#this is like my 3rd time purchasing from cris

[tv1xx]

I’ve been getting back to my ARC V phase and I miss my two babies 🪺 I’ve been shipping them way before they even dueled. This was like my No.1 OTP , my endgame.

Thank you so much @crismakesstuff for taking the time and drawing my babies!

Please take a moment and check out their account, their commissions are open!

[obeyme-lost-thought]

The regret of a Father

A confront between Lucifer and Aurora? How will it go

What if Lucifer had a child with Mc, and for some reason he neglects them ? And if the child die? What will do Lucifer?

Always remember: the ending isn't what we want, but what she need.

Good reads

1630 words all chapters , previous part

Chapter 3: Proud ?

???’s POV:

There is a condition. When an existence cannot be judged by their actions and consequently know where their soul must be placed; they will be granted a second life by which they can be judged. Previous life memories will be granted at God's discretion.

Chapter 7 - Is it possible to be reborn?

I had no reason to read this book. It was one of many purchases that lay in the library without anyone bothering to read them. Yet I did, I read it. Perhaps it was this that completely ruined me, taking away any possibility of being able to let her go. Only sin made me think that she was the exception of the memoirs.

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

Aurora’s POV:

Nothing about this 3rd day of preparations for the festival seemed to promise me a positive ending. Especially the task that has been entrusted to me.

This morning the principal entrusted me with the task of having to spend the afternoon with one of the 2 representatives of the schools, guiding him through the various projects that the clubs or autonomous students were preparing (to compensate for my failure to fulfill the first task that was assigned to me, even though the cause was my health). Every sound of the bell was like a knife stabbing me, increasing the terror of which of the 2 I should drive. And this time fainting is not a possibility.

Fate is not kind to me, especially when the one who commands human fate is the father of the father who brought you into the world in your first life. That means my 50/50 went bad, if you can sum it up like that. This is how it is for more than 1 hour I've been walking around with Lucifer in the classrooms of the school. We saw the plans for the food stalls, the face painting stall, the photographs and drawings that will be shown by the art and photography clubs. We are now moving away from the garden club that was tending to the flower beds. The girls here have the reputation of being the gossipiest in school; in fact, when we arrived, they were talking about the girl who had gotten pregnant. I was very annoyed by the viciousness with which they criticized her choice to keep the child and for this I brought them into line with the power of be a student council member. What I didn't expect is that all this, sparked a discussion about children and family between the 2 of us. Until now we were talking about the history of the school and the weather.

I'm not surprised by this discussion, having started it. In these 2 days I passed out; escaped; I cried; i ignored. I did all the things I did in the early days of Devildom. All that trust I had built up while trying to rebuild my life, he had managed to destroy it with a few looks. For this I want to redeem myself and find the answers for “Aurora Lilith Morningstar”.

Aurora: "Sir Lucifer, do you have a family?"

Lucifer: “Yes, I have 6 brothers, a sister, a wife… and a daughter”

I don't know how to interpret the pause to refer to her daughter, but already the fact that he has accepted her existence is a step forward.

Aurora: “Ahh, how nice. And what's the girl's name?"

Lucifer: “To your surprise, you have the same name. In Greek mythology Aurora was a goddess with whom the dawn was associated. She is often confused with Apollo, who is the god of the sun in general”

Aurora: “Wow, I didn't expect such a deep meaning for my name”

Lucifer: “My wife did a lot of research when choosing a name for our daughter. I'm sure she's loved her ever since she found out she was pregnant with her, deciding to even give her life for her."

Aurora: "I'm sorry for your loss"

Lucifer: “Thanks, it's happened 35- …. many years ago."

I never expected so much willingness to answer questions. And to be honest, his answers leave me speechless. All the information I have about… Mc came from the stories of Simeon and Luke, plus some anecdote given by Solomon. I have never heard from his mouth.

Aurora: “Tell me about your daughter. How old is she etc. We have a little way to go before we get to the courtroom we're headed to."

It doesn't seem to make sense what I'm doing. Asking about someone I know better than anyone else but my goal is not to know who she is; but who he thinks she is. Or maybe I just want to see him having trouble answering such a simple question.

Before starting to speak, he turns to meet my gaze. No emotion seems to pass through his unreadable face, but a careful look can tell that he feels slightly uncomfortable (or sad, but of the two interpretations the first is more plausible).

Lucifer: "My daughter..."

I hear uncertainty in his voice which confirms my expectations even more. But only briefly, as that ice-cold face he had until recently turns into a wounded smile. Did Lucifer just show his emotions? And then what kind of emotions are they?

All my questions are answered as soon as he starts talking again.

“She's about your age. She can play the piano, in fact she has won several awards. She also wrote a composition which I saved as a ringtone. She is intelligent in many respects and has excellent physical performance. She took lessons in fencing and hand-to-hand combat, winning prizes there as well. I can assure you her room is filled with trophies and medals. However, her main passions are drawings and art. On the walls, where there are no photos or shelves, all of her works hang. Digital and paper drawings, paintings, unfinished sketches, even series of 2-3 sheets that tell some story. I'm convinced that her dream was to become a painter, even though she never told me."

Silence falls between us and it probably would have lasted forever if Lucifer hadn't kept talking.

“My daughter died a few years ago. It almost seems like all the girls in my life are destined to leave me. But the loss of my daughter was more painful than my sister or my wife. She is my greatest pride. But enough about me. You instead-"

Aurora: “We have arrived. After this the round of preparations for the festival is over and I still have to rehearse for my show, so I'm sorry but we have to part ways here."

Lucifer: “I see. Go ahead, I remember exactly where the music room is, so I'll come and see you later if I can."

Aurora: “Of course you can, but I don't recommend it. We're not as good as you might think."

Lucifer: “You should give yourself more credit, you are very good.”

After these words, he enters the classroom and closes the door, leaving me outside alone. I walk away as far as possible and try to understand how I managed to hold back the tears. Now, my vision is totally blurred by the water in front of my eyes. How did he know so much about me? From victories to drawings, even my dreams that I never told anyone. It seemed as if he really knew his daughter. Like he was there at the races to cheer on her or help her with her homework. His face so happy as he talked about my merits or his sadness at mentioning my death was something I couldn't fully understand. And then "Proud"? Is he proud of me? I spent so long hoping to hear these words and now he said them so naturally. But it's easy to say them when referring to someone who isn't there, so much so that part of me almost wishes to hear them say it directly to me. But this is a dream that no longer has any value for me.

I get up on the ground and go to the others. My best hope was not to see him again for the rest of the afternoon, but as I said, luck is not on my side.

He remained until the end on the edge of the door for all the time we rehearse, with his eyes turned straight towards me, as if he wanted to take my soul and take it to the darkest meanders of hell.

Memory Fragment 2: Gift

Everyone knows my father's passion for music, especially the classical and cursed ones. This is why I started studying piano 8 months ago. The instructor says that I have an innate talent, as if I have been playing for more than 10 years. It seems impossible such a thing, yet it is true. I was already studying music when I lived with my grandparents, so I could read sheet music and also write musical pieces. I put all my energy into composing this tune and worked 2 weeks part time to raise the money to record the song. That's how I ended up with this record with my music and my name on it. It's not cursed, but I hope he likes it. I leave it on his bedroom desk, wrapped in black wrapping paper. I hide outside and my happiness reaches the stars when I hear him listening it. The end comes and I watch his reaction through the keyhole. He takes the record off the turntable and looks at it carefully. He seems happy with the tune. He keeps turning the disc in his hands until his gaze darkens and he throws it in the trash. He probably he had read my name.

What do think of Lucifer for now?

Next chapter

[daddyd0nt]

My favorite aunt was a "crazy cat lady" who died obese and unmarried. She was one of the most amazing women I ever had the blessing of knowing. She opened her home to me when I had nowhere else to go and she had the freedom to make this decision BECAUSE she didn't have a husband to run it by ("hey honey, my drug addicted niece and her fiancé got kicked out of my deranged alcoholic abusive brother's house and are going to stay with us" is a pretty hard sell). It was traumatic but im glad I lived with her for the last few months of her life because God gave me the opportunity to spend a lot of time with her and have a lot of really good conversations before the end of her life. She was my favorite relative, I told her everything. She is the only one in the family who i admitted my CSA to, shes the one I called crying when I got raped for the 3rd time at college and talked to me for hours while I decided what to do nearly incoherent from the mix of molly and GBH Id been drugged with. She knew about every drug I tried and I told her all my crazy stories of the nonsense I got up to in college and she never ratted me out. She was one of two family members who I told when I lost my virginity. She took a gun from my suicidal cousin (not her son but the son of her most hated brother who gave her the covid that killed her and is a pedo but she was there for his kid anyway) and hid it for him so he wouldnt get in trouble for an unregistered firearm that he had purchased with the intention of ending his life while she called the ambulance to come get him like this woman was a gangster at heart she knew how to keep all ten toes down. Men (mainly my dad and uncle) treated my aunt like shit, like she was the worst outcome that any human being could ever have, but I loved her so much and she meant so much to me and had such an impact on my life and was such an amazing person and I still two years later have not processed her death (I was the one who found her it was really traumatic. She was face down on the kitchen table and had broken and bloodied her nose with the impact. I still see it. I still have not cried.) Her cat died 2 days before she did, to get her room in heaven ready for her. She was a "crazy cat lady" who swore off men after her son's father abandoned her and she was one of the most special and amazing people Ive ever known in my life.

i keep seeing dating advice for women like "keep your standards realistic! every year millions of women worldwide become crazy cat ladies and die alone because they refuse to date a man under 6 feet tall 💔" and yet everywhere i go i see women dating Racist Womanhater Who Can't Wipe His Own Ass #4926027. so how am i supposed to take that advice as anything but a psyop

[that-house]

The Advertiser (A City of Mammon story)

Thursday, June 8th, 3358

I finally have a job! It pays really well, and the hours are super generous. I’m an undercover advertiser! From 10 to 1 on weekdays a marketing AI or my human manager takes control of my  mind and body and uses me to advertise for various companies. My contract prevents me from telling anyone about it, so I’m writing about it in my journal.

Friday, June 9th, 3358

It’s a little scary. I black out at 10 AM and I come to 3 hours later in a different location. It’s worth it though. I’ve never had so much money! Ever since the Free Will Law was passed in 3352, forcing companies to double the salary for jobs that require the employee to sacrifice their free will, I’ve been dreaming of getting a job like this. It’s one of the highest-paying jobs available to Middle Marketers!

Monday, June 12th, 3358

I think I dream while I’m being piloted. I don’t remember the dreams, though. But there’s some semblance of memories.

Tuesday, June 13th, 3358

I got a bonus! People I’ve interacted with on the job have been purchasing the products I’ve recommended them. Just once, I’d like to be able to see what goes on. Do I still act like myself? Are the ads subtle or do I just scream about my favorite brand of toothpaste? I might put up some cameras.

Wednesday, June 14th, 3358

THAT IS NOT ME. Do you know how creepy it is to see yourself moving in a way you never would? I’m not a graceful person, but whatever is controlling me does so with fluid precision. I only put up a camera in my house, so I don’t know anything else about the job. I’m going to spread my surveillance network further out.

Thursday, June 15th, 3358

I’m getting tired of taking taxis back home. The fees are racking up. Today I wound up halfway across the city. I suppose they don’t want me interacting with people who know me. They might recognize that it isn’t me. I’ll be putting cameras up in my neighborhood this weekend.

Friday, June 16th, 3358

I think I had another dream. I don’t know where my mind goes when I get taken over, but I remember feeling something. The AI seems to know my body better than I do. Everything it does looks so smooth and polished. It knows where my limbs end. I could never imagine it stubbing my toe or hurting me in any way. Its control makes me feel safe, but I’m also jealous that it’s using my body better than I ever could.

Monday, June 19th, 3358

I got my cameras set up. They cover a few blocks. Today they picked up something… unnerving. Today, whoever was piloting me was most certainly not the AI. They were clumsy and didn’t seem to understand the dimensions of my body, but they moved with so much purpose. They stalked to the door and waited impatiently for a taxi, got in as quickly as possible, and sped off. When I came to, I was unharmed, and didn’t notice that anything was different until I watched the video.

Tuesday, June 20th, 3358

The AI was back today. I don’t know what yesterday was. I’m confused. The pay is still excellent, I’m still unharmed. I guess my manager must have stepped in yesterday, though why they did I don’t know.

Wednesday, June 21st, 3358

Today was unsettling for two reasons. My manager took control again, and I had a nightmare. It’s weird seeing my unconscious body which I’ve gotten so used to being graceful and calm being almost angry instead. But nothing bad has happened yet, other than the nightmare. I felt the familiar symptoms of the blackout coming on, the fuzzy vision and the mild headache, and the next thing I knew I was falling. I landed in a pool of blood, hot and red and sticky and tasting of iron. It was just deep enough that I couldn’t quite keep my mouth above the surface. I tried to scream but the blood flooded into my mouth, choking my cries before they could make it out.

Thursday, June 22nd, 3358

I need to spread my cameras further. My manager took control of me again. There’s something about the way I move when they’re in control that scares me. Too much confidence and too much anger.

Friday, June 23rd, 3358

Today my manager took the stairs. They took me outside and up to the next floor, maybe higher. My cameras are focused on the ways the taxis tend to go. I hadn’t considered that I might walk somewhere. I know everyone in the building. Surely they would notice that something’s wrong.

Monday, June 26th, 3358

I put up more cameras. I don’t think my manager is advertising. They’re going up and down the building. They aren’t going to anyone I don’t already know. There’s no way they could mimic me well enough to not give themselves away. They clearly aren’t trying to sell anything. The nightmares are getting worse.

Tuesday, June 27th, 3358

I got another bonus. I don’t think I’ve sold anything in a week. I can afford more cameras. At this point I could start my own security firm. I haven’t been controlled by the AI in a long time. I miss it.

Wednesday, June 28th, 3358

Someone put up missing person flyers throughout the building. Mr. Sharpe hasn’t been seen for a few days. There were signs of a struggle, blood in his apartment. The day they think he went missing I had a nightmare. I dreamt I saw his face. It was awful. By Mammon it was awful. His teeth were ripped out, his nose was cut off, and there were scissors in my hands. I’m beginning to worry that I had something to do with it.

Thursday, June 29th, 3358

If you were a serial killer who could kill through other people wouldn’t you do it?

Friday, June 30th, 3358

Fuck. I’ve slept on it, and I think my manager is killing people through my body. I’m going to get to the bottom of this. I will continue writing in this journal until this problem has been concluded. Should the writing in this journal end before we have reached a satisfying end, it is likely that I myself have been killed.

Monday, July 3rd, 3358

I called my employer to ask who my manager is. They said they weren’t at liberty to tell me. I had another nightmare, this time about Ms. Hathaway. I won’t be surprised if flyers bearing her face are up tomorrow.

Tuesday, July 4th, 3358

Happy Dollar Day! The flyers went up. I don’t know if there’s anything I can do. My manager has been doing a good job sneaking around so far. The security drones still aren’t looking for me. I’m worried it’s only a matter of time. I need to find my manager, and soon.

Wednesday, July 5th, 3358

Another nightmare. I might as well report Ms. DiAngelo’s disappearance myself. I can only assume that if her body is found, it will have been brutalized with a hammer. That’s what happened in my dream. I feel like I’m stuck watching myself commit atrocities from the outside.

Thursday, July 6th, 3358

Upon further examination, there’s blood under my nails. I’m a weapon for my manager. They’re using me to kill people, and if I get caught they’ll move on to another undercover advertiser. They might be using multiple people at once.

Friday, July 7th, 3358

I want to quit, but I can’t. Quitting won’t stop my manager. They’ll keep on killing unless I stop them. I’m the only person who can do anything. I don’t know how much blood is on my hands. They’ve been used to kill at least three people, but there could be more. I may not be the mind behind the killing but I’m guilty enough. It’s my responsibility to end this.

Monday, July 10th, 3358

Normally I write following my shift, but as soon as it ends I’m heading to the company headquarters. I’m bringing a gun. This ends today. I’ll write another entry when I get back to provide closure, and then I’d like to put this journal and this grisly business behind me.

[antisocial-af]

Day 21: Sophie/Gideon

Title: A Family Meal

25 Days of Pairings: Day 21 Sophie/Gideon

Rating: G

Wordcount: 2352

No Major Archive Warnings

SFW, Fluff, Winter, Book Timeline, Child Barbara and Eugenia, Pregnant Sophie, Overprotective/Caring Gideon. 

