#told my mum that the compliment i get most on my fic is that i write realistic mental breakdowns and she laughed

[sophiethewitch1]

chapter 9 www very short dialogue spoilers lmfao i just really need to share this absolutely stupid snippet

“What happened to you, man?”

“I don’t know, really. I think I died for a little while.”

“That’s deep.”

“It’s really not. Everyone’s depressed, it’s a twenty-first-century Gotham.”

“Ha, yeah, I’m on these new SSRIs that make it so I can’t come.”

“…At least they’re helping right?”

Your friend just shrugs. You snort. Then chuckle. Then giggle. And then you’re falling into a desperate, wheezing, breathless laughter. You’re laughing so hard you’re curling in on yourself, clutching at your stomach. There’s tears at your eyes. Molly starts laughing too. And Tim has to wonder, what the fuck he’s doing sitting here watching you two reinvent the wheel of philosophy.

[suugarbabe]

I had a fic idea that maybe George Weasley is slipped some veritaserum and he can’t hold in the secret that he’s in love with the reader?? Something angsty maybe? I’m not really sure but I think it would be great!! 🥰

Ugh, I love the twins. I’m more partial towards Freddie myself but we’ll see how this goes. It’s a little lengthy and probably not as much angst as you were looking for but let me know what you think 🤗

Pairing: George Weasley x reader

Warnings: lil tiny angst but not much

You rolled your eyes, picking up your goblet and taking a swig before answering your friend, “You’re mental, Gin, really. There is absolutely no way that George has a crush on me. That man despises me.” She only smiled in response, “Oh sweet y/n/n…how can you be so smart and yet so clueless.” You huffed, stabbing a potato with your fork as she continued, “You know I am his sister, I can tell when my brother is into someone.”

“Actually you are so right, Ginny,” your sentence laced with sarcasm, “how could I be so stupid, the boy who charmed my potions textbook to squirt water in my face when I opened the cover is just desperately pining after me.” Ginny’s rolled her eyes but you continued, “Unless I hear it straight from the pranksters mouth, I will continue to tell you how delusional you are.” At that Ginny’s grin grew wide as she took a small vile from inside her robes, “Well I guess it’s good I have this then, huh?”

Your eyes grew wide, “Is that what I think it is?” Ginny shrugged her shoulders, popping the small cork from the top and pouring the liquid into a goblet before stuffing the vile back in her robes, “If you think it’s veritaserum, then I take back my earlier statement about you being dumb.” You looked around the great hall, noticing the twins walking in, “How do you know they’re even going to sit by us? Isn’t George going to be suspicious that you poured a drink for him?”

Ginny shook her head, “I know they’re going to sit with us because I told them I was nervous about quidditch tryouts this weekend when I saw them earlier between classes. Fred said he’d come by during dinner to talk me through it. And I help mum set the table at home so they won’t be suspicious as long as you start pouring Fred a glass as well.”

You quickly grabbed a jug and started to fill a goblet for Fred just as Ginny did for George. As predicted, the red-headed duo came flouncing toward your section of the table, George plopping down next to his sister as Fred did the same next to you. They both happily took the goblets from each of you before filling their plates to the edge with food. “Merlin, do you both eat enough?” You let out a light laugh.

George rolled his eyes, seemingly irritated, “We’re growing boys, Y/n. Plus we have quidditch tryouts this weekend, gotta bulk up.” He flexed the arm that wasn’t busy shoveling food down his throat. “Speaking of, why’re you so nervous, Ginny. You know you’re our best chaser,” Fred was telling the truth, Ginny was easily the best chaser on the team. It probably helped that she was the youngest of all brothers, most of which were either previously or currently on the team.

Ginny, thankfully was a fantastic actress, “Dunno, really, maybe I’m just overthinking it. Let’s talk about something else, yeah? Distract me.” You snorted slightly, “Well they’re both definitely good at being distracting.” Fred took it as a compliment, throwing an arm over your shoulder, “Awh, you get distracted by us easily, Y/n?” You rolled your eyes, shoving his arm off of you. You peeked over at George who was grumbling something while taking a large swig from his goblet. The exact goblet Ginny had laced with truth serum.

You looked over at Ginny, who looked right at you, smile growing wider by the second. “What was that you said George? We couldn’t quite hear you,” Ginny asked him. George set down his cup, “I said Y/n is the distracting one.” His face fell with his statement, looking at Fred who was doing his best to stifle a laugh. You crossed your arms, attitude laced in your tone, “Me? You’re the one jinxing textbooks and pulling pranks all the time! How on earth could I possibly distract you?”

George covered his face with his hands, trying to smother his answer. “Nuh, uh, Georgie, answer her. How does Y/n distract you?” Ginny pried his hands away from his face. George closed his eyes, it was obvious he was doing his best to keep his mouth shut but the words just came tumbling out like he had no control.

“Everything she does is distracting to me,” the tips of his ears blushed a slight pink. It was obvious to Fred that George somehow ingested truth serum and started adding fuel to the fire, “Do you have a crush on Y/n? And if so how big is your crush?” Fred was grinning like he already knew the answer, and by the way George was shooting draggers with his eyes directly at his twin, it was obvious he did. “Yes, I have a crush on Y/n, a really big crush on her.”

Your jaw fell open in shock. You started stuttering over your words, trying to take advantage of George in this state before the serum wore off, “Wha-, how-, erm, why do you have a crush on me? I thought you hated me. What do you even like about me? How long George?” Ginny and Fred were both resting their chins in their hands, smiles wide as they looked from you to George, awaiting his answer.

He took a deep breath before the words flying out of his mouth, “How could I not have a crush on you? Look at you, you’re bloody gorgeous, Y/n. And you’re so smart, it’s almost intimidating. Merlin, woman, it takes most of my brain power to not think about you. I’m only mean to you because I’m a fucking child, trying to ignore my feelings because I know there’s no way you feel the same. That first summer that you came to visit and stayed with us at the burrow, I thought you were the most beautiful girl I’d ever seen. Then I saw you and Ginny prank Harry and Ron. Ginny told me it was all your idea, and I swear to Merlin I was in love.” His head fell back into his hands, by the sight of his ears you knew his freckled cheeks were painted sarclet.

Your heart felt like it was beating out of your chest by the end of his confession. Ginny’s jaw fell open so wide you swore she was going to catch a fly in there. You shook your head, having trouble understanding what he was saying, “But-, George that was like, three years ago, why did you never say anything?” George pushed himself off the bench, walking quickly out of the dining area. Fred spoke up then, “He never figured you’d like him back. Thought you’d just see him as your best friend's annoying older brother. Been telling him for years just to go for it.” You turned back to look at the doors George just left through.

Ginny poked your hand with her fork causing you to yelp and turn to her. “Hello, go after him Y/n, I know you like him too. Georgie pranks everyone but you’re the only one that can drown on and on about him for hours. You wouldn’t care that much unless you were hoping for a different type of attention from him.” You looked from her to Fred who gave you a wink and a slight nudge.

You jumped up from the table, walking quickly to the doors in hopes of finding him. Thankfully George had only gone to the steps right outside the great hall doors. When you stood in front of his sitting form he looked up at you, “What do you want, Y/n?” It was rare you saw him from this angle, you’d often get puppy dog eyes from the twins when you were the shorter one, but the way he was looking at you now nearly broke your heart into pieces.

“Can we talk?” You held out your hand for him to take. His hand nearly swallowed yours, but he still took it. You led him to an empty corridor before sliding down the wall, patting the empty space next to you for him to mimic your actions. He did without question, sliding down next to you, but not looking at you. You turned to face him, placing a hand on his leg nearest to you. His eyes were glued to your hand as you spoke, “Yanno Ginny has been saying you had a crush on me.” His eyes met yours, you took a deep breath and continued, “She says I have a crush on you too. That the amount you prank me wouldn’t bother me so much if I wasn’t secretly wanting a different kind of attention from you.”

“And what do you think?” He finally spoke. His voice was soft, teetering on breaking. “I think she’s probably right,” you started to lean back against the wall, lifting your hand off George’s leg. He was quick to grab it, placing it back where it was. You continued with a smile, “Don’t get me wrong, I definitely get irritated when you prank me. But I would much rather you be sweet to me, amongst…other things.” George’s ears perked up, “What does other things consist of?” You giggled, slapping his chest before standing up. You bent down, whispering in ear, “If you can catch me before reaching the common room maybe I’ll tell you.” You took off down the corridor, George following quickly behind, smiling ear to ear.

[anxious-lee]

A Sudden Diversion - A Lackadaisy Tickle Fic

Lee: Freckle

Lers: Ivy and Rocky

----

Evidently, plowing an automobile through several thickets and insisting it is a "short-cut" is dangerous.

This may have been a revelation to Rocky, but Freckle could have told him that from the beginning. In fact, he tried.

Yet, here they were: in the Lackadaisy's cluttered garage, mending the battering inflicted on their poor vehicle. The car was nicked and scratched from the shrubbery, not unlike its occupants. The engine compartment would have been just fine had the frenzied tom Rocky not rammed it into a tree's trunk. All in all, the damages were unnecessary and very expensive. To say that Miss Mitzi was peeved at the three stooges would be an understatement. Due to the speakeasy's lack of adequate funds, the car's repairs would need to be done by Rocky, Ivy, and Freckle, as reparations for ruining the car in the first place. Freckle supposed that being placed on mechanic duty wasn't the worst punishment Miss Mitzi could have dealt. Although, if anyone should have to be saddled with this chore, it should be Rocky. He's the one who made the mess in the first place.

But, perhaps it was for the best. It was safer in the garage than it was out there on the liquor-lined battlefield.

All three colleagues sat, working away silently. Or rather, almost silently, as Rocky could only take the deafening quiet for so long before he broke out into a hum. Some tune that neither Freckle nor Ives recognized. The musician himself was made useful by patching up the old paint job, while the two lovers dug through their toolbox, looking for the appropriate equipment to repair the engine.

Freckle had seen plenty of danger in his lifetime with his cousin. Hell, toughing through peril was practically his best trait as an officer in training. But each adventure wore down a little bit more of his psyche. And some nights, like tonight, there was nothing left to wear.

He was exhausted, both from the team's little excursion and the mental power it took not to have a panic attack.

Ivy, who sat at his right, learned over time to recognize these feelings through observation. Because odds were, Freckle wouldn't say it directly. She could pretty much discern and dissect every Freckle frown.

She was gonna make him smile.

She began with a little smirk of her own.

"Car maintenance isn't the peachiest job in the world, but at least we get some quality time together," Ivy said, batting her eyelids.

Brought out of his daze by the sudden sound of her voice, Freckle glanced up at Ivy quickly. He couldn't help but smile sheepishly at her flirtatious remarks.

But Ivy wasn't going to stop there.

"Y'know, I hardly ever get to witness you in your element. Tinkering away with your gadgets, and gizmos, and... whosiwhatsits, " she finished with a flippant backhand toward the toolbox.

Freckle seemed to turn bashful at that.

"Oh. I'm no professional. My mum taught me everything I know, and when it became just me and her in that house, I had to step in and help with the maintenance. If I'm being honest, I'm more familiar with the back-end of a kitchen sink than I am with motor vehicle repair," he cringed.

"Relentlessly humble, as always," Rocky piped in suddenly, "Ol' Freckle Face never could take a compliment, however deserved or warranted."

"Yeah! C'mon McMurray, you're doing most of the heavy lifting here! Little did Miss M. know that when she hired a gunman, she also hired a handyman," said Ivy.

The extra attention was getting to Freckle, so much so that he hadn't noticed when his cheeks began to burn hot.

"It's really not a big deal-"

"I'll say it is, and no take-backsies!" Ivy declared. For emphasis, she burrowed a single claw into his armpit.

Freckle tittered softly and tilted his body away from his attacker.

"Kheehehe, quit it," he near-whispered.

"What will you do if I dont?" Ivy dared playfully.

What to answer with, Freckle hadn't the faintest. His upturned mouth opened and shut a few times, hoping that the perfect reasoning would spring from his lips at any moment. Finally, he spoke.

"We're not gohonna finish our wohork," he retorted lamely.

"Oh yeah? Is that what it is you're scared of? The job?" purred Ivy. She once again buried her pointer claw into the crook of his underarm. It took some more digging than the first time due to Freckle's attempts to keep his arm flat against his side. When she settled into her target, she scritched everywhere she could reach.

"Yehes!" Freckle said, much louder and desperate than he intended. He was squirming a little more now, bent in a seventy-degree angle, but still holding down his position. The first giggle, he couldn't control. The second, third, and fourth, however, he was determined to swallow down. His lips pressed into a wobbly smile, hoping that if he didn't laugh, she wouldn't continue.

That only made her tickle harder.

"You trying to hold it in? Good luck, 'cause my little brothers tried the same trick, and it did not last long," warned Ivy.

And it was true. Before long, his firmly shut lips did nothing to prevent his giggles from escaping. They sounded more like pleaful whimpers.

It wasn't that Freckle hated her little games, but succumbing to something so childish as tickling was easier said than done. Not to mention the fact that they were in public, where any one of the speakeasy's employees could walk in on them.

Within a matter of seconds, Ivy brought both claws into both armpits and was tickling away.

Freckle gave a laugh of surprise, a notch louder than before. He knew there was no fighting her now. The tingly electricity on both sides of his body overtook him, and he slid to the floor, with his back pressed against it. Ivy followed, now hooked by his incredible laughter.

"You crazy kids ought to keep your hands off of each other. Otherwise, people might get the idea that you two are les amoureux," Rocky called from his place at the car, voice shining with sarcasm. He was watching them now and smirking unsympathetically at his troubled cousin.

"We are les amoureux, Rocky," Ivy called back.

For some reason, Ivy holding a conversation with Rocky while Freckle was underneath her laughing pitifully was making the sensation worse. As his face burned brighter, Freckle turned his head away from her in an attempt to save himself the embarrassment of having her look upon his cheesy face.

"Awh~! Poor boy is embarrassed!" Ivy cooed, taking one hand away from his arm and cupping his cheek with it, pulling his face back to her.

"You are practically burning up!" she gasped, "Are you blushing~?"

The saints above could not help poor Freckle now.

He didn't grace that question with an answer and instead whined through his laughter. This could not get more humiliating.

"I missed that big smile! And that laugh. I love it when you laugh. It's so cute!" the feisty woman squealed.

"Nohoho, it's nohohot!" Freckle squealed louder. His paws, which had been tucked in like T-Rex arms to his chest, were now covering everywhere on his face he could reach.

"It's a shame that me admiring you flusters you so terribly, because I'm not going to stop any time soon. You're all mine to adore, Calvin McMurray~"

Holy hell.

The teasing's subject cried out in ticklish agony and released a new wave of laughter.

"This would be easier if- you know- I'll think I'll just- there we go!" Ivy maneuvered herself to sit behind Freckle's head while she pinned his hands under her knees. Now he was on full display, with no hope of saving his dignity.

"Tickle, tickle, tickle~" she teased as both hands came back down to lightly skitter over and across his belly. Freckle laughed uproariously, unable to hold anything back, his pure-hearted cackle ringing out throughout the garage.

It was almost more than he could bear.

Almost.

"DOHOHONT SAHAY THAT!"

"Why not?"

"IT MAHAKES IT WOHORSE!"

"Ah, good tip! Definitely will be making use out of this. Kitchee kitchee kitchee kitchee coo~!"

Ivy moved her paws towards his hips, squeezing them faster than was merciful.

Freckle's laugh deepened in pitch immediately, sounding more like a maniacal cackle.

"Pretty good targets, Miss Pepper, but you're neglecting some key players in this game of torture!" said Rocky.

"It's not torture! He's fine! Aren't you, sweetie?"

Freckle almost said no, but he was too busy laughing. Laughing from an attack he let happen. If he really detested it, he could have ended this from the beginning, and he knew that. But there was no real danger here. Not with Ivy. Not with Rocky, either. He knew they would never hurt him.

Nevertheless, when one is being pinned down and tickled stupid, the only thought your mind will allow is 'STOP'.

Rocky strode over to Ivy's side and looked down at his cousin.

"Me and Freckle used to get into many a battle such as these when we were little tykes. I triumphed them all, naturally, and I still remember his spots," the tomcat gave Ivy a wink and planted himself on Freckle's legs. "You go for the neck, I'll go for the knees."

"ROHOCKY!!" cried Freckle, betrayed.

"Ooo! Those are good ones!" cheered Ivy.

"ISN'T AHANYONE GOING TO WOHORK ON THE CAHAHAR?!"

"No", they both replied.

They began their double team attack on Freckle's tickle spots. Ivy went to work fluttering in every crevice of his neck, while Rocky rubbed and squeezed his kneecaps, occasionally giving a swift scribble to the undersides.

Freckle couldn't believe how absurd this scenario was. Here he was, now shrieking and giggling shrilly like a small child, while his two closest teammates were tickling him to pieces. He didn't bother to question it any more, simply surrendering to his silly fate and taking the opportunity to let everything go. He had been harboring so much guilt and anxiety over the past few days. Over the past few weeks even. What better time to abandon all sensible thought, what better time to look away from his reality of crime and war, what better time to simply be with his friends, safe and at peace, then now?

But he still needed to breathe, so Ivy let up and released his hands from her hold. Rocky dismounted from his legs and backed away cheerily to give the man some space.

Freckle immediately wrapped his arms around his waist and tucked his legs into himself, tail swishing wildly as he let out his remaining chuckles. As he caught his breath, he looked up at Ivy.

Ivy's expression was kind. "You feeling ok?"

Freckle couldn't stop grinning, and it wasn't from the tickles.

"Y-yeah," he sighed in relief.

"Yes, good man, laughing yourself up a storm, now come on, let's take a break from the car and head to the bar downstairs!" said Rocky.

"You mean after the break we just took from our work?" Ivy smirked.

"I don't know about you two, but all this horseplay has worked up my thirst. Whadd'ya say, Baby Face? Want to grab a beer?" Rocky reached a hand down to help him up.

Freckle was repulsed by the idea of drinking alcohol himself, but Rocky knew that as well, using it as a conversational turn of phrase.

The orange cat softened in agreement.

"Sure."

Rock wasted no time in trotting out the door, hungry for an ice cold scotch.

The two stragglers, now alone, slowly followed behind. As they walked, Ivy stretched an experimental pinkie out to Freckle's. He wasted no time in linking his paw with hers and pulling her to his side.

Not the worst of punishments, indeed.

-------

You know what, I eventually got hungry enough for lackadaisy fic that I wrote one myself. I haven't completed a fic in well over a year, but this franchise is beyond inspiring enough to birth this fic ❤️

@veryblushyswitch @someone1348 @kasey-writes-stuff @ticklyfluffstuff

[ladymarycrawley]

Baby please come home - John Stones

Request: can I pls request a John Stones fic where your family have moved abroad and you’re going to see them for Christmas but John can’t come so you’re quite sad you’re missing your first Christmas with him but what you don’t know is he’s surprising you when you land and you have the most amazing Christmas with him and your family?

Warning: sweet, sweet John (sth like one of those Xmas rom coms)

Tag list: @masonxomount @chelsealover @stonesyy​ @johnstonesfc

Christmas is such a special time, not just for the magical atmosphere given by all the lights, the shopping to get some good presents and all of that but also because it usually is the time you get to spend with all your loved ones.

Among all those loved ones you would've like to spend the so called most wonderful time of the year there was also another person that, during this last year, became pretty important to you, that one was John. That would have been your first Christmas together and, Needless to say, you were really looking forward to it: getting him the perfect presents, even that being rather hard as he already had everything he could ask for since he had enough money for all of that, picturing him interacting with your family and all of them getting along, him complimenting your mum for the delicious food she cooked…the only thing that could spoil that perfect scenario was him missing all of that. And that was exactly the turn things took: when everything was set for him to come and spend his first Christmas holidays with your family, he came and said that he couldn’t do it anymore due to an intensive training schedule his manager decided to submit the squad to as a “punishment” for their latest losses.

When your boyfriend told you that news you were hoping you didn’t have to listen to, your heart broke into a million pieces and you were sure he could have heard it from the outside too.

"But you promised you would've come"

"I know but it's work and it doesn't depend on me"

You got so angry the night he called all your plans off you were this close to a fight but instead you just kept it all inside and let him cuddle you all night, trying not to let him see the hot tears that were staining your face.

The next day he woke up before you to go training as you had to finish preparing your suitcase ready to take the flight home in a few hours. That morning he tried to make it up to you by whisepring sweet nothings into your ear as he would place lingering kisses against your cheek and by leaving your breakfast ready (including the last chocolate muffin you would usually argue for) with a note saying he was really sorry abd that he loved you so much. As much as you would've liked to play the part of the strong girl that doesn't need these useless things, that sweet gesture caused you to smile from ear to ear, taking your phone in your hand to write him a thank you text, adding you loved him more than ever.

As soon as you arrived at your parents' you facetimed John to let him know you were home safe, as he kept sending you texts asking you how were you doing.

"Yes, I'm entering my bedroom in this very moment" You sighed, leaving your suitcase at the side of the bed and abandoning yourself on what was would have been your bed for those upcoming days.

"Good, how was the trip?" He asked as he was lounging on his bed, with his arm propped on the bed holding his head. The weary smile curving his lips mase your heart flutter, you would have loved to kiss his tiredness away and cuddle next to him.

"Okay, it's so damn freezing outside I just wanted to get home and drink this hot cocoa my mum just made for me"

You were literally gladly to have that steaming mug in your hands and a soft and warm bed to realx on, you were feeling like a child and that made John's smile grow even wider.

"You look like a happy baby"

"I am indeed!" You two shared a little laugh before asking him how was training.

"I'm kinda tired you know, with the cold and everything it's getting kinda hard"

He let out a loud yawn, rubbing his hand over his worn out features. He looked like a baby too in that moment, needing all the cuddles in the world.

"I miss you" You whined, pouting and wrapping your blanket tighter around you.

"You look so snuggly with that blanket on" John smiled softly at your face reflected on the phone screen.

He missed so much seeing you wandering through the house wearing that pile thing around your shoulder as if it was a cape. 

"We could have been here together, snuggling under this soft and warm blanket but you preferred staying there, in cold and rainy Manchester"

"You know I would've loved that but Pep decided is a good time for us to work on some tactics"

"Pep, it's Christmas for Christ's sake, go eat some sweets and let these poor men go!" You rolled your eyes, sighing in distress "I should've been your manager"

Your exasperated reaction made him chuckle out loud.

"Yeah, we would've had so much fun…especially me" He wiggled his eyebrows in a flirty way.

"Nope, you wouldn't have gotten anything" You playfully snapped back, him being the one to pout this time.

"I miss you too" He confessed, wanting nothing but to run his long fingers over your face and kiss you.

You looked at each other in silence for a couple of minutes, just getting lost in each other's eyes.

"Mum was really looking forward to meet you"

"Me too, I'm so sorry to be missing all of that"

"And now I'm about to face a long family dinner without you"

"Hey, I already said I'm sorry, don't make me feel guiltier"

"I love making you suffer from time to time" You said, sticking your tongue between your teeth.

He chuckled before waving you goodbye and sending a kiss your way, not after hearing you say how much you loved him.

-

"Someone rang the door!"

"I'm coming!" You shouted in answer to your mum.

That morning you were adjusting the Christmas tree your mum lef you to do as someone rang the door.

As you opened the door and you realised who was the one person standing at your parents' entrance, you gasped and let the glass bauble you were holding to put on the tree fall to the ground, breaking it into a million pieces. 

"JOHN??"

"Happy Christmas baby" You jumped in his arms, wrapping your arms and legs around him like a koala.

He giggled, his lips pressed against your head.

"What the hell are you doing here??" 

"Well, if you don't want me anymore I'm going back to Manchester"

"Don't you dare!" You both laughed as you cupped his face to give him a long, needed kiss on the lips. The contrast between your warm lips against his colder ones made you shiver while he let out a pleased moan, enjoying the warmth you were radiating as he spent the last hours out in the cold.

"Oh he made it in the end!" Your mum exclaimed seeing you in tears in John's arms.

"What does it mean?? You knew it?? For all this time!" You gasped pointing a finger against your mum, guessing she knew everything from the start and probably talked to John to arrange the surprise. But how was it possible? They didn't know each other personally.

