#when they were talking about fourth of July and they were like “fireworks that launch above a certain height are illegal here”

[lala-blahblah]

Reading the Raven Cycle as someone who grew up in Northern Virginia is soooo crazy bc whenever they mention Ganesy living near DC I'm like omg that's my home? They mentioned picking up Professor Mallory at the airport and I was over here twirling my hair like "oooh I wonder if he's at Dulles or Reagan national"

[totalswag]

fourth july — RAFE CAMERON

authors note hope everyones being safe today and having a good time. this is kinda short but hope you lovies like it. summer time in the obx sounds looks so much fun. i don't think i've written about dad!rafe yet or maybe i have but either way, rafe is such a girl dad.

summary spending the summer day with friends and family by the pool, barbecuing, and lighting fireworks at night.

warnings swearing, happy moments, kissing, loud fireworks.

Friends and family were surrounded in your backyard, in the pool, on the patio, with children running around and cooking. It's a lovely summer day in Kildare, where friends and family are gathering.

Today is the Fourth of July. Rafe and you agreed a few weeks ago that you would like to have everyone come to your house by eating, swimming, eating, and then watching fireworks at night.

You were at the shallow end of the pool with your seven-month-old daughter, Layla, her small hands clutching yours as she stamped against the water, making everyone around giggle.

Layla's tiny hands gripped your fingers tightly, her chubby legs kicking up water in all directions. The sheer joy on her face was a delight to see.

"She's a natural," Sarah said from her lounge chair, sipping a refreshing lemonade. "Already a little mermaid."

You smiled, her heart flooding with affection for her tiny girl. "She sure is," you said, adjusting Layla's sunhat to block the harsh sunlight.

Layla was surprised to see kids swimming and bouncing in the water. She drew her body towards the kids as you lifted her up beneath her armpits, drawing her towards them.

You're so cute

I wanna hold her

Layla do you like to water?

Rafe stood nearby, engaged in conversation with Topper and Kelce. Layla had grown tired of the water and was now perched on Rafe's hip, her tiny fingers entwined with his gold chain. She babbled happily, occasionally tugging on the chain, making the guys laugh.

You were near all the snacks with your girlfriends chatting it up too.

The three were talking about typical guy stuff.

"She's got a good grip there," Kelce remarked, grinning.

"Yeah, you sure she won't rip it off?" Topper added.

"She knows what she likes," Rafe stated proudly, kissing Layla on the forehead. The sight of Rafe seamlessly mixing fatherhood with his typical friendship was wonderful.

Layla has always had this fascination with Rafe's chain the moment she was able to grab onto things. The main thing is the chain; Rafe has talked about getting her one with her name on it when she turns one in a few months.

As the day progressed into the evening, everybody went from the pool to the front yard. Lawn chairs and blankets were put out in preparation for the fireworks display.

The kids were able to set up s'mores on the side while they sat on the blanket on the grass watching neighbors light their fireworks.

Layla is wrapped in a comfortable blanket and nestled in your arms. She looked at you with her beautiful blue eyes, babbling in baby talk; you responded back even though you dont like what she's saying.

Rafe approached Layla with a pair of baby headphones and carefully placed them over her ears. "We don't want her to be scared of the noise," he murmured quietly, his eyes finding yours with a loving expression.

Layla grins softly at Rafe, hiding her face in your chest when he playfully tickles under her chin.

The first firework launched into the sky, resulting in a shower of bright sparks. The audience cheered, their faces illuminated by the glow. Layla's eyes widened with surprise, yet she remained calm and secure in your grip.

Sarah had her phone out, taking pictures and videos. She caught Layla at the perfect moment, focused on the fireworks and occasionally making perplexed facial expressions in response to particular fireworks.

"Please send that to me as soon as you can," you laugh, pointing at Sarah. "Do not worry, I will send you everything," she says with a smile on her face.

A few minutes later, Rafe approaches you, wrapping his arms around your waist, resting his chin on your shoulder, and kissing your cheek.

"I love you girls so much."

"And we love you so much, Handsome."

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[sixty-silver-wishes]

sometimes I think about the house my grandma raised my mother and uncle in, that my grandfather lived in before he died, that my sister and my parents and I would all come over to for holidays. when my sister and I were little, we loved watching Disney and Nickelodeon on my grandma’s TV because all we could get at home was PBS for the longest time. she had an old antique piano that was out of tune, and when I started learning to play the piano in middle school, I would go plink out “Legend of Zelda” songs on it and think about how I was playing songs much, much younger than that 100-year-old piano. and we tried to plant a garden in her backyard, but it got overgrown with weeds. and one day we found tadpoles in the birdbath, and she let us take some home so we could watch them grow into frogs. my grandfather had an old green easy chair he was always sitting in, and two toes that crossed over each other and wouldn’t sit normally. I liked to watch nature documentaries with him. right before he died, we would talk about world history because he was very interested in it, and I was just beginning to be. there was a painting of my mother when she was a child on the wall of one of the bedrooms, and I would always stare at it because it looked exactly like my older sister. my grandmother had an outdoor swimming pool where we would sit by as we watched my uncle launch Fourth of July fireworks, but when I got older and wasn’t interested in fireworks anymore, or the United States had made me too disillusioned with the Fourth of July for me to watch fireworks, I sat inside with my aunt and the dogs to keep them company. there was a big tree in the yard I loved to climb, and when I was in middle or high school, I would take my instruments up there to play them while sitting in a tree, just because playing instruments in a tree sounded like a magical thing to do. my grandmother had a pantry full of snacks just for my sister and I- Scooby Doo fruit snacks with the light blue one still in there and Saltine crackers, and a fridge full of sodas and sparkling water in the garage. she had a sewing room where she would teach us to make blankets and pillowcases with the fabric we picked out, and when my sister got older, she taught her to make vintage style dresses. she had a bedroom full of antiques belonging to our great-grandmother whom I had never met, and it somehow felt like the most familiar and most distant place in the world to me.

but then her dog died, and her old cockatiel died too, and one of our cats died. and over time we buried all the animals under one of the trees in her backyard- one I used to climb, but not as much as the other tree because it was so skinny. when my grandfather died when I was in high school, he was buried in a military cemetery where all you can leave are cut flowers and US flags, and my grandma got a certificate from the government after he died with Donald Trump’s signature printed on it because he was president then, and she always says it’s the ugliest signature she’s ever seen. his funeral was the very first time I saw a coffin. the old piano was beyond repair, so they took out all the musical bits and turned it into a desk that sits in our living room. the white paint covering the wood, its musical guts removed, the silence of the out-of-tune ancient keys that are no longer there makes it sound more like taxidermy than a piano. it plays john cage’s 4’33 in fortissimo whenever I pass it.

when my grandmother went to live in an assisted living community, she sold the house. she’s doing well now. she likes the place she lives in, she invites us over for holidays, she keeps active. but the house was completely remodeled and painted over. she said the tree I loved to climb in, the one my uncle climbed in when he was a kid, was chopped down. she says the house doesn’t look like it used to anymore. it’s unrecognizable. I could drive past it and never know. I probably have.

I wonder if the people who live there now know that in the big backyard that generations of people loved, no matter how much they’ve altered the house, there are the bones of two dogs and a cat and a cockatiel deep under the ground.

I wonder if they haunt it.

[eminems-skittles]

fireworks [aaron hotchner x reader]

aaron hotchner x fem!reader warnings: fear of fireworks, mentions of nightmares word count: 2.9k

☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ:⠀ *⋆.*:･ﾟ .: ⋆*･ﾟ: .⋆

The sun shone down on the small stretch of beach the BAU team was currently situated on. Since it was Fourth of July and they didn't have a case, the team decided to rent out a mansion, Rossi's idea not theirs, in a small beach town they once visited on a case. Surprisingly they found a house that could accommodate everyone, including everyone's spouses and children. No one was quite sure where Rossi found the house and everyone shared the same theory. It was actually his but he didn't want anyone to know. All the adults were able to have their own rooms, while the kids all shared a room that was filled with bunk beds. The house itself was a beautiful Cape Cod-style three floor mansion with a pool, large yard, guest house and access to the beach.

   Everyone was currently either sitting on the beach or playing in the water. Hotch, Rossi, Spencer, Emily and Y/N were currently sitting on the beach. Hotch and Rossi were getting snacks set up at the picnic table. Spencer and Y/N were lounging on the sand, Spencer opting to read a book while Y/N and Emily watched the kids splash around in the water. Penelope and Derek were chasing around Jack and Henry while JJ and Will took a walk up the beach.

   "So I was thinking we do some fireworks tonight?" Rossi said, his voice raising so Spencer, Emily and Y/N could hear him. Y/N froze when she heard him, her body stiffening subconsciously. No one seemed to notice her small change in demeanor. No one except Hotch. When he caught her eye, he sent a look as if to say, 'everything okay?' Y/N shook her slightly before looking over at Rossi and telling him that was a great idea. Emily and Spencer followed suit, chatting excitedly about the small fireworks show they were going to have.

    "Y/N! Y/N!" Jack shouted, running up the beach and launching himself into Y/N's arms. Henry, Derek and Penelope were following closely behind.

     "Oh!" Y/N groaned when he landed in her lap, with his arms around her neck. Her arms immediately wrapped around him to hold him up before she looked down at the little boy."What's up buddy?"

      "Do you want to go swimming with us?" Jack asked, his eyes lighting up. Y/N almost melted on site, her heart warming at the fact he wanted to spend time with her. She quickly glanced at Hotch, who was smiling back at her.

        It was no secret that Hotch and Y/N were a couple. If Y/N wasn't at the BAU or on a case, she was at Hotch's house, spending time with him and Jack. They are constantly touching when they think no one is paying attention, sneaking kisses and holding hands. What they fail to notice is that everyone, is in fact, paying attention. Everyone's hearts melted the first time they saw Y/N with Jack. The team knew Y/N wanted kids, she'd been talking about it before her and Hotch even thought about getting together. And after seeing her with Jack, the team had all decided she'd make a great mom someday. In Hotch's eyes, she was already the perfect mom for Jack. Not that he was replacing Haley, but he knew Jack needed a motherly figure in his life. However, Y/N still felt out of place in Jack's life. She knew she wasn't his mom but she felt like she was more to him than his dad's girlfriend. Logically, the next step for her would be his step mom, but her and Hotch weren't anywhere close to getting married.

     "Of course, bud," Y/N smiled at the little boy. "Give me a second, okay? And then we can head down there together."

     Jack nodded excitedly, clinging onto Y/N as she stood up. Y/N laughed and moved him so he was balancing on her hip. Jack decided to keep himself busy by playing with her hair and poking her face every few seconds. Y/N walked over to Hotch, who was setting out paper plates.

    "Hey buddy," Hotch said when he saw his son, his heart almost stopped when he saw the two most important people to in his life. He leaned over to Y/N and kissed her on the cheek. "Hey you."

     "Hi," Y/N whispered, leaning against him slightly. "We're going in the water if you want to come with us."

     "Please dad! Come swimming with mom and I!!" Jack exclaimed, wiggling in Y/N's arms. Just like that, Hotch and Y/N froze. Y/N looked at Hotch with confusion and a small trace of happiness in her eyes and Hotch just looked back at her, his expression mirroring hers. Everyone around them froze as well, carefully watching the situation.

      "Okay, buddy, I will. Let me just finish helping Uncle Dave set lunch out and I'll be there in a few minutes, okay?" Hotch asked, a small smile appearing on his face. Jack nodded and put his head on Y/N's shoulder. Hotch leaned moved to kiss Y/N's temple before whispering,"You okay?"    

       Y/N didn't know how to respond so she just nodded before heading down to the water. Jack giggled when Y/N dropped him in the water without warning. When Jack stood up again, he splashed Y/N and tried to chase her.

       "So, that was new," Rossi said, looking at Hotch. Hotch was facing the water, a giant smile on his face while he watched Y/N and Jack chase each other.

      "Yeah, it was," Hotch said, unable to wipe the smile off his face.

      "Do you think she liked being called mom?" Emily chimed in, her head resting on her hand.

       "I do. You know her, she's always talking about being a mom and having kids of her own someday," Hotch replied.

      "So you guys have discussed having kids, then?" Rossi asked, studying Hotch's face.

      "We have," Hotch said giddily. "Not anytime soon, but we have talked about it before."

       Without saying anything else, Hotch jogged down to the water. He wrapped his arms around Y/N before falling into the water. Jack just stood there giggling.

       "Aaron Hotchner!" Y/N gasped, wiping water away from her face. "You're lucky I love you or else you'd be sleeping on the beach tonight."

        Hotch just laughed and wrapped his arms around her waist and kissing her. Jack groaned in disgust and splashed them both. The two shared a look before they started chasing Jack around. The small family continued to play in the water for ten more minutes before Rossi was calling everyone back to the picnic table for lunch.

        "Hey buddy, why don't you head up there? Y/N and I are going to just talk for a few minutes," Hotch told Jack. Jack nodded before running back over to Henry. Once they were alone, Hotch grabbed Y/N's hand and the two started walking along the sand. "Is everything okay? I noticed you tense up when the fireworks were mentioned."

     "Yeah, yeah, I'm okay. Just don't like fireworks, that's all." Y/N said, leaning into Hotch's shoulder.

      "If you say so....mom," Hotch laughed, nudging her with his shoulder. "How did you feel about him calling you mom?"

       "I kind of liked it. I know that technically he shouldn't call me mom and I'm not trying to replace Hayley, believe me," Y/N rambled. "Is it okay that he called me mom?"

      "Of course it is, Y/N. We both know that you aren't replacing Hayley. Jack knows that also. There's nothing to worry about," Hotch said calmly. He pulled Y/N into a small hug and kissed her forehead. The two made their way back to the picnic table, Y/N opting to sit next to JJ, Emily, and Penelope. Jack was sitting on Y/N's left, occasionally bumping into her arm.

      "So, what did you and Hotch go talk about?" Emily said, shoving a piece of watermelon into her mouth. JJ and Penelope both leaning in to hear the conversation.

        "Just about what the little one called me," Y/N said vaguely so she wouldn't catch Jack's attention.

       "What did he call you?" JJ asked confused. She had been walking with Will when the whole 'ordeal' occurred.

       "He called her M-O-M," Penelope whispered.

       "Oh my god, no way! Is that a good thing?" JJ asked, very excited for Y/N.

        "Yeah, yeah it is." Y/N said smiling. "Aaron and I talked about it, and we basically just decided that if Jack wants to call me M-O-M, then he can."

        "That's really great, Y/N," JJ said, patting Y/N on the shoulder.

       "Yeah, I'm really happy," Y/N said, smiling at her friends.

       The rest of the group fell into a conversation, laughing and joking. Sometime during the conversation, Jack climbed into Y/N's lap, laying against her. Y/N held him closely, rubbing his back gently. When she checked on him, he was fast asleep. She adjusted him so she could carry him into the house before walking over to Hotch.

        "Hi, love," Hotch said. "Is he asleep?"

        "Yeah, I'm just going to take him up to the house so he can sleep. I might take a nap also, didn't sleep well last night," Y/N said quietly.

         "I know, hon. I felt you tossing and turning all night, and I meant to ask you about it this morning," Hotch said concerned. "What was keeping you up?"

         Y/N looked around at their friends before shaking her head. "I'll tell you later, okay?" She said quietly. Hotch nodded, watching as she took Jack to the house.

          "Okay Jack here we go," Y/N said quietly, walking into Jack's room. She woke him up long enough for him to change into his PJs. While he was changing into his pajamas, she went to her room and changed into comfier clothes as well. She went back to Jack a few minutes later and knocked on the door. Jack opened the door, and lifted his arms for Y/N to pick him up. Y/N lifted him and carried him to his bed Y/N tucked him in before kissing his forehead. "Sleep well, sweetie."

          "'Night mom," Jack mumbled before falling back asleep. Y/N smiled before leaving the room. She made her way to the room she was sharing with Hotch and climbed into bed, falling asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.

         An hour or two later, Hotch went to go check on both Jack and Y/N. After checking on Jack, who was still sleeping soundly, he went to his and Y/N's room. He stopped just outside the door, listening. He heard cries and muffled screams coming from inside the room. Without hesitation, Hotch threw the door open, quickly scanning his surroundings. Nothing in the room was out of the ordinary, except Y/N tossing and turning in the bed, cries leaving her.

      Hotch hurried over to the bed, immediately pulling Y/N into his arms. She didn't have nightmares often, but when she did, Hotch always held her until she calmed down and woke up. He brushed the hair out of her face and kissed her forehead.

     "Y/N, my love, please wake up," Hotch whispered. "It's just a dream, it won't hurt you."

     Y/N woke up almost immediately, and cuddled closer into her boyfriend's chest. She whimpered when she felt him hold her tightly. They sat there in silence for a few minutes.

     "I'm sorry," Y/N whispered, tears falling down her face.

     "You have nothing to be sorry about, Y/N," Hotch said quietly. "How long have the nightmare's been happening?"

       "Uh, about a week or two, I'm not sure. I don't remember what they're about. I always forget as soon as I wake up. The only thing I remember is extremely loud booming sound that won't go away," Y/N said, hiding her face in Hotch's chest.

       "Like fireworks?" Hotch asked, and Y/N nodded. "Is that why you tensed up when Rossi brought it up?"

