#they really should have stayed in the alps :(

[girl-lostconnection]

Concept of a concept time:

On my delusional and creepy men shenanigans again. Last time I brought you Ghost, today I bring you König.

König who spends his rare leave in his cabin in Alps, far away from people that could stare, even further from clients or teammates. Just a little time for his own to heal up after the last unfortunate op.

Reconnect with nature, chop some wood, reassemble the rifle for the fifteenth time this week. Nothing exciting, but also nothing unpredictable.

Quiet controlled environment where nothing out of the ordinary happens. No gunshots, no blood, no death.

Just him, thick woods and mountains.

König who gets two people on his doorstep and yeah, he should have guessed that if there is a road nearby, there will be tourists stranded in the snow storm.

His mistake, next year he will take care of it and demolish that fucking thing once and for all.

Still he notices you just behind the friend of yours, your eyes the only thing that he can see — lower part of your face wrapped in scarf and that’s smart, the winters are vicious in the mountains and you probably would like your nose to not get a frost bite.

König who lets the two of you in his house, not stepping aside so you have to squeeze past him, his eyes a little manic as he tries to see a little more of you. What are you doing this deep in the mountain?

What brought you to König’s doorstep?

He thinks about it for a moment, staring down at you while your friend chats him up filling the thick silence. You do your best not to look at the menacing giant of a man who locked and deadbolted the door as soon as you stepped in.

You try not to think about him pocketing the key.

Would you like to stay for dinner?

König watches you in the reflection of the small window above his sink, corner of his lips twitching when you finally shed you coat. And nothing else.

Your scarf stays on, wrapped securely, nor do you pull off your gloves

Skittish. Wary. Careful.

Good girl.

You shouldn’t trust a stranger.

And you definitely shouldn’t trust König.

Not when you stumble right into his den, shaking and tense, your gut telling you that something is wrong.

Not when he has locked all three locks on his doors the moment you and your unfortunate…who is that guy by the way, Schatzi?

Doesn’t seem to be a husband since there is no ring, hardly a boyfriend with how little he checks on you (or a really bad one and therefore he should be gone anyway) and König doesn’t see any resemblance for you to be family so…a friend maybe?

Well, that’s just too bad. König doesn’t need this many people in his house.

König watches your reflection, his eyes drinking into obvious roundness to your figure. Shoulders broad and legs strong, even in that thick woollen sweater and full winter gear.

König forces himself to look away, his fingers twitching, when he shifts his weight from one leg to another, his cock chubbing up.

Pretty girl with body that makes his mouth water. Pretty girl on whose thighs alone König could feast all winter.

Oh, that is so fucking good.

Mother used to say that those who wait patiently get what they yearn for and it seems like König just got exactly what he wanted

Danke, Mutter, danke shön. You were right as always.

König who hums, offering you to wait out the storm in here, while he pretends to make you and your friend some tea.

König who slips a knife of his in the sleeve and turns around, his voice cracking like a faulty vinyl record when you look him in the eyes again.

Your friend will have to go, Schatzi.

But don’t worry, your König will take care of everything. Your König will take care of you, he promises. You won’t need for anything, süße.

After all, what kind of husband would he make if he neglected a wife that fate dropped right in his hands? It was meant to be, Schatzi, he just knows it.

And so will you. Even if it takes time.

But not to worry, you will have it in abundance. After all, you are home now. And this is where you will stay.

[scariusaquarius]

rehab. 16.

Avenger! Bucky Barnes x Winter Soldier! Fem! Reader

Summary: While on a mission to find any more possible super soldiers that were a part of the Winter Soldier program, Steve and Bucky make a discovery in an abandoned HYDRA base that was cleared out a few years prior to their mission. They discover the Reader, a long-forgotten soldier that was still asleep within a functioning cryostasis pod; still awaiting orders. While Bucky isn't happy about it, he is put up to the challenge of helping to rehabilitate the soldier in Wakanda where she may be able to become a person again.

-

A/n: SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG. Shit got real for me. I'm going back to college!! It's been a bit of a ride since my acceptance and enrollment, so I haven't had a lot of time to write. But i promise i'm back and comin in swinging!! Now we're gonna get into Nat's part of the big mission, and then we'll be back to Bucky and our soldier <3 Also, if you enjoy my work, please consider buying me a coffee! If you would prefer to read Rehab on Archive, you may do so right HERE!

This is an au where Bucky joined the avengers but still rehabilitated in Wakanda (sometime before Infinity War [canon divergent cause NOPE]). I am NOT fluent in Russian, so I did use google translate cause I couldn't find a good translator that I trusted. If anything is wrong, PLEASE let me know!! Also, I tried to list as many warnings as possible so you know what the story will contain as chapters are posted. Stay safe!

-

Genre: Slowburn, Enemies to Lovers/Friends to Lovers, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Humor, Drama, Dark Content Rated: Explicit Warning: Angst, Dark Content: Graphic Depictions of Sexual Assault, Blood and Gore, Mentions of Manipulation, Kidnapping, Canon-Typical Violence, Body Horror, Nonconsensual Body Modification/Scarring, Emotional and Physical Abuse, Mentions of Murder, Mentions of Suicidal Thoughts/Ideation, Graphic Depictions of Human Remains, Mentions of Sexual Coercion/Manipulation, Death, Misuse of Drugs/Forced Drugging, Self-Harm (Graphic Depictions and Mentions), Nightmares

-

Author: ScariusAquarius

-

rehab masterlist. chapter 14 / chapter 15

The Swiss Alps were much colder than the assassin had been expecting. While Natasha Romanova knew the terrain almost like the back of her hand, it was unusually cold for the early morning. The watch on her wrist was reading 4:38am, and though is was typical for a November morning to be cold, Natasha could feel the weather permeating through her body.

No matter how much the Red Room had tried to condition her body for any climate, Natasha always hated the cold the most. Rubbing her gloved hands together, Natasha watched as her breath materialized in front of her as she breathed out, tapping her foot impatiently.

"Clint, you almost done back there?"

The sound of leaves crunching made Natasha turn, and Clint gave her an annoyed expression as he came out from behind a large tree, shaking his shoulders.

"You try taking a piss in the dead cold. It's not fun."

Wanda made a noise of disgust, shaking her head with vigor as she begged.

"Please, never think so loudly again."

Natasha chuckled, and Clint just rolled his eyes before giving Wanda a firm look as she stated, her eyes glowing red and fingertips twitching slightly.

"I do not sense anybody within the building. It is...empty."

"That's either a really good thing or a really bad thing."

Clint muttered, and Natasha frowned deeply to herself, the gears in her head turning.

"If Rollins isn't here...he wasn't in Germany like he was supposed to be...just where would a rat hide?"

Wanda shrugged and answered with a slight look of unsureness.

"If I were a rat, I would hide where nobody would think to look...and that has plenty of resources for me to use."

Clint hummed, rubbing his chin as he looked up at the brightening sky.

"I mean, it's a stretch...but what if he's hiding out with the CIA?"

Natasha huffed, shaking her head.

"I knew I should have went anyway. Let's just check this building to see if there's any valuable information and destroy the place once we're done."

Clint immediately took out his bow and gestured his arm out.

"After you, miladies."

"Really? I think you should go first."

Clint gave Natasha a glare while Wanda chuckled and shook her head.

"You two fight like a married couple."

"We would have killed each other a lot sooner."

Clint rolled his eyes before he leapt down the side of the hill that was sitting right next to the HYDRA base, his voice carrying through the air.

"I'm leaving now!"

Wanda and Natasha both shared a look, and Wanda carefully levitated the two of them down the hill, leaving Clint to fall behind as they both landed gracefully on the ground. While Clint grumbled to himself as he saved himself from tripping, Wanda was squinting slightly, asking Natasha as the woman used a pair of binoculars to get a closer look of the outside of the building.

"So, why not ask for my assistance in finding out who this woman was? I could have easily looked through her memories...even the ones that were locked away."

Natasha hummed, shrugging her shoulders.

"You were on a mission, and by the time you were back, Princess Shuri had already gotten through. Though, having you in Wakanda when she was reactivated would have been a lot more convenient."

"You're telling me. My back is still aching."

Clint muttered before he grabbed his bow, hitting a switch to lock the parts into place as he gazed around the building. Wanda just shook her head as Natasha spoke, a frown on the assassins face.

"No sign of life. Nothing on thermal. You're still not getting anything, Wanda?"

"Nothing; not even underground."

Clint gave Natasha a look, stating quietly.

"I don't like this, Nat. Something isn't right. Why would the facility be completely cleared out like this unless there's someone already on the inside?"

Wanda spoke up while Natasha was thinking.

"The decoy was supposed to be in Morocco, but if that wasn't the true decoy...perhaps the missions we are leading are."

Natasha stood up, giving Wanda and Clint firm looks.

"Clint, get a hold of King T'Challa immediately. Tell him that there might be a possible mole and to go on lockdown while we get back. This is starting to get complicated."

Clint nodded, walking off a bit as he began to make the phone call, and Wanda frowned again.

"I...hope that I am not in trouble for this, but I looked through Clint's memories of when he and Steve went to the CIA. The Director...what if he is hiding Rollins?"

Natasha muttered, shaking her head as they began to quickly trek back up the hill.

"It would make sense. If he was as nervous as Clint says he was, then perhaps he knows more than he is letting on."

Wanda frowned more, shaking her head before she muttered softly.

"The woman's face...what would they had done to cause such scars like that?"

Natasha was quiet and she sighed.

"HYDRA and the Red Room don't care about your autonomy. They only care about what you can do for them...what you know...what your assets are. If you don't comply, then you get punished. Even the slightest misstep could cost you a broken leg."

'Again!'

Penché Arabesque, Italian Fouetté, Quadruple Pirouette. If you do not dance with the grace of God, may he strike you down with the bite of a thousand widows.

'What if I fail?'

'You never fail.'

Natasha shook her head slightly, and Wanda pursed her lips almost as if she was ashamed, and Natasha turned to Wanda with a frown.

"With HYDRA, it's worse. You've seen what they did to Bucky...the hours of torture and beatings and wiping. I'm sure you can imagine how much worse it became for the others after Bucky's escape."

"Truthfully, I am unsure if I wish to know."

Clint interrupted the two of them with a grave look, his eyes directly onto Natasha as he warned.

"We have an issue. Tony and Steve both had the same problem at their locations. Based emptied, not a soul in sight. We're all on the same conclusion that someone is already on the inside...or they're about to try. We need to get back right now. T'Challa is already moving (Y/n) to a more safe location with Shuri and has arranged the Dora Milaje to stand guard as well."

Natasha frowned and stated, glancing at Wanda.

"You two go on ahead. I'm going to search through the facility for any hard evidence that we might need."

Wanda raised a brow at Natasha as she asked.

"How will you get back?"

The Black Widow just shrugged.

"I'll hitch a ride."

Clint smirked slightly before gesturing with his head at Wanda.

"Come on, we gotta go. Nat knows what she is doing."

Wanda seemed reluctant before she nodded, and the two Avengers were quick to get back to the quinjet. Once they were out of range, Natasha pulled out her phone and sighed as she dialed a number and waited as it rang.

"Romanoff, do you have any idea what time it is right now?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. Did I interrupt your precious beauty sleep?"

The man on the other side of the line grumbled before he asked with an annoyed tone.

"What the hell do you want?"

"I need to call in a favor."

-WAKANDA-BUCKY-

His blood was freezing and boiling at the same time. Thoughts were racing through his mind at high speeds, jumbled and unfocused as he stood in front of the woman that was currently in a cryostasis pod in the deepest part of the kingdom. The Dora Milaje were surrounding him, spears at the ready and pointed at the door.

Shuri was currently typing away at her computer as she communicated with the king, and Bucky couldn't help but to feel a surge of angry anticipation go through him.

"What the hell is going on, Princess Shuri?"

Shuri gave Bucky a grim expression, stating.

"The Avengers, except for Tony, have not found anything. All of the facilities were completely empty and cleaned out...we believe that there is a mole."

Bucky cursed to himself, asking with an accusatory tone that made Okoye give him a death glare.

"Great. I thought Wakanda was supposed to be the most secure place in the world?"

Shuri looked frustrated, throwing a hand up in the air.

"It is not completely foolproof! I do not know why my brother claims as such. Every program, every barrier, every theory will have weak spots. The issue is when the opposing factor knows how to exploit that."

Bucky just remained quiet, and Shuri stated.

"We do not know when the enemy will attempt to strike. The safest thing is to keep (Y/n) here and guarded while Tony goes over what he has found at his facility."

Bucky glanced back at the woman that was currently encased in ice, her expression soft and peaceful as she slept, and Bucky muttered with a low tone.

"I'll stay here with (Y/n). If you're up there with Tony, it'll cut the work time in half. If you're comfortable with it, having half of the Dora Milaje to stay here with me would increase our chances tenfold."

Shuri nodded before stating.

"It would as we do not know how many agents Rollins will be bringing with him. However, in order to ensure my brother's safety, I will take all but one. I will leave it up to them to decide who stays with you."

Shuri then walked closer to Bucky, the man leaning down as the princess whispered softly.

"If all else fails, Mr. Barnes, taking her out of cryo might be your best bet. It will be too troublesome to try to transport the pod...but with the woman herself? It might be the best option."

Bucky frowned, shaking his head slightly.

"Defrost can take a long time...time that we don't have. If it comes down to that, I don't think there will be enough time to defrost and transport."

Shuri then gave Bucky a look before she backed away.

"Then, Mr. Barnes? Make it work. She's depending on you...on us all."

Bucky felt shivers go down his spine, and he pursed his lips as he watched Shuri and all but one of the Dora Milaje leave. The remaining agent stood at the door, straight and poised; almost statue-like as she awaited for trouble or orders...or both. Bucky turned back to the woman and he frowned. Would defrosting her now be a good choice?

There was a part of Bucky that wanted to in order to tell the woman the truth: that her Handler was coming after her, and it was time to make a choice. However, would that be fair? Would it be fair to put this woman, who had endured years and years of torture and pain and suffering, through the experience of seeing her Handler again?

Bucky ran a hand through his hair before scratching at his beard. The fire within the torches in the room flickered, and the light glinted off of his metal arm, making Bucky look down at it.

'It's not gonna be easy. Lots of people know about the past...but we can make it a much better future if we stick together. I'm here to help you, Buck...and I certainly am not going to punish you.'

Bucky remembered that he had been making coffee when Steve had come by, sitting down at the table with a steaming cup of his own; that familiar solemn look in those blue eyes. He remembered that Doris Day was playing on a record that Tony had found for him, much to his dismay and the pushing of the rest of the Avengers.

'People don't forget, Steve. How can I make amends for the things that I've done when all people see when they look at me is the Winter Soldier?'

Despite the moment being serious, Steve couldn't help but to crack a small smile.

'Give them a new face to look at then.'

'You're a punk, you know that?'

Give them a new face to look at. Bucky clenched his fist before looking up at the woman in the pod and he took a deep breath.

"I'm gonna get into so much trouble for this."

-

STORY NOTES: Natasha, Clint, and Wanda are in the Swiss Alps for their mission. It is 4:38am, and Natasha notes how cold it is. She muses that no matter how hard the Red Room had conditioned her, Natasha hated the cold the most. Clint and Wanda are officially introduced, and Wanda makes the observation that the HYDRA base they are at seems to be empty. Clint offers that Rollins could be hiding with the CIA since the other bases seemed to be empty as well, and Natasha decided that the group should still investigate the building just in case.