"Well, I unlocked your phone and searched for her number telling her about the surprise I had in mind" The City player explained you, as you couldn't quite believe what was happening right in front of your eyes.

"You two…you have been playing with my feelings all this time...that's not fair"

"But we succeeded in surprising you so we won" He smirked, kissing your forehead. 

Everything you had in mind finally happened: he met your parents, your sister and had dinner with you all, including him appreciating your mum's cooking skills.

“So this is our room?” John asked wiggling his eyebrows mischievously as you showed him upstairs.

“No, it’s mine. Yours is just here on the right”

“Oh come on, I don’t wanna sleep all alone in a new house” He whined hugging you and hiding his face in your neck “I’m scared”

His stubble tickled the highly sensitive skin of your neck, making you giggle and squirm in his arms.

“John, we can’t do anything as far as my family is here”

“I don’t wanna do anything! I just wanna sleep. What do you have in mind, you cheeky girl?” He smiled mischievously.

“The same thing you have in mind, you naughty boy” You pinched his cheek before kissing him softly.

“The heating doesn’t work properly though...I’m so cold”

“John stop it” You couldn’t stop giggling as you tried to push him out of your bedroom. You would have really liked to sleep next to him but you didn't want your family to make some comments or anything about your private business.

"You can't leave me out in the cold!"

"I'm not! You have a hot bed waiting for you"

The day after, when you were strolling hand in hand with him through some Christmas markets, you realised how lucky you got: with him by your side you were feeling as if you had just won the lottery. That thought made you squeeze his hand firmer, drawing his attention. 

"What?"

You gazed up at him: his curls perfectly styled, his slender body wrapped in that black wool coat you insisted for him to buy instead of those puffers he would use at City, his cheeks slightly pink due to the cold weather, making his cerulean eyes stand out.

"Nothing, I just love you so much"

John smiled back at you, meeting your smaller figure standing on your tiptoes ready to kiss him.

"Even after having played that prank on you?"

"Even more"

"You said that! Don't complain then"

You playfully hit him on his toned arm.

"It doesn't mean go on, play pranks on me whenever you want to!" You warned him jokingly.

John trapped you in his arms, engulfing you in his embrace which felt so perfect.

"I really am the perfect girlfriend, you know?"

"Pff, don't flatter yourself, I am the perfect boyfriend"

"This coat your perfect girlfriend made you buy is what makes you the perfect boyfriend, nothing else"

"Oh so you're with me just for the looks? I'll remember that"

He pinched your hips from underneath your coat, making you squirm. The cold air and the never stopping smile making your cheeks hurt but you couldn’t care less.

"I have another thing or two that could make me an even better boyfriend…" John smirked teasingly, muttering that kinky words in your ear, adding some red to your already tinted face. He took your hand in his to start walking together again. That was really the most wonderful time of the year.

[smilingformoney]

20 Questions for Fic Writers

no one tagged me in this but I saw @hirukochan do it and decided to steal it

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

Eight

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

425,915 (most of them Soul of Ice, obviously)

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Harry Potter but specifically Snape, and Alan Rickman characters

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

See, this won’t work so well because I have eight stories, but if we could have chapter kudos it’d be a much more interesting exercise to see my five most popular chapters. Anyway:

Soul of Ice

Happy Ending

Soul of Ice One-Shots

Professor Snape II

Morality is an Illusion

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Not unless I have something to say, maybe I should?

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Definitely Three Secrets considering you die at the end.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

I want to say Happy Ending for the title lol but really it’s Soul of Ice, which so nearly had a heartbreaking ending but I couldn’t do that to my babies!

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Nope, the Snapedom is generally very positive! And who could hate Dad Snape?!

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

I’ll write pretty much any smut, but I prefer it to be part of a wider context, hence why I don’t write a lot of one-shot smuts. The one-shots I do write are pretty freaky though 😎

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

No, I’d get too lost in the lore trying to explain why the crossover was happening 😂

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Yeah, y’all remember when this happened?

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

No, nobody is insane enough to try and translate my whopper of a fic 😂

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

No, I don’t see how it’d work personally, although I am big into using people as soundboards. Soul of Ice would be very different without @sevsnapes and For the Love of Books wouldn’t even exist without @snowblossomreads

14. What’s your all time favourite ship?

doctorrose, though I’ll probably never write for them. Any form of Snape/Happiness is a-ok in my book but Snephy is obviously my favourite form of that.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

I’m gonna finish them all! I promise! Eventually!!

16. What are your writing strengths?

Characters. The most common compliment I get is that people like my OCs, Abbie in particular.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

I’m always conscious that my narration isn’t very descriptive. It feels very “he did this and she did that, then they did this and that.” I do try to go back and flourish it a bit but I struggle to be anything other than literal in my descriptions. eg, if I had to describe a table I’d be like, “The table was a rectangle with four legs. It was made of wood.” 😂

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

If I felt the need to do that for whatever reason I’d probably do it like, “Insert dialogue here,” she said in German.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

I DON’T THINK I’VE EVER TOLD THIS STORY ok so I was like 9 or something like that and I wrote a snamione story but my mum found out and made me stop because Hermione was like 13. So I did stop but I didn’t just ghost the story, I made a post that my mum said I couldn’t write it anymore but that Hermione finds out Snape is getting married so she gets together with Ron instead. I don’t remember much of what I actually wrote, only that it started with Hermione noticing that Snape had very sad eyes. I’m pretty sure this was before the last book came out so I clearly knew what was up!

20. Favourite fic you’ve written?

Soul of Ice, always and forever. (I count Professor Snape II as being part of it.)

Tags: @sevsnapes @giosnape @mamawolfsmith87 @snowblossomtumbles @thestephanieflora

[artscloudy]

hi!!! i love ur &team fics i think you write the members so well😭😭!! could i pls request a k oneshot (preferably on the longer side but wtv you are okay with doing!!) inspired by the song daylight or mastermind by taylor swift? maybe idol au too idrm? but complete creative reign to you!!! thank u smmmmm

Hello dear <3 Ngl writing this was a challenge and I loved every second of it. And thank you for the compliment!!!

The songs screamed to me to write this, but it's not really long, sorry...

Anyways, I hope you enjoy <3

A long night

I've been sleeping so long in a twenty-year dark night, and now I see daylight, I only see daylight.

It was all my design, 'cause I'm a mastermind.

Gender: female Warnings: i guess none

You kind of stumble around while you try to catch your breath. How the heck does the coreographer create those insanely difficult coreographies is beyond you. You can barely breath after a whole hour of dancing.

You've been trying to get this coreo right for the last week, but the problem is you don't seem to be making improvements.

You wipe your forehead with the sleeve of your long t-shirt and try to stand up properly. Thanking the teacher and greeting the other girls, you take back the sweather you discarded earlier and get out. Finally it's done.

It has been a really long and tiring day, but now you deserve your beloved coffee.

Are you going to sleep? Probably you'll not even try now since you need to go back and practice at least a little more. The next monthly evaluation is incredibly close, even if the last one feels like it was just yesterday. Therefore, the coffee is a good choice.

While you walk to the coffee shop, you try to keep yourself warm in your sweather. The weather's so cold during the night, but nights in Seoul are just something else. You've been here for a while now and the night never stops mesmerizing you for how pretty the streets are and how you feel loved: you, who's never been really loved by anyone before. You love practicing in the night, when the whole city is asleep and there's only you against the world, when you can take your time and fix every little detail with patience and love, taking care of yourself. A good coffee is all you need to keep going.

𓂃 𓂂 ⋆ ˳ْ  ˖ 𓂃

Coffee secured and ready to be drunk, you thank the guy at the register and take the wallet back.

Why doesn't this bag open? You curse in a low voice.

Your mum was right when she told you to get a bag that had a zip instead of such a complex type of lock, but when you got to the shop, this bag was definitely the prettiest.

While you fight with your bag, you are pushed sideways by a group of guys who are probably here to get a midnight ice-cream. You think for a monent to insult them or something, but in the end, you just side-eye the one who pushed you and keep trying to open your bag.

You end up on the floor, you don't even know how, but you probably bumped into someone and now your coffee is splashed everywhere, in particular on yourself. And the point is you can not even say anything because it's all your fault for not looking around.

"My shirt..." you look up and that's when you start to freak out. In front of you there's K.

He's one of the most popular guys in the whole company, and he was so popular even back in his trainee days, with the girls fangirling over him and desperatly trying to let him know how interested they were, even if it is not exactly allowed by your company. It's common for him to find a couple of sweets with handwritten letters here and there - he's even recieved one right in front of you just a couple of days ago.

But he's also really popular among guys for his perfect body and amazing personality. He's respectful towards superiors and teachers and even towards the other students and, when he works in a group, he leads well: just the perfect hyung.

You two had met before in random situations: once in the lobby of the company and you just bowed to each other and talked a bit - in a really, really embarassing small talk - once in a formal meeting and once in a training room. But you basically don't know him personally, except for all the voices about him.

Still, here he is, stunning and perfect as always and offering you a hand to lift you up the ground. And he's smiling to you, as if his shirt is not as stained as yours is - and it's all your fault. You can't even look at him in his eyes, but you remember from your previous encounters the warm color they have.

You accept the hand he is offering and you find it to be soft and gentle when holding yours; even his other hand that only slightly touches your side to help you regain your balance is delicate.

"I'm sorry for the coffee..." you try to tell him.

"Don't be, it's okay. I needed to wash it anyways after practice". And he laughs a bit. You smile in return, thankful for the fact he's not making it weight on you.

"I'm K by the way".

"Oh yes, I know". Ops.

"Do you?"

You'd like to slap yourself but you avoid doing so only because it would make the whole situation even worse. You opt to say the truth.

"Yes... you're kinda famous at the agency".

He laughs. You look at him in the eyes for the very first time since you spilled the coffee. You're probably red on your cheeks, since you feel them so warm. But he's just stunning while he laughs and thanks you for the judgement.

"Do you have time? We could take a coffee so you replace the one you dropped".

"Actually, I was thinking about practicing a little more" you tell him, feeling sorry to decline an invitation that would be every girl's (and boy's) dream.

"Oh, got it. The monthly evaluation is in just a week. You're a tough one. - he laughs - You must be the best trainee there".

And you feel a bit ashamed to confess that actually, you're one of the worst in your group. The teachers even told you that if you don't start improving faster, you could even never make it.

"And what's worst is that my weakness is dance. I can never get movements right and they are weak and I don't look catching while dancing".

"Ehy, I can definitely help you with that!"

"Oh no, I'm really terrible, I don't want to bother you".

"No, really, I'd love to help you. Dance is my specialty". He has an amused look in his eyes while he smirks to you and brushes his hair back with his hand.

Along with everything else, you think.

And just like that, the god of dance sent you an angel of dance to help your uncoordinated ass to debut.

And you agree to him helping you, pulling out all the courage you have inside to say yes and not to die there and then.

So, after ordering two more cups of coffee, he follows you back to the agency, trying to keep a low profile on the streets.

𓂃 𓂂 ⋆ ˳ْ  ˖ 𓂃

Once you get there, you both get changed, discarding the stained shirts and you show him the series of steps that you have to master for basically the next week.

He sits on the floor in a relaxed position, looking at you - in particular, focused on your body - with full attention.

"What's your action plan?"

"My action plan?"

"Yea, the strategy to master all of that in the short time you have".

"I don't have one".

"Y/n, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. You need an action plan".

K stands up and, for just a split second , you think he's going to open the door, get out, and never come back again, but he actually just grabs a pen and some paper and come back to where you're sitting.

"Let's say we have five hours. You can practice the first chorus for the first hour. It's the most physically demanding part, and it probably weights the most during the evaluation, so we should definitely work on that first. And then we can focus on expression and..."

He keeps using "we": we should practice, we have time... You feel a bit warm in your chest to see how he takes helping you improve by the heart. He could be sleeping right now or practicing his own coreography for the comeback or anything, but he's here helping you. You can't fail.

𓂃 𓂂 ⋆ ˳ْ  ˖ 𓂃

"Y/n! Again!"

You've already been practicing for two hours and yes, the breaks are almost nonexistent, but till now he has kept it funny and light, with nice talking in between the practices and a lot of words of support.

The problem is this small sequence that he had to show you twice and then explain really slow and still you can't get it right.

He stands up and comes behind you.

You feel a rush of heat to your cheeks as soon as he comes closer.

"The leg should be bent like this, - he holds your knee and moves it a little downwards, causing shivers to start from your knee and reach your whole body - and your hand should reach your knee fastly this way". He grabs your hand and his touch is still as soft and gentle as earlier while he brings your hand to your knee, showing you the right timing.

"Why are you shivering, are you cold?"

You feel heat come up to your cheeks and you start mumbling some absolutely random words: "No, no, just a little tired..."

You look at the mirror to check the position he led uou into, but all you notice is your red face: you're blushing like crazy and that makes you even more embarassed. In the mirror, you meet K's eyes. A shiver runs up your spine again while you just can't move your eyes away from his face, so incredibly close to yours. His black hair partially covers his eyes and the hem of the tshirt leaves his neck exposed. He's just that attractive.

You can even feel his breath on your cheek when he speaks again: "Repeat this part again."

𓂃 𓂂 ⋆ ˳ْ  ˖ 𓂃

The music comes to a halt and you keep your final position for the standard three seconds.

"YAY, Y/n that was perfect!" He jumps and in a moment he is on his feet and hugging you.

For the first second you don't know how to react and the only thing you're thinking about is how sweaty you must be after all these training hours, but then you give in and hug him too.

Now you get why everyone says he has a warm personality.

He caresses your hair and then lets you go.

When you two are distant enough, you look into his eyes and see how much he's smiling to you, his cheeks just as red as yours are.

𓂃 𓂂 ⋆ ˳ْ  ˖ 𓂃

"Y/n, how far is your dorm?"

"Actually, I'd need to take the bus..."

"No way I'm letting you take the bus this late".

"Yes but how do I get there?"

"By car, of course. Jump in".

He stops near a car that bips segnaling it's now unlocked. It's a small black car, but seems to be in really good conditions.

"How is it possible that you always knew what I need?"

"I'm wonderful, I know" and shoots you an enormous smile.

𓂃 𓂂 ⋆ ˳ْ  ˖ 𓂃

"I love night car rides. They're magical". You two have all the windows down while he runs on the higway and you look outside at the lights that alternatively flash or shut and the brushes and the few other cars that pass you by in the opposite direction. You look at K, whose eyes are fixed on the road. You can see the shine in his dark pupils.

"They are. And what makes them special is the person you're with". And he shoots you a little look. You are a little puzzled, but cannot help but smile too.

For the rest of the ride you keep talking about your lives and you're surprised that K knows you so well, as if it's not the first time you two meet and laughs it off with the same excuse you used earlier: you're famous among trainees, but you know for sure it's a lie because you definitely are not that famous. He must have made researches about you and that thought only, even without a certainty, makes you shy. And then you two fall silent, but it feels comfortable nontheless.

"We're here" K looks out of his window to check the building you live in. Then turns to you.

"Thank you so much K, I can't express how much I needed this help and support. You seemed to have exactly anything I needed and to be exactly in the perfect place".

He laughs in a way that feels somehow awkward and then clears his throath: "Actually, there's something I must tell you." He is not looking at you anymore, while your eyes are fixed on him.

"The few times we met eachother have never neen fortunate accidents. I've always known where you were and desperatly tried to meet you."

You stay silent, hoping he continues. And he does: "The first encounter, at the company, when we first met, do you remember it? That was actually the only encounter I didn't plan and the one who went the worst, considering I just couldn't speak comfortably and made the whole thing embarassing". You laugh at the dear memory. You've never thought about how cute that first time was.

"And even tonight, I knew you'd go to that coffee shop and I knew your dancing lacked and you needed help".

"So you did foresee your tshirt splashed by coffee too?"

He laughs: "No, of course no!" And his answer made you laugh too.

"But I've wanted to meet you and speak this comfortably to you for so long. I just hope it's not too creepy". That's when he looks at you.

"K, it's not. I kinda figured out at some point - you smirk, while he sends you a puzzled look - becayse you knew too many things about me. Like, come on, you'd be a terrible spy. Anyways, seeing you, one of the most popular guys of the company, an amazing idol and an incredible person embarassed and shy like this... it's cute."

Then you turn your gaze down to your hands, unsure weather to continue or not, but after a while add: "And I kinda like you too".

He's still and looking at you for a while, but then, with the side of your eye, you see him moving closer to you, one hand still on the steering wheel. When you turn to look at him, his face is incredibly close to yours.

He leaves a soft peck on the side of your lips: it could be anything in between a respectful kiss on the cheek and an attempt to kiss you on the lips, but you don't complain.

"Y/n, if you'd like, we can meet again".

[prettyflyshyguy]

S4 babey give it up for S4

I'm feeling bad today and the loser failboy Sam curse is still on me SO

liveblogging to cheer myself up

S4E3 - In the Beginning

(Cas sends Dean back in time and he meets his parents when they were dating. For context. Dean's mum has already made one passing comment, Dean made a passing comment, I'm fucking SWEATING)

DON'T BE FUCKING WEIRD

DON'T BE FUCKING WEIRD

DON'T BE FUCKING WEIRD

REJOICE

THEY WROTE A CHARACTER WHO DOESN'T INSTANTLY LOSE ALL THEIR DEPTH AND THEIR BRAINS FALL OUT OF THEIR HEAD UPON MEETING A WINCHESTER SIBLING

(Dean's mum is full committed to Dean's dad and we LOVE to see a happy healthy relationship we love to see it oh god I'm opinionated on how this show writes its women sometimes SOMETIMES)

-

I regret to report my enjoyment of this series is starting to DIP however I must continue as I REQUIRE KNOWLEDGE to write the fucking fic

I'm cursed with the disease of needing to cover all context, continuity, or at least have the knowledge so I can break it and rebuild it in a way that works, I don't want to Not Get a character and write them wrong, I need to reference the past, I need to pay homage

PRINCIPAL SKINNER????

I love Samuel. He's great.

Christ the entire winchester bloodline is just people selling something to a demon on repeat

-

S4E4 - Metamorphosis

Alright you can't give me an episode named like this and not pop off

do NOT disappoint me spn (I'm about to be dissapointed)

OH NAUR

SAYUM

(NOT APOLOGISING FOR THAT. YOU CAN LAUGH AT US FOR HOW WE SAY NO ALL YOU WANT BUT THAT'S HOW DEAN SAYS SAM WHEN HE'S AGITATED)

REAL FAILBOY SAD HOURS LETS FUCKING GO

In all seriousness this is a PHENOMENAL reveal scene on Sam's powers and Dean's response. I'm living for the tension. It fuels me.

"If I didn't know you I would wanna hunt you."

Going to be chewing on this line for the next month. Thanks. Thanks for this. Thanks.

Fuck you supernatural. Fuck you.

AND WE VIOLENTLY SHIFT TO THIS HAHAHAHAHA YES

Shoutout to the sound design team once again because every time this dude smashes food into his mouth it makes me want to start screaming violently (congratulations you've made the most triggering eating noises I've ever had the displeasure of experiencing AND I MEAN THAT AS A COMPLIMENT, ITS SO AWFULL BUT THAT MAKES IT SO GOOD)

Having very normal thoughts about this episode.

See if people had told me this show does the whole blood hunger thing as good as it does I'd probably have been on this years ago.

Who's doing this on the writing team. I need to thank them.

I don't have any intelligent words to describe this scene where Sam confronts Dean about (Sam's) insecurities over how Dean feels about him having demon blood, and the complications that brings to his life

other than to just post this

Thanks Supernatural this is good. This is really good.

HRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

FUCK YOU SUPERNATURAL

FUCK YOU

HOW FUCKING DARE YOU

UGH

Ok FUCK OFF that was a good episode

HUGE THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS AND OPINIONS ON THIS COMING AWAY

[jamesunderwater]

The latest chapter of you’re dead to me… let’s talk about that, bc you say things like it’s not perfect… but it was/is. The way you give us a James Potter in this chapter who is so far from perfect but such a genuinely real teenager/adolescent going through things… even if his parents aren’t like the blacks or the Evanses (spec in this fic) doesn’t mean he wouldn’t feel these things. Saying things you don’t really want to but you are saying/doing them anyway (which you’ve written out SO well) it was like reading your own 17 yr old diary and wanting to scream at the world and your loving parents for the patterns they put you in- even if that was all done lovingly. It was as if I was watching my own son’s actions through this fic. Which was absolutely incredible. So … imperfections aside… (where where we’re they ? I didn’t notice) the feelings and the depth of emotions you wrote in this chapter- just wow (I tried to come up with superlatives that didn’t just sound like flat shitty things. I can’t)- it was a feeling. The feelings were raw, real and complex and REAL and I loved it all. The ending with the glasses (oh his mum- she’ll never stop) - your family and social relations are so well described which makes me care and feel a lot for your characters! sincerely, Thank you for that! Thank you for writing this story,

x

@practicecourts PC <33 I told you I didn't forget about this ask! Even 7 months later, it pops into my head so often… I really needed the encouragement in this message -- back when you sent it, because I really was so insecure about that chapter, and for the months since, as a reminder that the story has meaning to people. Maybe that's why I held onto it for so long. But I can't say thank you enough sending it to me <3

In that chapter, the thing I agonized over the most was wanting to get the angst of being a teenager right, without making James unrecognizable from the man we know him to be. It took a LONG time and a lot of agonizing to get it there, but I was pretty happy about it by the end, and hearing that it felt like reading your teenage diary and reflected your own son's actions, too -- agh, wow, I don't think I could ever be paid a better compliment!! Writing "Real" stories is what matters most to me, so the fact you described it that way makes me so happy.

And yes, the end!! Euphemia!! It makes me ache in the best and worst ways, thinking about how there can be nothing but pure love between people, and still it can be imperfect and cause pain. 💔

Okay, not to keep repeating myself, but just -- thank you again, my friend <33

[tomholland1996simp]

I posted 54 times in 2022

That's 54 more posts than 2021!

33 posts created (61%)

21 posts reblogged (39%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@xtom-darling-x17

@tomdayaland

@tomhollandnet

@turbulentcanary

I tagged 42 of my posts in 2022

Only 22% of my posts had no tags

#tom holland - 38 posts

#fluff - 31 posts

#like - 30 posts

#tom holland x reader - 29 posts

#tom holland fic - 28 posts

#tom - 25 posts

#imagine - 23 posts

#oneshot - 23 posts

#tomhollandsimp - 22 posts

#hollandaccount - 20 posts

Longest Tag: 30 characters

#california academy of sciences

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Cute || Tom Holland

Pairing: Tom holland x mum reader

(Tom is not the father of the readers child)

Summary: A day out with Tom and your son that is full of cuteness, and even gets your son to call Tom by a certain name by accident.

“Dylan, baby. Tom’s gonna be here in a minute, can you get your shoes?” You call to your 5 year old son. Today you had planned a cute little day out with your boyfriend Tom and your son, Dylan.

You and Tom have been dating for two years now and it’s going really well. At first it was hard with Dylan as he’s never really had a male presence in his life. But surprisingly Dylan got on really well with Tom, he loves him.

Dylan’s dad has never been in his life, he doesn’t want anything to do with him. That’s why your happy you met Tom. Dylan’s dad left you when you told him you was pregnant, he didn’t want to keep the baby, however you did. But it’s his loss. Honestly Dylan is the most brightest and cutest little kid ever, you love him with all your heart.

“Mummy-“ Dylan whined but got cut off by the door bell ringing. Walking to the door and opening it you was greeted by a handsome face.

“Hello gorgeous” He smirks walking into the house, placing a small kiss on your lips. “Hey baby, we’re nearly ready. I just need to get my phone and keys” you tell him walking into the other room.

“Mummy!” Dylan whines again from his room.

“Mummy please” He calls again. Tom slowly walked into his room seeing the little five year old on the floor with a frown on his face.

“Hey buddy, what’s wrong?” He asked crouching down to your son.

“I can’t do it, please can you hwlp me” He cries, pointing to his shoe lace.

Tom smiles picking the boy up onto his lap and tying his shoe lace in a double knot. “There we go bud” He smiles as Dylan crawls off his lap looking at his shoe laces, smiling. Saying a small ‘Thank you’ after.

“You cuties ready?” You stand in the door way admiring your two favourite boys in awe’s.

