#which I wonder if some parents hated watching their kids excitedly pull the heads off their doll just to change the clothes 😭😂😂

[bootyful-seventeen]

Do any of y’all remember a tv show called Trollz it’s a hair thing?

[kasienda]

A Miraculous Reveal: A Gift of Responsibility

It had seemed like an ordinary day. Except that Marinette had been on time for school. That, like, almost never happened. But here she was in her seat ten minutes before class was to begin, snacking on a croissant her father had handed her on the way out the door and chatting idly with Alya about nothing remotely important. 

Her classmates filed in slowly in clumps until finally everyone except Adrien was in their seats. She watched his empty seat with a hint of worry. She always hated when he wasn’t there - knowing he was either trapped in a photoshoot he cared nothing about, or was home in bed with illness. 

But before her anxiety could spiral too deep, he slipped casually through the doorway. But he paused, facing the whole class. He smiled softly as his gaze swept the room, but there was something sad and wistful about his expression. 

“Are you okay?” she asked him. 

His spring-green eyes whipped back to her, and his smile grew. “Yes, of course. I just… I have some changes coming up, and I just wanted to savor this normal morning.” 

“What changes?” Nino asked. 

“Oh… ummm…” Adrien’s hand flew to the back of his neck. “I’m going to go back to home schooling in a week.” 

Keep reading on Ao3

Marinette’s eyes shot open, and her gut twisted painfully.

“What?!” Alya exploded. 

“That’s so uncool, dude!” Nino was shouting. “What toe did you step out of line this time?” 

Marinette couldn’t speak through the lump in her throat or the churning in her stomach. 

Adrien shook his head. “I agreed to it, actually,” he admitted.

“What?! Why?!” Nino demanded, his face looked exactly how Marinette felt. What would life be like without Adrien’s kind and patient smile offering her warmth and comfort? What would his life be like when he was being shuffled between photoshoots and tutors without anyone who wasn’t being paid a salary to remain in his presence? 

“He needs my help,” Adrien said. “Nathalie is sick, and he’s under a lot of pressure and apparently he wants to start training me in the… family business. He said I can still have you all over once a week.”

She and Nino exchanged a glance. Of course, Gabriel would buy Adrien’s compliance by offering the one thing Adrien always strived for - his father’s high opinion and attention. 

“You’re even allowed to all visit at the same time, so we could have, like parties, and movie nights!” Adrien exclaimed, his face lighting in genuine delight, and Marinette couldn’t help reciprocate the expression. “That was our compromise,” he added softly before his eyes fell into his lap and he trailed off into silence. “I know it won’t be the same,” he whispered.

“It’s okay, dude,” Nino reassured with a huge smile. Marinette was completely confident Nino was burying his own feelings to put on a brave face for Adrien. “We understand. This is a chance to spend time with your old man.” 

Adrien nodded in agreement. “Yeah, it’ll be nice,” Adrien agreed, but his expression didn’t match his tone, and Marinette grew more worried. 

Her hand reached for his shoulder. “Are you sure you’re okay with this?” she asked. 

His smile stretched fondly across his face as his green eyes turned to her. Heat bloomed in her cheeks and she glanced down into her hands. 

“Yes, Marinette. I’m okay with it. I think it’ll work out well for a lot of people.” 

She made herself smile back at him. If he was excited, she wouldn’t poison it with her worries. At least she was still going to get to see him every now and again. 

“Actually, Marinette?”

“Yeah?” 

“Can I talk to you after class? Alone?” 

The blush in her cheeks burned hotter. “Uh… y-yes, absolutely.” 

She didn’t need to look at Alya, to feel the heat of her friend’s teasing gaze. Marinette kicked her from under the table. 

But then class was starting, Adrien had turned back around to face the front, and Marinette had to pretend that she wasn’t going out of her mind about whatever it was that Adrien wanted to talk to her about. 

The morning went by agonizingly slow. Like the clocks had clearly been spelled to go backwards when they weren’t being directly observed or something. 

When their morning classes finally concluded, Alya departed rapidly, hooking Nino’s arm through her elbow and dragging him away on her way out. Adrien watched them leave arm in arm with a sad smile before he turned back to her. 

“Shall we?” he asked. 

And she nodded, not trusting her tongue to form a coherent response, before following him out. 

It didn’t take long for them to find some privacy in a private alcove. She knew it was a good spot to not be seen. She had transformed here more than once. 

“So, I have a confession to make,” he said into the silence, his eyes gazing directly into her eyes. 

She nodded rapidly urging him to continue, trying to ignore her heart, which was currently threatening to beat out of her chest. 

“I lied earlier. I don’t have another week. Today is my last day.” 

Whatever she had been expecting or hoping he would say, that was not it. “I… What? Why?” 

“I just… I didn’t want everyone to make a big deal out of it today. I just… wanted one last normal day,” his gaze had shifted past her, and his sadness struck her in the chest. 

“I understand,” she said. “I won’t tell anyone.” 

He smiled again. “Thank you, Marinette. You’ve always been so good with secrets.” 

“Is this what you wanted to talk about?” she asked. 

He shook his head. “Actually, no.” And he reached into his bag and pulled out a small wrapped package. “I have something for you.” He handed it to her.

“For me? What about the others?” 

“This could only be for you, Marinette.” His tone was so certain and yet so gentle. How was she ever going to get over this boy? 

She started to open it, but his hands covered her. 

“Open it when you get home,” he said. 

Her eyebrows furrowed. “You don’t want to see what I think of it?” 

He shook his head. “I’m quite confident you’d give me an earful, but…”

Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. “How much did you spend on me?” 

He held his hands up in surrender. “None, actually… Not that you’re not completely worth it! This just isn’t that kind of gift!” he told her. “Just… promise me that you’ll open it as soon as possible.” 

“You sure you don’t want me to open it now?” 

“I’m certain! It’s… private… and embarrassing! I don’t want anyone else to see it. It’s only for you, okay?” 

Her eyebrows furrowed together. It was like he was trying to tell her something, but wasn’t allowed to say it out loud. “Okay,” she agreed. 

He smiled. “Thank you, Marinette.” And he pulled her into a hug. She let herself linger for a second, but then tried to pull away. He just squeezed her harder, and she let herself melt against him, her arms wrapping around his back. 

A second later, she realized his whole form was shaking. 

He was crying. 

She had no idea what to do. 

“Adrien? Is… everything okay?” 

He pulled away, and wiped his eyes. He was shaking his head. “No,” he said, but then he smiled through his tears at her. “But it will be. I promise you that.” 

And then he was leaving, and she didn’t know what to say to bring him back. She just clutched the small package to her chest, wondering what might be inside. 

… 

The second Marinette was through the bakery doors of her family home, she bolted upstairs without so much as a “Hey, how was your day?” to either of her parents.

She pulled the wrapped parcel from her bag as she was climbing the slanted ladder to her room, and the second the trap door was closed, she dropped her bag unceremoniously to the floor, and Tikki buzzed excitedly in the air beside the present. 

“What’d he get you?” Tikki asked. 

“I don’t know,” Marinette said, even as she was tearing through the paper wrapper. 

She finally revealed a little black box and a letter that had been folded up eight times to fit under the box.

She opened the box and her giddy excitement vanished like a puff of smoke. In its place, she felt raw dread twisting in her gut. 

Before she could even ask Tikki for confirmation, A sparkling green light confirmed her fears. This was Chat Noir’s ring. 

Plagg manifested right in front of her. He whirled around, taking in her room. 

“Damnit kid! I told you to not be rash,” he grumbled. “Hiya pigtails! How’re things?” he asked casually as if it was completely normal to see her every afternoon. 

“Plagg?!” Marinette screeched. “What are you doing here? What happened to Chat?”

“Well, obviously he must have given me to you,” Plagg said. 

And Marinette felt dizzy. If that was true, Adrien was Chat Noir. But she couldn’t scream about that now. Something was wrong. 

“But why?” she demanded. Something was wrong.

“Did you read his letter?” Plagg asked. 

She tore open the letter, ripping it once in her haste, but it was fine. She could still read it.

Her eyes scanned through his words rapidly. 

Please forgive me, princess, for putting this on your shoulders. 

My partner and I have been chasing the same guy pretty much since the day you and I met. And yesterday, I found out who he is. 

He’s my father. 

That last line was blurred with obvious tear stains. 

I am entrusting you with this keepsake that was gifted to me because it is no longer safe with me. I couldn’t even risk using it one more time to contact my partner as I’m more closely protected than before. It’s far safer with you. 

And I’m asking that you do more than keep it safe. I’m hoping you will use it and take on the role that I once did in protecting my partner. 

And I know that is a lot to ask. But I’ve watched you handle all the tools in the box simultaneously, and you’re an absolute natural, princess. I have no doubt that you could fill my role seamlessly. 

My father’s assistant has fallen ill. He used to rely on her for everything, but now that she’s sick he has entrusted her role to me. 

But I can’t. I can’t betray my partner. I love her. 

Please entrust everything I’ve said to my partner whether or not you decide to fill my shoes. I hope together, the two of you can come up with a plan to deal with my father. 

And make it fast. 

I don’t know how long I can pull off pretending. 

~Your Black Knight

She was barely aware of the tears pouring down her face. She was too angry. 

“Plagg! Is he okay? Tell me he’s okay!” He hasn’t seemed okay during lunch. He had seemed sad all day, but at lunch, when they had been alone he had broken down for a moment. 

“I mean… he’s physically fine. The bastard didn’t hit him or anything. And on some level the man is trusting his son for the first time since his wife disappeared.” 

His wife! Adrien’s mother! That was why he was doing this, wasn’t it? 

Marinette could almost understand. Almost. She thought she might be capable of anything to protect her loved ones. 

But she liked to think that she would have stopped once she realized how much she was hurting others. She wasn’t sure though.

“But my kid’s heart is breaking that he has to betray him in the end,” Plagg continued. 

Then she shook her head at herself. Her partner was so good and so pure, that he was willing to stand against his own father. Willing to throw a wrench into a plan to bring back his own mother. Because it was the right thing to do. 

Marinette would follow his example. Her hand tightened around Chat Noir’s - around Adrien’s - ring. 

Gabriel didn’t deserve her understanding anyway. 

Because Gabriel hadn’t just hurt Chat Noir with his Akumas. Adrien himself had been a victim of them on several occasions occasion, he had been the target more than once. 

What kind of father did that to his own son? 

She slipped on the ring. 

“Marinette!” Tikki shrieked. “You cannot unify myself and Plagg,” she warned. “Not without risking reality itself.” 

Marinette nodded. “I understand, Tikki. Don’t worry. I have a plan.” 

As Chat Noir has pointed out, Marinette could use every miraculous in the box. And she wasn’t going to wait.

Because she had a partner to save, a friend to hold in a never ending hug until he was well and truly cried out, and a love to fight for. 

Hawkmoth wouldn’t know what hit him.

[valentineforlemonandcherry]

Tag Yourself - Marauders and Halloween Pt. 2

Which Reader are you?

a/n: In celebration of October/Halloween, I will be posting a Marauder x Reader Halloween blurb for each Marauder. I had originally planned for it to be one post, but the blurbs became a little long, so I am going to break them up into four different posts. Anyways, enjoy the second Marauder: Sirius Black.

Sirius was lounging outside, sitting on the bench in front of the flat building, where the two of you lived together. You were sitting next to him, holding a bag of candy to pass out to kids. You could have done this from the comfort of your own home, you supposed, but Sirius hated being cooped up in the flat all the time. So, here you were, passing out candy outside.

Children were beginning to appear, wearing all sorts of silly and cute costumes. You spotted many reiterations of the same costumes – boys as superheroes, dinosaurs, and aliens, and girls as princesses, witches, and ballerinas.

There was a young girl who was dressed as an astronaut, which you found pretty cool, but you also had to spend the next half hour explaining to Sirius what an astronaut was.

At first, Sirius asked, “What’s a spacesuit?”

Then, he wondered, “What’s a rocket?”

That evolved to, “What’s rocket engineering?”

Which turned into, “What’s quantum theory?” at which point you gave up.

Then, Sirius reached into his jacket (leather, of course) and pulled out a cigarette. He murmured, “Incendio,” and the end of the cigarette lit up, even though he hadn’t used a lighter. He took a drag on the cigarette, held it for a moment, and then exhaled with a satisfied sigh.

“Sirius!” You reached out and tried to snatch the cigarette away from him. But Sirius was too quick for you, and he held the cigarette aloft, out of your reach.

“Sirius, you cannot smoke in front of little kids!” You made another snatch for the cigarette, but Sirius merely chuckled and moved his hand down, easily ducking your attempt.

Frustrated, you outright punched him in the stomach instead.

“Ow!” Sirius groaned.

“Put it out!” you insisted.

“All right, all right.” Sirius stubbed the cigarette out and put in the park ash tray. “Don’t get all hot and bothered.”

“I am not hot and bothered,” you replied, annoyed. “I’m just bothered by you, Sirius Black.”

Suddenly, Sirius laughed from besides you. “Look at that kid. The markings of a true rebel, I’d say.”

You looked to where Sirius was pointing – and you saw a kid, dressed as Santa Claus.

The kid spotted that you were holding a bag of candy, ready to be passed out, and he raced over to you excitedly. He was running so fast that he tripped over the crack in the sidewalk, right in front of you and Sirius.

“Whoa.” Sirius leaned forward and quickly put his arm out. He managed to catch the kid, pushing him back gently on his feet. The kid’s Santa hat had fallen off, however, so Sirius reached down and picked it up off the ground. Sirius dusted it off before jamming it haphazardly back onto the kid’s head.

“Don’t lose that bit. You’re not Santa without it,” Sirius told him, grinning.

The kid beamed, realizing that Sirius liked his costume. Then, he turned to you and asked brightly, “Can I have some candy?”

Some feet away, a tired parent’s voice corrected the kid for the hundredth time that night, “May I have some candy?”

“Yes. That,” the kid replied, to which Sirius chuckled again.

You gave the kid some candy and told him, “Happy Halloween.”

“Ho, Ho, Ho!” the kid cried out jubilantly, raising his candy bag aloft like some trophy. He raced back to his exhausted mother.

Sirius laughed. “Cute kid,” he mused, running hand over his jaw as he watched the kid disappear down the sidewalk.

You put the candy bag aside, and you cozied up to Sirius’ side.

“Hm?” Sirius said, wondering what was on your mind. “Why are you suddenly being so affectionate? You’re scaring me, lovey.”

“Well, after seeing you with that kid, I might be hot and bothered now,” you confessed.

Sirius smirked. “Oh, so that’s how it works, huh?” he teased you.

Turning his head, Sirius caught your lips in a warm, passionate kiss. His tongue gently pushed into your mouth, and then lovingly slipped over your tongue.

“Mmm.” You loved the way Sirius kissed you. He was so good at making you lose yourself in the moment.

But just then, you picked up on the sound of footsteps coming down the sidewalk.

“Oh, wait, the kids,” you whispered, abruptly pulling back a little.

“Damn the kids,” Sirius murmured. He was now holding you tightly in his arms, and he refused to let you go. When you pulled back from him a little, he started kissing you down your jaw. When he came to your neck, he started to suck lightly on your skin.

“Ah, Sirius,” you breathed out. “But we – we can’t. Not here!” You pushed against his chest, though honestly, you were quite reluctant to put any distance between you and Sirius. In truth, you wanted him closer, too.

Sirius groaned. He let you go, finally. But then, he peeked over your head and asked, a bit gruffly, “How much candy have we got left?”

“Loads,” you replied.

Sirius cursed under his breath. Then, a bright idea popped into his head, and he whipped his head around. He spotted a group of slightly older teenagers coming down the sidewalk. They must have been who you heard coming, he realized.

“Oi, you lot!” he called. He grabbed the bag of candy from besides you and he tossed it at the eldest boy. “Share it amongst yourselves. Be fair, now.”

The five boys all looked at each other. Then, predictably, the one holding the bag sprinted away, determined to claim the candy for himself. The other four streaked after him at once, like hounds on a chase.

“Sirius!” you berated him. “That’s not – Ah!”

Sirius had swept you up off the bench, now carrying you princess-style in his arms. “If the Santa kid can be a rebel, so can we. You and I have better things to do than to hand out candy tonight,” he told you, smirking down at you.

You blushed, but you let him carry you back to your shared flat, where the two of you spent Halloween night in the most sinful, yet sweetest of ways.

[ghostdrew22]

Draco admires you with your kids and their friends

SOFT || Draco Malfoy

Requested: Yes Pairing: post-war Draco Malfoy x fem!reader Warnings: one minor injury that involves blood but other than that, nothing!

WORDS : 1767

~

“Cass, come on, please put that down?” Draco asks with an exasperated tone as he runs after your daughter- who’s running around the living room with an evil giggle. “Scorpius, don’t you dare-“

Draco gets cut off by the sound of glass shattering as your son, Scorpius, and his friend, Liam, drop a vase off the table. He stops mid-run and sighs heavily as he runs his hands down his face.

Draco has always wanted children. For as long as he can remember he’s wanted children so that he could fill the gaping hole that was left by the lack of affection from his father. But that same hole, that very same resulting trauma, has always made him think that he just can’t do it, that he’ll end up exactly like his own father. And it’s always moments like these that make him doubt his abilities, moments like these that make him wonder if in comparison to his own father he’s too soft.

Draco would’ve never gotten away with half the stuff that your children do at this age, but also he never really had much of a childhood anyway. In a way, being a stay-at-home dad helps him make up for that and recover long lost moments of adolescence that he never had the opportunity to experience. Moments like this, in which he has to chase around your chaotic children and try not to get drunk on the sound of their elated and mischievous giggles, that he still doesn’t know if he’s earned it yet, despite the fact that he’s become a teddy bear in comparison to his own father.

The first time the two of you had discussed children you’d both agreed that one of you would be a stay-at-home parent, and at the time you’d been happy to follow in your mother’s footsteps and volunteer for the role. But then you fell pregnant and hesitated to submit your resignation papers so, in a moment of rushed and haphazard courage, Draco resigned instead and fully committed to the stay-at-home dad lifestyle, despite his perpetual fear of failure, so that you could have the advantage of both motherhood and a successful career. Draco hated his ministry job and you, paradoxically, did not- it was a win-win situation.

So now he stands in your living room, wearing an apron with your daughter’s favourite tv character on it, feeling very exasperated and out of sorts at the overwhelming responsibility of having to supervise your children’s playdates.

You walk into the living room and take in the scene- Cass, holding one of Draco’s old academic trophies as her and Jade run around with paint on their faces, and the boys wrestling on the ground, awkwardly close to the remnants of a broken vase- stopping behind your husband to wrap your arms around his waist and plop a kiss up onto his cheek. He softens into your touch and turns to kiss the side of your forehead before you sink off your tiptoes and onto the heels of your feet. “Need some help?”

To say that your twins are a handful would be an understatement, now add to that two other children with just as much chaotic energy? An absolute disaster. You’d told Draco that taking them to the zoo or the park for the playdate would’ve been a better idea but he insisted on celebrating the twin’s birthday at home and you’d obliged to his wishes. Now, he regrets not listening to you.

“If you don’t mind, that would be great.” He pouts at you and you laugh lightly at his frustration.

“Boys, break it up. Girls, freeze right now.” All the kids halt their movements and quickly turn their heads to face you with wide eyes, “There’s a cake that needs to be cut up and eaten in the next thirty minutes but I don’t think you have earned it.”

“No, we have!”

“Please mum? We’ve been good!”

Draco scoffs at your daughter’s blatant lie of having been good and you bite back a smile. “I’m sure you have, but if you really want the cake then I’m going to need you all to play a couple of games of hide and seek outside first. The winner gets the biggest slice.”

They all squeal in excitement and hurry to run out to the garden so that they can play. You quickly mutter a charm to repair the vase and turn to your husband who’s looking at you with a mixture of exhaustion and adoration.

“You’re my saviour.” He breathes out and you smile, “Somehow you spend less time with them and still manage to handle them better.”

“A mother’s touch love.” You giggle and give him a quick peck.

“I wish this mother would touch me.” He hints as he pulls you in by the waist with a grin.

“You’re so-“

A sharp cry from down the hall cuts you off and you both sigh. “I’ll go get him.” You reply.

“I’ll get the cake ready.”

~

The kids all come running into the kitchen excitedly at the sound of your voice calling for them to get cake. You smile at the sound of their giggles erupting into the kitchen as you play with the recently awoken baby in your arms, but your smile is gone as quick as it came at the sound of a light yelp and cry coming from one of the older kids.

Without missing a beat you rush toward the sound and find that it’s Jade harbouring a thin, but rather long, cut along the expanse of her leg and right below her knee. Draco can see that you’re moving to help her and he holds his hands out for the baby but you pay him no attention and, somehow, manage to lift the 8 year-old into your other arm and carry her up onto the kitchen counter- while still straddling your son on your hip.

“What happened sweetie?” You ask your friend’s daughter gently as you make to grab antiseptic, cotton wool and a bandage from under the sink- the place you and Draco had taken to storing them after the kids came back from playing outside with injuries one too many times.

“I think I scraped my leg against the edge of the little gate by the door.” She points toward the door that leads out to the garden and you nod in acknowledgement- knowing exactly which gate she’s referring to.

“Come here my little skittles, give mum some space to breathe.” Draco figures it’s best not to interrupt you and gestures for the other children to come toward him. They all shuffle their feet against the tile nervously as they keep their eyes trained on their friend.

“I’m so sorry love, we’ll make sure to get that fixed for next time you come over, yeah?” You ask her with furrowed eyebrows and she nods perkily. “This is going to hurt a bit, but I know that you’re a very brave girl so if you can close your eyes, count to ten for me and squeeze my hand that would be great.” She nods and follows your instructions- grabbing hold of your outstretched hand that sits underneath the baby’s bottom- while you dowse some cotton wool in antiseptic and drag it softly down the injury.

She winces but doesn’t cry, counting to ten as instructed and trying to focus on the promise of cake waiting or her, and soon enough you’ve already draped the bandage over her leg.

Draco watches the scene unfold with a look of admiration coating his features. It’s in this moment that he sees why you became an auror- no matter the situation you always present a fierce, prepared and oddly comforting energy- it’s one of the reasons he fell so deeply in love with you and it’s a quality of yours that he hopes both of your children will inherit.

“Thank you aunt Y/N.” She smiles up at you and your heart wrenches at the sight. You give her a kiss on the forehead and help her off the counter.

“You are very welcome, Jade. And I think you’ve earned the biggest slice of cake, what do you guys think?” You turn to the other children with an inquisitive gaze and they all nod quickly in agreement- wanting desperately to make their injured friend feel better. “Okay, bottoms in seats then!”

All the kids scramble to find seats around the table as you go about handing them each a plate with cake in it- making sure to give Jade the biggest slice. 
Draco knows that he should feel envious at how easily you get the kids to bend at your will despite the fact that he spends way more time with them, but all he can feel is an immense sense of love and pride swelling in his heart. He feels soft.

He knows that the ‘woman can have it all’ mantra is often misleading and impractical but the truth is that you can have it all. Somehow you juggle your family and work so well it almost looks flawless, and while he knows how hard you work to keep it all steady, he still always finds himself speechless at how well you do it. Even after spending countless nights reassuring you that you’re not a bad mother for wanting a career, he can’t seem to understand why you’d ever doubt your abilities when he watches you in action.

Badass auror in the papers, loving mother in the house and generous lover in the-

“Draco?”

“Oh, sorry love, did you say something?” He blinks back his thoughts and smiles down at you.

You tilt your head backwards in a laugh and move to hand your husband the baby, “I was asking what you want to get for dinner? Blaise and Luna are picking up Jade and Liam soon so I thought that maybe we could just order in for dinner tonight?”

“That sounds lovely actually, I’m not particularly interested in cooking or eating Flora’s burnt food.” He says with a grimace- referring to your very incompetent house elf.

“You really should fire her.”

“She’s got nowhere else to go.” He pouts and you roll your eyes.

“When did you become so soft?” You raise your eyebrows at him and he shrugs as he watches you speak sweetly to your son that he’s got in his arms.

In that moment he already knows the answer, he became so soft the minute you came into his life, and he wouldn’t want it any other way.

“I won hide and seek by the way, so that cake was rightfully mine.” Scorpius grumbles out- even though he wears the signature Malfoy grin on his lips- and you all laugh at his random outburst.

<~>

So there’s my first ever request! I hope I did it justice, it was a little difficult to put someone else’s vision down and into words but it was a really nice challenge and I’d like to do more so please feel free to request moreeee.

Jean <3

[littlerainbowsheltie]

What You And I Would Feel Like Chapter 1

The blaring of an alarm dragged Sasha from slumber as the teen groaned from her blanket cocoon, blindly reaching for her phone to shut it off. Sweet silence filled the room once more as she slowly got her bearings and checked the date on the screen. Right, the first day of school again.

Okay, Sasha, you can do this. One...two...three go!

Sasha flung off the covers as she sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed, feet hitting the carpeted floor. She quickly got up before her bed could pull her back into its comfortable embrace and headed off to take a shower. Once clean and dressed in uniform, Sasha walked over to her vanity and fished a scrunchie and a pink woven bracelet from one of the drawers.