Summary:

Gideon attempts to arrange something for his pregnant wife.

Click Here to Read on Ao3

Story:

Gideon paced back and forth, his hair bouncing slightly with each nervous step. 

“Gideon,” Sophie sighed, “I’m okay. It’s just a litt...” The pregnant Shadowhunter quickly lurched and grabbed for the nearby wastebasket, thinking of how unpleasant the day’s earlier lunch had become as her body rejected it.  

Gideon stood at attention, holding her long dark hair back and out of her way, his free hand rubbing a gentle circle along Sophie's back. 

“Are you certain you are okay? I can reach out to the silent brother or Charlotte.”  Gideon quickly rambled on, not so much as a breath between thoughts. “No, no, no. It would just cause Will to call out to Jem! He is always looking for a way to pull him from the silent city; he will see it as a favor.” 

Sophie loudly cleared her throat, stopping the rambling Lightwood, as she carefully sat up, pulling a handkerchief that was tucked within her dress, delicately dabbing the corner of her mouth before continuing. 

“As I was saying, Gideon,” she chided, still putting extra emphasis on his name, “I’m fine, my dear, this is not our first pregnancy, and we have no clue if it is to be our last.” 

Sophie extended a hand, silently asking for Gideon’s assistance in standing. Her husband immediately responded, placing a hand on her back to steady her while allowing his other hand to be used by Sophie to push herself up. Confidently Sophie stood one hand resting on her stomach protectively, her abdomen starting to show the first tale sign of her pregnancy. 

“Soph, I insist we just need to make sure you’re oka...”

Gideon heard the sound of frustration escape his wife's lips and slightly reeled back. The look in Sophie’s eyes held him silent as he had seen before and expected the storm to be arriving shortly. It happened before with Sophie’s two previous pregnancies.   

“That is enough, Gideon! Please go. I can not have you fussing over me like this, this is our 3rd pregnancy, and we have two beautiful angels to show for it .” Sofie took a breath before she continued, “I can not have you here at this moment as I do not wish to yell at you, please go keep Barbara and Eugenia Company, and I will return to you once I’m better.” 

“Bu…”

“No buts Gideon go,” she pointed toward the door. “I promise you I'm okay, but I need you to do this for now … please,” she added, her fatigue clearly showing. 

Gideon nodded in response, gently placing a kiss on Sophie's head before laying her down. “If you insist, but I will be near with the girls in case you need something. Just call out, and I will be back by your side, Sophie.” 

Sophie smiled up at him; a part of her was sad to see him go, but Gideon had been with her since they woke up, continually asking if she needed something; it was sweet and endearing to see her husband this way; Sophie just needed some rest right now. 

Gideon closed the door softly behind himself and started to hesitantly wander down the hall, the worry in his mind dissipating as he reached his daughters’ playroom. 

“Oh, what are my little angels up to?” he playfully called out to the girl as he opened the room and greeted the little ones playing with their dolls. 

To the betterment of his mood, he was greeted with Daddy and papa alike from his youngest as they made their way to him in excitement, Barbara taking care to bring her younger sister with her.  Just as they were to collide with his legs, Gideon made an easy effort to scoop them both up in one of his arms, Delivering affectionate pecks on the cheeks to each girl. 

Gideon smiled wide, holding onto his daughter as he whispered to them, “Mommy is asleep, so we are going to help her make dinner. Do you want to help daddy make dinner?”

“Yes,” Barbara declared in the best whisper a four-year-old was capable of, raising her tiny fist in the air from excitement; her sister imitating her with a sound Gideon would assume to be an agreement in some way. 

“Well then, what are we waiting for? Let’s go “ He held onto the girls bouncing them in his arms along the way to the kitchen, a quiet stream of laughter breaking through the house. 

Determined, Gideon made it to the kitchen, knowing well he was not the best cook. But he was sure he knew enough that one dinner should not pose to be an impossible challenge. Gideon and his daughter would conquer this so that Sophie could rest without worry.

When they reached the kitchen, Gideon gently lowered Barbara to the ground and kept his youngest in his arms. 

“Hello, my Eugenia,” he cooed to his youngest, lifting her in the air, her chubby cheek breaking into a smile that warmed his heart. Carefully he seated her in a custom-crafted high chair made by their close family friend, Henry Branwell. After clasping a function lock in the feature made to make sure no harm would come to Eugenia, he placed a small bowl of cut-up fruit for finger foods and a few of her favorite toys to keep her happy. 

“Now, you be good. Daddy’s going to be right here,“ Gideon smiled as he stepped away and noticed Barbara gravitating a step behind him and away from the stovetop; Sophie had made sure to teach their oldest how to behave in the kitchen. 

Gideon made reasonably quick and clean work of preparing the dinner for the evening. A small side salad and chicken they planned on roasting whole accompanied with baby potatoes; ingredients all that had been purchased early in the day from a local London Market. He took care of the bird and prepared the various salad toppings for Barbara to mix for their salad before putting it away to stay fresh. 

Soon it was time for the bird to come out from their wood-burning oven; satisfied with the result, Gideon declared the dinner a success. A confident smile of victory found its way onto Gideon’s face until he turned and saw Barbara pouting.

“What is wrong, my darling? You did great helping daddy,” Gideon praised as he bent down on one knee to see his oldest eye to eye.

“B-but I want to help more,” she stuck her bottom lip out unknowingly taking advantage of Gideon’s quickly melting heart. 

“Oh, darling, I'm sure we can find something. Just give me one moment, I promise,” Gideon guaranteed as he kissed her nose. On his search, he stopped to check in on Eugenia, who had since finished her snacks and currently clutching a toy sleepily, her light blue eyes drooping from exhaustion. Gideon lifted her from her confines and placed her in a nearby crib to sleep, and near enough, he could keep watch over her. The cries that came after his step made his error known. Gideon quickly scooped Eugenia back out and swayed on his feet, speaking gently into her ear as he kept searching for something Barbara could assist in making.

Gideon's life was quickly becoming complicated, cooing to a crying infant in one arm, trying to find something to do with Barbara, and desperately searching for a card he swore he tucked in a drawer in the kitchen. Eugenia's mood began to turn for the better, and so seemed Gideon's luck as he pulled a piece of paper trapped underneath a cooking textbook on the carved wooden counter. 

“Found it!” he cheered louder than intended, holding the card up and quickly reading over it to confirm the needed ingredients were available in their home. 

“Barbara, we are going to learn how to make some sweets together. How does that sound?” he announced to his oldest while still attempting to soothe the now quiet and once again sleepy Eugenia. 

“Like the sweet you and mommy get from the shadow market?” Barbara excitedly asked, going over to her dad to reach for the card he had. 

“Absolutely my ball of joy,” Gideon carefully started to gather all the ingredients on the card and a big bowl for them to use. “I’ll hand you the ingredients, and you put them on the table for us, okay?” 

“I can do that!” his oldest proclaimed proudly and started to take the items from him.

“Okay, now you read me the instructions, and I’ll put them in,” Gideon guided as he followed with the bowl and Eugenia still in his arms, now asleep. Barbara’s efforts at reading the recipe were intense and showed how much his oldest was growing. Gideon started to mix the items in carefully, not o mess up but also not wake the little one in his arms. As he continued following Barbara’s directions, it slowly dawned on him that a third would be joining his children. Gideon didn’t want to think about how he would handle all three at once, but he was determined to find a way.

“Now we roll it!” Barbara read back with a cheer, causing her little sister to shift in their dad’s arms. 

Gabriel rolled out the cookie dough, suggesting that they should attempt to cut the dough into tree shapes. In the end, they looked interestingly shaped. Gideon carefully and gently placed Eugenia back in the crib, slowly stepping away as he did so as not to wake her. Once far away and sure his youngest was asleep, Gideon placed the cookies into the oven leaving an eager Barbara and nervous Gideon to wait. 

Gideon passed the time by cleaning up the kitchen with Barbara while Eugenia slept. He managed to peek in on Sophie under the guise of bringing her some water. Gideon noticed right away she was still asleep and left the water at the bedside table quietly and made his exit. He went back into the kitchen and checked over his daughters before the cookies in the oven. Gideon carefully removed the cookies from their wood-burning oven, placing them on the countertop to cool. Whether these creations would be considered trees would be another debate, but the look in Barbara’s eye told Gideon she was happy with them. 

“Now let go check on Mommy, my little flower,” he called out to his eldest once more, only to turn and find Sophie leaning against the entrance to the kitchen.

“Mommy!” cried Barbara running to cling to her leg.

“Darling,” Gideon called out in endearment, walking over and wrapping an arm around her waist so he could offer her steadying support. “I do hope you’re feeling better.” 

“Of course I’m feeling better, dear” Sophie rolled her eyes. “I told you I was okay, but you are so quick to panic sometimes, I do not know if I should be endeared or worried,”  she teased her husband, drawing a heated blush from Gideon.

“Your health comes first, Sophie.”

“Yes, it does, and I promise you, I will tell you if anything is ever wrong,” She leaned into her husband, her advances met in kind as they placed a gentle kiss on one another. This was poorly received from their little peanut gallery as Barbra exclaimed eww and began to insist on showing mommy her hard work instead. 

“Oh, hard work, you say, Barbara?” Sophie smiled, her scar looking softer in the light cast from the kitchen window. “And what did you do?”

“I helped daddy cook food for you, so you don't have to, Mommy!”

“Oh, is that so sweet, baby?” Sophie picked her daughter up, hugging her to her chest as she turned and gave Gideon a look of worry, knowing his competency for cooking. 

Gideon shook his head before responding, “I’m proud to say that I have managed to not only cook dinner this time without burning anything, but our angel here helped make some sweets; I obtained the recipe from Charlotte.”

Sophie gave the food a skeptical gaze. She handed a cookie to Barbara and Gideon before picking up a cookie with hesitation for herself. She bit into the slightly soft-baked good and gave her approval quickly. Sophie found herself just as fast going for another. 

“Not too bad this time, Mr. Lightwood,” Sophie smiled and turned her oldest. “It’s probably because you helped him, isn’t it, my sweet girl?”

“Of course, only the best for my wife, and Barbara was the best helper I could ask for. She kept me on task.” 

Sophie rolled her eyes again as she snuck under Gideon’s arm, leaning into his side before speaking, “Let’s get everyone together to eat, then bed and a story for our daughters.”

Barbara whined when she heard about their plans but gave little protest afterward. The food was soon finished, the cookies were mostly gone, and the girls had been put back to bed as the night carried peacefully on with Gideon and Sophie in the kitchen.

Gideon worked on cleaning up what was still left from them, eating dinner as his wife approached him from behind.

“Thank you for dinner. It was very thoughtful,” Sophie said as Gideon turned to face her, the two wrapping their arms around one another. 

“I know I can worry and go a little overboard. I just worry,” Gideon confessed, lovingly caressing her scarred cheek. “You have given me everything; it only serves that I seek to return the same for you, my love.”  

“Gideon, you have shown me more kindness and love than I have ever expected. We have each other, our family, and our friends; you have always made sure I was appreciated and more. Never forget that” she confided to Gideon. 

Gideon’s cheeks once more tinted at his wife’s earnest statement. Gideon felt his words failing to measure to what was currently burning through him, so he went with the only five words that could come close to gracing that feeling. 

“I love you, Sophie Lightwood.”

“And I love you, Gideon Arthur Lightwood,” Sophie returned as she leaned forward and kissed him.

[sunshinejihyun]

Bookish - MC x Mystic Messenger

Here we are back again with a new set of headcanons, this time about a MC who loves to read!

Just a reminder, my requests are open so if you’d like to see more headcanons, just plop an idea into my inbox!! Here is a direct link!!

Masterlist

Yoosung

He understands you like to read

But he also doesn’t get it

“Why is it something you do for fun? You should play LOLOL with me!”

Secretly loves to watch you though, especially when you’re really into a book

He thinks all your facial expressions are adorable

When your favorite book was made into a movie you can bet your ass that Yoosung made sure you saw it at midnight when it came out

He wouldn’t admit it but he secretly loved it

Will listen to you talk about your books because even if he has no clue what’s going on, he loves that you enjoy them

When you find a book you think he would like, you read him a chapter every night before you force him he goes to bed

Definitely helps with his LOLOL habits, even if he does miss the nights he stays up gaming

Zen

Zen loves to read as well

Maybe not the same type of stuff, but he reads his scripts and likes to sit and read up on the characters he’s studying

After dinner you both curl up together on the couch, you with a book in your hand and him with his script

Will definitely read a book that you recommend since he wants to have another thing to talk to you about

In return you help him practice lines and study his characters

You both really got into this fantasy series and you went as the two main characters together for Halloween

No one knew who you were but it’s f i n e

Zen thinks your voice is so soothing so he will definitely fall asleep with his head in your lap if you read to him and play with his hair

Will save up to buy you a new series that you’ve been looking forward to (it definitely helps him cut down on his cigarette and beer purchases)

Honestly he loves sharing everything with you so no matter what you read, he will pay attention and even go so far as to google the plot (this helps a lot when there’s a character death, he’s smart he knows to plan ahead)

Jaehee

She used to be an avid reader like you but ever since she became Jumin’s assistant, she hasn’t really had the time

Still keeps a book on her nightstand and always thinks about reading it

But she’s so tired when she gets the chance to crawl into bed that she can’t bring herself to open to the page she left off on

She will 100% recommend you so many books and just bring you some at random times

Jaehee stop I don’t have enough room

Let’s you blow up her phone with texts all about the current book you’re reading and when she gets around to seeing all of them, loves when you’re freaking out over a book she gave you

She likes to listen to audiobooks on her commute to work so that helps satisfy her need to read

Jumin

“Oh you like books? I can have a whole library put into the penthouse just for your personal use”

“Jumin no”

He will buy you random books at random times if he sees something he thinks you will enjoy

You have a little mini library in the penthouse filled with all the books he’s gifted

He tries to get into what you’re reading and tries to understand, but he just gets so bored

Still likes listening to you talk about it though, since he likes your voice and loves to see you so excited about something

It makes his heart flutter when he gets home late and he sees you curled up on the couch with a book in your hand, Elizabeth the 3rd resting on your stomach

It’s even cuter when you fall asleep like that

Will for sure arrange for you to meet the author of your favorite series and will take many blurry pictures as you freak out

He used to like reading but now can’t find the time since he only used to read before when he couldn’t sleep (now you force him to go to bed)

Honestly bless him though he just lives to see you happy and if books help, he will do all he can to make sure you have an unlimited supply

Saeyoung

Honestly he loves that you read

He likes that he can be in the same room as you and work and not have to worry about entertaining you

When he takes a break, he usually cuddles up to you and asks you about your latest book, falling asleep as you talk

You don’t mind though because he needs the rest

Will 100% unironically cosplay characters with you (bonus points if he can use his maid costume)

For your birthday he definitely went all out and made had Jaehee make a cake that was themed like your favorite book and served food that they’d eat in it

He’d also probably make you an app to play a game based on the book and then you two would play it together when he had the time

Programmed robot cat to recommend books to you when you couldn’t decide what to read next

Tries to build you a bookshelf to store all your books but he messes it up

Bless him for trying though he’s such a sweetie

Jihyun

Absolutely loves to read

You two would have your own little book club

Sometimes if he finished a book that left him with strong enough feelings, he’d paint about it

You guys hung all those pictures up in your book room

Speaking of the book room

Best idea you both ever had

It’s so calming and just brings such serenity to both of you

There’s many comfy chairs and blankets and pillows

Your favorite way to end the day is snuggled up in his lap under a pile of blankets and listen to him read

His favorite thing was the same, except when you read out loud

When you guys adopted Lucy, you made sure to read to her every night until she was old enough to learn to start reading by herself

By the time she hit grade school, she was a reading machine and they had to give her harder books

The three of you took solace in sitting together in the book room, each of you reading your own book after dinner

Sweetest picture ever taken of your family was when neither you nor Jihyun were answering your phone so Zen went to check on you guys

He found all three of you curled up on a couch, each holding their own book and leaning on each other, everyone fast asleep

You love your little book nerd family

Saeran

He’s not so much of a reader as he is a writer

His life experiences thus far has left him with a lot to say

And from there, some amazing stories transpired

He’d be super shy to share them at first but once he learned you loved reading, he would start asking your opinions on various scenes

When he finished his first book you both cried and celebrated together

And then of course you stayed up all night and binge read it

After he learned you loved his writing, he would literally write little stories for you all the time

Or if you couldn’t sleep, he’d hold you close and tell you something he made up on the spot

After you read his writing, everything else was ruined for you

Everything he tried to express was conveyed perfectly even if it isn’t explicitly stated and that’s something that a lot of authors struggle with

When he finally had the courage to get his first book published, he dedicated it to you aw

[thegreatestofheck]

Ill Fated ⍒Harry Potter⍒

warnings - mentions of death, long and mostly unedited, sorry. synopsis - After years of defying what everyone thought of your house by helping the DA and the Order, your time at Hogwarts ends with one final battle for everything you love and hold dear. With your family on one side and your friends on the other, making the choice of who to fight for has terrible consequences.  a/n - So this is kinda based on a casting ask that I did a while back and since I’m watching the last harry potter movie right now, I really wanted to write this so yeah. This movie ruins me every time I watch it. It’s just gonna be sad, I guess. This is a Zabini!Reader, just so ya know. Also kinda ended up PansyxReader whoops.

