words. He wishes it to be true, yet the recent revelation’s stained all they’ve been through with the ugly thought that Geralt’s feelings – his love – have just been a fucking box to tick.

The sheer hurt of it settles somewhere deep within him, clawing a hole in his chest, wrenching, pulling all the air out of his lungs. He can’t stand being next to Jaskier anymore and escapes to the bathroom, which is adjacent to the bedroom.

The water is cool as Geralt splashes it all over his face. He tries to take his emotions under control, especially that anger raises within him once more. He’s a moment away from doing some real damage to the furniture.

He doesn’t know how long it takes him to calm down. He assumes that enough time passes for Jaskier to decide to go downstairs without him, which is the only wish he has right now. Yet, as he emerges from the bathroom, it (unsurprisingly) turns out that he can't have what he wants – Jaskier sits there, at the edge of the large bed, his face hidden in his hands. As he hears Geralt approach, he raises his head revealing his dishevelled hair and red-rimmed eyes.

He’s a picture of misery and Geralt heart lurches in sympathy, in a ridiculous need to comfort his fiancé, despite his anger.

They stay like that, staring at each other for a few unbearable moments of heavy, choking silence, until Geralt finally breaks it.

“Dinner must’ve started by now,” he says, “We should go.”

 A rasped “okay” is all the answer Jaskier gives.

They don’t pretend that everything is all right. Everybody quickly notices the tension between them and the dinner is a painful affair at the beginning. It’s a miracle that everyone’s managed to gather here today, though. The two families seem determined to make the best of it and the initial awkwardness soon passes. Conversations start flowing and after some time, everyone is getting along well enough for the party not to be torturous.

When dinner is finished, Jaskier’s parents invite them to the living room. There, a piano awaits, and Jaskier launches into a short performance that leaves everyone spell-bound, including Geralt, even though it hurts.

It hurts to watch Jaskier’s fingers dance over the keys, knowing the way in which those beautiful hands touch his body. It hurts to see the tempting curve of Jaskier’s neck, knowing how Jaskier always gasps when he kisses it. It hurts to watch Jaskier shine because he believed that he had a part of Jaskier’s light to himself.

And yet. Now, there’s the ugly thought at the back of his head that it wasn’t true. Jaskier did claim it was.

And yet.

The moment the performance ends, Geralt decides to survive by sticking with Silvio. Rozalia’s husband is talkative but what he loves chattering about the most is the cats and dogs he’s fostering with his wife. He shows Geralt pictures and videos, which improves Geralt’s mood slightly.

After Triss and Nasir steal Silvio away, Geralt is left alone, sitting in the corner of the room with his glass of wine. On instinct, his eyes search for his daughter. He finds her talking to Jaskier’s sister and frowns.

He loves Ciri more than life itself but he’s aware that she’s can be a right brat. He’s also familiar with Amelia and Rozalia enough to know that they’re very likely to be charmed by Cirilla’s vicious streak. Jaskier seems to know it too, and he appears genuinely terrified as he watches his sisters chat with Ciri, the three smiling mysteriously.

Then, Yennefer joins them, and Geralt is... apprehensive.

The party goes on. Some people, like his brothers, leave Geralt in peace. Others, such as Jaskier’s parents, insist on speaking to him. He picks his way through the, admittedly polite and pleasant, conversations, until no one wants to talk to him.

All the while, his gaze strays to Jaskier. Geralt watches him joke with Essi and Vesemir, laugh at something Lambert and Eskel are saying, take his niece into his arms and coo at her with Aiden by his side.

As Geralt observes Jaskier hold little Zofia and smile at her lovingly while Aiden makes funny faces at her, he suddenly comes to understand how tightly Jaskier has managed to weave himself in between all the threads that make Geralt’s life. All his family know Jaskier and accept him. Most of them are fond of him, or downright adore him. Geralt’s thoughts and memories of the sea are mingled with Jaskier’s songs. He doesn’t miss being at sea as much as he feared in large part due to Jaskier engaging him in his own life. Jaskier knows him, like a true friend does.

Removing him from the tapestry would leave a jagged hole, and Geralt realises that it’s not something he’d ever want. After all, he doesn’t have a particular place where he belongs. His home is where his loved ones are.

And he loves Jaskier so.

It’s ten minutes to midnight when Jaskier approaches him for the first time since the argument. Geralt still sits on the couch without any company as Jaskier stands before him, clearly putting up a happy face.

“I love the way you just... sit in the corner and brood,” he remarks, his cheerfulness falling flat,

Geralt rolls his eyes, irritated. “I’m here to drink alone,” he grunts.  

Jaskier, of course, refuses to take the hint and sits down beside him. Before Geralt can protest it, though, loud giggles catch his attention. He looks at the source of the sound and sees Ciri and Dara laughing at something on their phones (a meme, Geralt assumes). Joy at seeing his daughter’s happiness fill him but then Jaskier’s voice snaps him back to reality.

“If you say that you don’t believe me,” he says, “what must Dara think?”

Geralt looks at him sharply and immediately understands the sadness in his eyes. He’s aware of how much Jaskier wants Dara to know that all he’s done to help the boy – putting his career on hold to care for him, providing for him, going to therapy with him – are driven by genuine willingness to help, not pity or charity.

“Maybe I’m not good at...” Jaskier goes on, a wry smile twisting his lips, “Well. This whole... guardian thing.”

“You are,” Geralt replies.

It is true. Dara agreed to say with Jaskier eight months ago. The boy is still grieving and struggling but Jaskier has been supporting him through it with surprisingly few missteps.

“Thank you,” Jaskier answers, uncharismatically timid.“I... Geralt,” he begins, his tone sombre.

Geralt tenses and waits. His free hand, the one not holding the wine glass, clenches into a fist.  

“I’m sorry for withholding the truth from you for so long, I was...” Jaskier swallows. “Stupid. It was wrong of me, and I... I promise it won’t happen again.”

He looks away and considers, even though there isn’t much to wonder about. There’s no coming back from how important Jaskier is to him, for better or for worse. His hurt is far from mended but Geralt nods. Jaskier heaves a sigh and lays his hand atop Geralt clenched fist.

“Will you stay?” Jaskier murmurs.

A memory strikes him – of how Jaskier asked him the same thing almost three years ago as they stood outside this very house.

In the background, the countdown begins. Geralt unclenches his fist and takes Jaskier’s hand in his, giving it a squeeze. Jaskier squeezes back and the New Year starts.

***

A/N: the chapter count went up to 5 because I wanted to split ch3 into two smaller parts. Also, you can also read this fic on AO3. 

[immacaria]

Family

  Hello there! So this for Sangchengber Day 5: Family and it brings as a jealous Nie Huaisang, a amused and overprotective Nie Mingjue and a tired Nie Zonghui. There are some OCs of mine in there and I ask for forgiveness right now if their names are horrible or shitty. I hope you enjoy this and have a nice day!

  For almost two years, Nie Huaisang and Jiang Cheng were living together now. Almost two years that Huaisang had to deal with his roommate’s beauty and stupid. Really, how come that he didn’t notice Huaisang’s pining over him? More than two years and Jiang Cheng didn’t ask or did a thing to acknowledge him for goodness’ sake! Not a thing at all! Now, he was here, attending to a fucking wedding party while his crush was back at their house doing God knows what!

  “A-Sang!” An aunt of his father’s side sang on his ear, throwing an arm over his neck. “My little A-Sang! How big you are!” She laughed, taking a full gulp of her drink. “Another wife, do you believe it? Your uncle has no shame!”

  “Auntie, I think you have drunk enough.” Huaisang said, getting the glass from her. Just because he didn’t remember that one, didn’t mean he wasn’t going to look after her. ‘Well, until she passes out or go pester someone else. Whatever comes first.’, Huaisang thought as she nodded in agreement.

  “But it’s true, you know?” She said, leaning into him, looking at the recently married couple bitterly. 

  “What’s true, Auntie?” He sighed, looking around for a savior. Anyone would do, truly.  

  “The rumors. That your uncle is marrying again because the first one couldn’t have children.” She explained, looking at the groom strangely. “Poor Mei, that’s what I think.” She breathed deep. “Poor Mei didn’t deserve this. She loved this asshole too much.” 

 “What do you mean, Auntie?” Alright, even if Huaisang didn’t like being there, the last family gossip always lifted him up. Even if it was just a little. “Do tell more.”

  “Please, sweetie.” The woman said, looking directly at him, strange and suddenly sober. “Everybody knows that your brother and the oldest of the twins Jades of Gusu are nothing but boyfriends. One’s already out for love.” She chuckled, looking around for Mingjue. “And you, everyone knows that you are way over hills for the youngest of the Jiangs.”

  “What do you mean, Auntie?” Nie Huaisang turned fully to her, curious and intrigued. 

  “Oh, sweet and innocent A-Sang. Once your father is dead, Mingjue is going to take over the business. But after his death, what happens?” 

  “I will still be here?” Huaisang said quietly, not liking what was going to happen next already. 

  “Oh, dear…” She said, touching his cheeks, eyes filled with pain and pity. “Everybody knows that you know nothing about your family’s business.” She whispered, stroking his eyebrows sadly. “Nobody expects you to, A-Sang. That’s why your uncle is marrying that whore. Anyway, enjoy the party, A-Sang. While it lasts.” She disappeared in the crowd, leaving Huaisang alone with his thoughts. ‘Why? Why would that woman do that to me?’ He groaned, turning to the waiter passing by. 

  “Do you guys still have whiskey?” He asked.

  “Plenty of it, young master.” The waiter smiled at him, before vanishing in the kitchen, chuckling with the gentle ‘thanks’ of Huaisang. “Here it is, younger master Nie.”

  “Thank you, Wu.” Huaisang smiled at him. “Bring me the whole bottle, would you?”

  “Of course, young master.” He smiled, simpatectelly. After he brought the bottle, Huaisang decided that nobody would ruin his already horrible night even more, not even his own family. Maybe that was the real reason why he went to the dance floor, maybe it was the alcohol, but the fact was that he went to the dance floor, fearing nothing. 

  As his favourite music blasted through the speakers, he let his body move on his own, not caring for what the others were saying, doing or thinking. His heart was already broken, his head still full of thoughts, horrible thoughts. ‘No!’, he thought. ‘Tonight nobody can hurt me!’ he smiled as Blackpink started to play. ‘Not anymore.’

  “A-Sang!” A cousin of his called, waving at him. “Do you know the choreography?” She yelled, throwing her stilettos away, almost hitting a cousin of theirs.

  “Of course!” Huaisang answered smiling widely as Kill This Love blew through the amplifiers. “Uhuu!” He laughed, dancing and singing along with the other girls at the wedding. He kept dancing and singing as all the playlist played out, drinking and joking around with everyone, caring even less if Jiang Cheng liked him or that girl in his class with every passing second. “Let’s kill this love!” He chanted, dropping a little of the whiskey on the floor. 

  “Huaisang!” Mingjue screamed over the noise. “What are you doing?”

  “Dancing!” Huaisang laughed, drinking a little more. He didn’t care if he passed out, he was having the time of his life. And nobody would stop him. 

  “And drinking!” His cousin, TongTong, said beside him. “Do you know I love you?”

  “Yes. And I love you too!” He yelled back as Mingjue threw him over a shoulder. “Da-Ge!” He turned to him, completely ultraged. “What are you doing?” 

  “Getting you home.” Mingjue retorted, putting the nearly empty bottle on a table nearby. “You are too drunk, Huaisang.”

  “No! I was having fun!” He reached for the bottle. “Funkiller!” He screamed at the top of his lungs before dissolving in a mess of giggles. 

  “You’re absolutely wasted.” He sighed, dumping his little brother in the backseat of the car. 

  “No, I’m Huaisang.” Giggled as Mingjue started to leave the parking lot. “Da-ge…” He called, lifting a hand to him. “Auntie said that Uncle is marrying that whore so he could take over father’s business.” 

  “I’m still here.” Mingjue patted his head. “As long as I’m here, you will be fine. And father’s business too.”

  “But, Da-Ge…” Huaisang groaned, turning to him. 

  “Go to sleep, A-Sang. No uncle of ours will take over father’s business.” The older one threw his own jacket over the other’s shoulders. “Da-Ge will resolve everything.” He stroked Huaisang’s hair, smiling sadly at his sleepy brother. “No need to worry.” Was the last thing that Nie Huaisang heard before dozing off to a dreamless sleep, the first of many nights since he moved on with Jiang Cheng. 

  Sincerely, he didn’t know the exact reason him and Cheng had moved in. At first thought, Jiang Cheng’s brother, Wei Ying, was moving in with his boyfriend, Lan Zhan, and Nie Huaisang needed a place near the Art Institute after he got accepted. At second thought, Da-Ge could always buy him an apartment, but he prefered to go living with his long-life crush and best friend.

  Now, here he was, sleeping on his older brother’s backseat while he drove around the city, giving him time to think, sleep or do anything Huaisang wanted to. But, what Huaisang wanted to do right now was go home and hide from all the world for the rest of the weekend, just eating and watching Netflix with Jiang Cheng. And, yet, he really didn't want to deal with Jiang Cheng saying that he was irresponsible, that all he and Wei Wuxian knew was to party and just get themselves fucking wasted and a lot of other things. So, nah, not coming home tonight. 

  Because of that, when he woke up, Huaisang looked through the window in front of him, trying to calculate if they had already arrived at his apartment or not. He really didn’t want to deal with Jiang Cheng’s grumpiness and all of the Jiangs brothers’ dramas tonight (nor the rest of the weekend, to be true).

  "Da-Ge…" He whispered, getting up slowly. "Where are we?" Huaisang asked, putting Mingjue’s jacket on.

  "Almost at your home." Mingjue answered, making a soft turn. "Your husband called four times already." He smirked as his little brother came to sit on the seat next to him. “Apparently, you are two hours past your bedtime.”

  "Who?" Huaisang asked, putting the seat belt on. “I don’t have a husband. Nor bedtime. I’m not living with you anymore.”

  “If you say so…” The older smiled fully, stopping in front of a small building. “Here we are.” 

  “I don’t want to go in, Da-Ge.” He whined, turning to him slowly, after some time. 

  “Why not?” Mingjue asked, entering in the overprotective mood instinctively. “What did that Jiang do to you? And don’t you dare lie to me, Huaisang, because I know he did something to you. You never drank how you drank today, Huaisang! Actually you never drank anything stronger than… Than… I never saw you drinking before, Huaisang!” He waved around, looking terrified. “So, please, please, what happened? You can tell Da-Ge. Da-Ge will protect you from that monster!’ He held Huaisang’s hands, searching for the younger’s eyes. 

  “Da-Ge!” Huaisang looked up to him, exasperated. “Jiang Cheng did nothing wrong!” He huffed, feelling the little squish Minigjue gave to his hands. “It’s not Jiang Cheng’s fault I still have a crush on him, beside I got worried about you and dad…” But Mingjue wasn’t hearing anymore, too shocked to process anything else. “And you aren’t even listening.” He sighed, rolling his eyes, before yelling. “Da-Ge!” 

  “What do you mean ‘still have a crush’? When did you get a crush on that kid?!” Mingjue grabbed him, pulling him closer. “And he doesn’t love you back? Fuck business’ friendship, I’m going to commit a murder.” He whispered in Huaisang’s hair. “Don’t worry, A-Sang, Da-Ge is here.” He patted his back.

 “Da-Ge!” Huaisang pushed him away. “He doesn’t know and neither do I want him to.” Huaisang murmured, leaning back into his seat. “Just… Just take me to another place, please.” He closed his eyes, not working the energy to talk with Mingjue or anyone else and, yet, expecting him to argue. But the older one just hummed in agreement and drove away (still shooting a murderous look at the small and beige building). 