       "Yeah, I guess. I didn't make the connection earlier, though," Y/N said, leaning her head on Hotch's shoulder.

       "Do fireworks normally cause you to panic like this?" Hotch asked her.

      "I think so. They just sound so much like gunshots, you know?" Y/N whispers. "The sound just sends me back to rough cases."

      "I get it, Y/N. Trust me, I do," Hotch started. "Why'd you keep it from me?"

      "I don't know. I didn't want to bother you," Y/N said, looking down at her hands.

       "You can never bother me, Y/N. We can figure out an alternative to fireworks, if you want to," Hotch said quietly.

      "No, no, I don't want to ruin everyone else's fun. It's only for a little bit, I can suck it up," Y/N said, laughing lightly.

      "Okay, but if this happens again please don't hesitate to tell me. I don't like the idea of you struggling with something by yourself." Hotch said, kissing her temple.

       "You'll be the first to know," Y/N smiled at him. "What's everyone up to?"

        "Rossi, Will, Derek, and I were sitting on the porch, drinking some of that fancy stuff Rossi always has. Emily, JJ, and Penelope went to explore the town. Spencer is reading or sleeping, I'm not sure. And Henry and Jack are both taking naps." Hotch said. "And now, you and I are going to cuddle or go for a walk on the beach, it's your choice."

        "Can we go downstairs and just hangout with everyone?"  Y/N asked, beginning to get out of bed.

         "Of course," Hotch said climbing out of the bed and leading her down stairs. They went outside and sat with Rossi and Will. Soon after they sat down, Spencer came down from his room and joined in the conversation. Eventually, Emily, JJ, and Penelope returned from their trip and settled down on the outdoor sofa with everyone else. Jack and Henry opted to stay inside and play video games instead of hanging out with the adults.

         The group shared stories and had a light conversation while Rossi began to cook dinner for everyone. Dinner was ready fairly quickly and everyone decided to go eat on the beach and watch the sunset. After dinner, Rossi and Derek decide to start setting up the fireworks while everyone else grabbed blankets and beach chairs from the house.

           As soon as it was dark and everything was set up, it was time for the fireworks. Jack and Henry were hanging out on a blanket in front of all of the adults. Will and JJ sat the closest to the kids, with Emily and Spencer sitting in chairs next to JJ and Will. Penelope sat in between JJ and Emily, the three excitedly talking about the show they were currently binging. Hotch and Y/N sat next to Will, the group of adults forming a semi-circle around the blanket.

         "Are you okay?" Hotch whispered in Y/N's ear when he noticed how tense she was.

         "Yeah, just nervous, is all," Y/N said, grabbing Hotch's hand.

         "Okay, guys! Are you ready?" Derek shouted from the spot of the beach they had the fireworks set up. Everyone cheered and chatted happily, waiting for the fireworks to start. Jack ran over to Hotch and Y/N and laid across both Hotch and Y/N's laps.

      Soon the sky was filled with blasts of colors and their ears were filled with loud booms. Everyone 'oohed' and 'awed' at the bright fireworks against the dark blue sky. Y/N leaned her head against Hotch's shoulder, watching the night sky light up. She flinched with every boom and Hotch held her closely against his side.

      "You're okay," Hotch whispered in her ear after a particularly loud round of fireworks caused her to whimper and jump. With every reassurance, her panic melted away. "I've got you, you're okay."

      The fireworks lit up the night sky for about thirty minutes before everyone grabbed their chairs and blankets getting ready to go inside.

        "He's asleep," Hotch whispered, motioning to his sleeping son.

       "You take the chairs and I'll carry him in okay," Y/N said, picking Jack up and balancing him on her hip and his head immediately fell onto Y/N's shoulder. Once Hotch grabbed the chairs, Y/N and him went back into the house, wishing everyone goodnight.

        "Let's tuck him in," Y/N said, walking up the stairs to Jack and Henry's room.

        "I can carry him, Y/N," Hotch said, worried he was too big for her to carry.

       "Love, I got this. I carried him up here earlier today, remember?" Y/N laughed. Once they got to the room, Y/N set Jack on the bed and both her and Hotch tucked him in. Y/N smiled before gently kissing the sleeping boy's forehead and whispering, "Goodnight, bud."

       Hotch said goodnight to Jack before he and Y/N left the room. They went back to their room and changed into their pajamas before falling into bed. Hotch pulled Y/N against his chest and kissed her forehead.

     "You're really good with him," Hotch said after a few moments of silence. "It makes me really happy to see you guys get along so well."

    "He's a really good kid, Aaron," Y/N said, smiling up at her boyfriend. She paused for a second before continuing. "Thank you for today. You helped me more than you'll ever know."

    "You're welcome, love. I'd do anything for you," Hotch whispered before kissing her lips gently. "Now come on, let's try and get a full night's sleep, yeah?"

   Y/N nodded before snuggling into his chest. "I love you, Aaron Hotchner."

    Hotch beamed at her before kissing her forehead. "And I love you, Y/N Y/L/N."

[chickenmcfly1]

Fireworks (McFly July Day 4)

here’s the tooth rotting fluff that I came up with for today lol (under cut)

“I’m sorry” Marty says for what’s probably the hundredth time in the last hour.

“Marty, I promise you, it’s fine, no big deal,” Jennifer responds, just as patiently as she said it the first time.

Still unable to shove down the guilt churning in his stomach, Marty buries his face in Einstein's shaggy fur to avoid facing Jennifer.  He knows she’s wearing that kind and understanding, but also kind of worried and sad expression that Jennifer looks at Marty with all too often these days, and Marty doesn’t know if he can face that look without going to pieces. He already feels like the world’s shittiest boyfriend.  Seeing that will just add to it.  

A loud whistling sound fills the night and knowing what follows, Marty tightens his death grip around the hot water bottle that he’s been clutching to his chest like a lifeline, leaning closer to Einstein and Jennifer.

A series of booming pops and bangs explode in the sky and Einie whimpers miserably, the urge to flee and hide underneath something barely trumped by the sheepdog’s loyalty to his terrified second owner.  Marty notices none of that though, going rigid at the sound of the fireworks, his spine turning to ice as Marty screws his eyes shut and clutches harder at the hot water bottle, moving even closer to Jen and Einie, desperately needing the contact.

It’s just fireworks, It’s just fireworks for the Fourth of July, you’re okay.  You're fine.

But no matter how many times Marty repeats the reassurances in his head, the urge to flee because someone coming after him, to play dead so he can disarm Mad Dog and run, or to burst into tears and run up the stairs and get to Doc to safety immediately because holy shit the Lybians are here and Doc is going to die and nothing will ever be okay again is so, so insanely strong.

With the increased panic, Marty’s breathing pace picks up and both Jennifer and Einstein quickly notice, Einie moving to rest his front paws against Marty’s chest, putting a comforting a grounding weight by Marty’s rapidly beating heart, and Jennifer moving her arm that had been wrapped around Marty’s waist to his back, rubbing circles on the denim Marty’s wearing.  

“Sorry,” Marty says again, feeling like absolute shit.  

He and Jennifer had been going to the Hill Valley Independence Day fireworks together since freshman year and Marty and Jen had both assumed their tradition was still on for this year.  

Before the show, Marty had picked her up, taken her to get dinner and they’d laid out their blankets, cuddled in each other's arms as the show began.  The night had been perfect right up until the first firework went off.

At the first boom, Marty’s whole body had gone fully rigid and he’d felt a fear so intense, Marty could’ve sworn his heart stopped beating all together for a full second before launching into Marty’s throat and beating so fast Marty was sure it would explode.

All it had taken was one firework and suddenly, Marty was alone and terrified in a million different years and incorrect timelines all at once, the guilt of screwing up the delicate balance of the universe and pressure of the entire space time continuum on his shoulders as he barely escaped the jaws certain death.  The next firework had gone off before Marty could even get another breath in and the consecutive popping noises had transported Marty right back to his literal worst nightmare, watching Doc get obliterated as he stood alone in the parking lot of Twin Pines Mall.  

Jennifer had taken one look at Marty’s ashen, shell-shocked face and immediately put two and two together, grabbing Marty’s hand and weaving him through the crowds and back to the truck.  Marty hadn’t really been much help, stumbling behind Jen, heaving and gasping and then trembling in the passenger seat, the entire ride to Doc’s.

Doc had pushed a hot water bottle into his hands and ushered him to the basement as soon as Jennifer had led him through the door, then quickly went back up the stairs, promising to return as quickly as possible with more things to help Marty relax, rambling about how Einie was afraid too, so Marty didn’t need to feel bad.  

Before Jennifer could open her mouth to accept Marty’s 101st apology, a young voice cuts through the tense silence.

“Marty, Father told me to inform you he’d be down in two or three minutes for sure; he’s waiting for water to boil so he can get you a more adequate sized heating device,” Jules announced, climbing down the basement stairs.

“He’s bringing food too,” Verne adds from behind his brother, mouth stuffed with one of the red white and blue snacks he had begged Marty to get during their afternoon grocery store excursion, “Me and Jules brought games too so we can all stay down here and have fun with you until the fireworks are over.  Do you wanna play Monopoly? Dad said you were sad and it always cheers me up! But I don’t exactly know how to play . . . Dad usually just lets me make my own rules,” Verne rambled excitedly, not even noticing the eye roll his last sentence elicits from his older brother.  

“Sure,” Marty croaks, scooting closer to Jen and Einie to make room for Jules and Verne in the little corner of the basement he’s stuffed himself in, “thanks guys,”

“Yay!” Verne responds, pulling pieces out of the box, “Can I be on Jennifer’s team? She’s smart and I wanna win this time!”

Verne trails off, not waiting for a response before excitedly setting up the game.  Marty watches, grateful for the distraction, however little.  

Every firework still sets off a terrifying panic response in Marty, but with Jules and Verne’s happy chatter filling the air, and Clara’s presence being added to their little congregation, Marty finds it’s a little more manageable.

When Doc comes down the stairs a few moments later, a little bit of the ice in Marty’s chest melts, the part of his mind screaming that Doc was dead at every single firework finally relaxing.

“Here,” Doc says, handing Marty another hot water bottle and draping a heavy, grounding blanket over the teenager’s shoulders. Doc’s eyes linger on Marty for a couple extra seconds as Marty takes the bottle, clearly gauging his mental state and wearing the same expression he wears when looking at a malfunctioning machine.  The one that says ‘I wish I knew how I could just take away all your problems.’  Still, Doc doesn’t ask any questions.  

Their relationship has always been that way.  Doc never pushes Marty to talk about his problem unless Marty is ready, but when he is ready, he offers undivided attention.  

“Thanks Doc,” Marty says, adjusting the blanket and giving his friend a smile that hopefully says don’t worry, I’m okay.

Doc gives Marty’s shoulder a little squeeze before taking a seat next to him, smiling adoringly at his family.

“Now, who wants to play Monopoly?”

[sohotthateveryonedied]

Slipping Through My Fingers

Read here on AO3!

When it comes to his children, Bruce has very few regrets. He loves them completely, scars and all. He wouldn’t want to change a single part of them.

But he can’t lie and say that he doesn’t regret the timing with which each of these beautiful souls entered his life. Bruce has six children, but he’s never had a baby, and isn’t that wrong? Isn’t that a pity? He missed so much of their lives—so many milestones that every parent wants to remember forever but that he’s not even had glimpses of. He wasn’t there for the first steps or the lost teeth or learning how to ride a bike. He missed all of his children learning to talk, missed watching Sesame Street with them in the morning and making soapy mohawks in the bathtub. Bruce missed everything. He missed moments that he can’t get back, no matter how hard he yearns for a rewind. Take him back. Return to him the moments he lost without even knowing it until they’d already slipped through his fingers. Bruce has a few mementos to get him by, but they only grant him glimpses of the years he missed. Dick has a bin of old tapes from the Flying Graysons’ best performances that he likes to watch on bad days. Occasionally he’ll let Bruce watch with him. There’s something magical about watching the young boy in the tapes swing on the trapeze and pull gravity-defying moves, all the while knowing what a strong man that boy will one day become. Jason came to the manor with very little, having to travel light while on the streets. There’s a shoebox under the bed in his old room salvaged from his mother’s things, containing a handful of photos from Jason’s toddler years, a stuffed animal or two, some loose possessions. Bruce used to go through them after Jason’s death, just to give himself something to hold on to. Tim had more than Dick and Jason combined: plenty of photos, report cards, baby teeth, and coloring books all saved in storage. But as much as there was, Bruce still only had glimpses of the real Tim. Every family photo was stiff, like an assortment of plastic dolls. The papers and drawings that have been collected are too crisp, like they were shoved into a childhood folder and forgotten about without a second glance, not even making it to the refrigerator. All Bruce has of Cass’ childhood are videotapes of training sessions. He refuses to watch them, for both her sake and his own. Duke has a photo album he keeps in his bedroom, compiling plenty of baby pictures and family vacations. He’s only shown it to Bruce once. Otherwise, he keeps it in his bookshelf, untouched but for the handful of times he’s visited his parents, showing them old memories in case it will miraculously jog something and put the shards of them back together. The longer it doesn’t work, the less he’s willing to tell. The League of Assassins has an entire storage room of files on Damian’s development. Bruce has seen it. It’s like every move the boy made was monitored and catalogued, detailed without so much as a lick of emotion to remind anyone that this was a child being discussed. There were no shiny milestones to celebrate, only completed stages. No one commemorated his first word or first time seeing a butterfly, but his first time using a wakizashi sword earned five entire pages. If Bruce could go back in time, he would snatch up every one of his children and give them the lives they deserve, right from the start. No pain. No dead parents. No neglect, no heartache, no scavenging on the streets just to survive the night. He would wipe their slates clean if it meant he could stave off their suffering, just for a little while longer. He would do anything to go back.

Back when Bruce was a child and tragedy hadn’t yet torn his family to bloody shreds, there was one Fourth of July on which his parents took him to the circus. Alfred had an open invitation to accompany them, but, being a Brit, he politely declined from the day’s festivities. “I’ll have you know, young sir, that I served as a spy for the British forces and mentored Alexander Hamilton during his teenage years.” Bruce was ninety-nine percent sure that Alfred wasn’t alive during the American Revolution. That day was the first time Bruce had been to the circus. It was a local one, small with very few extravagant spectacles, but his father bought him peanuts and afterward the three of them watched the fireworks in Gotham Park. It was a day that imprinted itself on Bruce’s memory, sticking with him long after they were gone. So when he sees a flyer announcing that Haly’s International Traveling Circus is visiting Metropolis on the same day Bruce has an interview with Lois Lane for some column on America’s wealthiest men, how can he turn the opportunity down? The air is warmed by summer rays, the entire field radiating Metropolis’ natural brightness. The scent of peanuts and popcorn wafts from all sides and the classic tinkling circus music fills his ears. The show doesn’t start for another half hour, so Bruce settles on walking around, unsure of what to do with himself. He should get some photos to bring home for Alfred. He’s always had a fascination with jugglers. After some perusing, Bruce pulls up under a tree, shaded against the thick trunk. He’s just pressed send on the pictures to Alfred when he hears a voice from above. “Hey, mister.” Bruce looks up to discover a boy perched on a tree branch two feet above his head. The kid looks around six years old with black hair that curls around his ears. He’s wearing a bright red and green costume—obviously one of the performers. How a child his age came to be part of the circus, Bruce can’t begin to guess. He’s missing his front teeth and his skin, tan with a honey glow, makes his nationality hard to place. Bruce blinks up at the boy. “Hello.” The kid drops down and catches on the branch with his hands, dangling with his bare feet kicking in the air. “Whatcha doing here?” Now that he’s paying attention, Bruce can detect the slightest accent. Romani, perhaps? “Why does anyone come to the circus?” The boy laughs. “You don’t look like the kind of person who goes to the circus.” “Then what kind of person do I look like?” The boy thinks, swinging back and forth like a cartoon monkey. How his hands aren’t scraped raw from gripping the rough bark, Bruce doesn’t know. “A lawyer, maybe. Or a president.” The corner of Bruce’s mouth lifts. “I’m neither of those things, unfortunately.” “Well, I’m an acrobat.” “I can see that.” “But I do other stuff too,” the kid tells him, “like I know how to juggle and how to walk on stilts and how to throw knives at targets. I’m getting real good at that.” “Are you sure a kid your age should be playing with knives?” The boy laughs. “You think knives are scary? You should see it when they let me play with the tigers.” Bruce arches an eyebrow. “You play with tigers?” That can’t be safe. Maybe he should have a talk with the ringmaster and make sure someone is ensuring that no little boy heads are getting bitten off by mighty jaws. “Oh yeah, the tigers are the best.” The kid swings his body upward, letting go of the branch and pulling a heart-stopping somersault midair as he falls. He lands on his feet without a wobble. “I know all of their names and they’re huge, like they’re this big”—he stretches out his arms as far as they will go, which makes the tigers a whopping two and a half feet tall—”and sometimes I’m even allowed to ride them!” Bruce leans back against the tree trunk, crossing his arms with a smile. “Is that right?” “Yeah!” The kid then launches into a string of chatter, so fast that it takes all of Bruce’s focus to keep up. He tells Bruce all about the circus’ tigers: what breed they are, how many they have, what they eat, what their names are (their actual names and the names the kid gave them; Marshmallow is his favorite), and how his dad once gave him permission to hold a hoop while a tiger leapt through it. The entire time, Bruce can’t help but wonder, is this what childhood is supposed to be like? Swinging on tree branches and giving oral reports about your favorite animals to complete strangers? Is this what growing up is like for normal children? Bruce doesn’t know whether to be envious of this little boy or concerned. He’s so innocent; it bleeds from every grin. There’s nothing weighing this kid down—literally and figuratively—and Bruce finds himself silently praying to a being he doesn’t believe in that it never changes. Let this kid stay pure, untouched by the evils of the world. Let him go his whole life swinging on branches and talking about tigers without a single setback. After a good ten minutes when the boy’s tumbled into a handstand and has moved on to tell Bruce about his favorite elephant Zitka, a feminine voice rings, “There you are, Dick. I’ve been looking everywhere for you!” A beautiful woman approaches the pair, wearing an identical red and green leotard. She’s got matching black hair and blue eyes—too spitting of an image to be anyone but his mother. “Come on, sweetheart, we’re supposed to be backstage.” “Sorry, Mom,” Dick says, turning right-side up, but he hasn’t lost his grin. Now that he thinks of it, Bruce doesn’t recall it waning once in the entire time they’ve been talking. She takes in Bruce, suit and all, and plasters on a stage smile, sticking out her hand. “Mary Grayson. You’ll have to forgive my son, he gets excited easily. He’ll talk your ear off for hours if you let him.” But the glimmer in her eye gives Bruce an inclination that she has no problem being an audience for her son’s happy rants. Bruce shakes her hand. “Bruce. I take it you’re the Flying Graysons I’ve been hearing so much about?” “The very same. I hope you’ll be seeing our show tonight.” “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” He winks at the littlest Grayson, who beams. Mary ruffles Dick’s hair. “Well, this little robin and I should be getting ready now. It was a pleasure meeting you, Bruce.” “Likewise.” He leans down and shakes Dick’s small hand. “And if you ever come to Gotham, maybe you can tell me more about those tigers, eh?” Dick looks like he contains the sun itself. He’s sunshine incarnate. “Definitely!” He drags his feet when his mom starts leading him away, rolling her eyes good-naturedly. “Bye, Mr. Bruce!” He waves his hand like a windmill of its hinges, and Bruce can’t help but return it. Bruce hasn’t felt this content in a long time to the point where he has to stop in wonderment of it. It’s unlikely that Haly’s will end up coming to a place like Gotham anytime soon, but Bruce hopes for it anyway. After all, Gotham could use some sunshine.

