#we’re not even that close!! we’ve hung out twice in the last six months!!

[wilsonpussyindulgence]

a friend texted me today to ask if i could lend them $800 until they get paid next week because they’re behind in rent. um?????????

[nerdzzone]

-More Hearts Than Mine-

Summary: Raising a child is hard. Raising a child with one of Hollywood’s biggest stars is even harder. And raising a child with one of Hollywood’s biggest stars who you’re not actually in a relationship with is even harder still.

Especially when a global pandemic is sweeping the world.

With lockdowns and stay at home orders looming on the horizon, the uncertainty of their situation becomes almost too much for Whitney Taylor to handle. Chris suggests that they quarantine together to avoid any potential separations but, given what happened the last time they spent more than a few brief moments in each other’s company, that could cause more problems than it solves…

Chris Evans x OFC

Sequel to: Once Bitten - Twice Shy

Note: Again, just a reminder that all the information I have about covid restrictions in Massachusetts is from google, not first hand experience, so if something seems wrong please just go with it.

Part Three

______

Part Four

If avoiding difficult conversations was an Olympic sport then it's pretty safe to say that I would have earned myself a gold medal by the end of the following week. It wasn't all that hard to do though as the exhaustion from parenting during a pandemic was hitting us both. Especially because the weather for the first couple of weeks of April was abysmal. It was cold, stormy and raining almost every day and we were all getting quite stir crazy from being inside constantly - especially our lively and spirited child.

So, it was a massive relief when the sun finally came out.

It was also a relief that it lined up with Grayson's third birthday.

He was going to have a very different birthday than previous years - as most people would over the next few months - but we wanted him to have fun and he was quickly tiring of all the indoor activities that we could come up with.

We set the living room up the night before after he'd gone to bed, putting up a birthday banner with several clusters of balloons, and there was quite the mountain of presents in the corner as most of our family members had sent their gifts in advance. I had hoped to wake up before him, but when I woke up to excited cheers and Dodger barking from downstairs, I knew I was too late. A quick glance at my phone told me that it was only six thirty, but clearly the excitement had gotten him up earlier than normal.

"Whoa, Dodger, Grayson, shhhh," I heard Chris warn the pair of them, his voice still raspy from sleep. "You'll wake up the whole neighbourhood."

I smiled and quickly climbed out of bed. Chris wouldn't let him open any presents without me, I knew that, but I didn't want to keep him waiting for too long.

When I got downstairs, a very excited Grayson was bouncing on the couch as Chris sat next to him, watching him closely with a smile on his face.

"Happy birthday!" I cheered, catching his attention.

He sprang off the couch and bolted towards me.

"Thanks, Mama," He shouted, throwing his arms around my legs and looking up at me. "I'm three!"

"You are!" I smiled as I knelt down in front of him and pulled him into a hug. "You're such a big boy now."

He let me squeeze him for another moment or two before wiggling free.

"Can I open presents?"

Chris laughed at his clear priorities, shaking his head as I stood up.

"Let's just wait for Uncle Scott," he suggested before glancing up at me. "He's putting the coffee on."

"Very smart," I nodded. "I think we're all going to need plenty of that today."

Grayson proved my point by grabbing at his balloons and waving them frantically, setting Dodger off barking again.

"Dodge!" Chris scolded. "It's just a balloon, buddy. Chill."

The poor overwhelmed dog hung his head and came over to me for some sympathy. I happily obliged, cooing some comforting words and rubbing his back.

"Gray, leave the balloons, okay?" I requested. "I don't think Dodger likes them."

Grayson frowned, but instantly let go of the balloon in his hand.

"Sorry, Dodger."

"It sounds like we have quite the party in here already," Scott commented as he sauntered into the room. "Shall we see what's in some of these boxes?"

"Yes! Yes!" Grayson cheered, running over to the presents. "What first?"

"Whatever you want," I told him, smiling as I went to sit on the couch next to Chris. "Do you need some help?"

"No, I can do it!" He insisted, making a bee line for the biggest box and quickly ripping the paper off.

We watched as he opened gift after gift, an ear to ear grin on his face the whole time. Just as he was at Christmas, he was incredibly grateful for every present from the Paw Patrol Lookout Tower that was almost as tall as he was to the dinosaur books that were more educational than flashy and fun.

But there was one gift at the bottom of the pile that Chris wasn't particularly impressed by. The one that my brother had sent.

Grayson opened it, pulling out a t-shirt first.

"What does it say?" He asked, holding up the shirt towards us.

Chris' jaw dropped as I stifled my giggles and Scott burst out laughing.

"It says 'Team Iron Man'," I read. "Remember how Uncle Rob was in a movie with Daddy where they had a big fight? Iron Man was Uncle Rob's character and I think Uncle Jack wants you to be on that team."

"Oh," Grayson smiled. "Okay!"

"Okay?!" Chris protested. "You don't want to be on my team?"

Grayson shrugged as he pulled something else out of the box from my brother.

"Look!" He shouted, his excitement clear as he held up a very fancy electronic Iron Man helmet. "I love it!"

I wasn't even sure that he knew what it was as he hadn't seen any of the movies yet, but his enthusiasm compared to Chris' displeasure was killing Scott and I.

"Oh, it's such a shame that your brother wasted his money," Chris said, his words dripping with sarcasm as he had a forced look of pity on his face. "Those things are expensive and Grayson is never going to wear it."

"I'll wear it!"

Grayson's insistence was followed by him putting the helmet on his head and another howl of laughter came from Scott as a look of betrayal crossed Chris' face.

"Your brother is a jerk."

His words were quiet so Grayson wouldn't hear and I smiled.

"What can I say?" I shrugged. "We're an Iron Man family..."

Chris shot me a glare, but turned his attention back to Gray.

"Well, if you don't want to be on my team then I guess I'll just have to find someone else to have the last present that I got for you..."

Chris was teasing, but Grayson whipped off the helmet faster than we could blink. He looked around, a puzzled expression on his face when he couldn't see anymore boxes on the floor and I shared his confusion as I wasn't aware of anymore gifts either. But the Evans brothers exchanged a knowing glance and I knew they were up to something.

"Maybe Miles would like it," Scott suggested. "He loves Captain America."

"Me too!" Grayson insisted, tossing the helmet aside as if it hadn't been his new prized possession moments ago. "He's my favourite!"

"Oh, is he now?" Chris laughed. "Doesn't take much to make you change your mind, does it?"

Grayson shook his head, oblivious to the fact that he was being teased, but Chris didn't torture him for too long.

"Alright, do you want to see what it is?"

"Yes, I do!"

Grayson leapt up, bouncing up and down with excitement, making Chris laugh as he stood up from the couch.

"C'mon then," he told Grayson, nodding his head towards the door. "It's this way."

Grayson scurried after his dad and I followed, my own curiosity piqued as well.

"What is it?" I asked Scott, but he just shot me a smirk.

"You'll see in a second."

I narrowed my eyes at his secrets and paused at the front door where Chris was waiting for us, his hand on the door knob as Grayson practically vibrated with excitement.

"Okay, close your eyes," Chris instructed. "No peeking!"

"I won't, I won't!"

Grayson covered his eyes as an extra assurance and Chris' grin widened even more as he swung open the door. I put my hands on Grayson's shoulders and guided him through it, seeing a shiny blue bike with a big bow on the handlebars. I felt a flash of worry at all the potential ways for Grayson to get hurt riding it, but there was no time to dwell on that as Chris told him to open his eyes and he gasped with excitement.

"A bike!" He squealed with joy, leaping off the doorstep and running towards it.

He circled it for a moment as if he was really trying to take it all in while I looked up at Chris.

"There better be a helmet with this present," I warned him. "I'm already imagining broken bones and missing teeth."

"He'll be fine," Chris assured me with a chuckle. "It has training wheels, but of course I got him a helmet."

I opened my mouth, ready to share some more potential disasters that could come from this - because even with training wheels he could still fall off or lose control and crash into a tree - but Grayson cut me off.

"Help me, Daddy! Help me!"

He was trying to climb onto the seat, but as I took in the sight of him barefoot in his pyjamas standing in the driveway, I stopped Chris as he moved towards him.

"Wait, why don't we have breakfast first?" I suggested. "We have all day to play on your bike, but you're not dressed or even wearing shoes..."

Grayson's face fell and I felt bad being the mean parent, but Chris nodded in agreement.

"Your Ma's right, Gray," he told him. "Let's go get ready and then we can come right back outside, okay?"

Grayson looked sulky, but reluctantly agreed as he walked back over to us.

"Hey now," Scott said, catching his attention. "No pouting on your birthday! We've got some chocolate chip pancakes to make! Unless that sad face means you don't want them anymore?"

His previous smile slid instantly back onto his face at the promise of such a sugary breakfast and the pep returned to his step as he grabbed Scott's hand before dragging him into the house.

-

I had no evidence to prove my theory, but by the time breakfast was over, I was almost certain that it would have been more relaxing to be in the middle of a hurricane. There was pancake batter all over the room and we practically had to pin Grayson to his chair to stop him from sprinting around the room with food in his mouth. It was a miracle that he got through the meal without choking.

It was impossible to be mad though when he was having such a good time. He'd had so much to adjust to lately, seeing him happy on his birthday was all that I wanted and I was willing to put up with a little more chaos than normal if it made that happen. Within reason, of course. I did stop him when he suggested that we put the entire bag of chocolate chips in the pancake batter and I did make him help me clean them up when he dumped them on the floor in protest of my ridiculous restrictions.

Once the breakfast circus was over, Chris whisked him off to get him ready to play outside while I helped Scott clean up the kitchen before going upstairs to shower and get ready myself.

When I came back down almost an hour later, I felt considerably less frazzled, but the sound of excited squeals and giggles echoing from outside told me the energy levels hadn't died down much. It really was a relief that he was having such a nice day though so I braced myself for more chaos and headed out to find them.

The sight that greeted me melted my heart completely.

Chris was running backwards across the driveway as Grayson rode towards him. He shouted encouragement the entire time, reminding him to keep pedaling and to look where he was going and cheering as Grayson rode past him before turning around and circling back.

"Look, Mama!" He shouted to me as he spotted me by the door. "I'm doing it!"

"You are, baby!" I smiled. "Good job!"

I sat on the doorstep and watched him ride in circles, proud of how fast he'd figured it out, but after a few moments, my attention turned to Chris.

There were few times since I'd known him when I'd seen him look as happy as he did in that moment. When Grayson was born, when he took his first steps and when he first said 'Dada' were probably the only comparable moments I could think of. He looked absolutely gleeful as he chased after Grayson, laughing as he passed him before dodging a different way and waiting for Gray to catch up before bolting off again. The sound of their giggles and shouts filled my heart so much that it genuinely felt like it was about to burst out of my chest and a feeling of contentedness hit me so hard that it almost knocked over.

It was a feeling that told me that they were all I ever needed. Those two boys, making each other dizzy as they ran in circles. Their happiness and love was all I could ever hope to have and moments like these were all I ever wanted to see. I wanted us to spend every weekend soaking in this kind of joy. I didn't want to fight and argue and transport Grayson back and forth every other week. I wanted to give Grayson what he deserved, I wanted us to be a family.

But as fast as that clarity hit me, the knots in my stomach were there to remind me that it wasn't just about what I wanted. It wasn't about what would bring us the most moments of delight, it was about what would provide Grayson with the most stability and being a family might do more harm to that goal than good.

It was a constant battle between my heart and my head, but I was starting to realize that my head was losing. I was clinging to my resistance with all I had, but it was slipping away. I knew I needed to talk to Chris, to sort out the fog in my brain, but for the time being, I pushed it out of my mind. This was Grayson's day and we didn't have time for anymore heart-wrenching conversations.

I was snapped out of my thoughts as Scott appeared from the side of the house on roller blades and the unexpected sight pulled a laugh from my lips as he sailed past Chris and Grayson and headed down the driveway.

"Gray, follow me!"

Gray nodded, frantically pedaling to catch up with his uncle as they sped off down the long drive. Chris watched them for a minute before jogging over to me.

"He got it so fast," he puffed as he fought to catch his breath. "He's a natural."

"The training wheels help," I pointed out, shielding my eyes from the sun as I looked up at him. "But it's fine because he'll be keeping those on until he's at least eighteen."

Chris barked out a laugh, shaking his head.

"No way," he smirked. "We'll have them off by next week."

"Not a chance. I need at least six months to get used to that idea."

"How about we meet in the middle and aim for three?"

"Hmm, maybe," I bit back a smile. "We'll have to see how many injuries he gets with the training wheels on first."

"He'll be fine. He's a champ," Chris grinned proudly. "We've got a pretty great kid."

"We do," I patted the step next to me as I made room for Chris to sit down. "I can't believe he's already three."

Chris accepted my silent invitation and sat down next to me.

"I know," he sighed. "It feels like just yesterday that he was born..."

"He was so tiny," I reminisced. "And you had those huge Captain America muscles."

Chris laughed as he nodded at the memory.

"I was so scared to hold him in case I accidentally crushed him."

"I was so scared of everything," I admitted. "It wasn't until he was actually born that it really hit me that we were completely responsible for his well-being and keeping him alive."

"We've done well with that though!"

"We have," I agreed with a smile. "He's alive and thriving."

"We make a good team."

He flashed me a warm smile that made my heart beat stutter and it almost stopped completely when he stretched out a hand and placed it on mine. His touch was gentle and the warmth of his skin flooded through me even more than the sun streaming down on us. It was a simple gesture, but it eased the heaviness that had been hovering between us lately and I was grateful. I carefully flipped my hand over so our palms pressed together and let our fingers interlace. His smile widened as he looked back out at the driveway, his eyes settling on Grayson in the distance who was laughing at something Scott said.

"Thank you," Chris sighed, his voice quiet and filled with genuine appreciation. "I don't think I've ever said it, but thank you for making me a dad."

His words almost brought tears to my eyes, but I shook my head.

"Chris, you don't need to than-"

"I do," he insisted, cutting me off. "He's the best thing that ever happened to me and he wouldn't be here without you."

"I could say the same," I pointed out, trying to ignore the way his thumb was stroking the back of my hand. "He gets most of his good traits from you too. His kind heart, his sensitive little soul, his loyalty."

"His infuriating stubbornness."

"He gets that from both of us," I smiled. "He didn't stand a chance with that one."

"Well, I hope he gets some of your selflessness," Chris informed me, glancing over and looking a tad sheepish. "Because, as much as I disagree with it and I wish you'd be a little selfish, I get that you're trying to look out for him."

I felt my palms start to sweat and I wondered if he could feel it. I resisted the urge to snatch my hand away from his, trying to play it cooler than I felt. He was watching me closely as I mulled over his words until I found the strength to speak.

"I'm not so sure that it's just him that I'm trying to look out for," I admitted, exhaling a breath that I didn't realize I was holding.  "I do think we have more to talk about, Chris, but I don't think this is the right time."

"You're right," he nodded. "I just felt like I owed you an apology after the other night. I let my feelings get the best of me and I came across a little harsh."

I was about to reassure him that he hadn't when the sound of honking interrupted our conversation. Our attention was pulled to the end of the driveway where two cars - belonging to Chris' mom and his sister - were pulling in as Scott moved Grayson and Dodger off to the side to let them past.

"Did you know they were coming?" I asked, surprised by the little motorcade.

"Nah, I had no idea," Chris shrugged. "We'll stay outside though, keep our distance."

I wasn't worried about that really, I knew all of Chris' family were staying very isolated and being smart about staying safe and we were technically allowed to have outdoor gatherings of up to ten people anyway with the current rules in place. I was surprised to see them though as we'd warned Grayson that he would only get to see most of his family over FaceTime. His excitement at that being untrue was clear as he frantically pedaled back up the driveway to greet his guests.

"Mama! Daddy! Look!"

I let Chris' hand fall away from mine as we stood, smiling at Grayson's excitement as everyone started getting out of their cars. They burst into a rousing chorus of 'Happy Birthday' making Gray's grin grow even more.

"Happy birthday, Grayson!" Lisa beamed as Grayson ran towards her full speed. He threw his arms around her legs before we could even remind him to keep his distance, but Lisa seemed unbothered by it. "Have you had a good day so far?"

"Yes!" Gray smiled up at her. "I got a bike!"

"I saw that!" Lisa matched his enthusiasm. "You're a lucky boy!"

Grayson shot her another smile before turning his attention to his cousins.

"Wanna try?"

His older cousins were probably too big, but Stella's hand shot up first and beat them to it anyway.

"That's really nice of you to share," I called over to Grayson. "But share your helmet too, okay?"

He nodded and struggled with the clip for a few minutes before Lisa helped him take it off and placed it on her granddaughter's head.

Once they were all happy, chasing Stella and Dodger around the drive way, the adults moved over towards us. Lisa was the first to speak, a guilty look on her face.

"I hope you don't mind us just showing up like this, but we couldn't stay away on his birthday..."

"It's great!" Chris assured her. "Don't worry about it."

"And Grayson seems thrilled," I added. "It's nice for him to have other kids to run around with for a bit."

We all turned to watch them as they played until Carly let out a laugh.

"Are Grayson's shoes on the wrong feet?"

I hadn't even noticed, but I laughed as well when I realized that she was right.

"Some days just getting him in shoes at all is a victory," Chris defended himself. "And today was one of those days."

"He's like the energizer bunny this morning," Scott joked. "I can't imagine what he'll be like after we get some cake into him."

"Just think how well he'll sleep tonight," Carly pointed out. "He has to crash eventually."

"I hope so," Chris smiled. "He had me up at six o'clock this morning, I need an early night."

That earned a laugh from the group as his siblings teased him about being such an old man, but I felt a pang of sympathy for him, knowing that he'd been up early with Grayson a lot lately. Maybe it was because we were at his house so it was what Gray was used to, but Chris was definitely the favourite for the early morning wake up call.

We stood in our little circle for a while, just catching up as we watched the kids, all of us enjoying conversation with someone other than the people we were locked up with twenty-four hours a day. It was nice for me to have some female company as well even though Lisa was very pleased to hear that her boys were pulling their weight around the house and not just treating me like some kind of live-in maid.

It didn't take long for the kids to get tired of sharing the bike, especially the older boys who were too big for it anyway, and soon they were swarming around us demanding that we all play a game. After being cooped up for so long, it didn't seem like a bad idea to get us all moving around a little so we agreed and set about the daunting task of finding something everyone was willing to play.

Eventually, we settled on capture the flag - girls against boys. Lisa decided she'd make a better referee than a player so the boys team had one extra member, but they had three children to our one so it hardly seemed like the extra person would cause any unbalance. 

The rules of the game were simple: each team had three flags in our 'end zone' at opposite ends of the large grassy part of Chris' yard and the other team had to try to steal those flags. We had to grab it and run it all the way back to our own end zone to score a point, but once it was safely 'captured' it couldn't be stolen back. If someone managed to snatch a flag, but was tagged on their way back to their end zone then they had to give the flag back.

Lisa was very firm in reminding her children that tackling was not allowed as the Evans siblings were fiercely competitive and it had apparently led to trouble over the years. Once the rules were all set, we took our places and started the game.

The teams were fairly evenly matched. The boys had more strength, but we had more agility and were much better at communicating and working together which led to us easily scoring the first point. While Stella distracted Scott, Carly snuck past him to snatch the flag and she tossed it to Shanna who faked a pass to Stella before throwing it to me to get it to the safe zone. It was a beautifully executed play that showed the boys we weren't messing around.

"Oh, it's on now," Chris called out as he sprinted past me.

Shanna bolted after him, but he managed to grab the flag and throw it to Ethan before she caught up. With all the other boys guarding him, he made it all the way back to their end zone without getting tagged.

"I think having a super soldier on your team is an unfair advantage ," Carly huffed, but Chris shook his head with a smirk.

"Nah, because we have Scott too so it balances out."

"Hey!" Scott protested. "I'll switch teams if you're going to be rude!"

Stella jumped for joy at that idea, pleading with him to come onto our side, but the rest of the boys voiced their protests and he decided that, as long as there was no more hurtful comments, he would stick to his team for now. I used their bickering as a distraction though as I snuck closer towards their unguarded flags. I managed to grab one before Scott noticed and called out a warning to the rest of his team, but when I took off running and Grayson charged towards me, I didn't have the heart to out run him on his special day. I slowed down enough that he wouldn't realize I was letting him win and groaned dramatically as he tagged me, making me give up the flag.

"I did it!" He cheered. "Daddy! Did you see? I did it!"

Stella had a disappointed scowl on her face, but everyone else was understanding as they watched Chris scoop him up onto his shoulders, chanting his name as if he'd just won the World Cup while he carried him back to replace the flag.

Their celebration was short-lived though as we managed to steal the flag again almost as soon as Chris and Grayson were far enough away from it. After another perfectly executed play, the score was sitting at 2-1 for us. The pressure was on after that as we only needed one more point to win, it ramped up the competitive spirit.

We were off to a great start in the next round. Shanna got the flag quickly, but Scott had her cornered almost immediately so she tossed it to me. I got about ten steps before Chris was on my heels and I was forced to throw it over to Carly. Chris turned and went to chase after her instead and without even thinking, I leapt on his back to stop him.

"Hey!" He protested, slowing to a stop despite how he was clearly unaffected by my weight. "Is anyone seeing this? This has got to be a foul! She tackled me!"

"I did not tackle you!" I insisted, clinging to his shoulders with my legs wrapped around his waist. "If it was a tackle, you'd be on the ground."

Chris wiggled around, trying to throw me off his back as Carly sauntered into our end zone with the flag.

"The only reason I'm not on the ground is because you're too weak," Chris argued before shouting to his mom. "That doesn't count!

"No, Mama," Grayson joined in, running over to us looking very disapproving. "No cheating!"

I laughed, but slid down from Chris' back.

"Sorry, I'm sorry!" I held my hands up as I apologized. "I can't outrun Captain America, I had no choice!"

"Well, now you lost the point," Chris teased me, shoving me playfully and making me stumble a step away from him. "So, lets keep it fair and stop trying to cheat."

I swatted back at him as I stuck out my tongue while Lisa made the official call that the point didn't count and Scott took the recently captured flag back to the boy's end zone.

Chris had a new twinkle in his eye as the next round started. He hadn't let me get very far away from him and I quickly realized that I'd made a mistake by antagonizing him. I would be useless to my team if he was on my tail the whole time, but he was a tank and incredibly fast so getting away from him was next to impossible. I watched helplessly as Scott and Miles easily took our flag and dashed it back to their end zone to tie the score.

"Chris!" I whined as I tried to get around him like I was a cornered puppy, trying not to get caught. "Get away from me, you big oaf!"

"Oh, wow," Chris chuckled. "Let's not start calling names and being mean."

I tried to dart past him again, but groaned as he blocked my path.

"You're infuriating!"

"It's all part of the game."

The smirk on Chris' face had my competitive side firing up as I could see behind him that Miles had snatched our last flag. Stella was hot on his heels though, so he had no choice, but to pass to Grayson who was coming our way. Was I going to stop my three year old son from scoring the game winning point on his birthday? Probably not. But I had to at least make my attempt genuine so I came up with a plan.

"Is that..." I squinted off into the distance on the other side of the yard. "Is that Dodger chasing a cat?"

My Oscar worthy performance had Chris spinning around to check out what I saw and it gave me enough time to bolt away towards Grayson who wasn't far away from winning the game for his team. I made it an impressive five steps before Chris figured out what I'd done and came after me. Grayson saw what was happening and dodged to the left so I followed, but my change of direction gave Chris an opportunity. The next thing I knew, I felt a crash against my hips before I was lifted from the ground and found myself dangling over Chris' shoulder.

I let out a squeal of surprise as I kicked my legs, trying to get down, but Chris had a tight grip on me and there was no getting away. The ease with which he threw me around wasn't at all distracting and there wasn't a single part of me that was revelling in his strength. Not at all.

"This is absolutely a tackle!" I protested, focusing my mind back onto my predicament. "Put me down!"

"If this was a tackle, you'd be on the ground," he mocked me. "This is payback."

I had a nice view, my head only inches above 'America's ass' so, swept up in the moment of playfulness between us, I reached down and gave it a smack. He yelped and jumped, shaking me as he did.

"Chris! Put me down!"

My demands were weakened by the giggles that I couldn't hold back, but thankfully Scott stepped in to help me regain some dignity.

"Alright, you two," he called over. "Can we get back to the game now or would you like us all to give you some time alone?"

A blush covered my cheeks as I remembered that his entire family was around us and was relieved when he lowered me to the ground.

"Games over," Chris called back. "Grayson scored!"

Grayson jumped up and down happily, but Stella had a scowl on her face.

"Nuh uh! When Whitney tackled you, it didn't count!" She pointed out. "Grayson's point doesn't count too!"

The joy on Grayson's face fell into a look of anger as he stomped his foot at his cousin’s claim.

"It does!" He insisted. "I did it!"

"Now look what you've done," I playfully scolded Chris quietly before shouting to the rest of the group. "I think we're going to have to let them have the point, ladies. I wouldn't have been able to catch up to Grayson even if Chris didn't cheat..."

Stella's jaw dropped in clear shock that I hadn't supported her protests, but to stop the war before it could start, Chris chimed in.

"Grayson didn't need my help to score that point, I shouldn't have interfered," he started. "But why don't we call it a game and go have some cake?!"

The promise of sugar seemed to quash any animosity between the teams as all the kids let out a shriek of approval at that suggestion and took off running back to the house.

"Oh, yes," Carly sighed. "Because what my children clearly need right now is more energy..."

"It's Gray's birthday," Chris shrugged with a smile as we all followed the children at a much more reasonable pace. "We have to have cake!"

"And if it wasn't his birthday then I wouldn't have let you win."

My taunting earned a bark of laughter from Chris.

"Let us win? Yeah, sure, okay. You just keep telling yourself that you're faster and stronger than me," he teased. "Whatever makes you feel better."

I shoved him, but he was braced for it and I ended up more affected by the impact than him which proved his point, putting a smirk on his face.

"Asshole," I muttered as I shook my head, but I couldn't hold back a smile at how nice our affectionate teasing felt.

-

By the end of the day, we were all exhausted. It had been a fun and very special day for Grayson so we were thrilled for him, but exhausted nonetheless. Gray fought his bedtime with all the will power he had, eager for the day to go on just a little bit longer, but we won out in the end and he made it to bed on time. Scott had gone to his own room while we were fighting with him and Chris and I parted ways shortly after to get some much needed quiet time of our own.

I found myself distracted though, when I was finally alone, as the importance of the day had me feeling sentimental. Watching Grayson grow up and hit these milestones was a joy, but it left me feeling a bit reminiscent of the years gone by. Years when he was even smaller than he was now, just starting to figure out the world and how to speak, walk and be a part of it. The time was really flying by and as I began to scroll through old videos of his first year of life, the nostalgia was almost too much to bear.

