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lavendercrow136 · 11 months ago

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"Tell me this isn't Goodbye Love"

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Link above for Tell me this isn't goodbye love part 9^

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Part 10:

Larissa smiled at me from her place hanging up the red silk, I was adjusting a center piece, I continued to work when I felt her wrap her arms around my waist and kiss my cheek. She delicately spun me to face her,

I blushed looking down at the floor, the dj who was setting up his table for the dance began to play a slow song, and Larissa smiled,

"Dance with me darling?"

She pouted giving me puppy dog eyes and I relented, she pulled my body flush with hers, her hand on the small of my back, and laced her fingers through my own in her other hand, I held her shoulder. She kissed me softly while we danced, and held me tight, she whispered softly in my ear while we danced,

"I couldn't have done this without you darling, the ball room looks perfect"

I smiled softly,

"You did everything, I merely hit the purchase button and helped set it up"

Larissa smirked kissing my cheek,

"I was thinking..."

She added while twirling me, I laughed and she dipped me her voice taking on a seductive tone,

"...Will you go to the dance with me?"

I flushed looking at her face to see if she's serious,

"Honey what about the boys? Whose going to watch them?"

Larissa smiled,

"Maybe you could get your mom too?"

I blushed,

"Darling I couldn't ask her to do that"

Larissa smirked,

"Then I will ask her, come on it will be perfect, its the Saturday after the game, I'll help clean the house if the girls trash it. Your mom can come spend the night, that way all of the boys belongings are there and after the dance you and I can go stay at the new house"

I bit my lip, before nodding softly she smiled and lifted me back up to eye level before spinning me again,

"Then it's settled, I'll call your mother while your at class,and afterwards you and I can go grocery shop, before the girls are shuttled over to the house"

I nodded and kissed Larissas cheek, when we had finished decorating the ballroom, Bianca Barclay set up a table put front to sell tickets for the dance, she passed me her brownies she had made and I smiled.

"Sea salt and caramel, excellent work Bianca, good luck with ticket sales"

Bianca smiled and I turned to walk away, I cut Larissa a brownie and handed it to her on a napkin, she smiled walking back to her office with it while I made my way to class.

They filed in quietly, Wednesday Enid and Yoko were looking over the playbook, each of then had their trays neatly wrapped and set aside. Xavier and Ajax, Kent and Divina , and Eugene all filed in setting their brownies aside, at their desks, and waited for the bell to ring and class to begin. I smoothed my skirt,

"I see everyone completed the assignment, Mrs. Barclay's been excused from class this period to sell tickets for the dance, and I am going to task you with filling her in on the new assignment, and I will email her the recipe and notes. With that being said, today we are going to be making my wife's favorite food, and a comfort food for many homemade baked Mac and cheese"

I lay out the ingredients before them,

"Now, if any of you are lactose intolerant, please take any medication now, this will make your stomach hurt and I do not want to be the reason any of you are sick"

Yokos hand shot up, and I called on her,

"What are the chicken bacon and bread crumbs and panko for?"

I smirked,

"Good catch, as I said this is my wife's favorite and comfort food, not just any homemade Mac and cheese the best homemade Mac and cheese. So it is also going to include jalapeños for a little spice, homemade fried chicken and bacon diced within it"

I began with the rue for the Mac and cheese showing then the amounts they needed to add of each ingredient, and then poured the noodles into the water while it boiled, I then showed them how to prepare the chicken.

"Your going to flatten it with a meat tenderizer, and then dip it in the egg yolk to saturate the chicken once it's been yoked, dip it in your flour breadcrumb panko mixture and easily drop the chicken breast into the hot oil for approximately fifteen minutes, or until it is a nice deep golden brown, once you remove it, check the chicken with your meat thermometer, your fried chicken should have an internal tempature of one hundred and sixty five degrees farenheit.. if it doesn't ease it back into the oil and check again in five minutes"

The students all watched with smiles on their faces,

I removed the chicken from the oil, turned the oil off and set it aside,

"Your going to set down paper towels on a tray and place a draining wrack for your chicken over it. That way the oil can seep out of it. We're gonna go back to our pasta check that it is perfect and then add it to the rue. Perfectly cooked pasta, al dente pasta specifically, takes anywhere from eight to ten minutes depending on the type of pasta, rotini specifically takes seven. Please utilize your timers, no one wants crunchy pasta"

I removed the boiling pot from the stove and drained the pasta into the strainer , showing them how to save some pasta water.

"With your pasta strained add it to your rue, with your pasta water, folded the pasta in your rue making sure its coated, now we are going to take about a cup and a half of heavy whipping cream and two cups of milk , and pour that in, then we are taking a pound of each of our seven cheeses and melting that into the pasta. Save some of your shredded cheese for the top layer and baking. Once it's fully melted and it makes that nice gooey cheese sound, we're going to remove it from the heat and place it in our baking dish, and sprinkle some of the cheese and bread crumbs on top, placing in our cooked bacon and jalapeños, and chicken that should be cut into nice even strip and back on three hundred fifty degrees farenheit for about twenty minutes"

The students watched in awe of every detail, while it baked they helped me clean up the kitchen, I heard a hum of approval from the door frame, and the students giggled slightly when I blushed. Larissa stood with a bouquet of flowers and a small stuffed animal, the students made room for her and Larissa came over and hugged me in my apron kissing my forehead.

"I could smell it from down the hallway"

Her stomach grumbled comically,

"Hungry? It should be done soon, the students and I were gonna eat it here and bring you some but since you joined us this is an excellent opportunity"

Larissa smirked, standing aside,

"I am going to show you how to prepare a table for a guests, in this cabinet behind me their are table clothes place settings cutlery and plates. With different vases for center pieces, now Principal Weems has deemed that this is a lunch date, so I'll show you how to prepare for that"

I grabbed a table cloth from within the pantry, a red one with lace embellishments and trim, I grabbed silver placemats, and cutlery and plates and a vase for the roses, I set up the table,

"You want a table cloth that will compliment the tables shape, because we have a circular table, we want one that's long enough to hide the tables legs, like a ladies skirt or dress we want it to add a little mystique"

I fanned the cloth out on the table, I began setting the placemats, and placing the plates carefully and ornately. Along with the silverware, I grabbed a glass of sparkling apple juice from the fridge in the school's kitchen, and grabbed to glasses,

"When your pour beverages for a guest or, your date, you do so elegantly and delicately, careful not to spill on them or yourself, and you do not sit until your guest is seated."

I pulled out a chair for Larissa and she sat tentatively, hesitant to be apart of the lesson I smiled, when she sat, and I gently pushed her chair in. The timer went off signifying that the Mac and cheese was done, I carefully removed it from the oven, and showed them how to plate the food.

"Your guest should always take the first bite, so serve them first, and after they eat you can begin"

I set down Larissa’s plate and she smiled kissing my cheek, and took a bite, and the students followed suit, Larissa hummed her approval and the students followed suit. Finally I took a bite, and smiled happily,

"So that's your homework assignment, your going to make your own homemade Mac and cheese, and let's make it a contest, if anyone can make one that's indistinguishable from mine, and my wife, your principal can't tell them apart. I will treat the winner to a gift card to the weathervane"

Larissa smiled,

"Yes, I will even sweeten the pot with a gift card for two to the local movie theater."

I smiled, cleaning up the wrest of the dishes from class and packing up the Mac and cheese for at home. I quickly emailed Bianca the ingredients list the directions, and all of the table serving etiquette instructions, along with the assignment. When the bell rang and the students left Larissa finally handed me the stuffed animal, it had on a small t-shirt that read,

"Will you be my date to the Rave'N?"

I smiled and nodded kissing Larissa on the lips,

"Your Mother is more then happy to watch the boys, she came and got them for the night so we wouldn't have to watch a bunch of teenagers and them. She's in my office waiting for you to say goodbye to them, and then my dear when your no longer in your apron you and I are going dance clothes shopping and grocery shopping before the horde of famished soccer stars arrive"

I laughed softly, and finished up my Mac and cheese while Larissa did the same. I washed our dishes, and closed up my classroom and walked with Larissa to the office where my mother sat with the boys. They rushed me immediately and clung to me, and I felt my heart pull a little,

"Mommy we gonna miss you and Mama lots, only couple nights right mommy right? Then home and snuggle you"

It was Tristain who spoke, I nodded and kissed his head tears in my eyes, Oliver spoke up,

"Mommy no cry, why crying? No sad, why Mommy sad Mama?"

He looked over at Larissa who was being strong for the both of us, she knelt next to me and kissed the three of them,

"Because Mommy has never been away from you for long, so you need to be brave for her because she's going to miss you all so much and she loves you so much"

Oliver nodded, and Pugsley smiled gently stroking my face,

"We'll be alright mommy, you'll be otay"

I nodded my head and kissed them all again, and we waved goodbye when my mother took then away. Larissa hugged me for a while, and rubbed my back, she kissed my forehead,

"Honey it's gonna be okay"

I nodded, emotion racking my voice,

"I know that, I just I'm gonna miss them"

Larissa kissed me and chuckled softly,

"Oh honey, it will be okay, now come on apron off, it's time to go shopping"

I nodded and removed the apron hanging it on a hook, I put my coat on and grabbed my purse and Larissa followed suit escorting me to our car. She opened the door for me and I stepped inside of it buckling up immediately, she climbed inside and turned on the radio, buckling up and began the drive to the mall in Burlington. When we arrived she let me out of the car and with her hand on my waist guided me inside, it was only two and the girls wouldn't be headed over until seven pm. We took our time in the stores, Larissa found her outfit almost immediately, but wouldn't let me see it on her, I struggled to find a dress. I was getting frustrated, since having the twins it had been hard for me to find anything that made me feel confident. It was after the fortieth dress that I tried on that I broke down crying, Larissa had been wandering the store when she walked by the fitting room to check on me and heard my muffled sobbing.

Larissa’s voice was soft and full for concern,

"Darling why don't you let me in, I want to help...please"

I hugged my sides and shook my head,

"Please don't, I-I don't want you to see me like this"

Larissa’s brow furrowed,

"Honey please, its not anything I haven't see before"

I shook my head mentally thinking,

"Yes it is, you get the dressed up, fully clothed only in the dark with a night gown on sex now, never fully naked or exposed or without soap or steam to influence your point of view"

Before I could verbally protest any further she was entering the fitting room, her eyes looked over my body, and I flinched closing my eyes not wanting to see her face. It wasn't until I felt her forcing me to my feet, that I looked at her, she was kneeling before me and kissing every curve, every scar and stretch mark. Tears ran down my face in small rivulets, and she rose to her feet, wiping away my tears,

"Shush darling, you are to pretty to cry, it's okay"

I shook my head and hugged my sides, and she tilted my chin up, so I would meet her gaze,

"You are a mother, you are my wife, and you are a beautiful woman, stretch marks and scars are just places where the stars melded into flesh, and formed the beautiful body before me. Now I need you to trust me, sit tight, I am going to find your dress for the dance"

I opened my mouth to speak and she gave me a look, kissing my lips, I sat back on the bench and when she returned she passed me a few things to try on. Every dress fit perfectly, I smiled, she took the three that I liked and chose the one that matched her outfit, and paid for it. She grabbed me heels and accessories, and we made our way out of the mall. She got me my favorite snack, and we left. We made our way to the grocery store from the mall, and when we arrived Larissa did most of the shopping for snacks and treats, for dinner, I paid. When we got home she told me to take a bath while she cooked the meal for the girls, when I had finished my bath I came downstairs to a full kitchen. The girls were snacking on the vegetable and fruit dip Larissa had grabbed and she was putting the desserts in the oven.

I ordered pizza wings and salad, and when i had finished the call Larissa hugged me from behind,

"Feel better darling?"

I nodded sleepily, and she smiled, the girls filed into the living room and voted on a horror movie. Larissa and I curled up in the lazy boy, under a blanket and watched it with the girls. She kissed my forehead and rubbed my back, and when the pizza boy arrived I paid them, I grabbed a bowl of salad and ate it silently. The girls were laughing eating pizza and watching the movie, Larissa noticed I had not touched much of the food, and beckoned me into a separate room.

"Darling what's wrong? I know your hungry, I can hear your stomach growling, and you barely any of your fried dough bites"

I fidgeted nervously making sure none of the girls had noticed our absence,

"I-I just feel off, like I'm not comfortable in my own skin"

Larissa shook her head and held me close at the first sign of my tears and kissed my forehead rubbing my shoulders, Bianca poked her head around the corner,

"Hey,Ms. Weems are you okay?"

A few of the girls had followed her apparently our absence had not gone as undetected as I had hoped, Larissa looked up at them smiling softly, Yoko spoke up having read my thoughts.

"She's been struggling with food lately and her self image, every time she looks in the mirror-"

I looked at Yoko and she stopped talking, Larissa knelt eye level with me, and she kissed me reassuringly. Yoko extended to me a small packet, it looked like a juice box but it wasn't.

"You need this, more then you think, even if you don't want it morally, your body physically needs it. My cousin has an eating disorder, at first she saw the results she wanted but then her brain found more and more things to pick at, and she ended up hospitalized. So as a fellow vampire and someone who really looks up to you. I am telling you, you need this, you can't keep living like your only psychic and ignoring that part of you. Drink it, it will help"

Larissa went to the sink, and checked the blood bag bin and frowned,

"Honey, this is full, you haven't been feeding?"

I felt panic claw at my chest,

"You've seen me eat-"

Larissa shook her head, she looked furious and worried all at once,

"That's not what I meant and you know it"

I began to shake, I gripped my sides, and turned away from her from the students. I walked towards the door and put my rain coat on, I stepped outside, and heard the door slam behind me. I began to walk, when I heard the sound of wet feet running after me, I turned to see Larissa running towards me, she was crying. I had made her cry,

" y/n please come back inside, we can tall about this, I can help you"

I stopped in my tracks, I couldn't handle seeing Larissa upset, I relented and she seemed to calm down. She guided me inside, and the girls were all in the living room giving us space. Larissa poured some blood into a cup for me and heated it up like tea, she mixed in some chocolate powder and milk, it looked like raspberry hot chocolate. I drank it for her, and then I ate some pizza, she held me while I ate and kissed me. I had drained five blood pouches by the time the movie was over, and I felt much better, Larissa carried me over tobthe lazy boy and we sat together. She kissed my cheek, and played with my hair, eventually I drifted off to sleep in her arms. When I awoke she was saying goodnight to the girls, and apologized for earlier, I pretended to sleep still in her arms. And when she lay me in bed, she climbed in after me once she had put pajamas on and I rolled over holding her while she relaxed.

"Ris?"

Larissa looked over at me,

"Yes love?"

I shifted closer to her,

"Are you mad at me?"

She shook her head softly,

"No baby, but you did scare the hell out of me earlier, it's no wonder you've been feeling off"

I nodded in relief and kissed her softly passionately, she sighed content and buried her face in my neck while I gently caressed her arms.

When I awoke the next morning, I got dressed and made the girls breakfast, Larissa went over plays with them while they ate, and when it was finally time and they were dressed for the game we filed into the bus and made our way to the championship game arena. I had the medkit, and the coolers with snacks, I had sunscreen for the girls, Larissa ran them through warm ups and drills. When at last the game began, I sat on the bench near Larissa, and cheered the team on, the game was neck and neck, they were tied when the referee called for half time. The girls ran over breathless and stretched drinking water and refueling with snacks, my mother brought the boys to the game and Larissa and I went over to see them. She hadn't spoken to me at all that morning, whether it was because she was still worried about last night or entirely focused on the game I wasn't sure.

"Hey Ris, please don't tell my mom about last night..."

Larissa looked at me and scoffed slightly,

"Why not? Clearly I can't keep an eye on you all the time, someone else needs to know"

Her words felt like a harsh slap, and I stiffened,

"I -I'm sorry Larissa, I thought you weren't mad, I promise I'll make it up to you"

She looked at me her facial expression full of guilt and bordering on pain,

"I-Y/n I'm sorry, but you could have died... you could have starved to death...and you would have left me, the boys and Wednesday all behind... I wasn't angry anymore last night but then I saw the boys and though of all you could have left behind and it hurt and I got mad... please promise me you'll do better"

I nodded my head,

"I promise"

She nodded and kissed my forehead,she went to the boys and hugged them and thanked my mother again for taking them, I went to them to and kissed them crying softly.

"Mama no sad, only one more night, one more and done, then we back"

I smiled drying my eyes, and nodded,

Larissa guided me back to the bench, I drank a blood pack and sat in silence, the girls were back put on the field and the Ravens had the ball. Enid protected Wednesday who was dribbling it up to field she weaved it through the offensive Knights players legs, passed it to Yoko, who fielded it to Bianca, and then when Wednesday was open again she bicycle kicked it into the goal. The whistle blew,and the Ravens won against the knights, fifteen to thirteen, the girls lined up on the field with Larissa who presented them the trophy, and their picture was taken. When the girls filed back into the bus they were laughing and smiling we stopped by the house so they could grab their bags and belongings and Larissa drove the bus back to the Academy so the girls could get ready for the dance.

Larissa put the trophy with the picture in the frame, and we went home. She was quiet almost the whole way, but then lightened up a little after she ate some of the leftover Mac and cheese, I rubbed her shoulders and she smiled while I sipped another blood pouch. We spent the evening together, Larissa was laughing and smiling, we talked things out. I went upstairs to shower and she locked up, before joining me, I removed my clothes and stepped into the water. Larissa hummed her approval, stripping and joining me, she laced her hands around my waist and kissed my neck. Teasing my sensitive body,she released me when I began to whine and squirm, allowing us to finish our shower. I slipped into my silk night gown, she spooned me close, and I drifted to sleep listening to the rhythm of her heartbeat as a lullaby.

When I awoke Larissa was sitting next to me reading a book, I smiled curling up on her lap, she say the book aside and kissed my forehead.

"I packed our overnight bag for the new place, and set your dress out, the dance is not till later, but we do have time to go get brunch and maybe catch a matinee if you want or catch up on our shows and order in"

I smiled at her excitement on the last sentence,

"So we order brunch for take put and catch up on our shows?"

Larissa beamed,

"Please?"

I laughed and sat up kissing her,

"Of course baby"

Larissa smiled and pulled up Hulu, while I ordered our breakfast, when it arrived we curled up in our pajamas in bed and watched American Horror Story Delicate, Larissa eyed me curiously,

"How are you eating and not feeling icky? She just scarfed down a raccoon"

I smirked Larissa could be so cute and soft sometimes,

"Darling, I literally thrive off of blood, and have seen serial killer psychos do much worse, not to mention when I was training to be a Detective they had us go to a body farm to see the different states of decomposition, after that anything else seems kind of mundane"

Larissa shivered, and scooted closer,

"Do you miss being a Detective?"

I smiled,

"Sometimes, but there's so much risk with that job, if something from work followed me home, and anything happened to the kids or you. I would never be able to forgive myself"

I felt a lump of emotion catch in my throat,

"Besides I always wanted to do something with my cooking, what better way then to teach young outcasts like you and me to fend for themselves, to cook and to clean, how to serve guests, all of thevstuff that comes with being an adult and living life"

Larissa smiled and kissed me,

"You know Wednesday and Enid want to be detectives?"

