#to plan a 6 month anniversary at the same restaurant where they had their first date

[imgoingtocryplease]

6 Month Anniversary with Ejirou Kirishima (x gender neutral / gn! reader)

Fluff with no smut/sex. I meant for this to be super cheesy. Be warned; I got lots of secondhand embarrassment from typing this. Food mentions. 

(Characters and reader are students in UA)

3088 words, this took me like a month to write lolz

Kirishima woke up with a drive to make you all’s 6-month anniversary special, especially since it's the first anniversary since the start of the relationship. Waking up a 6 am sharp, he made his way over to the bathroom to freshen himself up and put on fancy –but not too fancy– clothes. After sending his friends a picture of his outfit and getting many compliments and approval, Kirishima made his way to your dorm. Sheepishly knocking on your door, he meets a groggy, just woke-up face of you. He smiles and says good morning.

“Why are you up so early?? It’s 6:30 in the morning, and you look like you’re going to sell me a vacuum. But good morning. :)” You query him.

Gawking a bit in response, Kirishima looks himself over and awkwardly chuckles. Wringing his hands together, he says, “I wanted to look nice for you and to look nice for our anniversary. Is my outfit too nice??”

It’s your turn to be surprised; you were so busy with school and training that you completely forgot y’all’s anniversary. Opening the door to let him in more, you quickly apologize. “I forgot; I’m so sorry! I’ve been occupied with school and training. I haven't noticed the date.” Closing the door and resting on your unmade bed, you invite him to sit next to you.

Flashing a smile, Kirishima says it’s okay and thanks you for apologizing. Checking the time, Kirishima quickly looks at you and urges you to get dressed for a busy day. Making your way to your closet and the bathroom, you quietly wonder what he has planned.

Sitting on your bed with the most excited face you have seen on him, you smile and make your way to the door, Kirishima following close behind.

Downstairs of UA you start moving towards the kitchen, but Kirishima stops you, quickly explaining that y’all are going out for breakfast :) You gasp, and you excitedly both make your way to the doors out of UA and to the city.

-

You ask Kirishima where he plans to take you, but he only says it’s a surprise. Turning the corner, you see a (preferred animal) themed restaurant. You’ve been talking about going there for months but never had the chance to go, but now you can finally go -and with Kirishima!-

Entering the bakery, you immediately notice the sweet and savory smells of egg croissant sandwiches, cupcakes, fresh-out-of-the-oven bread, and many more amazing scents. With your mouth watering, a waiter guides you both to a table. Taking your and Kirishima's drink orders, they close their book and go to the kitchen. Kirishima turns his attention to you, but you don't notice; you’re too busy admiring the menu of animal-themed foods. He chuckles and decides to do the same before a server comes over. Several minutes later, a server introduces themselves, ready to take y’all’s orders.

“Welcome to Greenwood Bakery! My name is Alabaster, and I will be your server for today. What do you want to eat today?” Looking over at Kirishima first, you mentally prepare to give your order next.

Sliding his menu to the end of the table, Kirishima replies, “Hello! I would like a chicken salad with vinaigrette, please. How are you doing today?”

Writing his order down in their book, they say they’re having a pretty good day today. Their dog finally beat liver cancer after months, and they’re saving up money to have a party to celebrate :) Conversing a bit more, you and Kirishima learn that their dog’s name is Pluto, and is a golden retriever with a weirdly frizzy coat that they can never seem to tame. Kirishima congratulates their dog, and Alabaster asks what you would like to order with a seemingly happier tone than before. Responding with the same energy, you tell Alabaster your order. Closing their book, Alabaster walks to the back.

You both turn your attention to each other, and after a few moments, you both burst into tiny giggles. You are both so happy to be together and, finally, have time to hang out without interruption. Kirishima puts his head on his hands and admires you, smiling to himself, lost in his world. You notice and tease him about it.

“What’ca looking at?” You smirk.

“Just you. You're stunning Y/N.” He grins even wider.

You feel your face heat. Brushing Kirishima off, you say, “I can’t be that stunning- your pupils are blown so wide that there's barely any red left.” You chuckle and then say, “Seriously, it scares me; don’t your eyes hurt from the lights??”

“Nah. If I’m looking at you, nothing will hurt my eyes.”

You groan and hide your face from embarrassment and Kirishima being so cheesy.

Hearing footsteps approaching, you look over and see your server coming with y’all’s food. You thank their timing, saving you from more too-cheesy (even for Kirishima) compliments. Putting down the silverware and the dishes, they ask if there is anything else they can get for you two. Not thinking of anything y’all might need, you say no and thank them. Looking down at your food, you salivate and hurriedly unwrap your silverware to eat.

-

“That was so good <3 Thank you so much for taking me here Kirishima, I really enjoyed it.” Sitting back you relax and savor the leftover taste of the food as long as possible with a smile.

Kirishima grins, replying, “I’m so happy you enjoyed it. I hope you’re full enough to enjoy a big day of hopefully more fun things for us to enjoy :) I have much more planned for us to do after this. When you’re ready we can go.”

“Can we stay here for a bit, please? I want to wait for the food to settle before we do anything else.” You ask, realizing that your stomach hurts a bit.

“Of course! We’ll stay here as long as you need :)” Kirishima sits back, mirroring you, enjoying the scenery outside the window.

Around 7:40 AM

Paying for the bill and thanking the cashier, you both make y’all’s way out of the doors.

-

Going along the sidewalks of Musutafu, Japan, y’all admire the sights of the city. Kirishima is occasionally looking at his phones for directions and sometimes gets y’all lost in an alleyway that neither of you have even seen before; but y'all eventually get back on track.

After a few minutes, you look at him and your heart beats just a bit faster; you’re infatuated with him and cannot put into words how much you appreciate Kirishima doing this for you. Looking back forwards you slowly see a peach orchard being revealed. You gasp, quickly looking at Kirishima then the peach orchard. Noticing this, Kirishima grins and asks sarcastically if you’re excited; shooting a glare at him you stick your chin up and cross your arms together. He gawks at your reaction and sighs dramatically. This act doesn’t last long together though as your lips morph into a smile and you both laugh.

Arriving at the entrance you go up to the ticket entry booth. Kirishima tells the person y’all’s ages and split the cost 50/50. Waving the person goodbye, you both go to the entrance excitedly. Past the entrance there is a road of booths with people selling their crafts, food, drinks, and more. There is a flowing crowd of people along the middle of the road, all of which looking left and right deciding what booths they want to go to. 

Studying the wares, Kirishima spots one that catches his eye; telling you he’s going to go get something and to not look, he rushes over with his wallet in hand. While he does that, you have time to actually notice the details of the items of the booths near you. Noticing a shirt Kirishima might like, you roll over to the booth and ask to buy the shirt. The owner beams and quickly hands you the shirt in a discrete bag. Paying and thanking them, you go over to the spot you were at previously. With a small smile you scan the people for Kirishima; spotting him jogging over you try to hide the shirt inside the bag the best you can.

Hiding the thing behind his back, Kirishima asks what’s in the bag you have.

“It’s a surprise for you. Since you keep surprising me today, I figured I would do the same to you.” Smirking, you await his reaction.

Pouting, he says, “I guess that’s fair; I’m excited to see what it is when we get back to UA :) Oh! I forgot. I have one more thing planned with you after this. Unless you’re too tired and we can go home. Just tell me when.” Folding the bag with the item, Kirishima carefully puts it into his pocket.

Looking back up at you Kirishima asks if you’re ready to continue. Giving the thumbs up y’all continue along the path.

After the booths is the orchard which Kirishima excitedly asks if you want to go in. Smiling, you approach the person who sells the bags which you put the peaches in. Asking for the biggest canvas bag they have, you quickly try to think of how many peaches y’all need to pick for the rest of class of 1-A. Handing over the money you grab the bag. Urging Kirishima to follow you, he skips over happily and y’all enter.

Looking across the acres of peach trees, you feel a bit daunted by the sheer amount of options. Kirishima is the opposite; walking over to the next nearest row of trees he points at one that is full of peaches. Going over you marvel at how many peaches this one tree has. Grabbing a ladder, Kirishima climbs up and starts carefully dropping the fruit into the bag you have. Making sure none get bruised you carefully look over each peach he drops. Repeating this for the tree and the one next to it, y’all quickly fill up the bag. Happy with your findings you alert Kirishima that y’all have enough and can leave now. Hopping off the ladder, he carries it back to where he found it. Smiling fondly at you, Kirishima takes the bag from you and y’all exit the orchard, moving along the path to the end of the area.

Around 1-1:30 PM

Kirishima groans as he reads something on his phone. “We’re going to need to go to Shizuoka Station for this one. It’s in Nagoya.” He says as y’all approach the station.

Surprised, you wonder what he had planned. Entering the ticket lines, y’all swipe y’all’s Suica cards and grab the ticket. Navigating the complex subway station and entering the subway, you barely find a chair/handle to use with everybody else in the section with y’all. Kirishima stands next to you, trying to guard you from other people. After half an hour enough space and seats have cleared up for you and Kirishima to rest for the next hour of the ride.

2:40 PM

The chime and the signs alert y’all that it was finally y’all’s stop. Quickly getting off the subway you both go up to the streets and assess where y’all are. Kirishima pulls up directions on his phone and tells you to follow him; after about 16 minutes y’all reach a movie theater. After realizing which movie theater y’all are at, you realize that this was y’all’s first date spot. Pleasantly surprised, you give a soft smile and your heart melts at how much planning Kirishima put into this day. Grabbing his hand you both quickly go up to the ticket booth and order tickets for, ‘How Do You Live?’ Grabbing y’all’s tickets and rushing inside you walk up to a cashier. Ordering popcorn, a drink, nachos, and a hotdog for Kirishima; grabbing your money you hurriedly pay before Kirishima notices.

Once Kirishima turns his attention back to you, he gawks at your actions. Putting his hand over his heart he dramatically acts as if he’s been greatly betrayed. Rolling your eyes you reap your rewards and start moving to the hallway with the movie rooms. (what are they called???) Kirishima glances at his ticket and guides y’all to the right room, finding y’all’s row you both quickly find your seats and wait for the movie to start.

-

You were awoken by Kirishima tapping you. Turning your head around, you realized you slept through the whole movie. Feeling guilty, you quickly apologize to Kirishima. Brushing it off he urges y’all to get out of the movie theater and into the train station before the last train goes. Rushing through the hallway into the streets you both follow the directions on his phone. Out of breath you both eventually make it to the train station and scan y’all’s cards. Seeing as the last train just arrived you both let out a sigh of relief. Luckily many people weren't out this late so you both were able to relax.

Kirishima laid his head down on you and quickly fell asleep; the adrenaline rush of that whole fiasco wore out his body. Chuckling a bit, you do your best to relax with him and watch the scenery from the window.

-

Waking up Kirishima, you alert him that y’all arrived at y’all’s stop. Standing up and stretching his body, he follows you out the train.

Seeing the dark sky and the street lights on gives you a sense of peace from the busy commotion of Japan. Kirishima is next to you, trying to see if there are any stars out yet. Lazily making y’all’s way back to UA takes a bit longer than expected.

“I missed spending time with you like this. UA is so busy without all the villains we have to deal with almost daily.” Kirishima peeps out.

“I missed this too. I’m always so stressed with trying to do everything each second of the day I couldn’t appreciate the little moments where I had time. I imagine it stressed you out seeing me like this and I’m sorry.” You replied, fidgeting your body.

“Don’t worry about me! Worry about yourself. I know that since you got that internship your stress has been doubled and your free time is basically non-existent. I will always do everything I can to help with that. That’s one of the reasons why I took you out today. Mostly because it’s our anniversary but I just didn’t want you to worry for one day.” Kirishima gives a small smile.

You smile back and thank him.

Approaching UA you both notice Aizawa, half asleep leaning against the gates. Anxiety creeps over you both, trying to think of what lecture he’s going to give y’all.

Hearing you both approach, Aizawa barely opens his eyes and gives y’all a stern look for a moment before sighing, standing up straight.

“What have you two been doing out this late at night??” Aizawa starts. “No one knew where you two were and it caused quite a commotion. Kirishima, why didn’t you answer anyone's calls or texts?? Y/N why didn’t you answer anyone either?? I swear I need to put a tracking device or something on the two of you.” He awaits an answer.

Kirishima stutters, “It was my fault; I’m sorry. I had silenced my notifications for the day because I didn’t want to get distracted-” Aizawa interrupts him.

“Distracted from what? What was so important that we almost had to report you both as missing??”

“I wanted to take Y/N out today to help them destress and to celebrate our anniversary.. I did not think to tell anyone that we were going to be gone today beforehand and I understand now that I should have. I’m sorry.” Kirishima replies.

Staring at you both, Aizawa asks, “To celebrate, what exactly?”

Kirishima looks towards the ground. “Our anniversary.”

Aizawa squints his eyes. “What??? I know you’re not shy, Kirishima, you can speak louder than that.”

Wringing his hands together he quickly replies, “Our anniversary.”

Aizawa pinches the bridge of his nose, sighing. “I swear. Teenagers.” After a moment he decides that y’all have suffered enough and says to the walkie-talkie to open the gates.

Thanking him, you both quickly enter and go into the dorms, Aizawa following behind.

Closing the doors behind y’all, he turns his attention back to you two.

With a glare, Aizawa demands, “Now you both better get back to your dorms before I do anything else. Maybe give you two an extra test.” He ponders.

Going to your dorm as quickly as you can, you tell Kirishima to meet you back in ten minutes, after you both shower, leaving Aizawa in the dust.

After you have gotten ready for bed, there is a knock on your door. You open it and realize it’s only Kirishima. Opening the door wider, you invite him in.

Landing on your bed, Kirishima relishes in your soft blankets and stretches his body with a sigh. Closing your door, you move over to Kirishima and lay next to him. You both look up at the ceiling for a few moments, enjoying each other's presence.

Turning to his side with a smile, Kirishima pulls out the gift for you and slides it over. Reminding you of the gift you got for Kirishima, you grab it and return to the bed sliding his gift over to him. You both open your gifts and hold them up.

You got a Fox plushie and hug it the best you can, thanking Kirishima profusely. When Kirishima doesn’t respond, you turn your attention back to him; Kirishima is doing his back to hold back his laughs but fails. Cackling at your gift he throws his head back, holding his stomach with the shirt in hand. It was a shirt with the quote: 'You’re my rock' with an image of a small pebble at the bottom. At this you laugh with him, letting your shoulders drop from relief, happy he liked his gift.

Kirishima hugs you tightly, shaking you both with his laughs. Hugging him back the best you can, y’all appreciate each other's warmth.

Letting go, you both relax into the bed with smiles. Feeling exhaustion take you over, you fall asleep within minutes.

end <3

hope y'all enjoyed :)

mwah

total times Kirishima was typed (including title and tags): 79

[campbells-content]

Ghost hunter youtuber au

// tw for panic attacks

When they're 13 sasharcy start a YouTube chanel dedicated to ghost hunting while roping in anne who genuinely doesn't believe in anything supernatural.

Marcy caries around sage and holywater and Anne joke about meeting a ghost with asthma.

They cary everything in backpacks.

Sasha and Anne turn it into an exploring chanel when Marcy moves away but every time they record there's a frame here or there of something that wasn't there before.

After 5 years, the chanel is still going strong 3 years of ghost hunting, 2 years of adventures.

The trio kept in touch and Marcy moved back after graduation. At first they swaped up sleepovers at Anne and Sasha's. Then Sasha's dad was like "Get a job" so then all three were sleeping at Anne's and Sasha got a job at burger queen.

Anne and Marcy turn the chanel to a vlog and reaction chanel while Sasha's at work. On Sasha’s days off they slowly get back into ghost hunting.

Eventually the Boonchuys are like "You gotta do something about these strays." So they get a cheap apartment above some rundown restaurant.

Marcy makes a lot of solo videos when Anne and Sasha are both working and they're done editing.

Then Sasha gets fired and he and Marcy get deeper into the supernatural while Anne works.

During their 6th anniversary they planned a road trip to some spooky hotel and get more equipment, going all out.

On this adventure, Sasha had a full on freak out. It started with just seeing things that nobody else did, then hearing thing nobody could hear, then something happened that just sent him into a break down, sobing and gasping all at once. Anne and Marcy didn't know what to do, they tried to talk to him, tried to hold him, but nothing changed except now his gasping was worse. Anne ended up carrying him to the car where Marcy had drive cause he used what little strength he had to cling to Anne's shirt.

He passes out before they reach the hospital and for a second they think he died but Marcy screams at Anne to check his pulse and Anne is freaking out cause she doesn't know how so Marcy reaches over, while driving, and checks.

The doctors say it was just a panic attack, but Sasha has no memory of anything after they stepped into the hotel.

Sasha has had panic attacks, Anne has seen his panic attacks, none of them were like that.

Watching the footage back, Sasha doesn't recognize anything past the intro.

Sasha's trying to find a way to find out what happened, Marcy is helping research the supernatural, Anne is researching for any reasonable explanation.

Anne pitches the idea that maybe Sasha scared himself to such a degree that lead to his reaction and Sasha gets pissed because Anne wasn't very good at explaining and he thought she was saying "you did this to yourself."

Sasha moves back in with his dad and stops recording with Anne entirely.

Their chanel now has gaming of Sasha and Marcy just playing together on Sundays cause Sasha had to get another job.

They play a lot of horror games and then some rpgs.

Sasha and Anne don't record together untill Sasha wants to go back to the hotel and Anne won't let them go without her. So for their 7th anniversary, a year after their last attempt, 6-9 months since the last time Anne and Sasha were even in the same room, they go back to the spooky hotel.

The moment they step inside Sasha feels like his lungs are lined with lead. This time it's not just him, Anne's shoulders are heavy and Marcy eyes keep playing tricks on them. Anne grabs Sasha's hand with a weak smile and they continue to their room. As they unlock the door their spirit box turns on while in Marcy's back pack and scares them.

They ask questions but nothing comes through till they open the door and it goes "You're back."

[peralta-guaranteed]

i know this isn’t super specific but do you have any early relationship h/c? like maybe date nights or something 😇

- my first instinct is always that they went from 0 to 100 in like, no time at all, and almost immediately settled into a comfortable relationship that feels like they've been together since forever, because they already know each other so well.

- but at the same time they're both extremely nervous that something will go wrong again or one of them will mess up or they're not doing things 'right', so they tiptoe around each other in a lot of moments where they could actually just chill and be happy with each other, but feel like they still need to impress.

- Jake especially has no idea how to...actually date. Like he's had a lot of first dates during his heaux phase, and had maybe two actually serious adult relationships before and both ended in fire and flames, so... he wants to make extra sure he doesn't mess up, because this is Amy Santiago we're talking about! So for the first time in his life he actually plans, and organises dates, and makes sure to make notes for possible gifts and things Amy has mentioned she wants to do and such.

- he goes all out for the first few date nights, trying to do it all perfectly by the book (or romantic comedy in his case). The fancy restaurants, the cool local events, the exciting little secret hide-aways. And Amy is impressed, but she can also tell that Jake doesn't ever really relax during their dates and doesn't seem like her Jake most of the time.

- so after date 4 or 5 of this, she cautiously mentions it. "You know you don't have to impress me all the time, right? We can just... hang out. Watch a movie. Get some delivery." "But that's what we used to do before as friends..." "Yes, and I loved it. There's nothing that makes me relax more than just sitting on a couch with you and trashtalking some tv show." And Jake is so confused, but he relents and their next 'date' is on Amy's couch with an extra big helping of take out, and ends with hours of cuddling and the best sleep he's ever had on her amazing mattress, so he's very much convinced.

- he still makes sure to surprise her with some of those fancy dates once in a while, for their first monthly anniversaries or something, but it's based more on his surprisingly perfect ideas and less on date-guidelines he found somewhere, and he's having just as much fun as her, so she loves it all much more.They also fully lean into their dorky sides with those dates, like the library-surprise for the 6 month anniversary, and realise they really don’t have to impress each other anymore or pretend to be something they’re not. They can just be nerdy Amy and cooky Jake and still love their time together.

[lynelovespopculture]

THE  CHILLING ADVENTURES OF ZELDA CHAPTER 14-A SPELLMAN FAMILY SOLSTICE

 Faustus and Zelda had a long recovery in front of them.  Faustus had only awakened 1 hour before his wife so they were healing at the same time. They both were assigned to complete bed rest for the next 3 weeks. In that time, they rested, snuggled together, and watched the defeat of Blackwood video numerous times. They both agreed that there was no foolproof way to get rid of Blackwood forever; they had to just keep their guard up and hope for the best. Zelda also told Faustus how Lilith had reclaimed hell for herself and found happiness with a new Adam. After the 3 weeks of bed rest, Faustus and Zelda were up and around and just in time to help celebrate Sabrina’s 18th birthday. (Since this was Sabrina’s last year at home before college, new rules were set. Thursday nights were family dinner night, absolutely no excuses for not attending, and Sunday was family movie night.)