“You look pretty mummy” Dylan compliments you hugging your legs.

“Thanks Dylan. Right let’s go have some fun” You exclaim lifting your hands up in the air to your son.

“Yesss!” He screams. “Come on Tommy, let’s have fun!” He pulls Toms hand out of his room and pushing him to the door.

“Yeah Tommy. Let’s have fun” you wink at your boyfriend, shaking your shoulders into his with a smirk.

………………………….

You all first went out to eat for some lunch in a restaurant. You really wanted to have a special day with the two boys and bond. Tom had only just got back from filming a week ago and he was away for two months. You and Dylan always miss him when he goes away, but you both understood the reasons behind why he had to go…well mostly you.

Dylan sometimes put up a fight begging for Tom not to go. It was cute to know how much your boy loves and cares for Tom and the other way round. Tom would do anything for Dylan, he acts like he’s his own child sometimes.

“So you decided what you want yet, Dylan?” Tom asks him as Dylan stares at the menu even though he can’t read it.

Dylan smiles, nodding. “Can I..Can I get chicken nuggets and chippys plwease?” He asked me and Tom, us both smiling and nodding.

“Have you decided what you want, darling” Tom places his hand on your thigh giving you a kiss on your cheek making Dylan fake gag.

“Yeah, I’m gonna paying for-“ But before you could even finish what you was going to say Tom cut you off. “No, I’m paying my treat” He smiles, placing his finger to your lips so you couldn’t argue back.

He then called the waitress over ordering our food, the waitress writing it down. “Would you like a kids colouring book?” She asked Dylan with a smile, he nodded happily.

See the full post

407 notes - Posted September 22, 2022

#4

I’m just tired || Tom holland

Paring: Dad!Tom

Warnings: Tired reader, Angst kinda

Summary: You and Tom have a daughter who is  2 years old. Tom has been away filming and at night you have been getting no sleep, due to your daughter going sleep too late. One day Harry comes over, to see you looking very tired. He offers to help, however you say that your fine. The story carries on from there ;)

(I know it’s kinda like my ‘I’m sorry mummy’ one but people really liked it so here’s another)

Tom and I have a daughter who is now 2 years old turning 3 soon. Her name is Scarlett and she can be a very adorable, nice girl at some times. However she can have her days where she wants to throw tantrums everywhere and scream and cry all the time. It can be very stressful at times because Tom isn't always here. I know he can't help it due to filming, but I miss him a lot. I don't tell him how stressed and tired i've been lately as he's busy filming in America.

Yeah I know I should ask for help from his parents or brothers, however I wanna try be a good mum to Scarlett and try do it on my own. My best friend, Y/B/F/N, even told me that I need a break and I should ask for help, but I simply can't.

Lately Scarlett has been going bed so late around 1-3am. Her bed time routine has been so bad, so i've been up so late recently. Normally she has a good routine but whenever Tom goes she just messes around as I am what they call the 'soft parent'. I try be the mean one but I feel too bad when I try tell her off.

"Scarlett you need to go sleep, your uncle Harry is coming over tomorrow" I lay her back down. The time was currently 2:45am and she just wasn't going sleep.

"No. I want the phone" She huffs.

"You can watch something on my phone tomorrow-we'll today when you wake up" I place her back in her small bed.

"NOOOO" She runs out the room, so I chase after her. "I DONT WANNA GO BED" She screams and cries throwing some of her toys.

"Stop please bubs. Just go sleep" I was absolutely exhausted at this point. I only had 2 hours sleep last night and I know tonight will be the same.

(Btw she's still young so her words won't be clear so that's why they look like they are spelt wrong)

"Daddy would lwt me stay awke" she stood up crossing her arms.

"No he wouldn't"

"Yes daddy would!" she stomps her foot.

I lost it at this point, "WELL YOUR DADDY ISN'T HERE, I AM! SO YOU DO AS YOUR MUM SAYS AND GO TO BED!!" I shouted, then she runs up the stairs crying. Honestly after I said that I felt bad so so bad. This is why I am the soft parent because I never shout at her but she always listen to Tom. It's like she hates me and me only.

Walking up the stairs, I open her room door to see her crying under her covers. Slowly going over to her, I try pull the covers but she holds them tight. "I'm so sorry princess" I whisper.

"Go away pwease" her little voice choked.

"okay. Goodnight" I whisper walking out the room, crying on the way to mine and Toms shared one.

That night I cried all night long, I must've only got like 1 hour sleep. I woke up early in the morning as well , around 7am. The house needed to be cleaned and I had a lot of things to do. Harry was coming over at 1pm.

"Scarlett come down here, your uncle Harry will be here any minute now" I tiredly shout from the living room. Then I heard loud footsteps running down the stairs. Scarlett still hasn't spoken to me since last night but I understand.

About 10 minutes later there was a knock on the door, so I stood up opening it. Harry stood there with a big smile on his face.

"Hi y/n- oh wow are you okay?" His smile fades as he looks at my face.

"Yeah I'm fine" I shut the door behind him, giving him a side hug.

"You sure? You have big bags under your eyes. Are you even sleeping?" He takes his shoes off.

See the full post

411 notes - Posted August 11, 2022

#3

Not mine ^^^^

“I’m sorry mummy” || Tom holland

Summary: You and Tom have a child called Noah, who is 4 years old. Tom is filming in America, when he gets a call from his son, saying that Y/N is crying because their son said and did somethings.

The rest you will find out....

You and Tom have been dating for about 5 years now and have been engaged for about 8months. You both have a son called Noah, who just recently turned 4 years old. You found out you was pregnant after being with Tom for nearly a year. The pregnancy went well and everything and now you have an adorable little boy.

(Your 23 years old right now and had Noah at 19)

Well sometimes he can be adorable and cute, however lots of the times he's naughty. You was always the soft parent, feeling bad for Noah If you ever told him of, but it had to be done. Tom on the other hand was the parent that Noah always listened to and never really behaved, that was probably because Tom knew he had to learn what's right from wrong.

Ever since Tom started leaving for filming, Noah started acting up. He started having certain behaviours that just weren't okay, such as hitting, being rude or throwing things. Of course knew about some of these things but he was never there to see how stressful it can be. You was still very young at the age of 23, so you still had to do things for work.

Today though Noah was being extremely bad and you just wasn't feeling great at all. And the worst thing is that Tom still had about a month left of filming so he wouldn't be back any time soon.

*cough*

*cough*

You had been coughing all night long, you must've got about just 2 hours sleep only. It was about 9p.m when you heard a loud smash from the kitchen. You then quickly jumped up, running into the kitchen to see Noah laughing, whilst standing on the counter, as he went to grab another plate to smash from the cupboard.

"Noah No!" you shout rushing over to him to pick him up.

"Your so boring" He whines as you picked him up putting him in the front room.

You kneel down to his height, "Listen, we do not throw plates on the floor and we don't climb onto the counter" you say without trying to cough.

"I don't care" He walks away from you, sitting on the sofa.

After You went into the kitchen to clean up the smashed plate on the floor, making sure nothing else is left. You then made Noah some breakfast.

"I've made you some food baby, sit in the chair" you say placing the plate on the table.

You didn't make yourself anything because your throat killed. Instead you took some tablets with water to try make you feel better.

"Ewww I don't want this!" Noah throws his food onto the floor, Tessa then eating it after.

"Noah. Don't throw your food onto the-" You started coughing so you didn't finish your sentence.

"I don't like your food! I like daddy's breakfast" He gets his juice cup, throwing it at you.

"N-NOAH! DONT THROW" You shout trying not to let a tear slip from your face. Yes you wanted to cry, your child was being so naughty and you felt so sick.

"I DONT CARE!" He storms off into the living room, going to watch tv.

However, you decided he needed to be taught a lesson so you went into the room, turning off the tv with the controller in your hand. "No tv for naughty boys like you"

"WHAT! Ugh but daddy would let me" He whines.

"Well daddy is not here!"

"I WANNA WATCH TV!" He starts to cry, then walking up to you punching you.

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539 notes - Posted August 8, 2022

#2

Video game || Peter Parker

Summary: Peter is your best friend, you go to his house after an argument with your parents. However he’s playing video games so you decided to sit in his lap. He realises your sad and turns off the game to comfort you.

Today just wasn’t the day, school was tough as it is and now your shouting back at your parents. You don’t really know what caused the fight between them, they always find ways to argue with each other. All you was trying to do is defuse the fight between them both.

Being the only child really sucks when they argue as you are always in the middle of it trying to calm them down. The most annoying thing is, is that after an argument the next day they acted like nothing happened. They would be cuddling on the sofa acting happy and not the toxic couple they was the night before. And this really made you mad.

Now your mum is shouting at you telling you not to get involved even though she’s the one that had called you down to interfere with it. You was just sitting in your bedroom catching up with your homework when she shouted, “Y/N COME DOWN!” That’s when you came running down the stairs.

You knew what was going to happen, in the end you would be the bad person to trying to find peace. You didn’t think arguments nor violence was the way to sort problems or issues.

“I don’t care y/n, you told me the other day you thought the same!” Your mum shouted trying to get you on her side when really you wasn’t on any. She lied, you never thought the same as her, you didn’t say anything. She just wanted you and her to gang up on your dad.

“Don’t try turn my daughter against me you bitch” Your dad shouted in your mums face as you stood between them, scared if anything happened. You were pleading them to stop, tears falling down your cheeks. That’s when your mum tried to slap your dad in the face but ended up hitting you. It has happened many times, this time it hurting really bad.

“ouch! I SAID STOP! LOOK IM THE ONE GETTING HURT NOW! JUST FUCKING SHUT UP!” You scream a sob, walking pass them to get your shoes on. You really had enough, your tired and just wanted sleep. Now you couldn’t.

“Where are you going? y/n i’m sorry” Your mum grabbed your arm trying to stop you from walking out the door.

You just shrugged her off, grabbing your keys and phone slamming the door behind you. Ignoring her shouts and calls for you to come back. It was dark outside and chilly. Queens wasn’t very safe to be travelling outside at this time of the night, however you didn’t really care. You just needed to see one person and one person only……Peter.

…………………………….

You arrived at his apartment fifteen minutes later, May letting you in straight away. You smiled at her before slowly walking into Peters room, his door being open a tiny bit. There sat your best friend of four years with his headset on and a controller in his hands. His fingers aggressively pressing the buttons.

You shut his door quietly the sound making his head turn to the door. He quickly took his head set off resting it on the back of his neck, the controller in his lap. “Oh hey love, I didn’t know you was coming” He said with a small smile.

“Yeah, c-can I stay over?” You asked sitting on the edge of the bed where his chair was leaning against.

“Yeah of course, everything okay? Wait Ned!” He asked.

“Everything’s good” You lie smiling.

“Okay well i’m gonna play one more game then we can do something” He said turning around to play again with ned.

One game turned into two games and two games turned into more. Not that you minded, but you did want to feel physical touch right now. You needed Peters arms around you to tell you everything will be okay. Instead he’s shouting on the headset to Ned.

“Get him! SHOOT HIM!” He shouted as an idea popped into your head. You didn’t want him to stop playing as that’s what he wanted to do…so you stood up, throwing your phone on his bed.

Walking over to him slowly, seeing his eyes stay on the screen. “What the f-Y/n what are you- No Ned!” You moved his arms so you can sit on his lap in the chair. Your legs either side of them through the arms of the chairs and your arms wrapping around the back of his neck. Your head was now snuggled into his neck, taking in his sent.

“You okay, love?” He wrapped his arms around you still holding his controller in his hands. You just nodded into his neck not wanting to speak. At first he didn’t really think much about it, until he felt wetness in the crook of his neck. That’s when he turned off his game, taking the head set off and placing it with his controller on the side.

Peter then slowly stood up holding the back of your thighs, your legs wrapping around his waist as he held you. He pushed his chair back into the desk, walking over to his bed sitting down.

“Hey, hey sweetheart. What’s the matter?” He tries to lift your head up but you just keep forcing it back down. “Look at me y/n/n” He said, your head slowly lift eyes locking together. You wiped your eyes with your hands, looking at him with a fake smile.

“I’m fine, really.” You tell him again wanting to just stay in the position you was just in.

He rubbed both your arms feeling the goosebumps on your skin. “Your cold. Let me give you something to wear, i’ll get you a hoodie and bottoms” He smiles taking you off his lap.

Once you had gotten changed, Peter walked back into the room with some snacks for you both to eat. He dimmed the lights sitting next to you on his bed, wrapping his arm around you.

“M-My parents were arguing again, I tried to stop it. They got me involved and m-my mum went to hit my dad but she slapped me in the face instead a-as I was in between them. T-They never stop” You sob next to him as he pulls you closer to his body.

“Shhh, it’s okay. I’m here y/n. Don’t worry. I’m so sorry that you have to go through that. Remember your always welcome to stay here” He told you and you always will be.

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1,003 notes - Posted August 24, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Snap || Peter Parker

Summary: It’s been a long stressful day for Peter, so when you come over he can’t help but get mad at certain things you do. Leading to him snapping at his girlfriend.

Haven’t read over so sorry if there’s mistakes.

Being spider-man could be such a stressful Job for Peter, patrolling late at night, trying to juggle with school work and saving the city all made him tired. He felt drained, not just physically but mentally too. That’s why today he wanted to relax in his and his aunts apartment, alone.

However, Peter had forgot that a couple of days ago he asked his girlfriend, y/n, to come over to hang as the apartment would be free. So instantly when he opened the door after he heard a knock, his face dropped slightly when he saw her bright smile. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to see her, he just wanted to be alone and be by himself for the day. Normally when Peter is stressed or tired he snaps out at people and gets angry very easily.

“Heyy, Petey” You smiled at your boyfriend, noticing the black bags under his eyes which you would ask about later if he had been getting sleep. You know that Peter is spider-man, you found out when you two were best friends, after the day he told you, you both confessed that you were in love with each other.

“Oh, y/n? Hi” He rubbed the back of his neck, letting you walk into his apartment. Now he regrets asking you to come over, knowing he just wanted to go bed and sleep.

“Did you forget that I was coming?” You let out a little chuckle, placing the two plastic bags on the counter. Before going to Peters, you decided to buy his favourite sandwich from his favourite sandwich shop, Delmars. Then you stopped at another store to get your favourite snacks and drinks for you’re movie marathon that you had planned to do tonight.

“N-no, just didn’t realise the time” He lied, taking your bag from you’re shoulder and putting it into his room. You followed him behind asking him if he wanted his sandwich. “Maybe later, I just ate not long ago” He lied yet again, laying on his bed.

“You okay, baby?” You noticed his mood, normally your boyfriend was excited to see you, he would greet you with a big hug and a kiss. Then he would ramble on about his day or his patrols late at night.

“Y-yeah” He faked smiled as you crawled onto the bed leaning over to peck his lips, him not kissing back.

You raise your eyebrow, thinking he’s playing with you. “Peterrr give me a kiss” You whine as he ignored you looking at his phone. You then decided to straddle his legs, taking his phone from his hands and giving him a kiss. This time he did kiss back but he pulled away quickly.

“Give my phone back, please” He tiredly asked.

“No” You jokingly smile at him, but your smile dropped when you realised he wasn’t joking the whole time.

“Give my fucking phone y/n!” He snapped, snatching the phone from your hands and pushing you off him. He then turned his back from you, going back on his phone.

“m’ sorry” You mutter that feeling sinking in, deciding to go into the kitchen and help May by cleaning the apartment up a little. You hoped that after you was done that Peter would be out of his ‘mood’ or whatever was going on with him.

After an hour the dishes were finally washed and cleaned so you decided to go back into Peters room to check on him. Now he was sitting at his desk doing his homework that was due for Monday, maths. Luckily for him you were quite good at maths, that’s why he would always ask you for help.

“Want some help?” You asked, your voice coming out more quiet than usual.

He just nodded his head as he moved to the bed so you could both sit together. You then explained to him how to solve some problems, basically doing the homework for him as he laid there. You didn’t mind that though, you were happy to help him.

Your talking, however, was making Peter lose his mind, he just wanted silence but you kept rambling on about how to do his homework.

“Ahh shit, the pencil is blunt. Do you have a sharpener?” You look at the blunt pencil and then at him.

He then pointed over to his desk top draw, implying that it was in there. You nodded your head, standing up and going over to the draw looking through it to find the sharpener. “I don’t see it” Turning to look at him, seeing him roll his eyes making you gulp.

“It’s in there, look properly” He said, watching you struggle to find it, the noise making his head hurt.

“I don’t think it’s-“ You was cut off by hearing him get up from his bed, stomping over to you and moving you out of the way. He went through the draw and fount it in a old pencil case.

“It’s right here! Open your fucking eyes next time! Fuck sakes, your making my head hurt!” He snapped at you, shouting. He had never ever shouted at you, nor sworn at you before. He then grabbed the pencil sharpening it a bit too hard making it break.

“Sorry” You stand up fiddling with you’re fingers looking into his eyes but not finding any regret in them.

“Stop fucking apologising y/n, that’s all you fucking do. ‘I’m sorry’ just shut up and leave me the fuck alone!” He shouted stepping towards you making you flinch a little as he yelled. You know Peter would never lay a hand on you, but seeing him right now made you scared.

You didn’t want to cry in front of him but you couldn’t help letting a little sob escape your mouth. His angry expression fell a little, now realising what he had said and how scared you looked.

You then pulled out your phone acting as if you had received a message. “Oh, I-I got to g-go, my uhh my mum messaged saying I can’t stay tonight, got plans” You wiped your eyes with yours Peters hoodie, grabbing your bag and throwing it over your shoulder, not daring to meet his eyes.

“y/n, no please don’t go. I’m sorry, Angel.” He grabbed your arm softly, not wanting you to leave, now regretting the way he had just shouted at you. Your his girlfriend, he shouldn’t ever raise his voice at you. He loves you.

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2,114 notes - Posted November 29, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[sundrop-tetsu]

mike’s compliment

teenage!michael afton x fem!reader

the idea alone of michael being that cliche bad boy in school and you being the new girl in school who dresses however the fuck she wants regardless of the dress code just thrills me ;) enjoy !!

side note: based on a tiktok, inspiration arrives in the most funniest ways :p this is also a small drabble (kinda-) I didn’t wanna make this into a full fic so-

(c/y/c): color of your choice

a chuckle escaped your lips as you crossed your arms, your expression of disbelief staring back at your new home room teacher.

“what the hell is wrong with my haircut exactly?” you exclaimed, the lollipop in your mouth tainting your pretty lips red as you swirled it around

“you deliberately disobeyed the dress code rules. your entire hair is (c/y/c) and it’s entirely distracting!”

this time michael let a laugh escape, you noticed and a smile painted your pretty face.

mrs. reynolds sighed, “y/n, just please go to the principal’s office. i need to write you up.”

you blinked in disbelief, not actually believing a school in the united kingdom could ever do something like that.

“literally just because of a haircut?! don’t be fucking serious. what is wrong with you? if anything, you’re distracting the entire class just because you felt the need to comment on my awesome haircut.” you argued with her, sitting up in your seat, taking the lollipop out of your mouth with a small pop.

“it’s not just about the haircut! it’s you— you look like—” she paused, not finding the right words.

“what?,” you laughed, “I look like a what, teach?”

a puff of smoke caught you off guard before you heard his voice, “you look like a hooker”

“you think?” a beautiful smile pointed at him as michael smirked at you, nodding as you felt stupid butterflies in your tummy due to how good looking he truly was.

“that is not a compliment, y/n!” mrs. reynolds quickly scolded you, not believing you would basically thank michael afton for ever saying that to you.

“from michael?,” you questioned, looking over at him as his pretty blue eyes stared into your own, “totally is”

another chuckle left his lips, “hookers are hot”

“see?” you gave a small smirk to your teacher, popping the lollipop back into your mouth.

yea okay, so maybe arguing with your teacher about both your outfit choice and hair wasn’t such a good idea as you sat in the principal’s office with your mother.

the principal sighed, clearly hating his job, “mr. afton, please stop arguing with me. you’re here for a reason.”

“clearly not. according to mike, all he did was compliment this girl and she seemed to like it. so what the fuck are we doing here?” william snapped again.

mrs. reynolds noticeably gulped before speaking, being incredibly obvious of her new found fear of michael’s father, “it’s the comment alone that he said, it’s not a compliment. not to mention, this is the 5th time that michael has been told to stop smoking in class and it’s only monday!”

“what?” clara jumped in, she turned towards her eldest son, “I thought we took your cigarettes away. where did you get new ones?”

michael shrugged before shrinking in his seat, feeling guilty for worrying his mother, “sorry mum,” he apologized before handing her the cigs he was carrying for today. she nodded understandingly but still gave him a stern expression, letting him know this conversation would continue at home in a safe place

“that all?” william glared again, “there was no reason to bother us. my wife and I work very hard and to be pulled away from our jobs for a little problem—”

“I’m sorry to interrupt you, mr. afton,” your mother interjected, “but I’d like to know what the fuck I’m exactly doing here.”

you held in a laugh, you’ve always loved how your mother handles situations.

“this is because of the way your daughter is dressed. we have a very strict dress code,” the principal began, “the girl was called a hooker. don’t you think you should raise your daughter better?”

a silence followed the room before your mother got up and lunged forward, slapping the principally across the face, earning a fit of laughs from both you and michael, a smirk from william, a supportive clara, and a shocked mrs. reynolds.

“how dare you insinuate that I don’t raise my kid well? y/n is a perfectly good person and daughter. fuck your dress code, she looks fucking gorgeous. now, was it michael who called her a hooker?” your mom continued.

“y-yes it was—” mrs. reynolds nervously replied, in fear that she may get hit as well by your badass mother.

“michael,” she turned to him, “did you mean it in a bad way or are you just calling her hot?”

“with all due respect, that woman could be wearing sweatpants and I’d still call her hot.” a small wink was thrown your way, those stupid butterflies returning to your stomach.

“y/n, are you upset that he called a hooker?” your mother asked you

“nope,” you smiled, “in fact, it felt like he said it just to piss off mrs. reynolds who apparently hates my haircut and my clothes.”

“okay so again, what the fuck are we doing here?!” your mother slammed her hand on the principal’s table, “change. the. dress code. you’ve bothered both me and the aftons long enough. our kids are fine and we all are great parents. have a shitty day, let’s go, honey.”

you followed behind, a smirk on your face as you softly waved goodbye to mrs. reynolds, “told ya coming from mike it was a compliment.”

before you could fully leave the room, michael grabbed a hold of your wrist, slipping a piece of paper into your hand.

“I’d love to take you out sometime?” he shyly asked.

you blinked, realizing that even though michael seemed like a troublemaker and acted tough, he was human and got shy when things like this happened. you nodded at him, leaning in and placed a small kiss on his cheek.

“you look like a hooker too.” you whispered before walking away, scolding yourself as you realized it sounded stupid.

“I’m sorry, what-” clara broke the silence, confused by your choice of words.

michael sighed with a stupid loving look in his eyes as he watched you leave, “she called me hot, mum. her, of all people.”

“oh jeez, michael.” william sighed, not believing his son would be so honored by a compliment like that

“it’s alright, we’ll fix it,” clara smiled, “our future daughter-in-law is perfect. let’s go, michael. we need new clothes and i can teach you how to be nice to girls.” she smiled proudly before taking her son’s hand and walking out

“are you all always like this?” the principal scoffed, still holding his cheek from when he was slapped

william smiled, the same smile he had given to those kids he killed a night before, “what’s life without a little glitched out experience?”

the look he had given both of them created shivers as william walked away, heading towards his beautiful family’s direction

[mrs-march-ahs]

heheheheheheheheeee nosy anons ask!! doing it. how about 3, 7, please brag about 11, 21, 32 and 33, 39 and 44! expose your darkest secrets 😈😈

wow so many🫶

3: Do you smoke? okay don't tell my mum nonnie❌ no im kidding, i don't becos smoking is yucky. at university literally e v e r y b o d y who i hang out with smokes multiple times a day so it's hard not to try it sometimes, but i just think it's a bit grossssssss menthols are illegal now in the UK so i wont be smoking any time soon, i'll just keep rolling for my friends cause that's the fun part🚭

7: Have tattoos? yes!!! i have 9😈 stick and pokes that I did myself: a lightening bolt on my ankle⚡️, a heart on the other ankle♥️, '222' on my ankle, 'FIREPROOF' because i love one direction on my knee🔥 professional tattoos: i have cherries on my knee and a lobster (friends!) on the other side matching, both in red i have a sun & moon on my thigh and then i have two hearts on my upper thighs, with the words 'mon cher' in one and 'cara mia' in the other, because that's what Gomez & Morticia Addams call each other<3 i could for sure take pictures if anybody wants to see any of them, it's too many to have in this post

11: Best friend? i have soo many besties! my closest best friend (irl) i met on the very first day of high school and now we're in university together<3 she knows a lot about astrology and she helped me write these headcannons. she also used to leave comments on my fics if they got little attention because she didn't want me to be sad<3

on here @undeadcortez @twinkiemaximoff and mostly @merrybaudelaire are my little besties, you cuties you

21: What I love most about myself Cute question. I think the thing I like most about myself is how selfless I am. I really aspire to live a truly hippie life and I assumed altruism is the key to it, but now I'm actually trying to unlearn that.