***

Ollivander was hesitant to put the wand in your hands. Blaise stood by your mother and your fifth step father by the door, his own wand already purchased. You tried to cover your wide grin by biting the inside of your cheek, but the excitement beamed through all the same. 

You didn’t even notice the way Mr. Ollivander’s thin smile faltered as he picked it up, reading the label on the front of the box. 

“Well, what are you waiting for?” your mother snapped, her eyebrows pinched together in a permanent scowl. Ollivander seemed to snap back into reality and his smile returned as he slid the lid off of the box and pulled out the wand. 

“Cypress wood with the core of a dragonheart string. 10 inches and 2/3rds. Firm.” 

He passed the wand into your hands and you couldn’t control the way you smiled. His smile faltered again when the wand responded brilliantly to your touch. Warmth spread, not just in your own body, but throughout the entire shop. Mr. Ollivander closed his eyes, a sad smile pulling against his lips. Blaise felt it, looking down at his own wand as if wondering why his didn’t have the same reaction. Your mother felt it and for a moment, her permanent scowl softened. Your step father felt it, but he barely even flinched. 

“This is it,” you said, your voice firm as you gripped the wand in your hand. 

“Yes, my dear, I think it is.” 

You didn’t hear it then, the sadness in his voice. You thought about it later in your life, wondering why giving an eleven year old a wand would make him sound so sad. 

~~~

Seven years later, you were being ungraciously shoved into the dungeons with the rest of your house, protesting as Filch locked cell door. 

“We can help fight!” You cried, reaching out through the metal bars to grab his robes. “You can’t leave us in here!” 

“Bosses’ orders,” Filch grumbled. You growled in frustration, knowing all too well that no amount of spells would get you out of your current predicament. 

“Give it a rest, y/n,” Pansy sighed from behind you. 

“Our friends are out there fighting for their lives right now, Pansy!” You cried, whirling around to face her. “Don’t you care?”

“Of course I care!” She snapped back. “Why do you think I offered to give Potter up in the first place?” 

Before you could punch her in the face, Blaise stepped in between you two, placing a hand on your shoulder. 

“Listen, y/n,” he said, speaking calmly as he always did. “In here, we don’t have to face Mom like we would have to out there.”

“To hell with Mom!” You turned back toward the bars. “What has she ever done for us anyway, huh?”

You leaned your forehead against the metal, hearing the shallow sounds of spells hitting the protective shield around the castle. You flinched with almost every single one and closed your eyes in an attempt to drown them out. 

“y/n-”

“y/n!” You lifted your head only to find your best friend, Gemma Helm, running your way. She had discarded her Ravenclaw robes, wearing now something simple and much easier to fight in. Swinging from her finger was Filch’s set of keys. You grinned up at her. 

“You brilliant, brilliant woman,” you mused as she jammed the key into the cell door. 

“Phil is still distracting Filch, but I doubt it’ll take him long to figure out what happened. We need to get you and the others out of here now.” 

As soon as the door was opened, you threw your arms around her neck, seeking the comfort she had always given you. The hug was quick, but it was enough to give you the strength you needed. You turned back to face the Slytherins behind you. 

“We need to get the younger ones out of here. That has to be the priority. I don’t care if any of you stay and fight after that. I know most of you will be staring down family members, friends. No one will blame you for walking away.” You looked pointedly at Blaise and Pansy. “But I’m staying and I’m fighting for the family I made here. Hogwarts is my home and I will defend it.” 

Without another word, you stood back, leaving the cell door open them to walk through. 

“We have to get them to the Room of Requirement,” Gemma said as she followed after you. “It’s the only way out.” 

You looked behind you briefly toward all the blank stares. 

“Follow me!” You said and then you started to run, Gemma on your heels. 

“You heard the lady,” Blaise said from behind you. “Everyone, to the Room of Requirement!” 

You couldn’t help the proud smile that spread across your lips. 

As you and Gemma ran, a chorus of thundering footsteps behind you, your other best friend, Felipe Abene, fell into step with you, his characteristic grin on his face. 

“I see the plan worked,” he said, glancing between you and Gemma. 

“Did you ever doubt it would?” Gemma replied with a laugh. 

“Not for a minute.” 

Phil’s blue tie still hung loosely from his neck, but his robes had been discarded. 

“How we doing?” He called behind him toward the hoard of running Slytherins. There was a series of disgruntled groans, to which he laughed. “Almost there, folks.” 

And you were. Turning one more corner, you found yourself standing in front of the large doors of the Room of Requirement. Nymphadora Tonks and Remus Lupin stood just on the outside, ushering younger kids inside. When you slid to a stop in front of them, they both nodded at you, looking back at the Slytherins behind. 

“Come on, kids!” Remus called, waving them toward the door. You, Gemma, and Phil took a step to the side letting the others through. 

“Young years first,” Pansy said, standing in the front of the group. She was holding her younger brother’s hand. “Go on, Ash. I’ll be right behind you.” 

“Come on, Asher.” You beckoned for him to go through the door and toward the portrait portal at the back of the wall. “Everything’s gonna be okay.”

His little hand slowly slid from Pansy’s and he walked toward you timidly. You watched a tear slide down Pansy’s face as he walked through the door. One by one after him, the first through fourth years poured into the Room. Once they were all safely through to portal, you looked at Pansy again. 

“You don’t have to stay,” you told her, throat starting to swell. It had been years since either of you had been on good terms so you weren’t sure how she would take talking to you now. She nodded her head slowly. 

“I’ve been wandering around the halls of my house for years and felt nothing,” she said, looking at the ground. “Hogwarts is my home, too. If you’re staying, I’m staying.” 

You nodded. 

“Those of you who want to go, go now. These doors won’t stay open forever.” A few of the Slytherins pushed forward and ran for the portal, but a sense of pride swelled in your chest at the number who stayed behind. You fought back the desire to smile as you turned toward Remus. 

“McGonagall will tell you where to go,” he said. “Stay safe out there, kid.” 

You glanced between him and Tonks, giving a short nod. 

“You, too.” Facing your small army once again, Gemma and Phil on either side, you sucked in a deep breath. “Follow me.” 

As you started down the way you had come, you noticed distinctly that Draco, Crabbe, Goyle, and your brother were all missing. A twisting feeling in your gut told you that something wasn’t right, but there was no time to question it. 

A war was breaking and you were needed on the front lines. 

By the time you made it to the courtyard where McGonagall was still directing students and teachers and the Order, the sky was illuminated by the spells bouncing off of the shield overhead. Pansy stood just behind you as you walked up to McGonagall. 

“Headmistress,” you said. She startled and turned toward you. At the sight of you and the others behind you, her eyes widened. “Where do you want us?” 

~~~

Your heart pounded as the shield began to splinter, falling to pieces like ash. 

“Are we going to win?” Pansy whispered, her voice shaking as she stood behind you, holding her wand tightly. You couldn’t bring yourself to tear your eyes from the disintegrating shield, knowing that was your last line of defense before the battle started. Still, you nodded.

“Of course we are.” 

There was an explosion somewhere in the distance and one of the girls beside you screamed. Before you could turn to comfort her, Phil was already on it. 

“You’re Pansy then, huh?” Gemma said, appearing on the other side of Pansy, who nearly jumped out of her skin. 

“Um, yeah.” 

“You broke my best friend’s heart you know.” 

Your face burned and you spun around, hoping to stop the conversation before it carried on. 

“Did you find my brother?” You asked her. Gemma let her glare leave Pansy and soften as she looked at you. 

“Granger, Weasley, and Potter just pulled him and Draco out of the Room of Requirement, which is on fire, apparently. Goyle went in but never came out and who knows where Crabbe is.” 

“Where is Blaise now?” You asked, heart starting to thrum again. 

“Not sure. They scattered as soon as Granger destroyed the diadem.” 

“Merlin’s Beard, Blaise,” you hissed into the darkness, turning back toward the window. You let out a shaking breath. “You guys stay here. I’m going to find him.” 

You started to walk away, but Pansy reached out and grabbed your wrist. 

“Not without me, you’re not.” 

“Pans, he’s my brother-”

“I know. We’ll find him...together.” 

“You two go,” Phil said, returning to his place beside Gemma. “We’ve got this covered.” 

He hooked his pinky finger around Gemma’s, who nodded her head slowly. 

“I love you guys,” you told them, your eyes suddenly burning with tears as your gut twisted. Your voice shook as you spoke. “I hope you know that.” 

“This isn’t goodbye, silly,” Gemma said with a smile, even though her eyes were watery, too. “Just bring your brother back.” 

Nodding your head and clenching your jaw to keep from crying, you stepped forward, pressing your forehead to the both of theirs. You took Gemma’s hand and Phil’s in your own and all three of you closed your eyes. A few stray tears dropped from your eyelashes and rolled down your cheek. 

You breathed in deeply through your nose and leaned away, giving their hands one last squeeze before pulling away from them completely.

“Watch out for each other,” you told them, stepping back toward Pansy. They both nodded. 

“Always,” Phil said, looking down at Gemma. 

“Catch you on the flip side,” Gemma said. She lifted her fingers to her temple as a salute and you mimicked the movement. 

“We should go,” Pansy said quietly from beside you. You nodded your head, chewing on the inside of your lip. You turned away from your friends quickly, hoping you wouldn’t change your mind about leaving them. “You’ll see them again.” 

“Let’s just go.” 

It wasn’t long before the castle was swarmed with Death Eaters, snatchers, spiders, and all other kinds of horrific creatures. You couldn’t count the number of screams you heard or how many had come from yourself. 

A spell whizzed past your head and you spun to dodge it, wrapping your arm around Pansy’s waist to push her out of the way.  

“You trying to get killed?” You asked her, conscious of how close you were to her. 

She shoved you away from her slightly, but her touch against your wrist lingered. While the two of you stared at each other, a Death Eater threw another spell your way. 

“y/n!” Pansy threw up the Protego shield while you turned and sent a counter curse that hit the Death Eater square in the chest. “Are you trying to get yourself killed?” 

You rolled yourself and reached out, grabbing her wrist. 

“Come on.” You pulled her after you and not once did she protest to you keeping hold of her. 

As you fought, throwing stray spells where you could and giving aid to those who needed you, your eyes scanned the corridors for your brother. A thousand voices screaming spells and the sound of crumbling stone filled your ears, making it impossible to call his name. Even if you had, you weren’t sure he would have been able to hear you. 

“There!” Pansy cried, pointing across the courtyard. Lo and behold, your brother was ducking under a spell before turning his attention back toward the spiders that cornered him. Your gut curdled. Never before had you seen such large spiders and it made your spine tingle. 

“Blaise!” You nearly shrieked, hoping your voice would carry far enough that he would know you were coming. Without a second thought, you started forward, right into the brunt of the fighting. Pansy followed right on your heel, protecting you from the back as you ran as fast as your legs would take you toward your brother. 

Brooms whizzed by you, firing spells from above at the spiders and trolls and giants that wrecked havoc. You saw a man produce a patronus from your left, illuminating the night and fending off a hoard of dementors. 

“Stupifey!” You sent a spell right into the mask of a Death Eater. You had stopped wondering a long time ago if any of them were you mother. It didn’t matter anymore. She made her choice and so had you. 

“y/n!” You heard Blaise shout from where he was, finally seeing you charging toward him. 

“Blaise!” Your cry was desperate as you fought to reach him. 

You set one particularly large spider on fire and you weren’t sure you would ever get the smell of its burning flesh out of your nose or the sound of it’s painful screams from your ears. 

A few spells later and you were hurtling yourself into the arms of your brother. 

He squeezed you tight, his hands shaking as he cradled you against his chest. You were ashamed of the tears that began to squeeze out of your eyes. 

“I couldn’t find you,” you said, voice breaking. “I thought-” 

“I know. I’m sorry. We need to get out of here,” he said, taking your hand. Pansy stood in front of you, shouting spell after spell at any attacker in the hopes of giving you and Blaise a moment alone. You shook your head at him. 

“There’s no where else to go. The Room of Requirement is burned. Besides, they need us here.” 

“Damn it!” He hissed, eyebrows furrowed together angrily. 

“We can do this, Blaise,” you told him, your tears starting to dry. You tensed your hand around his, hoping to give him some of your strength. “You and me, we can do this.” 

He met your eyes, softening. 

“You and me.” 

With that, the two of you turned toward Pansy to help her fight. 

Not much later, you were backed into a corner, a series of dementors closing in on you. You sucked in a deep breath, hoping to push out all the fear and grief and panic that weighed down on your chest. 

“What do we do?” Pansy asked. Blaise put a protective arm around her shoulders as you stepped forward to face the cloaked figures yourself. Harry taught you this spell two years ago when you were working with the DA. It had been easy then, when happy memories were abundant and frequent. Now, it was harder to remember the light surrounded by so much darkness. Still, you had to try. 

Closing your eyes, you tried to remember to a time before Voldemort had control over the wizarding world. A distant laugh echoed through your ears. Gemma’s laugh. A memory started to form. Gemma, Phil, and you had snuck out of the castle at night, stripped down to almost nothing, and went for a midnight dip in the black lake. You saw the way Gemma’s eyes glowed in the moonlight, how Phil would dip his head under water and make bubbles. A laugh rippled through you, despite the chaos ensuing around you. 

That was the last time you could remember being truly happy before Dumbledore was killed and Voldemort took over. A fire burned in your chest. You would see Gemma laughing again, you would have Phil continue his silly antics, no matter what. 

Opening your eyes, dead set and determined, you uttered the spell just as the dementors closed in. The tip of your trusted wand glowed white and then sprouting forth came a fully formed grizzly bear, mouth foaming and teeth ready for shredding. The dementors recoiled and Pansy gasped from behind you. 

The bear ravaged through the dementors, making quick work of sending them off. Once they were gone, you lowered your wand, breathing heavily. The bear walked back toward you, large and terrifying, even when it was no longer on kill mode. 

You lifted a hand toward the corporal bear, pressing your forehead to it’s face. You almost thought you could feel its fur before the light of the creature faded and the darkness returned. 

Just as you turned toward your brother and Pansy, a low humming echoed through your ears. Then you heard Voldemort’s voice in your ears. You clamped your hands over your ears in an attempt to block it out, but it was no use. 

He was giving you a reprieve, a chance to move the dead and rest as he waited for Harry Potter to meet him. You wondered if the boy would actually do it. 

When his voice had gone silent once again, you opened your eyes and looked back toward Pansy and Blaise. 

“They’ll need our helping moving bodies,” you said. You tried not to let yourself choke over the word, but you did anyway. Blaise and Pansy simply nodded. 

You found yourself in the Great Hall, walking numbly past the rows of bodies. You heard the sound of sobbing from almost every corner. Somewhere in the back, the red haired Weasley boy, Ron, was weeping. You felt the sting of tears in your eyes again. Looking down at your feet, your heart plummeted. 

Remus and Tonks, the two members of the Order who trusted you first, lay on separate mats, heads turned toward each other. 

Your throat swelled, chin starting to tremble. 

“y/n?” Pansy walked up behind you. 

“They just had a kid,” you whispered, unable to speak any louder. “They had a son.” 