  After that, the Nie brothers went to an old apartment of theirs. Even if Mingjue wanted to stay and take care of his younger brother, he had responsibilities with their dad’s enterprises, trips to do and new deals to make. Nie Huaisang didn’t blame him, he did all of it so he didn’t have to, that’s all. His Da-Ge only wanted him to be happy, doing what pleased him. 

  At first, he planned to pass only a day there, but then a day became two and, suddenly, it was Wednesday and Huaisang had even put a foot out of the loft since the party. Nie Mingjue came to visit him everyday, not commenting on what he was doing, nor saying what was happening in the world around them. 

  "You really didn't check on your phone since we got here?" Mingjue sighed after Huaisang asked how TongTong was doing along with Zonghui. 

  "No, it died three days ago. The only charge here is from my old one.” He shrugged, making coffee for them. "And I couldn't find my old one."

  "I see." He took the mug from Huaisang's hand. "Have you explained why you didn't go to college this week?" 

  "Nope." He chuckled, popping the "p". "I didn't even manage to work up the courage to get out of here, Da-Ge, let alone actually talk to someone.”

  "And what the hell were you doing here all this time?" Mingjue sighed, putting the mug down.

  "I'm painting again. And drawing. I forgot how cool and relaxing it was, to just paint and don't worry about anything else." Huaisang smiled, playing with his cup. "Do you want to see them?" 

  "Yeah. I do, A-Sang." 

  “C’mon, they are in my room.” He led the way to his bedroom, even though it was usually the other one who used it in his freetime. Seriously, since he had moved in with Jiang Cheng the only places he went to was the college, Mingjue and Xichen’s house, Wei Wuxian and Lan Zhan’s apartment and his own apartment, beside the shopping nearby. ‘When did I get so old?’, he thought as he showed some drawings he had made that week. ‘When did I get so domesticated? And A-Cheng still says that the only thing I do is partying.’ 

  “These are pretty cool. Thinking about putting it in your portfolio?” Mingjue asked, smiling to the scenes of birds and bees, to the neighbour’s drooling dog smiling back at him and to the… “Wait, what’s this?” He squinted his eyes, not quite believing in himself. “Is it Jiang Cheng--”

  “Nope, this is personal, Da-Ge!” Huaisang pulled the paper from his hands, hiding it beneath his pillow, breathing deeply. “What about the other ones? Did you like it?”

  “Yes, but I’m more interested in the one beneath your pillow.” He crossed his arms, smirking at him. “Was the young Jiang here these days?”

  “No, Da-Ge, A-Cheng is at home, studying and, probably, hitting on a girl in his class.” 

  “Why do you say that?”

  “Because he only talks about her! He’s always like Hua Mei this, Hua Mei that. She is gentle as a morning breeze and smooth as a petal.” He murmured, pouting. “That little shit didn’t even notice that it was always me, me, who was there for him. Not Hua Mei.” 

  “A-Sang, don’t take it wrong, but you should get back because your man asks me about you every single day!” Mingjue said, sitting on the bed. “Every single day, the Jiang boy asks where are you? Why aren’t you going to class?”

  “He does?” Huaisang turned to him, momentarily forgetting his paintings.

  “Of course, he does.” Mingjue huffed, rolling his eyes. “It’s getting annoying.” 

“Oh!” He said, fidgeting his nails, stopping for a while. If it was true what Mingjue was saying, maybe, just maybe, Nie Huaisang had been a little bit too blind too, but nothing he couldn’t handle. He just had to muster up the courage to get out of the loft and actually talk to his crush. “Do you know if he is in class now? Or something like that?”

  “For what I know, he is currently in class, sending you messages a mile per hour.” Mingjue fished the phone from his back pocket, looking at its screen for a second. “A cousin of us does the same classes as Jiang Cheng and said she would keep an eye on him for you.”

  “Which cousin? A-Hua? I remember she wanted to be a veterinarian.” He said, laying behind him. “Or it was A-Liang?”

  “A-Hua. Wang Hua Mei.” He smirked as realization came to his didi, his eyes widening with every minute. “Yes, our little cousin Wang Hua Mei who is a lesbian and a veterinary student.” 

  “I was jealous of A-Hua? The little A-Hua?! No!” He hid his face with his hands, howling dramatically. “I can’t believe this! Please, tell me TongTong don’t know this.”

  “Of course I know this, sweet cousin. I know everything that happens in this crazy family, including the affairs and jealousy.” TongTong laughed, smiling. “Aaand you should thank me too. I made damage control on that video of us dancing. In the wedding.” 

  “What video?” Huaisang looked between his fingers, fear cradling at his insides. 

  “The one where you scream Fuck Jiang Wanyin so many times it became the name of the video.” Nie Mingjue said, smiling too. 

  “And to best everything, Let’s Kill This Love is blasting in full volume.” TongTong sat by his head, caressing his hair. “You really know the choreography, uhm?”

  “Of course I do.” He mumbled, trying to hold the tears back. Now Jiang Cheng wouldn’t look at his face ever again. “I really screamed Fuck Jiang Wanyin?”

  “It’s the name of the video, A-Sang, dear. What do you think?” She sighed, eyes looking fondly at him. 

  “Oh, gods! A-Cheng isn’t going to look at me ever again, Da-Ge!” Nie Huaisang groaned, trying to not scream too loudly. “What am I going to do?” 

 “I don’t know, fight back, try to talk with him, change your name and move to the USA.” Nie Mingjue shrugged, getting up. “Either way you choose, you will have to get out of this loft, get your things in your apartment and know that your family is by your side. Now, get up, hand me that painting of the Jiang kid and let me be the judge if it will go to your portfolio or not.”

  “What painting?” TongTong said, perking up. 

  “Da-Ge!” Nie Huaisang screamed, but pulled the painting from beneath the pillow nevertheless. He may not know what he was going to do right now, but he knew that his family was going to be by his side at any circumstance. Because that’s what you do when you are part of the Nie family, you take care of each other and let yourself be taken care of. 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

  Okay, maybe the idea of bringing Nie Mingjue, TongTong, Nie Zonghui and A-Hua wasn’t the greatest idea Nie Huaisang ever had in his life, but they were family and certainly would intervene in the talk he was about to have with Jiang Cheng. If they did, then he would accept Nie Mingjue’s advice and move to the USA as quickly as he could because they were going to start screaming with Jiang Cheng and one another and Nie Huaisang would be kicked out of his home. And if there were a few things that he couldn’t stand, being humiliated was on top of them all. 

  “Okay, listen. I’m going to talk to him, okay? No need to shout or intervene or pull any weapon I didn’t manage to find before we came here, alright?” He turned to them, trying to look like the personification of calm and collected. “It’s just a talk, nothing that I can’t handle. There’s nothing to panic over. Everything is fine.”

  “A-Sang, dear, you look like you want to be everywhere minus here.” TongTong said, passing him a fan. “Here, you forgot this at the party.”

  “Thank you.” He said, breathing deep as he looked for the spare key they usually let hidden on his plants. “Ah, here.” He pulled it out, shaking it a little. “Breathe, Huaisang, it’s very unlike that he is going to be home now.” He whispered, behind his fan, looking to the sides. “Everyth--”

  “Nie Huaisang.” Jiang Cheng growled, coming out of the kitchen, hearing an apron and yielding a knife. 

  “Da-Ge!” He yelped, running to hide behind Nie Mingjue. “Help”

  “Haven’t you said that you didn’t need our help?” Nie Mingjue snickered, looking at him over his shoulder. “It’s just a talk, nothing I can’t handle. It was something like that, right?”

  “Shut up.” He murmured, making himself look smaller.  

  “Hold yourself, kiddo.” Nie Zonghui rolled his eyes, a hand inside his jacket. “Put the knife down, Young Master Jiang.” 

  “Why the hell didn’t you answer my calls?! Or my messages?!” He said, walking to him. “Excuse us. Can you leave?” 

  “Ooh, I like him. He has no brain cells, just pure and beautiful anger.” TongTong whispered to A-Hua, smiling like crazy.

  “Jiang-xiong has brain cells, he is just too worried with Huaisang-gege and kind of angry too.” She whispered back, laughing behind her hands. “They are kind of cute together, don’t you think?”

  “Yeah. Good propaganda too.” 

  “TongTong!” She slapped her arm as the other just shrugged. 

  “Let go of the knife and I will step back.” Nie Mingjue said, looking amused at him. “Now, Wanyin.”

  “Fine.” Jiang Cheng turned around, scowling as he put the knife on the small cafe table Jiang Yanli gave them. “Happy now?”

  “Yeah…” The oldest Nie of the room stepped aside, smirking at him. "For now." 

  "Why didn't you respond to my messages, Huaisang? Just because of that video?" He said, furrowing his eyebrows. 

  "Yes?" Nie Huaisang said, hiding behind his fan. 

  "That's it? Yes?" He crossed his arms. "No more explanation?" 

  "I panicked, okay? I thought you weren’t going to look at my face ever again and hide.” Nie Huaisang started, knowing fully well that he would start rambling. “I was angry at you, okay? Every single time you opened your mouth, you would talk about Hua-Mei this, Hei-Mua that and I was getting jealous, alright? To worsen everything, when I arrived at the party, my fucking aunt simply glued on me and would let go, insisting that my uncle was marrying another woman so he could get children and usurp Dad’s company because Da-Ge insists that he is not dating Lan Xichen. But everybody knows that they are dating. And nobody believes that I could command it because I’m just the ‘poor and innocent A-Sang’!” 

  “Huaisang. Huaisang. NIE HUAISANG!” Jiang Cheng screamed, clapping his hands together. “Breathe!” He instructed when Nie Huaisang looked at him. 

  “No! Now that I started, I will finish. I was angry at you, I was angry at my poor Aunt who did nothing more than tell me gossip and I was angry at Hua-Mei without reason.” He pointed at her, fan furiously coming back and forth in front of him. “So, I started drinking and Wu brought me a bottle and I got another from who knows who and then TongTong asked if I knew how to dance Let’s Kill This Love. Of course I know how to dance it. I remember dancing, drinking and not caring even when Da-Ge put me on his shoulder and carried me out of there.” 

  “Why didn’t you come home?” Jiang Cheng crossed his arms again. 

  “Because I couldn’t look at your face, see you praising someone else and deal with the Jiang brother’s drama while drunk and dealing with my own drama and drinking. I was fucking wasted, A-Cheng, my hangover was horrible and I didn’t left the loft for nothing but do go get some groceries.” He answered, rubbing his face. "That 's it! Happy now?”

  “So you're telling me that you got jealous over me and Hua-Mei, who is a lesbian and have a girlfriend…”

  “And cousin.” The girl added, smiling. 

  “I didn’t know that at the time.” Nie Huaisang grumbled. 

  “And cousin, angered yourself in the wedding, got yourself drunk, started dancing with your another cousin and screamed Fuck Jiang Wanyin seventeen times in a row while singing Let’s Kill This Love?” Jiang Cheng carried on, lifting one finger to each action he quoted. “That’s why you didn’t answer my messages?”

  “My phone died and I didn’t have a charger nearby.” He shrugged, still slowly fanning himself. “Sorry.” Jiang Cheng stayed silent, looking at him with furrowed eyebrows. Some moments passed and nobody said a thing, just looking at each other as if trying to determine what was going to help next. 

  “A-Cheng, say something, please.” Nie Huaisang begged, when it all got too much for him. 

  “So, you like me?” Jiang Cheng said, looking uncertain of himself. 

  “Yes, A-Cheng, I like you.” He smiled as TongTong groaned behind him and A-Hua chuckled. 

  “Good, don’t this again or last time I will break your legs.” He took the knife back, walking to the kitchen. “I’m making dinner, put the table.” 

  “Okay, okay.” Nie Huaisang smiled, following him, chuckling when he heard Nie Mingjue said begrudgingly. 

  “Did he just use my threat?” 

  “Yeah, he did.” Nie Zonghui said, chuckling too.

  "I'm liking him even more." TongTong said as A-Hua agreed with her. "We are staying for dinner, aren't we?"

  "Yeah. I'm fucking hungry." Nie Mingjue said and Nie Huaisangī wouldn’t be happier than he already was. 

  “Just so you know, I like you back. Since we were in school.” Jiang Cheng whispered to him, nudging his arm with his elbow. 

  “Does this mean we are dating?” He whispered back, a smile forming on his lips. 

  “I think so. What you think?” He smiled back, returning to where he was cutting the vegetables before. 

  “Yes! I love you!” Nie Huaisang jumped at him, kissing his face. 

  “Careful, you idiot, I’m holding a knife!” He screamed, but soon he was laughing too. And if Nie Mingjue and the others looked inside the kitchen and screamed at them for delaying dinner with their smooches, Nie Huaisang didn’t care because now he was truly happy! He was dating his childhood crush, his family were by his side and happy for him and even if there were things that were kind of bad in his life, it was nothing he couldn’t handle. Alone or not. 

[anywhozits]

The Best Game of Charades Literally Ever

Rating: T-ish

Pairing: Kristanna

Words: 4306

Summary: Kristoff and Anna are way too nervecited for their family game night after finding out they’re going to have a baby. Because, truly, there’s no better way to tell Elsa and Olaf than by playing a little charades...

Notes: because @justlookatthosesausages posted about charades pregnancy announcements today I thought I should post this fanfic I wrote in december but didn’t have the courage to post hehe thx to my friends who read it back then on my email blast lol

not exactly the same as the brilliant ideas @justlookatthosesausages had BUT I hope you all still enjoy! 

Anna felt like she was about to jump out of her skin. Jittery. Nervous. Excited. Nervexcited. Nervecited. Something like that. That combo word was truly the only one she could make up that could properly describe exactly how she felt.

She’d had a bit of an inkling for a few weeks now, but nothing certain. She still felt vastly unprepared, lacking knowledge of anything remotely scientific about how this was supposed to work, but regardless … now she felt certain. She knew. This was really happening – so soon after she and Kristoff had gotten married. Honestly exactly the way she wanted it. Another check mark on not being alone anymore.

The second she had allowed herself to finally admit it she knew she wanted to tell Elsa. Even though they didn’t live within the same walls anymore, their bond was still one of such great tenacity that Anna couldn’t imagine waiting the recommended three more months to tell her. Even if things went south … Elsa would be there.

But no. Anna wouldn’t consider that. She was too happy and nothing could ruin this moment of epic nervecited-ness.

All Anna had to do was send a little letter over Gale mail requesting the presence of only Elsa and Olaf at Friday game night that week. She loved both Honeymaren and Ryder but felt that maybe she actually should wait a bit longer to tell them, per doctor’s orders. This probably had set off some alarm bells in Elsa’s mind, but Anna didn’t know of another way to do it and honestly this beautiful charades idea was just too juicy to not use. Nervecited. Oh so nervecited.

Anna’s eyes flicked to the clock quickly and she bit her lip, foot tap tap tapping in a frenzy. Elsa was three minutes late.

Anna wanted to scream it out loud for everybody to hear. She couldn’t wait any longer. Instead of screaming, though, she let out a frustrated groan. “Elsa, where are you?!” She dramatically flopped onto the sofa, sighing again and staring with laser focus at the clock, counting the seconds and tapping her feet together to the beat.

Just in time for Kristoff to saunter into the parlor, knowing exactly what a state he was about to find his wife in. “Anna, baby—"

Anna shot up on the couch and sat with her legs zipped together, absent mindedly rubbing her stomach. “Anna baby?! Anna and baby you mean or just Anna, baby like pet name baby? Or both? Sorry … I didn’t mean to cut you off …” She got up from the couch and grabbed Kristoff’s hands. “I’m just so excited and then you said baby and wow we’re having a baby, Kristoff!”

He pulled her into his arms in a tight embrace, Anna virtually disappearing in Kristoff’s large, burly frame. He kissed her forehead tenderly. “I’m really excited, too, Anna.”