I'm trying to be more selfish, but it's really hard! Because I just love other people so innocently and so much that I always want the best for others, so I want to help them and cherish them and always make people around me feel the best. I think the fact that I care so much and struggle being really selfish is a lovely thing.

I also get excited easily. I'm just a simple little baby at heart. After years of being around people it seems as though it actually bothers others to be happy and excited about simple things, because people always make fun of me for it, but I still think it's cute. I'm cute. In Denver, when I saw mountains for the first time I teared up. Because they're so pretty.

32: What words upset me the most Anything along the lines of, "Who asked?", "Okay and?", "So?". I was lucky and didn't hear this for years but recently my bestie started saying this a lot because she thinks it's funny :/

I promise I will just never talk again if you say these words to me. If I'm telling somebody something, even if it's not relevant to the conversation, I'm saying it because I care, so for the other person to make it that clear they don't care is 💔

makes me feel so irrelevant, like the conversation would be better without me :/

33: What words make me feel the best about myself I am a touch starved words-of-affirmation little baby so anything. I'm mostly insecure about my appearance so I rarely believe compliments about my appearance.

A friend of mine told me recently that I give the best hugs and I haven't really stopped thinking about it since. Any compliment or reassurance that shows that my personality is good.

being told you smell nice too >>>>

39: My favorite ice cream flavor ok first of all how rude of favorite to not have a u in it🙄

Ben & Jerrys, Peanut Butter Cup or Haagen Dazs, Cookies & Cream

also if you're in a country that still has Zapps I'm jealous, they're also my favourite

44: A random fact about anything A random fact about anything: Getting asks makes me so happy. I savour them and screenshot them and put them in my little folders. Any little interaction I can get my filthy racoon hands on goes straight into my heart.💌

thank you for so many asks nonnie! mwah

[berrynarrybanana]

Prince Charming - H.S

A/N: So I apparently posted this as private, but I have fixed that! This is my entry for @hunflowers​ Halloween Fic Challenge! Gianna, I hope that you had the most amazing birth month and the best Halloween. I wrote this little bit about spooky baking with H and a big surprise. I hope that everyone had a great halloween and I hope that you enjoy this fic! 

Word Count: 6k+

Warnings: A shitty ex, smut, so much fluff “Harry, darling, please put that down.” I reached out, grabbing the ice cream scoop from his hand with a breathless chuckle. His eyes grew wide and he handed it over, crossing his arms behind his back with a cheeky grin as I turned towards the camera. “As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, today Harry and I are going to bake some Halloween treats for you all.”

“Before we start,” Harry glanced over at me. “Can I show you a trick?” 

“It depends.” I said slowly. “What is it?” 

“Have a little faith, sweets.” He smirked, reaching for three of the golden brown eggs that were sat on the countertop. “I’ve never done this in front of you before.”

“Don’t you dare.” I gasped out as he started to toss the eggs in the air. I lifted my hands to my mouth, my eyes growing wide. “Harry! We don’t have any other eggs. If you break those-”

“Calm down.” He settled them back into his palm after a few tosses into the air, each egg landing gently beside the next. “I’m a pro juggler, aren’t I?”

“You like to stress me out sometimes, I swear it.” I let out the breath that I had been holding, shaking my head out as he let out a loud chuckle. “Grimmy, I apologize in advance to you and your editing team for what you’re going to have to cut out in this video.”

Harry rolled his eyes, setting the eggs down on the counter. 

“So, essentially,” I glanced over the ingredients on the counter as Harry placed his hand gently on my hip. “We’ve got some serious baking to do and then some fun baking. Anne, Harry’s beautiful Mother, is hosting a Halloween party with a bake-off for everyone that lives round the village. Harry and I both decided that we don't want to bring shame to the Styles’ family name with crappy baking, so we’re doing something a little unorthodox.”

“The what?” Harry squeezed my hip with a smirk, holding back a laugh as he looked over my confused expression. “What family?”

“Don’t be cheeky, I said what I said.” I mumbled, my cheeks growing warm. “Going to the annual Holmes Chapel bakeoff with a Styles, aren’t I?”

“S’alright, you’ll be a Styles soon enough.” He pressed a teasing kiss to my temple and I rolled my eyes, exasperated and exhausted by his neverending proposal joke.

I hadn’t told him yet, but there was a certain Styles that was really pushing for a proposal. 

I rolled my lips in, doing my best to hold in the secret that was bubbling up in my chest. 

I looked at Harry as he pushed a few ingredients around absentmindedly, holding back the words that were practically clawing at my throat. 

“Well you better hurry up then,” I cleared my throat. “Got boys lining up around the block. Rather have my chance with one of them if you’re not gonna give me my ring soon.”

“Oi!” He glanced at the camera and then back at me. “There better no’ be any boys linin’ up ‘round this block.” 

He reached over for the toy sword that he’d insisted on buying at Homegoods during our Halloween shopping excursion. 

“You’re going to fight them off with that?” I giggled when he waved it in the air. “With poor posture and a terrible swing?”

“You’re just asking for it today, aren’t you?” He dropped the sword, narrowing his eyes. “I see how it is, then. Get back to your baking spiel, I’ll handle you later.”

“Kinky.” I turned towards the camera with my lips pressed together before I let out a loud laugh, Harry joining in right after. “I can’t do this with you, we’ll never get anything done.”

“Yes we will.” He reassured me. “Let’s crack on with it then.”

He reached for an egg and my eyes went wide as he prematurely cracked it, spilling the contents into the bowl carelessly. 

“Harry!”

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

“My favorite thing about baking is eating what you’ve done after.” Harry confessed with a tiny hum, his hand dipping the measuring cup into the flour bag. “Always liked to take a cheeky bite out of whatever Mary was working on at the bakery.”

“You still do that.” I teased, bumping my hip into his. “I caught you sneaking some chocolate chips earlier. Don’t you think for a second that I won’t call your Mum in here.”

Harry snorted out a laugh and I glanced up at him, raising my brows. 

“You wouldn’t dare, you little tattle tale.” He mumbled, narrowing his eyes back at me. 

I opened my mouth, but he was quick to press his lips to mine so that I wouldn’t speak. 

I laughed into the kiss, pulling back when he reached up with a floured hand to cup my cheek purely out of habit. 

“None of that.” I pushed his wrist away. “This is serious business we’re tending to and I won’t be the one to disappoint Anne at the neighborhood bakeoff because you can’t keep your hands to yourself.” 

Harry let out a soft huff, turning back to his flour with a pout on his lips. 

“And now he’s pouting.” I turned towards the camera with a fond smile on my lips. “He’s cute when he’s grumpy.”

“Don’t make me rethink this.” He grumbled. “Might have to dump the whole bag of flour on your head if you keep teasing me.”

“You wouldn’t do that to me.” I cooed, sliding my arms around his waist, nudging his arm out of the way until I was settled against his side. “You know why?” 

“Not a clue.” He hummed out, glancing down at me. I could see the smirk teasing the corners of his mouth and it only made me smile wider. “Why?” 

“Because you love me.” I said softly, hoping that the camera didn’t pick it up. “And I love you.”

“S’true.” He leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to my forehead. “Love you loads.”

“Love you loads.” I repeated back, closing my eyes as he wrapped one of his arms around me tightly. 

“What happened to serious business?” He asked, resting his cheek on the top of my head. 

“Few more minutes of this, then we can get back to it.”

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

“Come here,” I held my hand out, grabbing his chin gently. “Think you could use a bit more around your top lip.” 

“What do you mean?” He asked, his brows furrowing. “My mustache is starting to grow.”

“S’not a mustache it’s a shadow.” I secretly dipped my free hand into the chocolate icing behind Harry’s arm. “But I can fix that.”

I reached up, swiping my finger across his top lip generously before I darted away from him. 

Harry was quick to catch me, both arms looping around my waist until my back collided with his front. Before I knew what was happening, I felt cold goop dripping over my forehead and down my neck. I gasped, shrieking ever so slightly as he lifted me off my feet. I reached out for his arms as a puff of white powder washed over me, Harry’s hand patting the top of my head. 

“S’that what you wanted then?” He playfully growled in my ear. “You should know better than to tease your elders, sweet pea.”

“Harry!” I whined when he spun me around, my hands swatting his arms. I was a little fearful that him holding me like this wasn’t the best idea for the churning in the pit of my stomach that was set off so easily these days. “Put me down you oaf.”

“Promise to be nice to me?” He asked. 

“Harry, you did way more to me than I did to you.” I turned my head towards his pouting. “It’s not fair.”

“Alright, if I put you down, you get one more shot at it.” He said. “Only one more though, and you can’t crack an egg on my head.”

“Deal.” I said. 

“No. egg.” He repeated and I chuckled, nodding my head. “Alright, go for it.”

He sat my feet on the ground and naturally, I reached for an egg. 

I pressed it against his shirt, squishing it the best that I could as he gasped out. 

He looked down at his shirt and then to me. 

“You said not on your head.” I clarified, dropping the shells to the counter. “You didn’t say anything about anywhere else.” 

“You little shit.” he scoffed playfully. “It’s on.”

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

Three hours later, we were still caked in our baking goods. 

Harry and I had fallen into a comfortable silence, working around each other to prep the ingredients for our cake that would be entered into the bake-off. We weren’t master bakers by any means, but we were doing pretty damn well. The top tier was a black cauldron with little eyeballs sitting on top. When people cut into the cake, the eyeballs would ooze out a slime green, mint flavored icing that would compliment the dark chocolate flavor of the cake. The second layer was a pumpkin cake with flesh colored icing that tasted of cream cheese and housed a few fake stitches held together with staples. Harry had taken great care to create a few ladyfingers to stick on top of the second layer, curved towards the cauldron as if Frankenstein himself were holding it up. The bottom layer was a simple apple spice cake with black icing and easy piped spider webs. All together, it was a pretty solid cake. 

“We’re so fucking talented.” Harry stood back, looking over every last detail of the cake. “I’m actually really proud of us for doing this. It looks so good, sweets, and I just...we did that.”

“I know.” I stood next to him, snaking my arms around his middle as I stared at our masterpiece with a fond smile. 

I bit the inside of my cheek as he brushed his fingers over my shoulder in a soothing motion, my eyes welling up at the proud tone his voice emitted.

“I think we should join bakeoff next year.” I said quickly, hoping to distract myself. 

“Yeah, let’s see if Jeffrey approves of that.” Harry snorted, wrapping his arm around my shoulder as he glanced down at me. “Let’s go have a nice shower before the party. We can do our fun baking together at home.”

“I love you.” I said softly. “That’s a great plan, Styles. Let’s go get this gunk off of us and get ready for the night.”

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

Harry and I floated around each other in the bathroom that he shared with Gemma at Anne’s house. I stood side by side with Gemma, working on my eyeshadow while she messed about with her hair. It was decided around April that we would all dress up as Disney characters to keep with a theme during the bakeoff. There was a lot of arguing between the Styles children until a decision by Anne, Michael, and myself was made in regards to the costumes. 

Anne would be dressed as Mary Poppins, but modern. I had helped her pick out the perfect outfit with a magic bag and cane just a few months prior and I was more than excited to see her all dressed up. Gemma and Michael were going to be Belle and Prince Adam post beast phase. Gemma was already dressed up, her hair in perfect curls and resting on her shoulders. 

It took me a lot of convincing to do on my part - which consisted of begging and a stellar blowjob- to get Harry to agree to my idea. My favorite princess growing up had always been Ariel. There was something about her rebellious streak that always appealed to me. I told Harry that I wouldn’t be dressing up as mermaid Ariel, but land Ariel instead. It felt a little more practical and wearable for me to wear a dress instead of a tail. 

“Sweetheart,” Harry popped his head into the bathroom, his fingers pressed against the doorway as I adjusted my bow. “Are you ready?” 

“Just about.” I nodded. “Can you tell me if my hair is okay?” 

He moved into the bathroom, brushing his fingers under the dyed red locks that I had insisted on getting a week or two before Halloween. It was a temporary dye that would come out in a few washes, but the color was starting to grow on me. 

“It looks perfect.” He said softly, reaching up to tweak my bow. “This red is starting to grow on me.”

“Me too.” I glanced up at him through the mirror with a small smile. “Well, let me see your costume then.” 

I turned around, pressing my hands into the small sink behind me as I looked over Harry’s body. I had seen him in a white, flowing shirt like this plenty of times before, but I had never seen wearing the exact outfit that Eric wore in the cartoon. I tried to keep my red lipped smile at bay, but it was damn near impossible to do when he looked so perfect. 

“I love it so much.” I said softly. “You look handsome, darling.”

“Thank you.” He mumbled softly, reaching up to scratch the back of his neck as blush tinted his cheeks. “But I pale in comparison to you, sweetheart. You look adorable.”

“Really?” I glanced down at my dress before looking back to Harry. “Do you think so?” 

“Better than the fucking cartoon.” He chuckled, reaching up to brush his finger over my cheek as he cupped my cheek. “I never wanted to fuck Ariel.”

“Harry!” I groaned, pushing his arm away as he giggled. “You ruined it.”

“I’ve done no such thing.” He teased, pulling me in by my hips. “I honestly think you look beautiful, my love. I don’t know anyone else that could pull this off better than you.”

“I think you can pull it off me later and then we can decide who does it better? I teased, lifting up on my toes to kiss his lips. “Let’s go, I can’t wait to win that contest.”

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

“I knew all of those years working at the shop weren’t for nothing.” Mary clapped her hands together, her eyes scanning the cake. “This is a work of art, love!”

“I can’t take all of the credit.” Harry wrapped his arm around me. “Had my princess to thank for most of it. She’s a wizard in the kitchen.”

“The two of you are quite the handsome pair.” Mary reached up to pinch Harry’s cheek and I laughed under my breath. “I’m glad you’ve found someone to deal with your terrible habits. Did he take a few bites out of your masterpiece while you were baking?” 

“He always does.” I chuckled, patting his tummy. “I always leave him bits behind so he can snack.”

“She treats me well.” Harry sighed playfully. “I wish you luck on the bake off, Mary.”

“You as well, darling.” 

As Mary walked away, someone filled her spot. 

“Harry!” Madeline smiled brightly, her eyes twinkling. “It’s so nice to have you back, babe.”

“Hello.” Harry gave her a tight smile, his arm pulling me closer to his side. “S’nice to see you again.”

“Is this your cake?” She looked down at our masterpiece and I tried to fight off my smile as Harry dug his fingers into my side instinctively. “It’s magnificent, babe!”

“It’s our cake, yes.” I cleared my throat as Madeline glared at me, a look of disgust washing over her face. “Nice to meet you, I’m Harry’s-”

“So, H,” She cut me off, looking back at my boyfriend. “Everyone is going for drinks in the pub after. I would love it if you could stop by.”

“Sorry, but I have plans.” Harry said. “My girl and I are going back to our home in London for a party with our friends.”

“Oh.” Madeline’s face fell. “You’re not staying in Holmes for a few more weeks?” 

“No.” He said. “We’ll be back at the end of November.”

“Interesting.” Madeline said. “Well, we’ll just have to catch up then.”

“We’ll see.” I said. “We’re quite busy.”

Madeline walked away, her jet black hair flipping over her shoulder. 

I looked up at Harry with a sympathetic smile. 

“You okay?” I asked, pressing my hand to his tummy. 

“I’m fine.” He grumbled. “I just wish people would stop treating you like a fucking doormat. I can’t stand when they talk down to you, as if you’re less than them. That girl hasn’t even left her fucking hometown and you’re a succesful-”

“Hey, look at me,” I moved in front of him, grabbing his face between my palms. “I want you to understand that I don’t give a flying fuck about Madeline or any other person that talks to me like that. They’re just jealous of what I have and what I’ve built, Harry. If I sat around worrying about them all day long I would always be a wreck and I refuse to give them the satisfaction.”

“But I love you.” He whispered. “I love you and I want to protect you, even if I know you don’t need me to.”

“I don’t need you to, you’re right.” I smiled. “But I want you to know that I already feel safe and supported around you. I don’t need a huge scene to feel protected.”

“I love you.” He lowered his head, pressing his lips to my own.

“And I love you,” I giggled. “My sweet prince.”

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

Somewhere in between watching Harry’s youngest cousin bobbing for apples and a quick make out session in the toilets, or cake was destroyed. It wasn’t hard to pin down the culprit after we saw Madeline smirking in the corner. She made sure that her eyes landed on mine exactly, smirking like the cat who ate the fucking canary. I glanced between Harry’s stony expression and the smashed cake that lay on the floor of the rec center, my chest burning with anger and frustration. Any other time, I would have ignored the feeling and powered through. 

But something in me had changed and I felt the need to protect Harry for once. 

He was so proud of our creation and Madeline destroyed in seconds out of spite. 

My prince was standing in a room full of family and friends with a quivering lip and watery eyes and I was beyond livid. I tried for a few moments to soothe the burning frustration in my chest, but I couldn’t do it. I knew the kind of girl Madeline was and I knew that she wouldn’t ever stop harassing Harry as long as she thought she had a chance with him. I needed to show her that she didn’t have a chance with him anymore.  It didn’t take me long to find myself in front of her with red cheeks and a heavy scowl on my lips. 

“I get that you’re still living in some high-school state of mind where you’re the ‘it girl’ and everyone else is just a pawn in the sick game you’re playing.” I started, sending Madeline into a state of shock, her eyes growing wide. “But this isn’t highschool and I’m not someone you can bully to get what you want. I’m a grown woman with a great career and a beautiful life. I don’t care if your feelings are hurt because you went on one date with my boyfriend in year seven.”

“I-” She stuttered out, but I interrupted her. 

“Grow the fuck up and move on with your life or you’ll find that one day, all of your friends and family are gone because you were too obsessed with someone who never wanted you back in the first place! I’m sorry if that sounds harsh, but you need to lay off. I don’t care what you do or say to me, but you will not continue to hurt Harry’s feelings past today, is that understood?” 

She nodded meekly, her shoulders slumping slightly as I let out an angry huff. 

When I turned around, Harry was right there behind me. 

“That was a really shitty thing to do, Madeline.” He said softly. “I would appreciate it if you could leave us alone in the future, yeah?”

Harry and I left the rec center immediately after. 

The ride back to Anne’s house was so quiet that I could hear Harry’s harsh and uneven breathing from the passenger seat. I knew that he was beyond angry when we left the party, but it seemed to get worse with every passing second. It was so bad, in fact, that Harry hadn’t even put his hand on my thigh like he normally did when he was driving. I hated the absence of his hand, but my brain was too busy working around in circles trying to keep up with my current emotions. I gently rested my palm near my belly, worrying my bottom lip as I looked out of the car window. 

I was feeling so many things at once and eeing Harry so worked up had an effect on me that it shouldn’t have. I kept my thighs tightly pressed together as he accelerated down the winding road towards his Mum’s house. I could feel my walls growing slick as they fluttered, fueling that aching feeling in my belly that was spreading warmth across my body. I didn’t want to be turned on by his frustration and anger, but I couldn’t really help it. I watched him from the side of my eye, trying to soothe the feelings in my body and bring myself back down.

Unfortunately for me, it didn’t work. 

When Harry pulled into Anne’s driveway, he slammed the driver side door. 

I knew he wasn’t angry with me and I didn’t feel like I was in any sort of danger, but I still jumped a little. It should have scared me to see him do that, but if anything, it threw gas onto an already raging flame. I watched him strut around the front of the car in his costume, his lips pressed together and his jaw clenched. He was still a gentleman, holding the door open for me and offering a hand to help me out. I received a pert kiss to my temple as he slipped his fingers through mine, guiding me up the walkway to the front steps of the house. 

“Harry,” I said his name quietly as he shut the front door behind us. “Baby?”

“M’really not in the mood to talk about it.” He grumbled, brushing past me. “I’ll be in m’room.”

I let out a sigh, watching him retreat with a bruised ego and a soft pout. 

I kicked my brown flats off next to Harry’s vans before I walked up the steps towards the room we had been sharing for the last week. Inhaling deeply, I pressed the door open as he started to strip out of his costume. I shut it quietly behind me, leaning against the white wood as I watched him like a hawk waiting out its prey. 

“I told you I’m not in the mood to talk, love.” He let out a frustrated sigh. “Don’t want to say things I might regret.”

“I’m not in the mood to talk either.” I said softly, crossing my arms over my chest. “I am, however, in the mood to fuck.”

His head snapped around as he held his brown trousers in his pants, his eyes burning. 

“S’that what you’re up here for?” He asked, letting out a bitter laugh. “Want me to fuck you?” 

“You’re hot when you’re angry.” I shrugged, pushing off the door. “I’d like to put some of that aggression to good use.”

“M’not mad at you.” He said softly. “Mad at her.”

“Just...take it out on me.” I said. “I know you’re upset and I know that this will make you better, so fuck me like you hate me.”

“I won’t do that.” He swallowed around a lump in his throat. “But I will punish you for being an absolute brat in that kitchen earlier. I told you that you would get yours, didn’t I?”

“You did.” I tried to hide my smile when he tossed his pants to the side, his hardening cock on display. “No pants under those trousers? How naughty of you.”

“I want you on the bed.” He moved closer to me, brushing his thumb over my cheek. “Want you perched on the end with your ass in the air so that I can take you from behind.”

“Costume on or off?” I asked, raising a brow as Harry looked over my face. I shivered when he pulled a tendril of red hair from my shoulders, twirling it around his finger. 

“On.” 

With a shaky exhale, I nodded. 

Seconds later, I found myself stripping out of my panties and falling onto the bed with myy hands pressed into the center of the mattress and my feet dangling off the edge. I gripped onto the duvet we’d been curled under earlier that day, closing my eyes in anticipation. I waited for the sting of Harry’s palm against my flesh or the teasing tone of his voice. I waited and waited, but it never came. I heard him fiddling around behind me, shuffling through items and grumbling under his breath, but I didn’t feel his presence. I let out an impatient whine, biting my lower lip. 

“Didn’t say you could make noise, did I?” He said sternly. “Stay quiet for me, princess.”

I rolled my lips in, trying to keep in the whine that was creeping up my throat at bay. 

Seconds later, I felt the skirt of my dress being pushed over my ass. The hem rested on my lower back as the cool air of Harry’s bedroom washed over my skin. I heard him inhale sharply just seconds before I felt his thumb brushing over the lips of my cunt. I tried not to make any noise, taking a deep breath as he circled his thumb three times over my clit. 

Sweet relief only lasted a few moments before Harry’s thumb was gone from my clit. I gasped out when his hands started to knead at my ass, his thumbs spreading me apart.  

“You pissed me off earlier when you cracked that egg on my shirt.” He tutted. “If I remember specifically, princess, I told you no eggs.”

“M’sorry.” I whimpered when he dug his nails into the flesh. I knew he wouldn’t do anything to seriously hurt me, but I liked the sting. “M’sorry I didn’t listen.”

“You’re just being greedy.” He hummed out. “Gonna say whatever it takes to get my cock in you, huh? I’ve seen you do it before, my love.”

“Harry.” I whimpered his name as he pulled his right hand away. “Please.”

Seconds later, the crack of his palm against my ass had me letting out a small moan. 

I jolted forward on the bed ever so slightly, but Harry’s hand on my hip stopped me from falling.

“You were acting so bossy, too.” He sighed. “Putting on a show for Nick and the camera as if you’re the one who’s in charge here. We both know that isn’t true, don’t we? We both know that you like it when I take control, when I boss you around. Isn’t that right?” 