Here’s the rest of it on AO3 because I don’t feel like formatting all 7,000 words on here lmao.

[tarlos-spain]

Flufftober Day 4 - Sparklers & Fireworks

Fandom: 9-1-1

Pairing: Eddie Diaz, Evan "Buck" Buckley

Characters: Eddie Diaz, Christopher Diaz, Evan "Buck" Buckley

After the storm

Chapter 4

The Fourth of July was one of the busiest days for the firemen and Buck always had a good time, watching the silly things they could do with the fireworks.

That year, however, both Eddie and he decided to take the holiday.

"It's going to be suspicious that we're both partying today." Buck said as they planned their day. "It's not the first time we've taken a day together to be with Christopher." "Yeah but...do you really think they haven't noticed by now that there's something weird going on between us."

Eddie stared at the two rockets in his hand.

"Which one do you think will make a prettier color in the sky?" "Eddie are you listening to me?" "I think this one will be a deeper blue, but this one..." Buck grabbed his hands to pull her down and look him in the eye. "What's the matter? You've gone pale all of a sudden." "You realize that celebrating together, just you and me and Christopher on the Fourth of July is going to be like saying that...what?" "Yes?"

Eddie stowed the two rockets in the cart and folded his arms and leaned against the cart with that half-smile chair drawn to his lips that always made Buck so nervous.

"We still haven't ever said it out loud, well we haven't talked about it in any way either." "You're not doing it now either." Said Eddie . "Why do you seem to have a harder time saying it than I do?" "You haven't said it, neither of us have said it." Said Buck raising his voice a little and two men who were shopping. "But you're the one who isn't enjoying the experience of picking out the first fireworks we're going to launch together."

Buck opened his mouth to say something, but froze as he realized Eddie was right. He was making it all too complicated. They were two grown men, single, with no strings attached and no accountability to anyone.

"So you don't want to talk about it." Buck tried again. " Right now I want us to pick how many rockets we're going to launch and what colors we want to put together to make it look pretty. What's your favorite color, Buck?" Christopher's is yellow and I really like red. Tell me you have one that looks good with ours in the sky."

Buck just stared, looking like a kid excited about fireworks. Although they knew each other well and knew many of the intimate things about each other, Buck realized at that moment, he didn't know much about Eddie's childhood, about how important it was to him, the 4th of July.

"Blue, my favorite color is blue." He said at last. "The blue rockets I've seen two aisles over." "Blue, red and yellow, I think we can put on a pretty nice show tonight."

Eddie gave Buck a nice smile and headed down the aisle he had told him to continue shopping for rockets.

*

Buck didn't bring up the subject of their relationship again, what kind of couple they were, if they were a couple at all, or what they expected from each other. They would have time to talk about it the next day.

Obviously, Eddie had offered to sleep over at his house, because they would be late finishing the fireworks launch, or because he wanted to be with him at night, when Christopher was in bed.

They were going to have two parties that night, a family one, a dinner that would almost be a snack so they wouldn't be late for the fireworks and during which they would arrange the order of launching the nearly twenty rockets they had available and another one alone, in the living room and in bed, that was still to be decided, for Buck and Eddie alone.

Christopher behaved the same way with Buck, maybe he hadn't realized that the relationship between his father and his best friend had changed, or maybe he was waiting for the two of them to tell him something.

But that 4th of July had something truly magical, something that none of the three of them could put into words and that had different meanings for each of them.

[potions-princess]

Back at the ship Hiedi prepared for her fight with Archer. She looked at Nick for reassurance before she took the potion in her hand and looked at the audience around them. All around them there were rich white guys staring at them with a eerily hungry look in their eyes. “I don’t know about this Nicky, something just doesn’t feel right”

“Well it’s too late to back out now, we already gave them our word” Nick sighed as he grabbed a potion for himself “don’t worry, we’ll kill it, just like old times” he assured her before clinking their viles together.

Killian came strutting into the room “Where my money?” He asked looking from Hiedi to nick but elicited a response from Archer on the other side of the ship instead.

“You have to win it first” Archer said taking a potion off the tray

“Does everyone remember the rules?” Lucinda asked in place of the referee who shot her a sideways glance.

Killian rolled his eyes “yes, not all of us are old geezers Lucinda. I think we are capable of remembering some basic 3 way fighting rules”

Lucindas eyes sharpened as she turned to Archer “kill him” she sneered as she stepped back and prepared her wand.

Heidis eyes widened as she looked at Killian who took his place beside her with his wand

Killian looked at Hiedi and shrugged “what a little trash talk never hurt nobody”

Heidi shook her head and took the potion just as the ref called it. In an instant the top of the ship was filled with 4 different creatures: One black dragon which was Heidi, one White wolf which was nick, one yellow dragon which was Archer and one brown wolf which was Mr. Gonzalo. Killian and Lucinda stared coldly at each other and the bell rang to indicate the fight. Nick was the first to pounce, diving into the ground and digging up the turf to ground himself. Archer instantly flew up to the sky and conjured lighting from the clouds then shot a thunderbolt down plumpeting towards Heidi which with nicks dig move was completely ineffective. The black dragon smirked as it took off after him, now vulnerable to his attack but fast enough to dodge it. Down below Heidi could hear aflyns dragon, the motherly instinct in her stirred around nervously as she decided to go back to the ground again for safety just as the Brown wolf began his attack. Instinctively she whipped the wolf with her tail blocking him from attacking Nick but the wolf began to change color and Heidi realized what she had done. Gonzalo absorbed her power. She backed away and saw archer begin to spiral around the wolf, preforming one of their famous moves, hells surge. Heidi looked at Killian and Nick then in an instant picked them both up into her talons then flew them away them from the ground breaking attack as it quaked through the ship breaking it apart. Lucinda also anticipated the attack as she grabbed her broom and began blasting at heidis talons. Heidi dropped the pair the got tackled by archer began falling towards the sea.

In a flash nick pushed out his wings, a power he had absorbed from Hiedi a long time a long time ago just in time to catch Killian.

Killian grunted as he landed lopsidedly onto the white wolfs back then swiveled around him just in time to grab his wand. “Alright let’s hyper beam that dog” he said as nick flew towards the now black wolf who also grew wings. His take off was sloppy as he hopped from the remaince of the ship and Killian hit the wolf with a hyper beam spell radiating from his wand from nicks power. The wolf yelped and shifted back to its natural tan form as it landed harshly in the sand.

Archer threw Hiedi into the water and prepared the most wicked of lighting attacks in the sky but a hypnotic howl filled his ears and suddenly it was dark. He awoke from his own electricity hitting the water, he rose the surface to see the black dragon fly upwards to safety and out of annoyance archer followed behind her more lethal than ever now that he was wet.

Nick was unaffected by the howl, and recognized it as his son’s. “Why had he shifted?” He wondered, his gaze pointed towards the field, beginning to worry.

Killian, because of his current connection to Nick, also managed to stay awake. But the howl was mesmerizing, and he just had to have it. Pointing his wand in the direction of Nick’s gaze, he casted a spell to steal the voice of the wolf.

A bright white beam connected the top of the wand to the voice, drawing it out from the target. Nick shook Killian off of his back once he noticed, hoping that would break the connection. It failed, and Nick landed next to him threateningly, “What are you doing?” Yet only a growl came out.

The last of the white beam retracted into his wand, and Killian smirked, “Gettin’ my money!” He casted a spell to throw Nick away from him, and prepared to apparate. Nick landed perfectly with a snarl, and leaped at Killian, sending both of them toppling over the edge of the ship. Avoiding the water because of Archer, Nick landed on the pretty intact dock, waiting for Killian to come up for breath.

Heidi and Archer continued to fly around the ship, the evening growing dark. Heidi used a night cloak to make herself invisible, trying to come up with an idea to attack Archer. Where had Nick gone?

Archer began to taunt her, “You can’t hide forever, Heidi.”

She ignored him and took a moment to quickly circle the ship, but no one else was to be found except the unconscious tan wolf.

“Heidiii,” Archer drew out.

Heidi wondered if Nick grew worried about their kids and went towards the stadium, so she began to fly over there.

Nick wanted to dive in after Killian, especially since it was taking him a moment to resurface. But Archer was to close to risk it. He growled and walked closer to the edge, peering through the water to confirm that Killian was still there. Lucinda found Nick first, and swiftly flew up behind him and announced, “Petrificus Totalus!” Just as he turned around at her scent. His limbs stiffened and he feel to the side. She hopped off of her broom and walked over to him, placing her foot on his chest. Slowly, she began to push him off of the dock, “Archer, honey! Come here!”

With that, she shoved him into the water and Killian popped up, gasping for air, “Ha! Just for that Lucinda, you can keep your money.” He lifted his wand, and apparated.

Archer flew over at the sound of his name, Heidi doing the same, only she was farther away than him. Archer spotted Nick in the water, “I’m about to flame me a hot dog, want one Heidi?” He looked around one last time, then focused in on Nicks form, and the sky darkened around him, “Oh, I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time.” Gigantic bolts of lightening crashed down into the water, and In an instant, multiple fish floated to the surface. Archer smirked evilly, and flew away triumphantly. But he needed to find Heidi.

Lucinda kneeled down on the dock and cast a spell to lift Nick out of the water, undoing her former binding spell. Watching his chest rise and lift faintly, she held out her hand for her broomstick, and climbed on, following the yellow dragon. Heidi landed next to him on the dock as he shifted back to human. Nudging him softly with her nose, he groaned softly. She carefully lifted him up in her claws, and took him over to their boat they arrived in, setting him down gently. Hardly conscious, he produced, “Hei- Heidi...” She brushed his arm to confirm it was her, and a small smile appeared on his face before saying, “I’m fine...” His voice drifting off as he fell asleep, his body forcing him to rest. Guarding him for a moment, her attention was grabbed by a dragon’s mating call.

Flying above the stadium Archer found his answer to drawing out Hiedi, if he couldnt have her then Hali would work just fine. He was impressed whenever his son drew the blue dragon in even further with the mating call, which rang so clearly in his ears. Archer hid, knowing the depth of his sons call and how serious he was. If archer interfered, Alex may never forgive him, but it was too perfect of an opportunity to pass up. Archer positioned himself as a portal was created, preparing to launch towards Hali the second Alex went through but Hali went through the portal first and they didn’t come back for minutes. Suddenly a purple portal appeared in the sky and Alex and Hali flew out again, dancing around each other showcasingly, and that’s when archer snuck up behind Hali and struck her with a thunderbolt. She lit up like fireworks on the Fourth of July and her dragon body crashed into the water so hard it created a mini typhoon. As antisipated Alexander’s most powerful attack began and Archer struck at him before he had the chance to let it come to fruition. Alex became a boy again and he crashed into the water near Hali. Panting angrily he looked around the night sky waiting for Heidi. He figured his son would heal himself, and not drown, maybe even attempt to save Hali so he stayed hovering over them waiting.

@chair-thrower @hali-blue @archermaxed

[saymynamewithluv]

BTS Scenario: Spending 4th of July Together

Summary: It’s the 4th of July and you are spending it with your seven best friends. A night filled with food, pool games, and of course fireworks. What a phenomenal night. 

Word Count: 1.9k

Warnings: None

You woke up to a loud knock at your door. You sat up as you looked at your phone to see the time. It read, “11 am July 4th.”

“July 4th… OH MY GOD, IT’S JULY 4TH.” You immediately got out of bed and ran to your door to be greeted with a bunny smile. It was your best friend Jungkook well one of your best friends.

“Good morning y/n!” He said as he hugged you and walked into your apartment. You hugged him back as you looked at him confused.

“What are you doing here Kookie?” 

“Don’t tell me you already forgot?” He chuckled as he looked at you only to get a confused look in return.

“Of course you forgot. We were all going to hang out today for the fourth of July remember.”

“THAT’S RIGHT!” You yelled as you remembered.

“I swear y/n you can be forgetful sometimes.” He chuckled as he sat on your couch.

“Yah! I know I can be forgetful sometimes but what about you? You forgot about the dinner plans we all made last week.”

“In my defense, I didn’t know it was already 8 pm when I finished my game. Now go get ready so we can head back to the dorms. Oh and bring a bathing suit.” He pulled out his phone as you playfully rolled your eyes and headed to your room to get ready.

As you were getting ready you were making sure everything was in order and that you had all the stuff you needed for tonight. You went through your bag to double-check everything was there. Once you had everything you grabbed your bag and walked out of your room.

“Ok, I’m ready.” 

Jungkook looks up from his phone and smiles at you. 

“I swear you are so cute y/n. Ok, let’s go.” He puts his phone away and grabs his keys as he walks to the door leaving you a blushing mess. 

The members always make you blush when they compliment you so this is just normal. You two got in the car as you both drove to the dorm. 

After a few minutes, you two finally arrived at the dorm. You got out of the car and you were greeted by the rest of your best friends. Hobi ran up to you and gave you a big hug as he picked you up.

“It’s great to see you again y/n. It seems like it’s been forever.”

“Hobi you saw me a few days ago.” You laughed.

“Well, it felt like forever!” He pouted as he put you down. You just smiled and patted his head which made him smile.

“Hey y/n!” Jimin said as he came up and gave you a hug followed by the rest of the members.

“Let’s go inside so you can put your stuff down,” Namjoon said as he took your bag as you all walked inside the dorm. 

Namjoon put your stuff down beside the couch as you all stood together just talking.

“So, who is ready to go swimming?” A very excited Taehyung said as he looked at everyone.

“Me! Just let me go change into my swimsuit first.”

“Ok y/n we’ll just meet you outside,” Yoongi said as they all headed outside.

You grab your bag and head to the bathroom to change. Once you were done changing you walk out of the bathroom to run into someone and see bottles of sunscreen fall on the floor.

“I’m so sorry!” You kneel down as you picked up the bottles to be face to face with Jin.

“Don’t be sorry y/n it was my fault I should’ve looked where I was going.” He smiled as he patted your head. 

You just smiled and handed him the bottles of sunscreen.

“Do we really need this much sunscreen Jinnie?”

“Of course we do! We don’t want to get sunburned now do we.”

“Good point.” You chuckled as you two walk outside together. 

When you got outside all the boys were in the water except for Namjoon and Yoongi who were sitting in chairs under the shade. 

“Yah! What did I say? Don’t go in the pool without putting on sunscreen!” Jin yelled at the members that are in the pool.

“Sorry hyung but it really hot and we couldn’t wait,” Jungkook said as he got out of the pool followed by the other members.

“Ok but don’t come whining to me when you are as red as a tomato.” He said as he put the sunscreen bottles on the table. 

The rest of the members laugh as they grabbed the bottles and started putting sunscreen on. You just shook your head and smiled as you grabbed a bottle as well. After everyone put sunscreen on they got back in the pool. 

“I have a great idea! Let’s jump in the pool together!” Taehyung said to Jimin and Jungkook who agreed.

“Wanna join us y/n?” Jimin asked as all three of them look at you. 

“No thanks. I’ll just go to the steps and get in that way.”