Later that week, Faustus and Zelda managed to find some time to sit down with just the twins to have a serious talk about the adoption. Zelda explained that this adoption was less about guardianship, as the twins were almost 17, but more of a show of commitment to be their mother. Zelda nodded with understanding when they told her that they wanted time to think about it. Yet, there was 1 issue that the male twin didn’t need to think about at all. Just like his sister, Judas wanted to forget about his life with Blackwood. Soon enough, he confessed that he hated the name of Judas, so with his parents’ full support, changed his name to Jacob.  It wasn’t long at all until he was used to the family calling him Jake. 3 days later, Faustus took Zelda for a romantic dinner in the fanciest restaurant in town. As they clinked their wine glasses together, Faustus explained that it was the 1st anniversary of him being free from the curse. Hearing this, Zelda re-clinked the glasses.

“To the first of many, many years,” She smiled.

They went home, and make wild, passionate love before drifting off in each other’s arms. Late that night, Zelda turned around and found herself alone in bed. She caught Faustus at the entrance of the attic, which Ambrose and Jake now shared.

“I still can’t believe we’re all home now,” Faustus whispered as his wife linked her arm with his. With a kiss, Zelda led him back to their room, where they made love for the 2nd time that night.

  Their 1st solstice all together as a family was a very special one. LJ and Jake were both all smiles as together, they handed Zelda a gift. After wrapping it, Zelda gasped, for the box was filled with papers, but not just any papers. On top were the half-filled adoption papers and beneath that, were papers for legal name changes. The twins explained that not only did they want to be adopted but they were also ready to become Spellmans. All the family couldn’t agree fast enough. Zelda did a pretty good job of blinking back her tears of joy, or she did, right up until the twins called her ‘mom’ for the very 1st time. This happened right after Zelda gave LJ and Jake their Yule present. A thick photo album filled with pictures of their birth mother, Constance, at every stage of life so the twins could look at it whenever they wished.

In the new year, after Hilda and Dr. C celebrated their 1st anniversary and Zelda filed the paperwork for the twins’ adoption and name changes, plans went full steam ahead for LJ and Jake’s joint dark baptism. Jake kept it simple, by picking Jacob Faustus for his baptismal name. LJ’s was longer. LJ explained that her name was to be Letitia Judith Constance Zelda.

“To honor both my mothers.” LJ smiled and Zelda kissed the girl on the head, blinking back happy tears once more.

The baptism, attended by family and coven alike, went off without a hitch. For the next few months, the Spellmans’ lives were blissfully quiet and uneventful. Their lives revolved around work, school, and most importantly, each other. On April 2nd, the whole family gathered to celebrate Cordelia’s first birthday. They threw a party, of course, with cake and gifts but it was Faustus and Zelda who got the best present that day. It was later that night after they readied Cordelia for bed, they sat Cordelia down in front of her crib as they did for the last 3 weeks. It was normal when Cordelia pulled herself up to the crib with her tiny hands but then something new happened. Cordelia took her hands off the crib and took her 1st few unsteady steps towards Zelda. She playfully touched her mother’s cheek before saying her 1st word loud and clear. “Mommy!” After kissing her daughter silly, Zelda turned Cordelia around so she could walk to Faustus. The baby took 3 steps before she stumbled on the 4th and would have fallen but Faustus managed to catch her. He was rewarded with a giant smile. “Daddy!”

 Spring and summer flew by and before anyone knew it, it was September again. Everyone came out to see Sabrina and LJ, who graduated a year early, off to college. Days turned to weeks, weeks to months, and months to years. When she was 3 and big enough for a big girl bed, Cordelia was given Sabrina’s room by her still at college cousin. The following year, Hilda, Faustus, and Sabrina convinced an uneasy Zelda to allow Cordelia to attend mortal kindergarten, just like Sabrina before her. Cordelia’s parents sat her down and explained to her not to talk about witches or use magic at school. They also kept their promise to the witch’s council, to keep them updated on Cordelia’s magical development. Yet, there was little to report. The baby who cried the devil out of the house was growing up as normally as any other little witch, except for a slammed door or a few floating items. Her powers were at their strongest when her emotions were at their peak.  One afternoon, Cordelia wanted to play outside but Hilda explained she couldn’t because it was raining, hard.

“I don’t want it to rain!” As soon as Cordelia stamped her foot, the sun came out. Hilda stared wordlessly, yet Cordelia didn’t even seem to notice. It was on the 1st day of school that Cordelia met Erin, Emily, and Erica Warner, mortal triplet girls who quickly became her BFFs. Meanwhile, with his youngest now in school, Faustus was feeling a little lost.  Ambrose and Jake formed the perfect team to run the funeral home together and the rest of the family were busy with their own thing. 1 night, Zelda suggested her husband should return to teaching. Zelda knew she got through to him and was waiting for Faustus to ask her to return to the academy. So, she was shocked when he told her he gotten a job at Greendale middle school, teaching 7th grade. Theo Putnam was also a new teacher.

 It was a cold night in the late December of Cordelia’s sixth year that the child awoke with a start.

“Who’s there?” She demanded with the greatest demand she could mutter as she sat up and looked around the darkened room. She looked around and saw nothing, yet she felt someone was nearby. Cordelia sighed, this wasn’t a new feeling. She pulled back her blankets and got up. Might as well go to the bathroom while I’m awake. She thought.

“Hey, Salem.” Cordelia petted Sabrina’s familiar on her way back to bed. Then she picked up her favorite doll, tucked it under her arm, sighed as she laid down, and closed her eyes.

 The next thing she knew, sunlight tickled at Cordelia’s eyelids. 1 quick look at the clock and she jolted out of bed and down the hallway. Her own school had let out for Christmas yesterday, but the academy was a year-round boarding school that demanded much of its headmistress. Cordelia felt that she spent less than 10 minutes with her mother all week. Maybe it was still early enough to catch her. She stopped short in her parents’ doorway. Not only was no one in here, but the bed was made and everything was neat, suggesting that both her parents left long ago.

“It's not even 9 yet! Well, so much for that idea.” Cordelia muttered as she headed for the steps. Downstairs, Cordelia found her brother fluttering back and forth before the front door as if he was preparing to go out. “Where’re you going, Jake?” she asked from the stairway.

Jake looked up, pausing as he put on his coat. “Good morning, Cordy. Mom just called, she needs someone to fill in for her with the choir ASAP.”

“Mom’s already at the school?”

Unfortunately, Jake was too busy to notice the sadness in his sister’s tone. “Yeah. Bye.”

Cordelia was left to frown at the closed door when the wonderful smells finally reached her nose. Those smells only appeared when someone special visited. Now wearing a tiny smile, the 6-year-old ran into the kitchen and hugged the visitor from behind. “Hi, auntie H!”

Hilda, who was baking, half-turned and gave her niece a 1 arm hug. “Hello, darling.”

From his stool 3 feet away, Ambrose waved. “Hello, cousin.”

“Hello, another Spellman who no longer lives here.” Cordelia teased good-naturedly and Ambrose laughed. He and Prudence had only moved into a small apartment together downtown 3 months ago.

Meanwhile, Hilda wiped her hands on a towel. “It’s cereal alright for breakfast?”

Cordelia smiled and nodded. “Yes, please.”

“So, Cordy, how did you sleep?” Asked Ambrose.

“Good! For the most part.”

Ambrose and Hilda exchanged a look. “For the most part?” repeated her aunt.

“Ghostbusting again, cuz?”

Cordelia gave Ambrose an annoyed sideways glance. “No, Ambrose. Ghostbusting would imply that I actually see the spirit.”

Ambrose was now confused. “Wait, you don’t see the ghosts? Ever? But you had this problem for a while.”

“Since before feasts of feasts as I recall,” Hilda added.

“I don’t understand. If you can’t see them, how do you know they’re ghosts?”

Cordelia shrugged. “I don’t know. I just know, it’s just a feeling. Most girls my age are scared of ghosts; I just want them to make up their minds! They should show themselves, tell me what the problem is so I can help or just let me be so I can sleep at night.”

Hilda and Ambrose both had nothing to say so they just stared at the girl. Cordelia sighed, what was needed now was a change of subject and she found it on the serving tray. “Who pops popcorn this early in the morning?”

Ambrose sprang to life. “Oh, I almost forgot!  I was supposed to bring out the cranberries and popcorn to Dr. C and Uncle Faustus. They finally setting up the Yule tree!” Ambrose grabbed the tray and rushed out of the kitchen.

“Well, I got to go too,” Cordelia announced.

“Why?” Asked Hilda.

“Because my bowl of cereal was on that tray!”

Hilda laughed, shook her head, and returned to her baking.

 “I swear, we get this tree up later and later every year.” Faustus sighed.

“Well, we’re busy men,” Dr. C assured him. “Me at my bookstore, you at the middle school. Here comes Ambrose, at last.”

Faustus smiled as the younger warlock rushed in. “We were beginning to think you’d forgotten us.”

“I’m so sorry that it took me so long,” Ambrose said.  “Aunt Hilda and I got to talking and then Cordelia walked in.”

“Oh? Cordy’s up?”

“I sure am!” The child was right on Ambrose’s heels. She was closer to Dr. C so she greeted him first. “Hi, Uncle C” She hugged him and then went over to her father. “Hi, Daddy” she giggled when Faustus kissed the cheek of his youngest child. The 2 men went back to trying to steady the tree, as Ambrose found a chair and began to thread the popcorn and cranberry strings together. After reclaiming her breakfast, at last, Cordelia sat on the sofa and asked about the only thing on her mind.

“How long ago did Mom leave for the academy this morning?”

“About an hour and a half to 2 hours ago” Faustus answered casually. “Why? Do you need her?”

Cordelia frowned. “No, I don’t need her per say, but I do miss her. It’s like I barely have seen her this week.”

“Don’t worry, baby,” Faustus soothed his daughter. “While it’s true that Solstice demands more of the high priestess’s time than normal, all she has to do is get through today and perform tomorrow’s midnight mass then Zelda will be free to spend the rest of the holidays with us.”

“Don’t forget when we go get the girls tomorrow.” Dr. C added. “Zelda would never miss that.”

Although both LJ and Sabrina left for college 6 years ago, the girls were still away for their education but for different reasons. Unlike Jake, who left a year after his sister and cousin and return 2 years later, business degree in hand. Poor Sabrina was having a tough time, having changed her major 3 times. On the flip side, LJ had not only completed university in record time but was enrolled in 2 different medical schools. When done, LJ would not only be 1 of the few female witch doctors, she would also be the 1st witch doctor trained in mortal medicine. With a sister on her way to glory and her mother already in the history books as the 1st high priestess, Cordelia was extremely proud of her family and sometimes wondered if greatness lay in her future as well.  Having finished her breakfast, Cordelia now lay the now-empty bowl on the coffee table and went to the old cardboard box that held the tree decorations.  After a few seconds of digging around, Cordelia was able to her favorite one. It was a diamond full moon on 1 side and the other side was a picture frame. The picture itself was taken on her 1st solstice. It was of Zelda, Faustus, and Cordelia herself, when she was still just a baby. While Cordelia stood admiring the photo, Dr. C lost his balance on the step stool and bump into the girl, causing her to lose her grip on the glass moon and it smashed on the floor.

Dr. C rushed to the child’s side. “Oh Cordelia, I’m so sorry!” He hugged her.

Cordelia put on a brave face. “It’s okay, uncle C. We have lots of others.”

As they spoke, the fragments of the glass moon float up in the air and magically fixed itself.

“But this 1 is your favorite,” Faustus held it in the palm of his hand. “I know because it’s my favorite too.”

Cordelia smiled. “Thanks, Dad.”

  Putting up the tree nearly took all day. Cordelia was excused because right after lunch, the Warner triplets called their friend to come with them to go to the mall to see Santa. Cordelia was gone all afternoon and returned just in time for dinner yet her mood seemed to change. She was quiet and seemed angry. At first, Hilda thought her niece was annoyed because Zelda called to say that she was too busy to come home for dinner.  Then, in the middle of supper, Jake knocked over a glass of water. On the other side of the table, his baby sister jumped up in horror.

“You should be more careful!” She shouted before she ran out of the room. Faustus and Hilda found Cordelia in her room pacing back and forth before her bed. “Don’t cry, don’t cry, don’t cry!” She muttered to herself.

“Cordy? What’s wrong?” Faustus asked.

His daughter looked up, frowning. “You should have told me. Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Tell you what?”

“THAT OUR KIND CAN MELT!!”  Cordelia shouted.

Faustus and Hilda exchanged a confused look. “Cordelia, love,” Hilda said gently, “what exactly did you and your friends do this afternoon?”

Cordelia sighed. “After the trip to the mall to see Santa, Mr. Warner invited me back to their house for hot chocolate and it was there that Erin, Emily, Erica, and I watched a movie.”

“What movie?” Her father asked.

“The Wizard of Oz.”

Both Faustus and Hilda felt instant relief. Hilda left to go inside the bathroom while Faustus took his daughter by the hand, guided her to the bed, so they could both sit down.

“Darling, while it’s true the mortals have short lives, while we witches can live for centuries and centuries. Surely, we can’t live that long if we are in danger of something as common as water.”

“But in the movie-“

“The movie is not real. It’s pretend, make-believe. You remember when you, Mommy, and I had our talk about make-believe?”

Cordelia nodded. “I remember, but it’s so confusing! After all, mortal parents tell their children that witches are make-believe.”

Faustus nodded. “That’s true but I can prove I’m right! Think back to every mass you attended, all the times Zelda took you with her to the academy, have you ever, after all that time with the coven, even seen a green witch?”

“No. Hey, wait  a second, I didn’t tell you that the witch was green! How did you know?”

Faustus laughed. “The Wizard of Oz is a very famous movie and you’re not the 1st witch to get spooked by water after seeing it. I guess you could call it a witch childhood rite of passage by now.”

“Your father’s right,” said Hilda, coming toward the bed, glass in 1 hand. “When your cousin Sabrina saw that movie, she reacted the exact same way you did. That’s when Zelds and I came up with the test.”

“Test? What kind of test?”

“Come here and I’ll show you.” When Cordelia didn’t move and kept staring at the glass, Hilda tried again. “What’s wrong? Don’t you trust me?”

This softened Cordelia immediately. “Of course I do, Auntie H.” The child got off the bed and came forward and Hilda knelt down to look her niece in the eye. “Now just give me 1 of your fingers.” Cordelia offered up a finger. Hilda took it and put the tip of the finger just under.  “Now, how does that feel?”

“Wet.” Was the child’s only reply.

Hilda laughed. “Yes, it’s wet, but what else? Does your finger feel like it is going to fall off or melt?”

Cordelia smiled and shook her head.  Hilda smiled. “Good, the test has worked in our favor yet again.”

“Thank Hecate!” Faustus added. “Can you imagine how foul our world would be if none of us would be allowed to bathe?”

Cordelia laughed at her father’s funny face as Hilda kissed her brow.

  A few hours later, Faustus turned down the bed as Cordelia got ready in the bathroom.

“Cordy, have you brushed your teeth yet?”

“Doing it right now, Dad.”

Faustus couldn’t resist. “With water?”

First, there was silence then came a low moan. Faustus smiled to himself.

Cordelia switched off the bathroom light and walked more into her bedroom. “Hecate, I’m dumb,” She muttered.

When she was close enough, Faustus put his arm around his daughter. “You are not dumb. You, my girl, are 6. Considering how you speak and behave most of the time, it’s easy to forget how young you are.”

Cordelia gave a half-smile. “Still young enough to be read to?”

“Not very subtle, miss Spellman.”

Cordelia giggled and crawled into bed as Faustus grabbed the book on the nightstand. Some little girls like fairy tales, most, at least, like a story with a plot. But most nights, Cordelia favored spell books, especially the Latin ones, even though Cordelia didn’t speak the language. She said it soothed her faster. Tonight, Faustus only read a page and a half before Cordelia was fast asleep. He tucked her in and tiptoed out of the room. The next thing Cordelia was aware of; someone was arranging her blankets. Her 1st thought was that the troublesome ghost was back but she was instantly awake when she saw who it really was.

“Mommy! I missed you so much today!” Cordelia sat up and threw herself into Zelda’s arms.

Zelda kissed her brow. “I’ve missed you too, little one. I didn’t mean to wake you, but your father told me that you had a scare today.”

“That’s not important,” Cordelia dismissed. “Will you come with us to pick up LJ and Sabrina tomorrow morning?”

Zelda nodded. “I will, but I must get back to the academy by early afternoon at the very latest.”

Cordelia frowned. “But tomorrow is the day before Solstice. You always spend it with us.”

“I know precious but we’re so behind this year. I mean, the church is not yet decorated or prepared for midnight mass yet.”

“How about I go with you? That way you could get your work and we could still be together.”

“We’ll talk about it tomorrow.”

“No! Wait! Don’t go yet.” Cordelia grabbed her book. “Read to me.”

“It’s late, Cordelia.”

“Please, Mom?”

Normally, Zelda would have held firm but she felt massively guilty about barely being home lately. Zelda sighed and took the book. “Move over.”

An hour later, Faustus went to look for his wife and found Zelda and Cordelia snuggled up together, both fast asleep. Faustus went to Zelda to whisper to her. “It’s late, my love. We’re going to have to leave for the airport, well, in just a few hours now.”

“Mmm,” was Zelda’s only reply.

It was only then that he saw the book. “Did Cordy get another story out of you?”

Again, “Mmm.”

“Dearest, are you asleep?”

“Mmm?”

Faustus smiled. “That’s what I thought.” Gently, he put 1 hand under Zelda’s head and the other 1 under her knees. Then he carried Zelda out of Cordelia’s room and back to their own bed.

 Even though they had only been home a few weeks before for feats of feasts, Sabrina and LJ’s homecoming was a joyful one. At the airport, there was much hugging and kissing, done by all the family. The morning flew by with all their laughing, talking, and catching up. After lunch, most of the family went to the church with Zelda to help set things up, yet Sabrina went for a different reason. All Sabrina had to do was wait for an opportunity to talk to her aunts alone. She got 2 and chickened out both times. Fed up with her own failure, Sabrina teleported herself back to Spellman’s kitchen and groaned.

“Just tell them, you coward!”

The loud whistle of the kettle startled Sabrina. She turned and saw Faustus at the stove,1 of his eyebrows rose. “Something wrong, Sabrina?”

She could feel her eyes watering. “Yes.”

Faustus said the 1st thing that came to mind. “Are you changing your major again?”

Sabrina shook her head. “No, I’m not changing my major. I’m not going back to school at all!” There, she finally said it.

For his part, Faustus got out 2 cups and saucers, poured the tea, and sat down at the table with Sabrina.

“I can’t seem to bring myself to tell Auntie Hilda and Aunt Z. I wasted 5 years, 3 majors, and all that money. My aunties are going to be so disappointed.”

In an effort to comfort his niece, Faustus took Sabrina’s hand in his. “All your aunts have ever wanted for you is to be happy.”

“I tried, I tried so hard.” Sabrina’s lip quivered.

“I know,” Faustus soothed. “Maybe this could be a blessing in disguise,” he suggested. “Maybe, by taking a semester off will help you relax and figure out for sure what you really want to do.”

“But I was sure all those times I change my majors,” Sabrina stressed.

“You know, 1 of my favourite teachers once told me that the secret to professional success is to pick something that you love and are good at.”

“But I don’t know what I’m good for a job.”

“What about helping people? You’re good at that.”

“But that could any career.” Sabrina pointed out.

“How about a therapist? I would be lost without mine.”

Sabrina smiled. “A therapist? Me? You remember I’m the one who causes most of the problems around here?”

“Oh, that was when you were a teenager,” Faustus dismissed. “You’re grown up a lot since then. Besides, if nothing else, the outlook of a half-mortal, half-fallen angel raised by witches is bound to be interesting.”

Sabrina laughed. “True. You’ve given me a lot to think about. Thanks, Uncle Faustus.”

He was shocked. “You’ve never called me uncle before.”

“I know but it’s high time I did.”

 “Dad? I’ve been wondering something for a long time, but I’m not sure how to ask.”

It was late that night and Faustus was readying Cordelia for midnight mass. In his opinion, she looked great. His daughter was wearing a new red dress, her white winter tights, and shiny black Mary Janes. He was now adding the finishing touch of a ribbon in her red hair, exactly like her mother’s. “Cordy, don’t be scared. You know you can ask me anything.”

“Okay, Dad, don’t you believe? I mean, I know that Uncle C isn’t a warlock, so it makes sense that he doesn’t share our faith, but why don’t you believe?”

“But I do believe, sweetheart. I was baptized the night after you were born.”