“It is.” I nodded before I tucked my head between my biceps, slightly arching my back “Fuck, I love it when you’re in control, H.”

“S’my job to take care of you.” His voice lost it’s edge, a softness to it. “Don’t need you to take care of me, princess. M’your prince charming, aren’t I? It’s my job to stand up for you and defend your honor.”

I lifted my head up, glancing over my shoulder with parted lips. 

The words died on my tongue when I felt Harry’s tip against my entrance, the rest of his cock following lead as he sunk into my warm walls. We both let out breathy moans of relief and the burning ache that had taken over my tummy earlier was now being soothed by. Harry’s hips settled against the flesh of my ass as his fingers flexed into my hips, holding me tight against him as I adjusted to his size. I closed my eyes when he finally pushed me off of his cock before pulling me back against him. I hated not being able to see his face, but this position felt so amazing that I couldn’t help but give into it. 

“Harry,” I gasped out as he repeated his previous move a few more times. “I need you to really give it to me.”

Another smack landed to my ass as Harry’s cock simultaneously brushed against that soft spot inside of me that only he could reach. I whimpered, biting my lower lip as he pushed my hips off of himself again, pulling me back a little harder as his hips moved forward to meet me. 

“S’not your turn to call the shots.” He gritted out, his fingers smoothing over my ass before it fell to my other hip. “If I wanna fuck you slow, I’ll fuck you slow.” 

He really made a point, pulling me off of his cock until the tip was barely nestled inside. 

He waited a few moments before he pulled me back onto him. 

“If I want to fuck you fast, I will.” He moved his own hips this time, delivering three fast and sharp thrusts into me. “If I want to pull your hair, I will.” 

I felt my mouth practically watering when he reached up, gathering the strands of my hair in one, large ponytail. I gasped when he pulled, guiding my head up and my body to a sitting position. I dropped my head back against his shoulder, my back pressed into his front from ass to shoulders. I turned my head ever so slightly as he grunted. 

“Do all princesses act like this?” He gritted out, guiding his hand to the front of my belly as he started to move his hips, thrusting into me just how I needed it. “Acting like brats until their prince comes along to teach them a lesson?” 

I slipped my hand over the palm that was pressed to my tummy, gripping his wrist to take some of the pressure off. I felt his palm ease up on the sensitive area as if he could tell exactly what I was trying to say. I was just a little nervous about things, especially since I hadn’t told him yet. 

 “I need to cum.” I cried out.

“No.” He flexed his hips, pushing deep inside of me as I tried to guide his hand to my clit. “I’m not done with you.”

“Harry-” 

“Shh, princess.” He pressed his lips to my neck. “I’m going to fucking wreck you.”

And he truly did. 

He alternated between fucking me on all fours and holding me up with his palm as he drove into me from behind. I didn’t get much clit stimulation until the end of our tryst, but it still felt phenomenal anyways. The feeling of Harry plunging in and out of me with such vigor was enough to get me close to the edge of my release. He went on with his pattern of alternating positions until I was begging him, tears in my eyes and desperation in my tone. 

“Please let me cum, H.” I cried out, turning my nose towards his jawline as he pushed his palm into my lower tummy. “Let me cum, let me cum.”

“Shh, princess.” He cooed softly, pulling out of me completely. “S’alright, I’m gonna let you cum.”

“No, no, no.” I whimpered when he pulled his body away from mine, his hands dropping from my hips. “Harry, what are you doing?” 

“I want you out of this fucking dress.” He growled out, his hands tugging at the zipper on the back until the fabric fell loosely around my shoulders. “Need to feel you.”

I nodded, helping him push it all off of me before I fell forward on the bed. 

Harry patted my thigh, guiding my hips until I was on my back with my heads propped up against the pillows. I gratefully accepted the bruising kiss he offered, his lips molding against mine as he guided his cock back into my aching walls. I let out a soft moan as he bottomed out, wrapping my legs around his hips as he slipped his hands under my body. 

“Love you.” He gasped out, flexing his hips in sloppy thrusts as he panted into my mouth. “I love you so much. I love that you stood up for me and I just...fuck, I love you.”

“I love you, too.” I whined out, guiding a hand up to the back of his head until my fingers were tangled in damp locks. “Make me cum.” 

“M’close too.” He warned. “Together?” 

“Yeah.” 

I nodded before tucking my face into the crook of his shoulder, my lips pressing into the bare skin there as he tucked his hand between our bodies. I knew Harry’s body just as well as I knew my own at this point. I knew it well enough to know that four or five more thrusts would bring him to his release. I softly bit into his shoulder as he circled my clit, waiting for me to clench around him as a signal that I was ready. It didn’t take long, his fingers slipping against the bundle of nerves fast enough that I was clenching around him in less than a few minutes. 

“I’m gonna move.” He whispered. “You ready?” 

“Please,” I mewled out, kissing over his shoulder as he started to thrust his hips. “Just like that, Harry.” 

“I love you.” His breath tickled the baby hairs along my temple as he delivered a few sharp thrusts. “Love you so fucking much.” 

When our highs hit, his body stilled against mine. 

I let out a high pitched whine, trying my best not to bite down on his shoulder too hard. I felt him cum, his cock twitching before he let go of his release. His hips flexed into mine a few more times, a primal movement that ensured every drop of his cum was pushed as far in as it could go, before he fell lax against my body. I let out a soft chuckle, gently scratching at his scalp as we both tried to catch our breath. His lips pressed gently over my forehead and down the bridge of my nose until they met mine in a soft and sweet kiss. 

“Thank you for sticking up for me.” He whispered. “Thanks for sticking up for us.”

“She would have never stopped hounding you.” I whispered. “She needed to be confronted in front of other people to realize exactly how horrible she’s been.”

“I was really upset about our cake.” He pressed one elbow into the mattress, brushing his fingers through the strands of hair around my face. “We worked so hard on it and she just...destroyed it. I felt like that was a big milestone for us, creating something together.”

“I know.” I gave him a sympathetic smile as his thumb caressed the skin of my cheek. “What if I told you that we’ve created something so much better than a cake together?”

“What could be better than that cake?” He asked, his brows pulling together. I watched his eyes dart around, the gears turning in his brain. “I don’t know, love. What have we done?” 

I smiled, rolling my lips in as my eyes started to tear up. 

“Are you sure you can’t think of anything better than cake?” I asked, my voice a little hoarse from a combination of moaning and the emotion creeping up in my throat. “Like, baby, you can’t imagine anything better than-”

“You never call me baby.” He searched my face, his expression changing emotion every few seconds. “Are you saying-”

“Yeah.” I nodded. “I think that’s a little better than a cake, right?” 

“Holy fuck.” He let out a breathless chuckle. “Yeah, it’s much better than a bloody cake.”

He pressed a series of playful kisses over my face, both of dissolving into a fit of giggles.

In that moment, I knew that this would always be the one thing no one could ever ruin for us. 

[tommodirection]

Galway Girl

Louis Tomlinson x reader

Masterlist

Word Count: 2.7k

Warnings: swearing, fiddles, smoking, drinking, wasn’t proofread, written in thirty minutes

A/N: Heylo! This is my first fic for One Direction, so please don’t be mean! This is based off of the song Galway Girl by Ed Sheeran, and for the purpose of this fic, the some writers have been changed! Thank you, and have a nice day!

—

“Mate, listen, I know you’re gunna love it!” Niall assured Louis, gently hitting his shoulder.

Louis sighed, shaking his head, “Niall, I really don’t feel like going out,” he argued, and Niall shook his head.

“This is the one time we get to spend together, in years, and you want to sit around all day? This is Ireland! The best country in the world!” Niall threw his hands up in the air as Louis cringed.

“It is definitely not the best country in the world,” Louis grumbled.

Niall seemed to ignore him, and continued talking. “They have the best beer at this place I wanna go to, it’s just down the street! Karaoke is open too!”

Louis stared at Niall, “You really expect me to sing karaoke?”

Niall shrugged, “I don’t know, if not, there’s a buncha games and there’s an amazing band there, some of the best Irish jig music I’ve ever heard,” he reached his hand out to Louis.

Louis stared at his hand for a moment. He glanced up at the hopeful Niall, and sighed. “Fine,” he grabbed Niall’s hand and he pulled him up.

“This is gunna be great!”

—

You laughed as one of your band mates made a joke regarding the upcoming show. You were going over your notes again, nervous despite having played this hundreds of times.

You grabbed your bow and fiddle, and began playing as the band continued to joke. You moved gracefully, as you did every time you played. Your normal show would normally contain mostly slow songs, so your fiddle sounded more like a violin, but tonight, it was all upbeat.

Word had gotten round that Niall Horan was coming to the pub tonight. Another thing adding to your nerves. All of you wanted to impress him, which is why you were surprised the others weren’t practicing.

“Ey! Y/N! What are ya doing that for?” Fiona, the lead singer, called out to you. “You’re the best fiddler I know, you don’t ‘ave to worry bout it!” She complimented and you set your fiddle down, wiping your hands on your thighs.

“I’m just a little nervous,” you admitted and she shook her head.

“You’ve got nothin’ to be worried bout, love,” Fiona was a bit intimidating. Her accent was the thickest in the bands. You had only recently moved to Ireland a few years ago, you’d barely developed an accent, although you had certainly developed a taste for Guinness.

“Yeah, I guess I just need something to drink,” you paused. “Jamie, will you get me something to drink?” You asked your brother, and he nodded, setting down his guitar.

While you had joined the band, he continued on as a solo act. He was playing after you guys were finished, and you had invited him to join you before the show.

He left the room, leaving you and your band alone. Nancy and Eli began a quiet conversation, leaving you and Fiona.

“Are ya nervous cause of the famous singer comin’ down tonight?” She asked, sitting down across from you.

You nodded, brushing hair out of your face. You were only a little older than Niall, about a year. You were a fan of One Direction from the start. Despite living in Ireland when the band was formed, your favorite wasn’t Niall. It was Louis.

You had been infatuated with his accent, his humor making you fall even deeper. He has a certain air to him, and seeing him become more and more exhausted over the years hurt you. He wasn’t as flamboyant as he used to be, you had a feeling Simon Cowell had something to do with it.

“Well,” Fiona interrupted your thoughts, “I ‘eard that he’s bringin’ a mate with ‘im,” you squinted at her, trying to figure out where she was going with it. “Look at it this way. “E’ll be chatting’ it up with ‘is mate, ‘e won’t even be listenin’,” she finished, leaning back in her chair.

Your brother walked in seconds later, handing you your pint. Maybe Fiona was right. Sure, a part of you didn’t want her to be right, but it did calm your nerves a little.

You took a big swing out of your pint, swallowing it down in seconds.

Fiona stood and made her way across the room, peeking behind the makeshift curtain. Her eyes locked on something, and she quickly turned to the rest of you, giving a thumbs up. Showtime.

You gave your brother a quick hug, and grabbed your fiddle, making your way onstage with the others. Nancy counted you into, and you began to play.

Typically when you were playing, you’d go into a trace, focusing on your music, and nothing else. It was your zone. It made it seem as there was no one else in the room.

You finished the first set of two, and gave a content chuckle, looking at Fiona do a mocking catwalk up and down the stage.

You glanced around the crowd, trying to see if you could get a glimpse of the brunette singer, but it was hard to seem with the lights in your face.

Not even considering the front row, you began smiling at each person who was sitting there, and as Fiona talked, you sat on the edge of the small stage, waving at some people in the audience. Your eyes scammed over the audience again, and this time, your heart stopped.

Niall Horan was clapping, smiling as Fiona told the crowds some jokes. That wasn’t the most shocking part though.

Fucking Louis Tomlinson was sat behind him.

You get your cheeks heat up, your heart racing. There was no fucking way.

Yet there he was, a small smile settled on his lips as he watched the stage. His eyes ran over each member, before settling on you. You felt your breath hitch, and you gave a small little wave, although your hand was slightly trembling, so it probably looked pathetic.

It shocked you even more when he waved back, your mouth dropped and you sat for a few more moments, looking directly into his eyes. They were the most delicate shade of blue.

A gentle nudge to your side threw your out of your trance. You broke eye contact with Louis and looked up quickly. Fiona was looking down at you, a small smirk on her face.

“‘Ow bout we finish up now, yeah?” She teased and you stood up abruptly, racing over to pick up your fiddle.

This was the song you were most nervous about.

After catching wind that Niall was going to be here, your band decided to play a One Direction song. The only song that could easily fit a fiddle in it, was Act My Age, one you knew to be one of Niall’s favorites.

Within the first few seconds of the song, you saw Niall’s face light up.

Your first solo came up, the classic Irish jig, and Niall stood up, and began doing his dance. He motioned for Louis to join him.

Louis was laughing his ass off, holding a hand to his stomach. He continuously shook his head, until Niall hauled him to his feet.

He kept laughing and you found it hard to focus, being able to hear his laugh despite the adrenaline pulsing through your ears.

On your second to last solo, Louis finally caved, and he and Niall both were dancing, Louis’s moves a bit clumsy. Niall was nailing it though, although you had assumed he had a lot of practice, and Louis had very little.

Soon after the song, your performance ended, earning a standing ovation from the crowd. The band bowed and made their way behind the curtain again.

Fiona turned to the group, squealing and opening her arms for a group hug. You all were squished in and shortly after the hug, the teasing began.

Eli looked you up and down, chucking. “I’m surprised she didn’t drop her panties right then and there,” he poked your side and you gasped.

“Eli!” You scolded and he shrugged.

“‘E has a point, love. I coulda sworn ya were gunna mess up yer solo when you were watchin’ the other one dancin’,” she chided and you groaned, throwing your head in your hands.

“You guys are ridiculous,” you stood, grabbing an empty glass, “I’m gunna go get a drink.” You swiftly exited the room, not wanting any more embarrassment.

You stood at the bar, placing the empty pint down. You flagged down the bartender and asked for another, and you felt someone slide in next to you.

“Put it on our tab,” he told the bartender, and he nodded, quickly going to fix another drink.

You turned to the stranger who had just bought your drink, and your knees almost gave out.

“I-I, uhm, Louis, hi!” You exclaimed, sticking your hand out. He took it and gave it a little squeeze.

“You put on quite an amazing show, loved every second of it,” he smiled at you, a genuine smile.

You glanced down at your feet, and looked back into his eyes quickly. They were admiring your face, and you felt yourself blush under his gaze.

“Thank you, it means a lot,” you gave him a bashful smile and drummed your fingers on the table. “What was your favorite song?” These were typical questions you’d ask a normal person after your show, but Louis was far from normal.

He paused to think, tapping his finger against his chin, “I really loved Act My Age, but I did love the original song,” he squinted, trying to remember , “I think it said something like, ‘I wanna be mature, I wanna grow some more’ or something like that?” He suggested and your heart fluttered.

“Yeah, that’s one that I wrote a while ago called ‘Mature’. Fiona really loves it, and it’s one of my favorite songs to perform,” you admitted shyly, and he nodded.

“Yeah, it’s always nice to perform something you wrote, gives you a sense of pride, I guess,” he agreed and you nodded.

You heard a song come on over the jukebox. And your eyes lit up. (Yes, a jukebox. They’d play that music in between shows so they’d last all night). “I love this song!” You laughed and began humming along.

“I don’t think I’ve ever heard it before,” you watched him try and rack his brain.

“It’s an old Gaelic song, one my mum used to sing to me,” you commented and continued humming.

“This might sound like an odd suggestion, but do you maybe wanna play some games?”

And that’s how you ended up where you were. You had just beaten him at darts, you weren’t at all surprised.

He got to choose the next game to play, and he chose pool, a game you had gotten pretty good at over the years. You decided not to say anything, and let the game play out.

That game ended pretty quickly, the same result as the last one.

“Damn,” Louis chuckled, and put his pool stick back in its holder. “You’re pretty good at these games.”

You shrugged nonchalantly, “Well when you play here every weekend, you learn the bar pretty well. And getting to know the bar, means getting to know the games.

He laughed lightly, pulling a box out of his pocket, “I’ve got to go take a smoke quick, you wanna come?” He offered, and you happily obliged, following him out of the bar, your brother’s music playing lightly in the background.

You both stepped out into the crisp night air, inhaling at the breath of fresh air. Louis pulled a lighter out of his pocket, lighting his cigarette and pulling it to his lips, taking a long drag from it.

As he breathed out, it vaporized into the air, the scent already sticking to your clothing.

He offered you the cigarette, and you took a small drag, holding back a cough as you let it out. You only smoked when you were stressed, a habit you’d been trying to break, but you figured you could make an exception for Louis Tomlinson.

After he had finished his cigarette, he allowed you to crush it, putting it out on the sidewalk. You both eyed the door, before looking back at each other.

“I don’t really wanna go back in,” you hinted. And he nodded.

“Me neither.”

“Will Niall notice you’re gone?” You asked, wanting to get away from here with him.

Louis chuckled lowly, “No, he’ll be preoccupied with that little blonde friend of yours.”

You knew Fiona was going home with someone tonight, it wasn’t surprising.

“My place is just down the road. If you wanna head there,” you nodded your head down the road towards your flat.

Louis grinned, “You lead the way, love.”

You grabbed his hand and began running down the street, passing though little crowds and trying to not fall on the road.

You stopped outside of your place, and turned to face Louis, only seeing he was inches away from your face.

You slowly wrapped your arms around his neck, bringing him closer to you. He placed his hands on your waist, leaning down to connect your lips.

It was soft, sensual, sweet, it tasted a little smoky, but you didn’t mind. You ran your fingers through each other’s hair, oblivious to the people walking around you. You were in the zone again. No one existed but you two.

You pulled away, and bit your lip, Louis pressed a kiss to your forehead, wrapping you up in a hug. You sat for a few minutes, swaying under the streetlight.

“I’ve got Doritos upstairs,” you said, and you felt his chest shake with laughter.

“I’m in.”

You led him upstairs, never letting go of his hand. You entered your flat, finally letting go of his hand in order to find the promised Doritos. Your eyes caught the bottle of wine you’d be saving for a special occasion, and brought it out, along with two wine glasses.

You poured two glasses for you and Louis, and took a seat on the couch, legs intertwined.

“So, where are you from?” He asked, shoving a Dorito in his mouth.

“Galway, just moved there a few years ago,” you answered taking a small sip of wine.

“Galway,” he repeated, studying your face again, “My little Galway girl.”

You giggled. “How bout you?” You already knew the answer, but you wanted him to say it.

“Doncaster, born and raised,” he smiled, looking down at his wine. “It’s a beautiful place.”

“I’m sure it is,” you added, and Louis laughed airily.

You spent the next few hours talking about yourselves, talking into the early hours of the morning, both finally passing out, however, before you passed out, you had heard Louis mumble something to you.

“I’m gonna write a song about you, my little Galway girl and a perfect night,” he said, his voice slurring from exhaustion.

“Whatever you say,” you whispered, passing out moments later. The next morning you woke up alone, and all that was there was an apology note.

You didn’t believe what he had said about the song, until about a year later.

You were driving on your way to another gig, a solo one this time. You had turned up the radio. Almost crashing when you heard the opening chorus of the song.

“She played the fiddle in an Irish band,

But she fell in love with an English man,

Kissed her on the neck and

Said “baby I just wanna dance.”

It had to be coincidence, but as you continued listening, you knew that Louis was telling the truth that night. He had kept his word. You quickly jotted down the name of the song and the artist who sang it, Ed Sheeran. You were quite familiar with his work, and knew he didn’t normally write upbeat songs.

When you reached your gig, you quickly Googled who had written the song, and right at the top of the results, was Louis’s name.

—

When you arrived home that night, you decided to DM him. You didn’t expect an answer, but it was worth a try.

y/n:l/n - You really fucking did it, Doncaster.

You got a reply seconds later.

louist91 - what can I say, Galway girl? I keep my word

Tagging @everything-is-alrightt bc I asked her on anon if she wanted to be tagged and she said yes... so... 😂

[sazc94]

Pietro and Bunny

Here is my second entry for the wonderful @msmarvelwrites 2k Challenge.

This a spin-off from my Bucky fic: The three times Bucky broke your heart. Part 1 linked Here.

It follows the same timeline and explores the relationship of Pietro and Reader (Bunny) More.

Words 4890 ish

Themes. Angst, Suggestions of smut. But mostly lots and lots of fluff. 18+ Because of the smut suggestions.

Part 2. (Part 1)

2015. Pietro and you stayed in touch. Both getting swept away in your busy year. Pietro had gone into Business with Wanda creating a fashion company. His dad was helping to fund the start-up costs, but Pietro was never one to take a handout so worked an extra job, he mostly did courier services. this allowed him to be flexible with his days.

Meaning he was able to pick up supplies and do whatever else it was his sister had him running around the city for. It also helped pay towards the rent of his apartment, his father covering half. One day in the summer when Pietro was rushing around he entered into the Baxter building and literally ran smack into a head of blonde hair.

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry. This is my fault. I keep getting told I should slow down.” Pietro said bending offering a hand to the woman he had knocked over. “I’m just as much to blame, honestly I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going and all though I may be nicknamed The Invisible woman, I need to remember that I’m not actually invisible” replied the blonde brushing herself down.

She was pretty in that conventional way but her piercing blue eyes drew Pietro in. “Pietro”, he said sticking out his hand. “Susan, but you can call me Sue”, she replied shaking his hand.

Pietro and Susan began dating in the autumn. All though you and Pietro still stayed in touch. The contact was dwindling. He also found it incredibly hard not to call you by your old pet name. “Hey sis, Vis”. Pietro said walking into the small office space they rented in downtown NYC. Wanda was hard at work behind her sewing machine.

“So you’re dating Susan Storm,” Vision said. It wasn’t a question but Wanda’s eyes shot up from her machine to look at Pietro with an acquisitional look. This was news to her. She knew you were dating someone but Susan Storm was practically a celebrity with her brain and looks, plus her high profile relationships with Reed Richards and Victor von Doom. Not to mention her dad was a renowned Scientist too.

“How did you know?” Pietro asked grabbing an apple from the fruit bowl in the middle of the space. “Your pictures from last nights date are all over the internet. Someone called Prez Hilton broke the story” Vision said shrugging. Wanda shot Vision a puzzled look, he may be great with technology and smart enough to work with Tony Stuck, but Vision didn’t usually follow much on the internet. “Ah yes, Pepper Potts showed me how to set up google alerts”. Vision said before heading out the door.

2016

Pietro knew you and Bucky had grown closer over recent months, but it still took him by surprise when he heard from you that you had gotten back together. He knew he had no right to be jealous as it had ultimately been his decision to break up, and he was dating the stunning Sue Storm. But it didn’t stop the small seed of jealousy he felt.

What didn’t help matters was that Sue had been working later and later at the Baxter Building, and getting closer with her ex, Reed. Pietro tried to shrug it off but ultimately after almost a year of dating, he could see that Sue’s heart belonged to another, and if he was being honest. Part of his heart still belonged to his Bunny. So, after a night out in NYC Pietro had kissed Sue Storm goodnight for the final time.

Pietro respected you too much to ruin your newfound happiness with Bucky and it seemed like he had finally turned a leaf over. That was until he got a text from your cousin explaining that Bucky had been unable to get the time off for your Grandma’s funeral.

Pietro didn’t even think twice about using his links to his dad to secure a flight out of NYC for the funeral in September. His heart shattered when he saw you at the airport, with tear-stained cheeks, a red nose, and puffy eyes. He didn’t hesitate to pull you into a huge hug.

“Shhh Bunny” – the old pet name slipping out. “It’s okay, I’m here. She was a wonderful woman. She wouldn’t want all these tears” he said releasing you from his grip. It had been two years since you’d last seen each other in person. Other than the brown in your hair having slightly grown out, no doubt due to your mind being on more pressing matters. You looked exactly the same. His Bunny.

After the funeral Pietro planned to catch the first flight out of Miami back to NYC. With the launch of Scarlett Witch fast approaching Pietro didn’t want to leave his sister to deal with all the pressure herself. At least that’s what Pietro told himself was the reasoning. Truthfully it was that he couldn’t bear to be around you and not be with you.

But when your family had insisted on putting him up for the night and feeding him, he couldn’t refuse.