“Nervecited?” Anna felt better about her word creation. Smirking.

Kristoff chuckled. “Nervecited for tonight. Excited for the future.” That made Anna’s smirk turn to a beam.

“So did you mean Anna baby or Anna and baby or something more like—”

“Anna, baby. Pet name baby. But Anna and baby is definitely much cuter. So I probably should’ve claimed it.”

Anna laughed a bit and snuggled her head into Kristoff’s strong chest. “I love you.”

He hugged her tighter. If that were even possible. “I love you too, Anna and baby.”

Anna stood up on her tip toes and brought her lips up to Kristoff’s. He responded passionately, parting her lips with his tongue and deepening the kiss. Anna’s arms floated up to Kristoff’s head and she pulled their lips in closer, harder, encircling his tongue with her own. Kristoff’s hands habitually drifted lower and lower until they rested on her rump and he gave both cheeks a playful squeeze. She giggled into his kiss, pushing her pelvis closer up to his pelvis, feeling his excitement growing. Feeling her very own excitement pulsating down below.

A cough. From somewhere in the distance. And then: “Uhhh...”

Kristoff and Anna jumped to attention, taking several paces away from each other, both wiping their lips, Anna smoothing her dress down. They were both nervously laughing. Anna tried to get some words out. “Oh, Elsa we—you’re—wow here you are.”

Kristoff thought he needed to try speaking as well. “We were just—uh—”

“I’m sorry I’m late,” Elsa said, completely deadpan.

“No, no. That’s perfectly all right. We were still … um—” Kristoff cleared his throat. Elsa had caught them probably dozens of times but without fail the most recent always felt like it was the most awkward. Gulp. “Getting organized.”

Anna took a deep breath, brushing off all of the discomfort. She was married now, after all. Much less embarrassing by default. Plus, now that Elsa was here… showtime. “Elsa! So happy to see you!” Anna pranced up to her sister and gave her an enthusiastic embrace. “I’m gonna go wrangle up a snowman and a reindeer… well, not wrangle, but uh—you know what I mean! Be back soon.” She gave a small wave to her husband and sister before dashing off, skipping eagerly in anticipation.

Kristoff let out a breath he didn’t know he had been holding. “Sorry about—”

Elsa spoke at the same time. “How are—" They both laughed, wishing in that moment they had Anna’s ability to bounce back from any slightly uncomfortable situation. “You don’t need to apologize, Kristoff.”

“Agh, well…” Now he was starting to feel this same nervecited sentiment creeping into himself. He worried about saying anything for fear of spoiling it right then and there. And he knew how much Anna wanted to be the one to tell Elsa.

“How are you enjoying being the Prince Consort?” More than two months with this title and Kristoff still hadn’t gotten used to it. His coronation had been August, a couple weeks after his and Anna’s royal wedding, but Kristoff found he generally avoided the subject of this title that he felt he didn’t deserve.

“Uh—it’s good. I haven’t done much so far, but I did start attending some meetings over the last week...not that anybody takes me seriously—but I think—maybe—they’re starting to?” Whisper around Europe was that the Queen of Arendelle had settled for a commoner. And not just any commoner—an ice harvester at that. Someone who would know nothing of diplomacy despite his yearlong stint in international ice affairs. “Anna is doing great, though. She does all the work. Perfectly, too.”

“I know how Anna’s doing,” Elsa said matter-of-factly. “I was curious about you. I’m glad they’re starting to take you seriously, Kristoff. You deserve that kind of respect.”

Kristoff blushed. “Thanks.”

“Do you think you want to take more of an active role in the future?”

“No, no. Definitely not. I’m happy to watch Anna shine.”

“Might come in handy if you’re still hoping for that big family?”

Before he knew what was happening, Kristoff let out a huge surprised, “Ha!” as he bit his lip, suddenly concerned with how much he could give away out of sheer shock. Somehow, he reigned it in. “Uh—yeah. That’s sort of what I was thinking actually… I mean—we definitely do still want…you know—lots of babies. At some point. I don’t know. Doesn’t need to be soon. It’ll happen when it happens. Which could be… next month or next year or even—”

Truly just in time to rescue Kristoff from utter secret-keeping doom, Anna, Olaf, and Sven came bounding into the parlor. His nervous habit of rambling was getting out of hand, but at least he and Anna had that in common.

“Here we all are! We’re all here! It’s charades time— can you believe it? Another Friday night with the family!” Anna was squealing this in an octave much higher than her normally high voice.

“Hi, Elsa! I missed you!” Olaf snuggled up close to Elsa.

“It’s only been a week…”

“But a BIG week. Right, Kristoff?” Anna just about winked.

“Right,” Kristoff said. Oh dear were they making this obvious. Paired with the fact Ryder and Honeymaren weren’t invited… Elsa probably already knew. Sven winked at both Kristoff and Anna before taking his place by the timer. Kristoff had shared the news with him the second the doctor confirmed their suspicions, reacting with pure elation.

Exactly how she hoped Elsa and Olaf would react tonight… still so nervecited!

Anna couldn’t wait any longer. “Okay everyone, sit sit sit sit sit.” She ushered the three of them to do just that and they followed her orders, after all – she was the Queen.

Right as Anna slumped down on the couch she jumped back up again. “I’ll go first!”

Anna and Kristoff had originally discussed that Anna would not go first but instead go last, since her announcement would almost certainly stop the game. But when Anna set her mind to something … and tonight that something was telling her sister the announcement she was so incredibly beyond excited to share, she was not going to wait even a second longer.

“We’re gonna do this round together, all right? No teams. Winner takes all.” She made a show of picking out the piece of paper, reading what it said. Book. Throwing it to the ground. “Okay… everyone ready?”

Elsa and Kristoff both nodded while Olaf raised his twig arm in the air in a sing-songy, “Yes!”

“Sven, flip the timer!” Anna exclaimed enthusiastically. Here we go. HERE WE GO!

Anna smiled widely. Beamed, really, and giggled. She took both her hands and pointed at her belly with her index fingers.

Olaf went first. “Buttons?”

Anna shook her head.

“Belly button?” No. “Dress?”

Anna shook her head more forcefully and kept pointing to her belly. Kristoff had a matching smile on his face but said nothing.

Elsa, next. “Oh! Corset?” No.

Olaf started rattling off answers. “You… ate too much? Your stomach hurts? Oh—just stomach maybe? Indigestion? You’re hungry? You’re in a food coma!” Anna kept shaking her head vigorously. No, no, no.

“You’re going to throw up?” Elsa added.

Anna smirked, and half nodded half shook her head. Kind of? Or was it more confusing to go down this path?

Nobody was getting it. Anna didn’t know what else to do.

Clearly, they should’ve practiced more. Kristoff always got it on the third try. Hungry? Stomach? Ohmygodyouandyouramazinghusbandkristoffarehavingababy.

“Kristoff you’re not guessing!” Olaf added, confused.

“Oh—uh—right. Guessing. Charades. Right,” Kristoff gulped, knowing he could very well spoil everything. They hadn’t practiced this either. “Uh—stomach?”

“I already guessed that, Kristoff. Keep up,” Olaf said, scowling.

“S… sick?”

Anna couldn’t help but laugh and concurrently shook her head. Kristoff was an awful actor. Truly horrid.

Olaf grimaced. “Okay, Kristoff. Never mind. You can stop guessing now.” Kristoff’s cheeks turned slightly rosy but then he caught a glimpse at Sven grunting and somehow subtly bouncing in panic as he eyed the timer.

“Anna! You’re running out of time!”

Panic set in. She knew she couldn’t try to give this same clue for another round. That would be more confusing than it already was.

So she switched gears. Leaving rehearsed territory. Taking a different charades direction.

Anna pantomimed rocking a baby, pressing her forearms together and moving them side to side.

Elsa raised an eyebrow. “Uh… swing? Holding something … holding a basket?”

Anna shook her head again.

“Holding Olaf!” Olaf exclaimed, very excited about the prospect of this being the answer. “Like that one time I flurried!”

“Carrying something?”

Anna’s eyes lit up. She brought her right arm out and started gesturing for them to keep guessing. They were on the right track. Ish. The closest track they had been on during this game at least.

“Carrying … ice? Carrying … chocolate? Carrying …”

“Olaf!” He was still too excited about this.

Now she sighed. They were not as close as she had hoped. So, she switched gears again, pivoting in her boots to show them her profile, taking her right arm and tracing a big belly on top of her own. A hint of what was to come. And then she pointed to herself. Back to the belly tracing. Then back to herself.

“You… ate too much? Did I already guess that?” Olaf was lost.

But Elsa wasn’t. The penny dropped suddenly, and she had to clap her left hand over her mouth in ecstatic shock. “Anna… are you… ?”

Anna’s squeal was almost deafening. “Yes!” She brought her arms in close, pumping them up and down and up and down before doing the same thing with her whole body. “Yes, yes, yes!” Anna’s eyes were welling up with joyful tears, but she didn’t care enough to wipe them away.

Elsa sprang from the couch and ran over to her sister, grabbing her hands and pulling her in for a hug. “Anna, I’m so happy for you.” Elsa pulled away from the hug and walked over to Kristoff, giving him a tender embrace as well. “And you, too, Kristoff. Congratulations.” She turned back to Anna. “How have you been feeling? How long have you known?”

Anna opened her mouth to answer but Olaf jumped on top of the couch to make himself known.

“Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. What was the answer?”

Anna smiled at him, softly. Clueless in a cute way. “The answer is… I’m going to have a baby... Kristoff and I are having a baby, Olaf.”

“WHAT?! A BABY?! You and Kristoff… I’m an UNCLE?!”

Tears welled in Anna’s eyes again. She could only nod, unable to speak without crying out.

“Where’s the baby?!” Olaf started toddling around the parlor, looking everywhere he thought maybe a baby could be hiding. Under the couch. “Is the baby here?” Behind the door. “Are you here, baby?” He dramatically pulled the curtains. “Ah-hah! I know you’re hiding back here!” His face fell when he only saw windows on the other side.

Anna, Kristoff, and Elsa were all in stitches. “Olaf…the baby’s in here.” Anna put her hands on her stomach.

“Hiding under your dress?”

Anna tried to gather herself enough in between giggles to answer him properly. “The baby’s inside of me right now. It’s really tiny. Just started growing … but for the next few months my stomach is gonna get bigger and bigger because the baby will get bigger, and then it’ll be born once it’s big enough and then maybe it’ll be hiding behind the curtains.”

“You don’t have a big belly at all, Anna.”

“No, not yet. The baby is really, really small right now. The doctor told me not to tell anybody until I can feel it moving, which won’t be for a few more months, but I just couldn’t wait to tell you!”

Understanding lit up on Elsa’s face. “That’s why Honeymaren and Ryder weren’t invited.”

“You caught us,” Kristoff said. Anna grabbed Kristoff’s arm and leaned in closer to him, resting her head on his chest. Kristoff readjusted to put his arm around her, pulling her in to kiss her forehead.

Olaf still felt he had some unresolved question. “But… how did it get in there? Did you eat something special?”

Kristoff dropped his arm and quickly became utterly stiff. Anna’s cheeks flushed red and Elsa laughed. She definitely knew this was coming.

“Agh—that’s… that’s a question. Yup. That’s a … question.” Kristoff was floundering.

“Uh-huh! That’s why I asked it!”

Kristoff realized his mistake in speaking right away. He tried to deflect. “Elsa? Anna? Anything to add?”

“Nope. All you, husband.”

“El…Elsa?”

“Sorry, Kristoff.”

Olaf stared at the three of them wide eyed in anticipation. He knew this answer had to be a good one if it took them this long to figure out who was going to explain it.

“Well… when Anna and I got married… and not before that. No, no, no. Definitely not before that,” Kristoff kept making some cringy nervous laughter sound that made everything that much more uncomfortable. But he knew Olaf had a big mouth and wanted to make sure he didn’t go blabbing to everyone around town about this. "Definitely not in sleds and closets and Elsa’s old study and—"

Elsa grimaced. “My former study?! When I used it?!”

“and forests and pantries—" Why did he always rattle off way too much information when he got nervous?

“Slow down there, honey,” Anna said, cheeks red as roses.

“Yes…right—uh—well, once we got married, we took… we really loved. Uh—what I mean to say is—when we are alone…sometimes—agh,” Kristoff kept looking at Anna and Elsa, hoping that they would rescue him, but they both shook their heads at his futile attempt. He groaned. Loudly. “Yes. Anna ate this special… pie? That… the trolls baked. For us. To have a baby. Uh-huh. You’re right, Olaf. She ate something special.”

Anna and Elsa were both hiding behind their hands, trying their best to suppress the laughter that threatened to escape. Sven brought his foot to his eyes in disgrace.

“Oh! Neat! Wow. I can’t wait to one day eat this pie and have little baby Olafs running around.” Olaf jumped in the air, happy to finally have some answers to help him with his carefully cultivated newfound wisdom. “Elsa, you can ask your questions now.”

Finally. Elsa had been waiting for this for far too long. “When did you find out?”

“I haven’t been uh – unwell since … September?” Anna never loved having to refer to her monthly gift as being unwell but sometimes she felt the need to come off as prim and proper in front of her sister. Some kind of residual need to impress Elsa, even though Elsa was impressed with her sister almost 100% of the time.

“August,” Kristoff said. Remembering an unfortunately messy tryst in the kitchen in the middle of the night that they spent far too long cleaning up, giggling like delirious school children the whole time.

Anna remembered this too and blushed. “August,” she repeated in a much cheerier tone, a bit of a wink directed at her husband. Elsa let out a surprised laugh. “I only let myself think it for real this week though. A few days ago, really,” Anna smiled at her husband. They had had a great last couple of days. “The doctor said the baby will probably come in May.”

“Whoooaaaaa. That’s so long from now,” Olaf said.

“How have you been feeling?”

“Mostly okay… I guess a little bit tired. Kristoff has been handling my morning meetings,” Anna said before adding in a whisper, “He didn’t wake me up until noon today.”

“Keeping up with your queenly duties while with child must be pretty difficult,” Elsa said, thankful to not have to deal with leading a kingdom anymore.

“Not if I get to sleep until noon every day!”

“It helps me, too, since uh—she’s been pretty—uh—moody... even more so if she has an early morning,” Kristoff explained.

Anna’s voice got lower, louder, angrier. “Oh, come on, who asked you?!” The second those words came out of her mouth she clapped her hand over her mouth started laughing. The others all joined in, always appreciating Anna’s ability to laugh at herself at any time. “He’s right!”

“And … have you been able to eat? I didn’t really want to bring this up earlier, but you look quite thin.” Elsa had noticed for the last couple weeks that Anna’s collarbones were protruding a bit more than they usually did.

Anna sighed. “Not really. Well, I can eat I guess but it won’t really … stay in there? If you know what I mean. I’d say I haven’t been able to eat much for … two weeks now?”

Kristoff nodded. He had started keeping a journal to get all of these things straight ahead of fatherhood.

“Actually, the only thing I’ve been able to keep down is … chocolate.” Anna’s eyes lit up as she sang that word. Chocolate. The most perfect of all the foods. “And on that note… honey?” Anna held out her right hand to her husband.

“Got you, baby.” He pulled out some carefully wrapped truffles from his vest pocket. Elsa and Olaf looked at each other and then back at Kristoff. Not something they expected. He shrugged. “I keep these truffles in my pockets at all times.”

“My hero,” Anna said, swooning, popping truffle after truffle into her mouth.

“Do you have any extra for me there, Kristoff?” Elsa smiled. “They smell delicious.”

Kristoff chuckled as he somehow produced even more truffles and dropped them into Elsa’s hands. “I swear you two should enter a chocolate eating contest or something.”

“Well you know we’d win.” Kristoff could only guess that was what his wife said as her mouth was overflowing and spilling of chocolate.