“Suit yourself,” Jungkook said as he grabbed Jimin’s hand and then Jimin grabbed Taehyung’s hand. 

They all started running towards the water and before they jumped into the water Taehyung and Jungkook let go of Jimin’s hands launching him into the pool. 

“Ahh!” 

Everyone started busting out laughing as Jimin emerged from the water and just pouted as he looked betrayed. 

“Now it’s your turn y/n,” Jungkook said as he started walking towards you.

“Kook don’t you dare.” You walked backward but when he got closer you ran around the pool. 

Jungkook chased you until he finally caught up to you and wrapped his arms around your waist as and picked you up and walked towards the pool dropping you in the pool. He laughed as he saw you come back up from the water.

“Yeah yeah very funny now help me up.” 

You held your hand up and he grabbed your hand. You pulled him into the water and everyone started laughing. Jungkook came back up and just looked at you as he pouted.

“Come on Kook you know better than to fall for y/n’s tricks,” Yoongi said as he watched the both of you as he laughed. 

“I’m going to get you back for that y/n,” Jungkook said as he started swimming towards you.

“Ahh!” You swam away and hid behind Hobi.

“Hobi save me!”

He grabbed a pool noodle and held it out towards Jungkook. 

“If you want to get to y/n you have to get through me!”

“Oh, it’s on hyung,” Jungkook said with a smirk as he grabbed a pool noodle and they started sword fighting with them. 

You took this as your chance to get away and got out of the pool as you sat at the table with Namjoon, Yoongi, and Jin. 

“Wow y/n already got boys fighting over you,” Jin said as he looked at you with a grin on his face.

“Come on Jin you know you would be fighting over me too.”

“Excuse me but worldwide handsome doesn’t fight over just anyone.” 

“Is that so?” Yoongi said as he raised his eyebrow and looked at Jin.

“Yes.” 

“You wouldn’t even fight over me hyung?” 

“Uhhh look at the time I should go get food to make for dinner later.” He got up and went inside.

“Yah! Hyung get back here.” Yoongi got up and followed him.

You and Namjoon just laughed as those two walked away. 

“I should probably follow them to make sure nothing happens.”

“That will probably be a good idea.” You chuckled and with that Namjoon got up and went inside leaving you with Hobi, Jimin, Taehyung, and Jungkook.

“Y/n join us! The water is fine!” Taehyung yelled from the water as all four of them waved for you to join them in the water.

You rolled your eyes and smiled as you got up from your seat and ran as you did a cannonball into the pull. You splashed all of them and when you came up they all clapped. You looked at them and bowed.

“Thank you thank you.”

“Now that we have more people in the pool. How about a game?” Hobi suggested.

“That’s a good idea hyung,” Jungkook said.

“What should we play?” Jimin asked as he looked at all of you.

“Hmm how about Marco Pollo?” 

“That’s a great idea y/n!” Taehyung said. 

“Let’s play that and since you suggested it y/n you go first,” Hobi said as you all went to the shallow end so it would be easier.

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

A few hours later it was time for dinner. Jin, Namjoon, and Yoongi brought out the food and drinks and set it up on the table.

“Food is ready!” Jin yelled.

“Finally I’m starving,” you said as you got out of the pool and walked over to the table to set up your plate. 

Everyone got settled and started eating the food Jin made.

“Mmm… this is so good hyung.” Jungkook said as he took another bite of his food.

“Thank you. I had help from these two.” He put his hands on Namjoon’s and Yoongi’s shoulders.

They both looked up at Jin and smiled. You all enjoy the food that was prepared and after a few minutes, everyone was finished eating. 

“Thank you for that delicious meal Jinnie.” You smiled as you grabbed your plate and walked over to him and kissed his cheek as you threw away your plate. He smiled as a blush crept upon his face.

“Yah! I helped him prepare the food.” Yoongi pointed out.

“Yeah me too!” Namjoon chimed in.

“Where is our kiss y/n?” Yoongi said as he looked at you.

“Fine, you two get a kiss as well.” You smiled as you walked over to each of them and placed a kiss on their cheek. They both smiled and got up to put their plates away.

“That’s not fair! How come they get a kiss and we don’t.” Jimin said as he pouted.

“Awwww does mochi want a kiss as well?” 

“Yes.”

“Yah! If he gets a kiss I want one too!” Now it’s Jungkook’s turn to chime in.

“I want one too!”

“Me too!” 

Taehyung and Hobi said as they looked at you.

“Fine fine only for my boys.” You shook your head as you went up to all of them and kissed their cheek.

They all smiled after that. After that, you all heard a big bang and looked up to see the fireworks. You all moved the chairs to where you can see the fireworks better. You sat in between Jungkook and Taehyung as you looked up at the fireworks.

“Wow… I will never get tired looking at fireworks. They’re just so beautiful.” You said as you were amazed by the beautiful colors.

“Me either,” Jungkook said as he turns his glance to you and smiles.

“But the most beautiful thing is right here next to me.” You looked at him and blush.

“Jungkook is right. Y/n is the most beautiful thing we laid our eyes on.” Namjoon said as everyone else agreed.

You sit there as you couldn’t help the smile that grew on your face as they all complimented you.

“You guysssss… stop you’re making me blush..” With every word, they said your face started to turn redder. 

“Awww look at our tomato blushing!” Jin said.

“Yah! Stop it!” 

You all laughed as you enjoyed the fireworks together with the people you loved the most. Spending time like this with your seven best friends will always be something you hold dear to your heart. It was really phenomenal.

[bucky-of-the-opera]

Keep on Loving You

Pairing: Steve Harrington x Reader

Summary: Steve gets some TLC after the battle at Starcourt Mall.

Warnings: language, angst, fluff, slight smut (sfw), nudity (non-explicit)

Word Count: 3,202

A/N: Apparently, it’s become a regular thing for Steve to take a beating, so I felt obligated to write a fic where someone takes care of him for once. Steve “The Hair” Harrington deserves it.

As you entered Scoops Ahoy for what must have been the thousandth time that summer, you spotted your boyfriend, Steve. He was currently talking to his coworker, Robin. His sailor uniform always brought a smile to your face, even if he hated it.

Steve’s back was facing you, so Robin brought his attention to you in her usual pleasant fashion. “Hey dingus,” she said coolly, “your girlfriend — who is way out of your league by the way — is waiting at the counter.”

He rolled his eyes at her and then spun around to greet you, his face lighting up as his eyes fell on you. “Ahoy, Y/N! Here for your usual?” he asked, resting both hands on the counter.

“Not today,” you responded. “I was actually coming to tell you that I’ll be out of town for a few days; my parents and I are leaving tomorrow to help my grandma move and get settled into her new place.”

“Gee, thanks for the heads up,” he said, dropping his head into his hands. He looked like a disheartened child who was just told that he couldn’t have dessert until he finished his vegetables.

“I’m sorry it’s such short notice. My aunt was supposed to help her move, but she had to pick up an extra shift at work.”

Steve groaned. “First Henderson leaves me, and now my girlfriend’s leaving me too.” He picked up a discarded straw wrapper and twirled it around his fingers. “When will you be back?”

“Probably really late on the third so we can be back for the Fourth of July festival.”

“Can I come over tonight after my shift?” he asked.

You scratched the back of your neck, trying to avoid his eyes. “I don’t know. I still have a lot of stuff I have to get done before I leave, and I haven’t even started packing.” You glanced at his face, which was a mistake; he was giving you the most pathetic puppy dog eyes and pout combination you’d ever seen. How could you say no to that face?

“Fine,” you sighed. “But I seriously have to finish all of my packing tonight.” You pointed your finger at him. “That means no distractions from you.”

He gave you a Cheshire Cat-like grin as he crossed his fingers behind his back. “No distractions. I promise.”

“Uh-huh. I’m sure you do,” you said, as you leaned forward to press a kiss to his cheek. “I’ll see you tonight, Steve.” You waved a quick goodbye to Robin and then walked out of the ice cream shop.

Steve’s eyes followed you until you had completely left his field of view. He momentarily forgot that he was still at work and nearly jumped out of his skin when Robin shouted at him. “Earth to Harrington! You have another customer!”

He muttered an apology as he tended to the next person in line, counting down the hours until he could see you again.

***

Later that night, you were in your room throwing together some outfits to put into your suitcase. Your radio was playing an REO Speedwagon song which you started dancing along to. You spun around and unexpectantly came face to face with your boyfriend.

“Shit! You can’t sneak up on me like that Steve!” You clutched your chest, waiting for your heart rate to return to normal.

He laughed and placed both of his hands on your waist before pressing a quick kiss to your forehead. “I’m sorry. Your mom let me up, and I didn’t want to interrupt your dance party.”

You huffed and folded your arms, which made Steve pull you closer. He leaned his head down and spoke softly into your ear. “Don’t be mad sweetheart. I thought we could have some fun before you leave tomorrow.” His words sent a shiver down your spine.

Your hands found their way around the back of Steve’s neck, and your fingers started their normal routine of playing with his hair. He never let anyone but you touch his hair; it was an intimate moment shared between the two of you. Steve lowered his head to where your neck and shoulder meet, while you moved one of your hands upward to lightly scratch his scalp. You gave his hair a slight tug, making him moan. He retaliated by nipping and swirling his tongue against the curve of your neck, causing you to gasp.

“Steve…” you groaned, trying to muster up the will power to push him away. “I told you earlier: no distractions. I haven’t finished packing yet.”

Steve reluctantly detached himself from you. Too soon for your liking, if you were being honest. He looked around your room and spotted the pile of clothes on your bed. Then he grabbed several pairs of shorts and a few tops and tossed them into your suitcase.

“There,” he said triumphantly, “all done.”

“So, I’ll be walking around barefoot, wearing no bra and no underwear?”

He smirked at you. “Sounds good to me.”

You shook your head and began folding all the clothes he had tossed into your suitcase. “You are no help at all Steve Harrington. Go sit down and wait for me to finish.”

“Fine,” Steve groaned, collapsing backwards onto your bed.

You chuckled and went back to your packing, singing along to a new song that had started playing.

Steve watched you as you worked, wondering how the hell he was going to survive the next few days without you.

***

“All done,” you announced after you had finished packing. You looked up to see Steve sitting on your bed propped up against your pillows. He had picked up one of your magazines and seemed very enthralled by whatever article he was reading. You rolled your eyes and walked over to the bed, tugging the magazine out of his grasp to set it on your nightstand.

“I was reading that,” he said, glancing up at you.

You climbed on top of him, placing one leg on each side of his lap. Your fingers found their way back into his hair as you began playing with his long locks once more. “I know you were, but I thought we could have some fun before I leave tomorrow,” you said, reiterating what he suggested earlier.

Steve didn’t have to be told twice. He launched himself forward, crashing his lips against yours. You smiled into the kiss as he wrapped his hands around your waist once more to pull you closer. He traced your bottom lip with his tongue before taking it between his teeth. When he moved one of his hands downward to graze your thigh with his fingers, you had to stifle a giggle. Steve trailed kisses across your jaw and down your neck, but you couldn’t hold in your laughter any longer.

He pulled his head back to look at you and chuckled as well. “Why are you laughing?!”

“I can’t help it! I’m ticklish!”

“Well, I’m trying to put the moves on you, but you’re making it a little difficult to be honest.”

You giggled again and cupped his face with your hands. Steve felt his heart skip a beat every time he heard your laughter. You smiled at him as your thumbs brushed his cheeks. “I’m sorry, Stevie.”

God, he loved when you called him that. He rested his forehead against yours and sighed. “I’m gonna miss you so much.”

“I’ll be gone for less than a week,” you responded. He groaned and dropped his head onto your shoulder. You left one hand tangled in his hair and ran the other one up and down his back. “Do you have to work on the Fourth of July?”

“Yeah. It sucks, but they’re letting me out a few hours early since it’s a holiday.”

“My family and I are going to the festival to see the fireworks. Do you wanna meet me there after work?”

His hands squeezed your waist. “Absolutely. I’ll even win you a giant teddy bear,” he said, smiling against your shoulder.

“Promise?” you asked.

Steve pulled his head back to look at you before leaning in and pressing a soft kiss to your lips. “I promise.”

***

Steve hadn’t answered any of your phone calls after the first night that you had called him from your grandma’s house. You tried to come up with a rationalize reason as to why your boyfriend had been dodging your calls, but your brain was psyching you out. A million different scenarios were running through your head: he wasn’t home when you called, he was in the hospital, or he was going to break up with you.

By the time you got home, it was too late to call Steve. You waited until morning when the mall was open to drive over, and ran straight to Scoops Ahoy. When you reached the store you stopped dead in your tracks: the gate was down. Every other place in the mall was open except for Scoops Ahoy. Maybe both Steve and Robin were sick and called off, leaving no one able to run the store. If he was sick, then he was at home. So you got back into your car and drove over to his house. You banged on his door for a full minute, but no one answered. Even when you started chucking rocks at Steve’s bedroom window there was no answer. You were dumbfounded; you didn’t know what to do or where else to look, so you drove back home.

A few hours later, your parents were about to leave for the festival. Your mother came into your room where you were lying on your bed, staring at the phone.

“Are you going out dressed in your pajamas?” she asked.

You glanced towards her and then back at the phone, willing it to ring. “I’m not going. I’m not in a very festive mood.”

Your mother knew not to push you when you were in a bad mood. She kissed the top of your head and told you she would keep an eye out for Steve before leaving your bedroom.

When the sun had finally set, you decided to go outside and watch the fireworks from your driveway. Watching them seemed more appealing than waiting for your phone to ring, anyway. You hopped onto the hood of your car and waited for the display to start. Lately, it seemed like all you were doing was waiting.

***

The fireworks distracted you for a while, but they weren’t able to lighten your mood. You started to make your way back inside just as a helicopter flew overhead. When you looked up, you saw at least a dozen more. It seemed like they were flying towards the Starcourt Mall. You were out of ideas, so you hopped into your car and followed them.

Your suspicion was right; the helicopters landed in the mall parking lot. The sight before you left you awestruck: the mall was on fire. The very mall that you had spent your whole summer shopping at; the mall where your boyfriend worked. What if he was trapped inside when the fire started? You felt sick. You needed to find Steve; you needed to know that he was ok.

Stepping out of your car, you took everything in: the flashing lights and sirens on the emergency vehicles and the soldiers swarming towards the mall. When you looked over at the ambulances, you saw some familiar faces: Mike, Eleven, Will, and his mother. Even Nancy and Johnathan were huddled in the back of an ambulance. But there was someone else standing in front of that ambulance. You knew immediately as you saw the mane of brown hair. He didn’t even need to be in a sailor uniform for you to notice him: it was Steve.

You took off, running as fast as your legs could carry you. “STEVE!” you shouted as you got closer. He spun around and locked eyes with you.

“Y/N!” He ran to meet you halfway. The blanket that had been wrapped around his shoulders fell to the ground. When you finally reached each other, you jumped into his arms, causing him to stumble backwards. You clutched the back of his uniform, holding him as tight as you could.

Only when he started to tremble did you finally pull back to examine his face. His left eye was badly swollen, and he had a gash on his lip. You placed your hand on the right side of his face. He leaned into your touch as a tear slipped down his cheek.

“Stevie, what happened to you?” you cooed.

Steve cleared his throat. “You know, the usual. Attacked by a monster from another dimension and kidnapped by Russians who had a secret base underneath the mall.” He tried to laugh it off until he saw the worried look on your face. “It’s all over now, Y/N. I’m fine.”

You looked into his eyes, tears threatening to spill from your own. “Are you sure?”

“I’m… I—” he swallowed. His grip tightened on your waist. “No. I’m not okay. I’m not…” he trailed off, unable to hold back the sobs that came.

“Oh, Stevie.” You wiped away the tears that had begun to fall down his cheek. “Let me take you home,” you whispered. He nodded, and you took him by the hand to lead him to your car.

***

On the drive over you tried to coax more out of him, but he wouldn’t go into any more detail of what had happened to him. He had told you a few weeks after you two started dating that he had fought off a creature that Dustin had called a Demodog. Maybe another one of those had gotten loose in the mall? The so-called “Russian invasion” was still a mystery to you, but you knew Steve would talk about it when he was ready.

“Why don’t you go shower, and I’ll get you some clean clothes,” you said to him when you walked inside his house. His parents were still out of town on a business trip, so you two had the place to yourselves.

Steve’s hand was holding yours, and when you tried to walk away, he only held on tighter. You looked back at him, but he was staring at the ground.

“Stay with me,” he whispered, switching his gaze to you.

“Always,” you said as the both of you walked hand in hand to the bathroom.

You turned the shower on and spun around to see Steve undressing. Your breath caught in your throat when you saw his torso: it was covered in purple and blue bruises. He glanced over at you and saw you staring at them, so he turned to examine himself in the mirror.

“They’re not as bad as they look. I mean, they hurt like hell,” he shrugged. “But it could be worse.” You looked down at your feet as he finished undressing; in all the months that you had been together you still hadn’t seen each other completely bare. “I don’t mind,” he said when he saw your trepidation. “I’ve been informed that I’m very easy on the eyes,” he smirked.

You giggled and walked up to him, kissing him sweetly on the lips. “You are, indeed, Mr. Harrington.” He smiled down at you. “Now get in there,” you nodded at the shower. “You stink.”