Cordelia seemed confused. “You were?! Then why don’t you ever attend mass?”

Faustus sighed. “You have to leave in a few minutes and it’s a very long story and I promise that someday we will discuss this in greater detail, but for now all I can tell you that when I was high priest, before you were born, I did things that I am deeply ashamed of. The coven has since forgiven me but I am still weary of being near them.  I do attend mass, in fact, I’m there every week, but I don’t sit up front with the rest of the family, I actually like to sit in the very back pew. I also like to be the last one to arrive and the first one to leave. I like it when the coven doesn’t even notice me.”

Cordelia thought for a moment and then said, “Are you sorry about what you did?”

“Oh, Hecate, yes! I’m sorrier than anyone can ever know.”

Cordelia shrugged. “Then the coven has to forgive you. It’s just good manners.”

Faustus hugged his daughter, grateful for her innocent logic.

   A little later, Cordelia found herself at the church, sitting in the front pew with Hilda, Sabrina, Ambrose, and the twins while Prudence sang in the choir. Even at 6, Cordelia felt proud that it was her mother who performed the service, glorious in her white and gold robes. During the middle of the service, Cordelia took advantage of her end seat and looked toward the back. Sure enough, she found her father, who waved at her. After mass, Cordelia stayed behind to help clean up and help her mother say goodbye to the coven. When they drove home, there a raven haired woman near the stairs. Cordelia didn’t know who the lady was but, judging the way her mother was gripping the wheel, Cordelia guessed her mother did.

“Is she the one who keeps bothering you?” Zelda asked.

“No, I don’t think so. Mom, who is that?”

“Go inside and get dressed for bed, Cordy. It’s late.”

Cordelia did as she was told but she did pick up some bits of dialogue.

“Bright solstice, Zelda.”

“What are you doing here, Lilith?”

“Come now, surely I’m allowed to check up on my son’s future bride.”

That was all Cordelia heard. 10 minutes later, Zelda came into Cordelia’s room to kiss her daughter goodnight.

“Mom?  I heard you and that lady talking. Who’s getting married? Prudence or LJ?”

“No one in this house is getting married!” Zelda declared firmly.

Zelda went to bed mad and woke up even angrier. “I don’t get it, Faustus.” She said to her husband as they went downstairs for breakfast. “We heard or seen nothing of Lilith these past 6 years and the 1st thing she mentions is that stupid marriage contract that I signed in invisible ink and can’t possibly be binding. Lilith knows that! What game is she playing at?”

“I don’t know and I don’t care.” Faustus answered honestly. “Whenever it is, we’ll deal with it together like we always do. Today is solstice. It’s time to celebrate that and the fact that this is your 1st day off in weeks. Then, later on, tonight, I get to show you how terribly I and our bed, have missed you.”  He kissed her hard before they walked into the kitchen, hand in hand.

 According to tradition, the family waited until sundown to gather round the Yule tree and start exchanging gifts. Half an hour later, the get together was in full swing, with music, talking, and laughing all filling the air. It was about this time that Faustus gave Zelda a small blue ring box. Inside was the 6th annual charm that Faustus gave his wife every Yule to go on the bracelet that he had given her on their 1st Solstice that they spent together as a married couple. However, the meaning of this year’s charm was lost on Zelda.

“A white rose?”

Faustus nodded. “A symbol of eternal love.”

Zelda gave a sly smile. “Yours or mine?”

Faustus laughed and stroked his wife’s cheek as he received Zelda’s thank you kiss. Then Faustus stood up and grabbed a skinny gift from under the tree. He passed it to Cordelia.  “Speaking of jewellery, here a little something from your mother and me.” Cordelia smiled as she took the gift and unwrapped it. It turned out be a golden chain with a crescent moon attached, not unlike her own birthmark. She looked up at her parents from her place on the floor.

“I love it! Thank you, Dad. Thank you, Mom.” Cordelia got up and hugged both her parents.

“May Hecate bless and keep you, my Cordelia.” Zelda smiled at her daughter.

“Amen.”

“Oh, it seems we ran out of music and could use a new Christmas CD.” Hilda sighed.

“I’ll go change it since I’m up.”  Cordelia offered and journeyed to the stereo but before she got there, she passed a window and froze.  She looked very upset.

It was Hilda who first noticed her distress.  “Cordy, darling? What’s wrong?”

“It’s her,” Came her niece’s reply. “The ghost that keeps up me at night. She’s right outside.”

“How do you know? You said you never saw her.” Ambrose pointed out.

Cordelia shook her head. “I never did, but I always felt her just as I feel her now and I’m looking straight at her.”

Faustus got up to collect his daughter.  “Come sit down, sweetheart.  We’ll figure all this out later.” Yet just as he put an arm around Cordelia, he looked out the window and saw the ghost too. “Constance?”

“Faustus, may I see you out in the hall for a minute?” Zelda asked as she rose.

 “I think we should let Constance in.”

Faustus couldn’t believe his ears. “What?  Zelda dearest, what are you saying?”

“Well, I think it’s perfectly oblivious why she’s here.”

Faustus nodded. “Yes, she’s here to ruin our family solstice.”

“No,” his wife disagreed, “I think she’s here to see her children, the twins, as is her right.”

“I think you’re giving her too much credit. Don’t you remember how she behaved the last time we made contact with her? You had to bar her from the house!”

“That was over 6 years ago. Maybe she changed.”

“Changed?!” Faustus sneered. “Then why has she  been  bothered Cordy for over a month?”

“Why don’t you go out there and ask her yourself?”

“Fine, I will,” Faustus agreed. “But you’re coming with me.”

A moment later, Zelda and Faustus stepped out onto the frozen porch. Constance was right before them.

“If we allow you into this house, will you abide by its rules and customs?” Faustus asked.

Constance smiled as she nodded. “I will.”

“Come in. You are welcome.” With those simple words, Zelda broke her own spell.

The whole family was shocked when Faustus and Zelda returned with the ghost. Hilda was the 1st to recover.

“Um, Ambrose, Prudence, Sabrina, Cordy, could you come to help me and your uncle C in the kitchen?”

“I think I’ll join you.” Zelda turned to join the family, but Constance called her back. “Please stay, Zelda, there’s something I would like to say to you too.”

“Ok.” Zelda was unsure as she slid into her chair next to Faustus. The twins were sitting on the sofa. Zelda noticed that the twins were holding hands, something they only did when they were really anxious.

“Is it true?”  Jake asked. “Are you really our mother?”

“She’s only our birth mother,” his sister answered him, “Zelda is our real mother.”

“LJ, please!” Zelda didn’t mean it, but her mothering tone came through.

Constance didn’t seem to mind as she stared at the twins and smiled. “You are both so beautiful.”  She touched LJ’s face. “My daughter on her way to becoming a witch doctor!”

Jake lowered his eyes. “I’m sorry I’m not a genius like LJ.”

“Are you happy, my son?”

“I am.”

Constance smiled. “That’s all that matters.”

“And we’re safe,” LJ added.

“That’s right,” Jake agreed. “Blackwood is no more.”

Constance smiled. “I know; I’ve been watching you. I’ve been watching all of you.” Constance turned. “Which brings me back to you, Zelda Spellman. I have something important to say to you. Thank you. Ever since you dispatched with Blackwood, you have done everything to make sure that my children felt safe and loved. I can never thank you enough for that.”

LJ got up and walked to Zelda’s side. “Why would even doubt her? She cared for us when we were babies. I mean, this is the same woman who whisked me away at birth and loved me when she didn’t have to.”

You must understand,” Constance stressed. “The last time I saw Zelda; she was heavily pregnant. I thought that she would prefer her own child and become a petty and jealous stepmother to the 2 of you. Just” Constance sighed and cast down her eyes in shame. “Just as I did with Prudence. Happily, that didn’t happen. She loves you as if you were her own.”

“I love them because they are my own,” Zelda said gently, “Just as Cordelia and Prudence are. Perhaps you would have learned this if you’ve survived but a mother’s heart can never be too full.”

“Wait,” Jake was confused. “If all you wanted was to have a peaceful heart-to-heart, then why have you been bothering Cordy all this time?”

Constance looked startled.  “Have I?   I didn’t mean to. Please apologize to her for me.”

LJ leaned in to whisper in Zelda’s ear.  “I guess the divine child’s powers can pick up a rogue ghost better than we can.”

Zelda’s focus was elsewhere at the moment. “Constance, you’re glowing. You’ve never looked better.”

The ghost blushed like a schoolgirl. “Am I? Well, I guess being at peace agrees with me then. You see, I recently re-met a friend from childhood on the other side, and he has been helping me to put aside my anger and bitterness. I’m starting to see things differently now. Zelda, I understand that you didn’t set out to break up my marriage, Faustus’s heart was yours long before I came around. It’s perfectly fine that my children have 2 mothers, as long as they are loved and protected.”

Sensing that her time was up, Constance kissed both her children and turned to leave when

“Wait.” It was the 1st time Faustus had spoken since they had all sat down. Now, he stood and when to the ghost. “Constance, I have never seen you speak so tenderly or behave so kindly. I just to say I’m sorry. We never were a love match but I could have been kinder to you during our marriage. Not pressuring you for a son, been more of a comfort during your miscarriages. Enjoy the happiness you have now; you certainly deserve it. Bright Solstice.” He gave her a peck on the cheek. The lights flicked and then the ghost was gone.

It was when Constance was gone that Jake fell on his knees before Zelda. “We love you, bonus mom.”

LJ hugged her. “We sure do.”

Faustus watched this touching scene for a moment and then turned his attention to the hallway.  “Okay, guys, you can come out now. Don’t think I don’t see you spying over there!”

The guilty gang filed back into the living room and the Solstice celebrations continued.1 hour later, the room was quiet as Ambrose read Charles Dickins’ A Christmas Carol aloud. Fearing that she would too big to do it next year, Cordelia grabbed her favorite blanket and settled herself on Zelda’s lap. She was going to ask if she was too heavy when her mother held her closer.

“Hecate, bless us, everyone,” Cordelia whispered.

[propertyofwicked]

a-z of dating will schofield 

(ive kept blake alive bcos im not a monster, and he has sisters rather than daughters :) ) pls request more for me to write i am bored of my half term lol

a- argue 

both of you are fairly neutral people, so you rarely have arguments of significance. when you do however, the aftermath can last anywhere from a few hours to a few days - both of you too stubborn to admit your faults so resorting to silent treatment. the periods of silence ended when one of you couldn’t take it anymore, usually him. he would approach you when you were pre-occupied, take you in his arms and whisper an apology. if that didn’t work, he would begin telling bad jokes, refusing to let you go until you cracked even the smallest of smiles. 

b - body (his favourite body part of yours)

will loves your lips. on the one hand, he loves when your whole face lights up in laughter, or perks up with a smile. he loves seeing your lips curl up into a small grin whenever you see him across the street or when you share a look from across busy rooms. on the other hand, he loves how your lips fit perfectly with his. when you get intimate, he loves how they wrap around him and he loves when they fall open to let out the bliss sound of your moans.

c - care (how you care for each other when you’re sick)

when will is ill, he’ll pretend it’s nothing and continue working himself beyond his ability. it’s almost your job to make sure that when he’s ill, he remains in bed - or at least the house - in order for you to keep an eye on him and make sure he stays hydrated and well fed. when you’re ill, he will stay with you as much as he can. before he has to go to work, he’ll place a glass of water and medication next to your bed and put soup into a pot, ready for you to just heat it up when you needed it. when he comes home, he’ll come straight up to you and wrap you in his arms, peppering your face in kisses. he didn’t care if he too got ill - it just meant more time with you. 

d - dates (what do you guys do?) 

you and will weren’t a typically outgoing couple, whilst you both came from money and could afford to splash out - neither of you wanted to. you’d rather stay at home, curled up on a sofa, humming along softly to the murmurs of a record playing softly in the background. he’d play with the rings that adorned your fingers whilst he listened to you talk about anything that came to mind. you listened to him talk, sometimes he’d tell stories of his time in the war - maybe he’d recount something he’d seen or something that blake had told him in passing, he did love to tell stories after all. when you did go all out, it was to celebrate anniversaries or birthdays, and even then, it was a dinner and then a walk home, gazing at the stars. 

e - engagement (how he proposed)

it was on your 7 year anniversary, sometime in early 1922, and you go to a local restaurant to celebrate. something feels different though. as you walked in holding hands, his became clammy and throughout conversation at dinner, he stumbled over his words and found it hard to stay on one topic for more than 5 minutes at a time. on the walk home he takes you down a different street and says he “just wants to show you something”. without questioning him, you follow him and end up at the bench you first met. it wouldn’t be will, if he hadn’t planned out a long speech that built up to the final question but in his stress manage to forget it and resort to just going on one knee and smiling up at you, “i love you, will you marry me?”

f - friends and family (do they like you/him?)

his family adores you. his younger sisters loved to have someone to talk to and someone to braid their hair whilst their big brother was away at war. whilst he was away, his mother loved to have you other for dinner, desperate to have anything the remind her of her son. his dad and you weren’t massively close but there was an aspect of mutual respect. you had many mutual friends as you grew up in the same area, attending local schools and all of them were obviously delighted to see their two friends happy with each other. your parents adored him too, he was the son they never had whilst also being the best thing to walk into your life. 

g - gifts 

will loved to shower you in gifts. they were only little but they were something so deeply special to you. it was weekly flowers, that he’d buy on his way back from work, or maybe a punnet of cherries from the green grocers - he was whipped and you were equally. 

h - how you met

you met when you were 17 and he was 18 in 1915. your town had been holding a small travelling festival consisting of a circus and fun little game stalls. your friends had insisted you go, as it may be your only chance. they didn’t mention though, that whilst there they would be meeting their boyfriends - leaving you alone, wondering around admiring the lights. in your meandering, you bumped into the dusty blond who stood as good head above you. in doing so, you knocked the toffee apple out of his hand, and insisted on buying him a new one with the the remainder of the 10 bob your dad had given you on the way out. you spent the rest of the evening sat on a bench, talking about the stars that shon above until your friends turned up to take you home. 

i - intimacy (how often are yall getting down?)

despite his shy outer shell, william schofield was not afraid to show you loving almost every day. can’t sleep? hungry? need to go shopping? this man does not care. if you need anything, he’ll give it to you and god does he know how to work his way around that bedroom. 

j - jealousy

your’re both the jealous type, but not the type to make a public show about it. the pent out anger is usually taken out behind doors if you get what i mean ;) when will gets jealous, he makes sure you know by squeezing your hand harder or moving it over to graze the top of your thigh and he’d play with the ends of you hair. you’re more discreet about it, maybe getting a little argumentative with whoever is making you jealous. 

k - kinks

william schofield - king of praising. he loves to hear you call out his name as much as he likes to make you. if he could spend all day making you shake, he would. 

l - long distance

whilst will was away at war, things got hard. despite only being together 6 months when he left, it was like a piece of you had been torn away, and you spent every day praying for his safe return. but when he did come back on leave, it wasn’t the same as you knew he’d had to leave again and the risk of never seeing him again got more prevalent. sending letters was always hard, often he’d find the small marks where ink had bled from your tears, his heart shutting down to repress his own feelings. his letters went from happy to bland. no emotion, just vague descriptions of his days, his meals - nothing about him and how he was doing. so when the war did finally end and he came back to you, he returned to being the will you had grown to love. 

m - moving in

towards the beginning of the war, you had received a letter from will declaring how the moment he came home, he wanted to make a woman out of you. so when the war finally ended 4 years later, and he returned, the first thing you two did was go on the hunt for a smallish house. you opted to move more into the city as the jobs and travel was considerably better. living together was a dream, though you had to adjust to each others bad habits, and being young and living together meant you had the constant questionings as to when you would start a family of your own.

n - nights out

ofcourse, living in closer to the city provided you with better opportunities for nightlife. friday nights were dancing nights. you two, your friends and partners and whichever girl tom picked up that week would all stumble down to the dance hall and spend hours, drunk dancing to the likes of marrison harris, only to return home at early hours and pass out on the living room floor. 

o - open with each other

at the start of your relationship, will and you were very open with each other, discussing your boundaries and respecting them as such. you would talk about everything, from friends to family to school. but after the war, will became a closed door - refusing to talk about anything that happened whilst he was away, you respected this but wished he’d open up the slightest, just to be able to connect to him in anyway. after a few months, he became the same man he was before he left, just more mature - a look that really suited him. in his months of silence, you opted to fill this by just talking non stop, anything the provoke a reaction. and you’ll never forget when he had not said a word for 3 days after returning and whispered a quick “i love you” as you fell asleep that night. 

p - pda

neither of you were big on over-the-top pda, choosing to just hold hands or accept slight pecks. affection was saved for a private environment around only each other or very close friends. although in crowded areas, will would stand behind you, wrapping his arms around you securely. 

q - questions (what you talk about late at night)

it’s 3am, you can’t sleep, so you roll over and stare will in the face until one eye peaks open. 

“yeah?” he mumbles sleepily.

“do you love me?”

“mhm”

“no say it”

“i love you, now go to sleep, it’s 3am”

r - reproduction (do you want kids?)

you’ve always wanted kids, knowing that you grew up mostly alone as a single child. will had also wanted children until he saw what war could do to a child. he feared that he would be putting a potential son at risk by just simply creating him. it took a lot of convincing to retrieve will from the mindset he had fallen trap to, but he eventually did come around to the idea of having his own little family to protect. 

s - surprising (what surprised you about him)

he was really bold when you got to know him well enough. on the surface and to people who had not spoken to him, will seemed like a quiet but wise soul. one getting to know him, anyone could realise that he had the sense of humour of a champ and was really outgoing. often, being around tom brought this out in him, challenging to ridiculous games of drunk darts in a dingy pub.

t - together (what you do together)

you just vibe together. sometimes you cook together, other times you sing or you dance along with the wireless - him twirling you around the kitchen was a favourite of his. sometimes you’d read together or to each other and other times you’d go out dancing till early hours of the morning.

u - under the influence (drunk vibes)

will and tom were hell to reckon with alone, but when alcohol was thrown into the mix it became a harder battle. you’d opted out of going out one night after a long, tiresome day. this led you to be left to deal with two fully grown men, giggling like school girls in your living room at 2am. will refused to sleep till he had gotten a kiss and tom refused until he was tucked into to bed and sang a nursery rhyme. but quite frankly you wouldn’t have it any other way. 

v - vacations

at it was only the 1920′s, you guys tended not to go abroad. instead you travelled the country, hiking in the peak district and swimming in the sea at cornwall.

w - wedding

you had a small wedding service, attended by family and close friends - and it was absolutely perfect. the service was followed by an evening of dancing and drinking alongside the people you loved most. 

x - xray (when he’s hurt)

it was almost impossible for a man to return from war unharmed, which left will with a weak left hand from a bad experience with barbed wired and then the carcus of a man. some days, it would get so bad, that he was unable to lift a glass in that hand, and on the days, you’d remind him that you were there to help whenever he needed it. whether that meant giving him medication or ringing a doctor, he was constantly reminded of the love you had for him. 

y - you (a random headcannon)

will had left early that morning, saying he’d be home late and not to wait up. you didn’t question it, as often he would travel for his job or go for drinks with tom. for some reason that night you couldn’t sleep without him, so took out his shirt and held it close to you, managing to fall asleep comforted by the smell of him. what a sight that was, for him to walk in a few hours later and find you curled up with his shirt. he had never been more in love with you than at this precise moment. 

z - zzzzzzzz’s (sleeping routine)

you’d be in bed first most nights, after bathing away that days dirt. will would emerge at the bedroom door half an hour later, in just a towel, to gaze at you absorbed into a book and oblivious to his presence. he’d put on his pyjamas and climb in next to you, his arm find his way under your back. this way he was able to pull you in and rest your head on his chest. he’d press a kiss to the top of your head, then tilt your chin up to connect your lips together in a sweet kiss. 

[lovemalecforever]

Chapter 6

Lightwoods Reunion

The golden rays of the morning sun shone through the windows into their room, breaking the darkness and making it naturally bright.

Alec stirred when the rays fell on his face. He opened his sleepy eyes, only to find a hand tightly wrapped around his waist, a face buried in his chest and their legs entangled with each other. A warm smile crept on his face as he carefully untangled himself, making sure not to wake his precious warlock then left for the bathroom.

When Magnus didn't find the warm body beside him, he stirred and slowly woke up. Noticing that the other side of the bed was empty he started to panic but the sound of running water made him relaxed. Turning on his side, he gazed out of the window, the golden rays encaptivating his mind as he got lost in his deep thoughts.

Fifteen minutes later, Alec walked out of the bathroom with only a towel wrapped around his lower body and hair wet, leaned down, and pecked Magnus on the temple.

"Morning love."

"Morning darling!" Magnus sat upright, leaned up, and pouted, earning a soft kiss over his pouting lips. While cherishing those lips he snapped his fingers and vanished the towel earning a cute yelp from his shadowhunter.