I smiled softly, an odd sense of pride filling me. Larissa noticed and played with my hair, she kissed my cheek before getting up and taking care of the garbage and leftovers. I sat sipping my iced coffee, when Larissa returned she smiled seeing me with my chocolate mocha raspberry and blood infused coffee.

"You worked up quite a thirst didn't you baby?"

I nodded and she smirked blushing. She lowered the collar on her shirt, I shook my head,

"Baby I can't, I don't know if I'd be able to stop"

Larissa pouted,

"Don't give me that sappy Edward Cullen bullshit, I know you, your stronger then you think, and I'm offering"

She straddled my lap and kissed my neck, I set my coffee aside, and she exposed her pulse point to me, I blushed my nails biting into the mattress.

"Please don't darling"

That caught Larissa’s attention, she climbed off my lap and covered her neck, she caressed my face,

"What is it love? Why not?"

I flushed,

"In drinks it's fine, but taking it from the source, I just-im not ready...I know I did at the hospital, but I didn't have a say in it and I can't consciously do this to you"

Larissa looked at me with so much love and understanding she kissed me softly, a blush spreading on her cheeks,

"I love it when your open and soft with me"

It was my turn to blush, we spent the evening together snuggling and kissing and then it was time to get ready, I awoke from a nap and Larissa was gone a note on the night stand saying to be ready by six pm. I got up and showered. I took my time willing my body to relax , I was anxious and had never been to a dance ever. I had skipped my proms and homecoming, something I never really regretted but not getting ready I was anxious. I wanted it to be perfect, Larissa had told me how the Rave'N had always been a bitter sweet memory for her, I dried off. And slipped on a matching lingerie set, I looked over my reflection in the mirror. For once since having the twins I felt sexy confident even, I did my makeup; a smokey eye , full contour and soft blush paired with a subtle lip color. I was listening to music while I got ready. I had shaved everything and was applying moisturizer before slipping on my nylons. With my nylons on and makeup and hair done, I stepped into my dress using a coat hanger to zip it up. It fit perfectly, hugging my every curve like a glove and complimenting my shape, it was black with a nude fabric underneath it, as if I were only wearing lace. The top was a sweet heart neck line, with a low back and plenty of cleavage exposed, it was clearly expensive and coture. Larissa always had an eye for fashion, I smiled slipping on the accessories she had picked for it and my heels, grabbing a small clutch. I heard Larissa call me from downstairs,

"Darling I'm here, are you ready?"

I spritzed on the perfume I knew drove Larissa wild and made my way carefully down the steps. Larissa looked stunning, a dazzling smile on her face, she had on a beautiful suit with a corset top that complimented her shape and long legs, she was holding a corsage, I pulled the boutenir I had purchased out of the fridge and delicately pinned it to her suit coats lapel.

"You look absolutely stunning"

I gushed kissing her softly, she smiled quietly drinking in my form, her hands teasingly traced my curves and I bit my lip to suppress a moan she smirked,

"You my dear are a work of art, and as much as I love this dress on you, I want to see it in a pile on our floor"

I gasped and a pleased rumble emitted from her throat, she kissed the column of my throat, and guided me outside her hand on my back, and opened the car door for me, drinking in the view as I dipped down to get in the vehicle. When she climbed into our vehicle, her hand on my thigh she drew teasing circles in the fabric of my gown. When we arrived at the Academy she lead me inside, she stroked my back, and passed off our tickets. We entered in their were already so many students in the ball room, they were dancing and laughing and almost as soon as we arrived their attention turned to us. Wednesday and Enid immediately came over they complimented us both, Enid gushed over my dress, she had a on a soft grey blue dress, and Wednesday had on a simple black pair of dress pants a shirt with a tie of a similar shade. Students approached us in a similar fashion throughout the night complimenting us, the decor and thanking Larissa for throwing the dance. Eventually a slow song played, I was filling up a drink at the punch bowl, when I felt her arms embrace me. I sighed contentedly,

"Darling, dance with me?"

I blushed as red as the punch and Larissa smiled,

"It will be like at our wedding, I'll guide you through it"

I nodded softly, she guided me over to the ballroom floor, that was all but empty it would seem the students did not care for slow dances. Larissa planted her hands firmly on the small of my back, and I held her shoulders, she smirked softly, and I sang to her while we danced. The students watched and took pictures, recorded, us dancing, and then the song changed to something a bit more suggestive. I went to move away, and Larissa pulled me flush against her, I blushed a small yelp escaping me. She giggled purring seductively, she manipulated my body on the dance floor with ease. Dipping me low and kissing my neck,

"Ris there's children, your students, we are not alone"

Larissa mocked a bite to my throat, and when she tilted her head back, she had shifted her eyes a golden color and fake blood ran from her lips. Now I understood the dances theme, a vampire ball. The students clapped and she shifted back to normal, I blushed my face red, Larissa smirked,

"A round of applause for my wife, who was an unknowing participant in my little performance"

The students clapped and I turned an even brighter shade of red, eventually the dance ended and the students had cleaned up everything and gone to their dorms. It was just Larissa and I, with the DJ, she walked over to him whispering something softly, and we slow danced to the song that played at our wedding. I began to tear up, as Larissa guided me about the dance floor, she kissed me delicately on the lips. We paid the DJ, and when he left we locked up the ballroom and went to the new house, Larissa lifted me out of the car and carried me over the threshold, she kissed me passionately and I moaned.

Larissa locked the door behind us and guided me to our master bedroom, she unzipped my dress and hung it up in the closet and did the same with her suit, she bit her lip admiring my body in the lingerie.

She raked her eyes a long my form and couldn't suppress the guttural moan that pulled from her throat, I flushed whimpering, I sat on the edge of the bed and slipped my panties aside gently stroking my folds, teasingly slow. Her eyes traced my movement and her perfectly manicured brows furrowed,

"What exactly do you think your doing?"

I stopped and blushed, she sauntered over to me confidence in every step, she tilted my chin up to meet her gaze. I opened my mouth to speak and her thumb traced my lip, she smirked her tongue flicking out to wet her teeth.

"Use your words pet"

I practically shuddered with arousal at the nickname, and she hummed her eyes glazed over with lust as she lengthened her cock, shifting her anatomy, I sputtered. And she smirked,

"I- I- Ris I need you"

Larissa hummed in quiet thought, gently caressing my face before lightly slapping it and choking me, the actions through me off balance and instantly I felt arousal flood my core. She snickered sadistically,

"Awe poor baby, mommy hasn't even touched you yet, and your already speechless,that's to bad. Mommy's just gonna have to fuck her little bunny dumb, isn't she?"

I moaned at her words a sense of shame filling me, she gently pushed me back on the bed, she tugged down my soaked thong with a single digit, I whimpered at the feeling of her hands so close to where I desperately needed her. She removed my bra, and kissed me slowly, teasing every inch of my skin with her lips tongue and teeth, she sent sparks of electricity through every neuron and synapse, a fire bloomed and burned within my stomach. She was absolutely maddening and deliberate with her every movement, a smirk played on soft beautiful lips,

"What's wrong bunny, feeling desperate?"

I could tell from the playful lilt in her tone that she wanted me to beg, and I was in dire need of release, so I begged and pleaded with her. She smiled,

"Oh honey that's all you had to do,spread for mommy"

I spread my legs and practically screamed when I felt her fingers make contact with my clit she hummed and moaned,

"That's it such a good little whore for mommy, my perfect little fuck bunny"

She sucked hickeys into my skin, marking me up completely, when finally she slid her cock inside of me she growled and I whimpered. Something within both of us snapped and in a blur of flesh and the sound of the smqcking of wet forcefully colliding, we climaxed, orgasming in sync. Fully enraptured within one another's arms she collapsed on top of me and I through the blanket over us.

"I love you Larissa Weems"

She hummed sleepily kissing me gently,

"I love you to bunny"

✧･.☽˚｡･ﾟ✧ :══════⊹⊹══════: ✧･ﾟ｡˚☾.･✧°•☆~○¤~☆°•

Well I hope you'll enjoy this chapter, I'm hoping to get a chapter of "I will love you through it all" written and posted as well. I appreciate your patience with me and your support.

As always let me know what you think, and if there's anything you'd like to see, I appreciate it!! ❤️

@winterfireblond @weemssapphic @weemswife @propertyofmilfs @pro-weems-places @larissaoftarthweems @vii-v @o1iviac1aire @barbarasstar @milfsloverblog @gwens0girl @gwens0girl @gwenzone @larissaweemsismywife

#wlw smut #fanfic #larissa weems #fanfiction #smut #y/n x Larissa Weems #ficlet

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just-avocado · 10 months ago

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So I stayed up until like four last night writing down the lyrics for the Circe Saga because it’s incredible and Spotify didn’t have lyrics yet but since tumblr doesn’t want me to post pics rn for some reason I’ll just try again later and instead talk about the songs!!! :D

Puppeteer- The intro instrumental lives in my head to rent and so does Eurylochus’s rap part, I need to know what he was going to tell Odysseus he sounded so vulnerable- I swear this guy is climbing up my favorite characters list, I do find it interesting how he wanted to leave the crew behind with Circe when later in Mutiny he confronted Odysseus for “trading the lives of his crew” in order to get home so hopefully that means he had a change and heart and wasn’t just being a hypocrite, I also love how the Circe Saga as a whole but especially Puppeteer and There Are Other Ways really highlight how terrible Odysseus feels about everything he’s done, everyone he’s failed or killed since leaving home, I need to know how he goes from hating himself to embracing all he’s done

Uhh favorite lines!

“Look at all we’ve lost and all we’ve learned, Every single cost is so much more than what we’ve earned” SING IT Eurylochus

Wouldn’t You Like- HEHEHEH I absolutely adore the synthwave-y aspects of the song I’m a huge lover of synthwave vibes as of recent, I would genuinely vibe to the instrumental all day long, Mr. Jalapeño release the instrumental versions pLplzplz 🙏, I’m sure we all know by know that Troy is the real Hermes there’s no other way he can bring THAT much charisma to the role, I’ve seen charisma before but never like that oh my god, I also love his unhinged laugh so much idk how he does it but I want to learn, also when I was writing the lyrics I had to stop for a sec and be like “is this song just Hermes giving his great grandson drugs ooor-“ because that’s 100% something he would do

Favorite lines…

Just the entire “Here in the root of this flower, There lies such a power, To take her on” segment of the song it’s just 👌

Also the part where he’s going OOOhoOhohAhahdph while the ensemble sings his verses his voice is so BEAUTIFUL and POWERFUL oh my GOD

“Don’t thank me friend! You very well may die” I chuckled so loud lmao

And his little “Good luck 😉” he’s so silly he knows shit is going to go down

Done For- okay was the lyric for this song always “I just ate a flower, one that claims your power” cuz I could have sworn it was drains your power but I might just be crazy, also chimera supremacy I love that Jorge was able to find a way to implement it, Jorge and Talya’s voices sound so great together I need more 😭, I also love that this song starts to hint at more depth behind Circe’s actions idk who out here thinks she’s a meh one-note/one-off villain but she’s not!! I’ll make a 50 page PowerPoint on this don’t test me!!

Fav lines…

“You’ve lost.” Okay Odysseus 🤡

“My nymphs are like my daughters, I protect them at all costs, The last time we let strangers live, We faced a heavy loss.” This!! This is what I’m saying she feels like she has no choice other than to hurt people so that the people she loves will stay safe, she’s literally Odysseus further down the line! it’s so fascinating to see a character like this facing off against the main protagonist bc at this point in the story we don’t know what kind of person he will become yet and yet Jorge shows us with Circe Ahdldhnsbdk

There Are Other Ways- Okay I’ll be honest, this song was the last one on my radar not bc I didn’t like it but because I was just looking forward to others so much more and it was also the one I intentionally heard less clips of because I wanted at least one song that I didn’t already know half of the lyrics to 💀 ANYWAY THIS ONE IS THE BEST SONG IN THE CIRCE SAGA CHANGE MY MIND (I’m so sorry Troy I love your voice but this song is simply better) Dude the lyrics go soso hard in this one, I’m such a sucker for one character having like a big emotional moment while another is like singing/backing them up in the background and there’s so much of that here, and the call backs? Both to earlier songs in the saga AND Just A Man, my favorite song Just A Man? Every call back to that song is just so RAW I LOVE IT, I don’t know a ton about Greek mythology outside of Epic so I dont know if Circe and Posideon have this past beef or something but I do find it interesting that it’s only after he is mentioned that Circe decides to help Odysseus but I also think it’s larger due to how he reminds her of herself with how he misses Penelope, UM THE BEAT DROP after the underworld is mentioned for the first time??? CHILLS SHIVERS EVERYTHING dude I love how the entire atmosphere changes so much because yes this could be Odysseus’ only change to make it home safely but it’s also so much more dangerous than the shitty situation they’re already in so there’s not even time for relief or a breath of air like he’s IN it now there’s no going back

Best lyrics omfg…

“There are other roads to the soul~” Talya, Tayla. This is why some of us can’t sing, the universe needs balance and you are the only explanation for that

“Want to save your men from the fire? Show me that you’re willing to burn” 😐 AAAAAH

“But there’s no puppet here” get it puppeteer? Puppet here? I thought it was clever lol

“Back at home, my wife awaits for me, She’s my everything, My Penelope” The yearning in his voice made me feel things

“So I beg you Circe, Grant us mercy, And let us puppets leeeeave~” We have literally never seen Odysseus use this sort of tactic before to get his way but I genuinely think he’s being genuine here, no play, he only wants to see his wife and son again, he’s so close to giving up hope, he’s losing his spirit, he’s searching for any sliver of help even from a women who wants him dead

“I know of a brilliant prophet… Problem is that prophets dead.” Again the cord or piano key I think it was was so AH SO GOOD AH I am foaming at the mouth for when we start getting teasers for the Underworld Saga

“Maybe showing one act of kindness, Leads to kinder souls down the road” someone make an au where Polities and Circe become besties she needs a friend like him but don’t we all, but seriously THIS is what I’m saying!! She is future Odysseus! Only difference being is that she’s so tired of hurting people at this point she decides to take a chance and give help rather than pain in the hopes that it will somehow contribute to a kinder world

“Maybe one day the world, Will need a puppeteer no more” this is her plea for help, she yearns for the day where she won’t need to be a monster in order to protect her nymphs, for Odysseus his plea was for him and his men to leave, they both showed such vulnerability in this song in different ways its ART ITS ART *gun shot*

“I have been in love once before” She even had her own Penelope guys, this is the true reason why she decided to help Odysseus methinks

Okay uhhh I think that’s it ^_^ Circe Saga rules, it might be my fav saga I’ll decide soon

#epic the musical #epic the circe saga #epic the troy saga #epic odysseus #epic polites #epic circe #epic eurylochus #disclaimer for BANGER SONGS #okay I should probably close my eyes or something I’m running in a solid two hours #Circe saga is more important than sleep lmao

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witchersmistress · 1 year ago

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To Build A New

Hello my darlings!!! lets dive back into the world of Harper and August shall we??

Trigger Warnings: vulgar language, only Harpers pov no August this time around.

Word Count: 1.7K

Harpers POV

My head is pounding. I blink into the long rays of warm summer sun and sit up, grabbing onto the chaise lounge when a wave of dizziness hits. It takes me a second to get my bearings, to take in the red jalapeños dangling from their plants and the towering sunflowers overhead. I wince at the incessant noise of cicada song, sawing into my brain instead of soothing me with its familiarity, and the constant, hot wind that blows steadily from the south.

My heart races erratically, and I stumble to my feet, gasping for breath past the ache inside me. I want to—need to—step off the edge, to make it happen this time. Last time, the thought felt like a question, something to ponder absently, the consequences being equal either way. This time, it feels like an answer, the only possible solution. It only takes a moment to cross the roof. I’m almost at the edge when Mr. D grabs my arm and spins me around. He’s not gentle this time. His lips are set in a tight line, and he keeps his grip on my arm and marches me back to the chair. He pushes me down into it, the plush outdoor furniture he bought for me to sit on that probably cost more than the furniture in my house. My head throbs when my ass hits the cushion. He sits beside my knees and just looks at me, his good eye piercing into me until I have to look away. “What happened?” I ask. “You led August here,” he says flatly. My voice comes out as barely more than a breath, almost stolen by the wind. “What?” He rakes his hand through his blonde hair, which he’s cut since I saw him last, when I left him. “I just… Why here, Harper?” I close my eyes. My fingers shake, and I have to ball them into fists to steady myself. “I was bringing back your truck,” I whisper. “And you don’t have a garage.” His words are uninflected. It’s not a question. I don’t argue. I remember coming back, parking the truck, closing the garage to put one more wall between me and August. But he found me, anyway. And now he found Mr. D, and I’m not safe here, either. There’s nowhere safe. Even worse, I exposed Mr. D. Will he have to give up his beautiful home? His plants? His life? “I’m sorry,” I whisper, tears brimming in my eyes. Words aren’t enough to fix what I’ve done. “Maybe I should have gotten you help,” he says with a weary sigh. “Instead of thinking you’d heal here if I gave it time.” “No,” I say, sitting up and pulling my knees up to my chest. “It’s not your fault.” He turns to me, swallowing and searching my eyes. “Do you need to be under surveillance? I can’t change what I did, but I can take you now, if you need it.” I shake my head. “I don’t need that.” He takes my hand between both of his, slowly threading his tattooed fingers through mine. “What do you need, Harper?” I remember all the times he told me he needed more, that my information wasn’t good enough. Maybe it wasn’t enough because he couldn’t ask for what he really needed. He seemed so cold, so heartless. But he’s not the same in person. He’s just as broken as the rest of us. I remember how it felt to be needed by August, how much I needed that. Maybe that’s all Mr. D ever needed, too, even if he didn’t know it. Maybe that’s all any of us need, at least once in our lives. I don’t know what I need anymore, but I still remember how to give. So I swallow past the ache in my throat and give him the answer he deserves. “You,” I whisper. “I need you, Mr. D.”

Later, I sat on the island where I sat for so many days. I fill out the paperwork from school while Mr. D cooks and Local News with Jackie puts up a map showing the hotspots where the new designer drug has popped up. I look up every now and then, checking the TV or thinking how strange it is that I never took the time to admire Mr. D the way he admires me. I was always an object to him, something to dress and decorate and compliment, something to consume the way he consumes his fancy meals, drink in with his eyes the way he drinks his one glass of fine wine with dinner each night. And he was the opposite to me, an idea with no substance. I was happy to let him hide behind his mask, to call him the Phantom, to ask no questions. I rarely admired the beautiful, long lines of his trim physique, the impeccable wardrobe, the skill it takes to sear pork chops and roast green beans and frizzle leeks at the same time. “Where did you learn to cook like that?” I ask. He glances back at me from where he’s arranging the plates, sprinkling crispy leeks in a neat line over a heap of real mashed potatoes, not the powdered kind from the box. “I’m a recluse,” he says. “With energy to burn and even more time to kill.” “You taught yourself to make all this?” I ask as he slides a plate in front of me, everything on it looking both appetizing and visually appealing, like it could be served in the finest restaurant in a big city, not a bachelor pad in Atlanta,Georgia. “I take no credit,” he says. “It was all TV and the internet.” “TV and the internet didn’t cook this dinner,” I say, accepting a glass of wine. I feel strange, like a stranger in his house, the same way I felt when I went home after being here for months. Nothing quite fits right anymore. Maybe it never did.