Steve stepped inside and gave you a wink before closing the curtain. You leaned against the sink and stared at the shower. You could have so easily lost him tonight; you didn’t want to waste any more time stressing over trivial things.

Releasing a breath that you didn’t realize you’d been holding, you stripped yourself of your clothing and peeled back the curtain to join Steve. He was in the middle of lathering his hair with shampoo when he froze, seeing you fully exposed to him. His eyes widened as you stepped closer. You brought your hands to his hair, working through the rest of the shampoo. Steve moaned in appreciation, closing his eyes to savor the feeling of your fingers massaging his scalp. He brought his hands to your backside, cupping your ass and squeezing gently. You gasped at his touch, making him chuckle. When you finished scrubbing his hair, you tilted his head backwards so you could rinse out the shampoo. While his eyes were still closed, you leaned forward to kiss him again. You dragged your tongue along his lower lip, being mindful of the cut.

“Steve…” you whispered against his lips. You felt tears pricking your eyes.

He pulled you closer so that there was no space left between you both. Steve lowered his head to press soft kisses from your jaw down to your shoulder. When he started to head towards you chest, you stopped him.

“Stevie.”

He pulled back to look at your face and saw the tears falling down your cheeks. Steve leaned his forehead against yours and held you close while the water cascaded over your bodies.

“You look so tired,” you said after getting a good look at the dark circles under his eyes. “Let me finish washing your hair so you can get some sleep.” He didn’t argue, just stood still for you as you conditioned his hair and rinsed it out once more.

While you were drying off, you heard Steve’s stomach growl. “When was the last time you ate?” you asked.

“I don’t remember.”

You frowned and wrapped the towel tightly around yourself. “Go put something comfortable on. I’ll get you some food.”

You went down to the kitchen to make him a sandwich while he got dressed. When you came back upstairs, you found Steve nodding off. He was half dressed as he sat on his bed with his shirt in his hands. You set the plate on his nightstand next to a glass of water and walked over to him. Taking the shirt from him, you woke him gently so he could help you get his arms through it.

“Eat your food and drink some water. Then you can sleep,” you said to him.

Steve took the sandwich and scarfed it down while you rummaged through his drawers. You took out one of his shirts and pulled it over your head.

After Steve placed the plate on his nightstand next to the now empty glass, he climbed under the covers. He motioned for you to join him, so you laid down beside him. Steve adjusted himself so that his head was lying on your chest and his leg was strewn across both of yours. You stroked his damp hair, and he sighed deeply.

“Thank you for taking care of me,” he mumbled against your chest. “I love you Y/N.”

“I love you too, Stevie,” you responded softly as he drifted off to the sound of your heart beating. You smiled to yourself. It was the first time both of you had said the L word to each other. You weren’t sure how much Steve would remember in the morning, but you promised yourself that from now on, you would always remind him of how much you loved him.

[dayaray]

WHO: Daya Ray and her siblings (Jakob, Hanna, and Freddie)

WHERE: The Ray apartment in Bayview

WHEN: July 4, 2019; 10:30am

WHAT: Kids just say the darndest things.

WARNINGS: Just pain. So much pain.

Holidays were always a little contentious in the Ray household. As the twins grew older, they began asking more questions about very normal things. Like where their parents were, and what Daya did for a job. She did her best to protect them, refusing to let the world touch them in this way, not if she could help it.

One of the ways she did this was that she had a rule of never being in public with her siblings. Jakob dropped them off and picked them up from school, took them to the park, went to the store with them. All very normal family things. When they were younger, it was easy to pass them off and say that she had to go to work ( never telling them what she did, of course ) or that she needed to sleep. Eventually, they were able to discern a pattern, and while she had tried to explain to them why it was so important to keep this a secret, she didn’t think they understood.

Freddie trusted her implicitly, never once making a fuss other than looking at her with sad brown eyes as he waved goodbye. But Hanna, Hanna was a firecracker in her own right. Fussy, bossy, A true Dominant. She pressed and pushed, always needing an answer that was satisfactory to her, and asked questions whose answers Daya didn’t know how to give.

The Fourth of July was generally a jolly affair. Jakob would take them down to Manor Park to enjoy the festival and the fireworks, and Daya would follow later, watching from afar but never interacting. Sharing it with them in a way that wasn’t exactly fulfilling, but necessary. Only this year, Hanna seemed to decide that it wasn’t enough for her. She demanded that Daya actually join them this year. 

“Are you a part of this family or not?” It was odd to hear her own words thrown back at her, though she usually used the phrase when one of them was sulking and refusing to eat dinner at the table. To hear it come from her baby’s sister bell-like voice, was jarring. 

“Hanna...” Jakob’s voice rumbled lowly, his tone a clear warning but Daya waved him away.

Kneeling down in front of her sister, she wiped at the petulant tears that were running down her cheeks. “I am. You know I am. I wish I could walk around sweetheart, but I can’t. You know that.” She brushed back a lock of hair that had fallen into her eyes, even as Hanna looked away with a pout. “I promise I’ll be there, and we can talk about it tonight over dinner before I go to work.”

A small hand slapped hers away and Daya swore she’d never forget what happened next. “You don’t care about us. You never want to spend any time with us, and you’d rather go and open your legs for whoever walks by. No wonder you’re a switch. I hate you!” Daya’s entire body froze and she felt like she’d been punched in the chest. She vaguely heard Jakob chastise her, his deep voice authoritative and sharp. There was the sound of running feet and a slamming door, and silence. Her eyes stared at the spot where Hanna had been standing, unseeing as she tried to process what all had just happened.

Daya had never had an experience like this before with Hanna. While she could be bossy and domineering, Hanna was gentle and kind, and those words were too different for her to have come up with them all on her own. Slow footfalls approached, and a small hand wiped the tears that she hadn’t realized were on her face. “That’s what Mrs. Donahue sold Charlie’s mom the other day before Jakob came to pick us up. I don’t think we were supposed to hear but we did.” His little voice was solemn as he continued comforting his older sister, a complete role reversal from what she should have been doing for him. Daya wasn’t surprised. Plenty of people had opinions on who she was and what they did, but until now, she believed that her family understood why things were that way. Clearly she was wrong. “I’m sorry she made you cry. That was mean.”

Bless this poor boy’s sweet heart. She prayed that he would find someone who would nurture that soft soul, and cultivate the light he still had. With a watery smile, she drew him into a tight hug, and they stayed in that position for a long moment. “It’s okay, honey. I understand why she’s upset. I would be too. You understand that none of that is true, right? I care about you so much, and I wish I could spend all day every day with you.” His eyes were thoughtful as he searched for an answer. It amazed her every day that he could be so wise and yet he was only nine years old.

“I know you care about us. I don’t really get why we can’t go out to dinner sometimes, but it’s okay. We can always eat here too.” It broke her heart a little to hear those words come from him as well behind a gaptoothed smile, and maybe Daya hadn’t done such a good job of showing them just how important they were to her life. It made her feel selfish, seeking out comfort in the arms of Aidan and Lex, having them buy her food, when she had her family at home. With a sniffle, she vowed to do better and pulled away, sending him down the hall to get ready to leave. Venturing towards the closed door, Daya hesitated just outside, unsure if she could handle another gut punch right now. 

But the door opened, a tearstained face poked out and a blur launched into her arms. Daya stumbled but found her footing, making sure they didn’t tumble down to the ground. A blubber of apologies flooded out and she just quietly stroked Hanna’s hair until she calmed down. “Thank you for apologizing, sweetheart. I’m sorry that I didn’t know you were feeling that way. Next time, I want you to come talk to me, okay? Instead of screaming and throwing tantrums, we’ll talk about it. How’s that sound?” A small nod, another tearful hug, and Daya kissed her forehead. “Now, no more tears. It’s a holiday! Go put some sunscreen on and you all can head out. And make sure Freddie gets the back of his neck!” she called after her as Hanna sped away. 

Jakob was leaning against the wall, a somber look on his face. “Don’t give me that look, Jakob. You know why it has to be this way,” she sighed, exhausted from the whiplash of the last twenty minutes. Daya knew also that her sister’s words would not leave her mind any time soon. “Freddie told me that Dear Mrs. Donahue said something and they overheard.” Turning to finish packing, she began to load sack lunches, extra sunscreen, some blankets, and an extra hat into a large linen tote. She handed the bag off to him and laughed at his grimace. “It’s fine. That old hag is just jealous that I’ve gotten better sex than she’ll ever see in her life, and I get paid better for it.” The smile was almost too easy to fake and she didn’t think her brother believed her either. But even though he towered over her in height, he was still her little brother, and had so much potential in him. He needed to focus on his future.

Only the sound of muffled giggles warned them before two figures came sailing through the air. Freddie had jumped lightly onto Daya’s back with the agility of a rabbit, tucking his face into her her neck and peeking out shyly. Hanna, on the other hand, nearly knocked Jakob over, though he nearly dropped the bag. “Okay you devils, ready to head out?” 

The three of them lined up at the door and Daya inspected each one, a ritual they’d done any time they left the house. She wiped a smudge of dirt from Freddie’s cheek and ruffled his hair with a smile and and gave him a kiss on the head. Next was Hanna, whose eyes were still a little red and puffy, but she had stuck an American flag sticker to her cheek. Another nod, another kiss on the head, and she was onto Jakob. These days, she rarely had to take care of him too much and he’d been a tremendous help in recent years. But still she remembered the scared eight year old boy who had stared at her when she told him their parents weren’t coming home. She straightened his collar a little bit and fussed with his hair, just to be a jerk. But he still leaned down, and she lifted herself on her toes to press a kiss to his forehead. 

“Okay, off you go you hooligans!” she laughed, shooing them out the door. They weren’t quiet as they tromped down the stairs of the old building they lived in, but eventually their voices drifted away and silence settled in once more. Smile slowly fading, Daya was left with her thoughts, and that was never a good sign. Shaking her head, she pushed away the thoughts and set about getting ready to leave as well. She wore her typical fare of canvas sneakers, tattered and patched denim shorts, and an old tank top that was softer than anything else she owned. She kept moving because if she didn’t, she would have to face the fact that she might actually be the worst sister ever.

[sebeth]

Young Justice: Independence Day, Fireworks, and Stopover

Warning, Spoilers Ahead…

 My goal is to re-watch the Young Justice series and re-read the comics before the January 4th launch of Young Justice: Outsiders.  Let’s begin.

Episode 1: “Independence Day”

July 4th: We begin, appropriately enough, on the United States’ Independence Day.  The title will have multiple meanings by the end of the first two episodes:  the kids’ semi-independence from their mentors and Superboy’s freedom from the Cadmus Project.

Do cold villains hate the Fourth of July?

Dick is the only Robin who would have laughter as a trademark.

“Juniors doing this for attention?” – One of my favorite parts of this series is the depth of knowledge for the characters of the DC Universe – even the obscure ones.  The current Icicle is a “junior” – his father was the original Icicle of the Golden Age era.  As a huge fan of the B through D list characters, I have a huge appreciation for anyone who remembers the small details.

Kaldur was an interesting choice as he was a new but fairly obscure character when Young Justice debuted. Garth would have been the more logical choice as he was a founding member of the Titans along with Dick, Roy, and Wally.

I admit I wondered why the series was called Young Justice because all I was seeing were the founding members of the Titans at this point (minus Garth and Donna).

“You’ll chat it up with the cops, the bystanders, with Cold even.” – One sentence reveals so much of Barry’s personality.

“I knew we’d be the last ones here.” – Again, a Barry trait.

“Speedy is Green Arrow’s sidekick.” “Well, that makes no sense.” – Accurate.

“Why isn’t anyone just whelmed?” – Dick’s mangling of the English language begins.

“02” – The assigned numbers correspond with the members joining the team.  The way to my heart is the small details.

Roy has a huge hissy even by his impatient, hot-headed nature.  We discover the reason later in the series.

“We could make an exception.” – Really, the Justice League wouldn’t allow their proteges on the Watchtower? Why?

Zatara and Wotan! Yay, obscure characters for the win!

“Glad you didn’t bring you know who?” Foreshadowing!

The boys invade Cadmus in all its glory: Guardian, G-Nomes, Genomorphs, Dubbilex, and, of course, Superboy.

“Dr. Desmond” is a hint for his upcoming transformation. The “Blockbuster” label confirms it.

Wally is a science nerd. Makes sense with Barry as a mentor.

“File KR” – another hint.

“Sub-level 52”. – DC does love its 52.

Superboy!  Looking more like the Teen Titans-era version than the early, scrawny, fresh out of the pod version.

Hack! – Tim is typically the Robin most associated with computers.  To be fair, the Internet was pretty much non-existent when Dick and Jason were Robin.

Superboy, unsurprisingly, curb-stomps the team.

 Episode 2: “Fireworks”

First appearance of the Light aka the Cadmus Board of Directors.            

“Clone them.” – We later discover that one sidekick has already been cloned.

Dubbilex, the sneaky traitor, awakens the boys.

“Project: Sidekick” – Desmond is so imaginative when it comes to naming projects.

“He can talk.”

“Yes, he can.”

“Not like I said it.

Wally, listen to Dick and Kaldur and keep your mouth shut.

Kaldur is clearly the wisest of the original group.

“Batcave’s crowded enough.” – Well, it’s been said three is a crowd.

“What would Superman do?” – Everyone should apply this standard to their decisions.

“Don’t you give me orders either.” – I can see why it would be a sensitive issue – his whole life (all 16 weeks) has been controlled by others.

“You can leap tall buildings in a single bound.  Still cool.” – Sweet Wally being supportive.

“Don’t apologize. This is perfect.” – That’s how you know Dick was raised by the Batman.

“I finally have room to move.” – Yeah, speed is more useful when you have to space to run.

“Grab something from Project Blockbuster.” – If you were familiar with the villain, you knew what was about to happen.

“The Genomorph hero.” – Unfortunately, this bit wasn’t followed up on.

“Everyone back.” – Protective Guardian for the win.  Sadly, he’s outmatched by Blockbuster.

“Got your nose.” – Gross!

“You incredible bulk.” – Shout out to the competition.

Oh, look at protective Superboy and Aqualad covering their more delicate teammates.

The League arrives with Superman taking point.

Not loving Hawkgirl/woman’s costume.

Poor Kal breaks Superboy’s heart.  Bad Kal!  I understand Clark’s upset and confusion but don’t take it out on the newborn child.

“All 52 levels.” – Again, DC loves the 52.

“Why let them tell us what to do.  It’s simple.  Get on board or get out of the way.” – Superboy declares the true mission statement of Young Justice.

Red Tornado as team supervisor is a nod to the comic book version of Young Justice.

I did like the addition of Black Canary as team trainer.  It’s a nice nod to Dinah’s combat skills which Gail Simone spent most of the 2000s building up.

“This is the Martian Manhunter’s niece.” – Another surprise choice as Miss Martian wasn’t very well known in the comics.  Never will a character start out so cute and then devolve into creepiness.

M’gann’s obsession with Superboy begins immediately.  We’ll discover why later in the season.

 Young Justice #1: Stopover

The issue begins immediately after Superboy declares “Get on board or get out of the way.”

“Give me three days” Batman responds.

The group then realizes Superboy has nowhere to go in the meantime.

Kid Flash brings Superboy to Central City.  Wally explains the situation to his parents.  There is a cute moment when Mrs. West corrects Wally’s grammar: “Robin, Aqualad, and I…”

Superboy interjects with a “You weren’t there.”

Cadmus clearly didn’t instruct Superboy in conversation nuances.

Mrs. West informs Wally that he “leads a very strange life.  But we’re use to it. Largely.”

Wally’s parents are way more understanding and supportive than they are in the main DC Universe.

Wally’s parents ask Superboy’s name.  Wally responds “I call him Supey.  I think he likes it.” Conner doesn’t look like he likes it.

We stop in on Kaldur and Arthur’s return journey to Atlantis.

Kaldur: “We meant no disrespect.”

Arthur: “I would not be much of a king if I did not allow my subjects freedom of expression. Especially when their words carry such wisdom.”

Somewhere, Garth is wondering why he never had this type of relationship with Arthur.

Conner wonders “Think Superman knows I’m here?”

Wally awkwardly reassures Conner that Superman knows he’s in Central City.

Wally awakens the next day to find Conner sleeping upright in his closet. Conner informs Wally that he is not “used to sleeping in a bed.  Your closet reminded me of my Cadmus pod.  Except for the funny smells.”

Poor Conner.  A bed shouldn’t be a foreign concept.

The boys spend the day vegging in front of the tv.  Conner is very bored.  Each panel has Wally eating something different: a bag of chips, pizza, and a bucket of fried chicken.

Nice nod to Wally’s metabolism.

Late in the day a card arrives with a credit cart addressed to Wally “for expenses.”

Superboy wonders if it’s from Superman.

Wally vaguely confirms it’s from Superman with a “who else could it be from” even though he’s clearly aware it was sent by Batman.

Wally is so sweet – he keeps trying to reassure that, of course, Superman would care about Conner’s location and well-being.

Batman is also a very sweet Bat-Dad this issue.  Bruce would deny it but he was consistently sweet and supportive to Conner in the first season.  None of the other Leaguers thought Conner would need money to buy basic essentials like clothes.  Or that the middle-class Wests would need financial support to care for Superboy.  Wally’s appetite alone has to put a serious dent in their income.