Eventually, I stumbled on a video that had distinct parallels of today.

It was a video of Grayson's first birthday when we'd given him his own little cake and let him go to town on it. Of course, as many babies do, he'd stared at it for a moment before smashing his face directly into it. It was adorable and tugged on my heart strings considering how comparatively neat his cake consumption was earlier that day. He'd grown so much in such a short time and I felt compelled to share my discovery with Chris so I dragged myself out of bed and crept down to his room.

There was a fluttering of nerves in my stomach as I knocked on his bedroom door, the feeling only growing as he called out an invitation to come inside. I did as he'd asked and let myself in, finding him leaning back against the headboard of his bed - wearing nothing but his pajama pants - with his own phone in his hand.

"Hey," he smiled. "What's up?"

"I found a video," I told him, standing awkwardly near the foot of his bed. "I was feeling a little sad about how fast Gray is growing up so I was looking back, watching old videos and I found one that I thought you might like to see."

Chris’ smile widened and he eagerly patted the bed next to him, encouraging me to sit. I took him up on his offer and settled in as I unlocked my phone and started the video.

"He was so little..."

Chris' observation came as the camera settled on Gray where he sat in his high chair. Chris was right next to him, a grin on his face as he chatted happily to our son despite the nonsense babble that he got in response. I appeared on the screen after a few moments, carrying a tiny cake as everyone started to sing Happy Birthday. Grayson had a look of confusion on his face as he looked around at the crowd, but his eyes widened when the cake was placed in front of him.

"Go on, Gray," I prompted once the singing had stopped. "You can taste it."

He needed no more encouragement and simply face planted right into it, popping up a moment later with blue icing from the tops of his eyebrows to the bottom of his chin. He had a huge, cheeky grin on his face as he looked at us and, just as he did in the video, Chris laughed next to me.

"Oh, man, it kills you, doesn't it?" He questioned before clarifying. "How cute he is."

I hadn't realized that Chris' arm had found its way behind me when he leaned in to watch until I felt his breath on my hair as he spoke and I couldn't resist leaning back, tucking myself under his shoulder. The whole day, the knowledge that my baby was growing up, had me needing some comfort. It was exciting, to see him learn and shift from a baby to a little person, but at the same time, I felt the overwhelming urge for time to stop.

"It does," I agreed, letting my phone fall to the bed beside me. "I can't believe how much he's changed since then."

"In some ways," Chris agreed, looking down at me with a smirk. "In others, he's still that goofy, reckless baby."

"If he's anything like you, he'll probably never grow out of being goofy and reckless."

I felt Chris' shoulders shake as he chuckled at my teasing and I was reminded of the last time we'd been cuddled up, in a similar position to this, in his bed. I felt a flood of warmth run through my body at the memory as I was suddenly aware of how close we were, aware of how good he smelt and how strong his hard muscled arm felt as I leaned against it.

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"I meant it as one," I assured him. "I like that you're goofy. Your recklessness used to give me anxiety sometimes, when you'd always insist that you just had to do your own stunts on Captain America as if you really thought you were a super soldier, but I like that you're willing to take risks."

"Awe, gee, Whitney," he teased, squeezing me closer against him. "It was nice of you to worry about me."

"Of course I worried," I rolled my eyes. "Your muscles are bigger than your brain sometimes."

"Not anymore..." Chris held up the arm that wasn't currently around me and flexed his muscles, showing off a bicep that was still much larger than most even if it wasn't quite up to the Avengers standard. "I'm out of shape."

Against my own best interest, I turned slightly, letting my hand drift up towards his arm as my head fell against his chest. I traced over the bulging muscle and watched as tiny goosebumps rose up on his skin at the sensation. Skin that felt so soft under my touch and I felt his breath shift as he clearly felt the mood between us change the same way that I did. I felt emboldened by how amorous our emotional day had left me as I let my head tip back to find him looking down at me with the same intensity he had a few months ago.

My breath caught in my throat and I couldn't help myself. Despite every alarm bell going off inside my brain, I stretched up just enough to press my lips against his. For a moment, he relaxed. His shoulders dropped as my fingers curled around the arm they were just stroking, but then suddenly his entire body tensed as if he'd been shocked by a bolt of electricity. He jerked away, sliding out from under me and off the bed before I could even realize what was happening.

"No," he said firmly, pointing his finger at me the same way he did to Dodger when he was being naughty. "No, no, we're not doing this again. Not until we talk about it what's going on here."

I felt the sting of rejection so harshly that it almost brought tears to my eyes, but I knew he was right.

"I'm sorry," I squeaked out, my cheeks burning. "You're right. I shouldn't have done that."

My voice was shaking as I scrambled to stand up, the stunned look on Chris' face only adding to my embarrassment. We stood there, staring at each other with the bed between us, but he didn't speak and after a few moments of silence, my shame was overwhelming, kicking my flight instincts into gear.

"I'll go," I mumbled. "Sorry again."

I didn't wait for a response before darting towards the door, but Chris' voice stopped me before I could make my escape.

"Whitney, stop." He didn't shout, but his tone was firm and demanding enough that I froze on the spot. "We need to talk about this. We can't keep going on with it hanging above our heads."

I turned to face him, discovering that he'd moved closer and was standing by the foot of the bed. He was still a few feet away from me, but close enough that it felt almost suffocating and I bit my lip as I stared at his feet, unable to look him in the eye.

"I don't know what to say..."

"I can take it," he insisted, a hint of resignation in voice as he continued. "You've had plenty of time to think it over since our last conversation and you said earlier today that we needed to talk. If you're gonna turn me down, put whatever this is to bed, just do it now and get it over with."

I furrowed my brow in confusion at his words, my heart beating in my chest so fast that I could hear the blood pumping through my ears.

"Turn you down?" I questioned. "Why do you think I'm going to turn you down? I just kissed you."

"That didn't mean much at Christmas."

He had a very valid point and I felt another pang of guilt at how badly I was treating him. I was hot and cold, affectionate and withdrawn, unwavering in my decision one minute and unsteady the next. I hadn't spared much thought to how cruel that was and now that I'd realized, I couldn't hold back the frustrated groan that fell from my lips.

"I don't know what to do, Chris! I think I know what the right decision is. It's what always felt like the safer choice, but then there are times when that's just..." I paused, taking in a deep breath to work up a dash of courage. "It's not what I want."

Chris watched me closely as if choosing his next words very carefully.

"If the safer choice isn't what you want then it sounds like maybe you need to take a risk. You can't live your life making decisions out of fear."

My eyes narrowed. He was over simplifying the situation. That way of thinking might work if it was just the two of us, but with Gray in the middle, things were more complicated.

"It's not that straight forward."

I shook my head as I spoke, but Chris countered with a nod.

"Sure, it is," he shrugged before asking a question that almost stopped my heart. "Do you love me?"

I stared at him, opening my mouth to speak and then closing it again when the words didn't come. I stood there, gaping at him like some kind of ridiculous puffer fish, until I finally got a word out.

"What?"

A smirk slid onto Chris' face at my floundering as he repeated the question.

"Do you love me?" He asked. "And don't say it doesn't matter or it's not important. Just yes or no."

I stared at him for a moment longer as a war between my head and heart raged inside me. Deny, deny, deny was what my head was screaming, but in the end the quiet reminder of now or never from my heart was what won out.

"Yes, I do," I admitted, proud of my voice for not breaking. "I always have."

There was a grin on Chris' face now, but my stomach churned because it didn't mean anything. As I said, I'd loved him all along and yet here we were, no better off.

"That's all that matters then," he insisted. "We can figure out the rest."

"But what if we can't figure it out?" I protested, crossing my arms as if I could somehow fold into myself and disappear completely. "What if it's nice for a while and then it all comes crashing down around us? What about Gray?"

He shrugged again. His whole demeanour miles away from my own. He seemed confident, hopeful, almost excited while I felt nauseous, terrified and paralyzed by fear.

"But what if it doesn't? What if it all works out nicely? Why are you so convinced that we wouldn't last?"

"Because you're you," I reminded him, my tone flat as I stated the obvious. "Hollywood super star, Chris Evans. And I'm me, a boring nobody. You could have pretty much any famous actress you want, the only person who wants to be with me is the creepy maintenance worker in our apartment building."

Chris looked taken aback as his eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"What? I've never heard about this guy."

"He's just some weird guy who does the repairs," I shrugged. "He comments on my outfits and looks at me in this way that makes my skin crawl, but he's harmless."

"Doesn't sound harmless to me," Chris argued, crossing his arms as a thunderous look settled on his face. "Does he have access to your place?"

"No!" I assured him, but after my quick answer I realized that I wasn't so sure. "Well, I don't know. He might have a spare key, I guess. If most maintenance people do? They have to give me notice before they enter the apartment anyway."

"Unless he's sneaking in to perv on you."

"Chris! That's gross!" I wrinkled my nose in disgust. "Why would you put that thought in my head?!"

"I told you that you should have let me buy you a house," Chris huffed. "You're moving when all this covid shit is over."

"Oh my god," I groaned having flashbacks to our conversation a few weeks ago about him buying me a car. "All of this is so beside the point! We're talking about how you'd get bored of me and leave me heartbroken for some flashy Hollywood babe, remember?"

"Right," Chris nodded, letting his arms fall to his side. "But that's such a ridiculous idea that I thought it was hardly worth acknowledging."

His dismissal of one of my biggest fears sent a flash of anger through me.

"How is it ridiculous?" I snapped. "It's true!"

"You know me, Whitney," Chris sighed. "You know that my team had to practically force me into doing Captain America because I had one foot out the door of the whole acting gig and I hated the way Hollywood made me feel. Do you really think that I would give up a chance at a having family with you, someone who I really care about, for some wild, short-lived fling?"

His tone conveyed his disbelief, but he hadn't quite accurately interpreted what I meant.

"I think you'd regret it," I clarified. "I think that once the initial excitement wore off, you'd see that I'm nothing special and that I don't fit in your world."

Chris was looking at me as if I'd grown an extra head and I crossed my arms a little tighter around myself.

"We were friends long before Grayson came around and I've always thought that you were something special. Where is all this insecurity coming from, Whitney? Because I just don't get it."

I swallowed hard as I bit my lip. I felt incredibly vulnerable and the urge to run away and continue ignoring all my feelings seemed much preferable to standing here and analyzing them all, but I stayed strong. We were both adults and this was the only way to move forward. Whether it ended how Chris wanted or not, he deserved to know how I felt.

"I spent a long time convincing myself that you didn't care about me as anything more than a friend. I told myself that it was an insane idea because we're in two very different leagues so there was no point getting my hopes up. Then that night happened and I thought that maybe I'd been wrong, that it could be the start of a really good thing, but then you were gone by the time I woke up and you never called."

I barely choked out the last few words as I fought back the tears that were swimming in my eyes. An unmistakable look of guilt flashed onto Chris' face and he opened his mouth to comment, perhaps to defend himself, but I held up a hand to stop him. I needed to get it out or I never would.

"Then three weeks later, I found out I was pregnant," I continued. "I assumed from your silence that you didn't want to be with me and I knew that we were good together as friends so I kept my feelings to myself and spent the last three and a half years beating myself up for thinking for even one second that you would want to be with me."

"I did want to be with you..."

Chris was looking at me with those puppy dog eyes that he'd mastered and I sniffled as a tear slipped down my cheek.

"I know that now, but I can't just turn those thoughts off."

Chris sighed and rubbed his hands over his face before holding out his arms.

"C'mere."

I shook my head, wiping my tears as I worried that I'd fall apart completely if I stepped into his arms, but when he persisted and gestured me over again, I couldn't resist. I took the few steps needed to close the space between us and let my arms slide around his waist. He hugged me close to his body, burying his face in my hair as pressed mine into his muscled chest. We stayed like that for a few moments until Chris broke the silence.

"I'm sorry. I was an idiot," he apologized, his words muffled by my hair. "I should have fought for you. At the very least, I should have stayed until you woke up and I should have called, but I was scared too."

I felt more tears fill my eyes as I choked out a soft "I know".

Another silence fell between us before Chris spoke again, his words making my heart almost stop completely.

"I was going to propose." I pulled back at that confession, my eyes wide as I looked up at him unable to process his words fast enough to speak before he continued. "I called my mom up as soon as you told me you were pregnant. I wanted her to help me pick out a ring, but she talked me out of it. Said you'd think I was doing it for all the wrong reasons."

My heart fluttered back to life at the sincerity in his admission, but I nodded my head.

"Your mom is a smart lady," I told him. "I absolutely would have thought you were only doing it because you felt you had to."

"It wasn't out of obligation though," he insisted. "Maybe I was getting a bit ahead of myself leaping straight to marriage, but I cared about you. It was an opportunity to make it official, make that commitment and be a family. That's what I wanted."

I stayed quiet, resting my head back against his chest as I tried to take in all this new information. It was a lot to process especially when it directly contradicted the belief I had clung to for so long - that Chris and I would never work and for Grayson's sake we were better off apart. That assumption was so deeply embedded in my brain that it was hard to find the courage to take such a risk.

As if Chris could sense my lingering indecision, he continued.

"It's still what I want," he said softly. "Being here these last few weeks with you and Grayson as a family has been a dream come true. I wouldn't give it up for anything or do anything to jeopardize it if you'd just give me a shot."

The word 'okay' was so close to the tip of my tongue that it shocked me.

That was all I had to do, just open my mouth and agree and he would be mine.

My heart was pleading with me to do it, to take that leap and ignore any of the arguments against it that were running through my mind - especially now that those arguments seemed much less sound than they had a few short weeks ago. I was so conflicted that it almost physically pained me to have to make a decision and I couldn't help, but wonder how he could be so certain.

So, I leaned back and tilted my head so my eyes could meet his.

"How can you be so sure?" I questioned. "After how things have been these last few years, how can you be so confident in your feelings?"

"Because I love you," he told me plainly and with unwavering surety. "If you tell me right now that it's not what you want, then I'll accept your decision. But if there's a hint of a chance, then I'll wait as long as I need to. I've been waiting for years, thinking that I didn't even have a shot, I think I can wait a little longer now that I know that I might."

It was another heart wrenchingly honest explanation, another vulnerable admission, and something in the openness with which he spoke made me realize that over the last three years he had done nothing to earn any distrust from me. Even after the fallout from Christmas, he'd put his hurt feelings and pride aside to make things easier for me. He'd been sincere during every discussion we'd had since then and hadn't been cruel or impatient about my indecision. I had no reason at all, other than my own fear and insecurities, to assume that he was going to break my heart and tear apart our family.

He deserved a little bit of trust from me as well and a clarity washed over me as I finally knew what I had to do.

There were words I could have said, probably should have said, but I didn't feel like there was anything that would accurately portray how I was feeling. I settled for a more direct approach as I pressed up onto my toes and let my lips fall against his.

He tensed at first and for a brief, heart stopping moment, I thought he might push me away again, but he didn't. He relaxed, pulling me closer as my hands slid to cup his neck.

It was a soft kiss. A gentle, loving kiss, that I hoped conveyed what I couldn't figure out how to say. But when our lips parted and he leaned down to rest his forehead on mine, there was a concern in his eyes that told me I wasn't going to get away with it that easily.

"What does that mean?"

I bit my lip, staring up past his long eyelashes into his eyes. There was still a tiny voice in my head telling me to run, to stop being so foolish and leave now before I made a mistake, but my heart had found its footing now and wasn't going to back down. Listening to my head all this time hadn't made things any easier, so it was time to try something else.

"It means," I started, taking in a shaky breath. "I don't want to keep you waiting anymore."

Chris let out a breath of relief as a tentative smile slid onto his face.

"Really? You're sure?"

I swallowed hard and nodded my head.

"Yes," I breathed out, my voice thick with all the emotions swirling through me.

He dipped his head a touch lower until our lips were reconnected. It was a deeper kiss, more desperate than the first as his tongue slid against mine and his grip tightened on my waist, my nails scraping against the fuzz of his recently cut hair. I caved into him, clinging to him like he was a lifeboat in a storm until he pulled back to take a breath.

My chest heaved against his, the adrenaline of his touch and what this finally meant, almost too much to handle. I settled back down, flat on my feet and nuzzled my face back into his chest as I fought to calm my racing mind and just enjoy the moment.

"You really mean it?" Chris asked again, the shakiness of his voice filling me with another pang of guilt. "You really want to give this a try?"

"I mean it," I nodded against him. "Doesn't mean my concerns have all vanished in the last five minutes, but I...I think I need to trust you."

"I won't let you down," he murmured into my hair as he pulled me even closer. Another silence fell between us until I broke it with an embarrassingly large yawn and Chris' chest shook as he chuckled. "Do you wanna sleep down here tonight?"

As soon as he'd asked the question, it suddenly hit me how exhausted I was. Even just the thought of walking upstairs seemed like an impossible task when there was such an inviting, comfortable bed only steps away from where I stood. But a thought popped into my head that I couldn't ignore and I turned my head slightly so I wasn't speaking directly into Chris' muscles.

"What about Gray?" I asked. "He always comes to you in the morning..."

"Would it matter?"

His tone wasn't accusing or annoyed, but genuinely curious as sharing a child did add a strange new element to all this. I didn't really know what the best way to handle it was since Grayson didn't really understand our relationship or know how a typical family was set up anyway, but it didn't seem like the best way to introduce him to the idea.

"I think we should talk to him about it instead of just letting him stumble on us in bed together," I suggested. "But I think maybe we should wait a while?"

Chris' face fell as the look of worry returned.

"You want to keep this a secret?"

"I didn't mean it like that," I shook my head. "You can tell whoever you want, but I think we should figure things out, make sure things are stable between us before we try to explain it to Gray."

"Alright, that's fair," Chris agreed before leaning down to place another soft kiss on my lips. "I'll wake you up before he comes down."

"Okay," I nodded as I let my thumb stroke his cheek.

We reluctantly slipped out of each other's arms, but it was a brief separation as we climbed into opposite sides of the bed. Once we'd turned the lights off, we met in the middle and he pulled me back against his chest, letting me hook my leg over his hip as we settled against each other.

Chris ran a hand up and down my spine as he nuzzled in my hair.

"This feels nice..."

"It does," I hummed. With the darkness around us, the quiet that had settled in, I felt encouraged to say something that I'd felt I should have said long ago. "I'm sorry, Chris."

I felt him tense.

"For what?"

"For messing you around so much," I admitted. "Especially at Christmas...that wasn't cool."

"If I had expectations, I should have laid them out before anything happened." His answer sounded rehearsed, as if he'd spent a long time convincing himself of that fact. I wasn't entirely sure it was a fair statement, but he continued before I could question it. "I can understand where you were coming from, but I promise I won't hurt you."

I felt a pang of uncertainty because that wasn't always a promise that could be kept, but the sincerity in his voice gave me hope. I placed a soft kiss against his chest as his hands slid up under the loose shorts I was wearing to cup my bum.

"I love you," I mumbled against his skin.

"I love you too," he replied, making a feeling of warmth flood through me. "Thank you for giving me a chance."

I sighed happily as my exhaustion had my eyes fluttering shut. I wanted to stay awake, to keep this moment before the brightness of the morning could bring any doubts or second guesses, but I was powerless to resist as sleep overtook me.

-

Part Five

Tags:  @maggotzombie @moonlacebeam @mizzzpink @zaylaugh @flowery-mess @flowerjewels @njrronaldo7 @hockeychick10

[fullmetalscullyy]

the way it was - chapter 34

summary: what if riza never went to war? riza hawkeye has just married the man she loves. six months into their marriage, an unexpected surprise stops her from following roy to the military. a canon divergence au that explores what might have happened had riza been unable to join the military. there will be plenty of family fluff, angst, and royai.

rated: m | warnings: no archive warning apply

read on ao3

1914

and though my edges may be rough

i never feel i'm quite enough

it may not seem like very much

but i'm yours

Roy’s home office was quiet. Riza poked her head in after putting Mia to bed to ask if he needed anything while he worked. Currently Roy was sitting in his chair, both hands clenched into fists and resting upon his cheeks. A blank stare looked up the paper in front of him while his hair stood up on end in places. One strand pointed outwards, straight towards Riza, like a long finger beckoning her into the room. Given his current state of appearance, she would have entered regardless.

It was the last week of the year. A new one would begin with the next and while it was normally a joyous celebration in their household, Riza felt nothing but foreboding.

The homunculus’ plan would be set in motion in the new year. Roy knew that much but didn’t have a definite date. The thought twisted Riza’s stomach violently, making her fear for her children’s future.

“It’s coming soon, isn’t it?”

Snapping from whatever had clouded his thoughts, Roy’s head jerked upwards. He blinked at her, looking worse for wear. “What?” His throat was cleared as he recovered from being a million miles away. The papers on his desk were slowly sorted and shuffled into piles.

Riza entered the room and walked around his desk. “Whatever you’re planning for, it’s coming soon.”

“It is.” His shoulders slumped even more, rounding forwards.

Riza perched on the edge of his desk and crossed her arms over her chest as she studied him closely. Her eyes narrowed to scrutinise his appearance while he was distracted. 

His counterattack was clearly taking its toll. Everything was weighing him down and it was beginning to show. His shoulders drooped. There were dark circles underneath his eyes, leaving them look bruised. Even his hair hung limp over his eyes - the result of him running his hands through it so often.

“Is there anything I can do to help?”

A tired, but appreciative, smile was shot her way. “I wish there was but… It all depends on the answers I get back from others. Right now it’s just a waiting game until I’m essentially summoned by the homunculi,” he scoffed lightly.

Roy tipped backwards in his chair. His face lifted towards the ceiling while his hands rubbed at tired eyes. Riza felt a wave of sympathy wash over her.

“Any news on the others?”

“Increased strength from our enemies in the south,” Roy swallowed. “Fuery was sent right into the middle of it.”

Riza reached forward and squeezed his shoulder in comfort. She hated hearing how hoarse his voice sounded.

“Havoc’s fine but he’s feeling frustrated,” Roy continued, making an already neat pile of paper even neater. He just needed something to distract his hands with. “He’s stuck in a position he shouldn’t even be in. Breda’s gone dark. I don’t know where or how he is.”

“Breda will be okay,” Riza reassured with confidence. “He’s one of the most resourceful men I’ve ever met. There will be a good reason for him going quiet, I’m sure.”

Roy nodded weakly. “Falman reported from the north. The Elric brothers came and went. It… wasn’t without incident,” he added carefully, with a frown.

Riza shook her head fondly but still felt worry coil around her ribs. Judging from stories about their previous adventures, it rarely was a peaceful encounter with them. She just hoped they were all right.

“But they’ve been split up.” Roy bit his lip worriedly. “We lost contact after that.”

“You need sleep,” Riza murmured, running a hand through his hair.

“How can I sleep when everything is like this?”

“How can you expect to fight it all when you’re extremely sleep deprived,” she countered.

Maes’ night habits had eased as time progressed. They were both getting more sleep. He had the odd day where it was a struggle, but nothing compared to his first few weeks after birth. That was a nightmare that passed by in such a blur Riza barely remembered it. However, they still had some catching up to do. Looking after him and Mia was difficult to juggle, especially with Roy working so much. They’d still to find a routine that worked and were slowly easing into something that was relatively manageable.

Roy muttered something quietly underneath his breath.

“It’s because you know I’m right.” Riza nudged his shoulder affectionately with a closed fist.

“Yeah, yeah,” he grumbled.

“Is there anything I can help with tonight, if you’re not going to come to bed? Anything I can get you?”

“I don’t know,” was his honest reply. If anything, it made him sound even more tired. “I just…” His hands found his hair, gripping onto the strands tightly in frustration. “I need action,” he mumbled.

“There’s nothing you can do this late at night, Roy.”

“There is. There’s plenty I can be doing, but I’m stuck here.”

Her hands folded together to rest atop her thighs. “Bradley has a tight leash on you still?”

Roy nodded. “I’m not to leave the city. Otherwise…” His expression turned stricken, quickly glancing up at her.

“I understand.”

“I hate it.”

“I do too. Especially when it’s upsetting you… But, you can’t be the hero all the time, Roy. Give yourself a little break, because you really need it. The Elric brothers will be okay. They have allies throughout the country. They’re not short on people who will help them if they need it.”

“Yes, but –” He sighed heavily.

“But it’s not you?” Riza guessed, and she was right.

Roy nodded minutely.

“You sound like their father.”

Roy scoffed once, twice, then snapped his mouth shut without a reply.

Riza grinned at him.

“I keep replaying the same thing over and over in my head, the more I look at this…”

Glancing over her shoulder at his desk, Riza saw the mess of notes still spread over the surface. A drawing of the ouroboros tattoo caught her eye, followed by a map of the country, covered in scribbles and notes. A map of Central was there too, the same one she’d seen at the hospital when Roy and Havoc were there. It had all the labs circled on it, the ink slightly smudged and the paper crumpled at the edges.

“What’s on your mind?”

His spine straightened as he took a deep breath. It was held in his lungs for a beat, before rushing outwards with his speech. “Hughes.”

Momentarily thrown, her eyes wandered off to the side, no longer focussing on his work.

“When it comes down to it, I’m going to have to ask them,” he admitted.

“Ask what?” Her head slowly turned to face him. Riza’s stomach dropped as she watched his jaw set in determination.

“Ask if they killed Hughes.”

“You’re going to do it outright?” Riza swallowed past the lump in her throat. “That’s –”

“It’s the only way I’ll get a straight answer,” he replied firmly.

“Roy…”

“I have to ask. I have to know. I can’t stand back and do nothing about it.”

Riza balked at his forceful tone and the action caught his eye.

“What?”

“I just - Roy we talked about this,” she replied. She was almost pleading with him.

“I know, but I still have to ask them, Riza. When it all boils down to it I have to find out. The military has already buried the truth but I won’t let that happen to Hughes. He will have justice.”

She felt like rubbing her temples but stopped herself. Riza’s head tipped down to look at her joined hands. She squeezed them tightly as she tried to keep a hold on all the emotions roiling inside of her.

They killed for Hughes for pushing too hard. They’d do the same to Roy eventually, even if he was important to them. Or do it to her. He had to play by their rules and keep the peace. If he didn’t, then…

“I can’t stop you from asking.” She tried to make her voice strong and even but it shook slightly. “I don’t want you to but I can’t stop you.”

Riza stood from leaning against his desk and walked towards the door. She needed some air. Desperately. The anxiety and fear that was creeping over her was getting worse. It was like her chest was being squeezed inside a vice.

“They can’t get away with what they did –”

Roy was indignant as he called after her but they’d already gone through all of this. Riza felt something begin to break inside of her chest as she clenched her fists by her side. Her nails dug into her palms painfully, but she barely noticed as she retreated from him.

