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fanfics4world · 5 months ago

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Chapter 4: Kingdom of Hearts

The Queen of Hearts sat on her throne, her fingers drumming softly on the golden armrest. The throne room was silent, save for the soft murmur of servants moving cautiously around her.

The radical change in her daughter's demeanour had not gone unnoticed by her, Bridget, who was already a radiant sunshine, exuded more joy than her mother could ever have imagined.

She had even gone so far as to ask her mother how she realised she really loved her father, or what they had given her on their first anniversary.

The queen had a sneaking suspicion about what might have happened in her daughter's life, and who was responsible for it.

Even though the queen already knew who she was, she wanted to meet her personally.

Her thoughts turned to Skye, the daughter of her enemy. She had heard rumours about the girl who had captured her daughter's heart, and though her protective instincts made her hesitant, she also felt a growing curiosity. Who was this person who had managed to do what few others could: win her daughter's affections?

The queen sighed, she knew Bridget was strong and determined, but she also knew that love could be a powerful and manipulative force. She wanted to make sure that the person accompanying her daughter was worthy of her trust and affection.

"I hope Bridget understands that I only want what's best for her"

The queen had a plan in mind. Determined to meet the girl who had captured her daughter's heart, she decided to send a letter to Skye, making her think it was Bridget who was inviting her to meet her at the lake in the Kingdom of Hearts.

Dear Skye,

I've been thinking a lot about you and what we've shared. I'd like to see you. Could you meet me at the lake in the Kingdom of Hearts tomorrow at 11 o'clock?

With love,

Bridget

The queen smiled with satisfaction as she sealed the letter with the royal emblem.

She knew she could not send her usual messenger, however, she knew someone who could deliver the letter without a problem.

"Chessur" she called. "I know you can hear me kitty"

Not five seconds passed when the cat's large smile appeared in front of her, soon after the rest of the body materialised.

"Is there anything you wish your majesty?" asked Chessur. The queen was aware that the cat spent most of its days in the White Kingdom, but it was one of the few creatures in Wonderland that hadn't chosen a side, which came in very useful on occasions like this.

"I need you to deliver this letter to Skye," said the queen, extending the letter. "From Bridget"

Chessur took the letter, but a shadow of doubt crossed his face. He believed that neither of the couple's mothers were aware of their recent relationship, he didn't know if he should be surprised that the queen knew Skye's identity or that she looked so.... Calm about it.

Finally, he nodded. "I will," he said, though his voice lacked its usual cheerfulness.

And with that, he vanished into thin air, leaving the Queen of Hearts alone with her thoughts and plans.

Skye was in her room, staring out the window as the sun set over the horizon. It had been a week since she and Bridget had confessed their feelings, and Skye was sure it was the first time in her entire life that she could say she was truly happy. The feeling was so new and wonderful that sometimes it was hard to believe it was real.

Every time she thought of Bridget, a warm surge of emotion washed over her. She remembered the softness of her lips and the sincerity in her eyes. It all seemed unbelievable and unreal, like a dream she didn't want to wake up from. But it was real, and that filled her with a happiness she had never known.

She remembers how she told Daniel that night, her voice trembling with excitement and nervousness. "Daniel," she had said, "I have something to tell you." Even the word seemed to sound so incredible in her mouth.

My girlfriend.

Daniel had looked at her with a mixture of surprise and delight. "Your girlfriend?" he repeated, as if he needed to make sure he'd heard right. Skye nodded, feeling her heart pounding. "Yes, Bridget is my girlfriend"

The disbelief in Daniel's eyes turned into a warm smile. "I’m happy for you, Skye," he said. "You deserve it"

Skye felt like she was floating on a cloud. Life, which had once seemed like an endless series of responsibilities and challenges, now shone with a new light. Every day was an opportunity to discover something new about Bridget, to share laughter and dreams, to build a future together.

Suddenly, Chessur appeared in the room, interrupting her thoughts, his smile hovering in the air before his body fully materialised.

"I have a letter for you, your highness," he announced, handing her the sealed envelope.

Skye took the letter curiously and opened it quickly. As she read the words, her eyes lit up with excitement. "It's from Bridget," she said with a beaming smile. "She wants to meet me at the lake in the Kingdom of Hearts tomorrow"

What surprise have you prepared for me, princess?

Skye arrived at the lake in the Kingdom of Hearts, her heart pounding with anticipation. She had chosen to wear her usual white leather jacket matched with a long-sleeved blouse of the same colour.

The sun was beginning to rise, tinting the sky in shades of gold and pink. She looked around, searching for Bridget, but instead of her beloved, she saw something that made her stop in her tracks.

From out of the trees and bushes, the Queen of Hearts' card soldiers emerged, quickly surrounding her. Skye stood on guard, her hand going instinctively to the hilt of her sword. She knew that if she was caught, the punishment would be her death.

She drew her sword with determination. The soldiers advanced, their movements synchronised and menacing. Skye moved nimbly, dodging and blocking the attacks with impressive skill. But there were too many of them.

Despite her bravery and skill, the soldiers managed to subdue her. One of them disarmed her, and another pinned her down, forcing her to kneel on the ground. Skye was breathing heavily, her mind working frantically to find a way out.

For a moment, a dark thought crossed her mind: What if Bridget had betrayed her? What if she had given her to her mother? The thought hit her hard, reminding her of what she'd thought last night, that it all seemed too unreal. But Skye wasn't fooled by her thoughts. She knew there had to be more to it.

"No, Bridget would never do this to me," she told herself, trying to calm her racing heart.

But what if....

"Take her to the Queen of Hearts!" one of the soldiers ordered, and Skye knew her situation was desperate.

The card soldiers led Skye through the Kingdom of Hearts, their footsteps echoing on the cobblestone streets. As they moved on, Skye clearly noticed people staring at her. Some watched her with looks of hatred, their eyes filled with resentment towards the daughter of the White Queen. Others, however, looked at her with compassion, as if they knew what her fate would be.

Skye felt fear growing inside her. There was no escape, and the reality of her situation hit her hard. For a moment, her thoughts turned to her mother. Would she find out what had happened? What would she do about it? Would she cry over her daughter's death, or just lament the loss of her heiress?

Fear and uncertainty enveloped her, but Skye forced herself to hold her head high. She couldn't afford to show weakness, not now.

As the soldiers led her closer to the Queen of Hearts' palace, Skye took a deep breath, trying to calm her mind. She thought of Bridget, of their love and the promise they had made to each other. That hope, however faint, was the only thing keeping her steady.

Skye shakily made her way down the long corridor of the Castle of Hearts. The walls were decorated with red and gold tapestries. All around her, the card soldiers watched her with cold, calculating gazes, their red hearts glowing brightly in their armour.

The air was laden with a sweet, heavy scent, a mixture of roses and fear. Skye couldn't help but wonder if her execution would be public, a spectacle to satisfy the queen's bloodlust, or would she be locked away in a dark dungeon, left to languish until her final moments? Uncertainty consumed her.

Her thoughts turned to Bridget - would she watch her die, would she stand there in the crowd, heartbroken with her eyes filled with tears? The thought of Bridget having to watch her end was almost more painful than death itself.

As she moved forward, Skye noticed the hallway narrowing, leading her towards a large wooden door.

One of the guards pushed open the heavy wooden door and they entered the imposing throne room. The room was bathed in a red light emanating from the huge stained glass windows, creating an almost surreal atmosphere. In the centre, on a throne of intertwined hearts, stood the Queen of Hearts, Bridget's mother. Her presence was imposing, with a crown that glowed with a menacing radiance.

Skye felt her heart stop for an instant. The guards pushed her forward, but before she could react, the queen raised a hand and commanded in a firm voice, "Release her from her bonds"

The guards obeyed immediately, and Skye, shocked, rubbed her wrists as she stared at the queen in disbelief. Why was she being released? Was this a last gesture of mercy before her condemnation?

The Queen of Hearts watched Skye's confused expression and an amused smile tugged at her lips. "I brought you here to meet you personally," she said in a voice that echoed through the room. "I’m sorry it had to be this way"

Meanwhile, in the kingdom's bakery, Bridget was carefully selecting some ingredients. The aroma of freshly baked bread and sweets filled the air, creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere. Bridget smiled as she selected fresh strawberries and some chocolate, thinking about the special recipe she wanted to make for Skye.

Excitement bubbled inside her. Since Skye had become her girlfriend, every moment seemed brighter and full of possibilities. Bridget wanted to surprise her with something sweet, something that reflected the love and joy she felt every time she thought of her.

As she paid at the counter, Bridget couldn't help but imagine Skye's expression as she tasted her creation. Would she like it? Would she be surprised? The thought of seeing Skye happy made her heart beat faster.

As they left the bakery, Bridget overheard two women conversing in hushed tones. "Did you hear? The guards captured the princess of the White Kingdom," one of them said. "Do you think this will spark a war?" asked the other, concern in her voice.

Bridget was stunned. Had Skye been caught? Was she safe? Her mind filled with questions and fears. What would her mother do to her? Anguish swept through her, and without a second thought, she took off running toward the palace.

Every step she took felt like a racing heartbeat. The bag of ingredients swayed in her hand, forgotten in her hurry. Bridget had only one thought in mind: get there on time. She couldn't let Skye suffer, not when they had just found happiness together.

The road to the palace seemed endless, but Bridget didn't stop. Her love for Skye gave her strength, and with each step, her determination grew. She had to get there before it was too late.

In the throne room, the Queen of Hearts surveyed Skye with a piercing gaze. "Do you love my daughter?" she asked, her voice direct and blunt.

Skye was silent for a moment, feeling the weight of the question. Finally, she took a breath and, in a shaky voice, began to speak. "I don't know what love is," she confessed. "But when I'm with Bridget, I feel like nothing else in the world matters. All I want is for her to be happy. Ever since I met her, I can't imagine a future where she's not around"

Skye paused, her eyes full of emotion. "When I'm with her, I feel like time stands still. Her laughter is like music to my ears, and I would give my kingdom for one of her smiles. Bridget makes me feel complete, as if all the pieces of my life finally fit together. I don't know how to explain it, but when I look at her, I feel a warmth in my heart that I've never felt before"

The Queen of Hearts watched her silently, and then a smile tugged at her lips. "That, my dear, is love"

Skye felt a mixture of relief and surprise. The queen's words resonated in her heart, giving her a new understanding of her own feelings.

Just then, the door to the throne room burst open and Bridget burst in, her face full of worry. "Mom, I can explain, she-!" she shouted, but stopped dead in her tracks as she took in the scene in front of her.

Skye and her mother were calm, and her mother was even smiling. Bridget froze, confused. This was not the confrontational scene she had imagined. Her heart pounded as she tried to comprehend what was happening.

Her mother raised a hand and called one of her guards. "Announce throughout all the kingdom that, as of this moment, Princess Skye of the White Kingdom is welcome in the Kingdom of Hearts," she ordered sternly.

Bridget was even more shocked, her eyes widened. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Was her mother really accepting Skye?

Her mother turned to her with a warm smile. "Bridget, dear, why don't you take Skye to the coffee shop in the kingdom that you love so much? I'm sure you two have a lot to talk about"

Bridget nodded slowly, still processing everything that had happened. She walked over to Skye and took her hand, feeling a mixture of relief and happiness.

Bridget led Skye out of the throne room, followed by the gaze of her mother, who was watching them with a complicit expression. As they stepped out into the hallway, Skye opened her mouth to explain what had happened, but before she could say a word, she felt Bridget's lips on hers. They shared a kiss filled with all her worries and fears, a kiss that seemed to stop time.

When they broke apart, Bridget looked up at her with a mixture of concern and relief. "Don't you dare scare me like that again. For a moment, I was afraid of losing you"

Skye held Bridget's face in her hands, "It'll take more than your mother and her soldiers to keep me away from you, cupcake," she replied firmly. Then, with a smile, she added, "Where’s that coffee shop?"

As they walked down the hall together, Bridget couldn't stop smiling. Knowing that Skye was safe and that her mother accepted her filled her heart with joy. The feeling of having Skye by her side, of knowing that they were together and that nothing would separate them, gave her a peace she had never known before.

Bridget, holding hands with Skye, dragged her around the Kingdom of Hearts, her enthusiasm infectious. As they walked, Bridget talked endlessly about all the places and her favorite spots. "Look, that's the fountain where I used to play as a child!" she exclaimed, pointing to a beautiful fountain adorned with marble hearts. "And there's the bakery that makes the best strawberry shortcakes!"

Skye could only look at Bridget with love and admiration. Bridget's every word, her every gesture filled her with an indescribable warmth. She was happy with the idea that now they could both walk freely among the people, without fear or hiding places.

The people of the kingdom watched Skye with curiosity, but also with suspicion. Skye assumed they were all aware of the queen's order. Some even bowed their heads in welcome, while others smiled politely. Skye felt accepted and, above all, happy to be able to share these moments with Bridget.

Finally, Bridget took Skye to her favourite coffee shop, where they spent the afternoon. Skye looked out the window of the coffee shop, watching the sun begin to set. She felt a surge of sadness as she remembered she had to go home, not wanting the moment to end.

Bridget noticed Skye's expression and, knowing what she was thinking, said softly, "You don't have to go back"

Skye looked at her with a raised eyebrow, a smirk adorning her face. "What are you proposing, princess?"

Bridget blushed. "I mean, if you want, you can stay over. Now that my mum accepts you, I'm sure there won't be any problems"

Skye was silent for a moment, processing Bridget's offer. The idea of not having to go home that night seemed tempting, especially now that she felt like she had found a place where she really belonged.

"You really think your mum won't mind?" asked Skye, with a mixture of hope and doubt in her voice.

Bridget nodded with a smile. "I'm sure. If you're welcome in the kingdom, I assure you, you're welcome in the palace as well"

Skye felt a warmth in her chest at those words. She looked Bridget in the eyes and saw sincerity and affection reflected in them. "Then I'd love to stay," she finally replied, with a shy smile.

"Leave the door open!"

Was all her mother said before Bridget dragged Skye into her room.

Bridget's room, was a veritable dream in shades of pink. Upon entering, the first thing that caught the eye was the soft light filtering through the pale pink lace curtains, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere. The walls were painted a delicate pastel pink, decorated with intricate floral patterns in white and gold.

The centre of the room was occupied by a canopied bed, covered with a pink satin duvet and velvet pillows in various shades of pink and red. The canopy was adorned with silk ribbons and flowers, which draped gracefully down the sides of the bed.

To one side of the room, there was an antique dressing table with a large oval mirror, surrounded by soft lights. On the dressing table were perfume bottles, jewellery boxes and a collection of silver combs and brushes. Next to it, a white wooden wardrobe with gold accents held Bridget's dresses and accessories.

In the opposite corner, there was a small tea table with two chairs upholstered in pink velvet. The floor was covered with a fluffy light pink carpet, adding a touch of comfort and elegance.

The ceiling was decorated with a crystal chandelier that reflected the light in soft sparkles, creating a magical and enchanting atmosphere. On the walls, pictures and portraits of the family could be seen, as well as some drawings and paintings made by Bridget.

Bridget approached the wardrobe, her shoes echoing on the wooden floor. She looked at Skye with a mischievous smile. "Even though you're taller than me, I think I have some pajamas that will fit you," she said, pulling a pink satin set from among the hangers. "You can use the bathroom to change"

Skye nodded, and as she changed, Bridget approached the vanity. The oval mirror reflected her face, and she began to remove her makeup with gentle movements.

Finally, Skye emerged from the bathroom, nervous. Bridget was waiting for her on the bed, arms outstretched. "Do you want to cuddle?" she asked, her voice soft as a caress.

Skye gave her a confused look. "’I'm not... I'm not sure how to do that” she admitted shyly.

Bridget smiled and held out her hand. Skye took it, and Bridget pulled her to her. She laid her down on top of her, her head on her chest. Skye tensed at first, but Bridget's warmth wrapped around her like a soft blanket. "Don't worry," Bridget whispered. "Just relax. You're safe here"

And so, in the pink room, in the dim light of dusk, Skye let herself be carried by Bridget's closeness. Their hearts beat in unison, and Skye knew she had found more than a refuge in that place. She had found a home.

