#which sure i agreed to it and she gives me my bonus every month to her credit

[potato-awesome]

.

[starcrossedxwriter]

I’m curious have Els and Michael ever done GQs couple quiz? I was just watching them, and I got to wondering about them. Lol 😂, cause Travis and Kylie’s was an absolute mess, but I loved Teyana Taylor and Iman and of course Nip & LL.

I loveeeeeee GQ's couple's quizzes, they are hilarious. They 100% have done it! And here's my attempt cause in my mind, they give a more relatable and fun Ciara and Russell (if you saw their's?) LOL Thanks, Anon!

***

“Hey this is Michael B. Jordan.”

“And Charlotte Elsbeth Jordan, and we are playing GQ’s Couple Quiz.” 

“You ready?” He asked, his hand resting on her thigh. 

“Born ready, I’ll start.” Charlotte lifted up the questions to make sure he couldn’t see them. Little did GQ know, they had a wager going on who knew the other the best and Charlotte was not about to lose. “Ok, this is a soft ball starter, when’s my birthday and what’s my sign?” 

Michael rolled his eyes, “May 4, which makes you a…” he paused. Charlotte knew he had to think about that one because Michael could care less about Zodiac signs and astrology. “I’m 95% sure that’s a Taurus so I’m gonna go with my gut on that one.” 

“Yea, I’m a Taurus… a textbook one too.” 

“I don’t know what that means, Els.” 

“I’ll explain it to you later. Aight, that’s two points for you cause that was two questions. Oh this’s a good one. What’s my dream travel destination?” 

“The Maldives.” He answered quickly. 

“Yep. You know I’m waiting for you to plan that right?” She asked with the sweetest smile that made Michael want to abandon the interview and take her there right then. “I kinda thought that would be our baby moon but no such luck.” 

Michael chuckled and shook his head. “You know I thought about it?” 

Charlotte's jaw dropped. “So where's my proper baby moon at?? Because I haven't to sink a single toe in the sand of the Maldives." Her tone was one of playful confusion. "Wait til he tells y'all where he took me to instead of the Maldives??"

Michael bowed his head as his shoulders shook with laughter. "It's gonna sound bad in comparison BUT I didn't think it was safe to go that far and her doc didn't agree. So we went to a gorgeous resort in Cabo." He raised his hands in surrender. "You already had my nerves shot for those 9 months, wasn't gonna add to that."

She let out a cackling laugh. “I had your nerves shot and you were getting on mine so glad we didn’t add that stress to it. Cabo was a lot of fun though.” 

“Yea it was. Babymoon #2, Maldives - I promise."

Little did she know, Michael already had it planned for her upcoming birthday.

"Well that means I'm never going, I guess," she mumbled. Michael had routinely been talking her ear off about having another baby, as if two rambunctious twin boys were not more than enough for them. But he desperately wanted a baby girl.

"That's a conversation for later but But don’t worry, Maldives are comin’. I promise.” Charlotte did a little happy dance in her seat. “Aight, next question.” 

“What’s a hobby of mine that most people wouldn’t know?” 

“You love to bake. And my training regime hates it,” he joked. 

“Yes! I would’ve also taken crocheting but I haven’t done that in a while. Oh this one is hard. What was the first musical I performed as a lead in?” 

“Ok I gotta work it backward in my mind.” 

“Actually, I’ll give you a bonus if you answer that one and name all the shows I’ve been the lead in.” 

“Okkkkkk. Most recent was The Lighthouse, got my baby her first Tony, of which I know there’ll be more. Before you left New York, you were the lead in Chicago. Then you were in the company of a couple shows. At Juilliard, you were the lead in Oklahoma, one of the few freshman to get a lead in a spring production,” Charlotte did a mini bow to the camera as she laughed. “But you were the lead in every spring show every year so Oklahoma, Funny Girl, Rent, and Kinky Boots. But your fist lead role was senior year as Cinderella in your high school production.” 

“Damnnnnnn…” They shared a high five. “That deserves hella points cause that’s hard as hell. I’ll give you two for that one. What am I scared of?” 

“Spiders and scary movies. Pretty sure if I ever did a horror movie, that’s the one premiere you wouldn’t go to.”

“Correct, you’d be on your own buddy. Ummm, oh this is a good one, what’s my favorite food? You’ve had this question before though.” 

He laughed. “And I learned that it wasn’t my bolognese - utterly heartbroken by that by the way - but it’s still pizza. All the girl eats is pizza.” 

“Correct. Oh this’s hilarious,” she laughed. “Who is my celebrity crush?” 

“Mannnn..." Michael grunted at the mere premise of the question. "Well, obviously me but I will say you went into a deep fan girl space the time you met Denzel and George Clooney.” 

“I mean every woman watching would revert to their 16 year old fan girl self in the presence of those two. But correct. Denzel is actually a friend now, we have him and Paulette over for dinner a lot so I’ve chilled out significantly. Um who’s my favorite actor?” 

“Me.” 

“He’s a bit conceded,” she joked to the camera. “Bonus point if you get whose number two on that list?” 

“Mahershala Ali.” 

“Good job. But you’re number 1 all day, baby.” 

“Oh I wasn’t worried about that at all.” 

“Ok, last one, what’s my favorite sleeping position?” 

“When I sleep like draped across your chest.” 

Charlotte made a buzzer noise and shook her head. “The question was MY favorite, not yours.” 

“That ain’t your favorite too??” 

“Absolutely not,” she doubled over in laughter at the pure look of offense on his face. “I’m sorry, baby but like when you’re at your Adonis or Killmonger weight, you are hella heavy. My side of the bed is basically also his.”

“It’s been 6 years, why you ain’t say shit?” Michael was genuinely surprised. 

Charlotte shrugged. “Cause you sleep best that way and I like that it makes you happy.” Her tone signaled that she was not simply saying that for the cameras but she actually meant it.

“That’s really sweet, babe. So what’s your favorite?” 

“Umm when we’re traveling and apart, I sleep on my stomach with like one leg half out of the covers… and in the middle of the bed so I can like sprawl out.”

“Noted. Ok how’d I do, baby?” 

“11 points… that was pretty good! Pretty sure I’m not gonna do as good but let’s see.” 

“Aight. Oh ok, how many movies have I been in?” 

Charlotte’s mouth fell open. “Ok that’s not fair! Did you pay someone to write these questions?? That’s hella hard. Um… are we counting the ones where you were just a cameo?” 

“Why not and I’ll give you a bonus if you name the first movie I was lead in?” 

“Ok if we’re counting cameos, I’m 95% sure it’s 20 or 21. And your first lead was Fruitvale Station, though you could make a case for Chronicle but that was more of an ensemble cast so I would go with Fruitvale.” 

“Damn you’re good! I don’t even know the number exactly but 20 sounds right so you get both points.”

Charlotte wiped her hand across her forehead and said “Whew. Cause it wasn’t looking good for me for a sec.” 

“What’s my least favorite food?” 

Charlotte laughed. “You have a visceral, and do mean, visceral hatred for Brussels sprouts.” 

“Correct. Hate them so much. Umm in the similar vein, what’s my ideal cheat meal when I’m training?” 