“Did you make these yourself?” Elsa’s words were also barely comprehensible.

Kristoff nodded. “Gotta make sure Anna has her chocolate fix at least eight times a day.”

She giggled. “He really knows how to please me,” Anna said before realizing the slightly different implications her words could take on. “Ah—uh—not in that way. I mean, obviously in that way… because you know, the baby and all. I mean not—not actually obviously because I ate that cake thingie from the trolls. And that’s why…”

“Slow down there, honey,” Kristoff said, smirking and snaking his arm around her waist. “And it was a pie, remember?”

“Yes—yes. Of course! The pie thingie. From the trolls!”

Despite Anna trying way too hard to remedy this situation for the sake of Olaf’s preserved innocence, Olaf paid no mind. Honestly, he probably paid very little attention to that last bit of conversation generally. His questions were more interesting than Elsa’s anyway. As a result, he dramatically collapsed onto the couch. “I can’t believe we have to wait until May. That’s…” Olaf started counting on his twig fingers. “Seven months away?”

“But it’ll fly by, I’m sure… uh, and—” Anna had no idea why she felt nervous asking this of her sister, but she did, and she couldn’t ignore it. “Elsa, I’d love you to be there… when the baby’s born. If you want to, I mean. I don’t want to pressure you into anything since it’ll probably be, well—graphic. And everything.”

“I’d love to,” Elsa said, smiling. Feeling her heart swell. Anna let out a sigh of relief. No reason to be worried.

“Can I come?!” Olaf jumped in the air, but Anna shook her head and simply ignored him. Way too graphic for a snowman.

“Kristoff thought maybe he would send you something through Gale mail and then you could ride Nokk. You know, in case it happens quickly.”

“Wow you’ve really thought things through.”

“Kristoff has been working on an entire birth plan. And it’s very detailed. You should see his journals.” He was tracking her symptoms and her cycle and the weeks. He read countless books on pregnancy, transcribing pages upon pages of what happens on a week to week basis. And all of this in just a few days… his childbirth repertoire would only grow over the coming months.

But still he only shrugged. Oh-so-humble. “I want to know what she’s going through. So I can be there for her, fully, every single step of the way.” Elsa beamed. She was so happy that Kristoff was the man Anna had decided was her happily ever after.

“Awww,” Anna said, holding her hands close to her heart.

“When are you going to tell Honeymaren and Ryder? It’s going to be so hard to not give it away!”

“Whichever Friday comes after I feel the baby start moving. Oh, oh! We can do some more charades! You can even guess your horrible answers again to throw them off track!” Anna said, “Oh, oh, OH! And maybe I’ll be showing by then and I don’t even have to mime it I can just, like, show it. Uh—wordplay totally intended.”

Before Elsa knew it, she had tears pooling in her eyes. She didn’t think she was one for tears but seeing her little sister beaming talking about her future family overwhelmed Elsa with emotions. “I’m so happy for you, Anna.”

“Aww!” Anna bounded up to her sister and brought Elsa into her arms. When she pulled away, she noticed how Elsa’s tears glistened in the moonlight, instantly feeling hot tears stinging her own eyes the second she did. She could barely get out: “Elsa… are you crying?”

Elsa started laughing but the tears spilled from her eyes and down her cheeks. Noticing Anna’s tears, Elsa started wiping them away with her thumbs. “And you’re crying, too.”

“You know I’m an empathetic crier,” Anna said, hugging her sister again.

“I’m just … so thrilled for you two. And I’m really excited to be an aunt.” Elsa squeezed Anna tighter and then beckoned for Kristoff to join. Olaf ran up to them and hugged Anna’s legs, shedding some wholesome and loving snowman tears in the process. Sven wedged his way in to lay his head on Anna’s shoulders. A group hug. The original family. All they needed was Sven to complete their family portrait.

They basked in each other’s warmth for a while, enjoying the tender moment. Thinking about how much was going to change, but at the same time knowing how much would stay the same. Them, holding each other. This. Hugs, love. Family. Although the family was getting bigger and would likely keep getting bigger… as long as they had each other, they knew that the only changes would be for the better. Because love is the one thing in life that’s permanent.

[queenmaracasandlove]

You’re My Best (Sex) Friend - Roger Taylor x F!Reader - Part IX (SMUT)

Word Count: +/- 3000

In the last part: After seeing Roger for the first time since she broke up with Linda, Y/N is invited by the drummer to Brian’s wedding.

Warnings: Smut (18+). Mention of drinking. Some angst. Minor fluff.

A/N: I struggled so much with this chapter and it’s late... I’m sorry. I wanted to give something that I felt was right... And this is as close as it could get. I feel like there is only one chapter and the epilogue left! Please tell me what you think. 

PART I PART II PART III PART V PART VI PART VII PART VIII

MASTERLIST

Taglists:

- Permanent: @reedusteinrambles​

- YMB(S)F: @ixchel-9275 ; @the-galaxy-witch​ 

Picture found on @g0d-isaw0man​ ‘s blog

Y/N’s lips crashed on Roger’s mouth, preventing him from finishing his sentence which was exactly the aim of her manoeuvre. She took a step back, realising she had just made a big mistake. Her brain was not working now and in an instant her fingers were in Roger’s hair and his on her bottom. Their bodies had been deprived of each other’s touch for so long that their hands could not stop exploring every inch of skin they had access to. Their minds were burning and their breathe panting. Roger’s lips were exploring Y/N’s neck who could have fainted because of the pleasure that it was providing her with. She could feel him hardening against her stomach and her legs had trouble staying stiff. 

‘Fuck, I missed this’ Roger whispered in her cleavage

‘Stop’ 

In one second she had came around and was keeping Roger at a distance with her hands. This was not what she wanted. 

*Flash Back*

When she had woken up on that morning, Y/N felt as happy as she was stressed. Happy because on her friend was getting married and she would be able to witness this magical day, stressed because she would spend it by the side of Roger Taylor, the man that had made her miserable for the past year, although not voluntarily. She had been unable to say no. Every inch of her being was dying to be with Roger, to inhale his sweet and musky scent and feel the heat of his body. 

Even though Linda had implied that her feelings for Roger might have been mutual, this went back to several months and she doubted the drummer would still feel the same way -if he had one day. Moreover, there was so much to talk about before even thinking about feelings. She wanted to apologize for everything and understand what had happened between the two of them. But not on this day, not at Brian’s wedding. 

She was finishing doing her hair and as she was putting lipstick on, she heard a car honking in the street. She urged to the window and waved to Roger for him to stop. 

Convinced that Roger would start that noise again if she did not hurry, Y/N left her home as quickly as her outfit allowed her to. She closed the door and walked towards the car, slowing down a little. He was smoking a cigarette leaning on his new car and Y/N could not help but think that he looked incredible although he could have made an effort with his hair. He was simply devouring her as she timidly smiled.

‘You truly are something love’ he admitted

‘Shut up and get back in, I don’t want to be late’

Surprisingly enough, this brief exchange was reassuring to both of them, because it sounded natural, as if nothing had happened. And when they thought about it -and they did a lot- nothing had happened between the two of them since last december at least anywhere else than in their heads. They both went into the car and on to the wedding. It smelt of cold cigarettes and Roger, and Y/N stomach tensed. Not because she did not like it, because it reminded her of his flat. 

‘I can’t believe Brian is getting married’ Y/N said, trying to change her mind

‘Stupid’

‘I mean, I understand John, I always thought he was going to marry young and have kids but Brian’

‘I think his humongous hair is preventing him from being intelligent’

‘He’s still smarter than you are Rog’ she joked

She was happy that the atmosphere was light. There was a reason she had considered him as one of her closest friend for so long. They understood each other and worked well together. They knew their individuals flaws and respected their views and opinions even though most of the time they shared the same one. After all, Y/N thought, maybe it would not be that hard. 

Before the day had arrived she had thought about asking him if he was seeing anyone, remembering the girl from the phone call. But she thought that it would be totally stupid. First she was not supposed to care and second, a few months had gone and Roger was not used to long lasting relationships. Nonetheless there was something that she wanted to talk about. She did not want him to think that things could go as they did before between them, at least sexually. And at the same time it was Brian’s big day and she did not want to create unnecessary tension. They kept talking before arriving to the venue. 

The ceremony was simple but lovely. Y/N felt so honoured to be part of the small number of people attending. She could not help but shed a tear when they exchanged their vows and Roger reached for her hand. Y/N did not have the strength to push him away. As the couple was announced as husband and wife she felt his grip tightened around her fingers. They let go of each other’s touch to applaud the newlyweds. Y/N almost felt sad about it but was trying to focus on Brian and Christine before following them outside. Everybody was asked to gather for a photograph, they all had to squeeze as close as possible and in order not to lose his plus one in the hurry, Roger gently grabbed by the waist and he felt her relaxing as he was doing so. They looked at each other and smiled as they were surprised by the flash of the camera. 

That was when Y/N realised that she was taking a wrong turn. She should not let herself believe that it was anything more than what it was. She could not let herself be hurt again. It had been so hard to overcome the past few months and she was finally happy. She could not allow herself to play the game, not even for one day. And from this moment on she avoided Roger. She first found relief with Freddie, pretending that she needed to catch up with him (although she had been in contact with him much more than with the drummer lately). She convinced him to get in the car with them for the journey to the reception, taking the backseat to let the singer in the front, avoiding Roger’s gaze as much as she could. 

Once they had arrived at the wonderful place where the reception was taking place, she always found an excuse to avoid him, talking to people she had never seen in her life, going to the toilets more than needed and helping herself with much more champagne than she should have. Her mind was now a little blurry but she was happy to see that it was the case of most guests. When she could not escape sitting at the designated table anymore, she sat next to Roger who was looking at her with intensity. She smiled and tried to act like her body was not completely hurting to be sat so close to him. 

Y/N was pleased to be sat with people that she knew although she felt out of place. John and Veronica, Freddie and Mary and finally Roger and her. Freddie and Mary might not be an item anymore but there was nothing surprising to see them together. But what was her role, why was she here? She shook her head and tried to focus on the conversation, sipping on her wine. 

‘I heard that your show had been nominated for an award’ John said

‘Oh...Yes !’ Y/N smiled ‘It’s wonderful’

‘We cannot wait to come and see you. Veronica cannot wait to see it, she loved the last one so much.’ John smiled

‘You don’t have to, really’ she waved

‘Y/N is brilliant. You should see her on stage. She’s unbelievable’ Roger said with a genuine enthusiasm

‘She learnt from the best’

As Freddie talked, Roger had placed his hand in Y/N’s back, making her shrug. She was so touched by his words and her mouth let out a little thank you that only him could hear. All the people around them witnessed this delicate moment without saying anything, hoping that it was a sign that things were going in the right direction. The conversation went on and Y/N relaxed as she felt fine. 

‘What about your house?’ Freddie asked ‘Is everything going alright?’

‘Yes’ Roger smiled, ‘Feels a little big for just me but…’

‘You have a house?’ Y/N interrupted in

‘I do’ he smiled

‘Since when?’ she asked, frowning

‘Well, I moved soon after the tour. The flat was not really suitable’

Y/N suddenly felt weird. It meant that when she had called in July, it was no longer Roger who lived in the flat. But what did he mean by ‘not suitable’? Did he regret letting her live there while he was away?

‘I hope it’s not my fault’

‘Of course it’s not love. I was sorry to see you go without saying goodbye’

There was an uneasiness but they kept silent. Some music was now playing and Roger offered his free hand to Y/N with a smile.

‘Would you mind?’

‘With great pleasure’ she smiled

The music was calm and played by a live band. The atmosphere was joyful and everybody was talking happily around them. But was Roger’s hand wrapped her waist, Y/N was transported in a world when only the both of them existed. She could feel her heartbeat getting faster as their bodies came closer. She could now feel Roger’s breath on her skin, making her hair erect on her arms. She allowed herself to close her eyes for a minute, Roger’s hands going down on her butt. Alcohol was running though her blood and her fingers started playing with his hair. Things were tensed and they were now so close that she could feel the driller hardening against her.

She felt dizzy as he whispered something non her ear. She suddenly opened her eyes and realised where she was. She was at Brian’s wedding and people were looking at them. They were not judging, some of them were smiling. As if they were just a nice couple dancing together and enjoying the night. But it was not what it was and she felt nauseous. She excused herself and went as fast as she could, leaving Roger in the middle of the dance floor. Now was not the time for a panic attack and she bitterly regretted the numerous drinks she had.

‘What the fuck are you playing at?’ 

Y/N turned and faced Roger. She had seen him angry numerous times, making a fuss, fighting sometimes. The drummer was quite temperamental. But she had never felt like she was the source of his fury. 

‘I am sorry Roger. I felt unwell, too many emotions and too much wine’ she tried

‘Stop it’ he shouted

Y/N almost jumped. This was the last thing she wanted, a scene. This was what she had tried to avoid all day long but it was happening and she did not know what to do. 

‘Y/N you’re going to tell me what is going on with you. Why the fuck did you agree to come if you’re going to avoid…’

Because of the panic, because of the fire in her chest and the need to make him stop talking as quickly as possible, she kissed him.

*End of Flash Back*

Y/N had parted from Roger, looking down. And before he could say anything, tears started to fill her eyes. 

‘I don’t want to do this’ Y/N said, her voice so low that Roger almost did not hear her

‘You kissed me’ he replied, confused 

‘I know. I am sorry.’

‘So… Can you tell me what is going on or do you have another way to escape again’

He sounded annoyed and Y/N could not blame him. She wanted to be honest but she felt scared. Scared that what she had to say would put an end to everything, scared that he would reject her, scared that she would lose him. She looked at him, his eyes and knew that it was time. They both deserved this misery to come to an end.

‘I just don’t want things to go like they were before’ she admitted

Roger frowned and tears started rolling on Y/N cheeks, ready to hear that there was no reason for them to see each other if things could not be like they used to. 

‘Then why did you come today?’ he asked, his voice filled with desillusion more than resentment

‘I thought…’ she hesitated ‘Roger. I am so sorry. I thought it was alright. That I could do it. But it started meaning more than just sex. You started to mean more than just… a friend’

At first Roger was confused, unsure of what she was talking about. She had gone much before the wedding. She was talking about months ago. 

‘I am sorry but I am not able to just be that kind of friend. But I don’t want to lose you Roger. Because…’

‘Oh Y/N. How could you be so stupid’ 

Y/N looked at Roger, her heart skipping a beat. She wanted to run away but was unable to move. Suddenly Roger’s arms were around her, his face in his neck. But it wasn’t sexual like a few minutes prior, it was more like a child in deep need of consolation. 

‘Y/N I am sorry. I should have told you right away. I should have told you before I went on this fucking tour. I should have told you before you started dating Linda. I should have told you every day since I realised’

‘Tell me what’

‘That I love you’

Y/N’s eyes were now wide opened as she was filled with happiness and confusion. 

‘But..’

‘I know’ he went on ‘I was such a prick with you. I wanted to things right and then I did everything wrong. When Linda came into your life, everything crashed down. I wanted to still be your friend but I saw that it made you unhappy. I thought you did not want to see me again. And then I heard that you had broken up but you never called. So I gave up. But you’re quite hard to get over with Y/N. You showed up at Hyde Park and it was this burning fire all over again. And you seemed happy to see me. I thought that maybe you felt the same way but…’

His eyes looked so sad telling all this. It was like the past months flashing in his head. All these missed opportunities, those weeks without talking with each other, these hours spent trying to forget her in someone else’s arms without ever succeeding. The devastating pain having to avoid her. But Y/N was here now as she caressed his cheeks with her arm. 