Bridget traced patterns on Skye's back with gentle movements, as if she were playing with a pack of cards. Her voice, barely a whisper, hums an old song about love and gambling. The words flow like cards dealt in a poker game:

"In a world of hearts and diamonds, I found my ace of spades. You, my favourite card, my safe bet. Together, we are a perfect pair, a winning hand. And though fate may shuffle the cards again and again, I will always come back to you, my queen of Hearts"

Skye closed her eyes, feeling the warmth of the words and the strokes on her skin.

"I love you, Bridget"

The Queen of Hearts was walking through the corridors of the castle. As she passed her daughter's room, she could not help but pause. The door was ajar, and the scene inside filled her with tenderness.

Bridget and Skye slept in each other's arms, their hair entwined as if they were two souls destined to meet. The queen smiled warmly at the sight of them.

She peeked out a little closer, watching Skye. The girl slept peacefully, her face relaxed and serene, as she found calm in Bridget's protective embrace around her. The queen whispered softly:

"Welcome to the Hearts family, Skye"

The tension in the air was palpable as Skye returned to the castle after spending the night in the Kingdom of Hearts. The walk to her room seemed longer than usual, and her heart pounded with trepidation. Before she could reach the door to her room, two chess soldiers stood in her way.

Confused, Skye looked at the soldiers. "What's going on?"

At that moment, her mother's voice echoed behind her. "You finally deign to show up, Skye," she said coolly.

The soldiers grabbed her firmly, and Skye struggled to free herself. "What the hell is going on?" she asked, her mind whirling in search of answers.

Her mother smiled, cruel and determined. "I've decided that the solution to you stopping running away from your responsibilities, is for you to never forget your place, your purpose"

That night, Skye's screams echoed through every corner of the White Kingdom.

The White Queen remained impassive, watching her daughter's agony. "You will never forget who you are, Skye"

Masterlist

#descendants the rise of red #bridget descendants #bridget #princess red #descendantsriseofred #descendants #queen of hearts #bridget x oc #cinderella #wlw #glg #disney #alternative history #original character #time travel #fluff #angst #bridget of wonderland #bridget of hearts

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zaceouiswriting · 8 months ago

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Fairy Prince - Hearts of Leviathans - Ch.20

Character: Sky x male reader, Riven x male reader, Brandon x male reader

Universe: Somewhere in Winx Club/Saga

Warnings: None

The air around us is quickly filling with a surplus of magic. I can sense her strong magical potential. She may be a fairy who is just learning her powers, but the strength within her is enormous. Honestly, I would feel insulted if it were otherwise, since she is one of them.

My eyes involuntarily drift to the red-haired girl, who is usually always with the blond girl in front of me. A complex conflict is evident in her eyes, as if she has no idea what is happening. She, too, has incredible magical potential, but it feels dull.

"Hey, eyes here; I'm your opponent, you pervert!" I hear a squeaky voice scream. Immediately, I feel as if my brain is being flooded with static sounds.

I put my hands on my temples and try to massage away the incoming headache, which only makes the girl angrier. Her screams become petty and insulting, but I tune them out. Instead of paying her any more attention, I turn to the teachers of the Alfea Academy. My eyes immediately fall on the only elf among them.

"Can you seal my normal magic core for a few hours?" At first, he didn't react. Since he's the only one who never looked at me with disgust, I assume he didn't think I would talk to him. But when another teacher, a short man, kicks him against the leg, he suddenly turns to me. "Could you seal my normal magic core for a few hours? I don't want anyone to think I'm using anything other than my fairy magic."

He looks like a Pulknick, but soon a gentle smile plays around his thin lips. In a soft voice that I wasn't expecting, he says, "It would be an honor!" He even bows his head.

Soon he steps close to me, puts his hand on my chest, and speaks words I have never heard before or could ever try to repeat, likely Old Elvish. Suddenly, a stabbing pain that even makes me inhale sharply runs through my entire body. I can feel the magic that once flowed through me suddenly freezing in my veins. It just stops moving. Under normal circumstances, this would've surely freaked me out.

As soon as he removes his hand from my chest, I fall back in pain. I try to breathe regularly. But as a magical being, life without magic is not possible. Standing at a crossroads, however, I first need to calm myself down, so I take a deep breath and hold it. I'm just calm enough not to panic. I focus on my inherited fairy magic. It is only a faint pulsation, but I can locate it easily. I mentally tug on it, rise, and hold my hands before my body. Moving my arms in semi-circular motions, I can feel my fairy magic gradually beginning to flow. With a little help from external magic, as a guardian fairy in training, I can just about use this to make my magic flow faster. All the while, I move my arms inward and outward in a full circular motion, creating a magical barrier in the middle of my body to press on my center regularly.

I know that in a shameful turn of events, I have been standing there for at least five minutes, until my fairy mana starts coursing through my entire body, all the while barely breathing. Dizziness almost overwhelms me as soon as I stop my movements, open my eyes, and see the people around me looking at me with confusion and disdain.

"What?" I ask rather rudely. "I want to see one of you use fairy and normal mana. It's not as easy as you might think." I spat at her, my toxic mood now clear to everyone. I may be a prince, but even etiquette and manners have hard limits.

I open my hand and summon a stone, shaping it into numerous forms without a magic formula. Feels more than exciting. But when I glance at the two women, Miss Faragonda and the one who caused all this chaos for me, they both look pale. It gives me a certain amount of joy, but the mock battle is already underway; now it can't be stopped.

Stella stares at me with disdain. Much like most of the other fairies. However, the specialists? Since defeating Corey and healing his wounds, they appear more remorseful than anything else.

Right before my eyes, Stella transformed. Her elegant long dress shapes into a sparkling short outfit, and small magical wings appear on her back. I feel a tinge of jealousy when I see that she can already transform.

"I hope you don't mind fighting me like this." I hold out my hands, presenting myself. "Since I can't transform yet, I haven't earned my wings yet."

She sneers and grins at me as she flies into the air. I see a challenge shimmering in her eyes and accept it with a grin of my own. "Stone step." I summon a stone slab in front of me and step on it. Leisurely, I move my hand, and the slab carries me into the sky, right in front of Stella. At first, she looks stunned but quickly recovers; instead, she looks at me annoyed.

“Do you attack first, Princess, or should I?” I ask her teasingly.

Her anger escalates into pure rage. I don't understand why. Everything I say makes her angrier. Could it still be because she thinks I'm a pervert? Even after demonstrating my fairy magic? To the untrained eye, it might appear as ordinary magic. However, there are clear differences. Firstly, fairy magic is permanent. For example, the flames of a fire fairy - even a beginner one - cannot be extinguished by low-level spells. Fairy magic is considered high magic. According to legends, it originates from god-like creatures. Despite this, there are several levels of fairies.

“Morning star!” she screams. Suddenly, a single object appears above her, shining like a star and flying quickly towards me on a direct course.

"Breaking Rock!" I shout back; a gray rock forms before me and flies towards Stella. She grins as if she thinks it's a weak little rock. But it crashes right into her attack and scatters it, still flying straight towards her. Her eyes widen in shock, but she reacts quickly and lets loose a second-morning star, effortlessly shattering my spell into small pieces. I smile at her unconcernedly, ready to summon more.

"Beam of light!" Stella suddenly screams. Her hands form a circle she holds above her head, and a small ball forms inside it. Even though it looks small and inconspicuous, I have a bad feeling about it. Just as she manifests the ball, I see a beam coming out of the small glowing sphere, and even though it is not too fast, I know I have to do something about it.

I summon several of my "Breaking Rocks" to interrupt the beam, but it doesn't work. On my second try, I throw one at her hands. But even after she takes them away, the sphere stays in place. In a final attempt, one flies straight at the ball, but the rock disintegrates upon impact. I'm genuinely surprised by the freshman's powerful attack, which I didn't expect.

Now I know I shouldn't have underestimated her. Yet, I can't stop smiling, as I have finally found a match. My happiness visibly annoys Stella even further, and that's just the icing on the cake. Finally, fully aware of my heavy disadvantage, I prepare to go on the defensive by summoning a stone wall. It could halt the beam momentarily, but then it eats through it effortlessly. Now I'm starting to panic slightly. I have to take this seriously.

"Walls of Barnaruk!" I yell. Blackstone walls shoot up from the ground, taller than Stella and I are. One of these wall sections is at least as thick as a building. They are connected walls, like a labyrinth, as the situation demands. She can't attack me directly but must either pass through one of these walls or find me by flying around them.

Although I had my doubts about its effectiveness, I never expected it to work this well! As soon as the beam hits the stone, a small hole appears, but that's all. Stella even tries to increase the magic of her spell, but she can't get through. As I laugh in my fortress of walls, I'm already considering my next move when, out of the corner of my eye, I suddenly see Stella flying above me in her glittery fairy costume.

How could I have forgotten? Perhaps I was too far into normal combat mode, as the soldiers I fought against couldn't fly. Ready to cast another spell, I have my arm at my side, magic already gathering in my hand, when suddenly I feel a throbbing pain in the side of my head. It pulsates so hard that I see black stars in my field of vision for a second.

However, when my vision returns to normal, the scene before me has changed; I'm no longer in the forest surrounding the four great schools of the magical dimension, but on the battlefield where I lost him. Why do I have to remember that day now? I feel my heart contracting and my breath catching. How can I live with what I did? Although I have asked myself this question many times, I can never answer it. After all, it was my fault and mine alone that he was no longer by my side.

Suddenly, a sharp sensation jolts me out of this nightmare of a day. As I return to my senses, I find myself lying on my stone platform. My eyes immediately jump to my left upper arm, where the pain is coming from. Looking at it, I see a large gap, the ends of which are burned. It reminds me that I should still be fighting, so I raise my head to the sky. When I see Stella, I can't believe this little fairy could hurt me. I get back up, glaring at her, but she just looks at me more smugly. I'm at the end of my fucking rope! Summoning several more platforms, I reach her in no time.

"Once upon a time, there was a girl with golden hair," I begin. Almost instantly, I see her roll her eyes and summon several morning stars, which she shoots in my direction, but I easily dodge them. "She climbed a tree. It grew rare and delicious fruits, shaped like stars, that tasted like pure sunshine. But that day, unlike usual, the branch she was standing on broke under her weight. The girl fell on a boy but still broke her arm. She cried so loudly that even the animals ran away."

“Shut up!” Stella suddenly screams, her head red and her fists clenched.

Even though she flies higher and higher, I don't let it stop me from continuing to tell my little story; instead, I just start speaking louder. "She apologized endlessly, even though she was hurt. The boy she fell on found it adorable. To his surprise, she healed her arm right in front of him. But suddenly she started babbling like a waterfall while eating the fruit she picked from the tree."

"I said shut up!" She screamed even louder, surrounded by numerous little stars. "Starfall!"

Several small, glowing objects race towards me at a speed that would be impossible to escape. Using several stone slabs similar to the one I'm standing on, I was able to block some of them, but there were just too many. Since I have nothing else to protect me, I use magic to fly away on my slab and use the walls around me to escape the rest. Using my weight, I move the slab from side to side. I nearly hit my head on one of the walls when one of the stars exploded against it too close to me, shaking my center of gravity. Before I could fall, however, I put my hand on the wall and used part of it to push myself back into place.

At some point, I look over my shoulder and relax a little, as I can no longer see any more attacks following me. So I climb higher again and immediately see Stella's grin. I couldn't hold back my anger any longer. "Volcanic storm!"

Stella's grin disappears as black stones fall from the sky instead of her shining stars. However, they are just stones because, as a fairy, I cannot use fire magic to fulfill the entire spell, yet they still crash down at breaking speeds.

As I stand on my tablet, magic surges around me like a storm, while a similar phenomenon is also taking place within my body. The magic is flowing through me at an extraordinary speed, threatening to tear me apart completely. Since it is a spell that I know but theoretically cannot or should not use, as one of the few guardian fairies who have witnessed their predecessor use the same power, I have a few small advantages. Usually, a guardian fairy is not born until the previous one dies or is about to die. My family does not have this problem, as the next generation can be born but only receives magic in small portions until the old guardian fairy succumbs to old age, even though fairies are usually immortal. We, on the other hand, are the only guardian fairies who must die once the next generation has matured.

This means I'm at a disadvantage in battle. I only have a small portion of the powers Stella has, and I can't even use half of them because I've never used them before. I've always relied on my normal magic. In my opinion, ordinary magic is more effective in war, but to feel the power of a guardian fairy, I must say, is groundbreaking.

I try to control the pain coursing through me as the magic becomes too much for me. Meanwhile, I watch Stella try to block my final attack. The rocks from the volcanic explosion, some massive and some small, were too strong to block or even destroy them. Although she tried everything, it didn't work. I watch with a grin, knowing that my fairy magic can't harm me, just as magic can't hurt the one who uses it.

My vision becomes a little blurry, but I don't mind because I have used a lot of magical energy. This spell wasn't something a fairy should do alone. It was supposed to be a fusion spell that I should do with a fire fairy or a battalion of fire mages. The fact that I managed to do it alone was already a miracle.

Deep in thought, I feel one of the large stones passing through me as if I weren't there. But knowing that there are other people beneath me, I let it dissolve beneath my slate, turning it into microscopic powder instead, shimmering like crystals in the sun. As soon as it touches the ground or anything else, it disappears. After all, I don't want to hurt anyone.

When I look up again, I am confronted with Stella's fury. Her eyes glow like two little suns, and her body glows in a similar light. It actually scares me.

“Solar Tide!“ Stella screams.

My eyes widen because I can't believe the enormous magical energy flowing around here. This has to be a very high-level spell that a fairy just starting to learn shouldn't be able to use, especially not in a low-level fairy body like hers. But as I think about it a little more, I realize it's the same situation as my volcanic explosion spell. But how did she do it?

Before I can delve deeper into this question, I see something terrible: From far away, a fast-flowing flood of pure light is crashing down. I know I have to do something before I lose to her. Although it seems impossible, I know I only have one choice, one that terrifies me.

I close one eye and feel it change. "Para-" Before I can even begin the spell, I feel cold sweat gathering in my neck before running down my back, forcing me to stop casting. As I look around, I feel dizziness overcome me again, but this time I can no longer control it. Before I know it, my upper body drops onto the slab I'm standing on, and as I lie there, my gaze falls to the ground. My eyes fall on a spot deep in the forest. There, I see a normal oak tree that is barely visible through a small hole in the treetops, against which leans a person: him.

He looks up at me with his stormy blue-gray eyes. I have lost myself in them so many times. His dark hair, which envelops his head in waves, looks as good as it did when he was alive. Suddenly, he raises his index finger to his mouth and orders me to remain silent and still. When I see this, my heart starts racing. My breath catches in my throat, and my vision goes black as I feel my magic disappear into nothingness. Out of nowhere, little stars appear in the blackness of my vision.

In the darkness, I hear laughter. When I open my eyes, I see Ferdinand, my loyal commander, for a second. He smiles kindly down at me and tells me to finally go to sleep, just like he always did when I overexerted myself.

Usually, I would argue with him about it, but right now, all I want is to sleep. So I give in to this feeling of exhaustion. Although I feel cold air rushing around my body, I don't let it wake me up. For a moment, I think I feel pain, and I almost want to scream, but it disappears as soon as it appears. However, it is enough to draw me into the sleep I have apparently been longing for.

[Masterlist]

#x male reader #male reader #winx club x male reader #winx saga x male reader #winx club #winx saga #riven x male reader #riven #brandon #brandon x male reader #sky x male reader #sky #series #fairy prince

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elizabeth-stones · 1 year ago

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To give myself motivation, here is the prologue to my story.

~.~

The night was quiet, only a few people lingering around the bar and gazing upon the stage. We were going to play tonight for the first time in months, I was more than excited to put myself back into that small spotlight. It wasn't often that we get to do this, only having a short time to pick out which songs we wanted to sing and practice with eachother, especially with our drummer's schedule. She just got back into town less than two days ago and was more than ready to play. Excitement rushed through me, the size of the crowd had never mattered much, it was the singing part I had enjoyed the most.