You’d think we’d be perfect together, two lost people with no place, no purpose in the world anymore. Maybe it could have worked before, if he’d agreed to meet instead of being too scared to show his face. Now I’m too broken, too fragmented to ever fit together with anyone. And though he’s broken, too, our pieces don’t match up. They grind against each other as we try to force them together in a desperate attempt to make something bearable from our lives. Mr. D sits beside me, and we eat in silence for a few minutes. “I’m going back to school,” I say at last. He pauses, then finishes chewing before answering. “Because you missed the last few months? You should be able to work something out if you’re that close to graduating.” “I was only a junior,” I reminded him.

He nods. “August graduated. You won’t have to see him.” “He knows your truck,” I say. There’s a beat of silence, heavy with the words I left unspoken. He knows more than Mr. D’s truck. He knows his house. “You’re sure he followed me here?” I ask at last. “That he knows where you live?” “I’m sure.” My stomach lurches, and I can’t swallow the food in my mouth. I have to spit it into a napkin and suck in a loud, ugly breath before I can speak. “Are we safe? Is he outside right now?” He snorts. “Now you’re worried about your safety? We both know what you were doing today, Harper. What you were trying to do.” “I wasn’t…” Was I? I don’t remember. I remember sobbing so hard I thought my chest would implode. When I woke up on that roof, though, I knew what I wanted, the first time I’ve truly wanted anything since the morning Mr. D pulled me off that tree. “You left the truck running,” he says quietly, spearing a green bean. “And closed the garage.” I take a sip of wine to get my throat working again. I was so out of it after I saw August, I don’t even remember driving here.

I should have been terrified, watching for him in the mirrors. Instead of being paranoid, I forgot the games he plays. “I can’t protect you when I’m not with you,” Mr. D says. “If he makes you do that again…” “He followed me here,” I repeat, as if just realizing it, as if saying it again will make it untrue, make him contradict me. Panic rises in my voice. My head swims, and I have to grab the edge of the counter so I don’t fall off the barstool. He could have run me off the road and killed me right there. He could come after me again. He will, too. He won’t stop until I’m dead. He knows where my mom lives, and now he knows my hiding place. Mr. D frowns at his plate. “You should have protection for when you’re not with me,” he says at last. “I can’t give you a gun, not after what you pulled today. But I’ll have you fitted for brass knuckles, and if you know any other weapons you can’t turn around on yourself…” “I won’t,” I say. He fixes me with his unflinching, turquoise gaze. “Until you see him again.” I don’t answer. I don’t know what I’ll do. I don’t know myself anymore, the person I am now. I didn’t know I’d be able to face August, to talk to him and even to snark back at him like nothing changed.

I didn’t know it would be the thing that finally pushed me to the edge. I finish dinner with Mr. D and slide into his bed. I’m ready for him, but he doesn’t use me the way he used to. When he returns from the shower, he climbs in beside me and pulls me into his arms, and we go to sleep. For the next few weeks, that’s how it continues. I won't leave again. I don’t want to risk running into August. I dive deep into the makeup work my professors sent for the last two months I missed at Georgia State, so I can turn in everything and start senior year at State. It helps to focus on something and get out of my head. Day by day, I feel myself emerge, not the girl I used to be or the one Mr. D made but someone else, someone whose raw edges are sealed over with scar tissue, whose broken pieces at least resemble a human.

#henry cavill imagine #august walker #henry cavill x you #august walker fanfic #august walker fanfiction #august walker imagines #henry cavill characters #henrycavill smut

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catastrophicmind · 2 years ago

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Get To Know Me !

Girl, you know I love these. I tagged you at the end because I’d love to hear your answers too!

🖌 - Do you have/want any tattoos? I have 20 (professional and self-done) planning to get one done in the next couple weeks in celebration of my birthday (today) and my year of sobriety (March 11). It’s gonna be a Phoenix.

💚 - What’s your favourite colour? Purple and teal

🍕 - What’s the last thing you ate? This banging jalapeño popper chicken casserole I made for the house on Sunday.

🕰 - What time is it where you are rn? 6:32am

🌟 - What is your zodiac sign? Pisces

🌍 - What is your favourite accent? Australian

⚡️ - Do you have any scars? Yes. My most recent is on my right forearm from accidentally burning myself at work about a month ago.

🌺 - What’s your MBTI type? ISFJ— Defender

🥀 - Favourite animated movie? Oooh, probably gonna throw back to The Little Mermaid.

�� - Favourite show? Currently— any 90 Day Fiance season or spin-off. I love the chaos every couple brings to the table. All-time— Total Drama (at least the first three seasons).

😂 - Are you ticklish? Not really.

💍 - Do you ever want to get married? Some day. I’m thoroughly enjoying being single and working on myself though. I need to be in tip-top shape within before I find “Mr. Right”.

😳 - Do you like your name? Meh, no. I feel like it’s an older woman’s name. I’ve never really met anyone my age with the same name. They’re usually women 20-30 years older than me. Thanks, mom!

💙 - What colour is your bedroom? Teal and gray

🤓 - How did you get your name? Lmao, idk my mom liked it a lot and my dad conformed. They didn’t know what gender I was until I was born though, so if I came out a boy, I would’ve been Anthony— not Melissa.

🎓 - When did/do you graduate? Graduated high school in 2014. I’ve taken some college courses, but haven’t finished my degree.

🍄 - Do you have/want any piercings? I have a lot. My ears are gauged and littered in little studs. I just counted and I have 13 total in my ears, 2 in my nose and my eyebrow.

👀 - What colour are your eyes? Hazel. They switch between green and gold typically. They’re never really a shade of brown.

👱🏻‍♀️ - What is your go to hairstyle? Lord, I’ve had a pixie for the last four years. I decided to grow it out because I miss having long hair. Right now…it’s an awkward mess. Like, shaggy and thick af. I usually just throw on a headband or hat to hide how shitty it looks. I’ll be so happy when I can put it in a ponytail.

🥂 - Have you ever drank underage? I was 17 when I had my first drink. Blacked out. Had a fake all the way up until I was legal.

🍾 - Have you ever gotten drunk? Honey, where do I begin…if I was drinking, my goal was a to get obliterated. I can’t grasp the concept of drinking to “enjoy”. That’s why I’m sober. Lmao.

😱 - What’s your biggest fear? Probably being alone the rest of my life. You know, not ever finding “the one”.

🥵 - Would you rather be too hot or too cold? Too cold! You can always cover up, but you can only take so much clothing off before you’re naked.

🌦 - What’s your favourite weather? Probably 50-60 degrees and sunny.

🍂 - What’s your favourite season? Late fall/early winter.

🐷 - What’s your favourite animal? Dogs 🐶 💕 I literally love them more than people sometimes. They give you everything they have and expect nothing in return.

🐶 - Do you have any pets? No, my landlord won’t allow it, but my mom’s dog is like my little brother. I love me some Cody.

😴 - What’s the longest you’ve ever gone without sleep? Heh…11 days. Don’t ask why.

🎨 - Any hobbies? Writing and anything to do with music.

🛩 - If travelling was free, where’s the first place you’d go? Norway. Seeing the Aurora Borealis is at the top of my bucket list.

🎇 - What’s your most searched thing on Google? Good question. I’m not sure. I literally Google every stupid question I have that comes to mind.

📱 - Favourite app on your phone? Tumblr and Facebook

🤠 - Are you more of a city person or a country person? Can I be a suburb person? Not a fan of the big city and I also hate living in bumfuck nowhere. I like a quaint town that has everything I need.

Tagging: @duncans-unibrow @honeynotgood @webui1tgwensface @sentimentalslut @the-type-a

Get To Know Me !

Again, idk why I made this but enjoy I guess (some of these may be uncomfortable for y’all to answer, idk).

🖌 - Do you have/want any tattoos?

💚 - What’s your favourite colour?

🍕 - What’s the last thing you ate?

🕰 - What time is it where you are rn?

🌟 - What is your zodiac sign?

🌍 - What is your favourite accent?

⚡️ - Do you have any scars?

🌺 - What’s your MBTI type?

🥀 - Favourite animated movie?

📺 - Favourite show?

😂 - Are you ticklish?

💍 - Do you ever want to get married?

😳 - Do you like your name?

💙 - What colour is your bedroom?

🤓 - How did you get your name?

🎓 - When did/do you graduate?

🍄 - Do you have/want any piercings?

👀 - What colour are your eyes?

👱🏻‍♀️ - What is your go to hairstyle?

🥂 - Have you ever drank underage?

🍾 - Have you ever gotten drunk?

😱 - What’s your biggest fear?

🥵 - Would you rather be too hot or too cold?

🌦 - What’s your favourite weather?

🍂 - What’s your favourite season?

🐷 - What’s your favourite animal?

🐶 - Do you have any pets?

😴 - What’s the longest you’ve ever gone without sleep?

🎨 - Any hobbies?

🛩 - If travelling was free, where’s the first place you’d go?

🎇 - What’s your most searched thing on Google?

📱 - Favourite app on your phone?

🤠 - Are you more of a city person or a country person?

#get to know me

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carterashofficial · 2 years ago

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My garden is done almost done!

Photo 1- Beefsteak Tomato plant (to its left is the almost-dead-soon-to-be-removed yellow pear tomato plant that has a fungus? Virus? Idk but it will be replaced by cucumbers in about 2 weeks once the cucumbers sprout)

Photo Dos- Grapes. Had grapes at my parents house when we moved in when I was 6. Immediately removed b/c it’s like cyanide to dogs. Those grapes have been haunting my dreams for 21 years. So I bought my own to grow.

Third Photo- the Goddamn Fuckin Invincible Blueberry Bush that I bought in early 2020 when Covid was everywhere. It refused to die when I left it at my apartment for 4 months in the middle of the SoCal summer. It has some fruit growing on it. It is My Beloved and as a treat I gave it some fresh soil

4rd Photo- Herbs, my other beloveds. We got Cilantro, thyme, and oregano. No, I don’t know which is thyme and which is oregano. Fun fact: I’ve been cooking with cilantro for like 2 years with my boyfriend and last week he finally told me that he isn’t a fan. He doesn’t taste soap, it’s just too potent. I am still Shook.

Photo Number 5: Beans beans the magical fruit. The more you eat the more you toot. The more you toot the better you feel, so beans beans for every meal. No, I will not elaborate.

Image 6: spinach. Because I can never finish a bag of Popeye’s favorite food before it goes bad. Now I can just pick what I need. To the right is some lettuce that hasn’t sprouted yet. I’ve unintentionally planted things in phases b/c I am a lazy ass

Image 7: Radishes, almost Ready for Harvest (and then they will be PICKLED, and then I shall consume. All. Of. Them.) in the planter to the right is a strawberry plant and dill, when it decides to get the show on the road. I’m patient.

Photo 8: ya so this is rhubarb and funny story: the beefsteak tomato plant went into the Rhubarb’s original pot b/c I thought I’d kill the rhubarb (no one told me it died off and grew back). So I pulled out this root-thing that looked like mutant ginger, realized it was the ‘dead’ rhubarb, and uh… ripped off the white fleshy covering thing that protects the baby stalks. So I thought I’d killed it again but replanted it in the red pot just in case. And now it’s back. It’s giving the blueberry bush a run for the ‘invincible’ title. This isn’t even my plant, it’s my dad’s that I bought him last year for his birthday.

Nine: the lime tree I just transplanted. Boyfriend requested lime tree for alcohol-related reasons. I just like the smell of the blossoms. It scored a few direct hits on my hands before I stole a pair of gardening gloves from my parents (in my defense, my parents are 3 minutes away, and the dog has a habit of eating gardening gloves so really I’ve preemptively saved the gloves from Mr Dingus)

Not shown:

the partially dead Jalapeño plant who did not like how cold the winter got. I’m hoping he perks up now that it’s usually above 60 degrees. About four of its children are in our freezer b/c I keep forgetting about them whenever I make soup

A strawberry plant that was a hitchhiker from the long brown pots, technically is my mother’s but she a-didn’t know it was there and b- I put it in my special favorite purple pot so it’s mine forever now

Daffodils that are theoretically going to flower? Idk. I just water them and tell them they’re pretty just how they are

2 soil pods that will hopefully sprout cucumber plants in a week. For pickling reasons.

Some green onions I’ve shoved into the other pots after I took these photos.

Christmas fern/ivy/poinsettia thingy next to my front door, from the fine purveyors of Costco.

Also the flamingo thing lights up and he needs a name.

#Carter’s garden #I AM SUCCESSFUL at this so far #I know the beans will do good b/c I always had luck as a kid with peas #the only downside of the patio garden is that there’s no hose connection #so to water everything I take a 2L soda bottle to the bathtub to fill it up #it’s about 4 trips to water everything

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socalwriterbee · 2 years ago

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Something New

This story came from a lovely ask and conversation with a dear friend. Thank you so much @txemrn for the idea to this Holiday treat with our favorite twins!

Book: The Nanny Affair

Characters: Marie Castro (MC), Mason Dalton and Mickey Dalton. Appearances by Carter and Sam Dalton

Rating: Fluff

Word Count: ~3700

Summary: Marie wants to bring a bit of home and the memory of her mother to Sam and the boys with a traditional Christmas dinner she grew up with. Marie gets to chance to show Mason and Mickey how to make tamales. What could go wrong?

A/N: This story came from an ask for a holiday treat. You can find the ask here.

*Characters belong to Pixelberry*

🫔🎄🫔🎄🫔

“Thank you for all your help” I tell Carter as I place the heavy bag of ingredients onto the counter of the kitchen island. “Who would have thought it’d be a bit further to find everything that is needed.”

“I sure didn’t Miss Castro.” Carter replies as he follows behind me with the rest of the bags. “Are you certain you don’t need any help with this?”

Looking up from removing the items from the bags, I see Carter placing the remaining bags with the others. “Yes, yes. I’m fine. Doing this takes me back home. I can’t believe it has taken me this long to think to share it with Sam and the boys.”

“To be fair Miss Castro, the boys and Mr. Dalton are traditional in a sense. Even when Mr. Castro comes, the Daltons have everything planned and ready. Our traditions get swept to the side, of course unintentional.” He chuckles. “And I don’t mind at all, I do have a few hours to spare.”

“Well, I hope to change that. Even if it needs to be done before or after the holiday they’ve known all their lives. We’d compromise on it, switch it up every year, fair enough right?” Smiling warmly at him but I shake my head at his offer. “Use those hours to unwind and relax before we have to pick up Mason and Mickey and Carter—.”

“Yes?” He gives me a questioning look.

“Please call me Marie, I would like to think after a couple years knowing each other we’d be friends.”

“Of course Miss— Marie.” Carter tips his black hat. “I’ll see you in a few hours.” He says before turning on his heel and walking out of the kitchen.

After taking out all the ingredients out, they lay in front of me. The dry corn husks, waiting to be rehydrated. The dark green of the jalapeños, tomatillos, garlic and onion for the green salsa sitting next to my mothers secret to her delicious red salsa, she would make only for this.

The words I said to Carter coming back to me, I really couldn’t believe that it has taken me this long to show Sam and the boys a part of who I am and what both of my parents instilled in me of our family tradition during the holiday. And about the only one that stuck with my mother from being raised in her type Mexican household.

The images of my mother around the kitchen getting our Christmas dinner ready come to mind as I unwrap the butchers paper that contains the meat for the filling.

How she and my father would be talking of how many family members were expected that year and if we had gotten enough to feed everyone. Yes, there had always more than enough and how they would remind each other that the following year they’d get the original amount they always said they would.

That never happened.

I could hear my mother’s voice in the kitchen of our family home, ‘Mija, remember we cook the meat first because it takes the longest. Once we get that on the stove, we need hot water to soak the corn husks to make them soft so they can be folded.’

As I have the first two steps going, the bubbling pot of pork, onion and garlic on the stove and steam coming off the soaking corn husks. I turn my attention to the two salsas that need to be made. Plucking out the stems from the jalapeños, I throw them into another awaiting pot. Biting my bottom lip I debate if I should keep it at two or test my luck and go with three hoping that it won’t come out spicy. I go with my gut and toss in that extra jalapeño. After peeling the papery husk from the green tomatillos they go in with the jalapeños and a piece of onion. Covered with enough water, onto the stove they go.

‘Now Marie Isabel. The red salsa is my little secret. Nothing fancy, no three or four dried chiles rehydrated going into a blender with seasonings and such. When it’s made like that the masa tends to absorb the moisture from it and they became dry. And nothing is worse than a dry tamale, ask your father he almost choked on Tia Lupe’s tamales one year.’

My preteen self laughing at the image my mother had set up for me as she moves about the kitchen getting ready to show me her secret. With a can opener in hand, I open the can of tomato sauce, a can of the Mexican spicy tomato sauce. Emptied into the blender with the rehydrated red chile.

‘But mom I thought you said no dry chiles?’

‘This Marie is mostly for color. It’s gonna give flavor of course but it’s that nice red color it’ll give us in the end too.’

I had just nodded as everything my mother was showing me, sinking in so that one day I could make them and share a piece of my family with a family of my own.

As the minutes turn to an hour going into two, the tamale station I’ve set up is waiting and ready to go. When Carter walks into the kitchen. “It smells amazing in here M..Marie.”

“Thank you but they are not even cooked, heck they aren’t even spread, filled and folded yet! But I do have two forks at the ready for you to try both fillings.” I grin at him, holding up the two forks in my hand. “And be honest tell me what you think.”

Handing them over to Carter, I begin to remove my apron. I checked the time on my watch and it was time for us to collect the boys from their grandparents. As I’m placing the apron over one of the chairs, I hear a small oh my slip from Carter.

“This is incredible. Your mother would be proud, she has taught you well. In this,” He points to the red and green filling. “And in life.”

My eyes glisten at Carters spoken words. “Thank you, that is very sweet of you. Your are going to make me cry. But I assume you have come to get me so we can pick up the twins?”

“Yes and no. I’ve come to let you know I was off to pick up Mason and Mickey and we’d be home shortly after.”

“Are you sure? I could come along to get them, everything here is ready for the next step.”

“Which is an intensive and laboring step. If I go, it will give you time to get something done before they boys arrive.”

Carter was right about that. It would allow me to get some of the tamales ready before Mason and Mickey came home. And knowing the boys well enough, they would like to know and then learn how to make them or see what kind of prank they could pull off with this. It would be a mix of both for sure. “Ok. I’ll stay and get a step ahead.”