‘I do Roger. I love you.’ she cut him ‘And you’re right, I am stupid. I have hurt so many people because of my foolishness. You, Linda… even me. I know what your life is about Roger and it scared the fuck out of me. And I lied to everybody thinking that I could shut down how I felt about you. I am sorry. I am so sorry’ 

Y/N was crying when Roger’s lips came to meet hers. It was nothing like before. It was not filled with bestial sexual need, there was no rage, no fear. It was absolution. 

                                                   *****

It was hard to say how they had ended up there but Roger and Y/N were now kissing on Roger’s backseat. They could not part from each other, lips already swollen by their interrupted kiss. The drummer was shirtless as his hand were trying find their way under Y/N’s dress. Her hair was a mess and he found her so hot that a growl escaped his mouth, making her bite her lower lips.

‘Fuck Y/N’

As he was saying her name he finally reached was he was looking for. Y/N’s core was more than ready and he could feel it clench as he touched it. Y/N was seating on him and her hand grabbed the backrest as he was sliding his finger inside her. He wanted to please her, he wanted to make her feel love and as he was playing with her insides he kept kissing every part of his body that available to him.

‘Roger, as much as I would love it to last forever I think we should hurry’

‘Mmmh’ he sighed ‘Ain’t going to last long anyway’

He loved how rushed she was, how needy. She smiled at him and his heart felt even more full than it was already was. She took care of his trousers and released his swollen member. The precum was all over his shaft and Y/N eyes were betraying her lust. Roger helped her placing himself at her entrance. She buried her head in his shoulder as she let herself going down, Roger’s going deeper in her. Slowly, her hips moved again, providing pleasure they had never felt before. It was new, it was beautiful. 

Roger’s right hand was on her back as she moved faster. They whispered love words to each other as their high was approaching, something they had never done before but that made it even better. Y/N’s knees were tighter around Roger’s hips and his head was now between her breast as he tried not to scream her name. She felt Roger releasing himself inside her and her walls immediately clenched around his member. She rode her orgasm and stayed a minute with Roger inside of her as they kissed again, the corner of their lips rising on their cheeks. 

Roger wanted to get behind the steering wheel and take her away from here, somewhere that they would be alone and together, finally. But as she tried to collect herself together she convinced him that he should honour his host, they already been missing for long. They both went back inside, holding hands and radiating. The couple was cutting the cake. Roger and Y/N looked at each other and laughed, realising that they had gone right after the starter. 

‘Where the fuck have you been?’ Freddie said as they were back at the table

‘My girlfriend needed to be taken care of’ Roger exulted 

‘Well, took you long enough’ was all Freddie said

Y/N could have reprimanded Roger for his comment and yet. First of all, her friends were not that stupid and probably already knew what had been going on. She hoped though that nobody had seen or heard them. Second, she did not care. Third, although it did not matter, she was happy to know that they had their friends’ approval. And finally, Roger had called her his girlfriend and she could not be happier.

The little group started talking and drinking again. Cake was brought to their table was Roger who was starving devoured his slice, making Y/N laugh and getting cream on his nose. When people knew they were casually hooking up, they never publicly demonstrated anything, but things were different now. Drunk, mostly in love, Y/N moved towards her lover and licked his nose, surprising him but making him smirk. 

‘Now, that is truly disgusting’ they heard someone said without caring

[taeddybearkim]

The Hidden World // Part Eight [FINALE]

cr.

Genre: Hogwarts!AU, occasional angst & comedy, fluff SO much domestic fluff in this one wow <3

Pairing: Jongdae x Female Reader, ft. EXO

A/N: Well, this is it folks. The crappiest writer on Tumblr has returned with the final chapter of this fic. An epilogue, if you will. Hope you enjoy!

Series Masterlist

***

Many Years Later...

“Come on, Mom, you haven’t even gotten to the best part yet!”

“All that stuff about the memory-erasing charms and those evil monsters were not good enough for you?” The woman chuckled.

“Of course they were, but we like how the story moves on from there!” 

“Alright, alright. It doesn’t look like you two will be leaving me alone anytime soon.” She smiled at her children before continuing with their favorite bedtime “story”.

“Everything started to look up after that. Your father, ever the shy urchin, struggled so much before managing to mutter something that sounded like ‘Will you be my girlfriend?’. Of course, I accepted despite that. We were such a great couple that people would turn their heads in amazement and even talk about how they wanted a relationship like ours. And of course, there were the petty, jealous ones too.”

“I bet nobody got jealous like Dad did!”

“That’s because I have the most precious wife in the entire world.” The man in question walked into the kids’ room, having just returned from a day of work.

“Dad!” Both of the kids sat up at once, sprinting over to the door to greet their father. The man wrapped an arm around each of them before moving over to where the woman was seated. “Welcome home, honey,” the woman smiled, as the man gave her a passionate kiss on her cheek.

“Don’t let me interrupt the story, then. I’ll join you guys as soon as I wash my hands.” With that, he took his leave for the bathroom.

The children had settled back into their beds. “Where were we? Oh right, your father’s jealousy. I suppose you two are right, because even though I continuously assured him that I would be with him forever, he couldn’t help but feel that way whenever another man did as much as speak to me.” The children giggled.

“It got better over time, I suppose. He was no longer jealous of your uncles in our friend group, at least. Although Sehun and Junmyeon were really testing his patience.”

“Uncle Sehun is a real jerk sometimes,” the little girl pouted.

“Diana Vera Kim, don’t speak of your uncle like that!” Her mother was slightly warning her. “I was just joking,” the girl smiled. She was.

“The rest of the school days passed by in a blur. One day we were all celebrating Christmas, and then studying for our end-of-year finals the next. That summer, I finally went back to visit Grandma Eunhwa. She was so happy to have me back that I think she bruised me with all of her hugs!”

“Well she didn’t really, but your mother is trying to add some dramatic flair to the story I guess.” The man had returned from washing his hands.

“I’m still doing a better job than you ever would, darling.” The woman turned to her husband. “I was always the storyteller in our group.”

“That you were, and you still are,” the man shared the smile on her wife’s lips.

“And the remainder of our time at Hogwarts passed by in similar fashion. Before we knew it, we had both graduated and gotten jobs at the Ministry.”

“They wanted to hire your mother more than me, since she was quite the prodigy witch, but I guess they couldn’t say no when they saw how desperately I was clinging to her.” The man wrapped his arms around his wife to demonstrate, earning some giggles from his children in return.

“Funny thing that he couldn’t even bring himself to propose to me if it weren’t for your Uncle Nini daring him to do it.”

Everybody was laughing now, and the man raised his arms in mock surrender.

“We got married in Grandma Eunhwa’s backyard. There were trees and pretty flowers everywhere. All of your uncles arranged a special song to sing for us on the day of the wedding.”

“It was kind of funny to watch eight grown men singing so passionately like that,” the man chuckled.

“We traveled around the world for about three years, and after that, you two were born. I remember the day your Uncle Chanyeol held you guys for the first time. You were pretty tiny babies, even for twins, but you looked even smaller in his huge arms and hands.” The woman imitated the motion of cradling a baby amidst slight laughter.

“I wasn’t even thinking of naming you two after my parents, but your father convinced me pretty easily. It was also a nice way for their memory to live on. So we named you two rascals, Diana Vera and Michael Atticus.” She turned to her children in that order as she spoke their names.

“Eleven years have passed since then, and now my two angels are about to attend the same school that changed my life forever. I can’t even begin to express how proud I am of you two.” The woman paused for a moment, rubbing at the tears of joy that were welling up in her eyes. Her husband comforted her, along with little Atticus, whom she was sitting on the bed of.

“The best thing you can do for us and for yourselves is to learn as much about magic as you can when you finally get there. Because without magic, your mother and I would have probably never met. And she wouldn’t be telling this story that sounds like an episode of How I Met Your Mother.” The couple laughed at the man’s comparison.

“What’s that, Dad?” Little Vera asked.

“Just an old Muggle TV show, sweetie,” the man replied, giving her a kiss on the cheek. “Well, now that it’s over, you two better get some sleep! Good night.”

And with that, the couple kissed their children good night and turned their light off, heading off to bed themselves.

“I can’t believe our mother lived through such a sad, but also amazing experience,” Atticus turned to his twin. “One day, I wish to have an amazing story that I can tell too. But I think we can never beat Mom on this one.”

“That’s true,” Vera agreed. “One day, I wish to have my own family with so much love to share.”

The twins smiled. “It’s Christmas soon,” Atticus changed the subject. “Hey, that means we’ll get to see all of our uncles and cousins soon!”

“And Grandma too!” Vera was equally excited. “I can’t wait!”

“Me neither! Good night, Vera.”

“Good night, Atticus.”

***

“Good night, Jongdae.”

“Good night, Y/N.”

***

A/N: Wow, ladies and gents, that is IT. I can’t believe I finally finished this story after a year of no updates on it. I don’t have any excuse besides being busy with academics and some personal stuff as well, but to those who stuck with me through the end, I sincerely thank you. And if you’re new to the story, welcome aboard! Hope to see y’all in another story!

***

Masterlist

Asks/requests are open!

-  ~.~

[wallofweird]

This Is Us Q&A

Thanks @madsdefencesquad for tagging me. :)

1. The first character I first fell in love with:

Dr. Nathan Katowski. He just seemed to be such a charismatic, generous, wise and kind person and the way he comforted those two nervous young people (Jack and Rebecca) who were entering parenthood for the very first time was simply beautiful. Specially because nowadays some doctors are so arrogant and cold that make you feel so bad to the point of almost apologizing for needing their care (not most though, we have real life heroes out there on the front line of the COVID-19 pandemic and I’m forever thankful for them!). Anyway, it was pleasant to see a character with so much heart. Now the first regular character I fell in love with was Randall. He was just so relatable and Sterling and the writers really managed to show all the affliction he kept inside from early on. All the things he had accumulated through the years, with the questions about his biological parents, his identity, finding out that William was dying the same day he met him and everything... Even before we got to dive into that story, you could see it in his eyes. And I empathized with him immediately.

2. The character I never expected to love as much as I do now:

Kevin. I used to find him very annoying and self-centered and now I’m eating my words, but I guess that’s always been the writers intention: to show a character that came off as really shallow and immature and slowly change our minds about him. It definitely worked. My opinion about him started to change on the ‘Number One’ episode. It broke my heart to see what he was going through, specially when he lost the only thing he had left from Jack. That was hard to watch. And now that I’m rewatching the show, I can get his actions a lot better now and see that a lot of the stuff I used to hate came from his insecurities. So I’ve changed my mind about his behavior on the first episodes and I’m enjoying seeing him back then as well. I can see the bigger picture now.

3. The character everyone else loves that I don’t:

Cassidy. I don’t really believe there’s a consensus about her, it looks like the opinions are pretty balanced, but I’m not a fan of her. I wouldn’t say I hate Cassidy, but I don’t really like her. Like, the other characters can get me to laugh and cry so easily, but she doesn’t make me feel anything? She looks kind of cold to me, which I can understand it probably has something to with being in the military and the things she had to experience and do, but even with the whole drama with her son and husband... It's just never given me the same emotion I use to get from the other characters. Also, I really wanted the first half of the season to be only about Kevin and his uncle, but they threw a stranger in it and played with the idea of putting Kevin and Cassidy together the whole time. I just wanted to see their dynamic without anybody’s interference, specially because I haven’t got the point of her presence yet. I believe Kevin and Nicky would’ve done just fine in their journey to sobriety without her and I don’t really think the woman will marry any of them. I hope there’s something bigger planned for her that will explain her addition to the show, because I don’t really get it. So far it just looks like she’s there to mislead us with the whole “who is Kevin’s wife?” mystery.

4. The character I love that everyone else hates:

Madison. I wouldn’t say everybody hates her, for me the public has mixed opinions about her? I’ve seen people who hate her, who are indifferent, who like her and think she’s funny and people who love her. However, I do believe she deserves more praise. I think she’s kind of in the same situation Kevin used to be a few years ago. A lot of people have a pre-fabricated idea of Madison and see her as someone shallow and immature. Madison has always been there for Kate, even when she was nothing but rude to her. When Kate hit her car (I know it was accidentally, but still), Madison got over it the second she learned Kate was pregnant. She immediately forgot about her car and was filled with nothing but joy after hearing the news. Madison also helped Kate to enjoy the process of finding her wedding dress, staying positive with her second pregnancy after the previous miscarriage... She’s been there through thick and thin. And she is so loving, selfless and strong that was willing to raise her twins and go through all of that by herself to avoid getting in the way of Kevin finding his great love story. How can somebody not admire that? Even if you don’t like her, because that’s understandable and sometimes a character just doesn’t resonate with us, there’s absolutely no reason to hate or criticize her personality and actions. Madison is very underrated, but she is an amazing person. I just don’t understand why people have changed their minds about Kevin after seeing his struggles and evolution, but won’t do the same with her. The only difference here is the amount of screentime they have and the gender, because they’re both great people. I really don’t get it.

5. The character I used to love but don’t any longer:

One of the great things about this show is that I’ve never stopped loving any of the characters. There are characters I don’t really like, there are characters that have grown on me, but the opposite has never happen. However, I am a little angry with Randall and Kevin after that fight. I won’t defend any of them. They were both terrible to each other. 

I get where they’re both coming from when it comes to how they deal with Rebecca’s health. It’s understandable wanting to save your mother. It’s understandable wanting her to enjoy the time she has left. There is no right or wrong decision in these situations. And a lot of how they deal with it comes from their personalities and traumas. They both have this hole in their lives because of losing Jack. Randall blames himself and thinks about what life would’ve been if he hadn’t died every single day. His anxiety also plays a role in how he process everything. It’s consuming. On the other hand, Kevin regrets not having spent as much time with his father as he could’ve had. He’s also already gone through therapy, is a year sober and attending the AA meetings regularly... He can see things more clearly than Randall right now. So I don’t judge either of them for how they approach to the situation. Still, Randall should’ve respected Rebecca’s decision. Period. He was selfish and I can’t defend what he did. I can understand why he did it and I didn’t really see it as him manipulating his mother, for me it was more of a desperate moment, when he was telling Rebecca he cannot handle losing her. Not that Kevin and Kate can handle losing their mother, but he’s clearly overwhelmed with the whole situation, while Kevin and Kate are at a better mental state and looking at things with more serenity.

However, regarding their fight, Kevin’s got some fault too. I’m sure they didn’t mean anything they said to one another, they just happened to know each other’s deepest wounds and wanted to rub them. It was painful to watch. Kevin knows Randall feels guilty for letting Jack walk back into the house. Randall knows Kevin feels guilty for not being there. Kevin knows Randall have never felt liked he completely fitted in, because he was abandoned by his biological father and adopted only after Rebecca and Jack lost a child. He’s always felt a little lost or as a replacement to Kyle. And Randall knows Kevin is self-conscious and feels like people don’t take him seriously or believe he can be responsible. It was heartbreaking and cruel. And I’m rewatching season 1 and recently saw the episode where they finally begin to grow closer and there is this scene where Randall says:

“[Mom] showered me with attention. Took my side more often than not. And I ate every bit of her love up. Ate it up like Pac-Man. You know why? Because the one person I wanted it from the mo..

[...]

You know, back there with those people, it's the first time in 36 years you've said the words, ‘he's my brother’, [as] claiming me.”

I’ve also just finished the episode where it shows young Randall having a nervous breakdown and Kevin ignoring him. Kevin and Randall did have some good moments growing up, but for most of it they weren’t close and Randall was the one who tried the harder to change that. It took them over 30 years to get to a place where they finally acted like brothers on a regular basis and now they have both ruined all of that progress. So I can’t really pick sides and blame one of them when it comes to that fight. They were both terrible. However, I’m just a little more disappointed with Randall because he interfered in Rebecca’s decision.

6. The character I would totally smooch:

Kevin. Justin Hartley just happens to be on my Male Celebrity Crush Top 2, so...