The Diary of Hyde, a sort of play on the idea of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Each of the band mates had their own personas, all of us becoming someone new once the stage lights hit us. That's how I viewed it. Being more of a timid face in a crowd myself, getting to be on stage and sing was a way for me to step out and express who I truly felt. I needed this, more so now than ever.

Tomorrow at ten in the morning I was to start my new job, an undisclosed assistant to some writer for a television show. The description wasn't exactly something that I jumped for joy at, but the pay was more than any other job of interest in my field. That, and I doubted the band was truly going to kick itself up off of the ground any time soon. It's not to say that we weren't good, but you can't get that far being a cover band.

So, assistant job it was. Cleaning the office, lunch runs, and being someone's drudge... but, it was for twenty five dollars an hour, so who was I to really complain? A drudge may have been an overstatement, but that's how I viewed it right now.

"Oh Nora, are you almost ready?" Kevin spun into the back room, dawned in his extravagantly dark outfit.

"Yeah, I've been ready." I nodded, sipping down the last few drops of my tea.

"What do you think?" He asked, sticking his arms out and showing off his clothing.

Black skinny jeans, pointed black boots, heather grey sweater, and his long hair slicked back. He caked on the make up as well, going for more of a corpse paint look, but it fit his character.

"Very fitting, Knoth." I stood from the swivel chair.

"You think? I mean you're dressed to the nines as usual." He took notice of my attire as well.

"Of course, we're all dressed in dark clothing so it works." I shrugged, I didn't think too much of our technicalities. Again, we were a cover band.

"Except for Trish, she has bright red hair now."

"We're fine, really. Now let's get going before Amanda has an aneurysm." I sighed, pushing Kevin from the back room.

We both walked out from behind the bar, a few other patrons walking in and taking seats, a small amount of chatter arising. Most of these people I had seen here before, the typical goth club type people who were looking for something a bit more casual than the big and boastful clubs with flashing lights and thumping base. Not that there's anything wrong with those kinds of clubs, but sometimes in certain cases the moodier the better.

One face however, caught me off guard. He was definitely new, dressed in casual street clothes and sticking out like a sore thumb. A tan leather coat, green undershirt, and black slacks with average street sneakers. Kevin took notice as well, turning to me with a bit of a confused look.

"You know him?" He leaned over, keeping his eyes on the mysterious guest.

"Nope, I thought you might have." I shook my head, walking towards the stage.

"I've never seen him before. Maybe he's a friend of Trish?" He suggested.

"Maybe." I stepped up onto the stage, looking around the room.

The crowd was filled with the usuals and the stranger, Amanda pushing through the crowd and making sure each of her guests were set. She was the owner of the bar, but of course she also manned the keyboard in our band. Nights like these were incredibly stressful for her, having to step away from the bar and do something for herself rather than look after others. She was always worried people would think differently of her, using her own bar to endorse our band. But, the patrons would never mind from what I could tell.

Trish came from behind, jumping over her stool and flopping down into the seat, nearly crashing over her drum set. Kevin and I both turned, looking at her as she adjusted everything and payed us no mind.

"Is your mic ready?" Amanda asked, tapping on the rounded top and a few bumps feeding back to us.

"Think so." I whispered, covering the top.

"Sweet, we're running late." She grumbled.

"I didn't know we were on a time crunch?" I smirked, watching as her rushed state began to crack.

"You know what I mean, we only have time for a few songs and I don't want to keep eating into it." She began to set up at her keyboard, doing a few sound checks and making sure everything was in working order.

"We're going to be okay." Kevin spoke into his mic, earning a few laughs from the crowd.

Amanda shot him a look, the one where an older sibling is most certainly scolding their younger sibling but can't say a thing. Trish was clearly off in her own world, motioning her the rhythms she was soon to play, nodding her head to her own music. Working against my will, I peered out into the crowd, my eyes landing on the mystery man who was leaning against the back wall. Something about him screamed familiarity, like I had seen him before but I could just never place it.

Tall and lanky, his coat hugging his body but also swallowing it at the same time. Short auburn hair that dared to curl if it weren't for his grooming, strips of silver working their way down through the burnt orange. His beard was about the same, rugged and a tangle of auburn and grey. He was certainly older, not that we never welcomed older goths, but he wasn't goth. The fact that he was here was truly an enigma.

"Ready." Amanda yelled to me, nodding to Kevin.

"Good to go!" Trish yelled as well, startling a few people in the front.

Taking in a deep breath, I readied myself.

"Good evening." My voice rang over the crowd, conversations now turning into mutters among the people. "I'm Nova V. And these are my friends Devine, Knoth, and Tiff. We are the band Diary of Hyde and we're here to get you moving."

Trish rolled on the drums, the crowd quietly cheering towards us, my gaze landing back on mystery man who stood quietly, taking slow sips from his drink.

"It's been some time since we've played together, but I'm sure we'll surprise you. We're going to start off with a personal favorite of mine from the eighties. This is Send Me an Angel by Real Life."

I backed myself into the rest of the band, Amanda starting the first few chords on her keyboard, Kevin and Trish beginning their parts before I opened my mouth.

"Do you believe in heaven above, do you believe in love?"

#fanfiction #matt stone #treyparker #south park #treyparker mattstone #gothic #Spotify

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folxlorepod · 2 years ago

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Queer Time: themes in Folxlore

Queer time is a nebulous term that sometimes describes time with the same fluidity that we do queer identity, and sometimes refers to the phenomenon of queer people missing out on traditional ‘adulthood’ milestones. It can describe the ‘second teenagehood’ a lot of queer people experience once they feel comfortable enough expressing themselves to an extent they didn’t in their actual teenage years, or the tendency of queer people to fill in their lives with friendships, housing situations, lifestyle choices and methods of parenthood that don’t fit with the timeline of traditional, non-queer lives. It’s also the main focus and narrative device of season 2 of Folxlore.

In season 1, we chose to use an old and well-loved (in the way one might say well-loved about a worn down sofa) narrative device: found footage. We wanted to see how we could stretch this trope to fit our queer stories, how it could serve us rather than limit us. We even neatly tied the season up with a reason why the listener was being presented with this particular found footage! I don’t think we always succeeded in innovating within or avoiding the traps of the trope, but I do think we wrote some pretty cool episodes and made up new ways of using this narrative device: the sentient CCTV cameras, the use of audio image description as an access aid to present a blog with an increasingly anxious narrator. We had a lot of fun with it!

In season 2, we are dropping the focus on found footage. It was never something that we wanted to restrict the show too: our pilot episodes don’t use the narrative device, and we feel pretty happy about letting each season stand alone (after all, Folxlore is an anthology: one with an overarching narrative, but we still take the anthology aspect pretty serious). When we were having early chats about themes for season 2 with the writers team, a couple came up: one was that of choice, now that the residents of our favourite haunted building have been transported into a strange, terrifying, beautiful world. Do you stay and make something good out of the odd and repulsive world full of possibility, or do you return to the familiar, even if it is bad? This choice feels incredibly queer to me: it represents (found) family, the contrast between old and new traditions, and jumping into the unknown of what it is to live a queer life, when all you know at the start is that it won’t be like what you have been promised.

A theme that came up much later in the process, when we were already throwing episode ideas back and forth, was queer time. We realised we wanted to expand the time over which the season took place. We also realised nearly every idea we had had related to time in one way or another. Perhaps it’s the influence of the pandemic, of the endless stretching and contracting of time that happens during a traumatic event (with the way we ended season 1, we definitely set ourselves up for something reminiscent of the abrupt change to life we all experienced, although we tried our hardest to hone in on what makes the story in season 2 unique: it was never meant to be nor is a metaphor for the pandemic.)

And more interestingly, in a similar way to how we used found footage in season 1, queer time is often not the focus of the episodes, but rather a narrative device that helps us tell the story. I’m incredibly excited about all the different ways in which time plays a role in how we tell the different stories in season 2. It mimics the different things queer time can mean to different people, how time shapes us as queers, and how queers shape time, too. Time can be horrific: the melancholy of living a queer life, and the heavy weight of our futures. It can be beautiful too: the joy of ignoring the hands on the clock and setting your own pace; staying up too late talking to online friends in different timezones; the agelessness of queer love and lust, the hope in queer history and queer futures. I love queers. I love queers in the now, in the past, and I love the possibilities we represent. I hope we did this concept justice in season 2, in all its beauty, in all its horror.

#queer time #folxlore #audio drama #trans stories #queer horror

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akehoshimystar · 4 months ago

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Chapter 5

Kamiya: I see. I'd like to see the cherry blossom too, may I help? Touma: Of course. I'll lend you my watering can! Kamiya: Haha, thank you.

After Touma-kum ran off once again, his mother opened up even more.

Mother: I want to treasure my son's kindness towards his grandmother, but when I think of the shock he will receive if his wish doesn't come true… Ito: (What if the cherry blossom doesn’t bloom and his grandmother doesn't get better… I totally understand her concerns.)

Sei: You must be really worried, aren't you?

As the mother nodded, Sei-san told her something I didn’t expect to hear from him at all.

Sei: They say nothing lasts forever. Its end will come eventually, sooner or later. Ito: (Huh…?)

The mother tilted her head down after hearing the cold harsh truth. Even I couldn’t help but tense up… Since the words of comfort I expected to come out of his mouth turned out to be something completely opposite.

Sei: Flowers are the best example of this…. Nevertheless, there is beauty in their transience. In fact, that’s exactly why they have abilities to remain in people's hearts. It is true that there is a theory that Yoshino cherry trees will soon reach the end of their lifespan and die all at once. But do rest assured. The cherry blossom trees in this area are regularly maintained by arborists and volunteers. Therefore, they are said to have a longer lifespan than normal, and there is a plan to continue their lineage with grafting, which means these cherry blossoms won’t go anywhere anytime soon. Ito: (Ohhh…) Sei: I'm no expert, so let me say "probably". If Touma-kum is interested in caring for them, it might be a good idea to get a proper lesson from those volunteers. Mother: Yes, I'll look more into it! Sei: I truly hope Touma-kun's feelings reach his grandmother’s heart.

On the other side of the mother, whose expression clearly looked more hopeful, Kamiya-kun and Touma-kun could be seen praying to the cherry blossom.

Ito: (Incredible…) (Both Kamiya-kun and Sei-san used different approaches, but they still managed to cheer up this family…)

Even if it’s just a little, I felt like I had caught the glimpse of the essence of their kindness.

Shinobu: Good work… Alright, cheers!

Since we decided to have a drink together after the bar closed, we all clinked our glasses. Originally there were Mika-san, Kamiya-kun, Aizawa-kun, and I. Then, Riku-san and Kiho-san who happened to be here had joined us as well.

Kiho: …………………Wow, something like that really happened in the park?

Riku: Sei also showed up and didn’t just leave it all to Ito and Kamiya. How courtesy of him. Takeru: My heart was filled with joy when I heard such a great story.

Kamiya: I was glad when he came too. Ito: He really gave us a sense of security.

Kamiya-kun agreed and leaned on one elbow before taking a sip of his highball. Then he muttered, looking diagonally upwards.

Kamiya: I wish we could have a cherry blossom viewing right now. Shinobu: Maybe that would cheer up his grandma. Kamiya: Yeah. Ito: Spring is still far away… Takeru: Why wait until spring? Just do it.

Everyone tilted their heads with a question in their heads. Then, Mika-san smiled in response.

Takeru: Autumn has its own cherry blossom… Does “cosmos” ring a bell? Ito: ! Kiho: Akizakura…. Cosmos (秋桜). I see. Kamiya: Sounds great, doesn’t it? Shinobu: I know a nice place that has tons of gorgeous cosmos! Ito: Then I'll suggest that to Touma-kun and his mother. Kamiya: I like how this goes.

The room temperature rose suddenly with excitement. Riku-san lightly tilted his glass and the ice made a chilling clanging sound.

Riku: A cherry blossom viewing, huh? Shinobu: Hmm, is someone feeling a little sentimental here? Takeru: You’re probably thinking, "I'd like to go on a date there," right? Riku: Come on now. Of course, admiring flowers with a beautiful woman is wonderful and all, but it's also fun to enjoy it with a large group of people. That memory just came back to me, actually. Kiho: Come to think of it… A few years ago, we all went to see cherry blossoms at night. Shinobu: With all members of Aporia? Kiho: Yes. Roka managed to score tickets for a boat restaurant from an acquaintance. Takeru: Ah, it’s from that time.

Riku-san, Kiho-san, and Mika-san smiled while reminiscing the memory they shared together.

Chapter 6

#break my case #buremai #joseimuke #Aizawa Shinobu #Kamiya #Okiya Sei #Tateshina Riku #Mikado Takeru #Arima Kiho

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umutisiktagiyev · 9 months ago

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Book Notes | Persuasion by Jane Austen | 20.04.2024

I can listen no longer in silence. I must speak to you by such means as are within my reach. You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope. Tell me not that I am too late, that such precious feelings are gone for ever. I offer myself to you again with a heart even more your own than when you almost broke it, eight years and a half ago. Dare not say that man forgets sooner than woman, that his love has an earlier death. I have loved none but you. Unjust I may have been, weak and resentful I have been, but never inconstant. You alone have brought me to Bath. For you alone, I think and plan. Have you not seen this? Can you fail to have understood my wishes? I had not waited even these ten days, could I have read your feelings, as I think you must have penetrated mine. I can hardly write. I am every instant hearing something which overpowers me. You sink your voice, but I can distinguish the tones of that voice when they would be lost on others. Too good, too excellent creature! You do us justice, indeed. You do believe that there is true attachment and constancy among men. Believe it to be most fervent, most undeviating, in. F.W

Jane Austen does it again; what a wonderful author. The more I read her works, the more I understand her personality, writing style, and themes.

It is quite rare to find a book that makes you scream at the pages and unable to contain your excitement. Yet every book by her does this to me.

The book is very similar in themes and events to Pride and Prejudice. It feels like an alternate universe where Darcy and Elizabeth have been separated for eight years. Everything is filled with nostalgia, feelings of being too old, missed opportunities, and grief for what could have been. The title comes from the first act of PERSUASION that separated Anne and Captain Wentworth.

This all makes sense since Austen wrote this book near the end of her life. With all of her experience, this book (compared to Pride & Prejudice) is aged and mature.

Anne’s character is more gracious, decent, and compassionate than Elizabeth’s, but she isn’t portrayed with the same cunning of mind.

There are so many similarities; the trope of a William character is also present here; he looks charming but very superficial and lies.

Darcy’s archetype looks cold and distant and is often compared to the William trope, but he is, in reality, a man of honor.

This book emphasizes family name, graciousness, and elegance of behavior more. I don’t often use typology analogies, but this book seems very Si-Fe compared to Fi/Si of P&P.

“There is hardly any personal defect, which an agreeable manner might not gradually reconcile one to.”

A lot of lovely philosophical discussions happen between characters about gender roles.

The book is amusing, and the dialogue leaves half a smile on your face on each page. It is beautifully written.

Kellynch Hall, Uppercross

Sir William Elliot

Elizabeth Elliot, Miss Elliot

Anne Elliot

Marry Elliot, now Mrs. Musgrove

They have money problems, so they rent the place to Admiral Croft and his wife, Mrs. Croft.

Admiral Croft has a frank character, which Anne appreciates far more than the cold elegance of her station.

Mrs. Croft has a brother, Captain Fredrick Wentworth, who is the main love interest.

Mr. Musgrove has two sisters, Louisia and Hariette.

Lyme, we see Captain Benwick.

Louisia courts Wentworth, and Louisia gets a stroke by falling. This all happened so suddenly that I hit the pages and went back and read them over and over again.

A criticism is that the male love interest in her books is always too perfect, without defects other than pride.

The book mentions the importance of a solid and matching mind in all partnerships; without it, there would be no joy.

There is this incredible understanding of human nature, down to the minute detail of behavior, awkwardness, irony, and differences in character. Austen seems to see through people to write books like this, especially when her own experience of never being married is taken into account.

“The worst evil of too yielding and indecisive a character is that no influence over it can be depended on.”

“Her spirits wanted to solitude and silence, which only numbers could give.”

This is an incredible passage on how people use groups to get away from their heads.