She stepped closer to you, reaching forward and slowly lacing her fingers through yours. You sucked in a shuddered breath, but the warmth of her hand in yours gave you enough strength to at least breathe. Even if Harry went to Voldemort, there was no way the Dark Lord would leave a cobblestone of this castle standing. 

The second wave of battle would be worse that the first and you had to be ready for it. 

You left the Great Hall, unable to stand the sound of shrieks any longer. Blaise stood just outside, tears drying on his face. 

“I heard about Goyle,” you said, walking up to him and putting a hand on his shoulder. “I’m sorry.”

Blaise shrugged, but as soon as he did, his face started to crumble. You put a hand behind his neck and pulled you closer to you, wrapping your arms around his shoulders. He gasped for breath as sobs began to pour from his mouth. His arms shook fingers tensing and flexing before he curled his fists and put his arms around your waist, holding onto you tight. 

“I should have caught him,” he sobbed, burying his face in your hair. It broke your heart to hear Blaise cry like this. You shook your head, pulling him in closer. 

“You did everything you could,” you told him, hoping he couldn’t hear your voice tremble. “There was nothing you could do.”

You let him cry until he was all dried out. You held him until he pulled away, sniffing once. He wiped away his tears and you put a hand on the side of his face, forcing him to look in your eyes. 

“We’re gonna be okay,” you told him and gave him your best smile. “Whatever happens, we’re going to be okay.”

He believed you. 

You were hoping to look for Gemma and Phil, but before you could even try, you heard a the sound of footsteps from outside. Turning, you sent a worried glance Pansy’s way. The three of you took calming breaths before stepping out toward the courtyard.

You stood near the back as what remained of the Death Eaters and Snatchers lined up behind Voldemort, who wore a victorious grin on his face. You sickened, feeling the sudden urge to empty your guts on the stairs. 

“Harry Potter is dead!” He called out, earning a wicked cackle from the army behind him. 

“No!” Ginny Weasley cried, starting forward before her dad grabbed her and pulled her back. “No!” 

The sound of her heart break made your lip quiver. As much as you knew you should have been paying attention to what the Dark Lord was saying, your eyes were fixated on scanning the crowd for your mother. In your mind, either she was there or she was one of the many bodies littering the floor of the castle. Your heart dropped when you didn’t see her. You knew the cost of fighting against her, you had just thought it wouldn’t hurt so much. 

“Draco,” a voice called from the other side, pulling your attention back to the present. Your eyes were now looking for someone else, whose ice blond hair wasn’t difficult to find. Tousled and dusty, Draco’s hair was still a dead give away to where he was. For a moment, you thought he would follow the call of his mother. You were surprised to see a girl standing behind him, a girl whose name you didn’t know, reach out and slip her hand into his. He jumped slightly, turning back to look at her. You couldn’t see the look on her face, but Draco didn’t move. Instead, he lifted his chin ever so slightly and stayed where he was. 

You couldn’t help but smile. 

Voldemort hissed in discontent, but had barely any chance to dwell on it before Neville Longbottom, someone you had just recently had the privilege of calling a friend, lifted a sword and ran toward Voldemort. In one, swift swing of the blade, he cut off the head of the snake that had wormed it’s way around Voldemort’s neck. 

And just like that, the second wave began. 

As it turns out, Harry wasn’t dead, which was a welcome relief. Still, there were Death Eater galore ready to fight to, well, the death. 

Peering over the heads of fleeing children for your friends, Pansy grabbed hold of your hand and pulled you harshly to the ground just as a spell flew over your head. She opened her mouth to say something but you rolled your eyes before she could.

“Don’t even say it,” you grumbled as you pushed yourself back onto your feet. Another spell came shooting toward you, but with a quick flick of your powerful wand, a protective blue shield covered you as Blaise returned fire and shot the Death Eater to the ground.

With a smile, you flipped your wand and pressed a kiss against the tip. Pansy sighed dramatically.

“Get a room.”

“Shove off.”

“Hey,” Blaise said. “Less flirting, more fighting.”

Pansy blubbered a few things, her cheeks turning red. You didn’t need to be told twice. As everyone ran inside for cover, you stayed outside as long as you could, making use of your shield to protect as many of the students as possible.

The screaming had started again by the time you ran back into the castle. Everything was a flurry of spells, explosions, and things to trip over. Even Pansy’s breathing became erratic with panic.

“HELP!” You heard a shriek from somewhere deeper in the castle. You glanced over at Blaise and Pansy, who both nodded. The three of you were taking off down the corridor, wands ready.

But none of you were prepared for the ambush. As soon as you rounded the corner, a volley of spells were fired at you. Pansy shrieked, Blaise grabbing her by the waist and pulling her back around the corner.

You got hit in the chest with a stupefy spell, hurtling you backward, but luckily to safety. The wind knocked out of your lungs as Pansy cried out your name. Blaise fired off spells as quickly as he could, hoping to give you time to recover before the Death Eaters came around to corner to finish you off.

Grabbing your wand off the ground, you scurried behind a column, still struggling to breathe.

“Help me!” You heard the cry again. Peering around the corner, you caught sight of a kid, curled into a ball behind a rock right in the middle of the fight. His hands were covering his ears and tears made clean streaks down his cheeks.

You glanced across the way to where Blaise and Pansy were standing. His arm was still wrapped protectively around her, shooting spells. It appeared that she had dropped her wand and was now defenseless.

They were being bombarded. Dust and rocks fell down around them from where the spells were hitting the wall. They were trapped and the only way they were getting out was if the Death Eaters started firing somewhere else.

Pansy looked over, fear widening her eyes, and she met your gaze. Your breathing steadied, the shaking in your hands starting to fade. You knew what you had to do. You knew the only thing you could do.

“No,” you saw her mouth. You simply nodded your head. Blaise was so focused on keeping Pansy between himself and the wall and protecting the both of them that he didn’t see your plan beginning to form.

“No!” this time, you could almost hear Pansy’s shout as she tried to push past Blaise to get to you. Before your brother could react and ask what her problem was, you pushed yourself off the ground and charged head first into the fire fight.

“y/n!” he cried out. Pansy lurched forward, trying to follow you, but Blaise kept her back.

As soon as you had turned the corner again, all the spells started aiming toward you.

The kid gasped as you stepped in front of his hide out, creating a barrier for him, a chance to escape.

“Get out of here, kid!” You said to him. He glanced between you and the Death Eaters. “You gotta go now!”

With a quiet cry, the kid pushed himself out of the dust and made for the corridor where Blaise and Pansy were. He couldn’t have been more than 13. He must have stayed behind to help. You sent a protective spell his way to cover him as he ran to safety. He didn’t stop running. He never looked back.

The onslaught was more than you could handle. There were at least five Death Eaters focused on your early demise, all more experienced than you.

“y/n!” out of the corner of your eye, you saw Pansy clinging to the corner, trying to reach you, but Blaise kept her at bay, still attempting to fire spells from his wand.

“Go!” you shouted, blocking a spell and immediately returning another. “Get her out of here!”

“Not without you!” Your brother responded, shooting a spray of fire in the direction of the Death Eaters. There was no more room for you to pause and talk without giving up a chance to fire back.

You took one step backward and the Death Eaters took one forward. With every spell, they pushed you farther and farther back, while still managing to fire enough at Blaise to keep him from running to your aid.

You fired a curse that hit a Death Eater in the face, putting him out of commission. Despite the tiny victory, they were still too much for you.

They took your wand first. Expelliarmus was an old spell that you learned way back in your younger years and you never thought it was much use, until your wand flew from your grip, hitting a stone wall and clattering to the ground beside you. With no time to bend down and scoop it up, you had no choice but to perform wandless magic.

And you knew all of one spell without your wand; protego. With a flick of your wrist, spells were deflected before they hit you, only you couldn’t keep it up forever.

You missed one red spell that hit your shoulder. It felt like your body was on fire, like you were being stabbed by a million knives all at once, like your insides were disintegrating one at a time. You knew the Cruciatus Curse all too well. You couldn’t count the number of times the Carrows had used it against you this year alone. It was familiar, but no less painful.

“No!” You couldn’t tell if the cry came from Blaise or Pansy or both or someone else. All you could hear as your body collapsed to the ground was the chattering of your teeth.

The wizard who cast the spell walked toward you as the other three kept firing at Blaise. The wizard released you, leaving you gasping for air and a dull ache in your bones.

With tears in your eyes, you looked over to where Blaise was. If they didn’t leave now, they wouldn’t be able to get out and he was starting to realize this. Only Pansy refused to let go of the wall. Her eyes were glued to yours, her mouth hung open in petrified horror.

“Go,” you mouthed to her, but she shook her head.

The wizard bent down, crouching in front of you, but you kept you eyes on Pansy and Blaise.

There were tears running down Pansy’s cheeks and Blaise was sweating up a storm. They had seconds to spare. They needed to leave.

“You’re Zabini’s girl?” the wizard said and you finally looked at him. “Your mama is quite the-“

Before he could finish whatever foul thing he wanted to say, you kicked out your aching legs and knocked him flat onto his back. You snatched his wand and went to fire at him, but there wasn’t the chance before you were once again hit with another spell.

“Go!” You shouted, grinding your teeth together as you scrambled to stand. “Go!”

“No!” Pansy shrieked, but Blaise knew there was no other choice. He hoisted her off her feet and began to pull her back. “y/n, no!”

You met your brother’s gaze one last time before he vanished behind a wall. His eyes were watery and his breathing heavily. It took all you had in you to give him one last smile.

Once he and Pansy were out of sight, he screaming protests still echoing off the walls, you stood to face the remaining Death Eaters.

One breath. Two.

They stared at you through their blank faces masks. Your wand laid just a few feet away. If you could dive for it, grab it, and roll behind a fallen stone, you might have a fighting chance. You just needed to get there.

Three breaths. Four.

Your fingers flexed and theirs tightened around their wands. It was a show down, who was faster, who would make it there first.

Five breaths. Six.

Your last hope. That wand lying just a few feet away.

Seven breaths. Eight.

You leapt. They all shouted at once, green bolts of light coursing toward you through the air.

~~~

The first green light missed her by a foot, the second a little closer. The third whizzed past her ear and cut through some of her hair.

The fourth barely grazed her shoulder, but it was enough.

Her body hit the ground with a thud, dead weight against the ground. Dust flew up around her, pebbles rolling out of the way to make a place for her. The Death Eaters lowered their wands, peering down at her to see if she was actually dead. Not a single breath escaped her lungs.

Satisfied, the wizards ran down the halls, looking for more children to massacre.

Her eyes stared at the wall, unblinking. The last the the reflected in those dark eyes wasn’t the shine of green light, but the tears of her brother, the fear of her lover, the smiles of her friends. Hope still sparkled in those dead eyes, for she died knowing that today was the day that Voldemort fell for good, never to return.

Her eyes stared straight ahead, her fingers grazing the wand that long ago prophesied her ill fate.

~~~

It was Ginny who found her body covered in dust in that dead end corridor. Too numb from her own loss to shed any more tears, the young girl walked over to the body and, kneeling in front of her, shut her eyes.

And then she called for help.

They laid her next to Fred.

“We need to find her brother,” Neville said.

“Yeah,” Ginny replied, her eyes glazed over and vacant.

“Have you seen y/n?” A desperate voice called out into the hall. Ginny flinched. Gemma, with Phil on her heels, ran over to Ginny and Neville, opening her mouth to ask the question again, but stopped herself.

“Bloody hell,” Phil breathed, putting a hand up to his mouth. Gemma sucked in a shuddered gasp.

“y/n?” her voice broke with disbelief. She turned to Phil was her eyebrows raised, a question on her face. “I don’t understand.”

Words Gemma had never uttered before left her lips. Phil wrapped an arm around his arm around her back, pulling her in tight to his chest. Tears ran down his cheeks as he stared down at the body that was once his best friend.

“I don’t understand,” Gemma said again, her eyes miraculously dry as she curled her fist around Phil’s shirt. “I don’t-“

“y/n!” Blaise came running in, his hand still in Pansy’s, whose face was whiter than snow edged with green. “Where’s my sister?”

One look at Gemma and Phil told him everything he needed to know.

“No!” he yelled, startling the others in the Great Hall.

“Zabini, I’m sorry-“ Ginny started.

“No, no!” His voice rose.

“Blaise.” Pansy was quieter than a mouse, already quietly crying. “Blaise, please.”

“No.” Blaise’s shouting dissolved into sobbing before he even reached his sister’s body. Standing on her toes, Pansy wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down for a hug. His sobs shook his body and gets, but she kept the both of them as steady as she could.