"Magnus!"

Magnus grinned and pulled his husband down, locking their lips in a hungry kiss. "Stay...."

"Sorry love, as much as I love that I'm getting late."

"Please?"

A sad smile formed on Alec's lips. "I can't, Magnus. I want to, but I really can't."

Magnus sighed. "Okay... I'll prepare breakfast then while you get ready."

"I'll have it at the Institute, I'm running late." He quickly got dressed with the help of his shadowhunter speed as he was actually getting late.

"When did you-"

"Shadowhunter!" Magnus looked at him wide-eyed then sighed.

"Sorry love, I'll see you tonight, bye." he planted a soft kiss on the top of his head then rushed out of the flat.

Magnus gazed out of the bedroom as he remembered the nightmare he had. The nightmare which turned true a month ago, the day when Alec almost died. If Jace and Isabelle hadn't reached on time, he would have lost his Alexander forever. He felt useless that he wasn't able to help him. He was in his arms, dying, and he couldn't do anything.

Tears started forming in the back of his eyes, he sighed and closed his eyes and a few drops fell on his cheeks.

*********************

When Alec reached the Institute he went to the institute's library straight ahead, telling everyone that it was important and not to disturb him when in reality he was researching further about the immortality spell and Kasper Windermere. He found a few books and took them to his office.

*Time Skip/ Few hours later*

Alec was in his office reading those books and researching more about them when he heard a soft click of heels approaching his office. A smile formed on his lips at the familiar sound.

"Hello, big brother!" Izzy said as she walked inside the office.

"Izzy!" he got up and embraced his sister in a tight hug.

"So! Hiding things from Magnus? You think that's gonna work out?" she asked when they broke the hug.

"It's working fine till now!" he shrugged earning a glare.

"What!?"

"That's why you need me to cover up for you?" She raised her brow and crossed her arms above her chest.

Alec bit his lip and sighed. "Fine Izzy! You know I'm not good at surprises, but I really want to this time. And... well it's not that I'm not getting help... So..."

"And who is that apart from me?" She said trying to sound upset.

"It's Catarina."

"Oh! Okay, so what are you planning Alec? Spill it..." Alec was about to say something when she spoke again, rearranging all the documents that were kept on his desk simultaneously. "So much paperwork... Don't you get tired, big brother?"

Alec froze when she picked the documentations on Kasper.

"Izzy! No! That's not..." Izzy's eyes went wide and her jaw dropped on the floor. "Ahhh..... Um mm... Paperworks." He stuttered and his heartbeats quickened as he witnessed millions of emotions flashing on his sister's face within a second.

He waited for her response, but when the silence got the better of him, he cleared his throat, his heart ready to leap out of his chest at any moment. "Uh... Izzy? Please say something!" this wasn't in the plan of events and the silence was getting under his skin.

"Alec! You want to become immortal!?"

"y...yes...."

"Oh! By the angel!" She shrieked, ran towards Alec, and hugged him tightly.

Alec breathed out with relief but was confused at the same time. "Iz! You're not mad?"

"Why would I be mad, Alec? Yes, I'm a little shocked, but if that's what you want, you know I'm always there for you." she pulled out of the hug, tiptoed, and pecked his cheek.

"Thank you, Izzy! It means a lot."

"Is THIS your big surprise for him?" She asked teasingly.

"There are few more but yes."

She raised her brow as she kept examining the documentations. "More?"

"Yeah! I'm thinking about a dinner surprise, a gift with an anniversary card, and a photo frame with all the pics of our anniversaries starting from our wedding collaged together."

Izzy's jaw was dropped on the floor yet again.

"Who are you and what have you done to my brother!!??"

"I'm Alexander Lightwood Bane and well, Magnus Bane happened!"

Izzy laughed. "Hmm... Magnus got you good then, big brother."

She shuffled through some papers for some time then spoke again. "A half angel and half Shadowhunter? Aren't you that already?"

"Well yes but not literally, I'm mortal, I'm not literally an angel!"

"How exactly have you came up with this Alec?"

"You know what happened a month ago, Izzy. I... Magnus is not doing well since then. He cries behind my back, he's not happy even when he shows he is. he gets nightmares of the day. I didn't know at first, he tried hiding it from me but when it started getting worse I made him talk to me, that's when he told me about them. He still gets them, pretends that he's completely fine, but I know he's not. I know he's worried about me dying one day, and I am not able to see him like this, this weak, this is not the Magnus I know, I want to do something for him." He paused for a minute then spoke again.

"I'm researching about becoming immortal since the time I heard him crying and saying how miserable he will be if I die. I thought about talking to him but when I noticed him pushing me away I knew he'll become more secretive if I did, which will end up in him getting more hurt than he is now. And well, when I read about the half angel and half Shadowhunter thing, I was sure I wanted to do it as by this spell," he pointed towards the stack of papers "I will be what I am, and I'll provide Magnus what he wants. All I want is for him to be happy. No matter what it takes."

Izzy listened to him carefully, completely awestruck by his love for Magnus. "You know what big brother, Magnus is a hell of a lucky man to have you in his life. If he'll ever hurt you I swear-"

"Iz!"

"Relax Alec, you know I love you both!"

Alec simply shook his head, sighed, and leaned against the desk.

"When are going to tell everyone about it?" she questioned further.

"Once I'll gather the information about the complete spell and how to perform it I'll ask everyone, Catarina is looking wherever she can, and I'm looking at the library and wherever possible."

"So you didn't plan on telling me about it today?" She gestured towards his desk.

"Umm... No, but I'm glad I did."

A warm smile appeared on Izzy's face. "Well, where are we going for lunch?"

He glanced at the time, noticing that it's past 12 already. "Wherever you want."

"Simon took me to a great restaurant here, let's head there, It's an amazing place."

They headed towards the restaurant Izzy had told him, ordered their food, and to Alec's surprise, he actually liked it and thought about coming with Magnus once.

"So apart from becoming immortal, what other things are you planning? And how can I help?"

"I want to plan a surprise dinner by the lakeside of Lynn and since Magnus is Indonesian, I want the whole menu to be Indonesian and all the decorations in the way he likes."

"Hmm... I can arrange that, plus the photo frame too... me and Clary can prepare it perfectly."

Alec cocked up his brow at that. "Don't worry big brother, we won't disappoint. What about the gift you were talking about?"

"I wanted to make the gift after becoming immortal, well, since you were the weapons head, I was thinking if you could do it?"

"Me? Oh! By the angel! What is it?" She squealed.

Alec shook his head at her excitement.

"You know Magnus and his love for jewellery, I was thinking a set of 3 diamond rings joined together with silver chains with small cut emeralds on it, the first and third sitting on the base of the fingers, the second one on the middle part of the finger, with the words FOREVER YOUR MLB engraved on each ring separately on top and AKU CINTA KAMU on bottom of the ring, each letter having small cut diamonds on it. Can you do it?"

Izzy's jaw was dropped on the floor for the third time that day and this time, literally. She was staring at her brother wide-eyed.

"Hey! Close your mouth little sister!" He put his fingers below her chin and closed her mouth shut. She blinked twice before speaking again.

"Alec! Are you all right! Is it really you!?"

"Isabelle Lightwood! Yes, it's me, and can you do it? Or I have to look for someone else!"

"By the angel! What has Magnus done to you!? I need to have a talk with him. And yes I'll do it, don't worry."

He laughed hard at her remark. "Thank you, Izzy!" He said in between the laughs.

"Stop laughing Alec!" She hit him gently on his arms.

"Well, how is Simon then? How's his training going?"

"He's doing good, you know what, he had beaten Jace 3 times last week with seraph daggers. I'm really proud of him."

The twinkle in her eyes didn't go unnoticed and a warm smile formed on his lips. He was glad that Simon was the best man to enter his sister's life, no matter how annoying that vampire was. "I'm happy that you're happy Izzy."

"Thank you, big brother!"

They finished the rest of the lunch in silence or chatting about random things and finally left for the Institute.

Alec felt really nice to have his sister beside him and not judging him for his choice to become immortal. He prayed that everyone would react the same. He went to his office and got back on researching for the complete spell, the sooner the better.

[seven-oomen]

DILF club for the ultimate ship meme?

Consider I got two DILF club requests for this meme, I’ll do The way I tend to be Universe for this one, since it’s the more canon universe. (More canon than OUAT anyway.)

Send in two (or more) names and I’ll fill all this out about the ship!

General:

Rate the Ship -   Awful | Ew | No pics pls | I’m not comfortable | Alright | I like it! | Got Pics? | Let’s do it! | Why is this not getting more attention?! | The OT3 to rule all other OT3s

How long will they last? For as long as they can stand one another I’d imagine.

How quickly did/will they fall in love? I think very slowly, it’s a slow descend into love for all of them. More one of those, we’ve been sleeping together, fucking each other, and spending time with each other for months now, and oh shit, I think I might love you both... 

How was their first kiss? Passionate, heated, and in the middle of fucking each other to keep warm.

Wedding:

Who proposed? I like to think the three of them all had something planned on the same night and looped their prospective kids into their proposal, but didn’t clue the other kids or their partners in. And only when the kids talk to one another do they discover that all three of their dads are trying to propose to each other. So naturally, the kids band together and ‘ruin’ their fathers’ proposals but only because they have one giant one planned at lookout point where they get all three men together and reveal the jig. Naturally, all three of them accept.

Who is the best man/men? Derek is the best man, Melissa is their best ma’am. 

Who are the groom’s maid(s)/men? Malia, Jackson, Allison, Isaac, Stiles, and Mike are the groom’s maids/men. Liam is the ring bearer. Cora is their flower girl. Jordan is holding the little ones.

Who did the most planning? Peter did, he choose all the fashion, the venue, paid for the wedding, got the caterer and the florist. (though Chris tried to pay for things as did Noah, but Peter wouldn’t have it. They bought the rings and Peter’s suit for him as ‘retaliation’.)

Who stressed the most? Noah is the most nervous. The last time he walked down the aisle was over 30 years ago. What if he forgets his lines? Is this the right call? Is he doing right by his sons? By his daughter? Did he forget his ring? Oh god, what if the others realize what a fuck up he is?

How fancy was the ceremony? - Back of a pickup truck | 2 | 3 | 4 | Normal Church Wedding | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Kate and William wish they were this big. (They rented a place, invited closest friends and family but kept it on the down-low.)

Who was specifically not invited to the wedding? Kate, Gerard, Elias.

Sex:

Who is on top? They switch, all of them like to top and bottom and they’re not picky on who gets to be on top/bottom. Things just happen.

Who is the one to instigate things? Usually Peter, but Chris or Noah (especially when they team up) can be real degenerates as well.

How healthy is their sex life? - Barely touch themselves let alone each other | 2 | 3 | 4 | Once a couple weeks, nothing overboard | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | They are humping each other on the couch right now (They’re not shy about their sex life and very much enjoy each other’s bodies and closeness. It’s a great way for them to strengthen their relationship.)

How kinky are they? - Straight missionary with the lights off | 2 | 3 | 4 | Might try some butt stuff and toys | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Don’t go into the sex dungeon without a horse’s head (They’re into toys, bondage, breeding kinks, biting/marking, dom/sub play, public sex, and some other milder kinks, nothing too crazy but also not too vanilla.)

How long do they normally last? Depends, if they’re fired up and excited they might not last long, 5-10 min, but if they go slow and steady they might also last for 20-30 min.

Do they make sure each person gets an equal amount of orgasms? They try to, usually, Chris has a few more than the other two, but that’s more due to Noah’s age (once he comes he can’t it up for a while. He may still be fit, but he’s not superhuman like Peter.) and Peter’s sensory overload after an orgasm. Chris is the only one of the three that can quickly come multiple times

How rough are they in bed? - Softer than a butterfly on the back of a bunny | 2 | 3 | 4 | The bed’s shaking and squeaking every time | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Their dirty talk is so vulgar it’d make Dwayne Johnson blush. Also, the wall’s so weak it could collapse the next time they do it. (It really depends on their mood)

How much cuddling/snuggling do they do? - No touching after sex | 2 | 3 | 4 | A little spooning at night, or on the couch, but not in public | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | They snuggle and kiss more often than a teen couple on their fifth date to a pillow factory.

Children:

How many children will they have naturally? Between the three of them? Peter has two (Malia with Corinne, Jackson with Margaret (Betty)) Noah has three (Identical twins Stiles and Mike;  Mieczyslaw &  Michał and Liam; Milian), Chris has one (Allison). So they have 6 children already, Chris gets pregnant with twins after their night in the cabin. That would put the tally at 8.

How many children will they adopt? Chris adopted Isaac officially in this universe. Erica and Boyd are more or less adopted as well as Danny.

Who gets stuck with the most diapers? Peter, and he doesn’t mind it one bit. He didn’t get to change any diapers for Jackson or Malia. And since Chris carried the twins and gave birth it only seems fair he gets stuck with diaper duty. Noah and Chris teach him the ropes. He gets surprisingly good at juggling two babies, a diaper bag, and a set of keys/other items while keeping everything under control.

Who is the stricter parent? Chris. Noah tries but is too soft most of the time or too chaotic, and Peter just can’t say no once one of the kids pulls puppy eyes. 

Who stops the kid(s) from doing dangerous stunts after school? Chris is best at stopping them, Noah tries to but due to his job can’t always keep an eye on them. Peter comes with them to let them explore but safely. He protects them while they do stupid shit.

Who remembers to pack the lunch(es)? Chris. He’s got the whole routine down to pat and is a streamlined machine in the mornings. Noah still can’t wrap his head around it. Peter’s still not used to having the kids with him 24/7 since both of his were adopted by other people, so he’s still learning the whole stick.

Who is the more loved parent? They love them all equally. Noah is the parent they go to when they need to talk about their feelings or need hugs, Chris is the parent they go to for advice and cuddling, and Peter is the fun parent who they go to when someone is bothering them. Peter also comes up with the best revenge schemes.

Who is more likely to attend the PTA meetings? Peter, he loves to hear how his kids are doing in school and doesn’t mind to absolutely obliterate their teachers if he knows a teacher is picking on his kids. He lives for shit like this as the rich house husband to his two working husbands. Also, the opportunity to brag to Karen about the kids is too good an opportunity to pass up.

Who cried the most at graduation? Noah, he’s just so proud of his boys up there.

Who is more likely to bail the child(ren) out of trouble with the law? Let’s face it, it’s Noah. He technically has to make sure that the law is upheld, but when it comes to his own kids, he’s not above giving them a pass. Though he’s more lenient towards kids in general. But yeah, Noah will most likely try and bail his kids out. Peter would let them steam for a few hours in a “You got caught, you deal with it.” Kinda way and then bail them out after a few hours. Chris would let them steam for a bit too and then determine how big the offense was before bailing them out.

Cooking:

Who does the most cooking? Chris, he’s the most practiced and most efficient. Though Noah loves to cook Polish food and bread. Peter does it when both of his mates have to work or are too tired to cook. He’s getting better at it.

Who is the most picky in their food choice? Peter. Werewolf senses mean he has a fussy pallette. He hates most vegetables for one. Though he has competition in Jackson, the little shit is a regular Gordon Ramsey.

Who does the grocery shopping? Peter, since Noah and Chris, tend to work during the day and he’s more of a stay-at-home house husband and dad. Chris gives him the lists. That doesn’t stop him from sneaking in snacks and candy for himself, Noah, and the kids. If possible, Chris likes to do the grocery shopping so there are no secret snacks.

How often do they bake desserts? At least once a week. Whether it’s for bake sales, PTO meetings, birthdays, weekends, a tryout, there’s always a baked good on the kitchen counter.

Are they more of a meat-lover or a salad eater? Peter and Noah are more Meat lovers. Chris is a mix between the two. He likes salads and meat but doesn’t have a preference over either. Unlike the other two.

Who is more likely to surprise the other(s) with an anniversary dinner? Peter, he takes them out to a grill restaurant. It doesn’t have to be fancy, but the quality has to be outstanding. They get their older kids to babysit and let them order anything they want as a reward.

Who is more likely to suggest going out? Once again, Peter, I feel like Noah or Chris would be more likely to be home dwellers and Peter’s the one that takes them to bars, musicals, restaurants, malls, etc.

Who is more likely to burn the house down accidentally while cooking? Noah, he’s not a bad cook, but he gets distracted by everything else and forgets he has pots/pans on the furnace.

Chores:

Who cleans the room? Chris or Peter. Noah tends to leave things everywhere and though he tries his best to clean up, the other two usually beat him to it.

Who is really against chores? Noah forgets to do them sometimes, but I feel like none of them is actually against them. Peter doesn’t like to do them but he likes a clean house, so.

Who cleans up after the pets? They have eight kids, a bunch of werewolves, a banshee, a kitsune, a hellhound, a Seelie, and god knows what else running around on the full moon. You think they have room for a pet???

Who is more likely to sweep everything under the rug? If we’re talking a literal rug, it’s Noah. Out of sight, out of mind. He also tends to stuff clutter in random drawers or closets.

Who stresses the most when guests are coming over? Chris. It’s his training and a bit of an OCD thing. “No, you don't get it Noah my love, EVERYTHING has to be spotless...” Cue Chris running around with a vacuum cleaner and a mop. “It’s just Melissa & Derek for wine night...”

Who found a dollar between the couch cushions while cleaning? Chris, and he puts them in the fun jar that they use to reward the kids. Once the jar is full, they go shopping or do another fun activity with the kids. Bad behavior/swearing gets money removed from the jar and into the dad jar. That money is used to give Chris/Peter/Noah an extra outing if the kids were particularly difficult.

Misc:

Who takes the longer showers/baths? Noah is a slut for long showers/baths. It’s his moment of relaxation.

Who takes the dog out for a walk? Noah occasionally walks Peter in his wolf form. At some point, people think Peter is a K9 unit, and Noah rolls with it. Which opens up opportunities for Peter to stay with Noah at work.

How often do they decorate the room/house for the holidays? Every year they decorate for Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Halloween.

What are their goals for the relationship? To love and support one another through anything and to keep a fun and raging sex life well into old age. But mostly to love and cherish one another and build each other up just the way they are.

Who is most likely to sleep till noon? Chris if you let him, training and habit have him up early, but his natural sleep cycle is to sleep like a log and to Noon.

Who plays the most pranks? Noah, he’s a mischievous little shit that loves to pull pranks on people and very sassy to boot. Where do you think Stiles, Mike, and Liam have that from?

[loveisblindfanfictionbka]

Love Is Blind: Chapter Six

Alexis looked between the two of them, “you guys know each other?”

“We used to,” Robyn replied as she set down her instruments, “what are you doing here?”

“I’m getting a puppy!” Anesa piped up from beside him.

Robyn’s eyes narrowed, then widened as the realization hit her. Chris watched the expressions play across her face as she looked at him then over at Anesa, “This is my daughter, An-”

“Anesa,” Robyn finished softly.

Alexis slipped past Chris to leave the room.

“How do you know her name?” Chris asked.

“You told me.”

“When?”

“Well, I guess I should say Christian told me.”

“Christian? Wait, you’re Anna?”

Robyn nodded her head as Chris’s mouth dropped open in disbelief.

“I think we both have some explaining to do.”

“I don’t know. Now things are really starting to make sense. How long have you been in New York?”

“I moved here after you served me divorce papers. You?”

“About 6 months after I got out of the hospital. This is unbelievable.”

“Daddy, do you know her?” Anesa interrupted quietly.

“Yes, umm...Anesa, this is Robyn. She’s-”

“The veterinarian. Would you like to meet your puppy?” Robyn interjected.

“Yes Ma’am.”

“Chris, you can bring her closer. Can you shut the door behind you?”

Chris nodded as he stepped further into the office and closed the door before walking Anesa over to the examination table. As Anesa became more acquainted with the dog, Robyn took Chris aside in the office, “talk about an awkward situation.”

“Yea. I can’t believe you’ve been this close all this time.”

“Me either. I wanna ask how you’ve been but I think I know.”

“I wasn’t expecting this.”

“Me either. Guess fate decided it was time for us to finally sit down and talk.”

“I’ve learned never to tempt her again.”

“What time are you done here?”

“I’m officially banned from here at 5 pm.”

“Are you free to talk later? We could get dinner and just try to make sense of all this.”

“I can call ahead to Mahogany’s and get a private section. I think this initial conversation is gonna need a bit of privacy.”

“Initial conversation?”

“We’ll get into that later. Where will Anesa be?”

“My sister is at my condo by Columbia. I was gonna drive all of us to her house after we got the puppy but I’ll tell her to take Anesa and go ahead without me.”

“You don’t have to change your plans.”

“I want to. This is important.”

Robyn sighed as she stepped away from Chris and went back to the examination, “Well Ms. Anesa, Shep is all ready to go.”