7. The character I’d want to be like:

Beth. She’s smart, successful, funny, wise and beautiful, I’d like to have at least 30% of that awesomeness. 

8. The character I’d slap:

Marc.

9. A pairing that I love:

Jack and Rebecca. Their love story, even with its ups and downs, remains epic. One for the ages, indeed. 

Still, I really miss a slowburn ship. We’ve had Jack and Rebecca, Kate and Toby, Randall and Beth since the very beginning. They were all love at first sight. They got together pretty quickly. I miss a ship that I can see go through all of those basic stages, like meeting, becoming friends and falling in love. I miss seeing a character pining for another and being a little bit jealous of them. I miss watching the scenes with the lingering looks, deep breaths, both staring at each other when the other isn’t noticing... All this tension building up until the moment it just explodes. Like, give me angst scenes! Give me a scene where they are hugging so tight and not wanting to let go and Character A can’t resist it anymore and kisses character B as if their his/her depended on it. Give me rain kisses. Give me character A pining for character B, but doubting that B feels the same way. Give me B being just as insanely in love as A and feeling frustrated whenever they’re around someone else. Give me character B being unconsciously jealous and fighting with character A. Give me A blurting out that he/she is in love with B and a passionate kiss. I know it’s cliché, but there is a reason why everyone loves scenes like these: they work. And This Is Us needs stuff like that. Hopefully Kevin and Madison can fill this gap, since I’m already in love with their potential. ;)

10. A pairing that I despise:

Kevin and Sophie. I genuinely have nothing against Sophie, she is a good person and she deserves happiness. If anything, Kevin was the one who wronged her. However, I can’t help sighing and rolling my eyes whenever she shows up or her name is mentioned on the show. I’m just tired at this point. I’ve never saw the appeal of it. I’m usually a slowburn kind of shipper, but I still have my ‘love at first sight’ otps. This one, however, never really convinced me. First, I don’t see the chemistry at all (in any timeline). Second, he’s cheated on her twice. Plus, the second time they were together, Kevin had fallen back into drinking and she didn’t even realize the seriousness of the situation. I’m not saying it was her fault or responsibility, because that’s a real problem and what Kevin needed was professional help. Also, he lied to her and broke Sophie’s heart again in the process, so I can empathize with her. Still, the fact that Sophie couldn’t see what was going on and they were never able to go through it together, whether it was his treatment, or the long distance or any real obstacle just proves to me they don’t work. They simply couldn’t work together. And Kevin has moved on. He moved on from her and genuinely fell in love with Zoe. They broke up because they wanted different things, but their relationship was real. So, the way I see it, the fact that he suddenly wants another ‘crack at it’ with Sophie, it’s just a result of his frustration. Kevin is so desperate to have his own great love story and children, that he is trying to get it from strangers on coffee shops or any ex-girlfriend that will reach out to him. He’s not thinking things through, but hopefully he will let life takes it course and find find them naturally, without forcing anything or insisting on relationships that have proved multiple times that weren’t the right fit for him. I also don’t really like when characters appear with the solely purpose to be someone’s love interest, I like seeing them in their own element and their dynamic with other characters. Like, even though each Pearson has their immediate family, we’ve seen bits of Beth and Rebecca, Toby and Kevin, Beth and Zoe, Kate and Madison (who at this point I’m pretty sure is Kevin’s fiancée)... Sophie wasn’t fully integrated into the family during their second attempt at a relationship, so that’s another reason for me not to like this ship.

I don’t wanna tag anyone specifically because I’m afraid I might forget someone, so anyone who wants to do this thing, just go for it. I’d love to see your answers. :)

[miss-pearlescent]

The King’s Assassin

Jongin is a king and you are an assassin. Instead of killing him, you end up marrying him  (─‿‿─) How unfortunate.

The scaffolding was grand, hiding whatever was behind it. You waited outside patiently with your carrying case. Jongin would be finished soon, but you still asked to see him as soon as possible because you wanted to get ready for your classes in the evening.

You stared up at the monstrous building, wondering what could be inside that held Jongin’s attention for the past three months.

“Hello, my dear wife,” a low voice tickled your ear.

You tried ducking away but somehow Jongin’s arms still managed to pick you up off the ground.

You tried not to laugh too loudly as he spun you around. “We’ve been married for almost a year. When are you going to stop calling me that?”

“All right.” He put your feet back on the gravel and leaned in for a kiss. “Hey, you.”

You gave him a look. “’Hey, you’ right back at’cha.”

His smile was broad as he ran a hand through his hair. “What was so important that my wife asked the groundskeeper to pull me out here five minutes before the work day ended?” he teased.

You felt only a little bit guilty about that. “You don’t have to be working in there,” you said with a pout towards the door that led behind the scaffolding.

He slung an arm around your shoulders and pulled you in. “It’s always nice to work with the people who rely on us. Besides, they could always use an extra hand.”

Jongin was right. Even though he was the king, the people loved him because he always got involved with what his people were doing. He connected with them and listened to their stories.

It was the reason you ended up marrying him without a fight.

“Well,” you said as you pulled out a sachet from your carrying case. “I have these for you.”

His brows furrowed as he untied the string that held the bag closed. “What is it?”

“I was preparing the students’ meals with Nana today.” Nana was the grandmother of one of the town’s best chefs. “We made these dried fruit strips that you told me about.”

Jongin’s face lit up as he pulled out a dark red candied strip.

“You said you couldn’t find anybody who sold them anymore, right?”

He nodded and stuffed the whole snack in his mouth. “It’s just as I remembered it,” he said with a muffled groan.

You were surprised that he wasn’t cringing from all the sugar. “I wrote down the recipe so we can always have some at home.” You patted your carrying case.

He pulled you in and buried his nose in your neck, causing you to squirm a little from the ticklish sensation. “Thank you, my dear wife.”

You held back the eye roll.

“Come,” he said, pulling you towards the door as men shuffled out. “I want to show you our progress.”

You hesitated. “Are you sure?” He had been keeping this project a secret for so long that you hadn’t expected to be shown anything until news came out to the general public.

He tucked your hand in the crook of his elbow. “It’s for you.”

This time, you were the one that was confused. “For me?” Suddenly, your interest piqued and you followed eagerly after him.

“Remember our trip to the south?”

You nodded, looking around as he led you through the threshold and into a grand hall. “How could I forget?”

It was a trip that was planned right after your wedding, when you were still wary about your new husband. But he was a newly-crowned king and he had to toot his wife to the land.

The crowds called the tour “The Killer Wife” which was a little morbid and odd, but you didn’t mind.

You were busy thinking about how your whole life had changed unexpectedly.

“Do you remember what you asked to do whenever we had free time?”

You thought for a bit and then pieced out your answer slowly. “To watch...plays?”

“Mhmm.” Jongin nodded as he pulled open an ornate oak door. “We must have hit every theatre along the grand river.”

You nudged his side. “You enjoyed it, too.”

He didn’t say anything, but you saw his little smile. “Instead of travelling to all those theatres, I thought we could bring them here.”

No.

No way.

Your breath caught as he pulled back a heavy blood-red curtain. You rushed to the edge of the balcony and looked down in awe. Below your footsteps was a giant ampitheatre with enough seats to fit hundreds and a stage big enough to invite a circus troupe.

“I want to showcase local talent here and bring in acts from around the land, even across the river.” Jongin came to stand beside you, gnawing casually on the fruit snacks as if this wasn’t a huge deal. “And you’ll have the best seat in the house.”

You turned and saw two grand thrones behind you.

Your lip quivered. Even with years of training to keep your emotions in check, you had a hard time holding your tears back around Jongin.

He tugged on your wrist and sat down, pulling you into his lap. “Right here,” he teased.

“Jongin,” you began, but your words got caught in your throat.

His hands tucked you into his chest and he kissed the top of your head. “Do you like it?” he murmured as if he was unsure.

You nodded with great enthusiasm. Of course you liked it! You just couldn’t get the words out.

He tilted your chin up and gently pressed a kiss to your lips. You melted at his sweet gesture and wrapped an arm around his neck to deepen the kiss.

Jongin backed away an inch. “Don’t get carried away,” he said, his hands skimming your hips. “You have a classes to teach this evening.”

“We can be quick,” you replied and kissed him again, running your fingers along the collar of his shirt. The fabric was sticking to him from the sweat he had built up after working all day. You couldn’t wait to get it off.

He chuckled. “If your students knew the kind of filthy things their king did to their beloved teacher, I’d have all their swords in my neck.”

“They love you too much to do that, Jongin,” you reassured him as you helped him pull off his shirt.

As do I, you thought.

-

You took a swig of water from your canteen as you tucked your swords away in the leather case.

“Bye, ma’am!” one of your students called from across the courtyard.

You waved with a pile of envelopes in your hand. “Goodbye! Thank you for the card!”

It was the end of the season and there would be no more classes until after the fall harvest. The students had been kind enough to make cards and bring sweets from home to share.

You had wanted to save the cards until you got home, but you couldn’t help opening one right now. Some of the kids could barely write, but you loved to see their creativity and artwork. There were definitely a few kids in this class that had outstanding potential, and they were all eager to participate in class.

You were going to miss this group.

You sat down on the bench and pulled out an envelope that had no name on it.

Your blood ran cold as you read the few words on the otherwise empty card.

Leave him tonight, or he will die.

- B

You turned the card over in your suddenly clammy hands.

This wasn’t happening.

It had been a year since you had married Jongin; there was no way your brothers out to get him now.

Looking around, you wondered if anybody was here with you, but all was empty.

You bit your lip, thinking.

A year ago, you had been sent into town by your brothers on an elaborate mission to assassinate the king. He was in need of a wife and had called in eligible women for a week of parties.

You attended with the intention to slit his throat, not marry the man.

However, the more time you had spent with him, the thought of pulling a sword on him was impossible. He was sweet and thoughtful, carefree yet had so much purpose in life.

You had almost left the castle emptyhanded on the last night when he found you with a sword in each hand.

It was an uncomfortable confrontation, one that you didn’t like to relive because you had tackled him and pointed a knife at his neck while he laid on the ground.

He didn’t even fight you.

You thought you could get it over with—cut his throat open, end the mission, and move on with your life. But you couldn’t.

Your brothers would have called you weak. It would have been the cherry on the cake for your father, who had never fully trusted your skills simply because you were a girl who begged to carry on the centuries-long family tradition and learn how to fight. You were too girly that you could be taught to fight but could not kill.

You remembered your hands being as shaky as they were now and dropping the swords and crawling off Jongin’s back.

You couldn’t look him in the eye as he sat up. All you wanted to do was hide because you had known you had to die. An attempt at assassinating the king was a death sentence for anybody.

Maybe that was why your father had insisted on sending you.

“I’m marrying you,” Jongin had declared while the two of you sat on the cold ground outside his stables.

You weren’t able to process his words for a long time. You had asked him if he was actually a mad man. A masochist. Or perhaps he was torturing you.

You remembered asking him to kill you because you couldn’t even stand yourself for your actions.

He had taken you to your rooms instead, watching over the servants as they helped you get ready for bed. And then he sat on a chair and watched you lay in bed all night.

It did feel like torture because you couldn’t sleep a wink. Too many thoughts were racing through your head, including the fear that Jongin could take revenge and kill you in your sleep.

In the depth of the night, after you had tossed and turned for the millionth time, he told you he had married you for strategic reasons. Keeping the assassin close meant if you ever killed him, everybody would know. And if anybody else killed him, they would likely be associated with you.

And so he had brought you around his entire kingdom, making sure everyone knew that you were from a family of assassins and that you were a genius with swords. The people feared you at first, but then their opinions shifted.

They saw you as a protector of their king.

You hadn’t known what to make of it at first, but you were welcomed and appreciated for your skills for the first time in your life. And somehow, day by day, you had come to love the man who said he married you as a strategy.

And now you needed to give it all up.

You didn’t want to, but you knew your brothers. They were warning you. They wanted their sister back after you gained fame. You needed to work for the family or else.

You couldn’t put Jongin’s life at risk.

You began packing your swords away, hating yourself and everything you stood for.

-

You had spent the last hour slowly inching away from Jongin’s arms. You had started the night complaining that it was too hot and that you couldn’t stand cuddling too close despite how much you wanted to. He didn’t question you even after having had two hours of rough heated sex prior to heading for bed.

You lifted the fingers that still lingered on your waist and slowly crawled off the bed, making sure not to shift the weight at all. Gently, you set his hand down and gave his thumb the tiniest rub.

You watched for a second as your husband slept peacefully, the moonlight illuminating his handsome face and the breeze from the window ruffling his hair just slightly.

A chill ran up your spine as you thought about your escape. You really needed to come up with better excuses too because the night wasn’t warm at all.

Quietly, you grabbed your cloak and carrying case from behind the chaise and sneaked out the door.

You pressed a palm to your eyes as tears threatened to push out. You didn’t have time to cry. You had to leave.

You pulled the cloak around your shift and tugged the hood over your eyes as you climbed down the servant’s staircase and out the back door.

The night was clear and you thanked your maker as you silently tread down the cobblestone into town. It was a bit of a walk, but you hadn’t lost your stealth and stamina in the past year as you taught many sword fighting lessons per week.

There were only a few lit lanterns here or there when you reached town, mostly for the pubs and taverns. You stayed in the shadows to avoid being seen even though you saw some familiar faces.

You ducked down alleyways, staying away from big streets as you mapped out your way to the gates. You were glad you had accompanied Jongin on so many trips to town because you knew this place like the back of your hand.

Once you left the gates though, you would never be back.

You pushed the thoughts away and moved forward, the gates coming into view with every step.

The steps felt like lead.

You made sure your hood was pulled down low before you came into view of the iron gate. Looking around, you could see five guards. Nobody should give you any trouble, but it was still odd to have a lone woman leaving town at this time of night.

It might have to come down to knocking these boys out.

You approached with your shoulders pulled back, trying to appear as if you had a real purpose in leaving so late.

Slowly, the guards crept away from their post.

“Miss, are you looking to go somewhere?”

You gave a mental groan. You knew that voice. It was one of your best students who had recently gotten a job with the military.

Why did he have to be stationed here tonight?

You didn’t want to have to knock him unconscious.

You stayed silent, walking forward only until you were steps away from the gate and the soldiers were flanking all sides. They were almost close enough now that you could take them down in one swoop. Just one step closer...

This had to be done quick, or else—

“Stand down, boys.”

You stiffened at the voice that came from behind you.

“Your Majesty!” one of the soldiers dropped to one knee as the others did one by one.

You didn’t dare turn around as an arm snaked around your waist. “I promised my wife we would go do some forest training tonight. She was so eager that she beat me to it.” His hand held you tight enough that you couldn’t run away.

“Of course, Your Majesty! We will open the gates right away.”

The guards ran back to their posts, shouting orders. Then the gates suddenly opened wide.

“After you,” Jongin whispered, “my dear wife.”

-

The two of you were deep into the forest before either of you said a word.

You spun around, out of his grip, and took a few steps back. Jongin held his ground.

“You need to get away from me,” you warned.

He crossed his arms, unfazed. “Why?”

You couldn’t say the truth because he would simply pull you back and his life would still be in danger. He needed to get rid of you. “Because...” You clenched your fists under the heavy sleeves of your cloak. “Because I don’t want this anymore. I don’t love you.”

Jongin stood there, still as the night. You could see his jaw tighten, but that was the only indication that he had heard your words.

“I don’t love you, Jongin,” you pushed the sentence through your teeth. “I was forced into the marriage by circumstance and I’ve had enough of it.”

A tense moment passed by and you could feel your knees getting wobbly as he stared down at you. “That’s not how you acted a few hours ago when I had you in bed.”

Your fingernails dug into your palm as you tried not to think about that. He was right, you had practically clung to him that night. But things were different now. “It’s not that hard to sell my body for safety,” you spat out.