If Wally hadn’t offered, I’m positive Bruce would have taken Conner back to the Batcave.  If for no other reason than Alfred wouldn’t have been thrilled with the idea of an underage child being left alone.  Batman would have also thought of the risks of leaving Conner on his own – Cadmus operatives could have tried to regain custody of a lone Superboy.

The boys head to the mall to shop for clothes.  A nice easter egg is the name of the store the boys enter: “Forever Sixteen”. Conner was genetically locked in that age for some time in the comics.

Conner buys multiple copies of the same black shirt.  Not someone who’s big on fashion.

We bop over to Gotham where Dick is impatiently wondering what Bruce is doing in the Batcave – it’s been almost two and a half days!

Alfred patiently reminds Dick that when one says three days, one means three days.

Poor Alfred has the patience of a saint.  Imagine what the poor man endures on a daily basis: Bruce in all his glory; hyper, energetic Dick, Jason’s explosiveness, Damian’s demanding arrogance, and Stephanie’s boisterousness.  Tim, Cassie, and Duke are the quieter children. They don’t cause Alfred as much fuss.

Back to the mall where Wally and Conner encounter Tommy and Tuppence, the Terror Twins – the same twins that Conner and M’gann impersonate at Belle Reve.

Flash and Superman arrive on the scene of the fight.  Conner mutters a single “Superman” before Clark flees from the scene.  To be fair, he was pursuing the Terror Twins but he couldn’t even offer a “hi” before he left?

Flash tells the boys to go home.  Barry will pick the boys up in the morning because “Batman has made his decision”.

Honestly, Batman made his decision as soon as he told the kids “three days”. Bruce simply needed the three days to implement his plan.

Conner asks Wally if “Superman will be there tomorrow”. Wall responds “Uh, sure, you know…if there’s no emergency somewhere.”

Conner’s downcast face shows he doesn’t believe Wally’s statement.

Conner asks Wally “Why’d you invite me to stay with you?”

“Well, un, Aqualad lives underwater.  And the Batcaves’s kind of a big secret. So I figured it’d be cool for us to hang.”

Conner smiles after Wally’s statement.

Wally is so sweet and supportive in this issue.  It also shows that Wally is very trusting.  He is inviting Superboy into his home with his civilian parents – and he knows how easily Conner curbstomped the entire team.  But Wally knows Conner is one of the good guys and doesn’t even hesitate to bring him to Central City.

The issue ends with the final moments of the second episode.

[lucascsinclairs]

Flowers on the Night Sky

[AO]

Words: 3,014

Summary: El has only ever seen fireworks on the tv screen before. That is until the Maple Street neighborhood Fourth of July party.

Notes: With the season 3 in-production trailer and all the new on-set pictures with the Fourth of July decorations I got inspired to write this. I just want summer to get here already!

The busy and warm day was quieting down, the heat lowering to a gentle summer night breeze that swayed the blades of grass on the Wheeler’s front lawn, tickling El’s bare legs as she sat down on it, her legs crossed. Will and Dustin were sitting next to her, passing a crinkly bag of chips between them as they talked, enthusiastically explaining to El what was about to happen.

“They have a competition every year about who has the best and biggest fireworks,” Dustin said, cramming a handful of chips into his mouth before handing it over to El, who took it without looking, keeping her eyes on the group of people gathered at the end of the cul-de-sac.

“Yeah, Mr. Collins usually has the best ones cause some relative of his works at a fireworks distributor company,” Will continued, fiddling with a blade of grass in his hands.

“But that doesn’t stop Mr. Wheeler and Mr. Sinclair from trying to top him each year,” Dustin said with a roll of his eyes and a smirk, wiping his greasy hands on his shorts.

“Why?” El asked after taking a handful of chips and passing the bag to Will. She had seen fireworks on tv before, during the new year’s broadcast, and she didn’t know why the bright and beautiful bursts of color would be something to compete over.

“Who knows,” Will answered with a shrug. “I guess it’s one of those things adults compete about.” El settled for that answer for now, unfolding her legs and straightening them right up in front of her. They had been sitting for a while, waiting as everyone else was huddled in groups, setting up the fireworks. Lucas had been excited to help his dad set up, taking Max with him to help him and El could see her standing by Mr. Sinclair, as Lucas took paces, measuring that the fireworks were set up at a safe distance from the Collins’s front yard. Mike hadn’t seemed very enthusiastic to help set up, but his dad had dragged him along anyway and he was now standing by awkwardly, his leg bouncing as he held onto the extra box of matches as his dad checked the rockets were set up securely. El caught his eye from across the way and he gave her a small, frustrated and apologetic smile. She answered the smile with one of her own, taking the bag of chips Will handed back to her as Mr. Wheeler said something to Mike, drawing his attention back to the task at hand.

“You excited about your first ever fireworks, El?” Dustin asked as she handed him the chips.

“Yes,” El answered, but she couldn’t help the feeling of unease in her stomach. “But I’m nervous too.”

“It’ll be fine,” Will told her, turning to her with a reassuring smile.

“Yeah, they’re launching them from all the way over there, so we’ll be fine. But it’s gonna be loud though,” Dustin explained, pointing his finger in the direction of the group of neighbors gathered around.

“Loud? Like thunder?” El asked, scrunching her face in confusion. When she had seen the fireworks on tv the sound had been off as Hopper had fallen asleep on the couch next to her before midnight, a consequence of him working the night shift the day before. She hadn’t known they made loud sounds.

“No, not like thunder, more like…” Dustin said, trailing off as he tried to think of a way to describe them.

“Like explosions?” Will suggested, bringing his knees up and leaning his arms on them. El’s eyes went wide.

“Explosions? Like guns?” Even though it had been months and months since last encountering any, the gunshots echoing along empty school hallways and ricocheting from the sides of Kali’s van still sometimes haunted her dreams, making her wake up in a cold sweat.

“Oh, no, not like guns, I mean yeah it’s loud but - but it’s not like that,” Dustin hurried to answer, waving his arms around dismissively. El turned her head down, looking down at her hands she had started to worry in her lap. When Mike had told her about Fourth of July traditions over the supercom last week, she had been excited about all the decorations and food eaten outside in the Wheeler’s backyard, but most of all for seeing the colorful fireworks in person for the first time. Now she was getting anxious, the sounds of gunshots echoing around in her mind. Will turned to her, gently setting his hand on her shoulder, and asking with a calm voice if she was okay. Before El could answer him though, there were excited voices and footsteps coming toward them across the pavement and Max and Lucas came over to them.

“Got any chips left?” Max asked as she swiftly sat herself down next to Dustin, grabbing the bag from him. Peering inside she exclaimed as Lucas sat down beside her: “Damn you guys, these were supposed to last for the whole fireworks show!”

“Oh come on it’s not like one of those huge displays you have down in Disneyland, won’t have much time for the snacks,” Dustin countered and Max just huffed before grabbing a handful of chips before handing the bag over to Lucas. Some of the other neighbors also started to walk over to the lawn that was apparently the traditional viewing spot for the annual fireworks. Mrs. Wheeler was laughing animatedly as she chatted with one of the neighbors, Mrs. Sinclair talking to Erica who was still upset that she hadn’t gotten to be the one to light up the fuse.

“You get to do that when you’re older, honey,” Mrs. Sinclair assured her as they walked over, sitting down on one of the lawn chairs that had been set up.

“But Lucas got to do it when he was the same age as me!” Erica argued, coming over to snatch the bag of chips from his hands.

“Not true,” Lucas pointed out, reaching over to get the chips back but his sister was faster, climbing over to sit on a chair next to her mom.

“I only got to do it last year, and as you can tell it wasn’t that exciting cause I’m not doing it this year. You aren’t missing much,” Lucas added, trying to end the argument.

“Nah, you just want to sit and watch the fireworks with your girlfriend,” Erica said, making obnoxious smooching noises. Max let out a chuckle but Lucas groaned, getting up and starting to chase Erica across the lawn, demanding to get the chips back. Max jumped up after him but joined Erica’s side as they tossed the crumbled-up bag of chips between them, trying to keep them out of reach from Lucas. El watched as Lucas loudly proclaimed that this wasn’t fair, calling Dustin to come and help him out. With an adjustment of his baseball cap the curly haired boy got up, announcing that “You’ll owe me one after this, dude!”

Will laughed at it all but El didn’t join his laughter, anxiety still bubbling in her stomach as she turned to look to where the fireworks were set up, only Mr. and Mrs. Collins, Mr. Sinclair and Mike and his dad remaining there, getting ready to light them up. But even from a distance, El could see that something was going on between Mike and his dad. She squinted her eyes to see better through the darkness of the summer night, and she could just see Mr. Wheeler gesturing strongly with his hands and Mike throwing his head back in annoyance (a gesture she was well familiar with), before handing over the matchbox to his dad and turning to stomp away towards the others, sticking his hands to the pockets of his navy-blue hoodie. When he got within a viewing distance from everyone, his face shifted from annoyance to a cheery smile.

“Are you ready for the fireworks, El?” he asked, sitting down next to her. El hummed and nodded before turning her face down, plucking at the fabric of her floral shorts. Mike furrowed his brow in worry, looking over at Will for an explanation.

“It’s the noise,” he whispered in a low and calm voice. “She didn’t know it was gonna be that loud.”

“Oh,” Mike said, his voice filled with worry and understanding as she shifted closer to El, gingerly taking one of her fidgeting hands in his.

“It’s going to be okay. It’ll be loud, but you can always cover your ears, that helps a bit,” he explained, the tone of his voice familiar and soft, like it always was as he explained things to her, as he studied her hand in his, running his thumb over the lines of her palm.

“Yeah?” El asked, turning her face up to look at him, feeling her nerves slowly dissipating but still there.

“And if it’s too much, we can go inside, watch them from the window,” Will suggested, pointing back at the house behind them. El pressed her lips together in a straight line. This summer had been a time for her to go out in to the world and experience it for herself. She was done watching from windows as life passed her by.

“No, I’ll stay here. With everyone,” she concluded, her eyes resolute as she looked first at Will, then Mike and then all the people settling to stand and sit around them, chatting excitedly.

“Okay,” Mike answered with a nod, still holding onto her hand. “But if it gets to be too much, just tell me and we can go inside. We can go to the basement and take a minute to breathe. Plus I’m sure there are still some snacks left back there.”

“Oh, crap!” Will quickly exclaimed, his posture straightening up as a realization dawned on his face. “I promised mom and Jonathan I’d film the fireworks with the JVC, I have to go and grab it from the basement!” And with a quick ‘be right back!’ he scrambled up and started to run across the lawn back to the house, passing Lucas who currently had Erica clinging onto his back, furiously trying to reach the bag of chips he was holding high above him.

There was a beat of silence between the two of them, before El spoke:

“Everything okay?” Mike let out a breath, running a hand through his hair in frustration.

“Yeah, my dad’s just being… well my dad,” he answered, gesturing vaguely in his direction.

“He always drags me with him to set up the fireworks, but when I go with him, he never listens to me if I suggest he do something different. Maybe he thinks it’s some kind of father-son bonding thing cause he insists we do it every year but I don’t know… I just think he feels like he has to do it cause Lucas is always helping his dad and Daren, the Collins’ son helped his dad out too before he went off to college. And I don’t know how to tell him I don’t really like doing it, cause he’s still my dad and all and everyone’s watching and I don’t want to make a scene or anything, but…” he rambled, his voice getting tense as he absentmindedly ripped pieces of grass from the ground.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to… It’s no big deal. Just… frustrating I guess,” Mike apologized, his eyes fleeting over to where his dad was and then back to El.

“It’s okay. I understand,” she said, her voice sincere, squeezing his hand tighter with hers.

“But maybe you should talk to him. Later,” she added, and Mike nodded, looking down at their intertwined fingers, hers tan from the summer sun, his pale with faint orange stains from the popsicles they’d had earlier. There was another silence, a comfortable one, as a breeze flew through the yard, causing El to shiver and tuck her bare legs under her.

“Are you cold?” Mike hurried to ask and when El answered with a nod, pulling down on the short sleeves of her t-shirt, he turned to look back at the house.

“Shit we could’ve asked Will to bring your sweater from the basement...But we can still go and get it for you?”

“No, it’s okay. I want to see the fireworks,” El answered, pointing to the cul-de-sac where Mr. Sinclair was yelling to inform everyone that the first set fireworks was about to go off.

“Yeah, of course, um…” Mike mumbled, frantically looking around, trying to think of a solution.

“Here,” he finally said, pulling his hand away from hers as he leaned back, taking of his hoodie and reaching out to drape it over her shoulders.

“Now you’ll be cold,” El protested, although faintly as she secretly loved it when Mike would let her borrow his clothes. They were always soft and smelled citrusy like the rest of the Wheeler house, and they were always warm.

“Oh it’s fine. We’ll all go back inside after the fireworks anyway,” he assured her, setting the material of the hoodie better around her shoulder, his arm lingering there, wrapped around her comfortably.

“Okay,” El said, her voice soft and calm, the anxiety from earlier fading away, replaced by the familiar butterflies of being this close to Mike. She looked up, a smile creeping on her face as she realized how close he was, his face slightly flushed as his eyes darted down to her lips.

But before she could close the gap between them, there was a loud whizzing sound that startled them, causing them to jump apart a bit. El’s eyes were wide as she followed the bright stream of light as it zoomed skywards with a whistle. Mike clambered to reach for her hands, clamping them over her ears. And then the firework exploded, in a burst of bright red and green and gold, the noise, although muffled, ringing in El’s ears and causing a swooping feeling in the pit of her stomach. She was distantly aware that Will, Lucas, Dustin, and Max were back, quickly settling to sit beside them, all cheering and whooping as the rockets kept on launching to the sky, filling it with flickering sparks, streams of gold and blue and red stretching across the inky night sky like giant flowers. And all El could do was stare, her jaw slacked, mouth open in awe, her anxiety and the world around her fading away. But Dustin had been right, and the first set of fireworks didn’t last that long and soon the last of them settled down, sparkling as they faded and fell towards the ground. For a moment El was left stunned, blinking her eyes, before she felt Mike take his hands away from covering her ears, the full sounds of the world flooding back to her.

“Way to go dad! I told you that blue one was gonna be awesome!” Lucas yelled happily, Max beside him lifting two thumbs up to Mr. Sinclair. There were applauds from the crowd behind them and a whooping holler from Dustin and El swiveled her head around, still at a loss for words.

“Well? Was it okay? Do you want to go inside for the next one?” Mike asked, concern in his voice as El’s eyes landed on him.

“Yeah, did you like it? Was it like you had imagined?” Max asked excitedly.

“We started with the best of the best, just for you, El. Just don’t be let down if the next ones aren’t as great as ours,” Lucas explained with a grin, Mike shoving him in the side with his elbow. The whole party leaned closer to El, waiting to hear her reaction and she just looked around, still stunned, opening and closing her mouth to find a word to describe the feeling of wonder, elation and happiness she was feeling.

“It was astonishing,” she finally got out, and there are wide smiles on all the faces around her, Dustin coming over and hugging her from behind.

“I know, they’re pretty cool,” Will confirmed with a smile, locking eyes with Mike, relief on both of their faces.

“Astonishing? You are watching way too much ‘All My Children’ El,” Max pointed out with a wide smile.

“I wouldn’t be the one to talk, miss ‘presumptuous’,” Dustin said, leaning away from the hug, his comment resulting in Max yanking the peak of his cap down in front of his eyes. There was laughter from everyone as they settled into their usual banter and light chatter, as they waited for Mr. Collins set up the next set of fireworks. El took the time to properly put on the blue hoodie, putting her arms through the sleeves and zipping up the zipper. When she was done, she glanced over at Mike, who she now noticed had been looking at her, a faint and sheepish smile on his face.

“What is it?” she asked, her face crinkling up in amusement as she bunched up the too long sleeves of the hoodie.

“Oh, nothing,” he answered, the smile still on his face as she looked down, fiddling with his calculator watch.

“Just happy that you liked it. That it wasn’t scary,” he added, turning to look at her again.

“It wasn’t. Because you helped me,” El stated, her voice soft and thankful, her hand instinctively moving to find his again, their pinky fingers twining together.

And after a few yells from Mr. Collins, everyone got ready for the next round of fireworks, El excitedly tugging Mike’s hands up to cover her ears again. But after the first few bursts of sounds and colors, El found herself turning to face Mike, gently placing her hand around his wrist to tug him closer. He happily obliged, their lips meeting as his hands slowly lowered from her ears to gently cup her cheeks, the sounds bursting out to full volume, the tremor of the explosions mixing with the butterflies in her stomach. And when Mike pulled away, El was sure his face was brighter than any of the fireworks illuminating the sky above them.

@formerlyjannafaye @elizabthturner @paladin-wheeler @bikingthroughhawkins @bitchin-promises @cstlebyrs @mikeswheelers @earlgreyteagirl @mileven-and-contemplation @fatechica @caseyk112 @realsadii @aly-bernardo @themikewheelers @freshxbloom

[everlarkficexchange]

Thief of Hearts Part 3 - Say Something

Written by: @mega-aulover

Prompt 43: Prompt - a story based on the song “Say Something”, by Great Big World and Christina Aguilera… [submitted @xerxia31]

A/N: This song is so great and I couldn’t help but snatch it up for Thief of Hearts, but I wasn’t sure which scenario to post so I wrote three. 