When Anne sees Wentworth again after years, she is grieving, thinking about what she had lost and what they could’ve been.

A good shade is thrown at moralists and preachers of her time, saying that their conduct often contradicts their actions.

The discussion of whether men or women love the longest is in full spectrum. Anne proposes that men have the world to deal with, are often busy, and will move on easier, Benwick being an example.

She insists that women will love after the person is gone and when there is no hope—being hopeless romantics.

Thank God there were no 4th wall breaks in this book like previously on P&P.

Austen describes Lyme and Bath well, using dialogue alone, bringing out delicate and detailed mental imagery. Builds upon it not by giving a direct, overall explanation of the environment. But by subtly hinting it here and there.

There is so much family pride in Elizabeth and Sir William, so much VANITY, which is a topic the book constantly mentions. The limiting factor is being respectable and putting on a face.

Anne, interestingly, recognizes being prideful while honestly not being so. She does not care for rank or name.

Anne’s childhood friend, Mrs. Smith, despite being in a bad situation, still managed to be happy. This shows the importance of “elasticity of mind,” which is said to be a gift from God. It shows the importance of being content yet not submissive or yielding to fate.

Mrs. Smith mentions that when people are sick, you see their worst side, contrary to Anne’s cheerful, naive ideas.

There is often a talk on (usually done with humor) how love blinds people to the faults of others. It makes the ugly seem perfect.

Mr. Elliot is too agreeable, “various as were the tempers of Sir William’s house; he pleased them all. He endured too well, stood too well with everybody.”

Austen dislikes the inauthentic nature of this archetype of men.

After the loss of his wife, Captain Benwick needed to be loved. He would love anyone who would love him back. He didn’t fall in love with Anne because of her great mind, character, or book recommendations. No, he liked her because he thought she wanted him. Any attention would’ve done it.

This is the worst kind of love, as it is not love.

Wentworth and Anne acknowledge the importance of being frank and direct with their feelings. Imagine the pain and time it would save everyone. Some scenes are genuinely like high-school romances.

The tension of Anne’s situation, the chase, and the feeling of “agitation, pain, pleasure; a something between delight and misery” are extremely well described. This is how it feels to desire someone but be unsure about their thoughts—not even being sure what you think.

“One does not love a place less for suffering in it.”

Anne felt guilty When she read Mr. Elliot’s private letters, which showed his true character. It was “a violation of the law of honor that no one ought to be judged or known by such testimonies, that no private correspondence could bear the eye of others.”

Keep this in mind. Be frank, honest, kind, graceful, grateful.

The slow buildup and long courting, the shyness of the characters until the last 20-30 pages, when everything explodes and tension is released. Austen truly knows how to write romance.

The scene, including the lead-up to the “half agony, half hope” letter, was a masterpiece. PERFECTION. I have waited to hear that line since I started the book; I never expected it to be this good with context.

Some advice can only be deemed good or bad until you know the outcome. — Context is Lady Russel’s first advice, which separates the two main characters.

Life is too short for your ego or pride to hold you back, to be held back by games. Truth is a blade that cuts through everything. Let it burn anything and live with the consequences.

I give this book an 8.7/10; I love it. Thank you, Jane Austen. I kissed the cover after finishing it, so it got my approval.

#book notes

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lightsiided · 1 year ago

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giggles build between their joined lips; it's obvious she's utterly CHARMED by his joke. "i wasn't," rey insists honestly, though in hindsight, it seems obvious that he would be excited by such an offer. "but if i knew you'd LIKE IT so much, i would have offered to fight for your love long ago." even after all this time, making him happy is still her favorite joy. there is hardly anything rey likes more than seeing the beautiful smile on his face and knowing she's caused it. leaning forward, her lips hit his cheek for one kiss, and then another. "you know bringing your fantasies to life is my greatest desire."

the expression on her face softens, then, as he continues. she can feel love and tenderness radiating from him -- not only where thor touches her, but the very core of his being, emanating from his heart as if to call out to her. the smile on his face and the delicate way he touches her only CONFIRM what she already knows to be true. peace is theirs, now. this life, and all its wonderful possibility, await them and their love with open arms. she squeezes his fingers with an answering grin of delight. "better sounds nice," rey agrees. "let's aim for that."

she can picture it perfectly: a quieter life, on some lush planet, somewhere, with a quaint house filled with the pattering feet of children. laughter echoes through the halls and there is always enough to eat. each night she sleeps without nightmares, and wakes beside the love of her life. in the morning, they sit in the sunlight. in the afternoon, they walk through their own sprawling garden. something deep within her, which has ACHED for this very reality for as long as she can remember, finally feels satiated. her ever-present hunger is quiet after howling for so long.

humming happily, rey tucks her head beneath his chin. she caresses his bare arms in return. "i suppose i'm lucky we have EXTRA weddings planned, then." the smile on her face is easily heard in the murmur of her voice. "so that i might experience more incredible trysts that will leave me bruised again." in the following moment of quiet, she grows more serious. "the rest was even lovelier, though. dancing with you in the rain was so special. joy is hardly a strong enough word for it. you have made me happier than i ever thought possible."

she has to lift her head the very second he teases her. gently, her free hand swats at his bare shoulder. "oh, stop it," rey laughs. "you can't MOCK ME on our wedding night." her hand reaches out so that she can brush her fingers through his hair. a lock of it, still damp, twirls around her finger. "i suppose i can't blame you. but still."

trailing her fingertips down to his throat, rey cocks her head to the side with interest as she studies her darling husband's bare chest. she only barely manages to hold back a wistful sigh, but it's hard -- rey is so MADLY in love. that she found her soulmate in this vast, complicated universe still seems unbelievable. her heart feels so full it's almost impossible to contain. so instead she grins again, aiming for levity. there's no sense dwelling on the hows or whys. "one last thing. what will it take to convince you we should have another intimate moment before we retire to bed?"

delight pours from him like the warming rays of a sun. it is so bright and pure; the kind of happiness that is only ever reserved for her. no one else sees him this way, because no one else could possibly do for him what rey does. for him to say he loves her— and he does, and will spend every day of the rest of her life telling her so— is simply not enough. there are pieces of her in his very core. his soul knows hers, intimately, and had longed for it before she’d even taken her first breaths. when he says she gives him everything, he means it.

love stirs in the pit of his stomach with each kiss she offers. there is too much of it, it needs somewhere to go; he couldn’t hide his laughter if he wanted to. she is pulled closer, held snug in his arms, when his laughs find pause. thor hums, a brow quirking. the sound is equal parts intrigued, playful, flirtatious. “please, love, it is late. don’t try to rouse me again.” he turns his head to meet her, catching her lips for only a second before nuzzling his nose to hers. “that is a fantasy almost too tempting to resist. my wife, fierce and ferocious and powerful, decimating battlefield after battlefield in my name? i can hardly imagine anything more attractive.” of course, he only teases, but the grin he wears almost betrays him.

“i prefer we walk hand in hand into peace. though, if i am being honest. . . i would do more for you and worse.” start a thousand wars, face each massive army by his lonesome. endure any pain imaginable. kill any god. if there is a line he wouldn’t cross, an atrocity he wouldn’t commit if it meant keeping her safe, he doesn’t know what it is. here, now, thor thinks he would do anything. his smile returns, then, as soft as ever; the hand trailing her arm stops at her fingers where they press to his chest.

“but also better.”

where each soldier would have fallen he would plant her a garden. for all the destruction, he would strive for life & beauty to take its place. if ever she needs hope, inspiration, he will be it for her. if a god must fall, he will rise, and be precisely the one she needs him to be. yes, without hesitation, thor would kill and die for rey. he would also live for her. he does live for her. there is no greater honor in the universe.

while she speaks again, the arm tucked beneath her draws circles along her shoulder lazily. then, as he presses kisses to her forehead, it moves to stroke her hair. each movement is slow, tender. thor’s heart is so full of love it feels as though it may just burst— but he would be fine with it. what better way is there to go? “you are only partially right,” he admits with a smile. “the bruises you will have when you wake. . . you do have the special occasion to thank for that, yes. of course, you should have everything you want and nothing less on your wedding night. our wedding night.” locking his eyes on hers, he wonders if she hears it when the beat of his heart leaps. “carrying you, giving you a storm, dancing with you whilst the rain poured— no, that wasn’t only because it’s our special night. your happiness is my happiness. your joy is my joy. i like to make you smile.”

seriousness recedes, then, in favor of more teasing. he speaks again in a way meant to— affectionately, of course— mock: it’s what she would say. it’s what she does say, time and time again. “is it a crime to want to see my beautiful, darling wife happy?”

#othunderous #( * hope is like the sun / mcu crossover )

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edie-baby · 4 years ago

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to have and to hold | juri vips

summary: Juri Vips was a bastard of a teammate. Mostly just because you were insanely in love with him and his flirtatious ways. Juri senses a change in your behaviour and when things begin going back to normal, Juri just fucks it up again. (Similar premise to the Mr & Mrs imagine with Liam, but different[?])

word count: 2894

warnings: swearing, still. i don't think i should have to put warnings about swearing anymore, it's basically a given.

Working with Juri Vips was a fucking trainwreck. There was no light way to put it, it was messy, it was painful, and yet you could never stop fucking staring at him. Being his teammate in F2 for the past year and a half, the two of you had gotten quite close, to the point where his family invited you on vacation with them when they were going, and you had joined them once, but realised about two hours in, that it was a thinly veiled attempt from literally his entire family to get the two of you together.

And while you were all for it, being forced to spend so much time with Juri, while he was shirtless nonetheless, was a literal dream come true, it was also incredibly painful for you to stop from pouncing on him at any given moment. Because as much as his family thought there was something between you, it was purely Juri’s charisma and character to be almost constantly flirting with you.

You remember the first time the two of you, a few other F2 drivers had come along as well, had gone to the beach and he had seen you bust out the bikini you knew made you look like a hot piece, he hadn’t shut up about it, or you, for weeks afterwards.

“Well look at you, little miss supermodel. I would have thought you’d be walking catwalks with legs like that, not pushing pedals like the rest of us. God, you look like you just stepped out of my dreams and onto this beach. If you keep looking like that, I think I might have a problem to deal with later in the shower.” He had hollered, and many of the guys around you either joined in or had nothing to say but gawk. Juri’s comments had cemented themselves in your brain however, calling back upon them whenever you felt less than top dollar, which you had to admit was becoming more often in recent months.

Juri had noticed your slowly waning confidence, of course he had. His gorgeous view of you in crop tops, little skirts, and tight shorts had turned into oversized shorts, hoodies, and ill-fitting jeans. All of which still made you the most beautiful girl in the world, but there was something missing from your aura, a general happiness that had been lacking since the new season started a few months ago. In the entire time Juri had known you, you were never one to listen to other’s opinions of you, whether they be good or bad, the only people you had ever listened to and taken words to heart from were himself, your parents, and your boyfriend.

Somehow in the span of about three minutes, Juri had tracked the four most likely culprits of your diminished ego. He knew he hadn’t said anything harmful or damaging to you since the season began, as many of your conversations had revolved around racing, other drivers in the paddock, or your family. Your parents, he was confident in, he had met them many times before, and they were always genuinely warm and welcoming, he supposed there might have been another side to them, though he believed he would have picked up on it by now. Which leaves only your boyfriend, whom Juri had zero confidence in.

Tye was nice, almost disgustingly so, but he was also much too proud of being nice for it to be genuine. He would open car doors for you, give you flowers every few months, and once bought you a necklace with a pendant of his name. But you would never forget that he did those things for you, because as soon as you would mention something relatively negative, those few acts of kindness were shoved down your throat.

Juri, of course, was not privy to that information. All he knew was that Tye’s possessive behaviour and complete lack of care for your wishes meant that there was something beneath the surface Juri was sure was the reason for your confidence, or lack thereof.

So when you came into work one day, to continue shooting some videos for the YouTube channel, wearing a gorgeously fitted pair of jeans, and a halter-neck singlet, Juri knew something was afoot. Also notable was your lack of gold necklace and your beaming smile toward the Estonian.

“You gonna keep staring like that, or do you want to take a photo?” You asked, your voice holding the teasing lilt Juri had missed in the past weeks. Without breaking his gaze from your body, Juri reached into the pocket of his shorts, his hand retrieving his phone and taking a photo of you standing there, tight clothes and bright smile in all its glory. He smirked when he saw your barely concealed smile.

“You’re in a much better mood than usual. What happened?” Juri couldn’t help but ask, the drastic shift in your mood was more than intriguing to him. Your smile widened, taking the last few steps toward his position in a chair behind the large conference table.

“I lost 80 kilos last night.” You whispered, leaning in closer to Juri, the glint in your eyes, the proximity and the tone were all so familiar to him that he couldn’t help but meet you halfway, barely three inches between your faces as the words processed in his mind.

Juri glanced down at your body confusedly, trying to figure out where exactly the 80kg had disappeared from. Then, the pieces began clicking into place. The lack of gold necklace, the tighter clothes, the glowing smile, none of which would have been staring Juri in the face if Tye had a say.

“You dumped Tye?” Juri questioned, his eyes lighting up, his raise in volume betraying just how excited he was for you, and himself. You nodded, eyes softening as you watched the pure joy cross Juri’s face. Him being happy was something that always warmed your heart, but Juri being happy about you finally being happy? You were sure your knees were about to buckle.

“I’m glad. I can have you all to myself now.” Juri grumbled, reaching for your hands that were braced against the arms of his chair. With a sharp tug, your balance was offset, and your body was tumbling toward Juri’s. You landed with a giggle in Juri’s lap, his own laughter joining yours and the two of you simply enjoyed each other’s presence after having an intangible wall built between you during your relationship with Tye.

Juri couldn’t hold a taken woman like he loved her, not when that taken woman wasn’t his to hold. And you, how could you revel in the feel of man’s touch that was anyone’s but the man you supposedly loved. You couldn’t break out in goosebumps, or have a shiver roll down your spine when you felt the familiar pressure of his calloused fingertips pressing into the skin of your back, desperate to keep you close. You weren’t allowed to sigh in content when you felt the warmth of his body seep into your skin, or whimper when his hot breath rolled over the skin of your neck.

But now you could. Now, without the moral implications of enjoying another man, you could sink into this all-consuming feeling you have when Juri is near.

“Morning you two. We’ve got a video to film in the garage if you want to follow me?” The social media manager, Georgina, a lovely woman in her 40s whom you always went to for advice and style tips, poked her head into the room you and Juri were tangled in, a cheeky smile on her face when she spotted the somewhat compromising position. A blush fell heavy on your cheeks, and you were quick to try and scramble away from Juri.

He had other ideas though. When Juri began moving, you clutched onto him for dear life, terrified of falling to the ground even though it was only about two feet. Your arms circled around his neck, your legs fully wrapping around his hips from where you were straddling him on the chair. His large hands came to rest on the underside of your thighs, hoisting you up higher on his body. Your legs clenched around his middle, the feel of his fingers pushing into the soft skin of your legs was electrifying, and you were sure if you didn’t have a video to film, you would have been telling the Estonian to find an unoccupied office to take what he needed from you.

But alas, you had a job to do. So, still wrapped around Juri like a vice, he carried you through the Hitech office, nodding to other staff you passed, and occasionally nuzzling his nose into your neck to get a good whiff of your perfume. Juri had said multiple times the scent was intoxicating and could bring any man to his knees. You may have gone out and bought an extra bottle to ensure you never ran out after that.

After a few minutes, you stepped into the garage with Juri, well, he stepped in you just kind of floated in. The scent of grease, rubber and a slight hint of fuel invaded your nostrils, and you sighed in content. Juri chuckled at your actions, he always loved watching you step into a garage, or out onto the pit lane to take in the smells of burnt rubber. You told him every time he laughed at you that it evoked a calm feeling within you, it was nostalgic, filled with happy memories from your childhood and the memories of races you shared with Juri on track.

“Alright lovebirds, can we get you in these chairs and we’ll start explaining while we finish getting set up.” Georgina stated, smiling fondly at the love between her two youngsters. Juri sat you down in one of the chairs sitting before the cameras, not leaving your side for long as he planted himself in his own chair and dragged you as close as possible.