“See you shortly Miss Castro.” He calls out.

“Carter!”

“On the clock Miss. On the clock.” He chuckles.

I drop my and shake my head and laugh. You win some you lose some. Grabbing from the drawer my weapon of choice, the spoon, to take down the five pounds of masa that was purchased and begin to slowly make a small dent.

With a small part of the counter space covered with corn husk and masa spread on them, I hear the chime of the elevator announce it’s arrival. Followed closely by two pairs of feet hitting the floor as they run through the penthouse.

“Marie! Marie! You’ll never guess what Grandpa let us do.” Mickey says as his running comes into a halt and eyes everything on the counter, his eyes growing big with awe.

“Yeah, Marie you’ll never—.” Mason follows, bumping into his brother.

“Hey!” Mickey calls out to Mason.

“Sorry.” Mason turns his attention from his brother to me and what’s before us. His eyes widen under his glasses just like his brother.

“What is this?” Mickey steps closer and pokes the end of the husk with his finger.

“And this.” Mason points to the bowl holding the masa.

“This.” I hold up to them. “Is a corn husk and that is masa.”

Both boys turn their head to the side. “What is it for?” They ask in unison.

“I’m using it to make tamales. A traditional food my family made during the holidays. One I’d love to share with you.”

“Oh. We learned about different culture traditions in school before break. Is it something like that?” Mason asks.

“Yes. The two of you came running to tell me something you two did with Grandpa Mason, what was it?” I ask them as I go back to spreading the smooth masa on to the husk. Two sets of eyes watching with amazement as I finish in a few strokes and place it with the others.

“Can we try?” Mickey asks, his voice a whisper.

“You want to learn how to make them?”

They both nod.

“I’d be happy to show you. When I was a bit older than you two are now my mom taught me how to make them.” I smile at them. “Wash your hands and while you do that you two tell me what you did at grandma and grandpa’s house.”

Mason and Mickey both rush to the sink when Mickey turns towards me. “I’ll tell you later. Right now we want to play—make that.”

“Nice save Mick.” I laugh.

After the boys wash and dry their hands, they take a seat. “Do we get a spoon to?” Mason asks. “And why a spoon?”

Opening the drawer the holds the utensil, I pull out two spoons and hand each of them a spoon. “A spoon for each of you and I don’t know, it’s what my mom used and it’s the way she showed me.”

“What is ma-sa?” Mickey asks as he tries to pronounce the word.

“Hmm…” I ponder. “Best way to explain it would be a dough made from corn. This—.” I tap the bowl that contains the dough for the boys to know what I am explaining to them. “was already prepared. So I could have used it as is or as my mom taught me she’d add a little more ingredients to it to make it the way she liked.”

Mickey goes for an overly filled spoonful of the mix. “What do we do with it? We just plop it on the husk?”

I smile as I watch Mason copy his brother and fill his spoon as well. “No, no plopping. And less dough. We need a good balance of masa to filling. Before we get our spoons full, we need to have a corn husk to put it on.”

The three of us go to reach for one, and each on grabbing one of different a size. Mickey has gotten a large husk, smooth, prefect really. Mason has a smaller one that is a bit more crinkled, going to smooth it out when he pulls it rips.

Mason eyes widening as if he did something wrong, reminding of myself when I tried to the same thing when I was first learning. “That was an accident Marie. I didn’t know it was going to rip. I’ve ruined it.”

“Oh no Mason, sweetie. You didn’t ruin it, not at all. Here take mine.” I hand mine over to him and grab his two pieces now. “We still could use it, to cover the tamales when they are steaming.”

Grabbing another husk for myself, I grab a spoonful of the masa, showing the boys the amount I got and place it in the middle of the husk. “Ok, so now you both get about the same amount I did and place it on your husk.”

Watching as they reach and grab their spoons and copy me. Mason and Mickey both look up when they have done the first step. I smile at them before moving on. “So now with the back of our spoon we are going to thin it out the masa over the husk.” Slowly gliding the spoon and mix from one end to the other and down to the straight edge, giving the boys a clear view of my movements. “ We need to leave the end that sticks up clear, we don’t want any masa there because when we fill it that end will be folded over.”

“Now you try.” Watching as they begin to spread the masa on the husk.

“That’s good you two.” I encourage them to keep going.

“Marie! I got it on my hand.” Mason shows his brother and me. “It feels so cool. You should try it Mickey.”

“Look at mine. Did I do a good job?” Mickey asks.

Eyeing the beginnings of his tamale, I bite the bottom of my lip to fight back a smile but unable to hold it in at seeing what and amazing job he has done. “Such a good job Mickey.”

“You’re right Mason, it is sticky. Do you think we could get it to stick on the ceiling? Or we can get it to explode mixing it with cola and baking soda.” Mickey plays with the masa between his thumb and finger.

“We should totally try it.” Mason answers.

“We will not be doing that. We could come up with another experiment for you to try and no more honey in the shampoo either.”

They both laugh at the latest and most often used prank.

“Now lets get to work. We have all that to spread.” I tell them, pointing back to the mixing bowl.

After spending a good portion of the rest of our afternoon laughing and me going back to give their tamales a bit more evenness, laughing and talking about my life in California.

Seeing the boys being covered up with more masa on their shirt and not the corn husk and not knowing how they got it in their hair. The excitement of making something new beginning to wear off.

“Guess I got a bit more than needed.” The three of us stare at the counter covered with a mix of red and green tamales.

“We have a lot.” Mickey says. “What are we going to do with all of them.”

“Well it’s special when these are made, typically around the Christmas season. My mom and dad would tell me that we make them to share with loved ones. Everyone gathering around, like we did, it brings the entire family together talking, laughing just catching up on everything everyone has been up to. We would even make more to share with our neighbors and share the dishes from where our family came from.”

“I have an idea.” Mason speaks up, the spark coming back to his gray eyes. “We could go around and take some to Uncle Robin, Grandma and Grandpa, our friends from school and even Aunt Sofia. We know she could use some cheering up from being grumpy all the time.”

“Yeah. We would be sharing something we made with the people that we love.”

“I think that is a great idea. I’ll make a deal with you two. I will finish up, get these cooking and clean up the kitchen. While you two get cleaned up and changed, pick up your room. And in no time we would have tamales to eat and deliver.”

“How long would that take?” Mason asks.

“They should be ready in an hour and a half. I’ll set a timer for you and it will let us know when to come check on them. Do we have a deal?” I stick out my hand towards them. Watching as the look at each other, their twin connection coming into play before Mickey takes my hand and shakes it, followed by Mickey.

“Deal.” They both say. Hurrying off their chairs and running upstairs.

*****

The beeping of the timer rings through the penthouse. Mason and Mickey running out of their room and into mine and Sam’s ready to check out the tamales we had made.

“They’re ready. Let’s go!” They run out and down the stairs full of excitement.

Following behind them, when the three of us reach the kitchen Mason goes to turn off the timer. Both boys taking a seat waiting for me to present them with what we’ve made. Removing and placing one green and a red tamale on a plate.

“It’s going to be soft.” I explain to them. “So we have to let it cool a bit so it can firm up. And boys they look incredible. You did an amazing job.”

“Let us see, let us see!” Mickey jumps in his seat.

“Here they are. What do you think?” I smile at them.

My mother’s recipe, a fond and one of the best memories of my past and a tradition I love, sit in front of two boys who had captivated my heart the moment I saw them with awe and excitement in their eyes, waiting to try what they had a hand in making.

“It smells so good.” Mason says. “Can we try them now?”

“Just a few minutes and then we can. I’m going to take more out of the steamer. Your dad should be getting here soon and we all can have dinner and then go off on our deliveries.”

Turning back to the pots and removing enough for the boys, Sam, Carter and I to have for dinner. Going us the time needed to try the ones I plated earlier.

“Ready?” I grin at Mason and Mickey.

They both nod.

“Grab your plate, unfold the end piece, the one that is folded in and from there open one side and then the other, just like a present. And voilà we have a tamale to eat.”

The boys follow my directions, cutting off a piece with a fork. Blowing on it to cool it off before popping it into their mouth.

“thisissoooogooooodd!” Mason mumbles.

“yeeeaahsoogooood!” Mickey agrees.

“Let me try.” I reach over and take a piece on my fork. Blowing the piece before the savory taste of the cooked masa hits my lips followed by the tanginess and touch of spice from the green salsa takes over. The whole thing melting in my mouth.

“Try this one Mas—.” Mickey tells his brother before reaching over to Mason’s plate. “I don’t know which one I like the most they are both so good.” He says after trying both.

“Marie, can we call Carter and give him some. He is family and we share with family right?” Mason suggests.

“Of course we do. But I was going to invite Carter to eat with us.” I tell him.

“We can present him with what we helped make and he’d love that, wouldn’t he. Like a present, just like you said.” Mason says.

“You two go get Carter so we can show him and give him what you made.” It fills my heart with much more love for those boys hearing how caring they are of everyone they know. As they leave the kitchen the chime of the elevator rings.

“Hi Dad.” Mason and Mickey call out.

I could hear them tell Sam that they are off to get Carter. Sam’s footsteps echo and get louder the closer he gets to the kitchen. “Smells amazing in here. What have you been doing?” His deep voice calls from the entry way of the kitchen.

Closing the space between us, he takes me in his arms and leans in placing a light kiss on my lips. “Hi.” I whisper against his lips.

Sam’s gray eyes holding my mine with a passion that still burns strong between us. “Hi.” He leans in more and gives me a deeper kiss.

Breaking the kiss, I pull back. “I wanted to make something from home. Mason and Mickey helped.” I tell Sam.

Sam eyes the serving plates. “What did you make?”

“Tamales. One of the many things mom taught me. I thought it would be nice to share and incorporate my traditions here with you and the boys.”

Before Sam could answer Mason and Mickey come running back, pushing Sam and I to get to the serving plate. “Hey!” Sam calls out.

“Sorry Dad but these are for Carter.” Mason says holding a plate while Mickey loads it up. “And after we have to go and deliver to family and friends. Marie already said we could.”

“Do I get any of these?” Sam asks the boys.

“Nope!” Mickey tells him. “We figured it out. Carter gets these. We are taking some to Uncle Robin, Grandma and Grandpa, our friends and Aunt Sofia. After Mason and I eat our share they will be all gone.”

I press my lips together fighting a laugh. Seeing the mock hurt in Sam’s face. I wink at him.

“Sofia gets some and I don’t?”

“Maybe one or Marie can share hers with you. She showed us what she did growing up for the holidays with her mom and dad and how they would share with others even their neighbors and how happy they would be.” Mason tells his dad.

“We liked making them and really happy eating them and Aunt Sofia needs all the holiday cheer she can get.” Mickey adds.

Leaning up and placing my lips close to Sam’s ears. “Don’t worry, I’ll share.”

After all was said and done, in the end Sam, Mickey, Mason, Carter and I passed around the plates piled with steaming tamales from a recipe my mother passed down to me.

The night had turned out to be the one of the best as happiness coursed through me at being able to share a bit of my mothers memory and bring a taste of home to the family I call my own.

#ask turned story #choices the nanny affair #choices tna #tna fanfic #the nanny affair fanfiction #marie castro x sam dalton #mason and mickey

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ohheyitsokay · 3 years ago

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part 10 of the ‘hey batter batter’ series

pairing: Francisco (Frankie, Catfish) Morales x reader

wordcount: 3k

warnings: so so soo much fluff. clouds and clouds worth. kissing, implications of sex (blink and you’ll miss it)

summary: it’s a Triple Frontier Baseball AU! Trust me, you don’t need to know anything about baseball.

In this chapter, you and Frankie finish the season and the summer, and know it’s only the beginning.

notes: thank you all so much for supporting this little story of mine! I genuinely am blown away by how kind everyone has been! originally I planned on this series just being a couple of one-shots set in the same universe, but it got away form me, and I can’t believe so many of you came along for the ride. some of those stories will come in time, but thank you thank you thank you to everyone who stuck around this long! all the love for all of you!

It was a beautiful day for a baseball game.

The sun was shining and for once your bones weren’t shaking with the rumble of the stadium as people stomped and cheered. In fact, the majority of the noise was from Frankie’s momma as she chattered across your lap to your grandfather. The two of them were discussing gardening and how well season was played, how proud they were, the best of friends. It was peaceful, almost, and most of the flashing lights and roaring crowds were away – it was the final game, a charity fundraiser, all fun.

You could see your catcher as he turned, looking at your section like he couldn’t help but search for you, and you smiled, heart as full and as warm as the sun on your shoulders. His curls were sticking out from under his helmet haphazardly, the pads on his shoulders and thighs making him even more solid, and it was a sight that you’d never get tired of. Combined with the smells of warm pastries, jalapeños and melted cheese, contentment settled into your soul like a hand in a glove, a perfect fit.

It was the of the ninth and they were playing well, encouraged by the cause and playing for the love of of the game instead of a paycheck. Behind you, you heard someone mention just how well Frankie had batted this season, and you brushed pan dulce sugar from your lap.

The players had told you last week after all the big games were done why Santi had offered to pay for you and James to fly to see their final games. At the time, it had baffled you how intensely they insisted, how eagerly the pushed it, and how your boyfriend had looked equal parts embarrassed and hopeful, but eventually you agreed, assuming you could get the time off from work. When the secret came out you laughed, shaking your head and rolling your eyes.

They had exchanged smiles and shrugged and shared knowing glances as they let you explain away what they knew was true. You were their luck.

The thought was long gone from your mind now though, as Ben was doing weird poses on the field, and you heard chuckles ripple through the crowds. Fans of him and the team alike were endlessly charmed, and you knew you’d catch comments about it for months to come. His brother was just standing, and still you heard dreamy sighs of Will’s name, and made a mental note to tease him after the game about his “blonde halo”. Whatever that meant.

Santi threw a perfect curveball, and when it landed firmly in Frankie’s glove, you heard a girl swoon, “That’s my man!” and the laughter of her friends, as they called her “Mrs. Morales”.

“No!” his momma was glaring over her shoulder tugging on your elbow, as if physically fighting them was a viable option. You tugged back, making soothing noises as she protested, “Mi frijol.” The sweet lady muttered something else and before your heart could latch on to what you could’ve sworn was something about the future and tu marido you moved on.

“I know, I know,” you were saying, when James leaned over, glint in his sweet, aging eyes.

“She’s right, honey,” he said, only encouraging his friend, and you grinned.

“He’s my boy,” she said again with an air of finality, “and yours."

Looking at your grandfather sheepishly, you pointed at your shirt and shrugged as he said, “Right again.”

You were wearing his backup Jersey.

Cheesy as it was, it felt good to have the little claim of his over your skin, and while it wasn’t obvious to everyone, you wore it with pride. Comments from his fans slid off it like raindrops on a tin roof, and while you apricated her inclusion, you didn’t need it to know he was yours, as you were his.

Jimbo leaned towards the woman at your side and whispered conspiratorially in her ear, and she settled, and you left it, enjoying their friendship. The day was too lovely for anything else, anyway.

Catch, catch, walk, look for his girlfriend, sit, swing, hit, run, walk, sit. Repeat.

Nothing so eventful happened the last few minutes of the game, and as the Will went out for his final bat, you felt a surprising wave of bittersweet nostalgia for all that had passed since the opening game, cold as an evening breeze.

Then the ball cracked against the bat, and the sound snapped you back, and you felt a fire under your breastbone, reminding you the best was yet to come.

Frankie’s mom finished her final cheers enthusiastically, all annoyance long gone, and she pulled you into a hug.

“Nieta is calling. Hug Francisco for me, hija, and I’ll see you tomorrow?” You nodded, squeezing her back almost as hard. You and Frankie were using his first real day off to babysit and get some quality time, and both of you were well aware this was hardly goodbye. You gave a gentler hug to your grandfather, who was going with her, whispering “Bye Jimbo,” as you kissed his cheek. He had conspired to let you stay out for the evening, and while you’d miss driving him home, you were grateful for the opportunity.

Seeing them safely as far as you could, your feet danced with excitement. Like it had been more than handful of times, they knew the path to the locker rooms, carrying you so light you were almost floating. When you slid into the waiting room, Frankie was already clean and looking for you anxiously. Maybe you should’ve given him a little wave from across the room, but you could do better.

You ducked away from his line of sight, and snuck around behind him before say, “hey, batter, batter.” He whipped around and before you could even register the grin on his face, he was pulling you against his chest.

“Hey yourself,” he said, and the two of you got one sweet, slightly needy kiss before you heard good-natured groans.

“It’s been like month,” Santi said, ruffling your hair as you stepped back, “Aren’t you guys done flirting?” You stuck your tongue out at him, wondering if you were fast enough to flick him in the forehead.

“Don’t bother,” Will said, his tone resigned but playful as he hugged you too. “Be happy he got her to stick around.” You pulled a face, and Benny laughed. They all knew by now that it was more than a summer fling, even Tom, who you realized hadn’t come out yet.

When you asked, they winced, and you dropped the topic, knowing they would tell you in their own time. Frankie pulled you back to him, his warm fingers lacing with yours as you herded them towards the door.

They were still working on things, still trying to figure out what their next steps looked like.

For now, you owed your baseball boys a dinner.

It had taken you a couple of times cooking for them to get the portions right. The Miller boys ate like they were hollow, and after a game was a testament to that.

Thankfully, you had more than enough this time, having been preparing their favorites for days with the enthusiastic help from Frankie’s mom, and begrudging help from his sister as a thank you to her hermano. The piled into your little space and ate gratefully, telling you about the game like you knew what they were talking about.

“Benny, why were you –” his deep laughter cut you off, and your hand shot out to grab Will’s wrist mid-throw. You had a rule against projectile food to keep them from squabbling like children at your makeshift dinner table. The dinner roll fell to his plate as Benny tried to explain, and Santi deadpanned.

“I was stretching, and I got distracted –”

“You were flirting with the entire stadium, Ben.”

“No! Well –”

It was warm and bright, eating dinner with them like a family, teasing and laughter filling the space like clear broth in the cool of night.

Frankie’s hand found your knee under the table.

The best part about these replacement-parties was watching them all try to help clean up. You were lucky professional athletes had fast reflexes, or you would’ve lost more than a few dishes to their shenanigans. They insisted, wouldn’t let you help, and things probably would’ve been put back correctly if you had, but it was great, letting things play out however they may. Maybe years and years down the road, you would tell a younger generation that you had some of the world’s most desirable athletes fighting in your kitchen over where you kept your dish soap refills.

And after, they would collapse in your living room, unearthing all the games from your shelves. One of your favorite moments from the summer was coming through thrift stores for games, ignoring the stare of jealousy and making ridiculous bets.

All the while, Frankie kept as close to you as he could, too busy watching you with wrinkles in the corners of his eyes to be embarrassed of his rambunctious friends.

When you and Will won the first game of the evening, he accidentally hit you in the face with the back of his hand as he flung his arms open in triumph.

It hadn’t hurt as badly as it would’ve if his brother had been the one talking with his hands, but Frankie had still thumped him in the back of the head before he followed you to the kitchen.