Pansy looked up to where the body lay, barely seeing the tips of the fingers before she buried her face in Blaise’s shoulder so she wouldn’t have to look anymore.

~~~

Ollivander was hesitant to put the wand in your hands.

Seven years ago, he had given you a wand he knew would seal your fate. Part of him wondered if he had given you a different wand, your end would have been a better wand. Then again, the wand always chooses the wizard.

An ill fated wand, for an ill fated witch.

He stood above your casket, spinning your wand in his hands, wondering if he should place it inside.

“She loved that wand,” a girl said from beside him, her lips painted perfectly red and her dress ironed flat. “It served her well.”

Ollivander smiled slightly then, looking down at the wand in his hands. Slowly, he tucked it into the casket, in between your hands folded across your chest.

The girl was Pansy and she stood there like stone, just as her dad had taught her. Inside, she was falling to pieces, but she would not let the cracks show on the outside as she placed a single flower in the casket beside you.

Blaise was shameless in his tears. He looked impeccable, as always. You had always fixed his tie when it was crooked, but this morning he had to do it himself. That’s when the tears started and they hadn’t stopped.

After him came Draco Malfoy. Dishelved, hair tousled, tie half tied, dark circles under his eyes. Broken to pieces, he stared down at the face of a friend he once knew and wondered what he could have done if he had made better decisions sooner.

Gemma still didn’t understand. She woke up that morning expecting you to be there, only to remember she would never pull a daring move with you ever again. She stared at the wall, unblinking, for an hour until her sister helped her get up and get dressed.

Phil cried all morning, but stopped when he saw Gemma. His eyes were still red rimmed, but he kept his jaw clenched as he curled his fingers through hera. You had always been strong for him, now it was his turn to be strong for Gemma.

Ginny, Neville, and Luna had been to too many funerals to count. They didn’t expect to cry any more, but couldn’t help it when they remembered all the good you had done.

One figure stood alone and aloof. A young boy, who woke up countless nights screaming for you to leave him behind as he woke from nightmares because he knew that you had died because of him. If he hadn’t stayed behind, if he hadn’t dropped his wand, if he had helped you instead of running. If, if, if....

Your mother never came.

But you watched from above, smiling down at your friends, your family. Tonks and Remus stood beside you.

“You did good, kid,” Remus said, dropping a hand against your shoulder. Tonks put an arm around your waist pulling you in for a side hug.

Fred was there, too, hands shoved in his pockets. Lavender Brown was still crying from her own funeral. Colin Creevey was still confused. Padma Patil had her arms around Lavender, reminding her that at least they were together. Severus Snape stood just behind you, still and silent as ever.

“You ready to go?” Tonks asked, not just you, but all the others.

“That’s the last of us,” Remus said with a sigh.

“Yeah, why did I get the last funeral?” You asked with a roll of your eyes.

“Because they liked you least,” Fred said as he ruffled his hand through your hair.

“Oh, piss off, Weasley.”

“Make me, Zabini.”

“You do realize we’re dead, right?” Lavender asked. “There’s no point in flirting.”

“You do realize I’m into girls, right?” You told her. Lavender went read, but it just made you laugh. “I think we’re ready.”

You all stared down longing at the world below. One by one, they all slowly started to walk away, toward the light that shined brightly behind them. You stuck around a little bit longer. There was a small smile on your lips, but a dull ache in your heart. 

“Catch you on the flip side,” you whispered. For the briefest of moments, you almost thought that Gemma looked up toward the clouds, right up to where you were standing. And your smile grew even wider. 

With that, you turned away. Remus and Tonks had waited for you, standing just at the brunt of the light. You sucked in a breath, just one, your last breath, and joined them. 

[rikumorimachisgirl]

So, I started writing this Mystic Messenger fic last year but lost the inspiration to continue. I finally finished it today, so I hope you like it.

Oh, and I commissioned this lovely artwork from @hydeine last year, too. I said I'd tag her when I finally post the fic. I suppose today's the day. Here we go...

Title: Strawberry Pancakes

Pairing: Jumin Han x OC (Iris)

Genre: Fluff

Word count: 2,665

Author's notes: Some of the scenes were faithful to the game.

Disclaimer: I do not own Mystic Messenger, but I own the idea of this fanfic.

It started with pancakes. Those thick, buttery, melt-in-your-mouth fluffy stove-top cakes that both of them - apparently - were both fond of. 

The first time they talked about it got him into a spot of trouble. Over an utterly dull lunch date with his father and his latest conquest, amidst the rich ambiance of the Michelin star restaurant where only the who's who in society were spotted, Jumin Han chose to indulge in a little tête-à-tête of his own at the RFA chat room with her. 

Her. Iris  - RFA's accidental member, unofficial party organizer, everyone’s cheerleader, and about the only other person who resonates with him. Jumin quietly as he waited for her to respond to his last message. Over the last twenty minutes, they have gone from talking about Elizabeth the 3rd’s grooming habits to his favorite breakfast food.  

| ‘I like chocolate chip pancakes.’  He felt his lips stretch sideways as he read her message. It was strange, he thought, how he's been joining the chat room more often since she joined. In the two weeks that they've been chatting, he felt closer to her than he's ever been with anyone in his life. 

| ‘I figured you would.’ He typed and sent.

|’Huh?’

|’You seem like the type who'd indulge in something with high sugar content early in the morning.’

|’That was a lucky guess, Jumin.’

|’But I don't believe in luck.’

|’Oh, and I suppose you think you've got me all figured out already? If you're so smart, tell me what I’m thinking at the moment.’ He smirked at her cheeky response. 

| ‘Iris, I'd like to remind you that I’m a businessman, not a fortune teller. If you’d like me to infer based on our conversation though, I'd say you're thinking that I like buttermilk pancakes, to which the answer is no. I prefer strawberry pancakes.’

Silence. 

| ‘Am I really that predictable?’ Her message finally came in two minutes later. He chuckled. In his mind, he imagined she probably would’ve pouted as she replied. 

“You seem rather amused, son. Did something happen?”

The sound of his father's voice snapped him out of his daydream. The young executive silently cursed himself for carelessly dropping his guard. Clearing his throat, Jumin straightened up and ran a hand through his dark locks. 

“My apologies, father. I had urgent business to take care of.” He tucked his phone in his pocket while wishing that Iris would understand why he hadn't gotten back to her. 

“Judging by your smile, I take it that business is going well?”

It took all of his willpower not to roll his eyes at his father's new girlfriend. Glam Choi was it? And what was it that she did? Judging by how she managed to turn heads, he deduced she must be some kind of celebrity. Nothing special, he thought; after all, his father, the Chairman of the Board of C & R International, seemed to have dated them all - socialites, celebrities, models, beauty queens - some of whom were even a year or two his junior. 

“Jumin? Are you all right, son?”

He silently cursed himself once more. While he was silently judging his father’s new girlfriend, he had once again dropped his guard and gave the older man the opportunity to call him out. 

“My apologies.”

“That's twice you've apologized. My, what an interesting day it is indeed, ” the stately older man said curtly. “Is our company not to your liking, son? Please just bear with us for a few minutes more. After all, your assistant told me that you won't have an appointment in the next hour or so.”

Jumin took a deep breath and sighed. If he had only known his old man’s agenda was to introduce his new girlfriend, he would’ve begged off right away. God knows he’d much rather be eating pancakes with her now than having a full-course meal in this place. He shook the thought away for a moment. Now wasn't the time to dream of her. Fixing his grey eyes at his father and the young celebrity he decided to date, he feigned a smile. “Very well, father, you have my full attention until then.” 

OoOoO

The second time they talked about pancakes was more of an afterthought. It happened right after their first kiss. 

Their first kiss. The very thought of it still made his heart race. He remembered every little detail as if it were yesterday. He had Assistant Kang to thank for arranging everything for him. Thanks to his efficient employee’s quick thinking, he was able to meet Iris a week earlier than the rest of the RFA members, although if he had a chance to do it over, he wouldn't be as flustered as he was when he first laid eyes on her the night before.

He watched in awe as she stepped into the foyer. She was everything he’d imagined - slender and graceful, her brown hair cascaded down her back, and her dark brown eyes looked back at him with the same level of wonder. 

“Jumin, i-it's so nice to finally meet you.”

He swore he’d never felt his heart beat faster than it did at that exact moment. ‘Get a grip, ’ he scolded himself, as he schooled his emotions before it got the better of him. He must not lose his footing, after all, he was Jumin Han - businessman, philanthropist, future CEO.

“You’re beautiful.” The words slipped from his mouth quite naturally, and he immediately regretted it when he saw her cheeks turn several shades redder. 

“I’m sorry, ” he cleared his throat. “What I meant to say was that I hope you traveled safely. If I had known Assistant Kang was going to ask you over, I would’ve sent out my driver to pick you up.” 

And then she smiled, and he knew right away that he was going to do whatever it takes to keep her. 

“Who is this woman and what is she doing in your house?”

Jumin gazed at the shameless woman his father had been forcing him to marry and resisted the urge to throw her out of his penthouse himself. 

“Sarah, please don't be like that. I'm Jumin's friend -”

“And what kind of friend comes a man's house alone? By the looks of it, you probably stayed the night, too!”

If Iris was the least bit upset at the insults hurled at her, she did not let it show. Unfortunately, he was far from being gracious. 

“This is dragging on far longer than I expected. I'm actually quite surprised I hadn't thrown you out the door the minute you showed me that fake cat picture. My security will show you out.”

“What? No, you can't do that. I'm your fiancée,” Sarah cried out incredulously. 

“Oh, please,” he said haughtily. “If you think that we'd  gotten engaged just by exchanging a few words, you're clearly delusional.”

“So, you're choosing her over me?”

“I don't know why you're even asking,” the dashing Chief Director of C & R International said, as he turned his attention to the willowy brunette who stood quietly in the corner. Something about the way she looked at him urged him to come closer to her. With each step he took, the answer became clearer. He stopped in front of her and smiled. She was a good head shorter than him, and she looked adorable gazing up at him with those big brown eyes. 

“It wasn't like I had another choice to start with,” Jumin finally said, his eyes never leaving hers. “Iris,” he whispered, as he lifted her chin and closed the gap between them. He could've sworn he felt a shock wave run through his body the minute his lips touched hers. Suddenly, the sound of Sarah's protests faded, and all he could hear was the sound of his heartbeat - or was it hers? He really couldn't tell - but every single one of his senses zeroed-in on the beautiful woman in his arms.

Her lips were the softest he’d ever kissed - not that he’s had lots of experience - as a rule, he only kissed women because he needed to close deals with them and the kisses they shared were always cold. This, however, was different. As his mouth moved over hers, again and again, all he could think about were two things - how her kisses taste like strawberry pancakes, and that he could never get enough of her. 

OoOoO

The third time they talked about pancakes was a memory guaranteed to make her blush almost immediately. He remembered vividly - Provence in July, a month after they'd gotten married. He promised to take her on an unforgettable honeymoon anywhere she wished. He thought she'd choose to go to Paris, Santorini, Milan, or even Ibiza, and he’d be happy to take her there; but instead, she chose to go to his newly-purchased winery so he could still oversee their daily operations while spending time with her and Elizabeth the 3rd. 

That's so like her. 

He woke up alone in bed one Sunday morning. Frustration marred his beautiful face as he ran his hand over her now-empty side of the bed, and found it still warm. She couldn't have been gone for long, he thought. And Elizabeth the 3rd, who usually enjoyed sleeping late, was not in the room as well. Still half-asleep, he forced one eye open to glance at the clock on her nightstand. 

‘Six-thirty, ’ he groaned silently, as he rolled on to his back. What exactly could his wife be up to this early? Sighing, he rolled out of bed and left the room in search of the beautiful woman who disappeared from his side before he even got to kiss her good morning. 

The house was quiet except for some movement coming from the kitchen. Raising an eyebrow, he quietly made his way to the large French country-style kitchen his wife loved so much and found himself entranced at the sight of the lovely brunette he now called wife, stirring something in the mixing bowl while their pet sat on the counter, looking curiously at her. 

"I hope I get this right, Elizabeth the third, " she told the cat softly. "Jumin's pancakes always taste good, so I hope he'll like these."

Her innocent declaration made him gasp. She was making pancakes for him. And that realization made him pick up his feet and head over to where she was at. 

"I see you both are up early."

"Jumin -, " she cried out in surprise, as she felt his arms wrap around her waist from behind. "Good morning, my love. I didn't expect you to be up so early."

"I could say the same about you, especially after we made love several times last night, " he responded, as he planted soft kisses on the side of her neck. Her cheeks turned red at the thought of their passionate night together, and he smiled, knowing how embarrassed she was. "You're blushing."

"I can't help it…, " she murmured. "And I think you've disappointed Elizabeth the third." 

He watched their pristine white cat jump off the counter and saunter out of the kitchen. "I think she's just giving us some privacy. Don't worry, she'll be fine, " the dashing young businessman said as he stopped kissing her, but kept her in an embrace. "So, tell me what you're up to." 

"I was going to make strawberry pancakes for you, " she started, her face still flushed. "But I'm not sure they're as good as the ones you make."

"Is that so?" He unwrapped his arms and moved closer to the counter where the mixing bowl was. "I suppose there's just one way to find out." 

She watched in silence as he dipped his long and slender finger into the bowl and scooped up a tad bit of better. Carefully, he brought his finger near her lips, while watching her gently. "Say ahhh…, " he said and laughed at how dutifully his wife complied. "Well?"

"It's sweet…"

Cocking his head to one side, he smiled at her wryly. "Is that so?"

"Why don't you taste for yourself?" 

His eyes twinkled with excitement, as she failed to realize how enticing her offer was. Cupping her face with his hands, he leaned forward and whispered, "I suppose I will, " before he ravished her mouth - and all of her body - over and over just like the night before. 

The pancake batter was left untouched until later that day. And as she had placed ointment on the scratches she had left on his back, he feasted on the strawberry pancakes she had made just for him. 

OoOoO

The fourth time they talked about pancakes was on Valentine's Day - the first of many they'll be spending together. He thought of many ways they could be celebrating this together and spent a lot of sleepless nights thinking of the perfect present for her. Never once did he think they'd be spending the day spooning her in bed, with one hand caressing her swollen belly. 

Thirty-eight weeks. She had been carrying their first child for nearly nine months, and despite her growing belly and her slight weight gain, she continued to look even more beautiful. 

"I really want pancakes, Jumin."

His hand stopped moving, and he raised an eyebrow at her upon hearing her request. "Darling, I asked you what you wanted for Valentine's…"

She snuggled closer to him as she felt his low voice vibrating on his chest. The gentle sound of his voice always soothed her and the baby, and she wanted to hear more of it today. "And I told you I want pancakes."

He frowned, feeling a little upset at her answer. In truth, she could have anything she wanted - jewelry, cars, all the designer items a woman could get her hands on - but all she wanted to for Valentine's was his home-cooked pancakes. "That's all you want?"

"That's all I want, " she hummed. A few seconds later, she felt the baby kick and the sensation made her giggle. "See? Even the baby wants pancakes."

"But the doctor said you should lay off sweets…" He should have known better than to speak those words because no sooner had he said them, she immediately turned to him with sad puppy eyes. He sighed. He knew at this point that he had lost to her once again - after all, he could never resist her - but he wanted to make her victory a little harder. "As I was saying, the doctor said…"

"But Jumin, I haven't had anything sweet since we found out I was pregnant, " she said, pouting. "And I'm really craving the strawberry pancakes you make."

"Will that make you happy?"

"Very much so."

Sighing again, he untangled himself from her and rolled out of bed. "All right. I suppose I can alter the recipe a little bit. You just lay there and rest, okay? I'll be back with your pancakes."

Elizabeth the third jumped from her bed and walked beside Jumin as he stepped out of the room. "How long do you think before she rolls out of bed and follows us?" He asked, glancing sideways at their precious feline as she mewled her response. "Ten minutes? That's too generous. She's been too fussy lately, but something tells me you're spot on, so we need to move fast."

And true to form, a very pregnant Mrs. Han waddled out of their room ten minutes later, enticed by the mouthwatering scent wafting from the kitchen. 

"Those smell heavenly, " she said excitedly, as she made her way beside her husband and stood on tiptoes to give him a kiss. "Thank you, Jumin, " she whispered before she waddled towards the cozy little breakfast nook she had designed for them. 

He smiled, as he watched her walk away from him. She had no idea how happy she's made him, how lucky he was that she came into his life, and how thankful he was for all the many things that brought them closer together. Especially strawberry pancakes.  

The end. 

[imacrowcawcaw]

7. 💋The Kiss - April 3rd

A/N: Here it is! The last installment…. *sheds a tear* No, I had fun and I’m happy I did this! And for all the lovely comments and attention it’s received; I write for myself but it gives me so much joy to see others engaging with my stuff. I’m glad that everyone has liked it. Alright, now onto the party!!!

Warning: some angst, then some kissy kissy kissin, and the usual amount of swearing

There was a fuck ton of food barbecued to perfection, as well as platters of other appetizers and snacks. There were coolers and a bar and a keg already half drained of beer. There was a large, chocolatey cake covered in strawberries, and big plates of cupcakes too. Food, dancing, decorations, presents, good music, friends and family.