“We’re not arguing about this again,” she nearly growled. The control was slipping the more the vice squeezed on her chest. It almost felt like she couldn’t breathe.

“Arguing,” Roy echoed. “Who said there was anything to argue about?”

“We’ve been through this Roy and I’m not doing it again,” Riza snapped, spinning around to face him. One finger lifted to point at Roy’s chest. “I’m not going through all of that after it was put to bed already. You’re not getting revenge,” she stated simply.

Roy’s eyes narrowed slightly at her, tightening around the edges. Before, it may have made Riza pause, but now she felt no hesitation. Because this wasn’t just anger at the injustice Maes and his family suffered. It was hatred too. Riza could see it clearly in his eyes. It was directed towards those who had murdered his friend. She wouldn’t let him give in to it.

“Riza –” He was almost seething but Riza would not let that talk or that behaviour fly now.

“Stop it,” she growled.

Riza stormed out of his office. She was getting worked up and needed to remove herself from the situation.

He couldn’t give in to that hatred.

In her mind’s eye Riza pictured their children. Their perfect, innocent faces smiling happily. Their expressions twisted in horror when they were told about what their father had done in memory of their beloved Uncle Maes. If she brought them up now, would they be enough for Roy to see sense?

“You can’t tell me not to do anything. I have to know.”

“That’s fine,” she relented. “But exacting justice, Roy? By your own hand? We’ve been through this –”

“And are you going to stop me? Would you stop me tonight if I left to do it?”

It was a challenge but it still pissed her off. She wouldn’t back down from it either. Instead she glared at him after he asked the question.

“You can fucking bet I would stop you,” she hissed. “You are not to get revenge for Hughes’ murder,” she forced out. “You can ask them, sure, but I will not let you take the matter into your own hands and perform your own punishment. That’s not who you are and you’re better than that.” Riza shook her head. “The man that would do that is not my husband.”

“Mummy?”

Mia’s voice sounded from behind them. She was impossibly quiet and sounded extremely upset.

Riza whirled around and saw Mia standing on the second step. Her hand gripped the banister in a white knuckled grip. Her eyes were wide with tears pooling in them as they switched between Riza and Roy.

“Daddy?”

Riza shot him a warning glance, telling him to shut up, but also telling him that their conversation wasn’t over. She noted Roy’s stricken face. However there was still an ember of his plight present in his eyes. Riza would be more than happy to continue this later but only once Mia was asleep and they were both calmer.

“Mia? What are you doing up?” Riza’s voice was soft as she approached their daughter. Crouching before her, Riza became eye-level with Mia and readjusted her pyjama top. One shoulder had slipped over to one side haphazardly.

“I…” She bit her lip, casting her gaze to the side worriedly. “I heard you both shouting.”

Riza’s gut twisted painfully. Her breath caught in her throat as she sucked it in.

“I didn’t like it.”

Guilt flooded Riza. Regardless of the topic of conversation, they should have been quieter. “Sorry, Mia Bear. Dad and I were just having a discussion.” Riza ran her hand over Mia’s hair and cupped her cheek to try and soothe her.

“You were very loud.”

Riza hugged her daughter, placing a hand on the back of her head so it rested against Riza’s shoulder. “Sorry. We didn’t mean to be.”

“Will Daddy really leave tonight?” Her head cocked to the side before looking over Riza’s shoulder at Roy. “It’s really late. And what does revenge mean?”

Mia didn’t know the meaning of the word. There was no way she should either. She was too young. It would only upset her if it was explained.

Riza prided herself on always telling her daughter the truth and explaining things as best as she was able, but this was not one of those times. It would only upset her. Plus, Riza would never let Roy stoop so low to that anyway.

“No,” Riza reassured, pulling away and cupping her daughter’s face gently in both hands. “He’s not going anywhere tonight.”

“What does that word mean?”

She was far too inquisitive for her own good. Once again, Riza brushed it aside. It pained her to do so because her father did that with her mother’s condition and ultimately, her death. She’d sworn she’d never do it to a child of her own if that ever came to pass, but she had no time at the moment to describe the intricacies of the word and what that meant her father might possibly do if pushed hard enough.

She and Roy needed to talk. Badly.

“I’ll tell you tomorrow, okay?” Riza smoothed her daughter’s unruly hair down. Despite her fringe being styled like Riza’s and her hair falling below her shoulders, it reminded Riza so much of Roy’s hair. It still had a mind of its own and didn’t obey any laws of physics or hairspray.

Mia yawned. “Okay,” she mumbled, appeased for the moment.

Riza hoped that by the morning, she’d forgotten about her mother’s promise.

“Up to bed with you now, okay?” Riza smiled at Mia. “I’ll come and tuck you in.”

Mia looked over at Roy. Without warning, she hopped down the last two steps and rushed over to her father. He’d been staring straight ahead, stricken, but Roy jumped in fright when Mia’s arms slung around his torso. He looked down at her face. One cheek was pressed into his stomach as she squeezed her eyes closed tightly in her hug. Riza watched with a pained chest as Mia’s hands fisted in his t-shirt.

“I love you, Daddy,” Mia whispered into his stomach, giving him an even tighter squeeze.

“Time for bed, Mia,” Riza called gently, her voice hoarse.

Mia nodded and smiled up at her father. A wobbly smile overtook his face and he nodded.

“Love you too, Mia,” Roy whispered. It was as quiet as a breath. “So much.”

“Come on, Mia.” Riza extended her hand for her daughter to take.

“Will Dad be okay?” Mia bit her lip worriedly, looking over her shoulder at him.

“He’ll be fine.” Riza shot him a look, noticing him swallow thickly as he stared after them both. She couldn’t be sure from the distance between them, but it looked like that ember in his eyes had fizzled out. “I’ll talk to him when I come back down.”

“Okay,” Mia whispered.

Their daughter walked ahead, up the stairs and out of sight.

“Think about one thing,” Riza stated quietly. “If you do go ahead with your own brand of justice, is that the father you want to be?” Her voice was flat as she asked her question. “Is that the home you want to build with actions like that?”

Roy had been staring after Mia, and finally, his eyes settled on her. A breath was sucked into his chest, the movement shaky as his chest heaved loudly.

They would talk but Mia was more important at the moment.

Turning away from him, not bothering to wait on an answer, Riza walked up the stairs to their daughter’s room. She ignored how heavy her footsteps were. It matched the heavy weight in her heart. As she ascended, she just prayed she wouldn’t hear their front door close. Her breath had been held as she climbed slowly. The exhale was quiet, but she heard no sound from the floor below. No door slammed and no floorboards creaked with movement.

Mia first.

“Sleep well, Mia.” Riza tucked her daughter into bed tightly and bent forward, pressing a kiss to her nose. Mia giggled and sighed happily.

“Night, Mum,” she mumbled tiredly.

The house was silent when Riza descended back down the stairs. She had hoped and prayed Roy wouldn’t leave tonight, but as she searched their house and he was nowhere to be found. Tears flooded her vision. Blinking them away, Riza’s footsteps were heavy once more as she made her way to bed.

She hadn’t been able to get through to him. Again.

However, Riza’s thought was banished from her head when she passed by Maes’ room. The door was cracked open which made her panic slightly. She’d left it wide open so she’d be able to hear him through the night if he woke.

Roy was bouncing Maes in the centre of the room. He was fussing quietly, one fist flailing above his head as Roy tried to settle him. His back was to the door as he stared down at their son. Riza heard a sniff and her heart broke.

“I’m sorry, Maes,” Roy whispered against their son’s head. He moved to kiss his forehead. “I’ve hurt her again. I let my emotions run away with me and…” Roy sighed and Riza heard his breathing hitch. “And I would’ve hurt you and your sister too if I’d gone through with everything. I would have been a big disappointment. You’d have thought me a monster,” he gasped quietly. “I’m so sorry.”

Fresh tears appeared in Riza’s eyes. She backed away from the door to give Roy some time alone to process and deal with everything. Despite feeling exhausted after their discussion, a tiny sliver of hope coiled its way around Riza’s ribs. They still needed to talk but witnessing that scene was a promising start.

Once in bed, Riza pulled the sheet up and underneath her chin. She curled into a ball, back to the door, as she waited for Roy to come to bed. Fatigue was threatening to pull her under. Riza fought it as best she could but eventually it tugged hard enough.

She was dozing when Roy slipped into the bed. Disorientated, her body jerked as she was pulled roughly from the half-asleep state she’d been fallen into. Settling down, Riza’s eyes blinked open and she grew still, listening to his movements. From what she could tell, he was on his back.

Roy sighed, a long drawn out sound, then scoffed in disgust. Riza felt the bed dip as he rolled towards her. She held her breath. Her shoulder tingled in anticipation when she saw the shadow of his hand hovering over it, but ultimately he pulled away before he could touch her.

“Are you awake?” His whisper broke through the loud silence of the room.

Riza nodded.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, sounding defeated and miserable.

“I thought you might really leave,” Riza admitted.

“I did it once.” She heard him swallow, then pull away from her completely. Her back felt cold now that his presence was no longer there. “I won’t make that same mistake twice.”

She rolled over to face him. “You’re willing to talk about this?” Riza searched his gaze, almost begging him to reconsider dealing with the whole thing by himself.

Roy nodded, staring up at the ceiling. Both hands scrubbed at his face before falling back to his sides, his limbs heavy. “Of course. But… I’ve made my decision.”

Riza stiffened and Roy noticed. He turned his head to finally face her.

“I’m staying,” he reassured. “And… And seeing your face, that look on it, and hearing Mia’s scared voice…” Roy swallowed, glancing away, unable to look at her. “I took one look at little Maes and… Everything just fell away.”

“Because big Maes wouldn’t want you to do it either,” Riza whispered.

“Big Maes?” Roy barked a laugh, filling the quiet room with his sudden amusement.

Riza smiled wryly. “I thought that might make you laugh.”

“It did. Big Maes and Little Maes…” Roy shook his head fondly. His amusement flickered out, replaced by quiet contemplation. “The perfect combo,” he smiled sadly. “I thought it might be too strange naming him after Hughes.” Roy swallowed. “Just one look at him and it’s like he’s really here,” he admitted.

Riza reached over to make first contact, brushing his fringe away from his forehead. Her thumb swiped over the skin underneath once to comfort him. 

“I don’t think of him as Hughes, obviously,” Roy reassured, “but… It’s like a connection to him.” He turned his head to look at her. “Does that make sense?”

She nodded. “It does. I’m glad we got through to you. Maes always could talk you down so easily.”

“You do it so much better, though,” Roy sighed, rolling and wrapping his arms around her shoulders. He shifted over, moving so she was flush against his bare chest.

“Really?”

“You think you don’t?” His hold on her tightened.

“There was a time when I did –”

“When?” He pulled away to look down at her with such concern on his face.

Riza shook her head. “It doesn’t matter –”

“It does. When?”

“When you first came back from Ishval. You were struggling a lot and I felt I couldn’t get through to you.” Her admission was quiet as she whispered it against his skin. “And then after Maes died. I… Well, I thought I was going to lose you to your grief and anger and didn’t know what to do.”

Fingers were placed gently against her chin. Roy tilted her head up slowly, tenderly, so she was finally looking right at him, however there was a fierce fire in his eyes.

“You were always the best at it,” he promised. “One thought of you and it kept me grounded. I think of our family and realise that you’re my top priority, despite my duty. You always were.”

“It’s been hard to juggle for you.”

“It has.”

His eyes stared into hers and Riza found herself pinned by his gaze but didn’t mind it one bit. She never had. Those dark depths were a comfort.

“That’s what happened tonight. It’s still raw and I let my emotions and frustration and fatigue get the better of me.”

“That’s why you need more sleep,” she added, teasing him lightly to try and lighten the mood.

Roy chuckled. “You’re very right about that one.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “You always are.”

He turned quiet and Riza was content just to hold him. She was giving him all the time he needed to voice what he needed to say.

“If I lost myself to all of this…” His eyes closed and shame overtook his features. “That’s not the husband or father I want to be. I don’t want to be a monster again.” His voice grew hoarse, causing Roy to clear his throat. “I don’t want my kids to think of or remember me like that.”

“Only you can make that choice.”

“I know,” Roy nodded, “and I choose you. I choose all three of you. There’s no contest and never has been. It’s the easiest decision to make, like breathing.”

Riza angled her head and pressed her lips against his.

“I’m sorry for hurting you again,” he whispered huskily against her lips. His breath mingled with hers, warming the skin of her face in the same way his love and her relief was washing through her body.

“Thank you for coming back to me.” Silently, she wrapped her arms around his torso and cuddled into him.

“I always will, Riza.” His breath tousled her hair gently, tickling her. “You always bring me back.”

“I understand this is important to you,” she added, “it’s important to me too. I want to find out what really happened to Maes too and see the culprit be brought to justice but there’s other ways to do it.”

“I know,” he replied solemnly.

“I know how angry and frustrated you are about everything… Promise me one thing?”

“What?” He lifted his eyebrows in anticipation.

“Just… Think of them when it all boils down to it. Think about what you told me about not wanting to become a monster for our kids.” Riza’s voice almost shook with emotion as she spoke. “You tasked me with keeping you on the right path, and I’m trying, but when you fight back like that it makes it impossible.”

“My anger blinded me. I’m so sorry. It’s not an excuse, I know, but it did.” Shame coloured his tone.

“You saw sense, though,” Riza soothed him as she caressed his cheek gently. “And that’s what matters. When the time comes, think of Mia and Maes and your role in their life. Think of what you want them to see you as. Please.”

“And you too,” Roy insisted, his voice turning husky. His grip on her adjusted, holding her tighter against his body.

His inclusion of her made a tiny smile appear on her lips. She pressed a kiss to the column of his neck, seeing his Adam’s apple bob.

“And me too. Don’t let that hatred fool you, push you into something you don’t want to be. Not only for our sake, but for your own, and for Hughes’ memory. He wouldn’t want to see you turn into someone like that either on his behalf.”

“Always, Riza,” he breathed, sealing his promise. “Always, for you three.”

[lyssismagical]

When did I become the one who's always chasing your heart?

Parkner Week Day Six: “We’ve all made a ‘Happy Birthday’ sign” / coming of age / getting older

yes this is entirely based off the Frozen 2 song, Lost in the Woods 

 Being a year apart in age had never been a problem for them. It’s not like it was a big thing to be a whole twelve month difference in age. Peter’s the younger of the two, when they started dating he was fifteen and Harley was sixteen. Nobody at school blinked an eye at a sophomore and a junior dating.

It wasn’t like it was a big deal, the tiny age difference didn’t change anything.

Until Harley’s eighteenth birthday comes around.

It’s late August and they’ve been ignoring talking about the big change coming up. Harley’s graduated. Tony’s helping him move to Boston. Harley’s going to be gone in three weeks.

They’ve never really spent a lot of time apart. They’ve gone a week or two whenever Harley flies down to Tennessee to his family, they went all of July apart the first year they were together when Harley was home and Peter went to a nerdy summer camp with Ned. They don’t spend every waking moment together, but they’re used to seeing each other all the time, always being close enough to see if they want to.

With Harley living at the tower, they had sleepovers every weekend, they would walk to school together and Harley always walked Peter home, they spent lunches together, they had Academic Decathlon together. They spent a lot of time together.

And now they’d have to spend months apart.

Sure, Harley could drive. Tony had gifted him a car for his sixteenth birthday, and Harley would only be a few hours drive away from New York. He could come home every weekend if he wanted to.

But everything would be different.

Peter wasn’t sure if he was prepared for everything to change.

Which led to a big blowup fight after a few weeks of Peter burying the problem and trying to prepare himself for losing Harley.

“Talk to me!” Harley shouts, hands lifting in exasperation before falling back to his sides. His voice echoes into the darkness, the moon shining back onto them where they’re standing on the roof for the only piece of privacy they can really get away from Friday. “If you’d just communicate, maybe things wouldn’t be falling apart! Just talk to me!”

“I’m sorry.” Peter’s voice is an awful contrast to Harley’s shout, sad and pitifully small. His shoulders hunch over himself and he rocks back on his feet.

Harley drops to barely a whisper, “Talk to me, Peter. I can’t read your mind.”

“I’m scared that this is it.” He waves a hand between them, blinking rapidly to keep the tears from falling. “I’m scared that you’re going to run off to Boston and see what the world has to offer, you’re going to see all these people and everything’s going to seem so big and so bright, and you’re not going to be able to remember why you’re tied down here with me.”

Harley visibly recoils at the way Peter spits the last word. “Peter-”

“Don’t pretend like nothing is changing. We’ve been pretending for the last six months that everything’s going to stay the same, but it won’t. You’re going to be in college, Harley. You’re going to be in Boston while I’m trying to make it through senior year. I’m going to be your silly high school boyfriend and everyone’s going to tell you to let go of the one thing that’s holding you back. I’m scared!”

They both know how Harley would’ve reacted normally, with soft reassurances and even softer touches, defusing the situation and making everything okay, but they’ve had pent-up stress because of the other for so many weeks, that it’s hard for him to draw that kind of strength.

“Is that really what you think of me?” Harley demands, flipping back to angry without a second thought. “You think that just because Boston is new, that I’m three hours away, that I’m going to just move on without you? You think I’m so shallow that I’m going to get distracted by every pretty face I see? Are you worried I’ll cheat on you too? Is that really how low your opinions of me are?”

“Of course not-”

“Obviously it is if that’s what you’ve been so worried about.” Harley rolls his eyes and takes a step back, raking a hand through his hair. “Fuck, Peter, I know I’ll be in a different state, but it’s not like it’ll be hard to come see you or vice versa. I love you and moving to Boston isn’t going to change that.”

Peter rubs his cheeks, trying to rid himself of the tears that fall before Harley sees them, but it’s pointless as more take their places. “That’s not what I meant. I just- I’m me, Harley. I’m just Peter Parker. I wouldn’t- I’d never hold it against you if you-”

“If you dare finish that sentence with anything along the lines of me leaving you for somebody else, I swear to god, I’ll tell Tony you’re self-deprecating again.”

The older boy steps close enough that he can touch Peter, hands running up his biceps and over his shoulders, across his jaw and they stop, cupping his cheeks.

“You’re not just anything, darlin’,” Harley says. “Don’t believe that bullshit you tell yourself about not being enough because it’s not true. You’re more than enough and I love you.”

And it should be that simple.

But when is it ever that simple?

Things are still tense between them. Peter spends his time watching Harley, wondering if he’ll have to say goodbye to him and everything between them. He spends those quiet nights at the tower, curled up against Harley’s chest, trying to convince himself he’ll be okay without it.

Harley’s obviously working twice as hard to make everything work between them, asking Tony to set him up a credit card account with enough money for gas to make it to New York every weekend, if he can, for his birthday gift instead of whatever extravagant gift he was planning.

But despite Harley’s efforts, they fight over little things every few days, always ending with Peter crying and Harley, cursing himself, crying too because he’s always been a sympathy crier when it comes to Peter.

And after every fight, Peter wishes more and more that Harley won’t be leaving when their relationship is in such a rocky place.

“So, Harley’s birthday party tomorrow?” Tony says, very carefully broaching the topic.

Peter’s eyes are still wet and red-rimmed, moisture still clinging to his jaw where his tears had caught, hair still sticking up from where he’d been tugging at it.

“Yeah,” Peter mumbles, accepting the offered glass of water. “I don’t know, things are… bad right now, to say the least.”

“You’ll still come to his birthday party, right?”

Peter shrugs, but then he nods. He can’t miss Harley’s birthday party. That would be the last piece of their relationship falling apart, and he doesn’t want to be responsible for that. “Yeah, I’ll be there. Should we decorate?”

“Yeah, we’ll decorate. You wanna make a banner? I think Morgan’s paint is still in the living room.”

So Peter works away making a banner for the birthday party, trying not to think too much while Tony starts blowing up balloons, before he finally breaks.

“You wanna talk about it?” Tony asks.

“Nothing much to say,” Peter says thickly. He doesn’t want to talk to Tony about how young and small and insignificant he feels in comparison to Harley’s upcoming year. He doesn’t want to talk about how they fought for nearly an hour about something as small as cooking. It was obvious where the fight was going, how they were planning on living together once Peter graduates, but neither of them ever mentioned it in real words.

Tony shrugs, lifting an eyebrow. “Well, I can’t offer much advice, I still have no idea how I ended up marrying Pepper, but there’s one thing I know for sure. Harley loves you, kid. Like a crazy amount. He looks at you like you hung the moon and all the stars in the sky. I don’t think I’ve seen that kind of love ever except for how much you love him. That much is painfully obvious. I’m really glad you two found each other.”

“You really think it’ll work? Me here and Harley in Massachusetts?”

“If anyone was ever meant to be, if there was such thing as soulmates, I’d bet my money on the two of you.”

*

Peter holds one end of the banner, trying his best to look casual as he blinks back an onslaught of tears, while they wait for Harley to arrive to the surprise party.

It’s not like he doesn’t want to see Harley, and it’s not like he isn’t happy for his boyfriend. The last thing he wants to do is ruin his birthday party. But Peter’s still scared that if he says the wrong thing, it’ll be over for them and that’s the last thing he wants.

May squeezes his shoulder, offering a reassuring smile.

And then the elevator doors slide open.

Harley, for his part, looks just as much of a mess as Peter does. His hair is sticking up messily like he’d been pulling at it, eyes still a little bit puffy and red, remnants of old tears still shining in the corners of his eyes. But he smiles when he sees them in the living room, eyes lingering on Peter for a beat too long.

“Happy birthday!” they all call out, but the tension in the room is already rising from Peter and Harley, neither of them wanting to say anything in front of their family.

“Wow, thanks y’all.”

Tony rolls his eyes dramatically, letting the banner fall from his hands. “Alright. We’re going to go out, pick up some food for dinner later, and pick up your mom and sister from the airport. You two are going to have two hours alone here to fix this because I’m tired of you two dancing around the problems and being miserable all the time.”

Pepper laughs, quickly drawing Harley into a hug and then ushering Morgan to get her shoes on. May hugs both boys, pressing kisses to both their foreheads.

“Have fun!” Tony calls out, waving everybody into the elevator and winking at the boys before it closes behind them leaving Harley and Peter alone.

Peter lifts the drooping banner half-heartedly before letting it crumple to the floor. “Happy Birthday, Harls.”

“I don’t know how to fix this,” Harley admits, shrugging. He’s frowning, hands lifting in defeat.

“I’m sorry.” He knows it’s the best way to start mending the breaks. “I shouldn’t have been so upset over everything lately. I know this is on me. I should’ve been supportive and happy for you when you got into MIT. I should’ve had faith in us. I should’ve-”

Harley shakes his head, stepping closer to Peter to bridge the gap. “This isn’t just on you. I didn’t understand how hard this would be for you. I know it feels like I’m moving on without you, that I’m going to be farther away than I’ve ever been permanently, and I know you feel like it’d be easier if you distanced yourself now to make it easier when I’m gone, but I promise I’ll be here, darlin’. I’ll come see you every weekend, we’ll call all the time and facetime and text, and we could meet up on school nights if we meet halfway. Change isn’t always a bad thing.”

Sniffling, Peter moves into Harley’s open arms, desperate to feel close to Harley again. It’s been a very hard couple weeks for them and Peter misses him so badly. “I know. I trust you and I love you, I just- It’s hard to feel like you’ll be experiencing all these things without me, you know? I just sometimes wish we could’ve done it together.”

“I know but it’s not a race, sweetheart. It’s not like I’m winning a race just because I’m moving out and going to college before you. It’s not a competition, it never was.”

There will be plenty more fights in the future, and they’ll have to get used to all the change, but Peter believes in them and he loves Harley. That’s all that’s ever mattered.

He leans up onto his toes to kiss Harley, something in his chest finally settling at the reconciliation. He’s missed him a lot over the tense fighting from the past little while.

They’ve got two hours of time to talk and figure things out, but most importantly, they have plenty of time to catch up on missed time.

*

They make it through the year with flying colours.

Harley drives out to New York at every chance, even if it means having to do homework in Peter’s room instead of everything they want to do. Homework’s always nicer when he gets to have Peter in his lap while he does it.

Peter gets a car for his seventeenth birthday and he drives out to meet Harley halfway for cute dates every couple weeks when they can swing it.

They text constantly. To the point where Peter ends up in after-school detention for the majority of the year from texting during class. Not that he really minds, the teacher sleeps during detention so Peter can spend that time texting Harley too.

As a Christmas gift, Tony lets them stay at his renovated Malibu Mansion alone, as long as they promise to be home during Spring Break and keep the PDA to a minimum. Over the break, Harley helps Peter apply for MIT and they look for apartments online and create a collection for how they plan on decorating their apartment.

In February, Peter gets his letter of acceptance from MIT, and Harley goes all out for a Valentine’s Day date to celebrate.

Harley gets home in April and he spends most of the month and the two that follow, helping Peter study for exams. They go to Peter’s Senior Prom together, and Harley cheers the loudest when Peter crosses the stage at graduation.

They spend the entire summer like they’re lovesick teenagers, making up for all the lost time from the year, and getting prepared to be living together in Boston starting in the fall. Pepper nearly dies laughing when she sees the Ikea budget Tony set that they managed to blow, not that Tony minds, on new furniture.

In September, they move into their apartment together, happier than they’ve ever been and so crazy in love. May and Tony both cry while Morgan and Pepper roll their eyes at their dramatics.

They’ve got their whole future ahead of them. This is only the beginning. 

Taglist: @littlemissagrafina  @spidey-reids-2003 @romeoandjulietyouwish @c-artara @shadedrose01 @likeaphoenix13 @pj-hermes-tonystark-obsessed  @you-get-killed-walk-it-off @kitkatwinchester  @emo-girl10 @justme--emily  @hold-our-destiny @imalivebecauseirondad @spiderman-peterman @dykeragee @maryserrao @heeeyitskay @parknerandirondad {Let me know if you wanna be added or removed}

[steves-on-a-plane]

The Camping Trip

Words: 1484 Pairings: Steve Rogers x Reader, Bucky Barnes x OC Prompt: “Our friends dragged us as third and fourth wheels on a camping trip and they keep arguing and we may have run off AU” Prompt Credit Via @dailyau​ Summary: Reader agrees to go on a camping trip with her best friend, Tessa, and Tessa’s boyfriend, Bucky. What she doesn’t know is that Bucky also invited his best friend, Steve. Reader and Steve soon become unwilling allies when it seems Tess and Bucky can’t stop fighting. 

“[Y/N]!!” Your best friend, Tessa, came running over to your car excitedly. You’d just parked in her driveway where your car would be resting for the weekend. You got out of your car and were immediately encircled by Tessa’s arms. “I’m so glad you agreed to come with us this weekend! It’s been forever since we’ve hung out!”

“It’s been too long.” You nodded, ending the hug. “So, is it just me, you and Bucky this weekend?” You asked, opening your driver’s side back door and reaching for the camping equipment you’d packed.