“Is he healthy, Dr. Robyn?”

“Very healthy and I’m sure he’s gonna love being with you. Chris, Alexis will have everything necessary for you to take him home along with some basic instructions for acclimating him to his new environment.”

“Thank you. Mahogany’s at 6?”

“6 is good. Have a good day.”

“You too. Come on, Anesa. Let’s get Shep home.”

 After Chris left the office, Robyn slumped down into her chair and placed her face into her hands.

Chris couldn’t keep his focus as Anesa rambled on and on about her new puppy. He couldn’t imagine his luck or his misfortune, depending on how you look at, of Robyn being the woman he had befriended. His mind started playing back their chats and so much started to connect. Their stories being so similar seemed like a coincidence at the time but now it seemed like a sign. This happened for a reason but he wasn’t sure if it was a good thing.

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

“Wait a minute, you mean to tell me all this time that you were actually talking to Christopher?” Leandra asked in disbelief.

“Yes,” Robyn replied softly.

“Oh my god, that is crazy. Well how is he?”

“He’s good. He looks good. Anesa is gorgeous.”

“I can’t believe he’s adopting a child.”

“I can. That was always our back up plan,” Robyn turned to stare out the window of her apartment. Soon after Chris left the shelter, she left early. Seeing him and discovering that he was her online friend rattled her to the core. She was just as happy as she was angry and was having a hard time reconciling those facts.

“Robs, I think you guys may have a second chance to make things right or to at least set the record straight.

“I know. I just never prepared myself for if I ever saw him again.”

“Look, at least you’re not going into this completely blind this time.”

“That’s true.”

“How are you feeling?”

“Happy. Mad. Sad. Confused. I’m feeling everything at the same time and I don’t know what to do.”

“Maybe you should just take a nap. You got a few hours before you have to be at the restaurant. Maybe you need a refresh.”

“You’re right.”

“Take a nap and I’ll call you at like 5: 30 as a wake up call. That work?”

“It works. Thanks Lele.”

“No problem, Sis. Get some rest and just let things flow.”

  Chris smiled as Robyn walked towards their private booth at the restaurant. He watched her expressions change within milliseconds of each other as she got closer to him. He stood up and helped her with her coat before sitting down in the seat across from her.

“This is a nice place,” he said softly.

“Yea. Their food is really good too,” Robyn replied just as soft.

“So….this is awkward.”

“So awkward.”

They both laughed nervously as a waiter came over to take their orders. Once the waiter left, Robyn leaned the side of her face into her palm as Chris sat back against the booth seat.

“What you thinking?” Robyn asked.

“Honestly? You look amazing.”

“Really? I guess you didn't ruin me too bad.”

“Robs, that was never my intention.”

“I know but what’s the saying? The road to hell is paved with good intentions.”

“I deserve that.”

“You deserve a kick in the ass but I’m not mad enough to do it”

“I do agree with that.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I didn’t know how. Literally everything happened at once and I just couldn’t take it.”

“So you push me away?”

“I wanted you to be happy and I knew that wasn’t gonna happen with me, not the way I was going at the time.”

“You didn’t even give me a chance to decide. You took away my options, Chris.”

“Because I knew you’d stay. I knew you’d sacrifice yourself and suffer with me and it wasn’t fair to you.”

“Who are you to decide what’s fair for me? I’ve been in love with you my whole life. Do you think it was fair to just walk away from me?”

“No but it was better than you watching me kill myself.”

“Chris.”

“No. It absolutely killed me having to watch you leave but I knew it was better for you. We’ve known each other since we were children, I know your history. You had enough horrible things happen to you and I didn’t want to be another thing that you’d have to heal from. I thought I was doing the right thing. You were miserable, I know you were.”

“But Chris, it would’ve been different had I known.”

“Different how?”

“I don’t know. You never gave us a chance to find out. I probably would’ve been more lenient with you. I would’ve been ok with giving you space but you walking away from me the way you did, just wasn’t it.”

“It was either that or- never mind, I just felt it was better”

“No, don't dismiss that. What were you going to say?”

“Is either that or you finding me floating in the pool, ok?”

“You tried to drown yourself?”

“Yes and no.”

“Chris, what happened after I left?”

“I took a whole bottle of pills and climbed into the pool. I could feel myself going under but I didn’t stop it and the fact I took a whole bottle of depressants didn’t help either.”

“Why?”

“I had nothing to live for. You were gone and I was tired. I just wanted it to be over.”

“Who found you?”

“I don’t know. I don’t remember anything after climbing into the pool. I woke up in the hospital in restraints and with my sister staring at me from across the room. I don’t even remember how many days I was out.”

“Days? You were out that long?”

“That’s what Jess tells me.”

“Oh my god. Why’d they keep you in the hospital?”

“They kept me in a mental hospital for like 6 months, not a medical hospital.”

“Oh.”

“Yea. They weren’t convinced that I wouldn’t try it again.”

“Were they right?”

“They were.”

“Chris, why didn’t you tell me?”

“I knew you’d come back and I didn’t want you to see me like that. I had given up. I didn’t want you to do the same.”

“And your mother? Why did you never tell me about her?”

“She was never around much. She’d come into town for a week then I wouldn’t hear or see her for years at a time. It was right after our first anniversary when she popped up and she brought my father with her. I had never met this man a day in my life. And she came in acting like we were supposed to be this big happy family and I blew up at her.”

“What caused the spiral?”

“She was terminal.”

“Wow.”

“She died within 6 months and then my dad died from a drug overdose. My mind just kind of fractured from all the stress and emotions and I just didn’t want to feel anymore.”

“And the therapy you told me about? That was true?”

“Yes, please know that no one told me to leave you and my therapist really dug into me once I told them but I really was trying to save you like I said. I loved you. I still love you, that’s why I didn’t reach out once you left. I didn't feel like I deserved to.”

“Yea, well I deserved the truth. I’ve been sitting here all this time feeling guilty because I knew something was up but I couldn’t put my finger on it and you weren’t telling me anything. I didn’t know what to think or how to feel, it just sent me into a mental spiral too.”

“Now I know that. Then I thought you would’ve been happy to be away from me and my moods. I know you were walking on eggshells all the time and I didn’t want you scared of me.”

The waiter delivered their food then left. Robyn sighed, “Chris, I wasn’t scared of you. I was scared for you. I knew no matter what you’d never hurt me but seeing you hurting tore me apart and I didn’t know what to do.”

“I know that now. And I’m sorry. I just wanted you to be able to be your happy self again. What I said was true, I really felt like I had broken you and I didn’t know how to undo it. I felt the best way was for us to go our separate ways.”

“You could’ve told me this.”

“I didn’t know how.”

“Did you ever tell anyone else this?”

“Outside of Jess and my therapist, no. Why?”

“Because like I told Christian, “Robyn said, making air quotes with her hands as she said Christian, “my family still wants us to be together.”

“I didn’t know they didn’t hate me until last year when Mama Fenty called me.”

“How does she have your number?”

“My phone number never changed.”

“Oh.”

"She called me on my birthday, to check on me I guess. I didn’t really know what to say to her.”

“She never told me that.”

“Oh, I mean I don’t think there was much to tell. We barely talked for five minutes.”

“And texting Mel?”

“She wanted to see if my number still worked and just asked me if I was ok. None of my conversations were in depth or happened more than once with your side. I felt like I was overstepping, I guess.”

“Nope. Apparently, I was the only person who was upset at you.”

“And you should be. I fucked up. I can admit that.”

“No, you were fucked up and that makes a total difference. I wanna be mad at you but I can’t sit here and say that I wouldn’t have done the same if I was in your position. You wanted to protect me from you, I get it. I still think you went about it in a fucked up way but I get it.”

“I should’ve known it was you once we started talking more but I was just trying not to think too much into it”

“Same. Lele had suggested maybe I knew who I was talking to but once it said a kid and a professor, I just immediately wrote it off that it couldn’t be someone I knew.”

“That’s understandable.”

“When’d you become a teacher?”

“The year our divorce was final. After I got out of the hospital, my therapist suggested I make a change in my life, it didn’t have to be a big thing but running my architecture firm and stuff just didn't have the same appeal anymore so I sold part of my shares and decided to use my music degree.”

“I forgot you were a double major in undergrad. So you only sold part of your shares?”

“I’m still on the board but I’m more of a silent partner now. I like teaching.”

“That’s great.”

“When’d you go back to being a vet?”

“When our divorce was final. I took the lump sum and bought the building my clinic and shelter is located in. It wasn’t much to look at, at first but after a year of renovations, it flourished.”

“That’s amazing. I’m proud of you.”

“Thank you.”

They ate their food for a few minutes before Chris took a sip of his drink and wiped his mouth, “you know, I was expecting you to curse me out when we got here.”

Robyn chuckled, “I thought I wanted to but then our conversations played back and I realized I wasn’t mad at you anymore. Of course, you didn’t realize you were explaining your thought process to me about why you did things the way you did but I get it now and it stings a bit less.”

“I was actually planning on finding a way to get in contact with you after the last time we chatted.”

“Really?”

“When you told me that maybe I didn’t reach out after my divorce was because I was afraid that she hadn’t moved on and that maybe I should reach out to my ex, it really made me think if I had really ruined something that could’ve been fixed.”

“You did.”

Chris chuckled, “I see that now. I was so wrapped up in protecting you that I never considered you didn’t want to be protected. That you weren’t this fragile individual who couldn’t handle it. I never saw it from your side and I do apologize for that.”

“I accept your apology.”

“Thank you.”

Chris smiled as Robyn started to fiddle with her fork, “you uncomfortable?”

“No. Just thinking.”

“About what?”

“Nothing in particular.”

“So...what about not in particular?”

Robyn looked up and Chris chuckled, “still got that sense of humor.”

“It helps. You can talk to me, you know. I’m still the same guy from behind the phone.”

“I know but now that I know who you are, it changes things.”

“Does it have to?”

“Of course. Not only do we know each other, you’re my ex-husband. That’s a huge adjustment for me.”

“I can see that but I would love for us to continue building as friends. This still doesn’t have to go anywhere, Robyn. No pressure.”

“That’s easy for you to say. You have someone to go home to.”

“I love my daughter but that is totally not the same and you know it.”

“I guess.”

“You live alone?”

“Yup.”

“How far from here?”

“A few blocks.”

“Nice. Does anybody know you came to meet me?’

“Lele knows and she’s probably told Mel by now but that’s it. You?”

“Nobody.”

“Why?”

“That way if it went bad, I wouldn’t have to explain it.”

“Ah. Understandable.”

“Do you have somewhere to go after this?”

“No. Why?”

“Wanna walk Central Park with me? I’ll drive.”

“Umm...sure. Why not?”

“Cool.”

[mcwriting]

London boy

Hi guys! I’m back with a lil quarantine pick me up! It’s been sooooo long so it felt good to write again. I’m almost done with this semester so I’m hoping I can do more writing soon. All this being said, make sure to check my note at the end about a possible part 2 and let me know what you think! Love y’all!

*Also PSA I’ve never been to London unless Heathrow airport counts so I tried to do my best research but sorry if things are wrong*

Fandom: Tom Holland

Ship: Tom Holland x y/n

Setting: Begins in Nashville, TN but mostly takes place in London

Word Count: 2299 (whew)

Warnings: Alcohol consumption? I can’t think of any others. It’s mostly fluff

Rating: Like a K or something

$

You were hanging out on Broadway St.

No, not the one in New York. The one in Nashville, Tennessee.

It was a place filled with great live music, dancing all night long, and lots and lots of alcohol. 

You and some friends had gone out to a particular bar that another friend’s band was playing at, all dressed up in ripped up jean shorts, riding boots, and a cute cowboy hat.

As you all waited for them to get on stage, you ordered a round to loosen up a bit, you getting some Jack Daniels on the rocks.

That local flavor would forever be your first choice, especially compared to the tequila shots some of the girls chose instead.

$

Tom Holland, Harrison Osterfield, and some of their buddies strolled down Broadway, too.

Tom’s newest project was set in the city and a long day of filming called for letting loose for the night and getting to know a little bit more of Nash culture.

They came upon one place where a band was playing a Bruce Springsteen song, so they headed in, beelining to the bar. 

As they waited for their own drinks, Tom turned his head to look around when he caught a glance of you, and everything seemed to move in slow motion. 

You were coolly half sitting-half leaning on a barstool, sipping your drink as you soaked in the music. Your friend’s band always sounded great, but you decided to scan the room to see how other people were reacting. 

You turned your head, the big curls in your hair flipping over your shoulder. As you looked straight down the bar you caught eyes with a brunette man laughing with his friends, face going slack as he stared back at you. 

You looked him up and down, not taking much time to study his face, then smiled and turned back to the band. 

Please come over here you thought, trying to not look again.

Tom turned to his group.

“Do you see that girl? That’s the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen!”

“Well then go on you div, make a conversation,” Harrison said as the others gassed Tom up, too.

The guys pushed him around a bit as he bounced up and down on his toes, trying to hype himself up.

A few moments later you saw a male figure approach from the corner of your eye. You had planned to flirt with him, but the second you turned to say something, you froze.

It was Tom. Holland.

You both stared at each other silently for a second, both surprised, until finally he spoke up, his accent clearly British among the southern Nashville drawls around you.

“Sorry to bother you, but I saw you across the bar and couldn’t help but notice how beautiful you were.”

A blush rose to your cheeks, and it took a moment before you found words to reply.

“I- thank you. You’re Tom Holland, right?” you asked incredulously.

It was his turn to blush and look at the ground. He nodded his head, a cute smile lighting up his face.

“That’s me. Now would you mind the honor of teaching me how to dance like the tennesseans?”

It took no thought to take his hand and tear up the dance floor that night.

$

It had been almost 3 years since you’d met Tom that in Nash. A night of dancing and drinking had led to you going back to his hotel that night. 

Nothing had actually happened between you though, because you were both too drunk and sleepy to do anything but crash on top the bed.

It had, however, sparked the beginnings of an amazing romance, where in the present, you were strolling down Camden Market looking at art, clothing, and jewelry as you tried to decide where to grab food.

Hands held tightly together, you both decided to stop for a moment to look over the canal, but you instead focused your attention onto his face that glowed in the sunlight.

He turned to you and did the same, both of you grinning like kids when your eyes met. 

“Oh how I love that American smile of yours,” he breathed.

“I fancy you too, darling,” you returned, heart full. 

$

On your first trip to London, he’d taken you to Highgate, where some of his childhood friends lived. Of course you already knew Harrison, Tuwaine, and Tom’s brothers (considering most of them had been there the night you met), but you’d been nervous to make a good impression.

It wasn’t long until you were jumping into their conversation and joking too, as if you’d all been friends for years.

You and Tom had only been dating about 6 months by this point, and had somehow kept the relationship secret from the public, so it felt nice to be introduced as his girlfriend.

You’d gone into the kitchen to refresh your drink when Harrison followed behind. 

“You really love him, don’t you?” he asked out of nowhere, “at least, that’s what we all think.”

You paused to think.

I guess the rumors are true...

$

Another trip about a year into the relationship and you’d learned to love high tea, listening to stories from Tom’s days in acting and carpentry schools, and the West End.

It was hard to believe every time you went to a show that in days past, Tom had been on that stage, too. 

You’d also spent time at the pubs with him and the boys, sometimes watching rugby, other times playing pub quizzes. 

There were also times that you went out dancing. It was a whole different world from line dances and country music, but over time it felt just as natural.

$

In the present, your time around the market had been ended early as clouds darkened and turned to gloomy rain. 

It didn’t really bother you though, because as the cab took you through the city, you saw the lights glow and illuminate the glistening buildings you’d come to love.  

“I’m sorry we had to cut the day short, love,” Tom whispered, squeezing your hand with his. 

“Are you kidding?” you beamed, “I’ve had so much fun today! We got to explore the heart of the city, go shopping at the market, and eat great food. Plus, now we can go with everyone to that teahouse I love. What more could a girl ask for?” 

“God, I love you,” he grinned as you leaned on his shoulder to look back out the window, distracting yourself for the long ride back to his house.

$

About a year and a half of dating, and you’d come to visit Tom while he was filming a movie at the Warner Bros. studio in Watford. 

Since he was filming up north, you chose to rent a hotel in the heart of the city so Tom could stay closer to work (and therefore have more time with you).

Most of the nights he could, you’d go club in Brixton. Afternoons off were spent in Shoreditch trying restaurants and looking at art. You also got to see his buddies from Highgate again, joking and having fun just as before.

By now, your relationship was public and of course the paparazzi was often trying to photograph you, but you didn’t really mind it. It was nice getting to show the world just how in love you were with this boy.

$

For your two year anniversary, Tom had flown you out to the city for a romantic getaway, where instead of staying at his house like usual, he paid to have you stay in a royal suite at a 5 star hotel in the heart of London, overlooking the river. 

You spent the trip mostly to yourselves, not going out to the pubs at night like usual, instead choosing to have private dinners or go to nice restaurants. 

He took you shopping around Bond St, showering you with expensive things that you of course didn’t need (and had to buy a second suitcase to haul), but the gesture alone was the nicest thing a boyfriend had done for you.

Of course, you also visited with his family and had a nice time with all of them, but spending private time with Tom was the best of all.

The place you stayed made you feel like a queen (it was royal after all), and it fit the way he could never help but call you his Tennessee queen.

The lingerie he’d gotten you also came in handy, because when you emerged from the bathroom wearing only that, he would say in a husky voice, 

“Babe, don’t threaten me with a good time,” before you’d do exactly that.

$

In the present, you were back at Tom’s place, preparing for dinner with his family when he called you to the backyard.

The rain had let up, leaving a lovely sunset sky, which is what you were expecting him to talk about once you came to the back porch.

“Wow, that’s pretty,” you stated, snapping your hoop earring shut to complete your look for the night. 

Tom had said it would be a nice dinner, so you’d put on the soft pink dress he had bought earlier that day the second you said you loved it and some matching heels. You had also spent time curling your hair and doing some makeup, wanting to look and feel good.

“You look more beautiful than a thousand sunsets,” he whispered back, causing you to blush as pink as your dress. You gave him a soft kiss on the lips.

“What did you call me out here for? Shouldn’t we head out soon?”

“Right, yeah. I got distracted there for a second,” he chuckled before continuing, “Y/n, do you remember the night we met?”

“Of course. I’ll keep that day burned into my memory until the day I die.”

“Well, that night I told my mates that you were the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen, and it’s still true. I don’t regret a single thing about the past 3 years of loving you.”

Your heart began to pound and you tried to steady your breathing. Was this it? Was this what you thought it was?

God, I hope so a voice in your head was screaming.

He took your hands in his and squeezed them. 

“Y/n L/n, I love you so dearly. I’ve probably loved you since the night I took you back to my hotel and I woke up to find you laying atop my bed and just didn’t realize it then.”

He began to bend his knees and reached a hand into his pocket, butterflies now rising in your stomach like nothing before.

“I want to love you for the rest of my life. Y/n L/n, will you marry me?” His hands held open a box with the most perfect ring you’d ever seen.

Tears welled up in your eyes and a watery smile rose to your face. You were speechless, so at first all you could do was nod, then finally you exclaimed,

“YES!”

Both of your hands were shaking as he slipped the ring onto your left hand, and then he stood up, pressing you into a deep kiss. 

You were on cloud nine.

You heard shouts behind you, breaking the kiss to see Harrison and Tuwaine cheering and recording on their phones. 

“Wait a second, where’s Harry?”

Nearby, a bush rustled and out stepped the twin, camera in hand.

“You guys all really planned this for me?” you asked, elated.

“Anything for you, babe. I was worried that it would be ruined by the rain, but it looks like things worked out just right,” he answered.

You stared down at the ring, still not quite believing everything, but your gaze eventually fell down to your watch.

“Well, I hate to kill the mood, but I’m so hungry I don’t know what to do with myself, and it’s time to go anyways, so let’s get out of here!”

$

You rode in Tom’s car while the other boys piled into Harry’s. They arrived first and were waiting at the door when you arrived. 

“Alright, follow us, we have a private room,” Haz said, the three boys leading you and Tom that way. 

You had a feeling the dinner was an engagement celebration, but had no expectation of what happened next.

The doors opened to tons of people yelling “Congratulations!” while holding cute balloons and champagne glasses. You scanned the room and were happy to see Tom’s family and friends from London and home, including the one’s that had been there that night in Nashville.

The most surprising thing, however, was your family. You hadn’t seen them in almost a month due to work and travel, so immediately you ran into their arms.

“She said yes, by the way!” Tom exclaimed happily, causing another round of cheers from the crowd.

“I can’t believe you all came!” you said to everyone, especially towards your US friends. 

“Well it wouldn’t be a real engagement if we didn’t celebrate with something special,” one friend said. 

“What do you mean?” 