Which is good cause Sam had purchased half of it and specifically asked for the other.

He looked around and grinned widely. He had eaten a delicious meal (or three), drank tons of alcohol, cut his favorite kind of cake (that actually got baked to his specifications thank god), and received two whole tables of shiny presents. Sam was having a great fucking time!

He sipped on whatever cocktail it was that Ronnie had handed him and stepped around three of his little cousins playing a card game on the floor. They grinned up at him and he smiled back, plucking a carrot stick from a plate and running away when Janey shrieked at him. 

“Come back here you thief!”

“Nuh uh! It’s my birthday, Janey-poo. I can do what I want!” Sam yelled back at the little girl, who stuck her tongue out at him.

Right as he was about to get away scot free with his stolen loot, Sam bumped into a solid chest that immediately pressed against him. 

“Is that so, hmm?” 

A tequila-scented breath tickled the hair around his ear and Sam shivered. The voice, however, made him feel warm and sated, like he had just made love on a perfectly tempered Hawaiian beach. Two strong arms came around his torso and grabbed onto him, turning Sam around to face the owner of the voice. 

Danny.

“Are you causing trouble?” 

Sam blushed and automatically steadied himself with a hand on Danny’s shoulder. He was really warm and swayed into Sam’s touch -- apparently they were both quite tipsy already.

“Nah, I’m not. What’s up, doc? Want a carrot?”

Danny raised his eyebrow at Sam and eyed the vegetable in his hand suspiciously. He leaned forward and nuzzled his nose into the hair at his temples and Sam stiffened, surprised. What was Danny doing? Not that he didn’t like it - and not that they weren’t occasionally very close, especially when high - but this wasn’t exactly normal. 

“You should give that back to Jane,” Danny whispered into his ear, and Sam could feel a hint of tongue on the rigid cartilage. 

Sam gasped and clutched Danny tighter, turning his head so that he could have better access. Danny was licking the shell of his ear, humming low from his throat while he did it. His hands clutched tightly at Sam’s waist, and Sam was like twenty degrees past his boiling point by now. This was amazing.

“Fuck, Sammy, I hav-”

“I really don’t want it anymore.”

Wait, what?

Danny pulled away from him so swiftly that Sam could barely comprehend it. One moment he had been enjoying a surprising but completely welcome.... well, something (was an ear job a thing? Cause that was sexual as fuck) then Danny was standing back and blushing like he just realized what he had been doing. 

Sam blinked the fog from his head and glanced around -- who had said that? Why was Danny acting like this, and why had he stopped?

Janey was looking up at them with the type of sassy, knowing expression that only a nine-year-old girl and Josh could pull off. She smirked - and it was really unsettling to see a child, much less his sweet little cousin, do that - and then tapped Sam on the back. 

“Um. Yes?”

She looked at him like he was stupid, and Sam kind of felt like it. What had she seen? Was she going to tell his mom like he was the little kid being naughty when Danny had been doing -- what would he have done if they continued? 

Danny was still holding him in his arms, but he was silent and Sam could practically feel the regret washing off of him. He started to panic as scenes of distant, awkward interactions for the rest of their lives played out before him.

Janey was still standing there, now tapping her foot with crossed arms. Sam’s other two cousins had wandered over at some point and were standing behind her, looking up at him and Danny with indecipherable expressions -- but Janey was clearly the leader. 

“Uh, Janey? Do you need something?” Danny asked, and he looked extremely uncomfortable; big eyes pleading with her for mercy, which Sam found extremely worrying.

She rolled her eyes and flipped a wrist. “You’re blocking the food table. AND Sam stole my carrot. I’m hungry.”

“Oh, right- uhh, sorry.”

Sam moved aside and pulled Danny with him, watched the three children file by and fill their plates with all sorts of sugar he knew they weren’t supposed to have. He couldn’t actually feel it, but he knew his face was flushing red from embarrassment and confusion. 

Danny cleared his throat next to him and Sam glanced over. He realized that he was still gripping his best friend tightly by the shoulder and he let go, patting him awkwardly on the arm before ceasing all contact. They parted ways with a weird combination of soft, familiar smiles and avoided eye contact then Sam was left standing in the corner with a cocktail glass in one hand and the fucking carrot in the other.

God. What was happening? 

------

Sam sat at a folding table and picked at his third slice of cake. Josh was next to him, talking about… something, maybe- probably films, and Sam was easily ignoring him like he usually did. GAG was done so there was no need to respond to the quips and questions geared to start a debate. 

Josh slowly trailed off and Sam looked up at the silence after a minute, curious. He found his brother staring right back at him with a very constipated expression -- Sam had the brief thought that Josh was trying to work through all that cheesy-bread he’d eaten and maybe he could, like, not do that at the table? Please? But then Josh spoke and things started clicking into a place oft visited in the past few days.

“You’re upset about something. Danny. What happened?”

Oh lord not again. Sam was glad for the support-slash-teasing, but he was just so done answering all the questions the twins kept firing at him. He didn’t know what was happening, okay?! Danny had never shown any interest in him, or any other men for that matter, and that weird little thing earlier was probably just because of the alcohol. Danny didn’t love him back. They had to stop trying to convince him otherwise. 

Sam told Josh exactly that, with much conviction, and it was a very bittersweet feeling to watch the emotion slideshow his face went through. Patience, confusion, exasperation, confusion again, anger, curiosity. He was like a carousel of carnival masks. 

“You’re such an idiot.”

And now Jake was here. Yay.

His second-oldest brother continued. “A gay, oblivious, completely and utterly stupid idiot. So is Danny, but-”

“No more buts! I am finished with this conversation, and I want you to leave me alone tonight. I’m trying to have a good time here.”

“Cause that’s going well,” Josh snorted and Sam glared at him.

Couldn’t they just let him wallow in his murky confusion?! What was that saying -- it’s my party and I’ll cry if I want to? Well, Sam wasn’t going to cry in front of his guests, but he could feel it building behind his eyes and he knew that the waterworks would be coming that night when he was finally alone. 

And suddenly, Sam was angry at Danny, too. How dare he? He had to know how Sam felt, and he had teased him like that. Held him close, whispered in his ear, licked him -- and then broke away like he was ashamed and shocked to even be near Sam. 

He was actually going to cry now. It was coming, and Sam was leaving with a flurry of long, skinny legs, cries behind him of “Wait, Sammy! Your surprise! You can’t leave!” 

But he could, and he was going to. 

There was a large oak tree that he used to climb when he was a kid and needed to get away from everything. Sam ran to it now, pulling himself up on memory-imprinted knotholes while his vision clouded with salty tears. The tree was his and Danny’s favorite spot when they were younger -- after they had finished their snacks and homework, both boys would race each other to the top and look out at the land before them. 

It sort of hurt, to be in this spot where good memories with his best friend hung from every branch like ornaments, but it was also comforting. 

Sam let himself be hugged into the wooden arms of the oak as he silently cried, surrounded by thoughts of love and realities of desolation. He was a mess. His eyes stung and his head was tipsy from all the drinks and he’d eaten too much food and he just wanted to go home now and he couldn’t fucking stop crying, dammnit.

How had this happened? It had hurt, but Sam had been fine with just being friends; laughing close and longing from afar. Now he was confused and in pain. How could he go on with this one taste of what could have been? 

He thought of all that had happened this week. All the preparations, the anticipation, his cycling feelings of hope and sadness. He was so tired. 

------

Sam woke up in a fucking tree. What the hell? How did he get up here? Why was he up here? How on Earth did he not fall out while he had, apparently, been asleep?

He carefully steadied himself against the trunk with one hand and rubbed his eyes with the other. What day - well, night now, actually - was it? Why did his head hurt so much?

There was a shuffling below him, and Sam looked down to see Danny staring up at him with his big, sad puppy dog eyes. 

That was good. Even if he was in a tree and he didn’t know where the tree was or what day it was, Sam could count on Danny to be there for him. As in, supporting him by the hips while he shakily climbed down.

“I’m so sorry, Sammy. I just got so excited that I kind of forgot to give you your present first and Josh said that you wouldn’t mind but you clearly do, and-”

Danny stopped talking - babbling really, since he was clearly nervous - when he realized the utter confusion on Sam’s face. 

Sam was very confused indeed. What the hell was Danny talking about? He was getting some half-baked memories back from his brain that told him something had recently gone down. Something big. But he was having trouble piecing it all together and the very apprehensive looks from his best friend weren’t really making him eager to remember. 

“Oh my god, did I confess to you?”

The thought suddenly flew into his brain and out of his mouth in a woosh of air that felt a lot like horror movie chills. Oh god, what had he done?

“What? No, Sammy, I- or, I was going to… Wait, did you hit your head? You’re acting really weird. Do you not remember?”

Maybe he had. Sam sat down against the tree trunk, pulling a concerned Danny with him, and forced a thought process.

Where was he? At the base of his favorite oak tree on the edge of their property. What day was it? It was his birthday, actually, or maybe very early the morning after. Who was he with? Danny - which seemed obvious - but Sam was starting to worry that he did actually hit his head; it usually didn’t take this long for his brain to get back online after a nap. 

Why had he been in the tree, and what was Danny apologizing for? Now that was the ticket question. 

Oh. 

Oh.

FUCK.

This was not an ideal situation. He had been having a good time at his party, then Danny had gone and metaphorically hung him by his ankles, probably not on purpose, THEN Sam had moped about and stormed off - like a toddler - when the twins tried to help him figure it out. And then he took a nap in a tree. And now Danny was holding him and probably feeling really bad about what happened because he looked like he was about to cry way more than Sam had earlier. 

“Fucking hell.”

“Um, yeah,” Danny agreed with a small, nervous laugh. 

Sam looked at him and sighed, then rested his head on Danny’s shoulder. Why had he been mad at him? Danny was clearly drunk and had no clue about his crush -- he refused to believe he was as obvious as the twins insisted. He was just worried about why Sam was sleeping in a tree when he should have been enjoying his twenty-first birthday, and this had nothing to do with what had happened. Duh.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to worry you. I just needed some time alone, and I guess I fell asleep. Is the party still going?” Sam asked, trying to smile and put on a fresh face.

Danny still looked hesitant.

“It is, but a lot of people left too. It’s late, dude. Midnight. You sure you’re okay? Josh said that you were really upset, and I-”

Sam laid his hand over Danny’s and he stopped talking again, looking up at him. 

He was so goddamn beautiful, and Sam was totally getting lost in his eyes like a cheesy romance novel. So gorgeous. All swirling hazel and green with little flecks of brown and reflections of distant party lights. 

Danny blushed high on his cheekbones and stared right back at Sam. He moved in closer and cupped his face in his hand. 

Sam barely even noticed it; he was too busy watching the pretty face before him that was slowly moving closer-

Oh. Holy. Shit!

Danny was kissing him. Danny was kissing him. Danny was kissing him. DANNY WAS KISSING HIM?!

Sam squealed - and he didn’t even care - and kissed back. His enthusiasm seemed to push Danny back a bit in surprise, but Sam’s mouth followed. He didn’t care if he was making noises like a guinea pig, or if his ass was cold and wet from the night dew-covered grass, or even if this was some weird concussion dream. Danny was kissing him!

Their tongues met and Sam melted even more into the warm, solid body next to him. His hands reached for Danny’s hair and one of his knees swung onto his best friend’s lap as big hands clutched at his cheeks.

It was everything he had thought it would be and so much more.

Danny pulled his mouth away after a minute and rested their foreheads against each other, panting. He gave one more quick peck and then pulled back to look at Sam with shiny, love filled eyes. 

“Happy birthday,” he whispered. “I’ve loved you for- forever, it feels like, and I think that you love me, too. I couldn’t stand it anymore so I, I guess I decided that I was going to give myself as a present this year, and hopefully it would work out well.”

Sam was floored, and also very happy. He was going to be suspicious that this was a joke, but then he abandoned it -- Danny would never. He was completely incapable of doing something so cruel and dishonest as to pretend, and Sam honestly felt really bad about getting mad at him earlier. 

He smiled, big, and hung his arms around Danny’s neck. 

“Thank you. This is, like, the best present ever. You know I’ve been thinking about this for years?”

Danny’s eyes crinkled and he kissed Sam again, sweet little pecks all over his lips and chin. 

“I kind of thought so. I’m really happy this worked- Oh! I do actually have another present for you.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah. Uh, here,” Danny mumbled as he thrust a hand into his pocket and fumbled around.

His hand came back and suddenly there was glitter everywhere. Sam was getting flashbacks to a few days ago in the Wagner’s dining room and he giggled. 

“I got you a bracelet, and I added some, uh, pizzazz, to the gift presentation. I hope you don’t mind. My thinking was that, even if you didn’t like my other gift, I could still get you something kind of cool. If you did, though….” He trailed off, gently clasping the jewelry around Sam’s thin wrist. “I want to use it to ask you to be mine.”

Sam was probably going to cry again. He nodded and kissed Danny desperately to fight off the tears, then pulled back to inspect his new bracelet. It was made of small, carved, silver disks that glittered with inlaid gems. Blue and white diamonds, Sam realized; white and blue, the color of their birthstones, and diamond was also the material of Sam’s. Each gem was ringed with a small strip of gold to fold it in place, and the entire bracelet was surprisingly thin and discreet -- not some gaudy, overly-flashy piece of costume jewelry. It wasn’t too small to appreciate the details, though, and the metal already felt warm and lightweight on his wrist; it was absolutely perfect.

“It’s beautiful, thank you. And I love you, too.”

“Good! I’m glad that you like it and that this wasn’t a horrible idea.”

Sam shook his head vehemently. He stood up with help from his new boyfriend (holy shit) and they walked hand in hand back towards the party.

Josh and their mom were getting down on the dance floor to Tom Petty and Sam laughed. The sound drew the attention of Jake; at first he looked apprehensive, but when he saw their linked hands, he grinned widely.

Jake walked over to them, snagging three beers on the way. He opened them and handed one to each, eyeing Sam’s new jewelry with a knowing eye. 

“Happy birthday, man.”

“Yeah, happy birthday, baby,” Danny agreed, pulling Sam into him and kissing his temple. 

Sam beamed. Happy fucking birthday to him!

[creepingsharia]

Illinois: Grandson of honor-killing, terror-linked ‘Palestinian’ Muslim running for Congress

Rashad “Rush” Darwish’s platform: support for sanctuary cities, amnesty for illegals, and taking guns from law-abiding Americans.

via Ballotpedia:

Rush Darwish (Democratic Party) is running for election to the U.S. House to represent Illinois' 3rd Congressional District. He is on the ballot in the Democratic primary on March 17, 2020.

via Chicago-Sun Times: Chicago-area congressional candidate’s remarks about Jews, Israel spark questions

Rashad “Rush” Darwish, 42, runs a television and photography production business in Pilsen. He said in the interview he adopted the less ethnic-sounding name of Rush in 2001 — before the 9-11 attacks — when he was hired for an on-air TV news job in Tyler, Texas. He later switched careers and returned to the Chicago area.

His parents, now Lemont residents, were born in the West Bank village of Beitin. At age 6, his family moved from Stone Park back to Beitin for two years to live with his maternal grandmother. At that kickoff event this summer, Darwish said, “The very foundation of who I am, the values I learned growing up in Palestine, is embedded in me.”

Darwish is on the executive board of AMVOTE, the American Middle East Voters Alliance PAC, a state-level political action committee.

As he seeks to make history, Darwish’s newfound political muscle is bringing attention to comments he made this summer and years ago.

At a campaign kickoff event in June, Darwish in a speech incorrectly said Lipinski got $15,000 from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a pro-Israel influential lobbying group. However, AIPAC is not a political action committee, does not endorse and does not donate to campaigns. AIPAC members and allies, like anyone, can contribute as individuals and use their personal networks to raise money for candidates.

Darwish provided no details to back up his $15,000 assertion when the Sun-Times asked him about it, saying “what I can do at this stage” is “take a closer look. … So if I technically said it wrong, then, I would have to look into that.”

Back in 2015, as a provocative radio talk show host, Darwish excoriated a guest, Ray Hanania — who, among other things, comments on and writes about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Darwish told Hanania he sounded “like you are praising the Israeli people and the Jewish civilization as if they are great people.”

Darwish told the Sun-Times, “I’ll be honest with you. I may have misspoke if I said the word Jews. That was a mistake on my part. Usually I think I’m pretty good at knowing on the show not to use the word Jews because Jews are not, that’s not the problem.” His problem, he said is with a “pro-Israeli government agenda.”

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

A quick look at Darwish’s webpage and he is open about not only his platform in support of illegal aliens but his ongoing personal support to illegal aliens. Excerpts from his platform below:

In my personal time, I have been connecting undocumented families I know with pro-bono immigration attorneys to assist them in gaining legal status...what we need as a country is comprehensive and fair immigration reform to put these families on a path to citizenship...

As your Congressman I would:

Support sanctuary cities and asylum seekers...

Support comprehensive and fair immigration reform to make our immigration system simpler, more accessible, particularly for non-native english speakers

Expand my work personally to create and market a large network of pro-bono immigration attorneys to assist undocumented families in gaining legal status.

Darwish is also anti-Second Amendment and an open gun grabber. Again from his platform site:

Taking assault rifles, high capacity magazine clips, and other weapons of war completely off our streets...