Charlotte smiled. “Whew, ok you got a lot but I feel like it depends on where we are? Like when we’re in Philly, it’s a cheesesteak, easy. But when we’re in New York, it's pizza from Prince St. and those cookies from that bakery in Lower Manhattan… can’t remember the name. And honestly, when we’re home, you love a huge breakfast spread and anything with carbs. Oh and donuts from that spot in downtown.” 

“Damn Els! You get two points for that. Very spot on. Umm how do you know when I’m mad at you?” 

Charlotte laughed. “Well, we don’t really argue much but when you’re upset it’s fairly easy to tell cause you call me Charlotte, which he literally never does any other time.” 

“Correct. What’s my biggest pet peeve that you do?” 

Charlotte grimaced. “Umm when I don’t take my health or safety seriously… or as serious as you would want me to. That causes like 95% of the rare arguments we do have.” 

“Yep. Oh this one is kinda hard because I don’t think you can ever remember the date. What day did I propose?” 

Charlotte leaned into the arm of her chair. “Oof that is hard. Well the world thinks we got engaged in June around the Tonys cause that’s the first time I wore my ring in public. But fun fact everyone, we got engaged in March. That week was a blur of you know… trauma and near death experiences,” she chuckled, her joke falling flat with her husband. “It’s been six years, we still can’t joke about it??” 

“Nah we can’t.” 

“Well, I’m the one that almost croaked so I feel like I can joke about it a little,” she argued with a smile. “But anywhoooo, you proposed on March 5. Wait, no! March 6 because it was like 2 am the Thursday after the premiere of the show on our balcony in New York. Best night of my life.” 

He leaned forward and kissed her hand and winked at her, causing her to blush. 

“Good job. What do I consider to be our first date?” 

She chuckled. “Ok well we have different opinions on this but you consider our first date to be that steakhouse we went to after filming one night in Philly. But I consider our first date to be our actual first date, that art walk in the summer. I don’t think I ever learned why you think Philly was our first date?” 

Michael merely shrugged nonchalantly. “Cause that night made me fall in love with you. From that date forward, my heart was yours. The art walk was just when you finally caught up,” he winked at her, shaking her knee a bit. 

“You never told me that. Stop saying these sweet things and making me want to cry,” she moaned, wiping away a stray tear. 

“She cries at basically everything,” Michael fake whispered to the camera causing Charlotte to playfully scoff. 

“Next question!” 

“What’s my favorite nickname to call you? Bonus question if you tell me which of the ones you call me is my favorite?” 

“Your favorite to call me is honey bee but you call me Els the most, which I love. And umm I don’t know the second one, everyone in the family calls you Bakari so I doubt that’s it. And baby is so basic? I call you ‘love’ a lot but I don’t know… you tell me.” 

“I really like it when you call me ‘Kari.” 

In her utter confusion, for a moment, Charlotte forgot they were surrounded by cameras. “That can’t be right,” she laughed. “I called you that like once in our entire relationship when we wer-“ she stopped herself mid-sentence as she realized he was teasing her and she was about to put alllllll their business on front street. “I really hate you, you know that right?” 

He actually almost fell out of his seat in laughter as Charlotte shook her head and covered her face with her cards in embarrassment. 

Her mind floated back to once years ago when Michael made her squirt for the first time. He had been fucking her so hard and for so long she could barely formulate thoughts, let alone sentences. And as he demanded she scream his name over and over again, she shortened it to Kari out of pure necessity because she could barely say more than a syllable at a time. He teased her relentlessly afterward. 

“Impossible.” He winked at her. “Ok let’s get this back on track. Who’s my favorite athlete?” 

“Forever and always , Kobe.” 

“Right. What’s my favorite thing to cook?” 

“Bolognese… and you got good at some other homemade pasta sauces like pesto during the pandemic that you still like to do.” 

“Right. Aight, last one, oh this is a good one, what has been my favorite role and movie I’ve played in my career?” 

Charlotte mused for a moment. “Oof that is actually hard. I mean the easy answer is Adonis because you’ve spent the longest with him and I think you’ve valued watching your own career and who you are growing and evolving along with him? And you know, you got me outta that deal which is pretty great.” She joked. “But I think Killmonger and Black Panther will always hold a special place in your heart. Not just because of Chad but because that role was a stretch in terms of who he was and the darkness in him. He challenged you in a lot of new ways as an actor, I think And because of the cultural significance of that movie and the bond it created with Ryan and the entire cast. I’ve never seen you or quite frankly any cast with as close of a bond with each other as you all do. I mean I’ve watched you do 100 press tours and that was the first one you were genuinely sad to have end. And you know, while I would love to see Killmonger back, I think even if you never get the chance to pick that character up again, I think the experience of that character will stick with you forever.” 

She rubbed his arm gently as she spoke. 

“Yea you get a point for that. Not sure which of those I would choose either but the reasoning for both is super spot on. I think that’s, you know, what I value most about those two roles and projects specifically. Those are definitely the top two. Good job, baby girl. “That’s it! Who won??” Michael immediately inquired of the producer behind the camera. 

“You actually tied so you both win.” 

They leaned in and kissed each other. “Good job, baby. I guess we both have to pay up.” 

“Fine by me,” Charlotte winked at him. 

“Wanna tell us what you all wagered?” the producer asked. 

The couple laughed and shook their heads. “Nope, nice try though.”  

Michael winked at his wife before the producer yelled cut.

***

Thanks for the ask!! I love these so much lol

[secret-shanghai-scribblings]

Pumpkin

Spoilers for the epilogue and In True Delights (the bonus chapter of Foul Heart Huntsman) - Rosalind and Orion meet the newest member of the family. And bring a pumpkin pie.

AO3 link here if you prefer to read on there!

-----

“Katherina?” he asked, (...) “I met her as a newborn.” - In True Delights - Chloe Gong

When I read that quote, I knew what I had to do (and yes, I definitely did count these words towards my nano word count even though it is NEITHER of the camp nano projects I should be doing, don’t @ me)

——-

As soon as Rosalind and Orion had received the correspondence that the baby had arrived, they were already packing their bags for Zhouzhang. 

Mere days later, they stood at the door of the Mai residence, Rosalind doing the agreed upon knock with her free hand, the other holding a dish containing a pumpkin pie that she hoped tasted better than it looked - the crust going from overly thick on one side to thin and slightly burned on the other. (It was her fiancé’s fault for lifting her to the kitchen counter in one effortless swoop and… distracting her).

The door swung open almost instantly. In all the years she had known Roma Montagov, she had never seen him look so utterly exhausted. But in the same vein, she’d never seen his eyes so happy.

“Come in,” he spoke softly, stepping aside to give the guests room to enter. 

The door had barely closed behind them before Orion wrapped his arms around Roma, tapping his shoulder goodnaturedly. 

“Congratulations, Bàba.” Orion said, his voice full of mirth, “How does it feel?”

Rosalind let the two men have their moment as she made her way into the home, first stopping in the kitchen to leave her gift on the counter before trying to search for her cousin. 

She needn’t look far, Juliette was in the main sitting area, looking down at the bundle of blankets she currently held in her arms. The only sign that it wasn’t merely blankets was the black hair poking out at the top, contrasting against the cream coloured crocheted squares.

“You can come closer, she doesn’t bite.” Juliette said to Rosalind without lifting her gaze away from her daughter, her voice soft, “Well, she does try. But it’s only gums and tongue. Similar to being licked by an old dog.”