While Wanda checks through the building again, Clint becomes uneasy, telling Natasha that he doesn't like the situation. Wanda mentions the Decoy in Morocco, and points out that the true decoys are the missions the Avengers are leading at this moment. Natasha orders Clint to get in touch with T'Challa, and Wanda reveals that she looked through Clint's memories of when he went to the CIA with Steve. Wanda questions the Director's credibility, and Natasha agrees.

Wanda then becomes solemn as she asks what could have caused the scars on the woman's face, and Natasha is quick to reply. She is then sent into a flashback of when she was forced to learn ballet, and Natasha quickly regains her wits, explaining further that since Wanda was able to see what HYDRA did to Bucky, it is obvious the torture became worse after his escape.

Clint comes back to inform Natasha and Wanda that Tony and Steve both were unsuccessful with their missions as well, and that everyone is in agreement that someone is already on the inside. They all begin to prepare to depart, but Natasha hangs back. Wanda is quick to question her, but Natasha answers that she will be able to find her way back. Natasha calls in a favor to an unknown person, and the point of view changes.

The scene opens to Wakanda and Bucky once more. Bucky is anxious and nervous as the Wakandan's mobilize and get ready for an attack; moving (Y/n) (L/n) to the deepest and safest part of the Citadel. Bucky questions Shuri on what is going on, and Shuri reveals that the Avengers, except for Tony, have not found anything at all and all the facilities were completely empty. She reveals that she believes there is a mole.

Bucky becomes frustrated, and Shuri tells him that none of them know when the enemy will attempt to strike and the best course of action is to keep (Y/n) in the safehaven until further notice. Bucky announces that he will stay with (Y/n) so Shuri may help Tony. Shuri agrees, and then advises Bucky that taking the woman out of the cryopod will be the best course of action if all else fails. Bucky refuses, stating that defrost will take too long, but Shuri refuses to take no for an answer.

Shuri and the Dora Milaje then leave, leaving one agent alone with Bucky and (Y/n), and Bucky begins to have an internal dilemma. after experiencing a recent flashback of a conversation between him and Steve, Bucky makes his choice.

TRANSLATIONS:

None

TAGLIST: @tilldeathripsusapart @vicmc624 @mgchaser @aash3 @samfunko @seventeen-x @valckenaux @babybeeelle @sc4rrc @cjand10 @bane-y-zane

[kigieri]

Wiser

Fernando Alonso × Reader

A nice birthday breakfast with your favourite person.

A/N: A birthday post for myself! Even though it has already been some time. It's short and sweet, just something I gifted myself. It is really hard for me to capture the way Fernando speaks English. I gave it my best shot.

This story on AO3.

It was nice to be able to celebrate her birthday with Fernando. There was no bad blood over him having to spend this time of year at a racetrack halfway across the world, but it was nice to have him home for it, too. They could celebrate together, and even had the time for a little party with friends and family.

She woke up to Fernando stroking her hair, lightly so as not to wake her. She stretched as much as possible without actually compromising the comfortable position she was in, and stretched her neck towards her lover for a kiss. "Happy birthday, hermosa." His voice was a bit rough from sleep, but she could practically hear him smiling.

After turning around, she laid her head on his chest. "Good morning," She muffled into his chest. A slight chuckle could be heard from him. "Do you want to stand up or stay lying?" She craned her neck to look up at him from her lying position and raised an eyebrow. "Stay."

Fernando nodded, returning to stroking her hair. After laying together for another half hour, they decided it was time to stand up. Fernando made her sit down at the little table in the kitchen. They found it more comfortable than the big one in the living room. He was not fond of cooking and refused to do it most of the time, but for her birthday he scrapped together all the talent he did not have, as she slyly remarked.

A few minutes, and her helping out, later, they had food in front of them. In between, they talked about plans for the winter break and what they had been up to while apart.

"If we're spending Christmas in Spain, should we spend new years at home? I think that would be nice." Fernando nodded, not seeming convinced. "Do you want to go to the Alps?" She looked up from her plate. "You don't like it that cold." He shrugged his shoulders. "I will survive." A smile crept onto her face.

She had wanted to spend new years in the Alps for a few years, but had repeatedly indulged Fernando's, and her own, love for warmth and had returned to sunnier places. Him suggesting, offering even, to spend a week in the high altitudes made her feel giddy.

She took a sip from her cup, smiling silently. They had talked about getting engaged, both thinking that they were far enough into their relationship and secure enough for the next step. This meant that Fernando might plan a proposal, either around Christmas while visiting his family, or over the year change.

"I would like that, if you're really okay with it." Fernando waved his hand. "Can go skiing and cook a lot, will be nice." After that, they continued their breakfast until Fernando looked back at her.

"What do you want to do in the morning?" They had planned a get-together with their friends for the evening, but for now they were free. She shrugged her shoulders. "Just want time with you." All the time they spend together was precious, his career often separating them. "We can stay a bit and then maybe go to the harbour. Maybe drive out a bit." Fernando nodded, always up for a bit of boat driving.

After standing up and refilling their plates from the stove, a mischievous grin took over his face. "How does it feel? One year older?"

She rolled her eyes. "We talked about this, I'm getting wiser. Just as you are." Fernando chuckled lightly. She picked up a bit of food and chewed it before muttering, "And a bit older."

Silence settled over breakfast, broken only by a remark here or there. After they finished, Fernando took on the cleaning duties. She walked up behind him, sliding her arms around his waist and laying her chin on his shoulders. "Thank you, this was really sweet."

Fernando shook his head lightly.  "Everything for you, mi vida." He put the plaid he was washing on the drying rag and wiped his hands dry, before turning around in her arms. "On your birthday and every other day, we are together." He leaned in, kissing her. "I love you." It was her instinctual response. The smile on her face was mirrored by the one on his. "Te amo también."

@kigieri 2024. All rights reserved. Do not copy, steal, translate or repost any of my work.

[clarisse0o]

Camp Wiegman-Part 54

Lucy Bronze x Ona Batlle

Alternative Universe : Military School

Words: 5k

Masterlist

———————————————————————

Monday, February 15th; 09:00 AM - Hotel.

A new day begins in the Alps. While Lucy, Jenni, and Ingrid are at the reception arranging snowmobiles for us, the others are waiting outside. Watching them playfully battle with snowballs makes me smile. I loved the snowball fight we had at school... Although I do regret a little how it ended. It's a memory I won’t forget, especially considering how sick I got right after recovering. I’m glad the girls didn’t follow them outside to join in. Instead, we stayed warm inside, watching through the windows and waiting for our friends to give us instructions for the day.

"So, how was your Valentine’s Day?" Ale finally asks.

"Absolutely amazing!" Mapi exclaims enthusiastically. "I never really celebrate it, but I think I’m going to change my mind now," she admits. "Ingrid was incredible. She surprised me from start to finish."

"I can say the same," I add. "I didn’t even realize it was the 14th of February."

"Me neither," Alexia laughs. "Jenni really surprised me too."

"I heard you fell asleep during the movie last night?" Mapi teases, nudging me.

I blush and nod reluctantly. They must have noticed, or maybe Lucy mentioned it without me knowing. I was so comfortable and exhausted from the day that the movie knocked me out. Poor Lucy must have carried me to our room because apparently, I was too asleep to wake up.

"Yeah, but Lucy didn’t mind, so it’s all good. So, what did you do during the day?" I ask, trying to change the subject.

"We went Timbersledding in the morning. It was awesome!"

"Really? We did that too!" Mapi exclaims. "Except we did it in the afternoon."

"What is that?" I ask, suddenly feeling clueless.

"It’s like motocross on snow," Alexia explains. "It took me a while to remember the word too," she admits, as if it wasn’t a big deal if I didn’t know it.

"Motocross on snow?" I squint. "Isn’t that kind of like snowmobiling?"

"Yeah," she giggles. "But it’s way more powerful."

The revelation makes me feel even more foolish. They must think I’m really timid after how I reacted to Lucy’s few accelerations the other day.

"We had a half-hour lesson, enough time for me to get the hang of it, and then we went up into the mountains," she continues. "At one point, the instructor let us go on our own. Jenni knows I love thrills, so we try to do activities like that whenever we can."

"I have to admit it was really cool," Mapi says. "We had the same setup, and I don’t regret it."

"Is that all you did?"

"No. She took me to lunch afterward. Then in the afternoon, we did dog sledding and finished with a zip line. That was awesome too!"

"Ooooh! Really? No surprise there, that must have been amazing."

"Yeah," she smiles. "If there’s one thing you should do before leaving, it’s definitely that!"

"Wow, Jenni doesn’t mess around," Mapi says.

"Never. She also took me to a restaurant for both lunch and dinner. Then we finished with *Titanic*."

"And you, Mapi? What did you do in the morning?"

"We stayed here. We had breakfast in bed, and she had planned a spa session for us. After that, I also got to do dog sledding. Then we went to eat, and you know the rest. We’ve been talking about ourselves, but what about you? Did Lucy live up to the expectations?" she teases.

"Of course she did. We also started with breakfast in bed, then she arranged a carriage ride."

"Seriously? That’s so cool," Alexia says. "Maybe that could rival our sledding."

"Maybe, yeah," I giggle. "It was really nice. We cuddled up together the whole ride. Afterward, we went to eat in town, and then she took me to an exhibition."

"An exhibition?" Mapi asks, puzzled.

"Yeah. There was one in the nearby village. She saw a poster at the hotel and wanted to take me because she knows how much I love that."

"Oh... Sounds like she really nailed it," Mapi comments.

"Absolutely! We ended the day with a massage session and a private pool at the hotel. Then, like you, we ate at the hotel and watched a movie. She really chose all the activities I love; it was amazing."

I could have shared more about our morning when she told me she loved me, but I prefer to keep that detail to myself for now. Who knows how they would react? I don’t need them to get all excited right away. It’s something intimate that I plan to cherish on my own. We don’t have much more to talk about, as the three people we were waiting for walk towards us. Judging by their expressions, things didn’t go well.

"We couldn’t get the snowmobiles," Jenni grumbles.

"Weren’t they available for this morning?" Mapi asks.

The hotel had put up a board showing when they were available and how many there were. It seems we were too late for today. Yet, as Mapi just said, they should have been available this morning.

"They’re already reserved for early afternoon, and they’re worried we won’t return in time," Lucy explains.

"We’re stuck here. We’ll have to find another activity for the day," Ingrid sighs.

"Well, we could take a walk in the forest," Alexia suggests. "The girls are already having fun outside, so we might as well enjoy it, that way everyone’s happy."

We all look at each other for a moment, as if silently deliberating. I don’t mind this plan. Lucy and I love nature, so I’m sure she’d agree too. As for the other three girls, they don’t seem opposed to the idea either.

"She’s right. I’ll check with the reception to see if there are any trails nearby. » Jenni says

"Good idea, I’ll join you."

Lucy, who just responded, follows her, as does Ingrid. We’re back to three again. I sigh, starting to get a bit tired of waiting around. Seeing some empty chairs not far from us, I don’t hesitate long before heading over to them, quickly followed by my friends.

- Everything seems to be going well between you and Lucy, said Mapi.

- Yeah, everything's great. I'm glad we're on vacation, though. It's not the same at school.

- That's true. How do you plan to handle things there? Ale asked.

- Lucy wants to keep the two relationships separate.

- What do you mean by that...?

- She wants to continue being my supervisor.

- And do you think she'll manage? Mapi teased. I mean, even if you two aren’t sleeping together yet, you seem really close!

- What do you know about that anyway? I retorted, unable to stop blushing. In any case, that's something that concerns only us.

- Oh yes, for sure, but Mapi's right, Alexia chimed in. Jenni didn’t want to mix things either. Well, it was different since she wasn’t in charge of me at the time… But it was still hard to keep our distance. In the end, she was the one who came to see me until we got caught.

- As you just said, it’s different. Lucy and I can see each other more often. Even if I won’t get any affection, I’ll still be with her, and that’s all that matters to me. Anyway, there are only a few months left, and I doubt Lucy will crack during that time. She doesn’t tend to give up when she wants something to work her way.

- That’s true... She’s always been the reasonable type, I think, Mapi sighed. Doesn’t that bother you? I mean, you’re usually someone who lets loose. I don’t get the impression that’s her style.

I frowned and shook my head. I know Lucy is reasonable, but it’s never been a problem. As I told Lucy herself, I love our differences.

- No, it doesn’t bother me. Thanks to that trait, she’s brought stability into my life.

- You’re right, Ale smiled. If there’s one thing Lucy can bring you, it’s definitely stability.

- The question is whether that’s what you want, Mapi muttered.

The tone of her voice didn’t sit well with me. Something was off. She wasn’t like this earlier in the morning. I didn’t have time to react as a hand rested on my shoulder. When I turned around, I saw my girlfriend’s smiling face. I decided not to dwell on Mapi's remark and smiled back at Lucy.

- Is everything settled? I asked.

- Yeah, the receptionist recommended a nice trail, and we can even stop to eat if we leave now, she announced. I came to get you. The others went outside to let the girls know.

- Cool.

I stood up, ready to take her hand, but Mapi didn’t give me the chance. She slipped her arm through mine instead.

- Come on, let’s go! she shouted.

I bit my lip as I looked back while she dragged me toward the exit. I found Lucy sighing. Even though she doesn’t say it anymore, I know she still struggles to tolerate Mapi’s behavior when she acts like this. Alexia, on the other hand, was trying not to laugh beside her. Unlike her, I didn’t find the situation funny. It’s not easy to find the right balance between the two. I turned back to Mapi, who flashed me a smile that I found hard to return. In situations like this, I struggle to understand her, but as a good friend, I held back my comments and let her lead me without a fuss. After all, she also has the right to some of my time.

Monday, February 15; 1:30 PM - Forest.

- Don’t you want to move a little faster?

I stifled a groan upon hearing Mapi's voice again.

- Go ahead, we’ll catch up, Alexia replied with a hint of amusement.

- Well… okay. See you later!

I sighed, running my hand over my face to avoid watching her skip ahead. She had managed to exhaust me. I’ve never known a walk to feel this long. I guess I’m familiar with the phenomenon that’s currently prancing in front of us until she finds her girlfriend. I love walking, but with the many kilometers we’ve covered and Mapi’s endless chatter, my feet are on fire, and my head is about to explode. I was grateful to the others for making stops from time to time. The worst part was that she kept rehashing our past, which she recounted to Alexia. Alexia kindly stayed with us, seeing my despair. She brought up so many memories. I didn’t even remember doing half of it. Our evenings were what she talked about the most. She kept circling back to that, glancing at me as if expecting a reaction. I didn’t give her one. All I could think about was how thankful I was to Lucy for getting me out of that cycle. It will always be a part of me, but I’ve learned to have fun in other ways now. Drinking and smoking can be fun for a while, but it’s no longer something I want to do every weekend. Mapi finally tired of her act when I started lagging behind the others. She’s now gone, without even noticing my weariness. Alexia burst into laughter shortly after she left, quickly joined by my girlfriend, who had waited for us to stay with us. I must have made quite a face because they couldn’t stop laughing. Still, I couldn’t help but smile as I realized that Alexia and Lucy were sharing a laugh. It’s not something you see every day.