With that, she plopped a hat onto your head. You pulled it off, confused until you got a good look at it. It was the hat you were wearing the night you met Tom. 

“We were gonna bring the boots and booty shorts, too, but I think what you’ve got goin’ on is a little classier,” another friend piped up, garnering laughs from your friend group. 

You pressed the hat back over your head, not caring if it squished the curls you’d gotten to lay perfectly not too long before.

“Well, then. Let’s get this rodeo started!” you exclaimed, gathering yet another of many cheers you and Tom would receive that night and for years to come.

$

A/N: Omg guys. I did it. I wrote something new. I’m thinking about making this a two shot, where the second part is more from Tom’s perspective and explores his visits to the US and I’ll call it Nashville Girl. Idk if any good songs exist that would tie in but whatever. 

Anyways, love you all and thank you for your continued support! Please stay safe and STAY HOME!

[usagichanp]

lexthan

*rubs hands together* I was hoping someone would ask me that

This is gonna be a long one folks.

General:

Rate the Ship -  

Awful | Ew | No pics pls | I’m not comfortable | Alright | I like it! | Got Pics? | Let’s do it! | Why is this not getting more attention?! | The OTP to rule all other OTPs

How long will they last? - Life long partners, babey.

How quickly did/will they fall in love? - I think they had crushes on each other for a while. They didn't officially say "I love you" till a few months into their relationship, but they thought it sooner.

How was their first kiss? - I wrote a lesbian Lexthan version of their first kiss, though I don't think canon Lexthan's first kiss was like that. I imagine it to be not really planned out; just like they're talking to each other in the car and lock eyes, then slowly lean in and kiss. Since they've had kisses before, it's not a catastrophe, and it's actually fairly soft.

Wedding:

Who proposed? - Ethan. Wrote a whole ass fic about it.

Who is the best man/men? - I know who the best man is in my fics (it's my man Marsh, for those who have read it), but idk about the canon Ethan's best man. Maybe Danny (the Smoke Club Boy) but I'm not sure if they'd be friends enough to be his best man. He might not have one.

Who is the bride's maid? - Hannah. Duh.

Who did the most planning? - Ethan, but Lex chipped in too. Tom might help as well if asked lol

Who stressed the most? - Ethan. Though their ceremony isn't big, he still wanted it to be a good memory down the road (it was)

How fancy was the ceremony? -

Back of a pickup truck | 2 | 3 | 4 | Normal Church Wedding | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Kate and William wish they were this big.

First they had just a courthouse wedding where they signed the papers, then had a tiny wedding ceremony with only close friends. Even if they could afford a proper wedding (Canon Lexthan prolly couldn't afford it) I don't think they'd want a big affair anyways. It's be exhausting.

Who was specifically not invited to the wedding? - Lex's mom. Obviously.

Sex:

Now we're getting to the good part lads

Who is on top? - Ethan is a fucking switch. You can't convince me otherwise. He tops maybe like... 60/40 or 65/35. But when Lex tops, she tops bitch.

Who is the one to instigate things? - Ethan likes instigating things since he's a horny teenage boy, but it Lex doesn't want to, he stops. Sometimes Lex instigates, but usually when she does she's in the mood to top.

How healthy is their sex life? -

Barely touch themselves let alone each other | 2 | 3 | 4 | Once a couple weeks, nothing overboard | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | They are humping each other on the couch right now

I'd give it a 7.5, depending on the situation. While they try to tone it down around Hannah, when they have alone time they'd totally go for it. Ethan's glovebox in his car has a box of condoms in it at all times. What can I say, as I said before, they're horny teenagers

How kinky are they? -

Straight missionary with the lights off | 2 | 3 | 4 | Might try some butt stuff and toys | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Don’t go into the sex dungeon without a horse’s head

They don't like seeing each other hurt so they wouldn't like BDSM. They're not vanilla but nothing too crazy- blindfolding, light bondage (aka tying hands up with rope or cloth), scratching, light spanking, pegging

How long do they usually last? - It depends on how much time they have to have sex. They've done quickies in bathrooms or whatever before, but if they have all night then they're pretty good at prolonging it.

Do they make sure each person gets an equal amount of orgasms? - Absolutely. It is said in multiple fics (I think?) of mine that Ethan makes sure Lex has the same amount of orgasms as he does. Always.

How rough are they in bed? -

Softer than a butterfly on the back of a bunny | 2 | 3 | 4 | The bed’s shaking and squeaking every time | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Their dirty talk is so vulgar it’d make Dwayne Johnson blush. Also, the wall’s so weak it could collapse the next time they do it.

They certainly can have slow, soft, romantic sex, but Ethan is also 100% capable of rocking Lex's world so hard she can't walk right for a week. (That happens in my first fic, Cassieopia, albeit off screen)

How much cuddling/snuggling do they do? -

No touching after sex | 2 | 3 | 4 | A little spooning at night, or on the couch, but not in public | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | They snuggle and kiss more often than a teen couple on their fifth date to a pillow factory.

1) I fucking love that metaphor 2) They don't get much physical affection at home, so they fucking love snuggling and cuddling- whether it be after sex or just hanging out. Sometimes they cuddle as a form of stress relief after a shitty day.

Children:

How many children will they have naturally? - 2, maybe 3.

How many children will they adopt? - I think they might prefer to have children naturally, but in my California series they gain custody of Hannah when she's 12. Does that count?

Who gets stuck with the most diapers? - Lex forces Ethan to learn how to change diapers. That being said, Lex isn't half bad at changing them either, since she helped change Hannah's when she was a child.

Who is the stricter parent? - They're not exactly strict parents, but both Lex and Ethan can definitely scold the kid. ("hAnNaH! tHaT bEtTeR bE fUcKiNg fLoSs!!!!!") That being said, both take care to not be abusive to their child, especially Lex. She doesn't want to be like her mom, so she tries to keep her temper in check.

Who stops the kid(s) from doing dangerous stunts after school? - Ethan has good reflexes, and has stopped his kids from falling and hitting their chin on a playground structure more than once. (Fun fact! That happened to me when I was 3. I fell from a steel elephant shaped jungle gym at a German zoo, hit my chin on a steel bar, and bit through my lower lip/knocked 3 teeth out. I still have the scar years later lol)

Who remembers to pack their lunches? - Lex. Though the lunches aren't always the healthiest.

Who is the more loved parent? - I think they're both loved, but maaaaaybe Ethan a bit more.

Who is more likely to attend the PTA meetings? - Neither would attend PTA meetings out of the goodness of their hearts. If Lex or Ethan would go to a PTA meeting, it'd most likely be because they wanted to yell at a teacher or principal. They might go seperately or together depending on the severity of the issue.

Who cried the most at graduation? - Ethan wouldn't admit he cried, but he did. So did Lex.

Who is more likely to bail the child(ren) out of trouble with the law? - Oh bitch, Lex and Ethan both said fuck the law. If it was just like, an overnight jail cell for some stupid misdemeanor, they might try to break their kid out. Otherwise, Lex would probably the one paying the bail because Ethan would try to punch the cop in the face if the cop talked shit about Ethan's kid. That reaction is not exclusive to cops.

Cooking:

Who does the most cooking? - Neither of them are exactly 5 star chefs, but they can hold on their own. Lex is better at cooking breakfast and Ethan is better at cooking dinner- but if he's exhuasted from work, Lex can cook dinner for him.

Who is the most picky in their food choice? - Neither are picky. Both of them grew up young scrappy and hungry just like their country without really the chance to be picky. They had to take what they could get.

Who does the grocery shopping? - Lex. She's good at calculating totals in her head. I wrote that in an unrealeased fic.

How often do they bake desserts? - Rather rarely. Perhaps on special occasions or to bond. Ethan has ruined the kitchen with his kid trying to bake a cake for Lex at least once. Maybe more.

Are they more of a meat lover or salad lover? - Meat lovers, babey. Fuck that fancy plant bullshit.

Who is more likely to surprise the other(s) with an anniversary dinner? - Ethan. I wrote that in the proposal fic.

Who is more likely to suggest going out? - Depends on what you count as "going out". Lex likes going to McDonalds, but Ethan is the one who suggests eating at actual restaurants.

Who is more likely to burn the house down accidently while cooking? - Ethan, but both have had near misses.

Chores:

Who cleans the room? - Both had fairly messy rooms as teenagers so they're not super anal about having sparkling clean rooms. That being said, when someone comes over Lex does try to tidy the place up a bit. At least enough to make it seem like they have their shit together. Ish.

Who is really against chores? - Ethan can be a bit of a lazy bones sometimes, but Lex isn't exactly a huge fan of chores either. However, she is used to doing chores since she practically raised herself and Hannah.

Who cleans up after the pets? - They take turns. Both hate it.

Who is more likely to sweep everything under the rug? - Ethan, because he doesn't want to incur Lex's wrath.

Who stresses the most when guests are coming over? - Lex. As I said above, she actually actively cleans the house beforehand. Not to the level of that freaking out mom from the comedy video who's name I can't remember tho.

Who found a dollar between the couch cushions while cleaning? - Ethan. He has a nack for finding random bits of money. Score.

Misc:

Who takes the longer showers/baths? - Lex, though both take relatively quick showers to save water.

Who takes the dog out for a walk? - They actually like doing it together. It's nice to get some fresh air, and they enjoy each other's company.

How often do they decorate the room/house for the holidays? - Ethan goes over the top, partially to annoy Lex. You know that Christmas tree Chris Pine vine? Yeah, Ethan would fucking do that.

What are their goals for the relationship? - Live a better life together than they did in Hatchetfield. White picket fence and California dreams shit.

Who is more likely to sleep till noon? - Ethan, but Lex is known to sleep till 3 in the afternoon if she's really tired.

Who plays the most pranks? - Ethan. That's literally canon.

I can babble about them all day lol

[latibulx]

Teddy & Gaeul

ULTIMATE SHIP MEME! ㅡ closed ㅡ @nxvalunxsis

General:

Rate the Ship -   Awful | Ew | No pics pls | I’m not comfortable | Alright | I like it! | Got Pics? | Let’s do it! | Why is this not getting more attention?! | The OTP to rule all other OTPs

How long will they last? - These two are meant to be, they'll meet in every lifetime!

How quickly did/will they fall in love? - Oh, it's been so long that I can't remember how it happened but they were best friends for a while before they fell in love, right? In my memories, Gaeul had been dating someone else who was never here and she used to spend a lot of time with Teddy?

How was their first kiss? - I don't remember??? It was probably a sweet but unexpected first kiss that maybe shouldn't have happened and that left them both flustered? Oh my god, wait, weren't they sex-friends for a little while too???

Wedding:

Who proposed? - I initially wanted to say Teddy because Gaeul is such a romantic, but the thought of Gaeul being the one to propose to Teddy sounds actually very cute. Perhaps they'd be casually relaxing on the couch, and she'd ask him if he wants to get married, pft.

Who is the best man/men? - there's none

Who is the braid’s maid(s)? - same here, it's a marriage only with both of them and their baby

Who did the most planning? - Gaeul, because Teddy knows that she has everything ready since her childhood, pft.

Who stressed the most? - Probably Teddy, because he still has a lot of insecurities and doubts.

How fancy was the ceremony? - Back of a pickup truck | 2 | 3 | 4 - I honestly think that they just put on nice clothes, went to the city hall and registered their wedding officially before going to the restaurant to celebrate. If Gaeul had dreams of a beautiful wedding in the past, now all she needs is Teddy and their baby. | Normal Church Wedding | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Kate and William wish they were this big.

Who was specifically not invited to the wedding? - Everyone they know. They just want to keep it between them for a while.

Sex:

Who is on top? - It depends of the mood! They don't care much about it, honestly. They switch things around, pft.

Who is the one to instigate things? - Once again, it depends of the mood! They usually know when the other is in the mood though, so they don't hesitate to instigate things.

How healthy is their sex life? - Barely touch themselves let alone each other | 2 | 3 | 4 | Once a couple weeks, nothing overboard | 6 | 7 | 8 - They've found their rhythm and even though they don't do much after the baby's birth, I suspect that once Gaeul will feel fine again they'll get back to it like they always do. | 9 | They are humping each other on the couch right now

How kinky are they? - Straight missionary with the lights off | 2 | 3 | 4 | Might try some butt stuff and toys | 6 | 7 - they do like to try out new things even if it ends up being awkward and they end up laughing more than anything else! And they're definitely always up to spice things up - Gaeul's so curious, she might even research kinks! | 8 | 9 | Don’t go into the sex dungeon without a horse’s head

How long do they normally last? - Quite a while, they know how to make each other last.

Do they make sure each person gets an equal amount of orgasms? - Yes, even though I believe that Teddy will want to give Gaeul more orgasms without expecting anything in return because he loves making her feel that good and he adores the sight of her coming undone under him.

How rough are they in bed? - Softer than a butterfly on the back of a bunny | 2 | 3 | 4 | The bed’s shaking and squeaking every time | 6 - I think that over the years they're being less rough than what they may have been in the past. However there are still times where both need to get rough sex. | 7 | 8 | 9 | Their dirty talk is so vulgar it’d make Dwayne Johnson blush. Also, the wall’s so weak it could collapse the next time they do it.

How much cuddling/snuggling do they do? - No touching after sex | 2 | 3 | 4 | A little spooning at night, or on the couch, but not in public | 6 | 7 - they don't necessarily always snuggle after sex because one will go shower or drink water and then they'll just go on with their day/night. However they always make sure to show the other how they appreciate them through a little gesture, may it be a kiss somewhere, a hug or holding hands while they're cooking a quick snack. | 8 | 9 | They snuggle and kiss more often than a teen couple on their fifth date to a pillow factory.

Children:

How many children will they have naturally? - Two! If their first baby was unplanned, the second one was definitely planned.

How many children will they adopt? - They unfortunately don't adopt children.

Who gets stuck with the most diapers? - I think they share the tasks evenly between them - at Gaeul's insistance to have Teddy as involved as possible so he can grow more confident in taking care of their baby. At first she's always by his side, but it honestly doesn't take too long before she knows that he'll do just well with their baby daughter.

Who is the stricter parent? - Teddy, because he doesn't want their children to end up in dangerous situations as he knows how terrible the world can be.

Who stops the kid(s) from doing dangerous stunts after school? - Once again, that's probably Teddy. He'd want for their children to come back home straight from school while Gaeul would let them hang out with their friends. They'd have to find a good balance for everyone to be happy, but I'm not really worried about that. They always work things out one way or another.

Who remembers to pack the lunch(es)? - Saying Gaeul would be a cliché but I genuinely believe that she enjoys packing lunches for their children.

Who is the more loved parent? - Eyyy, I don't like this question. There's no differences! Both are loved equally and both love their children equally.

Who is more likely to attend the PTA meetings? Gaeul, because Teddy doesn't have the patience to deal with teachers after that one time he almost punched one, hahaha.

Who cried the most at graduation? - Gaeul, she's an emotional mom to see her children grow up.

Who is more likely to bail the child(ren) out of trouble with the law? - Both, Gaeul can be very convincing and Teddy will just stare down at their children wordlessly lmao.

Cooking:

Who does the most cooking? - While Teddy's skills get better over the years, it's still Gaeul who cooks the most.

Who is the most picky in their food choice? - I don't think either are picky.

Who does the grocery shopping? - They go together because it's a moment they surprisingly like to share, no matter how tired or lazy they might be.

How often do they bake desserts? - Gaeul likes to experiment in the kitchen, especially once they have children, so she'd bake desserts at least twice a month, if not more as she gets better!

Are they more of a meat lover or a salad eater? - Meat lovers.

Who is more likely to surprise the other(s) with an anniversary dinner? - At first it would be Gaeul but I feel like Teddy would get better at making such surprises as well. Even if he doesn't cook much, he'd be able to come up with a simple pasta dish, or something not too complicated just because he knows that it'll make her happy.

Who is more likely to suggest going out? - Gaeul!

Who is more likely to burn the house down accidently while cooking? - That'd be probably Teddy for a while? Or even Gaeul if she gets too distracted and forgets she had something cooking in the oven.

Chores:

Who cleans the room? - Teddy because Gaeul tends to be a little all over the place with all of her books and then with kids toys

Who is really against chores? - None of them, they're pretty okay with chores

Who cleans up after the pets? - Gaeul, since they're hers to begin with, so they're her responsibility.

Who is more likely to sweep everything under the rug? - Gaeul, when she's feeling very lazy but then Teddy would stare at her until she's properly cleaning up.

Who stresses the most when guests are coming over? - It honestly depends of who's visiting them.

Who found a dollar between the couch cushions while cleaning? - Gaeul and then she'd say something like, "I forgot I put that one here", haha.

Misc:

Who takes the longer showers/baths? - Gaeul has always enjoyed relaxing in warm bubble baths so it's definitely her. And if Teddy joins her, it lasts even longer.

Who takes the dog out for a walk? - They don't have a dog but if they did, probably Teddy.

How often do they decorate the room/house for the holidays? - Gaeul loves holidays so she decorates the house each single time!

What are their goals for the relationship? - They just want to be happy together and have a happy family and make sure that their children know that they're wanted and loved and cherished.

Who is most likely to sleep till noon? - Before they become parents, both could have such mornings where they slept until noon. And after becoming parents, they took turns until the kids were old enough to take care of themselves.

Who plays the most pranks? - Gaeul, but Teddy also has some pranks up his sleeve!

[cncoaddicted]

marriage proposal

why don’t we preference

masterlist | requests are open

sorry for the mistake but english isn’t my first language

hope you enjoy

Jonah

you and Jonah were in a luxury Italian restaurant to celebrate your anniversary

"Are you okay?" you asked taking his hand from above the table

"Yes why?"

"You look nervous" you answered only by moving your thumb on his hand

"I'm fine thanks" he replied smiling at you

you ordered two lasagna and laughed a lot

everyone around you was silent and serious while you were in the midst of your lives and just wanted to laugh and be happy

while you were laughing at one of the many messes that Jonah was making in a restaurant too refined for his person, you let yourself go to a phrase that stopped his actions

"Can you imagine doing this for a lifetime?" you said with a smile still on your lips, Jonah stopped becoming serious

"Did I say something wrong?"

he shook his head smiling

"No but" he started clearing his throat but as soon as he opened his mouth to continue his phone started ringing, he picked it up and you could read Corbyn's name on the screen

"Excuse me for a moment" he said walking away

"What do you want?" Jonah answered annoyed on the phone

"Were you going to make the proposal?" Corbyn asked, he was on speakerphone with the other boys

"Yes and you've ruined everything" the older one replied

"Don't do it" Daniel said

"We knew you wanted things to be perfect so we made you something at home" Jack continued

"Thank us when y/n says yes" Zach finished before ending the call, Jonah smiled and went back to the table

you were coming home, Jonah looked even more nervous than before

you entered the house first, the living room was full of candles but as soon as you turned to ask your boyfriend for explanations he was already on his knees with the box open in his hands

"Y/n y/l/n, will you marry me?" he asked with tears in his eyes, you lowered yourself to his height and started kissing him, your tears mixed in the kiss

"Yes" you said only by detaching yourself from the kiss enough to catch your breath and then start kissing him again.

Corbyn

you and Corbyn had met in high school, you attended the same classes and this led to a sort of competition on which of you two was the best at school

you were going home after a day of work, there should have been Corbyn and the other boys waiting for you but as soon as you entered you realized that it was empty

you immediately called your boyfriend as he promised you that you would spend the rest of the day together

"Hey" he replied immediately and you could hear from the voice that he was smiling

"Where are you? you promised me we would spend some time together today"

"I know baby and I'm sorry but I have a little game for you"

"What kind of game?" You asked confused taking off your jacket and shoes

"Listen to me, do you remember when we numbered the rooms in the house for fun?" you nodded even if he couldn't see you

"Look under the keys, there is a sheet, a math expression will be written on it, the result will take you to the next room where you will have to look for another sheet and you will also have to solve an exercise that will take you to the next room. for whatever call me” he explained, you smiled involuntarily

"Maths? really Besson?"