Rush believes Congress should immediately pass a national ban on the importation and sale of all assault rifles and high capacity magazine clips.  These weapons should only be utilized by our Armed forces and at certain times by local law enforcement.

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

Darwish focuses on preventing some law-abiding Americans from even purchasing guns, specifically, what he refers to as “white nationalist” and Trump supporters. There is no mention of his co-religionists and their jihad.

But Darwish is not only an open border, sanctuary city supporting, amnesty for illegals, gun grabbing socialist, Darwish is the grandson of one of the first known Muslim honor killers in the United States.

Twitter user @kristintweeted engaged Rashad, aka Rush, about this on her Facebook page. Shortly thereafter he blocked her. Screen shots here.

Darwish’s father is Amir Darwish, President of “The Coalition of Palestinian-American Organizations.”

In this 1991 St. Louis Post Dispatch article on the 1991 honor killing of Tina Issa, Rush Darwish’s father defended his father in law who was convicted in the Islamic honor killing of his own daughter. via Parents guilty in murder of daughter:

A St. Louis Circuit Court jury deliberated less than four hours Friday before finding Zein Isa and his wife, Maria, guilty of first-degree murder in the stabbing of their youngest daughter.

The prosecutor, Assistant Circuit Attorney Dee Joyce-Hayes, said she was pleased but added she had been concerned that jurors might have found Maria Isa guilty of the less serious crime of second-degree murder.

Her lawyer, Charles M. Shaw, had contended that Maria sided with Tina in a growing family rift. The mother tried to protect Tina when Zein Isa plunged a knife into the girl's chest on Nov. 6, 1989, at the family's South Side apartment, Shaw said.

Amir Darwish of Chicago, a son-in-law of Zein Isa, said he was distressed by the convictions.

''I think all the facts were not on the table for the jury in this case, '' he said.

The prosecution's most important evidence was a secretly made tape- recording of the murder. Seven minutes of it was filled with Tina's shrieks as she was being stabbed. Some jurors cried when the tape was played for them on Wednesday.

But they asked to hear the tape Friday for a second time, and sat grim-faced and alone in the locked courtroom, listening to the tape over headphones.

In her final argument to the jury, Joyce-Hayes said, ''I can't think of any other way to describe this incident other than as a blood sacrifice.''

She said the Isas believed the only way to ''cleanse'' the family was through Tina's blood. ''They assassinated her,'' the prosecutor said.

The prosecutor could not bring herself to call the heinous crime what it really was. An honor killing. And she even went so far as to claim it had nothing to do with Islam.

A 1993 Chicago Tribune article, A FAMILY TRAGEDY OR TERRORISTS' SCHEME?, uncovered the terrorist ties in the honor killing.

Again, this is the family of Rush Darwish - now running for a seat in the Unitied States Congress.

"Quiet, little one! Die quickly, my daughter, die!" Zein Isa said in Arabic. He stabbed her six times while his wife, Maria, held her by the hair.

"Mother! Please, help me!" Tina pleaded.

"What help?" Maria Isa replied.

As Tina lay dying, her father put his foot on her mouth to muffle the cries.

Jurors heard it all. An FBI bug picked up the parents' words and the daughter's screams. Zein Isa, the bureau explained, was suspected of working for the Palestine Liberation Organization, which at that time had not publicly disavowed terrorism.

Jurors were told that he, his wife and Tina's older sisters believed she had dishonored the family, going against Muslim tradition by having a boyfriend.

She dishonored the family. Her penalty was to be honor killed. But the FBI suggested she knew too much about her father’s involvement in an Islamic terror group for which he was later indicted.

The organization, a violent and nihilistic 1974 offshoot of the PLO, was labeled by the State Department in 1989 as the world's most dangerous terrorist group. It is responsible for more than 90 terrorist attacks in 20 countries, according to the department's annual assessment of terrorism.

A federal grand jury in April indicted Zein Isa, 61, already on Death Row for his daughter's murder; Saif Nijmeh, 33, of St. Louis; Luie Nijmeh, 29, of Miamisburg, Ohio; and Tawfiq Musa, 43, of Racine, Wis. All are in Missouri prisons awaiting trial.

The four are accused of a variety of acts under federal RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations) statutes: obtaining illegal weapons, such as a rocket-propelled grenade launcher; procuring and using bogus passports; illegally transferring money overseas; and conspiring to murder Tina Isa.

...

But reviews of tape-recorded conversations between Zein Isa and his daughters and their husbands also show that killing her to preserve the family honor was being discussed as early as August 1989.

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

While Rashad “Rush” Darwish was not involved in the honor killing of his aunt, he doesn’t stray far from his ‘Palestinian’ roots. He is adamantly anti-Israel, pro BDS, and he has the support of Hamas-linked CAIR.

Darwish has also campaigned with another name-changing ‘Palestinian’ grandson of an Islamic terrorist whom we posted on two days ago: Ammar Campa-Najjar.

When “Rush” still went by the name Rashad, he was a member of the notorious Hamas-funding Bridgeview Mosque.

The mosque hosted al-Qaeda’s spiritual leader and it’s terror ties were so well known that a bank shut the mosque’s account and refused to do business with them. The mosque was also linked to the largest terror-financing conviction in U.S. history.

What other skeletons are in Rush Darwish’s closet? The media won’t investigate.

Do Illinois voters really want to find out the hard way? Was the lesson of Barrack Hussein “Barry Soetero” Obama not enough? 

In less than ten days we’ll find out.

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

Update 1: Rashad Darwish lost, and Lost Big

[touchedflowers]

I've found your blog recently and I already admire your work so much ^-^ My favourite one is with Xiaojun. I wish I can read it forever. In the second post you mentioned one very beautiful song. According to it, in the end the boy needs his bad girl. So, what if you write the 3rd part according to it? At first, Xiao sexually tortures his girl, but the end turns happy and romantic. Please ♥

Ok I know this isn't really what you asked for but I hope you like it.

Listen to Whore by In This Moment

Everyday you prayed. Every opportunity that came was spent on your knees. After XiaoJun had caught you in your little stunt he had tortured you in retibution. Before school was spent in the back of his car in the far side of the lot. During lunch he'd disappear down a side hallway with only a whispered order to "Follow." Even during certain classes, with him beside you, was spent with his fingers deep in your cunt and you desperately fighting to keep in your whimpers. With the teacher and students barely a foot from you, it was nothing short of humilation. But that was his goal.

Even now, with all the students asleep in the dorms, here you were. In the back of the library, against the old creaky shelves.

His hips slamed you back into the wood, a quiet rattle marking every thrust. One hand held a thigh up against the books, the other clamped over ur mouth, lest your begging be heard. Unlike you, he was completely dressed while your skirt lay at your feet with your shirt pushed up over your breasts. The light of the red candles he'd placed illuminating your figure.

The wetness on his tongue turned icy against the air when he sucked your nipples, a small show of tenderness.

He pushed into you slowly, oh so slowly. The drag of his skin inside you pulled on your sweet spot, forcing little sounds out.

"Quiet, sweet girl. We wouldn't want anyone to hear you would we? I wonder what they would think if they saw you; fucked out on my cock? What would they think of you, sweetness?" He took his hand from your mouth, a kiss sealing it again before any sound could escape. Here, in your little cornor of the the library, risking being seen by any who happened to sneak in, you experienced heaven with him. The warmth of his tongue glided over your lips, tasting you. Kissing him back, you felt the heat inside you grow hotter, your pleasure crawling closer.

"Do you like getting fucked like this? Yeah? Right here where anyone could see?" His rythme slowed even further, just barely moving at all. "Do you think you deserve this?" The climax slipped away and you knocked your head back in frustration. He smiled, a chuckle escaping as he kissed your cheek. He pulled back, his length slipping out, a few drops hitting the floor.

The cold press of metal slid ever so gently over your thigh. Looking down, the blade of a knife was nestled into the indent of your belly button. Shuddering breaths left both of you. His gaze bored into you and he slowly pressed the metal into you. When it finally pierced you, you could barely feel it but for his gaze. A thin trail of red slipped down your tummy to stain your panties.

A loud noise caused your heads to whip around. Through the darkness you could make out a slight silloete. There, peeking around the corner, was a very wide, very stunning pair of cat-like eyes. Staring at you. The book he had dropped laying at his feet. His hand came into view gripping the wall, fingers visibly shaking. Eyes darted up and down your figure, zeroing in on the blade.

XiaoJun's face broke into a wicked, almost smug grin. "Ahhh. Finally come out from the shadows huh? Are you enjoying the show?" The blade began to make its way lower, cat eyes folloeing its descent. You just stay still, eyes flickering between them. He spoke once more. "I can't blame you. She makes the slutiest expressions and sounds." He glanced at you. "But you already knew that, didn't you. Come out from there." The command in his voice bore no possible argument. The slight figure of the boy finally showed fully as he stepped out.

XiaoJun's head leaned back alittle as an indulgent smile appeared. One hand still held the knife, the other drifted to take hold of his cock. He slowly worked himself, his own touch drawing forth hushed sounds. A gasp sounded from the other boy, his lips parted, a light shine from his tongue. His feline eyes no longer persued you, instead centering on Xiaojun's length. On the hand that he milked himself with. Up and down. The older boy seemed to be drawn, stepping forth unsteady as if against his will. But his eyes spoke a different narrative. He licked his lips, the bulge in his pants seemed to grow right before your eyes.

This didn't escape your lover and he laughed. "Yeah, you like this?" He rolled his hips into his grip. "You like watching me jerk off? Like it like you like getting sucked off in the library?" The other boy startled back at this. Of course he hadnt known he was being watched. You could see even in the candle light, a hot rush of blood fill his face. The low light cast shadows of his lashes against his cheeks. Every bit as pretty as Xiaojun.

A pleased hum came from said boy and he smiled at his elder. "Wanna suck me off, pretty boy?" His head snapped up, astonishment coming over along with another wave of red. His tongue peaked from between his teeth and he slowly stepped closer. In a few strides he stood in front of your love. Him still pleasuring himself all the while.

He released himself, his cock hanging heavy, the crown red and weeping precum. The other boy was still, staring into his eyes. Junie brought his hand up to rest on the boys shoulder and deftly pushed him down. The boy went to his knees, cock head softly resting against his lips.

Junie turned to you now and the anticipation made your melt start up once more, even hotter now with your spectator present. "You're gonna watch, sweetie. Watch this pretty boy suck on my dick. You will not touch yourself. Understand?"

Lungs frozen, you nodded and he turned back to the boy once more. His hand told hold of the others jaw in a nearly sweet caress, gently pulling it open. "Pray for me sweet boy." The taste of precum came as the crown met his pink tongue, a moan erupted and the Thai boy curled his arms over Jun's hips, abruptly swallowing him to the hilt.

"Oh FUCK," Jun choked. "That's so good. So fucking good. My pretty boy is so fucking good." He dug his fingers into the praying boys hair, controlling his movement. "Yeah, does she taste good? Does her pussy juice taste good?" He wrenched the boys head back, eyes meeting as the others tongue peeked into the crown's slit. Xiaojuns mouth parted and another choking noise emerged. The boy laved all over Jun's cock. Bobbing his head, running his tongue over the veins. You could tell he swallowed every time he deep throated by the way Xiaojun's hips would stutter and his chest would heave with labored breath. As the boy prayed, Jun's fingers wove even deeper into his hair, less to control now as more for something to hang onto.

His head drifted to the side facing you, eyes hazed and lidded. The image in front of you was glorious. XiaoJun's elegant profile, eyes glazed with lust, mouth open and wet and a pretty Thai boy choking on his dick with so much enthusiasm. You couldnt help yourself. Your pussy was aching. You could feel your wetness spreading between your legs. You reached a hand down hoping to bring some relief.

One of Jun's hands flashed out and nearly crushed your wrist in its grip. "Don't you dare fucking touch yourself! This could have been you." He nodded toward the boy, wrenching his head back once more, moans sounding from a drool dripping mouth. "This could have been you. But you couldn't fucking wait could you? I leave you alone and you go to another guy to get your pussy filled? No . . . No, you couldn't fucking wait. You had to be a slut. So now your gonna watch this twink take my cock."

He tore the boy from his dick and pushed him down, breath rushing out as his back hit the floor. He descended on the prone form like a wild animal. Tearing sounds were heard along with the muffled cries from the smaller form. He tore the boys pants off and looked back at you. At this point you had sunk to the floor, your hot melt spreading underneath you. You nipples still exposed, red and hard. "Fucking watch."

He presses the knife against the boys neck, not to threaten, but to entice. To show control. By the way the boy stared back, he liked it. Jun shoved his fingers into the other's mouth. "Suck, sweet boy. Get them wet for me." He obeyed without question. His face already fucked out, spit and precum drying on his chin. You could see his cock, crown red and erect between them, precum already beading, not even having been touched. After a moment Jun pulled his fingers out, pressing them to the boys entrance. A squeal ripped from the smaller's lips and he writhed, his legs twitching. "Be a good boy. That's right. Be a good twink and take my fingers." He worked himself inside while the boy under him whimpered as if he was taking a cock, instead of fingers. At this point the possibility of you getting discovered was almost certain, but nobody fucking cared. After a few minutes XiaoJun pulled back and spit on the boys hole. The small figure panting, his face red and fucked out. He took his cock and lined himself up.

He dropped the blade and with little fanfare he pushed in, the slick of the other's saliva and your melt being more than enough wetness. The boys back arched up as he cried out, a palm over his own mouth in an effort to muffle himself. It didn't help much. Jun's head dropped back. "Ooooohh. So tight. Sweet boy for me aren't you?" He hooked the other's legs over his shoulders and began pounding. The smaller boys body moved with every thrust, almost bouncing. He nearly agonized over himself. His small hands running everywhere in search of purchase. Over himself, over Xiaojun, even over his own face. Gripping his hair, muffling himself and sucking his fingers.

All the while XiaoJun's eyes stayed on you. You could almost feel the boys pleasure, feel every thrust. Sweat ran down you back and collected in the bends of your legs. You were panting as well, high, strained pants of want. And he was relishing every second. "You like it don't you, sweetness. Love it. Love my cock with your tight little hole. You take it so well. So cute. Such a cute slut."

His words aimed at the boy but with his eyes on yours, you knew these were for you as well. You just sat there in your own slick, watching your lover fuck this little Thai boy. And you couldn't touch yourself. This was your punishment. This was his torture. The boy squealed once more and his head arched back against the wood eyes meeting yours. His pleasure sparked behide his gaze, you could almost feel it.

XiaoJun groaned. "Yeah, yeah baby. Milk my dick. You can do it. Make me cum. Pray and make me cum." The smaller boy writhed and bucked under him. Whimpers and squeals poaring from his lips. His frenzied motions seemed to be enough because not a minute later, Jun's hips stuttered and he groand as he poared his seed out.

A few more thrusts, the boy softly moaned as Jun pulled out. A spurt of cum following his exit. You were still sitting there, helpless, needy. But all XiaoJun did was tuck himself back into his jeans and speak once simple sentence.

"Think about what you've done."

And walked out. Leaving you and the fucked out boy on the floor of the library.

[lovemesomesurveys]

Have you had a vivid dream recently? What was it about? No, not lately that I can recall.

Who was the last person you purchased a gift for? What was it? Presents this past Christmas for my family.

Have you ordered anything online today? Nope.

Look around the room, and name any object that is red. The red on the black and red plaid throw pillow on my bed. Have you eaten any kind of pasta today? Not so far. I don’t think I’ll be having any later, but *shrug*

Commonly asked question, but what was the last song you listened to? Demi’s new version of her song “I Love Me.” She calls it the emo version and it has Travis Barker on it playing the drums.

I see. Are its lyrics meaningful to you? Yeah, there’s a few lyrics that I relate to.

Are your hands warm or cold at the moment? They’re warm.

Have you heard any birds singing outside today? No.

Who is the 3rd contact in your phone? What colour are their eyes? I’m not checking right now.

Do you own a teddy bear? Who gave it to you? I have a TON of giraffe stuffed animals, as well as a dog and a bunny one, but no teddy bears.

What colour was the last lipstick you wore? Probably a nude. It’s been a like 3 years since I’ve worn lipstick (or any makeup), so I don’t remember.

Which colour(s) of lipstick do you wear the most? I haven’t worn any in awhile, but when I did I just went for nudes and light pinks. It was nice to have a red one on hand, too. Which colour(s) of lipstick do you wear the least? I didn’t wear red often, but it was nice once in awhile. I never wore purples, black, blues, or any wild colors.

Have you had any songs stuck in your head today? Songs I hear on TikTok all the time are always running though my head. That means I watch way too much TikTok :X

Do you enjoy orange flavoured chocolate? It’s so weird because I hate actual oranges and orange flavored things, but this orange chocolate that’s shaped like an orange and breaks off into slices like an orange is actually really good.

Name 3 books that you enjoyed as a child. Goosebumps, Nancy Drew, and The Baby Sitter’s Club.

Do you still enjoy reading any of these books as an adult? I’d read Goosebumps or Nancy Drew still. I actually have a few Nancy Drew books.

Do you have any hobbies that allow you to express creativity? Uhhh, I like to color.

Have you ever let your guard down to someone, and then regretted it? Yes. 

How many people would you say you’ve had genuine feelings for? Romantic feelings? Three.

Have you ever worn blue mascara? Nah. I just stuck with black.

Who is the 11th contact in your phone? When is their birthday? I’m not checking.

Have you ever met anyone named Florence? Nope.