Georgina explained the rules of the game, and the way you would be playing it, choosing you to sit in the background listening to music whilst Juri answered questions about you. First, they gave you a list of questions about yourself, asking to circle the correct answers and they would be compared to Juri’s during the game.

“Ok Juri, the first question. How old was Y/N when she started karting?” Georgina questioned. She watched you in the background closely to ensure you couldn’t hear anything, but you were blissfully unaware of everything around you, headphones in your ears, legs tucked up on the chair, scrolling through your phone with the occasional giggle escaping your lips. Each time Juri heard the angelic sound, he would turn to look at you with a look so soft it made the entire team’s heart swell.

“Uh, I think she was 10, I know she started late because she had to argue with her parents to let her do it with her brothers, and I think 10 is about the right age.” Juri answered, looking as though he was thinking quite hard about it. It had been a long time since the two of you discussed your start in karting, it was one of the first conversations you had together, and since then you hadn’t had to talk about generic teammate topics. Juri was proud that he remembered something seemingly insignificant from a year and a half ago, but supposed when it came to you he could never forget a thing.

“Alright, next question. What is Y/N’s biggest fear? Is it A, the ocean, B, goblins, or C, heights?” Juri’s eyes nearly bulged out of his head when he heard the second answer, trying to figure out why it was even an option in the first place. His eyes focused on one spot on the floor, his brain moving a mile a minute to analyse conversations he had with you.

“Well, we’ve been to the beach together a few times, and thinking back I don’t think she’s ever gotten into the water. So maybe the ocean, but she also said once when we were looking at a castle that she doesn’t like gargoyles, so goblins could be a thing. But she’s definitely not scared of heights. She’s gone skydiving, bungee jumping and climbed bridges and things like that. So I’m going to say the ocean. I feel like I would definitely know if she was scared of something like goblins.” Juri laughed, his eyes still glued to the spot on the floor, his thoughts flowing through his mouth with little consideration of how they could be interpreted.

“What is something Y/N never leaves the house with?” Georgina was hopeful for this question, she was sure it could be the catalyst for the two drivers to finally own up to their feelings after reading your answer. Juri listened to the multiple choice answers, but none of them sounded just right.

“So, the rings sound the closest, but sometimes she will wear lots, and other times only a few, and when she can’t wear them on her hands, she’ll thread it onto a necklace to wear under her race suit, or something so yeah, I’d say the rings.” Juri answered, turning to look at you behind him, wearing the exact ring he was talking about on the ring finger of your right hand.

“And what ring is the one she wears on her necklace?” Georgina probed, knowing the answer and just wanting to see the way Juri heated up when he talked about it.

“Uh, it’s a diamond ring that has a J engraved on the inside.” Juri answered, his cheeks turning an adorable shade of pink. A smile broke out on your face as you watched Juri, his flustered state always made you giggle as he was such a confident and put-together person usually. As a habit, you began spinning the ring on your right hand around, feeling the shape of the diamonds and knowing the initial carved into the inside was a claim over you.

“Do you know where she got it?” Georgina asked. She was getting frustrated, Juri was much more calm about revealing the intimacy of the ring than she had hoped.

“I gave it to her. About a year ago, and then she gave me a necklace with an (your initial) on it. I wear it every day, and it’s the only piece of jewellery I wear while I drive.” Juri answered, his fingers reaching up to toy with the thin gold chain hidden beneath his shirt. He looked over his shoulder at you, spotting the spinning ring immediately and smiling at you.

You looked up at him, a dazed look as you stared at the gorgeous man in front of you. He could see the stars in your eyes, staring at him as though he hung the moon, and if he was honest with himself, if you asked, he would. There was nothing you could ask of him that would be too much, even if you didn’t ask, he would do everything for you. No one had ever held this power over him, he wasn’t even sure it would feel this good if it were anyone else, but you just did something to him. You unlocked a part of him he didn’t know existed.

You were just, everything. To him. You were everything he ever wanted, ever needed, even everything he didn’t know he needed. You opened him up, poured sunshine into his life in the form of your smile, happiness penetrated his bones because of your laugh. He didn’t want to lose that again, didn’t want to lose you to another man. He needed you, and he needed you now.

It was like slow motion, the way Juri surged out of his chair toward you, his hands cupping your jaw roughly as he guided you to your feet. The laptop on the ground pulled the earphones from your ears, your phone clattering to the floor in your surprise. Your hands reached up to fist in his shirts, not wanting to lose this proximity. You had him in your grasp and you’d be damned if you ever let him go again.

Juri pressed his lips to yours, as soft and warm as you’d imagined them so many times before. You kissed him back with ferocity, the eighteen months worth of emotion poured into a kiss to communicate your feelings in a way that didn’t need words. He kissed back just as fiercely, his hands holding your face still to allow him to do exactly what he needed. You were pliable to his every demand, putty in his hands. Juri had always had this effect on you, every fleeting touch or brush of a hand on your waist made your knees weak and your stomach flutter with the force of a thousand butterflies.

Juri pulled away, barely a breath between your lips as he panted slightly. Your eyes were trained on his lips, the fullness of his bottom lip, the redness from your assault on them making them look all the more kissable.

“So, how about we switch that ring to the other hand and really make this a Mr & Mrs video?”

#juri vips #juri vips imagine #juri vips fanfic #juri vips x reader #f2 2021 #formula 2 #f2 fanfic #hitech gp

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ayybtch · 4 years ago

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Bread

Wanda Maximoff x f!Reader, Baker!AU + Friends to Lovers

Chapter 5 of Made With Love

Word Count: 3,292

Chapter Warnings: Our two favorite idiots are so blind it’s not even funny, lots of yearning, some brief mentions of alcohol consumption towards the end

A/N: Hey guys! Thanks for being patient with me on getting this posted. School and work have been crazy, but I’m almost done for the semester so hopefully it won't be as long for the next update. Shout out to my Grandma for sending me her paprikash recipe so I would actually know what I was talking about for this chapter. We literally never speak but she did me a real solid on this one and I will be adding paprikash into my regular cooking schedule once fall hits. Full disclosure though, I literally Googled “What wine pairs with chicken paprikash” and the wines mentioned are what it gave me. Please let me know what you think! I love reading your guys’s comments, it really makes my day.

Hey, so everyone is going to be out on a mission tomorrow night except for me. Any chance I can cash in on that raincheck? There’s a Bewitched marathon happening.

You smiled at Wanda’s message, quickly typing out your response. Definitely! Would you like to join me for bread day tomorrow?

She responded almost immediately. YES!

You couldn’t help but laugh at her enthusiasm. She had been wanting to make bread ever since the two of you made snickerdoodles. She brought it up almost constantly, mostly as a joke to get back at you for all of the times you teased her about it.

Up to this point, Wanda refused to accept any of your attempts to say thank you for helping you out through the cupcake debacle, saying that this was the sort of thing that friends were for. It only felt right that this should be the next thing to bake as your own special way of saying thank you.

As excited as you were to spend time with her and teach her how to do this, you couldn’t help but feel incredibly nervous at the same time. Why had Wanda decided to share her sexuality with you after all this time?

Okay, scratch that. You understood why she shared it with you when she did. The real question is what to do with the information now that you had it.

Was it just a general knowledge sort of a deal? Or was this her way of trying to say she was interested?

You groaned and put your head in your hands. This is why you hadn’t dated someone since your last relationship ended. You needed big flashing lights that screamed “I want to date you!” before you’d catch on, and even that didn’t work sometimes. If someone tried to be subtle, you were an absolute lost cause. You did your best to recall every interaction you had with Wanda that could even remotely be considered as her flirting or expressing interest.

She did smile at you a lot, even more than she smiled at Sam and Bucky who she clearly adored. She also certainly didn’t shy away from physical contact and had even initiated it several times. She had also remembered your coffee and bagel order from the one random time it came up weeks ago...

Suddenly, everything started to add up. All of those glances that had left your heart racing, all of those little touches...maybe Wanda was interested in you?

Your heart felt ready to burst out of your chest with joy.

Wanda didn’t arrive at the bakery until almost noon. The majority of the bread had been baked already; the only bread left to make was hers.

The two of you said your hello’s and caught up a bit as she stepped in to put on her apron and began washing her hands. Once the conversation slowed, you started your rundown for today’s bake.

“Bread is actually a lot easier than it looks but there are a couple of points we’re going to need to be careful at. I’ll remind you about them as we go about but I figured it would be good to have them all in your head now.

“We’re going to be very conscientious about temperatures this entire bake in a way we haven’t really needed to before. When we’re dealing with the yeast, we need the milk around 110 to 115o so the yeast activates properly. We also want things to be warm during the rise times, which shouldn’t be too much of an issue given the ovens have been on most of the day. Once it’s in the oven, we aren’t going to mess with it at all until the last couple minutes and that’s only if we need it to brown further.”

Wanda nodded along as you spoke. “I don’t know how much of an actual problem this is because you’re here, but I always hear a lot about overworking or underworking the dough. How do I know if it’s been kneaded enough?”

“Ah, good question! If the dough keeps getting really flat and not holding its shape, it’s underworked. If the dough is overworked, it gets kind of hard and not easy to work with. The good news is that we’re kneading by hand since it’s your first time and it’s a lot less likely to happen that way than in a mixer.”

She looked unconvinced but nodded. “Okay, so where do we begin?”

The first fifteen minutes of the bake flew by quickly. The yeast mixture had been prepared and was almost ready for the rest of the ingredients to be mixed in. Wanda was completely in awe at how the mixture looked.

To be fair to her though, the yeast mixture does look very weird if you’re not used to seeing it.

Once the flour, salt, and eggs were mixed in, the true fun began. Everything was mixed just enough to be combined into a rough, sticky ball of dough before being taken out of the mixer and onto the floured counter. Wanda followed along as you sprinkled some flour on your dough and began to knead, doing her best to mirror your motions.

You watched her out of the corner of your eye as you worked the dough, waiting to see what she would do. It was hard to hold back your giggles as you watched her. She was practically just squeezing the dough in different directions. You gave her a few minutes to see if she would work things out, but eventually, you set your dough down and moved closer to her.

“Here, let me help,” you said. Your hands moved so they were on top of hers, you tried guiding her through the motions, only for things to fail miserably.

“Okay, can I try something that might be a little weird? It’s just that I’m not used to kneading at an angle like that so it’s throwing off my muscle memory.”

She nodded and you adjusted yourself so you were now standing behind her. Your arms slid around either side of her waist and your hands rested on top of hers. This time, your hands knew what they were doing and you were able to help guide her through the motion. Even after she got it, you remained standing behind her, your chin resting against her shoulder.

The feelings that washed over you as you stood there with her were hard to describe. There was nothing necessarily comfortable about the position you were in, but your whole body felt more relaxed than it had all day. At the same time though, everything felt electrifying. You hoped she couldn’t feel the way your heart was thumping against your chest.

It wasn’t until you realized Wanda had paused and turned back slightly to face you slightly that you stepped back. An apology rose up in your throat only to die as you noticed the small smile on her face. You shot a smile back at her before moving back to your spot, turning your attention back to the job at hand.

The rest of the bake went smoothly, despite Wanda’s fretting about if the bread was rising enough. It didn’t take long before you had two perfectly round loaves of bread sitting next to each other on the cooling rack. Wanda had not stopped smiling since they came out of the oven. Even though that was her usual response, this time felt different.

For the second time that day, you were left trying to describe impossible feelings. Was it her eyes that felt different? They were lit beautifully, radiating so much joy it was impossible to not feel just as excited. But how was that any different from usual? Her eyes always captivated you and left you breathless. Maybe it was the new shade of pink lipstick she had on. It was perfectly accentuating the shape of her lips, to the point you couldn’t help but wonder what it might be like to feel them pressed against yours.

You may not be able to pinpoint what the look was, all you knew is that you were grateful to be a part of why her smile was so big.

After she finished taking pictures of the loaves, she turned to you. “That was incredible! I had no idea bread could be that simple.”

You nodded along, unable to hold back a smile. “I told you it wasn’t too bad, there are just a couple spots you have to be sure to navigate well. And clearly -” you gestured towards the loaves, “- you did. Maybe I should start worrying about you stealing my job.”

Her laughter filled the kitchen at your teasing.

As her laugher began to die out, her focus turned back on to you. “Okay, so what time were you thinking of coming over? I’m making us dinner and want to try and have it finishing up right around the time you get there.”

You glanced over at the clock and then back to the to-do list written out on the whiteboard above your desk before answering, “I think it’ll probably be close to five if I had to guess. I still have to finish cleaning some stuff here and I promised to go help Charlie work out some menu options for that picnic thing that’s coming up.”

Wanda nodded along, “Are you going to that?”

“I’m working it, so I, unfortunately, don’t have much of a choice.”

She nodded again. “Same here, actually. All of the Avengers are required to be unless there’s some sort of alien invasion again or something…” She trailed off a moment before continuing. “I was planning on making paprikash. Is that okay with you? I don’t know if there’s anything you can’t or don’t like to eat.”

“I’ve actually never had that before so that would be wonderful! I’m pretty easy when it comes to food. The only things I don’t like are mushrooms and zucchini, but I’ll still eat them if I have to.”

Wanda gasped, “You don’t like mushrooms? How do you not like mushrooms?”

You just shrugged, “Okay, I’m actually pretty neutral on mushrooms. I’ll still eat them. I just don’t go out of my way to make them for myself. Zucchini is a firm no, though.”

She gave you a side-eye but relented. “Well, there are no mushrooms or zucchini in this, but just know I’m going to have to keep an eye on you from now on. I don’t know how we’ve made it this far into our friendship without me knowing you’re an anti-mushroom heathen.”

The two of you joked around for a few minutes longer before she left to start preparing for dinner.

Planning the menu with Charlie didn’t take very long, which you were grateful for. He already had a decent idea of what he wanted to do, so the main thing left was to figure out how much food to order to prepare it. The two of you also agreed upon what you needed to make. Most of your responsibilities centered around desserts, specifically pies, though you agreed to make some fresh rolls and soft pretzels as well.

You were thankful for the meeting to end though because it meant the remaining time you had left could be spent getting ready to go see Wanda.

‘Getting ready’ was perhaps a bit dramatic. You were just changing out of your usual work clothes into something a little cuter. It was nothing particularly fancy, but it was an outfit you felt both confident and comfortable in. You had also made sure to pack some toiletries that morning, allowing you to freshen up your deodorant and brush your teeth as well.

As you stepped into the elevator and pressed the button, you couldn’t help but feel a bit jittery. The past few times you’ve made your way to that part of the building you’ve been nervous about the other Avengers not wanting you there. This time though, all of your nerves could be attributed entirely to Wanda. You weren’t sure what to expect of tonight, but you were determined to have a fun night filled with food and good company.

The warm smell of paprika filled the air and made your stomach grumble as soon as you stepped out of the elevator. Once you were inside, you found Wanda in the kitchen, stirring in some additional seasonings.

“This smells incredible,” you said, setting the two loaves of bread down on the counter.

Wanda beamed. “Thanks! This is my great grandmother’s recipe and is one of my favorite things to make.” As she set the spoon down, she walked towards the fridge. “I bought some wine to go along with dinner if you would like some.”

“Yes please, wine sounds amazing right now.”

“I have a chardonnay and a Barolo, which would you prefer?” she asked, turning back towards you.

You shrugged, “Whichever one you want.”

She nodded and pulled out the Barolo. It didn’t take long for the bottle to be opened and to have a glass of wine in your hand.

It wasn’t until you took your first sip that you realized Wanda had also changed. Your breathing hitched as you looked her up and down. Gone were her jeans and old T-shirts, replaced by a pair of cut-off shorts and a stylishly oversized T-shirt. If it weren’t for the fuzzy wool socks on her feet, you’d assume she was camera-ready. Hell, even with the funny socks she was the most beautiful woman you had ever seen.

You realized you were staring and abruptly began looking around the kitchen, trying to find something to do that would take your mind off of how hot Wanda looked. “Is there anything I can help you with?”

Wanda shook her head no. “There’s not really anything to be done, this just needs to simmer for about another five minutes and we’ll be good to go. Why don’t you go have a seat at the table and I’ll be over in just a moment with some bread slices and butter. Once this is ready I’ll bring it in as well.”