- Alright, are you done? I’d like to see you in my shoes!

- Sorry, but your face was priceless, Alexia defended herself between laughs.

- It’s really not funny.

- What did she do to make you look like that? Lucy asked.

- Talk, talk, and talk some more... but like, all the time! And the worst part was she only talked about what we used to do! Can you believe that?

- If you must know, I learned that Ona was the champion at forgetting last night’s mess after a party, Alexia summarized with amusement.

My elbow reflexively jabbed into Alexia’s side. I took the opportunity to give her a stern look. I didn’t need Lucy knowing that kind of thing. I’m not proud of it. The worst part is that I never ended a night the same way. Rarely did I wake up in a bed, with or without Mapi. I was a party animal, and I’ll probably never shake that label.

- You don’t need to hit her, Lucy scolded me. It’s not like I didn’t suspect it. I saw the kind of parties you hung out at.

I blushed, regretting not thinking about that before taking her to Miller’s house. Maybe that’s why she so easily agreed to go. She wanted to see where I spent all my nights before I met her. She was right. It was in that house that I spent most of my nights. Miller was lucky enough to have parents who often had to travel for work. They let him do as he pleased as long as the house was clean when they returned, and he always managed to do that. I’ve lost count of how many times we had to help him clean up. We made quite a mess. As Mapi mentioned earlier, there was even a time when we painted all the walls of the house. I think that was the first time Miller got scolded. We couldn’t afford to run from what had been done since it was a weekend. However, we were good at repainting all the walls after our classes. It would have taken them several days if we hadn’t helped.

- Well, I was a teenager after all, I shrugged.

- That’s no excuse. I didn’t go out that much when I was a teenager.

- What were you like? Alexia asked curiously, unknowingly saving me from a certain argument.

- Much more reasonable, Lucy smiled. If we went out, it was like now. We went to a bar, the movies, or something like that. Parties didn’t interest me. Jenni went sometimes, but I never joined her.

Seeing them chat so easily made me smile. In just a few days, this trip has already done a lot of good. The fear Alexia had when we left seems to have disappeared. I had kept telling her she was worrying for nothing. Lucy's behavior must have reassured her a lot. She’s much more relaxed here, and as I told her, Alexia noticed that Lucy has nothing to do with the “Commander” from Camp Wiegman. The fact that Lucy knows Ale was there for me a lot when we weren’t on good terms must help. She understood that I really care about her, and that must have calmed her down about her. At least, I imagine that for Lucy, Ale made up for sending away her best friend by being there for me because she’s stopped resenting her since. It’s a good thing we became roommates. Without our friendship, none of this would have been possible.

- Were you popular? I joked as I joined the conversation.

- No, she immediately replied. I started to become known when I got into sports in high school, but since I never went to parties, no one paid attention to me. I was way too focused on studying to get my diploma.

- I’m sure it wasn’t necessary. You’re very smart, I replied.

Maybe, she shrugged with a small smile. But I still graduated top of my class in high school, and despite my injury, I found a good college for my higher education. Without my good grades in all subjects, who knows how I would’ve ended up without sports.

Lucy deserves a lot of credit. Who knows how things would have turned out if she had only focused on training… She can anticipate things if they go wrong. That's definitely not my case. I tend to rush in headfirst.

"Wow," Alexia says. "I didn’t know you got injured. Maybe I should focus more on my studies," she laughs.

"Oh, don’t worry. Injuries happen, but they don't affect many people, really. I guess I’m just one of the unlucky ones."

"Don’t say that," I reply.

"You handled it very well, so that’s cool," Ale says. "What did you end up studying, if you don’t mind me asking?"

"Well, my injury changed a lot of things. Jenni was just as upset as I was. That’s when we came up with the idea to open a gym together. My only option was to enroll in a management school specialized in sports, but few schools offered that. When I had to move to Manchester, Jenni didn’t hesitate for a second to follow me."

"But she continued with sports, right?" Alexia asks, frowning.

"Yes, she did. We went to the same school but with different majors. She still took some of my courses as electives to help support our project."

"I didn’t know that. I mean, I knew what she wanted to do, but she never explained the backstory. How did you two meet, anyway?" Alexia continues, clearly intrigued.

"We’ve known each other forever," she shrugs. "She was my neighbor, and she would stand up for me when the neighborhood kids picked on me. I was an easy target as a little girl, and she hated that," she laughs. "She’s always been very diplomatic in conflicts. Since then, we’ve never been apart."

"I was so jealous of you at first," Alexia admits. "Jenni talked about you like you were the most precious thing in her life," she explains, making Lucy smile. "She insisted on making sure you knew about us. I was terrified of that, given your reputation, and even more so when she admitted you didn’t take it well. I thought you would break us up in a heartbeat."

Lucy sighs, running her hand through her hair, almost embarrassed by Alexia's confession. I’m just an observer in this scene, but I listen intently. I’ve wanted to know the whole story for a long time, and if it could end here, that would be perfect.

"I did struggle with it, yes. Working at Camp Wiegman was important to me, both for personal and financial reasons."

I smile, fully understanding the personal reasons. Knowing that I’m one of the few who knows that part of her life warms my heart. I feel privileged.

"I was afraid Jenni would ruin everything for us, but at the same time, I wanted nothing more than her happiness. I understood that you meant a lot to her, so I held back, just as she asked me to. Still, what I feared came true. You got caught, and she got fired. I couldn’t hide my anger towards you after that."

"I’m sure it wasn’t as strong a feeling as you make it sound," I murmur.

"No, but I had a hard time accepting Jenni’s departure. I thought everything was over. Even so, she never gave up. She was unemployed for two months during the summer before finally finding work at a gym. It was because of that period that our funding got blocked," she explains. "They thought we were unstable professionally, but we proved that wasn’t the case, and here we are, finally launched."

"My intention was never for her to get fired," Alexia says, regret in her voice.

"I know. I just expected your relationship to fall apart after she left, and that she would have ruined everything for nothing. I was wrong, and I regret that. It was a good thing that Ona was in your room. I got to see a different side of you thanks to her. I hope you don’t hold too much of a grudge against me. It was never my intention to hate my best friend’s girlfriend."

"It’s fine. You had your reasons, and I completely understand. I just hope everything’s better now."

"Of course," Lucy smiles. "I won’t question your relationship anymore. As long as you take good care of her, you’ll have my full support."

"Then we shouldn’t have any problems," Alexia giggles.

"If we do, I’m sure Ona will make sure to put me back in my place," Lucy jokes, wrapping her arm around my shoulders.

I blush as Alexia laughs. The image must be hilarious, even if it’s probably what would happen. I’m glad everything is resolved now, and since they get along, I’ll make sure to maintain their relationship. I love Alexia, and since she’s the girlfriend of Lucy’s best friend, it’s best to keep things peaceful between all of us.

"I doubt that will be necessary. You’re the one who makes most of the decisions, right?" Alexia asks Lucy.

"Hmm... No. I mean, we make decisions together. And don’t be fooled—Ona has quite the temper when she wants to. Right?" 

She playfully nudges me with her hip. I wish I could shrink into the ground right now. The worst part is, I can’t deny it. I do have a strong personality when I’m comfortable with someone. I hadn’t realized I’d reached that point with Lucy.

"Yeah, yeah," I mutter.

"Oh, guys, the cabin’s finally here!" Mapi yells from up front.

A sigh of relief escapes my lips.

"Finally, for fuck sake!"

"Hey, language," Lucy scolds me.

"It’s not you who had to endure almost three hours of conversation with Mapi at your side."

"She’s your friend, so it’s your responsibility to deal with her," she teases. "Personally, I have no issues with mine."

I stick my tongue out in response, which makes her smile. If only I could understand what’s going on in Mapi’s head. It’s clear she’s not acting like herself. She’s almost clingy, and that’s not like her. It’s as if something is bothering her. I plan to get the words out of her mouth if it comes to that. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my relationship with Lucy, it’s that communication is golden and prevents a lot of problems. Just a few more steps, and we’ll finally reach the lodge Mapi mentioned. This is where we’ll have lunch. Finally. I’m starving, and my feet are burning with pain. Plus, I can’t wait to take off this thick jacket. It’s like a snowsuit. Heavy layers are definitely not my thing.

"Come on, just a few more steps, and we’re there," Lucy reassures me, as if she knows what I’m thinking.

"Will we keep going after lunch? Or turn back?"

"No idea," she shrugs. "Either way, we’ll probably have the same distance to cover."

I groan in complaint, making Lucy laugh. I love walking, but not so much in the snow. At least the weather is on our side. If there was ice instead of snow, I’d be the first to end up on my butt.

"I hope we take the shorter route!"

"Are you done complaining?" Alexia teases. "We’re here to enjoy ourselves, Miss Grumpy!"

"She took the words right out of my mouth."

"Hey, just because you two have buried the hatchet doesn’t mean you get to gang up on me! I’ll complain if I want to, okay?"

My rhetorical question only makes them laugh more. I cross my arms, earning a kiss on the cheek from my girlfriend.

"We’re just kidding, relax. We’ve arrived, so go warm up, my little grumbler."

"You’ll see what your little grumbler will do if you keep this up," I mutter.

"Keep it up, and I’ll leave you to spend the rest of the day with Mapi."

"No!" I respond immediately. "You wouldn’t dare?"

"Want to bet?"

She holds the door open for me, challenging me with a smirk. I sigh as I unzip my jacket when I step inside. I know when to keep quiet, and this is one of those moments. We’re joking around, but I know she’d be capable of it, and given the situation with Mapi, it’s definitely not the time.

"I’ll be good, thanks."

Unfortunately, we were the last ones to enter, so naturally, the only seats left were across from Mapi and Ingrid. It seems everyone has settled into their usual spots because, since the beginning, no one has changed their seating arrangement. I end up across from my best friend and between the two girls who accompanied me.

"Have you been here before?" I ask Lucy.

- "No, I haven't had the chance to do this trail. Jen and I did the other one, but it was much longer, so we decided not to do it today."

- "Oh, well, that's a relief, huh?"

- "Are you still complaining?" Alexia teased.

- "She's not likely to stop anytime soon," Lucy continued. "It's in her nature to grumble, but we love her anyway."

- "Hey, have you both finished ganging up on me?"

- "Ooooh, we're just teasing you," Alexia laughed.

I barely had time to pout before Lucy pulled me close. I smiled as I snuggled into her arms. Across from us, the girls were chatting with the guys, understanding that we were in our own little world. However, I noticed Mapi sneaking glances at us. When our eyes met, she gave me a smile, almost forced—more like embarrassed at being caught in the act. Knowing her, she's holding back from saying something.

- "You're not going to sulk, are you?" Lucy whispered to me.

- "No, not if you keep making it up to me like this."

She chuckled softly, kissing the top of my head. I especially appreciated her affection. She’s much more affectionate than I expected. I'm not naturally the cuddly type, even before Feli, but I find myself enjoying every touch from her. It’s reassuring in a way. It’s so different from what I’ve known, and it feels like she wants to show off our relationship to the world. Yet, I know all of this will vanish the moment we step back into school. Just thinking about returning to our daily routine makes me want to cry.

- "Sweetheart," Lucy called, snapping me out of my thoughts.

- "Huh? Oh, sorry," I apologized to the waitress who was holding out the menu, which I hadn't noticed.

- "No worries," she smiled. "I'm here if you need anything," she said as she finished handing out the menus, making it clear that she'd been waiting for a while. "Should I come back for the drinks, or do you already know what you want?"

- "You can come back," Aitana answered. "We'll take a look at the menu first."

- "Alright."

She smiled at her before walking away. I hadn't noticed how interested Aitana was in her until I saw her checking her out. I stifled a laugh when she said:

- "Do you think she really means it when she says she's here to meet all our needs?"

- "Looks like someone here is a little desperate," Jenni teased.

- "Yeah, well, shut up, you guys," Aitana shot back, pointing at us. "You're all in relationships, so you wouldn't understand. She's pretty hot, isn't she? Maybe I should ask for her number."

Everyone laughed, though mine was a bit awkward since Lucy and I haven't done anything yet. I shouldn't be worried since we've only been together for less than a month, but knowing that Mapi and Ingrid have already slept together makes me a bit uneasy. It's frustrating because I'm not sure I'm ready to take that step. It’s daunting, like I’d be losing my virginity all over again. Almost as if she could read my thoughts, Lucy kissed my temple.

- "What do you want to drink?"

I blinked, trying to focus on her. The others were debating whether Aitana would get the waitress's number or not. If I were to join in, I'd probably say she has a good chance given the way she looked at her, but my mind was elsewhere.

- "Everything's fine, remember?" she continued when I stayed silent.

I cleared my throat and nodded. I felt silly. Of course, she knew what I was thinking, and she's reassured me about it many times.

- "I know. Sorry. I just feel a bit foolish."

- "There's no need to. So, what about that drink?"

- "What do you recommend?"

She smiled, making me smile too. She knows good wine better than I do. Over time, I’ve realized that she doesn’t mind alcohol; she just knows how to enjoy it in moderation. It’s something I’d never done before. She suggested a few different wines, but I ended up ordering the same one as her when the waitress came back to take our orders. As for the main course, we all went for raclette. Since we were here, we might as well enjoy the cheese. The meal was lively, especially with the girls who kept calling the waitress back for trivial things, like a jug of water. By the end of our meal, Aitana did end up getting her number, as I expected. On top of that, she invited us all to a private party in town tonight. Everyone was thrilled. It was just what we needed since we arrived. After that, our hike resumed. Unlike the walk up, I decided to stay towards the front, allowing me to spend time with all the girls on this trip, not just Mapi and Alexia like before. Mapi didn’t seem too happy about it, judging by the way she looked at me. I realize there's a real problem, and I’ll have to address it soon if we want to have a good time together.

[anpanbun]

Nearly Forgotten

(An AU of @liloinkoink's Lamplight AU..... inspired by that one tumblr post about ancient tattoos and forgotten gods)

It was after school and young Martyn was on a mission. He stood on his tip toes to reach up, and, with all the gentleness he could, shifted the right rabbit ear of the antenna the slightest bit further along. The staticky noise of the TV faded as his favorite channel sharpened into view. However, instead of his favorite after school cartoon, something that would forever change his life came onto the screen.

-----

Martyn wasn't an anthropologist, he was maybe the furthest thing from it. A prospective radio host finishing his broadcasting degree, but, when he was a child, one documentary forever sparked his interests beyond that. The documentary was about ancient humans and societies, which should have been torturously boring to a small child. Instead, he was drawn in by the whole program. In particular the story of a mummy found in the Alps with a unique tattoo.

The tattoo was on the mummy's chest, over his heart, eight lines in a starburst pattern and four squiggles in the middle. The program had claimed it was used for some sort of ritualistic purpose.

Little Martyn didn't think much of it at the time beyond the pattern being cool, but over the decade or so after he found that the design had stuck with him.

In school it was what he doodled in the corners of his homework. It was the pattern he looked for in noise. When he was bored it was the thing he looked up.

So it only made sense that in the fall, after his first internship in university gave him a little extra cash jingling in his pocket, Martyn found himself outside a tattoo parlor.