“Hey [Y/N]!” Bucky, Tessa’s long-term boyfriend came over to help you load your bags into their car. “Have you met my friend, Steve?”

You looked up to see a mountain of a man lurking by Bucky’s SUV. He was at least six feet tall, with a muscular build. You thought for sure one of his biceps was the size of your head. As you approach the SUV, Steve offers you a hand to shake. You accept his hand a give it a stern shake.

“Nice to meet you, Ma’am.” He says politely.

“It’s [Y/N] please.” You insisted, looking up at his ocean blue eyes. “It’s nice to meet you too Steve.”

“So [Y/N], are you an avid camper?” Steve walked to the driver’s side back door and opened it for you.

“Not exactly.” You laughed. “I just get dragged along on a lot of Tessa’s adventures.” Steve shut the door. You clipped your seatbelt in and Steve joined you in the backseat. “The last time I went camping with Tessa we were in college. I got eaten alive by mosquitos and vowed I’d never do it again.”

“Yet here you are!” Tessa chirped, jumping into the passenger’s seat of the SUV.

“Okay, last chance for everyone to use an actual toilet. Anyone have to go?” Bucky warned starting the car. “Going once...twice…sold.” Bucky changed the car’s gear to reverse and rolled his SUV down the driveway.

“I created a bumping playlist for our drive!” Tessa announced. She plugged her phone into the aux cable on the SUV. The first song that played was obviously not Bucky or Steve’s taste it was loud booming pop music with shrill vocals. The next song that played was similar and the next fifteen after that. After an hour of this Bucky turned the volume down.

“Do you have any other music you could play?” Bucky asks with a hint of irritation.

“I worked really hard making this playlist!” Tessa pouts. You steal a glance at Steve. From his expression you guess that he too has witnessed his share of arguments between Tessa and Bucky. By the sound of things the happy couple were winding up for another legendary disagreement.

Bucky and Tessa argued over the music the remainder of the car ride. When you arrived at your campsite the situation didn’t improve much. First they argued about where to set up the tents, then they argued about how to set the tents up. Even worst, it turned out one of the tents was missing its poles.

“How do you not remember to pack tent poles for the tent?” Tess complained as Bucky dug frantically through the back of his SUV.

“I just assumed that when you used it last month for your yoga retreat you would have put the poles back in the bag with the rest of the tent.” Bucky snapped at her.

“It’s alright, I brought a spare tent just in case.” Steve offered. He reached into the back of the SUV and pulled out the tent. “I’ll start setting it up.”

“Don’t worry about it, Steve.” Tessa told him in a sugary sweet voice. “Bucky left the poles at home so Bucky can set up the backup tent.” She took the tent bag out of Steve’s hands and tossed it at her boyfriend.

“Tess!” You scolded your best friend. “Ease up, you could have checked for the poles yourself.”

“Hey, [Y/N], I’m gonna go look for firewood. You want to come with?” Steve asked. He held an axe in his two hands. You were very aware again just how muscular Steve Rogers was.

“Yes!” You agreed quickly. You followed the guy you’d just met deep into the woods to avoid listening to another argument between your best friends. “You know, I feel like I should apologize for Tessa. She’s not usually so…”

“Disagreeable?” Steve laughs. “Maybe I should apologize for Bucky too. He’s never been one to backdown from an argument. They make quite a pair.”

“Yeah.” You agreed. You whistle low and looked around the forest floor. “I guess we should start gathering wood and get back there before they kill each other.”

“I mean I could swipe Bucky’s keys when he’s mid-argument and we could drive off with his SUV. Leave the two of them here to sort things out.” Steve suggests. He steps a safe distance away from you and starts chopping at a nearby tree.

“You’d do that to your best friend?” You asked gathering small sticks and twigs that you’d need to start the fire.

“If you told me that you wanted to get out of here, I wouldn’t blame you and I couldn’t subject you to their arguments anymore.” Steve told you.

After a little while you both hoped enough time had passed that Tessa and Bucky had stopped fighting. You helped Steve load up his arms with as much wood as he could carry. You held a fistful of sticks in one hand and the axe in the other. When you returned to the campsite Bucky and Tessa were sitting on a log embracing each other and making out. You immediately looked away and Steve cleared his throat loudly. Tessa and Bucky broke apart at the sudden sound.

“Sorry,” Bucky apologize. “We didn’t know when you guys would be back.”

“While you were gone, Bucky and I were talking…” Tessa said. Steve got to work building the fire. You crouched down next to him and tried to help.

“I think you were doing more than that.” You pointed out.

“Anyway, we were thinking,” She nuzzled up close to Bucky practically climbing into his lap. “That maybe instead of doing guys and girls tents it would make more sense for us to share a tent and for you and Steve to share another. I mean we’re all adults.” She shrugged innocently.

“Sure.” You knew that Tess would get what she wanted one way or another, so it was easier to just agree from the jump. “What do you say, Steve?”

“Uh, sure. If you’re comfortable with it.” He nods, looking slightly uncomfortable.

“OMG yay!” Tessa exclaimed excitedly. “So later tonight if the tent is a rockin’ don’t come a knockn’, know what I’m saying?” She winked suggestively before leaning over and nibbling on Bucky’s ear.

“Why did we agree to this trip?” Steve whispered quietly to you.

“Actually,” Bucky stood up holding Tessa in his arms. “I think we’re gonna hit the hay right now. You two gonna be okay?” Steve responded by waving Bucky off towards one of the tents.

It didn’t take long for Steve to get a fire started. It turned out Captain America was quite the outdoorsman. You found marshmallows, chocolate and graham crackers in the SUV and made a few smores. As the sun went down it started to get cold. You shivered at the gentle breeze. Even with the fire roaring, you wished you’d brought more layers.

“Wind is picking up.” Steve observed. “It’d be warmer in the tent and I brought some extra blankets too.”

“I could call it a night.” You yawned. You and Steve went into your tent. There was enough room for the two of you to retreat to opposite sides, but Steve offered you two spare wool blankets he’d packed. “Won’t you be cold?” You asked.

“I’ve slept in worst places.” He shrugged.

“We could, ah, share?” You suggested cautiously. The last thing you wanted to do was make Steve uncomfortable. “We could use our sleeping bags as mats for extra padding, and cover up with these.”

“I’d hate to make you uneasy.” Steve hesitated.

“Well, I’d hate for you to freeze to death on my account.” You took the two blankets and spread them over the two of you. You laid down pulling the covers with you. “We’ll both be warmer this way.” You told Steve. “Shared body heat and all that.”

“You could snuggle a little closer and you’d be even warmer.” Steve invited you into his arms. You scooted closer and rested your head on his muscular shoulder. You wrapped an arm around his waist. Steve held you in his arms. As you drifted off to sleep your heart fluttered. You couldn’t help but think that get stuck sleeping in a tent with Steve Rogers wasn’t exactly the worst place to be.

[jungiegukie]

Pregnancy Prank Gone...? ft. Jungkook

PAIRINGS: Jungkook x reader, OT7.

WORDS: +2.5 K

WARNINGS: Kind of mentions of sex.

A/N: I’m thinking about doing a series about Youtuber Y/N and Jungkook being her boyfriend and also Big Hit’s golden maknae… I’ll sleep over it, but meanwhile I hope you like this little thing i made.

—————————————————————————————-

“Hey Dellas! So…” As any other full time youtuber I claped my hands and sighed, “You’re not ready for what’s about to happen… no, Jungkook is not ready for what’s about to happen. You see, I’ve been in birth control for the last year and a half or so, and I’ve been late like once or twice since then. The thing is that I’ve decided to put on a little set up to my boyfriend and I’m going to tell him that I’m pregnant.” I looked around me and grabbed my phone and the pregnancy test box that I left right beside me; “He’s now on the dance studio with the guys, but he must be coming home soon… I hope so… You know what, I’ll call him.”

Once I unlocked my phone I searched for his contact and called him while putting the call on speaker. At the third beeping sound he answered and I could hear the guys on the back laughing.

“Shut up dorks… Hey babe, what’s up?” 

“Hey you! I’m fine, how’s the practice going?”  

“We’re killing it, I swear. This show is going to be way better than… Sorry, babe, wait a sec…” I heard laughs getting closer and a lot of rumbling on the backround followed by a “Hyung, could you please stop I’m talking to my lady here.” after that you could hear Taehyung mocking in the backround imitating what he just said, then Jimin did it… And then Hoseok… And suddenly all of the guys where mocking him; “Jagi, can I call you in a bit? The guys… Hyung stop… Okay, so, as I was saying, the guys… Park Jimin stop it… Babe, I’ll call you when we’re done, alright?”

“Sure Kook, around what time?”

“Seven? Maybe?” I checked my phone and I saw it was ten past six o’clock, There was enough time to get this prank perfectly done.

“Alright, just… call me, ok? We have something to talk about.” 

“We have? Uhm… Okay, sure. I’ll call you when i’m out. Love you.” I just answered with an I love you more, and the next thing I heard where another beeping sounds; he ended the call.

Looking back at the camera, I showed the fake pregnancy test box; “We’ve got fifty minutes until Kookie calls me and heads back home. The studio is about a fifteen minute drive from our apartment, so he should be here around quarter past seven, maybe sooner… depend on the traffic.”

I opened the box and saw two pregnancy tests inside. I took the instructions out and read them; it said that it could be dipped in any liquid and the test was going to come out possitive. “Good thing that I actually do not have to pee on a stick, right?” I opened one test out and looked back at the camera. “So, this is what we’re doing: I’m going to leave one test already done with the fake possitive, so when he gets here I’ll tell him that I’ve been late for around two weeks and that I decided to get a pregnancy test done to see if it had something to do with it or if it was just my cycle getting all weird and stuff. He’ll probably ask about the birth control, so I’ll tell him that last month I gave myself a break from the pills just for my body to chill or something like that… I’ll have the other pregnancy test and I’ll telI him I was waiting for him to get the other one done and be a hundred percent sure. He’ll probably go nuts…” I started playing a lot of possible case scenarios that might happen: he could be angry, or happy, or sad, or excited… I don’t know, the only thing that I knew for sure was that he was going to hate me. “Alright, let’s dip this stick on some water.” 

I grabbed a plastic cup and filled it up to the middle with water. I dipped the pregancy test and waited for it to come out with two lines on it. Two minutes the result was shown; the test was possitive. “Oh my God, it worked” I laughed for a bit and decided to prepare the scene for the little show I was playing. “I’ll put you guys in the corner of the vanity where all my makeup and hair stuff is kept so he won’t be able to see the camera. It’s a bit messy over there so he won’t suspect a thing.” Placing the camera right where I said I turned the view finder and checked a few times if the view was right and clear. “Great. He must be here in around half an hour so, I’ll talk to you guys when he calls me.” 

I placed the viewfinder on its normal position and turned the camera off so it would not run out of battery and headed to the kitchen. Once I was there I made myself some coffee while I layed my tummy on the kitchen counter which was facing directly to our living room, and with remote in hand I started zapping channels until I found something I liked.

Twenty five minutes went by and my phone started buzzing off. Weird. When I lifted it up from the counter I saw the caller ID that I’ve been waiting for a long time now. Practice mus have ended earlier; “Oh jungkookie, get ready for whats coming.” I answered the phone with a simple what’s up.

“I’m coming home now, I mean… I’m parking the car, so I’ll be up in five.”

Shit. 

“I told you to call me when you were going out the studio babe, I’m not even dressed.” That was not true. I was fully dressed, but I had to say something to cover it up. I had five, No, I had three minutes until he was up here.

“I won’t complain if I get there and find you naked babe.” I roled my eyes while making my way to the bathroom and turning the camera on.

“You perv. Alright, I’ll get dressed quickly then.” Right after that I hunged up the phone and directed my sight to my camera; “Guys, Kookie just called and he’s parking the car. That means he’ll be up here anytime soon.” The front door made its usual sound which anounced that my boyfriend was already home.

“Babe? Where you at?”

I turned my face to the bathroom door and shouted “Bathroom!” at the same time that I directed my gaze to the camera once again while wispering my typicall prank line “Game on.” I quickly sat on the bathroom counter and waited for him to come inside.

“Hey.” He said while making his way inside the bathroom and walking towards me. Jungkook was looking as good as ever with a grey two piece sweat outfit from puma. Once he was in front of me he huged me by my waist and lifted me up to my feet while I huged his neck from behind. “I missed you.” He leaned closer and pecked my lips.

“I missed you two.” He leaned in once again and kissed me for a longer time this time.

“What was that thing you said we needed to talk about? My head’s been on it since I hunged up the call.” I placed my hand on his chest, leaving some distance between us.

“Yeah, that… Uhm… Okay.” he lets go of my waist and I walk towards the counter where the pregnancy test was at. I grabed it and hid it under my back. 

“I’ve missed my period for two weeks now.” Sometimes Jungkookie was… the word inocent does not fit.. maybe naive? Yeah, naive. He was pretty naive sometimes.

“So…? What’s with that?”

“I’m never late Kook.” The light bulb he had over his head must have lighted on.

“Don’t… Don’t say it” He rubed both of his hands over his face. “You’re not.”

“Babe, listen. I took a pregnancy test” He quickly got his hand of his face. And I could see his brown doe big eyes bigger that they have ever been, “And it came out possitive.” I handed him the stick with the two lines on.

“You’re kidding, right?” He grabbed it and looked at it in shock. “Tell me this is a joke.”

“No? I have another one on the box, but I did not wat to take it alone in case it was positive once again. I wanted to wait for you.” 

“You’re on the pill Y/N. There’s no way you’re pregnant.” He placed the test over the counter top once again. “There’s no way… Is it?”

“Well… I didn’t tell you this because I did not think it was important, but last month I had a little break from the pill. Remember that time I went to my ginecologyst about a month and a half ago?” He shook his head no, “Well, whatever. The thing is that she said that maybe I should take a break from the pill for like a mont since i’ve been on it for over a year. She said my body needed to chill or whatever and that after that break I could go back to them as usual.”

“You what?! Babe! We’ve been having sex for like five out of the seven days of the week for the last month, and you’re telling me that now? I did not even wear a condom because I thought you were still on the pill, Y/N.”

“I never thougt this would have happened Jungkook. Why are you blaming this on me only! You could have wrapped the little friend you have down there anyways!”

“Oh my God!” He turned around and walked all along the bathroom several times, back and forth… for about two minutes, in silence. Once he faced me again he said; “Y/N. Listen. I’m going on tour once again in like… a week? I don’t even know. This is deffinitely not the right time to have a freaking baby.” Oh man… He was pissed. “You said you have another one?” I nodded my head yes, “Go get it done. what are you waiting for.” 

I took the pregnancy test from the box and went to the toilet. Once I closed the door and checked that there was no sound outside I let a chuckle escape my lips. I quickly unlocked my phone and opened the camera app and filmed a short video; “Guys, I’m in the bathroom now to take the second pregnancy test and man… Kookie is pissed because of the pill thing. Oh my God.” I took a deep breath and opened the test. “I’ll dip this thing on the toilet water and then flush it to make it less suspicious. Let’s do this. Hwaiting!” Once I got out of the bathroom I could see Jungkook curled up on a ball sitting next to the bathroom counter where the first pregancy test layed.

“So… What does it say?”

“You have to wait for the lines to come out. We’ll find out in a minute or two.”

Silence. Deep silence was the only thing that could be heard.

“I’m sorry for blowing up like that babe. It’s not your fault. Even though, you should have told me about the pill so i could be extra carefull.” I nodded and wispered an I know and I’m sorry too. He stood up and walked closer to were I was standing and huged, once again, my waist. “If it comes out possitive we’ll figure it out.” One of the hands that was resting on my waist made all the way up to my cheek and caresed it. “I don’t know how, but we’ll figure it out.” His facial expression was saying that he regrets how he reacted in first place, but he was also scared. 

“It’s time.” He lets me go. I was genuenly feeling the wors girlfriend in the whole world right now. “It’s possitive.” I turned to him handing him the test. He had a blank stare. Nothing was showing. Not a single emotion.

“I think I’m gonna throw up.”

“What, babe, don’t! I’m the one who’s pregnant here here.” He gave me the look afted I said that and sighed in frustration.

“I don’t know how I feel… I have all mixed up. Im happy, of course. You’re carrying my child, and I love you, and you’re going to be an amazing mom… but at the same time I’m frustrated. I mean… We’re both young, I’m 23, you’re 21. You know that with my work is not easy to carry on a normal life; we barely made our relationship public like three months ago, babe.” He sighed and crosed his arms over his chest. “What if I make one of an awful dad? What if I miss my child’s  first words or first steps because I am on tour, promoting, filming or recording? What if everytime I leave and then come back he or she does not recongize me? I really don’t think I would be able to handle that last thing. There are a lot of what if’s, Y/N… ” 

“Babe, listen; I’m sure you’re going to be the bestest dad in this whole mother efing world. You have a lot of insecurities and flaws, but I’m a hundread; No, I’m a thousand percent sure you’ll be the best dad.”He had tears in his eyes that were just about to drop, maybe it was time to end this prank. 

“I’m calling Namjoon and I’ll tell him I’m taking a break.” He said what?!

“What?! No you’re not!”

“You’re right, I’m not. I need to get the money to buy baby things.”

“Jungkook…”

“What are those things that babies poop and pee on?”

“Babe…”

“We’ll have to move to another apartment, this one only has one room. There’s not enough space for the baby.”

“Jeon Jungkook, could you shut the fuck up and listen to me?!” His eyes darted directly to mine. “It wont be necessary to move out from this apartment.” I stepped closer to him and huged him, two seconds went by and he hugged me back.

“Of course it is, there’s not enough…”

“Shht. Listen to me.” I placed one of my hands on his left cheek, right were his little scar was on. “It wont be necessary to move out or buy diapers or any other baby related stuff because I’m not pregnant.”

“The test came out possitive Y/N, both of them.”

“Yeah… those are fake pregnancy tests, baby.” I point at the camera that was placed on the vanity in between my mess. “You’ve been punked”

“Oh fuck you.” He blurted and walked out the door. Right after watching his reaction I couldn’t resist to laugh my ass of.

“Babe! Oh God, wait!” I walked over to get the camera and pointed the viewfinder backwards so I could se myself. “Guys, he’s pissed… Babe! come on, it was just a prank.” I made my way to the living room just to see an angry Jungkook sitting over the couch with both his legs and arms crossed and a pout on his face.

“Just a prank?… Just a prank?! Y/N, I almost threw up when you said the second test was positive! You played with my feelings!” 

I sat right next to him and placed my head on his shoulder. “You know I love you right?”

“Doesn’t look like it.” I giggled at his response and pouty face. “What are you laughing at.”

“You’re so cute.” I pinched his cheek with my free hand. “Just for you to know, I haven’t stoped taking my pills.”

“Good to know… As I said before, we’ve been doing it non stop for the last month.” 

“Babe!” I punched his arm while he laughed at me and hugged my shoulders “Do you want to close my video or do I do it?”

“Let me say something first.” I hand him the camera and he speaks; “I’ll take revenge on her, take my word. This does not end here.”

“Yeah Kook, whatever you say.” I looked at him and smiled.

“At least I now know you think I’ll be the best dad in the world.”

“I meant that though. Whenever the time comes you become a dad, you’ll deffinitely be the best one.” He looked at me with a wipped look and carresed my cheek with his right hand. “Alright guys, this was all for todays video. Don’t forget to like and subscribe, I’ll deffinitely come back with more pranks to my beautiful boyfriend here, don’t you worry.” Jungkook shook his head with a smile on his face “I’ll see you guys on monday and as I always say; Ciao, Ciao…” I pointed at Jungkook and waited for him to say the last word of my famous line.

 “Arrivedella.” I stopped filming and closed the camera.

“I want you to know, that I mean it when I say I’ll get my payback.” He said while pressing a soft kiss to my hair. .

I laughed, turned my face to him and kissed my boyfriend on the lips. “No, you wont.”

@jungiegukie

[drinkthepoisonedchalice]

You have (1) new message

This ficlet was done in response to @writethisacc on twitter for their prompt “you have 1 new message”

    Jeongguk had fucked up. At this point it was just a fact. The sky was blue, the grass was green, and Jeongguk had almost ended his own marriage. So, when Jimin had texted him that he was coming back to Korea, Jeongguk had understandably gone a little overboard. He’d stayed up almost the whole night cleaning the house. He’d showered and shaved for the first time in probably too long. He’d laundered every single piece of clothing in his closet just so it would all smell fresh and then proceeded to spend the next six hours stressing over what he was going to wear. For the first time in four months, Jimin and their daughter would be back on Korean soil and Jeongguk would rather die than mess this up.

    In a rare act of self-awareness, Jeongguk had known he’d fucked up the morning after he’d done it, basically as soon as he’d woken up, still incredibly hung over on Seokjin’s couch, and checked twitter. The video had been all over his timeline. Blurry and dimly lit though it was, it was most definitely him, kissing one of the cute Omega song writers from his company on the same couch he had later passed out on. His inbox was completely full, but at the time he’d opened the only message he’d cared about, a single line from Jimin stating, “I’m coming home.”

    Jimin had been in Daegu at the time, just a small stop on the tour that his dance company was performing around Korea. It wasn’t a long tour, just a little over two months, which was the whole reason Jimin had agreed to go. They’d talked about it extensively before he’d left, weighing how much Jimin wanted to take this once in a lifetime opportunity versus how much he would miss his mate and their daughter. At the time, Jeongguk had urged him to go, told him that everything would be fine. He just hadn’t realized how lonely he would become. 

    It was a shitty excuse, he’d known that from the beginning. He’d been tired, working and taking care of their daughter on his own. When his parents had offered to watch Eunmi for the night so he could go to Seokjin’s party and relax he’d eagerly taken them up on it. When Jiyoung, one of the writers who had helped him with his latest album, had leaned in from their conversation and kissed him, he had kissed her back. He was lonely, he was drunk, and in the morning he’d hated himself more than words could say. 

    Jimin had gotten back into town that afternoon, leaving his dance crew back in Daegu to finish their tour without him. Jeongguk had been at home with Eunmi at the time but Jimin hadn’t even spoken to him as he began rooting around their bedroom, throwing clothes into a suitcase before doing the same thing in Eunmi’s room. Jeongguk had demanded to know what he was doing, growing more and more desperate as Jimin continued his task in silence until he was practically screaming at his mate as he followed him around the house. 

    “If I even speak to you right now,” Jimin had finally said as he zipped his suitcase closed, “I know I’ll say something that I’ll regret.”

    “Where are you going?” Jeongguk had begged to know as Jimin dragged two suitcases and a crying Eunmi out the door all on his own.

    “We’re going to stay with my aunt,” Jimin had said, and without another word the two of them were gone. 

    For four months they stayed with Jimin’s aunt in a small New England town. Jeongguk knew part of it was because Jimin was an easy target for the press, who were all rabid to know what the famous singer’s mate thought about his infidelity. The other part was harder to think about, the part where Jimin couldn’t even see Jeongguk’s face without breaking down into angry tears. 

    For the first month Jimin refused to take his calls. Once a week Jimin’s aunt would call him so he could talk to Eunmi, but as soon as he began asking after Jimin the call would be disconnected. For the next three months Jimin began sparingly accepting his calls. During that time Jeongguk cried on at  least five different occasions while on the phone with Jimin, twice to the point where he actually threw up and had to listen to Jimin’s panicked voice from where his phone had dropped to the floor while his head was stuck in the toilet. They’d mended things somewhat, at least the point where Jeongguk no longer cried while they were on the phone and Jimin no longer yelled. A month ago Jimin had told him that he was no longer angry, he was just tired and sad, and Jeongguk honestly wasn’t sure if that was worse or not. 

    Jimin had texted him though, so Jeongguk was here at the airport, two hours before Jimin’s flight was scheduled to land just in case they were early. He didn’t know what Jimin’s plans were once they were back, whether they were actually coming home, whether he was back because he wanted to fix things, but whatever it was Jeongguk was ready to be the best mate he could possibly be. He had spent the past four months in their house drowning in his own scent of loneliness and despair. He was ready for whatever olive branch Jimin was willing to extend, no matter what form it came in. 

    Once Jimin’s plane was announced to have landed Jeongguk could no longer sit still, a feat that he was barely managing before. He stood near the off-boarding gate and shifted from foot to foot. After hours of agonizing over his appearance he had gone with just a pair of jeans and the soft maroon sweater Jimin had given him, leaving his hair soft and down just like how he normally wore it around the house. As Namjoon often said, there were many faces inside each person, and right now Jeongguk was just a father and a mate and a sad, desperate Alpha and nothing more than that. 

    He saw Eunmi before he saw anyone else. The five year old was bolting right for him, pigtails bouncing as she squealed, “daddy!” and threw herself into his arms. Even though Jeongguk had crouched down to catch her he nearly toppled over as she barrelled into him, just barely managing to keep both of them upright. Immediately he was surrounded by the scent of milk and honey that all children carried, though this scent had become so foreign to him over the past months that it felt nearly overwhelming now. Jeongguk buried his nose in his daughter’s hair as he held her tightly to his chest, doing his best to hold in the tears that threatened to spill. He’d missed her, god he’d missed her so much. 

    By the time Jeongguk was standing back up with Eunmi securely in his arms Jimin was walking out of the gate. He looked good, tired, skinnier than when Jeongguk had last seen him, but in Jeongguk’s eyes he was stunning. He had a loose hoodie on and Eunmi’s pink princess book bag thrown over one shoulder but Jeongguk felt like his heart was about to burst out of his chest as Jimin greeted him with a soft, “Jeonggukie,” and gently brushed their cheeks together. It was a casual greeting between mates, as if Jimin had simply been at work all day and now he was home, but Jeongguk felt like he couldn’t breathe, the only thing keeping his knees from giving out being the knowledge that he would drop his daughter if they did. 

    “Minnie,” Jeongguk’s voice cracked. He wouldn’t cry in the middle of the airport, he wouldn’t. “How was your flight?”

    Jimin shrugged. Most of his hair was hidden under a beanie, but from the little bit that stuck out over his forehead Jeongguk could tell he had dyed it back to black. “It was okay. There was a lot of turbulence though, so Eunmi didn’t sleep much.” Which of course meant that Jimin hadn’t slept either. 

    “We can go home then if you’d like to rest,” Jeongguk suggested, “or we could go eat something- I mean, um, did you eat breakfast on the plane? Like, are you hungry?” 

    Jimin gave him a small smile. Jeongguk babbled when he was nervous, but it had been years since he had done so because of Jimin. “They had breakfast but we didn’t eat anything.”

    Eunmi patted Jeongguk on the shoulder to get his attention. “They had the bread with the cheese in it.”