As Sasha secured her hair into its signature ponytail her gaze swept over the mirror until it landed on a picture tapped to it. The picture was taken from their beach day last month. The trio was sitting on beach blankets, Marcy had her arms wrapped around their shoulders, and Anne was leaning against her with a cheesy grin on her face. Sasha felt a smile tugging at her lips. What dorks.

My dorks.

Grabbing her backpack, house keys, and phone Sasha headed off down the stairs, making her way towards the front door. As she reached for the doorknob-

“Sasha.”

Sasha took a deep breath and slowly turned around to face her mother. Janis Waybright stood by the living room entrance already dressed for work. Though Sasha had seen her mother smile before it never quite reached her eyes and today was no different.

“Leaving so soon?” Janis inquired as she crossed the room, heels clicking against tile.

Sasha winced. “Yeah, I’m supposed to meet up with Anne and Marcy before class starts.”

“Right, Anne and Marcy. How are they? I haven’t spoken to Mei in a while.”

You only talk to them when you can help each other’s businesses. But she didn’t say that, unfortunately.

Instead Sasha said, “They’ve been good.”

Silence. Silence filled the room, the only sound coming from the grandfather clock in the living room and cars driving by. Sasha wondered if there was a point to this until her mother spoke again.

“I’ve wanted to talk to you about them, actually. Your father and I are happy you’ve found good people to surround yourself with.” Janis began as she wandered towards the window, watching the people walk past their gate. “But...we are worried you’ve gotten .

You know people talk. And there are some things we don’t want people to talk about, especially if it will tarnish the family name.” Calculating cobalt eyes glanced at her. “Don’t you agree?”

A pit started to form in Sasha’s stomach which slowly started to form into a burning rage. She could talk badly about Sasha all she wanted, she was used to it, but pulling Marcy and Anne into this, threatening her relationship with them was going too far. She wanted to yell but the need to get out, to find her girls was stronger.

“Yes, mother.” Sasha grits out before finally tugging open the front door and letting it slam behind her on the way out.

--

The walk to school was a blur. Thoughts of what her mother said swirled inside her head and it didn’t make her feel any better. Her mother didn’t get it, she never did and honestly, she probably didn’t want to.

Soon the high school came into view and Sasha quickly crossed the street, heading into the entryway. Other kids passed by whether alone or in groups, walking or riding bicycles. Sasha looked towards the bike racks and felt the fury in her gut finally start to fade when she saw them.

“Anne! Marcy!”

Anne and Marcy looked up from the former’s phone and grins formed on their faces when they saw her. Sasha saw Marcy say something before bolting towards her with Anne calling out, “Hey, no fair!” and chased after her.

Marcy got to her first and excitedly threw her arms around the blond. “Sash! I missed you!”

“We just saw each other last week, Marsh.” Sasha laughed as she returned the hug.

“A week is too long, Sasha.”

“I think I've bored her with all the cat videos,” Anne replied when she reached them.

Marcy gasped as she pulled away from Sasha. “I could never be bored of cat videos! Have you seen their toe beans?”

Anne snickered at that then turned to Sasha and opened her arms, the blonde gladly welcoming the tight embrace.

When the two separated Marcy slid between them and linked their hands, pulling them towards the school. They weaved through the crowded halls, discussing which classes they had together. Unfortunately, it seemed today hated her because they only had lunch and the last two classes together. Which wasn’t so bad but thankfully tomorrow looked much more promising.

The first two classes went by in a blur. English and Math was not her strong suit. Soon Sasha was walking into Home Room and took a seat closest to the door for a quick escape. The Home Room teacher introduced herself, they listened to the morning announcements, and Sasha spent the rest of the time scrolling through her phone. That is until someone took the seat beside her.

”Sasha.”

Sasha kept scrolling. “Brianna.”

”I love the bracelet! Where’d you get it?”

Her gaze flickered to said bracelet on her wrist before landing back on the screen. “Anne made it for me. Marcy got one too.”

“Aw, that’s sweet of her. You think Anne would make me one if I asked?”

Sasha seemed to be staring at this cute puppy photo for an eternity before she finally spoke. “Is there a reason you came over here, Rochana?”

Brianna’s giggle finally tore Sasha’s eyes from her phone screen to the other girl who had her chin propped up on one hand and a twinkle in her eyes. Her long black hair reached the small of her back now, a few strands thrown over one shoulder.

“Is that jealousy I see? Careful, Waybright,” Brianna leered, “green isn’t a good look on you. It’s too bad, though. I wanted to run this idea by you.”

“What idea?”

Brianna grinned. “To ask Anne or Marcy out, of course!”

It suddenly felt like she was doused in ice water. What?

Brianna goes on seemingly without a care in the world. “Anne is very kind-hearted to everyone she meets and very fit. Marcy is wicked smart and is pretty cute for a nerd

“So I thought why not give them a chance! Besides-” Brianna’s grin formed into a smirk. “It’s not like you guys are dating or anything. I don’t see a problem, do you?”

Before Sasha could retort the bell rang, Brianna flashing the blond a wink before getting up and sauntered out into the steadily crowding halls. As the other kids filed out of the room Sasha couldn’t stop thinking about her conversations with both her mother and Brianna. Her parents never cared much about her relationship with Anne and Marcy before, and Brianna rarely gave her friends the time of day. Especially since Anne declined her date in Sophomore year.

It shouldn’t bother her if Anne and Marcy date, and yet the thought of anyone else holding their hands, kissing them made her feel sick to her stomach. This whole day was causing a firey pit in her stomach and she finally had enough. Sasha snatched her bag from the side of the chair and stalked off, too many thoughts swirling in her head to know where she was going until she found herself in the school wing where History class with Anne and Marcy was.

Anne and Marcy soon came around the corner a little ways down the hall and Sasha made a b-line towards them-

Anne smiled. “Hey, Sash- whoa!”

-tugging them by the wrists into an empty classroom.

“Whoa, Sasha! What's wrong?” Came Marcy’s worried response once she had released them.

Sasha took a steadying breath as her friends waited with patience and concern.

“Okay. So my mom had said something about our relationship this morning,” Sasha began as she nervously wrung her hands. Something new her therapist had commented on. “And Brianna wanted to let me know she was going to ask one of you out not too long ago and made some kind of snide comment on our relationship too! I mean, what is up with people today? Mind your own business.”

Anne opened her mouth to speak but Sasha kept going.

“So I was thinking: why don’t we pretend to date. Not only will it piss off my parents but it’ll shut Brianna up and you two don’t have to worry about her asking either of you out!”

It was quiet as Sasha caught her breath but heat started to crawl up her cheeks in embarrassment as what she just said dawned on her as the minutes crept on, Anne and Marcy staring at her in bewilderment.

“Look we don’t even have to do anything! Nothing has to change and we only have to say yes if anyone asks.”

“It’s not a bad idea honestly,” Marcy hummed as she rubbed her chin. “We only really have to do it with Sasha’s parents and Brianna. Everyone else probably won’t even care.”

“Wait, hold up!” Anne interrupted as she looked at them incredulously. “We can’t just pretend we’re dating! Especially not to just anger people.”

“Anne-”

“No Sasha, I can’t.” Anne let out a sigh and turned to leave. “You can do whatever you want but leave me out of it.”

The final warning bell rang as Anne exited the room and Sasha cursed under her breath. A gentle hand on her shoulder brought the blond’s gaze to Marcy, who smiled reasurringly.

“I’ll try talking to her.”

At Sasha’s nod, Marcy took her hand and they walked to class together.

[fallen-in-dreams]

More Than A Fairytale

Also on AO3. Pairing: Itachi/Sakura. Summary: The first boy that was ever nice to her was the last boy she’d be interested in. And it just so happened to be *him*. He was her soulmate. She was sure of it. ItaSaku. Non-Mass. Prompt: Soulmates. Rated: T. Words: 4,245. Status: Complete. Author note: This is non-mass but with the nine-tails attack, though I won't be touching on it. At all. It turned out so fluffy and tooth aching and was a b*tch to write but it's here. Albeit late, though not too late. *hopefully* Enjoy. ^_^

Warnings/tags: Just for fluff, pining, light angst, etc.   

This is a LATE (but still before the cut off time) submission for itasakuweek2021​. Sorry for the delay @fm-white​​. Hope you’re doing well. Thanks for hosting this event. :)

  “For it was not into my ear you whispered, but into my heart. It was not my lips you kissed, but my soul.” – Judy Garland

  Sakura wanted to scream and throw things. This was the last time she was ever going to be nice to boys! Ugh! How her mother thought any boy was good enough for her, she didn’t understand. They were rude and mean and all the other gross things that Ino giggled about when they were in the back of the classroom. She joined the Academy to get closer to a boy and boy did she regret it. She thought she’d found the one. He was just as cute as her book said he’d be. And just as interesting. Her mother had given her The Book when she started showing interest in boys and it became her go-to for fairy tales.

Magic and romance were so pretty and gave her tingly feelings.

But Sasuke-kun was definitely not her soulmate. Someone who was meant for her was supposed to be nice to her. They were supposed to be helpful and interested in the things she had to say, not brush her off and call her annoying. According to The Book he wasn’t it. And she didn’t care that he was the cutest boy in her class. Sasuke-kun was mean!

“Aargh!”

Stomping out of the classroom, with her bag on her back and her book hugged to her chest, Sakura ignored Iruka-sensei when he called out to her. She just didn’t want to be in the same building as Sasuke-kun anymore! No. Wait. Drop the kun. She growled, elbowing her way past other students. He didn’t deserve that honorific anymore. She deserved better than him. Her soulmate wasn’t going to get her angry enough to want to throttle him.

Sasuke was too skilled with kunai and taijustu so she couldn’t beat him up. But one day, she was going to give him a punch that could break mountains! And then he might feel half as bad as he made her feel today. Sakura continued to fume as she left the Academy building and headed out to the training area before realising Iruka had sent an older student to check for her. She quickly redirected and left the academy grounds completely.

Sakura was a dedicated student who never left the grounds during school hours. She felt both scared and excited at the same time. Sasuke was the reason she’d gone there in the first place. But now she felt like it was just a lie. Her parents never pushed her to become a kunoichi. She just agreed to it.

What now?

Sakura sighed. She had no idea. But at least she still had her book. With nice pictures and big bold kanji. It said her soulmate would be nice to her, helpful, and always put her first. Someone out there was going to be nice to her, she still believed it. She just had to wait for them to notice her. None of the boys in the Academy cared about her and while she enjoyed the theory and found it easy, the workload in the training ground didn’t excite her. Being a ninja sounded scary. Thinking about Sasuke and how cool he was would get her head back in the game, but that was before.

She wandered aimlessly, unconsciously taking a long way back home. And she was reading The Book and not looking where she was going when Sakura banged into someone taller than her. They were like a brick wall, and adult sized. She hit him so hard that there was no way to steady herself. Sakura fell back against another person and then forward again as the crowd jostled her.

“Aah!”

Sakura tripped, throwing her arms forward to brace her fall and dropping her book in the process. She cried out again at the shock and pain when her hands hit the ground, then tumbled to land on her side.

“Damn kid.”

The shadow of the person who’d accidentally knocked her down moved away and was replaced by another, shorter than the last one but taller than her. His hand was soft too; he offered it to her, and she grasped it as tightly as she could with hers. He pulled her up and she cried out. Something was bruised. He wrapped an arm around her back like he was preparing to help her along when she tried to pull away.

“My book!” she gasped, looking around for it.

The boy turned them so she could spot it. Faster than she could move, he stepped forward and bent to pick it up for her. She dusted it off and raised her face to his as he hooked his arm around her again. Sakura blinked heavily, surprised by what greeted her. He was wearing a uniform. She gasped, recognising the gear. Sakura knew about Anbu. She’d read all about them. They were the best of the best and nobody could ever beat them. Except for the Hokage. A boy maybe five years old than her was wearing a mask and Anbu gear. An Anbu had helped her!

“Let’s get you somewhere I can check your wounds.”

He didn’t offer to take her to the hospital. But Sakura didn’t mind. Maybe it was out of his way. The Anbu boy lifted her off the ground and gently moved them to a bench the next building over, away from the crowd and people she might slam into again. Her head was spinning from the sudden movement, but she clutched her book tightly and didn’t complain. Anbu-san lowered her onto the bench and knelt down in front of her, inspecting the scrapes on her hands and knees.

“These don’t look too bad,” he said. “I have some salve on hand which should keep an infection at bay. But you’ll have to wash it thoroughly at home, okay?”

She nodded. “Thank-you, Anbu-san.”

She winced as he applied the salve but kept the smile on her face as best as she could.

“Call me Itachi,” he said.

“Really?” She looked up him as he cocked his head to the side. His mask reminded her of a weasel. “Is that your super-secret code name?”

He chuckled. “No.

“You need one.”

“Not for you,” he said, and she frowned. “Just call me Itachi.”

“You can call me Sakura.”

“A cute name,” he said, and she blushed. “Are you okay now?”

She nodded, lowering her eyes.

“What’s wrong?”

“I’m silly. This wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t run away.”

He tilted his head at her but didn’t ask. Sakura sighed. She had wanted to be a ninja because of Sasuke but here she was, hopeless and getting fixed up like she was useless. “I wanna be strong. Like you, Itachi.”

He sat down next to her, and it didn’t occur to her childish mind to wonder why an Anbu was wasting time with her, a silly little girl. She didn’t see the small, sad smile behind his mask as she reminded him of his younger brother. Nor the way he pressed his lips together in frustration at how sad she looked.

“If you want to be strong,” he said. “Then be strong.” He glanced at her backpack and the Academy sticker she’d stuck to the side of it, thinking perhaps she’d done so proudly.

“You think so, Itachi-san?” She wiped at her eyes as tears threatened to fall. “You don’t think I’m too weak?”

“Everyone starts out weak,” he said. “But if you work hard enough and never give up, then yes, I think you can be very strong.”

Forgetting her earlier angst, Sakura puffed up her chest proudly. “I’m going to be a kunoichi!”

“With that attitude, no doubt.” He sounded amused.

She grinned up at him.

“How old are you, eight?”

“Seven,” she said excitedly.

“I have a brother your age. He’s in the Academy.”

Remembering why she’d run out of school, Sakura groaned. “I hate the boys my age.”

He chuckled. “They can be very annoying.”

She giggled. “Definitely.”

Sakura hugged her book to her chest. She thought of the fairy tale stories and how the book said her soulmate would make her feel better every time she was sad. “Itachi-san, do you know what a soulmate is?”

“Soulmate?”

The girl nodded her head enthusiastically. “I read all about them.” She placed the book on her lap. “Somewhere, everyone has another soul. Someone who completes them and is perfect for them.” She peered at him. “But I don’t know if you’re cute enough.”

She giggled again and he looked around for a moment before turning back to her then lifting his mask for a moment. She gaped but he just pressed a finger to his lips. Itachi was very cute. She blushed and fiddled with her book nervously as he gave her a soft smile. She liked the way it made his eyes crinkle as they closed. He replaced the porcelain mask.

“Don’t tell my captain I did that, okay?”

Sakura nodded seriously. “Promise.”

He stood and stretched for a moment. “I have to go now. Make sure to wash your wounds and see a medic.”

Sakura felt her heart drop. “Uh, Itachi-kun?”

He looked down at her, but she wouldn’t meet his eyes. So, to speak.

“Can… can we be soulmates?”

He didn’t respond at first and Sakura felt rejected. Did he hate her all of a sudden?

“Ask me again after you become a kunoichi,” he said.

“Oh, I will!” Sakura beamed at him as he bowed slightly.

“Goodbye, Sakura.”

She watched him as he took a few steps, waved back at her, and then took flight. Her mouth dropped open as he landed on the nearby roof and then disappeared.

He has to be my soulmate.

  .:.

  Sakura did not meet her soulmate again until years later. She didn’t even know anything about him other than his given name and the fact that he wasn’t a medic Anbu. It wasn’t until she met Kakashi-sensei and mentioned the incident off-hand that she discovered more about him. His Anbu mask had been distinctive enough (a weasel, which was ironic given this name), so she hadn’t explained that she’d seen his face. Which was a good thing, since it turned out Kakashi had been his Captain at the time. She kept her promise.

Itachi Uchiha.

Sasuke’s big brother.

Were the fates laughing at her or was it just fate? Sakura still believed that there was a soulmate out there for her, but she no longer held to the childish infatuation for it the way she once did. Plenty of shinobi had been nice and helpful toward her since that day. Just none that she’d been romantically interested in. She could still remember how kind and gentle Itachi had been and what was once childish infatuation had now blossomed into a long-standing crush. Even if nothing came of it, she would always look back on it fondly.

But Sakura never approached Itachi in the intervening years. Somehow, she’d painted this picture-perfect memory of that day and didn’t want it to be ruined by meeting the man in question in the flesh. Again. If he pissed her off, as was so easy to do she could admit, it would taint that day. It was like a fairy tale, her recollection of their meeting, and she wanted to preserve it.

Her avoidance of Itachi was made harder when Sasuke began (albeit grudgingly) inviting the team back to the Uchiha compound. Sakura always had somewhere else to be. She knew Kakashi was still friends with the man, and Naruto was raving about how “cool” he was after their first visit. But Sakura chickened out each time. She felt anxious every time their team finished a mission or sparring match and planned to head to the Uchiha home. The copy ninja was intelligent though, and sometimes she saw his knowing look in her peripherals. He wasn’t fooling her though.

He didn’t go either.

When Sakura approached Lady Tsunade about becoming her student it was six months before the Sandaime retired and the busty blonde was named his successor, much to her chagrin. She tried to get out of it but during a training healing session with Sakura, the pinkette mentioned how she was determined to surpass her teammates. A heart to heart about the struggles of the village and how the Uchiha were treated (brought on by Sakura’s still-a-secret-crush-on-Itachi) and a few days later, Tsunade had changed her mind.

So, it was at her inauguration after party (the first one in history since it was a stipulation of Tsunade’s acceptance) that she finally saw him again.

She wished she was old enough to get drunk. Legally.

“Fancy meeting you here.”

He’d grown. Sakura did not need a moment to recognise that face again. He was still taller than her. Still so good looking. Years of repressed emotions caught up to her and she inhaled deeply, trying to keep them and her reactions under control. The boy she’d chosen as her soulmate had grown into a handsome young man. Meanwhile, she was still an awkward teenager.

“Itachi…”

“It’s been a long time,” he said, obviously recognising her right away too.

She still had faded marks on her knees where she’d fallen over that day. Sakura hadn’t gone to a medic like he’d suggested. She’d just happily skipped home and told her parents all about it. Getting rid of the marks would have made it like it had never happened.

Her young mind had been so silly.

But looking at Itachi now, a full head taller than her, toned and dressed to the nines… she couldn’t help but feel as enamoured as her child version had been.

“I’m surprised you remember someone so insignificant.”

The corner of his mouth twitched when she started shuffling her feet. Fifteen-year-old Sakura was adorable.

“On the contrary,” he said. “That was a very significant day for me.”

She blushed, lowering her head.

“It’s not every day someone asks me to be their soulmate.”

Sakura looked up at him and returned his smile. She felt her face heat up even further. She couldn’t get over how attractive he was. Years of picturing him didn’t do him any justice.

And now I’m acting like an idiot in front of him.

Sakura cleared her throat. “I was so pushy, Itachi-san. I’m surprised you were so nice to me.”

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, embarrassed. “I was a brat.”

“And now look at you. The Gondaime’s apprentice. Everyone has nothing but great things to say about you.”

“Have you been asking around about me?” She asked in jest.

“Yes.”

Her jaw dropped at his candour. She quickly shut her mouth. “Uh... that’s, um.”

“A little too forward. My apologies. I was simply interested in the incredible young woman you’ve become.” He leaned toward her, whispering in her ear, “I hope I haven’t offended you.”

She shook her head. “No, it’s fine.”

Boys didn’t normally spare her much time and she’d been training so much over the last few years that Sakura hadn’t even thought of rectifying that. Her crush on Itachi was so fierce that no-one else had remotely drawn her attention. Itachi cocked his head to the side and Sakura realised (in her fluster) that he had an earpiece on.

Is he on duty? Then where’s his mask?

Itachi listened for a moment before tapping the earpiece twice and turned back to Sakura. “You should come around next time Sasuke invites you,” he said, waving to her before disappearing into the crowd.

Damn.

She had no excuse now.

  .:.

  “Sakura!”

Sakura winced at the shrieking tones of her mother. She was procrastinating because her parents and Ino had planned a party for her eighteenth birthday, and the guest list included a certain Uchiha she’d been crushing on. She hadn’t been avoiding him for the past three years. Really. Just making sure she was never alone with him. She didn’t want to embarrass herself with this ridiculous crush. Because Itachi clearly saw her as just a friend, and because Sakura had made the mistake of letting Ino organise this whole thing, he’d been invited. Ino also knew Sakura had a thing for him and was determined to have him there when she “came of age” the hopeful romantic that Ino was. She sighed deeply as her mother called out again.

“Coming!”

Hold your horses.

She straightened herself, taking one last look at the mirror and the pink haired girl in the dark blue cocktail dress before leaving her bedroom. She’d chosen the dress style in honour of her now legal drinking age. Technically, being a ninja, she could’ve started drinking when she became a chunin (or turned eighteen, if that had come first). But it would’ve been frowned upon and seen as unprofessional. Her recently promoted jounin self was a new woman. She could do whatever she wanted.

Ino had insisted on holding the party at the Yamanaka Estate so that more people could be invited. She was intent on doing this with the entirety of the Konoha Twelve.

Sakura walked there with her parents in tow since they didn’t travel like ninja anymore, but she didn’t mind. It gave her time to prepare herself for the onslaught. She was surprised and disappointed when she didn’t see Itachi there. Her friends and comrades came up to her, hugging and wishing her a happy birthday. Naruto had set aside all the presents and Ino was in charge of the music. While Hinata had chosen the food – Chouji was still hurt by that, but Ino’s excuse was that Hinata’s palette was more refined. And the girl would cater to everyone. He grudgingly agreed he would have just brought barbeque flavoured everything.

Sakura laughed along with him when he admitted it and accepted his one-arm hug before he left to attack the buffet table. She found a corner of the hall to sit alone, now morose. She’d gotten dressed up and, even though the idea of running into Itachi scared her, had hoped he’d be here. It was a full hour before she felt the familiar chakra as he seemed to appear out of nowhere.

Sakura took in his appearance: a suit, nicely pressed, his hair back, his dark eyes intense. She was standing and leaning against a wall. He looked like he’d been waiting for her.

“Fancy meeting you here.”

Sakura blushed, clasping her hands together. “Itachi-san.”

She took note of how his eyes travelled over her body and stiffened.

What the...?

“I brought a present,” he said, “but Naruto-kun insisted on putting all the gifts in one room.”

She nodded, unsure of what to make of his perusal. Itachi had a drink in one hand, no ninja gear, no earpiece. He seemed at ease. Now, she’d seen him out of uniform before, at Sasuke’s house, but he’d usually just been asleep after a long mission and was still tired. He was never chatty or had a pink tinge on his cheeks from some alcoholic beverage, like he did now. He seemed out of character. But not. If that made sense.

“I’m sure it’s fine,” she heard herself say.

“How does it feel to be considered an adult?” He asked, leaning into to whisper in her ear.

She shivered at the close proximity to him. His breath fanned against her face and his scent was overwhelming. It was… masculine. She had no other word to describe it. He had no cologne or other smell on him. She’d heard that Anbu he could cover their scents, making it impossible for enemies to detect them. But she’d also never seen Kakashi do it.

That was definitely some cherry flavoured mixed drink on his breath.

Was he flirting with her? She hoped so. It wasn’t every day that Itachi Uchiha gave anyone attention, let alone some random girl. Even one who knew his brother. Sakura had only gone to the Uchiha compound a few times after Tsunade’s inauguration. Sasuke’s father had since pulled him out of Team Seven to prepare for Anbu – some time-honoured tradition among their family, apparently. His replacement was a former Anbu, ironically, named Sai, whom Ino had recently been fawning over. So now Sakura had more of an excuse not to go to Sasuke’s home, where watching Itachi treat her like a little sister was too painful. The past three years, Sakura had continued to nurse her crush, learning everything she could about him. It helped that Kakashi-sensei had been his captain once. She gave up on being embarrassed asking him about Itachi.

They continued to talk. Sakura felt like something in the air had shifted. He was being more talkative, friendlier, and standing closer to her. It was almost like he’d come out of his shell. It was both terrifying and electrifying. She quite liked it. But…

“Itachi-san?”

He raised an eyebrow at her.

“Are you drunk?”

Itachi chuckled. “Just enough.”

“For what?”

“Do you want to dance?”

Sakura gaped at him. A little voice in the back of her head told her to punch him to see if he was someone else in disguise. But if this was indeed Itachi, she’d never live it down. She decided to accept and ask him things that only they both would know. At least for the sake of her sanity. So, she nodded her head, and he threw back the last of his drink before guiding her onto the floor. Sakura watched with fascination and shivered as he slipped his hands onto her body. He must’ve had professional training because they were the only ones doing some version of a waltz while the rest of the guests were dancing either in tune to the rapid beat or to their own.