“Baby, are you okay?”

“I’m fine, Frankie,” you laughed, but he was already taking the pack of frozen peas from your hand to press it against the lump forming on your temple. He was gentle, and the air shifted, like there was more on his mind than your minor injury. Brown eyes searching yours, you wished you knew what he was thinking.

“Francisco?” Your hands had settled on his chest but the moved around his neck when he moved the ice to ghost his lips over the spot. He didn’t answer for a moment, just setting the peas aside, and carefully trapping you against the counter.

There were noises of good-natured arguing coming from the living room, and you knew he was taking advantage of their distraction, carving a little pocket for the two of you in time.

“Te adoro,” his lips were almost hot as they pressed into yours. “I love you,” he said, so close you could feel the hairs on his upper lip still.

For the past month, your relationship had been fast, jumpstarting to serious and staying that was, but this was new. It was one thing, for him to tell you he wanted something real with you, wanted you to be a part of his life, and another to hear him say he loved you simply, without abandon. Still, you didn’t hesitate.

“I love you too.”

He kissed you again, unhurried, and you almost couldn’t return it, you were smiling so widely. Your bump was long forgotten.

When the two of you came out the kitchen, the others had barely noticed you were gone and Ben immediately was accusing you of cheating, but Santi shot you a knowing smile.

There was a gap of time when a season ended, when Molly’s inbox was mercifully void of emails. It was a time when the chaos of her job slowed, for a bit before she began her work for the off-season, and she relished it with every fiber of her being.

This particular gap began wrapped up in sheets with Tom, her Tom, kissing and wishing the world outside was a simple as this, in the little bubble of her room.

She could always tell though, when his mind was no longer filled with her, and the other sides of him began to leak through the cracks. His eyes moved with urgency instead of appreciation his hands moved a little slower and then in sudden jerks, and when he trailed off mid-sentence, she sighed.

“You told them, didn’t you?”

He rolled onto his back; his gaze pointed towards the ceiling.

“Right after the game,” he confessed, and she sighed again, sitting up. If nothing else, for him, she had endless patience.

“How’d that go?”

Her love was silent, thinking only of the embarrassment and defensiveness that had reared in his chest. The tilt of Santi’s head, Frankie’s slow nod. He wished Benny had been disappointed, wished Will had thought it was a joke.

“They understood,” Tom didn’t add that he hoped with all his considerable might that they had reacted stronger, hoped they had told him not to, said they needed him to stay, but they hadn’t. It wouldn’t have been true, anyway. They were growing, going somewhere he couldn’t follow.

Her hand ran over his chest as it filled with air, stilling over his heart.

“It’s time,” one of them said, and the other nodded.

Counseling. Rehab. Retirement.

Slowing down to coach at a local college.

He clenched his hand into a fist, and then relaxed, palm falling open, upwards.

The love of his life kissed his forehead.

It was time.

The first stop of the day was with James, spending the morning helping him around the house. Before this summer, you had thought you were his favorite grandchild, but he had essentially adopted Frankie months ago, and already liked him more than you.

The little old man talked excitedly about baseball and lectured your love on enjoying his off-season. He dragged him into the yard, talking his ear off about the benefits of different teas and the importance of volunteering with youth programs, and you settled inside, throwing away expired things from his fridge. Their absence was your only opportunity for the chore.

Honestly, the two of you needed to leave sooner than later and you weren’t sure how much time you had.

“Honey?” You dropped a can of whipped cream from a month ago guiltily.

“Yeah, Jimbo?”

He eyed you suspiciously but seemed too excited to be deterred by you.

“I put this together for you!” He said proudly, and you noticed a flash of the same mischief from yesterday in his eyes. Your grandfather handed you a box, and made you promise not to open in until you left. You hugged the sweet man, and smiled when Frankie did, too, before saying your goodbyes, thankful beyond words for him.

If it weren’t for him, you were sure you wouldn’t be climbing into the truck of your boyfriend, and certainly not having the catcher’s hand slide into yours. When you opened the box, the gratitude didn’t shrink, but your embarrassment rose.

Frankie laughed so hard you thought he was going to have to pull over.

It was full of Francisco Morales merchandise, signatures and memorabilia ranging from his very first baseball card to his most recent bobble head.

Frankie kissed your knuckles for the second time since you climbed into his truck, which was silly since it had only been three minutes since you left his mother’s house.

He could feel your look, answering before you even asked.

“I’m good, just… I love you,” he said, unable to keep his eyes on the road when he said it.

“I love you too, Frankie,” you said, wondering what prompted him.

“Could we… would you want to get dinner?” He looked thoughtful and you laughed.

“Are you asking me on a date?”

Your hand was lifted to his lips again, sending electricity up your spine as he confirmed.

The two of you had a bag full of Anita’s best by the time you entered his home, and he still hadn’t told you what was on his mind. The two of you ate, sharing stories about the day’s adventures, helping his mother around the house and watching, Bianca, his sweet, tiny new niece. You had a great conversation with his mother, and despite her excitable nature, she surprised you by asking you about your boundaries and promising not to overstep.

Frankie told you about his hermana, and her slowly opening up to the idea of letting him help her out, not as charity but family, and letting him shoulder some of the responsibilities. You watched the warmth in his eyes as he talked and wondered how it was possible for a single person to feel so safe.

Eventually the talking slowed, and you found yourself half falling asleep against the stretch of his chest, is hands slowing their wandering paths.

“Love?” he murmured into your hair. You hummed in response.

When he didn’t say anything, your mind woke, and you pulled yourself up, and into his lap, straddling him.

He looked up at you for a moment before you felt him sigh against you.

“I have this baby,” he said, and you couldn’t help but smile at his phrasing. Santi always said it was melodramatic. “Do you… is this all too much?”

His expression mirrored that of your first date, and you told him the same thing as you had then.

That you would stay, as long as he would have you. That you would navigate alongside him, that you were happy to. This time, you added that you loved him, and you felt him shift under you, anxiety leaking out of him, allowing solid adoration to replace it.

Frankie said, “Thank you,” against your mouth, and like a prayer. In the dim evening light, you kissed him, and as his hands slipped under your shirt to hold your sides, he held you for the first time like you were real.

And you were, this was something that wasn’t going away.

For the first time in a long time, it was a perfect day for something new, and his heart was here, beating under his hands.

translations:

pan dulce: pastries

mi frijol: my bean

tu marido: your husband

nieta: granddaughter

hija: daughter

hermano/a: brother, sister

te adoro: I adore you

taglist:

@fangirl-316 @scribbledghost @writeforfandoms @beautyagegoodnesssize @princess76179 @mrsbentallmadge @pbeatriz

hey batter batter taglist:

@icanbeyourjedi @studyofawearymind @hnt-escape @athalien @the-witty-pen-name @daffodin @sarahjkl82-blog @pintsizemama @anaaaispunk @pjkimrn @dobbyjen @stuckontheceiling

#francisco morales #francisco morales x reader #francisco morales x you #frankie x you #frankie x reader #triple frontier baseball au #hey batter batter #maybe i don't know people

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phantoms-lair · 5 years ago

Text

MSA Secret Santa

@accidental-child

Arthur sighed, leaning against the steering wheel of the van. The bus was a little late, but that wasn’t unexpected. Not out here at any rate.

There was a small selfish part of himself that wished he hadn’t picked up the phone that day. It was selfish - and ridiculous. The call had been at the garage, he needed to answer those calls!

It had been some great Aunt, or far removed cousin. He wasn’t quite sure how they were related. Apparently her son was originally going to spend summer break with one of his friends, but their trip had been cut short. The problem was said parents and their daughter had already made other arrangements and wanted to know if the aforementioned son could stay with Lance.

The problem was, Lance wasn’t there and wouldn’t be for a while. He was off on a road trip with some of his old buddies from his days when he absolutely positively was not a wrestler. It was a well overdue vacation and Arthur wasn’t going to call him back from it.

But something stopped him from just turning her down. It wasn’t her, but… it was the idea that their current plans ‘couldn’t be altered’. Lance had planned his trip to originally be last year, but he’d dropped everything after Arthur had turned up in a hospital without an arm. Also that they were reaching out to family that wasn’t that close at all made Arthur wonder if the closer relatives had also had plans that couldn’t be altered. It stank too much of no one wanting this kid, and damned if he was going to add to that

So here he was, waiting for a cousin he’d never met who’d be spending a month with him. He didn’t think it would matter so much if he wasn’t the age he was - 18. Younger would have been easier to slip into a child-guardian relationship and older meant this wouldn’t have been an issue in the first place. But 18 was an age of feeling you were coming into your own authority, and much more likely to take onus with someone a mere five years older than you being in charge.

The bus pulled up and Arthur braced himself. Two figures got off the bus, his cousin and...a dog? A rather large dog at that. Something else Aunt Wendy had forgot to mention. Hopefully it was good with other dogs and hamsters.

Pushing his misgivings aside, Arthur left the van with a big welcoming smile. No need to borrow trouble till it was here. “Hi, you must be Norville, right?”

The teen winced. “Like, call me Shaggy please. I hate Norville.”

“Done and done.” Arthur agreed readily. “The name Norville is thus dead and shall never be spoken from mine lips again.”

“Ri’m Scooby Doo.”

Another talking dog, huh. “Just to make certain, you’re not actually an ancient kitsune with an evil Japanese tree after you?”

“Like, not that we know of?” Shaggy looked confused. So did Scooby so Arthur let it slide.

“Okay, let’s get some food, and we can figure out stuff out.” Apparently he said the right word, because his cousin and dog perked up a lot. “Let me help you with your bags.” “Is your arm metal?” Shaggy asked, surprised.

“Sure is, made it myself.” Arthur wiggled his fingers at him, inwardly bracing himself. “That’s cool.” Shaggy said earnestly, picking up his other suitcase.

No ‘How did that happen?’ or ‘That must be so terrible’? Okay, thus far Arthur was counting this as a win.

“So,” Arthur started as they slid into a booth at Pepper Paradiso, “Let’s go over your options.”

“Options?” Shaggy asked, surprised.

“Yeah, you have two main options, and we can tweak them as need be. The first is what I told your Mom. You come to stay with me and my boyfriend and girlfriend. We’ve set up a spare room for you, and Scooby I guess, sorry no one told us he was coming.” “If you’d prefer not to deal with three people being kinda mushy, or just want more privacy I’d give you a key to Lance’s place. You could stay in my old room and basically have the house to yourself. I’d still be checking in everyday and making sure you had food and stuff, but other than that, you’d be on your own.”

Shaggy seemed to think a moment. “You have a boyfriend and a girlfriend? You can do that?” “Yes.” Arthur answered simply.

“Okay, like if it’s all the same, man, I’d rather stay with you. I don’t think me or Scoob want to be alone.”

Arthur tried not to take it as a warning sign. True, most teens would jump at the first chance to be on their own, but that was hardly universal. There was a small feeling that something was wrong, not just parental negligence. What, he didn’t know. And truthfully it could be nothing. Arthur had a tendency to jump to worst case scenarios (catastrophizing, his therapist had called it), so for now he’d wait and see.

“So is this the mysterious cousin?” Mrs Chef Pepper came over, winking .

“Yeah, this is Shaggy. Shaggy, this is one half of the best cooking team in Tempo, and honestly Texas.”

“Flatterer. My name’s Carmella Pepper. My husband’s running the kitchen, so I have the front end today. I assume the usual, Arthur?” “With no Cayenne additions, please.”

“She’s banned from the kitchen after the last hot sauce-strawberry shake.” Carmella assured him. “What about you, Shaggy?”

Shaggy looked at the menu. “Like, could Scoob and I each get a ‘Vivi Special’ “ he pointed to the menu.

She raised an eyebrow. With the exception of its namesake, the Vivi Special was usually ordered to be shared by a family. She’d never seen an order of two of them. “Do you want the plate of spicy chorizo or pancake poppers?” Scooby and Shaggy looked at each other. “One of each please. And, like separate checks? Mom set up an account for me for food and stuff.” Arthur tried to hide his relief. One extra mouth he could feed. Two more Vivi appetites would have strained his budget beyond feasibility.

~ “Lewis, Vivi— we’re home!” Arthur called, letting himself and his two guests in.

“Welcome home, Arty.” Lewis greeted, pulling his boyfriend in for a kiss. “So this must be Nor-”

“The name is not to be spoken. It has been cast into the abyss and replaced with Shaggy.” Arthur said with a completely straight face. “It has become one with the void.” Lewis rolled his eyes. “Sorry for the melodramatic one, I’m Lewis. Lewis Pepper.”

Shaggy shook his hand while Arthur sputtered over Lewis calling him melodramatic. “Pepper, like the people who run the restaurant?” “My parents.” Lewis explained.

“Wow, like they’re great cooks, man. It’s the first place me and Scooby found that we could be full off one thing on the menu.” “If you can call the ‘Vivi Special’ one thing.” Arthur quipped.

“Someone call me?” Vivi slid into the front room, literally, her socks holding no traction on the hardwood floor, causing her to crash into Lewis. “Arthur’s cousin Shaggy is a fan of your addition to my parents menu.” Lewis said.

“Ooooo Did you get the version with the spicy chorizo or pancake poppers?”

“Like, Scoob and I got one of each. I really liked Aztec Chocolate sauce on the sweet chili!”

“I know! And the smoked gouda filled jalapeño poppers!”

“Arthur, I think our girlfriend just adopted your cousin.” Lewis commented.

Vivi stretched as she got home from her morning shift at the Tome Tomb. Arthur was having a full day at Kingsmen’s, so she figured she’d check in on Shaggy and Scooby before getting in some serious cuddle time with Lewis.

She found them in the living room, Shaggy was looking at a book. Not reading it, but staring at the cover, while Scooby leaned against him comfortingly. “Everything okay boys?” She asked softly.

Shaggy took a moment to answer. “Do you believe in this stuff? Magic and monsters?” “As a matter of fact I do.” She tried to keep the humor out of her voice. Shaggy had no idea he was spending the remainder of his summer with a ghost and a kitsune. “Do you?”

Shaggy didn’t answer. “Doesn’t it scare you?” he asked.

“The supernatural? Not really. Or at least, not more than anything else.” She sat down next to him. “There’s good and bad magic, just like there’s good and bad technology. Some beings are friendly, some just want to be left alone, and some are truly evil, just like people. You always, always, have to be careful. But I’d rather know, you know?” Shaggy shook his head. “Like, I think I’d rather not.” He looked at the book again. “Like, have you ever heard of something called the Chest of Demons?”

“Not off the top of my head, why?”

Shaggy shook his head. “Nothing, like what’s for lunch?” Vivi accepted the topic change, but didn’t forget what she’d heard. This merited some digging into.

Arthur felt dead on his feet (though not quite as much as Lewis, ha!) as he got home that evening. Working in the garage was one thing, but running it was quite another. He couldn’t wait for Lance to get back.

It was Vivi who greeted him at the door, wrapping her arms around him and squeezing him. Arthur melted into the embrace, the warmth he felt in his heart giving him back the strength spent on budget balancing and unruly customers.

But as he felt himself relax, he realized she wasn’t easing up. Something was wrong. “What is it, Vi?”

“Your cousin.” She answered, her head still buried in the crook of Arthur’s neck. “He was looking at my books and mentioned something called the Chest of Demons. I hadn’t heard of it, so I sent out some feelers.”

“Bad?” Arthur guessed, as if the name didn’t give that away.

“Not just the chest itself. I still don’t know what it is, because one of the few things I did manage to learn is it’s protected by near total secrecy. It’s not something he could have just randomly heard of.”

Arthur’s mouth set into a grim frown. He could think of a few reasons, but none of them were good.

“And this isn’t some random client messing with something he shouldn’t, he’s your cousin and I like him, but this is serious.”

“I’ll talk to him.” Arthur promised.

“No!” Vivi squeezed him tighter. “I don’t want to think he’s up to anything bad, but-” Honestly with how Shaggy had reacted to ‘Magic and Monsters’ she doubted it, but she couldn’t be sure and she wasn’t willing to put any of her boys in the path of danger.

Arthur laid a gentle kiss on her forehead. “You can have one of the Beats watching over us if it makes you feel better, but we can’t leave this alone and he’s nervous enough I don’t want him to feel like we’re ganging up on him.”

“That still puts you at risk,” Vivi argued.

“There’s always a risk, love. And you can’t take all of them for me. And I think this is a small one. Have you talked to Lewis yet?”

“Talked to be about what?” Lewis popped his head in. “You guys were taking a while. Is everything okay?”

“Shaggy may or may not have gotten mixed up in something supernatural and I want to talk to him about it. I want to do it alone so I don’t overwhelm him, but Vivi doesn’t want me to go talk about an evil artifact with the person who brought it up by myself. I volunteered to take a Beat with me.” “Take Mystery too.” Lewis suggested. “Shaggy likes him, so he wouldn’t feel ganged up on.”

Vivi let out a sigh of relief. “I love your Deadbeats, Lew, but I feel a lot better about that plan.”

“Hey Shaggy,” Arthur sat down. Mystery curled up by his feet, looking innocuous, but keeping a careful eye on Shaggy and Scooby.

“Hey,” Shaggy didn’t look up from the video game he was playing. “Like, how was work?”

“Not too bad. Can we talk about something?”

“Sure, man.” Shaggy paused the game. “What’s up?”

So many questions ran through Arthur’s head. Why do you know about the Chest of Demon? How did you find out about it? How much do you know? But there was one question he felt the need to ask above all the others.

“Are you in any danger?”

Shaggy blinked, caught completely off guard. “Huh?”

“You brought up something called the Chest of Demons to Vivi today. She did some digging. It was bad.” Arthur kept it vague to hide how much he didn’t know. “It’s also not a name you’d just stumble on. So, are you in any danger?” Shaggy deflated. “Like, not right now. Probably later. Thirteen seems to be keeping a low profile, but given the other twelve? At least Boggle and Weird are sealed up.”

Okay, Arthur didn’t understand any of that after ‘Probably later’. “Can you start at the beginning?”

“Okay, so like originally the five us were supposed to spend the summer on a global road trip, but Fred and Velma ended up going to camp, so like it was just me, Scooby, and Daphne. And we kinda sorta got lost. We ended up in the place where the chest was hidden. There were these two ghosts, Boggle and Weird. They wanted the thirteen evil spirits in the chest free, but it can only be opened by the living. So they tricked me and Scoob into opening it.and setting their masters free.”

Shaggy then rolled his eyes. “And of course only the ones who open the chest can return them, so like, suddenly we’re chasing down the nastiest ghoulies this side of the River Styx. We got the first twelve and got Boggle and Weird sucked in for good measure but with no sign of number thirteen Vincent cut us loose till he finds him.”

“Vincent?” Arthur inquired.

“A mystic who knows a lot about the Chest of Demon and it’s prisoners. He’s been helping us.” Shaggy shrugged. “Daphne suggested continuing our vacation while we’re on break, but I just kinda wanted to go home.” “Did you tell your family any of this?” Arthur wondered.