He bristled as if you had stabbed him through the heart. “So you don’t want me,” he said as if confirming a fact.

You forced yourself to give a steady nod even as your heart threatened to crack into a million pieces.

“And you never did want me.”

You swallowed. “Never.”

He needed to leave. He needed to leave now and stop watching you because you were about to break down and weep.

You flinched when you heard an explosion in the distance. You followed Jongin’s wide gaze behind you. A tower was lit up in flames.

It was the castle.

And the tower was where you slept with Jongin every night.

There was no way around it. Your brothers had planned on killing Jongin whether you were near him or not.

Your hands shook as you grabbed Jongin’s arm, pulling him behind you.

“You need to hide.” Your voice threatened to break. Too much was happening tonight and you didn’t know if you could save him or not. Not if your brothers were armed with so much as a bomb.

You were used to close combat and maybe a few long distance weapons.

But a bomb? That was new.

You found a wide tree trunk with a huge burrow at its roots. “Get inside.” You pushed your husband into the hole, following behind him. “We need to stay here for tonight.”

“In a tree?”

You arranged your limbs so you could sit next to him. “Yes. Once they find out that you haven’t been killed, they will be looking for you.”

“Who is ‘they’?”

You licked your cracked lips, realizing how scared you really were as the quiet of the night settled in. “My brothers.” You couldn’t see the castle from here, but you could guess that everyone was awake and scrambling for their lives.

All because Jongin had married you.

You needed a plan, fast. You couldn’t risk the lives of all these people.

You didn’t realize you were pressing your cheek on Jongin’s shoulder until you felt his fingers rubbing small circles along your back. “You shouldn’t be the one comforting me,” you said even as you pressed closer.

“Because you don’t love me?” he asked even as he continued with his caresses.

Now you really hated yourself. “Because you’re the one they are after, not me.”

A long moment passed as you worried your lip and shifted your weight to get more comfortable. It was going to be a long night.

“I’ve been a target ever since I was born,” Jongin said nonchalantly. “It is a part of my life.”

“It shouldn’t be,” you refuted.

“It shouldn’t, but it is.” He pulled you onto his lap and you didn’t have the energy to fight him. The hole was small and your butt hurt from sitting on rocks. “That’s why I married you. Now sleep, my dear wife. It is going to be a long night.”

You didn’t fight him as he curled his fingers around yours. Your only job was to stay awake and watch for any movement in the night.

You ignored the voice inside of you that insisted you tell Jongin that you do love him. His words were kind, but he sounded sad and tired.

But you still had plans to leave because you couldn’t jeopardize the lives of all these people you had come to love in the last year.

You wanted to rip your hair out in frustration.

One night at a time, first.

Your eyelids were heavy as you heard the faint whistle.

“Did you hear that?” you asked in a light whisper as you reached for the sword in your boot.

“Hear what?”

Maybe you had imagined it. Maybe the fear and fatigue was getting to you. It had been years since you had trained with your brothers, coordinating attacks using little whistles. Maybe your ears were playing tricks with you.

But then you heard the click.

You flew into action, throwing your carrying case across your back as you turned in Jongin’s lap.

You tucked his head to your chest and hoped for the best. Hoped that the wooden case would give you enough coverage that whatever weapon they used would only pierce your body and not his.

You felt the pain in your shoulder and stifled a cry.

Shakily, you looked down and saw the arrow embedded in the tree trunk, pinning you there by the shoulder.

Faintly, you heard Jongin screaming your name.

You stopped yourself from screaming by concentrating on Jongin’s face. The black was creeping into your vision quickly. You were going to pass out very soon and you knew you only had a few breaths left.

Behind you, you heard shouts and swords clanging. You hoped Jongin’s guards and soldiers had come because you weren’t going to be able to protect Jongin anymore.

You struggled to focus on Jongin’s eyes as he cupped your face. He was saying something with tears running down his face. You wanted to tell him not to cry but you needed to get the most important words out first.

“I love you,” you choked out. “You know that, right?”

He had to know. He had to, or else you wouldn’t be able to die peacefully. You shoulder hurt like a beast and you wanted to be free from the pain.

“No. No, no! No, you can’t.” You heard his voice even though you weren’t sure if you were looking at him anymore.

But I do. I really love you. “I do.” You hoped he heard your last words before you lost consciousness.

-

You watched as Jongin walked away again.

You didn’t understand.

All you wanted to do was bring him snacks and tell him about the stories that Nana had told you. You wanted to protect him and do practise some basic sword training with him.

But Jongin kept turning away.

You tried to grab at his hand that always seemed so close. Maybe if you held on tight enough, he would stay.

But he never did.

You went back to sleep, wondering how you could get to him again.

-

You woke up and you weren’t in Jongin’s arms.

That was strange.

Was it because you hadn’t wanted his arms around you the last time you were in bed with him?

“I knew you were up to something when you didn’t snuggle with me that night,” a voice said.

Ah, that was why.

Well, then you just needed to find Jongin and cuddle with him to make sure he never let you go.

Where was he?

-

A huge pain ran down your arm and you found yourself pinned to a tree. You screamed and thrashed because you knew Jongin was next on the kill list.

You needed to be next to him but this goddamn arrow was stopping you.

You cried yourself to sleep because you couldn’t find him.

-

You woke up, this time in your bedroom. It was warm and there was a nice breeze coming through the window.

You needed to find Jongin.

You looked around the room and he was there, sitting on the chair beside your bed. His eyes were closed and you wanted to call his name but you couldn’t find your voice.

You had to get to him before he disappeared again.

Even though your shoulder was killing you, you sat up, groaning as you slid off the bed.

Jongin’s eyes snapped open and you could see the red veins in them.

Had he slept at all last night?

He caught you by the arms as you crawled into his lap.

“You’re here,” you croaked with your hoarse morning voice.

And he was shaking.

You curled on his lap, so happy that you had finally reached him.

“Of course I’m here,” he said, sounding just as tired as you. “Did you hear me?”

You looked up, confused at why he was crying. “No, what did you say? Wait, no, have you eaten yet? You are starting to look thin.” You touched his cheek that seemed to have sunken in, made worse by the dark circles under his eyes.

He barked out a laugh. “I haven’t eaten in a week.”

“Why not?” You shot up but he held you in his lap. “You weren’t working on the theatre this whole time, were you?”

He laughed again, burying his face in your neck. “My dear, dear wife.”

“Jongin.” You ran a hand through his ruffled hair. “What happened?”

“Nothing,” he said, shaking his head. “How is your shoulder feeling?”

You grimaced. “Like a mother.”

He laughed again, tightening his arms around you. “I told you to heal quickly because you had to come to the theatre with me.”

“Oh, you did? Of course I’m coming!”

“And we have to make those fruit strips with the recipe that Nana gave you.”

You nodded as a few memories came back. They seemed to be recent yet so long ago at the same time.

Jongin gave you a little kiss on your nose. “And I have to love you.”

“I...”

He shook his head. “You don’t have to say it.”

All of a sudden, everything came back to you. Your shoulder throbbed as you looked down and saw that you were heavily bandaged. But the pain wasn’t as bad as remembering all the hurtful words you had said.

“Jongin, I...” you stumbled on your words as he kissed you again. “I love you. I’m so sorry.”

He tilted your chin up to look at him. “I’m just glad I didn’t lose you.”

How could you have thought to run away from this man? You realized in your fevered dreams that you never wanted to leave his side.

“I’m here now,” you reassured him. “I’m not leaving.”

“Never again,” he said, pulling you in. “You nearly killed me, my dear assassin wife.”

---

ಥ‿ಥ How long has it been since I’ve written something with no explicit sex scenes? I’ve really been in the mood for some angst and suffering so I hope I delivered! Thank you for reading and have a great weekend :D

[omgrachwrites]

Ocean Avenue (Bucky Barnes)

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x OC

Summary: When Darcie Baker - the daughter of a police officer - breaks her misfit friend’s heart at 16 she regrets it everyday even after she graduates though she knows she can’t go back and change what happened. Everything changes when over 10 years later she meets the gorgeous mechanic.

Warnings: fluff, fluff and more fluff!

Words: 1809

A.N: So, this is the last part! I’d just like to thank everyone who’s supported me all the way through this fic (especially @theonelittleone​), I’m thinking of doing a sequel so I need to change minor characters in the earlier chapters! Hope you guys enjoy and please let me know what you think! I love you all very much! Merry Christmas! xxx

Part Seventeen

Bucky glanced up as his fiancée smiled at him from across the kitchen table, they had been engaged for a little while now but Bucky still couldn’t get used to the word. He was actually marrying the love of his life and what was more, they had just moved into Darcie’s dream house. The one with the blue shutters and the large backyard, they had moved in with a lot of help from their family and friends.

Bucky smiled back at Darcie as he took a tiny morsel of scrambled egg onto his fork, chewing it slowly. He saw Darcie roll her eyes with a smile and he knew that in that moment Darcie wasn’t fooled, she knew what he was trying to do. He was just worried about her, even though he knew that she’d probably be fine.

“Bucky,” she giggled and he looked up at her, raising an eyebrow, “you don’t have to be here baby, go to work,” she smiled, taking his hand from across the table, “but I appreciate it so much.”

“I know, I just. I don’t want to leave you when you’re heavily pregnant,” he raised her hand to his mouth to kiss her fingers, “what if something happens and I’m not there?” he tried not to let Darcie see how worried he was, considering it was Darcie who actually had to give birth to their baby.

“Baby, I’m not due for another month and it’s highly unlikely that I’ll go into labour a month early. Sure it happens but not very often. Besides Peggy is just a phone call away if this nugget causes me any issues,” she beamed, rubbing her hands over her stomach.

Her words did little to ease Bucky’s anxieties but he knew that it was foolish for him to argue, Darcie was very set in her ways. Bucky sighed and nodded, leaning over the table to kiss her.

“Are you sure?” he asked, just to make perfectly sure, Darcie pulled a face at him before she kissed his nose.

“I’m sure, if you ask me twice I’m going to kick your ass,” she giggled, “I can do that, even in my state.”

“Oh yeah baby, I have no doubts about that,” Bucky chuckled and stroked his fingers through Darcie’s long hair, “if you need anything, anything at all, just call me okay? And I’ll come straight home,” these last month’s he’d been so paranoid over Darcie and the baby but he knew that it’d be all okay in the end.

“I will Buck, I promise,” she kissed him sweetly before she pushed gently at his chest,” go baby, I’ll see you later.”

Reluctantly, Bucky nodded and headed out the door, if he turned round and kissed her one last time he’d never leave and he didn’t want to leave Steve on his own. Bucky arrived at the garage about fifteen minutes later with two large coffees – Steve had taken to adding caramel to his coffee – and breakfast. Bucky’s appetite could hardly be sated in the early morning so some days he had two breakfasts.

“Morning Steve, sorry I’m late,” Bucky smiled, putting the coffees down and he threw a bacon sandwich to Steve from across the room.

Steve unwrapped the sandwich, looking at it in pure delight before he took a huge bite out of it, “oh my god! That is so good,” he mumbled through a mouthful of food, “Nah man, you’re forgiven.”

Bucky chuckled before opening his own sandwich and taking a bite out of it – Steve was right, it was good – before he got his toolbox from the office, “so, what’s on the agenda for today then?”

Steve pulled a face before replying, “Mrs Henderson is coming in for her daughter’s car today,” he rolled his eyes as Bucky chuckled and nodded.

“That’s fine, I’ve nearly finished with it, just a couple more hours of tinkering and it’ll be all sorted,” Steve nodded, taking a sip of his coffee.

“When she called she was saying that she’d be in for late afternoon, I’m hiding in the back when she comes in later on,” Steve shuddered and Bucky smirked at his best friend. Mrs Henderson was a customer who was forever trying to set Steve up with her oldest daughter – despite the fact that Steve had told her on more than one occasion that he had a girlfriend.

“I’ll make sure that she doesn’t get to you man,” Bucky teased, slapping Steve on the shoulder before getting to work.

A few hours passed without incident apart from Mrs Henderson staying untrue to her word as she came in about midday. As soon as she walked through the door Steve almost squealed and ran to hide in the back. As Mrs Henderson was paying for the reparations on her daughter’s car Bucky explained that Steve wasn’t very well. He had to hold in his laughter to the point that he thought his ribs would crack from the pressure.

Another couple of hours passed before Bucky’s phone started ringing, he grumbled as he pulled himself from underneath the hood of the car he was working on and wandered over to his phone which had been ringing for a pretty long time. He frowned when he saw that it was Peggy calling him.

“Hello? Peggy?” he asked, worry bubbling in his gut, “is everything okay?”

“Bucky! Oh my god! What took you so long?! Darcie has gone into labour early! Please Bucky, she needs you here!”

“Oh god, okay! I’ll be right there!” he felt thoroughly panicked now as he hung up and looked over at Steve, his face stark white, “Darcie’s gone into labour, our baby is coming! Can you please hold down the fort for me?”

“Yeah of course! Call me if you need anything man, good luck!” Steve shouted at Bucky as he ran out of the garage,

“Yeah, I will do man! Thanks a lot,” Bucky called back and near enough flung himself into his car and sped off in the direction of the hospital.

Bucky wanted to drive like an absolute madman but he supposed that getting pulled over and given a ticket wouldn’t help his girlfriend who was currently giving birth to their first child. Peggy met him in the foyer of the hospital and she waved him over frantically.

“C’mon Bucky! Hurry up!” Peggy really was bossy, he really didn’t envy Steve.

“How’s Darcie?” Bucky demanded in a shaky voice and Peggy chewed on her lip as they hurried down the hospital corridor.

“She’s fine, she’s doing great. Carol is with her now,” Bucky nodded and pretty much ran to his girl’s side as they walked into the birthing room and he took her hand in his and she squeezed tightly.

“Bucky!” she gasped out in pain.

“Ssh, baby, I’m here now. I’m sorry that I took so long,” he kissed her fingers, trying to smile.

“I’m scared.”

Bucky bit his bottom lip and stroked her hair, “so am I but we’ll get through it together, like we do with everything.”

Hours later both the baby and Darcie were all well, Darcie did so well. Bucky just couldn’t imagine how difficult it must have been for her. They had had a gorgeous baby boy with tufts of thick black hair and grey eyes. Darcie grinned at Bucky who was cradling their son in his arms; Bucky hadn’t been this in love with anything since he’d met Darcie.

“What should we call him?”

Bucky smiled at his girl before kissing her forehead, “we did always say that if we had a boy we’d name him after your grandfather Arthur.”

“Arthur sounds perfect.”

2 years later

Darcie smiled nervously as she took her dad’s arm and the bridesmaids walked ahead of them down the aisle – Arthur had gone into the church with his dad. Darcie felt like a princess in her wedding dress, she hadn’t felt this good about herself since before she had Arthur.

“You look so beautiful,” Darcie’s dad smiled, tears glistening in his eyes. Darcie was so thankful that her dad was here for her wedding day and it seemed that he was even getting better.

“Thanks dad. You look very handsome,” Darcie beamed, kissing her dad’s stubbly cheek.

“Ready to become Mrs Barnes sweetheart?” Andrew asked and she was surprised to hear that there didn’t seem to be too much bitterness in his voice.

“I’ve been ready for a long time dad,” with those words both father and daughter smiled at each other before they walked through the doorway of the church.

Darcie always thought that she’d be aware of everybody watching her at her wedding but that couldn’t be further from the reality that she was now experiencing. The only person that she had eyes for was Bucky, he was so handsome that it made Darcie’s mouth dry and she knew that this was the best day of her life. Darcie felt her own eyes well up with joyful tears as Bucky rubbed the tears away from his. When Andrew presented Darcie to Bucky he kissed Darcie’s forehead and shook Bucky’s hand.