And now, a week later, he's staring at the starburst and squiggles first tattooed on the chest of a man thousands of years ago.

"This looks perfect. Thank you so much, man!" Martyn fist bumped the artist, a man, with some of the coolest hair and tattoos Martyn had ever seen, named BigB.

"Not a problem, just remember the care instructions I told you before we started and it should be healed up in no time."

-----

When B had said "no time" he hadn't been joking. It being fully healed in a couple of days felt almost too fast, but maybe that's just how it worked?

As he was examining the healed tattoo in the morning light of his bathroom, he got the sudden feeling that something was off. He couldn't put his finger on it, but if he'd looked closer it was almost like it was easier to see the tattoo in the mirror than it should have been with the bright morning light streaming in from the window behind him. Almost like the tattoo was faintly glowing.

-----

Martyn was very fortunate that the old apartment he rented had a gas stove. It had taken him a while to adjust to using it, but recently he had finally gotten the hang of it. Water boiled quick, nothing ever boiled over or burned, and he managed to cook everything to perfection.

-----

It was early winter when something noticeably changed. The first bad snow fall of the season was expected to roll in, so his friend Jimmy and Jimmy's roommate Tango, who rented an actual house with a woodburning fireplace, invited him to stay over.

"Thanks again for letting me crash here, Tim."

"It's no problem Martyn! What kind of friend would I be if I let my buddy freeze to death in his apartment!"

They were sitting in front of the fireplace enjoying the extra warmth. The power was still on thankfully, but the snow was really picking up outside.

Tango was in the middle of a story from his engineering class when, out of the corner of his eye, Martyn swore he saw a form flicker in the fire, a hand reaching out.

His head snapped to the fire, his voice sounded startled, especially when he saw it was still there, "Do you guys seen that?"

Tango and Jimmy followed his line of sight. The moment their eyes met the fireplace, the hand melded back into the rest of the flames.

"See what?" Tango asked.

"The flames, they looked- they looked like a hand," the moment he had started the sentence Martyn realized that what he saw would sound insane, "so.... I thought you guys might have seen the optical illusion too? But I guess you missed it?"

"Huh guess we did, that sucks! It must have looked cool!" Jimmy answered.

The conversation moved on after that, and eventually Tango and Jimmy retired to their rooms. The both of them wanted to take advantage of the power being on a little longer to sleep in their own beds while they could.

Martyn sat in front of the fireplace for a while longer on his own. His knees were curled up to his chest and his head rested on them. He was looking out the glass patio doors into the swirling snow.

It was in the quiet moment alone that it reappeared. Martyn noticed the firelight in the peripheries of his vision brighten significantly, so he turned his head. That's when he saw it again, the hand, made of fire but reaching out to him.

Maybe it was stupidity, maybe he was tired, maybe it was some of the million of other excuses he could make up. The truth was, though, that something came over him, he was enthralled by the flames. Looking at them made a warm feeling rise in his chest.

He reached his own hand out to meet the fire.

Jimmy's door opened with a creak, shockingly loud in the bated breath silence that had been there before. Martyn snapped his hand back.

"Oh good, you're still up, I think the power finally went out," Jimmy said as he flopped onto the sofa behind Martyn, "it started getting cold in my room."

Tango joined them not long after saying the same thing, and the three settled in to sleep.

Martyn kept a close eye on the fire until he finally fell asleep. The warmth of the fire outside and in his chest finally lulling him to sleep. His mind replaying over and over again the moments before Jimmy had opened his door.

Martyn's hand had met the fire's, his hand had met and it hadn't burned.

-----

After that realization Martyn did the thing any sane person would do. He went camping.

He waited a week or so, of course, for the snow to melt, but he went camping.

Because where else was he going to get a bonfire?

-----

Staring at the towering flames in front of him, Martyn only then took the moment to consider if this was actually a good idea, but only a moment. He needed to know.

A warmth in his chest had slowly risen up as he had built the fire, from excitement or nerves or anticipation he guessed. It didn't take long though. Within 30 minutes or so of the fire reaching its full height, the hand reappeared for the third time. This time Martyn didn't hesitate, the instant he saw the hand reach out of the wall of flame he lunged towards it.

Like they had that night, the flames of the hand licked at his skin as they met. He couldn't help but laugh because he had been right. The flames fully consumed his hand but he only felt a warm tickle. The warmth in his chest condensed into a warm ball right over his heart, right where his ancient tattoo rested.

He was too busy being amazed to react in time when the flames, seemingly no longer content with just brushing up against him, tightened around his hand and pulled. He floundered, suddenly the warm feeling he had felt like a burning brand over his heart. He tried to pull away, but the fire overpowered him and the last thing he saw was bright white light as the entirety of Martyn was pulled into the bonfire.

-----

The white light faded after a moment, Martyn blinked away the lingering spots. A bit delayed, but his body continued the reaction it had been doing before and he tried to take a step back.

He was stopped though and finally he looked forward to where the fire had been.

In front of him, in place of the fire, was a man. The man's hand was wrapped around Martyn's in the same way the flames had been, holding him still.

The man had a wide, wolfish smile, and wild brown hair. He had some sort of animal ears, wolf maybe, Martyn thought. What stood out most though, were his eyes. They were the blue of the hottest flames a fire can have. They were mesmerizing.

"Hello Martyn," the man said, "I am Ren! I am finally able to speak with you, my only acolyte. My savior."

[spiel-mit-mir-ein-spiel]

Dicke Titten ~Paul Landers

I think the title speaks for it self haha.

I got this idea while hearing this song ( and seen the music video many times haha)

Enjoy :3

Another day , another shooting of a new music video. You didn't knew what the song was called but it was something with lederhosen. And the boys looked pretty good in them. Paul came in and you smiled. ''Hey you'' you said and he smiled back'' Hello sweetheart'' You felt your heart explode but you kept it cool. You looked at his outfit and you laughed. ''It looks good on you. I think you should quit playing the band and start working in the Alps'' he grinned. ''Maybe, i think Minni would love it tho'' . You smiled and you go startled when Till barged into the room. ''Y/N, We have a problem'' You looked at him and snorted. ''What's up Gramps?'' you said while you looked at his long beard. '"We need another girl for shooting this music video. The other girl is sick. You look at him surprised before you powdered Paul's face. ''Can't you ask Amy?'' ''No, She is not suitable for that role and you are'' You looked confused. '' What are you talking about?'' you look surprised at Paul who smirked and then at Till. ''Guys..'' '' Yeah well, the song is called Dicke Titten... And Amy does not have big tits.. and you do'' Till said with an angelic smile. ''Omg guys, are you serious?'' You burst out in laughter and Till nodded. '' So you do it?'' Paul said and you nodded with laughter. '' ''I guess i don't really have a choice'' you snorted and Till kissed your cheek. ''Good!'' he stormed out of the room. You finished Paul's make up and then you went to the dressingroom. ''Ah Y/N, this dress is for you'' Lisa from the clothing department said and you looked at it. It was a short Tyrolean (Tiroler) dress. You put it on and you boobs where almost popping out of it. '' Uh Lisa,, i think my breasts are gonna pop out of it'' you said and you bent down to put on the stokkings. ''No, that's exacty how it should be'' You sighed. '' Goddamn it Till'' you mumbeld. ''Ah our new movie star'' Richard laughed and when you turned around he smirked. '' Don't you dare open your mouth Herr Kruspe'' Richard smirk got even bigger and then you heard Paul '' Reesh','' he started his sentence but when he saw you, you saw his gaze change. '' Wow, you look beautifull'' Paul said and you grinned. '' Yeah, i get that if my boobs are hanging out'' you joked before grabbing a make up brush and powdered your face. '' No, i mean it. You look beautifull.'' You smiled to Paul while you looked at him in the mirror and then Till came in again. '' Ah Y/N'' he said and you turned around. He smiled ''Perfect!, now let shoot this video'' He walked away cheerfull. ''Give that man Tits and he is happy'' you laughed when you walked with Paul and Richard to the set. The producer told you what to do and you smiled from ear to ear. You basically needed to stay at Paul's side helpen him on the farm. The most fun part was when you sat on a tractor. ''Fuck this thing is big'' You said when you sat in the seat next to Paul and he looked at the big steering wheel. ''Just so you know, i've never ride a tractor before'' He smiled and you and you smirked. '' Well, we're gonna find out if you can ride it or not'' You had to wait on the cue of the producer. The tractor was idling and therefore vibrated very much. You felt your Boobs bounce up and down and you had to hold them because you were afraid they would pop out of your blouse. ''You okay?'' Paul laughed and you smirked. '' I hate this outfit. You guys and your weird songs everytime. ''I swear it was Till this time and besides that you loves us'' You sighed 'Yeah, you're right'' ''Someone in particular?' He said with a hopefull smile. ''Mr Landers, your attention please'' Joern laughed and Paul blinked his eyes. ''Sorry'' ''Stop distracting him Y/N'' Christoph said and you laughed. '' I didn't do anything!'' you said with an raised eyebrow. '' No, something else did'' Richard joked and you pointed at him '' Herr Kruspe, don't make me get off this tractor'' you laughed and he held his hands up defensively.

[invisibleraven]

Keeping Spirits Bright

Day 11: Snow + Ralex <=AO3

“If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?” 

The question comes out of nowhere, but Alex is used to that with Reggie-his mind works in mysterious ways. And maybe it’s because he’s a good boyfriend, or maybe it’s because he is bored and there’s nothing on that he indulges him. “I mean in the US? New York definitely-I want to see the sights and sounds of Broadway. In the world? I mean, I’d like to visit Germany; see where my oma and opa grew up. What about you?”

“I’d go to Antarctica.” 

“Why ?” Alex asks with a sidelong look. 

“Well for one, because I would like to see a penguin,” Reggie said, ticking it off on his finger. “Plus I would love to see snow.” 

“You've never seen snow before?”’ Alex asked. 

“I mean, I have,” Reggie replied. “But nothing that stayed long enough to do all the fun wintery stuff you can do in it. Make a snowman, go skiing, have a snowball fight.” 

“I mean if you really wanna ski we can go up to Vail,” Alex offered. “I used to go with my folks all the time when I was a kid.” 

“I don’t think I should actually ski,” Reggie replied. “You know how uncoordinated I am. But a wintery getaway might be fun. One day when we can afford it.” 

“Go to a chalet in the Alps, sip cocoa by the fire?’ Alex proposed. 

“Skate on a frozen lake, go on a sleigh ride,” Reggie mused. “Though I still wanna make snow angels.” 

“We can do that,” Alex assured him with a giggle. “Maybe when we tour through Europe we can convince Luke to take a break in Switzerland in December.” 

“Oooh, have a real white Christmas!” Reggie enthused. “With a real tree, and chestnuts and everything in that Nat King Cole song.” 

“That’d be nice,” Alex admitted. “So that’s what we’ll do-when we’re rich and famous, we’ll have our winter getaway, complete with all the wintery fun you want, and it’ll be great.” 

“Yeah,” Reggie sighed, leaning into his side. “I can’t wait to do all that with you-see the world, play sold out shows everywhere, get to do everything we’ve ever wanted to.” 

“As long as we’re together,” Alex stated.

“No getting rid of me,” Reggie assured him. 

And years later, with fresh rings on their fingers, Alex mad good on their imaginings-whisking them away to a cabin for the holidays. Reggie was in his glee-even as he shivered through every activity, despite his layers. Nothing could erase his smile, and Alex prided himself on a job well done. 

But also on having the forethought to get the fire and cocoa ready so his new husband didn’t get hypothermia before they go to their sleigh ride and snowball fight. 

A snowball fight Alex was determined to win. 

Of course, given Reggie helped coach Little League, he had pretty good aim, but he was a rank amateur when it came to forming his projectiles, so Alex scraped by with a win, but they were laughing too much to really keep score. 

The sleigh ride was more sedate-though of  course Reggie, ever the cowboy at heart was so enthralled by the horses he almost missed the scenery. Alex didn’t mind though-Reggie’s enthusiasm helped belay his own anxieties about trusting two massive beasts (and their driver) to steer them safely through unknown woods and not toss them into a ravine or something. Reggie swore that one day he was taking Alex horseback riding, but Alex wished him all the luck in the world ever getting him close to a horse again, no matter how smooth the ride had been. 

“Anything else you wanna check off your wintery bucket list before Christmas?” Alex asked that night as they enjoyed their fire and some warm cider. “The staff says the lake isn’t solid enough to skate on so that’s a no, but we could try skiing if you’re up for it.” 

“Would it be terrible of me to say I wanna stay in tomorrow?’ Reggie asked. “I love that you did all this for me, but snow is cold and wet , and I’m kinda over it?” 

Alex laughed then to the point that he almost collapsed on top of Reggie. “Oh thank god you said something. I am so sick of it!”

It was Reggie’s turn to laugh then, the two of them holding each other as they shook with giddiness. “So you wanna head home?” Alex asked. 

Reggie looked outside to where the drifts were sparkling in the moonlight, then back to Alex, lit by the fire’s glow and the soft twinkling of the lights on the tree they had decorated earlier. “Nah, I still want my Christmas with you. Just maybe we'll stick to indoor activities from here on out.” 

Alex grinned, pulling him in to rub their pink noses together. “That sounds like a perfect way to finish off our honeymoon.” 

Reggie responded with a kiss-one hot enough to make even their lopsided snowman melt. But that was okay-the both of them preferred the heat. So even with the snow blowing outside, they didn’t mind-they had each other to keep them warm. 

[littlerebforlife2]

should i kill myself

ABSOLUTELY FUCKIN NO!

I'll share with you the story of "The Wisdom of the Old Tree"

In a small village in the German Alps there was an old tree that had observed people's lives for centuries. Its roots reached deep into the earth, its branches stretched towards the sky. One day person named Anon came to the tree. Anon was dissatisfied with his/her life and was looking for meaning. The tree saw Anon's unrest and said: "Anon, my son or daughter, you are looking for answers, but have you asked yourself what you are really looking for?" Anon thought about it and answered: "I'm looking for happiness, for fulfillment." The tree nodded: "Happiness and fulfillment are not things you find, but things you create. They grow in your heart when you understand yourself." Anon asked, “How can I understand myself?” The tree answered: "Through silence, through patience, through acknowledging your own weaknesses and strengths. You are part of the whole, Anon. Your life has meaning because you exist." Anon understood. He/She stayed with the tree, learned from its wisdom and found peace.

The moral of the story: Your life has meaning because you exist. Don't look outside for answers, but discover your own wisdom..

Anon, you're precious BECAUSE you exist. You are loved, you are worthy, and you deserve to live a great life.

I'll share my own experience too. All the negativity that brewed in my brain as I grew up wasn't actually my own thoughts. I had to dig inside myself and I found that I actually do have potential and I am worthy. It's not mine or yours fault if people cannot see it. Those negative thoughts are never your own, you just adopted it. Let go of the hatred and find yourself.

The world deserves to know your uniqueness and creativity. We all do.