His cousin snorted. “Besides you? Like no one would believe me! And Daphne….” Shaggy trailed off.

“And Daphne?” Arthur prompted.

“It sounds weird to say, but this seemed to be, like, good for her? Before she kinda followed whatever Fred said. This summer though, she was taking charge and becoming more confident in herself. And like, I’m happy for her, but it means-” Shaggy seemed to struggle for his words, Scooby putting a reassuring head on his knee. “I’m a coward. I’d rather run from scary things than fight them. And I know I have to get them back in the box, cause it’s my fault they’re out-”

“Rour fault,” Scooby corrected.

“-but I’m scared all the time and I don’t want to be and no one but Scoob seems to get that.”

“Of course you’re scared,” Arthur scoffed. “You’ve had thirteen evil spirits after you. That’s objectively terrifying. You’d be crazy not to be scared.”

Boy and dog seemed taken aback.

While he couldn’t say he had been expecting those details, at least this lined up with what Arthur suspected, that Shaggy had stumbled into trouble, not sought it out.

“Okay, so first things first, what do you know about Spirit #13? What kind of spirit is it?” Arthur’s voice was all business.

“Not yet, Vincent usually tells us about them as he finds them.” Shaggy explained.

“If you can contact him, see if you can find out what we’re dealing with. It’ll be more effective if we can narrow that down.”

“What will be?” Shaggy asked, confused.

“Protective wards. That reminds me. Lewis, Vivi, Shaggy has a potential evil spirit after him. Brainstorming time.” “Huh?”

Lewis and Vivi showed up a bit too quickly to not have been listening in, but Arthur hoped Shaggy wouldn’t notice.

“There’s already some basic wards against hostile entities on the house, Pepper Paradiso, Lance’s, Kingsmen’s, and the Tome Tomb.” Vivi listed.

“I’ve got a few things around town warning me of anything of any level of power entering.” Mystery put forth. “It’s only weak spot is the lake.”

“Which has a protector of its own.” Arthur had a wry grin. “Nothing coming in from that side.”

Shaggy and Scooby shared a confused look. “You guys had this already set up?”

“You get surprised by a Jubokko once, you take precautions.” Vivi said dryly. “But this is all general stuff. The more specifics we know, the better defenses we can make. We can also figure out what places near your home we need to ward, or come up with something portable.”

Shaggy just looked between the four of them, confused. “Why?”

Lewis took a deep breath ( or at least mimed doing so). “Shaggy, you’re Arthur’s cousin, do you know what that means?”

Shaggy shook his head.

“It means you’re family, you’re our family. And we protect family however we can.” Lewis stated. “And we know monsters exist. We’ll be ready.”

Shaggy seemed at a loss for words. His mouth opened and closed a few times. “Thank you,” he finally whispered, his voice raw with emotion.

Arthur pulled him into a hug. “That’s what family does.”

#Accidental-Child #MSA #Scooby Doo #MSAHolidaySpirits2019

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littleredroseonthevalley · 5 years ago

Text

Voyage, Voyage

Summary: Emily is tired of pretending to be a nice girl, so she runs away with someone just as tired as she is.

Rating: T - Suitable for teens, 13 years and older, with some violence, minor coarse language, and minor suggestive adult themes.

Words: 1019

Notes: Well, how about a non-dumbass TF MC?

“Do you think we will ever be like this again?”

“Be like what?”

“Like this. All together. Talking, eating, laughing. Sharing our lives, you know?”

“Of course, we will. We are best friends, we’re the real thing.”

“Just you look, this time, next year, we’ll be all together again!”

“Besides, all the shit we’ve been through. I mean, I bet no-one else in this campus had to deal with an entitled fraternity moonlighting as a criminal enterprise. That gotta to make people stick together.”

“You mean, twice?”

“Fuck you. Kappa Phi Sigma was an upstanding organization.”

“I meant the Delacroix corporation. You’re so defensive about it. Have anything to share with the group?”

“Guys, please.”

“I just mean, we lived together, and then we lived apart. We survived college together, and all the extra shit life threw at us. Do you really think we will drift apart?”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right. I’m worried over nothing. Hey, pass me up those jalapeños!”

Emily often looks back to that moment in time, more often than she does towards her actual graduation. It was the last time she had her friends from college over at her apartment in Hartfeld, the night before her graduation ceremony.

Everyone was rather wistful, feeling the impending change on their sheltered lives, real world glared at them, feeling hungry for eating them whole. Amongst the turmoil, Zack turned to his friends and wondered aloud if they could count on each other for support.

Them all nodded enthusiastically, assuring they would be friends for life. That they were there for support, for each other.

Except for Emily herself.

Perhaps she was just bitter and cynic, her parents would not come for her graduation, not that she expected them to, and she had been through it all in high school, of promises of friendship that would not survive the Summer. Perhaps she had the benefit of foresight, knowing she would not be there for them, regardless of them being there for her.

Nevertheless, the fact was, Emily certainly did not believe it, and while she did not burst their bubble, as it would be out of the character she so painstakingly built over her four years of college, she did not echo their assurances.

She was done with the whole charade, she was over college. Call it her own send-off.

And, hey, turns out she was right all along. No-one ever called her up, hit her up on Pictagram or anything, and as far away she was now, her social media stayed exactly the same. Perhaps they knew all along she was faking it, but she doubts it. The truth to the matter was that they did not care. People did not care, and at least now she was free of pretending otherwise. So, she did not regret following through her plan.

In the morning, she did her make-up beautifully, tied up her red hair and went on to pick up her diploma. Her name was up, she crossed the stage, had her valedictorian speech that moved audiences, received the most overpriced piece of paper in the East Coast, shook hands with the Dean and left, with great care not to cross paths with anyone.

Her suitcase in tow and passport in hands, she hailed a cab and went to the airport.

“Looking for me?” He had said from behind her.

Emily smirked, as the young man’s voice sent chills down her spine. Not that she was on the mood of letting him know it. Leave him wanting, keep him guessing, just for a little while, for a little bit of fun.

Without turning around, she responded, “I might. What do you have for me?”

“Two tickets to anywhere and a promise for a life without boredom.” He responded, with a smirk of his own.

Then, she turned and took the tickets from his hands. “Look at that, you are what I am looking for.”

With that, they kissed passionately in the middle of the airport lounge. Soon afterwards, they boarded their flight and begun their journey around the world.

“What are you doing?” A voice was heard from behind Emily, on the hotel room they were currently staying.

She turned to him and smiled. “Just thinking.”

“The world should beware. Nothing good comes from you thinking.” He kissed her forehead. “I suppose we have that in common.”

She laughed. “I disagree. My ideas are mostly self-indulgent, different from yours, Mr. Criminal Arsonist.”

“You wound me, babe. You know I chose you to torment especially because I saw you as my equal.” He smirked.

“Here I was, thinking you just had a thing for redheads.” Emily smirked.

“Well, that had some thing to do with that.” He laughed. “What were you thinking about?”

“Falseness.” It was the response. “Pretentiousness. Pettiness. Boredom. All those lovely things we ran halfway across the world to escape.”

“And why, pray tell, are you spending time with such things?”

She smiled at him. “Not to take for granted what I have now.”

The blond man laughed of happiness and kissed her on the lips for the implication. He could not claim many instances in his life when people felt glad to have him, much less worry they were taking him for granted.

Emerging from the kiss, he said, “Well, am I not the luckiest man in the world?”

“Yes. Yes, you are.” She smirked haughtily at him.

“So, Mrs. Sterling, where are we going now?” Nathan asked, taking out his mobile phone and ready to schedule their first-class tickets. “India? Thailand? The Amazon?”

“Well, I don’t really know, Mr. Sterling.” She pouted, pretending to think hard about his question. “Anywhere is fine by me, as long as we can be alone, together.”

“That might be arranged.” He smirked. “Do you want to have a head start on that whole thing of alone together right now?”

“I thought you would never ask.” She met his smirk with a devious one of her own and unhooked her bra. “Put up the Do Not Disturb sign, will you? We have a long night ahead of us.”

#the senior #Nathan Sterling

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thadelightfulone · 6 years ago

Text

Can We Talk? - Pt. 2

I wanted to get something out since I had a surge of writing energy for my birthday. So, I decided to write a Part 2 to What’s A Valentine. So, if you have not read that yet, go catch up.

Summary: Dani and Erik have a Non-Valentine’s Day night out. And the aftermath of the confrontation in the lobby.

Danielle and Erik are sitting at their table at a quaint little restaurant that was not crowded due to the holiday. Plates in various stages of completion and a bottle of red wine on the table. It is quiet at the table as the soft music plays around them. Just a comfortable silence between the two, not like when they were younger and always had something to say. This was different, and neither party knew where to start.

Dani is hyper-focused on her glass, watching the wine swirl around so as not to make eye contact with the man in front of her. Her thoughts were swirling around like the wine, but they are too much and overwhelming. She does not even know if she is still in a relationship anymore. Something she was very sure of about two hours ago. And Erik. What could she say about that? Him popping up tonight of all nights and calling her out. She should have punched him. It’s not like she could drop him anymore looking like he does, she would barely move him. She shakes her head, smiling with her face down.

Erik has been watching Dani intently since she put her fork down. She was quiet the whole ride over and staring at her phone, waiting for something from Shaun. He scoffs at the thought of him. The argument he witnessed between the two of them held so much more than her utter dislike for Valentine’s day and his adoration for it. But he is clearly in no position to comment on the state of her relationship after watching her relive her heartbreak at his own hands.

He looks down at his tumbler of whiskey before looking up to see a small smile cross her face. She had a beautiful smile. And he has always had deep feelings for her; but he knew what he wanted to do with his life and because Erik did not know how things would turn out, he did not want to drag her down that road with him.

“Why did you leave?”

“I’m sorry,” Their words overlapping one another. Erik waves to her to proceed.

Dani put her wine down and looked over to him, “Why are you sorry?”

Tracing the rim of his glass, “That I did not handle things better when we were younger.” He watches her as she closes her eyes, clearing her vision of the tears that are right below the surface. “And then when I just left. I thought it would be easier if I didn’t tell you. I had no idea the effect that it would have on you, and for that, I am truly sorry, Danielle.” He reaches over to grab her hand, and she lets him. “I would never hurt you on purpose; you have to know that D.”

Sniffling, “It took me years to figure out, but I know you wouldn’t E. Hell, it’s the reason you actually send me flowers, even though they are not in the typical fashion.” They both share a short laugh as Dani looks down at her hand in his.

“When have you ever known me to do things like they are supposed to be done or whatever?” She dabs at her eyes with her napkin shaking her head, “Exactly.” Signaling for the check, he asks, “Are you ready for your ice cream and horror movies now?”

She perks up at that and gathers her clutch, “Of course, but we need to stop for the ice cream.” Erik signs the check, and they both get up to leave.

—

They walk into the grocery store with a plan. On the way over, they decided to make some sundaes. Erik is holding the basket as they make their way to the down the candy aisle. Danielle skips in front of him, snatching up bags of her fave chocolates. “Snickers, Reese’s Cups, 3 Musketeers, Hershey Kisses,”

Erik snatches the basket away, “Ewww, D. 3 Musketeers and Kisses. Girl, what happened to your taste buds?”

“Shut up, and those are the caramel kisses. You act like what doesn’t get used won’t get eaten on its own.” Pouting, she pulls the basket towards her and drops the bags in.

“You never heard of Milky Ways?”

“I like the fluffy nougat in Musketeers, why are you trying to rain on my parade? You know what, grab your own damn candy then.” She prances away. “I’m heading for toppings; you can get the ice cream.”

Before she makes it to the end of the aisle, Erik pulls her back into him. “My bad,” she crosses her arms and looks away from him. “Can you get some peanut M&Ms for me, please?” He nuzzles her neck, “Pretty please with a cherry on top.”

She slaps his arm away from her and walks back down the aisle, mumbling, “I can’t stand you.”

“You love me.” She flips him the bird as she returns with Milky Ways and Peanut M&Ms for him.

On their way to the toppings, they discuss movie choices. “So, I was thinking classic horror movies like the 1974 version of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Scream, and the 1984 version of Nightmare on Elm Street.”

“Whatever you want, I’m game.”

She shoves him. “Come on. You don’t have one pick that you want to add?”

“Dani girl, it’s your night. We are doing what you want.” He reaches over for the 3-pack of sundae topping sauces with Chocolate, Caramel, and Strawberry and throws it in the basket. She stands right in front of the aisle, blocking him. “Seriously?” He scoots her along, and she pops right back into position. Sighing, “Fine. Devil’s Rejects.” He moves her again and grabs some chopped nuts and cherries.

“As in Rob Zombie’s Devil’s Rejects?” Dani pushes her glasses up on her face staring at him like she has never met him before.

He straightens up to look at her, “Yeah. His movies are pretty good. I even enjoyed Strangeland by Dee Snider. Those rock guys are can be very creative.”

“And not just because Robert Englund was in it?”

Erik laughs, “First of all, he wasn’t starring in it like he was in 2001 Maniacs. But it is nice to see the OGs of horror flicks get lil cameos in stuff like that.”

Linking her arm with his, “Mr. Stevens, let me find out you know a lil something about non-mainstream horror.” Erik chuckles as Dani pulls him towards the ice cream freezers.

“There’s a lot you don’t know Ms. George.” He moves to stand behind her with his chin on top of her head, “Pick your poison.”

“You know what I like.” She walks over to the whipped cream and grabs two cans. “It hasn’t changed.”

Erik stands still thinking as she walks back over to him. Moving forward, “You got room for two tubs, or should I get these small boxes?”

“Both gallons will fit,” she tries to keep the smile off her face watching as her best friend grabs for the Neapolitan and Cookies & Cream tubs.

“I can’t believe you still mix this shit together.”

“Aye, I would not have learned this combo if someone didn’t take all the damn vanilla out of the Neapolitan all the time. How do you separate the three greats from each other like that?“ He hands the tubs to her, and they make their way to the register.

He shrugs, “I like vanilla.” He puts all the items up on the conveyor belt. “Anything else you want before we go?” Thinking about it, Dani suddenly takes off.

“Did you find everything ok, Sir?” The young man behind the register asks while ringing up the ice cream.

“Yeah, she just went to grab her chips. We good.” Dani pulls up with 2 bottles of red wine, some Sour Cream & Cheddar Ruffles, Jalapeño Kettle Chips and Flaming Hot Cheetos in a delicate balancing act. Erik grabs the Ruffles from her mouth and the wine, taking a look at the bottle. “Apothic Red Inferno – aged in a whiskey barrel. Is this the closest you will get to drinking whiskey?”

“Yup,” she puts the other bags down, “Hey Charlie, how are you?”

"I’m good, Ms. Danielle. Stocking up so soon, you were in here like two nights ago.” Erik laughs as her face falls. Charlie looks embarrassed, “Sorry.”

“Yes & No, I have an out-of-town guest who likes to eat and drink folks out of home.” She punches Erik hard in the shoulder, only for her hand to recoil in pain.

He leans over and whispers in her ear, “You knew better than to hit me.” She sticks her tongue out at him and reaches into her clutch to pay when Erik bumps her aside and hands his card to Charlie. He grabs her hand and rubs her knuckles while waiting for the receipt.

Dani yanks her hand away and starts to grab a few bags from the end. “Thanks, Charlie.”

Erik collects the rest of the bags and follows her outside. “Thanks.”

The ride back to Dani’s place is silent as the sounds of some Quiet Storm station play in the background. Erik peeks over at her while at a red light. She is definitely in much better spirits after what happened earlier. He is happy that he can be the one to make her smile and laugh again. He wants to be able to enjoy every moment with her and eventually make up for the asshole he was back when he was a teenager.

Erik parks his car under her building and pops the trunk. Dani grabs the flowers from the backseat and walks to the back to take a few bags. Erik grabs a small black bag along with the rest of their goodies.

“Ummm, excuse you. Who said you are spending the night?”

“You aren’t the only one who gets to be comfy while we chill.” He closes the door. “Lead the way, D.”

"Uh huh, yeah ok. Come on; this elevator bypasses the lobby.” They walk past the parking structure entrance to the elevator bank. On the elevator, she hits the button for her floor, “We never finalized our movie watch list.”

“Ladies choice.” He notices the look on her face. “Fine, you pick first and then I will go. Deal?”

The elevator bell dings at her floor and they both exit. Erik follows as she leads the way to her door at the end of the hallway. He takes the bags she had so that she can open the door. Dani turns on some lights and walks into the kitchen. Erik walks in and sets all the bags on the counter. She puts the ice cream into her freezer.

“You can have the bathroom to change. I’ll be back.”

Inside her room, Dani takes a deep breath. This night has turned out better than she could have imagined. It’s just her and her best friend who happens to also be her first love having a great evening. She knows they need to talk about what he saw happen earlier and everything but how. Being with him likes this reminds her of what they could have been, and now just like that she is confused about her feelings. Looking in the mirror after changing into some yoga pants and a crop top with her workout bra, she shakes her head at her runaway train of thoughts. “Enjoy the rest of your ‘Not a Valentine’s’ date night with Erik, Dani girl. There is no need to overthink anything right now.” She takes some deep calming breaths before walking out to the living room.

She finds Erik already changed in a pair of sweatpants and a black tank top showing off his muscular shoulders and lots of keloid scars. She remembers him telling her about his family in Wakanda and his failed attempt at a takeover before becoming a Regional Director to the Outreach Centers on the West Coast. She just never saw the scarring he did to himself, and it only adds more to this man standing in her kitchen lining up the sundae bar.

“Take a picture; it’ll last longer. But this ice cream won’t.” Erik smirks as he caught Dani staring him down.

“You lucky, I am too ready for this sundae party.” Dani walks over bumping Erik as he hands her a big bowl, sliding the ice cream over to her.

Dani’s first sundae contains a little bit of everything they bought except the Milky Ways. Erik snatched up the entire bag and kept them by his side, giving her one or two when he felt like it. They made it through the original Nightmare on Elm Street and a bottle of wine. Now, they were settling down with their second sundae or some chips and candy in Erik’s case and onto his pick, Boo.

“Why do people enjoy tempting fate by going into haunted and abandoned hospitals?” Dani asks through a mouthful of ice cream.

“Hell if I know, but you see how her man’s boy is doing the most trying to scare this chick. If anyone makes it out alive, it better be her.” Erik responds while crunching on some chips.

They both started in different positions in the living room. Erik on the floor under her coffee table while Dani was on the love seat curled into the corner. Then they both were on the floor at the coffee table before Erik stretched his shoulders and Dani moved up behind him to give him a massage as he sat between her legs. As his movie played and they finished eating, he returned the favor by sitting on the couch with her legs on his lap and mindlessly kneading them.

After a quick bathroom break, wine re-up and short clean-up of the kitchen, they are back in the living room watching Dani’s second pick of the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Dani is curled into Erik’s side with her favorite fleece blanket over her. Erik has his arm wrapped around her, playing with her curls as she tries to keep her eyes open. He stretches out along the couch pulling her along with him and pulls the blanket up over the both of them. He falls asleep to the sound of her soft snores.