Is there anything you’d like to tell someone, but can’t find the words? ”There are many things that I would like to say to you, but I don’t know how...”

When you feel low, what is guaranteed to lift your mood? There isn’t anything that is guaranteed to do that, but I have my go-to’s that I turn to. Sometimes nothing helps. 

Is there a certain food that you’ve been eating a lot of, or craving lately? I’ve had a lot of deviled eggs lately. Super random.

Can you recall the first time you cried over a guy/girl? How old were you? Middle school.  Who was the last person you played a game with, of some kind? My aunt, cousin, and brother months ago. 

What game was it? And who won? We played a couple board games. I forget which ones at the moment.

Do you ever experience a feeling of deja vu? Yes. Although, for me everyday is like Groundhog’s day.

Do you have a favourite flower? Any specific colour? Nah.

Do you have any flowers in your garden? What kind(s)? I don’t have a garden.

Is there anyone from your past that you think about, from time to time? Yeah, there’s a few people.

Is there anyone in your life that you would like a deeper connection with? Not currently.

Do you share your birthday with anyone you know? Yeah. 

Have you had a deep conversation with anyone today? Nope. It’s almost 3 in the morning; though, so I haven’t talked to anyone so far.

[nostalgiaispeace]

1768.

Have you had a vivid dream recently? What was it about? yes but i don’t want to talk about it.

Who was the last person you purchased a gift for? What was it? my sister. an apple pen

Have you ordered anything online today? nope

Look around the room, and name any object that is red. journal

Have you eaten any kind of pasta today? no

Commonly asked question, but what was the last song you listened to? i don’t remember

I see. Are its lyrics meaningful to you? -

Are your hands warm or cold at the moment? cold

Have you heard any birds singing outside today? yeah

Who is the 3rd contact in your phone? What colour are their eyes? idk

Do you own a teddy bear? Who gave it to you? no

What colour was the last lipstick you wore? i don’t wear lipstick

Which colour(s) of lipstick do you wear the most? -

Which colour(s) of lipstick do you wear the least? -

Have you had any songs stuck in your head today? no

Do you enjoy orange flavoured chocolate? idk, i’ve never had it

Name 3 books that you enjoyed as a child. Harry Potter, Goosebumps, Series of Unfortunate Events

Do you still enjoy reading any of these books as an adult? harry potter <3

Do you have any hobbies that allow you to express creativity? not really

Have you ever let your guard down to someone, and then regretted it? yes

How many people would you say you’ve had genuine feelings for? one

Have you ever worn blue mascara? no

Who is the 11th contact in your phone? When is their birthday? idk

Have you ever met anyone named Florence? nope

Is there anything you’d like to tell someone, but can’t find the words? nope

When you feel low, what is guaranteed to lift your mood? books

Is there a certain food that you’ve been eating a lot of, or craving lately? no

Can you recall the first time you cried over a guy/girl? How old were you? no

Who was the last person you played a game with, of some kind? idk

What game was it? And who won? —

Do you ever experience a feeling of deja vu? i have

Do you have a favourite flower? Any specific colour? yes; lavender

Do you have any flowers in your garden? What kind(s)? -

Is there anyone from your past that you think about, from time to time? sure

Is there anyone in your life that you would like a deeper connection with? no

Do you share your birthday with anyone you know? yes

Have you had a deep conversation with anyone today? no

[archaeopter-ace]

and we’re off with another tag meme!

Tagged by @eurazba​, thanks!

1. Are you named after anyone?

Not exactly, my mom did have a friend with my name, but that was more like just exposure, ‘oh, that’s a nice name that exists.’ 

2. When was the last time you cried?

I finally got around to watching past season 1 of The Dragon Prince and I know for sure I teared up a couple times at unspecified moments, but as for a deep, cathartic, not-in-control-of-myself crying? Last November. There was a family medical emergency, that was honestly the most scared I have ever been in my life, but fortunately he’s recovered and doing better than before.

3. Do you have any kids?

Nope. Do I plan on having kids? Nope. I feel like the odds of me suddenly awakening to having parental feelings are about as likely as me suddenly awakening to having feelings of sexual attraction, which is to say, not likely at all.

4. Do you use sarcasm a lot?

I’m... not sure. I think I use it more in person than in writing, and mostly deadpan snark, which I consider a form of sarcasm but maybe English majors disagree

5. Eye color?

Greenish 

6. Scary movie or happy endings?

Why not both?

7. Special talents?

I have a knack for stippling, and I like to think I’m pretty good at writing. Oh, and hoola hooping - I can hoola hoop for over three hours without stopping

8. Where were you born?

In the cold northland of my mother

9. Do you have any hobbies?

Yeah, though since a lot of them are fandom-related, whenever I get asked this question in real life I feel like I have to censor my answer and I trot out the usual suspects: reading, knitting, bird watching. When actually, I spend most of my time reading fanfic, writing fanfic, lurking in libraries, and swanning around on tumblr (not so much lately, but I want to get back to this place). Like, right now I’m editing videos for work since I’m stuck at home, and I wasn’t sure if there was a way to admit to my boss that the reason I have an editing program on my computer and know how to use it is that I’ve done fanvids in the past, without me having to go down the rabbit hole of what ‘fandom’ means. 

10. Do you have any pets?

I tend to claim my mom’s dogs as my own, since if I say “I don’t have a dog” it sounds like I don’t want or can’t have a dog (though my understanding is this is more a USA thing, where there is more cultural expectation that ‘all children who are able to should have a dog, it is their right as Americans, hoo-rah!’ Elsewhere in the world people are much more reasonable about dog ownership, and not quite so many spur-of-the-moment dog purchases from mall pet stores, wtf). So, I have two dogs, and they are adorable, even if Nina most strongly reminds me of a fruit bat. Fruit bats are also cute.

At the moment, I am also in possession of four frogs (and a tank of crickets) since my work is closed and all the animals had to go to our homes

11. What sports have/do you play?

I played soccer up until 3rd grade, when I started karate, but I haven’t done that since high school

12. How tall/short are you?

I am the shortest of all my siblings by half an inch. This was not always the case - for much of my life I was the second-tallest

13. Favorite subjects in school?

Biology. Had a really great social studies/language arts teacher in 4th grade, loved that. Drawing for Non-Art Majors. Woodshop.

14. Dream job?

I... think I might have it? I’ve only had this job since October, but back when I was still going in to work, I often looked forward to the end of the weekend so I could return

15. Tag 15 mutuals

Do I even have that many mutuals? I follow less than a hundred people...

Totally, 100% optional, no pressure guys! And if I didn’t tag you and you want to do this anyway, you can pretend I did and @ me regardless

@luvtheheaven , @autumnalfallingleaves , @peppersandcats , @im-the-king-of-the-ocean , @kalajorn , oh gosh it’s been so long since i’ve been on this site regularly, i forgot who my usualy suspects are

[eldritchsurveys]

756.

Have you had a vivid dream recently? What was it about? >> Yeah. I upped my CBD dose so I’ve had pretty vivid dreams for the past few days. But there’s no way I’m going to remember what I dreamed about last night right now, that’s a question better suited for the morning.

Who was the last person you purchased a gift for? What was it? >> I don’t remember the last gift I purchased, but it was most likely for Sparrow because... who else am I buying gifts for.

Have you ordered anything online today? >> No.

Look around the room, and name any object that is red. >> The lettering on my tote bag. I don’t see any objects that are completely red.

Have you eaten any kind of pasta today? >> Nope.

Commonly asked question, but what was the last song you listened to? >> Some song on my Discover Weekly playlist, which is what I was listening to while I checked in on Animal Crossing.

I see. Are its lyrics meaningful to you? >> I don’t know any of the songs on that playlist, hence the “Discover” bit.

Are your hands warm or cold at the moment? >> I don’t know, they’re neither to me because they’re my hands.

Have you heard any birds singing outside today? >> Sure, quite a bit.

Who is the 3rd contact in your phone? What colour are their eyes? >> ---

Do you own a teddy bear? Who gave it to you? >> I have a couple of teddy bears. One I got at the Phantom of the Opera show and the other one I actually got for Sparrow for V-Day one year but our stuffed animals always end up all over the apartment so now it’s on my bed.

What colour was the last lipstick you wore? >> ---

Which colour(s) of lipstick do you wear the most? >> The only colour I wear is plum.

Which colour(s) of lipstick do you wear the least? >> All the other colours.

Have you had any songs stuck in your head today? >> For some reason Cult of Personality is stuck in my head right now? I have no fucking idea where that came from.

Do you enjoy orange flavoured chocolate? >> Nooooo.

Name 3 books that you enjoyed as a child. >> The Phantom Tollbooth, Many Waters (by Madeleine L’Engle), and who knows what else.

Do you still enjoy reading any of these books as an adult? >> Absolutely. I just reread Tollbooth today on a whim, it’s so wonderful.

Do you have any hobbies that allow you to express creativity? >> Er. I’m not sure I have hobbies, period.

Have you ever let your guard down to someone, and then regretted it? >> Well, absolutely. Why do you think I’m Like This, lmao.

How many people would you say you've had genuine feelings for? >> *shrug* What’s genuine feelings?

Have you ever worn blue mascara? >> I don’t think so.

Who is the 11th contact in your phone? When is their birthday? >> ---

Have you ever met anyone named Florence? >> No.

Is there anything you'd like to tell someone, but can't find the words? >> No.

When you feel low, what is guaranteed to lift your mood? >> There is nothing guaranteed to lift my mood. I don’t depend on things to do that because I know better. But I often fall back on listening to music because it has either cathartic or stabilising properties, depending.

Is there a certain food that you've been eating a lot of, or craving lately? >> Nope.

Can you recall the first time you cried over a guy/girl? How old were you? >> No.

Who was the last person you played a game with, of some kind? >> I don’t know.

What game was it? And who won? >> ---

Do you ever experience a feeling of deja vu? >> I really can’t recall having that feeling in recent memory. I don’t think it happens to me easily.

Do you have a favourite flower? Any specific colour? >> Sunflower. As far as I know, it only comes in the one colour.

Do you have any flowers in your garden? What kind(s)? >> ---

Is there anyone from your past that you think about, from time to time? >> Of course.

Is there anyone in your life that you would like a deeper connection with? >> I wouldn’t mind, like... having the ability to form deep connections in the first place. That’s one of the main things that makes me feel “broken” on bad days.

Do you share your birthday with anyone you know? >> No.

Have you had a deep conversation with anyone today? >> No.

[javelon]

Chase x Reader - Valentine's Day

Whew was worried I wouldn't get this done since I had a super bowl party today but I did it! Hope you like it!

___________________________________________

There was a special kind of joy to be found in simple things. The first warm spring breeze after a long winter. The sound of a child's laughter. The smell of good food in the air. The joy of your best friend's face as he lands the especially challenging trick shot for his video, his cheers as he swings you around in his excitement.

Yea you loved the simple things you thought, laughing and joining Chase in his celebrations. 

"That was amazing, Chase! I knew you'd get that shot eventually!"

He beamed at you, "It's all thanks to your encouragement, Y/N. I'm pretty sure I would have given up on this shot after those first few fails."

You scoffed, "I don't believe that for one second. You totally would have gotten that shot even without my cheerleading imitation on the sidelines."

Chase laughed, "Let's just agree to disagree then. Anyway give me a bit to finish up this video and we can go. I'm starving."

It was no wonder you thought. You guys had been in the studio since mid morning working on this video. Now that Jack had recovered from his coma and Chase didn't need to fill in for him, Chase had wanted to do trickshot videos again. And for his first video back in awhile he wanted to do an extra challenging shot so it had taken a better part of the day to get this right. You guys hadn't even stopped for lunch and with it being early evening now you could definitely go for some food.

You helped Chase pack up his stuff and load it up into the car.

"I wonder if there's anything thawed in the fridge that we could whip up real quick." You wonder aloud as you shut the trunk of the car.

"Actually I was thinking we could stop somewhere and grab a bite. And I was kinda hoping you could help me with something after dinner." Chase super casually mentioned.

You raised a brow at him, "Oh? Whatcha need?"

Chase picked at invisible lint on his shirt, a nervous habit you noticed he'd picked up after his divorce a couple years ago.

"Uh well you see...I sorta wanna ask someone to be my valentine but it's...been awhile since I've dated ya know? I want to do this right so I was hoping you could help me pick out some awesome stuff."

You were glad Chase hadn't been looking at you when he asked, you were pretty sure you hadn't been quick enough to mask your heartbroken look had he been making eye contact. You had known Chase for a long time, since before his divorce but it wasn't until after he split up with Stacy that you had developed feelings for him. You knew it hadn't been the right time to confess though with the recent divorce, Jack's coma, and Chase's battle with depression. So you had just stayed by his side as the best friend you could be for him. But this year things were going so much better. Chase was on the road to recovery, Jack was doing well, and enough time had passed since the divorce that you felt it was ok to finally speak up. You had been planning on telling him on Valentine's day. 

Looks like it might not be meant to be though.

Swallowing down your heartache, you reminded yourself that Chase is your friend first and foremost. If this person who had caught his attention was who made him happy then you'd try be happy for him. Even if it hurt you would do your best to continue being his friend.

"Awww I didn't know someone had captured your heart, Chase. Who is the lucky person? Someone I know?" You asked as you smiled at him, praying it didn't look forced.

He finally looked up at you, "I can't tell you yet. You have met them before though. So will you help me? I trust your opinion better than anyone else's."

You give a small nod, "Alright keep your secrets. I hope you'll introduce me one day though. I'll help you."

Chase's relieved smile was worth the pain, you told yourself, "Don't worry you'll meet them I promise."

After grabbing some food at a local diner, you found yourself at the store in an aisle overflowing with all kinds of valentines gifts. Candy, faux flowers, plushies, baskets; you name it, this aisle had it. Chase looked a bit overwhelmed so you guided him to the beginning of the aisle where the chocolate candy was.

"We'll start here and make our way down the aisle. This mystery person likes chocolate, yes? They're not like allergic or anything?" You reassured him.

He gave you a greatful smile, "No no not allergic. They love chocolate in fact."

"Ok good. Chocolate is always a safe bet for Valentine's. You're gonna want to get the good stuff probably. So not that." You say as Chase reaches for a heart shaped box full of hershey's kisses.

He froze and looked at you confused, "Why not these? What's wrong with hershey's kisses?"

"Nothing really. Just if you're going to go kisses it'd be better to get a bag instead of a box." You pointed at the large bag of kisses, "See? These are the same price as that box and there's more in here. If you really want them in a heart shaped box you can get an empty one and put the bag in there."

"Ohhh that's a good idea. Oh what could we do with this?" Chase asked holding up a bag of gummy hearts.

Time passed quickly as you two discussed different gift ideas, going up and down the aisle several times to grab something else or put something back cause you found something better. You spent a fair amount of time eyeing a stuffed bear that was as big as you were. Chase had asked if that would be a good gift to which you told him it'd be a safer bet to get a small plushie, especially with how expensive the large one was. He pondered it a bit before decided he'd sleep on it, it was only February 3rd after all. Plenty of time to decide on what type of plush to get. By the time you got home with all his purchases you were beat, both physically and emotionally from making yourself be happy for him. It broke your heart to know he had fallen in love with someone else and you let a few tears escape as you laid in bed that night. You only hoped that his mystery person would realize how lucky they were to have such a sweet guy like Chase and that they'd treat him the way he deserved.

The next few days passed in a blur with you throwing yourself into your work to try and distract yourself. You hardly saw any of the Septics let alone Chase during that to which you were glad. Especially Henrik. The good doctor could smell sadness like a bloodhound you were convinced. When Valentine's Day arrived though you had the day off and you planned to spend it in your bed watching cute animal videos and your favorite youtubers.

It was almost noon when there was a soft knock on your door. You paused the video you were watching with a sigh and looked at the door. It was tempting to just say you didn't want company but judging by the knock it was either JJ or Robbie coming by and you could just picture their sad eyes if you told them to go away.

Another deep sigh and you stood, making your way to the door to crack it open and peer out.

"Wha-?"

There in your field of vision was the giant bear you had been eyeing, holding the candies, flowers, and balloons you had helped Chase pick out along with a sign that said "Will you be my Valentine?"

You pulled the door opened more, not fully believing what you were seeing, and you saw Chase standing behind the bear with a shy smile.

"Hey Y/N. I...uh haven't seen you all day, so I was worried and thought you might be sick or something. I was going to surprise you when you came out for food since this was setup in the kitchen and all but Henrik suggested I come to you and bring your Valentine's surprise to you. But if you're not feeling well that's ok! Maybe the plushie can help you feel better at least? Sorry I'm rambling but... uh yea. Happy Valentine's Day." Chase explained with a growing blush.

You stood there in shock for a moment, "Wait this...was all for me?"

Chase grinned, "Surprise! Told ya you were the best one to help me pick out stuff."

You did your best impression of a goldfish as you floundered on what to say until you settled with tears and throwing yourself at Chase. He laughed as he dropped the bear with all the gifts to wrap his arms around you, "I guess this means your answer is yes?"

"Of course its yes! I would never in a million years turn you down!" You cried, heart swelling with joy that this was really happening.

He gave you a brilliant smile, "I'm so glad." before leaning down to give you a sweet, loving kiss.