I hope the story and personal experience was able to help you, Anon. I love you. ❤️

[woundlingus]

🌍 🎶 🐈‍⬛ 🇪🇺

🇪🇺honestly I thought about lying but really you plug it into my search bar and I post politics and memes that are really only relevant to my country so I will admit I am Australian 🦘

🎶Hozier. Forever and always Hozier. I saw him live in San Diego, changed my life. Next in line is Chappel Roan please please please like my wife she’s the best she’s soooo pretty and her music fucking slaps 😭

🐈‍⬛ I’ll be real I’m a little bit of a hater 👀 I’ve had a lot of pets and it’s not that I don’t love them it’s just that I don’t think I’m built for that kind of companionship. I like to observe foxes from afar, I’d never want to be one of those people who thinks they can tame a fox because it’s dog shaped and smaller than a wolf. That’s still a wild animal don’t be mean… but I guess if not that, then my dog is probably my favourite just because she’s my girl regardless of how annoying she is, I can’t sleep without her next to me

🌏favourite place…… I’ve been around, and honestly I don’t think anything beats the highest point in the Swiss alps. I’d never seen snow until that point, and you take the jungfrau train up to the point and then walk through this tunnel out to pure white, I’d never seen so much white in my life. Switzerland is just so beautiful generally, I stayed in this tiny village and they cooled our drinks in the run off from the mountains because it’s so ice cold it’s faster than any kind of freezer, and it’s all green, and it sounds tropical despite the chill because it’s so silent out there you can hear the thousands of tiny little waterfalls from the run off of the alps, makes you understand why they protect silence by law. It’s a little unnerving too though, it was so beautiful and exciting at first but it’s so much white nothing and a thousand foot drop at any misstep outside the bounds created by these tiny little string ropes, really gives you The Call Of The Void if you’ve ever experienced that, it’s like the little nagging feeling that says you should jump or other various really dangerous things for inexplicably no real rhyme or reason. Staring out into absolute nothingness on the highest peak of the highest mountain with nothing but blinding white surrounding you on all sides and just having the most unnerving feeling that I should walk out into the snow for miles and miles like I was being called to something was so wild I actually had to go back down the mountain before I became a statistic.

The mountain does things to people, maybe it’s just the elevation messing with the head, but it’s creepy. Beautiful. But I wouldn’t linger for too long. Godspeed to the cattle farmers living in solitude up that high- I think they might need it.

Ask Game

[zackastor]

VIVIENNE LAI ASTOR & ZACK ASTOR

where Zack and Vivienne talk and Vivienne re-establishes their marriage @vivienneastor

Zack Astor -after getting his wound properly treated and bandaged, Zack finds himself back at prom; the fight with Nicki hasn't left him in the mood for mingling and so he once more ends up craving a smoke; reaching for his pack of smokes he is just about to make his way away from the crowd when he nearly bumps into someone- Fucking hell, watch where you- -he looks, realizing who the person is and takes a step back- Of fucking course you're here too.

vivienne astor Here? In town? Surely you haven't forgotten already. -she takes his pack of cigs out of his pocket and removes one for herself, waiting for him to light it- Yes, Zack, I'm at the party that the entire town is attending.

Zack Astor No. That was pretty damn fucking hard to forget. -Zack narrows his eyes, considering walking away but he ends up lighting her cigarette- Well ain't that fucking great. I should warn these fuckers. -he tugs a cigarette between his own lips and lights it-

vivienne astor -she looks at him for a long, completely silent beat as they smoke- Don't act as if I arrived specifically to ruin your life. I was headed elsewhere. I was intending to be with Hunter. Remember him? The brother who's currently on his way to becoming some sort of pasty goo out on the road?

Zack Astor -he regards her wearily, eyes narrowing slightly at the mention of Hunter- I didn't kill him. Before you bring that up. He was a biter. -he scoffs, quietly- The hell happened to Kelly? His wife?

vivienne astor -smooths her hair back from her forehead, blowing out a thin stream of smoke- Kelly wanted to try to get to the private flight field. To get in a private plane. To fly to the Swiss Alps and retrieve her children from boarding school. -tips her chin in a shrug- Kelly didn't make it.

Zack Astor -he regards her for a long moment, taking in her matter of fact tone before huffing- She didn't fucking deserve that, you know.

vivienne astor I didn't realize you were such a big fan of Kelly's. Was it her famed Snickers salad that won you over?

Zack Astor At least she worked hard on that. -he takes a drag from his smoke- She at least cared.

vivienne astor Did she care when she asked if the little fruit was joining us for her 4th of July gala? -also takes a drag of her own cigarette- She wasn't talking about the neighbour girl Cherry.

Zack Astor -Zack's gaze hardens immediately; he takes a long drag from his cigarette and watches the smoke billow out from his mouth- You're fucking lying.

vivienne astor Why would I make that up? I'd make up something much more clever. -she reaches out with the hand holding the cigarette, cinched between her knuckles, and smooths back a strand of Zack's hair- You might not remember it this way, but I was the kindest to you, out of them all. In many ways.

Zack Astor -he tenses as soon as she touches him; he finds himself staying for a moment before he recoils, scowling- Don't- even try that. You weren't- you weren't fucking kind.

vivienne astor I was the kindest.

Zack Astor -he stares at her, slightly wide eyed, nostrils flaring before he looks away- What do you want? A medal?

vivienne astor -she goes back to her cigarette for a while- There's none of them left, now. You and I are the only Astors out of the lineage.

Zack Astor -so Jason was dead too. And his parents. He takes a short, quick drag- Where the hell are you going with this, Viv? Do you really feel sad about that?

vivienne astor Where am I going with this? There's nowhere left to go, Zack! They're all dead. All the money is gone, and even if it wasn't, it would be useless. I don't think we've got enough government together for any sort of rebuilding of the economy but they're certainly going to mint new currency if that happens. -she does air quotes, her tone acidly disgusted- Zombie bucks. I can see it now. -shakes her head in resignation- You don't have your ring anymore, but I have mine. You haven't stopped being my child bride. I'm here to claim you.

Zack Astor -his eyes widen, and now he is unable to hide the shock and the whirlwind of emotions behind it- No, you don't- -he swallows, forcing his voice to be steady- You don't get to claim me. I won't fucking- I won't do that.

vivienne astor Yes. You will. -she turns to look at him, the full force of her impassive stare- I married you to save you from what your family did to you. That means you're mine. It's not such a terrible fate, Zack, considering they sent you to be tortured at that conversion camp. I'm not even asking you to stop chasing boys.

Zack Astor -he takes another step back, gaze weary, fixed on her as if she might lunge at him; his heart has quickened, even though he tries to calm himself- What the hell do you want from me?

vivienne astor I'm going to live with you.

Zack Astor No. -his tone is sharp, even if there is a certain brittleness to it- No. That place belongs to me.

vivienne astor I'm not heartless. I'll give you a week, and then you'll move me in.

Zack Astor -he stares at her, jaw muscles working; without another word he turns away from her to walk away-

vivienne astor Have a good week, little one. I'll take my usual side of the bed.

[mountaincreek7]

Discover the Charm of Udaipur from Your Private Villa

Udaipur, often known as the "City of Lakes," is a captivating location that oozes culture, history, and romance. A charming city that perfectly combines natural beauty and regal legacy, it is tucked away in the center of Rajasthan. Travelers looking for a unique experience should reserve a private villa in Udaipur. In addition to offering opulent lodging, a private villa guarantees seclusion, individualized attention, and a singular chance to fully engage with the heritage of the area.

The Allure of a Private Villa

Visitors may experience Udaipur in a way that hotels cannot match when they stay in a private villa. Villas provide a home-away-from-home experience with their large living spaces, beautiful furnishings, and private pools. Numerous mansions are built using traditional Rajasthani architecture, which reflects the rich cultural legacy of the area with its elaborate carvings and vivid colors. Imagine having the flexibility to explore the city at your own speed, enjoying your morning coffee in a beautifully landscaped garden, and waking up to stunning views of tranquil lakes or the Aravalli Alps.

Privacy and Comfort

The unmatched privacy that comes with renting a private villa is among its biggest benefits. Whether you are on a romantic retreat, traveling with family, or both, a villa offers the luxury and space you require. Without the bustle of hotel visitors surrounding you, enjoy leisurely meals made by a private chef, relax in your living room, or chill in a private pool. This unique location makes it possible to make enduring memories in a calm setting, which makes it a great option for intimate retreats, special occasions, and family holidays.

Personalized Service

Private villas frequently include devoted staff members who want your stay to be as pleasurable as possible. Your every need may be met by the personnel, which includes housekeeping and concierge services. They may assist with transportation planning, recommend nearby sights, and even plan cultural events like cooking lessons or escorted tours of Udaipur's historical landmarks. This degree of individualized attention guarantees that your trip is customized to your tastes, freeing you up to concentrate on what really counts—pleasure and relaxation.

Exploring Udaipur

Moreover, staying in a private villa places you in a great position to visit the city's various sights. Beautiful palaces, historic temples, and lovely gardens may all be found in Udaipur. A must-see is the City Palace, a vast edifice that displays the magnificence of Rajput architecture. Admire the stunning views of the Jag Mandir and Lake Palace, which seem to float on the lake, while taking a boat trip on Lake Pichola. Don't miss the Saheliyon-ki-Bari, a lovely park with marble elephants, lotus pools, and fountains.

The vibrant markets of Udaipur are a veritable gold mine of handcrafted items, fabrics, and spices for visitors seeking a flavor of the indigenous way of life. You can purchase traditional Rajasthani goods and mementos to bring home by exploring the lively bazaars. Return to your private villa and enjoy a restful evening beneath the stars after a day of exploring.

The Ideal Choice for Families

A private villa is the ideal lodging choice for families visiting Udaipur. Families may have their own privacy while still spending valuable time together thanks to the large living areas, fully functional kitchens, and numerous bedrooms. While parents can rest and relax, children can play in the villa's garden or pool. Families can have home-cooked meals whenever it's convenient for them by hiring a chef or cooking their own meals.

Conclusion

A Udaipur private villa provides an unmatched experience by fusing solitude, comfort, and elegance. Selecting a villa guarantees that your time in Udaipur will be genuinely unforgettable, whether you're organizing a family holiday, a romantic getaway, or a special celebration. Udaipur is a place that encourages exploration and leisure because of its vibrant culture, breathtaking scenery, and kind people. For your next trip, think about renting a private villa and take in all of this city's splendor. Staying at Mountain Creek, which offers the ideal balance of comfort and luxury in a breathtaking setting, is a great option for anyone seeking a genuinely unique experience.

[doctors-journal]

21 September

Justin is gone and I don’t know what to think.

Last night we stayed in Geneva. He was even more restless than in Brussels, pacing across the hotel room for most of the night. I’m afraid I snapped at him, but I think he did eventually sleep.

This morning, we took a series of trains through a valley nestled between the Alps, to the small town of Meiringen. We checked into the inn there, and then Justin insisted on hiking out to the falls. This late in the season, the town was quiet and we had the trail to ourselves.

However, before we reached the falls, a boy came running up the trail from the inn with a message from the innkeeper. It said there was a woman who had suddenly fallen ill and was dying and I was the nearest doctor. So, I went. I tried to get Justin to come with me, but he refused. I should have dragged him with me, like he’s been dragging me all around Europe, but he’s too stubborn. I passed a young woman on my way back. I don’t know who she was. Maybe she was his Moriarty, for all I know.

When I got back to the inn, there was no woman. The innkeeper didn’t know anything about the message. Someone set me up—the question is who. I felt it like a stone in the pit of my stomach and fearing the worst I just about ran back up the trail to catch up to Justin. I got all the way to the falls. There was a plaque memorialising Sherlock Holmes, but no sign of Justin, just the walking stick he bought in Interlaken leaning against the rocks, and next to it, a cigarette box.

It would be just like him… I wonder how many people have tried to follow in Sherlock Holmes’s footsteps and plunged off that ledge, even though he wasn’t even real. But I can’t believe that Justin would really…

I grabbed the walking stick and the box and ran back to the inn, hoping I had somehow missed him along the way, that maybe he had followed me back to Meiringen after all. I got all the way back to our empty room at the inn. He wasn’t there. Everything was just where we had left it before our hike, except for one of his Sherlock Holmes books sitting open on the desk.

I don’t know what made me glance at it. Maybe Justin really has rubbed off on me—that even the smallest detail has to be there for a reason. This one couldn’t have been an accident. Just glancing at the page it was open to, it was clear—it was about Sherlock Holmes’s death. I read it. I don’t know what else I could have done.

I half expected it, but it was just as bizarre as when Liza showed me how Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson met. It was the same. It explains every backtrack and detour we made. They were all there. All the disguises, and half of everything Justin said through our whole trip. It was all on purpose. All of it.

I can’t believe that Justin would just… Maybe I just don’t want to believe it. But the way he talked, he seemed to think he was leading his Moriarty into a trap. That he wasn’t sure he would survive. Maybe it was that woman on the trail, but there’s no evidence, and I don’t even know where she went from there.  There’s got to be something else going on… And why would these books end on such a damn depressing note?

I have to call Liza.

Please pick up, please pick up…

When she showed me that Sherlock Holmes book where Dr. Watson fainted, it was because Sherlock Holmes came back from the dead. He can’t have died that many times, right? I have to know what happened there. The detective wouldn’t do it by halves, would he?

“What? Why?” is Liza’s response to the whole mad thing. I can’t blame her for being confused.

The explanation of what’s going on sounds even more absurd when I say it out loud: Justin dragged me across Europe fleeing from a criminal he calls his “Moriarty” and now he’s stranded me in the middle of nowhere in Switzerland and disappeared and he better not have jumped off of those damn falls or I’m going to kill him.

“He what!?” At least Liza gets it. “This is a bit much, even for amateur theatre… But if he’s really following it, he shouldn’t really be dead! Let me find it!”

He’d better not be dead. My heart feels like it’s going to burst, like I’m having palpitations. Liza just said he may be alive. I’m so going to kill him…

She has me on speaker phone now. “Here it is… Spring of 1894… Ronald Adair… Park Lane… The Origins of Tree Worship! There we are!”

“The what?”

“So, basically, Sherlock Holmes shows up three years later out of nowhere, disguised as a poor old bibliophile. First he bumps into Watson on the street in front of the place where a murder just happened, and then he drops by Watson’s house and reveals himself, and that’s when Watson faints.”

“No, I’m not waiting three years to find out if Justin is dead or alive. Is there anything about what he did right after?”

“I’m just getting there… Let’s see… ‘You were never in it…’ There we go! The note was genuine, Sherlock faced Moriarty on the path, they wrestled over the fall, and then Sherlock pulls some baritsu moves and tosses Moriarty off.”

“What? Justin doesn’t know jujutsu… does he?”

“I don’t know, but Sherlock Holmes did, apparently. So, he throws Moriarty into the falls and then decides he’s going to fake his own death anyway so that Moriarty can’t catch him or anything—and definitely not because he’s moping about Watson getting married. Sorry, trying to find Justin, this is just so crazy…”

“I know. I’m the one living it.”

“Sorry, if I’d known he’d pull something like this, I wouldn’t have dumped him on you like that.”

“It’s okay. Even with everything, I can’t bring myself to regret it. For all his weirdness, he helped me get back on my feet when I wouldn’t let anyone else, maybe because everything was so weird with him. Now it’s my turn to help him out. When I find him, I’m dragging him to a hospital whether he wants it or not.”

“Did he get hurt while you were running around Europe?”

“No. His health has never been great, but it took a serious decline after I left. He needs serious help.”