—

The sound of a phone buzzing along the coffee table wakes Erik up from his sleep. He looks to see Dani’s phone screen showing a picture of Shaun. Erik groans and stretches out a bit careful of Danielle who is laying in front of him. Pulling her back, he takes the moment to enjoy the feel of her in his arms and watches her as she sleeps. The buzzing of the phone starts up again and Dani squirms in his arms.

“Morning Sunshine.” He looks down on her as she blinks herself awake.

“Hey. Did we really fall asleep out here?” She quickly moves to an upright position, leaving the comfortable warmth of his arms.

“Yeah, you didn’t make it past the family meeting in Texas Chainsaw Massacre.” He sits up and grabs the blanket before it falls. “I think someone has been trying to reach you. I’ll give you some space.”

Dani looks over to her phone still ringing on the coffee table. She looks over at Erik and grabs the phone, mouthing “Thanks,” before answering. “Hey Shaun, what’s up?”

Erik takes his bag back into the bathroom, washing his face, brushing his teeth, and throwing on his hoodie. He grabs his phone and reschedules his flight back to Oakland for a week later. Erik knows he needs to have a serious sit down with Danielle before he returns home. So, this will buy him some time, and he can continue to work out of the LA office.

“Danielle, we need to talk. When can I see you next?” Shaun gets straight to the point.

“I am free for lunch tomorrow if that works for you.” Dani looks over at the blue screen of her TV and grabs the remote to turn it off.

“Yeah, I can do that. The usual spot close to your office around 12:30pm?”

“Sounds good. I will see you there.”

“Ok, see you then. Bye Dani.” Shaun hangs up as Dani looks at the phone. No ‘I love you’ or his customary nickname goodbye.

She nods her head, “I guess I will find out where we stand tomorrow.” She locks her phone and sets it down as soon as she hears the bathroom door open. Erik walks back into the living room with his keys in hand. “Leaving so soon?”

“Yeah, I should probably head out. I have a few meetings this afternoon.” Dani walks over to him and wraps her arms around his waist in a big hug. He hugs her back and leans over kissing her forehead. “I had fun last night.”

Muffled into his chest, “Me, too E. It was like when we were younger.” She pulls away and looks up at him. “Will I see you before you leave?”

“Yeah, we can still do lunch or something. I will be in town for another week.” They walk to her front door, and she opens it for him.

“Ok, I will text you when I am free.” She leans against the door frame.

“See you Dani girl.” Erik walks out and looks back at her smiling.

Dani waves at him. “Bye E.”

— The Next Day —

Dani arrives at the restaurant early only to see Shaun already seated at a table. Inhaling deeply, she walks back to him.

Shaun stands up and pulls out her chair. “Hi Dani.” He gives her a quick peck on the lips.

“Hey.” Dani sits down as Shaun makes his way to his chair. The waiter comes by to take their drink order. “I’ll have an iced tea, please.

“Just water for me, thanks.” The waiter leaves, and Shaun looks at Danielle. “So, where should we start?”

“With you. How was last night?” Another server drops by with their drinks. Dani starts to stir the straw in her tea.

“It was great! Mom enjoyed her birthday party as usual and the anniversary celebration went off without a hitch. Well, except that my parents wanted to know why you weren’t there.”

“What did you tell them?”

Shaun takes a sip of his water before responding, “I told them that something came up and you decided to stay in for the night. They hope you are feeling better now.”

Dani nearly choked on her tea, “Yeah, I’m good. You can pass that on.” Shaun waves away the waiter who wanted to come back and take their orders.

“Alright, enough. Tell me how you really feel Shaun.” She takes a nice healthy gulp of her tea before putting her hands in front of her on the table.

“Fine. I am really upset that I had to find out that you do not like Valentine’s Day that way.” He looks around as his voice rose a bit. “Four years Danielle. That’s how long we have been together, and you couldn’t tell me this before?”

“I know, I just…” she sniffs. “I don’t like to talk about it or the why.”

��And that’s another thing. You never got over him.” Dani opens her mouth to speak. “No, please let me get this out before I lose my nerve.” He takes a drink of water, setting it back down, he reaches for her hands. “Danielle, I love you with everything in me. But what happened the other night, I can’t get over that. You couldn’t even look at me when you said that you were happy with me. You were a wreck recounting the story of how he broke your heart. And yet, you were standing there with his flowers in your hand. Were you pissed? Sure, but not enough to throw them at him. Yeah, you cussed and fussed a little bit but did you turn him away? No.”

Dani blinks back her tears. This is it. This is the end of her relationship. She was happy with Shaun, but lately, something felt off, and she could never put her finger on it. Then Erik popped up, and she felt like the 15-year-old laying her heart out to her best friend only for him to crack it and then leave her to heal without really talking it out. Why does Shaun have to make sense now?

“Shaun, I – “

“You don’t need to explain anything to me, Dani. As much as I want to be the man to make you happy and spend the rest of my life with you. I can’t stand by and wait for the day you realize that you never stopped loving him and leave me.” Shaun stands up and pulls Dani into a hug. Cradling her neck, he continues, “I wish you the best Danielle, in life and love. I hope you find what you deserve. I just don’t think it’s with me.“ He pulls back and kisses both of her hands before walking away.

Dani sits back down at the table. The waiter returns, and she orders a Jamison & Ginger Ale. Then leans back and reflects on what Shaun said. Her phone starts ringing as she sees Erik’s number pop up on the screen. She silences it and closes her eyes as her tears slowly fall to the table.

— 2 Days Later —

Danielle is at work trying to listen to her coworker, Rosio, tell her the latest story about her son’s new addiction. He is the sweetest thing, but Dani, just could not keep herself in the present or to act like she cares. It has been two days since Shaun broke things off with her and she has been actively dodging Erik’s calls and texts, too.

Rosio walks over to Dani, “Girl, you have been mopey lately. Drinks after work and I’m not taking no for an answer.” She picks her up, “Now, come on. We’re gonna be late for this meeting.”

It is the end of the workday, and Rosio stands by the corner of Dani’s desk. “Alright, so where are we going?”

"The Mexican spot by my place.” Dani grabs her bag, and they walk to the front closing the office.

“Sure, I’ll follow you.” Rosio heads towards her car, and they pull off.

Over tequila shots, strawberry margaritas and enchiladas, Dani spills to Rosio everything that happened over the last week.

“Dani, I can’t believe you have been holding this in for so long. V-Day was last week, and you took your normal day off afterward, so I didn’t think anything of it.”

“Yeah, well, my relationship did go bust that day in typical Danielle fashion.” Taking another shot, “Only I can manage to have relationships end on the ‘so-called’ day of love.”

“Oh, shut up. It wasn’t all that bad if you hung out with Erik all night.” Rosio takes a sip of her margarita, “He did kind of give you the best Valentine’s Day date ever. Dinner, ice cream and horror movies. It’s like he knows you. Oh wait, he does.”

Shoving Rosio, Dani laughs for the first time in two days. “Thank you. I really did need this tonight.”

“Good, because I hate seeing you all sad and depressed like someone killed your puppy.”

“Really, Rosio? That is such a horrible analogy.“ Dani snickers as she sips her drink.

“Well, you didn’t have to look at you the last few days, so yeah.” Grabbing a few chips, “So, have you talked to your bestie since that night?”

Dani looks down and away, “No, I keep sending him to voicemail or not reading his texts. We were supposed to get together for lunch before he leaves, but I just can’t do it.”

“And why not? That’s your friend.”

"I don’t know what to say or how to act. Shaun was right; I still do care about him a lot and probably never stopped.”

“So, you can tell him that again or forever hold your peace, but I thought you were still going to be his friend regardless.”

Slurping up the rest of her drink, Dani looks at Rosio. “I don’t know if I can anymore.”

“Then he deserves to hear you say that before you end your friendship or whatever. You owe him that much.” Rosio bats away Dani’s hand as she reaches for the check. “I invited you; this is on me.”

Danielle and Rosio part ways outside of the restaurant, “Now, do yourself a favor and call that man back. You two need to talk.”

“I am not ready to have another talk.” Rosio shakes her head as she walks off.

Dani drives back to her place and parks. She looks at the 20-some odd unread texts messages from Erik on her phone. Rosio is right. He is about to head back to Oakland soon and this needs to happen in person.

Arriving at her apartment, she completes her nighttime routine and grabs her phone to finally give him a call. As she settles onto her bed, her doorbell rings. She looks at the time, “Who would be dropping by my place after 10pm?” Walking to the front door, she takes a look at the security screen to the right. “Erik?” She opens the doors, and there he is in his work suit, no tie and a tub of Neapolitan ice cream in hand.

“Ready to talk?”

A/N: There will be a third part to end this mini series. I just tagged the people who asked about a Part 2.

Say Something

@maddiestundentwritergaines @youreadthatright @sarcastic-sunshines @alexundefined @kissmyafropuff @chaneajoyyy @fonville-designs

#erik killmonger #erik killmonger x oc #thadelightfulone #wav series #best friends

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chicgeekgirl89 · 5 years ago

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The Honeymooners: Chapter 2

A/N: I’m back! I’m here! I’m slower at writing than ever! Enjoy the second chapter of Densi’s summer vacation!

Read Chapter 1 Here

They touched down in Jacksonville half an hour later. Medical was brought on board to deal with the elderly woman Kensi had helped and Cherise, the flight attendant. Kensi and Deeks were at the back of the plane meaning they were some of the last to disembark.

By the time they reached the gate it was packed with people attempting to change their flights. “Who would’ve thought Lima would be the vacation destination of the year?” Kensi asked as they squeezed into the cue.

“Apparently everyone.” Deeks grunted as a woman carrying a small dog elbowed him in the ribs.

It took another hour for them to get to the counter. The attendant looked harried and exhausted but she smiled at them anyway. “Hello how can I help you?”

“Well my wife and I here, we were on the flight to Lima and we didn’t exactly end up in Lima,” Deeks told her.

“What’s your last name?”

Deeks gave her all the relevant information and she spent a good five minutes clicking away on her keyboard. “All right Mr. and Mrs. Deeks, I can book you on a 5:00pm flight,” she said brightly.

Kensi checked her watch. Two hours from now. Perfect. They would only miss about half a day.

“Let me just confirm the details one more time,” the gate attendant said. “That’s two tickets for Mr. Martin Deeks and Mrs. Kensi Deeks on the 5:00pm flight that leaves Monday, June 17.”

Deeks blinked at her. “I’m sorry, did you say Monday?”

“Yes that’s when the next available flight with two seats is.”

“But it’s Friday.”

“Yes.”

“Monday at 5:00 is like, three full days from now.”

“Yes sir.”

Deeks looked at Kensi. “You have no flights available between now and Monday at 5:00pm?”

“I’m sorry, no. The airline will be able to compensate you for three night’s stay at a Jacksonville hotel on this list.” She handed them a laminated piece of paper. “Air Peru apologizes for the inconvenience.”

“This is unbelievable,” Kensi said, trying to reign in her frustration. She knew it wasn’t this airline employee’s fault, but she hadn’t waited six months for her honeymoon to spend half of it in Jacksonville.

“We could try another airline,” Deeks offered as they stepped away from the counter.

“And pay for another pair of tickets?” Kensi asked. “That’s not going to leave you much for guinea pig sandwiches.”

“Call Hetty?”

“I don’t want to bother her,” Kensi said.

“Then…I guess we just wait it out? There must be something fun to do around here for a few days.”

“Fine. Let’s just get to the hotel and find some dinner.”

Deeks stepped back to the counter. “Hi, okay, so we’re going to stay at the Best Western.”

She tapped her keyboard. “I’m sorry sir that hotel is booked.”

“Completely?”

“Yes.”

Deeks took a breath and tried to remain calm. “What about the La Quinta?”

She tapped away. “Also booked.”

“Okay, is there a hotel on this list that isn’t fully booked?”

She typed for a long time. “Yes, Manny’s Inn and Casino has one room available.”

“Manny’s Inn and Casino. Of course,” Deeks said, feeling his shoulders growing more tense by the second. “I guess we’ll take it.”

“Excellent. If you could just give me your information.”

Deeks proceeded to repeat all the information he’d given her five minutes prior and half an hour later they were in an Uber on their way to the hotel. “Gonna do a little gambling tonight?” their driver asked.

“I don’t think so,” Kensi told him drily.

The Uber was one of those little, electric cars so they were both crammed into the backseat with their backpacks. The driver zipped through traffic like laws didn’t apply and Deeks wondered if they would even make it to the hotel alive.

“What are you doing in Jacksonville?” the driver asked, clearly not picking up on their “don’t talk to me” signals..

“It’s our honeymoon,” Deeks said. “We’re on the way to Lima.”

“Ooooh your honeymoon! Congratulations!” He frowned. “But you’re going to Lima? That doesn’t seem too romantic.”

“We’re the adventurous type,” Deeks said when it became apparent that Kensi wasn’t in a talking mood with her knees by her ears.

“Oh I see, I see. Well make sure you make the most of your time here in Jacksonville before you go if you know what I mean. Can’t imagine you could get up to much hanky panky all the way down there.” He chuckled and Kensi rolled her eyes.

He continued to chat all the way to their hotel. By the time they arrived the Deeks’ knew more about crawfish boils, gators, and illegal moonshine than they could ever have wanted to. “Thanks,” Deeks said as he paid while Kensi walked inside with their bags.

“Hey, listen,” the driver handed him a coupon. “Take the missus somewhere nice tonight. This is my brother’s place, Al’s Crab Shack. They do the best seafood this side of the Atlantic! They’ll treat you right!”

Deeks took the crumpled and slightly greasy coupon. “Good to know.”

“Good luck!” he hollered and then floored it out of the parking lot.

The hotel was worse than Deeks could have imagined. It looked like an adult entertainment store had mated with an arcade and then eaten a lot of tuna fish. Kensi was standing at the desk, her face resigned to the fact that this vacation was turning out to be yet another disaster.

“Welcome Mr. and Mrs. Deeks,” the desk clerk said in a monotone voice. “In your welcome packet you will find your room keys, a voucher good for half off one drink with purchase of three drinks at the hotel bar, and a pricing guide for the wifi. The hotel casino is twenty-four hours. Have a good stay.”

“There’s a pricing guide for the wifi?” Deeks asked as they walked to the elevator.

“Apparently ‘all-inclusive’ isn’t in their vocabulary,” Kensi said.

They opened their room door and Deeks snorted. “Of course it’s twin beds.”

“Of course,” Kensi said, dropping her pack onto the one nearest the door.

Deeks came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. “It just means we can cuddle.”

She turned to face him. “Maybe we should go home.”

“And miss out on the honeymoon adventure of a lifetime? C’mon Kens! What’s a little delayed flight and crappy motel room got on us? For better or for worse right?”

“Yeah I didn’t think that part of our vows meant our honeymoon was going to be the worse.”

He cupped her face in his hands. “It won’t be. You and me baby. We’ve got this.”

She sighed. “All right. Let’s stay. But you need to feed me like right now before I change my mind.”

“Done!”

It turned out that while Al’s might not exactly live up to its reputation as the “best” seafood on the east coast, it was the only place within walking distance of their hotel. “Oh my god,” Deeks’ eyes grew huge as they walked inside. “Okay, new aesthetic for the bar.”

The walls were covered in paraphernalia that had been reclaimed from the ocean. Crab pots, tackle boxes, paddles, and a wide variety of mounted fish were on display for all to see.

“You already have one fish. I don’t think we need anymore,” Kensi said as they settled into their table.

“But what if he gets lonely? Maybe he needs a fishy girlfriend to keep him company,” Deeks said, indicating a large bass that had a pink bow on top.

“Howdy everyone and welcome to Al’s Crab Shack,” their server said. “My name is George and I will be your server tonight. Would you like to hear about our specials?”

“We would love to hear about the specials George,” Deeks said, in his element as he watched his bride’s obvious distaste.

“For our appetizer this evening we have a deep fried cheese stick, deep fried shrimp, deep fried jalapeño popper platter. Very popular with the large groups. Our dinners tonight are the twice fried crab legs and our deep fried cheeseburger with deep fried cheese topping. These are both served with our triple fried potato chips. Would you like to order now?”

“I think we need a minute,” Kensi said and he moved on to help a retired couple who couldn’t read the menu or hear very well judging from how loudly George was speaking to them. “Is there anything on this menu that’s been fried less than twice?”

“This is the deep south babe. Fried is what they do best.”

“I’ll bet the hospitals make a killing on heart attacks.”

George returned. “Are you ready to order?”

“Yes,” Deeks straightened his menu. “I will have the deep fried seafood platter with a side of the deep fried fries.”

“Excellent choice. One of our most popular items. And for you ma’am?”

Kensi wrinkled her nose. “I guess I’ll have the deep fried salad? Any chance you can hold the deep fried?”

“Ma’am all of our items come fully prepared and frozen for maximum freshness and quality so no, we cannot hold the deep fried.”

“Okay then.” Kensi watched him walk away. “I’m not sure we should eat here.”

“Look babe, this place is packed! The food must be good.”

The food was not good. Kensi picked at her salad trying to find the freshest bits while Deeks chewed through four crab legs, six shrimp, two pieces of cod, and entire plate of french fries. “It’s like I’m back in college,” he said between bites.

“You ate like this in college?”

“You’re telling me, KayKay Blye, queen of the junk food, didn’t partake in the occasional fried food binge in the dining hall cafeteria?”

“Not like this.”

“Liar. If they had a deep fried Twinkie on this menu you would be all over it.”

“Yes, one Twinkie would be fine. You’re eating a coronary on a plate.”

“What a way to go.”

Kensi rolled her eyes.

She hopped in the shower when they got back and when she was done Deeks hopped her. “Deeks, these are twin beds,” she gasped as he kissed her neck. “There’s not enough room.”

“Think of it as a challenge,” he said with a grin, his hands sliding down her thighs in a way that made her shiver.

There were a few more minutes of making out and then Deeks sat up, a little breathless as he stripped off his shirt. Kensi caught a glimpse of his face and she frowned. “Babe are you okay?”

He was sweaty and pale and even a little green, but maybe that was just the lighting. “Yeah,” he said. “Yeah I’m great.”

He definitely seemed great for the next two hours. Maybe being trapped in Jacksonville wasn’t so bad after all.

#NCIS LA #Densi #Densi Fanfiction #Densi Summer Vacation #The Honeymooners #Chapter 2 #Kensi Blye #Marty Deeks #Till Death Do Us Part #Jacksonville #Kensi Blye Fanfic #Marty Deeks Fanfic #NCIS Los Angeles

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kumkaniudaku · 6 years ago

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Bump in the Road

Word Count: 1.5k

Warnings: None

A/N: This just kinda came out of nowhere. I hope you enjoy.

“Hi, Micah. It’s me, your mommy. Today you are hitting five months inside of my belly,” CoCo smiled to the camera. “We don’t know if you’re a boy or girl yet, but we’re gonna find out soon. Daddy wants you to be a boy, but I know you’re a girl. I know it!”