You get to choose your favorite scenario so please comment and tell me which one you want me to continue. Please vote in the comments not in the tags.

Rating: T (warning rocky times ahead)

Find Part 1 Part 2

***KP***

* Scenario One * Say Something-

“Say something, I’m giving up on you

I’ll be the one, if you want me to

Anywhere, I would’ve followed you.” - A Great Big World, Christina Aguilera

The apartment looked like a tornado had gone through it, the sofa was tossed, the coffee table was upside down, shards of a broken lamp littered the floor. Peeta heaved, allowing himself to feel every single turbulent emotion at the loss of Katniss. He drank deeply from the bottle, it’s amber liquid no longer burned down his throat but the blazing memory of his last moments with Katniss scorched his heart.

Four hours earlier:

“Who are you?”

He turned around to see Katniss standing there in his shirt, her lovely hair askew, her silver eyes wide upon her face, hurt written in their depths.

“Katniss,” he approached her, his mind spinning quickly formulating words.

“Who are you?” She backed away from him.

Her backing away was like being kicked in the nuts.

“You mentioned the purse,” Katniss shook her head, her hand extended in front of her. “I wasn’t going crazy that day, it was you.”

“Katniss, I told you that wasn’t me and I wasn’t speaking about that…I was talking about a job.”

“With her, with the blond. I saw you yesterday…I didn’t want to believe it…but…she’s real…you’re with HER when you come home late,” Katniss mumbled, her large eyes filled with tears. She gazed at him, her lips trembling, her arms wrapped around her middle protectively.

“Cashmere is,” Peeta’s mind raced to come up with a way to explain it all. “Katniss I haven’t cheated on you. I swear. I never took your purse, I love you.” It was true, Peeta Mellark was in love for the first time.

Katniss stared blankly at him.

“Say something?” He could see she was giving up on him. “Katniss please say something, don’t give up on me, on us? I’m the one for you if you allow it.”

It had been love at first sight, when he saw her on the street that day. He ran because he was so scared, but her face, her eyes, they haunted him. Then he began looking for her. That night in the bar was no coincidence. He walked up to her to tell her the truth, but her kiss, her kiss was better than Fourth of July fireworks.

He brought her home, the sex was incredible, and when she’d hit him with the pillow he’d never been more in love. Then the worry set in. The entire time they were together, he was scared that his private and personal worlds were going to collide and combust.

He was living his nightmare.

“What else have you lied to me about?”

“Katniss I grew up in a bakery, I swear. I even paint…” Peeta ran his hands through his hair, quickly thinking how to keep her here to convince her, but it was a losing battle.

Katniss took a vase and launched at him. Peeta dodged it. “YOU’RE A LOUSY CREEP!” she yelled, then she ran, and he’d almost lost her. When she tripped, his heart nearly stopped. He cradled her in his arms, unable to think of her demise, He needed to catch her and he did, he thought everything was going to be okay. But she slipped from his hands like fog.

Four hours later :

The door to the apartment opened. “Peeta?”

“She’s gone,” Peeta slurred, he drank deeply from the liquor bottle. He followed her, he would have followed her anywhere, he was so in love.

“Peeta.” Finnick approached him slowly. “I’ve never seen you this way.”

“She left me,” Peeta muttered standing up, “I have to find her Finn…I love her.” Peeta swayed.

“Peeta you need to get yourself together, we’re too close to the end. We’ve worked too hard to have you fall apart.”

Peeta shoved the bottle at Finnick’s chest. “I want out.”

“Peet,” Finnick said, taking the bottle from him.

“I want Katniss,” Peeta said, his eyes were wild, “I had her, had her and she left. She overheard me with Cashmere…she heard me and thought I was a thief, and a cheat.”

“Peeta you are a thief, you’re the best thief and conman around, and if you don’t do what we planned they’ll kill your nephew.”

Peeta stared at him. The only reason he’d gotten dragged back into this world is because of his five-year-old nephew, Toby. Peeta was only a kid himself when he and Rye began stealing things. The things they stole were priceless pieces of fine art, expensive and rare jewelry. Peeta was agile and quick, Rye was the planner but he was reckless.

They were getting ready to pull the biggest job of their life, stealing the Mockingjay Diamond, when their father died. Peeta left it all behind. Rye kept up with this world. His brother wanted to steal that diamond for nothing more than the glory of taking it.

Then nine months ago, Rye was murdered and so was his wife. The only survivor was Toby, and Cashmere was using him as leverage to drag Peeta back.

Peeta had gone to Finnick, the man who had helped him get out. Somehow, he had ended up here, lost and broken.

“Hey Peeta, say something?”

Hearing those words repeated to him, caused him to feel small and hopeless.

Finnick kneeled down and handed him a clear photo. “Cashmere has him, she has Toby.”

Peeta glanced up at Finnick.

“Say something?” Finnick questioned.

What was there to question? It was already decided.

***KP***

* Scenario Two * I’m Feeling So Small-

“And I am feeling so small, It was over my head

I know nothing at all, And I will stumble and fall

I’m still learning to love, Just starting to crawl” - A Great Big World, Christina Aguilera

“Sweetheart?”

“Hi, Haymitch,” Katniss whispered, standing outside of his cabin in the rain. She was cold and wet. Her lips trembled. This was the only place she could think of, the one place where no one could find her.

Haymitch had taken her in at the age of eleven when she had no one. When he found her, she’d been living in the forest, hiding from the man who’d caused the death of her family. Haymitch had brought her up and helped her hide from Brutus the man responsible. She’d testified but her life was in danger and the government wouldn’t help her.

Haymitch took it upon himself to help her cope with the daily fear that someone could be out there wanting to hurt her the way they’d hurt her family. She kept a low profile, only had a few friends. She paid for everything in cash, had a disposable phone.

“Come in,” Haymitch waved her in.

It was like going back in time. Nothing had changed, nothing at all since the moment she’d left here. Haymitch remained.

“You in trouble?” It was a rhetorical question, Haymitch knew everything about her. He made it his job to keep her safe.

Katniss shook her head, but the tears threatened to fall.

“Yeah, you are,” Haymitch said wiping his face, “Come on, you look like you can use a bath and a good meal. Go get dry, you smell like a wet dog.”

The mention of food caused her stomach to grumble. She hadn’t eaten anything since she’d found Peeta with that woman, over 48 hours ago.

Haymitch didn’t say anything more when he heard her stomach, he only nodded, his peppered hair was askew.

Dejectedly, she walked down the hallway to the room, drenched from the storm outside. Opening the door, she put her bag down and stared into the void. Water droplets splashed on the floor. Everything looked the same, down to the dust bunnies by the window sill.

She began crying. She was feeling so small, everything was over her head.

How had it all gone wrong, she wondered. She’d finally felt safe, with him. As much as Haymitch protected her, she never felt secure enough, there was always an outside chance danger would follow her. Tears mixed with the rain streaking down her face as she recalled how happy they were three months ago.

Three Months Ago:

They were moving in together. Katniss watched Peeta’s ass as he moved up the stairs, his broad shoulders and the muscles moved as he carried the heaviest boxes with ease. He was strong, and she marveled at his physique.

It was hot outside, her internal temperature, however, was hotter. She swallowed, she wasn’t as experienced as other women, she’d only had two boyfriends. Her first was a high school boy named Marvel, but he was only nice to her until the moment they did ‘it’. Afterwards, he turned mean and cruel.

Katniss was glad that he’d gone off to school and broke it off with her.

Her next partner had been Darius. He was safe, and the sex wasn’t great either. Maybe because she wasn’t emotionally involved with Darius, and it showed. They dated for nearly two years, and she was never comfortable with him touching her.

Peeta, on the other hand, she couldn’t wait to be with him, around him. She was amazed that someone who was hot like him wanted her. He was beautiful, exciting and she had finally found out what it was like to orgasm. Her nipples tightened at the thought of having him once more, her underwear became damp. She began imagining him stripping off her shorts and taking her roughly against the door.

“Are you okay?”

Katniss snapped out of her naughty daydream. She blinked and her cheeks bloomed pink. They had arrived at his floor and were in front of his door. “I need a bath,” she rushed out as she opened the door for him.

He put the boxes down. His eyes twinkled and he gave her that darned sexy grin of his, the one that made her knees week. “I can join you now, we’ve got a tub that’s big enough for two.”

Her eyes widened, she hadn’t considered doing it in the tub before.

Peeta chuckled, “You’re so pure.”

“I’m not,” Katniss shot back. He didn’t know of the things she’d done to survive, who she had become. If he knew, he would have a different idea about her.

He picked her up, surprised, she squealed.

“Yeah you are, but you’re perfect for me.” He put her down in the bathroom, his mouth quickly sought contact with hers. He backed her up to the sink, his kisses causing a rush of wetness that ruined her underwear. Katniss hands frantically sought purchase on his chest. She slid them down, toying with the hem of his t-shirt, as she pulled away from his dangerous kisses.

He stepped back slightly to remove his shirt, and she expelled the breath she had in her chest. She shyly ran her hands up his muscled abs. His hands were still at her waist, waiting for her signal to undress her. The one thing she learned about Peeta was that he was a gentleman, he didn’t take from her like others had, he always gave her pleasure first, always waited to see if she was ready, and he put her needs above his own. It was thrilling, to know she could dominate this beefy gentle giant.

His hand cupped her cheek, his lips were only a breath away. “You sure you’re okay with moving in with me?

He looked so vulnerable, his blue eyes were seeking assurance.

“I know it’s only been three months but I just can’t imagine not coming home to you.”

Katniss nodded, the action caused her lips to join with his. She wasn’t afraid of taking the leap, but then she’d never actually lived with a man, shared his bed, and allowed him into her inner sanctum. And two weeks into living with Peeta, Katniss had learned so much about herself. She was learning to love, and like an infant, she was starting to crawl.

Three Months Later:

Her hand went to her midsection. She’d been flying high until she’d seen him with that woman yesterday. Everything changed in a blink of an eye. Betrayed and broken, she gave up on him, on the dream of what they were. Katniss blinked as she took stock of her surroundings.

“Peeta Mellark,” Haymitch said coming into the room. He put a plate of food on her dresser. Took the towel he had draped over his shoulder and wrapped it around her.

Frowning, she registered that she was trembling. She rubbed her shoulders. She was numb from the inside out. “How bad is it?”

“Thought you would ask,” Haymitch reached into his back pocket and produced a file.

She took the file, her eyes trained on her mentor. Swallowing, Katniss was unsure if she wanted to know the truth. There was a lot at stake. Biting her bottom lip, she silently flipped through the information.

“What else are you hiding?”

His question stopped her from reading the file. Her hands trembled. She looked down a lonely tear streaked down her cheek.

“Say something?” Haymitch persisted.

Going to her wardrobe she collected her weapons. What was there to say? It was already decided.

***KP***

** Scenario Three ** And I will Swallow my Pride-

“Say something, I’m giving up on you, And I’m sorry that I couldn’t get to you

And anywhere, I would have followed you….And I will swallow my pride

You’re the one that I love, And I’m saying goodbye” - A Great Big World, Christina Aguilera

Peeta rounded the corner and saw her waiting in line to get on a bus. He realized this was one of those out of town buses, not a city bus. “Damn,” he muttered, jamming his hands through his hair.

He had woken up when he heard the soft click of the door. At first, he thought she was in the other room, but when he heard the front door shut close he knew she was leaving him.

Flying from the bed, he had quickly grabbed the pants that Katniss always instead he keep folded over a chair, and shirt. He hadn’t even bothered looking for his shoes. It was imperative that he get to her. He’d hurt her, and in turn, she’d walked out on him. Peeta couldn’t even blame her, he’d broken her trust by not telling her what was going on. He kept things from her for her own safety.

But that had backfired. Everything blew up in his face. He still recalled the heartbreak written on her face, her pain so great her hands trembled. Hands that had gripped him with want and need. But it was more than just desire, they needed each other.

He yelled, “Katniss,” but someone honked the horn at the same time and she didn’t hear him.

He was still a block away from the stop where she stood. Peeta took a shortcut, running through an alley, but he was too late, the bus flew by. He saw her sitting inside the bus. “KATNISS!”

“STOP!” he yelled at the bus, waving his hands, hoping the bus driver saw him. It kept on going. Peeta took off after the bus on foot.

He panted as he ran full force chasing the bus, but the great machine rolled on. Not even his metal bionic leg helped him chase down the bus. He came to a stop but noticed his car was few feet away.

He would follow her to the ends of the earth, he wasn’t going to give up on her. Not now that he knew her secret, he wasn’t going to let her slip through his fingers. As quickly as he could, he took out his keys and before long he was driving after the bus.

He was willing to swallow his pride, he was willing to give up his lifestyle for her. Because he loved her. She was more precious to him than the Mockingjay Diamond Cashmere wanted him to steal. He shouldn’t have said yes to the job, but he needed the money.

During the two-hour car drive out of the city, he put on his shirt and discovered he had a pair of his non-lace up sneakers in the car. The bus drove into a smaller town. He followed it wondering where Katniss was going.

The bus came to a stop and several people got off, Katniss amongst them. He quickly scanned the area for a place to park. Peeta saw a spot to park and although there was someone waiting he cut them off and stole the spot. The guy behind the wheel was honking at him and yelling obscenities. Peeta didn’t bother responding.

He jumped out of the car and hopped around on his feet to put on his sneakers. The man shut up when he saw his metallic foot. With his sneakers in place, his eyes searched for Katniss. It wasn’t a busy town, it was quiet. There was an afternoon crowd, but nothing compared to the throngs of people who lived in the city.

He spotted her as she walked briskly.

His heart beat quickly when saw her cross the street. He thought he could reach her until he saw her head to a police station. He came up short when he saw a tall man dressed in a suit. This guy wasn’t a regular cop, this guy had government agency written all over him, from his polished black shoes to the dark navy blue tie.

He was a tall bronzed man with sea green eyes, and he was calling her name. “Katniss.”

She waved at him, indicating familiarity.

Had she betrayed him, he wondered. Then he shook his head, that couldn’t be he knew the truth about her.

One Month Ago:

He’d arrived early from his trip, he had anticipated surprising Katniss. Lately, she hadn’t been herself. Her eyes didn’t focus on him they strayed off to the side as if she was thinking of something other than him. She also avoided certain things, like tea, and just before he’d left he wanted to take her to a steakhouse and she declined.

She couldn’t stand the smell of his favorite tea. Plus she told him to take it easy on the cologne. Katniss always liked the way he smelled. The conference held nothing that could help his father’s bakery. He heard his phone go off, he was going to let it go, but it kept on ringing.

Frustrated he pushed back the shower door, as he was showering, soap got in his eyes. “Ah hell.”

He blindly searched for a towel as the ringing persisted.

“Hello,” he growled into the phone.

“Hello, Peeta.” Cashmere’s smooth voice caused Peeta to sigh angrily. The woman was dangerous, but she wanted something. She’d been trailing him for months now, it was one of her goons who had attacked Katniss, he’d seen him and tackled him to the ground.

“Cashmere.”’

“I heard you were in town again. How was the conference? Did it help you figure out a way to save the bakery?”

“I’m not interested, Cashmere.”

“Oh come on Peeta, be reasonable.” She sounded like she was pouting over the phone. “I need the best and you are the best thief. I will make it worth your while, there is a great cash reward, it will help your family.”

His father was ill, the bakery was being run by his mother and was failing. They’d let go of the staff, made changes, but the economic fallout had hurt them. Skyrocketing prices of ingredients combined with no one wanted to pay the higher prices affected the revenue.

“No.” Peeta shook his head. As a kid, his mother had beaten him, and Peeta found the streets to be an escape. He had been good at stealing good at morphing into a character in order to take what wasn’t his. Soon, he found himself stealthily getting into places no one else could. Then on one of his jobs, someone got shot. An innocent woman, It changed him seeing a human die. Peeta lost his drive all he could see was her face and he couldn’t steal anymore.

It helped him see what he would miss if he ever got caught. He had walked away, gone back to the bakery.

“I’ll give you one more hour,” Cashmere said before the line went dead.

He threw the phone back on the desk. There was no way in hell he was going to help her. They would be okay. Angrily, he rushed back to the bathroom, by now the water was no doubt tepid at best, but he had a head full of shampoo. In his haste, Peeta forgot the floor was wet and slipped. He grabbed the door handle of the shower but he kicked over the wastebasket.

The contents spilled on the floor. “Crap.”

Quickly, he picked up the scattered contents, then he stopped short when he pulled a toothbrush-like handle from behind the toilet bowl. Peeta fell on his butt when he realized what he was holding.

The pregnancy test stared up at him, its sign positive.

It all made sense; her lack of appetite for red meat, her turning green at his tea choice and her sensitive nose. His hands shook at the realization that Katniss was pregnant.

One Month Later:

The discovery of the test she’d carefully thrown out in the garbage propelled him to say yes to Cashmere, with the understanding that after that he was out. It was why he’d said yes to the job. He knew she was pregnant, and was waiting for her to say something to him. It’s why he couldn’t let her go, why he would follow her anywhere she went even if that meant turning himself in.

Peeta loved her, and he was going to be a father.

He watched her lower her head, she didn’t look at the man in the face, she stared at her feet as she spoke, he could tell she was distressed. The screeching sound of a car could be heard. Peeta watched from his vantage point as the car came barreling down towards her.

“KATNISS,” he screamed, running toward her.