You nodded and made your way out of the kitchen and towards the table.

It wasn’t until you were seated that you realized how well the table was set. Both seats had beautiful flatware laid out, with silverware organized neatly to the side. Underneath was a crisp, pure white table cloth. What caught your attention the most though were the two lit candles sitting between your chair and hers. It wasn’t until you noticed the candles that you also noticed the music playing softly in the background.

Everything about the setup screamed ‘fancy first date’.

Before you had much of a chance to dwell on the thought, Wanda arrived with several slices of bread and a small dish of butter. You thanked her before she walked back towards the kitchen. She returned soon after with the pot of paprikash, setting it on the hot pad in the center of the table. She walked around to her seat and soon both of you had your plates filled and began to eat.

It was impossible to hold back a satisfied sigh as you took your first bite. It tasted just as delicious, if not better than it smelled. The chicken was cooked perfectly and all but melted in your mouth. The paprika added a nice rich flavor and added extra depth to the creaminess of the sauce.

“Wanda this is incredible.”

She smiled at you brightly, “If you think it’s good by itself, try dipping the bread with some butter in it.”

You did as she said and this time instead of a satisfied sigh, you let out a satisfied moan. “You are going to have to give me this recipe. This is so good I don’t even know what to say, all I want to do is keep eating.”

Wanda laughed at your enthusiasm. “Tell you what, I’ll teach you how to make it sometime. It’s about time I taught you something in the kitchen.”

Dinner was a blast. The two of you spent more of it laughing and talking than eating. The bottle of Barolo was finished before dinner was done. It didn’t take long before it was replaced by the chardonnay.

Once dinner was over, you fought Wanda to let you help clean up the kitchen. Her argument that guests shouldn’t help was shot down as you pointed out she’s technically a guest in the bakery, yet she always helps clean up after she’s been in there. She grumbled about it but quickly conceded. It didn’t take long for the kitchen to be cleaned up and even less time after that for her to drag you over to the couch.

The first-ever episode of “Bewitched” was halfway finished by the time the two of you had settled into your spots on the couch. Currently, Samantha and Darrin were at his ex-girlfriend's house for a dinner party and the girlfriend was doing everything she could to make Samantha feel inferior. Samantha, of course, wasn’t having it and was willing to fudge her promises of not using magic to level the playing field.

Wanda laughed along perfectly in time with the sitcom track. The more she laughed, the more your attention turned from being on the TV to be on her. This was the most relaxed and happy you had ever seen her. She had a small, almost imperceivable smile that grew as she became more and more emerged into the episode. Each time she laughed, you noticed how her nose would scrunch up in the cutest way and it took everything you had to not lean over and kiss her.

What you wouldn’t give to make her as happy as this show.

It wasn’t until the end credits were about to roll that you forced yourself to look back at the screen, unsure of how she’d respond if she caught you staring.

As the next episode cued up, she reached out and grabbed her glass of wine before turning to face you.“So, what do you think? Could I have been a Samantha in another life?”

You couldn’t help but laugh. “Definitely, though I can’t see you being willing to hide your powers just because a man wants you to.”

Wanda nearly choked on the sip of wine she had taken. “You got me there.”

She finished the glass and set it back on the table before letting out a loud yawn. “Sorry, I probably should’ve warned you beforehand that wine makes me a little sleepy.” She paused for a moment before she continued, “It also makes me incredibly cuddly…”

A rush of emotions washed over you as you processed her words. Was she asking to come cuddle with you?

The hopeful look in her eye suggested she was.

Pure, unadulterated joy swept over your body and you had to fight the urge to jump up and down from excitement. You did your best to collect yourself before you replied, hoping that the answer was indeed what you were looking for.

“Is that your way of asking if you can come snuggle?”

She smiled at you sheepishly, which made you laugh. You moved over on the couch, moving around some of the throw pillows so you could lay down.

“Well, what are you waiting for then?”

Wanda didn’t hesitate for a moment and soon was laying on top of you, her head resting on your chest. One of your arms wrapped loosely around her back after she settled in.

A comfortable silence fell over you as you laid there together, watching Bewitched until you fell asleep.

#wanda maximoff x reader #wanda maximoff x you #wanda maximoff x y/n #wanda maximoff fan fiction

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nataliedanovelist · 3 years ago

Text

GF - Timestuck AU: The Power of Mabel ch.7 (finale)

While fighting over a time machine so one twin can win a pig or the other can win the heart of a girl, Mabel is left stranded in a snowy forest with no time machine and no brother. Oops.

ch.6

AO3 link

~~~~~~~~~~

Ford sat on the kitchen floor with his back against the cupboards, clinging to his knees, his glasses still in hand. His throat was sore and his eyes hurt and his nose was runny and his heart was raw and broken, and yet he wasn’t done crying. Though he was done sobbing and occasionally crying so hard he thought he would throw up, free-flowing tears still streamed down his face as he hid the bottom-half of his head in his beefy arms.

“What do we do now?” He moaned.

Stan looked at the know-it-all who didn’t have a clue. He sighed and moved to sit next to him, his back against the cupboard and his knees up by his chest as he combed his mullet. “I dunno… Sit here and die?”

Ford hiccuped a cruel laugh and buried his face in his arms fully. “I wish I could.”

Stan snorted. “What’s that saying? The good die young?”

Ford groaned and started to sob again.

Stan rubbed his back, his head against the cupboard and he looked up at the ceiling. “O-Okay, okay… Let’s think about this. So we never made up, or something else really bad happened between us, and that’s the timeline Mabel was from, right?”

“Right.” Ford gruffed, lifting his head up and rubbing his eyes dry.

“So, since that didn’t happen, or it happened differently… B-But that doesn’t mean she’s… She’ll still exist in our timeline, won’t she? She’s gonna be okay?” He asked the scientist, digging for some kind of hope.

Ford sighed and rested his cleft chin on his arms. “As long as what happened didn’t interfere with Alex’s life too much… Which I don’t know how it could… Mabel and Dipper should still be born in 1999. There’s a small possibility they’ll be different than what they once were, or because of some unseen butterfly effect, their birth might be different or might not happen at all… But…”

The eldest by fifteen minutes slipped his glasses back on, stood, and said stubbornly, “I’m going to do what I can to ensure it is a better future than what the kids had. Our entire family was broken because of what we did and didn’t do. Clearly either one of us went insane or died or something horrible, and I won’t allow that to happen.”

“I don’t think we gotta worry too much about that happening.” Stan said from down on the floor. “I mean, if Mabel changed things so much that an entire reality changed, then we don’t really gotta do much except not screw this up.”

Ford laughed and held out a hand to his twin, who gladly clasped it and stood. “You’re right.”

But the men were disheartened to finally notice the mess in the kitchen. Mabel’s cake batter sat on the flour-dusted counter, the oven was hot and ready for baking, and the muffin tray was on the floor from where Mabel dropped it. Ford looked down at the sweater he was wearing - the sweater she had knitted for him - and without a word he walked to the living room and saw Mabel’s knitting sitting on the couch where she had left it, a completed red sweater with a golden heart on it.

Ford smiled mournfully and held the sweater as Stan joined him and gasped at the sweater. The big brother held it out to the little brother and croaked, “We’ll see her again.”

Stan smiled, cleared his throat, and took off his hoodie and snagged the new sweater to slip it over his old white t-shirt. “Yeah.”

~~~~~~~~~~

July 22nd, 1980

Ford held the lantern up to better read the writing in the cave. He peered at it and was intrigued by a description of a being with answers. It would be summoned if he read out-loud, and though there were many clear warnings against this, the desperate scientist was extremely tempted.

“Sixer! Let’s move before we get caved in or some shit.” Stan called as he walked up to Ford. “What are you reading, cavemen graffiti?”

“Look, Stanley, there are tales of an all-knowing being with answers. It could help me with my theory…”

“Nope.” Stan grabbed Ford by the collar of his trenchcoat and dragged him away like dragging a child out of a toy store.

“Stanley! Let me go!”

“That shit’s got bad voodoo written all over it! You’ve gotta be inhaling toxic cave gas or something to think summoning a demon is a good idea!”

“We don’t know it’s a demon.”

“Really? Then why does that wall read in old blood ‘Do not summon demon!’?”

“Huh. Well, um…”

“That’s what I thought, now don’t make me pick you up and carry you. Let’s move.” And he lightly shoved Ford forward to lead the walk away from the cave and through the tunnels for sunlight.

~~~~~~~~~~

Alex’s wedding was wonderful and a joyous day, but it also made Ford and Stan nervous. They both agreed not to say a word to anyone (as far as Fiddleford knew, Ford had found the girl’s parents and all was over and ended well), and white they were happy to be one step closer to meeting the kids, they were slightly worried that something might be different than Mabel’s timeline.

She never told them her mother’s name. Did Alex marry someone else? Did they marry at the correct time? There was no way of telling, and they both agreed to allow themselves to enjoy the day and maybe drink a little. Or a lot.

~~~~~~~~~~

When Shermie called and told them that Alex and Dana were going to have a baby, Ford choked on his coffee and Stan dropped the phone. They silently exchanged looks and were terrified that there was only one baby. But it was seven months before the end of August, so maybe the new parents were choosing to keep everything a surprise. Knowing Alex, that is something he would do, especially if there were twins. A beautiful surprise for his twin uncles.

So they congratulated Shermie and made him swear to call them if anything happened so they could be there. And despite their fear, they were very joyous of becoming grunkles again.

~~~~~~~~~~

August 31st, 1999

The entire week leading up to the day, the men were incredibly anxious. The birthday was on 31st, which meant Dipper and Mabel could be born at 1am on the 31st, or 11pm on the 31st. They had no way of knowing, but as long as that damn telephone stayed silent, they weren't leaving the house all weekend. Neither of them slept the night of the 30th, just in case.

Finally, a little after coffee on the 31st, the phone rang. Both Ford and Stan tackled each other and fought for it, but Stan sat on Ford and grabbed it first.

“Stanley, get off me!”

“Stanley, what are you doing to your brother?” Shermie chuckled on the other end.

“Nevermind that, Sherm!” Stan laughed. “What’s going on with you?” He asked casually, though he smiled down at Ford, who smiled back, despite still being sat on in the kitchen.

“Well, you guys know I’m gonna be a grandpa soon…”

“Really? Had no idea.” Stan said sarcastically as he stood up to get off Ford. “So? Is it happening now?!” Ford ran down the hall.

Shermie laughed. “Yup. I just got here myself and Alex and Dana got here about twenty minutes ago.”

“Piedmont Hospital, right?”

“Right.”

“We’ll be there in six hours.”

“It’s an eight hour drive!”

“I said six hours!”

“STANL-” But Stan hung up the phone.

Stan hurried up to his attic bedroom and dressed in his baby-blue Hawaiian shirt and slacks, while also grabbing a suitcase he’s had ready all week, prepared to stay as long as Alex and Dana needed him.

He ran back downstairs with suitcase in hand, with Ford by the door, and they sprinted into the Stanmobile and drove down the road.

~~~~~~~~~~

Shermie was waiting for them in the hall, beaming with joy, and his little brothers ran to him for a tackle-hug.

“Good to see you, Grandpa!”

“Congratulations, Shermie!”

“Thank you, thank you!”

“Did we miss it?!” Stan asked. “Has it happened yet?!”

Shermie grinned and nodded. “Yes, everyone is safe and fine.” And he opened the door.

The aged explorers beamed (and no, they weren’t crying) to find Alex holding one baby and Dana holding another baby. The eldest pair of twins high-sixed and cheered and then gently approached the little ones, beaming down at them.

It was like they had been holding their breath for twenty years, and now they could finally breathe.

“What are their names?” Ford asked quietly, seeing how each newborn was sleeping soundly.

“This is Mabel,” Alex introduced, giving the bundle to Stan.

“And this is Mason.” Dana said tiredly, giving her son to Ford to hold.

Stan and Ford were a bit concerned with the name change, but one look at the baby boy relaxed them. Of course a name like Dipper was a nickname.

“Matching names, huh?” Stan asked cheekily, cradling Mabel and looking down at her with shining brown eyes.

“We couldn’t help ourselves.” Alex chuckled.

Ford’s eyes were glued to Mason. While of course he had been dying to see Mabel again, he had also been excited to meet his science-loving nephew. He was so cute and small in his polydactyl hands and Ford knew it would take a lot more strength than what he had to let him go.

The author tore his eyes away to see his twin looking down at Mabel with tears in his eyes, holding her close to his heart and trying really hard to hold it together, but his joy and peace was far stronger than any bad habits that stopped him from showing his emotions. Stan lightly kissed Mabel’s cheek and Ford saw his lips barely move, though he didn’t hear what he said. Which was fine by him. Ford smiled back down at Mason, finally content.

No one heard him say it, thank Moses, but Stan couldn’t help himself. He had whispered to his niece as quiet as a mouse, “I’ve missed you, pumpkin.”

And finally, after all these years, the small hole in the boys’ hearts could be filled.

THE END!

#GF #gravity falls #gravity falls au #timestuck au #fanfiction #stangst #thank you guys SO much for reading!#im sorry i hurt you last chapter #hopefully this makes up for it ^^;#august 31st

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comfortscripts · 3 years ago

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May I Have This Dance? ¬ Steve Rogers

Plot - After retiring his shield, Steve's partner realises that he seems to be missing something.

Requested? Yes/No

Genre - ☁️️Fluff ☁️️

Note/Warning - Steve didn't return to Peggy after Endgame (I refuse to accept that ending honestly), I think this is GN but please let me know if I have used fem!pronouns, also the reader wears a dress in this so if you are uncomfortable with that be aware.

Word Count - 1.7k

After your husband Steve retired from the superhero living, life seemed dull in his eyes. You could see that his once vibrant baby blues had lost their sparkle, their joy for life.

Whilst him having more time meant that your relationship thrived, Steve was missing something and you were missing him being truly happy.

It was Sunday and a rule of the Rogers relationship is that Sunday was an "Old School Day".

No technology, no going to the city and no current news or media of any kind.

It took a while to get use to but you soon learned to love it because it meant that you had the whole day with your soulmate, no distractions. But today was different, there was one thing that had taken up your entire focus all day.

A few days prior, you were in line at the supermarket when you spotted a flyer.

DANCE YOURSELF BACK TO THE 40s!

Have you ever wondered what a 40s dance was like?

Well if the answer is yes, get yourself down to the Michaelton Hall this Sunday at 7:30pm

The cashier was a motherly looking woman in her late 60s named Dorothy, her family had owned the supermarket here since the 1920s and being a cashier here was her first job. Twice a week she would come down and "relive her youth" as her husband always jokes.

"I thought that might catch your eye" Dorothy spoke after watching you inspect the flyer. "The old music, the clothes and just that feeling of a simpler time. I'm hoping to convince William to take me but getting him to dress up like a princess is more likely than getting him to dance."

You laugh at the woman's joke but mainly at the idea of William in a frilly dress. William and Dorothy had been married for 52 years but the only time William ever danced with her was on their wedding night, a story that you thought was sad but Dora took it in her stride.

"Well I am thinking that this might be a good way to get Steve out of his funk, even for only a night" You say with a wistful look on your face whilst piling fruit into your shopping bag.

"What a wonderful idea my dear!" Dorothy exclaimed whilst scanning the final item "There is a quaint little vintage store about half a mile out of town, I am sure you'd find a dress to knock Steve's socks off"

Smiling at the woman, you hand her some cash before taking one last look at the flyer "You are like a fairy godmother Dora. Have a lovely day and hopefully see you at the dance".

By the next morning, you were keen to start prepping for the Sunday surprise. Giving your husband a kiss goodbye, you headed off to 'run some errands'.

First stop was buying the tickets, then that left you with finding the perfect 40s dress.

You headed out of town to the vintage store Dorothy mentioned but you were not prepared for how beautiful the shop was. Flowers in corners all over the place, fairy-lights decorated the clothing racks and old pieces of sparkling jewellery was displayed throughout the store.

You could have spent hours in there, it felt like a visual time machine but it seemed luck was on your side. As you strolled further into the store, you noticed a stunning pastel floor-length satin dress with light embellishments near the sleeves. That was exactly what you needed.