After the wake when your Mum had insisted on Pietro leaving the dishes, he grabbed two beers from the fridge and went looking for you. He found you sat on the private beach your grandma’s house backed on too.

You sat with one of Bucky’s jumpers wrapped around you. It wasn’t cold but still, you felt cold, so you had grabbed his jumper as a source of comfort and warmth. Pietro stopped for a second before swallowing. This wasn’t about him; this wasn’t about Bucky. This was about you and being there for you whilst you waded through this grief. 7

“Hey Y/N. I thought I’d find you here. Your grandma used to tell me about how she found the sea hypnotising” Pietro said sitting down on the sand before offering you one of the beers he had grabbed.

That night Pietro sat with you in solidarity offering you nothing more than friendship and a pillar of support whilst you cried and then laughed, and then cried some more reminiscing about your cherished times with both your now deceased grandparents.

After Pietro returned to NYC, he put the thought of you out of his head, instead, he turned his efforts to focus on the upcoming December launch party. Thanks to their dad’s connections. Wanda’s hard work and a few strategic tweets and IG posts from a hard-working friend who did add campaign work for a living there was a real buzz around Scarlett Witch.

“Hey Brother, I was thinking of asking Y/N to attend the launch and to wear something from the evening collection for the launch, Jane is in town and already said yes, she’s bringing her Boyfriend Thor, I extended two further invitations to them encase Thor’s brother Loki is around. What do you think?” Wanda said throwing herself onto the grey sofa opposite Pietro. They were at Pietro’s apartment as he had the most amount of spare room.

“Excellent idea, she should bring Bucky too,” Pietro said sipping on his coffee. Pietro wanted to remain in your life and after the funeral, your conversations had been a bit more frequent. Most importantly Pietro wanted you to be happy.

Pietro brought a date along to the event; her name was Crystal and they had been on a few dates before. However, they both had an understanding that this was more of a casual thing and that neither of them were looking for a relationship with each other. Crystal had gone off to schmooze with some of the guests when you arrived. Pietro made a mental note to introduce you both later, he was sure you would both get along with your similar senses of humour. Pietro couldn’t take his eyes off you the moment you entered the event. You looked stunning, Wanda had asked for Pietro’s input when choosing the outfits that You, Wanda and Jane were going to wear. Pietro had chosen a silver two-piece skirt and top for Jane, a scarlet red ensemble for his sister and a Black strapless dress, the top was form-fitting made from chiffon fabric, the skirt cut out the front made of black tulle sparkled with the touches of glitter.

Pietro had chosen the ensembles for two reasons, one they were undoubtedly the showstoppers from Wanda’s evening collection and they all complimented each other well. He made a mental note to ensure Peter Parker got a photo of the three of the ladies together before the evening got away from everyone.

“Bunny! I agree absolutely amazing. Bucky, you don’t look too bad yourself” Pietro said kissing you on the cheek. Pietro was wearing a deep blue suit; it made his hair and ice-blue eyes pop. Wanda had insisted on the blue over a grey suit Pietro had originally planned on wearing. Pietro didn’t miss the smile on your face after they had complimented you, it was as big and bright as it had been that final summer. And you've got a smile That can light up this whole town

After photos and ensuring everyone’s, drinks were full, Wanda and Pietro left the small group of old school friends in the private area of the event and made their way around the guests. The press contained fashion bloggers, small fashion magazines, social media influencers and gossip columnist too. Pietro found his way back to Crystal after he’d finished making the rounds. He was on his way to introduce you when he spotted an unfamiliar red head amongst the group.

Thor introduced her as Natasha, Pietro tried not to give away the surprise in his eyes, but he could sense that there was some tension as you avoided making eye contact with both Pietro and Bucky. Pietro kept his nose out of it for the most part, but when the pair of you said your farewells for the evening, he couldn’t help but assure you that he was there if you wanted to talk.

“Was that Natasha Romanoff I saw hanging around Thor and Y/N’s group most of the evening?” Wanda asked when she and Pietro slipped into the back of the waiting car. “Yes it would appear so, did you know she was coming?” He asked loosening his tie. “Vis said Jane had asked to bring a friend along as Loki couldn’t make it, I told him to tell her it was fine as she technically had four invites. I didn’t realise it was going to be her”, Wanda explained, there was an emphasis on her.

Regardless of her brother's relationship status with yourself she genuinely liked you and always would, her loyalties lied with you and as far as Wanda was concerned, she didn’t even want to know Natasha, something about her didn’t sit right with her from the few interactions they’d had over the years.

“Will Crystal meet you at your apartment? I didn’t see her as we were clearing away”, Wanda said changing the subject. “Huh? Oh, no she’s meeting her friends downtown at the Voodoo Lounge, something about a magic night” Pietro said looking out the window as the streets of NYC blurred into one. He couldn’t help but worry about you, you could put on a bright smile and laugh all you liked, but Pietro knew when you were faking.

2017

The launch of Scarlet Witch had gone better than Pietro and Wanda had hoped. When the label opened up to online orders in February, they had sold out of everything in 30 minutes flat. Now they were looking at opening up an in-person store in the lower east side sometime early next year. Pietro was working late one night in the office when Vision turned up.

“Hey Vision, it's good to see you but Wanda’s not here,” Pietro said sitting back down behind his desk. It was late and the numbers had started to dance around the screen but Pietro was determined to get these figures finished before the weekend. It was the least he could do as Wanda had been working flat out, she insisted on sewing as many of the items herself as possible, and when she had hired two seamstresses, Wanda still checked all their work.

“Thank you, Pietro, but I know she is back at our apartment. It is actually you that I came to see” Vision said. James or Vision as everyone called him very rarely looked nervous, yes he sometimes missed social cues but he was never one to act nervous. Pietro sensing this was important saved his spreadsheets and shut down his computer.

“What’s going on Vis?” Pietro asked walking over to the sofa area where vision, stood awkwardly. “Traditionally, this question would be asked to your father, but as your father was not in your lives much until recent years, I felt it better to ask you” Vision babbled on. Pietro had a pretty good where this was going, but this was Visions plan and Pietro wasn’t about to jump the gun, besides if this was going where he thought it was, it was only right to make him suffer ever so slightly.

“Well Vision, I’m all ears. What is it you want to ask?” Pietro asked grinning. “Well you know how much I adore your sister Wanda, and we have been together a good many years now. So I would like to ask your permission for your sister's hand in Marriage” Vision asked. Vision’s heart was pounding so loud and fast he thought that he might collapse. Pietro’s eyes watered, he was happy for his sister and he was of course going to say yes, but he wanted to have a bit of fun first. He quickly stood and turned away from Vision, heading towards the small fridge of the small office kitchen.

“So you want to marry my sister, are you certain about this Vis? Because once that ring is on her finger, there is no backing down, even if you get cold feet.” Pietro remarked. “I assure you Mr Maximoff, I want this with my whole self” Vison responded. Pietro couldn’t continue with the charade anymore. “Of course you have my blessing Vision, I would be honoured to call you brother,” Pietro said handing Vision a beer.

Vision proposed to Wanda that summer on the fourth of July. The three of them attended Tony Stark’s exclusive fourth of July bash at Stark Tower. Vision had a good relationship with Stark and Pepper was a hopeless romantic at heart. Shortly before the fireworks, Vision and Wanda wandered off to a private balcony three floors above the outside decking where everyone else would watch. Tony introduced the display then the three of them slipped out of the crowd as the fireworks got underway.

Tony had his AI software J.A.R.V.I.S set to record the whole thing. As the firework display got underway. Vision got down on one knee and popped the question. Wanda of course squealed and said yes between tears. That’s when Pietro, Pepper and Tony appeared with glasses of champagne and toasted to the happy couple. “Congratulations Sis, also please let me be there when you call Y/N and tell her, I know she is absolutely going to flip her shit when she finds out,” Pietro said kissing his sister on the cheek.

Sure enough, Pietro was right, three days later when Wanda Facetimed you to show of the ring your excited screams were loud enough to be heard all through NYC. “Oh my god. He did it, he finally proposed! I was wondering if he was ever going to pull his finger out and propose. Oh Wands I am so happy for you, you deserve this” you said. Wanda was so elated she missed the small crack in your voice towards the end of the sentence, but Pietro didn’t.

“Here Pietro want’s to say hi. Go on tell her all about how you had known about this since March! I’m going to get ready Visions parent’s got into town today and we’re meeting them for dinner before they see a show tonight,” Wanda passed the phone to Pietro before heading off to her shower. Pietro had come round specifically to hear the call. Pietro waited for the door to close before he turned his attention back to your face on his sister's screen.

“Everything okay Y/N?” Pietro asked. You sighed before letting your hair out of its ponytail, You were avoiding the question. “Yeah, everything’s fine. I’m tired, going out later with Peggy Carter, she’s the girlfriend of Bucky’s teammate, Steve. We’re going to get some lunch and do a bit of shopping, Steve’s working on some projects and Bucky said he’s running some extra training drills at the stadium. Not that he needs to the season doesn’t start for another two months, oh I’m sorry. I’m wittering on, how are you? Had any good dates recently?” you asked forcing your voice to be light and carefree.

Pietro knew what you were doing but it wasn’t his place to call you out on lying. “Naa, not really. None that would ever go anywhere” Pietro said. The two of you stayed on facetime for a few more short minutes before Pietro reluctantly advised he had to get going to the office.

September 2017

“So Y/N I have a very important question, will you be one of my Bridesmaids?” Wanda asked. Pietro walked into Wanda’s office just in time to hear you scream your response. “OH MY GOD, ARE YOU KIDDING OF COURSE I WILL” Wanda moved the phone from her ears and looked up at her brother who just grinned. “You owe me 20 bucks I told you she would scream,” Pietro said making himself comfortable in the chair opposite his sister's desk.

“ I should be offended, but I’m in too much of a great mood to care” you chuckled. “Oh, is that so?” Wanda teased. Pietro felt sick, had Bucky proposed? Worse, were you pregnant? “I got offered this amazing job opportunity, it would be working for Stark Industries, Pepper Potts approached me directly about it the other week, I shot it down but she called me again today doubling the offer,” you squealed.

The weight that had threatened to crush Pietro lifted, not that his sister hadn’t noticed the change in his complexion a few moments ago.

“Oh my god Y/N, That’s amazing! Are you going to take it? I miss you and would love to have you nearby like old times. And I am not only saying that so you can do my wedding planning for me” Wanda sang. “I don’t know, I said I would think it over and get back to her after the weekend, I’m going to talk it through with Bucky tonight” you replied. “It sounds like a great opportunity Y/N” Pietro responded with earnest.

“Huh, that’s weird, I wonder what she’s doing here,” you said out loud “Who’s where?” asked Wanda. “Oh um nothing, look I got to go I just got to Buck’s and I’m cooking dinner, going to talk to him about Tony’s offer,” you said before hanging up. Wanda and Pietro just looked at each other. Pietro got up to leave but Wanda shot him a look as if to say she wasn’t finished with him.

“You still love her” she spoke plainly. “He doesn’t deserve her. He’s always posting pictures of him and that Natasha doing “Official” Lions events” Pietro replied simply. “You are right brother, he doesn’t deserve her, but like I told you all those years ago. If you had asked her she would have waited. You don’t get to complain that she moved on with someone who was a big part of her life for 13 or so years” replied Wanda.

She was right and Pietro knew it. He sighed before lifting his gaze to meet his sister's cold blue eyes. “You’re right.” He said simply before exiting the room.

Pietro awoke to his phone ringing at 2 am, he wasn’t going to answer it until he saw your name and the picture of the pair of you from Uni flash up on his phone. “Y/N? Is everything okay? It’s 2 am.” Pietro asked rubbing a hand along his face. You didn’t respond.#

“Y/N, are you safe? Should I call Bucky?” he asked urgency surging in his voice. “NO!” you practically shouted. “Sorry, no please don’t call Bucky,” you asked quietly.

Pietro shifted leaning over to turn on his bedside lamp. “Bunny, you’re scaring me, what’s going on?” Pietro pleaded. The comfort in his voice was enough to break you all over again. You started sobbing all over again. How you had any tears left was beyond you.

“I’ll fucking kill him” Pietro growled. Pietro knew, the pictures Bucky had been posting on IG, the tears now, the way you had withdrawn recently. You didn’t need to say it for him to know. “Please don’t, I don’t have enough money to bail you out of prison” you managed to squeak.

Pietro felt his heart shatter, all he had wanted since you two had started dating was to save you from the heartbreak you had experienced in the summer of 2010 and he had failed you. That night Pietro stayed on the phone with you until 4 am where you finally fell asleep exhausted from the day's turmoil.

May 2018

Pietro and Wanda had helped you apartment hunt. They helped decorate and furnish your apartment ready for your move to the Big Apple in January. Wanda had introduced you to her friends slash employees but to Wanda, they really were her friends: Doreen Green, Janet Van Dyne, Julia Carpenter and Laura Kinney. Including you on many girls nights.

Vision and Pietro always walked you home after nights out. Wanda made sure to invite you to brunch with her and Vision when Pietro was attending. It wasn’t that you didn’t want to give you and Pietro another shot, it’s just you weren’t certain he would want you, after all, Bucky had really done a number on you again.

Sighing you picked up your phone and decided to take a leap of faith and text him, the two of you hadn’t spent any time alone together since you had moved in January.

Pietro’s Pov

Pietro’s phone buzzed. You, me and that little cafe in times square tomorrow = date? – Y/N x Pietro was stunned, he was sure that the time for you guys to be a couple had long passed. “Brother, are you listening?” Wanda asked agitated at her brother's lack of respect, the two of them were going through the plans for the rest of the year. Plans for when they would drop certain collections, run certain in-store promos. When they would run online promo’s.

“Sorry, it’s just Y/N just text me, asking me on a date” Pietro’s voice came out dazed. All though Wanda was miffed, she couldn’t help but smile. Looks like Y/N had finally listened to the girls last night when they went out for Monday night happy hour. “You had best text her back then brother” She responded raising her eyebrows at Pietro. I thought you’d never ask. How does 5 pm work? Pietro shot back.

Perfect x Your response came through almost immediately.

Your Pov

You got to the café early, you were too nervous to focus on anything in the office. And as you were only scheduled to work until four, you decided it was just easier to go to the café and wait with a book or something, you had to deal with this nervous energy somehow. You walked in expecting he’d be late, but Pietro got there early and he stood and waved. You walked to him Pietro pulled your chair out and helped you in. Pietro sat down opposite you and shot you a small nervous grin.

“I ordered you a hot chocolate and a cookie, I know how much you like hot chocolate even if it’s warm out like today,” he said shyly. “Thank you,” you said, you felt yourself blush. For goodness sake Y/N this is Pietro, you dated him for three years get a grip you silently berated yourself.

As the date got underway you felt yourself relax and slip into a comfortable bubble, you told Pietro about a recent mishap where one of your colleagues Darcy Lewis had accidentally thrown toner waste all over you.

You couldn’t help but smile as Pietro threw his head back laughing like a little kid. He took your hand and rubbed small circles on the back of it, that familiar feeling made your stomach erupt in butterflies.

I've been spending the last eight months Thinking all love ever does is break and burn and end But on a Wednesday in a cafe I watched it begin again.

December 2017 Pietro’s Pov. The snow was falling, and the streets of New York City were quitter than usual, a sign that Christmas was just around the corner. You had finished for a nice long Christmas break earlier that week and last night Pietro had taken you out for drinks and dinner as a surprise. However, due to the snow the restaurant had been unable to open as staff couldn’t get in due to all the delays on the subway. Pietro had felt crestfallen.

Right up until you had suggested that the pair of you skipped dinner and went back to Pietro’s straight for dessert. Pietro had struggled to leave you this morning. As he only had a few things to deal with before Scarlett Witch shut down for three weeks for a well-earned extended Holiday break he hadn’t left until later that morning around 10:30.

You had once again found your way back to the bright bubbly person you and everyone else knew you to be. Pietro as always being that safe place for you to heal. The way you danced around the kitchen cooking pancakes had Pietro beside himself. You really were ultraviolet. That fire you ignited, Good, Bad and undecided, Burns when I stand beside it Your light is ultraviolet. Pietro thought to himself.

All though you had only been back together since May this time Pietro was never going to let you again.

Pietro was leaving the office for a late lunch when his phone pinned with a google alert. James “Bucky” Barnes announces engagement to Natasha Romanoff! Read the headline. Fuck. That piece of shit. Pietro felt rage on behalf of you. He knocked on Wanda’s door. “Hey, Wanda. I know were almost done here anyway, but I got to go early” Pietro shifted uncomfortably.

“Why?” Wanda asked simply. They were almost done but Pietro was meant to be shutting down the website whilst Wanda finalised everyone’s surprise Christmas bonuses. Pietro didn’t say anything simply handing his phone to his sister. Wanda scanned the headline and the article. Sucking in a deep breath. “Go. I’ve got this. Go check on Y/N” she said her eyes softening.

Pietro practically raced home. Just as he was coming out the subway his phone rang, caller ID showing Sam. “What the fuck is that dickhead playing at?!” Sam asked. Pretty much the entire friend group had cut ties with Bucky after they found out he had been cheating on you again.

“I have no idea, but he better hope to god I never see him, because I will not hesitate to rip him a new one, look I’m just letting myself into my apartment building, Y/N stayed here last night as she didn’t have work today and we’re meant to be going to Stark’s Christmas gala this evening. I’ve got to go. I’ll call you later. Pietro said ringing off before Sam could respond. Pietro knew Sam would understand.

“Hey handsome how was your day?” you asked not taking your eyes away from the street below. Pietro breathed a sigh of relief, he was certain he would have come home to find you curled up in bed, or worse the floor crying. You were happy together but that didn’t make Bucky’s betrayal sting any less.

“It was good, busy” he replied taking off his coat and walking over to join you at the window seat. Wrapping his arms around you and pulling you close. He smiled to himself as he caught sight of the kids below. He could faintly see in the reflection of the window that your eyes were rimmed with red.

“How about you Bunny? I saw a news alert. I’m guessing you know about the engagement?” he asked. You hummed a response. Pietro knew you loved him; he also knew that you knew how much he loved you. But that didn’t make seeing you hurt any easier. Suddenly you shifted turning around to face him. His floppy silver-blonde hair covering those beautiful ice blue eyes, they looked at you with such love and endearment, they also spoke a silent promise. You kissed him gently on the lips before standing up.

“Come on Quicksilver let's shower before the Stark Christmas Gala,” you said pulling your boyfriend along behind you shooting him a knowing grin. God, he fucking loved you.

All this time how could you not know, baby? You belong with me

[adhd-ahamilton]

I got to see Hamilton in Sydney!!

It was a seriously, seriously amazing time – I was always worried that by the time I finally got to see Hamilton on stage (I was even supposed to see it in America last year lmfao) it wouldn’t mean the same anymore. And like, obviously it’s not my hyperfixation anymore. But even like this, it was still an incredible experience! I always figured that the recording would focus more on close-ups and the like because you can’t really see that on stage, but you really can see so much of what’s going on when you see it live and the whole stage is full of things to notice!

I have a lot of thoughts about it (mainly about the Australian cast, though some of these things could just be live performance things)!

Firstly, only two lines had their wordings changed:

* ‘John Adams doesn’t have a real job, anyway’ → ‘Vice president is not a real job, anyway.’ This got a good laugh from the audience; obviously it was changed to preserve the joke, since most Aussies wouldn’t have a good idea of who John Adams was. (I explained the joke when I watched the recording with my parents.)

* ‘Weehawken. Dawn.’ → ‘Jersey. Dawn.’ This was a bit of a surprise, but the more I think about it the more it makes sense. Aussies also wouldn’t know Weehawken (I didn’t even get that he was referring to a place when I first heard it), while Jersey is very clear because they already made a joke about it. (That one didn’t get much of a laugh though, ofc lol) And it’s actually more consistent because later they do say ‘we were near the same spot my son died, is that why’ so they drive that connection even deeper.

I don’t think there were any other music/staging/choreography differences from the recording – just the acting. But ooh, this really was differently-acted!

Hamilton

I love Lin-Manuel Miranda. I love his energy and enthusiasm and intelligence and his optimism. But while I loved his dorky version of Hamiton, I have to admit, I didn’t always think it matched up with even the musical’s script, let alone the real person. This Hamilton, though? I kept thinking about all the ways he felt different from the original, and almost every time, it was like ‘yeah, this feels more like what I know of the real Hamilton.’ (Or at least, the Hamilton we wrote about in fic.)

This Hamilton is aggressive and prickly. Up until Helpless, we don’t really see him smile – which makes sense, y’know, with ‘talk less, smile more.’ When he confronts Burr at the beginning of the play, he doesn’t have Miranda’s overly energetic and talkative air, he’s more pushy and too intense. You really feel like, oh, yeah, he’s just walking up to someone on the street and badgering them into telling him about their life story. When he says ‘God, I wish there was a war’ he’s less naive and more so hyperfocused on his goal he doesn’t notice he’s said something super insensitive. When Burr says ‘You wanna get ahead?’ his ‘Yes’ isn’t quiet and firm, it’s more ‘yes obviously, nobody would not want to get ahead, so just hurry up and tell me already.’

And that’s just in the first couple of songs! He continues on like this, with that kind of burning intensity and hot temper, through the musical, though ofc it softens at important times. Importantly, his relationship with Burr is largely based in frustration. When he does ‘My Shot’, it honestly feels less like he’s singing to impress the guys and more like he’s challenging Burr and everything he just told him; I’m sure I saw him glancing back at Burr several times. Likewise, when he tells Burr to go get Theodosia, it’s not questioning – he’s outright saying that if he really loved her, he’d take any risk for her. And in Schuyler Defeated, his ‘Burr?’ isn’t questioning there, either – he’s already angry, he’s just demanding his attention. He genuinely seems to like Burr in a weird way that even he might not understand at times, but for the most part he just seems to find him really frustrating and is always trying to incite him to do more.

This Hamilton also feels very independent, and even aloof. In The Story of Tonight, while the other guys are totally sincere and moved by it all, Hamilton feels sorta… distant. At one point he half walks off until Laurens brings him back, which I think happens in the recording as well, but here I especially felt like that was how he was ‘really’ feeling. Not that he was being manipulative or lying in any way, just that he couldn’t be in the moment because he was still stuck in his head thinking about the future. And the whole way through, he very rarely seems to properly open up – my friend said afterwards that Hurricane hits so much harder when it’s the first time he’s really vulnerable in the entire musical. Which is basically how it happens.

It’s funny – you think of Hamilton and Burr as being contrasting this way, with Burr keeping his cards close to his chest and not revealing what he really wants until The Room Where It Happens, but this Hamilton doesn’t feel far off. But rather than keeping a secret per se, it’s more… he has such an incredibly strong, intense drive, and you’re never super certain where it comes from. And in Hurricane, it suddenly becomes clear – all this time, he’s still caught up in that trauma, and still feels like he needs to fight and scrape just to survive, even when it turns into this self-destructive impulse. Honestly, Hurricane has always been kind of a weird song – he’s been corrupted and is not the most sympathetic beforehand, but then you get this grand slow inspiring song talking about how he suffered in the past and overcame it, but THEN you cut to an almost comedic number about how he fucked everything up for himself and his family. In Miranda’s version, that mood up-and-down always felt a little too jarring. Here it made perfect sense – it was so shocking to see how vulnerable he was at the beginning, and then the song isn’t just repeating what we learned in the beginning, it’s explaining what he’s been keeping deep down all along, but also making it clear that this is manic and awful and destructive.

Part of that is the singing, too. This Hamilton can rap really well, but his singing voice is startlingly gentle and beautiful. It really helps to get across the sincerity of his feelings in Helpless, Dear Theodosia, and as I said Hurricane. On the other hand, there are also times his voice just goes flat, like there are so many emotions he can’t process them – you see that a bit in My Shot when he gets worried (‘I never had a group of friends before’), but it REALLY stings when he says ‘I have so much work to do.’ That hit me way harder than Miranda’s version :(

However, when you combine this Hamilton’s aloofness with that certainty and intelligence, you also get a version of him that is particularly… ironic? He’s always crossing his arms (when he’s not rubbing his face with a palm; those two gestures repeat constantly through the play), and kinda stepping back and Watching people, with a bit of a sense of self-important and even patronising judgement. This is very much ‘So quick-witted!’ ‘Alas, I admit it.’ He definitely does come across like a dude who thinks he is ‘smartest in the room,’ and puts way too much stock in his own opinion. Particularly with Burr whenever they were getting along there was a distinct sense of ‘You know what? I actually think you’re pretty interesting. And my positive judgement is hard to come by, so that’s a big compliment.’ (Burr does not seem to get this weirdly condescending vibe though, lol.) Honestly…. I gotta admit: I really don’t like people like that, haha – though I can’t say it’s entirely inappropriate for Hamilton characterisation. This Hamilton genuinely feels difficult, and that matches up to what happens in the script.