    “Ah, I see,” Jeongguk nodded. She meant that they had pastries with cream cheese, which were one of the many foods that Eunmi still refused to eat. “Well we can go get some breakfast, or we could go home and I could make something. I know we’ve got eggs at least, or if you would rather something like cereal or-”

    “We should go somewhere,” Jimin said before Jeongguk could ramble himself hoarse. “We just need to get our luggage first.”

    “Yea, yea, of course,” Jeongguk agreed. He led his little family down to baggage claim where he insisted on holding Eunmi while also helping Jimin with the luggage. Once they got to the car Jeongguk drove them to a little cafe not far from their house that they sometimes used to frequent on the weekends. They let Eunmi get a small bottle of chocolate milk to go with her banana bread, and Jeongguk and Jimin both picked at a blueberry muffin, neither of them holding much of an appetite. It was nice though, just sitting across from Jimin while their daughter ate and talked about all the movies she watched on the plane ride over, their fingers brushing occasionally while they reached for the same crumbling pastry. 

    Jimin didn’t talk much as they ate, simply letting Eunmi and Jeongguk fill the silences. Jeongguk could feel his anxiety growing as Jimin remained in silence. There were many reasons for Jimin to not want to talk, he was likely tired and jet lagged, maybe he just didn’t have anything to say, but Jeongguk couldn’t help the way that his mind flooded with insecurities. Had Jimin come home just for Eunmi? Had he done it because he wanted a divorce? Without any reassurances from his mate Jeongguk could feel himself growing increasingly agitated, his heel bouncing under the table, his fingers shredding the napkin in his lap. 

    On the car ride home Eunmi quickly began to doze, belly full of milk and bread and finally surrounded by both her parents’ scents again. Jimin let Jeongguk put her to bed once they arrived at their house, waving the Alpha off when he insisted he could help with their bags as well. Something settled inside Jeongguk’s chest as he laid his daughter down under her soft pink comforter, inside his home, under his care. His Alpha was no longer lonesome and bereft, mourning an empty nest. 

    When he came back into the living room Jimin was there, pacing around the place, refamiliarizing himself with it. Jeongguk had been meticulous in his cleaning, there wasn’t a hair out of place, though that left it devoid of any signs of life. He stopped when he saw Jeongguk, his brown eyes tired but open.

    Jeongguk swallowed, rubbing his hands together. “I’m sure you want to talk.”

    He watched as Jimin’s shoulders slumped, his mouth turned down at the corners. “All we’ve done for the past three months is talk. I just- I just want to be with you right now. If that’s okay.” 

    Jeongguk bit his lower lip to keep it from trembling. “Yeah. Yeah, of course.”

    “I feel like I haven’t been in my nest in forever,” Jimin admitted, but Jeongguk knew even before Jimin entered their bedroom that he wouldn't want to be in his nest. Jeongguk had had to completely strip the room of any scents after he had drowned it in the smell of heartbroken, lonely Alpha. In doing so, the room no longer smelled like either of them, and Jeongguk could read Jimin’s distaste clearly on his face. Their nest would have to be completely rescented before Jimin could rest easily inside, a task that would take more energy than the Omega had at the moment. 

    They ended up on the couch instead, Jimin’s head pillowed against Jeongguk’s shoulder as he told him to just put whatever he wanted on the TV. For a moment it reminded Jeongguk of when they were back in college, when Jimin would come home from a long day of dance practise and collapse against Jeongguk on the couch, watching him play Smash Bros or Overwatch until he fell asleep and would nap until dinner. This time Jeongguk put on one of those soothing baking shows with the volume down low to help Jimin fall asleep. Tentatively he wrapped an arm around Jimin’s waist, finally relaxing when his mate didn’t protest the touch. 

    “Mimi,” he asked as Jimin’s eyes began to droop, “you’re- you’re staying, right? You’re not gonna leave again?”

    “You know I want to stay, Kkyu,” Jimin murmured, nuzzling into Jeongguk’s shoulder. “Just don’t give me a reason to leave again.” 

    Jeongguk turned his face into the top of Jimin’s head, taking in his soft vanilla scent as he tried to swallow down the lump in his throat. “I won’t, baby, I promise I won’t. I’m gonna be the kind of mate you deserve.” 

    Jimin took Jeongguk’s free hand in both of his own so he could play with the Alpha’s fingers. “It’s not about deserve. I just want you to be someone who loves me.”

    Jeongguk squeezed his eyes shut. “I do. Jimin, I love you so much, I really do.”

    Jimin pressed a soft kiss to Jeongguk’s knuckles. “I know. I believe you.” 

[purplesurveys]

795

Where is your favorite place to get fries? Hmmm I really like the fries from Jollibee and Bonchon, if we’re talking about fries as a side. But we have a local place called Potato Corner that mainly sells fries and they make the besssssst ones; it’s my go-to snack when I go to the movies or if I just wanna chew on something while at the mall.

What is the most recent article of clothing you’ve purchased? Yellow and black tops with puffed sleeves since they were getting in style, at least before the quarantine.

Have you ever paid for anything with a check? Not my own, obviously; but my mom has given me checks to pay for mine and my sister’s tuition fees back in high school.

Do you know anyone who was raised by their grandparents? So many kids here in the Philippines. The usual situation is that parents would still be climbing the ranks while their kids are little so they’d be under the care of extended family, and for the most part it’s the grandparents who would assume the task. In my case, I was raised by my maternal grandparents and an aunt for my entire childhood.

Have you ever made your own pie from scratch? Yeah, in Grade 7 home economics when we had to. Never made pie on my own time/for leisure.

Who was the last person you had an in-depth conversation with? Gabie.

Are there any waterfalls nearby? I guess so. It’s on the other side of the city, but then again that’s only about 15 minutes away and I would say that’s nearby.

What was the last food item you ate? Lumpiang shanghai and rice.

What are your earliest memories of going to see a doctor? Going to the school doctor in my first year of kindergarten to have my eyes checked. I remember being asked to peer into a machine, but I don’t remember what I saw anymore.

Can you hear traffic right now? I could never hear traffic from where I live and for anyone also living in a gated village, this is always the case.

Have you ever pulled a muscle? I may have, but only once or twice.

What did you do last weekend? I hung out with my dog, last Saturday my dad bought a sushi platter to celebrate my thesis getting approved, and last Sunday I collected all of Kimi’s baby photos because I realized I hadn’t looked back on his old pictures for a while. Here’s one that we took when he was two :)

What is your favorite gaming console? The PS2 gave me many of my most cherished memories; and it had badass games, too.

Are you talking to anyone via instant messaging right now? Nope.

Have you kissed someone today? Not since March 7th, eugh.

What is your favorite condiment? Mayonnaise. 

Do you have a strong opinion for or against Justin Bieber? He has definitely said and done questionable things both in the past and present that keeps me from rallying behind him 100%, but honestly his music has gotten better over the years lol. My personal favorite is the entire Purpose album.

Have you used a telephone today? I only have to use the telephone when my grandma calls, and the last time I had to do this was when she called on my birthday.

Do you prefer coffee or tea? Cooooooffeeeeeeee. The only time I get to drink tea is if it’s a freebie at a hotel or restaurant, but I never buy it for myself.

Have you taken a painkiller today? Yeah. This morning my body gave me signs that let me know I was about to faint – super sweaty, tunnel vision, dizziness, stumbling – and even though I was able to handle it and end up conscious, my head was still being weird a couple of hours later so I drank a Biogesic pill to make it go away.

How many theaters does the closest movie theater from your house have? I honestly can’t remember. I tried checking their website but it shouldn’t be a surprise that they have no data on their cinemas right now.

Do you always have a stock of alcohol in your house? Only because my parents aren’t big drinkers and they drink like, every six months. The stock of alcohol we’ve constantly had are ones they bought from way way back and they just haven’t consumed. I would drink them myself, but it’s all beer or wine so no thanks.

Have you ever had a pumpkin latte and if so, did you like it? No, not a thing here. Starbucks did bring it here for a short time last Octoberish? but it was always sold out whenever I’d try to order it, and eventually I just stopped trying.

Have you had a nap today? I took a nap all afternoon so I’ll probably be up very late tonight.

Is there an antique store in your town or city? I’m not ruling it out. If there is, I haven’t heard of it yet.

Have you ever been to a baby shower? Again, not a thing here. It’s such a first world thing hahaha. I do think my generation is gonna be the first one to make baby showers a thing though.

Do you have a hyphenated name or know anyone with one? (eg. Carter-Brown) I don’t have one. I know several people.

What would you wear if you were being taken out to dinner tonight? I’d assume the dinner would take place at home, so I’ll wear a simple dress.

What were the last shoes you wore? A pair of Nikes.

Do you know anyone who has been to rehab? I...don’t think so.

Have you ever had a mojito? I’ve had a sip or two, but I’ve never ordered it for myself.

Do you take your Christmas decorations down before or after New Years? End of January. The Christmas season in the Philippines doesn’t end until then.

What is the first thing you do when you get online? I go on my Facebook to check if I got any notifications while asleep. 

How many romantic relationships have you been in so far? Technically two, but they’ve been with the same person.

Have you ever been camping in the wilderness? I have not been camping, period.

Do you have any money on you right now? I have my last ₱1000 bill in my wallet. I used to have ₱2500++ but my dad has kept borrowing my money throughout quarantine and now I’m down to my last bill. I honestly can’t complain about it though, it’s not like I can use the money any time soon, plus my allowance is his hard-earned money to begin with.

Would you consider yourself to be a picky eater? Only if it comes to fruits or any grandma food like raisins, dates, fruitcake, food for the gods, etc. I dunno if those are food universally loved by grandmas but those are definitely what my lola loves, hence me classifying them as grandma food to make it easier lol.

Have you made a large purchase today? Not since Christmas.

What was the last candy you ate? Does Fererro Rocher count as candy? :/ I had one two or three weeks ago.

How often do you eat Subway? Once every two years, tops. It’s not my restaurant of choice and I only ever ate there when I would drive Gabie to her school extra early, and it’s the only place that would be open at 6:30 AM.

Have you ever lived in a house with a pool in the yard? I have not.

What color is your toothbrush? Maroon and white.

Do you have gluten intolerance or anyone who does? No and no.

Have you ever cried while watching a movie? For sure.

First thing that catches your eye when you look out the nearest window? The curtains covering the window.

Have you ever had a migraine? Occasionally. It only happens when I’m extremely stressed or if I don’t realize that I’ve been pushing myself too hard, which doesn’t happen a lot.

Do you have a gym membership? No.

Have you locked your front door today? Yep.

Have you ever slept in a car overnight? Yes. The thing about my mom is that she doesn’t let me stay out criminally late if I plan to go home, but by some weird reasoning on her end, I can stay out criminally late if I say I’ll be sleeping over at someone else’s which to me has always been like ??????? LMAO so anyway, that’s always been my story if I have plans to drink out, party, etc – that I’ll be sleeping over at a friend’s. But the truth is I don’t always have a friend that I can sleep over with, so for nights like those I have to sleep in the car.

Have you washed the dishes today? Just my own.

Have you ever fainted? I’ve only been extremely close to fainting, to the point where people have to carry me because my legs are jelly. But I haven’t lost consciousness.

Have you been awake before sunrise today? No. I’ve been waking up quite late during quarantine.

When was the last time you went to the bank? I’ve never had to go to the bank. If I do, it’s just to accompany my mom who will sometimes withdraw money while we’re out.

Do you avoid conflict as much as possible? Yes.

Have you ever used a leaf blower? We don’t even have one of those. We have someone in the village who gets paid to use one.

[singledarkshade]

What Happened To Amelia Pond

Part Two – Searching Author’s Note: The second chapter for What Happened To Amelia Pond, I am working on another chapter but until then, enjoy.                                 ********************************************* Rory stomped back into the TARDIS, dripping wet and barely holding onto his temper.

“Okay,” the Doctor said following him inside, “That didn’t quite go the way I expected.”

“Really?” Rory snapped, “It didn’t quite go the way you expected?”

The Doctor frowned, “You seem to be a little upset, Rory.”

“I almost drowned,” Rory reminded him sharply, “Twice. In less than an hour.”

“But you didn’t,” the Doctor replied, clapping him on the shoulder, “And we stopped an entire village from being destroyed.”

Rory wiped his face with his hand, which didn’t really help much as rivulets of water continued to fall from his hair, “We’re meant to be looking for Amelia.”

Bouncing up the stairs to the console the Doctor started the TARDIS moving, “And we are, Rory. The TARDIS just got a little side-tracked.”

Jaw set in annoyance Rory followed him upstairs grabbing the rail when the TARDIS started moving.

“You should go and get changed before you catch a cold,” the Doctor said absently as he moved around the console.

Deflating Rory headed to his room knowing he was dripping water behind him, but he’d fix that once he was dry again. He knew it was stupid, but he’d hoped that the Doctor would be able to just take him to Amelia instantly and the big question in his life would be answered.

  The room he had in the TARDIS was amazing. It felt like home which in all honesty surprised him. He glanced at the two pictures he had on the bedside cabinet that he had packed, one of him with Patricia and Josh, the other of Amelia.

Guilt filled him that he’d left Patricia without saying anything, but he didn’t want Josh to spend all his time wondering where his fiancé had disappeared to. He also missed them both and, as well as he got along with the Doctor, the Time Lord wasn’t the same as his two friends.

Taking a shower Rory sighed in relief when he was warm, dry and wearing clean clothes once more. He headed back to the console room finding the Doctor still wandering around the console pushing buttons and pulling levers.

“Feel better?” the Time Lord asked.

Rory nodded, “Yes. Sorry I...”

“Not a problem,” the Doctor cut him off.

“It is,” Rory insisted, “I’m feeling guilty I left Patricia without saying anything.”

The Doctor said nothing simply letting him speak.

“I walked away,” Rory continued, “Because I didn’t want her to leave Josh wondering where she was and when she was going to come home.”

The Doctor looked at him thoughtfully for a moment before holding out his hand, “Give me your phone.”

Confused Rory pulled out his mobile and handed it to the other man, “Why?”

After checking it over, the Doctor picked up the sonic, tapped some controls on it for a moment and aimed the sonic at the phone before passing it back to Rory, “Call her.”

“What?”

“Universal roaming,” he smiled, “You can keep in touch with them.”

Surprised Rory called Patricia, holding it up to his ear to listen stunned when she answered.

“Hi, Patricia,” he said softly.

“Rory?” surprise filled her voice, “Where are you?”

He smiled slightly happy to be talking to her, “I’m in the TARDIS with the Doctor. I wanted to apologise…”

“Wait,” she cut him off, “Your phone works? I thought it was a Time Machine.”

Rory chuckled, “The Doctor fixed it. You can call me if you need to now.”

“That’s good,” she said, “So, how’s your search going?”

“Not great yet,” Rory sighed, “I’m sorry I just left, I just didn’t want Josh to be left to wonder where you were.”

“I know. Just be careful,” Patricia told him, “And call us whenever you need to talk.”

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

  Rory sat on the roof of the house looking up at the stars as he listened to the songs of the villagers celebrating their harvest. In the centre of the circle he could see the little red-haired girl dancing. He turned when the Doctor appeared and took a seat at Rory’s side.

“Are you alright?”

Rory sighed, “I actually thought for a moment we’d found her.”

The Time Lord wrapped an arm around his friend’s shoulders, hugging him close, “I know. So did I.”

“We’ve been doing this for six months,” Rory whispered, “I thought we’d find something by now. Even a trace of her but I think….”

“Rory?”

“I think I have to admit she’s gone,” Rory continued sadly, “It’s something I should have accepted a long time ago.”

The Doctor grimaced, “Are you sure about that? You’re ready to go home?”

Rory’s head came up, “I didn’t say that.”

“You still want to travel with me?” the Doctor asked with a grin.

“If you want me to,” Rory replied, giving a slight smile, “I mean it can be mind-numbingly terrifying at times but then I see this,” he motioned to the people in front of him, “And it’s all worth it to know I helped save these people.”

The Doctor clapped him on the shoulder, “Then let’s get out of here.”

With a smile Rory stood and they walked back to the TARDIS together.

  The TARDIS was in flight and the Doctor mused over where to go next. Rory was sleeping but would be awake soon. Now that the young man had decided to travel just to travel, the Doctor had been trying to find fun destinations for him. Their last stop hadn’t turned out to be all that fun but they helped a Starship about to crash get home safely.

He was still trying to find Amelia but not telling Rory that he was. Now he’d decided to stop the search, Rory had been quieter than before. The Doctor understood that Rory was coming to terms with his decision to stop searching for his childhood best friend. Hearing footsteps the Doctor turned and smiled at his companion who was wandering down the stairs pushing his fingers through his hair, “Morning, Rory. How are you feeling?”

“Like I ran a marathon I hadn’t trained for,” Rory replied with a slight smile before asking, “Where are we going?”

The Doctor grinned, “I thought we would go to the Moons of Algoria. It is a fantastic place to go for a party and they celebrate basically everything.”

Rory grinned back and nodded, “Sounds like fun.”

Before the Doctor could start them moving Rory’s phone began to ring.

  Rory gave an apologetic shrug to the Doctor as he pulled out his phone, smiling to see Patricia was calling him.

“Hi,” he answered.

“Rory,” Patricia said softly, “You need to come home.”

Confused Rory put the phone on speaker, “Why?”

There was silence for a moment before she spoke again, “Are you able to see the news for here?”

Looking up at the Time Lord who nodded Rory replied, “Yes. What channel?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Patricia replied softly.

“Rory,” the Doctor called making him turn to the viewscreen.

He stared at the headline on the screen before him, ‘Fourteen-year-old mystery solved, Amelia Pond’s body found.’

“…Leadworth over fourteen years ago,” the newsreader said as the sound came up, “The body of Amelia Pond, who was seven years old when she disappeared, was found today in the garden of a house in Leadworth village as it was being dug up for renovations. Currently the cause of death is unknown. Amelia is survived by her aunt who moved away the year after the disappearance.”

Rory let out a shaky breath, “Patricia, when did this happen?”

“Last week,” she told him, “But it was this morning we found out who…you should come home. They’ve already organised the funeral for next week.”

Staring at the phone Rory tried to speak again, every word getting stuck in his throat.

“We’ll be there, Patricia,” the Doctor said before he hung up. He rested an arm around Rory and moved him to sit, “Rory?”

Rory looked up at his friend sadness filling his voice, “Fifteen years and she was there all along,” tears filled his eyes, “I wanted her to be out here somewhere having adventures. I wanted to find her but not like this.”

The Doctor hugged him tightly, “I know, Rory. I know.”

Rory dropped his head onto his friend’s shoulder, giving in as he was rocked gently by the Time Lord whose own sadness at the news was palpable.

After several minutes Rory pulled back, “We should go.”

The Doctor nodded and silently set the co-ordinates. They landed and Rory numbly followed the Doctor out the TARDIS. Patricia and Josh stood waiting at their door, enfolding him into a hug the moment he was within reach.

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

  Rory walked slowly through the main street hoping to avoid the journalists who had invaded the village for the funeral. The service had been hell. Amelia’s aunt had clung to his arm throughout the entire thing, which meant he had to be the strong one. Something he didn’t feel.

The Doctor was somewhere, having stood at the back for the funeral but had promised he wouldn’t leave until Rory was ready.

Taking a seat at the duck pond and stared at the water wishing things had been different, that he could have done something different.

“So,” a female voice came from beside him as someone sat at his side, “I picked the wrong time to come visit family.”

Rory turned slightly finding a woman with long black hair, pale skin and hazel eyes sitting at his side. She was beautiful, looked to be close in ages to him and Rory felt he should know her. Then again if she was visiting family, it was more than likely he did. Leadworth was not that big.

“Yes, you did,” he replied softly.

“Did you know her?” she asked, before clarifying, “The girl who died.”

Rory nodded sadly, “She was my best friend.”

She rested her hand on his arm, “I’m sorry. This must be so hard for you.”

“I guess it’s closure,” he whispered, not sure why he was telling her this.

Noise coming towards them made him look up and he grimaced realising the horde of journalists were about to find him. He’d managed to avoid every one of them all day because he did not want to tell his story or be shown as the pathetic childhood friend finally getting closure.

“Hey,” the strange woman took his hand, “Come on, I know somewhere you can hide.”

Not sure why, Rory let her pull him through the village. They ran along the back street towards the B&B near the edge of town, once there she tugged him inside and locked the door.

Rory let out a sigh of relief. He pulled out his phone to let Patricia and Josh know where he was, surprised when it was snatched out of his hand.

“What are you doing?” Rory demanded, trying to grab his phone back.

The woman pouted at him, “I thought we were having a nice conversation. Why do you want to talk to someone else?”

“I just don’t want my friends to worry,” Rory replied aware the door was locked, and he couldn’t see any other way out of the room.

She tilted her head, “I thought I was your best friend, Rory. Why are you trying to leave me?”

“Wh…What are you talking about?” he took a step back, searching for an exit or a way to get to a phone.

Reaching up she pulled the black hair off her head, revealing it was a wig and a mass of red hair fell around her face. She threw the wig to one side and walked towards him. Rory backed away, wincing when he hit the wall. She rested her hands on his chest giving him a smile.

“Surely you recognise me now?” she whispered softly, “I thought you’d recognise me, Rory.”

Rory stared at her confused but as he looked at the pale face, now framed with flame-red hair and the eyes looking into his, the impossible answer hit him.

“Amelia?” he breathed.

A grin covered her face, “I prefer to be called Amy now but…surprise.”

“No,” Rory shook his head, “But the funeral…they found…the funeral…”

Amy smiled at him, “I had to get you back here somehow, Rory.”

He continued to stare at her, jerking his head away when she stroked his cheek.

“I thought you’d be happy to see me,” Amy whispered with a slight pout, “I’m so happy to see you. You grew up cute. I didn’t expect to find you so attractive when they told me our destiny.”

Rory stared at her, “Our what?”

Amy smiled and her lips brushed against his quickly before she stepped away from him and touched her watch.

“We’re going to save the universe,” Amy told him intently, “From the biggest threat it’s ever faced.”

“Which is?”

Anger filled her eyes and steel filled her voice, “The Doctor.”

  Amy frowned, confused that Rory wasn’t as happy to see her as she thought he’d be. It had been a long time since they’d seen one another but he had described himself as her best friend when they talked.

“What do you mean?” he asked softly taking a step forward as Amy moved to sit, “How is the Doctor a threat?”

Before she could speak the door burst open and three soldiers appeared, they grabbed Rory who tried to get away but within seconds he was on his knees, hands cuffed behind his back and a gag in his mouth.

“I thought we agreed you would find him and alert us before you spoke to him,” Madam Kovarian noted with disapproval when she entered the building.

Amy shrugged, “I wanted to talk to him. He’s still my Rory, even if he’s been corrupted by the Doctor.”

Leaning down, Kovarian grabbed Rory’s chin tilting his face so he would look up at her, “Nothing appears special about you but then all we need is for you to do one thing.” She nodded to the soldiers and two of them yanked him to his feet.

Amy could see fear in his eyes and wanted to assure him not to worry. They were doing something good and it was only because the Doctor had influenced him that they needed to take precautions.

“It’s time to return to the ship, Amelia,” Kovarian noted, “Let’s go.”

Amy nodded, retrieving the wig before she followed on. Not too happy at how Rory was being dragged along but he was fighting so much.

“Hey,” a woman called suddenly, “Let him go.”

Amy turned seeing the Doctor with a man and a woman she didn’t recognise. The Doctor pointed his sonic device at Rory and the handcuffs unlocked. The moment he was released Rory slammed his shoulder into one of the guards. Taken by surprise they couldn’t stop him as he ran towards the Doctor.

“Amy,” Kovarian called, “Back to the ship now.”

Rory stalled turning back and reaching out his hand to Amy, “Please,” he whispered, “Come with me.”

“Amy,” Kovarian snapped again.

“Please,” Rory said softly, “Don’t leave again. Stay with me. Amelia…Amy…”

She stared at him, remembering her best friend who would follow her anywhere, looking at the man he had become.

His eyes pleading with her.

Unconsciously Amy’s hand moved towards him. Their fingers touched and Amy gave a cry when she was pulled away by a soldier seeing the Doctor grab a hold of Rory to stop him chasing after her.

As she was dragged away, Amy stayed focussed on his face until the doors of the ship closed blocking him from view.

While Kovarian and the others started for the bridge, Amy slid to sit on the floor. She’d been raised to believe in her destiny, raised to know the Doctor was evil and with Rory she would be the one to stop him.

But now…

Rory wouldn’t help someone bad, he couldn’t.

And as she sat Amy began to wonder if what they were doing was right.

[yuniesan]

Girl Meets Season 6 - Episode Eleven – Girl Meets Fear for the Future

Synopsis: The Journey from High School and into College will test everything Riley knew about her life, her friendships and her love. What life lessons will she learn in her first year of college?  

[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10]

A/N: IT’S ALIVE!!!!!!!

A/N: Sorry for not writing, a lot of things happened, including me getting a little depressed about not having any job prospects after graduating, someone I know was diagnosed with cancer, my mother is having surgery, and a million other things including writer's block and insomnia. Have you ever been so stressed out that no matter what you tried it felt like everything was going wrong? Well that was me for the last month. But I thought about it all and figured that, life will go on, and I just have to keep going with it.

So, part of this chapter is catharsis, the other is me filling in the gaps for you guys on the other couples, the majority of this is based on my own friendship with my best friend, who I love with all of my heart, and while we went to college together, I was involved in a million things and she pulled away. I usually send her messages through instagram/facebook messenger/text... etc... etc... Because friends who have known each other forever, can grow apart and find their way back to one another at the same time.

Episode Eleven – Girl Meets Fear for the Future

 There was a moment, just weeks before the end of the semester, where Maya had realized that she hadn’t seen Riley in weeks. She tried to think back to the last time she had seen her best friend and the only image that popped up was from some party that had felt like an eternity away. She was sitting in her dorm room putting the final touches on a piece of art that she had to hand in for the final in her drawing class. Smackle was at her desk typing away on her laptop, mumbling to herself every once and while about something that Maya would never understand. She knew better than to interrupt the genius while looking at some math thing that only Farkle would understand.

Maya and Smackle had become good friends over the last few months, they drove into the city together with Farkle all of the time. Maya usually went to see Josh, but the four of them had somehow found themselves doing double dates in the most unusual places. Smackle wanted to learn about normal non-genius couples, but Maya had learned that it also had to do with the fact that Smackle had wanted to have some fun without all of the work. It was rare for Smackle to do non-Smackle things, so with Maya planning everything the genius got the chance to try new things.

They did these things twice a month, just the four of them, and it had become normal for her to be in the city with her parents and Josh on weekends. But now that she thought back to the last few months the one thing she had always sworn that she wouldn’t do, happened without her even trying. She had been busy, college was a lot harder for her than she had expected, but she loved her classes and tried her best in them. She was the first in her family to go to college in the first place and it had made her mother so happy that Maya hadn’t wanted to disappoint her. But Riley was also family to her and she had barely seen the brunette in weeks.