Everything was ready. Tickets were bought, dress was found and Steve's old military suit was ready to be worn. All you had to do now was keep it from your husband till Sunday.

Making it to Sunday evening was difficult, you had nearly exposed the plans twice but thankfully Steve believed the excuses you came up with. But now it was time to get ready.

"My love, guess what I found the other day in the attic" You call out to your super-solider husband. "Your old army uniform. Perfect condition as well".

Handing the outfit to Steve, you see his eyes light up with the memories of his time back in the 1940s. Although he looked only slightly older than he did the last time he wore it, it was like looking back in time.

"Wow, I didn't think I would ever see this again." He spoke caressing the material.

"Steve, do you think you could maybe try it on again? I would love to have a glimpse of what use to be the fashion" You asked carefully, trying to make sure he didn't suspect anything else.

A small smile graced his face. "Of course, I probably would have wanted to try it on either way" And with a laugh, he headed upstairs to suit up.

Whilst the super-solider was getting ready, you slipped into your dress and quickly slipped on an oversized shirt which made it look like you were wearing a long skirt and t-shirt. Applying a bit of makeup before double checking that your purse was ready with the tickets, car keys and some other essentials.

Hearing footsteps descend your staircase, you turn around to a fully suited and confident looking Steve Rogers. This man has managed to make you fall more in love every day for the past 6 years but in this moment, he took your breath away.

"You look so handsome. How did I ever get lucky enough to call you my husband?" You express as you reach up to lay the corner of his collar down. Even though you compliment your husband all the time, Steve still flushes a bit red at the sweet words.

Leaning in to give him a small kiss, you suddenly remember that you are on a time constraint. You pull back with a mischievous grin dancing on your face.

"Oh no, I know that face. What have you done?" Steve asks with a little chuckle. Instead of responding, you grab his hand and head out to the car. After instructing him to get into the passenger seat, you settle yourself in the driver's seat and start the car whilst Steve sits beside you watching like he was trying to solve a puzzle - the puzzle being you.

"I have a surprise for you but I am going to need you to put this blindfold on whilst I drive us there" With a grin on your face and your hand offering a silk blue blindfold to your incredibly confused but handsome husband.

Cautiously Steve reaches for the blindfold and puts it on, he would trust you with his life so why not trust you with a small surprise.

After driving for 15 minutes or so, Steve feels the car stop and turn off.

"Wait one second" You say before he hears you open your door.

Bubbling with excitement you quickly discard of your t-shirt, place some kitten heels on and apply a sultry shade of red on your lips before throwing anything you don't need in the trunk.

Walking over to Steve's side of the car, you calm your nerves slightly with a deep breathe. Opening the passenger door, you take a hold of Steve's hand and carefully guide him towards the entrance of the hall.

Sounds of Moonlight Serenade songs fill his ears as he enters, still completely oblivious to his partner's scheme. He notices that it is far warmer in this area and that he can smell a mix of perfume and whiskey.

"Okay baby, when I count to 3, you can take off your blindfold" You finally say.

"1"

"2"

"3"

As Steve removes the silk blocking his vision and is immediately hit with a feeling of nostalgia. The hall looked like something out of his memories; men and women dressed in 40s fashion dancing the night away, a small band playing all the most popular songs from the decade he yearned for, men who reminded him of Bucky trying to pick up girls at the bar.

Steve thought that he was blown away until he saw his Y/N. The person who made life worth living, who made everything seem light again. There they stood, looking like they had just walked off the silver screen from an old movie. Steve never really believed that he could live such a happy life but somewhere along the way, he must have done something right because now he is married to an angel.

Walking up to you, he placed his hands on your waist and looked deep into your eyes. Drowning in Steve's ocean blue eyes was a favourite past-time of yours but this felt more than that.

"I noticed you have been a bit down since you gave up the shield and I couldn't see you frown anymore." You whisper quietly as if you were nervous that this plan wouldn't work.

"I know I say it constantly but I love you, Y/N Rogers. Your kindness, your care, your effortless beauty, you." Steve recited, filling every word with pure love and appreciation. "Sometimes I think that I am no one if I am not Captain America or I don't belong in this world but you. You, Y/N, you made me realise that you are my home, not the past. You are the only one I need in this life-time or any other life-time because you taught me who I am beyond the shield."

Tears start to well up in your eyes as you hang off his every word.

"This dance is amazing but what makes me happy is that I get to spend tonight and every night with my soulmate" Steve takes a step back and extends his hand. "So, may I have this dance my darling?"

Reaching for his hand, you make your way onto the dance floor amongst the other couples. As the song dies down, Stella by Frank Sinatra starts filling the hall with a romantic atmosphere and you feel Steve place his hand on your hip before placing another in your hand. This was truly a night to remember.

As you sway with your husband, you let your eyes wander to the other dancing couples and near the centre of the dance floor, you spot Dorothy and William smiling and swaying like teenagers again.

All you can do is hope that you and Steve will be dancing together when you are old and grey.

#steve rogers #steve rogers x reader #steve rogers imagine #steve rogers x you #captain america #captain america x you #captain america x reader #steve rogers fluff #captain america imagine #steve rogers fic #captain america fic #marvel imagine #steve rogers oneshot #captain america oneshot

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hawksugarbaby · 4 years ago

Text

Hawks x reader- snowed in

Fluff

The snow piled up around the door like Icing sugar decorating a cake and the windows frosted over with frozen icicles dangling from the ledge, threatening to pierce the soft snow. "It's so cold Kei" you ran your hands up and down your cold arms layered in goosebumps and pressed your glacial feet against his calves making him jolt forward "JESUS CHRIST!" he shouted wiggling away from your feet making you giggle.

"I'll put the heating on and close the curtains? That might help" he shrugged sending a crimson feather to do the work for him "mhm, you mean your wings will do it for you" you smile softly curling into his side and he grinned putting his arm on your head "you make a wonderful armrest" the bedsheets crinkled and shifted with your feet that kicked his shin jokingly "ouch, i'm in agony" he said casually without any indication he was in pain (because he wasn't) and you pouted angrily turning your head away from him which made his arm fall onto the bed "aw i'm sorry princess, you make a wonderful girlfriend too!" he kissed the back of your neck wrapping his arms around you and rolling you on top of him. "I love you~" he sang, drawing out the love and you dropped your annoyed expression, A bright smile etched on your face instead. "I love you too!"

Keigo wrapped his wings around you blanketing you in crimson feathers that kept the heat as close to you as possible. "Your pretty kei." you said bluntly, keeping your (e/c) eyes on his ruby pools "thank you baby so are you" you said kissing the tip of your nose making your face scrunch up and your eye's crinkle at the corners in a smile. Your legs tangled together and your arms were going numb, crushed between you and your boyfriends chard chest from the lack of options on where to put them.

"Your wings are so warm" you muttered nuzzling into his chest like a big cat, the thumping of his heart was steady and soothing and you matched your breathing to his without reasoning "are they? I never knew that" he sighed placing one hand against your head stroking your hair softly. "Yeah they're like a whole ass radiator connected to you" you said and he hummed in response. "A whole ass radiator?" he repeated teasingly and you snickered "a whole ass radiator" the confirmation made the two of you laugh slightly and keigo peeked out the window, the blinding white blurred from the frozen glass but as if waiting for it a frozen stalagmite fell from the ledge impaling the snow quickly. "Thank god we're not standing under those right now" keigo mumbled and closed the curtain again.

"I wish we could build a snowman or something" you sighed, leaning your head up again and wiggling to find comfort "yeah me too we could have- ow okay you just kneed me in the dick and I do not appreciate that" he wheezed his face burning red and eyes streaming tears "oh my god i'm so sorry I didn't even realise" you gasped kissing his face over and over as if it would alleviate some of the pain, you wiped the tears running down his face with your sleeve and buried your face in his chest. "y'could kiss it better" he teased earning a slap in the chest "KEIGO!" his chest vibrated and he squirmed.

"that feels fucking weird. Don't shout at my lungs what did they do to you?" he turned his face away like a dramatic character from a Shakespeare play and you rolled your eyes "I dunno but your still breathing so they have that to apologize for" keigo's mouth fell open in shock and his eye's rounded in amusement "i'm hurt" "no your not you liar" "I am truly in pain, I don't think I can go on" he clutched his shirt and said "just know I always loved you" then sank his head onto the pillow heavily his tongue lolling outside of his mouth.

You wailed loudly and dropped the back of your hand to your forehead "whyy! My one and only love, I'm sorry I never should have treated you so cruelly" your dramatization made the blonde laugh and you gasped "HE'S ALIVE!" the volume of your shouting was enough to have the neighbors bang on the wall in annoyance "SORRY MY BOYFRIEND WAS FUCKING DYING!" you shouted through the wall and rolled your eyes sinking back into keigo's chest and turning to your cheek rested against him instead. "Rude" you tutted and Keigo nodded in agreement, knocking his head against the headboard that banged against the wall annoying the neighbors further.

"Keigo I have a question" you lead the conversation and keigo panicked, what if you proposed, what if you asked him to propose, what if you wanted a dog, what if you wanted kids, what if you wanted food, oh god what if you wanted takeaway! With the snow building up to the letterbox he didn't imagine you would manage to get any takeaway to the house right now. Please don't want takeaway. "Do you like this house?" okay it's not takeaway "I think i'm content here but I wouldn't mind something new" he admit scratching the back of his neck and looking at the wall behind him "not a fan of the neighbors either" he stuck his tongue out and you chuckled drumming your fingers against his forearm.

"so I was wondering if you maybe, at some point it doesn't have to be now, and you don't have to make a decision right now but-" "spit it out princess, your stalling" he smiled stroking your cheek gently with his thumb and you sighed mumbling something under your breath earning a glower from your boyfriend. "Would you wanna move in with me? Eventually, If you want, you don't have to but I think it would be nice" you lowered your voice at the end.

Keigo laughed and kissed the top of your head "yeah I think that would be nice" he agreed and you grinned, a giddy feeling developing in your head and you wiggled in excitement. "If you keep wiggling your gonna create a problem you'll have to deal with" he smirked and you immediately stopped moving "I take back the proposition you can stay here with your horny ass." you tapped him on the nose sitting up and moving so you were straddling his stomach.

His wings couldn't wrap around you as well when you were sitting up so he dragged a blanket over your shoulders and tucked his wings back underneath him. "Could we get a bigger house? Maybe one with a nursery..." you trailed off. Fuck. there was the kid's question he was afraid of. Keigo figured he should ask the all important question soon, you had been dating for 4 years but keigo had never been so committed to a relationship before, maybe it was the abandonment issues or how his job filled up his life but you were special you were different. Maybe it was time for this conversation then.

"You want kids with me?" he asked in disbelief sitting himself up and sitting against the headboard analyzing you carefully like a trap "of course I want kids with you. Not right now but in the future i'd like kids" keigo had never come to terms with the idea of someone wanting to spend their life with him but as the snow fell caging you in he suddenly didn't mind more days like this. Talking and cuddling for the rest of time would be amazing but kids were scary to him, he wanted to be better than his father and he wanted to be there for his kids, pick them up from school and help them with homework but would his work get in the way?

"Kei I know you had an awful childhood, and I understand why you might feel... cautious about the idea of having children, but you are the only person I would even ever consider worthy of dating me never mind raising our kids" you comforted, kissing him softly placing your hand on his and squeezing tightly. "I just don't know if i'd ever be a good dad, i'm barely a good person, I literally just about function as a human" his eyes darted around the room for something to focus on but they kept landing on you. You were what he should focus on right now. "Baby you would be an amazing dad, a busy one yes, but an incredible one! And sure you're a little dysfunctional but so am I! Your an amazing person and I love you okay and if you don't want kids right now that's okay, we have all the time in the world-" "-we have until menopause" "we have until menopause"

He sighed and swallowed thickly "okay." he said curtly, nodding away to himself and pulling you in for a hug wrapped up by his wings. "Okay?" you raised your eyebrows and tilted your hand rubbing your cold hands up his back "I'd like kids eventually. But not right now I think I wanna marry you first" he sighed brushing your hair behind your ear and pulling you into a tight hug and crossing his fluffy wings behind you "y-you wanna marry m-me?" you stuttered and he laughed "of course I wanna marry you I just don't know your ring size yet and I didn't know if you want to marry me" he kissed your forehead and you smiled softly "of course I wanna marry you!" you exclaim wrapping your arms around him and barraging him with kisses across the bridge of his nose. "I'm glad because I wanna marry you too"

You lay there for a while longer just talking, it didn't matter what you talked about, you made a conversation out of it. "Can we PLEASE get a cat" you whined giving him your biggest puppy dog eyes but he remained stoic "we're not getting a fucking cat they just try to pull my feathers out and it's really annoying" he shook his head raising his palms to the sky "but they grow baack" you wiggled your arms and he chuckled and pet you on the head "i'm sorry baby it just really hurts and I don't wanna deal with that every day" he apologized and you sighed knowing you wouldn't get your way "what about a puppy then" "babyy"

You snuggled once again into his chest, filled with joy at the prospect of marrying keigo. "The snow isn't clearing up" keigo sighed knowing there wasn't much in his fridge right now "I don't have much to eat but I don't think I could get groceries right now" he tapped his chin and you popped your head up "to the kitchen we shall go and imma make the best damn meal we've ever had" you challenged yourself and keigo smirked "I could have you for dinner" he nuzzled into your neck and chuckled and you tutted tapping him on the head "Sorry baby you aren't a big enough portion size for me" you quickly jumped up dragging the blanket behind you like a cape and disappearing around the corner like the phantom of the opera. "My dignity" he lamented and strolled behind you.

You opened the fridge and immediately shut it again "you have chicken" "yep" "and only chicken" "yep" you smirked to himself and you sighed pinching the bridge of your nose and opening the fridge again and digging for something that resembled a meal. Eventually you had a chicken breast, a couple strips of prosciutto, various cheeses, flour, various spices, basil leaves, butter and olive oil. "Put a pan on with olive oil and butter will you love" you pulled out a chopping board and got to work butterflying the chicken breast "yes chef!"

You stuffed the chicken breast and basil and wrapped it back up in the prosciutto keeping it sealed together. "is the pan warm?" you asked, eating a handful of grated cheddar in the meantime and he nodded holding his hands over the pan for heat "OW okay rude" he pulled his hand off when freckles of oil jumped up and burned his hands. "Silly" you put the chicken in the pan and you jumped at the sizzling whirling behind hawks who folded his wings around you "it's okay baby don't worry" he said going full protection mode.

You served the meal and garnished it with basil and cheese skipping back to bed to eat the meal together. "Y'know this does look better than any KFC I've ever eaten" he praised and wrapped his wing around you turning on the tv that you only really needed for background noise as you usually talked over it anyway. "Hey kei" "yeah baby?" "I hope it snows like this all the time"

#my hero academia #bnha #mha fanfiction #bnha fanfiction #boku no hero academia #wattpad #mha #boku no hero fanfic #hawks x reader #hawks smut #keigo takami x reader #takami keigo x reader #keigo x reader smut

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kim-ruzek · 3 years ago

Text

life's strange sense of humour

Summary: Kim, Hailey, Sylvie and Stella all conceive their babies around the same time... Then also go into labour on the same day. Pure Crack, but taken seriously because this is me.

Or; a love letter to the upgess friendship because they went funny fic? Nah, we're gonna make it wholesome.

Warnings: Childbirth, I guess.

Word Count: 3.4k

Read on AO3

Notes: So. I had this funny thought months ago, recently talked about it with Cíara when they mentioned something similar and I'm having Thoughts about how I want the upgess friendship to go so apparently my mind went yes, write this, please.

Also Cíara: it's not the child number we decided and not the exact circumstances but I couldn't help but make burzek's conception happen this way 👀

Life, Kim has learned, can have a strange sense of humour sometimes.

This, she thinks to herself as her and Hailey stare, open mouthed, speechless, shocked at each other, is definitely one of those times.

“I... What?.. I,” Hailey stumbles out, her eyes wide, Kim staring back with equally wide eyes, watching as the blonde tries to process this, tries to process how they even happened—all while wondering herself what the chances of this happening are, that this can only be because life has a strange taste in what’s funny.