“We’ll find him. Let’s see, this says Sherlock climbed up the cliff face, hid there while Watson found the scene, and then scrambled back down after. Also, one of Moriarty’s henchmen was throwing boulders down at him like something out of a James Bond movie—or maybe that’s Indiana Jones.”

“Justin couldn’t’ve climbed up and down the cliff. He may have had enough energy to drag me across Europe, but that’s too much, even for him, in that state.”

“Okay, well, then he ran through the mountains and ended up in Florence a week later.”

“I can’t chase him around the rest of Europe. I haven’t the slightest how his Moriarty tracked us from city to city.”

“Wait, what about this? There was someone he told where he was—his brother, Mycroft, who has some important government position.”

“Do you know if Justin has a brother?”

“Beats me.”

“I assumed it was Justin who picked me up and drove me to the station in London, but maybe it could have been his brother… Apparently, it was supposed to be Mycroft…”

“He does strive for accuracy.”

“Yeah… Thank you, Liza. Next time, lunch is on me, wherever you want.”

“Bring Sherlock home first, then we’ll talk lunch plans. Good luck, Solomon.”

“Thanks. You’re better than I deserve.”

“You know it!”

It’s time to go back to London and find Justin’s brother.

[mayakshethra]

Discover the World with Our Expert Travel Agency

Travel has a unique way of opening our minds and hearts to the vast, diverse world we live in. It allows us to experience new cultures, meet interesting people, and create memories that last a lifetime. However, planning a trip can be overwhelming, with endless details to consider. This is where our expert travel agency comes in, transforming your travel dreams into reality with ease and precision best travel agency in kochi

Why Choose a Travel Agency?

In the age of the internet, you might wonder why you should use a travel agency when you can book everything online. While it’s true that online booking platforms offer a plethora of options, they can also be a double-edged sword. The sheer volume of information can be confusing, and it’s hard to know if you’re really getting the best deal or the most suitable itinerary for your needs. Here’s how our travel agency stands out:

Personalized Service: We believe that travel should be a reflection of your personal interests and desires. Our travel experts take the time to understand your preferences, budget, and expectations. Whether you’re an adventurer seeking thrill, a couple looking for a romantic getaway, or a family in need of a fun-filled vacation, we tailor our services to meet your unique needs.

Expert Knowledge: Our team comprises seasoned travelers and industry professionals who have firsthand experience in various destinations worldwide. They stay updated with the latest travel trends, safety protocols, and destination-specific information, ensuring you get the most current and relevant advice.

Time-Saving Convenience: Planning a trip involves countless hours of research and coordination. Our travel agents handle everything, from booking flights and accommodations to arranging tours and activities. This saves you valuable time and spares you the stress of planning.

Access to Exclusive Deals: Thanks to our established relationships with airlines, hotels, and tour operators, we can offer you deals and discounts that aren’t available to the general public. We strive to provide you with the best value for your money.

24/7 Support: Travel can be unpredictable, with potential issues such as flight cancellations, lost luggage, or sudden changes in plans. Our agency offers round-the-clock support to assist you in resolving any problems promptly, ensuring a smooth and enjoyable journey.

Top Destinations to Explore

Our travel agency specializes in curating trips to some of the most sought-after destinations around the globe. Here are a few highlights:

European Escapades: Europe’s rich history, diverse cultures, and stunning landscapes make it a perennial favorite. Explore the romantic streets of Paris, the historic landmarks of Rome, the vibrant nightlife of Barcelona, or the scenic beauty of the Swiss Alps.

Asian Adventures: From the bustling markets of Bangkok to the serene temples of Kyoto, Asia offers a fascinating blend of old and new. Experience the majestic Great Wall of China, the tranquil beaches of Bali, or the futuristic skyline of Singapore.

African Safaris: Africa’s wildlife and natural beauty are unparalleled. Embark on a safari in Kenya’s Maasai Mara, witness the majestic Victoria Falls, or explore the vibrant culture and history of Morocco.

American Journeys: The Americas offer a vast array of experiences. Discover the natural wonders of the Grand Canyon, the cultural melting pot of New York City, the pristine beaches of the Caribbean, or the ancient ruins of Machu Picchu.

Oceanic Wonders: Oceania’s unique landscapes and friendly locals make it a must-visit. Dive into the Great Barrier Reef, explore the fjords of New Zealand, or relax on the idyllic beaches of Fiji.

Customized Travel Experiences

At our travel agency, we pride ourselves on offering customized travel experiences that cater to your specific interests. Here are a few examples:

Adventure Travel: For thrill-seekers, we offer packages that include activities like hiking, scuba diving, skiing, and wildlife safaris. Whether you want to climb Mount Kilimanjaro or dive in the Maldives, we’ve got you covered.

Cultural Tours: Immerse yourself in the local culture with tours that highlight the history, art, and traditions of your destination. Visit ancient ruins, attend traditional festivals, and savor authentic cuisine.

Luxury Vacations: Indulge in the finer things in life with our luxury travel packages. Stay in five-star hotels, enjoy private tours, and relax in world-class spas. We ensure every aspect of your trip exudes elegance and comfort.

Family Trips: Traveling with family requires special considerations. We create family-friendly itineraries that include activities and accommodations suitable for all ages, ensuring a fun and stress-free vacation.

Honeymoons and Romantic Getaways: Celebrate your love with a romantic escape to a dreamy destination. Whether it’s a secluded beach resort, a cozy mountain lodge, or a vibrant city known for its romance, we make your honeymoon unforgettable.

Your Journey Begins HereTravel is more than just visiting new places; it’s about experiencing the world in a way that enriches your life. Our expert travel agency is dedicated to making your travel dreams come true, providing you with personalized service, expert advice, and seamless planning. Discover the world with us and embark on a journey that will leave you with lasting memories and a newfound appreciation for the beauty and diversity of our planet. Let us handle the details, so you can focus on enjoying the adventure best travel agency in alappuzha

[clarisse0o]

Camp Wiegman-Part 47

Lucy Bronze x Ona Batlle

Alternative Universe : Military School

Words: 7K

Masterlist

———————————————————————-

Saturday, February 6th; 09:15 AM -  Ona's Room

I wake up to rather pleasant caresses on my back. The tips of her fingers slowly and repeatedly glide along my spine. I savor the moment without opening my eyes, afraid that it might fade away.

"You know, I can tell you’re not sleeping anymore," Lucy murmurs with a hint of amusement.

I hum softly, vibrating against her chest in time with her chuckles. I tighten my hold on her as I stretch my limbs, finally fluttering my eyes open to adjust to the daylight. I realize I forgot to close the blinds last night. What a terrible host I am.

"Good morning," I mumble.

"Good morning, sleepyhead."

I smile at her response. Once I feel awake enough, I glance behind me but am surprised to find us alone.

"Is Joan not here anymore?"

"He went downstairs about fifteen minutes ago, I’d say."

"Did he wake you?"

"I was already dozing a bit," she admits.

"Oh, sorry about that," I grimace. "I should have warned you. He tends to wake up early."

"It’s all good," she smiles.

"Didn’t you want to go running today?"

"Not really. I might have gone if I had a guide," she jokes.

I chuckle at the idea that she might still expect me to join her. I’ve done enough of anything that resembles jogging. I enjoy the feeling after a run, but it’s been so long since I’ve done anything that I’ll just end up killing my lungs. Plus, running is Lucy's passion. As I’ve told her before, I love that we have different worlds.

"Looks like you'll have to wait until you're back in Manchester."

"It seems so, yes. I had a feeling you wouldn’t be motivated," she laughs as I sit up. "What are you doing?"

I glance over my shoulder, seeing her genuinely curious expression. I smile and respond as if it’s obvious:

"Well, I’m getting up."

"Why? Come back," she pleads with a whine.

A small yelp escapes me as she pulls me back down, then pins me by half-lying on top of me. Her laughter echoes in my ears, making me smile. It’s true that we’ve stayed in bed a little longer these past couple of days, but I didn’t expect it to continue. From what I know, Lucy is someone who wakes up early and doesn’t like to linger in bed.

"I was just keeping my distance before. In reality, I’m someone who loves spending time in bed with her girlfriend."

"Really?" I raise an eyebrow.

"Mmhmm," she smiles. "So, can we cuddle?"

"If you ask so nicely."

My laughter is muffled by her lips capturing mine for our first morning kiss. I bite my lip when she continues kissing down my neck. I almost reopen my wound when she starts gently nibbling on my skin.

"Lex," I whisper, gently pushing her shoulders.

"Weak spot, Miss Batlle?" she teases after a final kiss on my neck.

The smile she gives me as she looks at me makes me melt. So this is the real Lucy, the one she’s hidden from me until now. I blush, trying to hide my face with my hands, but Lucy pins them down on either side of my head, laughing.

"I’ll take that as a yes. This kind of wake-up call is much nicer, isn’t it?"

"I could get used to it…" I reply, still blushing.

"Relax. I won’t do it again if it makes you uncomfortable."

"No, it’s okay... It was... nice."

She smiles at me before resting her head on my shoulder. I take advantage of the moment, being the one who gets to hold her for once. My hand plays absentmindedly with her hair as I reflect. It really was nice. I need to learn to relax. I’ve already accepted that Lucy is the only one who can help me, and it seems that’s truly the case.

"Do you remember the weekend in the Alps we wanted to spend with my friends?" she breaks the silence.

"The one I ruined because I got sent back to class?"

"Indeed, that’s the one," she giggles.

She props herself up on her elbows to look at me. I feel embarrassed just thinking about it. I had felt so guilty for canceling her plans. Plus, it was a rare opportunity to get closer to her at the time.

"I remember, yes. Why do you ask?"

"I might have changed my mind about you coming with us," she tells me, letting her fingers trail along my stomach.

"Oh, really...? Is that still happening?"

"Yeah. We’ve rescheduled it for a week during the next school break since I couldn’t make it the first time. I’d like you to come with me."

"And how would I get there? You’ve already planned everything, right? Aren’t you all flying?"

"No, we’re driving there, and as for the room, I’ve reserved one with a double bed. I’ll just need to notify them of your presence to adjust the price..."

"You realize that means we’ll be sharing a hotel room for an entire week?"

"Of course," she smiles. "I want that, or I wouldn’t be asking. The only question is whether you want it too. If it helps, I heard Alexia will be coming as well."

"Really?" I ask, surprised.

"Mmhmm," her smile grows. "Jenni wanted to bring her along for once. And Ingrid will probably invite Mapi if their relationship has evolved and she knows you’re both coming."

"You’ve thought of every argument to make me say yes, huh?"

"I want you to come. We need this, and we won’t have a better opportunity to spend time with all our friends together."

"You know, my answer was yes from the start, but I appreciate that you’re still trying so hard to convince me."

"You idiot."

We laugh together before she rests her head back on my shoulder.

"Speaking of Mapi and Ingrid... Do you think they’ll be okay?" I ask.

"Why wouldn’t they be?"

"I don’t know... I haven’t really had time to follow their relationship... So I’m worried about Mapi."

"I’m not worried about them. They both have commitment issues, but Ingrid will take it in stride and reassure her. She wanted a new relationship. To be honest, I think they’re made for each other."

"I hope so..." I murmur, staring at the ceiling. "Mapi has reasons to be scared, you know. Her parents didn’t exactly give her the best love possible. And as for her romantic relationships, I dumped her like an old shoe, and her ex cheated on her with my ex, so..."

"You still care about her a lot to be so concerned, huh?"

"We’ve been through a lot together, so yes, of course. But tell me... I had the impression you didn’t like her that much. How come you talked to her when we weren’t on good terms?"

"You’re exaggerating. It’s not that I didn’t like her, I just thought she had a bad influence on you. And, I guess I was jealous of your relationship in a way..."

"Thought?" I repeat. "So you don’t think she’s a bad influence anymore?"

"No," she sighs. "When you stopped writing to me, she started harassing me, lecturing me. She was afraid you wouldn’t recover. That’s when I realized how much she cares about you. Sure, she drags you into her crazy plans, but she’ll always take care of you..."

"I’m glad you understand that... Mapi is really amazing, if you only knew. We support each other a lot because we know everything about each other, but you have nothing to be jealous of. Sure, she’s my ex, and we’re very close, but..."

I shrug, smiling softly.

"If we wanted to get back together, we would have done it a long time ago. If I had to describe her to someone, I’d say she’s my best friend, or even the third daughter of the family since she’s always hanging around here when I’m here," I chuckle.

"I know," she smiles. "You know what really feels strange to me? That your ex is dating my best friend."

"Put that way, it is indeed very strange," I laugh. "At least it’s no longer ambiguous between us. Well, Mapi did kiss me not too long ago, but believe me, she quickly regretted it," I giggle.

- "What?" She furrows her brows, sitting up. "She kissed you?"

- "It was nothing crazy," I reply with an amused smile. "It happened during Christmas break. She had just been dumped and needed some affection. She regretted it the second she realized what she had done, if that makes you feel any better."

- "Hmm... And I'm supposed to not worry about her or the fact that her stuff is still in your room? I doubt you'd like it if you found my ex's things in mine, or if you knew one of them had kissed me."

I wince at the thought. No, definitely not. If I were in her shoes, I probably would have thrown them out the window and lost my cool.

- "She'll move all her things out if that's what you want."

She giggles, burying her head in my neck. Her nose brushes up and down along my neck.

- "No, of course not. I was just teasing. But let me tell you right now, if we ever live together, she's not allowed to infest our apartment with her stuff."

- "It's a promise," I chuckle.

- "Now I'm reassured," she jokes.

- "So, what about Ingrid...? Are they really in love with each other?"

- "Especially Mapi. You should see the messages she sends her. Ingrid showed them to me. They were super cheesy."

- "Oh no, please... She didn't do that?"

- "She did," she laughs. "I had no idea she was such a hopeless romantic," she adds sarcastically.

- "I can't believe it," I giggle.

Having known Mapi in a relationship, I can say she's far from good at writing mushy messages. I used to laugh at the ones she sent me, even though I never told her. Expressing her love wasn't her strong suit, but it was really sweet and adorable that she tried. I'm glad she's comfortable enough with Ingrid to send her those kinds of messages. It seems like she's finally found someone good for her.

- "And you know," Lucy continues.

- "Hmm?"

- "Mapi really helped change my mind about us. It's partly why I trust her more now. Even if that whole thing with Korbin hadn't happened, I would have come to see you to talk about our relationship. I just couldn't stand the distance between us anymore."

- "And what did she say to make you change your mind?"

- "Ah, that's a secret," she giggles, stretching. "Anyway, we should get up. The girls are probably waiting for us."

- "I doubt it."

- "You'd be surprised."

She kisses my cheek before heading to the bathroom. I raise an eyebrow, wondering if she's right about the girls. I'll find out soon enough. Lucy returns quickly, the only difference being that she's swapped her shorts for sweatpants, and her hair is now gathered in a messy bun. I bite my lip at the sight. She doesn't seem to notice as she heads to her suitcase to pack her clothes.

- "Why were you so upset after your last breakup?" I start a new conversation. "You never really talked about it."

We've talked a lot about Mapi and Feli, so I suppose it's okay to talk about her ex. Lucy pauses in her movements.

- "Are you sure you want to know?" she asks, running a hand through her hair.

- "Of course," I say, sitting up to pay more attention.