“Hey Smackle,” Maya called out to the genius. “When was the last time we all hung out together, all six of us?”

Smackle didn’t answer her, still mumbling the problem to herself, Maya wanted to ask again but instead picked up her phone and walked out into the hallway. Everyone was studying or writing papers, since the end of the semester was near so she walked into the stairwell and closed the door, quickly dialing Josh. When he didn’t pick up she sighed and left him a quick message so that he would call her back.

She sat there for another fifteen minutes wondering about what her best friend had been doing the last few weeks, and how they had both let their friendship slip. She was lost in her thoughts when someone sat down next to her pushing her slightly with their shoulder. Turning to glare at the person intruding on her thoughts, she was greeted with a warm smile of her other childhood best friend.

“Hey there,” she said smiling at Farkle. “What brings you over here this time of day?”

“Smackle sent me a message, she said you needed someone to talk to,” he said with a smile. Maya hadn’t thought that Smackle had been listening at all, but the girl had ended up calling for reinforcements. “She would help you but our professor posted an impossible problem the other day, he swore no one could figure it out, so she’s been working on it trying to prove him wrong.”

“And why aren’t you working on it?”

“I’ll have my chance, I wasn’t interested in the problem right now,” Farkle gave her a small smile. “Plus, I want Smackle to shine.”

“You’ve got a soft spot for her if you’re giving something like this up.”

“Well she has my heart, all that matters is that we’re both happy” he smiled. “Now what’s bothering you that had Smackle worried enough to call me over here.”

Maya sighed and stared at the wall in front of them, “Farkle when was the last time we talked to Riley, or hung out with Lucas and Zay?”

Farkle gave her a small smile, it must have been something that had been weighing on his mind lately, “It’s been a while,” he said as he looked down at his hands.

“Do you think Riley’s noticed?” she asked wondering why her best friend hadn’t thought to check in with them. “I mean it’s weird right?”

“Well we all have different schedules, at this point different lives,” he said before looking up at her. “You and me, we hang out more now than we used to, I’m grateful for that because you’ve helped Smackle come out of her shell just a little more, she’s trying so many things because of that.”

“But it’s not the same,” she finished before he could say the worlds. “It feels like a phantom pain, we should have known it was missing but it feels like she’s still there.”

The two of them didn’t say another word, only sitting there in silence as the light outside faded into darkness. They both had things to do, but for some reason they weren’t rushing to go do them. Someone had been walking up the stairs when they had finally realized that they had been sitting there in silence for almost an hour. Maya was surprised to see Josh standing at the bottom of the staircase looking at the two gloomy friends.

“I figured I’d visit this weekend,” Josh said smiling at her, and she knew he was trying to cheer her up. “I listened to your voicemail, and figured that you needed some comfort.”

Josh sat in front of her, his back against the railing, as he took her hand in his and held it towards his heart. Maya’s mind was at war with itself, she couldn’t figure out if she was happy or sad, there were too many things going on and no answers. No Riley to pull her back from the darkest parts of her heart.

“What’s wrong,” Josh asked them when neither had said a word.

“We just realized that we haven’t seen Riley in a while,” Farkle answered for the both of them. “I guess we just miss her.”

“You’re afraid that you’re losing her,” Josh said a sad smile on his face. “I’m pretty sure that’s not the case considering she sends me weekly emails, I’m pretty sure she sends them to you too.”

“What emails?” Maya’s head shot up at her boyfriend’s words. “Riley knows I don’t check my emails, most of the time they get lost in a sea of spam and I just leave it alone.”

“Maya, you probably have a million emails from her, just search for her name and they should pop up,” he said smiling at her. Josh somehow always tried to make things a little better whenever she unsure of something.

“Have you check your emails,” she asked Farkle who shrugged.

“I don’t remember getting anything from Riley, but I think I’ve only used my school email because of all of the assignments we’ve had, so I should check them shouldn’t I,” he said before running his hand through his hair. “I’ve been a little busy.”

“Yeah I know, you’re trying to save the world, how about you start with Smackle and get her away from what she’s doing since she’s been mumbling to herself for a while now,” Maya said as her heart felt lighter for a moment. Then she realized that if Riley had been emailing her and she hadn’t replied then she had been the horrible friend.

“Don’t think that,” Josh said as if he had read her mind. “Farkle go check on your girlfriend, I’m going to talk to Maya for a while.”

“Will do,” Farkle said with a smile. “Don’t worry Maya, Riley will be there for us even if we’ve been too preoccupied.”

She nodded but it didn’t stop the feeling of dread in her stomach. “See you later,” she said trying to sound happy as he walked off.

“Seriously,” Josh said once Farkle was gone. “Don’t think too much about it, Riley knows you’re busy, she tells me all of the time,” Maya watched as he pulled out his phone, and opened the email app. “I know Maya gets too obsessed with her art projects, just make sure she has a little fun this weekend… She sometimes forgets things when she’s in her art haze, she’s going to be a famous artist, but she needs to remember the outside world,” he said smiling at her.

“I didn’t know I went through things like that,” she said feeling herself blush, it felt so out of character for her to even do that.

“She always sends me stuff like that, let me see,” he said as he opened another email. “She likes ring dings the most, so if you take her on that picnic make sure you pack some.”

“That’s true,” Maya said with a smile.

“Her favorite color isn’t red, no matter how much she tries to tell you otherwise, her favorite color is yellow, so get her the yellow dress.”

“Really Riley,” Maya said before burying her head in her hands. “How many more of these little tidbits does she have?”

“I have them all saved, because while I know you extremely well, I’m not Riley and she pays way more attention than most people.”

“She’s my best friend, I feel horrible for not seeing these, or even calling her.”

“Maya will try and tell you that she feels bad about doing something, but it’s not her fault, we’ve been busy and I realized that I can’t always take care of her, but she has you now, so I know she’s in good hands.”

Maya felt the tears fall down her face, Riley knew her better than anyone, she always knew what to say and it filled her heart with joy.

“She’s afraid of what the future will bring, but I will always be there for her,” Josh continued as Maya cried next to him. “She needs this time to grow, and when she’s ready she’ll come looking for me,” he finished as he pulled her into his arms. “She cares, kind of reminds me of my mom with how she knows everything.”

“Did she only write that about me?”

“No, she actually wrote things about my brother, and her mom, and Auggie, somethings about Ava too, she cares about everyone in her own way. I actually got an email one day that was twelve pages long. I think everyone else emails her back except for you, Smackle and Farkle, but she will always tell me things about all three of you for weekends we hang out together.”

“Maybe we can all get together after the last final,” she said smiling at him, the one person who had somehow filled her heart with happiness, while at the same time making sure to remind her that her best friend will always be there.

“I think that would be a good idea, but I also thing that you should read all of the emails she sent you before then, send her one too telling her everything that had happened in the last few months.”

“Art haze,” she said to herself for a moment. Thinking back, she remembered there being several projects that she had been working on. One of which had been a present for Riley’s birthday which was the same day as the end of the semester. “Who knew that there was such a thing?”

“Well you do get this glassy eyed look whenever you think up a new project,” he said smiling. “I like watching you draw, it’s like watching something amazing as it happens, I can’t describe it, but Riley is right about one thing, you’re going to do great things in the future.”

“I just can’t fear it,” she said smiling at him. “There’s something scary about being afraid for the future, even when there’s so many possibilities about there.”

“The best thing you can do is believe in yourself and you’ll get over that fear,” he said to her before standing up, pulling her up with him. “You’ll always be afraid of something, but as long as there are people around to help you, you’re always going to come out on top.”

He kissed her the moment he finished talking, running his hands through her tangled hair, it felt warm and sweet, and perfect in that moment. “Thank you,” she murmured when they separated.

“Well you’ve been helping me so much this semester, I figured I owed you a few helping moments.”

“I’ll hold you to that,” she smiled at him, she knew this was the person who she would be with for all of her life, and it was weird to know something like that when she was just eighteen. “Come on let’s go save the geniuses.”

“What do you mean save them?” he asked as she pulled him along. Just as they reached her hallway, she hard Smackle scream out at Farkle before a pillow was thrown out of the room.

“Smackle, please you need to get some sleep,” Farkle said as Maya and Josh reached the door. “You will get the answer after a few hours, I promise.”

“No,” Smackle screamed out, Maya rushed over and started rubbing Smackle’s head, remembering how Mrs. Matthews had been during freshman year of high school. After a few minutes, Smackle had started mumbling to herself, and just as Maya passed her over to Farkle, the other girl had all but passed out in her boyfriend’s arms.

“See saving,” Maya said with a smile as she settled in her own bed with Josh next to her, pulling out two pairs of headphones so that they could watch a movie as the geniuses slept in the other bed.

[3arzal]

yoonmin | domestic | stylist!jimin & producer!yoongi | they have a daughter named yoonji lmao

"...come again?" Jimin nearly hisses on the phone as he feels the headache coming up. It's barely six am, Yoongi is sound asleep beside him. He takes a quick glance at the baby monitor and nearly panics when he sees their baby squirm in the crib. It's too early for anything.

"The dresses won't come in 'til later this afternoon; said there's some problem with customs and all that." His secretary, Taehyung, calmly tells him again.

"Fuck!" Jimin curses, loud enough to wake Yoongi up in a fit of anger.

"Jimin it's too early!" He groans, sitting up on the bed as he snatches the phone out of his husband's hand. "For god's sake it's like dawn and I just got in an hour ago! Can you at least get out of the room before you throw a fit?" He's mad pissed, and Jimin doesn't need another reason to be mad so early in the morning. He glares at Yoongi with all his might before he snatches his phone back and heads out.

"Sorry," He closes the door behind him, going back to the phone with Taehyung. "Shit, Tae. Can you call customs and ask them to just give it? We've never had that problem before and they're just a bunch of dresses. Pay them if you need to."

"I'll see what I can do, but the office doesn't open 'til like 8 so can I sleep for a little more?" Taehyung asks, a little cheeky but Jimin knows he's serious. They had a late night a while ago and they're all tired. He gives Taehyung the go signal and hangs up, immediately retreating to Yoonji's room and curling up on the floor beside the crib.

He sighs in frustration. One, he has important fittings later this evening and he has to get everything ready just in case one of his clients wants to come early--that's gonna be Song Hye Kyo, and Jimin doesn't want them to wait any longer if the dresses won't come by in the afternoon. Two, it's not exactly ideal to sleep on a cold carpet, but he can't exactly fit in his daughter's crib, too. He pissed Yoongi off so early in the morning and he knows he can't go back to bed with his husband, not with his pride on the line.

He groans out loud, unaware of the baby monitor that Yoongi has been staring at from the other room, and curls up on the floor so he can go back to sleep.

-

Jimin remembers sleeping on the floor, but he wakes up on the bed about two hours later with a sore neck and Yoonji still sound asleep beside him. He sees the other lump on the bed facing him, Yoongi still fast asleep with his hideous eye bags and Jimin suddenly wants to punch himself for being such a bad husband and father. His eyes tear up at the sight, remembering this morning's fiasco. It happens way too often now that award seasons are coming up and he's been too busy with his work that he often neglects his little family. Eight months old Yoonji obviously needs much attention, and with Yoongi also working at the studio, it's Jimin's responsibility to take care of his daughter while he works at home.

He scoots a little closer to his darling angel and kisses her forehead. She and Yoongi and strikingly similar while asleep like this, and Jimin's heart does a double take, swelling with so much fondness. He's missing out a lot, and he wants to be there for the both of them at all times. He wants the year to be over, though, so he can catch up on a lot of things he's been missing.

Yoongi must have picked him up a while ago and put him to bed. That realization makes Jimin a little bit guilty, because as Yoongi said years and years ago, he'll always be his top priority even if he's being a bitch. They fight a lot now that they're married, now that they have Yoonji, but Yoongi never fails to be the sweetest and most caring husband. Jimin's lucky to have him, yet another part of his mind tells him he doesn't deserve Yoongi. He toys with the idea of being okay and not being good enough, but with the amount of camouflaged love that Yoongi has been showing him for the most part of their relationship, Jimin thinks they deserve each other just right.

He leans over Yoonji to cup Yoongi's jaw, ever so gently. He places a soft kiss on his husband's cheek, mouthing a very soft I love you against the swollen flesh.

He gets up from the bed eventually, but only after placing his pillow beside Yoonji so she doesn't fall when she rolls over. He quickly goes through his morning routine in the en suite bathroom, thinking about what he should cook for breakfast, if Yoongi will still be pissed when he wakes up. He's got a big problem to face and he can't waste any time. He makes a quick breakfast of scrambled eggs and toast and roasts coffee in the pot for Yoongi later. He scrolls through his emails, still no text from Taehyung and it's nearly 9am, and Jimin still has to interview a new intern so he has an extra hand in the studio. He doesn't look nearly as presentable as he does when he's photographed for events -- sweats and Yoongi's high school basketball shirt just won't do, even if it's just an intern, so he quickly rummages through his wardrobe for something decent to wear before the applicant comes in in under thirty minutes.

It's gonna be a long day.

-

"I had to pay a hefty amount to the OIC. For some fucking dresses, Jimin. I nearly asked him if I can just suck his--"

"Okay, enough." Jimin puts out a hand dramatically, immediately stopping Taehyung from what he was about to say. All that matters it's that it's past noon and the dresses are safe in the studio and they can fix it all up before the clients start coming in. "I don't wanna hear your stories, Tae. At least not when I'm problematic and sober."

"Touche." Taehyung whisks away all the Ellie Saabs in one hand, and all the Miumiu in another. He shouts an excited Yoonji-yah! to his favorite niece when he passes by her playpen. The little girl blinks at him twice and giggles. Taehyung's her favorite uncle after all. "You're so cute." He crouches down by her side when he's finished hanging all the dresses. He gives her a big smooch and a funny face which Yoonji doesn't find funny at all. Taehyung walks away with a pout. "So...how's...you and Yoongi-hyung?" He asks tentatively, not wanting to rile Jimin up again. To his surprise, Jimin reacts calmly.

"We're...okay? After I hung up I went to Yoonji's room and slept on the floor but I woke up on the bed so I guess he's...he's..." Jimin stares into the distance dreamily. He's always so enamored by his husband, no matter how many times they fight these days. "I mean. Yeah, we're okay."

"You're so fucking smitten." Taehyung cackles madly as he unloads the last dresses to hang on the rack. "Gonna give Yoonji another sibling after this?"

"Tae!"

It's then that Yoongi comes into the studio with a cup of coffee in hand, half naked, and with the sexiest bed hair that Jimin has ever seen.

"Babe--oh, hey Tae." He stares on blankly, careful not to spill his coffee as he makes his way to Jimin. He sets the mug on the table and backhugs his husband, a silent good morning pressed into Jimin's neck. "Where's Yoonji?"

"Yoonji is here and I'm taking her to her room to play so you two can...you know."

"Shut up, Taehyung, oh my god." That doesn't stop Jimin from turning around in Yoongi's arms, though. He kisses his man a good morning, too, arms coming up around Yoongi's neck.

[stallingdemons]

Doll

Requested. (I kept trying to write this with winter soldier Bucky but felt so strongly that this quote was more 1940′s Bucky) 

Song or quote : Of course I would date you, who wouldn’t? Who: Bucky Barnes

“You look absolutely ritzy, [Y/N].” Clare exclaimed once she saw her friend step out from behind the changing curtain, “You’re gonna knock em all dead when they see you tonight!”

[Y/N] frowned as she looked at herself in the mirror, “You sure?” Turning and twisting her body, she scrunched up her nose. “Maybe I shouldn’t tonight, Clare.” Turning to face her dolled up friend, she sighed.

“Oh, no you don’t.” Clare stamped her foot in protest, “We’re going to this dancing joint and we’re gonna find ourselves a couple of big sixes and not some drugstore cowboy, you hear?” 

Nodding her in head defeat, she followed Clare out the door and towards the joint that her friend had been raving about non stop. It took around ten minutes before they ended up waving down a cab and took even longer to reach their designation. Enough time for it pass by for [Y/N] to realize that her going out tonight in her ruby red dress was a mistake. But, she had nowhere but to go except for wherever Clare was taking her. 

“Everyone here looks so spiffy! Don’t ya think, [Y/N]?” Clare linked arms with [Y/N] as they weaved in and out of the place. Lowering her voice but still containing excitement, she breathed out, “So many flappers-oh look there’s John! Remember him, huh? He’s a fly boy now.” If Clare’s heart could have leaped out of her chest and onto the floor, [Y/N] would have bet a nickel that it had just done so. “Do I look okay?” 

[Y/N] pressed her lips into smile, forcing herself into it knowing that the minute she said yes, Clare was going to bound off towards him. “You look always look swanky, Clare.” 

Squealing loudly, Clare tore herself away [Y/N] and sprinted towards John who she had to admit had grown up quite nicely from the little scrawny boy he used to be. 

It felt like hours had passed by as [Y/N] watched Clare and John laugh it up. At least someone’s having a good time, she thought as she ordered another drink. Just as she was about to take a sip, her attention was pulled elsewhere to the sound of a man talking to her.

“Hey there, doll. What’s a pretty dame like you doing all by yourself?” 

Turning her head to face the voice, her eyes lit up to find a familiar face. Standing up from her stool, she winced as she almost knocked over her glass. “As I live and breathe, is that you, Bucky?” 

Grinning, Bucky spun around in his uniform, “It sure is.” 

Without thinking twice, she reached for a hug. It had been months since she had last seen him. She had grown up just down the street from Bucky from the time they were little kids. After a minute of hugging him, she took a step back and admired his digs. “You look mighty spiffy and is that? Would you look at that, Sergeant Barnes.” [Y/N] gently tapped the plate on his chest and beamed, “That’s wonderful!” Sitting back down on her stool, she frowned, “Say, where’s Rogers?” 

Bucky shrugged, sitting down next to her, “Said he was feelin’ under the weather.” Ordering a drink for himself, he flickered a look towards [Y/N] when she wasn’t paying attention. Bucky had always found her to be exquisite, he was just always too afraid to use his lines on her. “Speaking of friends, where’s your trouble maker Clare?” 

Snorting softly, [Y/N] shrugged as well. “Beats me, John probably went to take her to go neck.” Twirling a curl of hers, she sighed, “I don’t know why I keep agreeing to go out with her when all I know is that she’ll leave me when we get there. I’m such a pushover.” 

Frowning, “You aren’t a pushover, come on, stop” He leaned forward, smiling lightly, “Between you and me, doll. Clare’s just lookin’ for a daddy, you and I both know that.” Sitting straight up, he looked around the place, “I’m sure you do just fine on your own anyways.” 

“Oh yeah? Tell me why you’re the only one that’s approached me so far.” Sulking, she sighed again. “I’m just a plain ole Jane whenever Clare’s around. You and I both know that.”

“Says you!” Bucky halfway shouted incredulously. Throwing apologetic looks to the patrons around the bar for startling them, he shook his head as he looked dead straight into [Y/N]’s eyes. “Doll, you’ve got it all wrong. You’re the kind of dame that a fella walks down the middle aisle.”

Shaking her head, she chuckled. “You’re all wet, Barnes.”

He chuckled along with her, “I’m serious. These fellas,” Bucky looked around, shaking his head, “aren’t the kind of fellas you want anyway [Y/N].”

“And I suppose the kind of a fella I should be after is someone like you, huh?” She remarked playfully. 

Bucky smirked, “As a matter of fact, yes.”

[Y/N] froze, “Wh-what?”

Standing up from the stool, he held out his arm, “Come on, baby. Why don’t we go to the Tin Pan Alley and blow this joint. I know how much you love that music.” 

Staring at him with her mouth hung slightly open, she struggled to get the words out of her mouth. “Are you, are you asking me on a date?” 

Chuckling, “Yes m’am.”

“But why?!”

Bucky gently grabbed [Y/N]’s shoulders and stood her up from the stool. “Because doll, you’re the only dame in here that’s kept my focus all night. Took me an hour just to muster up the courage to come over and talk to you.”

“But, we’ve been friends for years, Buck. You know you can always talk to me.” 

“Normally, yes.” Bucky replied, giving her a small smile, “But not when you’re wearing this beautiful dress. I’m stuck on you, doll. So what do you say? Come with me to Tin Pan Alley. I promise you’ll have a good time. I’ll take you dancing another night.” 

“Another night?” [Y/N] squeaked, “You mean there will be other nights with you?” 

Bucky threw his head back and laughed, “What is with you?”

Shaking her head, she nervously laughed. “Nothing, it’s just, it’s strange to hear that you’d date me.” 

“Of course I would date you, who wouldn’t?” Bucky said with a brow raised.

Motioning to the crowd dancing, “All of them.” 

Snaking an arm around her waist, he chuckled low. “Good, because then that means you’re all mine. I promise I won’t be a flat tire tonight, [Y/N]. Give me a chance to turn this night around.” 

Nodding, she smiled. “I’ll give you a chance, but, uh, Bucky?”

“Yes, doll?”

“That banks closed, so no funny business.” She pulled away from his grasp and slung on her coat, giving him a smirk.

“What? Come on, doll. Not even a single kiss tonight?” 

Patting his shoulder, she giggled. “Not even one.” 

Watching her head for the door, he shook his head and laughed. “I see you’re going to make me work for it, it’s alright. I like a challenge.” 

1940′s lingo ritzy - elegant joint - establishment big six - strong men drugstore cowboy - a guy who picks up chicks on a corner flapper - a woman who wears short skirts/dress with short hair fly boy - an aviator  swanky - ritzy (elegant) dame - female go neck - kissing with passion daddy - an older man with money middle aisle - get married to all wet - wrong, incorrect stuck on you - crush Tin Pan Alley - the music district in New York City flat tire - boring date banks closed - no kissing 

[vizkopa]

Closer (Zoro x Reader) Soulmate AU

Fem!Reader Word Count: 2350

~

You felt soft sunlight on your eyelids, filtered through cheap motel curtains. The smell of freshly made instant coffee—bitter but welcome nevertheless—roused you from sleep, though it was still not enough to mask the scent of the cigarette smoke that permeated the very walls of the place. But you didn’t mind. As far as mornings in motel rooms went, this was pretty close to perfect. Especially when said coffee was being brought to you by a half-naked man in grey sweats that left little to the imagination. He set the coffee down on the stained nightstand, running one hand through still-damp green hair. You smiled sleepily up at him. “Mmm, good morning,” you said. “Morning,” he grinned back. You sat up and stretched, sighing appreciatively as your joints popped. “What time is it?” “Just after nine. We got plenty of time.”

You peered at him curiously from under your lashes. “Plenty of time for what, Roronoa?” you teased. You took the opportunity to really appreciate him in all his post-shower glory. Droplets of water still clung to his bronzed skin, sliding down his bare chest to catch in the waistband of his sweats that hung low on his hips. The edges of a tattoo were just visible beneath his left hip bone, raw and wild and everything that embodied Zoro. You tore your eyes away from it. Looking only made it hurt more to know that some stranger bore its counterpart when it should have been you all along. Zoro noticed the downturn in your mood and tackled you to the bed, peppering kisses over your face and neck, before lavishing attention on your shoulder where your own tattoo stood out like a beacon on your skin. You flinched away from the touch of his lips and he pulled back, the skin between his brows crinkling in a slight frown. “Hey,” he said, running the pads of his thumbs across your cheek bones. His eyes captured yours, daring you to look away. “I love you. No ink is going to change that.” “You’ve never met them. You don’t know that.” “Would you ever go back to him?” “Not in a million years.” “If you can walk away then so can I. Trust me, [Name].” “It’s not you I don’t trust. It’s fate that’s trying to keep us apart.” “Then we keep running. As long as we need to.” You smiled then. “And never look back.” He grinned back. “There’s my girl. Now, we have an hour before we need to check out of here and the this is the first time we’ve had a real bed in a week.” It was mornings like this you lived for. Quiet motels in the middle of nowhere. No one to recognise you, no one to judge you, to hold you back or tie you down. You could take as long as you needed—it was as if time itself waited for you, the occasional truck thundering along the highway outside the only sign it was even still moving at all. Some mornings it got away from you, and you would miss your checkout time. Neither of you minded. You would simply pay for another night—you had nowhere to be. On the road, time didn’t exist. Only the feeling of each other’s skin in the back of your Land Rover, of the sharp sting of teeth on your shoulder, mismatched tattoos bared shamelessly to the world. Together, you felt like you could live forever. But fate doesn’t like it when you disrupt its plans. “Babe, wake up, we’re nearly there,” You opened your eyes blearily and looked at the time. Almost 1am. “Wow, you only managed to get us lost twice this time,” you teased. “Shut up.” “How long?” “About twenty minutes out.” “Wanna switch?” “Nah, I’m good. I’ll sleep when we get there.” The car jerked suddenly and the engine sputtered and died. Zoro wrestled it over to the verge, wrinkling his nose at the acrid smell of smoke seeping in through the vents. “Well, shit.” Your heart sank. “Seriously, again? This old bucket of junk is costing us more than it’s worth.” “We can walk it maybe? If we hurry, we can make it before the sun rises, find a motel, call a mechanic.”