Rosalind chuckled at the comparison, walking over slowly so as to not perturb the baby. She hadn’t been around many, so she wasn’t sure of the etiquette, but she knew her cousin wouldn’t hesitate to tell her immediately if she was doing something wrong. She sat to Juliette’s left on the sofa, giving her knee a soft squeeze as a greeting. She leaned forward until she could see properly into the burrowing of blankets. 

Katherina was beautiful. Rosalind had heard before that babies were ugly little creatures when they first came into the world, writhing and wrinkled and wailing. It had only been a few days, but it seemed that the infant had seemingly already gotten through that stage, now only looking angelic with her eyes closed, the long black eyelashes fluttering ever so slightly as she breathed in and out.

Realistically, Rosalind had known about this baby for upwards of seven months. She’d visited as often as she feasibly could throughout the pregnancy as she tried to assist in multiple roles - whether it was bringing an offering of different foods to see which pleased Juliette at the time, taking her cousin on outings to buy new clothes as her middle grew and grew, or fussing over Juliette every time she stood when she was nearing full-term (much to her chagrin).

But now there was a tiny, little human. Gently held in her Mother’s arms. Sleeping soundly without a care in the world. As if she knew that she was going to grow up in a household that cared for her so dearly. That she would be protected by not only her parents, but a wider family that would be prepared to lay down their lives if it ever came to it. That she would go through life surrounded by joviality and care and so much love. 

“Biǎojiě, are you alright?”

Rosalind’s gaze tore from Katherina to look at Juliette. It was only when her cousin’s face was blurry that she noticed she had tears in her eyes. And down her cheeks.

“I don’t know,” she answered truthfully, something between a laugh and a sob escaping her throat as she hurried to wipe her cheeks, feeling oddly foolish.

Without looking behind her, she felt a presence sit next to her, as if crying had simply summoned her partner from thin air. Orion’s arm wrapped around her waist, his thumb moving up and down in a calming motion, soft but just firmly enough to be felt through the fabric of her dress.

He spoke as soon as Roma settled down next to his partner also, giving her a kiss on the cheek then leaning down and doing the same to his daughter, in what seemed to have already become second nature to him.

“We brought you a pumpkin pie,” Orion said, taking the attention away from Rosalind as she composed herself, her eyes still watching the little one as she moved slightly, seemingly fighting the tight swaddle.

Juliette seemed amused at the statement. Not because she didn’t understand the reference. Ever since the announcement ‘art’ and Orion’s interpretation of it, everyone around the baby had taken to saying ‘pumpkin’, mostly because it sounded better than saying ‘it’ when they didn’t know the sex of the child. Phrases like 'how is the pumpkin behaving?’ and ‘the pumpkin seems to have grown’ had become commonplace over the past months.

She replied, “You don’t think that has a slight… cannibalistic air about it?” The phrase made Roma scoff at the absurdity as he leaned towards her, as if there was a magnetic pull between the new family unit that couldn’t be broken.

Orion leaned in to whisper into Rosalind’s ear, but deliberately spoke loud enough to still be heard by everyone, “I told you it was strange.”

She swatted at his thigh with a chuckle, no trace of tears present any longer.

The four of them sat in silence, simply admiring the baby for the little miracle that she was. Rosalind couldn’t help casting her mind back a few years, back to when it would’ve been inconceivable that Juliette and Roma could even be in the same room together without there being an imminent threat of life. And now…

“You… made a life.” Rosalind whispered, watching as Katherina began to stir, a tiny clenched fist escaping from the top of her swaddle, which Rosalind couldn’t help but touch with her own hand, smoothing a fingertip along the knuckles as softly as she could.

“With some assistance, yes.” Juliette chuckled, looking over to her husband and revelling in the way she could still make him blush after all these years, even as he pretended not to be affected at all, playfully pinching his daughter’s feet as they kicked beneath the blanket.

“It’s just…” Rosalind paused, her mind scrambling for a word with a meaning grand enough to encompass it all, “miraculous.”

She hummed in agreement for a moment, “It would’ve been more miraculous if she would’ve simply arrived in my arms, instead of all that fuss.” 

The words prompted Roma to brush a lock of his wife’s hair behind her ear, kissing the temple that he uncovered. She leaned in without thinking, her eyes fluttering closed as she did so. 

There was something unspoken between the couple in that simple interaction. Something that encompassed many emotions, but most of all, relief. Rosalind almost felt as if she was intruding by watching, so instead she glanced down at the baby once more.

As Katherina opened her eyes, Rosalind’s began to tear up again. -----

Rosalind still had a tumultuous relationship with sleep after being cured. Falling asleep was always easy enough, especially when she had someone to either talk to if they both still felt too alert, or to hold her and gently pepper kisses on her exposed skin if they were too tired for words.

She never thought she could be someone who would comfortably sleep next to someone else, expecting to worry about needing to move and feeling trapped when she was unable to do so. But now, as she woke up most days with either an arm draped across her waist or a heavy head on her chest holding her captive, she didn’t mind at all. Especially because she knew Orion was a heavy enough sleeper these days that she could simply push him off (gently) and the only sign he’d give that he had noticed was a deep sigh or a soft snore.

She usually woke up with the sun regardless of whether the sunlight had permeated through the curtains, loving the quiet she could have to herself before beginning the day proper. And judging from the little mewls she heard from the main bedroom as she stirred her tea in the kitchen, someone else was an early riser too.

Rosalind padded over to the bedroom, pushing the door open as gently as she could. The parents were still sound asleep - Juliette’s head resting on Roma’s chest, her hair obscuring most of her face - but Katherina was wide awake, her dark eyes looking up at the ceiling from her bassinet in the corner of the room, her legs kicking beneath a thick blanket.

She moved towards the baby, pressing her index finger against her own lips as if she would understand the request to stay quiet. Somehow, it seemed that she did, Katherina’s small mouth widening silently at the sight of someone peering over at her.

Rosalind moved her hands down to her small waist, lifting her up slowly as if she was a primed grenade ready to explode. Luckily, she showed no signs of being displeased as Rosalind manoeuvred her awkwardly, definitely not accustomed to holding babies. After a few odd movements, the baby was resting against her nightdress, her cheek against the soft silk. She stepped outside, closing the door behind her softly, letting the two parents get their well deserved rest.

She sat on the sofa in the same spot Juliette had been holding the baby the previous night, letting Katherina settle into her lap. 

“Do you usually wake up early too?” Rosalind whispered, even though she knew that not only could Katherina not understand her, but she hadn’t exactly been in this world long enough to have a solidified sleep schedule.

Still, the baby had no idea that the question was mundane, replying by cooing quietly, her eyes locked with Rosalind’s. 

“You’re very well behaved for not screaming the house down as soon as you awoke,” she continued, dragging the back of her index finger against the baby’s cheek, revelling in the softness.

Katherina seemed to startle at the touch at first - Rosalind briefly worrying if her hands might’ve been too cold - but then she leaned back towards her with her mouth as open as it seemed to go, lips wrapping against the fingertip.

Rosalind chuckled warmly as she felt the tongue against the pad of her finger, wiggling it playfully. “You truly are like a dog.”

“It’s a good thing I’m here to defend Katherina against such insults.” 