"Are you or are you not the brightest girl in school?" he said only before closing, you kept smiling while you took the first sheet under the keys

5, first bath, under the soap

9, veranda, on the table

3, sitting room, under a sofa cushion

7, Jonah and Zach’s room, on the desk

10, garden, between plants

4, kitchen, inside the oven

you were starting to like this game

8, second bathroom, above the washing machine

6, Daniel and Jack's room, on Jack's bed

2, your room, inside the drawer of the bedside table

as soon as you finished the exercise you were confused

1

no room was number 1, you started from 2 but you didn't remember the reason so you didn't waste too much time and called him

"Corbyn, rooms start at number 2"

"Exactly"

"So now that I have the number 1 where do I have to go?" you asked still confused checking the expression

"Think about it y/n, I know you can get there" he said just before closing again

minutes passed and then a flash of genius, the light bulb went on

you ran towards the entrance, put on your shoes, took jacket and keys and left the house

the park, number 1 was the park where you and Corbyn had kissed for the first time

you arrived there in a short time and immediately you saw your boyfriend standing waiting for you

"I had no doubt you would get them" he said as soon as he saw you

"Why all this game Corbyn?" you asked approaching him and as soon as you were in front of him he knelt

"Tell me that's not what I think" you said with tears in your eyes

"I don't know, what do you think?" he replied smiling but you didn't have the strength to answer anything

“Y/n, you are the woman of my life and I want to spend the rest of my life by your side. marry me" he said, looking you straight in the eye

"Obviously yes"

Corbyn quickly put the ring on your finger before getting up and starting to kiss you

"I love you" he whispered to you a few inches from your lips

"Me too, you have no idea how much"

Daniel

you and Daniel were sitting on the sofa, your legs were above his and your head was on his shoulder

"Baby" he called you, distracting your attention from the television to watch him, he rans a hand over your belly

"We haven't chosen the names yet" he said

you had been pregnant for a few months now and your belly was beginning to be noticeable

you turned around sitting on his legs while he surrounded your waist with his arms

"Daniel Jr" he said immediately

"Forget it, we will not call our son with your name Daniel" you replied chuckling, he looked up to the sky pretending to be annoyed but immediately afterwards he turned to you leaving you a light kiss

"Okay" he said only as you stroked the end of his hair and neck

"How about Alexander?" you said looking him straight in the eye

"Alexander Seavey, I like it" he said leaving a kiss on your neck

"What makes you believe he will have your surname? we are not married, I may even decide to give him mine" you said, moving him away from the hollow of your neck

"Would you really give our son your surname? you know you would ruin his life forever, right?"

"Fuck you" you replied pushing him slightly but still having the shadow of a smile on your face

"Do you know what sounds good?" he suddenly said, you looked at him waiting for him to continue

"Y/n Seavey" he said, focusing his eyes on yours

"Daniel, I already told you I don't want to give our children" you were about to finish the sentence by saying ‘our names’ but then what he had just said hit you

"Wait, what did you say?" you asked walking away to look at him better, he had a relaxed smile

"That y/n Seavey sounds really good" he repeated

"Daniel" you said, unable to utter a word

"Please if that's what I think tell me right away because" but the words died in your throat as soon as he pulled the velvet box out of his pocket and opened it in front of your eyes

"Y/n y/l/n, would you do me the honor of becoming y/n Seavey?"

"Oh fuck" you just said, he laughed

"It wasn't exactly the answer I expected but" he started but he didn't have time to continue because your lips were already on his

"Yes" you said only when you left to catch your breath

you both smiled in the kiss before you broke away leaving time for daniel to put the ring on your finger before starting to kiss you again.

Jack

"Babe, could you get me the rings?" Jack asked sitting on the sofa

"Of course, where they are?"

"In the jacket" he replied before watching you go to the coat rack at the entrance and thank you

you approached the jacket and started rummaging in the pockets in search of the rings of your boyfriend, you found them a little later in the inside pocket, you put your hand to take them but together you found something else

you took out your hand with the rings that you put in your pocket and failing to curb curiosity you took the other object

it was a velvet box and inside there was one of the most beautiful rings that you had ever seen, there was no birthdays or anniversary planned so you came to the conclusion by yourself

"Did you find them?" Jack asked loudly, you cleared your throat before answering

"Yes, here I come"

as soon as you arrived in front of him you give him the rings and stood in front of him

"What's up?" he asked looking up at you and making one of those smiles that only he could do

"While I was looking for the rings I found something else" you said showing him the box with the ring

"Fuck" he whispered running his hands over his face

"I could have put it back and pretended nothing happened but I didn't make it"

"Y/n I'm sorry, it didn't have to go this way" he started but you stopped him first

"Yes" you just said

"Yes what?" he asked, you sit on his lap

"Yes i want to marry you Jack Avery" you said just before you started kissing him, he passed his arms around your waist while you put yours in his hair

you just walked away to offer him the box that he took and open, he pulls out the ring and, taking your hand, put it on your finger, before start to kissing you again.

Zach

"Okay guys, the next song is a very important song for us and for this reason I would like to invite on stage a person you know very well and who has become more and more important in my life day after day" Zach said introducing the next song that you knew it would be What Am I

his gaze and that of all the other boys landed on you

"Me?" you mimicked your lips pointing at you, Zach smiled and nodded protruding his hand towards you, slowly you approached them taking your boyfriend's hand

"You know y/n right?" Zach said with a smile that was not going to go away from his face, the fans screamed at your sight and you smiled not knowing what to do

the boys started singing What Am I, Zach's eyes didn't detach from yours for even a moment, then his part came

"Open the door to my apartment, we get in

kissin 'on my neck and throw my jacket to the side

I know your heart is beating quick

and if you put your head on my chest hear the same in mine, yeah

and we'll be making love

until the sun comes up

but one day, maybe I

I could put a ring on your finger before you change your mind” and at that moment the music stopped

"Zach" you started but you didn't have time to continue because the boy knelt in front of you

"Have you changed your mind?" he asked, the microphone in one hand and the ring in the other

"Oh my god" you only managed to say bringing your hands in front of your mouth

"Some time ago you told me you wanted to marry me one day. have you changed your mind?” he said again, you could hear the agitation in his voice

"Of course not" you replied with tears in your eyes ready to drop at any moment

"So, do you want to marry me?" he asked again

"Yes, of course I do" you replied with the tears that now crossed your cheeks, he got back on his feet and you didn't waste time and started kissing him, as a background to your kiss there were the screams of the fans accompanied by the cheers of the others boys

as soon as you broke away Zach put the ring on your finger crossing his hand with yours and carrying it in the air

"This woman will be my wife, guys” he shouted into the microphone, then turning to face you and kiss you again.

[isitgintimeyet]

Road To The Aisles

AO3

Previous

So, another weekend, another chapter. Thank you all for reading,reblogging, liking and commenting. It means a lot to me.

Thanks to @mo-nighean-rouge, @happytoobserve, @wickedgoodbooks for their help and support.

Chapter 6: A Celebratory Repast

Phil: [upon receiving Claire's gift] I am so excited. [Opens envelope] Coupons for...five free hugs.

Claire: You don't like it?

Phil: Are you kidding me? I love it. It's so creative--coupons for hugs, which are usually free, but this makes it official, which is so great.

Modern Family

Claire paused as the waiter poured their wine, then took a large sip and continued her conversation with Geillis.

“So, G, what do you think? It’s our first anniversary coming up and I still haven’t got a clue what to get Jamie. I want to do something, but what?”

Geillis pursed her lips and closed her eyes momentarily as if deep in thought. “Weel, personally I dinna think ye need to get anything. The fact ye’ve stuck with him through the past year is gift enough in ma opinion. And, if it were me, I’d be wanting something special wrapped up on ma plate from him too.”

“I know, I know.” Claire laughed. “But just stick with me. Give me some ideas, please. I tried to book the restaurant where we had our first date, but I couldn’t get a table. So... any thoughts? What do you give Dougal?”

“Generally I give him a voucher…”

“I was hoping for something a bit more original, but ok. Where from? John Lewis? Marks and Spencer’s? Sports shop?”

“Och no, I make him a voucher meself. It entitles him tae one night of, er, living his fantasies, shall we say? I mean, last year it started with-”

Claire held her hands up. Having sat through some of her friend’s more ‘intimate’ stories, she guessed where the story would lead and she was keen to get back to the matter at hand -- her and Jamie’s one year anniversary.

“Stop right there, G. Can we get back to discussing a present for Jamie… not a voucher? Besides, why does Dougal need a voucher anyway? I thought it’d be a regular thing.”

Geillis affected a look of mild disgust. “Claire, ye dinna ken what his many and varied fantasies involve. It’s just too fuckin’ expensive. I mean last year I ended up buying a whole new set of cushions… ruined beyond repair they were...”

The conversation paused as the waiter brought the steaming bowls of pasta to their table. Having offered Parmesan and black pepper, he departed, leaving them to pick up where they left off.

“So, G, vouchers are a no-no.”

Geillis shrugged at Claire’s dismissal of her idea. “I dinna ken then. What sort of things did ye get fer Frank?”

“The last birthday present that I bought him was a dehumidifier, to help with his sinuses, you know. And he bought me a water filter. He… we… he didn’t believe in non-practical gifts. And we didn’t bother with anniversaries or Valentine’s, anything like that. Frank was, self-confessed, unromantic.”

Claire twirled several strands of spaghetti around her fork and neatly popped the mass into her mouth. After an accompanying swig of wine, she continued.

“But, you know, that wasn’t all Frank. I never thought I had a romantic bone in my body either. I was perfectly happy not having to remember anniversaries, or pay a fiver for a card that would be thrown away a week later. But now… now, G, it’s different. It feels different. I want to do those things, I want to celebrate anniversaries with Jamie. Just need to find something that’s not too cheesy.”

Geillis smiled. “Then go fer it, girl. Ye’ll think of something, I’m sure.

**************

Over the next few days, Claire was not sure if Jamie really was nonplussed about their forthcoming anniversary, or if he was sensing her very real frustration at not finding a suitable gift for him and was deliberately downplaying the date.

“Och,” he said to her on numerous occasions. “‘Tis no big deal, this anniversary. I ken we’ll have far more tae celebrate over the years. We’ll jes’ head out fer a meal somewhere. Mebbe a curry? Or do ye fancy Chinese?”

“A meal will be great. You decide. I don’t mind.” was her standard response as she scoured the internet looking for inspiration.

But it wasn’t just the gift that was bothering Claire. All her life she had been reluctant to truly and openly express her emotions. As a small child, after the death of her parents, when asked how she was, she would always shrug, smile and answer with a standard “ok”, ignoring the rage and fury swirling around inside. Only with Uncle Lamb had she been willing to drop the façade and give her emotions free rein.

Similarly, with Frank, when faced with another cancelled date or his general displeasure, she would shrug and tuck it quietly away in her mind, along with all the other broken promises and disappointments.

But, with Jamie, she felt her barriers coming down. For the first time, she was beginning to feel comfortable with her emotions and wanted him to know exactly what he meant to her. Finding the right card and message mattered, and was proving tricky.

Eventually, she found what she was looking for and could relax.

************

Jamie’s car was already parked in the drive when Claire arrived home, prompted by a ‘hurry home, Sassenach’ text .

Other than a ‘happy anniversary’ greeting that morning, a blatant disregard for morning breath and a mutually satisfying, albeit speedy, union, there had been no mention of celebratory plans.

Claire found Jamie in the kitchen, already dressed in navy trousers and denim blue shirt, selecting two champagne flutes from the array of glassware in the cupboard.

“Do ye fancy a glass of champagne while ye get ready?” he greeted her as he swiftly deposited the glasses on the kitchen counter and put his hands on her waist, pulling her close against him.

“I’ve booked us a table, and a taxi. So champagne yes or no?”

“Mmm, yes, thanks. Are you trying to get me drunk?”

“Och no. But ye are a bit of a vixen when ye’ve had a drink or two. I canna say I mind. And, after all, ‘tis the weekend tomorrow. So go on upstairs and I’ll bring ye a glass.”

It didn’t take Claire long to get ready. A quick shower, a half hearted attempt to tame her curls, two glasses of champagne, and she was dressed and made up just in time for the taxi.

***************

The restaurant was exactly the same as that night the year before. Jamie took Claire’s hand and led her to the bar.

“What would ye like tae drink, Sassenach?”

Claire smiled at Jamie as the memories from their first evening came flooding back. “Glenmorangie, please.”

“Ice?” He asked, grinning.

“Er… well…” Claire hesitated before continuing. “Just joking. No ice, thank you.

I’m surprised you carried on with our date when you saw me putting ice in my single malt.”

“Aye, weel, it was a close thing, ye ken. It was only the thought of yer arse next tae me that kept me on ma seat.” His hand snaked down her back to briefly cup a buttock to prove the point.

Laughing, Claire batted his hand away before she perched on a tall bar stool and sipped her whisky contentedly. “I tried to book a table here for tonight... tried a couple of weeks ago. How did you manage it, was there a cancellation?”

“No, I booked it last month.”

“So all that crap you were spouting about getting a Chinese or Indian was…”

“Was just tae throw ye off the scent. I didna want ye tae feel ye had to do anything special fer today… no pressure.”

Jamie placed his whisky on the bar next to Claire’s glass, her hand still wrapped around it. A slight movement of his finger was all it took to touch her, to lightly stroke the back of her hand.

“When we touch…” she began to speak quietly, not wanting the barman to overhear. “It’s always different. It’s like… like electricity sparks between us.”

Jamie leaned closer to Claire, so close she could feel his breath warm on her neck, sending goosebumps down her spine. “Aye, it’s no’ usual between a man and a woman what we feel --“

The ringtone of his mobile broke the moment. Sighing, he reached in his pocket, pulled out his phone and declined the call.

“Geneva,” he explained apologetically.

“Hadn’t you better take it? What if it’s important… William?”

Jamie typed a short message and pressed send. A ping swiftly followed. After another short message, Jamie’s phone went back into his pocket.

“She wants tae discuss nurseries fer William. I said I’d call her tomorrow. Ah, here comes the Maître d’. Looks like our table’s ready.”

It was, Claire noted, the same intimate semi-circular booth that they had occupied before. She knew that Jamie would have asked for this spot again

A year ago, there had been a hesitancy before they dared to touch, each unsure of the other. Now, there was no need for thought. They slid along the curved seat to meet in the middle -- thighs, hips and shoulders in contact, Claire’s hand resting on Jamie’s thigh, his hand rubbing circles on the back of her neck.

With one free hand each, they shared the menu, quickly scanning the choices. The menu was unchanged and so with unspoken agreement, Jamie ordered for both of them.

“I wonder what sort of nurseries Geneva will be wanting to look at.” Claire began as the waiter poured two glasses of red wine.

“Nah, no talk about Geneva tonight, or her mother, or even William. This is about us tonight.”

“I’ll drink to that.” Claire took a sip of her wine as Jamie began to fumble around in his jacket. “Have you lost something?”

“No… ah here it is…”

He pulled a cracked leather pouch from an inner pocket and placed it on the table in front of Claire. He opened it before taking her hand and tipping the contents out.

Claire gasped as the creamy white pearls cascaded over her outstretched palm. She looked up at Jamie, who was watching her expectantly, and stroked his cheek, the pearls rubbing smoothly between their skin.

“Jamie, I don’t know what to say. They’re beautiful. Thank you… thank you.”

He smiled. “They were ma mother’s… and ma grandmother’s. My grandda gave them tae her on their wedding, and then Da gave them tae Mam when they got married. And now they belong tae ye. And one day our son will give them tae his wife. I hoped ye’d like them.”

Claire turned away as Jamie carefully fastened the necklace around her neck.

“They look sae bonny on ye. I was thinking ye could wear them on our wedding day… that’s the something old.”

Her fingers lightly traced a path over the necklace. “Jamie, I love them. And the story behind them. It means so much.”

“Aye, they’re verra precious tae me… as are ye, Claire.” Jamie’s finger followed the same path.

“And I ken we’ve had sae much going on, we’ve no’ spoken about wedding plans yet. But I want us tae start planning. I dinna want a long engagement… unless ye do, of course. Let’s get married this year, Sassenach… if ye want tae?”

“Yes, Jamie. That’s what I want too.”

***************

Full of good food and slightly merry from the champagne, whisky and wine, Claire and Jamie made their way home. The short taxi ride from the restaurant felt, to Claire, like an eternity. She longed to get home and give her gift to Jamie. And then she longed to go to bed and lie next to him, touching skin to skin the length of their bodies, and run her fingers through his chest hairs before wrapping her legs around his hips and urging him into her…

She squirmed involuntarily in her seat. Jamie, somehow sensing her thoughts, laced his fingers with hers. His thumb drew rhythmic circles on her palm, only increasing her longing.

***********

Once back in their house, Claire rushed upstairs to retrieve Jamie’s gift -- hidden in her wardrobe -- before joining him in the living room.

Spotting the large present in her hands, he grinned. “Ye didna have tae get me anything, ye ken.”

“I know. But I wanted to. I wanted to tell you exactly what you mean to me. I don’t always find it easy to say the words to you…”

“But ye show me in everything ye do fer me... and now fer William.”

“Well, go on and open it, then.”

Jamie ripped the paper off and studied the gift, a framed photograph, closely.

“See,” Claire explained nervously. “It’s a print of the night sky. That’s the stars and constellations in the Glasgow sky a year ago tonight. When we were on our first date. Do you like it?”

“Like it? I love it sae much… that was above us when I was falling in love with ye. I knew then ye were the only one fer me.”

“And there’s a card. I couldn’t find one in the shops, so I had to make it.”

Jamie opened the envelope to find a photo of the glen near Lallybroch where they first exchanged ‘I love you’s’. He turned it over and read out loud.

Whenever I am away from you,

The distance between us

A burdensome thing,

I always think of you in colors,

The smell of coffee as you so

proudly make it for me,

the perfect sunlight spilling

In through the window.

I miss you even when you

are beside me.

I dream of your body

even when you are sleeping in my arms.

The words I love you

could never be enough.

I suppose we’ll have to invent

new ones.

Jamie pulled Claire into his chest, her cheeks wet against his skin.

His voice was choked with emotion. “Oh, Claire, ma Sassenach. How much do I love ye?”

****

The poem is by Christopher Poindexter. Generally I am an unromantic soul and do not read poetry, but this poem I found so beautiful and moving, it gives me shivers.

[kat-feinated]

My favorite Denver restaurants

How was your week?

My week included being invited to have a threesome with two of my work clients, who are both meth addicts and lost custody of their child due to said meth addiction.

My boss asked me to send the text to her and just replied “FOR GOD SAKE” and I feel like that’s the perfect summary of my year.

Speaking of meth, we finally finished watching “Tiger King” this week. I know I know, that show is so one month ago. But I have a lot of thoughts that I need to share with the world.

1. Did anyone else find Joe really sympathetic and felt bad for him? Yes, I know he’s unstable and probably killed animals and stuff but I found him...endearing!? 

2. Doc Antle is the creepiest ever ever ever. 

3. Jeff Lowe sucks. And his wife is way too young for him. And THE WHOLE THING WITH THE NANNY I JUST CAN’T.

4. The guy with no legs whose name I can’t remember was my favorite character. And just seems so normal. How did he end up there!?

5. I’m proud of Saff for standing up for Joe in the aftershow...everyone else just sold him down the river!

6. Howard Baskin. Howard Baskin singing. Howard Baskin’s wedding photos with Carole Baskin. The show is worth watching just for Howard Baskin.

7. Do I think Carole murdered her husband and fed him to a tiger? Yes. Would I still hang out with her in a heartbeat? ABSOLUTELY.

8. I’m extremely mad that I didn’t come up with “hey all you cool cats and kittens”. And now it’s already over-used.

Do you miss eating at restaurants as much as I do? (Probably not because you’re probably a normal person who has friends and other hobbies). I miss restaurants so much it HURTS. I miss looking up menus and deciding what I’m going to order days before I go. I miss people-watching and commenting on everyone else’s food. I miss kind servers bringing me baskets of bread and drinks that I didn’t make. I MISS RESTAURANTS YOU GUYS.

So, while I’m eagerly waiting for restaurants to start re-opening, I thought it would be fun to share my very favorite places to eat in Denver. Share this list with your favorite Denver local! Or better yet, come visit Denver and try these spots out (and invite me!!). 

Cuba Cuba: This was the first restaurant I tried in Denver, because it’s across the street from our old apartment. It’s located in an adorable blue bungalow but is surprisingly spacious on the inside. For drinks, order their house made mojitos or a pina colada. For appetizers, order the plantain chips with guacamole and garlic sauce (YUM) or the empanadas. Everything I’ve eaten there for dinner has been delicious, but I especially love the coconut shrimp and the chimichurri steak.

Perfect for: a date night or girls’ night where you feel like getting a little dressed up (but you’d be fine going there dressed more casually).

Rioja: This is my mom’s favorite Denver restaurant, and she insists we go every single time she’s in town. It’s located in Larimer Square, the cutest and most charming street in downtown Denver. It’s a bunch of old Victorian buildings that have been converted into restaurants and shops, and the street is decorated with twinkly lights and Colorado state flags so it’s a great spot to get a touristy picture when you visit.

The menu changes constantly, so it’s hard to recommend exactly what to order, but you can’t go wrong with the pasta dishes. They are known for their artichoke tortelloni and it’s honestly the best pasta I’ve ever eaten in my life. Last time we also ordered the tagliatelle and clams which was fantastic. For starters, order the smoked pear and raclette if it’s available-so yummy.