“I’m not walking along a highway at one in the morning. We’ll get killed and left in a ditch or something.” “Then you can wait here and I’ll go get help.” “That’s even worse!” “You got a better idea?” You twisted in your seat to flash him a mischievous grin. “We could just wait here. I’m sure we can find a way to… occupy ourselves until morning.” Zoro looked at you, incredulous. “You are insatiable.” “Only for you.” His hands were on you in an instant, pulling you into his lap. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.” It was almost noon the next day before the repair service finally arrived and you were dying for a coffee. Despite living out of your car for the last six months, you were still not used to sleeping in car seats. Zoro had even let you take the back seat that night. It didn’t seem to matter; you were still nursing a crick in your neck. The truck pulled up beside you and a young woman jumped out. She was wearing the most outrageously short jean shorts and a shirt bearing the company’s logo and her name—Bonney—across the breast. Her obnoxiously pink hair was too bright for such a morning and it only left you all the more sour about your situation. For every idealistic morning fooling around in motel rooms with Zoro, there were always those mornings that made you wonder if it was all worth it. After relaying what happened to the mechanic, Zoro sidled up to you and pressed a kiss to your temple. Humming contentedly, you moulded yourself against his side and closed your eyes. Yeah. It was worth it. “I found your problem, but I’m gonna have to take a better look at it back at the shop. I can give you folks a ride into town if you like?” Zoro was in the middle of accepting her offer when you saw it. The way her shirt rode up ever so slightly as she reached up to pull the hood back down, the sharp lines of the tattoo that stood out stark against the white skin below her left hip bone. You heard Zoro’s sharp intake of breath. It was the sound of your whole world collapsing around you. Of all the roads in the country, your car had to break down on this one. You almost wanted to laugh. You felt Zoro’s hand on your shoulder. “We’ll talk about this when we get to a hotel.” Neither of you said anything the whole ride into town. Zoro stared blankly out of the window, a slight frown furrowing his brow. You were concentrating on trying to keep your breathing under control, trying not to think about how you were currently sitting wedged between your boyfriend and your boyfriend’s soulmate. Fate really was cruel. Bonney dropped the two of you off at a motel close to her shop. “I’ll call when you can pick her up.” Then she was gone and you could breathe again. Zoro booked your room while you waited outside. You had no idea how he was staying so calm in this situation. If your own experience was anything to go by, rational thought and instinct would be warring inside his head right now. You were dreading the impending conversation. He said nothing as he led you to your room and you were beginning to fear the worst. He was going to leave you. You should have seen it coming the second you agreed to run away with him. You closed the motel room door behind you and leaned against the cool wood. “Did you feel it?” You knew he would know what you were talking about. It was impossible to ignore—the inevitable tug of the red string of fade, the undeniable draw. Zoro sat down heavily on the bed and let out a long breath. “Yeah,” he said. “I felt it.” “Then you understand why I was so worried.” “Hey,” he said, standing and walking over to you. “You have no reason to be worried. She might be my soulmate but she’s still a stranger. I’m not gonna choose her over you.” “You say that now, but the longer you wait, the louder the call.” He took you face in his hands, made you look at him. “So we get out of here. As soon as the car is ready, we take off. We never look back.” You shook your head, tears welling in the corners of your eyes. “You don’t understand. You don’t know how hard it is. To leave them behind… it’s like tearing yourself apart.” “Then I will tear myself apart for you,” Zoro growled. “Damn it, [Name], I love you.” You looked up at him, at the fierce resolve in his eyes. “Prove it,” you whispered. And he did. Multiple times. The next morning, you were woken early to a knock on the door. Zoro hastily pulled on a pair of sweats and got up to answer, pressing a swift kiss to your forehead as he did so. You yawned and rolled over, ready to go back to sleep until you heard a familiar voice. “Hey, I was in the area and just thought I’d stop by to let you guys know your car is good… to go… is that what I think it is?” Your eyes shot open. Zoro hadn’t thought to put on a shirt. “Your tattoo… it’s…” No! You scrambled to pull on your clothes, rushing to his side. Bonney stood in the doorway, eyes darting between the two of you. Zoro reached out and took your hand, squeezing reassuringly. It’ll be okay. We’ll be okay. “Why are you… why would you… I don’t understand.” Her voice was starting to rise. You could feel her gaze on you, on your tattoo. You couldn’t bring yourself to look her in the eye. “Listen,” Zoro said, trying to keep his voice low. “We can explain everything, just… give us a chance.” “Why should I?” Bonney’s voice shook. Then she turned on you. “Does your soulmate know? About this… affair? Do you have any shame?” “Hey!” Zoro cut in. “This isn’t on her. This a choice we both made.” Bonney scoffed. “It’s not supposed to be a choice. What you’re doing, it’s—it’s unnatural!” “Look, I don’t know you and you don’t know me. I don’t care what the marks on our skin say. If you ask me, forcing two strangers to be together is a hell of a lot more unnatural.” Angry tears were now beginning to show themselves. Bonney’s lip quivered. “What gives you the right to decide that I should live my life alone? When you realise it isn’t all about you, come find me.” She stormed off without another word. Zoro shut the door a little too hard behind her. He turned to you only to find you in tears. The anger washed away immediately and he gathered you up in his arms. “Zoro, I can’t go through this again,” you sobbed. “I can’t hurt anyone else.” “Shhh,” he soothed, burying his face in your hair. “You won’t have to. I’m gonna go talk to her.” You clutched him tighter and he chuckled. “Don’t worry. I’ll come back.” “Promise?” “I promise.” Watching him go out that door was the hardest thing you had ever done. No matter how much he’d reassured you before he left, it did nothing to dispel the dread, the nagging, incessant thought that he might never come back. You had done it all before and it had almost destroyed you had it not been for Zoro. Without him, you don’t think you could resist the call any longer. You waited in the room, perched nervously at the end of the bed. You didn’t dare close your eyes for even a second because you didn’t want to miss the moment he came home to you. Please, come back to me. It was late into the afternoon when you finally heard he key rattling in the lock. You were on your feet and across the room before Zoro had even closed the door behind him. You threw your arms around his neck and hugged him tight, violent sobs of relief wracking your body. He was tired—you could feel it in his posture—but he hugged you back with just as much fervour, sighing contentedly into your hair. “Told you I’d come back,” he said, voice hoarse with emotion. You released him and pulled back to examine his face, taking in his dishevelled hair, no doubt from running his hands through it in frustration, and the wrinkle between his brows he only got when he was stressed. “How did it go?” Zoro led you to sit down on the bed, and he collapsed beside you. “She’s not happy,” he said and immediately your heart sank. “But I told her our story and she’s willing to give us a chance.” “What, really?” He nodded. “She said she doesn’t fully understand it, but she’s never seen two people this happy.” Then he flashed you a grin. “Then she threw a wrench at me and told me to get out of her sight and never come back.” You chuckled and leaned in to kiss him. You didn’t care what others thought, what they whispered behind your backs. Nothing in your life had every felt as pure, as right as being with Zoro did. No one was going to take that away from you. “Where should we go?” “Hmmm…” he hummed, nuzzling your neck as he contemplated. “How about Japan?” “Japan?” “Yeah.” You laughed. “Any reason?” “Nope. Just the first place that came to mind.” You smiled. You would go anywhere if it meant you were with him. “Japan it is.”

[joanofsnarrrk]

Charted: Domesticity Stateside - Part 2

It’s been nearly a year since I posted the first part of this series, Charted: Domesticity Stateside, which documented my need for a happy, domestic ending for the Adventure Family even before I played Uncharted 4. Since then, I’ve played U4, let it change me as a person fundamentally, and almost immediately started on a sequel, which after close to a year, I’ve finally completed. So please enjoy Charted: Louisiana, Libertalia, and Lemurs! (Or, the running tally for life after Libertalia goes as follows: one marriage salvaged, two family members gained, and three attempts at trying to convince your wife that a lemur is a suitable house pet.) 

It can also be found here: AO3 - Fanfiction

The move to Louisiana is an exciting and somewhat stressful affair.

The offer for their current house comes in on a Tuesday at the close of the business day in early June. It comes in at a decent amount over their asking price, so even though they haven’t finalized anything on the new home—let alone put in an actual offer yet—Elena assures the realtor on the other end of the phone (through the smile that’s threatening to split her face in two) that she and Nate accept. When Nate hears the news, he spins Elena around, his smile mirroring hers.

“We’ve never had a plan before,” he says in response to her concerns about the timetable for the move. “Why should we start now?”

So Elena hands in her two-weeks to WFTV ABC 9 that Wednesday, much to the disappointment of Gary, who works in editing (“Viewership is gonna go down without you providing a weekly dose of explosions overseas.”), while Nate focuses all of his energy on packing up the inordinate amount of books and artifacts they’ve come to accumulate within the last three years (“How do we have seven copies of The Science of Adventure?”). They try to goad Sully into helping by offering a box of Cubans and a bottle of really good scotch. Eventually, he caves, but only in helping them load the packed boxes into the moving truck (“There’s not enough treasure in the world that could convince me to get in there; Nate’s a damn hoarder.”). They try the same thing for Charlie and Chloe, but they’re both in Berlin, no further details given (“Keep us updated though, will you?”)

Before they know it, Elena takes one last video of the old place—including reactions from Nate and Sully (which she promptly uploads to Instagram, Chloe and Charlie her first two likes)—and they’re traveling down I-12, everything packed and ready for Louisiana.

About an hour into the drive, Elena receives a call with a ‘225’ area code. Over speakerphone, the realtor tells she and Nate that their offer has been accepted, and they’ve barely hung up before Nate comments, “Guess this means we can cancel the hotel arrangements, huh?”

It’s nearly dusk by the time they finally arrive at the new place, legs and arms stiff from the close to ten-hour drive. Once they’ve done the walkthrough of the new place, they make a pact to start tackling the unpacking tomorrow. In the meantime, they both collapse on the front porch, grinning lazily into the setting sun. Nate procures a small bottle of champagne, that’s regrettably lukewarm since the ice in the cooler melted about two hours ago. He pours it into their empty Popeye’s soda cups, and they toast to their luck and their new home.

“You know what would make this place even better?” Nate eventually asks. Elena’s at his side, her head on his shoulder. He kisses the top of it.

“Hmm?” she asks as she snuggles up against him, her eyes closed against the deep orange glow from the horizon.

“If we got a pet lemur.”

ii.

Admittedly, leaving the life and moving to Louisiana ends up affecting Elena more than she thought it would. She still writes, of course, and everyone in the neighborhood is pleasant enough, but it doesn’t take long for a desire for the familiar to set in, which is how she ends up buying a pre-owned PlayStation 4 after she runs out of excuses to give to Chloe and Charlie for not getting one in the first place.

Apparently, Chloe and Charlie play shooters online

“I’m telling you,” Chloe says over Bluetooth. Elena’s still trying to work out how to turn the system on, not quite able to wrap her head around how the machine has changed in a few generations. “You’re going to love it.”

After randomly pressing buttons, Elena hears the faint beep and sees the blue light turn on when she presses the right one. She smiles at the PlayStation logo that appears on the screen and the low hum of the console. “But I don’t play competitively.”

“Yet,” Chloe assures, her voice tinny over the earpiece. “You don’t play competitively yet.”

“I don’t know, Chloe,” Elena counters. The screen is asking for her login information and a bunch of different setting preferences, and since when did a game need to be connected to the wireless? Apparently, video games became a lot more involved than the last time she played. “I think I might just be a bandicoot and fruit collecting kind of girl.”

Chloe sighs. “You’re only saying that because you’ve yet to experience the utter satisfaction of completely destroying insecure men at virtual combat and then trash talking them afterward.”

It had felt pretty great schooling Nate with Crash Bandicoot. Maybe Chloe has a point.

“Fine.” Elena’s shoulders sag as she lets out a sigh, her eyes on the screen. It’s asking for some kind of username? She wracks her brain for a moment before settling on Sunshine. The screen informs her that the name has already been taken when she hits enter, so she amends it to Sunshine07, adding the year she met Nate and Sully. That works. “But you can’t make fun of me when it turns out that I am terrible at this.”

Chloe laughs on her end. “I can make no such promise!” she protests, as if the mere thought goes against who she is fundamentally as a person. “But if it makes you feel better, Charlie is absolute rubbish at it, and I keep him around anyway.”

Another line emits static as it comes to life. “Oi, watch it!” Charlie’s voice comes in over the mic. “I hold my own well enough, thank you very much.”

“Oh, is that what we’re calling it?” Chloe asks, her smirk audible.

Charlie shrugs, or at least, that’s what Elena imagines he does. “Absolutely we are,” he assures her. “And it’s no worse than bullying children online, which I believe is your claim to fame.”

“That is absolutely not fair; it was one time!” Chloe protests, immediately on the defensive, despite Charlie’s laughter in the background. “How was I supposed to know? The foul nature of his username suggested someone nearly twice his age. All the more reason, I say, to keep young children from playing games made for adults.”

“Oh, sure,” Charlie says, still laughing, “blame the parents.”

Elena lets their back and forth play out, before focus naturally swings back to the game they’re trying to play. Turns out, she has to friend both of them before they can start playing. Within moments, she receives friend confirmations from brighteyezz and Charles_of_Arabia, and after a minimal amount of coaching, she manages to get the game inserted and loaded.

“Okay,” she says, Bluetooth mic in place, her legs pulled up and under her on the couch, and the game’s home screen illuminating the TV, “let’s take these knuckleheads down.”

There’s only a minimal amount of snickering that comes through her mic in response.

iii.

“Tango on my six. Someone take this douchebag down.”

“Say no more,” Chloe responds. Like clockwork, the guy behind Elena takes a head shot. She watches the screen as his skull explodes in a truly gratuitous display of violence and guts.

“Oh, beautiful,” Charlie chimes in. “That guy’s been a right arsehole since we started, camping at all our spawn points and mowing us down, no mercy whatsoever. Humiliate him, Bright Eyes.”

“With pleasure,” she coos, changing her mic from their private party chat to the general lobby. When she finishes, they’re down one player in the lobby, and Elena beams.

As it turns out, Elena’s really good at shooters. To the point where Chloe and Charlie actually begged her to join their clan after a few months and play with them regularly. And even though it’s only ever been about having fun and relieving stress for her, Elena can’t help feeling a sense of pride that the three of them have developed a bit of a reputation in the online community for being pretty unstoppable. Her personal stats alone are enough to keep most trolls off her back, so she generally doesn’t have to verbally retaliate. But even if she has to, she can hold her own, thanks to Chloe’s tutelage. Charlie, on the other hand, is embarrassingly bad at trash talk, much to Chloe and Elena’s amusement.

Her attention is momentarily torn from the game when she hears the front door open. Nate’s not normally home this early, and Elena’s never been fully upfront about her new gaming hobby, so it takes him a moment to adjust to the sight before him, after he toes his shoes off and dumps his bag on the floor next to them. Elena’s sitting on the edge of the couch, her body leaning forward, her headset (a minor upgrade) on as she issues commands to Charlie and Chloe. She smiles widely when he sinks into the couch next to her.

“You miss me that much that you’re talking to yourself?” he asks as he wraps his arm around her shoulders, planting a kiss on the top of her head. It’s distracting enough that she misses her next shot, giving her opponent the chance to shoot her, which he does. Chloe has a stream of expletives in response, which Elena pointedly ignores.

“Hey, you. You’re home early,” she says, covertly muting the mic and snuggling into Nate’s side. He tightens his grasp in response,

“Yeah, pretty light day for salvaging,” he explains, idly tracing random lines on her shoulder. It’s super distracting, which is how she misses another shot. On cue, Chloe and Charlie have some choice words for her. Nate’s gaze is trained on the screen, which is how his next statement comes to pass. “Did that fox with pants join the army in the sequel?”

Elena snorts. “It’s a bandicoot,” she says reflexively. “And, no. This is a completely different game.”

“It looks violent,” he concludes, which she can’t help noticing the irony after everything they’ve been through. After a beat, he adds, “Can I try it?”

She hands the controller over to him willingly (recognizing this match as a rare failure at this stage, anyway) and watches in awe as Nate somehow outdoes himself by playing abysmally. Amazingly, his hand-eye coordination is pretty terrible for someone who used to require precise dexterity to swing across buildings and caverns. Hiding her laughter becomes an impossibility when, after five deaths in a row (two of which happened as a result of pushing the left joystick too far, so his character just kept running in circles), Chloe and Charlie go ballistic.

“Elena. Sweetheart,” Chloe says slowly, trying in vain to restrain her fury and failing. “Have you hit your head and become concussed? Because that’s the only explanation I can conjure for the shit show that is your current performance.”

“Absolute bollocks! Get your head out of your arse and play like you know what a video game is,” Charlie demands, decidedly more forthcoming with his frustration.

“Guys,” she finally chimes in, switching the mic from mute. She’s giggling too hard for anything to be very coherent, but she presses on. “It’s not me, it’s Nate.”

The sound of their collective outrage (“Bloody hell,” barks Charlie) is so loud that Nate can hear it, even over Elena’s laughter. When he asks who she’s talking to, she wordlessly switches her mic to external audio, the sound of Chloe and Charlie making fun of him now projected into the living room. Nate’s ears go slightly pink, and Elena only feels a little guilty for being unable to stop laughing.

“Ha, ha, laugh it up, guys,” he shoots off sarcastically, tossing the controller back in Elena’s lap. “I may not be able to play video games, but I did discover Shambhala, you know.”

Charlie groans, and Elena pokes Nate in the side, booing at him. Chloe actually blows a raspberry in response.

“Oh, come off it, Nate. That excuse lost its appeal the first thousand times you used it.”

“Yeah,” Charlie adds, “don’t make us dislike you anymore than we already do for you being a shit player.”

iv.

When Jamison’s wife, Carla, invites Elena to join her for her yoga class late one Thursday afternoon, Elena can’t say anything but yes. Jamison and Carla were the first ones to make Elena and Nate feel welcome when they moved to Louisiana, and they consistently invite the two of them over for dinner every month. Elena can’t ignore the small amount of guilt that may or may not be playing a factor in her decision.

She can, however, ask a friend to come with her. A friend who arrived from Berlin two days ago and is currently sleeping on their couch. A friend like Chloe.

“I simply don’t understand suburbia,” Chloe says, saying the last word as though it’s the most repulsive concept she’s ever heard.

“First of all,” Elena counters through laughter, “where we live hardly classifies as ‘suburbia,’ and second”—she gestures to her stomach—“you go surprisingly soft when you’re not running for your life from some mythical, collapsing city.”

“Yes, but why must I suffer because of your choice to leave the life?” Chloe demands as she holds the studio door open.

Elena thinks for a moment. “Because you’re working on being a really good friend?”

Chloe’s head falls back as she barks with laughter. “And you are apparently working on being a really bad liar?”

“Oh, come on,” Elena coaxes. She goes so far as to link her arm with Chloe’s before they enter the studio. “It’s gonna be great!”

v.

It’s not great, for the record.

Carla neglects to mention that the yoga class she attends is hot yoga, which Elena can only compare to doing yoga smack dab in the middle of the Rub’ al Khali. Just when her body adjusted to the temperature inside the studio, the ventilation system would pump even more hot air into the confined space. She doesn’t even bother with the showers afterward, just pushes her way out through the front entrance, where she braces her hands on her thighs and gulps in the clean and comparatively cool air.

“It’s…gonna be…great, huh?” Chloe gasps, following suit as she slides down the side of the building, her legs sprawled out on the ground. Much like Elena, she’s drenched in sweat, droplets of it dripping from her hair into the red, water wicking material of her tank top. “Please be sure to engrave ‘it’s gonna be great’ on my… tombstone once they scrape my body off this sidewalk and…bury me in a shallow grave.”

“I’m so sorry,” she apologizes, unable to laugh like she normally would due to exhaustion. Unlike Chloe, Elena has on an old, baggy t-shirt, which is now plastered to her body, almost obscenely. “Remind me to—” She has to stop momentarily, her lungs stubbornly not cooperating with her desire to breathe. She collapses next to Chloe. “—Remind me to…forget it. I’m so exhausted, I forgot what I was going to say.”

“I won’t…hold it against you,” Chloe promises, trying in vain to keep her breathing even, “if you promise to never do this again.”

That makes Elena laugh. Then, it makes her cough violently. “Deal,” she wheezes.

Carla, freshly showered and rejuvenated, exits the studio, glimpses the two of them and chuckles, not unkindly, before going to get the car started.

vi.

Not even a week after arriving back stateside from Libertalia, and Nate refuses to drop the subject. Madagascar did nothing to change his mind.

“Elena—” he begins, still engrossed in whatever National Geographic article he has pulled up on the computer in her office. His furrowed brow and overall determination make her shake her head.

“No way,” Elena interrupts. One glance at the computer screen, and she knows. She just knows what her well-meaning, but beating-a-dead-horse husband is about to say. “We are absolutely not—”

“But they eat mostly plants, they’re mostly solitary, and,” Nate continues, as if Elena wasn’t speaking, “it says here…that many of them exhibit female dominance, so…y’know,” he explains by way of not explaining when Elena stares at him blankly, “they’re obviously feminists.”

Elena snorts so loudly, it covers her laughter. Mostly. “Sure, obviously feminists.”

“Yeah,” Nate says in response, grinning infectiously, “girl power and all that.”

“Nate, you are actually exceeding the levels of crazy I expect from you,” she admits. When it looks like he’s about to protest, she places her hand over his mouth. “I love you, but we are absolutely not getting a pet lemur.”

vii.

“Not it!”

Nate looks at his wife, exasperated, once they both realize they said it at the same time. Elena, mouth contorted into an ‘o’ of surprise and finger pointed accusatorily, tries to stop the grin that breaks out onto her face, but she fails.

Miserably.

“I totally said it first,” Elena claims, though it doesn’t help that she is laughing.

Nate scoffs. “You totally did not.”

“Oh, come on,” she tries again, nudging him with her shoulder. “I meant it when I said we would have to share doing paperwork.” She sighs. “If only you would carry your half of the weight.”

This time, Nate starts laughing. “Elena, you are so full of crap. I just finished a week’s worth of phone calls and permit applications for our dig in Malaysia yesterday, so don’t you start.” He scrubs a hand over his face before he catches sight of something behind her, and his eyes light up. “Okay, how about I play you for it?”

Elena’s eyebrows rise. “You sure that’s the smartest move there, cowboy?”

“Nuh-nuh-no, I learned my lesson last time,” Nate replies, leaning back in the desk chair. He gestures to the bookcase behind Elena. “No, I’m talking about those.”

She follows his line of sight to the off-brand Nerf pistols that had somehow migrated from the attic to their living room. Her smile grows larger.

“I guess if we’re completely overlooking the fact that I’m the better shot, then sure,” Elena concedes. She walks over to grab the guns and once she has, she tosses one over to Nate. He catches it singlehandedly. “Let’s get your humiliation over with quickly.”

Nate gets up from his chair and vaults over the couch, proceeding to load ammo into his gun. “You’re going to live to choke on those words, you know,” he informs her.

Elena just rolls her eyes. “Three hits,” she says. “The first one to shoot the other three times wins, and doesn’t have to do paperwork.”

viii.

Nate gives her a head start, but when he goes to search for her, he finds her almost immediately in their shared bathroom. Using some impressive gymnastics, Elena rolls past him, but he’s hot on her trail as they take their shenanigans throughout the entire house. Eventually, Elena ends up behind the couch, her gun trained squarely on Nate, who’s standing behind the island counter, his gun aimed at her.

“Well!” Nate booms, a cocky grin stretched wide across his face. “Look what we have here! Ruggedly charming adventurer, Nathan Drake, appears to be up by two, while his lovely, but losing wife, Elena, is preparing to fill out paperwork for the rest of the week.”

Without another word, Elena fires a round at him. Nate ducks, but the shot goes wide. When he comes back up, the annoyingly smug grin on his face is enough to give Elena an idea.

“Any last words?” Nate prods, spinning the toy pistol around like he’s some kind of outlaw. He has the nerve to come out from behind the counter. “Besides groveling for mercy?”

It’s Elena’s turn to grin smugly, as she watches her husband still in his tracks, the expression on his face fearful for a split second. Only when she undoes the second button on her blouse does he say something.

“What are you doing?” he asks evenly.

She responds with a full on smile, undoing another button in the process. “Let’s just say that in a war of sticks and carrots, I’m going with the latter.”

Nate’s Adam’s apple bobs once, his growing discomfort obvious. Elena takes advantage of his frozen state to approach him. “Hey!” he blanches when she undoes another button. His mouth suddenly feels dry. “We never agreed to partial nudity!”

“We never not agreed to partial nudity,” Elena corrects him, undoing the final button. She’s close enough to him that she can touch him, which she does, placing a hand on his chest. His heart pounds erratically. “I’m just playing up my strengths,” she explains with a wink.

He punctuates rolling his eyes by grasping her wrist, but he can’t seem to bring himself to actually remove her hand. “Yeah, your strength of cheating, you mean” he admonishes half-heartedly, his voice faltering as his gaze inadvertently lowers.

Sighing dramatically, Elena pulls away, and slowly starts to button her blouse. “Well, alright. I guess I can do the paperwork this week since you won. It’s only fair.”

Ignoring his pride, Nate tugs Elena back toward him and hoists her up onto the counter. “You’ll be the death of me, you know that?” he admonishes before situating himself between her legs with his hands resting dangerously high up on her thighs.

“I’m just willing to sleep with the co-owner of D&F Fortunes if it means I get out of doing paperwork for the week,” Elena admits, her smile wide.

Nate breaks into a matching grin despite all the extra forms he’ll have to fill out. It’s hard for him to think of paperwork as a loss, though, when his wife is kissing him as thoroughly as she is, their toy pistols in the foreground, completely forgotten.

ix.

“Hey—whoa, sorry!…Nathan, have you always had that birthmark on your ass?”

“SAM!”

“Elena, good to see you again. Although, admittedly, last time it was with more clothing—”

“GET OUT!”

When the door slams in his face, Sam takes his pitiful dish of green bean casserole down to the kitchen. He finds Sully’s down there among various pies and side dishes, filling a tumbler with liquor he’d helped himself to from the cabinet in the dining room.

“Can you believe all that, Victor?”

At his questioning glance, Sam tells him about his run in with his brother and Elena.

Sully slams his glass down in disgust. “The hell? What, do they have a yearly standing appointment?”

And that’s the story of how Sam accidentally walks in on Nate and Elena in a physically compromising situation the day before Thanksgiving.

x.

“So in conclusion—” Sam begins, hands held behind his back as he rocks back and forth on his heels. He and Sully had just finished up a job and gotten back from Argentina last night, but his niece had been texting him back and forth about this presentation since before then. Sure, he was exhausted, but who was he to turn her down? Especially when her preparation work had been so impressive?

“What Sam’s trying to say,” Cassie interjects, looking over at her uncle for some guidance. He imperceptibly nods, and she finds the courage to press on, “is that a lemur would actually make a really great pet, given their herbivorous diets and our house’s close proximity to exotic flora, among other things.”

From her spot on the couch, Elena narrows her gaze, first at her brother-in-law, then at her daughter. It's hard to respond with much of anything when Cassie even included a visual aid in the form of a bar graph, which is propped up in front of the TV in the living room where they all are presently. Out of her line of sight, Nate gives two thumbs up, and Cassie uses all her self-control to stop herself from beaming proudly.

“Did your father put you up to this?” Elena finally asks, fixing her gaze at Cassie, then Sam. “Or your uncle?”

“Of course not,” Cassie blurts a little too quickly. Sensing her discomfort, Sam wraps an arm around her shoulders, squeezing.

“Look, Elena,” he says, giving her his most endearing smile. Nate clearly rolls his eyes in his periphery, but he still doesn’t have a pet lemur, does he? “I think if there’s one person who has really been advocating for this all along, it’s Victor.”

“Oh, no you don’t!” Sully pops his head out from the freezer, ice cube trays in hand. He pops a couple into his tumbler on the counter, and puts the trays back where they belong. It’s not until he’s pouring liquor into the tumbler that he adds, “There’s a reason I have no horse in this race, and it’s because, I’m staying far the hell away from this. For what it’s worth though, Cassie, your mother is smart enough to see through your father’s harebrained schemes.”