Rosalind didn’t need to turn around to see who had made the remark, mostly because he was already coming to sit next to her. 

Orion kissed his fiancée on the cheek, then bent down to kiss Katherina’s cheek too. The motion instantly reminded her of Roma doing the same the night before, but she didn’t dare mention it.

He spoke again, “How long has this girl’s club been in session?”

“Only a few minutes,” Rosalind replied, knowing he was asking after her sleep, since he knew she’d often wake up before she was fully rested, whether that be naturally or caused by nightmares, “We haven’t even started talking about boys yet.”

“Oh, boys are awful.” He commiserated instantly, shaking his head in admonishment. “You don’t ever want to be involved with them. And I think your father will agree with me on that front.”

Rosalind hummed, as if pondering the future situation, “I assume your mother will threaten any of your future partners with knives, no matter what their gender may be.”

Orion let out a soft laugh, which prompted Katherina to make a noise too, as if she wanted to be included in the conversation, “You have plenty of time to decide on that though, little one. And you’ll be loved no matter what you pick.”

Rosalind felt her chest swell at the sentiment, even as it was said in such an offhand manner. The two simply watched the baby as she moved, beginning to smack her lips together, looking somewhat like a fish out of water. Rosalind wondered whether this had some sort of meaning. Was she trying to talk? Surely it was much too early for that, but perhaps babies started attempting speech early? She had half a mind to ask her cousin, as if she would be the expert in infant speech development milestones simply because she had birthed one.

However, there was no need to because Katherina soon made it clear what she was asking for, turning her head towards Rosalind’s chest, her mouth still opening and closing.

“Oh darling,” she soothed, “I’m afraid mine are rather useless.”

“I wouldn’t say that.” Orion said quietly, a teasing lilt in his words.

If Rosalind wasn’t holding the baby, she would’ve smacked him, her cheeks beginning to blossom with a furious blush, “Hush and go fetch Juliette.”

He grinned, nothing making him happier than succeeding in flustering her, “Your wish is my command, beloved.” 

Orion stood up instantly, heading for the bedroom door and knocking gently. Rosalind would’ve thought it was too quiet to stir them, but she heard two voices immediately responding. Whether the light sleep was a result of parenthood or growing up in gang houses, she wasn’t sure.

Rosalind turned her focus to Katherina as she began to fuss, the hunger setting in. “Your Shūshu is rather ridiculous, isn’t he?” 

Rationally, she knew he wasn’t her uncle, but it was easier to say than ‘mother’s cousin’s partner’, and she doubted Katherina would mind. The girl halted in her movements, her screwed up face softening as she heard Rosalind’s voice once more. The sound of quiet shuffling footsteps approached them.

“Thank you for watching her,” Juliette spoke, her voice still raspy from sleep as she reached for her daughter, picking her up effortlessly with one hand and beginning to unbutton the mens nightshirt she wore with the other.

Rosalind stood, taking the cue to leave, “It was no bother, she’s a sweetheart.”

Juliette scoffed, “Less so when she is screaming loud enough to be heard by all the neighbours, but yes, I suppose she’s alright.”

She smiled, letting Juliette feed Katherina before she began the aforementioned screaming. Rosalind walked towards the door that led outside, seeing that Orion was already there, sat on a wooden bench with his head tilted up towards the sky. She joined him without words, sitting close enough that their outstretched hands were touching, reminiscent of when they were in a prison cell after being arrested. She rested her pinkie finger beside his, exactly as she had done that night, still feeling the rush of adrenaline and swell in her chest that she had experienced the first time.

“Penny for your thoughts?”

Rosalind couldn’t help but snicker at the question, glancing at her partner who still had his eyes closed and head facing upwards. “I was thinking about you in prison.”

He frowned, cracking one eye open to regard her properly, “I haven’t annoyed you that much yet, have I? The day has barely begun.”

She responded by bumping her shoulder with his, but instead of moving away afterwards, she simply let herself rest against his arm. As if there were a gravitational force between them, Orion instantly wrapped his arm around her slender frame, resting his head atop hers. They sat there quietly for a while, listening as the world around them began to awake: birds chirping above, the water lapping in the stream, the occasional faint rumble of a car engine passing.

Orion was the first to break the silence, his voice low and quiet.

“Do you want one?”

She didn’t need to ask for clarification. Her lips pursed as she considered the question, pressing her cheek into his shoulder, “I never thought I did. Even growing up as a child. And I thought seeing Juliette’s symptoms would be enough to discourage me, with all the sickness and the emotions and the… waddling.”

Rosalind felt his chuckle as much as she heard it, “You’d be a very adorable penguin.”

“Ah, just what every woman longs to hear.” She mused, rolling her eyes even if he couldn’t see it.

The conversation dropped there for a moment, the two still simply enjoying being in companionable quiet. This time, it was Rosalind who spoke first.

“Still, not for a while yet.” She continued, as if there was never a pause.

Orion hummed in agreement, “You’d be an amazing mother.”

Instantly, she began to imagine it. Orion being at her beck and call throughout her whole pregnancy (even more than he already was). The two of them decorating a room together, creating the perfect place for their new arrival. Him being at her side during the birth - and Celia too, no doubt - whispering soft encouragements in her ear. 

As for the two of them actually being parents, she could imagine that she would be the strict one and Orion would be more lenient, but maybe they would each be a mix of the two. Working as one unit, as they were accustomed to. It was so easy to envision with him.

Days out in the park, with their own snacks in a hamper. Running as they chased each other in the fields, Orion pretending to collapse to the ground when he was caught. 

Night time routines with Rosalind telling bedtime stories and Orion adding his own quips between the lines to try and make them laugh.

Trying to chastise Orion and their child when she found them awake much too late into the night, giggling together under blankets, but then joining them without needing any convincing, even if she knew they’d all be tired when morning came.

“This is where you reply saying I would be a good father too, in case you weren’t aware.”

Rosalind laughed, lifting her head up to look at her partner properly, placing a hand on each side of his face, “You would be. If a little…” she scrunched her nose as she thought of the correct word to use, “untraditional.”

He grinned as if it was the greatest compliment he’d ever received, “‘Untraditional’ is what we do. Who else would get married before having their first kiss? Or live together before going on a date? Or-”

“Yes, yes, I understand your point.” She used one hand to tap his face, as if she was trying to find an off switch. 

Orion wound his hands around her waist, then - ever so softly - moved one to place on Rosalind’s lower stomach. She wondered if he could feel how her insides flipped at the touch and all its implications. 

She was vaguely aware of someone coming to stand in the doorway, but didn’t tear her gaze away.

“Do you have some news to share, cousin dearest?” Juliette smirked, holding Katherina on her shoulder and patting her back. 

Rosalind definitely didn’t. But perhaps, one day, she would.

[crimsoncold]

I couldn't decide which version of lighting I liked best for this one so have all 3!

.... and as a bonus have some Jonsa Bedding Fanfiction Recommendations

Closer by  @alczysz17

King Robert Baratheon has found out who Jon Snow's father and mother truly are. Ned fears for his nephew and so a compromise was settled between the former best friends. Jon is to marry Sansa Stark and take the Stark family name. Unfortunately, only finding out they are not siblings only a month earlier, a public bedding ceremony is proclaimed to make sure the marriage is consummated.