“This—this isn’t right, right? Kim, right?” Hailey almost looks desperate at her, glancing down at the stick in her hand and back up at Kim frantically, her eyes darting as she does so, gliding over the pink positive line like if she doesn’t focus on it, it won’t be there.

“Well, I kinda hope it is,” Kim lets out a dry kind of laugh as she answers, glancing at her own stick, with a matching pink line. “Since we brought these together and I—I want to be pregnant.”

The panic lessens briefly in Hailey’s eyes, her friend smiling again at Kim’s own shock. “Right, yeah. And you want to be pregnant—so no more freaking out, yeah?”

Hailey grabs Kim’s hand with her spare one, giving it a supportive squeeze. “No more freaking out, this is good.”

Kim smiles back at her friend, the hand holding her stick drifting over her flat stomach. Her earlier worries—about if she can do this, if she could handle being pregnant again—still clinging to her but not making her feel as sick, the joy and excitement at being pregnant, at having Adam’s baby in her again, flooding her stronger. She repeats her friend’s words in her mind; this is good.

“But like—yours could be right, and mine wrong? Right? Like that could happen? I mean— people get false positives. This, mine, it could be false?” Hailey has gone back to freaking out. Kim places her stick down so that she can run her hands down the blonde’s arms, calming her.

“Hailey, breathe. Everything is okay.” Kim pauses, letting Hailey breathe in and out before continuing. “It could be a false positive—it could also be real. But it’s okay, it’s not a crisis if it is real. Have you and Jay discussed kids?”

Hailey smiles momentarily at the mention of her husband, her hand twisting the wedding ring on her finger before answering Kim. “Yeah. I mean, yeah, of course we have. A few times—before we were even together, even. Not that we were planning it together—well, not out loud—”

“Hailey.” Kim cuts off her rambling. There’s not many times that the blonde rambles, even when she’s panicking, she keeps a—seemingly—calm head. But when she does, she can really start to spiral.

“Sorry.” Hailey stops, running a hand through her hair, the other still clinging to the stick, almost as if she can’t put it down, like the thought is something incredibly out there and impossible.

“What have you discussed? Do you two want kids?” Kim gently probes.

“Yeah. Yeah, we do.” Another short-lived smile. “But not—not now. It’s still, it’s something in the future. And we still weren’t fully decided if we’d do it this way, like I always wanted to adopt but I know, I know it’s not a walk in the park and we’ve been talking. I’ve been wondering if it was just because of the fear of my genes and I. We agreed we’ll leave it for a bit, but that’s gone out the window.”

Hailey pauses, running her hand through her hair again, before groaning. “Kim, tell me, what should I do?”

Kim gently holds both of her hands, closing Hailey’s fist around the stick. “You talk to Jay.”

That seems to calm the blonde, Hailey getting a soft smile on her face—the face Kim has dubbed her Jay smile. “Yeah. I talk to Jay.”

“Okay. Can we leave now—I think if we’re any longer Adam might just walk in. You know he has no patience,” Kim looks at Hailey’s expression carefully, noting every part of it, making sure that her friend is good enough to get through the rest of the day.

“Yeah. Yes.” Hailey nods, pulling Kim into a hug. “Thanks, Kim. And congratulations, again. This is really great.”

Kim squeezes her back, looking forward to when she might—maybe—be able to say it back to Hailey.

The day had started with Kim throwing up in the toilet. She had been feeling nauseous for a few days, going in waves, and that feeling—that thought that it might be because she’s pregnant and not because it’s flu season—had been in the back of her mind.

She had tried not to focus on that thought too much, not wanting to go down that path, not when it could just be a bug. Not wanting to give herself hope, only to get it taken from her.

Kim had rationalised it, even the throwing up. It was a minute amount, nothing compared to when she was pregnant the first time. Adam had a food related bug the other day, so this could just be that, Kim had told herself. Things tend to hit her a bit slower, after all.

And then there’s that Sylvie has a stomach bug—one that’s kept her in bed all week, texting Kim often to complain when Matt is on shift. And Kim had hung out with Sylvie the day before she fell ill. This, Kim told herself, is probably just it affecting her, now, too.

This day was the first time she threw up, and so was the first time she told Adam she’s been feeling nauseous. His reaction was exactly how she predicted it would be.

He had lifted an eyebrow, pausing as he sipped his coffee. “Are you... Do you think..?”

Adam had asked it very casually, his expression neutral. Like her, he was unable to say the words, finish the sentence, neither one of them wanting to voice the possibility, not wanting to voice it in case it’s not, not wanting the hurt associated with false hope.

“I don’t know. It’s probably a bug.” Kim had answered and he had hummed in response. A part of her wished that she wouldn’t tell him this, that she wouldn’t be having this conversation with him when it’s just a thought and not even, really, much of a possibility.

But communication is important, a lesson she had learnt many times before—that in the long run, it does more than doesn’t. And it’s not good for her, for herself, to keep these thoughts locked up only in her brain. Especially when having more kids is something they want.

It’s not like they’re actively trying. Kim’s only just come off birth control, and the doctor warned them it takes a while for her body to adjust. They had even been using condoms, occasionally, as it makes the clean up easier in their busy lives.

That had been all they had said to each other, then, needing to get Makayla ready and to school, before heading to work themselves. But it was only a few hours later, when another wave of nausea had washed over her while Adam and her were in the break room that she had stopped them making the coffee, grabbing at Adam’s arm.

“I should get a test.” Kim had told him, murmuring, but her urgency clear. She knew she wouldn’t be able to concentrate on anything else until she knew if she was or not, the thoughts in her mind almost distracting her.

“Okay. Now? We can say we’re going to see a CI?” Adam immediately got his game face on, and that’s when she had started to panic. About what if she is pregnant, about if she’s ready to be pregnant again, about if she can handle it.

Suddenly, the thought of simply peeing on a stick seemed impossible.

Hailey had entered the break room, then, and had took on look at Kim’s panicked expression and Adam trying to calm her to know that something was up. It only took one look between her and Adam, after Hailey asked if she was okay, for them to fill in Hailey, needing another voice to help them through this.

“Hey, calm down.” Hailey had said in that way of hers. “It’ll be okay and there’s no point panicking until you know—and here. If it’s too much to pee alone, I’ll take one with you. Moral support.”

It was an insane idea, Adam staring at Hailey incredulously. But it clicked in Kim’s brain, and she found herself saying yes before she knew what she was doing.

They had used the CI lie instead, telling Voight they were going to see one of Hailey’s. Kim had watched as Hailey tried not to focus on Jay’s eyes following them out the bullpen, not wanting to let him know there was anything more to it—good, considering.

The journey there and back was filled with Kim’s nervous ramblings to Hailey, as she voiced her fears and worries about this, the blonde just listening patiently and giving her comfort and support when she needed it.

They had taken the tests in the district ladies room, Adam waiting outside—probably shooing away anyone else. Which, Kim had thought, probably means Trudy will have a theory to her being pregnant before the day is up.

“It’ll be alright, Kim.” Hailey had reassured her as they waited those long two minutes. Hailey had gotten out her phone, had set a timer for them and even though Kim could see the seconds counting down, it felt like eternity.

“I can’t. Can you look at it?” Kim had asked after the minutes were up, unable to look at the stick, feeling quite like her heart was in her throat. Hailey had rolled her eyes good-naturedly, before telling Kim that she will.

The excited yelp that left Hailey’s mouth almost instantly after told Kim all she needed to know and Kim turned the stick to look at it herself, and seeing that amazing pink line.

“I’m pregnant! Hailey, I’m pregnant!” Kim couldn’t help her own excitement, throwing her arms around the blonde, squeezing her into a hug.

“Oomph,” Hailey clearly hadn’t been prepared for that, lifting her arms weirdly at the sudden brunette weight barrelled into her and that’s when Kim saw it.

Hailey’s own stick.

Hailey’s own stick, with her own pink line.

“Hailey!” Kim gasped before she can stop it, squeaking out her friend’s name. Hailey pulled back from the hug, frowning at Kim.

“What?”

“Your...” Kim couldn’t finish the sentence, instead she pointed at the stick and watched as Hailey looked down at it, watching the comprehension and then shock over take her face.

It’s a few days later, and Kim is sitting in Molly’s. Sylvie has gotten over her bug and immediately organised a girl’s night out. Not that Kim or Hailey will be drinking—a shame, since Sylvie had told them that she and Stella had some exciting news.

The day after the found out, Hailey had come into work and whispered into Kim’s ear that everything was okay. That her and Jay decided that this is unexpected but welcome, and they had a doctor’s appointment to confirm it.

Very little people know yet. Kim has been to the doctor, the doctor confirming she is ten weeks along. They told Kevin almost immediately, Trudy—as Kim guessed—had yet again figured it out and of course Hailey knows, alongside Jay.

They told Voight, just so Kim could explain why she doesn’t want to go out in the field—can’t, really, her pregnancy being somewhat of a high risk—although she’s waiting until Monday to officially disclose.

This weekend Adam and her have plans to tell Makayla, something she’s quite excited too, knowing how much her daughter wants to be a big sister, having been begging them for a baby for months—well, that or a puppy.

Hailey and Jay have only told, obviously her and Adam, and Will. They’re waiting until after today—the day of their doctor’s appointment—before disclosing and Kim and Hailey had a conversation about announcing it to their mutual friends, deciding it might be nice to do it together. Of course, it depends on how along Hailey is.

“Hey,” Hailey slips into the booth next to her and Kim smiles in greeting to her friend.

“Hey. How did the appointment go?” Kim asks, knowing once Sylvie and Stella gets here they won’t be able to discuss the pregnancies.

“Great,” Hailey practically beams. “We heard the heartbeat! Jay cried.”

Kim laughs slightly. “So did Adam. I mean, so did I, but I cry at everything.”

At that, Hailey laughs too. “Kim, so does Adam. Not like you—but I wouldn’t say he’s not a crier. Jay—I’ve seen him cry, but, man, it was. It just hit me, this is the father of my baby. And it made me more happy then I think the heartbeat did. We were both raised by a men who never be seen crying but our baby isn’t going to have that. It was...it was wonderful.”

“I’m so happy for you. Congratulations,” Kim pulls her into a hug before quickly adding on, checking to see if Sylvie and Stella had arrived yet. “So come on, quick. How far along are you?”

At that, Hailey excitedly grabs her arms. “Yes! How could I forget! Kim, you’ll never guess—I’m also ten weeks along!”

Life, Kim thinks again, really does have a strange sense of humour.

A thought she once again thinks when Stella and Sylvie arrive and they make their announcement.

“We’re pregnant. Both of us.” They announce and Kim’s mouth drops open, and she realises they all ordered water instead of alcohol. She barely knows how to process this, Hailey squeezing her hand in shock under the table, but before she can, they’re dropping the next bombshell.

“Stella found out about a week or so ago, I found out earlier this week when I kept throwing up. We’re both around ten weeks,” Sylvie continues.

“No fucking way.” The words drop out of Hailey’s mouth, and judging by the way she gasps, holding her hands across her mouth, Kim guesses she didn’t mean them too. Kim tries to calm her down, widening her eyes at the blonde, but the other two catch on to that there’s something going on.

Kim sighs, after Hailey gives her the go ahead. “Hailey and I—we’re also pregnant. Ten weeks.”

Life has a strange sense of humour.

Kim doesn’t think there’s any mutual acquaintance in their lives who doesn’t somewhat doubt that the four couples didn’t plan this. If Kim wasn’t living through it, she’d scarcely believe it herself. Especially when they narrowed it down and are pretty sure all four pregnancies are the result of a faulty condom—condoms taken from Kelly’s infamous bathroom supply.

Kelly and Stella are self explanatory. They hadn’t used them in a while, but Stella was changing birth control and so they did. Matt and Sylvie a little bit less, but still less incredulous. Matt doesn’t live with Kelly and Stella anymore, but the guestroom—now a nursery—was still open to them any time, the boys having slight separation issues. And apparently when they did this, they’d just use Kelly’s supply.

Jay and Hailey had apparently ran out, and they hadn’t gotten more before Stella and Kelly hosted a night at theirs and Jay had apparently thought grabbing a handful from the supply would be a good idea. Hailey almost questioned her choice in man then, not that Kim could judge her.

Because on that same night, Adam and her were getting a little too flirty and when they realised they were feeling a little loud than they can be, with Makayla sleeping at home, they, in their wisdom, decided why not do it in Adam’s jeep.

And they didn’t have any protection, naturally, on them so Adam had grabbed a condom for Kelly’s supply.

And thus, all four pregnancies were made.

There are benefits, however, Kim would happily admit. Voight, maybe not, depending he’s down two members and another two when there’s doctor appointments. And with them being due around the same time, they’ll be a month he’s down all four, give and take. The unit—especially Kevin—might also not, especially on the days her and Hailey’s hormones and cravings and hated smells conflicted.

But there are benefits. Having your three close friends going through the same things is nice, especially when they could see if a symptom or something is usual—especially when one of the friends is a paramedic and the other’s brother in law is a doctor.

It also makes it more fun, all of them—the men included—having a light hearted race about who’s bump shows first, who kicks and moves first and so forth. It made the pregnancies that little bit more fun, even when it was miserable, even when doubts and anxieties about the upcoming parenthood loomed.

The biggest race, especially as the pregnancies drew closer to the end, was the competition and bets who will go into labour first, who will have their baby before the other.

But, of course, life has a strange sense of humour so, naturally, they all went into labour on the same day.

Stella had technically started the night before, her contractions beginning then. They were far and few in between so she was advised just to wait.

Kim’s had started earlier that morning. She had been woken up at the crack of dawn with back pain. Nothing too unusual at this stage of the pregnancy, but as Adam was helping Makayla pack her lunch for school, Kim’s waters had broke.

When Adam and her had gotten to the hospital, about to update the group chat, they had passed Stella and Kelly and the high five they had shared had raised some nurses eyebrows.

Childbirth being the thing that it is, they didn’t look at the group chat after that. Kim’s contractions were starting to come more frequently, and Adam had left the room to holler at the doctor—only to run into Will. Will, who raised his eyebrow at Adam, and asked if he was here for Hailey and Jay.

Because the one thing Voight joked better not happen, that he can’t be down four members, plus a fifth and the desk sergeant as they were determined to meet Kim and Adam’s second daughter as soon as possible, had happened and Hailey had gone into labour around midday.

Flora Leslie Severide is born first, at seven point six pounds. Her godparents had plans to meet her first, but they had got laid up with their own new arrival so the man who had been like a father to both her parents and his wife met her first.

Alice Trudy Burgess Ruzek is born second, at eight point seven pounds, a weight that got her father nearly cursed at. Her older sister was the first to meet her, shortly followed by their grandmother Trudy and godfather Kevin.

If you were to ask Kim who’s kid would come next, she would’ve guessed the Halstead’s son, but it wasn’t. Sylvie had gone into labour later than the others, but had a much faster labour, her daughter being determined to be born quickly, apparently.

And so, Estelle Kelly Casey is born third, at nearly seven pounds. Met first by her honorary grandfather, Mouch, already at the hospital to be with his wife and her godparents, with her cousin Flora sleeping, having been in the world a little longer.

And finally, Nikolas Patrick Halstead made his arrival, last but the biggest at nine pounds, met by his uncle and godfather first, but shortly followed by uncle Kevin, his godmother Kim and uncle Adam still occupied with his cousin.

Life has a strange sense of humour sometimes but—as Kevin joked—at least they can all split birthday costs with each other and not have to worry about their various aunts and uncles not being able to make it.

Not to mention how it made finding the balance between being new parents and having a social life easier.

And eventually, people stopped looking at them as if they planned this. That is, of course, until Sylvie and Hailey had their second kids—Andrew Casey and Theodore Halstead—at the same time, too.

#burzek #upstead #stellaride #brettsey #chicago pd #Chicago fire #Chicago pd fanfiction #Chicago fire fanfiction #I'm not gonna tag all the characters bc Sheesh #but i will #kim burgess #hailey upton #bc there's a lot of upgess moments #ree writes #ree's.writing

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