But, the consequence is that after Hurricane, some of the later songs didn’t have quite as much of an impact on me as in the original. In It’s Quite Uptown, I could somehow never quite lose that vision of Hamilton as a bit sarcastic and superior – the way he rubs at his face in grief still just felt a little… put-on and theatrical, like you can hear the frustrated sigh underneath. And this is a song that demands complete, total, unrelenting vulnerability – Miranda’s Hamilton sounds like he’s dying the whole time and that makes the emotional stakes really felt. Maybe it’s that his voice was TOO gentle in this song – Miranda’s more awkward voice actually adds to the exhausted brokenness of the situation?

And finally, when we got to The World Was Wide Enough… Miranda’s speech there in the silence might just be my favourite sequence in the entire musical, so I think anyone else would have struggled to match up to that. It doesn’t help that I was distracted trying to figure out Burr in this scene (which I’ll get to later). It was still beautiful, of course, but ‘What is a legacy?’ just feels so so very Lin-Manuel Miranda and anyone else singing that just doesn’t feel the same.

Overall, I really really enjoyed this version of Alexander Hamilton – as I said, he felt much closer to the actual characterisation I always imagined for him. And this one showed some really fascinating vulnerability in unexpected places, even if the ending didn’t quite land as well for me.

Burr

This Burr was really, really fascinating as well – an interpretation that feels different all the way through, but really pays off at the end with something very striking.

So, something the group of us all agreed was that this Burr felt a lot more like the ‘trust fund baby’ he calls himself. There’s something elegant and refined about him, a rich person who is used to moving through the world as a person to be admired. He’s actually quite graceful, somehow, even though he barely dances? But that also really brings to the fore one particular element – entitlement. (Seriously, my mum is physically incapable of bringing up Burr without mentioning the word ‘entitled’, lol.)

This is a Burr who is used to not having to work for things. He just sort of expects things to fall into his lap, eventually, in contrast to Hamilton. The world will eventually shape to match his desires – that’s how things work. Even in the latter part of the musical, it doesn’t so much feel like he needs to fight and scrape like Hamilton to get ahead, but more like… getting ahead is his birthright, and he just needs to effect that inevitable change into the world. But I’ll get to all that later.

The other thing my friend said was that this Burr feels very much like a preacher’s son, and the more I thought about that the more I agree. There’s something almost… toxically positive about him – the smiles don’t feel two-faced and manipulative so much as maybe like, wilfully ignorant? There’s a very ‘Don’t fret, God will work things out in the end :)’ feel about him, actually. But there’s also something deeply naive in him. Leslie Odom Junior’s version also had some of that genuine lack of understanding – when he muses in confusion over Hamilton in Wait For It, or when his face scrunches in confusion when he says ‘I don’t see why that has to end’ in Schuyler Defeated, and this one does all that, but it feels like an even more inescapable part of his character.

Like, there’s something about this Burr that is just a bit… lame. A bit ‘Hello Fellow Kids.’ But, intentionally!! As I said, he’s a preacher’s son. When he tries to act kinda cool or badass, it just doesn’t quite work. When he interacts with the other guys, even as he smiles wanly and shakes it off when they insult him, you feel like he does still want to be – or even think he is? - part of that group of cool young men. He’s just too… nice, almost. I felt a little more bad during The Story Of Tonight (Reprise) and all. And he seems to take it really earnestly that Hamilton likes him, even if, like I said, there’s a sorta superior quality coming from Hamilton.

He just comes across more naive. Rather than a manipulator, this Burr comes across as more of a shameless Yes Man, who doesn’t think there’s anything wrong with what he’s doing. But I also sort of felt like other characters easily saw through him, and Burr didn’t quite realise that. Like with Jefferson, it sorta felt like he thought he was being really strategic but Jefferson was just like ‘sure, this guy works as an ally, even if he’s kinda annoying.’

And when it comes to Wait For It… the song makes it clear that bad things have happened to him – he hasn’t gone through life without suffering – but he hasn’t had the same reaction Hamilton has had. While Hamilton learned nothing will come to him unless he takes it, it feels like Burr learned that things will just… happen to him, good or bad, and he can’t control it. Nothing that has ever really affected Burr has been of his choice – he inherited his position, and then his parents died, and  all of that was just the uncontrollable whim of the universe. Leslie Odom Junior’s version emphasised the ‘I am the one thing I can control’ aspect a bit more – you feel that that version really had worked hard and struggled for the sake of his studies and job, but this Wait For It gave me a very uncomfortable feeling of being trapped. It’s as though everything about him is already decided, and even his efforts aren’t personal decisions so much as just what was natural and expected of him to do.

And that makes the second half of the story feel very different for him. In Leslie Odom Junior’s version, we see him take that self-control to new levels – that realisation that there is something that means as much to him as all of that drive and intensity Hamilton puts out, and it’s his own ambition. That he does want that, and he will have to fight and get his hand dirty to make it happen. As the story goes on, he becomes increasingly desperate and fearful, understanding more and more what it was to be that kid in the hurricane, becoming viscerally aware that terrible things can and will happen to him unless he stops them.

This Burr doesn’t feel like that. His downfall isn’t frantic. It’s very very cold.

In The Room Where It Happens, yes, his ambition crystallises and he changes strategy. But it feels less like an electric jolt, or an earthquake, and more of an epiphany. It’s okay for him to do these things. It’s right. He belongs in the room where it happens. Whatever he does to bring him there is by definition right and good.

He honestly seems to be feeling good through much of it. He’s so smiley when he comes up to Jefferson. He seems even more confused than Leslie’s Burr when Hamilton is actually mad at him for unseating Schuyler. And in The Election of 1800, there’s nothing of the original’s tired, manic energy, like he’s pushing himself to the brink and plastering on a smile to get through it. When this Burr campaigns, he’s energized and charismatic and friendly and filled with almost a kind of serenity. Like this is what he was born to do. His future is almost here – he just needs to reach out a little and it will be in his grasp.

Which, brief aside here while I analyse this haha – so, in Australia, a big part of our culture is what is called Tall Poppy Syndrome. i.e., an instinctive bitterness and hostility towards those who are perceived to stand above others. It’s often described as an aggression towards successful people, but I think that’s only part of it. Australians would describe their culture as breezy and casual and relaxed, but there’s also something disaffected about it, IMO. You’re not meant to ever take anything too seriously. Yes, we all take the piss out of politicians, but it’s sorta ‘lame’ to really seriously oppose them, too. It’s like our culture is stuck in the mindset of a self-conscious fifteen year old, where we’re all sorta lazily cynical and ‘bluntly honest’, but you’re not supposed to ever actually do anything about it all. Caring too much is kinda embarrassing. You’re just supposed to make fun of people and keep living your life. We don’t get the same fundamentalist groups intent on forcing their viewpoint on society like America does, but we also don’t get the same idealists who fervently believe that if we work hard we can make things better. They exist, for sure. But… well, it’s hard for me to imagine an Australian Leslie Knope, you know? (Who, btw, is one of my favourite fictional characters of all time, for reference.)

Watching Burr in The Election of 1800, I was struck by a memory. It was an Australian season of The Amazing Race, and on top of all of the typical relaxed Australian reality show contenders (seriously, I don’t know what the fuck Drag Race Down Under is on, that is the most un-Australian reality show I have ever SEEN), there was one couple that were I suppose Go-Getters. The type who eat healthily (probably vegan) and get up every morning in their athleisure to work out at the gym or go for runs. They were peppy and enthusiastic and they announced with huge smiles that they were going to WIN this! And the other contestants absolutely despised them. At one point, they did something to attract specific ire – honestly, it was probably nothing more than just not helping another duo who were going the wrong way, because in Australian reality shows everyone helps. But after that, multiple groups all ganged up to sabotage them. They took such delight in watching these two cheery people’s optimism flag, so very self-assured in having taught them to ‘not take yourself too seriously.’ Burr, as he was campaigning, reminded me of them.

It’s really telling, I think, that Burr is the one who reminded me a little of Leslie Knope, here – albeit obviously a much darker version. The kind of person who dorkily believes in the system and puts himself out there unselfconsciously, whose wide smiles are unironic and unmocking. In the original, Lin Manuel Miranda actually compared Hamilton to Leslie Knope at one point, with Hamilton’s ‘thirty years of disagreements.’ It’s a very Australian thing, to make Hamilton less earnest and more aloof and sarcastic, to make his anger as much about frustration with other people as about believing in something himself, and to make Burr, by comparison, sincere. Australians don’t really trust sincerity. Honesty is to be framed as an insulting joke, and Burr is just too polite to do that.

When the results come, Burr’s serene smile only very very slowly fades. Before his expression really drops, he turns away. When Your Obedient Servant starts, he’s quiet. The whole time he sings, he’s measured and controlled and entirely certain of himself. He doesn’t have LOJ’s grit or spikes in volume on ‘just to keep me from winning.’ He’s unnervingly quiet.

Even into The World Was Wide Enough this continues. In the original, Burr is outright frantic. He’s desperate and shaking with anger and fear, and when he points at Hamilton’s glasses and the like, you can feel that he actually isn’t sure of himself – that he’s trying to justify this to himself and knows he sounds crazy, but he just can’t pull back now. His voice shakes and goes up and down. When he says ‘we were near the same spot his son died, is that way?’ it rises and when he says ‘this man will not make an orphan of my daughter’ he cracks in real tears, like the mention of Philip reminded him of what’s at stake here, like that really is the reason he’ll kill him. This Burr stays quiet and cold. He doesn’t waver.

If that Burr was desperate, this one feels… and I hope this doesn’t sound like a joke: like a thwarted rich nice guy. The other Burr learned from Hamilton too well, and is replicating his self-destructive energy. This Burr hasn’t learned anything at all. Winning is still his birthright, and Hamilton has stolen that from him. Burr deserves it, and he deserves to punish Hamilton for this. It’s not an explosion of shock, a scrabbling for purchase in this new chaotic world that will doom them both. It’s vindictive. Burr knows what he is doing and he wants to hurt Hamilton for all Hamilton has hurt him.

After the shot, I was surprised to find myself not tearing up as I expected (usually, these two last songs always get me). With the original Burr, his singing is laced with pain as much as regret. When he repeats ‘death doesn’t discriminate’, we feel his sorrow as he fits Hamilton into the same kind of category as his parents and wife, as someone important to him who died. When he says ‘he may have been the first one who died, but I’m the one who paid for it,’ we understand that he’s referring to the depth of his grief. That having to live with knowing he killed Hamilton feels, in this moment, worse than death.

This Burr is still cold. And when he finally gets to it, and says ‘I’m the one who paid for it,’ he looks away. He almost spits. His face is contorted in bitterness. It’s rough and gritty, for the first time in the entire musical.

I can remember it vividly – it was shocking to see, and sends shivers through me to remember. I’d been waiting for that cathartic sadness, but it wasn’t here. This Burr, deep down, didn’t feel for Hamilton, at least in the end. He was pissed off because for once in his life his actions had consequences. Because of Hamilton, he had fucked up his life forever. His worldview had been shattered. And at that moment, that was all he could think about – that resignation and bitterness and anger. All along, maybe, he had been nice only because he’d had no reason not to be. Once it didn’t benefit him, and his pride and entitlement were damaged, he showed who he truly was.

It… was an experience, lol. Honestly I think it was partly lost on me because I so loved the original version and was like working myself up ready for a good cry here, so I didn’t get to just sit and take the full impact – I kept searching for a grief or fear that wasn’t there. But I don’t think this version is bad! It’s a very valid interpretation of Burr, and it was extremely fascinating to see unfold.

If I have one critique, it’s that one kind of problem with the whole Australian show is that the performances lacked grit. I really wanted more edge, more aggression, more intensity of those emotions – something more sharp and shocking. Hamilton delivers this kind of thing at times, especially early on, but ofc it fades away in the end. Jefferson, as I’ll get to, is too smooth-talking while also having that cold serene kind of anger. When we lack both Hamilton’s broken It’s Quiet Uptown and Burr’s frantic ‘this man will not make an orphan of my daughter’, we don’t get those life and death stakes quite as highly. By focusing all of Burr’s anger in one line, I think the rest of the songs didn’t have as much of an impact as I’d like.

But!! I really enjoyed this interpretation, and I’d love to see it again knowing what’s coming!

Eliza

OKAY nobody else is going to get those huge walls of text lmaoooo

Anyway this Eliza wasn’t a super different interpretation than Phillipa Soo’s, but I think she pulled it off at least as well, if not even better?

So, the really big obvious thing about this Eliza is her smile. Her actress has this amazing, big toothy grin that feels so lacking in guile, but also still so comforting. It’s so attention-grabbing and almost impossible not to be affected by. It just screams ‘hey, things will turn out okay, so cheer up! :)’ And it’s something that just comes out on Eliza as if on instinct – she’s wearing it through most of That Would Be Enough, and at the end of Take A Break when she escorts Angelica away, and even in Blow You All Away when she’s comforting Phillip or in flickers when describing Hamilton’s old letters in Burn.

The thing about Eliza as a character is that she’s basically defined by her emotional intelligence. She feels as strongly as Hamilton, but where he is uncontrolled and reckless and both self and other destructive, she is the opposite of all of those things. She’s measured and practical and knows exactly who she is and what she wants at all times. She will sacrifice for others, but it’s because she decides to, and if she is hurt, she will not keep herself in harm’s way. It’s an interesting kind of competence and I can understand in theory why it’s cool to have a female character like that even if I, as a neurodivergent mentally ill woman cannot relate in the slightest and feel sorta awkward to be judged against.

This Eliza nails all of that perfectly. She’s effortlessly charming and soothing whenever she wants to be – in That Would Be Enough, when Hamilton is turned away and putting up all of his sharpest bristles, you can feel her become something soft and liquid and find her way up against him regardless without getting hurt. It’s that strength of character that makes their relationship really work – it’s not necessarily that she completely understands him or is good at ‘handling’ him, but that her certainty of purpose and deliberate, skilful compassion make her perfectly suited to calm Hamilton’s deep down insecurities. She loves him entirely and makes him believe that. And when Hamilton responds with his own intensity, she loves that, and believes in that.

And all of that makes it mean so much more when she steps out of that natural mediator role for a moment. In Helpless she’s adorable, so giddy and excited and so clearly crushing on Hamilton with a youthful energy that somehow doesn’t feel all that naive. As she sings she’s constantly glancing back over at him, it’s really cute haha. But she does feel a bit more vulnerable here – it does feel like she’s silently asking for help from Angelica when they talk. More startlingly, there’s Non-Stop – when she calls out ‘Alexander’, it is SHARP. It’s the same kind of tone Hamilton takes when he calls out to Burr in Schuyler Defeated. It’s a bit startling actually, but in a good way.

That tone, I think, foreshadows Burn. Again, I think this Eliza takes the same tone as Philippa Soo, but this version (maybe just because I saw it live!) embodied it even more – she talks about her own desperation to understand, re-reading their old letters, and cites Angelica as back-up, but when she reaches the mid-point, she stops and seems to think. She weighs up the situation and her emotions. And when she says ‘I’m erasing myself from the narrative,’ it is very deliberate and conscious. She is in control of her fate and she can see herself objectively and this is what is just. Her moral core is impenetrable. She sees long arc of the future that Hamilton and Burr are so obsessed with and she says, yes, this is what should be done.

And then in It’s Quiet Uptown, that same self-certainty is there from the very first word. This whole musical, even at her lowest, Eliza has instinctively brought out that comforting, wide smile. Here, her face is expressionless. If Hamilton’s acting here didn’t quite hit my mark, Eliza’s was spot on. The withdrawal of that earlier warmth is all the colder when there is no doubt within her about it, and nobody can argue she’s wrong in that. When she takes Hamilton’s hand, she still doesn’t smile. It’s sad :(

Of all of the final songs, Who Lives Who Dies Who Tells Your Story hit me closest to the original. It’s actually almost jarring to see Eliza ask ‘have I done enough?’ This whole song, we hear a hasty energy to her she’s lacked all musical – the first sign that Hamilton has rubbed off on her, too. But when she asks ‘Will they tell your story?’ it’s still Eliza – this isn’t about a legacy, it’s because she’s still that giddy girl from Helpless who loves him and wants to do everything she can for the people she loves.

(Whenever she and Hamilton see each other but appear to walk past one another, only to circle around and meet in the middle again, I cry lmao;;)

Her gasp at the end is soft and quiet and delighted, as though she just spotted someone in the crowd who she hasn’t seen in years and can’t wait to catch up.

If I have one critique, it’s the lack of grit again. Her scream at Philip’s death wasn’t as wild and destroyed as Phillipa Soo’s, and while I like her gasp, I prefer the original’s shocked, overwhelming joy.

Overall though, she was extremely good! Her charisma was just blinding, but it was in that perfectly ‘mundane’ way you’d expect from Eliza. But that solid, immovable core always shone through. They really sold her relationship with Hamilton, too!

Angelica

This is the one I feel like I have the least to say about. My mum said she was the only character who just couldn’t quite match up to the original, and I don’t really agree, but I don’t have a huge amount to say, either.

This Angelica felt a bit older and more mature than Goldsberry. The original Angelica has a bit of brashness and vivid emotion to her – a bit more out there and exaggerated in her actions and expressions. More bold but also more chaotic. This one was a bit more quiet and considering. Diplomatic, maybe?

I actually worried when I first saw her that she wouldn’t be able to carry Satisfied because she was too confident and capable I wouldn’t be able to believe her vulnerability, but no, she pulled that off perfectly. When she was standing in the dark there in the end, the sadness radiated from her.

I actually got a lot more chemistry between her and Hamilton this time; I always thought I disliked the relationship in that canon because of my grudge against how LMM wrote it, but maybe it’s just that LMM was too old for her lmao. You’d think her quietness would contrast with Hamilton’s pushiness, but if anything it feels like she can just eyebrow-arch off his usual way of getting under people’s skin – when she says ‘you forget yourself’ it’s subtly disapproving, then when he delivers the punchline, it’s like he proves himself enough to earn her respect. Indeed, their mutual aloofness actually suits them both really well. You can just imagine them working together, quietly sharing their judgements on everyone else in the room around them. They’d be a terrifying power couple, and that really connects up to her advice in Take a Break.

I don’t have as much to say about the rest of the musical though. (actually IDK if that’s all partly just because by the end my ADHD brain had to work a lot harder to keep up, lol.) Her piece in The Reynalds Pamphlet did the job, and her singing in It’s Quiet Uptown was beautiful.

I guess, if I had to contrast them, the original Angelica felt more spirited and aggressive – very ‘you want a revolution? I want a revelation!’ - while this one felt more like the settled head of the family who already had her place but understood the world perfectly and knew she’d have to pick and choose what she wanted most. (...spoken like that she sounds like a big contrast to Burr, funnily enough?)

Lafayette/Jefferson

So not too much to say about Lafayette – the guy pretty much did him the same as Daveed Diggs, and pulling that off is very impressive but there isn’t too much to analyse here. If anything the Lafayette felt slightly less bright and cheery than the original, which may have been done to contrast with Jefferson.

Jefferson, on the other hand, was quite different. Diggs’ version is very loud and kinda abrasive and arrogant – always smiling and bouncing but with something clearly malicious lying behind all of that. He’s got a harshness to him, deliberately intimidating and surprisingly authentic in what he reveals of himself. He’s a villain character who’s fun to watch because he’s having fun himself and you gotta admire his balls.

This Jefferson is much more smooth and manipulative – maybe taking over from what Burr sometimes delves into? When he first appears, he plays to the crowd, encouraging the cheers, but it’s less arrogance and more like, he’s a celebrity putting on a show. He’s friendly and cheerful all through What’d I Miss?, disarmingly enjoyable to watch. He’s someone who knows the crowd and likes the crowd and is very very good and getting what he wants from the crowd without making it obvious he’s doing that. He’s definitely the type of #relatable celebrity fans would really want to defend.

But Hamilton represents a very clear change to his status quo. He starts off singing What’d I Miss? just in a fun, conversation-starting way as a rhetorical question, but after Hamilton introduces himself, he seems genuinely taken-aback. His last ‘What’d I miss?’ sounds like a genuine question, like, ‘wait wtf what’s going on here all of a sudden?’

And then we get the Cabinet Battles. Despite the above, Jefferson starts off his argument oozing with relaxed confidence. He doesn’t need to take any of this seriously – it’s already in the bag! Everyone loves him and as long as he makes some nice jokes and smiles disarmingly enough, he’ll always get what he want. And then Hamilton starts talking. And he’s pushy and hostile and sarcastic and mocking and angry and superior. And the whole time, Jefferson stands straight and Stares at him. We get none of Diggs’ ‘Haha, this guy is a riot! :D’ type of energy – this Jefferson is deeply displeased, and he is watching very, very carefully to take stock of the situation so he can put an end to it.

It’s actually really well done IMO – when the crowd oohed and ahhed, it felt like a 50/50 of ‘what the hell, people aren’t supposed to DISAGREE with Jefferson!’ and also ‘holy shit this guy is acting like an actual obnoxious child who needs to stfu right now.’ Both Jefferson’s easy entitlement and Hamilton’s unhelpful abrasiveness really got across.

In the second battle, Jefferson is much more careful. Whether it’s because he isn’t underestimating Hamilton anymore or because he cares much more about this, there’s an unamused urgency underlying everything he says. He still tries to be friendly and charming and diplomatic, but his smile drops often. This issue is important and he is not going to back down on it. It’s actually still not quite as immaturely insulting as Hamilton – more like, ‘can we stop humoring this asshole kid already and do something we very much need to be doing?’

(Also fun fact: in The Room Where It Happens, when we get to Jefferson’s version of events, Hamilton’s ‘I had nowhere else to turn’ is SO fake and sarcastic it was really funny, like even the Hamilton in Jefferson’s head can’t bring himself to actually say that sincerely.)

So, when we get to Washington On Your Side, he’s cold. At the time, he contrasts well with Burr, who is all smiles and surprisingly relaxed. This Jefferson is more like Angelica, quietly analysing the situation and slowly coming to a plan. The difference between cold, planning Jefferson and smooth-talking Jefferson is also great.

Because of all this, he has less of the really comedic stuff the original Jefferson got, with the exaggerated expressions and movements – in We Know, he’s more struck dumb by everything than the more over the top reactions Diggs did. But the controlled coldness contrasts with Hamilton better – it makes sense that he was the one who successfully connived himself to the top. And we get much more of that contrast between public and private Jefferson that is one of the interesting real-world meta statements, where who is was to the people and who he actually was were very different.

…….I think I had some kind of impression of ‘because I’m the president’ but I can’t remember what it was anymore. Hrm.

Anyway: enjoyed!!

Mulligan/Madison

So, how I’ve been saying the show lacked grit? I honestly think it might’ve all just collected in Hercules Mulligan lmao – obviously his parts are meant to be bold and brash and powerful, but these ones hit even harder than usual. His part in The World Turned Upside Down was just so Loud I could feel it in my chest! Great performance, I loved it!

Madison was very very different naturally, but also very different from the original version? While the original Madison felt tired and a bit disgruntled, like he was exhausted by Jefferson’s in-your-faceness and just wanted to get this done so he could get back to his work, his one felt much happier to be there. This Madison felt like he actually saw himself as Jefferson’s teammate, like he considered himself part of the show and was happy (even smug) to be helping out. When Jefferson passes him the microphone, rather than say ‘France’ with an irritated expression as if to say ‘everyone already knows this, just get on with it already’, it feels more like this Madison already rehearsed this with Jefferson deliberately. He calls out ‘France,’ as though it is some incredible zinger, like he’s been given the mic drop here. It’s pretty cute haha!