Sansa didn’t know what was worse, being wed to a man she once known as brother on her name day, or having her maidenhead taken by a man she once known as brother in front of an audience.

Tell the Ones That Need to Know (We Are Headed North) by @vixleonard

After years of confinement in the Red Keep with Ned prisoner in the black cells, the Dragon Queen comes. With the knowledge that Jon Snow is actually a Targaryen, she agrees to let the Starks return to Winterfell only if Jon marries one of the Stark daughters. Sansa volunteers so they can all go home. Soon she figures out being married to Jon isn't bad but it is complicated.

Lion-Hearted Girl by subjunctive

But in the end, the lords offered her the opposite of what she wanted: they respected her wish to go without a bedding, and every attempt would be made to secure her privacy, including hanging sheets from the bedposts, but they would have an audience on their wedding night nevertheless.

Between love and duty by @captainbee89

“She, however, will not give in,” Myranda stated, squeezing her arm again. “She thinks you are his Visenya, his duty, easily set aside for her, his Rhaenys, or so she believes. She thinks she will win him around in the end. So, you must show her that you will claim him if you must. Like a wolf claims a mate.”

Sansa swallowed, staring at her friend with wide eyes until she exhaled in defeat, the idea of losing Jon giving her courage to ask.

“How?”

Awake My Heart by kat_snow2613

Sensing her nerves, Jon suggest the two of them get some sleep on their wedding night.

Yet Sansa can't seem to fall asleep.

hiraeth by @kingsansa

“You’ll permit me.” He murmured.

It was not a question.

But for reasons she could not understand, she knew she would.

He ran his fingers over her cheek. Along her brow. Underneath her chin. He did not venture underneath her veil. He acted as if he did not need to.

His touch was warm, almost reverent.

When at last, his hand returned to his side, he said, just loud enough for her to hear, “There you are.”

Alayne said nothing, but the breath she released was tremulous. Anticipatory.

Exhilarated.

such simple words (such a complicated truth) by thimbleful

"You don’t have the right name to make men rally behind you, you don’t have any armies nor land or a castle or--”

“No, but I do.” Sansa drops her necklace and Jon shifts in his seat to get away from the twisting sensation in his stomach. He knows where this is going: his depraved dreams come true under the worst possible circumstances.

Jon and Sansa get married and consummate that marriage. That's it. That's the fic.

-Crimson Cold

A Bedding at Winterfell (Jonsa Fanart) by @crimsoncold

"It would not have been so bad being undressed for a man she loved, by friends who loved them both."

Companion piece to my Wedding in the Godwsood set (links to them here- Winter Version, Spring Version).

[snifflesthemouse]

Harry’s the Problem. His wife is the symptom. He is the real Diana 2.0 Wannabe...

         Since the Oprah interview aired, my whole perspective regarding the spare and his spouse has shifted. It would seem that I’m not alone in my thought process as more and more media outlets start reporting similar stances. Just recently, there was an article suggesting Harry didn’t change; but rather, he is only finally revealing his true self. The more I think about it all, the more I’ve come to the realization #6 is the real culprit behind everything.

         I’m not saying that his wife doesn’t have her own agenda or shares responsibility for her part in all this. Her hands are far from clean. What I am saying is it’s finally time for all of us to consider the cold, hard truth. Harry is his mother’s child. Harry is the bad egg, and his wife is only a side effect of the real problem here.

         Had it not been for the Oprah interview, I would have never put it all together. The problem with oversharing is too much information gets put out in the public. Most assume PR firms would worry about oversaturation in the press, but the real problem comes from personal interviews they cannot control in real-time. Puff pieces can be edited before publishing so facts and statements align; live interviews cannot. Over time, one of two patterns form from this oversaturation. Consistencies, repetitions, and similarities can be found in oversaturated truth-telling. Inconsistencies, changes, and huge differences result from those like Harry who prefer their trousers scorching hot from bursting into flames from deception. When you consistently lie, the only constant is the inconsistencies. 

         Now, those of us who have been following these two already know by now inconsistencies and changing stories should be expected. But the Oprah interview really highlighted some interesting things I had previously missed. The interview with Dax Shephard only solidifies my theories. Up until lately, those two have been together through most everything. Very seldom have we seen Harry alone in an interview or speech. There’s never a time where the missus isn’t popping up. James Corden proved that. Then we have the Oprah interview where she was supposed to be the star of the show. But, that was the moment it all changed. That interview was the moment she became the understudy. 

          Think about it. Who is the one being used in the media lately? Most people would suggest that the impending delivery of child number dos is why the missus is absent. One would then argue the Apple + special with Oprah started production well before the second child was a topic for discussion. The missus is being used less and less on camera or in the media. Everything is all about Harry. Forget about when Harry met Sally; Harry Met Hollywood! 

         Harry is the one doing the interviews, dropping projects, and talking with big Hollywood names. Even their announced Netflix projects are focused on one of Harry’s pre-married concepts. All the wife has going for her is a book that’s only number one in the “Books written by ex-Royals who couldn’t hack it” category. Seriously though, as of this posting the Bench is #2130 on the Amazon Books list, #12 in Children’s Black and African American Story Books, #73 in Children’s Emotions Books, and #167 in Children’s Family Life Books. Being pregnant isn’t a disqualifier for being interviewed. But, apparently being just the wife is.

         So, if it was his wife’s plan from the beginning to marry Harry, get him to abandon his family, move to California, and become a big star with a Prince for a husband, her plans have been ruined. And if you think about what she said in the interview with Oprah, you can actually see the moments she told us all exactly that. She clearly tells Oprah Harry was her direct link and source to the Royal Family and everything she needed to know. She didn’t misspeak or misunderstand a thing; she was telling us that Harry’s next to be markled. In every weird answer or revelation where she gave her versions for why their child(ren) were without title, saying they wed three days before the chapel, or having to cry out to HR since Harry failed to help her while she was so depressed she wanted to kill herself and her unborn child... all of it. It was all just the beginning. It may seem like she is attacking her husband’s family, but Harry’s the real target now.

          In just a couple sentences, she managed to reveal who Harry really was. Harry, of all people, should (and does) know how to navigate the press. Clearly, he failed to not only help her acclimate to Royal life, but it could also even be argued he set her up for failure for the get go. Let me give you an example. When my husband introduced me to his family for the first time, he told me little tidbits of information he found important for me to know. He essentially prepped me for the meeting so things went well. He wanted his family to like me because he loved me. I wanted them to like me because I loved him, too. So, I took to heart everything he told me. Yet, Harry’s wife shared with the world how little Harry cared about that. She credits Fergie with teaching her to curtsey, google for teaching her the National Anthem, and even said Her Majesty made her feel especially welcomed. So how did Harry not do more? If they started seeing one another in the early Summer of 2016, how is it Harry failed to teach or explain anything to her prior to meeting his grandmother, the Queen, when he had months and months of time to do so? How is it he failed his wife so miserably, she didn’t even understand basic UK custom, laws, or protocols? Why might you ask?

         Simply put, Harry is so much like his mother, all he knows is how to play the victim narrative while using the link to the Royal family as a nonstop ATM machine. Many people aren’t honest with themselves when it comes to Diana. She wasn’t the Mother Theresa everyone makes her out to be. Mother Theresa wasn’t a Mother Theresa either, though. Did Diana do some great things? Absolutely. Did she do them only because they were nice or great? Absolutely… not. Diana’s PR team would even have her switch up her charity causes whenever they felt it was getting to martyrdom level. They’d refer to her PR stunts as flavors. Does that sound like an innocent woman?