“Do you remember when we first met?” He asked, interrupting her plan to test him on it. She nodded. “You were so sad and cute.” Sakura flushed, gripping his arms tightly. He continued, now whispering in her ear. “I was patrolling for… uh, reasons I can’t tell you. Anbu, you know.” She nodded again. “My team were out of sight, my captain following the target. Hm.”

He hummed lightly, now stroking her hair. Sakura looked around to see if anyone had noticed.

Kakashi looks interested.

She felt herself flush again, so she turned away from him and focused on the mildly inebriated man holding tightly to her.

“I remember,” she said. “What was it you said to me? About being a kunoichi.”

Please be Itachi.

He pulled back and looked at her, a little confused. She felt her heart plummet in the few seconds it took him to remember and then her breathing deepened at the intense look on his face.

“If you want to be strong, then be strong. Everyone starts out weak. But if you work hard enough and never give up, you won’t be weak.” He looked so cute, trying to remember it word for word.

She let out an uncontrollable snort. “You’re drunk.”

“Not really. Just buzzed.”

“You don’t normally speak so readily with me.”

He sighed, leaning in to whisper in her ear again. “You asked me to be your soulmate, remember?”

She nodded, realising suddenly that he was confessing something.

“I didn’t think much of it for a long time. You were just some cute little kid that I helped out when she got hurt. That’s all.” He sighed again. “But we met again at Lady Tsunade’s inauguration, and you were all grown up. Almost. Sasuke called you annoying.” He held her tighter when she stiffened at that. “But you aren’t. Naruto-kun raved about you when he visited. A little crush that soon went nowhere. And Kakashi-senpai… he was cautious. I think he knew.”

“Knew what?”

Itachi pulled away and cradled her face in his hands. “Ask me again.” And her confused look he added, “to be your soulmate.”

“Ask me again after you become a kunoichi.”

Sakura licked her lips. “Will… will you be my soulmate?”

She felt like she was asking him to be her valentine. But forever.

He stared into her eyes. The rest of the guests fell away, and it was just the two of them as he appraised her. “Yes,” he said. “If you’ll still have me.”

When had Itachi Uchiha fallen in love with her?

The next thing she knew, he was pressing his lips to hers and Sakura was losing herself in the feel of him. He tasted of cherry, which was funny because that was a flavour not usually attributed to him. They continued to hold each other, just gently entwined and kissing softly. Everything was falling into place, and she could barely keep up.

Eventually, Itachi pulled away, smiling softly down at her.

“You read a book on soulmates. You heard all kinds of rumours of what Team Ro gets up to. Wait—” he said when she tried to interrupt. “You heard tales of Anbu and made stories in your head from what little Kakashi-senpai told you. But,” he leaned in closer, their lips almost touching, “I thought maybe you’d like to believe in something more than a fairy tale, for once.”

Sakura nodded and initiated the next kiss, adding more pressure to it this time. “I’d love to.”

They didn’t need some cosmic or magical sign to know they were meant to be.

[imkylotrash]

Peculiar World

Pairing: Saul Silva x reader

Request: Can you do a Saul x wife reader who has magic. She was raised by Damon and was maybe a teen in season 1 of TVD so she was involved with all the crazy. She's also bffs with Klaus and Hopes godmother. She's is a teacher at alfea and the SBS. She is also a mentor to Riven like Saul/Sky.I kinda want to see Saul reaction to all of this as he knows about TVD but never met them. Anonymous

A/N I'm a little limited in my knowledge of Legacies so I've had to leave a little of the request out but I hope you like it anyway! 💛

Tagging: @grey-girl @intoanothermind @anreeixcobra @kingunder221b @lflores2008 @alexiapayne12 @quuenofblacks @quarterback-5 @estelmei @bitchwhytho @music-of-melody @artsyle​ @baueoud @glowingatdawn @shadowhuntyi

"This is going to be an amazing place, you know." You're standing in the doorway of the newly funded Salvatore Boarding Scool remembering all the memories it holds. Alaric turns around with a smile crossing the room to hug you tightly.

"I thought we agreed you wouldn't become a stranger when you moved." You can't help but chuckle. It's not exactly like you just moved a state over.

"I moved to another realm, Ric. It's a little harder than an hour's drive." A couple of students hurry outside laughing. It takes you back to your own high school days though you didn't have a place where you could practise magic openly and safely. You'd lost count of the number of times you'd had to use your magic to save everyone alongside Bonnie, how many times you'd grieved the loss of a loved one and the joy you felt when they made their way back to life.

"I thought I heard my favourite witch." Damon comes walking down the stairs and you must admit that humanity looks good on him. The biggest surprise is Elena not being next to him. When you left, they were quite literally joined by the hip.

"Don't let Bonnie catch you saying that," you chuckle but you're really just happy to see him. He took you in when your parents died and since then the Salvatore mansion had been your home. Back then you'd been his only redemption before he actually started being a good person. Elena had brought it out in him but you like to think you were the beginning of the development. He'd saved your life more than once.

"Don't worry. I tell her the same thing when you're not here." He ruffles up your hair making you feel like a little kid all over again. But this time you're a married adult with your own life and Damon knows that too.

"You look good," he says pulling you in for a hug.

"You too. Apparently, married life suits us both." You know Damon has been torn between wanting to hate Saul for stealing you away and appreciating the fact that he makes you very happy.

"Who would've thought?"

You return to the present realising that you've been standing under the running water long enough for it to turn cold. You use a little magic to quickly dry off your hair so you can be on time for class. You still have no idea how Saul managed to get you a job at Alfea when you're not even a fairy but it makes your marriage a lot easier. Neither of you likes being away from each other but working at Alfea has kept you from your family a lot. You love Saul but you miss Mystic Falls. It clouds your thoughts all through class and by the time you've finished, you're calling Damon to hear how everything is going.

"Hey," you say trying to keep your voice neutral.

"Hi stranger," he replies but you can tell he's busy judging by the sound of chatter in the background. That's when you remember it's family dinner night.

"I completely forgot. We'll talk later." You hang up before he has any time to respond. Your eyes sting but you refuse to cry. It's just tough being away from them all the time. You have more than enough here with Saul and Riven but you miss home.

"I know I'm not a mind fairy but the look on your face says more than enough. What's wrong?" Saul asks. He's just entered your shared bedroom and he looks ready to collapse after a long day.

"It's nothing. I just miss home." You wonder how big the twins have gotten by now and how Hope is doing. You hate to admit that as her godmother you haven't done a pretty good job at being there for her. You text constantly but it's not the same as seeing her. You had promised Klaus to take care of her before he sacrificed himself and then you moved to another realm.

"We could always go visit?" You lock eyes with him never having been more in love with him than right now. Saul has never visited Mystic Falls. Frankly, you'd been terrified to merge those two worlds but now you felt like you had to. You wanted him to know the people who had helped save you and been there as you grew into your own person.

"I'd love that."

==

"This looks pretty impressive." Saul is standing next to you by the gates of the Salvatore Boarding School looking in awe at the place. You know Alfea is a gorgeous place but it has nothing on the Salvatore mansion.

"Walk me through it again. Vampires, werewolves and witches all in one place?"

"Also, hybrids and tribrids which still doesn't really make sense to me but essentially that's the big three, yeah." You laugh a little as you watch the confusion cloud his face. You grew up here and you still struggled to understand all the stuff that happened.

"We're not staying here for long. Damon invited us over for dinner but I just wanted to stop by here." You keep a lookout for any familiar faces and much to your surprise you spot Hope locking lips with some curly-haired boy.

"Hope?" you exclaim. She is definitely not old enough to be dating and the sight makes you temporarily forget about Saul who's currently fighting the urge to draw out the dagger he always hides in his boot. The soldier in him is terrified of vampires and werewolves thinking of the horror stories he always heard as a child despite your reassurances that they were people the same as the fairies.

"Y/N?" Hope runs right into your arms not believing her own eyes.

"What are you doing here?" she asks excitedly. Seeing her makes you realise just how much you've missed this place. You introduce her to Saul who's trying to take everything in and relax a little. You don't blame him. Hearing about vampires and werewolves is very different from actually being around them. Some vampires still give you the creeps even now.

"Thank you for coming," you whisper as Hope leads the way to Alaric's office. She's talking so much she doesn't even notice you saying anything. It's nice seeing her so happy and confident in herself compared to seeing her back in New Orleans. This school had really helped her.

"Here we are," she says stopping in front of a set of doors with Ric's name on it.

"We're staying for a few days. How about you ditch school tomorrow and tell me all about that lover boy I caught you with outside." Hope is quick to agree before heading back outside. It's nice seeing her happy. You know Klaus would've enjoyed it too.

"You ready?" He nods his head and you open the door to see Ric and the twins. It's a happy reunion adding to the feeling of missing out on everything.

"If you miss it so much, I've got a job opening? You could come to teach every other week to make your schedule work." Could it work? Could you have the best of both worlds? You look over at Saul who looks just as surprised as you. It would take some work and planning but you needed this.

"Do you think we could make it work?" you ask Saul hoping he'll say yes. Hoping he'll support you.

"I think you gave up a lot for me by moving to Alfea so it would only be fair that we made this work. Of course, we can make it work." He's still freaked out by the number of supernatural people running around here but he has to admit that it's pretty impressive they all manage to co-exist. He's eager to learn more about them and the history behind their existence. It's also a huge plus that he gets to see you happy.

"I guess my answer is yes then."

[desertno3]

Violet – Chapter Four (5/7)

When Sean finally meets his daughter, you wonder why you ever left him in the first place.

Sean Wallace x fem!reader Chapter Four: 1991 words

Prologue // Chapter One // Chapter Two // Chapter Three

A/N: Hi! This chapter became longer than I ever planned it to be lol and as a result this series is now going to be seven parts instead of six! Low-key excited about what’s coming up but for now, I hope you enjoy this chapter! 🧡🧡

Taglist: @ysmmsy​ @prettyinpayne​ @the-a-word-2214​ @peakywitch​ @danceyreagan​ @ella1grace03 @whenthe-smokeisinyoureyes​

Let me know if you want to be added to the taglist for this series! ​

You wipe your hands on a tea towel when you hear the front door open, signalling Violet and Sean’s return. You then hear Violet’s footsteps pitter-patter down the hallway, immediately followed by Sean telling her to come back and take her shoes off first. Smiling to yourself, you leave the kitchen and head over to greet them, finding Sean knelt down and helping your daughter out of the aforementioned shoes.

“We’re back mum!” Violet says happily when she sees you.

“Yes, I can see that, love,” You smile before giving her a look. “Vi, you know how to take off your own shoes.”

“It’s fine,” Sean assures you, leaning over to place them neatly off to the side. 

He had been visiting frequently ever since you and Vi moved into your new place - an arrangement you both had agreed on not long after everything had been dealt with. He wanted to be an active part of Violet’s life and you were more than willing to let that happen, knowing how much it would mean not only to him but to Violet, too. She still didn’t know the truth about Sean but it was clear she’d grown attached nonetheless, her eyes never failing to light up every time you told her Sean was coming over. Today, she had been particularly excited because he promised he would take her to a park.

“There was a pond at the park, mum!” Violet exclaims excitedly, practically bouncing where she stood. “And we saw so many ducks! And swans. And gooses! One got angry at Sean.”

She’s giggling as she tells you the latter and you look at Sean with an amused expression on your face. Still crouched before your daughter, he glances up to give you a deadpan look as if to say don’t even ask, which makes you snort.

You both miss the way Violet’s gaze flits between the both of you curiously, a happy smile forming on her face. She then throws her arms around Sean, hugging him farewell.

“Bye Sean.”

He sways a little at the force with which she throws herself at him but manages to steady himself, chuckling as he hugs her back.

“So eager to be rid of me, hm?”

Violet pulls away with a sheepish look on her face, “I’m going to watch TV now.”

“Go on then,” He taps her nose. “I’ll see you later.”

She grins at him and then she’s gone, energetically sprinting past you and down the hallway, making a quick beeline for the living room.

“You don’t need to run!” You call out to her but it’s futile, she’d already disappeared into the other room. Behind you, you hear Sean chuckle.

“You’re such a mum,” He teases, getting up onto his feet.

You let out an amused scoff in response, folding your arms across your chest. “Don’t even start, she'll be a little terror if I don’t give her some rules to adhere to.”

Sean smiles fondly, thinking about his little terror of a daughter. While you were mostly joking, Sean knew there was a bit of truth to your statement. It was a task and a half to wrangle Violet sometimes, the headstrong little thing that she was. Unsurprising, Sean thinks amusedly, considering who her parents were.

But as difficult as she could be sometimes, Sean had seen first-hand all the good values you’d managed to instill in her. You’d definitely raised a sweet kid, one who was wonderfully earnest and full of kindness, and he tells you just as much, with a genuine sincerity in his tone that catches you off guard.

“You’ve raised her well, y/n,” He says sincerely, leaving you speechless for a moment. You didn’t expect to hear that from him at all.

“Thanks, Sean. I feel like I’m a terrible mum sometimes,” You confess quietly. “So that’s… that means a lot.”

He smiles and you’re sure your heart skips a beat.

You didn’t want to admit it but you enjoyed Sean's visits just as much as Violet did. The more time you spent around him, the more you found yourself falling for him all over again. You’d forgotten how well the two of you could get along and on top of that, watching him and Violet spend time together made you melt. You had no real inkling as to how he felt about you but moments like these definitely didn’t help your growing feelings.

“Do you want to stay for dinner?”

It comes out of your mouth before you could even think to stop yourself and when you see the surprise and hesitation on his face, you immediately regret asking.

“You don’t have to, obviously,” You assure him, trying to backtrack. “You probably have things to do.”

He winces apologetically, “Yeah, I’m sorry. I’ve got to go back to the office tonight, unfortunately. Take care of some things.”

“That’s fine!” You reply almost too quickly, embarrassed at the fact that you might’ve been too forward by asking him in the first place. “No worries.”

There’s an awkward pause where neither you nor Sean know what to say next and you sigh, feeling like you’d just ruined a perfectly good moment between you two.

“Well I won’t keep you then,” You continue as nonchalantly as you could, hoping he didn’t notice how mortified you were. “I hope you have a good night.”

“Yeah, you too.”

He gives you one last parting smile and you watch as he heads out the door, hating how disappointed and embarrassed you feel after it clicks shut behind him.

You stand there for a moment before letting out an agonised groan and heading back to the kitchen, trying to forget that conversation ever happened.

The rest of your night is filled with your usual routine - dinner, dishes and then giving Violet a bath before bed - but no matter how hard you try, you can't help but keep dwelling on the exchange, ruminating on what it might have meant.

You were starting to feel foolish for thinking that maybe things were changing between you and Sean. That’s what led you to ask him to stay for dinner to begin with, thinking you were both at a place where that could happen without any tension or awkwardness. Maybe you were wrong. Maybe he wouldn’t have stayed even if he didn’t have business to attend to. 

You shake your head, trying to stop yourself from going further down that rabbit hole. You were going to drive yourself crazy if you kept thinking about it. The fact of the matter was that you had no idea how Sean felt about you but he was here nonetheless because he cared about Violet. You just had to live with that and forget your feelings.

Easier said than done, you think sourly. When the mere sight of him makes my goddamn heart race.

"Mummy?" Violet asks while you shampoo her hair, bringing you out of your spiral of thoughts.

"Hm?"

"You and Sean should get married."

You nearly choke on the air you breathe. Pausing your actions, you look at her in bewilderment but her eyes are on her hands as she glides them through the soapy water.

“Why do you say that, Vi?” You pry gently.

You wonder if you’d been that obvious with your feelings or if maybe Sean had said something, but she just shrugs like it was simply a passing thought she decided to say out loud.

“Sean and I are friends, darling,” You say to her, though you were starting to wonder if maybe that label was a stretch. “Usually people who get married are dating each other."

Violet makes a contemplative face, “Will you and Sean do that?”

“What, date?”

She nods, leaving you more confused than ever.

“I doubt it, Vi,” You sigh.

I burned that bridge a long time ago.

You massage her scalp gently, lathering up the shampoo as you watch her continue to play with the water, your own mind racing.

“Did you want us to date?” You ask her, still trying to figure out where this was coming from.

She nods again.

“Why?”

Violet looks sheepish now, patting away at the bubbles that surrounded her, and she says shyly, “So then I can have a dad.”

~

You sit against your headboard with your head in your hands, thinking about everything that had transpired since the late afternoon. Not only were you dealing with your reemerging feelings for Sean - who most likely did not reciprocate them - you were also dealing with a daughter who suggested you marry the man because that was the only way she thought she could get a dad.

Letting out a frustrated groan, you press your head against your forearms. You were acutely aware that you would not be dealing with any of this if you’d never left Sean in the first place. You sit there despairingly for a long while before a persistent buzz from your phone starts to fill the air. Lifting your head, you blink in surprise at the caller ID before answering it.

“Sean?”

“Hi,” His voice comes through the speaker, making your heart involuntarily skip a beat. “Sorry, I know it’s late.”

“It’s fine,” You assure him, shifting the phone to a more comfortable position. “Is everything okay?”

“Everything’s fine, I just… I wanted to apologise again for not being able to stay for dinner. I should have taken you up on it, the meeting I went to instead was the dullest shit imaginable.”

You can’t help the small laugh that bubbles out of your throat at the grouchy tone his voice takes on as he tells you about how dull it was, “Sorry to hear that.”

He hums in response and you could just imagine the amused smirk on his face. “You don’t sound very sorry.”

“Well, I don’t know,” You reply. “Violet spent all of dinner telling me about every animal you saw at the pond today. Not sure if you would prefer a play-by-play of your own day over the meeting.”

“You underestimate how boring the meeting was.”

“No,” You laugh. “I’ll take your word for it.”

There’s a natural lull in the conversation and you know you have to take the opportunity to clear the air, for the sake of your own sanity.

“Sean,” You start, steeling yourself with an inhale. “I hope I didn’t overstep earlier, asking you to stay for dinner.”

“Overstep?”

“I… I worried you might’ve thought it was a bit much. The three of us have never properly spent time all together so I realise that it might have been a big ask and-”

“It was fine, y/n,” He says softly, quelling your worries. “I was surprised you asked but it wasn’t a problem. I would’ve liked it, the three of us together.”

After all that time you’d spent ruminating earlier, the statement is more than you ever expected from him. So much so that you’re rendered speechless, your heart in your throat.

“That’s why I called, actually,” He continues. “I wanted to ask if you and Vi wanted to come over for dinner next weekend. To make up for the fact that I couldn’t tonight.”

You don’t even have to think twice about your answer.

“Yes, of course. We’d love to.”

“Great,” He says and you can hear the smile in his voice. “I’ll see you both then.”

You can’t help but smile in return, “Looking forward to it.”

“Me too. Goodnight y/n.”

“Night, Sean.”

You’re giddy as you place your phone on your bedside table and settle into bed for the night, Sean’s call single-handedly flipping your entire mood. Maybe it was silly to feel that way after just one phone call but you couldn’t help it, not when it came to Sean. Against all your better judgement, you feel a little spark of hope in your chest as you drift off to sleep.

Maybe there was something there after all.

[toastwithjelly]

FEEL SOMETHING

(A Sanders sides Angst one-shot fic)

Part 1

4,391 words

⚠️TRIGGER WARNING⚠️

Razor blades

Self harm

Gore

Numbness

Logan angst

Confrontation on self harm suspicions

Summary:

Logan is tired of being the cold, emotionless robot that everyone perceives him as. He’s repressed his emotions to such a great extent that he genuinely doesn’t feel anything major anymore. He does have his nightly break-downs sometimes, but he needs more than that.

However, this is where roads begin to cross. Logan feels that it would be nice and beneficial to experience strong emotions, but he doesn’t know if this feeling is stronger than his fear of expressing such things. Being viewed as a joke and not being taken seriously is his worst nightmare. Because of this, the logical side just keeps up his stone cold front to avoid being weak.

This dilemma Logan had found himself in really frustrated him. No matter how hard he tried to think of a solution, nothing ever satisfied both ends of the spectrum. The best he had come up with was to keep up the front when he was with the others and then let himself break down at night when no one was around, and even that didn’t help him nearly as much as he wished. This eventually led him to looking for answers online. One search led to another, and Logan has figured out something that might help him. It’s a bit risky, and he’ll have to hide it from the others, but he knows how to be safe with it, so he’ll give it a shot just to feel something.

•———————————————————————-•

Part 1

6:34pm

 Logan was sitting at the dinner table with his three friends as they ate their meal. Nothing unusual about the evening, they had their casual little chats and the occasional playful banter from Roman and Virgil, with Patton butting in every so often. Logan kept his focus all on the plate of food in front of him. The paternal figure had worked hard to make this, he wasn’t going to let it get cold. Plus even if he wanted to join the conversation, he wouldn’t even know what to say. Sure he was the logical side and he had a heap of facts to spit but when it comes to the jovial friendly conversations the others usually shared. He truly couldn’t find the words to contribute something meaningful into the atmosphere, so other than correcting a false statement, he kept silent.

“Now Virgil, I’m just saying that a kid would be much more excited to watch a movie like Alice in wonderland and we all know it!” Roman exclaimed to the emo sitting across the table from him. It’s not at all surprising that the current conversation taking place was one about Disney. Especially when it was Virgil and Roman who were the ones bickering. “I mean all the bright colors and such a classic story is bound to win a kid over!”

“Uhuh sure, like kids would want to watch a film about a bunch of mentally ill people on an acid trip. Plus, the queen of hearts is scary for them,” Virgil retorts, glaring at Roman before taking a bite of his food. “The princess and the frog is clearly a superior movie. It’s about an independent hard working woman who doesn’t need a man to help her achieve her goals, like are you kidding me? And she helps him out, that is a nice change for once.”

“Yea I cannot argue with that, we stan Tiana,” Roman admits, leaning back in his chair. Logan was about to question the prince about the term he just used, but decided against it, keeping quiet.

“But the shadow man is scary!” Roman continues.

“Uh, no. ’I’ve got friends on the other side’ is such a bop. But I am one of the friends on the other side,” Virgil pulls his signature 2000’s MySpace emo face. ‘Bop’. Logan remembers what that meant. He had to ask Roman about it later to make a vocabulary card.

“Oh my god can you get any edgier?” Roman asks the snickering Virgil across the table as he rolls his eyes and goes back to his food. The only thing Logan could think of at this time is how useless that conversation was. Their frivolous arguments had no solid points or evidence to back up their argument if they were trying to persuade the other. He chose not to say anything so as to not further encourage them. Instead he had just yet again kept quiet and his focus was on finishing his food so he could retire to his room.

“So Logan, are you almost finished with your work?” Logan’s head snapped up when the mention of his name came from Patton. ‘Work.. it was always work.’

“No, Patton. There are still a few tasks to be completed that need to be completed tonight,” Logan states, adding on that last bit so hopefully he isn’t bugged with having a ‘family night’ as Patton and the others like to call it. Which, it doesn’t make any sense considering the fact that none of us are actually related.

“Well, once you are done with that, do you wanna come watch a movie with us!?” The parental side excitedly asks. Logan internally cringed at Patton’s use of grammar, but more at his failed attempts at getting out of this without having to ask. It’s not that Logan didn’t like the others, it’s just that tonight specifically he wanted to be left alone. Sometimes spending time with them is considered a good thing to him because he knows that he needs to take breaks from his work sometimes and Patton gives him an excuse to do so. Also, knowing that Patton wants him there helps him feel less like a robot, but that feeling quickly returns when they don’t even care to ask him his opinions for the movie choice.

“Oh.. that’s ok! There’s always next time, right?” Patton sounded a little disappointed, but supportive nonetheless. “Well I wish you good luck with that, Logan!”

“Thank you, Patton,” Logan finishes the conversation while turning his attention back towards his almost empty plate.

The rest of the dinner went by as normal. They all took their dishes to the sink and Patton offered to help Roman complete the dishes and Virgil retired to his room for the night. Logan says his goodnights and follows suit to his own room.

After entering, Logan lightly shut his door and pressed his back against the cool wood. The lights were still off, so he sat in the inky black dark atmosphere staring at the ceiling in order to prevent the dark curtain draped over the contents of his room from playing tricks on his eyes. He didn’t bother finding the light switch; he felt it was unnecessary. It would only illuminate everything that reminded him of everything that burdens him. He hates not knowing.

The logical side leaned his head back against the door and squeezed his eyes shut, the blankness of the dark and the silence began to be too much for him; it made him feel too alone. With no senses available, you are left with nothing but your own thoughts to drown in. Nothing to do but to fall down that hole of endless thinking. Logan’s head swarmed with every emotion he was feeling at once. Every fact he wished wasn’t true danced behind his eyes and pounded on his skull demanding his attention.

Logan couldn’t help but let the tears run down his cheeks. They started rolling faster and he held his hand over his mouth, choking back a sob. He hated doing this, but he had to if he wanted to remain sane. He just felt so vulnerable and embarrassed. Logan felt his legs begin to shake so he slid down the door to sit on the floor. God he hopes no one comes to his room.