- "Okay. Do you remember that girl at the bar, the day I rejected you?"

- "Yes...?"

- "That was her," she says bluntly. "Her name is Alex, and we were together for four months. I thought she might be the one. We spent a lot of time together during the summer. In the end, she reacted like the others when I went back to work and blamed me for my lack of commitment. She wanted more, and I wasn't able to give it to her."

- "I see... Is that why you were scared for us?"

- "Partly, yes," she sighs. "I was afraid of making the same mistake with you and hurting you even more."

- "That won't happen. I'm not letting you go now that I have you. I'll keep chasing after you as long as you try to run away," I joke, making her smile.

- "Well, that's reassuring, I suppose."

I return her smile with a nod. She said I'm different from the others, and I plan to prove it. I care about her a lot, so there's no way I'm letting her go without a good reason. She hasn't let go of me yet, so neither will I.

- "Everything will be fine, I promise," I say.

- "I hope so.... Okay, now, I'm starving, so if you could get ready so we can go down."

I chuckle and nod. Before heading to the bathroom, I turn back to her.

- "Thanks for being honest with me. You were right about communication being important."

- "I'm always right, babe."

I laugh as I close the door. I slip into some sweatpants as well, then brush my teeth and hair before we head downstairs. I realize I haven't yet seen Lucy's house as I watch her looking around. Then again, we did arrive pretty late.

- "The house is really beautiful."

- "Too big for my taste, if you ask me. I'll give you a tour later, if you want."

She nods with a smile. Mine appears as we enter the kitchen and see Samuel busy at the stove.

- "Hey, handsome," I say, making him jump.

- "Oh, damn! You’re crazy! I almost had a heart attack!"

I laugh at his fake stern look. He doesn’t look convincing at all, especially since he pulls me into a hug the next second.

- "You’re lucky I missed you, or I’d make you clean up this whole mess," he says, pointing at the now-disorganized counter, which is apparently my fault.

- "Oops... Sorry."

- "Yeah, sure... You don't mean it at all."

- "It's true, you're right," I giggle.

- "How are you? I heard about your adventures. I didn’t imagine it was that bad," he grimaces.

- "I’m fine. It was worse at first," I reply.

He smiles, understanding that I don’t want to dwell on it, and finally looks behind me. I turn to see Lucy watching us with amusement from the kitchen entrance. She approaches when I extend my hand to her.

- "My mom probably told you about her... This is Lucy."

- "So you’re the one responsible for all of this, huh?" he teases. "Nice to finally put a face to the name, Lucy. I assume I can call you by your first name?"

- "Of course," she smiles. "It’s nice to finally meet you, too. She’s told me a lot about you."

- "Not as much as she talked about you. You’re the only person whose name I remembered, given how many times she mentioned you."

- "Sam," I groan, hiding my blush in Lucy’s arms.

- "Aw, don’t be shy," she giggles. "It’s cute," she says before kissing my forehead. "As for you, she’s talked a lot about your cooking. It seems she’s starting to prefer mine," she adds, making him gasp.

- "Oh, really? I’ll remember that,  Ona."

- "Shh! You weren’t supposed to say anything! Now he’s going to be sulking all weekend."

- "Don’t worry. She did say I absolutely had to try your dishes," she tries to make up for it.

- "Hmm, sure," he smiles. "Well,  Ona, you sure don’t pick the ugly ones, huh? And that’s coming from the gayest person on the planet."

His comment makes me blush again. He’s really not holding back today. Luckily, Lucy finds it funny and thanks him for the compliment.

- "So, who made the first move? I want all the details!"

- "You’re not getting anything," I say just as Lucy points to me.

I give her a wide-eyed look and tap her hand.

- "Don’t tell him!"

- "Oh, it’s not a secret," she smiles.

- "So, it was you, Onita ? I never would have guessed."

"I’m full of surprises, what can I say. »

I wait for their laughter to subside before offering Lucy a coffee. She accepts eagerly, so I start making it for her while preparing my hot chocolate on the side.

“You’re lucky. This is probably the first time she’s ever bothered to serve anyone,” Sam teases.

“Are you done?” I groan at Sam. “You’re going to scare her away!”

“Not at all,” Lucy replies. “I like being the exception.”

I glance at Lucy, who’s seated on a barstool, watching me with an amused expression. The least I can do is make her coffee. When I’m at her place, she always takes care of everything for me. It’s not my fault that my mom hired people to handle the household chores. I’m just taking advantage of the chance to do something myself since Sam usually forbids it.

“Are the girls already up?” I ask.

“Yeah, they’re eating in the dining room with Joan,” he informs me. “I made pancakes and pastries.”

“Great, thanks.”

“Jo’s happy to see you again, you know.”

“I know. He slept with us last night. Was he too much trouble?”

“A little, but nothing we couldn’t handle. You should check in with him more often. He asks me almost every day if you’ve called.”

“I’ll try, I promise,” I reply, feeling guilty. “It’s just been complicated lately—between my broken phone and all the drama…”

“Oh, right. What happened with that? You’re not the type to mistreat your phone.”

“I threw it on the ground out of frustration,” I shrug. “Mom let me get a new one,” I say, pulling it out of my pocket.

“Well, make sure you use it.”

“I will.”

I take my mug out of the microwave and hand Lucy her coffee. She thanks me with a kiss, which makes me smile like an idiot. I could easily get used to these little gestures of affection.

“That’s sweet,” Sam grins. “Are you planning on coming back for the holidays?” he asks us.

“Maybe. We’ll talk about it,” Lucy answers before I can.

“Hmm… Well, we’re going to join the girls. Thanks again for breakfast, Sam. See you later.”

“See you later, girls.”

I lead Lucy to the dining room, which is not far from the kitchen. It’s my least favorite room in the house, but I might change my mind when we find Mapi, Ingrid, and my little brother chatting and laughing over breakfast.

“Ah! There they are at last,” Mapi says when she sees us.

“Ona!” 

I hand my mug to Lucy and pick up Joan. He kisses my cheek and then, surprisingly, does the same to Lucy. I’m not used to him warming up to strangers so quickly. I’m glad he’s reacting this way with Lucy. He even asks Lucy to sit next to him. I’m going to get jealous if this keeps up! So, I sit across from Ingrid while my brother takes the seat between Lucy and Mapi.

“How are you, girls? Did you sleep well?”

“Yeah… We had a good night,” Mapi responds.

I can’t believe it! Mapi Leon blushing? That’s a first! Lucy and I exchange a knowing look. It seems like everything worked out fine after all. To avoid teasing her further, I turn to Lucy.

“What would you like?” I ask, taking her plate.

“Pancakes, please,” she answers with a small smile.

I serve her as well as she did for me. After I’m done, I hand her plate back and grab a pain au chocolat for myself. Sam made them from scratch, so they’re the best.

“Any ideas on what we could do this afternoon?” I finally ask.

“We could show them around town since they’re here,” Mapi suggests. “And bring the little rascal along.”

“I’m not little anymore!” my brother whines.

“Aww, you’re almost as touchy as your sister,” Mapi chuckles, pinching his cheek.

“Hey!” I protest.

“Let’s not start this early in the morning,” Lucy intervenes. “But exploring the town sounds like a good idea.”

“It’s definitely more pleasant than Manchester. This town seems great,” Ingrid comments.

“We could go out to eat afterward,” Mapi suggests.

“Yeah. We should let Sam know,” I agree.

“Yep, you’re right! I’ll go tell him now.”

She doesn’t wait for anyone’s confirmation before heading to the kitchen. I smile as I see Ingrid’s eyes follow her, then she turns to me.

“Your best friend has a serious commitment issue, huh? I thought I had one, but she’s worse than anyone.”

“I’m not surprised,” I reply.

“If I hadn’t kissed her, we’d still be stuck. But once she’s on board, there’s no stopping her!”

“We could do without the details,” Lucy interjects. “Especially with a child at the table.”

“Oh, I’m only talking about some kisses, nothing more.”

“We’re happy for you,” I say.

“That’s it!” Mapi interrupts with a huge grin. “We’ve got the all-clear for lunch.”

I suppress my smile, noticing how euphoric she seems. Last night must have done her a lot of good.

“By the way, did you ask  Ona about the Alps?” Ingrid changes the subject.

“Just now. You’ll have to put up with me for another week,” I answer.

“You should be saying that to Lucy,” she giggles.

“Don’t worry, we’re getting along quite well so far,” Lucy replies.

“Absolutely,” I nod in agreement.

I smile at Lucy, who seems to be teasing me. I understand why when she brings a napkin to my chin.

“You really don’t know how to eat.”

I feel embarrassed as the others laugh around the table.

“Thanks,” I mumble when she’s done.

“You’re welcome,” she smiles warmly. “So, are you taking her with you?” she asks Ingrid, nodding toward Mapi.

“Hmm… I’m not sure yet.”

“Really?” Mapi says, looking disappointed.

“What? It’s not even been a day since we got together.”

“They haven’t been together long either!” my best friend retorts, pointing at us.

“That’s different. They’ve been hanging out and sleeping together for a while.”

“Pff. Fine. I get it,” she says, pouting.

It’s funny to see Mapi get upset over something so minor. I would probably act the same way if I didn’t know Ingrid was joking. This shows they still have a lot to learn about each other. Over my visits to their office, I’ve discovered that Ingrid has quite a playful side—just as much as Mapi. Lucy is probably right when she says they’re meant to be together.

“You silly thing. Of course, you’re coming with us! And it’s not a question, it’s a requirement.”

Mapi’s reaction is priceless. She’s always been so dominant with me; this must be a new experience for her. I hide my amusement as I continue my breakfast, enjoying Lucy’s hand resting on my thigh. I realize I’m the last one still eating, and I need to hurry if we want to leave soon.

Saturday, February 6th; 2:00 PM - Downtown.

I’ve never seen the town so crowded as it is today. No one expected this. I have to hold Joan’s hand to keep from losing him. He’s now nestled between Lucy and me, but at least this way I’m sure we won’t lose him in the crowd.

“It’s crazy; yesterday, there was no one,” Mapi comments.

“We could have stayed at the restaurant longer if we’d known.”

« Ona,” my brother calls, tugging on my hand. “Can we go to the pool instead?”

“The pool?” I frown.

“It’s a good idea; it could be fun,” Lucy agrees. “There’s no point in staying here, anyway. We won’t see anything interesting with this many people.”

"Do you have enough swimsuits to lend us?" Ingrid asked me.

"Well..."

"You promised we'd go again someday!" Joan whined.

I bit my lip nervously. The idea didn’t excite me as much as it did the others. I sighed, releasing the tension in my shoulders.

"I think I can find something if that's what everyone wants."

"Yessss!" 

Joan drew attention by jumping up and down with excitement. No one seemed to notice my reluctance, so I kept quiet to avoid dampening everyone’s enthusiasm. We headed back to the car. Hector had agreed to let us use one on the condition that either Lucy or Ingrid drive. I was slightly annoyed by this. Lucy offered to let me drive, but in the end, I let her take the wheel. I might have agreed if we were alone, but today wasn’t the case. We returned home to gather our things. Fortunately, I found swimsuits that fit Lucy and Ingrid. Once ready, we set off for the indoor pool that also had a water slide park, as requested by Joan. Mapi and Ingrid reacted like big kids to the idea. Unlike in the city, we were relieved to see that there were far fewer people here. Mapi was the first to rush inside with Joan. It seemed like they had really missed this. It had been so long since we last came.

"This place is huge," Ingrid commented.

"Yeah. There are plenty of pools to satisfy everyone, so it’s really cool."

We caught up with Joan and Mapi, who were already in line to buy our tickets. The place was so big that it didn’t feel crowded. I managed to get ahead of Lucy to buy our tickets, including Joan’s, since she had already paid for lunch. She didn’t like it, but it was my weekend at home. When we’re in Manchester, she’s the one who pays, so it’s only fair to return the favor. Once everyone was through, we headed to the locker rooms. Mapi and Ingrid decided to share a locker, so we did the same with Lucy and Joan. The three excited ones were the first to finish undressing. I was the slowest. Lucy must have noticed because she told them to go ahead. Unable to hold them back any longer, they even took Joan with them, promising to keep an eye on her.

"Is everything okay?" she asked once we were alone.

"Yeah..."

"I can tell it’s not. Do you want to talk about it?"

I sighed softly. I wish she had noticed earlier. Neither of us had removed much yet. We had just taken off our jackets and shoes.

"I’ve never... you know," I said, gesturing to myself.

I realized she didn’t understand when she frowned. I nervously ran my hand through my hair, feeling anxious about confessing this to her.

"You're the only one, besides Joan, who’s seen me in my underwear since what Feli did to me. No one else has seen my scars, and I don’t feel comfortable being this exposed anymore. Plus, I still have bruises from Korbin, and they’re not exactly pretty."

"Why didn’t you say something earlier?"

"I don’t know. Everyone was so excited to come here," I shrugged.

She gently cupped my cheeks, forcing me to lift the head I had lowered.

"You should’ve told me."

"It’s fine, really... I need to push through this sooner or later."

"You don’t have to do it alone. If you had told me you were uncomfortable with your body, I would’ve told you that you’re beautiful to me, and you always will be. No matter how many marks you have, they’re part of your story, and you shouldn’t be ashamed of them."

Tears welled up in my eyes. Why is she so perfect? She smiled before kissing me tenderly. The kiss deepened with so much love that it made my stomach flip. While I was distracted, she gently lifted my sweater and took it off before I could even process what was happening.

"If I have to help you love your body again, I’ll do it. In any case, I’m very happy to be the only one who gets to touch it."

The way her eyes devoured my torso made me blush furiously. She bit her lip to stifle a smile as her gaze slowly moved back up to meet mine.

"I’d feel more comfortable if you took off your top too," I finally managed to say.

She chuckled softly and, to my surprise, complied. How can she envy my little belly when she has such a sculpted body? For the first time, I took in the sight, lingering on her lower abdomen where her abs were slightly visible. Not to mention the tattoo that made her even sexier. I should have looked back up, but my eyes were glued to her torso. It was her laugh that snapped me out of it.

"Glad you like what you see."

"Oh God, look at you! How am I supposed to feel confident next to you?" I retorted, making her laugh.

"Start running again if you don’t like your body. You only maintain it with exercise."

"Is that the future fitness coach talking?" I asked, watching her take off her pants.

"Maybe."

"I’m already jealous of your future clients."

"Clients?" she laughed. "We won’t be in school anymore. But if you want, I’ll give you a special training session."

"Oh really? Like an intense workout?"

"No. Like a girlfriend workout," she said with a wink.

"Maybe we can negotiate then," I joked.

"Alright, enough teasing. Get undressed so we can go."

I grumbled as I took off my pants. Seeing her in a swimsuit had made me feel a bit more confident. My girlfriend is a knockout. To think she chose me when she could have any other girl. I neatly folded my clothes before Lucy closed our locker. She kept the key by strapping it to her wrist. She smiled at me as she held out her hand.

"Ready?"

I nodded, taking her hand timidly. Without giving me time to think, she led me toward the showers. Walking behind her, I noticed a new tattoo that ran the length of her back.

"Wow," I breathed.

"What is it?"

« Your back »

"Oh, right," she laughed.

"It’s beautiful."