         Not to me. This whole time we all have seen his wife as the root of all issues, but she’s the side effect. It’s becoming more clear by the day that Harry searched out her. He wanted someone with the basic Hollywood connections that he could capitalize. Someone that seemed so controlling and ambitious it would be easy to believe they were controlling him, too. Of course he knew she would invite all the celebs she did. He probably inspired that guest list. Instead of guiding her in the press and in British society, he leads her to slaughter. He hides behind her repeated gaffes and wokeness to keep on his own mission.

         You see, Harry is obsessed with his brother eventually becoming king, being the “Second Son of Diana” and being the misfit. He is obsessed with his brother and father. They are all he talks about. When you obsess on something like that, it is more revealing than anything you say. Harry’s true motives aren’t protecting his wife and children. His real motive is making a name for himself like his mother did. If he can manage to get some revenge by making the Firm feel some backlash, hey that’s a bonus. 

         While his wife may think in her mind she will be the next Diana 2.0, the truth is we all missed who really will be. Harry is the one wanting to be Diana 2.0. If that’s the case, then that means the much older spouse for whom there are two children with, aka the wife, would be his Charles. Remember, Diana lost her HRH and titles. And we have Harry being very aggressive and pushy, to the point it seems he is trying to get ahead of a Palace announcement of them losing their titles. But it makes sense now.

         They aren’t trying to lose anything, but instead Harry keeps opening his mouth to create pressure in the media. He knows his wife does not want to give those titles back. But if he himself keeps saying outrageous things, then it would put everyone in ultimatum mode. Either Harry will push hard enough that Parliament and the Queen will have enough, or the press will get so critical of the two, Harry will push his wife to agree to returning the titles.

         Harry is following the Diana business model. While in the Royal Family, they both were seen as rock stars who had more star power the the Sovereign, which was an issue. Then, they couldn’t take all the abuse, coldness, and inhumanity, so they bolted for freedom. Instead of putting the past behind them, they use the past to monetize grief and trauma in such a way, they become their own brand. Right now, the trauma being monetized comes from the past, but the problem will soon come when that trauma is tapped out. He will need a source of new pain or victimhood. Enters the wife stage left.

          The wife is a tool. She of course has her own plans and thinks she is the one in control or the genius. She thinks she is the one everyone wants to work with. But it’s becoming clear to her that isn’t the case and she’s been played by her elite buddies. They all want him, not her. They all duped her for him. If I can see it, and I can see her already finger pointing that Harry is the failure here, then she can see it. And that means paradise will soon be lost in those Montecito hills. His wife won’t go down without a serious fight here. I wouldn’t even be surprised if she eventually causes him to lose his special visa. 

         Overall, Harry hides behind his wife like a beard or shield protecting him from the press’s glaring lens. He lets her do and say whatever she thinks is great so he can keep plotting his own plans. He allows her to take the fall, look stupid, pull stunts people can see through, etc. for a reason. He isn’t completely sure he can make it in his new California life. He knows he can’t if he keeps her for too long, but he also knows he needs an exit strategy in case it blows up. So, he pins the press to attack her as the true culprit. If they split and he has to, he can return home and play the victim of her. If they split and he is doing okay in Hollywood, she can be the reason he plays victim to big named people like Oprah and Gayle. 

         I can see it now. An Oprah Special with Harry tonight on Apple +. Something cheesy or corny that is almost plagiarism. Like Narcissus and the Prince or something. Watch. Mark my words. Oprah talking to Harry about surviving the marriage while trying to rescue two small kids, being in the spotlight as a Royal while being gaslit by a narcissistic wife… yes I can see the green screen set up now.

         I know this is difficult to digest, but I do ask you to try. While his wife is not innocent, she clearly is guilty for her own part indeed, his wife isn’t the true problem. The true problem here is a man who has a serious issue with living in the shadow of his future-King father and future-King brother, and his future-King nephew, that he has chosen to use the same exact attack model his own mother used to merch and marginally disrupt the institution that made her a star. Harry and his mother both wanted the entire spotlight, but both knew they could never have it the way they wanted it. So, they wrote their own victimhood narrative.

         And here we are now. Mark my words. Harry will keep pushing until those remaining titles are removed by them forcing the hands of Parliament and the Queen. Or, they’ll push and push in the press so much the outrage and hypocrisy will leave them no other option but to renounce and re-gift those titles and rights to the line of succession. That is what he wants, even if his missus doesn’t. Also make no mistake about it. Harry is the real Diana 2.0 wannabe, not his wife. Keep an eye out. I have this gnawing feeling that soon enough, there will be plenty leaks from the wife about the husband. She won’t go quietly into the Beverly Hills… but neither will he.

[rukia-writes]

Sugar Daddy! Shanks x Sugar baby!Reader

Setting: modern au

Plot: Billionaire Shanks is sugar daddy to a beautiful professional cheerleader and spoils her quite a bit. Financially and sexually.

Warnings: 18+ no minors 🔞, rough sex, daddy kink, uniform kink.

a sweet face.

a sweet face.

a sweet face.

Everything started with a familiar red haired man needing a new face for his highly prosperous company worth billions at the very least.

A few models came to mind and so did a few athletes.

In truth, a lot of people wanted to be the new face of Shanks company and Shanks interviewed the exhaustive list personally with his fellow board members.

But there was one that caught his attention.

A upcoming professional cheerleader.

Shanks thought she was perfect with her bright attitude and smile.

If Shanks couldn’t have her as the new face of his company he definitely wanted to get to know her personally. As luck would have it, when the CEO offered the idea of having her as the new face to the board members they all agreed.

Shanks could have just went ahead and pushed everything thru but he wanted a second opinion, plus his friends were on the board committee and he valued their opinion. From there, the two had a friendship of sorts. Shanks being the friendly wealthy friend and being there for her whenever she needed anything until a night of passion changed everything.

This night is when Shanks and (Name) started their unique relationship.

Shanks offered to be her sugar daddy and to provide her with whatever she wanted, it was an offer (Name) didn’t want to refuse. While it was very beneficial for both parties the two didn’t notice how close they were becoming over the next months.

In the VIP area, known as the luxury box a group of wealthy men were watching the game from several television screens, drinking expensive and not so expensive alcohol while either sitting on the lounge chairs or getting alcohol at the bar.

The tall and handsome billionaire was drinking with his friends, it was a big game after all and he needed some downtime.

Is what it seemed to everyone.

But in truth, Shanks was there to see his beautiful cheerleader  that he had been with for little over a year now and the cheerleader had stolen his heart.

Spoiling her was now a everyday thing.

While partying the red haired man would look at the television screen whenever she was on the screen, absolutely loving it when she wore her cheerleading outfit.

Shanks really enjoyed seeing her in that.

Benn Beckman was the only one suspected that Shanks had someone, he didn’t know his boss had a sugar baby. Today, however  while the two were playing cards he noticed his boss would look at the screen at certain times and every-time he noticed a certain cheerleader was on screen.

“Interesting game isn’t?”