The logical side stayed on the floor like that for a while. He didn’t know how long, but he was surprised when he looked at his phone to find he had been there for almost thirty minutes. Once the crying had for the most part stopped and Logan realized that it didn’t really help at all, he decided to get up from his spot on the floor and turn on some lights. He had reached for the plug connected to fairy lights strung around his room and plugged it into the electrical socket, illuminating the whole space with a soft Caramel colored glow. The lights were a gift from Patton last Christmas, the parental figure had gotten some for everyone in the house. At first the logical side thought they were childish and impractical due to him already having a light in his room, but Patton persisted so he put them up and once he saw how they casted a honey coating to all the contents of his bedroom and how the atmosphere instantly shifted from sharp to calming and gentle, he decided that they weren’t that bad.

After his eyes had adjusted to the light, Logan walked into the bathroom that he has in his room and shut the door after turning on the light. The sudden contrast of the soft light of his room to the harsh light of the bathroom only worsened his growing headache so the first thing he did was retrieve the Ibuprofen from the medicine cabinet and swallow two. After that he took his glasses off and placed them on the side of the sink before proceeding to wash his face of tears with warm water from the faucet. After he patted his face dry with a towel, he took a minute to just look into the mirror. He took notice of his cold, dead eyes that were a navy blue, but despite being such a bright color, his eyes looked more dull and grey. ‘No wonder the others think I’m a metaphorical robot.” He thinks to himself. He decides not to stay there any longer or else Remus might hear him drowning in his thoughts and show up so he grabbed his glasses and started back towards his room.

Logan didn’t know what to do now. He’s already cried a bunch but that didn’t help. He just sat on the edge of his bed trying to figure things out. The laptop sitting closed and still in his desk caught his eye. ‘There may be an article on the internet explaining my situation.’ The logical side thought to himself before he got up and made his way towards his desk, pulling out the chair and sitting down. While he opened the device up and typed in his password, he thought about what he was going to type into the search bar. While the Google page displayed on his screen awaiting his questions, Logan’s fingers moved to type in the first one that came to mind; ‘How to feel when you are numb?’

Once he pressed enter, he proceeded to scroll for what he was looking for. He passed a bunch of articles about physical health and stuff like that. ‘Perhaps I worded it incorrectly?’ He thought to himself before seeing something that could potentially be what he was looking for. It was a link to a twitter post. It was titled ‘I don’t feel anything. I do this to feel something,’ and Logan thought that would suffice nicely to his needs. Though, the side wasn’t prepared for what he was going to see when he clicked it. Blood. Lots of blood. Cuts all up and down the poster’s forearm that could be recognized as dermis and epidermis level cuts. And finally, a bloodied double edge razor blade sitting calmly in a warm crimson pool on the counter top.

Logan gasped upon the image displayed in front of him. It wasn’t too intense but seeing a part of the human body all cut up didn’t make him feel too comfortable, but he was slightly intrigued. He was kind of confused why the gorey photo was related to what he was looking for so he decided to look into it further; only because the text part of the post seemed to relate a little to his state of mind.

The logical side scrolled down past a few more photos of the same cuts just at different angles. He kept observing the images while trying to think of where to go from here until he decided to use the tags the original poster had provided with the text to research further. He viewed 10 or so hashtags of random things to figure out what the point of this was. Some of them just confused the side, but one of the words he recognized from an article he read a few months ago when Roman fell into a deep depression and he tried to gather as much information as he could to help him because the others were worried and terrified for him. However, he never had to use much information because they had luckily gotten him out of that mental health decline before anything terrible happened. Well, at least to his knowledge. The tag in question reads as ‘self harm’. Now Logan felt a little stupid because he knew what this was before, but a little clarification never hurt anyone.

He had to admit, he was a little taken aback by the fact that what he was experiencing was linked and related to self harm but he decided to explore more under that subject to further understand it. When he clicked on the tag, he was exposed to pages and pages of self harm. He stopped at one particularly disturbing one. It was a video of a girl with a straight razor that resembled that of what a barber would use. In the video, she had pressed as hard as she could and with one clean swipe, the fat inside her arm was exposed. By this point, Logan was feeling a little sick to his stomach on account of what was displayed in front of him. The video however kept going. The girl dabbed the open wound with a white towel, so the amount of blood that was being soaked up was very visible. The girl picked the weapon up again and placed it in the center of the cut and proceeded to apply pressure while she dragged the blade along her arm at a painfully slow speed. When the pool of blood was soaked up, fascia was exposed and Logan really wanted to look away but he couldn’t. He vaguely understood the premise behind self harming, but witnessing it to this extent kind of confused and scared him.

Luckily the video stopped there and Logan closed it out and continued to scroll through the page. He did not find much there other than the pictures and videos of people cutting themselves and he was starting to feel more and more uncomfortable, almost like what he felt when he was under the effects of Virgil’s room; and for that reason he decided to close out this tab and search elsewhere. The logical side really didn’t know why he was so intrigued to this certain coping mechanism. He knew it was very unhealthy, but he couldn’t let it go.

After a few google searches about the topic of self harm and a few articles later, Logan found one specific body of text that piqued his interest. It was basically describing the effects self harming has on the brain and why so many people do it and says it helps. He read through it and the information he gathered was rather interesting to him. Basically, the context of the article was explaining the science behind why self harming was addictive and why some people do it in the first place.

‘So, cutting myself will release neurochemicals in my brain that mimics that of dopamine? Fascinating..’ Logan thinks to himself. The side takes a minute to think it through. Was he actually considering this? I mean, there is scientific evidence that proves that doing this will help him. Logan ponders a bit on that last point, basically pushing him to do it. He just resorts to searching for reasons not to go through with it at this point. Only two reasons came to his mind when he tried to think up reasons to push the thoughts out of his head. The first was the safety aspect of it. Of course when you are cutting yourself there are things that can go wrong; however Logan felt confident enough that he knew how to do this safely. He knew where the vital points were on the human body so he knew where it was safe to cut as well as how deep to go. He also knew how to properly dress the wounds and how to take care of them so they didn’t get infected so the logical side could figuratively throw that worry out the window.

The only factor that was left in play affecting Logan’s decision in going through with this is the guilt he would have to face if the others found out. With Patton having gone through a situation similar to this when Roman was having severe mental health issues and when Virgil ducked out, Logan would figuratively (and almost literally) have the blood on his hands just adding it to the list. He knows that Patton always tries his hardest to do things that make everyone as happy as they can be, and oh the lengths he would go to do that. Let’s just say that the parental side has had many sleepless nights on account of helping someone else. But surely if Patton had ever found out about all the things Logan hasn’t told him, it would make him feel like he hasn’t been enough for people even more than he already does, even and who knows what could happen to him when that happens and he lives knowing that three of his friends have been struggling.

Logan had to ponder on this one for a minute. But with him being logic and all, he brought up the point that the way Patton was thinking about things is untrue and if he had to, Logan with a little of Virgil’s help could sit down with him and possibly explain things in order to pull him from that mindset.

He quietly hummed to himself, feeling accomplished at finding a solution. This satisfied feeling quickly deteriorated as confusion began to spill. Why was he feeling this way about something so grim? Why was he so compelled to stand up to get that spare razor that lay waiting in the bathroom cupboard? He thought it was even irrational to consider doing such things but it just felt like something that could actually help him, and he needed it.

He didn’t know what made him do it, but something in him made him push himself out of his desk chair to shut his laptop without powering it off and making his way to the bathroom. Once inside, he quietly closed the bathroom door. He opened the door of the shadow box, but for some reason it felt super slow like in a dramatic movie. He didn’t know why his hands were shaky when he spotted the razor and went to gently pick it up.

Just then as he examined the weapon in his grip, he felt the adrenaline pumping. It all just set in. Oh my god he was actually going to do this. He was just moments away from his destination. He gulped down a nervous lump in his throat as he examined the perfectly new blade for any rust. The side didn’t understand why he was so nervous; he knew how to do this safely so why was he so scared? Maybe he’s afraid of the pain

Logan however quickly dismissed this thought so that it doesn’t chase him out of a decision. I mean he would only seem MORE weak if he pulled such a pansy move. It shouldn’t be too bad.

He started by washing the blade and his forearm with warm water just as a precaution. He shakily held the blade horizontally over his wrist. Deep breath in and-

Slice

He ran the blade across his skin and then exhaled the breath he was holding. He sort of relaxed when he realized that it wasn’t that bad and that he was ok. Still, he checked the damage. It was a cut on the epidermis layer of the skin so nothing bad. Even so, he watches the blood bead along the clean line in fascination. It started to drip a little but that was caught with the towel that Logan pulled off the towel rack. He gently pressed the cloth to the cut and when he pulled it back, he closely watched as blood refilled the small wound. He was satisfied with his work and for some reason, he couldn’t stop looking at it. He wanted more.

So that’s what he did; the side made a few more clean lines parallel to the first one he made. He would stop to just watch the blood, then soak it up before watching how it refills again. Logan found himself admiring his arm from all angles, wearing these cuts like some sort of sick and twisted accessory. Logan continued to leave a few more little cuts, holding his arm over the sink to not make so much mess with blood (and to not ruin his favorite button up shirt).

The logical side went for one more and pressed a bit harder this time. When he swiped the blade, white was exposed before blood started to seep out from the edges of this deeper and wider cut. Actually being able to see the inside of his arm like that kind of scared him. He recognized this as the dermis level of skin. It made him a bit uneasy how he could turn his arm sideways and see the cut gape a bit, but he couldn’t stop looking at it. He thought if Remus was here, he would have said it looked like a mouth.

After that tiny scare of going deeper, he decided he was done with this for the night, afraid of going farther than he already has. As he started cleaning the blood from his arm and his sink, he was thinking over his success rates with this exercise. He had come to the conclusion that this had done what he wanted it to for him. He smiled to himself as he looked at the fresh cuts. The smaller and thin ones have already dried and scabbed over, but the deeper one he had just done was still filling with blood after each time he soaked it up, but it was slowing down. He doesn't know if he smiled because the treatment worked or if he was just proud of what he had done, but to him it just matters that he got a smile out of it. Once all the blood was cleaned up, he opened the shadow box again to retrieve the bandages. Carefully, he wrapped his arm in a secure bandage and put the rest away. The pressure of the cloth being wrapped tightly around his arm felt oddly nice and contrasted with the burning sensation on his skin from the contact.

The side stops moving and stands perfectly still when he feels a presence in his room. His heart dropped out of fear in realizing that this is the worst time to be here for obvious reasons. He slowly reaches for the doorknob of the bathroom and turns it, trying to prepare himself for whatever is about to happen. When the door was opened, it revealed Remus sitting on Logan’s bed just looking around.

“R-Remus, what are you doing here?” His voice was shakier than he wanted it to be. He wasn’t sure if the cause was from what he just did in the bathroom or the fear he had from another side possibly knowing.

Remus’s gaze shifted towards the nerd and the bandage on his arm. “Well, as I am Thomas’s own intrusive thot,” he stopped for a second to giggle at his play on words, “I can sense unwanted thoughts from any other part of Thomas,” he got up from his spot on Logan’s bed to walk towards him.

“I was picking up something from you, not like the normal. I had some suspicions and came to investigate but it seems as if I was right,”

“I.. I’m not sure I know what you are referring to,” he lied. Logan thought it was eerie to hear Remus talk in this more serious manner.

“Yea, no we both know that is a big lie,” Remus slightly smirked at Logan for the fact that he was right and gestured to Logan’s bandaged arm. Logan just avoided the other side’s eyes and held his arm behind his back. This and Logan’s uncomfortable silence confirmed it to Remus and he was no longer smiling, he had a look of empathy and slight hurt on his face. He was also sort of mad at the others because he feels and sees what Logan goes through with them and he thinks he can understand why Logan would resort to self harm.

“Logan, do you need to talk about it?” He asked. Logan has talked to Remus about his situation before, but he didn’t want to talk about this. He just brushed past Remus to go lay his pajamas out on the bed to get changed for the night. “No, I do not wish to speak of this and I ask you to kindly not mention this to anyone else, but thank you for your concern,” he never turned around to look at the other once. Remus just stood there with a slight frown. He then got an idea on what to do and he sunk out without saying anything else.

Logan could feel when the intrusive side left the room and released the breath he was holding in relief. He felt guilt wash over him in the moment. He really disliked lying to one of his closest friends but it was for the best. It was way too early for him to be able to tell anybody- scratch that. He didn’t want to tell anyone at all. He just hoped that Remus would listen and not tell anybody. The logical side thought of what he would do if that were to happen as he changed his clothes to something more comfortable.

He stopped before getting into bed to ponder if he should leave his fairy lights on while he slept. They were left on as he climbed under the cover to keep the atmosphere soft.

The logical side found himself holding his bandaged arm up above his face to admire it. He didn’t know what it was, but knowing what he'd done gave him tiny butterflies of adrenaline in his stomach which led him to a small smile. Logan was never an artist of any medium, but those crimson lines that stain his forearm felt like an art piece to him. It made him feel accomplished and.. happy. And with that, the side brought his arm back under the covers and closed his eyes to be consumed by sleep with a smile on his face.

•———————————————————————-•

Hope you enjoyed this first part :)

Yea a little background, sanders sides is such a comfort series for me, so I started writing this back when I was struggling a lot and I decided to keep writing this now so I hope you enjoy this bucket of angst haha

Part 2 will be linked here when it is up!

[tuffduff]

‘Til Death and Beyond (Slash x Reader)

Pairing: Slash x Reader

Words: 1,965

Request: anon! “Hi luv ! I was wondering if I could request an imagine with slash and the reader at their wedding reception. Just them being all cute and married together.”

A/N: Imagine all the boys giving speeches at your wedding...amazing. A sickly sweet and gushy wedding fic for you on this Sunday. Enjoy, my loves!

Taglist: @ubernoxa​ @the--blackdahlia​ @reigns420​ @stradlin-cold-heartbreaker​ @rumoured-whispers​ @dustnbones​

“Oh, shit, Y/N.” Slash said under his breath to you as he reached out to lock your hand securely in his. “I don’t know how to dance.” He placed his other hand on your waist and you placed your free hand on his shoulder.

“Babe, it’s just a slow dance. We don’t have to break out a waltz or anything.” You reassured him affectionately as you swayed for your first dance, your long ball gown grazing against the floor.

“Can you imagine?” He chuckled. You took in the sight of him, still in leather pants, except they were nice leather pants. He had long ditched his tuxedo jacket and had his white button up unbuttoned—always unorthodox and free-spirited was your husband. Husband, you thought again, mulling over the word in your mind and feeling a wave of love. Suddenly, he grinned at you and brushed his fingers against your cheek.

“What, is there something wrong?” You asked anxiously; there were a lot of people watching. The last thing you wanted was something on your face or something amiss.

“No! You just look so fucking beautiful.”

Lenny Kravitz, Slash’s longtime friend, was singing “May This Be Love” by Jimi Hendrix and strumming guitar softly. You rested your head on Slash’s shoulder, getting teleported back to all the times you had listened to this song together. One of your first dates, curled together on his bed half-dressed, his lips lazily leaving kisses on your head. Whenever he was playing guitar and noticed you were listening, it was the song he would transition to. He would even sing for you, but only you.

There were moments often where you felt like you needed to pinch yourself. When you went out together and Slash was recognized and got swarmed by adoring fans. When you listened to Guns N’ Roses songs and the guitar solos hit and you were reminded the man playing them loved you. And then the private moments, your most cherished, when he would make sure you were fully covered by the blankets, those moments of love that reminded you just how lucky you really were.

You and Slash were soon seated right in the center of your reception area—a ritzy LA hotel reception area with shiny oak, warm candelabra lighting, grand stone columns and marble floors. Almost immediately, you jumped at the sound of Duff hitting his glass with a knife too loudly.

“Oops,” he muttered in amusement, before loudly continuing. “Hello, everybody, can I have a moment?” He was Slash’s best man; therefore, he would be starting off the speeches. You felt yourself grow apprehensive and almost nervous; it appeared Duff had indulged in cocktail hour. You just prayed he wasn’t too far gone yet as he turned his gaze to you and Slash fondly.

“I just wanna say, to the bride and groom, I’m so fucking happy for you two.” You pressed a smile, hoping your older relatives didn’t mind his language. Slash laughed good-naturedly. “No, seriously. I’ve been rooting for you guys...since the very beginning—Slash, man, don’t you remember? I see you nodding—don’t get embarrassed! Okay,” Duff turned to his audience excitedly, now armed with a story. “So, I remember—way back when—it was at one of our gigs at the Troubadour, or maybe it was the Whiskey. Anyways, we were about to start ‘Sweet Child’ and I had already noticed Slash was almost avoiding one side of the stage. He’s almost been playing the whole gig with his back turned to the crowd or kinda like, sideways. It was weird. Anyways, we’re about to start ‘Sweet Child’ and Slash keeps messing up.” You giggled and the rest of your audience laughed; you remembered this story very well.

Slash was now ducking his head in embarrassment, holding your hand in his tighter. “We had to restart like three times. Axl was furious, Izzy and I were just like ‘what is going on?’ It wasn’t until later I found out Slash had seen Y/N for the first time standing in crowd up front at this show.” You heard a wave of aww rise up from the crowd, and warm smiles in your direction.  “He was so intimidated and nervous by her that he wouldn’t even go to that side of the stage, and he psyched himself out and everything. Anyways, I guess it all worked out, didn’t it?” Duff grinned, raising his glass. “I love you both, congrats!”

Steven stood up next enthusiastically, practically bouncing. “Slash, Y/N, you did it! Finally hitched, finally. It’s like Duff was saying, I was rooting for you both since the beginning. Have any of you guys ever noticed the difference between Slash when he’s with Y/N and when he’s not?” Some of the crowd chuckled, some were even nodding. “I’m serious! There’s a difference! And I’ve known this guy for a while. When he’s not, I mean he’s still Slash, but when she’s around it’s like the sun is shining, the angels are singing—he’s happier! And I like it when you’re around too, Y/N. I love you two! Good job!” Steven grinned, blowing you kisses. Your heart melted at his loving praise.

Axl stood next, calm and cool, one hand in his pocket. “I knew this was serious back...I guess it was a few years ago, I don’t remember when. Slash hates conflict. There was a fight, not a fight just a disagreement, between you two. Slash came storming into the studio and he was pretty upset, just withdrawn and occupied. I brushed it off as like a typical girl problem, I even told myself what does it matter anyways, it’s not a serious thing. You came then, busting into the studio with all five of us staring. Slash just lit up and you, Y/N—I’ll never forget this. You glared at Slash and said ‘I want this to work and I love you. Nothing is ever going to be greater than that and I don’t want to ever run away and not talk things through. You can keep the snakes.’” The crowd laughed, you and Slash laughed too—you had forgotten about this. “I was like ‘really? All of this over snakes?’ But that’s important to Slash, which therefore was important to you, Y/N. And I knew it was serious and right, because you’d never have an issue compromising for each other. And that’s something special.”

Izzy kept it short, smiling lightly and keeping his head down as he talked. “I can honestly just say I’ve never seen Slash happier than when he’s on the road reading a letter Y/N wrote him. I’ve even seen him drawing pictures of her, like a high school kid drawing pictures in his notebook, in his own little world. And Y/N, we’ve all come to love her too. This whole band owes a lot to her, and I couldn’t be happier for you both.”

All of those words were enough to make you feel complete, until you felt Slash stand up. You watched him, stunned; you both had agreed you weren’t going to make speeches since the thought of it made you both nervous. He glanced down at you and laughed as if knew exactly what you were thinking.

“Um, I know we both said we wouldn’t make a speech or anything, but...I had to.” He said. You knew he was nervous from the sheepish smile on his face and the way he kept running his hands through his hair and shifting his weight. Even his voice, which was slightly shaky. “I never had the slightest clue about what love was, until you. I wouldn’t be me now if it weren’t for the way you’ve loved me all this time. Not to get too sappy or anything, but there are times when it gets hard on the road and the thought of you is what keeps me going, you know? And it bugs me sometimes when people ask you what it’s like to be with a rock star. I’m just me, and that’s all you’ve ever needed. You’ve always treated me like that, like I’m just me. And really, it’s you that rocks my world.” He couldn’t keep from laughing through his words. You were crying and laughing and jumped to your feet as the crowd clapped and cheered and whistled.

“I love you!” You cried, throwing your arms around his neck. He held you tight, picking you up off your feet for a moment.

“I love you more, Mrs. Hudson.” He pulled back, a lopsided grin on his face. “That sounds kinda funny, doesn’t it?”

“No! Funny?” You asked, laughing and hitting his arm as he laughed too. “I love the way it sounds.”

The night went on with the dinner being served and guests coming over to congratulate you both. You got a dance with each of the guys and Slash danced a number of times with your mom and his own mother.

When it was time to throw your bouquet, your best friend caught it. The guys were much more excited to watch Slash retrieve your garter—if only for the chance to try and embarrass Slash.

He had a wobbly smile on his face as he got down to knees to a loud yell from Duff and a whistle from Axl. “Alright, here I go,” he laughed to you before he lifted your large skirt and stuck his head underneath.

“Hey, where’s the fun in that?” Axl booed. You felt Slash kiss up your leg from the privacy of underneath your dress and couldn’t help but blush as you tried to not make eye contact with his parents. His breath on your leg going higher and higher had you struggling not to squirm in your seat and you knew from the smirks of your friends they must have known too. Finally, Slash reappeared, holding your garter in between his teeth to raucous cheering. He tossed it into the crowd, where it landed on top of Izzy’s hat. He immediately began blushing with embarrassment at the attention the garter was garnering. You were just glad the attention was away from you.

Soon, it was time to cut the cake. It was a large tiered cake adorned in beautiful ruby red roses and intricate icing designs almost made to imitate a lace material. Slash didn’t trust himself to be the one to cut into the cake, so you did it with his hand holding yours. Obediently, you cut two pieces for yourselves and ate the first bite, giggling at each other and feeling silly. Slash’s eyes flashed at you and darted next to him to where Duff stood at his side. You glanced next to you, where Steven was smiling. Reading each other’s minds, you both slammed your pieces of cake respectively into his band mates’ faces. Slash couldn’t reach Duff’s face, so most of the cake ended up on his collar and tie. Steven’s shocked face staring back at you made you laugh, but he merely wiped the cake off his face with his finger and licked the icing, laughing too.

Duff took the pieces of fallen cake and tried to get Izzy, who smartly ducked to the back of the crowd. Slash had somehow ended up with cake on his face and you laughed to yourself, pulling him by the collar of his shirt towards you to kiss. You could taste the sweet icing on his lips and smiled into the kiss; he had his hands out in the air to avoid getting cake on your dress.

“I love you,” he told you as he pulled away, still laughing at Duff and Steven trying to rid themselves of cake. You smiled, wrapping your arm around his waist.

“And I love you.”

[airis-paris14]

Wonder What She Thinks 5

Summary: She learns to love herself and he loses the best thing he ever had.

Masterlist || 4 || 5 || Epilogue

I wonder what she thinks of me, when you stay awake. After you make love to her, but I’m still on your brain.

- “Wonder What She Thinks of Me” Chloe x Halle

“It’s time!” Shuri jerked her head up from reading the notification on her phone. The King and Queen both paused their conversation, “Now,” Queen Ramonda clarified, her face breaking into a large smile. Shuri nodded excitedly. “Time for what?” T’Challa frowned as his family members stood from the table and began heading out of the room, his mother handing out orders left and right. “Zoe is having the babies!” Shuri beamed before following her mother out of the room. T’Chaka paused, “Why are you not moving. Let’s go, son,” he urged. “Baba,” T’Challa swallowed the knot in his throat, “I can not go.”

“Son-“

“No Baba. Nakia and I are not in a good space right now. I cannot just up and leave to see a woman, who is not my wife, give birth to her children.”

The king shook his head, “T’Challa those twins are yours as well. Your firstborns I might add. I am more than sure Nakia will understand. Nothing is more important than being there for your children. Nothing.” The king insisted. “Baba, I cannot-“

“No T’Challa. You can go but you are refusing. I know it hurts that Zoe-Iman has moved on, but I thought I raised you better than this. You don’t avoid a situation because it is uncomfortable. You don’t avoid a situation because it is messy. And you especially do not avoid your children because you are upset that their mother found happiness with another after you did not treasure her.”

“I need to patch things up with my wife,” T’Challa deflected. “And she will still be here, and just as upset when you get back. However, the birth of your firstborn only happens once T’Challa.”

“Baba! We have to go so we don’t miss anything. Ayo and Okoye are waiting,” Shuri popped her head back in the dining room. “Are you coming too?” She looked at T’Challa. The prince opened his mouth before closing it and shaking his head. “I will let Nakia know where everyone has gone.”

Shuri glared at her brother and shook her head. T’Chaka sighed and walked over to his youngest. “You will regret this T’Challa. Your children may never forgive you if you decide to enter their lives at some point. Which I truly hope you do,” he shook his head before walking out with the scientist.

The future king watched as his family members walked out and let out the breath he’d been holding. He hated that he couldn’t bring himself to be honest with himself, Zoe, or Nakia. While Zoe-Iman had made it clear where she stood in their relationship, the king knew that his heart still belonged to her.