« Thanks. » 

We reached the showers, where only a few spots were occupied. We managed to get two next to each other to rinse off before heading to the pools. As we exited, I looked around for the girls, but they were nowhere to be found. Knowing them, they had probably headed straight for the slides. I gasped when I no longer felt my feet on the ground. Instinctively, I kicked my legs, but it didn’t stop Lucy from cradling me in her arms.

"Hey! What are you doing? Put me down!"

"Nope," she giggled.

I laughed when I realized she was enjoying herself. She gave me a playful smack on the butt as she approached the nearest pool.

"No, please! Don’t do this!"

I begged, clinging to her neck. Her laugh was muffled against my shoulder as I squeezed her tightly.

"Hmm... What’s your offer to avoid it?"

"Anything you want."

"Oh really?"

"Yes!"

"Alright. I’ll remember that you owe me one," she laughed, setting me down.

I groaned, punching her arm.

"That was really uncool."

"Oh, don’t pout, please," she said, pouting herself. "Or I might actually throw you in the water."

"No! Besides, I want to find the girls before getting in the pool."

"The girls can take care of Joan if that’s what you’re worried about. I’d like us to spend some time together if we can."

I bit my lip, thinking over her suggestion. It would indeed be a chance to enjoy some time as a couple and also to get to know this new side of Lucy. I liked discovering new aspects of her. I groaned when she made an adorable face to try and convince me.

"Stop making that face."

"Please," she insisted.

I had nothing to worry about with Joan, right? Ingrid was an instructor at a private school, so I had no doubt she could be serious about her safety. I sighed, clearly giving in to Lucy, who started to smile.

"Alright, you win," I conceded. "Let’s spend some time together."

"Yes!" she said, lifting me up again, making me panic.

"No, no, no, please," I pleaded, struggling as she moved toward the pool steps.

"Relax," she giggled. "Hold on to me and just let it happen."

"No, please. I don’t like getting in all at once. And I don’t want to get my hair wet."

"We’ll get in slowly together. And as for your hair, either tie it up or wash it again tonight."

"Luce!"

She ignored my pleas and continued to move forward, dipping her feet into the water. I quickly tied up my hair with the elastic around my wrist. It didn’t matter if it got wet; I just hated having it loose in the pool. Apparently, Lucy felt the same since she had tied hers up before the shower. I clung to her neck as I felt the tips of my toes touch the water next.

"Slowly, please."

"I promise."

I managed to wrap my legs around her waist so she could hold me better. I pressed closer to her as the water reached my calves. I held my breath as it began to rise to my thighs. Lucy must have noticed because she giggled softly.

"The water isn’t that cold. »

- "Speak for yourself," I whispered into her neck. "I can be really sensitive to the cold sometimes."

- "Then keep clinging to me. I love it," she murmured teasingly.

- "It's not funny," I giggled.

I suddenly inhaled sharply when Lucy took a big step, causing the water to cover our legs.

- "Stop, stop."

- "Oh, come on. The worst part hasn't even happened yet."

- "Exactly! It's coming."

- "Then brace yourself."

I whimpered into her neck as she continued to slowly make her way through the pool. Her upper body was warm compared to the coldness of the water. She lowered herself so that the water reached our chests. I rested my head on her shoulder, pressing myself against her as much as I could. She must have gotten the message because she tightened her arms around me.

- "It wasn't so bad, was it?"

- "No... Never with you."

She kept moving until she no longer had to bend her knees. I slowly lifted my head so we could look at each other for a moment without saying anything. I appreciated our closeness.

- "Your wounds are starting to heal," she noted.

- "Yeah... I still have some scabs."

- "Maybe, but your black eye is starting to fade."

I closed my eyes as she gently touched it. The gesture was soft until she pressed on it. I groaned in annoyance, reopening my eyes.

- "Sorry," she smiled sincerely. "I'll put some cream on it for you tonight."

- "Thanks," I murmured.

I closed my eyes again as I rested my head on her shoulder. She really was perfect in my eyes. Just like this moment we were sharing.

- "I still can't believe it..."

- "What?"

- "Us. It’s hard to realize..."

- "I know. That's why we need to spend time together outside of school, so you can separate things."

- "Going back is going to be tough," I sighed.

- "It’ll all be over soon."

- "By the way... What will happen after school?"

- "We’ll go over the offer I secured for you. We'll have time to talk about it during the next break. For now, the most important thing is passing your exams."

- "Ah, there you are!" a familiar voice suddenly interrupted. It was Ingrid.

I turned to see her standing at the edge of the pool with her arms crossed. Our moment alone didn’t last as long as I thought.

- "Is something wrong?" Lucy asked.

- "We thought you were going to join us, not sneak off to cuddle!"

- "Hey there!"

We didn't have time to respond before we were attacked by two human torpedoes named Joan and Mapi. I groaned in frustration, now completely soaked. I was also forced to step away from Lucy when Joan slipped between us.

- "Did you go on the slides?" Lucy asked her.

- "Yes! We almost did all of them with Mapi and Ingrid. Don’t you want to try them?"

- "Later, we’ve got all the time in the world," she replied.

Ingrid distracted me by jumping in to join us. Joan took advantage of this to take my place in Lucy's arms. He had learned to swim this summer but didn’t like staying in one spot for too long. I didn’t have time to process their conversation before Mapi jumped on my back.

- "Get down, Mapi."

- "No way, I'm taking advantage while you’re back. Besides, your mom told me to take it easy on my leg," she joked.

I frowned, recognizing a half-truth in her statement.

- "Is that true? Why?"

I placed my hand on the scars on her knee, looking at her briefly. I was one of the few people, along with my mom, that she allowed to touch them. I always worried when she mentioned her injury since she rarely talked about it because it was such a hard experience for her. My mom had helped her a lot through it, so I never felt jealous of their close relationship. I was just glad Mapi had someone to support her.

- "The pain has come back."

- "Why didn’t you tell me sooner?"

- "Because it wasn’t that important. Hey girls, should we head back to the slides now that we’ve found you?"

- "Don’t change the subject, Mapi," I growled. "It is important."

- "I’m fine, I promise."

I sighed when she kissed my cheek before getting down to join my sister, who was starting to get excited about her suggestion. This gave Lucy the chance to return to me.

- "Everything okay?" she asked.

- "Yeah..."

I smiled at Ingrid, who was standing beside us. I realized she must have overheard our entire conversation.

- "Do you know what she went through?"

- "She vaguely mentioned it, yes."

- "You’re lucky. She doesn’t talk about it with everyone."

- "What’s the story?" Lucy asked.

- "I’ll explain another time," I replied. "Anyway, let’s go before we lose sight of them."

We joined Mapi and Joan, who were waiting for us at the edge of the pool. Joan was getting antsy. We headed to the slide area to make him happy. I’ve always loved the slides here. They’re very diverse. You can do them alone or with others. Some even have inner tubes. I have no doubt we’ll have a great afternoon, all five of us.

[aquarelliwrites]

What Kind Of Woman Do You Take Me For?

SHIP: Charles Leclerc x Reader

SUMMARY: After a dinner date at your apartment, Charles is forced to sleep over as to not get caught up in a snowstorm.

CONTENT: Mention of alcohol, domestic fluff, you/yours pronouns with fem!reader, no use of Y/N.

1.1k

"Well, this was lovely."

Charles used his napkin to wipe the corner of his mouth. You leaned back in your chair, your elbow coming to rest on the backrest of the one next to you. A vague silence washed over the dining room of your apartment, both of you observing the snowfall outside.

The view out of the dining and living rooms of your apartment was spectacular, and half the reason you were paying such a ridiculous price for it - the sprawling cityscape and background of rolling Swiss Alps breathtaking on evenings like this.

Was it really even evening anymore? You had sat down for dinner four hours ago - really, the date had actually started in the early afternoon. He had come in bearing gifts, with the first snowflakes adorning his coat, hair, and eyelashes. Then, he spent the better part of a few hours helping with dinner.

If you could count his sitting pretty on the barstool, drinking wine, and distracting you with gossip the entire time helping. You had a good reason to keep him away from the stove, however - the man was many things, but a culinary expert he was not.

"Is there anything we forgot to talk about?" You joked, tearing your gaze away from the panoramic view to the, arguably, far better one across the table.

He, to his credit, did take a moment to consider. You liked the way he looked when he was deep in thought. "I... don't believe so. How long has it- oh, wow. Midnight already?" The shock on his face, like all of his other emotions, was visible as soon as he caught sight of the clock hanging in the living room behind you.

"Nearing it." The snow outside was bad now - Switzerland was used to snow, sure, but was Charles? At night? In that sports car you saw him drive here? "You should stay over."

"Yeah?" His smile was teasing while he picked at a few crumbs on the tablecloth. "Are you propositioning me? Is that what this is?"

You scoffed, rolling your eyes. "Don't be ridiculous-"

"I came all this way-"

"Charles-"

"-all for an elaborate booty call? Really? Thought you were better than that, amour." Combined, the twinkle in his eyes and the smirk tugging upwards at the corners of his lips made you want to jump across the table and do unholy things to him. Not that you’d readily admit it.

You gestured to your matching empty glasses and plates. "Well, technically, I’ve been wining and dining you. Not a booty call. Come on, what kind of woman do you take me for, Leclerc?"

He shrugged, now picking at the tablecloth itself.

Clearing your throat was more uncomfortable than you’d thought. "The guest room situation isn't- um. I've got my office in there."

"Right, yes."

"...And I have a queen bed." That you didn't know if you wanted to share with him. This was- what was this? The third date? He had said he wanted to take it slow, get to know you. This wasn't exactly planned.

"Oh."

Another silence fell over the room. You felt like you were drowning in it.

"You can take the bed. I just changed the sheets this morning," you offered.

"No, no, I couldn't take that from you."

"I insist."

"No-"

"You're a houseguest. Fae rules."

"What? Fae rules?" He sputtered in surprise.

"Yes." You were smiling smugly, and he pointed it out.

"It's not a problem, chat." The tips of his ears went a little red at you calling him 'cat', but you continued. "The sofa’s comfy. I made sure when I was buying it just in case my, how did you put it, ‘booty call’ could be comfortable."

An extended quiet passed by before he nodded. "Alright."

"Alright."

You cleaned up together - he washed dishes, you dried them; he offered a piece of gossip about the people in his life, you returned one about an office affair you nearly got caught up in; he gasped in disbelief, you nodded solemnly; he caged you against the counter when you were done, you reciprocated his kiss sweetly, slowly.

He tasted of alcohol and dessert, mostly, then of mint after you brushed your teeth together and stole a final kiss. And your pillow.

"Bonne nuit." You whispered against his lips.

"Bonne nuit, amour."

To your credit, you managed to get incredibly cozy on the couch - spare duvet, blankets, pillows galore. You allowed yourself the luxury of imagining him lying in your bed, daydreaming about the way you’d look there with him. You then spent a good quarter of an hour debating with yourself whether joining him there would be uncomfortable for both of you or not.

Oh, god. Had he seen your stuffed animals? The thought nagged at you as you drifted off.

A click of a door roused you from sleep. You couldn’t really tell what time it was in the dark, but the room being so dark and the snow still falling heavily suggested it hasn't been more than… what? Two hours?

"Amour?" He whispered from the doorway. You hummed, acknowledging his presence, but not exactly comprehending it yet.

"Wha's up?" The only word your half-asleep mind could really think of to describe him then is cute - hair a little messy, shirt a little askew, sweatpant cuffs riding up a little on his legs.

He didn't answer, instead stealing one of the top-most blankets covering you. Before you could protest, he moved - sort of clumsily, which prompted a snickering laugh from you - to lay down on top of you. After he got comfy, you were pressed into the couch - his legs tangling with yours, his arms enclosing around your waist under your shirt, his head resting on your chest.

A more conscious you would probably hesitate a little, and a more conscious he probably wouldn't  have done what he did. Alas, tired people do stupid things, and you embraced him back quickly. You helped him cover himself in the stolen blanket, and your hands carded through his hair a little while neither of you were asleep yet.

"Thank you." You heard him whisper, and you made a little noise of agreement. 

"Didn't know if you'd want to sleep together."

"Hah, I thought you didn't want it, amour?"

"With you? Don't be ridiculous. If I had more confidence, I'd be throwing myself all over the opportunity." Your finger twirled a longer strand of hair, and you got to enjoy the way his fingers were mind-numbingly warm drawing patterns on your waist.

This was miles better than any sleep you could have gotten on your own.

NOTE: these fics keep getting shorter and shorter but i'm not lying when I say everything that could have possibly gone wrong while writing this went wrong. I'm truly shocked and appalled.

Rivals to lovers Max fic is hopefully still on the way - alas i got too ambitious with it and now it's looking like it's going to be the longest thing i've ever written. not yet sure if i should be excited or worried?

Liked this? Check out my masterlist!

[zoe-wrote]

Großauheim

As draft this post on Sunday March 24th at 1:04am (german time), i can hear my dear friend jena sleeping in the wooden bed i once slept in when i was five. we are staying with my grandparents in Hanau, or more specifically the village on the outskirts of the city called Großauheim. Hanau neighbors Frankfurt in the state of Hessen. it's quiet here.

My dad grew up in Nürnberg, which is a city about 2 hours away from here in the neighboring state of Bayern (Bavaria, in english). I feel very connected to that city and my heritage in that region in part because I actually started first grade there when we lived there for six months while my grandmother Hedda was dying of cancer.

I talk about death quite casually, I hope that isn't bothering anyone too much. I think it's quite relevant quite often, and as someone whose grief has played a pivotal role in my childhood I refuse to shy away from reality, though I do apologize if your own grief makes this hard to read. I know there were times in my life when mine would have.

Anyway back to Bayern; I often tell people Bavaria is the region of Germany where all the german stereotypes come from. Oktoberfest, lederhosen, overflowing beers brought to you in a biergarten by a busty woman in a Dirndl (yea that laced up German dress, see me in one below), bratwurst and big soft pretzels and yodeling and shit are really more closely tied to the Alpine region than Germany itself, and Bavaria includes much of the German Alps. God I love those mountains, and the little huts where you can get a full restaurant meal on the mountaintop after a morning of hiking. Some of my extended family members always wear traditional dress to family events, and I've joined in on that because it's a) so practical to always know what to wear b) so fun! and c) it's the one part of my heritage that I feel like I have any tangible connection to.

I guess I should give a super quick recap of my family lore for those who haven't known me as long or even really at all. My dad is german, whole family still there. He went to college in Glasgow, Scotland where he got married to an American studying there too, had a kid (shoutout Craig), and got divorced. Craig's mama decided to move back to the states for support from her family back home, so my papa decided to move to be nearer to their kid. My parents met on Yahoo Personals when they were both single parents in Cincinnati Ohio. My mama got a tenure-track offer at UMASS Boston, I'm born in my childhood home in Arlington, MA yada yada.

My grandpa moved to Hessen a bit into his relationship with Sabine after Hedda died in 2009. Sabine's family has lived in Großauheim for several generations. She's a doctor and used to hand-make puppets to tell her children stories. My grandparents are exceptionally cute together. They randomly breakout into song and loveeee to infodump about really anything historical whenever possible. jena thinks they're really funny. speaking of jena she has rustled awake a few times and heard my keys clacking. I'll show her this post in the morning. Speaking of morning, I should sleep now. I'll post more about Germany tomorrow.