Also, Rioja makes all their bread in house, and it’s probably our favorite part of the restaurant. Waiters literally come around with a giant tray of bread and I always try every single type. The lavender sourdough and rosemary biscuit are life-changing.

Perfect for: when your parents come visit (and pay!) or a special occasion like an anniversary or birthday dinner. It is on the pricey side.

Work & Class: This is probably the Denver restaurant I’ve eaten at the most. Located in the very hip Five Points neighborhood, Work & Class is always busy and does not take reservations, so I would recommend going on a random weeknight vs. a Friday or Saturday. If you do go on the weekend, plan on an hour plus wait-the good news is you’re surrounded by bars and breweries to help pass the time.

Work & Class is a South American/American fusion restaurant, and everything is served tapas (small plates) style, so go with someone you are cool sharing with. They have fabulous in-house cocktails which change seasonally, so definitely order one while you peruse the menu. It’s hard to make food recommendations since I’ve probably tried everything on the menu and have never been disappointed, but some of my favorites include: the lamb, the empanadas, the mac & cheese, and any of their vegetable side dishes.

Perfect for: your group of friends who you’re comfortable sharing with (eating off of each other’s plates!).

Mercantile Dining & Provisions: This is another spot that my mom insists on visiting every time she comes to Denver. It’s located in Union Station in downtown Denver, which is itself a great spot to visit. It’s an old train station (that is still a working train station) but also home to a hotel, an ice cream parlor, a bookshop, a florist, and every other small adorable business you can imagine.

Mercantile serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner (I’ve had all 3 there), but my mom and I have created what we believe is the perfect system for dining there. We always go on the day she is leaving town, since she can take the train from Union Station to the Denver Airport after our meal. We try to go around 11am, and we order a raspberry muffin. My mom doesn’t even like muffins, but these are no ordinary muffins-not too sweet, perfectly fluffy, moist (I’M SORRY) -just sheer perfection. After sitting and people watching for about an hour, we then order a short rib sandwich around noon, as soon as they start serving their lunch menu (it gets quite busy at this time). SO GOOD. SO TASTY. Plus, the restaurant itself is so cute-it looks like Joanna Gaines designed the perfect black-and-white chic modern farmhouse.

Perfect for: brunch/lunch after a morning exploring downtown Denver, or a quick bite before catching the train to the airport.

Lowdown Brewery: Is it cheating that this is actually a brewery and not a restaurant? I say it counts because they make all their food in house. I don’t always love going to the popular breweries around Denver because they’re usually packed. I’ve never seen Lowdown packed and in my opinion it’s the best brewery in Denver in terms of food and ambience-and the beer is good too!

Not only do they make and sell their own beers, but their menu always features a seasonally rotating list of Colorado beers as well. They have a lot of IPA’s (which I despise but everyone else seems to love). I’ve tried their blood orange wheat, selfish (pale ale), and their blackberry sour and have enjoyed all three. In terms of food, you can’t go wrong with any of their pizzas, salads, or sandwiches, but I personally can’t get enough of their beer cheese dip (served with broccoli, apple slices, and soft pretzel bites-I’M DROOLING).

Perfect for: sitting out on their patio with friends in the warm weather. Bring your dog!

El Five: El Five has one of the coolest views of downtown Denver, not to mention delicious food and drinks and great service. Their sangria is the best I’ve ever tasted, but they have tons of great cocktail, beer and wine choices if that’s not your thing (but also what is wrong with you). For appetizers, try the spreads of the med-a platter of house made pita, hummus, and veggies. For their traditional tapas, I’ve tried and enjoyed the patatas bravas, the shrimp & calamari, and the goat cheese croquettes. Then, of course, you must try their paella. I’ve tried both the Valencian (made with rabbit confit!) and the seafood and would recommend either. Be prepared to log roll out of the restaurant when you’re finished because you will have gained 100 pounds.

Perfect for: a festive date night, dinner with your parents, drinks with your girlfriends-just be prepared for an expensive bill.

Stowaway: I’ve only been to Stowaway once, right before the shelter in place order started, but I’ve been dreaming about it ever since. First of all, it is tucked into the cutest former warehouse-turned-hipster-coffee shop/brunch spot, complete with exposed pipes and red brick walls. I AM HERE FOR IT.

We went on a Sunday morning with some friends who warned us to expect a bit of a wait. Fortunately, the Denver Central Market is just a few blocks away so we were able to enjoy some cocktails and/or coffee while we waited.

When we finally got in, I ordered the Colorful Colorado (an egg dish) because of the 8 million reviews I’d read ahead of time that told me I must order this dish or live a life of unending misery and regret (ok, that might be a slight exaggeration but it was something along those lines). I also split the fruit toast with Joshua because I have to order something sweet and something savory when I go to brunch (I know I have a problem, just leave me alone). Both were so freaking good. I can’t wait to go back soon and try everything on their menu (or more likely, order the same two dishes over and over again).

Perfect for: brunch with your favorite hipster friend.

Linger: This is the one restaurant on my list that I love more for the location/ambience than for the food, though the food is certainly tasty. Linger is located in my favorite neighborhood in Denver (LoHi or Lower Highlands) and the building it’s in USED TO BE A MORTUARY. Like, WHERE DEAD PEOPLE WOULD BE SENT AFTER THEY DIED. I personally find this so cool, and if this freaks you out, you would never know except that I just told you (sorry). It’s very airy inside with cozy mood lighting and exposed brick walls. This is another place that does small plates and they’re all globally-inspired street food dishes-the menu is literally divided by continent (i.e. Asia, Africa). For drinks, order the turmeric mule. For eating, you really can’t go wrong, but some dishes I’ve enjoyed include: the bao buns, the impossible burger persian sliders, the tuna tostadas, and the potato masala dosa. Skip dessert because right around the corner you’ll find Little Man Ice Cream-one of my favorite ice cream spots in the city.

Perfect for: a first date/date night, a girls’ night, or a summer brunch on their rooftop bar.

Snooze: Full disclosure-Snooze is a chain and is not just located in Denver; they have locations across Colorado and in a few other states including Texas and California. That being said, I just have to include it on my list because I believe it is completely worth the hype.

Because there is always a long wait (I’m talking 2 hours sometimes), we always go on a Monday morning when there’s a federal holiday that other people don’t get off, such as Columbus Day. Don’t kid yourself-there will still be a wait, but it will hopefully be closer to one hour. Plus, they give out free coffee while you wait!

I don’t even like pancakes, but I always order the pancakes here. ORDER THE DAMN PANCAKES PEOPLE. You can even get a pancake flight where you can sample three different types of pancakes (I highly recommend the blueberry danish pancakes and the sweet potato pancakes). If I’m in a savory mood, I’ll order the breakfast tacos with a side of one pancake.

Perfect for: brunch with your friend, brunch with family or anyone with kids, brunch with your arch nemesis, brunch with anyone.

Hopefully this list made you excited to go back to restaurants again in the future, instead of depressed! And please send me your best restaurant recommendations! These conversations are what I live for.

[robinrunsfiction]

Gerard taking care of the reader on her period? (u don’t have to if u don’t wanna)

Misconception

Pairing: Gerard Way x Female ReaderRating: GeneralRequested By: AnonWord Count: ~1,700Author’s Note: Hey anon, so I took this idea on a little adventure. I usually write stories where the characters communicate well, but I decided to have the conflict stem from what if there is a miscommunication? Also this is probably the closest I’ll come to writing a pregnancy related story. I hope you don’t mind!

Every morning you had the same routine. Alarm went off at 6:30 am, you got up, took your birth control pill, took a shower, made breakfast, got ready for work, and were out the door by 8 AM. Sometimes all these events took place at your boyfriend Gerard’s place, but even if they did, your routine was the same.

But today something was different. It was your first anniversary with Gerard, and he had planned a nice dinner at a restaurant you had always wanted to go to, and you had picked out a form fitting little black dress to wear. You were looking forward to a fun, sexy evening with the man you loved. That is until you woke up and realized how exhausted you felt. You rolled over, took your pill, and then went into the bathroom. Stripping out of your pajamas you looked at your form in the mirror and realized how puffy you looked.

“Wait a second,” you muttered to yourself as you backtracked into your room. You pulled the pack of pills out of the drawer and looked closer. “Fuck!” you exclaimed.

A few months after you started dating Gerard and things started to get serious, you went to your doctor and got on the pill. You had elected to go with the three-month version so you wouldn’t have to deal with your period as often. The problem was you had gotten used to not getting your period that you failed to realize you would eventually get your period again. And today was the day.

Tears immediately started to well up in your eyes and you stomped back to the bathroom and into the shower. You were disappointed that you hadn’t thought ahead to plan when you’d get your once every three-month period. Of all the days in the year, why did it have to be today?! There was no way you’d fit into your dress as bloated as you were. As you washed your face, you could have sworn you felt a zit forming on your chin, and this brought about a fresh round of tears. What should have been a beautiful evening with Gerard was going to end up with you alone on your couch in your sweatpants, crying into a pint of ice cream, you just knew it.

You finished getting ready, pouting the whole way to work. You threw your purse into your desk with your phone in it, deciding to call Gerard on your lunch to break the date for this evening.

“Good morning!” Your chipper coworker Jennifer said as she settled into her desk across from yours. “Oh, are you ok?”

“Ugh, no,” you groaned. “PMS,” you whispered loud enough for her to hear.

“Oh no! And isn’t tonight your big night with Gerard?” She asked nodding to the framed photo on your desk.

“Yes,” you grumbled, dramatically dropping your head onto your desk. “I’m not gonna fit into my dress and I have no energy and I just wanna go back to bed.”

“Well you can reschedule right?”

“I dunno, probably. I just feel dumb,” you said picking your head up and logging into your computer. You settled into your tasks for the day until a few hours later when the first wave of cramps hit. You dug some ibuprofen out of your purse and went to the breakroom to make some tea. In the back of your mind you knew you should just bite the bullet and talk to Gerard, but at the same time, you felt awful for knowing you’d have to break your date. When you got back to your desk, you had just decided to dig out your phone when you saw that you had a delivery.

“Look what you got” Jennifer squealed. On your desk was a bouquet of a dozen deep red roses. You looked at the card and started to tear up.

(YN), this has been the best year of my life so far and I can’t wait for everything our future has in store. I love you so much and can’t wait for tonight. xoxo G

“Why is he so perfect,” you said waving your hand in front of your face in a feeble attempt to keep the tears from streaking your makeup.

“Aww, did you tell him you need to reschedule?”

“Not yet, I may as well do it now,” you said digging out your phone and stepping into an empty conference room to make the call. You dialed his number and the phone rang and rang, eventually going to voicemail.

“Hey Gee, umm, thank you for the flowers first of all, they’re beautiful and you made me cry,” you laughed. “Sorry, I’ve been kinda emotional lately. Umm, so we need to talk about tonight. I’m not feeling so good, and I think I might need to reschedule. I kinda miscalculated something with my pills,” suddenly the automated voicemail cut you off announcing that the maximum lengthof message had been reached. “Shit,” you said as you redialed Gerard’s number. When the voicemail message came on, it announced that his mailbox was full. “Babe, I love you, but empty your voicemail,” you muttered as you started typing a text.

I dunno if my voicemail is gonna go through, but just call me back so we can talk 🖤

You went back to your desk, threw your phone back in your purse and went back work. The rest of the day went by uneventfully, even though you spent quite a bit of time gazing lovingly at the roses. At the end of the day, you headed home and changed into the sweatpants and one of Gerard’s t-shirts that you had been longing for all day.

You had been curled up on the couch for a while when you felt your phone vibrating under you. Digging it out, you saw it was Gerard.

“Hey babe,” you started.

“(YN), where are you? Are you at home?”

“Umm, yea, why?”

“I’m on my way,” he replied, sounding almost frantic. This made you feel anxious, not understanding what exactly was wrong. Was he upset that you wanted to reschedule? Was he on his way to break up with you for breaking your date? No, he was much more understanding than that.

A short while later there was a knock at your door. You shuffled over and opened it to find Gerard, looking a little paler than normal, and sufficiently freaked out.

“(YN), what, how, I mean,” he stammered, not getting a full thought out as he walked into your place.

“Gee, what’s wrong?” You asked, not understanding what he was trying to convey.

“When did this happen? We’ve been so careful. I mean, I love you, and I wanna be with you forever so I support whatever you want to do, Sugar.”

“Gerard!” you said more firmly to get him to stop rambling. “What are you talking about?”

“Aren’t you… pregnant?”

“What?!” You exclaimed, holding back a laugh.

“You said you miscalculated your pills, so I thought…” he trailed off, a blush starting to light up his cheeks.

“Oh my god, I didn’t even think you could take it that way!” You said putting your hands over your face. “No Gee, it’s quite the opposite. I got my period today, that’s why I feel gross and tired.”

“Oh my god,” he said slouching against the door behind him, as if his legs were so relieved by this news that they could no longer be bothered to support him.

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t think when I left that message, I should have been more clear! I’m sorry!”

“No, no, Sugar, it’s ok,” he said running a hand through his black hair. “I mean it when I said I’d support what ever you wanna do, and I do wanna be with you forever,” he said righting himself and taking a step toward you, putting his hands on your waist.

“Thank you for the hypothetical support babe. I love you,” you said leaning up and placing a gentle kiss on his lips.

“What can I do for you?” he asked when you broke the kiss.

“What do you mean?”

“Tonight, to make you feel less miserable. I’ll move the reservation to next week, but what would make you feel good tonight? Pizza? Chinese? Ice cream?”

You grinned up at Gerard. “Chinese take out and a pint of rocky road?”

“Anything you want, Sugar,” he said placing another kiss on your lips. “I’ll be back in a minute.”

You grinned and settled back into your nest on the couch until Gerard came back with a few bags. “I got that lo mein you love from the place around the corner, and extra crab Rangoon. And the rocky road ice cream,” he said pulling bowls out from your cabinets.

“Gee,” you started, and he turned to look at you. “I really, really love you.”

“I love you too (YN),” he smiled back at you, bringing over your food. You sat up so he could have space and curled up against him as you started to dig in.

“Do you wanna, ya know, have kids one day,” Gerard asked suddenly and you tried not to choke on your food.

“I don’t really know. I’m not good around kids,” you admitted. “I think I’d rather adopt honestly,” you replied, suddenly worried of how he would react.

Gerard nodded thoughtfully. “Yea, there’s a lot of kids out there without loving families. Maybe one day we can do that.”

You smiled. “You keep talking about forever and one day,” you started and looked up at him.

“Because I mean it, I wanna spend my life with you (YN). Not just because I thought you were pregnant, but before that I was thinking that there’s no one else I wanna spend forever with,” he smiled down at you.

You set your bowl on the coffee table and cuddled against Gerard. “Thanks for taking care of me tonight,” you said, starting to get sleepy. You stretched up and pressed your lips to his again. “ And cheers to one year, here’s to forever.”

[youthincare]

[ image description is a black and white still photo of Georg Elser, mouth closed, wearing a suit and tie. ] 

Georg Elser

Born Hermaringen, Germany, 1903, died Dachau, Germany 9 April 1945

“At the end of 1936 he got work as an unqualified worker in an arms factory at Heidenheim. He quickly moved up the scale, getting a responsible post in the dispatch office in 1938. 

It was in this period, when his life had never been more stable, quiet, bland and anonymous, that he decided to kill Hitler.

Georg later explained his reasons under police interrogation. The first was that Hitler was preparing to take Germany into another war. This opinion was shared by many in Europe, and not least amongst a large number of Germans. Other reasons for his acts were that wages had been driven too low by Hitler (in fact wages in 1938 under Hitler were less than in 1929, contrary to popular misconceptions).”

Georg Elser was born at Hermaringen in Wurtemberg province in 1903. His father was a wood merchant and owned several hectares of forest and lived at Koenigsbroenn. Georg left school in 1917 and got a job as an apprentice turner in a local foundry. After the war, his father, an alcoholic, got deeper into debt and had to sell his business and his land.

Georg left the foundry after two years for health reasons and took up an apprenticeship as a joiner. He got his master’s certificate as an cabinet maker in 1922, getting the best marks in his class. Described as sociable but not very outgoing, Georg loved working with wood and metal. He set up a workshop in the basement of the family house where he repaired locks, furniture and watches and clocks.

He left Koenigsbroenn in 1925, working in the Dornier plane factories, and then at Konstanz in a watch factory. He worked there on and off during 7 years, and then when the enterprise went bankrupt, was out of work for several months, before getting work with new employers. This was a period of great tribulation for the whole working class, with many out of work or in short term work.

In his leisure time Georg played a zither with a folk dance association. He was very popular with women, and had a child with one of his many girlfriends, though he had no close male friends.

He had managed to get through the economic depression without any real difficulties, either working around Lake Constance or at Koenigsbroenn. He did not seem to have any particular interest in politics. He had joined the woodworkers union in 1920 as a teenager. Like many workers, he voted Communist up to 1933. Between 1928 to 1930 he was a member of the Roeter Frontkaemppferbund, a front organisation of the Communist Party (KPD), but this only involved paying his dues, buying the badge of the group (but not the uniform) and attending 3 or 4 meetings in 2 years. He said later – during the course of police interrogation- that : “I was never interested in the programme of the KPD. In the meetings there was no question other than wage rises, the improvement of social housing by the government and that sort of thing. That it was them who formulated these demands were sufficient to bring me to the communist side”.

He was far more active within the folk music group. From 1933, he ended all political contact but became a member of a zither club and took double bass lessons. 

At the end of 1936 he got work as an unqualified worker in an arms factory at Heidenheim. He quickly moved up the scale, getting a responsible post in the dispatch office in 1938. It was in this period, when his life had never been more stable, quiet, bland and anonymous, that he decided to kill Hitler.

Georg later explained his reasons under police interrogation. The first was that Hitler was preparing to take Germany into another war. This opinion was shared by many in Europe, and not least amongst a large number of Germans. Other reasons for his acts were that wages had been driven too low by Hitler (in fact wages in 1938 under Hitler were less than in 1929, contrary to popular misconceptions). 

Georg said that the working class had become exasperated and that something had to be done. He admitted often talking with colleagues, and unknowns met on trains or in restaurants, though he never revealed any names, even under torture.

Georg was not mad, nor a fanatic. Once he had made up his mind, he proceeded in the methodical manner like the conscientious worker he was.

In autumn 1938 he started stealing small amounts of explosives from the factory, bringing out 25 packets in a year. Georg knew that Hitler visited the Buergerbraukeller pub in Munich every year on 8th and 9th November to celebrate the anniversary of the Nazi putsch of 1923. He went to Munich on 8th November, inspected the pub and saw Hitler arrive and then returned home.

In March 1939, shortly after German troops invaded Czechoslovakia, Georg resigned from his job and went to Munich. He attempted unsuccessfully to get work at the pub. Returning to live with his parents, he got a job in a quarry, which allowed him to build up his explosives supplies. He returned to Munich in August.

Georg was an anonymous worker, one among many in a crowd. He attracted no attention.

From 5th August until 6th November he ate every evening at the Buergerbrau. At closing time he hid in a cupboard, waiting for the staff to leave. He was able to work for four hours, then returned to his hiding place and left with the arrival of the first customers. In three months, he had hollowed out a pillar big enough to house a time bomb. He planned for this to explode on 8th November at 9.20 pm.

Georg should have read the papers, where he would have discovered that Hitler had cancelled his visit. He was apprehended by customs officials when he attempted to cross the border to Switzerland, and detained on suspicion of being a spy or deserter. Incriminating evidence, including a postcard of the pub, were found on him.

Meanwhile the bomb had exploded killing 6 members of the Nazi old guard and a waitress. When this was announced on the radio, the customs officials remembered the postcard.

Transferred to Munich, Georg denied all involvement in the attack. The Gestapo was called in. After 14 hours of beatings and torture, Georg admitted his responsibility. The Gestapo refused to believe that a simple German worker had acted on his own.

Georg gave away no one. Despite his suffering, he refused to remember a single name of Roeter Frontkaempferbund members, except one who had died in 1930.

The German papers called Georg a British agent. Hitler hoped to finish the war on the Western front with a trial of British leaders at London, for which he would use Georg as a witness, and he was placed in Sachsenhausen concentration camp.

When it became obvious that the London trial would not happen, the Nazi leaders lost interest in him. Transferred to Dachau in 1944, he was murdered on the orders of Himmler on 9th April 1945 at the same time as other resisters, just a few days before the liberation of the camp.

From 1933 he had refused to salute the swastika and promptly left any public place where a Hitler broadcast was being played on the radio. Once he had taken his decision to act, he proceeded methodically.

Some remarkable individuals have made their lives a monument to revolt and courage. Louise Michel, Nestor Makhno and Simon Radowitzky spring to mind. Georg never thought himself anyone out of the ordinary, let alone a hero. But he had acted as he saw fit. How many in similar situations would act as he did?