“Where’d everyone go, and why are you crying?” Nakia lifted her husband's chin. He scrambled to wipe the tears he didn’t know had fallen. “Zoe has gone into labor.”

“You didn’t join them?”

“I figured we should talk about what happened last night and seriously try to fix our relationship.”

“T’Challa-“ Nakia raised a hand to stop him, “the truth please.”

“You don’t think we should work on our relationship?”

“T’Challa it has been broken since the moment we said I do. A woman is giving birth to your firstborn child! And you’re standing here looking like ass!”

“She’s having twins.”

Nakia scoffed, “You are unbelievable! Stop using me and this failed relationship as an excuse to avoid facing your fears. Call me to work on this marriage when you grow the fuck up.” The young bride stormed out of the dining room and ran into a servant carrying an armful of baby gifts “I’m so sorry princess, I just-“

“Please it was my fault. Who are the gifts for?”

“The King and Queen had them created for a friend's baby in the states, but they were accidentally left behind. They just messaged asking for someone to bring them along after them.” The staff member explained. Nakia bit her lip and decided to say her next sentence before she could overthink it, “I will take them.”

“Oh my baby,” Phylicia James rushed into the hospital room and pulled her groaning daughter into her arms. “Hi mommy,” Zoe-Iman smiled after her latest round of contractions passed. The older woman grinned and proceeded to smother her daughter in kisses. “I can’t believe my little busy bee is having a baby.”

“Busy bee?” Michael grinned sitting up in the armchair he’d been half-heartedly following a football game from. “Don’t start with me Jordan,” Iman warned as her boyfriend raised his arms in defeat. Zoe’s mom walked over to the young man and flicked him in the head before giving him a hug. “Be kind to my baby. One day you gonna want her to push your big-headed kids out. So you need this to go as smoothly as possible.”

“Where’s daddy?” The mother to be asked as she waved a hand, signaling for someone to help her sit up. “Probably still trying to find a park.” Phylicia glanced out the window once Michael stood to help her daughter shift in the bed. “It’s gotten crowded?”

“Nope, Geoffrey is just very particular about who gets to park next to old Heathcliff.” Mrs. James rolled her eyes and took a seat on the window sill. Eyeing the way the actor helped her daughter through the contractions that had just set in. He was rubbing her hand and back as she squeezed, breathed, and groaned her way through the birthing pre-game.

“Did you let T’Challa know you were in labor?”Zoe nodded as Michael helped her get comfortable in the bed. “I text Shuri on the way over here. She said they were in their way. It’ll be a couple of hours yet.”

“You’re still not talking to that boy directly?” Phylicia frowned. “He has a wife, mama. He didn’t wanna share his number but the rest of his family wanted to be in contact.”

“So you don’t know if he’s coming?”

Zoe shook her head, “but we’ll be fine either way. I got me and my babies. I got you and Michael and daddy. Their other grandparents and their uncle. They got enough, they don’t need T’Challa.” Zoe’s mother glanced at Michael as he continued to rub her daughter's back. Their glance said it all, Zoe’s face said it all; she was lying. It would crush her if T’Challa missed this. She wanted her children’s father to be there. To hold them and to bond. It was killing her that she had no control over whether or not he would show up.

Zoe tried to secretly wipe away the tears that had gathered as her mother sighed, “Well where are my other daughters?”

“Kenois went to get lunch and Sylia had another patient go into labor too,” Zoe explained. Her mother moved to take a seat at the foot of the bed. “Are you hungry? Did you eat something?”

“Not yet, we were out at dinner when everything started. Kenny is supposed to be bringing me something back.”

“Why didn’t you go,” Phylicia raised an eyebrow at her future son-in-law. “She said I was the only person who wasn’t annoying her,” the actor laughed. “It’s true. I was this close to ruining my friendship with Kenois and I need my job.”

“Girl,” Kenois kissed her teeth as she walked back into the room. “Hey mama,” she hugged Mrs. James before handing the couple their food. “She always over exaggerating. I was just trying to get her to walk around to help with the pain.”

“And I said I wanted to stay in bed,” Zoe mean mugged Kenois as she took the chair Michael was originally sitting in.

“Babycakes, walking could do you and those little ones some good. Help gravity guide them out,” mama James butted in. “Why do you always take Keni’s side? I’m your real daughter,” Iman pouted as her mama held out her hands to pull her upright. “Cause I’m right more often.” Kenois grinned as she stuck out her tongue.

Phylicia shook her head at the girl’s antics, “I swear you two fight like you actually shared a womb.”

“Knock, knock.”

Everyone in the room looked up as the young African Princess and her parents walked into the room. “We didn’t miss anything right?” The teen walked over to give Zoe a hug and her parents followed suit. “Nope it’ll probably be a few hours yet,” Zoe Iman smiled, pulling each member of the family into a hug. She glanced at the door behind them before looking back to the king and Queen. It felt as though the air itself held its breath until the king sighed and shook his head.

“He sends his sincerest regrets that he could not be here. He had an urgent matter to attend to-"

“You do not have to make excuses for him, your majesty if he chooses not to be here. He chooses not to be here. You all made the time and that truly means the world to me, and these children,” Zoe offered a sad smile and caressed her swollen stomach. Queen Ramonda gripped Zoe’s hand and pressed a kiss to her forehead. Tears welled in Zoe’s eyes before Phylicia James cleared her throat.

“Right Mama, this is Her Majesty Queen Mother Ramonda, His majesty King T’Chaka, the brave, and Her Royal Highness Shuri Udaku, of Wakanda. T’Challa’s mother, father, and sister respectively.” Zoe introduced and the two mothers met for a quick hug. “It is so very nice to meet you,” Ramonda smiled. “Zoe talks so highly of you all the time. “Same here, it is an honor your majesty,” Mama James replied. “Please, we are family, No formalities required,” King T’Chaka insisted and Ramonda agreed.

Shuri took a seat at the edge of the bed while the rest of the introductions were made. Soon Zoe-Iman’s father and brother had joined the group and everyone was settled in various places around the spacious private suite. The royal family had made the arrangements as the room needed to be secure for their attendance. Ayo and Okoye stood watch at the door as the hours ticked past. Finally in a whirlwind of screaming, groaning, pushing, and wailing two beautiful babies were brought into the world later that afternoon.

After more hours of cuddling, kissing, passing, loving, and feeding her lovely newborn son and daughter Zoe, and the babies drifted off to sleep. When she awoke again the only other person in the room was King T’Chaka who was now comforting a fussy baby boy in his arms. “I would like you to name him,” Zoe broke the silence a few minutes later, startling the king. He smiled and gently placed the baby back in the hospital bed. “How are you feeling my dear?”

“I am fine. Just a little sore. Where did everyone go?”

“To grab something to eat. Michael just went down to the cafeteria before it closed. The others went to some restaurant Shuri was eager to try. Your mother said she would bring you back something to eat.”

Zoe nodded and the king helped her to sit up. “You were not hungry?”

The king smiled, “My future son-in-law, by proxy, offered to bring me something back. I knew he was tired too so I told him to stay and eat his food before coming back up. It was a miracle to even get him to go that far from you. I like that young man. He is a keeper eh?” Zoe laughed and nodded her head.

“You have made me so proud today Zoe-Iman James. You have given me my first grandchildren. My heart is overflowing and I could never thank you enough. You have made this old man feel young again.”

Zoe smiled, “No thanks are needed. Besides you doing me the honor of naming your grandson.”

“Are you sure, that is his father’s job or your father’s job?”

You are the closest thing here to T’Challa. Probably the closest thing this child will have to T’Challa. You know your son’s heart, and I know you will do his wishes for the naming of his firstborn son well.”

Tears filled T'Chaka's eyes, “Then you will have to give me time to think of the perfect name, my child.”

Zoe grinned. “I have to name them by tomorrow morning for the birth certificate.”

“I shall have a name for you then.”

“May I come in?” Nakia stepped into the doorway before her conscience could stop her again. “Nakia, what a surprise?” The king glanced at Zoe who nodded that she could come in. “I came to bring the gifts you all left behind. For the babies.” The Princess stuttered slightly. Moving closer to the woman who had just given birth to her husband's children. “Thank you, to both of you,” Zoe smiled, hoping to reassure the woman that she was okay with her presence, “this was very kind.”

“I was also hoping that Zoe-Iman and I could talk?”

T’Chaka glanced at Zoe who nodded before he stood. He placed the gift basket with the others before heading for the door. “I’ll join Michael in the cafeteria. Just call if you need anything. Though you are in good hands with Nakia,” the king patted the young bride’s back then took his leave.

The women stared at each other in silence before Nakia spoke, “They are beautiful,” she smiled down at the babies.

“I know. I cannot believe they are mine. Or that there are two of them.” The young women laughed. “I hope there are no ill feelings between us. There are none on my end,” Nakia started.

“There are none on my end either,” Zoe reassured. “You are probably wondering why I came,” Nakia broke the silence that had formed once more. “It had crossed my mind.”

“After they left T’Challa told me that you had gone into labor. I know that T’Challa being here was the best-case scenario but, I know that technically I am the babies’ stepmother and I wanted to be here for them. To support them. I know they have a lot of support already, but I wanted you to know that I am on their team as well. When they see me I will love and take care of them as if they were my own. No matter what T’Challa decides to do.”

The new mother smiled as tears rolled down her cheeks, “Stupid hormones,” she sniffed as Nakia giggled. “Thank you, truly. These children are more loved than I could ever have imagined.”

“And forever that way it shall stay,” Nakia glanced at the sleeping newborns, “forever it shall stay.”

“Would you like to hold one?” Zoe asked as she noticed the woman glancing at the gurgling newborns.

“Oh I couldn’t-“

“Yes you can,” Zoe smiled, “I trust you. I see how you stare at them with nothing but love in your eyes.”

Nakia teared up as Zoe had her pulled the cribs closer so she could lift the babies out. She lifted her daughter and pressed a kiss to her small forehead, “I haven’t told anyone but Michael yet, her name is Ka’aulani.” Zoe rocked the infant before placing her gently in Nakia’s hands.

“That is beautiful.” Zoe watched silent tears fall as Nakia interacted with the infant. “Nakia, are you alright?”

The woman laughed and wiped her eyes, “I just am overwhelmed for I fear I may never have this moment myself.”

“Why do you say that? I am sure T’Challa would not mind giving you a child.” Zoe reassured leaning over to fix the blanket around the baby once Nakia had taken a seat. “I am sure he wouldn’t,” the princess laughed dryly, “however it is me that is not so sure she wants to have a child with him. He has changed. The old T’Challa would move hell and high water to be here. This new prince, he makes excuses to protect himself. Any child we make would not be created out of love. I don’t want him to be there just because he feels obligated because we are married. I’ve only ever wanted to make a child out of love. Like these precious ones.”

Zoe nodded, “I am not sure how much these two were made out of love. It seemed more like alcohol was responsible for these two.”

“What do you mean?”

“T’Challa and I were both drunk-“

“T’Challa cannot get drunk,” Nakia frowned. Zoe laughed at her straight face, “He may want you all to believe that but he was all the way messed up. Stumbling all over the place, rambling about wanting to marry me and everything-“

“Zoe, if he said that, it was not the alcohol speaking. T’Challa can drink enough for 30 grown men and still only feel a slight buzz. I know this sounds crazy but now is not the time and place to explain. Just now that our country’s rulers are given a special ‘miracle drug’ if you will that helps their bodies function better than most humans.”

“So T’Challa was completely sober when that night happened?”

“Yes, and if you were drunk, he knows better than to take advantage-“

“I wasn’t,” Zoe interrupted, turning to hide her face. “You were not drunk either?”

“No, I just said that cause it was easier than admitting the truth. Do you know how it feels to give in to someone who you swore would never get to be in your presence again?”

Nakia nodded and looked up from the sleeping infant in her arms, “I married him.���

The room fell into silence again. “I forget how similar our situations really are.”

“Similar but not the same. He is truly in love with you. I highly suspect he always will be.” Nakia readjusted the baby in her arms.

“There will always be love for him in my heart but I have moved on. I’m starting a new chapter. I am in love with Michael.”

“I can tell, “Nakia giggled, “At the wedding, it looked more like you two were newlyweds. Dancing out on the balcony in your own little world.”

Iman blushed, “He makes me extremely happy.” She reached into the blanket and fished out her daughter's fist that’d she began waving in her sleep.

“I hope that I find something that magical one day,” Nakia sighed, “and finally get to have the family I want.”

Zoe pulled Nakia in for a hug. “These two are here for you to visit anytime you would like. If T'Challa is not treating you how he should, I say leave him. I know it is not that easy and I cannot pretend to know the stress and pressure you are under as a member of the royal family, and it may be the American in me, but you deserve a happy life too.”

Nakia nodded and smiled as Ka’aulani wrapped her tiny hand around her pointer finger and yawned. “I will think about it.” Naki smiled at Zoe before both of their attentions were pulled by Zoe’s crying baby boy.

“Aww baby,” Zoe cooed before another male voice interrupted her. “Aht Aht! You are supposed to be in bed.” Michael frowned as he placed the food bags on the counter. “And what just let my baby scream his lungs out?”

“He just needs him a little Mikey. I got this,” the actor cradled the infant in his arms and rocked him back and forth. “See?” He grinned as the little boy opened his eyes and stared up at the man. Zoe shook her head and scooted back into the bed. “Nakia,” Michael offered a somewhat confused greeting once he noticed the princess cuddling the twin in front of him. “Nice to see you again Mr. Jordan.”

“Likewise, is T’Challa here?”

“No,” Nakia shook her head, “I come alone but I must confess that I did indeed try to persuade him. But it looks like the twins have an amazing father figure already.”

“I will do my best,” Michael grinned and bounced the young boy in his arms. “So when will you make an honest woman out of my friend?” The future queen teased as the young couple broke into laughter. “As soon as she lets me,” the man grinned and Zoe rolled her eyes.

“Oh lord. Don’t get him started. He already told everyone to call me Mrs. Jordan at all of my appointments.”

“I think it’s cute,” Nakia smiled.

“I just wanna be back to my old figure before we even embark on that journey,” Zoe smiled watching her lover and newfound friend cuddle her children.

“I’ll wait as long as it takes,” Michael pressed a kiss to her lips and Nakia felt her heart soar at the fact that Zoe had found someone to love her. At that moment, she knew what she needed to do.

“Nakia?” King T’Chaka called.

“My king,” the princess stood and bent her head slightly to acknowledge the King’s presence.

“May I speak with you in the hall for a moment?”

The princess laid the baby girl in Zoe’s arms and let Michael take her spot on the bed. “Yes, my king?” Nakia shut the suite door behind her.

“I owe you an apology. I pressured myself, your father, and T’Challa into believing you were the only option and robbed you of the chance to a happy marriage. For that, I could never apologize enough.”

“It is okay. I still made the decision to go along with it. Even when I realized T’Challa was not in love with me.”

“You made the choice out of a feeling of duty and responsibility. That is not how you choose a spouse. In three days the 90-day annulment agreement is off the table. If you wish to leave T’Challa and this marriage, I wrote a loophole into the contract. It will be done quietly and you will be allowed to retain all that you have and your place in the royal family if you so choose.”

Tears welled in Nakia’s eyes. She threw her arms around the king and cried, “Thank you.”

The king pulled back, “Go and be happy dear girl. You only have one life to live. Make the decisions that are best for you.”

“My prince,” a servant knocked on T’Challa’s office door and he waved her in. “Your mother is requesting your presence at a hospital in America.”

The man rubbed his forehead, “Please tell my mother I am not planning to join them on this family excursion-“

“But my prince,”

“Please. That is all I have to say on the matter-“

“Forgive me for interrupting but it is your father. He is not doing well. She wishes that you join them to say goodbye, kumkani wam.”

The blood drained from T’Challa’s face when the staff member addressed him as the king for the first time. With those two words, she said everything he needed to know.

“Have Oneka ready a jet-“

“She is already waiting and a bag has been packed as well.” T’Challa nodded and jogged on to the hey as servants paused to bow to him, their first acknowledgment of him as a king.

“Why won’t they bring him here?” T’Challa asked his co-pilot Oneka as they lifted off into the sky minutes later.

“From what Okoye has reported, he is refusing. He wants to spend his final hours with his children and grandchildren. He also is saying that he has unfinished business at the hospital.”

“Unfinished business?”

“No one is quite sure but I am almost positive it has something to do with his new grandchildren.”

“So I assume you know what is truly going on at the hospital?”

“Ayo and Onoye made me aware a while ago at the king's request. I am to be in charge of the children’s security when they are here on Wakandan soil.”

“I am glad, they could not be in better hands.”

The woman nodded, “I am grateful for the compliment but I disagree. The best hands they could be in are yours. Yet you are here with me.”

T’Challa’s face hardened, “That is none of your concern.”

The rest of the hour-long plane ride went by in silence, with the new father staring out of the window. He thanked the warrior after she walked him up to his father’s room. “I am going to go see the babies. Ayo is already inside.” Oneka bowed her head before sheathing her spear and walking off down the hall.

The son took a deep breath before pushing open the door to his father’s room, “Baba?”

“Uyana wam,” the king pushed himself up in the bed. T’Challa rushed to help him up the rest of the way. “Where are mama and Shuri?”

“I sent them back to keep Zoe and the babies company so we could talk alone.”

“What happened,” T’Challa pulled up a chair to his father's bedside, “you were fine when you left.”

“The official diagnosis is a blood clot in my brain, but Bast has visited me and I know that my time is near. I will not walk out of this hospital alive T’Challa, and I want to right my wrongs. My last wrong, being you.”

“What-“

“I gave you the idea that an outsider could never be a good match. But after meeting Zoe-Iman, I am glad to say that I was wrong T’Challa. I am not saying go win her back. I have seen how happy she is and she is like a daughter to me. Therefore I see it as my duty to protect her from knuckleheads who will hurt her, my own son included. You will find another love T'challa. But those children you created, need a father. I would hate to pass on and think my discouragement led to them missing their father.”

“Baba I can’t-“

“You can and you will. As your king, I command it.” T’Chaka leaned back on his pillows and grabbed a letter off of his bedside. “Since you were not present, Zoe asked me to name your son in your place. But you are here now. If you would like to name the baby, then by all means go ahead, but please deliver that letter to Zoe. If you choose not to name the baby it outlines the name I have chosen. Either way. My dying wish is that you join those children’s lives now and love them like a father should. Train them in the Wakandan ways so that you may experience the joy I have had simply holding them as a grandfather.”

The king held the letter out for his son who took it and stared as if it might detonate at any moment. “Take it, I want you to see those babies. Goodbye Uyana wam. Kiss my grandchildren goodbye for me.”

Tears streamed down T’Challa’s face as he shook his head, “Baba please,” he croaked as the king closed his eyes one final time. Nurses, doctors, his mother, Shuri, and guards rushed into the room as the king flatlined. His son’s tears soaked the sheets and Ramonda had to move him away so the professionals could do their job.

Shuri pulled her older brother into a hug as their mother went to kiss her husband goodbye before he was rolled out of the room. Once T'Chaka was rolled out of the room towards the jet for his final flight home she noticed the envelope in his hand.

“What is this?” The queen grabbed the envelope from her son but he stopped her, “He wrote it for Zoe. She asked him to name the babies.”

“I’m going to go say goodbye, so you can see Zoe alone,” Shuri wiped her face stepping back from T’Challa’s hug. “I’m right behind you” the mother turned back to her son, “Make him proud. Be the man he knew you could be.” She patted the new king’s cheeks.

T’Challa thumbed with the flap of the envelope while trailing behind his mother and sister. Laughter caught his attention and he found himself peering through the hall windows into Zoe’s room. The love of his life was nestled in between the legs and arms of another man, his wife was holding his daughter as his mother pressed a kiss to her forehead, and Shuri was rocking the infant wearing a blue cap. His son. Sadness and happiness flooded his heart in equal parts. Before the scene could do irreparable damage he knocked on the door and fiddled with the envelope.

“Challa,” Zoe called, sadness laced the curves of her voice and the king knew that he couldn’t look up and face her pity for too long. “Iman,” the king moved closer in the room. “Before my father passed, he wrote this for you and the babies. I do not know what it says but he was adamant that made it you.”

“Thank you. Did he mention the name?”

“He said his answer was enclosed in the letter.”

Zoe nodded and everyone looked up at the king expectantly. He walked over to his mother, sister, and wife. He smiled, caressed each of the babies' faces, and pressed a kiss to their foreheads before moving back. “Thank you,” he turned to Zoe, trying to fight the frown on his face at seeing Michael kiss her forehead to comfort her. “They are beautiful.”

Zoe offered a small smile. “I will be waiting in the jet.” The king turned on his heel and strolled quickly out of the room. Nakia sighed and handed Ka’aulani to her mother. Shuri placed the baby boy in Iman’s other arm before pressing a final kiss to his small head.

“That was probably the best he could muster. You two get some rest and we will let you know about the homegoing celebration tomorrow.” Ramonda sighed and pulled Zoe into a hug of her own and placed a kiss on her forehead. She ran a finger over each of her grandchildren’s faces before leading the way out to the jet. “Wait,” Shuri poked her head back in the room. Your son, what is his name?”

Zoe waved the letter, “We will have to ask your father.”

“Give me my niece and nephew,” Shuri pulled the week-old babies from their carriers once the family was alone in the castle once more. T’Chaka’s funerals had been a days-long celebration of his life. Wakandans rejoiced at his transition to an ancestor and prepared for the coronation of a new king.

T'Challa was nowhere to be found but Ramonda chose to focus on the little ones her daughter was cuddling close. Her heart hurt for the loss of her husband, but she took comfort in having the babies close as their arrival was on his lips and smile until he took his last breath. “Thank you all for coming,” the Queen Mother smiled. “Of course, we wouldn’t have missed it for the world. I am just glad the doctors here were able to get me back on my feet in time.” Zoe-Iman brushed her daughter's hair back. Michael nodded in agreement and pulled his girlfriend in closer. “Did you ever figure out the name situation?” Shuri bounced the babies gently. “Yeah, meet Ka’aulani Akhona Udaku and Meluzmi Bathandwa Udaku.”

What do they mean?” Ramonda smiled at the thought she knew her daughter-in-law and husband had put into the children’s names. “Ka’aulani Akhona means the sacred royal gift. And King T’Chaka said Meluzmi Bathandwa means the beloved who represents home.”

Tears pricked Ramonda’s eyes. “That was almost T’Challa’s name. He always said he would give it to his first grandson,” the queen smiled and Zoe moved over to hug her. “He tried to insist I choose someone else, but I knew he would do my son justice.”

Michael cleared his throat, “he also gave me this letter addressed to the both of you.”

The actor handed the letter to the queen as she frowned. The babies started fussing and Zoe went to feed them in the corner. “Zoe-Iman,”

T’Challa stood in the doorway, “May I talk to you?”

“Sure,” Zoe handed her daughter off to Michael, before following the king down the hall into his office. T’Challa held open the door as the mother of his children and an estranged best friend walked through the door. “It looks nice,” Zoe ran a hand over the upholstered chairs placed in front of the large window. “Thank you.”

“You should put some pictures up. Make it feel more homey.”

“What is wrong with it how it is?”

“It feels stiff. You’re here, but it’s a shell of you.”

“You sound like Nakia.”

Zoe shrugged,” She’s known you for a long time. That’s why you married her right? You two were close as children?” T’Challa took a seat in his chair, “We are getting a divorce.”

“I am sorry, I did not know. How are you feeling?”

“Honestly,” T’Challa slipped off his sandals,” Relieved. I hated making Nakia unhappy. Maybe it is best that I am alone right now.”

“You are never alone,” Iman interrupted, “ We are all still here for you, especially right now during this time.”

“I know, I have a lot to rediscover. A lot to learn, about being a father, an ex-husband, a king, and a better friend. I am truly sorry for how I treated you, Zoe. I should have been there for you as a friend and as the father of our children.”

Zoe nodded, “I know, but like I told you. That was a promise to your children, not me. They need actions, not words.”

“I know, that is why I wanted to talk. I will be publicly claiming the twins as my heirs at my coronation. That will mean that they will have to spend part of the year here, with me. I want them to spend part of the year here with me. I will come and visit now since they are too young but we will have to-”

Zoe teared up and wrapped T’Challa in a hug, “I’ll do whatever it takes. I trust you, and I want nothing more for them to love and know you.”

“Thank you,” T’Challa sniffed when Zoe pulled back from the hug. “Of course, I would never keep them from you-”

“No, I mean...you have no reason to trust me after all the mess I put you through, but you do and I can do nothing but thank you and work to make my children proud. To make you and my father proud.”

“You will, we all just want to see the old T’Challa come back. For you to find happiness again.”

“We will see, but for now, my children are enough.”

“Then you should meet them properly.” Zoe reminded and the king stood and slipped on his shoes. “I know. I had been thinking, and it is okay if you’re not comfortable, but I could give you and Michael a break. For the night before you all head back tomorrow afternoon. The twins can stay here with me. Mother and Shuri helping of course.”