“Hm? Oh yeah, it’s going to be a good game.”

Shanks was kindly caught off guard by Beckman asking just a simple question. From then on Shanks tried to make his little secret not so obvious. Shanks gave her allowance her every month, a rather nice allowance every-month.

In all honesty, (Name) could have retired from cheerleading but she truly loved the sport. Shanks wanted to see her practice but was too busy with work to watch, instead Shanks was fortunate to see a more intimate version of (Name)’s practice moves.

Shanks fell in love with that.

(Name) was falling in love with red haired man not because of his money but how sweet and thoughtful he was, the sex was an added bonus.

On the football field, (Name) was shy as she and the millions of others watched the new commercial that Shanks company had just finished on the huge television screens that the stadium had. The audience was cheering and (Name)’s teammates hugged and cheered her as well.

A sure fire hit.

Still, all the attention she received was a bit overwhelming but it was also a good feeling.

Once the game was over news-reporters were all over the cheerleaders and football players, not to mention all the high rollers that attended the game.

“What’s your relationship with Shanks?!”

“What was it like making the commercial?”

(Name) and Shanks were bombarded with questions from the paparazzi and news reporters. It was all new for the new cheerleader as she tried to answer all their questions, however for the CEO it was just another day.

Shanks did get a surprise from the cheerleaders as the head captain wanted to take a picture with the wealthy CEO and his board, one big group picture for  the major new reporters seeing as how they would be talking about the games for the next week.

It was supposed to be harmless group photo.

However, the CEO had to have a little fun with his sexy sugar baby.

While the group was huddled up close together smiling for the camera Shanks and (Name) were hugging side by side just like everyone else, Shanks slowly eased his hand from the small of (Name)’s back to her ass causing her to hold in her gasp and hide her surprise all while trying to smile like a crazy person.

Shanks had an perfect smile in the photo however, mainly because he was secretly laughing.

it was rather late when (Name) made it over to Shanks’s home and she let the man know just how she felt about his little stunt that he pulled. Not that Shanks cared much as he played as though he didn’t know what she was talking about with a big grin on his face.

“Okay then, if this is the game you want to play. No sex tonight.”

(Name) had her arms crossed to her chest with a smile on her face with her cheerleading outfit still on, the news made Shanks lose his grin fairly quickly and his tune changed completely.

“Now wait a second, it was-I’m sorry. I’ll make it up to you.”

“Oh yeah? I have been wanting to go on your yacht here lately with my friends.”

Shanks grimaced while thinking of an answer, his yacht that he just purchased was not just expensive but was custom made and it was his “toy”. (Name) knew this as she was there when it was finally finished.

“My yacht huh?”

“Yes, a all girls vacation.”

A heavy sigh left Shanks as he scratched his head as he thought about the situation, (Name) didn’t have to as she knew Shanks most likely wouldn’t go for it and would come up with another solution but it was entertaining to see the CEO thinking and softly talking to himself.

“Fine, we have a deal.”

Shanks extended his head for (Name) to shake but the cheerleader was surprised that the man agreed as she looked at his hand then back to him. Shanks gave her a look that conveyed “shake my hand.” But (Name) hid her hand behind her back while Shanks was a bit confused.

“Are you sure? I mean, it’s your precious yacht.”

“True, but having you for the night is more valuable.”

Shanks responded calmly responded back to the now bashful cheerleader who was turned on by Shanks’s words and the man didn’t even realize until a few seconds later as a sly smile came to his face.

“Come on, shake on it.”

Shanks teased as he waited for his sugar baby to shake his hand and with a smile she finally shook Shanks’s hand.

That same hand that (Name) shook Shanks’s hand with would leave scratch marks down his back.

it was a good thing (Name) had good stamina with flexibility as Shanks had her in various in positions throughout the night, his thick cock stretched her and his lengthy cock filled all her pussy leaving little to no room with her legs on his broad shoulders as he savagely hit her g-spot over and over again.

The room was filled with (Name)’s shameless moans and even when she covered her mouth to muffle herself as she took all of Shanks’s cock but the man removed her hand from her mouth and held down her wrist to the bed as a little chuckle came from Shanks when he did this and when he heard her whimper his name he teased her by saying her name in a teasing voice. Which only made the him moan as he felt her tighten on his cock making his cock twitch a few times inside her achingly needy cunt.

“Say it. Say it for me.”

Again.

Shanks was teasing her as she knew what Shanks meant and she moaned his name quickly this time in a “don’t make me say it.” But since the first time Shanks heard her say it he wanted to always hear her say it everytime he was deep inside her. Whispering “I’ll stop fucking you if you don’t say it.” (Name) begged him not to as she knew Shanks would keep to his word.  “Give me more, daddy.” The headboard made one “bang” noise followed by several more as (Name)’s whimpers and moans echoed throughout Shanks’s room as Shanks muttered “mine” and “that’s fucking right”  over and over as he rutted his hips against hers as his cock already leaking pre-cum inside her cunt.

Shanks practically had his way with her as (Name) gave herself over to lust and her desires. Not caring if she sounded like a porn star all that mattered to her was the mind numbing orgasm that was rising, Shanks did manage to kiss her on the cheek and instead holding her wrist down he held her hand.

Before long, Shanks was now moaning as he felt his own orgasm arriving while muttering “so good” and “you like that, huh?” The way (Name) felt on his cock made Shanks say things he normally wouldn’t, he could only describe the feeling of when he fucked his sugar baby as perfect.

She was perfect.

When both reached their orgasm Shanks knew he was in love with his sugar baby as his cock twitched excitedly inside (Name)’s cunt filling it to the brim as she did a small shiver at the feeling as she tried to catch her breath and regaining composure while thinking to herself Shanks really was a beast in bed and the perfect sugar daddy.

A perfect man.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes..I’m okay. That was amazing.”

(Name) complimented as she steadied tried to catch her breath but gasped when Shanks slowly seperated her legs down and pushed them down far as they could go testing out her flexibility as he had been all night with a devilish smile on his face.

“I’m glad you enjoyed yourself, but we are not done baby girl. Far from it.”

A soft “oh god” left (Name)’s lips.

While (Name) had the flexibility, Shanks had the stamina.

A few weeks later, Shanks was in his office on break when he received a text message from his sugar baby which put a smile on his face. Especially when he saw that the text message was actually a video.

Shanks watched (Name) doing some of her practice moves in her cheerleading uniform making him hot and bothered already as he caught glimpses of her black briefs as she spun in her mini skirt.

At the ending, (Name) blew a kiss in the camera and then winked followed by saying, “I hope you like my moves, daddy. See you later.”

Shanks was caught off guard as he almost dropped his phone on the floor and quickly replaying the last few seconds…

Over and over.

Shanks did take a break only to give his sugar baby a surprise gift of not only more money but to order her yacht and he then went back to watch the video.

✨Rukia-Writes✨

[snelbz]

The Return {The Arrival, Part 2}

Summary: Back at the lake house, ten years later... Collaboration with @tacmc.

Word Count: 6402

The Arrival Series Masterlist

Shelby’s Masterlist

Tara’s Masterlist

10 years later….

“Every year,” Nesta began, shaking her head as they drove up the long, winding driveway. “Every year, we are the last people here.”