Immediately, Sam deflates, and Elena turns on Nate, poking an accusatory finger into his chest. “You are the worst liar,” she accuses him at the same time Sam says to Sully, “Way to not get involved, Victor. Truly inspiring.”

Sully goes on about how Sam started all of this, but it’s Nate that addresses his wife’s accusation by saying, “I couldn’t stand by and let Cassie’s dream of having a pet lemur be broken.”

Elena doesn’t budge. “You mean your dream?”

“Technically,” he amends, lacing his hands behind his head, stretching his legs out on the ottoman in front of him, and grinning, “she’s our daughter, so really it’s our dream.”

She snorts. “You are impossible. And you,” she directs at Cassie, “despite your solid argument and blatant treachery, my answer still stands. No lemurs.”

Sam whistles, long and low. “Tough break, kid.”

Cassie crosses her arms over her chest and huffs. “Well, can we at least get some kind of pet?”

xi.

Later, when Elena finally relents and says—after speaking with Sully, who used to have one—they can get a dog, Cassie fist bumps her dad and her uncle, her smile threatening to split her face. She tells Sully they’re going to name it after him for his central involvement. He offers her a cigar to celebrate, which Nate promptly and emphatically puts a stop to.

Eventually, curiosity gets the better of him, and Nate asks Cassie how she knew she could get her mom on board with a pet.

“Well, Dad, you always say that the best way to run a con is to get the other person to believe it was their idea in the first place,” she admits.

Nate pulls her into a hug, practically beaming.

[simplysherlockfanfic]

Connection Chap Twenty Two

Connection.  Read Chap One here. Two. Three Four.  Five. Six. Seven. Eight.  Nine.  Ten.  Eleven.  Twelve.  Thirteen.  Fourteen.  Fifteen. Sixteen. Seventeen.  Eighteen.  Nineteen.  Twenty.   Twenty One.

Sherlock x reader

Summary: an American forensic psychologist hired by Mycroft Holmes. You thought it would be more interesting and fulfilling than your previous job with a law firm in London but you had no idea how much it would change your life. Or really, how much one person would change everything.

Word Count: 3964

Your name: submit What is this?

It was dark on your small front porch, barely a sliver of moon visible through the swift clouds charging for the east. You sat on the top step with a blanket draped over your legs, a coffee mug half full of brandy within reach beside you, and a flickering candle on the other side. The picture of your parents sitting on top of the London newspaper in your lap felt heavy but you still weren’t quite ready to face it yet.

Will was sound asleep in his bed where you left him after holding him longer than usual because of that very newspaper but it wasn’t really the newspaper that called for your toughest armor. The article about another unidentified boy unread yet haunting you since you saw it earlier and shoved it in your bag where it stayed until twenty minutes ago when you pulled yourself from Will’s bed and gathered the things you had with you now. With a glance at your watch, you amended that thought, twenty-one minutes.

You listened for a moment leaning back toward the front door you had open just enough but the house was quiet just like the neighborhood that seemed uncommonly silent. You glanced at the candle and pushed it a little farther away to make sure you didn’t end up catching on fire because, at this point, it would be the way things seemed to be going.

Your gaze dropped to the picture of your parents that you grabbed on your way out the door because you wanted them with you. In the picture, your parents had their arms around you smiling brightly into the camera. It was your high school graduation and your future was bright. Just a small town girl with determination and big dreams. You wondered what your parents would think of the decisions you made that lead you here.

You lifted the mug to your lips and took a few sips savoring the heat that flared as the alcohol burned its way down. Wrapping both hands around the mug, you closed your eyes and pictured your mother.

It wasn’t always easy for them either, especially during the trial. You could remember your mom sitting across from you at the small checkered table in the kitchen with your hands wrapped around the cup of hot chocolate. The steam rising and your mother smiling, trying to make everything seem okay even though stress and worry still pulled at her brow. She never wanted you to see it and even though you didn’t understand it at the time, you knew there was something off. Your father had been the most weighed down and you knew now that he felt responsible for the burden on your family. He always hugged you a little tighter and a little longer during those days. You remembered the paralyzing fear you didn’t understand when you would hear them whispering in their room and your father crying. You would never be able to rid yourself of those memories even though they had fogged slightly over the years.

Your mother had been the strongest person you ever knew but those months during the investigation and trial, she was a superhero. You longed to talk to her again and ask her how she did it. You had tried to learn so much from them and yet when they were taken so brutally, there was still so much you had left to ask.

You placed the picture on the porch next to you and smiled as you brushed your fingers down the glass. “I wish I was more like you every day, mama.”

After a few more sips from the mug, you steeled yourself and read the article. Even with the warmth from the slight buzz, every word was like a knife thrust into your chest. Who were these boys? There were no missing person reports that matched them, you had scoured the databases out of guilt needing to see the poor mothers hoping for their child’s safe return. There was probably nothing you could do for them but you couldn’t stop. It hadn’t helped knowing no one was looking for them, it hurt a little more.

The tears started quietly, slipping down your face as the newsprint blurred. You took a few more sips from your mug but even the artificial warmth from the brandy couldn’t dampen the emotions eating you alive. It had been too long since you’d seen the faces that gave you that extra strength and you were tired of telling Will you didn’t know when he could see his family again. You were beaten down by the fact that one man was keeping you away from the family you had found. If it wasn’t for Vic, you would be completely alone.

By the time you downed the rest of the mug, your lungs were already burning because you were trying so hard to keep your sobs silent. You held your breath but nothing could stop it. You pictured Will’s face, the look he gave you the last time he asked to see Daddy and now he expected only to see a picture. You could see the hope dying in his eyes each time he asked and the thought that he’d never see his family again gutted you more than anything.

You pulled the blanket over your face and bunched it up against your mouth as you let go. You purged all the grief, stress, pain, anger, and fear that had built up like a heaviness on your shoulders, on your chest, infusing into your bones until your body could no longer bear it. You tucked your chest down toward your knees further muffling the wails of a tired mother, a haunted lover, and a scared friend. The pain was physical, your entire body ached as the thoughts ran rampant and you cursed yourself for going into hiding.

What if it had all been for nothing? What if it was part of Moriarty’s plan or maybe his plan would play out anyway and all the time spent away from Sherlock and John would have been a waste. Then your mother’s voice, like salve on a searing wound, filled your head overriding the decreasing noise spilling from your mouth, you’d be surprised by the power of a positive attitude, honey. You searched for the memory and saw her sitting across the table from you holding your hand, the worry still visible on her face but her smile had warmed you so much more than the sweet hot chocolate she always gave. Her strength seeping into you little by little as she kept going and kept fighting to keep you in the home they had built.

The sobs finally trailed off. Your head throbbed but everything slowly went back to normal except for the random stuttering breaths and the lingering exhaustion. You looked up waiting for a break in the clouds for a glimpse of that small slice of moon. Even the sight of that light didn’t ease the loneliness and emptiness that gnawed at you more and more as the days went on. Your mother had always been so strong and you were always trying to be more like her, to have her ability to keep going no matter how hard the road got. But it was so much harder to do on your own. What you would give just to hear his voice again.

The thought was like a bolt of lightning, you jumped off the step and ran inside. You opened your laptop and fired it up with shaking hands. You pulled up the website Charlie had given you and signed in then navigated to a page you had looked at but hadn’t tried before. There were instructions, a manual to make an untraceable call with any mobile phone. The text messages had worked so far at least from what Mycroft could see. You weren’t completely sure they were even receiving all of them but it was worth a shot. You needed it.

You rushed around the small house searching for your phone then found it on the floor in Will’s room. You sat back down at the kitchen table and dialed the number from the page then listened as it rang. There was a click and you entered the code which was answered by three beeps and then a dial tone. You dialed the number you knew by heart and held your breath as it began to ring. You counted each one, light headed and chest aching until it finally clicked.

“Hello?”

A quiet cry of joy and relief squeaked out and you covered your mouth. He sounded like he had been sleeping and you could picture him sitting up on the couch in his house coat, his hair messy and his eyes just beginning to focus. You took a stuttering breath in as your eyes swelled with tears once again.

“Hello?” His voice lowered, “y/n?”

You were trying to breathe normally but your body wasn’t complying; another exhale, another whimper. “Sherlock.”

“Tell me you’re alright.” His relief was so clear in his voice. You hung on his every word with your eyes closed pretending he was in the room with you.

“We’re safe but I’m not alright.”

“Y/n.”

“I don’t know how much longer I can do this. These boys… those boys…”

“Are not your fault.”

“We’ve been in hiding for over a year and he asks for you and John and…” You sucked in a stuttering breath, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have called, I just needed to hear your voice.”

“We will solve this.” He sounded so sure even though his voice shook at the end.

“I know. I’m sorry I called you like this. You don’t need this on top of ev…”

“Don’t. Please don’t. You… you are the strongest woman I have ever known and I… I needed your voice so much more than you know. I know things are… difficult but you are a fighter and a survivor who taught me how to keep going.” He cleared his throat, “someone of rather high intelligence told me once that even the strongest among us break, it’s unavoidable because we’re not single ships. Most of us weren’t wired to sail alone.”

Tears cascaded down your cheeks as you pressed the phone tighter against your face and wished so much that it was his hand. You let out a watery laugh, “I’m a woman, not a ship.”

“I’ve said that once or twice myself.” You chuckled with another stuttering breath and tried to clear your throat. His voice lowered again, “please don’t ever apologize for calling me, for needing me because there isn’t a day that goes by when I don’t… wish I could see your face, or dance with you around the sitting room, or hold you for only a moment. You invade my thinking more times than I’ll admit.” He paused then sighed, “you tend to point out things I don’t like to admit to myself.”

The way this man could fill you with such warmth without even a touch, a man that people so often thought couldn’t experience genuine emotion, baffled you. You smiled, “I’m glad I’m still keeping you on your toes.” You closed your eyes picturing your most recent daydream, “sometimes I think about having you all to myself, just us in the flat with a bunch of puzzles and games. Sometimes I’d give you a run for your money but with some of the puzzles, I’d just watch you work. The way your brow furrows and jumps, your fingers tapping out a mysterious rhythm against the arm of your chair or your fingertips pressed together leaning against your lips, and your eyes gazing off into some great distance that only your mind can see. But the truly remarkable thing is your eyes when they take on the most brilliant shade of whatever color is dominant that day and I can stare as long as I want with no one to interrupt me.” You took in a stuttering breath and only heard silence from the other end, “I guess what I’m trying to say is I miss you.”

He exhaled and you pictured his face with that pinch in his brow. “You… even after everything… you still have this way of talking about me like I’ve never heard before. All I have is the picture you sent in my wallet and conversations in my head.”

You wiped your nose and cleared your throat. You could feel the conversation taking a heavier turn than you meant and tried to steer it away. “I’m probably going to have to get rid of this mobile now. Just in case. Did Mycroft tell you why..?”

“Yes. I wasn’t happy but I understood. He says he doesn’t even know where you are.”

“We couldn’t take the chance that there was someone in the office…”

“I know.”

You sighed, “I was just this small town girl, you know? I was supposed to have this boring life in America. Now, I’m in this wee town by the water undercover of all things.”

There was a pause and you knew he caught your hint. “Would you change it all if you could?”

You shook your head, “no. Not if it meant I never met you.”

“It would be a lot easier if you didn’t.”

You swiped at your nose. “Easy is boring.”

“That’s my girl.”

You could hear the smile in his voice and the warmth inside your chest expanded sending waves of goosebumps down your arms, but it didn’t last long until your thoughts turned again. “He turned four last week. You wouldn’t believe how big he is.”

“I won’t let another Christmas go without seeing him.”

You sucked in your cheek and bit down trying not to let the tears overwhelm you again. “You can’t promise that.”

“I just did.”

You smiled despite the fear creeping up your back. “Stubborn as always.”

“You wouldn’t have me any other way.”

“I should go.” His voice was like a drug but you didn’t like taking more of a chance than you already were.

“We’ll end this.” He sounded so confident.

“We’ll try.”

“I’ll see you soon.”

You laughed, “I hope so.” You walked to the doorway and looked at your case wall in the living room. You took your first full deep breath in what felt like days. “I love you, Sherlock.”

“That superstition didn’t last.” His soft laughter sent another wave of goosebumps down your arms. The line was quiet for a moment then his voice came back, low and tender. “I have loved you for longer than I even understood.”

“That I can believe.” You walked over to the wall, stepped up on the couch, and touched his face as your head swam with memories. “You’ve matured a lot in the last couple of years, Mr. Holmes.”

“A genius is constantly learning besides some things just weren’t meant to remain fixed. Without change, how can one grow or truly learn new perspectives? Isn’t that what you would say?” Your brow furrowed and you stepped back off the couch looking at the news clippings.

“Say that again.” Your gaze jumped from story to story and then stopped on the two post-its at the bottom- Moriarty and his Watson.

“Which part? Y/n, what is it?”

“I’ll see you soon.” Your heart was racing as things began to click in your mind.

“What just happened?”

“I was reminded of your genius. Keep an eye on your phone.”

“Y/n, tell me.”

“Soon.” You hung up and pulled the battery out of the phone. Your gaze still flitting to the different pieces of the puzzle but you had been staring at it all wrong. If Jim Moriarty had a plan in place to ruin Sherlock then it wouldn’t be like his other games. That phrase that Sherlock used to say in his sleep slipped from your lips, “the virus in the data”.

The need to find patterns in the game to lead to a solution but that was the virus, there would be no end to this game. No connections, no solutions, no answers, no closed case. That had to be it. He would flip the script and it could be as simple as simply doing nothing.

Maybe it was just your need to go back but there was nothing left to do here and something was coming. Something so big that it would ruin him. What if all of this was just to drive Sherlock mad because he could never solve it? But just some unsolvable problems wouldn’t be enough. You took another step back taking in the bigger picture as information spun in your mind’s eye then froze on the picture of Sherlock with the burn hole over his chest.

Jesus. Your own words played over in your head, but I know him, beating him only makes him more intrigued by you which usually ends in some kind of tragedy in your life. It had been staring you in the face since the beginning. He threatened John, Lestrade, and Mrs. Hudson when he made Sherlock jump and then the picture of the three of you at the wedding along with the burned heart one. The threat he made to Sherlock, the one you both had nightmares about, he was going to burn Sherlock’s heart out and he would do just that with or without you. He wouldn’t need to touch you if he could give Sherlock just a taste of what it would be like then Sherlock might just push you away on his own and burn every bridge he had made. Just like you knew Moriarty did to you all those years ago. Hell, he might’ve gotten the idea by watching you, maybe he did know you were there but he didn’t want to target you until later when the bigger plan came into play. Give Sherlock time to grow closer not just to you either. Your gaze went to the circle you had created under Sherlock’s name. The deeper the connection, the sharper the impact, and the greater the payout.

Sherlock had been growing out of some of his tendencies but if Moriarty could pull this off, even if they survived this, it wouldn’t be the same. Sherlock wouldn’t be the same. He could retreat back into himself, throw up all those roadblocks again and push everyone away with the finest, most human reason; survival for himself and those around him.

It was as if Moriarty was coming back from the dead and punishing Sherlock to the point where attachments would mean nothing but… death. He cared too much and Moriarty laughed at it, he despised it because to him it was a weakness. Jesus Christ. Moriarty was trying to make Sherlock just like him.

He wanted to break Sherlock down into nothing more than James Moriarty could ever be. He had always been suicidal because he felt life was so much harder than death and he wanted Sherlock to feel every second of that.

You stared at the wall and most of it rang true but something was off. Moriarty always loved the final show, feeding off the devastation that made him feel invincible, but this was… too complicated. Punish. Why did that word feel right but sound so wrong?  You could hear your father’s voice in your head, brush strokes are an artist’s voice, my MonaLe, every stroke is a breath of life. To the observant eye, you don’t need a signature.

The strokes were off. Was it just because it wasn’t really Moriarty but his henchman? Did Moriarty make some compromises with his compatriot as a means to an end or is his henchmen just sloppy or making up moves of his own? Or maybe you were just trying to see a pattern where there was none. Maybe that was Moriarty’s final stroke, his final bow, infecting Sherlock’s mind to continue to search for a pattern that wasn’t there, for his pattern all the while waiting for the deathblow. What if all of this was someone else?

You shook your head trying to clear the noise. The only thing that truly mattered was Sherlock and you were too far away, you needed to get back to track down the shooter, that had to be his Watson. But if your whole Watson theory was bullshit, your attempt at trying to find Moriarty’s work in the mess, the shooter was still a real person hitting people tied to Sherlock. If he wasn’t Moriarty’s ally, he was being controlled by one or inspired by Moriarty’s legacy.

Mycroft had to know more by now and you could easily work from there. It was time to go back to London. It was time to take Will home but you needed to send a message to Sherlock right away. You needed to remind him of the truth, the one truth you knew above all else.

A creak in the hall made you spin around and a bright light blinded you. You flinched away and heard her curse.

“What the feck?! First, your phone goes dark and then I find a mess on the front porch and the door open, do you want me to shoot you?! Feck!” Even though she was obviously stressed, Vic’s Irish accent was still spot on.

You tried to blink away the bright spots as you pointed to the wall, “we need to go back. I can’t finish this here.”

“Woah. Damn, this has… gotten big.”

She walked past you to the wall and you felt your way to the kitchen. “It’s been static for a while which is why most of it has stayed behind the shelf but I’m pretty sure I know what to do next. Damnit!” You stepped into a chair and almost toppled over before stabilizing yourself against the table. “But I can’t do it from here.” You grabbed the laptop and walked back into the living room. “Moriarty or someone is playing an open-ended game and I need more information. We can track him, I know we can but not from here. We need to go home.” You sat in your chair and Vic was still staring at the wall.

“God damn, how does that man do it? Do you think Mycroft already had it figured out and was just waiting for you? It’s fucked up.”

You navigated quickly to the text page of the underground website. “You curse a lot when you’re frazzled.”

She turned on a dime. “I’m not frazzled.”

You looked up at her. “Okay, when your adrenaline is freely flowing, is that better?” She raised her brow and you chuckled, feeling a little giddy yourself. “I need to pack, can you be ready by morning? We’ll get the first flight out?” You typed in Sherlock’s number.

“I can be ready in less than an hour.”

“Show off.” You glanced up as you clicked on the white message box.

“Are you getting a flight?” She walked toward you.

“Just after I send a message.” You took a deep breath as you typed the words that you hoped might get through to him should anything happen before you can get back to him. The fear of death is survival, but the fear of life is deadly. You read it through and then hit send.

“Wow, is that some famous therapy quote or something?”

You shut your laptop and looked up at her with a grin, “no. But it probably should be.” You stood up and headed toward your room.

“You’re just going to leave me hanging? What’s it from?”

“I made it up after being around the Holmes brothers too long.”

Next Chapter 

@missmotherhen , @run-your-cleverboy ,  @samanthasmileys , @panic-at-space-camp , @trash-trashaf , @whaledenwtf , @http-steve-rogers , @dead-lee-15

[biofunmy]

This Is What It’s Like Living Through Kashmir’s Communications Blackout

For 29 days, the residents of Kashmir, the conflict-ridden state in northern India, have been living in a black hole. On midnight, Aug. 4, India’s Hindu nationalist government abruptly wiped out the legal autonomy that the disputed region has enjoyed for decades, and shut down the region’s internet.

It isn’t the first time that internet services have been shut down in Kashmir. According to the Software Freedom and Law Centre, a New Delhi–based digital advocacy organization, this was the 55th internet shutdown in Kashmir in 2019 alone. But Kashmiris who spoke to BuzzFeed News said that the scale of this particular blackout was unprecedented — in addition to mobile internet services, landline and broadband services are frozen, and most local television channels have been turned off.

Four weeks into the blackout, life in Kashmir has come to a standstill, with pharmacies running out of essential medicines, newspapers unable to function, and strict curfews making it impossible to move around after dark. And the situation doesn’t seem to be improving: On Friday, India imposed fresh restrictions on Kashmir, telling people to stay off the streets.

To better understand what is happening to ordinary people, BuzzFeed News spoke to five Kashmiris who have been in and out of the region: a college student desperately trying to reach her parents, a restaurateur who turned his Instagram into a communications hub, a man desperately trying to ship medicine to his father-in-law, a startup founder cut off from the marketplace, and a college student trapped indoors.

Here are their stories.

Amirah, college student, New Delhi

I moved to New Delhi from Kashmir a month ago for an undergrad degree in political science. When the internet and telephone blackout happened, my mental health plummeted. I kept dialing phone numbers constantly, but I couldn’t contact Mom and Dad in Kashmir. I don’t know if they are OK. The last time I spoke to my parents was five minutes before they shut down the phones and the internet in Kashmir on August 4. We knew something was going to happen, but nobody knew what. “Don’t panic,” my mom told me before she hung up.

In Kashmir, we’re used to having the internet shut down frequently. But usually, it comes back in a few days, and the phones still work. For the first two days I held on. On the third day, I started panicking. I felt numb. I didn’t go to college that day. Everybody around me who had families in Kashmir was freaking out too. We just kept talking to each other for emotional support.

I stayed in Kashmir for nine days before coming back to Delhi, and it was like living in a black hole. We weren’t allowed to step outside our houses because there was a curfew. We had no contact with the outside world. At one point, the Indian military wouldn’t even let us walk on the street immediately outside my house. We didn’t know if people living across the street from us were OK. We didn’t know whether our relatives who live around the Valley were OK. Eid was especially hard. It’s our biggest festival and everyone usually visits each other’s houses each year at this time, but this year, nobody did.

I think one of the worst parts of living through this blackout has been the way nationalist news channels in India have covered the situation in Kashmir by trying to portray it as normal. It’s propaganda.

Javid Parsa, restaurateur, New Delhi

Kashmir is my home and it’s in trouble. Why wouldn’t I help my people? Dealing with medical emergencies seemed to be an obvious priority to try and help out with. I have a sizable following on Instagram, so I decided I could use it as a platform to help my people out.

The communications blackout has spawned a medical emergency in Kashmir. Each day, I get three or four people traveling to Kashmir messaging me and offering to carry and deliver medicines and other essentials to people’s families who are stuck there unable to ask anyone for help. Just yesterday, we found five patients in Southern Kashmir who urgently needed blood pressure medication. Thanks to my Instagram, we were able to find a guy driving there from Delhi who was able to carry the medicines and deliver them. Unfortunately, thanks to the blackout, the people who do receive these medicines have no way of letting me know right now.

There have been a couple of times when I’ve had to buy medicines myself and hand them over to someone traveling to the region, but to be honest, given what’s happening, it’s not a big deal. If the internet and telephones continue to remain shut, however, and pharmacies and hospitals in Kashmir run out of medicines, we might need to find some way to connect the larger Kashmiri community working in Delhi and other cities in the country and raise donations to buy medicines for people there.

The most worrying part for me right now is how silent most people in the rest of the country are about the communications blackout in Kashmir. Human rights are being snatched away as we speak.

Zameer, marketer, Dubai

I live in Dubai, but my father-in-law, who has had chronic lymphocytic leukemia for the last six years, lives in Kashmir. It’s a kind of blood cancer for which he needs specialized, expensive medication each month, without which he cannot survive.

So far, we’ve been paying a pharmacy in New Delhi, one of the few places in the country that actually stocks this medicine, to ship it to him in Kashmir, but ever since the internet and telephone blackout, they haven’t been able to. He ran out of his last dose on August 8, three days after the blackout started. He’s in no condition to travel to Delhi to get it.

Javid has been using his Instagram to help people with medical emergencies in the valley. He’s also a friend from college. I was desperate, so I had the pharmacy ship my father-in-law’s medication to him in New Delhi. And thanks to someone he found through Instagram, he was able to send it to my father-in-law’s house. He missed his dose for more than 15 days, but he’s gotten it now.

I feel extremely lucky, but my story is probably an exception. I don’t know how many families out there have had to suffer because of the blackout. Every single one of them has a story to tell — if only they could talk to the world.

Sheikh Sami Ullah, startup founder, Srinagar

I’m the founder of a one-year-old startup that handles deliveries and shipment logistics for more than 200 artists in Kashmir who sell handicrafts on Instagram — and the blackout has not only frozen my business but also robbed them of their livelihoods.

Every month, we deliver more than 15,000 items across the country. Ever since the blackout started, we’ve delivered nothing. We earn around Rs. 20 lakhs (nearly $30,000) each month. This month, we’ve earned nothing.

I sunk every single penny I earned into this business, and I’m on the hook for a loan from a bank. I’m not sure how I’ll pay it back if this blackout doesn’t clear up — and right now, it’s showing no sign of getting better. I think if this goes on for another month, I’m going to have to give up being an entrepreneur and find a job just to sustain myself and pay my loan.

I spent 15 days in Srinagar during the blackout and felt completely paralyzed, mentally and physically, because of the communications blackout and the strict curfews. When I came back to Delhi, it felt like I was in another world in another time.

I’m hoping. I’m praying. It’s all I can do right now.

Hadiya Ahmed, college student, Dubai

I’m a third-year psychology student in Dubai. My parents are Kashmiri and I go back once or twice a year.

I was there for a month before and two weeks after the blackout.

It was 11:05 p.m. on August 4 when they shut off the internet and 1:10 a.m. on August 5 when they turned off phone calls and SMS. I remember because I was on a call with someone who was supposed to fly out the next morning, and then it snapped off. It felt kind of normal, because it wasn’t the first time they did it. We thought it would be for a day or two, but it went on. I never found out if my friend made it out or not.

With no stepping out of the house, it felt like solitary confinement. I was this close to losing my mind. I mean, it’s 2019. How can you survive without phone calls and the internet?

Losing Kashmir’s autonomy broke my heart. I had a lot of anxiety and panic attacks and I barely ate anything for a week. Nobody celebrated Eid because nobody felt like it.

On the third day, it stopped feeling “normal.” I tried to read books, but I couldn’t. I thought I could tolerate it, but not having anybody to talk about it with makes you feel like standing on top of the world and screaming and telling people that you’re dying.

Eventually, our television turned off too, because there wasn’t any way to pay the bill online. It was seven of us in one house — my granddad, uncle, his wife, and three kids. The kids went mad. The youngest is 11 and usually spends most of her time watching YouTube videos. The 16-year-old usually plays PUBG and Minecraft a lot, and the eldest, who is 20, is always on social media and watches a ton of movies and TV online, and they couldn’t do anything.

The worst part of having the landline phones disconnected was that it cut us off completely from older relatives like my maternal grandmother who lives by herself. We worried about her constantly and didn’t really have a way to check on her. Eventually, to visit her, we would leave the house at 4 a.m. to visit her to avoid the Indian army’s curfews on the roads.

I stayed in the blackout for more than two weeks, and I was lucky I could go back to Dubai after that. I didn’t want to leave. I didn’t want to leave my family like that. The privilege of being able to move out felt unfair.

Sahred From Source link World News

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