Zoe smiled, “I think that is a great idea, but something is missing.”

“We have a nursery and you can pump-”

“No, but I think you should at least know the babies’ names and hold them before you decide to have them over for the night. Not that I don’t think you will like them or vice versa, but what will you call them when they are crying if you don’t know them and they don’t know you?”

T’Challa frowned, “I hadn’t thought of it.”

“That is why they have a mother and a father. It is all easily fixed if you’d come to see the rest of the family. Everyone is worried about you, isolating yourself.”

The couple trailed out of the office and back down the hall to the living room, “I know, but I was dealing with the guilt of my actions. I just needed some time to wade through and process how I was feeling.”

“It is always hard losing a father T’Challa. We understand and we are just trying to help.”

“I know, but it was just not about my father… I lost the love of my life as well.”

“T’Challa-”

“I am not trying to win you over, I am just giving you an explanation. It was a selfish move, but it hurt so bad to see you happy and in love. To see another man treating you how I should have been doing. However, I am happy you are receiving the love you deserve.”

Zoe nodded, “Thank you. I’m truly happy and that means a lot.”

Taglist: @almostpurelysmut @blackbypurpose @tchoking @sisterwifeudaku @wikiwakanda @royallyprincesslilly @90sinspiredgirl @thedelightfulone @autumn242 @purple-apricots @kumkaniudaku @queertrex @kaciidubs @halfrican-heat @skysynclair19 @dramaqueenamby @gorjiss @leahnicole1219 @kreolemami @mzbritt @derangedcupcake @chaneajoyyy @lalapalooza718 @ororowrites @leahnicole1219 @sarcastic-sunshines @sarahboseman @faatassbitch @lady-love-and-glitter-roses @cxnismajcr @tchallasbabymama

[korgidorgi]

Lena Luthor x AdoptedTeen! Reader

Word count: 2357

Warnings: Swearing, insecurities, mentions of past trauma, creepy dad, fluff?

Summary: Reader (written without pronouns but with the intention of being female) is totally into electronics (which i know absolutely nothing about) and struggles with insecurities and opening up fully. A science fair comes up for her electronics class so she totally dominates it. However her insecurities play in, and a call from her abusive dad who has no custody over her anymore sends them over the edge. Her adoptive mother, Lena, is there with her every step of the way.

“Hey, how is your project coming along?” Lena pops her head in the doorway, wanting to see your progress on your electronics project.

The tunes from your favorite band’s latest album reach her ears, and keep you concentrated on your work. You sit on the floor, bits and pieces of various circuits, metal, wires and other parts of your project are strewn all over the floor. Your project sits in front of you as you find the right parts to build it. You don’t even glance up at your adopted mother as you turn the music down a bit to answer her.

“It's coming along fine, still gotta work on some of the circuits and fine-tune the motor movements.” You answer, attaching some more wires into the body of the project. “A couple of the motors aren’t working properly.”

“You’re doing a nice job there, looks like it's coming along great.” She comments, smiling at your passion for your electronics class. “Well, if you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask for help. I will always help you, whatever you need.”

She leaves your room, leaving you by yourself again to work on your project to the sound of music. The more you work on this one motor, the more frustrated you become. You know you can ask Lena for help, but the fear keeps you from doing so. You continue to power through your frustration, determined to get through this project, like all your projects, by yourself, independently.

“Stupid piece of shit.” You curse at your project.

Not too long later, you hear Lena call you out for dinner, so you surface almost immediately. She sits with you on the sofa and the two of you watch a show while you eat. You watch the show intently, commentating on how the characters are dumb and trying to guess what happens next, only for it to happen seconds after you say so. Lena joins in on the commentary, making you laugh at some of her lighthearted insults to the characters.

You and Lena have your good moments, but you’re still getting used to being under her care and guidance. You’re just counting the months and days until you get put back in the system. Thankfully this is only your second time out of a crowded home, with a family, but it still hurt the first time you were sent back. Although this time feels different. You feel safer here, more comfortable and confident. Lena has been there to help you adjust, learning all she can about parenting to help you. She was there for you when you first broke down at her place. She was there for you when you found out your dad was out of jail. You’re not nearly as closed off as you once were back when she first brought you home a little over a year ago. 

Home. Now that's a word. Will this be your final home? It’s starting to feel like that. Maybe if you just hold onto that hope.

You spot Lena’s car in the pickup/dropoff lane at your school, so you make your way over and hop in the passenger side, tossing your bag in the back.

“What’d you do today, Darling?” Lena asks as she pulls out of the lane. “Anything fun or interesting coming up?”

“Actually, my Electronics class is doing a sort of science fair like the art kids do. We’re supposed to create an original design for the project.” You rant on excitedly. “Basically they gave us free reign to do whatever we wanted, whether it was practical, or for fun, or something.”

Lena chuckles at your enthusiasm as she turns down the street, joining the traffic to make her way back home. “Do you have an idea of what you want to make?”

“Well, I’ve always wanted to make an Iron Man suit. Or just the helmet for a starter. I think it would be really fun!” You respond, thinking up ways on how you could make such a thing.

“I think that would be totally cool, Y/N.” She responds. “How would you go about making something like that? Wouldn’t a full suit take a long time to make? When is this science fair?”

“Well, I would start with the helmet. I don’t think I’d actually have enough time for a full suit, but I would totally make it for fun.” You answer. Lena knows your obsession with the Marvel Cinematic Universe, so she will always encourage you to do what you love, create what you love. “The fair isn't for another month and a half, but I’ve seen videos of people creating cool props with electronics and stuff, so for a helmet they use a whole bunch of materials like cardboard, or plastic, or foamboard or something like that.” You continue to ramble.

“I have access to a 3d printer.” She announces. “However, it’s for work.”

Her response dims your hopeful mood, causing you to let out a small pout. Guess you’ll just have to go with some other material; cardboard, foamboard, some other flat medium.

“I can make an exception though, for you.” She glances at you to watch your reaction, smiling when she sees your face light up. “I can help you design the pieces-”

“It's okay, I can design them myself.” You quickly say, once again finding yourself pushing her away.

“Alright, just let me know if you need help for anything.” She simply replies, not daring to push your limits.

As the date of the Fair nears, you scramble around to make adjustments and updates to your design. You continuously test the motors and placement of the pieces of the helmet and adjust them as so. You test out the LEDs in the eyes, the sound system, and voice control system. You’ve put so much hard work into the project, researching new systems like voice activation and using prior classroom knowledge to go above and beyond expectations. In fact, you’ve gone so far and beyond, you think you’ve gone too far.

As the date comes up just around the corner, you begin to doubt your project. You become self conscious of your project. What if the kids make fun of your obsession? What if they hate you for making such a thing? What if it turns into a complete disaster?

“Hey, darling, are you ready to set up and present your project?” Lena calls from the living room. The fair starts at 7pm, and you’re already having second thoughts about it.

When you don’t answer or come out of your room, Lena quietly approaches your bedroom and softly knocks on the door.

“Honey, you ready?” She gently pushes the door open to find you sitting on your bed, staring at your finished project worriedly. “Everything alright?” She asks, cautiously stepping over to you.

“What if everything goes wrong?” You begin, trying to hold back your emotions. “What if the kids make fun of me? They already think I’m weird. I did too much for the project, even the teachers are going to be mad at me for doing too much.”

“Oh, sweetie.” Lena sits next to you on your bed. “I think everyone will love it. This is one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen you make. And you did it all on your own! I couldn’t be more proud of you.” She gently brings you into a hug, whispering reassurances to you to calm you down and restore the confidence you had when you first talked to her about your project.

You finally calm down enough and the two of you leave to attend the Science Fair. The car ride was a little tense at first, until Lena asks if she can see the functions of the helmet you’ve created. You demonstrate the different features of it, slowly becoming more excited about the fact that you had built this thing by yourself.

Once you reach the school, you make your way inside to the gymnasium, where the fair is held. You receive a name tag to be displayed in front of your project. He and Lena have a short greeting before she helps you find a spot for your project among the many tables set up around the room. Kids and their parents with projects fill the entire room. Teachers wander the exhibits, helping people set up and answer questions about the night and meeting parents. You find an empty table in which to set your project and the label your electronics teacher has provided you with. You set down your covered up project, still a little insecure about your project and the people in the room.

You suddenly feel your phone buzz in your pocket, so you pull it out and answer it, ready to hang up on one of those scam callers or apologize to a “wrong number” person.

“Hey, sweetheart. It's been a while.” Your dad’s voice sounds from the other side of the call.

His voice makes you tense up as he continues. “I heard you’ve got a science fair thing going on tonight? Good luck. Daddy misses you.”

“D-dad?” You quietly stutter into the phone, unsure of what to respond with.

“Yeah, sweetie, it's me.” He chuckles from the other side. “You wouldn’t mind if I swung by to take a look at your project, would you?”

You don’t like the tone of his voice. A gentle hand on your shoulder makes you snap your attention to a concerned Lena. She tilts her head, wondering what's going on. You shake her off and excuse yourself and step out of the gym’s doors onto the school’s blacktop right outside.

“Honey, I know what school you go to.” He says, his words sending chills down your spine.

“N-no, you don’t- you don’t need to come here. I-” You stutter into the phone, losing more and more control of your emotions.

“Sweetie, I want you back.” He continues. “I want you back in my life.”

“Daddy?” A little girl's voice sounds from the other side of the line.

“Not now honey.” You hear him pull away from the phone to shoo the little girl away. “Please, babygirl, come back to me.”

“No. I-I’ve already moved on.” You try to stand up to him. “All you’ve ever done was bully me and make me feel like shit.”

“Hey! Watch your language.” He snaps suddenly before instantly changing his persona. “Come on, baby, why won't you let your dear old dad come visit you?”

“Be- because I don’t want anything to do with you anymore!” You raise your voice. “Don’t call me ever again, or-or try to see me. Cause it’s not gonna happen. I don't ever want to see you again, okay?”

“You can’t get rid of me, I’m your father!” He threatens, making you shake even more. “I will get you back one day!”

“Bye dad.” You hang up, cutting him off, and immediately block his number.

You’re so shaken up, you can’t bring yourself to go back inside. You just need to breathe. You lean against the brick wall of the school, trying to calm yourself down as you pocket your phone. You fidget with your hands as you continue to shake, not noticing Lena’s worried presence. She gives you space to calm down, keeping an eye on you from a distance. You glance around the space outside, trying to distract yourself from the previous interaction, spotting Lena. You finally calm down enough and slide down the wall, clutching your knees in your arms and placing your head on top. Lena gives you another moment before she walks over and sits next to you to give you company. You lean onto her shoulder, to which she wraps her arm around your shoulders in comfort.

“He-he called me.” You whisper, shaking against her. “He knows what school I go to, he knows i'm at a science fair. I told him off, but, Mom, I’m scared.” 

“Hey, it’s going to be alright. I’m proud of you for sticking up to him like that. Take a deep breath. In, and out.” She instructs. “I will never, ever, let him come near you. He will never hurt you again, you understand me?”

You nod against her, trying to take deep breaths to calm yourself down.

“Good. You know we’re friends with Alex, and Kara, and the rest of the Superfriends, and they would never let anything happen to you either.” She reassures you, holding you safely against her.

She holds you for another little while, allowing you to calm down before turning you to her. She wipes your stray tears and pushes some of your hair out of your face.

“Hey, you’re okay. You’re safe.” She reassures. “Why don’t we go inside and show off that awesome helmet of yours?”

She smiles softly at you, allowing you some time to get enough confidence to go back inside to show the teachers what you did for your project.

Despite your insecurities, the rest of the night goes smoothly. Your teacher was very impressed with your project. Parents and other kids were fascinated with the voice control you installed, and how JARVIS actually responds using certain responses to certain commands. Kids wanted to try on the helmet, so you let some of them try it out themselves. It wasn’t long until the night had to wrap up and come to an end. The teachers thanked the students that participated in the fair before calling it a night. The drive home with Lena was a comfortable silence. Lena had her hand resting atop yours the whole time, rubbing the top of yours with her thumb. She pulls up into her parking spot, but leaves the car running for another moment longer.

She finally decides to break the silence. “So, I’m a mom now, huh?”

Before you can open your mouth to apologize about calling her that earlier, she speaks up again, smiling. “I’m honored you think of me as your mother now.”

The two of you finish the night off with some junk food and a Marvel movie as a family.

[victoria-daydreams]

Of Vices and Virtues

Chapter Ten: Old Wounds

AN: I really don’t know what to say here, other than enjoy!

Word Count: 4.3k

Trigger Warnings: unhealthy coping mechanisms?

Taglist: @azayamari

Chapter Eleven: Bottled Up

"Claudia," Erik called. "I'm bored,"

We were sitting in Central Park where I sat on a bench enjoying the fall season of New York. The sound of children playing freely with their parents was all around me, and I couldn't help but to wish that was the childhood I had. So carefree, so normal.

"And what does that have to do with me?" I asked, too immersed in my reading to look up.

"I'd figured that maybe you would entertain me," Erik suggested.

I rolled my eyes and chuckled before I continued my reading, switching from both hands holding the novel to my left hand holding it open as I bit the nail of my right thumb.

"If you wanted entertainment, you should have stayed with Moira and Charles to watch the musicians playing," I reminded dryly, finally looking up from my book and turning my head to follow the sound violins being played beautifully.

They played Bach and Handel, then they moved to Mozart, and then they played some pieces that I was unable to identify, possibly compositions of their own. Their fingers moved as if they were dancing over the necks of the violins, the notes filled the air. The sound of high pitched laughter broke the daze I had gone into and my eyes darted to the source of it. A smile graced my lips as I watched a group of children playing tag with each other.

Erik followed my gaze, "How you ever thought about it?" he asked, looking over at me.

"Thought about what?" I asked back, turning my head to him.

"Having children of your own?"

"Maybe," I answered, slightly shrugging my shoulders. "If the world wasn't so cruel," I continued, sighing heavily. "I wouldn't want to raise my child in an environment that hates them the moment they're born," I added, shaking my head. "What about you? Do you want children?" I questioned, closing my copy of The Great Gatsby.

"I do," Erik answered, and I raised my eyebrows in shock.

"Boy or girl?" I asked again, turning my body to face him.

"Girl,"

"Aww, who knew that someone like Erik Lehnsherr would want a little baby girl," I teased, a smile on my face and Erik just rolled his eyes at me. "She'll be in good hands and well taken care of, she'll have a better childhood than the both of us," I proposed, nodding my head with a grin.

We sat in silence for a moment, Erik, I could feel him watching me, but I was too preoccupied by staring off into space, chewing on my bottom lip. Thinking of what could have been with my own family.

"Bombing aside," Erik began pulling me back to reality. "Did you have a happy childhood?" he asked, draping his arm over the back of the park bench, his body now facing my own.

"Bombing aside," I repeated, cocking my head to the side. "I would say I had a decent childhood," I corrected. "Until I was seven," I remembered, my hand closing and forming a fist.

"What happened when you were seven?"

"I found out that I was different from most kids," I stated quietly, a tight-lipped smile appearing on my face.

A high pitched squeal escaped from my mouth as I kicked the ball back to my dad before I ran around our small backyard the grass tickling my feet. A wide smile on my face as my bare feet hit the cool green surface, my toes digging into the earth. A bright yellow spot caught my eye, surrounded by a sea of green grass. I forced myself to slow down and stopped at the yellow dot, bending down I realized it was a dandelion. My grin grew wider and I snatched it from the ground, raising up from the ground I turned to the back porch where my mom and grandma were residing.

"Mama, look!" I yelled, proudly displaying my dandelion.

Mama lifted her head up from the sleeping of bundle of my sister and smiled at me, "That's so pretty, Claudia!" Mama cheered, and I nodded my head vigorously in agreement.

"Claudia watch out!" Daddy shouted.

I turned my head immediately to the sound of his voice and the ball we had been kicking was on a straight path to my face. I let out a shriek and threw my hands out to protect myself. And just like that, it seemed like time froze. I peeked behind my raised arms and gasped, the ball hadn't hit me, instead the ball was suspended in midair surrounded in a pretty shade of violet. Confused, I lowered my arms and was shocked to see the ball slowly coming closer to the ground as I moved my arms down; I was controlling whatever force held it. I lowered the ball to the ground gently, before releasing the force around the ball.

"Mama, Daddy! Did you see what I did?" I asked excitedly.

No one answered me. It was dead quiet and I swallowed nervously, as I looked at my parents and Grandma. Mama had her hand covering her mouth and her eyes were wide open, filling up with tears. Seconds later Daddy was at my side. Grandma got to her knees, before clasping her hands together and began praying quietly.

"Claudia, what did you do?" Mama asked, in the most frightened tone I had ever heard her use.

"I knew my parents were horrified, even my father, although he never let it show. I mean why wouldn't he be. What I could do...it wasn't exactly normal behavior," I recalled, a mirthless laugh escaping my mouth.

"They didn't disown you, I hope?" Erik asked, a frown appearing on his face.

"Luckily, they didn't. Could you imagine throwing your seven year-old daughter out the house?" I speculated, knitting my eyebrows together. "That would be horrific!" I exclaimed.

"What did your parents do after witnessing your ability? How did they react?" Erik questioned.

"They told me they loved me regardless..." I trailed off.

Daddy knelt down in front of me and grasped my small shoulders, inspecting me closely, "Claudia…sweetheart…Mama and I want you to stay quiet about this. Alright?"

I frowned at what Daddy asked, "But why? It's amazing and so pretty!"

Mama knelt down beside Daddy and gave me a small, sad smile, "Yes, it is. But you have to understand something...sometimes...people get scared of things they don't understand," Mama explained gently.

I tilted my head to the side as I processed what Mama just said, "Why would people be scared?"

"That's hard to explain, honey. Personally...we don't know of anyone that has a...gift...like you do. If you showed others, they may react badly to it and they might hurt you," Mama tried to further explain to me.

I looked down at the ground. I had noticed Mama's hesitation about using the word gift. It made me wonder. "Are you scared of me now?"

At my question, both Mama and Daddy embraced me tightly. "No. No we're not," Daddy said with conviction.

"But you didn't believe them, did you?"

"You know what? I did actually. It was what my Grandma said that made questioned my parents true feelings about my mutation," I admitted.

"What did she say?"

"She told me that one day there will be a cure for me," I spat, recalling my Grandma's words. "I thought that would be the worst thing she would say to me, but oh how wrong I was," I went on, shaking my head.

"I take it you developed your empathic powers soon after," Erik guessed.

I nodded, "Two weeks had barely passed after my telekinetic incident, when I started to get these horrible headaches," I explained, my expression darkening. "That's when I began to pick up on emotions that weren't mine. I had told my parent's that I could feel their emotions as they passed through their minds. Of course, at first, they assumed I was playing around but after proving my talent to them both, they were shaken," I added.

I shook my head again, thinking back to how it had taken my family quite a while to get used to my empathy. To realize that a pain in your chest caused by the anguish that suddenly rose from no where was not your own, but someone else's. It was a violation in a way, and one that made my family hesitant to be near me.

"My grandma turned completely hostile toward me. In an attempt to get rid of me, my grandma suggested that they send me to psych ward because I was having a a mental breakdown," I stated, crinkling my noise in disgust while shaking my head. "God Erik, why did you ruin this beautiful day by making me recall my childhood," I groaned, running hand through my hair. "Now I actually need some entertainment," I mentioned, standing up from the wooden bench and walking away from him.

"Claudia, wait," Erik called, and I could hear his footsteps jogging behind me. "Come on, you know that was never my intention," he reasoned, falling in line with my stride.

Sighing, I looked over at him and nodded my head, "I know," I agreed. "You know I can be over dramatic," I breathed, my lips quirking up into a small smile.

A cool breeze blew through the trees of Central Park, bringing with it a flurry of freshly fallen leaves which stood a stark contrast to flocks of lively birds making their way steadily northward. My eyes scanned my surroundings, people were about the park as always, going about their business as only New Yorkers truly could.

"Erik," I began, sliding my book into my coat pocket. "Do you think I'm going crazy?" I asked randomly, facing him again

He cocked an eyebrow and laughed, "What? No," Erik answered, shaking his head with a smile. "I haven't seen one sign that you're losing your mind," he continued, his smile widening. "A strange question to ask Claudia, I have to say," Erik stated, with a chuckle.

I shrugged, "I have a feeling that Charles thinks I'm going crazy," I theorized, interlocking my fingers together behind my back.

"Don't be ridiculous Claudia," Erik grinned. "What would ever make you think that?" he inquired, letting out a hearty laugh.

"Why else do you think we took this impromptu trip here?" I pointed out, unlinking my fingers and sticking my hand in front of me. "He means wells, but all because I was distant two days ago, he's been like a mother hen," I complained, beginning to fiddle with the amber charm of my necklace. "Always watching me from over my shoulder and monitoring me. I haven't been able to really use my empathic powers because all Charles wants to do is focus on my telekinesis," I finished, a slight scowl appearing on my face.

"Here's a crazy thought, maybe he's just worried about you, Claudia," Erik replied sarcastically. "You have been a lot training these past two days, one would say too hard. You're not eating a lot, I noticed that you're up later than you usually are," he listed, ticking them off with his fingers. "Not to mention your temper has been shorter than usual," Erik remembered.

"I am not up late," I argued, knowing that the dark circles underneath my eyes I hid beneath my makeup showed all of the signs of restless night's sleep. "Nor have I been short of temper lately," I insisted, crossing my arms together.

"You cut your lights off at 11:00 pm on the dot every night. Recently, your lights have been on up until 1:00 am," Erik deadpanned, giving me a knowing look and my brow rose. "Yes, I've noticed that," he added, answering my silent question.

I really couldn't help myself from asking, "Oh, so you notice things about me?" I questioned grinning. "Because usually I have to tell you when you should look for something," I added, still grinning.

Erik rolled his eyes and laughed, "I notice things about everyone," he replied, and then looked at me slyly. "But I maybe paying some...extra attention to you,"

We proceeded down the walkway not sure where I wanted to go, but I wanted to be somewhere. I came across one of the many fountains in Central Park and lowered my hand into the water and ran the tips of my fingers over it. A thought crossed my mind and I lifted my hand, flicking water at Erik and drew back from the onslaught of the water droplets.

"You're such a child," Erik commented, his lips curving into a smile as he went to grab for my hand which I easily spun away from.

"I try to be," I smiled back.

I moved off the cement path and walked onto the seemingly endless lawn of the park. I made my way further onto the grass until we come near a thick grove of oak trees interspersed with some hearty pines. There were people spread out all over the field of all sorts, around the clearing's edges parents watched their children idly. Women read magazines or gossiped with one another while men ate their lunches or smoked amongst the trees, college students were laid on picnic blankets or throwing a football around.

Sticking my hand out I began to trace the rough bark of the tree next to me, beginning to walk in a circle. I closed my eyes and let my hand guide me around the tree, circling the tree twice in blissful content.

"May I ask what you're doing?" Erik asked, stopping me in my tracks and I opened my eyes, he was standing next to me, an amused expression painted on his face.

I glanced at him and smirked, "Whatever I want I suppose," I answered, continuing on my path around the tree.

Erik began to circle the tree as well only he went the opposite way, "And what is it that you want Miss Walker?" he inquired.

"I'm in need of some entertainment, just like you," I answered, turning around to meet Erik in front of the tree. He abruptly stopped once he saw me, our fingers brushed together momentarily before I leaned my back against the tree, looking at him with a mischievous grin.

"What are you about to do?"

"That man can't remember if it's his wife's birthday or their anniversary," I informed, still grinning.

I pointed to a bald middle-aged man who walked to the right of us with a confused, thoughtful look on his face.

Erik continued to look at me confused, "What?"

I slid my hands into my coat pockets jut as another gust of the autumn breeze swept past me, causing me to shiver and sigh contentedly as it ruffled my dark hair. I closed my eyes for a split second before opening them.

"That woman, over there? Found out that her boyfriend was cheating on her. Nice right hook, that one," I commented smirking, before shifting gaze away from the woman. "And that man..." I trailed off, as he happened to look back to where we were.

He was a tall, young man probably the same age I was, his blond hair was tousled most likely from the breeze which framed his blue eyes along with his square jaw. He shot me a wonky grin and I just smirked and wiggled my fingers giving him a small wave as I stared into his eyes, scrapping what I had originally planned to do and formulating a new way to have some fun.

"What are you doing?" Erik murmured from beside me.

"Just watch,"

Suddenly, the football he had been previously throwing came sailing back towards him and striking him on the back of the head. The man flinched and let out a groan of pain, rubbing the back of his head.

"Hey man, what the hell!" he exclaimed. His friend glanced over at me, seeing that I'm the reason why the blond-haired man didn't see the football coming. "Are you blind? Why didn't you hold the ball?" he asked angrily, storming over to his friend.

"Relax Aaron," the friend snickered. "Stop ogling at a girl and pay attention next time," he suggested, shrugging his shoulders.

"You've got a problem, Luke?" Aaron asked, getting up in his friend's face.

"No, I think you have a problem," Luke said, shoving Aaron away from him.

I turned my head to Erik, "Are you entertained?" I asked grinning proudly, and Erik let out a short laugh.