Overall this Madison felt a lot younger. Talking afterwards my mum mentioned that Mulligan’s role is hard because he has to switch to playing ‘an old man’, and was pretty surprised when I said Madison was actually the same age as Hamilton. This version felt a lot more age-appropriate. He still gets sick and starts coughing (and it feels a lot meaner when Hamilton makes fun of him! The dude was just so happy to be here – let him have his zingers!!), but aside from that he thrums with nervous energy behind Jefferson, like he’s ready to help out anytime he’s needed.

In all, he kinda feels like he fulfils that certain comedic henchman trope a bit? It really comes together with the ‘Can we get back to politics?’ ‘:’( please!!’ exchange. Madison isn’t made fun of, per se – it’s not like he really does enough in the script to get that kind of attention. But he’s just a bit funnier and more sympathetic, while also strangely feeling more like he and Jefferson are an actual team. (I mean, Jefferson hands him the mic as though he’s setting up a zinger, too. They’re both a bit ridiculous!)

Laurens/Phillip

Okay, this was one I was really curious about, for obvious reasons – LMM always sorta made it out that since he never included any of the Hamilton/Laurens stuff in the script, he kinda tried to act it in there more. In Story of Tonight or Ten Duel Commandments, or even briefly in the opening song, there’s meant to be a closeness that hints, however subtle, at that relationship.

Unfortunately, I didn’t get that at all here.

Laurens’ casting surprised me at first – he’s super short and extremely baby-faced, to the point that I wondered if he wasn’t played by a cis man. (His actor is a man, though, though ofc I wouldn’t know if he’s cis or not.) I was kinda confused about that all through the first act… until I got to the second act and, uh, remembered. But despite this – perhaps because of it? - he is an absolute firecracker. He’s hot-headed and rough and determined and every bit the young impassioned soldier.

He’s a bit more naive in the early songs – he seems genuinely friendly with Hamilton in The Story of Tonight, and you feel like he really does just like him from the moment he hears Non-Stop – but like I said, Hamilton is still pretty closed-off through all of that, so… it doesn’t really feel mutual. Hamilton likes him fine, but it doesn’t feel like he cares as much as Laurens does.

In Satisfied, he indeed seems super drunk, but it’s more like he’s just too young and drinking too much at a party than anything. The only time I really felt any particular chemistry between him and Hamilton actually comes from Story of Tonight Reprise – when Hamilton wanders off to speak with Burr, in sincere friendship, and Laurens comes over and starts ribbing Burr about his girl with almost malicious energy, it did sort of feel a little like he was jealous, if only that Hamilton and he had been talking so easily.

Finally, we get to Stay Alive. There, Hamilton and Laurens are just so angry and disgusted with Lee that they don’t really have room for anything else. It’s all very focused and determined and Manly, without any time for something softer or close between them. And I’m not sure how to feel about that. Laurens’ revulsion for Lee is historical record, and it says a lot about him and his values that that was so important to him. But there are other important parts of Laurens – that worry and fear and insecurity inside him, that ended up being so damaging to him. In such a limited script for him, ‘Alexander, you’re the closest friend I’ve got’ is really his one chance to show some of those emotions before he dies. Instead, Laurens never really gets to show that vulnerability, and I worry that it makes him feel too much like a ‘generic soldier character.’

I wonder if it’s because this Laurens looked so youthful that they sort of overcompensated, and felt the need to make him extra manly to make it clear he belonged there despite his appearance. But it sort of felt a bit too… macho for me. Nowhere to be found is that 18th century romantic friendship. Instead, it’s been replaced by a more WWI era Comrade and Comrade type deal. They’d die for each other, but would they write romantic letters to one another? And I think this is also unfortunately pretty Australian – real emotion is lame!! The only acceptable emotion is fucking hating your boss, and challenging him to a duel with your squadmate to get him what he deserves.

Well, I’m reading too much into it all, lol. But I always felt like the original Laurens barely got to show much of himself as it was, and this one felt even less so, unfortunately.

His final scene – is it We May Not Live To See Your Glory? - is done well, though. Again, Laurens just sorta feels like a generic young soldier, but ‘idealistic soldier who died too young’ is moving enough on its own. And in one of those rare moments, Hamilton really does feel shaken and vulnerable. ‘I have so much work to do,’ as I said, hurts – so lifeless and unlike him. Like nothing could process those emotions in him now, or express them.

Philip, on the other hand, is the exact opposite. First of all, yeah – having a shorter, younger-looking actor makes that Take a Break scene WAY less awkward, haha. It wasn’t even funny, it was just like ‘oh huh this just kinda looks all right?’ And the actor did really well playing a kid! He looked like a completely different person there, which is really good.

And then we get to Blow You All Away, and hoo boyy. If Laurens had been excessively confident, Phillip oozes uncertainty with everything he does. When he flirts with the girls ‘when I come back we’ll all strip down to our socks’ he manages to pull off the cocky act but in basically every other line you can see and hear the ‘a-am I doing this right? I’m not screwing this up, am I?’ radiating off of him. He definitely believes he’s doing the right thing – when he says ‘you talk about my father I will not let it slide’ there’s no hesitation – it’s just that he very clearly isn’t sure if he’s up to the task of doing it.

It was sorta interesting, actually – I think the original Phillip was more naively overconfident and reckless, and only had an attack of the nerves after he got himself into the duel. But – and this might just be me projecting here, lol – when this Philip confronts Eacker in the theatre, I got a real sense of like… ‘??? can I do this here? Where are you meant to threaten duels???’ and when Eacker is like ‘piss off, I’m watching this show now’ he seemed to wilt a lot, and straight up froze for a second or two, like he really didn’t know what to do at that point. And then of course when he talks to Hamilton he’s really worried…

And then his death. Somehow, I never used to cry much when this happened – it’s obviously very sad, but it didn’t manage to hit the right heartstrings to make crying, even in the recording. But oh god, this one was just awful… Even as he’s dying, Philip is still just so desperate for approval, like he’s so scared his parents will be mad at him for screwing it up, and Eliza is trying so hard to reassure him before he dies… I cried a lot :(

So overall, I really liked this Phillip, even if I don’t necessarily think it’s an improvement to the original. Laurens I kinda preferred the original, though this was still an interesting interpretation that gave me a lot to think about!

Washington

The guy did well! He has what Washington needs, and that’s a stature. When he’s on stage, your eyes are just naturally drawn to him. Even when he’s not doing much, he’s still a little intimidating. He has presence!

And in fact, this actor had an interesting quirk where the whites of his eyes could be seen easily? In Right-Hand Man, as he’s striding around at the center of the stage, his eyes just looked white, and it drilled in that slightly manic, crazed intensity underlying his strict, rigid rapping and self-control. It have the whole thing a really great effect.

But this Washington also had a sort of almost… slight fem-ness to him, that I didn’t get as much from the initial? It’s funny how during One Last Time, I suddenly got this vivid though, ‘oh, it’s like he’s a cool supportive teacher.’ Which… obviously?? Haha. Like he’s clearly a mentor to Hamilton all the way through! But it’s that specifically teacher description I really felt all of a sudden, that he was warm and approachable and gentle at heart, despite everything I said above lol.

Like, I feel like this Washington was just a bit less stoic than the original? Slightly more expressive and less stern. When he says ‘I’m from Virginia, so watch your mouth,’ in the original, it sounded like he was genuinely kinda offended? It was ‘watch your mouth’ as in ‘don’t disrespect my home state.’ But in this one, Washington sorta grimaces a little theatrically and says it more incredulously, like he’s actually saying ‘you wanna maybe try thinking about who you’re talking to before you say that shit, son?’ It’s more of a warning – less that he’s upset and more that other people would be, so he should really try thinking before he speaks.

He also still does the part in Who Lives Who Dies Who Tells Your Story when Eliza says she spoke out against slavery and he kinda stumbles and stares and then looks down in shame, given the real Washington’s actions.

I liked him! I felt a little more warmly to him in the end than the original, but that might just be a product of seeing it live.

Peggy/Maria

Okay so I don’t really have anything to say about Peggy, which had basically always been the case, hah. :’) I mean, I think this version made the transformation between her initial wariness vs her later excitement more clear? But that is very likely a live show thing.

Maria, though!! Honestly? I was never really a fan of the original Maria’s performance. She just feels too much like a cliched seductress archetype, and while you can argue that that’s the role she plays in the story, especially since there’s the uncertainty over whether or not she was deliberately setting Hamilton up, it just feels too on the nose. It makes it harder to believe Hamilton didn’t know what was up the moment he saw her, which I don’t think is intentional. And it makes me feel bad for the real Maria Reynolds.

But this one was very different – much more vulnerable. When she first talks to Hamilton, she’s not doing a sexy pout and throaty singing, she’s just sorta… quiet and monotone and lost, much like Hamilton gets when he’s too emotional as well. Like she’s in shock and truly has nowhere to go is just sort of crumpling as a person. And when she propositions Hamilton, again it feels sincere – she just wants him to stay.

And after he talks to James Reynolds (just as perfectly, theatrically assholish as in the original), that continues. When he confronts her, she genuinely seems desperate and scared and upset. I felt so, so sorry for her that I was yelling in my head right then ‘you can’t just leave her now!’ at Hamilton – and then immediately remembered what that’d mean… it’s a much more gripping situation.

And then in the end, James Reynolds walks off and claps, and Maria just stops, face and body entirely stoic, and follows after him in silence… Is that an indication it was all an act from her? Or is it that she’s so scared of him that she totally closes up and can’t cry, can’t show any kind of emotion or weakness around him, and just has to try and be a silent and flawless wife? No matter how you interpret it, it’s chilling.

Oh, and IDK if this is done in the recording, but in The Reynolds Pamphlet, she gets given one, too, and her look of just… upset/disgust is also really painful. At the end they say ‘his poor wife’, but who thinks about poor Maria?? :(

I still wouldn’t say that this is an accurate adaptation of the real events, since I think that gets right into the script and structure of Hamilton in ways that a regional performance just can’t really make better. But this version is at least better. It plays Maria with more dignity, I think, than making her into a sexy bombshell, even if that bombshell act does get subverted in the original as well. This one feels significantly more sympathetic.

King George

He was great!! He was played by an older actor who seems to have done a lot of serious Shakespearian plays, which of course makes him absolutely perfect – both in that he could flawlessly depict that pompous old privileged Brit, but also in that he probably has a good backing in comedy and political satire :P He was clearly having the time of his life playing to the crowd – throughout all his time on stage he was constantly alternating between doing one or two lines very serious and mostly straight, before doing something absolutely hilarious. That back and forth worked extremely well!

Also I never saw it properly on the recording but when he gets up and dances in the middle of the stage during the Reynolds Pamphlet?? AMAZING.

Obviously, Johnathon Groff is his own personality and is friends with LMM and brings all of that unique stuff to the table that nobody could replicate. But this actor was just as much fun to watch, and does have the added benefit of really looking and sounding the part.

Final Thoughts

I’d really love to hear other people’s thoughts on this run, especially from the perspective of it being an Australian cast/audience – I really hoped the booklet would include at least a piece or two from someone who worked on this run, but it did not. (In fact, it was one of the scantest musical books I’ve seen? I don’t regret buying it as a souvenir of course but usually they have at least one or two interesting pieces of new content aside from just backstage pics…)

What really sticks out to me is the structure of it all. Hamilton is definitely the central character that brings everything together through the first ¾, but around The Room Where it Happens Burr starts to take over bit by bit, allowing him to keep up the energy as Hamilton falls back further and further into becoming both less of a hero but also more quiet and passive. By The Election of 1800, Burr is giving us all the energy – until the end of The World Was Wide Enough, when he too falls back and Eliza takes over.

Given this, this Hamilton did an incredible job throughout most of the performance – he had amazing chemistry with every other character and really exemplified that scrappy, intelligent, driven, but aggressive and difficult character that never quite shined through in LMM’s performance for me. Burr’s more subtle performance complements that well, and he even arguably outdoes Leslie Odom Junior in The Election of 1800. However, after that I think his quieter acting and singing sort of fails to fill the hole Hamilton left behind, reducing the climax a bit of its energy. Thankfully, Eliza was able to bring that all back for her final number.

It also strikes me that this performance is a bit less teary, at least from the men. Eliza, Angelica, and Maria all bring out that vulnerability and the sadness of their positions wonderfully – a great improvement in Maria’s case, for me. However, Burr’s The World Was Wide Enough severely downplays the sincere regret angle, while Hamilton never quite hits the right notes on It’s Quiet Uptown. However, Hurricane and Phillip’s performance in Blow You All Away definitely hit that fear and panic leading to self-destruction. (Interesting I guess that Burr doesn’t also seem more fearful in The World Was Wide Enough?) Is that also a gendered expectations thing, perhaps?

Either way, I’m extremely glad I was able to see it if only for Hamilton’s performance – honestly, maybe the reason it seemed to lose a lil steam was just that Hurricane was so good everything else failed to follow it, haha. Burr also absolutely fascinated me here, too, and that was so much fun to see play out in real time!

Hamilton will be coming to Melbourne next, and I’m not sure yet if I’ll be able to go there but I’d really like to! It’d be really fun to test out these expectations/conclusions of mine with a fresh viewing, as well as see any other new cast changes/interpretations…!

[gryffindormischief]

eavesdrop - chapter 14: HG - Top of Head Kiss (M)

A/N: I hope you enjoy!! I missed posting fics so much WAH.

FF // Ao3

____

There’s a few incidents in the marriage of Harry and Ginny that precede the purchase of a king size bed.

The first, is unsurprisingly, Ginny’s tendency to sprawl like a human sized spider monkey. Which isn’t really a problem. Harry’s grown into a person who affirmatively enjoys human contact. Particularly with his wife. And this includes cuddling, spooning, tangled legs, et al.

But she sprawls, and their sleep schedules aren’t in sync per se, and sometimes it’s next to impossible for him to slip into bed when she’s already asleep.

After one too many nights where Ginny’s found him sleeping on the window seat wrapped in one of her ill-fated attempts at knitting with mum - mainly motivated by pure boredom after an end of season injury her second year with the Harpies - she decides they may have an issue. Ginny attempts to resolve the issue with a long chat about self respect and whatnot, and maybe Harry gets teary when she forcefully tells him he deserves a lot including a damn bed. But overall she thinks they’ve handled things.

Until the second incident - the cat. Minerva, god help them if that secret ever reaches the wrong ears, begins to grow past her kitten phase. Because a small kitten snuggling up to you, sleeping on your shoulder, curling up on the corner of your pillow - the list goes on - is not really a problem. But now, now Minerva is pretty much her full size and she is beautiful and adorable and Ginny loves her, but also would rather not suffocate in her sleep.

So she starts shuffling Minerva onto the mattress at her side, lets her curl against her spine and it's cute and then while Minerva spoons her, she spoons Harry, and it’s all quite domestic. This means of course, that Minerva quickly becomes discontented and begins a series of evenings where Ginny and Harry are pounded with tiny little paws that wake them from all states of sleep, and culminates with Minerva somehow managing to actually shove Ginny from the bed.

Ginny feels a bit sorry, but the level of violence has escalated too high and she’s forced to shut out the poor - still technically a kitten - kitten out of the bedroom at night. Which leads to earplugs and shared guilty looks when her sad whines slide under the door.

The third and final motivating factor is a little bit boring, and maybe would have been better as an introductory entry. But the story’s been told and so now, the last - bedsheets.

Harry and Ginny have acquired many household items over the course of their marriage, both by purchasing themselves and gifts from the wedding onward. Most items, they can recall at least vaguely the purpose served in the original acquisition. But their collection - yes they have three or more of them - of king sized sheets is a complete mystery, and some days it feels like they’re just independently multiplying when they’re in the closet.

It’s not really a reason to make the purchase but it does deserve to go last in the sense that it’s the straw that broke the camel’s back. Harry’s folding the fitted sheet they’ve just removed and washed from what will later be referred to as the hobbit bed while Ginny fumes and pets the cat to try and relax.

“You know I have offered on multiple occasions to make fitted sheets strictly ‘Harry Duty’.”

‘Harry Duty’ was invented after one particularly stressful afternoon that almost ended with Ginny breaking every ornament they own and at least a few bones while trying to string lights on their Christmas tree. Ever since, when an activity or chore is a severely undesirable one for Ginny Weasley Potter, it is quickly relegated to Harry’s specific responsibilities. He strings lights, does the washing, and cleans the litter box usually while Ginny watches and compliments his bum.

“No, I feel I need to master this one. It’s within my grasp.”

“Dunno, Gin. You were wrapped up like a caterpillar when I got home.”

“I was getting close, Harry.”

He completes another fold and winks, “Sure you were.”

“Hey! I’ve become a very adept gutter cleaner,” Ginny grumbles, “Fully muggle in my methods even.”

As Harry disappears into the hall, presumably placing the folded sheet in the cupboard, he calls back, “Sure,” there’s a pause before he resumes, voice getting louder as he nears, “Have you ever wondered where all those giant sheets come from?”

“Giants need sheets too and the manufacturers know it,” Ginny replies, waiting for the endeared eye roll she knows will soon follow her cheek.

Harry plops on the couch next to her and Minerva instantly moves to curl in his lap. His fingers find the back of her soft head and scratch lightly. “Because we’ve never had anything larger than a double and those are - Superkings.”

“So?”

“Gin - do you know how large a Superking is?”

“Hm, let me think if I’ve shoved any pointless facts about measurements of things I don’t own in my head lately,” Ginny drawls, earning herself a sharp pinch on the back of her leg from Harry as he pouts.

“See I wasn’t going to say ‘It’s almost twice as long and wide as you’ because I’m trying to respect your wishes to not be mocked for your stature,” Harry starts.

“Wise choice but I fear we’re getting near the borderline for my rage monster,” Ginny answers back, one brow flicking upward.

In the end, after much banter and a fairly satisfying husband and wife ‘bonding session’ on the couch, they do decide to give Superking a go. Ginny’s splayed across Harry’s chest on their secondary location - a haphazardly thrown chenille blanket on the floor - when she sighs, “Anything that gives us more surface area for shagging must be a good thing.”

Which it is, in most ways. Harry’s late night post-shift arrivals have zero impact on Ginny’s sleep schedule, the sheets are a super high thread count, and they get a pillow topper which is just luxurious.

The whole set up is pretty great and complaining makes Harry feel like a tosser but Harry hasn’t touched Ginny in a week. For the first thirteen days, he was distracted from the issue first because the Harpies won their season opening game and there was much touching, albeit outside the traditional bedroom setting. Luckily they remembered to seal the locker room door this time. Before that, Ginny was so wiped at night from training that she was generally asleep before her head hit the pillow. It wasn’t long after the season’s first game Harry was sent on assignment in Scotland and by the time he got back nine days later he was so tired he immediately fell asleep for about seventeen hours.

And now, thirteen days later, Ginny realizes Harry hasn’t touched her in a week. Not in the husband and wife ‘bonding session’ sense - they have definitely made use of the increased surface area, most recently with a highly acrobatic mid afternoon ‘hey we’re both home bonding session.’ But no cuddling, no cold feet pressed to calves, no koala clinging,

The worst part is that Ginny doesn’t want to say anything. Not because she doesn’t miss it, because she has discovered over the course of her marriage to Harry that she is a very tactile person. It’s because Harry is sleeping so well. The bags under his eyes have paled, he dozes less in the evenings, and less impressively in terms of Ginny’s observational skills, yesterday morning over brunch he said as much. And then they bonded some more and Ginny discovered just how sticky raspberry preserves make your bare bum.

Nonetheless, the damn cat is still on her damn pillow and Harry’s frozen feet haven’t chilled her skin in weeks.

But she can’t complain to him, not when he looks so content in his sleep. Not about something so silly and selfish. It’s not as though they don’t have physical contact otherwise. Still, she wonders if he misses it too. If maybe he’s relieved to be free of her space heater-like body.

She’s retreading this train of thought for the umpteenth time since she slipped beneath the bedclothes at ten thirty - just about reaching the two hour mark, when the sheets shift around her.

Harry’s not a big sleep mover so her initial assumption is that it’s Minerva. Until her bottlebrush tail flicks across Ginny’s eyes. In response to her glare, Minerva just blinks and drops from the headboard to the untouched corner of Ginny’s pillow. They bought her a bed fit for feline royalty, it’s feckin memory foam but apparently it’s just not the same. Maybe Minerva is comforted by Ginny’s smell, which could be cute if it wasn’t so annoying.

Particularly since her pillow definitely needs its next ‘too hot need the cold side’ flip.

Just as Ginny’s contemplating the wisdom of upsetting the delicate emotional state of her cat, long deft fingers wrap around her middle, chilling her even through the cotton of her oversized jersey.

Harry’s messy hair appears from beneath the covers first, followed by his brilliant green eyes wide and boyish in the moonlight. “I have crossed fathoms of bed to be with you.”

Ginny can’t help but grin as he inches higher and presses a kiss to her forehead. Together, they end up shuffling so her body is molded along his, forehead pressed to his lazily beating pulse point.

His fingers run through her hair, combing out knots in the short locks. “You know. If something is bothering you I want to hear.”

She grunts and snuggles closer.

“I’m the emotionally stunted one. Don’t steal my role in the relationship.”

Another grunt and she manages to drum up a very small amount of indignation. Though Harry’s calming strokes are putting up a bit of a fight. “Excuse me.”

The real indignation comes when Harry pulls away and maneuvers Ginny onto her back, sending Minerva sprawling toward the floor and upsetting Ginny’s almost sleep. Which likely would’ve been her best in about...two weeks.

His thumb strokes her cheek and he’s got that look. But he’s not getting the upper hand that easily. It takes more than a two minute cuddle and some well placed fingers. “You upset Minerva!”

Harry shifts and brings his hips flush with hers. “Please don’t mention that name when - we’re at a delicate point in the process.”

Ginny grins and lets her hand slip south, seeking and playful. “I dunno little Harry seems to be doing alright.”

He manages a response that classes slightly higher than an unintelligible grunt. “I know you're just trying to taunt me.”

“With what.”

And while she does enjoy teasing, there is a limit. Because the more she taunts him with soft touches, almost kisses, and coy looks, the more she teases him physically the closer she gets to driving herself completely batty.

Harry knows it too, and uses her distraction to begin working their clothing free. First her t-shirt, then his, but she manages to slip his pants off and give his bare bum a squeeze for good measure. His hips jolt toward her and Ginny laughs against his lips. “So sensitive.”

“Is that a problem?” Harry drawls against her collarbone, slim fingers finally dragging her knickers down her legs. Or at least most of the way.

“I can help you out down there,” Ginny says to the top of his head while Harry continues his battle with her inexplicably tangled underwear. “I know it’s challenging to just - take underwear off.”

But he does manage it, with some swearing and grunting, and then for her sass, nips at her hip bone. Then his lips drag up her side and she can’t quite manage coherent thought. Not when his hands drag up her arms and their fingers lock together. “Harry - please.”

He props himself up on both elbows and grins. “The tables have turned, eh?”

“Oh yeah you’re amazing,” Ginny chuckles, shifting her hips against his. He moans and presses his forehead to her neck.

“Minx.”

Ginny’s retort dies on her lips as Harry finally grasps her hips and shifts forward. Her hands search wildly for something to keep her grounded, one finding Harry’s hair and the other wrapping around the headboard.

The metal chills her fingers but she can’t manage to focus on the sensation when Harry’s lips  leave hers and desperately travel down her neck, shoulders, and further.

In the end, they’re a couple of droopy eyed, sweat sheened messes sprawled crookedly across the bed and Ginny takes some pride in Harry’s utterly wrecked expression. He presses a kiss to the crown of her head. “So this bed really is good.”

Ginny hums. “I miss your cold toes.”

“You know,” Harry says after a moment, “Cuddles don’t have to happen by accident.”

He tugs her across his chest and Ginny complies, propping her chin on her forearms. “You’ve been sleeping so well - I didn’t want to ruin it.”

Harry kisses her once, twice, a third time, long and slow. “You know I sleep better when you’re around.”

“I do?”

“Oh. I never said that?”

Ginny pitches her voice low, affecting her best Harry impression, which is pretty solid if she does say so herself. “You know. If something’s bothering you, I want to hear.”

That earns her a flick to the tip of her nose. “Don’t pull that, Weasley.”

“I’ll pull whatever I want. And you’ll like it.”

Harry’s lips find hers again. “Yeah, I will.”