They both got through their vows – somehow without crying or stuttering all the way through them. They exchanged their rings as they said their vows and then it was finally time for their kiss. As Bucky’s warm hands cupped her cheeks and he softly kissed her Darcie was practically glowing with happiness. She was finally Bucky’s wife! After so many years of loving him they were finally joined for life.

One of Darcie’s favourite parts of her wedding day was all of the speeches; Steve told so many embarrassing stories about Bucky which made the guests cry tears of mirth. On the other hand, Bucky’s was so lovely and romantic that it made everyone cry tears of joy, especially when he kissed her so passionately that the entire room started spinning.

Everybody in attendance at the wedding were presently surprised by Darcie’s dad’s speech. As Andrew stood he beamed at his daughter and her husband before he lapsed into his speech.

“Hi everybody, thank you so much for coming. If you don’t me, I’m Andrew, Darcie’s dad,” he chuckled, “I just need to begin by thanking Bucky, you make my daughter the happiest woman in the world and that’s all I’ve ever wanted. For someone to love her so unconditionally the way that you do. Bucky, you and I didn’t get on very well to start off with and I’m sorry for that. You helped bring my grandson, the light of my life into this world and I’ll be forever grateful.

There’s no other man who I’d rather see marry my daughter, I wish you both all the best, you guys are perfect for one another and deserve so much happiness. Welcome to the family son.

~Fin~

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

@theonelittleone​ @void-imaginations​ @panic-naran​ @thesswintersoldier​ @wavyjassy​ @mikariell95​ @dreamacoholic​ @iamariotgrrl​

[daryls-dixon-antoni]

Chapter 40.) Something They Need

“So what's your story?" Jesus asks me, as I brush down a horse for the people here.

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"I mean, I used to read your husband's books. He came to the dojo I used to attend once, I remember you being there. How did you get where you are now?"

I frown, it's been a while since I'd been recognized without having to inform someone who I was. "Tyler died... most of our kids died, and Daryl was here for me. Is here for me."

"I wasn't judging. I just was curious as to how you'd end up with someone so different to who you were with." I look up into his sincere eyes and sigh.

"Daryl and I grew up very similarly. Neither of us had the best childhoods... I was almost put into a group home... my older siblings and I tried to hide how bad home was, but my younger brother messed up one day, and we knew there was no way that we'd be placed together... there were 15 of us, and the adult siblings were in no place to legally be allowed to have us... I was fifteen at the time, so... I ran away from the group home that first night, and never looked back. After a while, Tyler's mom found me. Ty and I fell in love. But he never understood me... And when the world fell, I took care of him and the kids." I look away from Jesus.

"Daryl understands you, and you don't have to take care of him. That's why?"

I nod, "That and my son told me not to push him away."

Jesus smiles at me, "I grew up in a group home after my parents died. Made it hard to connect with people; friends, boyfriends..."

I smile back, "So you get it?" He nods.

"You on the rag yet?" Daryl asks me suddenly as we're laying under the stars. Tomorrow we go help set up the explosives with Jesus and our group from Alexandria.

I glance at him; my brow furrowed in annoyance, "No, why would you even ask that?"

"Should be due." He says, casually.

"Yeah, and why's that?" I snap, sure I would know whether my period should be due long before he'd ever know.

"You had the one after Hope, Hope's three months, you ain't had a period since."

I frown, he's right. "Stress can effect them," I respond, casually. I haven't dreamt of any babies, so there's no way I'm pregnant again. So the only logical explanation truly is stress.

He braces himself up with his left arm so he can look at me easier, "You ain't pregnant and not tellin' me again, are ya?"

I laugh softly, "No, Daryl. As far as I'm aware this ovens closed for business."

He grunts out a soft, "Good."

"You don't want anymore little Daryl's running around?" I tease.

"Nah, we got Mason and Hope. That's enough." I sit up and look at him, shocked. He'd never considered Mason as his own before. He sits up quickly as well, immediately reaching for his crossbow and looking around for any signs of danger as he asks me, "What? What is it?"

I shake my head, looking at him, "Nothing, Daryl. Nothings wrong. I'm just... you just basically counted Mason as your son..."

"We been together more than a year, I've known the kid since he was small." He shrugs, "Try helpin' you raise him when I can. S'pose he's kinda my kid by this point."

"Can I kiss you?" I ask, wanting nothing more than to throw my arms around him, but I respect his new aversion towards touch.

He leans forward and kisses me before pulling away much too soon. He starts digging in his pocket for a second before pulling out what appears to be a clumsily carved and sanded ring of wood . I watch him closely as he coughs awkwardly and then holds out the wooden ring, gruffly saying, "Jesus helped me make it. It's for you if you'd take it. Well take me more like. Don't wanna spend a damned day without ya, Woman."

I take the ring gingerly and place it on my ring finger before clarifying, "Did you just propose?"

He doesn't meet my eyes as he nods, "Made one for me, too. Figure there ain't no wedding shit here, but we could says we're married. Care 'bout y' enough to be. That's if you wanna be."

I smile brightly, "Of course I want to be your wife. I'd be crazy if I didn't."

He nods once before laying back down, his body almost relaxing even. I lay down next to him, and feel him pull me closer towards him so that I'm using his arm as a pillow. I debate for awhile whether to lay an arm around his waist, not wanting to push his comfort zone, and finally decide to continue letting him pick the pace of any physical affection.

"So he gave you the ring?" Jesus asks, as we leave the gates of Hilltop. I see Daryl roll his eyes out of the corner of my eye and I grin. "Yeah, he gave it to me last night."

"Congratulations."

"Thank you."

While we lay out the explosives Jesus says, "I should've tried harder to stop Rosita and Sasha. If they'd have just waited one more day-"

Daryl cuts him off, "Well, Sasha's a good shot, and Rosita knows how to take care of herself. Probably back at Hilltop right now. Least I hope so. We're gonna need 'em. There's a whole lot of people still got to die.

I shake my head, look him dead in the eye and respond, "Jesus, there isn't any point in dwelling on the maybes, they made their choice. They know the stakes. Whatever happens, it won't be on you."

"Thanks." I nod, giving Jesus a brief smile before going back to placing the explosives down. Jesus continues on but Daryl holds me back.

"Should I worry about Jesus?"

I look at him, "What?"

"You two seem close."

I can't help the laugh that escapes, he gives me an angry look so I hold up a hand, getting my giggles under control as I say, "I never thought I'd see the day where Daryl Dixon would be jealous."

"'m not jealous," he grunts.

"Of course not." I bite my lip to hold off the new round of giggles before I continue, "Jesus isn't into girls, Daryl. But you know what? Now that I think about it, you two have grown quite close; should I be worried?"

"Shut up," he grunts, giving me an exasperated look and I start laughing.

"Anne, we're trying to remain under the radar." Rick calls from his spot.

I nod, stifling my laughter and give him my most apologetic look.

"Dammit woman..." Daryl shakes his head, and then we both go back to work.

"Think we can try to give Tara more time?" Jesus asks, softly.

I shake my head, "Nope, it's go time." I nod to Rick and Daryl and I move towards where Tara said the arsenal is, I can hear the feet of Jesus and the others following closely behind. When we get there we see two women, one with short hair the other long. Michonne shoots at the ground near their feet from her spot in the trees.

When they stop, Daryl orders, "On the ground. Now."

"Hands up!" I shout, as the long haired woman quickly follows Daryl's request, and then my own.

When the short haired woman doesn't listen, I aim my gun at her head and repeat, "We said on the ground!"

"Please," Jesus adds, kindly.

I shoot a glare his way but the woman listens then, glaring at him enough for the both of us.

I step forward to tie up short hair, but Jesus takes my arm and shakes his head. I roll my eyes but move to the other woman, effectively tying her hands as Jesus takes care of short hair.

Daryl lowers his crossbow and gives Michonne the signal.

We move the women once their bound to join the rest, getting there only to hear, "We want this to go as simply and as peacefully as possible. All of you can make it that way."

Daryl moves ponytail towards the rest of her community, "Get down over there. Keep quiet."

Rick walks up behind us, "Now, we made a lot of noise. We want to wrap this up quick; so you can send people to redirect anything coming this way. Tara said your forests are relatively clear, so we won't take any chances. No one needs to get hurt. This is just about what you have, what we need."

"Nobody's taking anything!" We all hear the woman yell, and when I turn my heart drops, she has a gun pointed on Tara and looks like she'd shoot without regret. "You need to let everyone go and leave right now. Just walk away or this one dies."

"Yeah, we'll leave you alone." Rick agrees, "But we're taking your weapons with us. That's not gonna change. It's Natania, right? Put the gun down, and let's talk about what we can change."

"No. Leave right now."

I take Daryl's bandanna subtly, and then wave it to signal Michonne, only Tara and Daryl seem to notice.

He merely glance at me, but Tara yells, "Michonne, don't!"

"We just wanna be left alone." Natania says.

"Yeah, we'll leave you alone. Just let go of her. Now. Or we'll kill you. None of us want that."

"They want us to fight The Saviors." The girl who was with Natania and Tara yells to her community.

"We tried that. We lost. Too much." Natania seethes. "We're not gonna lose anymore; not our guns, not our safety. Not after everything we've done to get here."

"We're gonna win," Tara argues. "With your guns, with or without your help."

"Natania, put the gun down." Rick agrees.

"You kill me, and you die. And my people take the guns and nothing changes."

"Maybe we should try," short hair speaks up. Some of the women mutter amongst themselves, seeming in favor of our cause.

"Grandma, stop." The girl next to Natania says. "It's over. Just talk to them, okay?"

"It's not over! They've forgotten. You've all forgotten. Some of you actually want to fight them? After everything? We can lose our guns, but us leaving this place to fight? After everything? I have to remind you! Yes. I am gonna do this, and then I'm gonna die. But it's that important. This is your life, all of you. Remember what it looks like. Remember what they did to us! You need to see this. Open your eyes!"

"Rick!" Michonne calls from her place. "Walkers!"

I hear someone punch someone just as I've turned to look for the dead, however I quickly turn back to see Natania has been punched.

The dead are also coming, a lot of them.

"Everybody up! Get the children behind us! They're coming." Rick yells.

The community jump into action immediately.

"First shift, join them on the line." Short hair orders. "Knives out. Dead only. Dead only!"

I hear Rick instruct short hair, "Don't go anywhere." He then turns to the rest of our group, "Everyone, shots within 10 feet of the line. That's it."

I aim and wait, then he yells, "Now!"

The sound of gunfire fills the forest and I continuously shoot, aiming for the heads, I'm also shown how badass this community truly is, and I can't help but be impressed.

When it's finished, Natania says, "No. We're not fighting them with you. So take your damn guns and go." She walks away.

I'm helping Jesus and Tara load up the weapons, Carl and Enid are helping as well, but, most of our people are standing around, keeping watch.

"We're gonna bring them back when it's all over." Tara informs the curly haired woman who is Natania's granddaughter.

"I-I want to go with you," she responds. "Some of us do, but not all of us, and it has to be all of us. My grandmother thinks you'll all be dead."

"Yeah, well, your grandmother's wrong about a lot of things. Where is she?"

"She didn't want to see this. She's lying down. I hit her pretty hard."

"Thanks for saving my life before. And the other time. Oh, and then the other time." I look at Tara curiously as I pass by, but don't say anything. "Maybe today. Thanks."

"Hey. Thank you. For what you're doing."

A little girl follows behind Tara asking, "You're not leaving us any?"

"Nope." Tara puts her middle finger up, "See ya later, Rachel."

"Tara," I say, appalled. "That's a child!"

"She tried killing me!" Tara retorts.

"Well okay then..." I whisper.

As we keep walking Rick asks Tara, "You okay?"

"Yeah. You're right. I don't have to feel bad."

We make it to Hill Top and see Rosita running towards us, "Hey, are you okay?"

"Where's Sasha?" Jesus asks.

"There's someone here."

We follow her to the jail and when I see who's in it, I yell, "I'ma fucking kill you!" And almost in sync both Daryl and I go to attack Dwight.

Tara and Jesus hold me back as Rick and Michonne hold Daryl back.

"Let go!" I yell, "Jesus let me fucking go!"

"Get her out of here," Rick orders, and when I glance at them, I see Daryl has stopped.

Jesus picks me up and removes me from the jail as I yell, "I will find you! And I will fucking kill you, you son of a bitch!"

"Hey!" Jesus says, once we're outside and he puts me down and I immediately try to side step him, only for him to stop me once again.

"He tortured Daryl, Jesus. He deserves to die!"

[dance10jennas]

ET has learned that the Dancing With the Stars duo tied the knot on Saturday evening at Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes, California, surrounded by their family, friends and fellow dancers.

The blushing bride wowed in a fitted white wedding dress by Vera Wang that featured sheer sleeves and turtleneck. Her hair was swept in an elegant updo and had a beautiful crystal hairpiece and long veil designed by Bridal Styles Boutique, according to People. Val looked equally charming, suiting up in a classic tux from Brooks Brothers.

The dress is actually the first one Jenna tried on while filming an episode of Say Yes to the Dress at the famous Kleinfeld Bridal shop. Her sister-in-law, Peta Murgatroyd, told ET after the taping that she could tell by Jenna's facial expressions "that that was it."

"When you know, you know," she said, adding that Jenna looked "like a beautiful princess, model, glamorous, goddess" in the gown she chose.

As Jenna and Val exchanged their vows on Saturday, their family members and closest pals stood by their side. Val's brother, Maksim Chmerkovskiy, served as Best Man, while Jenna's sisters (Jillian and Stacy Johnson), fellow DWTS pro Lindsay Arnold and SYTYCD alum Gaby Diaz made up her side of the bridal party.

Jenna confirmed to ET earlier this month that Adam Rippon -- who helped her score her first-ever mirrorball trophy on DWTS -- was also going to be by her side as a "brides-man," while wedding planner Nicole Volynets would be Val's "grooms-lady." Val also teased to ET at the time that Maksim's 2-year-old son, Shai (whom he shares with wife Peta), would be walking down the aisle with Jenna's young nieces.

Other DWTS pros in attendance included Emma Slater and husband Sasha Farber and Witney Carson, along with former contestants Laurie Hernandez, Normani and Joe "Grocery Store Joe" Amabile, who was joined by his girlfriend, Kendall Long.

Later, Jenna changed into a second dress, a stunning number designed by Kleinfeld, for the reception.

The newlyweds then kicked off their reception with a first dance to "La Vie en Rose." Guests were treated to everything from cake from Vanilla Bake Shop in Santa Monica, California, to music from Eli's Band.

Jenna, 25, and Val, 33, previously told ET that they were initially hoping to have an "intimate" wedding of about 200 people, and were "still making eliminations" to the guest list up until two weeks ago!

"We want to keep a small guest list, but at the same time, it's a beautiful thing that we've built real sincere genuine relationships," Val explained. "And the number grows, but it doesn't from like a shallow standpoint of having everybody there that we know. It's growing because we realize, 'Wow! There's a lot of people that mean a lot to us in our life.'"

Val proposed to Jenna last June, during the couple's romantic getaway to Venice, Italy. "I knew the moment I met you, you were the man of my dreams and I wanted to be with you forever," Jenna gushed at the time. "Thank you for making my fairytale come true today! Cannot believe I get to call you my FIANCÉ!!!!"

I knew the moment I met you, you were the man of my dreams and I wanted to be with you forever. Babychka Мой любовь thank you for making my fairytale come true today! Cannot believe I get to call you my FIANCÉ!!!! #engaged

Speaking with ET back in December, Jenna revealed she couldn't wait to become "Mrs. Chmerkovskiy."

"You know what, I'm going to have 13 letters in my last name now... I love it!" she exclaimed. "I was always just like a boring Johnson, like 'Jenna Johnson.' His [has], like, character -- no one can say it right."

"I'm tryna be Russian up in here," she continued. "Russian babies, Russian last name."