I suddenly became aware of another presence near me and my head turned and gazed up at Charles.

"There you two are, everyone was wondering where you had gone off to," Charles greeted, a relieved smile on his face. "What are you two doing?" he asked curiously, his eyes bouncing between Erik and I.

"Oh, we're just watching a bit of entertainment," I answered, a smirk on my face. "Right Erik?" I asked, glancing up at him.

"That would be correct," Erik confirmed.

Charles looked over at me and followed my gaze, watching the shoving match between the two men.

"Oh my God, Claudia please don't tell me this is your doing?" Charles questioned, his eyes back on me now.

I turned my head to Charles, his was mouth set in a firm grimace, "What can I say? We were bored," I explained nonchalantly, with a shrug.

"That's enough Claudia, you've had your fun now," Charles declared.

"Hold on Charles, I think she's onto something," Erik disagreed, raising his index finger up. "No one is even paying attention to them," Erik pointed out.

"I'll never not be amazed with my powers," I remarked, looking around at people going about their day not noticing the fight happening in front of their eyes. "A little inducement of calmness works wonders," I mused, folding my arms together.

Within a blink of the eye, Aaron swung his fist out and it connected with Luke's face, sending him to the ground.

"Hell of a right hook," I observed, as Aaron got on top of Luke to continue his pummeling.

"Claudia!"

"You know Erik, I once made a man punch himself," I informed, glancing over at him. "One night I had this drunk customer screaming in my face, and I grew angry enough that I imagined punching him, and he somehow punched himself," I recounted, thinking back to my diner job as a teenager.

"Impressive," Erik chuckled.

"You should see what happens when I sing, with my power," I boasted, walking ahead a little bit to get a closer look at the two men on the ground.

I went to take another step forward, but hand held me back, keeping a tight hold onto my wrist. I looked back to see who the culprit was just as the wind gently ruffled my hair as I met the stern stare of a dreamy blue-eyed familiar face.

"Claudia, stop it," Charles demanded, his voice dropping an octave.

Sighing, I finally gave in, "Fine," I agreed, turning my head back to the men and restored their peaceful state of mind.

Charles glanced at Erik and I for a moment, and we all share a look.