Katniss turned around at the sound of his voice as if searching for him. Then she turned her attention to the man. She pushed him out of the way screaming his name, “FINNICK!”

Peeta watched, horrified, as the car hit her and then sped away.

“KATNISS.” Peeta ran to her. His hands shook as he held her. “Katniss, I love you.”

Around him, cops poured out of the station. An ambulance was called.

“Say something?” Peeta touched her skin, it was still warm, but she didn’t reply. It seemed as if she was saying goodbye.

But there was nothing to say, nothing he could do.

[evocatrice]

Survey

1. What made you pick up the last book you started reading? I’m reading two books right now! The first one, Empire of Storms, I picked up because it’s the next book in the series I’m loving and I was already halfway done, but then I moved and had to return it. The second book, Blood of Olympus, I picked back up because I realized I never finished the series once college started. 

2. Have you received any bad or troubling news lately? I’ve had to go to the BMV three times without being able to get my car titled, so that’s been fun. 

3. When was the last time you were relieved about something? Yesterday when we made it to the fireworks show on time! 2017 was not as organized. 

4. What about your life concerns you the most? Um... I guess where I’ll be living in October. 

5. Is there a common thing most people seem to do without trouble, but it scares you (talking on the phone, driving, interviews, etc)? When was the last time you had to do one of these kinds of things? Driving. Especially on the interstate. I’m terrified of it. I’ve never been pulled over, never gotten myself in an accident, never gotten a ticket, I even use my turn signal in parking lots haha. Still, after the accident I was in in high school, it’s terrifying to think that no matter how skilled of a driver I am, I can still die in an instant because of someone else’s mistake. 

6. Is a pen pal something you would enjoy? If so, what kinds of little things would you send your pen friends? I always wanted one growing up, but then my old friends would write me letters and I am the actual worst at responding to people. I don’t think it would last very long. 

7. Describe a time when you were there for a friend? I usually like to take the distraction approach. I’ll get them to talk about what’s bothering them, help them come up with a plan if it’s something solvable, and then do something fun to cheer them up or keep their minds off of it, like taking them out for lunch or ice cream or disc golfing. 

8. When was the last time you went somewhere for the first time? Yesterday, I went to a fireworks display at a Fort I’d never been to. 

9. What is a situation that makes you feel especially confident? Whenever I’m doing something secretarial, aka editing someone’s paper, showing off my typing speed, writing a marketing blurb, updating someone’s resume, or being anywhere relating to books. 

10. What was the subject of your most recent conversation? Michael and Noah telling me the hot dogs were done grilling and telling me to come watch a movie with them. 

11. Hypothetically and generally speaking, how would you go about breaking up with someone? Is there anything you would make sure to say, or perhaps not say? W o w. I hate hurting people’s feelings, so I’m incredibly bad at it. I try never to place blame on the other person and just speak of things in a broad and futuristic manner like “ It’s just not feasible when I’m leaving for school” “We’re just not in the same place in our lives” “ I just feel like we’re going down different paths”. I always like to try to add something about how I wish them happiness and point out some of their good relationship traits or say how I enjoyed my time with them. I honestly probably sound like a talk show host. I also almost always add the “I hope we can still be friends” line (except once) but I surprisingly am only friends with the only ex who ever broke up with me. 

12. Are you more of a night person or a day person? What is it about the night/day that you favor? I like the night because I am more creative and fireflies, but I also like the day because I love soaking up the sun and swimming. 

13. What do you find particularly offensive? Would you say you’re easy or difficult to offend? People making any sort of comment that is degrading of my intelligence or purposefully hurtful toward another person. Thankfully, it hasn’t happened in a long time. I would say I’m on the sensitive end of being offended when it comes to rude remarks. 

14. Is there a belief you have that most others around you don’t have? Do you share this belief with others, or do you tend to keep it to yourself? Have you ever offended anyone with this belief? Yeah. I’m a Christian and have been involved in various Republican and pro-life campaigns and events over the years, which seems an uncommon alignment to have on Tumblr. I'm rather opinionated about politics since it’s related to my career goals, but I don’t usually bring it up outside of those events unless asked. If people are offended by my blog, they don’t have to follow. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

15. Do you consider internet friendships as important as offline friendships, or do you view them differently?

I think offline friendships take priority when I schedule my week, but that both are extremely important. Moving so much has me communicating with most of my friends via the Internet anyway. 

16. When was the last time you visited relatives or friends of the family? Is visiting family something you enjoy? I visited with plenty of them at my wedding, and will be going to visit with them next weekend for the annual hog roast. I really enjoy it, but it always makes me so tired. 

17. What did you do for the last holiday or event you celebrated? Fourth of July! We went to a fireworks display last night, are watching classic “Fourth of July” movies, grilling out and baking, and hopefully launching off some of our own fireworks with our sparklers. 

18. If you’ve moved out from home, what was the scariest thing about it? What was/is your favorite thing about it? The scariest thing about moving out originally was really just moving somewhere where I didn’t know anyone. My favorite thing was having freedom to become my own person.

19. Are there any fictional characters you like even though they’re “bad” or “evil?” What qualities draw you to a character? Bellamy Blake s1. Lorcan from TOG. The antagonist in my own story. Eugene Fitzherbert. I’m a sucker for the reluctant hero trope. 

20. What are your thoughts on “forgiving” murderers, rapists, attackers, etc? Do you think it’s even possible to forgive these people? If they are truly sorry and actively trying to spend the rest of their life showing they have changed, then yes. However, forgiveness absolutely does not mean they should not be brought to justice and pay for their actions. 

21. What was the last series you finished watching? Do you have any plans to begin another? Everwood. I just started watching Freaks and Geeks, Harlots, and Handmaid’s Tale, but I’m only liking Freaks and Geeks so far. 

22. What is one way in which you are different from a year ago? What is one way in which you are still the same? I feel like I’ve learned to be more comfortable in my own skin, and the importance of fitness and eating right and being organized and showing initiative. I’m still the same in that I still get just as excited about fireflies and I still fall a little bit in love with everyone I meet. 

23. When was the last time you had to walk somewhere in the rain? How about the snow? Last week at a Pokemon Go event in the rain and.... wow, maybe to my car on my way to work in the snow back in February?

24. Are there any types of survey questions you dread or don’t like answering for whatever reason? What kinds of questions do you like best? I don’t like the same questions over and over, usually like “ Who was the last person you kissed? Do you miss them? Do you wish you could be with them?”. I love the ones that are unique and make you stop and think. 

25. If you could learn about anything without the stress of grades or cost, what kind of classes would you take? Italian in a classroom setting would be great. Also painting. 

26. What was the last item of clothing you purchased? Do you wear it often? A blue lingerie set. I wore it once and it feels like wearing a cloud.

27. Has anything made you feel nostalgic lately? Reading the posts I made on Tumblr today all the way back to 2014. 

28. What was the last chore you completed? Putting the dishes away. 

29. Name a song you’ve listened to today? The Rocky theme song. 

30. Is there anything you’ve promised yourself you’ll never do again? Drinking alcohol or eating processed meat on a regular basis. 

[chatting-leaves]

Maggie (or “Don’t lose hope, someday you’ll need it!)

November 2002, Poughkeepsie, New York

For most people, the period of life immediately following high school is one of great exploration in life, a way to wade the waters of the so-called "real world" before launching fully into adulthood. For many, it is a chance to go away to continue their education away from home, getting a taste of life somewhat on their own while building friendships and memories that would last a lifetime. Others take the route of a trade or a skill, while some others end up realizing that college wasn't their calling and fall into the workforce if they were so able. Then there was myself, an odd person stuck between all of these places.

Mom, ever the fearful person prone to fall in line with what empirical evidence she was confronted with, wanted me to go to community college first to "see how I would do" before transferring to a four-year college. Her reasoning was heavily influenced by the fact that every friend of hers who sent a child away to college, had them withdraw by the end of their freshman year and she wasn't going to shield such a risk given the debts it might incur. While in hindsight I will say I gained quite a bit and the typical "I don't know what to do" degree of an Associates in Arts in Humanities, my social life wasn't there as I had erected walls around myself after some early incidents where unsettled conflicts from one high school still stood while me running away from my past at another shooed away potential rebuilt friendships. My life could be distilled to classes and the work study job I had two days a week doing Human Resources work at a nonprofit. 

One Friday night in November, I was killing time in a chat room for teenagers; while I was 20, I was only a couple of months removed from my teens and related a lot better downward. In the background, I notice a person we'll refer to "goaliegal" and I make a beeline knowing that there is a probable chance that they could be good people. As a child, I wanted to be a hockey goalie badly until I figured out that balancing on skates was just not my thing and to say I didn't have a crush on at least one field hockey goalie in high school was a lie. I give the standard "a/s/l" greeting of the day and get something promising: "19/f/NY". This person was in my state! Rather than pollute the room with an awkward first conversation, we ended up going into a conversation of direct messages, away from a room probably teeming with middle aged men posing as twentysomethings preying on thirteen year olds.

As we talked, I got a feel for who "goaliegal" was. She grew up in a rural town south of Rochester, an area that might as well have been on another planet for my borderline Downstate self as I had never been west of Utica. She was a freshman at Buffalo State but already was plotting her way out as she was feeling a bit homesick. In her spare time, she was a goalie on the club team there but was itching for ice time which was in short supply. She then sent a picture and I was immediately smitten: long red hair flowed down an oval face adorned with glasses as she was otherwise in full goalie gear. We then swapped names, I complimented that her name of Maggie fit her well even if it seemed a bit unconventional for a person taking slap shots at up to 100mph.

I should say that at this point, I was the epitome of romantic desperation. My most recent date, a pair of arranged meetings with the younger sister of a sobriety sponsee that Mom had, went nowhere and I had not had a date of any sort in three years let alone a kiss or any contact. Any sort of positive attention from anyone of the opposite gender was something I hopped on like white on rice. Soon enough, the conversations between Maggie and I began getting very detailed with myself having a somewhat unhealthy obsession over certain things such as what she was wearing. If I couldn't be there, at least I could sigh in what I was missing had we been in the same room, clearly heading towards a heated makeout session.

As 2002 came to a close, Maggie's life path was shifting as she was transferring from Buffalo State to a college in the Rochester area in order to be closer to home. As my time at community college was one semester from its end, I was looking at other schools in the state university system to transfer to and one caught my eye: Geneseo, located right outside Rochester. If I was accepted there, I would be relatively close to Maggie and what existed online could exist in real life. We both felt that we were the one for each other going into the new year, clearly fate would help accelerate things.

Three days into the new year, things came crashing down. While on a two and a half hour plane ride to visit Dad, something in Maggie snapped and when I went to check things once I got to Dad's house a sobering bit of news came up: Maggie had a boyfriend, a local boyfriend, someone who would actually be able to do things with her. My trip which would have been a respite from Mom and her ways instead became me marinating in my own self-pity, trying to find a means to move on now that The One faded away. Nevertheless, I persevered until several weeks later when Maggie came back out of the blue. Instantly I forgave her and soon put in my application for five different SUNY campuses: Geneseo (for her), Stony Brook (Mom's family was nearby), New Paltz (the nearest to home), Albany (close yet far enough), and Plattsburgh (practically Canada). I got into four of those five, the one rejection coming from the most obvious of these five. At least in Albany, my eventual choice, she'd be the shortest drive away?

As Spring sprung, Maggie entertained the idea of inviting me out to visit her for the Fourth of July, my being inserted in the typical family events of fireworks and fish fries enjoyed by herself, her siblings, her parents, and the other new arrival of her baby nephew. I was elated at the idea of being able to share a holiday with someone I had grown increasingly infatuated with who I would be able to share a wide assortment of experiences with. Right as I was about to book the train tickets from Poughkeepsie to Rochester, something happened and things once again were off. Lather, rinse, repeat. I still held out hope in her, that perhaps someday things could work out. Eventually she became a background person in my life though if she came back wanting to be with me and only me I would have pushed away any local person to be with her especially as my emotionally damaged self was unsuccessfully navigating the minefield of romantic relationships.

The next year, fate and circumstances started to push us back into each other's path. I was seemingly certain that this time, unlike all the others, things would work. Needless to say I was in for a rude awakening when out of the blue one November day she hit me with the news that she was dating an old friend who lived across the border in Canada, a fellow hockey player going to university over in St. Catherine's. To say I was devastated would be a massive understatement in itself as by that point I felt I had no other options. I was socially inept on that front, gaslit from the past actions of my parents, bitter, jealous, angry, and just at the point of sheer hopelessness. Maggie tried to assure me but I was having no point of anything at all. Over the next few years she'd drop in from time to time but in my mind the damage was already done. Why string me along that much and then do an about face?

Going through the cobwebs of some old zip files archiving the contents of former computers, I found some old logs from the dearly departed AOL Instant Messenger from the above period that made me cringe at the pathetic desperation that I embodied with Maggie and overall, however that state is for another day. I also discovered some awkward late 2000's chats from a period where she was regularly commuting transborder to visit her boyfriend while I had settled down in the Washington, DC area. Analyzing these over a decade later, I can see an air of unresolved frustration, deep down inside yearning for Maggie or at least the idealized concept of her my mind had built up. We'd drift in and out, I do remember her congratulating me for finally finding someone who I was compatible with when I began dating my now-wife in 2010 but after that point I felt that I could close the book on Maggie. I finally had someone, why would I need to have her around?

Three years later, I end up getting curious about certain people and end up running a search on Maggie. In the years since, she ended up moving across the border - having a Canadian parent and dual citizenship from birth helped - and had recently married the man she pushed me aside for all those years earlier. She also had little social media presence, no publicly findable Facebook, no Twitter, nothing I could send a request on outside of all things Pinterest. Naturally, wanting to make a lowkey reintroduction into her life, I shot her a friend request on Pinterest. Within an hour, I got a request on AOL Instant Messenger from one of Maggie's old screen names. I accept only to find her complaining at how dare I track her down on Pinterest of all places and for the who-knows time to leave her alone.

This is probably the only time in recorded human history in which AIM was used in regards to Pinterest, two mediums at different eras of the internet interacting with one another. I moved on and did all I could to forget her, for once I thought I had really moved on.

By 2017, I had moved on, a difficult task for me to undertake especially for someone who never gives up on anybody when lo and behold one afternoon I find a request in my New Message Requests folder on Facebook Messenger. It was Maggie, the previously unfindable Maggie, apologizing for her past actions. Being a pushover, I accept and save some fits and starts we've spoken ever since. Soon enough, I realized that years of marriage behind me that in some ways, we wouldn't have meshed that well as a couple, my naiveness and desperation would've eaten me whole had I done so. Save for some fits and starts, it's gone relatively well and Maggie is the sort of person I know who will usually reach out by default, a stark change from years ago. This would be the end of the story, only it isn't.

July 2019, Scarborough, Ontario

My wife and I had been planning a trip up to Toronto for years and soon as our new passports came in I was given a litany of ideas from Maggie of what we should do during our trip there, scheduled coming out of Canada Day while enveloping Independence Day in the United States while also straddling a baseball series between the Blue Jays and Red Sox. Originally, we were to meet Maggie before a game one of those nights, then that got jostled around. She invited us to the museum she supervised volunteers at the time, that would've been too much of a headache. Then an idea came up: the zoo.

For those not familiar with Toronto, the Toronto Zoo is as far east in Toronto as you can get. It's halfway to the farther out suburb where Maggie and her husband made their home. As our trip there was via several modes of transit and Maggie was headed into Toronto anyway, she volunteered to pick us up. Only issue: my wife didn't know the circumstances of how I knew Maggie.

Our trip came as Toronto was under a heat wave, the humidity quite oppressive with the ever-Canadian Humidex pushing 40 degrees Celsius. Trekking through the zoo left us exhausted, worn, and all-around tired, the heat taking a toll on our bodies. Waiting in the little zoo cafe, I got the question I was waiting for my wife to ask.

"So, how do you know this 'friend'? Is she some old girlfriend?," she sarcastically tailed off. It had become a bit of a running joke between us that anyone I listened to in the past was automatically a "girlfriend", a sign of my desperate nature then mixed with my ability to listen that never will leave. I then spilled the beans, finishing right in time to see a black pickup truck make it to a dropoff area. After sixteen years, what 20 year old me wanted was finally happening at age 36.

Maggie and I hugged instantly and it felt all worthwhile. Had I not fallen head over heels with her as a desperate younger me, she would've been the great female friend I really needed, the close-in-age sister I wanted to a degree, yet I blew it. As we worked our way into Toronto on local roads, dodging the mess of Highway 401, Maggie quizzed my wife about who she was, what she did, how dealing with me in person on a day to day basis went. Somewhere underneath the scaffolding holding Toronto's aging Gardiner Expressway up, I realized something: Maggie and my wife are largely one and the same. Similar personalities peppered with heavy sarcasm poking out of introversion, same height, same attitudes, similar likes and dislikes. Perhaps awkward younger me had gotten the happy ending they sought. Even how Maggie spoke of her husband made me realize that he and I had a lot more in common than I had thought, especially given how much more put together he came off to my hurt mind a decade and a half earlier. 

While our time together was short, less an attempt to meet for dessert after said baseball game when both of us were tired and achy, it was one of the best memories I had that year. My only regret is not getting a picture of us three, a reminder to be brought up for the rest of my life that sometimes hopes and dreams do come true!