For weeks Chadwick and CoCo had gathered bets from friends and family on who was expected to enter the world in six months. Everyone from both sets of grandparents to Tasha’s closest friends was expecting a boy. Tasha was the lone member on team girl, and she was fine with that. She had faith that she’d be holding her princess when all was said and done.

“It doesn’t matter what you are though, sweetheart. You’ll either be Micah Noelle or Micah Noel, and me and Dad will love you just the same. Speaking of Dad, I bet you’re wondering where he is for this one.”

After the initial shock of expecting a child, it was Chadwick’s idea to start a video series for the new addition. Every month, the two would film some aspect of their day for an update. Sometimes, they would sit and share how excited they were to meet Micah. Other times, they would show the progress of the baby room or answer a few questions that might come up in the future.

“Daddy is working, so it’s just been me and you for the last few weeks. I miss him, but I know he’s doing what he can now so he can be with us later. The good news is, he’s coming to visit us this weekend and I can finally show him this!”

Panning the camera down, CoCo caught the image of her slightly round belly protruding underneath her t-shirt. The sight was a new development she noticed days earlier when trying to wear one of her favorite dresses. From that moment, the notion of birthing a human was made real.

“I know it only looks like I had too much pizza, but I promise you’re in there. I can’t believe it some days either.” Tasha’s fingers rubbed gently at the top of her baby bump as she admired her body in the full-length mirror. “Anyway, no one knows about this except me and you. I’ve been keeping it a secret from Daddy and the people outside that like to take pictures of us.”

Only family and close friends knew about Micah’s existence. During the first trimester, it was impossible to determine if the newlyweds were expecting. With this recent development, careful planning in the form of oversized sweaters kept things confidential for the moment.

“Between you and me, I’m nervous to show Daddy. He’s never seen my body change like this,” she chuckled to let go of her nervous energy. “I’m gonna show you to him tonight. Hopefully, he’s excited. We love you, baby. See you in five months.”

——

The soft pitter patter of water hitting the shower wall on the other side of the bathroom door became background noise to Tasha’s racing thoughts.

Her body twisted from side to side as she held her shirt over the swell of her belly for what had to be the 100th time that day. Because of Chadwick’s desire for a nap and a little alone time upon arrival, she’d been able to remain undetected. Now that he was up and ready to venture into the Los Angeles night scene for dinner, Tasha knew she couldn’t hide for much longer.

The click of the door handle being turned snapped her out of her thoughts as she let the oversized nightshirt fall to her waist before her husband could emerge from the mist.

“Damn it feels good to shower in my own bathroom,” he laughed as he maneuvered around the bedroom to his set of drawers. A quick glance to his left made him smile. Tasha continued to stare in the mirror, adjusting her bun atop her head while trying to determine if the shade of red on her full lips was one she wanted to commit to for the night.

“You wearin’ that tonight?”

She whipped her head around to face him and smirked, “No, crazy. I’m still not sure what I want to put on.”

“That’s insane. With all those clothes you’d think you can walk in there and find something new every day.”

Chadwick smiled at his wife’s eye roll before plopping down on his side of the bed to lotion up.

“Well, I would know what I’m going to wear if I didn’t have a little problem.”

“And what problem is that,” he asked while slipping his t-shirt over his head.

“I might have a problem hiding...this.”

Lifting the shirt over her head gave Tasha a split second of time to compose herself and brace for Chadwick’s reaction. When she was finally able to see again, she was met with a glassy stare.

“Is that…”

Though he couldn’t finish his question, she knew exactly what she was asking.

Tasha answered with a rapid head nod and eyes full of tears. “Micah is ready to be seen. You wanna come say hi?”

A quick crawl across the bed brought Chadwick eye level with Tasha’s stomach as he positioned her body between his legs and gently pressed his palms on either side of her stomach.

Like so many times before, he was in awe of her. Except this wasn’t like every other time before. This intense and overwhelming feeling of absolute adoration made him feel like he was floating in the presence of a goddess. The moment that seemed so far off years ago was staring right back at him. All he could do was stare at the first physical indication of what he always knew to be real.

They were having a baby.

“I think I felt some movement the other day,” she whispered to fill the silence. “It could’ve been gas though. I had some jalapeños.”

That comment got Chadwick’s attention, making him chuckle and look up. “I couldn’t pay you to eat a jalapeño five months ago and now you’re going through jars every week. Was it worth heartburn?”

“So worth it.”

He shook his head and placed a kiss on her belly button before nuzzling his nose against the spot. “I hope your mommy didn’t disturb you with that bad food, little man. I’ll be home soon to stop her.”

“But, until then, we’re eating all the jalapeño and cheese I can find!”

“Oh, no you won’t!” The room became filled to the brim with childish giggles and shrieks as Chadwick used his slender fingers to tickle Tasha’s waist until she heaving for breath in his lap.

Watching her eyes close and cheeks rise to their peak in laughter was bittersweet. This weekend would be the only time they would be able to physically touch each other for at least four weeks. He’d already missed key changes in her body, holding her through morning sickness, and helping her through the emotional changes that she occasionally displayed during their daily conversations. She needed him though the wouldn’t say it, and he needed her just the same.

Trailing his fingers up her thigh, past the waistband of her shorts, and over the swell of what he hoped to be the home of a healthy baby boy while maintaining eye contact with the one person capable of changing his world with little more than a smile.

Chadwick’s hand rested on her stomach as his lips connected with Tasha’s. She used her thumb to wipe away tears he didn’t know sat on his cheeks before they pulled apart to look at each other.

“Have I told you how beautiful you are today?”

“Whaaat? Even with all this extra belly,” Tasha smiled.

“Especially with all this extra belly.” Chadwick watched his wife turn away with a bashful smile before he gripped her chin to turn her back to him. “Wear the black dress. The one that ties above your stomach.”

Tasha titled back with a look of skepticism that wasn’t lost on Chadwick by the way he smiled back at her.

“Are you sure Mr. Privacy? You ready for that type of attention?”

“Micah is obviously ready to be seen,” he declared, echoing Tasha’s earlier sentiments. Both of their eyes traveled to her stomach as they rested their hands at the highest point. “If Micah is ready, let’s make sure he’s-”

“She,” Tasha corrected.

“Or she,” he laughed. “If they’re ready to be seen, then let’s do it on our terms. Together.”

Chad’s fist extended towards CoCo, waiting for her to return the gesture with a light tap of her knuckles against hers which she returned with no hesitation.

“Alright, Captain. Let’s do this together.”

Though the thought of exposing his growing family to the world’s eyes terrified him, Chadwick remembered the promise he made over a year ago in the room not too far from where he sat. Privacy was different from a secret and, for the first time, he felt comfortable sharing a small part of the biggest piece of himself with the world.

Micah was ready, and finally, so was he.

____________

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thetenthdoctorscompanion · 6 years ago

Photo

A One Shot Series - Peter Parker/OC

Word Count: 2464

Warnings: Guns, Spidey Violence, Language

MASTERLIST | PREV | Two

“I thought we were watching all three of them.”

Ned was sitting on his bedroom floor, watching forlornly as Peter packed up his stuff. The credits of A New Hope was still running on the TV, their massive bowl of popcorn only half empty.

“I’m sorry, man,” Peter said lamely. “But you heard what Burger said. If I flop another English assignment she’s gonna make me come for extra help. I just don’t want to risk it with band and robotics and everything.”

“I know,” Ned sighed. “I could always help if you want? I’ve got to work on Spanish, and you’re way better than me.”

“Ned, if I stay here, we’re gonna watch Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, and the prequels before we remember we have homework.”

Ned didn’t even bother trying to hide his smile.

“Yeah, that’s a good point.”

“Hey, I’ll text you later though, okay?”

Peter leaned down, pulling Ned into their handshake before grabbing a last fistful of popcorn.

It wasn’t technically a lie, he thought as he sat on the roof of a nearby high-rise. He did need to work on his English assignment, and if he stayed at Ned’s the chances of that happening were very low. And he’d never actually told Ned he was going home to work on the assignment, so really he was in the clear. What would Ned know if Peter was working on his homework on a NYC rooftop instead of in his bedroom?

It was one of the reasons Peter liked the weekend the best. It was a lot easier to go out when there was no place else he had to be. He could tell Aunt May he’d be at Ned’s for a Star Wars marathon. He could tell Ned he was leaving early to work on his homework. And if one or the other called him out on it, he could say he’d been at the library. It was the perfect system.

As far as his respiderbilities were concerned—spider responsibilities, patrol route, he was still working on his monologue terminology—it had been a pretty good day. He stopped one mugger, found a lost dog, and stopped a jaywalker who was nearly hit by a messenger bike. He rewarded himself with some chicken nuggets and spent the rest of the evening actually doing his homework on rooftops, always keeping an ear out for potential trouble.

By the time his work was done, it was quiet in Queens. Quiet as it could be, anyway, crime-wise. But it still felt too early to go home. The sun had only just set, and there was plenty of time for things to go south. Peter figured he’d spend a little extra time scanning the dumpsters for parts before heading home.

“Oh-ho-ho, sick,” Peter cheered, unearthing a set of walkie-talkies from a pile of cardboard.

A nail salon had recently moved into the old Radio Shack, and it seemed like they were still going through some of the inventory that’d been left behind. Peter had been scrounging their garbage for a few weeks now. It was a damn goldmine.

“Tch, this is Spider-Man,” he mocked into one of the radios. “Tch, I repeat, Spider-Man to Iron Man, over. Tch, this is Iron Man. You are a go, over. Tch, Iron Man, I have located the aliens. They are heading your way North up Broadway. I repeat, the aliens are moving…”

Crunch.

Peter stopped dead, eyes wide. It wasn’t the sound so much as his senses. All his hair stood up on end, his eyes and ears instantly scouring the area. He dropped the walkies, heaving himself on top of the dumpster and leaping into action.

The disturbance was three blocks east of him, and it was with a jolt of surprise that Peter recognized the bodega. The front grate hadn’t been pulled down yet, the lights inside casting a yellow glow on the sidewalk. He could see two—no, three people inside. One man in black was ransacking the shelves, grabbing candy bars, lighters, lotto tickets. The other was taller, and had his back to Peter. All his attention was on the counter, and beyond him, Peter could just see a pair of shaking hands up in the air.

“Yasmin?”

The taller man shifted, saying something to his partner. That was when Peter caught sight of the gun. There was no time to think. He swung across the street, sticking to the side of the building and sliding down the bricks. The side door to the store was mangled, pried open with some kind of crowbar that had broken the lock. That must’ve been the sound he’d heard. It seemed impossible that the Delmars wouldn’t have heard it upstairs, but it didn’t sound like anyone was coming to help. Peter took one steadying breath, and slipped in through the door.

It took a few seconds before they noticed him. The taller man was still holding a gun on Yasmin. Peter could see now that his other hand was holding a lumpy pillow case, undoubtedly filled with the money from the open register. Yasmin had backed up as far as she could, but her entire body was shaking, her eyes locked on the barrel leveled with her head. The snatcher froze halfway through emptying the fridge, his pale face staring at Peter with wide eyes.

“Yo, who the fuck is this?”

“Hey guys,” Peter said with a wave. “Is it too late to order? I kinda wanted an egg sandwich.”

The gunman swung his weapon around, but Peter was ready for it. He webbed and ducked, scaling the window as he shot another web at the snatcher. The second web hit, anchoring the thief to the refrigerator. The first one, however, hadn’t worked so well.

Bang!

The gun went off, shattering the glass panel of the front door and prompting Yasmin to scream.

“Shut up, bitch!” the gunman yelled, whirling toward her with the gun webbed to his hand.

“No, no, no!”

Peter jumped from the ceiling, grabbing Yasmin by the shoulders and pulling her down to the floor just before the gun went off again. He jumped back to his feet, vaulting over the counter and kicking the man in the chest. It sent him flying back into the window, and gave Peter just enough time to reactivate his web shooters. He shot rapid fire, one after the other, until the man was safely cocooned against the glass.

“That’s just not cool, man,” said Peter, winded. “Don’t you have any respect for local businesses?”

“Yo, dude, we just…”

Peter shot another web at the snatcher, shutting his mouth for him.

“Like I said. Not cool.”

He extended his arm again, webbing the gun and yanking it out of the crook’s hand. It shot into his own, and he grabbed it just in time for Mr. Delmar to come running down the stairs. He held a baseball bat tight in his hands, wild eyes scanning the room. They found Peter in an instant.

“You!”

“¡No, papi!”

Yasmin had unstuck herself, running forward to catch her father before he could whack Peter into oblivion. It occurred to him now that holding a gun and wearing a mask in the middle of a crime scene probably wasn’t the best look for him, even if he was in red and blue. He gingerly placed the gun on the counter, the barrel pointed away at the far wall, just in case.

“No! Uh, uh—lo siento! No es, uh…that’s—that is not mine!”

It did not look like Mr. Delmar believed him. Somehow, even though his hair was tousled and he was wearing a stretched out Mets t-shirt, he managed to look even scarier than the two armed robbers Peter had just webbed up. But Yasmin stepped in front of him, caressing his shoulders even though her own were still trembling.

“Papá, está bien. ¡En serio! Este es el que me salvó. Está bien.”

Slowly, Mr. Delmar dropped the bat. He pulled Yasmin into a tight hug, burying his face in her hair. Peter tried to give them as much privacy as he could. He kicked the glass shards closer to the exit, nudging them along quickly with his shoes in lieu of a broom. Then he picked up the discarded pillow cases. The one with the money he placed back on the counter. The snacks he began putting back in place as best he could.

“Who are you?”

Peter looked up from the bag of jalapeño chips he’d been studying. Mr. Delmar was watching him warily, but not as worried as he had been before. He was still holding his daughter in his arms. At his words, she turned to look at him too—dark eyes wide, with her bottom lip pulled between her teeth. Peter quickly cleared his throat.

“Uh, nobody really. I was just, you know, swinging by. Thought you could use a hand.”

Their eyes flitted to the criminals currently restrained in their store, and he grimaced behind the mask.

“I don’t think you have to worry about these guys. You should totally still call the cops, though. This stuff, it—it kinda dissolves? Not for a couple hours, of course, but uh…you definitely need to get these guys out of here.”

“Hey, you’re the vigilante,” said Mr. Delmar. “Isn’t that your job?”

“Vigila—woah! No, I’m just, uh…you know, I’m not really equipped to do the—the removal part? I just do the catching. You know, sorta…pew pew!”

He mimed shooting with his hands, accidentally shooting another wad of web across the room. It knocked the middle can of soda out of a precariously organized pyramid, which—miraculously—stayed standing. Peter gaped, quickly shut his mouth even though they couldn’t see it, and crossed his arms impressively. He couldn’t have done that again if he’d been trying.

“Well, here.”

Mr. Delmar kissed Yasmin on the head and moved behind the counter. The moment Peter saw him reaching for the pillow case, he scrambled back.

“Oh, no, no, no! I—I don’t want your money!”

“You saved my daughter,” he insisted. “You saved my store, my family. Please.”

“No, really, Mr. D—uh—Mister. I just wanted to be uh…helpful.” He nodded with finality, desperately looking for something to change the topic. “I—I’m sorry about this door, though! The lock really looks toast.”

“I’ll have someone fix it tomorrow.”

“Yeah, but for tonight…”

Peter flicked his web shooters again. The door filled up with web after web, spanning the space where the glass panel had been and locking the warped doorframe in place. He stood back, looking at his work with pride.

“There you go! That should hold you over until someone can come and look at it. It’s pretty strong, if I do say so myself. Nobody’s getting in or out of that one! Ha…ha, and uh…that means I…can’t…leave…”

Someone let out a breath of laughter, and he turned to see Yasmin watching him in awe. Not for the first time, Peter was sincerely thankful his face was hidden behind a thin layer of cotton.

“There’s a back door through the kitchen,” Mr. Delmar instructed. “Are you sure you won’t…?”

“Yeah, really, I’m fine. Uh—well, can I keep the chips?”

They both stared at him, and Peter tried to keep his cool. It worked for everyone else, right?

“Sure,” Mr. Delmar said, clearly amused. “You can keep the chips.”

“Sweet. Well, have a good night, sir!”

“Hey, thank you. Can you show him out, mija? I’m keeping an eye on these two.”

Yasmin nodded, swiftly kissing her father on the cheek before she ducked through to the kitchen. Peter waved at the two criminals, gave a small salute to Mr. Delmar, and followed her back.

It barely could have been ten minutes, but the streets seemed way darker than they had before. A breeze blew through the alley, washing them with the scent of rain and wet garbage. Peter didn’t mind. He was more concerned with the way Yasmin shivered, her dark curls blowing across her face.

“Hey, um…are you gonna be alright?”

“Me?” She laughed, her voice still unsteady. “I should be asking you that. You just took down two guys with guns. I just…screamed.”

“Well, in your defense, they probably caught you off guard. I already knew what was going on when I stepped in.”

“Why did you? Step in?”

She was staring at him again, that same look on her face. Peter realized somewhat nervously that was the look girls were supposed to give superheroes. That was the way people looked at Iron Man, Captain America, Thor. No one had ever looked at him like that before. Sure, he’d saved a couple of people, but it was usually sidewalk stuff. He could swing away before anyone started asking questions. That wasn’t an option in the bodega. The thought probably should have made him worried, but he only felt a slimy knot of pride in his stomach.

“I just wanted to make sure you didn’t get hurt,” he said finally.

Yasmin smiled.

“You just saved my life. I can’t even…thank you.”

“Hey, don’t worry about it. Really. Just keep selling these jalapeño chips, alright?”

With a rush of adrenaline, he ran at the opposite wall of the alley. He scaled up the bricks, back flipped, and launched back to land on the side of the building. He was about to jump when Yasmin called for him again.

“Wait! Are—Are you seriously not gonna tell me who you are?”

“I told you,” he said, clinging upside down to the wall. “I’m no one.”

“I can’t tell my friends that no one saved me.”

“Why not? Worked for Odysseus.”

She giggled, and Peter swore he would’ve been able to hear the sound from Brooklyn.

“Watch it. Otherwise I’m just gonna call you the Amazing Smart-Ass.”

“I don’t know. That’s got a ring to it.”

“Seriously, though,” said Yasmin. She wrapped her arms around her torso, and stared up at him in the night. “What do you want people to call you?”

Peter hesitated. He liked working in obscurity. He loved helping people, stopping crime, but he was well aware that the longer he did it, the harder it was going to get. When you made a name for yourself, the police took notice, the press took notice, and the bad guys took notice. It would get a lot harder to just sneak out every day and go swinging down Park Drive when people were actually looking for him.

But hanging upside down, that knot of pride was slowly sliding its way into his throat. It pushed out the words against his better judgment.

“You can call me Spider-Man.”

THREE

#peter parker oc #spiderman oc #marvel oc #ocappreciation #spider-man oc #stories #marvel stories #spiderman stories #holding onto you #brittney writes

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