"Let's go," Charles ordered.

~~~x~~~

"Hey, do you know what's wrong with Charles?" Raven asked, as she pushed the barbell up and back onto the rack. "He's been upset ever since we came back from the park," she commented, maneuvering her way from under the bar and sitting up.

I paused mid crunch and relaxed, looking between my legs to look at Raven, "Yes," I answered, sitting up and hugging my knees. "I'm the reason he's upset," I confessed, and Raven's eyes widened. "I did something that made Charles quite upset," I explained, pushing away the fly-away hairs escaping my bun.

Raven crossed her arms and wandered over to me, "Claudia Walker making Charles Xavier mad, I never thought that I'd see the day," Raven quipped, before sticking her hand out to help me up.

"Neither did I," I stated, shaking my head.

"I wouldn't worry, Charles can't stay mad at you. He likes you too much," Raven reminded with a giggle, as I grabbed her hand and she pulled me up.

The sudden motion made me feel dizzy, I slowly walked over to the towel basket and plucked one out, "I don't know Raven, he seemed pretty upset," I doubted, dabbing the cloth against my face and closed my eyes trying to stabilize myself.

"What did you do?" she asked curiously.

Opening my eyes as my vision had stopped spinning, I removed the towel from my face, "I made these two men fight for entertainment," I explained, and Raven’s brows raised. "Erik and I wanted entertainment, we had gotten bored at the park," I continued, beginning to leave the room. "Do you know where I can Charles? I should probably go make things right," I added.

"In the library, most likely. Where else would he be?" Raven joked, and I nodded my head in agreement and laughed before exiting the gym.

I wrapped the towel around my neck and made way down the hall admiring the paintings on the wall as I headed to the library. The door to the library was cracked, slowly pushing it open revealed Charles standing in front of the window. I walked quietly into the room but he didn't turn around, he simply waited for whoever had entered to speak first. Out of the corner of Charles' eye he saw me move to stand beside him, still not saying a word.

At last, I broke the silence, "It's clear that you're upset with me," I began, searching his face for a reaction, but there wasn't one.

"How about disappointed?" he corrected, still looking out the window. I turned to look at him again and I was surprised to find his face free of anger, his face was calm. "You could have seriously injured those men Claudia. Worst, you could have killed them," Charles stated grimly, staring at me.

Backing away from where Charles stood, I sat down on top of the sofa, "Oh, come on, I wouldn't have let it get to that point," I answered, crossing my arms and returning Charles' stare.

He turned all the way around to face me, "It should have never happened in the first place!" Charles argued, slightly raising his voice. "Why on God's green earth would make those men fight?" he questioned, throwing his hands up.

"For fun, I suppose," I answered, with a slight shrug.

Charles scoffed, "That's your definition of fun? he asked incredulously.

"Fun is interpreted differently from person to person," I countered.

"No, I don't believe that's the whole story. I have never seen use your powers so irresponsibly. What is going on with you?" Charles asked again, walking towards me.

I pushed off the sofa, "You have been mother henning me for two days straight and I'm at my wits end here! I needed a release!" I snapped, spreading my arms out. "I'm not myself for one day, and for two days you have constantly been over my shoulder like I'm some fragile-" I continued pointing my finger, until another wave of dizziness me, this time stronger than before.

I felt myself falling as my vision slightly darkened, but a pair of arms caught me before I fell to the floor.

"Hey, I got you, I got you," Charles repeated softly, my head leaning against his chest. He lowered us to the ground slowly, "I'm going to pick you up, alright," he announced, before hooking his arms underneath my legs and slowly lifting me up. He walked over to the front of the sofa and placed me down onto the plush cushions. "Good thing I've been a mother hen, right?" Charles asked smiling, his hand brushing away a stray lock of hair from my face.

"I guess it paid off in the end," I conceded, smiling weakly as Charles sat on the edge of the sofa.

He placed the back of his hand against my forehead and frowned, "Claudia, you're burning up," he noted, removing his hand. "I knew you were pushing yourself too hard these past two days," he continued, placing each of his hands down on the cushions on either side of my waist. "Why didn't you tell me, love?" Charles asked quietly.

He was tense, his hands were clenched into fist by my side, I lifted my arm and soothingly rubbed his arm and felt the muscles in his arm slowly release some of their tension. His blue eyes met mine and he relaxed a little more.

"I thought I could push through it, I've done it before," I explained, giving him a small smile in an attempt to make him feel more at ease. "I really didn't want you to start smothering me anymore," I added, a short laugh erupting from me.

Charles shook his head gazing down at me with worried eyes, "Yes, and look where it's gotten you right now," he remarked, shaking his head once more. "You are so guarded at times Claudia, you've got to learn that not everyone wants to hurt you. I want to help you, I truly do. But I can't do anything unless you can accept that," Charles stated.

I was shocked by his bluntness and stared at him in shock, being quiet for several moments and looking away. When I didn't answer, Charles reached for my hand and held my hand in his.

"Do you trust me Claudia?" Charles asked softly.

It was such a simple question, yet I knew it meant a lot more to Charles...and myself. I stared up at him saw the genuine concern written across his features, and knew that what he told me was true.

"You're the first person I have trusted in years, Charles," I admitted softly.

The telepath gave me the most adorable, beautiful grin of relief, "I'm honored," Charles answered, and lifted my hand to his lips and kissed the palm of it. The simple gesture made my stomach flip. "Let's get you some rest, yeah?" he suggested, nodding his head toward the door.

Chapter Twelve: What Are These Feelings?

[chrisdiels-babygirl]

Career Day At Pre- school

Ok y'all can blame @my-fangirling-outlet for giving me the this fuffy cute idea when she talked about doing a fic involving the boys as dads, which I can't wait for🥺🥰 so keep an eye out on her blog for that(shameless plug for my bby😌) so obviously I chose Chris to write about because the boy owns my heart💕

This is my original writing, please do not copy it, changing the boy is still copying, if I find out you plagiarized my writing I'll report your sorry ass✌🏼😗

You and Christopher woke up to your four year old daughter Amada jumping up and down on the two of you, she was especially excited as today she got to bring her daddy to school today because it was career day, you were invited too of course, but Chris was the one she decided to show off today, he was a little nervous, as some of the other parents were a little judgy about his job. You weren't really surprised your daughter had decided to show off Chris, you carried her for nine months and she came out being a daddy's girl, go figure.

After you had finished getting dressed you walked into your daughters room, to see her all flustered "¿Qué pasa bebé?" She looked at you and your face softened, her eyes were getting teary, "I want to look nice for daddy today but can't find anything to wear" she croaked out while rubbing her eyes, you held back a soft giggle "what about your grey sweater, your dark blue jeans and your white shoes with the yellow Daisy's on them" she looked up at you with the same big brown eyes and the same adorable smile Christopher has "thank you mommy" she said while hugging your leg.

After getting Amada dressed you all sat down for breakfast, christopher turned to Amada "well don't you look beautiful as always baby" Amada gave him a big toothy smile, she then sat eating her cereal, you asked her if she was ready for career day and she explained that she already knew what she was gonna say and she couldn't wait to tell all her friends at school how awesome her daddy's job is. After cleaning up after breakfast, you put Amada's coat on her and grabbed her school bag "have you got everything before we leave amor?" You asked her, she stood there tapping her small little foot thinking, she suddenly started running towards her room yelling "oh oh oh oh" Chris looked at you with a big smirk on his face "she got that from you, the tapping her foot and the forgetting stuff" he laughed "Cállate" you said while swatting his arm. Amada ran back out of her room holding a piece of paper "what's that" you asked her with an eyebrow raised "its for school today, can you put it in my bag please and don't look at it, its a surprise" she told you. You then got Amada in the car and drove to her to pre school.

As you walked in you could see all the other children with their parents getting settled, you took Amada's coat off and put it in her cubby along with her school bag.

Amada sat down at her table, Chris sitting beside her in a tiny little chair, you had to stop yourself from laughing at your giant husband sitting on a child size chair, you took a picture of them to always remember the moment. You then made your way to stand at the back of the room with the rest of the parents who'd also come along to watch career day.

One by one each child got up with one of their parents and explained what they did for the rest of the class and the kids got to ask them questions. By the time the teacher had got to your daughter she was bouncing in her seat with excitement waiting for her turn, you softly giggled, she'd gotten that from Chris, her excitement and inability to sit still, you thought it was absolutely adorable.

"Amada would you and your daddy like to come up now and tell everyone what he does" she excitedly nodded her head "yes Mrs Rodriguez" she got up and grabbed ahold of Christopher's big hand with her small, dainty one, pulling him to the top of the classroom, "oh silly me, I forgot my paper" she giggled while hitting her hand against her forehead, she scurried back over to her table to get the piece of paper and stood back at the top beside Christopher "hey everybody, this is my daddy" she said pointing at Chris, he flashed his charming smile and waved at the class saying hello "my daddy is the coolest person in the whole world and he sings in a band with my four uncle's, zabdiel, richard, Erick and Joel" she told everyone, Christopher listened to her contently with a big smile on his face "he has the most beautiful singing voice ever and me and my mommy think he's the most talented person in the WHOLE WORLD" she emphasized the last part, spreading her arms apart to gesture the whole world, Chris looked like he was gonna cry listening to his daughter talk so proudly and fondly of him. All of the kids were so engrossed listening to your daughter talk about Christopher's job and they had so many questions, being interested in his job, Chris took his time answering all the questions, your daughter looking up at him with pure adoration in her eyes.

After career day was finished and you were on your way home in the car, Amada fast asleep in her car seat softly snoring, something she also got from Chris, the two of you softly made conversation. You shifted the conversation in the direction of career day, Chris turned to you "you know I hate being away from the two of you, I hate how sometimes I have to miss important things in both of your lives, but knowing I can give her a better life with my job and knowing how proud the two of you are of me and how much you support me, it makes it much more worth it" you looked at him you couldn't believe how wonderful of a man your husband is and he was all yours, of course you had share him with Amada but you didnt really mind that. When you got to the house Chris carefully carried your daughter in out of the car, holding her snug to his chest, he carried her into her bedroom, gently tucking her into her bed and kissing her on her forehead. He then made his way out to you on the sofa cuddling up next to you watching TV thinking about how lucky he was to have such an amazing little family.

[whereisstevethestove]

Ventricle.

Fandom: Sanders Sides

Characters: Virgil, Logan, Katrina Flores (OC), Nico Flores

Relationships: Familial Logan &Virgil, hinted at Logan x Nico

Additional Tags: abortion mention, bisexual disaster logan, teen parenting, hate sex mention, logan having an emotional breakdown in a walmart, nico being a smooth motherfucker.

Word Count: 1805

Summary: Logan made a dumb decision when he was eighteen, which led him to being saddled with a difficult choice when he was just nineteen. Now he's living everyday with the consequences.(in the accidental adoption universe, but can be read as a stand alone. no prior knowledge needed)

Notes: *me, looking at the lack of nico x logan*: Fine, I’ll do it myself.  Also, I have an actual angst logan x nico fic coming out later today maybe, probably.

AO3  

@psychedelicships  here’s some logan and nico... at the end, but I promise it’s worth it.

He was nineteen, young and dumb when it happened-

Logan stared down at the sleeping boy in his arms, a newborn that was only five hours old, with a shock of black hair that was reminiscent of Logan’s baby photos.  He was the only one awake, his ex also asleep from the sheer toll of birth on her body.

She had wanted to keep him, and then, now that Logan was holding the infant, she had admitted that she was going just… throw him into the foster system and hope that someone wanted him.  Logan hadn’t wanted to keep the child, he’d begged her to have an abortion, but he’d promised in the end to still pay child support if that’s what she wanted.

But now…

Now he was holding his son.  She didn’t want him, he looked too much like his dad, and Logan could feel his own heart tearing apart as he thought of giving him up.  

His ex stirred and Logan looked up as she opened her eyes, a look of displeasure on her face.

“You’re looking at it all weird.”

Logan smiled softly down at the infant.  “I know.  He’s beautiful.”

“Easy for you to say, you’re not a teen mom.”

“You told me that you don’t want him.”

“And I don’t.”  She looked up at the ceiling of the hospital room and sighed.  “Where did we go wrong Lo?” Lo.

Ah yes, the nickname that she’d called him for so long, when they were first dating junior year in highschool.  Logan used to look back on his past with fond memories, but now everything was tainted the smallest bit darker with the realization that he had, in fact, cut his younger phase short.

“It was the drunk hate sex, I’m sure.”  He responded and she laughed.

“I can’t take him.  I want a life Logan.”

Logan nodded.  “I’m sorry.  But if I may?”

“May what?”

The infant yawned in his sleep and Logan’s heart broke again.  “I’d like to take him.  You won’t have to pay child support, we can go our separate ways and never talk again if you want, but goddamnit, I want to raise him.”

She shot him a rueful look.  “Take him.  After I’m discharged, I never want to see you again though.”

“Of course.”  Logan held back his happiness, but his face betrayed him and even she knew as she watched him hold the infant just a bit closer.

Maybe a part of her wondered how someone like Logan could have ever loved that deeply.

Maybe a part of her didn’t care.

…

Logan had a harder time the next morning convincing the nurse who was filling out the paperwork to put him down as the provider.  After all, the kid was supposed to go straight to adoption, and now the father wanted him.

Not to mention the whole naming thing.  She was less than impressed when Logan told her that he wanted the infant to be named Virgil.  

Logan won both battles and after a talk with Virgil’s doctor, he was heading out to his car with the infant safe in a carrier, which he buckled in before getting in the driver's seat and leaving.

…

He had no idea what he was doing.  Virgil was sitting in the shopping cart child spot, chattering happily in the gibberish that only babies spoke as Logan had an emotional breakdown in front of the baby food.

It’d been six months since Virgil had been born, and according to online and the various books he’d read, advice from his mother and also from his great aunt, the kid should be fine starting solids, but he didn’t know which.

Virgil babbled something and a tiny hand patted Logan’s hair.   He looked up and Virgil giggled before reaching for his glasses.  Logan leaned his head back a bit.

“Virgil, we’ve discussed that you cannot gnaw on my glasses.  You have a teething toy or a pacifier if you’d like.”

Virgil clapped.

There was a gasp behind him and Logan looked back to see a woman, who was grinning at the pair.

“Is that your son?”  She walked up to him and cooed at Virgil.  “How old is he?” “Six months.”  Logan said tiredly as Virgil clapped again and the woman smiled.

“He’s clapping so early.  Most don’t for a good while.”

Logan pumped a tired fist in the air.  “Wonderful.”

“I’m Katrina, I’ve got some little ones at home, it can be tiring.  How old are you? You look a little young to be this sweetie’s daddy.  What’s your name?”

Logan held out his hand for her to shake.  “Logan Alt, nineteen.”

“Oh!  Is your lucky bride at home?”

Logan bit his lip and looked down at the floor of the supermarket.  “Ah, no.”

Katrina seemed to freeze for a moment, but it was fleeting enough that Logan ignored it as she looked up at him.

“Six months you say?  He should be in prime time to start solids.”  When Logan nodded, she seemed to straighten up.  “Would you like some help with a list of foods that you can start him on?  I also have a wonderful book in my car I can grab you.”

Logan stared at her.  

Then he burst into tears and Katrina pulled him into a hug, rubbing a hand soothingly across his back.

“Hey darlin, I know how hard it can be, having a young one so early.”  

Logan nodded into her shoulder and she pulled him back to arms length, a soft smile on her face.  “You’re gonna be the best dad this kiddo ever has.  Let me help you get him some starter foods and then I’ll give ya my number and you can call me on my phone whenever.  We sure are damn lucky for these samsung flip phones, aren’t we?”

“Thank you…”  Logan stuttered out as he wiped at his eyes.  Katrina nodded and gave him another hug before turning to Virgil and patting his head. 

“Hey buddy.  I’m here to help your daddy, okay?”

Virgil babbled something and mirrored her smile.  Katrina gave him another gentle pat on the head.  “Thank you for letting me know that very important thing.”

Logan looked down at Virgil.  “What’d he say?” Katrina’s response was simple.  “That he loves you very much.  Onward to the bananas!” …

Katrina and her family were there when Virgil first waddled up to Logan, and said his first word.

“Space!”

Logan blinked as Virgil made grabby hands, but he complied and lifted his son up into his arms.

Katrina leaned over.  “Looks like you have a little science nerd.”

Virgil reached out and excitedly patted Katrina’s shoulder.  “Space!”  He crowed out and Logan couldn’t help but grin as his now one year old excitedly chirped the word again, squirming in Logan’s arms.

“Looks like you might be right.  Would you like down?”  Logan asked and Virgil nodded vigorously.

Logan set him down.  Virgil laughed and clapped again before looking up at his dad with glee.  

“Space!”

“That’s right.”  Logan nodded solemnly.  “Space.”

Virgil waddled off to where Katrina’s other kids were playing, and the group easily parted to include him.

“Kat.. thank you for inviting us to your Christmas celebration, you didn’t need to.”  Logan looked away from Virgil and she shrugged.

“Lo, with your mom’s passing in November, you told me that you didn’t have anywhere to go, of course I’d offer you my home.”  Katrina picked at a loose thread on her sweater.  “Virgil deserves a good first Christmas, and you need social interaction.”

Logan laughed softly.  “I guess you’re right.”

“I always am.”  Katrina crossed her arms.  “I need to go check on my husband, but I’ll see you around.  Try talking to my younger cousin.”

Logan looked around the room.  “Where are they?”

Katrina pointed to a man Logan’s age, who was sitting on the couch, surrounded by the stuffed animals that the other kids were bringing to him.  “Nico Flores.  He’s single.”

She winked and Logan rolled his eyes at her fondly before heading over to the couch.  Nico looked up from the kid who was speaking to him, a grin splitting his face.  “Hey!  I could use some company!”

The kid that he’d been talking to rapidly fired something at him in Spanish and Nico laughed before responding in kind as Logan carefully moved the stuffed animals and sat next to him.

Once the kid had gone back to the others, Nico held a hand out for Logan to shake.

“Nico Flores.”

“Logan Alt.”

“That your son?”  Nico pointed to Virgil, who was sitting on the ground as another one year old passed him blocks, which he promptly threw down with a laugh.

“Yeah, how’d you guess?”

“He’s the whitest child here.”  Nico ran a hand through his hair and grinned at Logan.  “You’re extraordinarily pale.”

“It’s the german from my father’s side.”  

“Ah.”  Nico laughed as a girl brought him another stuffed animal, taking one from the pile on the ground at his feet as she switched them out.

“Thank you Tio!”

“It’s just Nico, you know that Gemma!” 

Gemma gave a screeching laugh as she ran off.   

“So, how’d you meet my cousin?”

“I had a bit of a rough time finding Virgil, that’s my son, some food as he was about to start solids and I’ve never had a child, so I was unsure of what to buy him and she helped.”  Logan smiled as Virgil looked up to find him, getting off the ground to waddle over and hold his hands up.   He picked up Virgil, who pulled his glasses off his face and held them out to Nico.

“Space!”

Nico took the glasses and nodded seriously.  “Space.”

Virgil, pleased, wiggled out of Logan’s grip again, but not before stealing a stuffed animal from the pile.

Nico handed him his glasses.  “He’s sweet.”

“Indeed.”  Logan smiled fondly before shaking himself out of it.  “So, what brings you here?”

“Kat invited me because, and I quote: ‘There’s gonna be a hot boy here, I swear it.’”  Nico grinned at him.  “She wasn’t wrong.”

Logan felt the blush start to creep up his face and he swallowed nervously.  “Oh?”

“Yeah.  It’s a pity I don’t know his number.”  Nico leaned back on the couch and shrugged.  “It’s also a pity that there’s not really any mistletoe nearby, the cat’s allergic.”

Logan felt like he was gonna die.

“Guess I’ll never know.”

“Ifyoureallywantmynumberyoucouldhaveit.”  Logan blurted out in a rush.

Nico gave him a blinding grin.  “Sounds like a date.”

Yeah, Logan had made some dumb decisions in his teenage years.  But if it had led him to a warm Christmas party, with a cute boy his age next to him and an adorable son playing with his friend’s kids…

Was it really dumb?

[12tardis]

A Million Little Battles That I’m Never Gonna Win  (Newt Scamander x Reader)

Warnings: minor violence, mentions of bullying, mentions of anxiety, and a pretty trash toxic masculine antagonist  Requested: YES! My first ever request. Lovely anon asked: ‘could you write a fic set in hogwarts where newt and the reader has some sort of a huge argument from a misunderstanding, leading to him ignoring or snapping the reader while she (desperately) tries to explain? just a little angst with a happy ending “  Here ya go anon! I hope you like it.  Pairing: Newt Scamander x Reader Summary: Newt overhears another student ask you to the Yule Ball after you’ve already agreed to go with him. ANGST and lots of fluff to make up for it. Featuring angsty/hurt!Newt , protective!reader , mild mentions of anxiety and includes little Scamander babies! I’ll try and link my angsty song inspo too if anyone cares.  A/N: Thank you so much for the request anon! I wasn’t expecting to have this done so fast but I really enjoyed writing it. Sorry if I went a little overboard with the angst. Please send me more requests. Hope you enjoy x 

Words: 6,131

 It was a slow and sunny morning in the Scamander household. Y/N was preparing breakfast while Newt was attempting to help, occasionally flipping the pancakes or stirring the odd pot. Though for the most part he was just taking the opportunity to cuddle his wife from behind.

She moved away from him to lay the food on the dining table, but Newt was close behind her, finally noticing the presence of his children at the table.  How long had you two been sitting there?

“Mum, did you go to the Yule ball?”, your daughter called out when she saw the two of you had finally remembered that you weren’t alone in the kitchen. Her older brother was sat across from her at the table, turning to look at both of his parents expectantly. Usually he would make a fuss of being disgusted by his parents’ public displays of affection but even he was curious when he saw the way your eyes lit up in response. 

“Oh yes! I think I know where the photos are stashed away”, you said excitedly, disappearing into the next room for a few moments and reappearing with a small pile of photos that you handed to your daughter. You smiled and ruffled your sons curls when he moved closer to look at the photos too. 

“Wait, you went together?”

“You two were already together back then?”

“Mum, you look so beautiful!”

“WHAT happened to your hand?”

Your kids asked in rapid succession and you could only blink in response as Newt chuckled “she punched someone that’s what happened”, he said, only laughing harder at the incredulous looks your kids both shot you then. 

“He DESERVED it!”, you huffed, folding your arms when your children continued to stare at you wanting answers. “It’s a miracle that dance ever happened. Your father can be incredibly stubborn, did you know that?”, you nodded at the photo of Newt spinning you around the great hall, standing behind where your now husband was sat at the table and looping your arms around his shoulders.

“I can’t believe you actually had the gall to ask Mum to go with you, Dad”, your son jested teasingly to which Newt rolled his eyes, laying his hands over the top of yours. 

“I didn’t. She asked me first.”

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Newt had a smile plastered on his face as he wandered through the corridors of Hogwarts in search of you since you’d left your textbooks behind at lunch again. He couldn’t help but smile fondly as he set out to make sure you got them back in time for your next class. He’d had a perpetual smile plastered on his face all week really since he’d finally garnered the courage to ask you to go to the Yule Ball with him and you’d said yes without a moment’s hesitation. 

In truth the ball hadn’t even crossed his mind until you’d asked him to go with you the week prior and Newt had laughed in response, stating it really wasn’t his scene and that he’d rather let one of his mother’s Hippogriffs peck his eyes out. You had nodded in response and tried to laugh it off, but Newt had known immediately that he’d hurt your feelings and he instantly regretted his words. He knew he had to make it up to you. 

So he set about, gathering you all of your favourite sweets from Hogsmead and your favourite flowers before he’d asked you to the ball himself, making a show of wooing you like he felt you deserved and he was relieved beyond measure when you agreed. 

So yeah, he hadn’t stopped smiling since. That was until he heard the unmistakable voice of one Derick Drysdale, the tall and buff Gryffindor beater in the year above that had made it his life mission to torture Newt at any chance he got. Newt spun around on his heel to head the other way, freezing when he heard your voice. 

“Oh h-hi Derick,”, you stuttered slightly when the boy in question stalked over to you, standing over you with his huge frame completely overshadowing you. 

You despised Derick and you’d made the mistake of standing up to him once before which had only resulted in Newt copping a particularly nasty beating from him, so you’d resolved to keep your mouth shut rather than provoke him in future. 

“Hi there, little lady”, Derick murmured lowly, in what was meant to be a seductive tone but came across as more threatening in your ears “I was wondering if you would go to the ball with me?” Though the way he said it barely sounded like a question, more a demand. 

Newt’s interest was suddenly spiked, and he peeked around the corner curiously at the chance to see his high school bully rejected in some sort of poetic justice, expecting to see you turn Derick down. But Newt only frowned when all he could see was the boys hulking frame, with you backed against the wall of the corridor.

Newt waited to hear you tell Derick no, but you were frozen in place, imagining the torrent of abuse Derick would hurl at Newt if you told him the truth. 

Derick raised his eyebrows at you and tutted his tongue impatiently when you were just gaping at him stupidly “what, did somebody already ask you?”, he asked, his voice rising slightly with a clear edge to it. Most of the other girls would be swooning over him right now. 

“No!”, you barked out quickly with wide eyes, panicking as you recalled every taunt and every shoulder barge Newt had been on the receiving end of. “Nobody’s asked me yet. Nobody at all.” 

And just like that Newt felt his heart shatter, hearing you deny his existence with such ease. You were clearly ashamed to be seen with him and Newt felt bile rise in the back of his throat as he watched Derick lift his hand to your face to brush a strand of your hair back. 

You were the one person he trusted and allowed himself to open up to. Y/N, his best friend since first year and the very same girl he’d been head over heels for since second year. You were the one person he’d trusted with his heart and now it seemed you’d shattered it beyond repair with one statement. 

Newt didn’t see the way you dodged Derick’s touch with a flinch. He only saw the blush you had on your cheeks when Derick pulled away from you, hearing one of his friends call for him and Newt took that as evidence enough that you were charmed by Derick’s looks just like everyone else. 

“We’ll continue this later, little lady”, Derick winked at you before he left in the other direction and Newt was so stunned that he didn’t even notice you had turned the corner towards him until you had crashed right into him, sending all of the books in his arms crashing to the ground. 

“Oh Newt!”, you gasped, pausing as you took in  the foreign expression he wore on his face which you recognised to be sheer anger and betrayal within a split second. 

“Newt, I can explain!”, you breathed, reaching for his shoulders and sucking in a breath when he stepped back from you quickly, shaking his head.

“No, you’ve made yourself perfectly clear, Y/N”, Newt spat out, his eyes glassy yet somehow full of rage.

You almost recoiled at the look of disgust he shot you, but you tried to reach for him again “No Newt, it wasn’t what it looked like. Please you’ve got to understand!” 

Newt turned away from you, violently snatching up your textbooks once more, “Oh I understand completely Y/N. I’m freak,” he snapped, turning back to face you, his knuckles white from how hard he was gripping the books in his hands.

In his distressed state he could only conjure up every memory where you had dragged him off to hang out in your usual hide away and every time you would hide your face in shame whenever someone would tease you for being glued to Newt’s side. It didn’t occur to him that you were hiding your blush every time. 

He was so hurt that he couldn’t even recall that you’d been the first one to ask him to the ball or that you’d already knocked back a handful of boys who had asked you to go with them. You stood there feeling helpless as you could practically feel the walls Newt was throwing back up, his face setting into a steely expression you had never seen before, but you absolutely hated already.

“You’re so ashamed to be seen with me that you couldn’t even tell him the truth. Well I can be nobody to you that’s fine”, he spat your own words back in your face as he thrust your textbooks at you, barely waiting for you to grab them before he pulled away from you once again “enjoy the ball with Drysdale, Y/N,” he said coldly, walking away from you swiftly and ignoring you when you called out after him. 

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You tried desperately to speak to Newt and explain why you’d said what you’d said several times over the course of the following three days but he just kept scurrying away from you, without so much as a single look in your direction.

You’d written him numerous letters trying to explain yourself, but your heart sunk when you only found them all scrunched up and discarded in the common room trash bin. 

You had no idea Newt could be so completely stubborn and cold, it was shocking. The boy who used to make you blush and fill with warmth from a single crooked smile now had you feeling cold and invisible. You were gutted because you knew he was clearly hurting and all over a misunderstanding. And you couldn’t even fix it because he wouldn’t let you!

You were running late for potions class because you had once again misplaced your textbooks having gotten so used to Newt carrying them for you everywhere you went. You ran into the classroom, panting heavily and blushing darkly when everyone turned around to stare at you.

“Ah Miss L/N, how lovely of you to join us. You will see me after class,” the professor said sternly as you looked over at the desk you usually shared with Newt, letting out a sigh when you saw him sitting at one of the group cauldrons instead, leaving you to sit with another boy you barely knew.

Newt had seen your books that you’d left behind at the library and he’d rolled his eyes as he ignored them and made his way to the classroom. He now felt slightly guilty for the briefest moment when he saw you stumble into the classroom late, fiddling with your robes like you always did when you were feeling anxious, but when your eyes met his all he could picture was you and Derick. 

You sat down with a slump when Newt looked away from you, hardly focusing in the class because your falling out with Newt was now also starting to impact your sleep.

Newt avoided you again for the rest of the day, growing increasingly more frustrated when you kept appearing everywhere he went, trying to talk to him. He tensed when you had finally corned him in one of the corridors later that day, reaching out for him again but pausing when you heard Derick and his friends in the distance. 

You’d been avoiding Derick ever since your run in the other day and you’d been doing a pretty good job of it. But now froze when you heard him in the background just as you finally had Newt in front of you with nowhere to run because of course Derick would appear now.

Newt scoffed in response, with nothing but pure anger in his veins as he stared at you. How dare you stand there and look upset! He looked at you with that same steely gaze before he nodded in the direction of Derick “I think you’ll be perfect together.”, he said flatly and you reeled back in response like he’d slapped you. 

“Newt wha-“ but he cut you off, crossing his arms with the same disinterested expression “a bully and a selfish liar. A match made in heaven”, he said letting his emotions get the better of him before he could stop the words leaving his mouth. 

He regretted what he’d said immediately, his hands twitching by his sides when he saw your face crumple in response before you turned away from him and ran off, determined not to let him see you cry.

He felt guilty again as he watched you run away from him, every instinct in his body fighting to chase after you and apologise but when Derick shouldered him a moment later it was like being doused with a bucket of icy cold water and reminded him of why he was angry with you in the first place. 

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A few more days wore on and now the ball was only a day away and you had no intentions of leaving your dorm that night. You were both now avoiding each other and the other Hufflepuffs could feel the tension in the air. It was bizarre to see the power-not-quite-couple avoiding each other like the plague when it was obvious they were still drawn towards each other like opposite magnets.

Newt was mostly just bitter now and still set on being stubborn but now you were hurt and feeling lost. You didn’t think you could handle seeing him stare at you with that blank and steely expression again so you avoided looking at him all together, sticking with your girlfriends from your dorm who were growing exasperated with the whole situation. 

You were sitting at your shared desk in Defense Against the Dark Arts together, the both of you sitting as far away from each other as you could physically manage, staring down at your notes in silence while all the other students spoke amongst themselves. 

You were supposed to be working on your partnered group project together, but you’d been wringing your hands in your lap anxiously for 20 minutes now while Newt had been doodling in his notebook, completely oblivious to your rising anxiety.

Usually he would take your hand when you were like this, making sure you knew you were cared for and safe but now he was so focused on ignoring your presence completely that he hadn’t even noticed your fidgeting or the way your chest was starting to heave with your increased breathing. 

That was until Professor Dumbledore was crouching in front of your shared desk, looking up at you “Miss Y/N, go and wait for me in my office please.” he said gently, and Newt whipped his head to the right to look at you, his mouth dropping open slightly when he took you in , seeing the tears welling in your eyes and watching as you scrambled to gather your things. 

The Professor lightly touched your hand, shaking his head “Leave your things. I‘ll be with you shortly.” He said calmly, glad the rest of the students were too preoccupied with their discussions to take notice of you and the state you were in.

Newt opened his mouth to talk to you, but you’d already left the room and he was left to stare at his notes in confusion, wondering what the hell had just happened. Sure, he might have been upset with you but that didn’t stop him from caring about you and worrying the entire rest of the lesson when you never came back, even after Professor Dumbledore had returned to the classroom. 

Newt frowned when you still hadn’t returned at the end of the lesson and gathered up your things from the desk as the rest of the students piled out of the classroom. 

“Newt, would you care to tell me why you’re ignoring Miss L/N?”, Professor Dumbledore asked, sitting on the desk in front of where Newt was, raising his eyebrows at the young man. 

Newt looked back at the Professor, feeling suddenly flustered when all he wanted to do was ask where you were and if you were okay but when the Professor gave him that look he held up his hands.

“Well she’s ignoring me too! I am merely...ignoring her because- because she doesn’t care about my feelings so why should I care about hers?” He said quickly in defense, folding his arms across his chest stubbornly.

“Yes, she doesn’t care about you at all.” Dumbledore said sarcastically, shooting Newt a withering look “that is exactly why she just spent 20 minutes balling her eyes out to me over you. Because she thinks she’s lost her best friend for good.”

Newt shrunk back in his chair at the Professors words, feeling a flood of remorse as he looked away from the older man and down at your belongings piled neatly in front of him. 

Dumbledore sighed when Newt didn’t speak so he pulled a chair around to the other side of him, sitting down to be eye level with him. 

“Newt. You know Y/N. You know what she is really like and you know she would never say anything, or rather not say something with the intention of hurting you. You’re acting from a place of fear and hurt, and I think it’s time for you to be brave and put it behind you. You need to talk to her and let her explain herself.” 

Newt cringed because he knew the Professor was right, but he still shook his head anyway. “No there’s no way she’ll talk to me now! After the things I’ve said, the way I’ve treated her,” he said sadly. 

“Nonsense. Stop making excuses. Take it from me when I tell you it is not often that you meet someone who matches and compliments you on a such a level. You know I generally like to stay out of my students’ relations but I would hate to see you throw away this friendship. A once in a lifetime relationship, Newt.” Dumbledore said honestly, pausing a moment to look at Newt before he continued. 

“The ball is tomorrow, Newt. You need to go and make up with Y/N and treat that young lady to the dance of her life.” Dumbledore smiled, getting to his feet and pushing your things into Newt’s arms for him to return to you. 

“But I don’t even have any dress robes!”, Newt panicked, looking back at the Professor when he was in the doorway. 

Dumbledore snorted in response, moving to his desk to start grading the papers he had sat there “I will organise something, now go.” He said, waving his hand dismissively at the young man. 

Newt wandered around the grounds in search of you, growing increasingly worried and impatient when he couldn’t find you anywhere.

Eventually he spotted you across the courtyard and he wanted to scream when Derick was there yet again, standing over you and basically demanding to know why you wouldn’t go to the ball with him. 

“I would rather go with my boggart, Drysdale! No! I would rather go with a dementor!”, you finally snapped at the older boy, stepping into his space as the students gathered around you started to laugh.

You turned to leave when Derick grabbed your arm, causing one of your close friends and dorm mates Sarah to push him away “Oh shove off Derick! She’s going with Newt, would you just leave her alone?!” she said as you kept walking away from the boy who was now laughing cruelly.

“Oh! OH! It all makes sense now. You’re going with that freak Salamander. Even you know he’s such a loser, you didn’t even have the guts to tell me.” He sneered and you froze, already halfway across the courtyard away from him. 

Newt pressed himself into the corner, hiding out of sight and ignoring the stab of hurt he felt in his stomach as Derick continued to make fun of him for all the other students to hear. 

“I can’t really blame you though Y/N I would be embarrassed to go with him too”, Derick said, opening his mouth to continue his tirade and crying out when you flew back towards him and socked him in the mouth before he could continue.

He looked back at you in shock, gripping his face in pain as the other students gasped and Sarah tried to drag you away before a teacher came but you were having none of it as you shrugged the girl off and stood over Derick menacingly, your chest heaving as you glared down at him. 

“You’re a scum bag and a bully, Drysdale and I’m sick of you tearing people down and getting away with it just because you’re good at Quidditch!” you shouted angrily, jabbing your finger into his chest, causing the boy to back up. Meanwhile Newt was gaping at you with his eyes about to bug out of his head.

“Even if I wasn’t going with Newt I still wouldn’t go with someone as foul as YOU! The only reason I didn’t tell you about Newt was because I knew you would bully him at any chance you got because you’re a pathetic and horrible cruel person!” you were screaming and livid now as more students gathered around to watch the commotion. 

“He is ten times the man you will ever be, and you should be ASHAMED of yourself for ever laying a finger on him or anyone else for that matter. Why are you so insecure in yourself that you feel the need to torture others? Do you have any idea how many people despise you? How many people fear you? Do you WANT to be the reason that some students can’t sleep at night?” 

Derick had curled in on himself by now, his face fallen in realisation as he took in your words, hearing the whispers and laughter from the other students. He raised his hand towards you and Newt nearly bolted for you thinking he was going to hurt you but he realised Derick was only trying to offer a signal of peace. 

You stared back at Derick’s outstretched hand and gave him one last incredulous look “oh PISS OFF!” you shouted and you stormed off before anyone else could talk to you and Newt scrambled once again to chase after you. 

Newt found you sitting outside, looking over the lake while you tore at the grass beneath you like it had personally affronted you. He walked over to you slowly, like he would a wounded creature seeing how everything about you was screaming tension. He sat down next to you silently and set your things from class down in front of him.

“If you’re here about the project I’ve already finished it.” you said flatly, not bothering to look up at him. 

Newt winced slightly at your cold greeting, sitting beside you in silence for about a minute, just wanting to flee and avoid the tense interaction but he knew he owed it to you to persevere and fix the situation. He reached over and lay his hand on your knee “Y/N, I’m sorry”, he murmured gently, looking over at you and wishing you’d look back at him. 

He bit his lip when you showed absolutely no response, still ripping at the grass below you. “I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you. I didn’t give you a chance to explain. But I’m here now and I’d still love to go to the ball with you tomorrow”, he said timidly, his voice growing quieter with each word when you still refused to look at him. 

“I’m not going to the stupid ball,” you muttered grumpily, shoving his hand off your knee and turning your back to him, hugging your knees to your chest and shivering involuntarily when the wind picked up.

Newt sighed quietly to himself as he stared at your back, but he heard the slightest change in your tone that told him you were calming down. Slightly. 

“Y/N, I’m so sorry. I was...I was reacting from a place of hurt and I never should have reacted the way I did without giving you a chance to explain yourself. I still want to take you to the ball. I don’t even mind if you still want to be mad at me after it. I’ll even let you jinx me if you want. I’m just asking you to not hate me for one day.”

He spoke slowly and calmly, at some point shrugging off his robes and setting them on your shoulders, smiling slightly when he saw you tighten them around yourself and snuggle into the warmth. “I still don’t wanna go”, you mumbled, your voice muffled from you pressing your face into his robes. 

Newt smiled even more when he saw you discreetly breathe in his scent on the still warm material and he noticed how your body gradually relaxed. He took that as his cue to move in next to you, gently tipping your chin upwards until he could look into your eyes “and why’s that?”, he hummed, the amusement dancing in his eyes because he knew full well that you had been dreaming of the ball for months. 

You didn’t even realise you were pouting now when you saw the teasing look on Newt’s face. You huffed in annoyance, pushing his hand from your face, “you didn’t even want to go! I don’t want to go with someone who doesn’t want to be there.” You huffed, a light blush slowly starting to work its way up your neck from his simple touch and proximity.

Newt softened again at your response because he could tell you were feeling genuinely insecure about the whole thing. He caught your hand in his own before you could pull away again, taking your other hand in his and holding them both firmly. “I didn’t THINK I wanted to go at first. But then you mentioned it and now I can’t think of anything better than getting dressed up and dancing with my amazing best friend all night. I mean it,” he said, smiling adoringly at you when he saw your own lips pulling up into a small smile. 

“I know you must hate me right now and I deserve it, but I promise to make sure you have the best night of your life tomorrow.” Newt murmured, letting out a small ‘oomph’ sound when you suddenly flung yourself at him, wrapping your arms around him and tucking your face into his shoulder.

“Oh, Newt I could never hate you! I was never going to go with him, I just didn’t want to tell him I was going with you yet because I didn’t want him to hurt you” you murmured, your voice muffled this time into the fabric of his jumper.

Newt nodded in response and chuckled lightly when he could feel your voice against his shoulder. And he wrapped his arms around you in return, gently rubbing your back and hoping you couldn’t hear how his heart was wildly thumping in his chest. 

“I saw you earlier with Derick. I’m so sorry I lashed out at you. I can’t believe I ever thought you would do such a thing” Newt said after a while, when you’d both settled back down on the grass, you with your legs sprawled over his lap “I’m sorry I’ve been such a rotten friend to you this week.” He murmured, looking down at his knees in shame. 

You shook your head quickly, this time taking his hands in your own “it’s okay Newt, it was just a misunderstanding. You were hurting and you felt betrayed. I probably would have been the same in your place.” You said understandingly, squeezing his hands in your own. 

Newt smiled thankfully at you, the swelling bruises on your hand catching his eye and he gently brushed his thumb over your knuckles “does that hurt?”, he murmured, watching you as you flinched slightly and nodded.

“Just a bit”, you whispered back, the blush returning to your cheeks as you watched him lift your hand to his mouth, pressing gentle kisses to each bruise as he held your gaze. 

Merlin, he was going to be the death of you.

He paused with his lips against your skin, his face cracking into a wide grin as he laughed, “God I can’t believe you punched Derick Drysdale. In the face.” He smiled, recognising the slight look of guilt in your expression until you recalled what he’d said about Newt and your face darkened again. 

“He deserved it.” you grumbled and Newt laughed again, gently helping you to your feet after casting a quick healing charm on your hand. He kept his hold of your hand with your textbooks hoisted up in his other arm as he lead you both back to the Hufflepuff common room, noticing the relieved sighs that came from your dorm friends when they saw that you two had clearly made up. 

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The next evening Newt was waiting nervously at the bottom of the grand staircase, watching all the other students arrive and wander into the decked-out hall arm in arm. 

He fidgeted with the collar of the dress robes Dumbledore had managed to get him. He had looked at his reflection and decided he looked surprisingly okay, his unruly hair was slightly more tamed a top his head and the robes fit him well. He just hoped you’d like the corsage he’d painstakingly crafted for you. 

He’d spent the day out foraging for the perfect combination of your favourite flowers, even pinning a small matching one to his lapel. His eyes widened when you appeared on the staircase, carefully making your way down to him. 

“Merlin’s beard”, he whispered to himself, taking in the way the silky fabric of your dress draped over your body and trailed behind you. He blinked a few times, seriously wondering if he’d died and gone to heaven because you simply had to be an angel. 

The way the light fell upon you and the way your hair was pinned back with pieces falling around you face had him flushing warm as he kicked himself out of his stupor and rushed to meet you at the bottom of the stair case, offering you his arm.

You gripped his arm as you moved from the last step, turning to him with a bright smile, both of you reaching for the other at the same time “Newt, you look so handsome!”, you said, gripping his hands in your own as you vaguely noticed the flash of a camera in the distance. 

Newt was staring at you stupidly again as he took in the way your eyes shimmered, highlighted by the elegant make up you wore and how kissable your lips looked painted like that. He was shaken from his thoughts again when you squeezed his hands and he grinned back at you, his cheeks pleasantly flushed. 

“Y/N, you look so ridiculously incredible”, he said honestly.

It was your turn to blush now as you ducked your head slightly with a bashful giggle and Newt took the chance to take the corsage out from his jacket pocket, gently working it over your hand and onto your wrist. You stared down at the small floral arrangement, your own stomach flipping as you could tell he’d obviously put it together himself as it was all of your favourite flowers. “Oh, Newt thank you, it’s perfect! You could have just bought one like everyone else, I wouldn’t have been upset”, you murmured and pecked a quick kiss to his cheek.

Newt bit his lip and felt his skin tingle where your lips had just been, shaking his head at you as he wrapped his arm around yours and lead you into the hall “only the best for you” he murmured into your ear, feeling slightly intimidated by the way the students from your year were staring at you both. 

But as the night wore on his worries washed away and he focused on enjoying the night with you, spinning you around the dance floor and making sure you knew how beautiful you were. He sat down by one of the ice sculptures later that night to rest his feet for a moment, tensing when Derick Drysdale suddenly appeared in front of him.

You leapt to your feet quickly, immediately taking a defensive stance in front of Newt and Newt grabbed your arm, trying to soothe you “Y/N it’s okay”, he murmured quietly for only you to hear, squeezing your hand in his own. 

Derick held his hands up quickly in surrender “no I just came to apologise please don’t hit me again” he murmured, his nose swollen and purple in the middle of his face. You only raised an eyebrow at the boy in response, narrowing your eyes at him as he turned to face Newt. 

“Newt, I came to apologise. I...I realise Y/N was right and I’ve been a bully when you’ve done nothing at all to deserve it. I know it’s not my right to ask for forgiveness and I can’t expect you to ever grant me that, but I just wanted you to know I am truly sorry for anything I’ve ever said or done to you. I don’t have any excuses for myself I’m sorry.” he said, looking down at his shoes in shame and Newt looked at him in surprise, seeing the genuine remorse on his features. 

“And Y/N I’m sorry for harassing you and making you uncomfortable this last week. You’re uh...you’re a really strong and admirable person.” He said awkwardly as you continued to stare at him. “But yeah, I’m really sorry for everything, Newt. I won’t bother you again.”

But you were still not convinced and Newt squeezed your hand again when he saw you about to give Derick a peace of your mind again “thank you Derick”, Newt cut in smoothly, brushing his thumb over your knuckles again and mentally willing you to calm down. “I appreciate the apology, it takes a lot of courage to admit your wrong doings. We can put this behind us.” He nodded, waiting until Derick eventually left before he tugged on your hand, which landed you in his lap rather clumsily.

He chuckled softly and caught you in his arms, smiling fondly up at you “you are so feisty sometimes I swear you’re really a Gryffindor”, he said as you looped your arms around his shoulders and smiled back down at him sheepishly.

“Only when it comes to you”, you murmured, lightly sweeping his hair from his eyes as you relaxed on his lap, not caring in the slightest about the people that were beginning to stare at you. 

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Newt smiled softly at the memories, pressing a kiss to the back of your hand as your children continued looking through the photos. 

“And no, we weren’t together. We were just friends then.” you said eventually and your son barked out a laugh, motioning to the photo of you and Newt seeing each other at the staircase for the first time that evening, your hands intertwined and matching smiles on your faces “just friends my ass! You two look like this right now!”, he exclaimed.

His sister nodded furiously in agreement, looking at the next photo that showed you sat in Newt’s lap by a huge ice sculpture with a smile of awe “you look so in love” she cooed, watching the way young Newt tugged on your hand, sending you falling into his lap as you both laughed. The photo had captured Newt catching you in his arms, his arm coming to wrap around your waist as you slung your arms around his shoulders, the two of you lost in each other’s eyes. 

“Well yes. I was in love”, Newt hummed, peering over his youngest’ shoulder to see the photograph before he tugged on your hand, pulling you into his lap just like in the photograph, the both of you giggling before you pecked him on the lips softly.

“That right there, was when I vowed to one day marry your mother.” Newt hummed, squeezing your hip when you blushed in response. “And I was just thinking about how your father had the most incredible eyes I’d ever seen.” you countered, and Newt reached out to flick your son across the head when he made dramatic gagging sounds in response. 

“You’re the one that asked!” you both exclaimed together.

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***TITLE: I Am Easy To Find - The National makes me fall apart EVERY. TIME. I MEAN MATT’S VOICE IN THE FINAL CHORUS I’m still standing in the same place Where you left me standing …. There’s a million little battles that I’m never gonna win,  anyway I’m still waiting for you every night with ticker tape *** -MASTERLIST HERE-