With a roll of his eyes as he put the truck in park, Cassian got out and shut the driver’s side door behind him. Once again, he had the boat, which the others, who had surely arrived hours before, were most likely waiting for.

They needed a getaway.

As of the month before, Cassian had three times the responsibilities at work. Add two teenage boys and a ten year old that thought she was far older than she was, Cassian was exhausted. He knew Nesta was, too, and when she got out of the car to leave the boys to their bickering, Cassian knew she was feeling that exhaustion, deep.

She looked over at him and he gave her a smile, which she immediately returned before opening up the back door and giving her first order of the vacation. “Thorn. John. Bags inside. Now.”

John groaned as Thorn muttered, “I’m eighteen, I shouldn’t even be here.”

Cassian knew Nesta was biting her tongue as she told Scarlett to follow her around back to find Nesta and Elain.

Cassian shot Thorn and John a look that shut them both up as he heard, “Boys giving you a hard time?”

He looked over his shoulder to find his oldest niece, and smiled. “Hey, Lunabug. Where the hell are the rest of your pants?”

Luna looked down at her cutoff shorts before snorting and giving her uncle a hug. “First of all, watch your mouth. Second of all, these were eighty bucks, so be nice.”

Cassian hesitated. “Eighty… Your dad let you spend eighty bucks on a scrap of denim?”

“It’s good to see you, too, Uncle Cass,” Luna said, ignoring the question altogether.

As he unloaded the rest of the bags and hopped back in the truck to pull it around back, Nesta found Feyre and Elain just where she expected to: tanning on the back deck.

“Nice of you to finally show up,” Feyre crooned, raising her sunglasses to look up at her older sister.

The glare Nesta gave to Feyre told her if her daughter wasn’t feet behind her, she’d be giving her a very vulgar gesture.

“Hi, Scarlett,” Elain smiled, ignoring the silent bickering between her sisters. “You ready for a fun weekend?”

“Yes ma’am,” she replied, her manners nearly as impeccable as Luna’s. “Where is Layla?”

“In the bonus room with the twins,” Feyre said, letting her sunglasses drop back into place as she laid down on her chair. “They brought a bunch of makeup, so I’m pretty sure it’s makeover time.”

Scarlett’s eyes were bright as she smiled up at her mother and hurried into the house.

“Where are the boys?” Nesta asked, stealing Feyre’s drink and downing half of it in one large drink.

Feyre snatched it back, with a muttered, “Bitch,” as Elain shook her head and pointed to the dark haired brood on the docks.

“They’ve been swimming while they waited on Uncle Cass to show up with the boat.”

“Not only do I have Thorn and John to deal with, I’ve also got Little Miss Drama Queen herself to get ready and in the truck,” Nesta said, eyeing Feyre’s drink again. “Plus Cassian. But I gave up on wrangling him years ago.”

Elain shook her head as Feyre snorted. “And Thorn is too much a spitting image of Cass, is that the issue?”

Nesta shook her head, plopping down in a lawn chair opposite of them. “Thorn wants his independence, but he also wants me to cook his food, do his laundry, and clean up after him. That’s Thorn’s issue. And John wants to do everything his cool, adult big brother does. Which annoys Thorn.”

“He’s eighteen now,” Elain said, sighing. “Our husbands were no different at that age. Wanting to be men, but too immature to handle themselves.”

“They’re still too immature to handle themselves,” Feyre mumbled, which made them all laugh.

Her sisters - they were exactly what Nesta needed.

They watched as Cassian drove down to the dock and lowered the boat into the water. Bennett and Lannan were there, swimming, and the eldest helped Cassian guide the boat in and tie it up. Lannan helped, too, but being only ten, his judgement wasn’t the most trustworthy.

The sliding door was pushed open and Azriel wandered out, the top of his hair combed back, and sporting a hot pink lipgloss, which he was attempting to wipe off with a tissue. “Shit, this stuff stains.”

Elain arched a brow as she caught sight of her husband. “I kind of like it.”

He narrowed his eyes at her, but there was no denying the small smile that appeared on his lips.

“It’s a good look,” Feyre agreed, to which Azriel rolled his eyes.

“It’s better than the alternative,” he sighed. “They wanted to recreate a look they saw on YouTube, but were devastated when they realized the signal wasn't strong enough to play a full video in HD.”

“What a travesty,” Elain gasped, faking her horror.

“Thorn is going to hate that,” Nesta snickered. “He may not be able to FaceTime his girlfriend.”

“He’ll live,” Cassian announced, jogging up the porch. “Spending three days focused on his family is good. The kid needs it.”

“The kid needs a kick in the ass,” Nesta muttered, and motioned for Cassian to come closer. He did so, climbing onto her chair and nestling himself between her legs. “But I love him, like I love you.”

Cassian hummed and kissed her, softly.

“My god, what do your kids think when you do this at home?” Feyre asked.

“They’re used to it by now, I’m sure,” Azriel mumbled.

“Absolutely,” Cassian mumbled, before kissing his wife, again.

“Party’s here!” Rhysand came around the corner of the house, carrying two cases of beer. He repeated the same thing his wife had said, looking at Cassian and Nesta. “It’s about time you joined us.”

“Blame the kids,” Nesta said, her arms wrapping around Cassian’s broad shoulders.

“Speaking of the kids, tell them to get ready,” Rhysand said, dropping the cases of beer on the porch. “As soon as these are in the fridge, we’re starting up the boat.”

“I don’t want to go on the boat.”

They all spun around to find Thorn, his phone in the air as he tried to find signal. “Can I have the keys to the truck?”

Cassian scoffed. “Hell, no.”

“I have to run into town,” Thorne said, stubbornly.

“You can tell Marion that you’ll call her when you can,” Nesta said, calmly.

“This isn’t about Marion,” Thorn argued - a complete lie, and they all knew it. “We don’t have anything to drink. We just have water, juice boxes, and alcohol. And, unless you want me to break into the beer-.”

“Try and see what happens,” Cassian warned.

Thorn rolled his eyes, and even though he was the spitting image of Cassian, the look was so much like Nesta that Cassian couldn’t help but chuckle.

“I’ll take Luna and Bennett. They’re trustworthy,” Thorn pushed.

Cassian looked at Azriel and Rhysand, who shrugged.

“Fine. Be back in an hour,” he said, and dug the keys out of his pocket before tossing them to his oldest son.

“Thanks,” he mumbled, and went back inside.

“You know we have drinks in the cooler in the garage, right,” Feyre asked, rolling her eyes as Rhys got a warm beer out of the case and popped it open.

“I figured,” Nesta said. “But Thorn would do nothing but complain the whole time on the boat and would, in fact, break into the beer if we left him here. Might as well let him go have a little freedom before dinner.”

“And if he takes Ben and Luna, he’ll be less likely to get into trouble,” Cassian added, even as Rhys and Az gave each other disbelieving looks.

“Luna, yes, but Bennett is as likely to get him into trouble as he is to get him out,” Rhys admitted.

Feyre finished off her drink and said to her sisters, “Why did we procreate with these idiots? It made our kids idiots.” She stood and said, “I need a refill.”

Elain stood and grabbed her empty glass as well. “Speak for yourself, my kids are all honors students and make good choices.”

Cassian groaned as Nesta rolled her eyes. “Yes, your prized children are the exception to our hooligans. Now, I’m going to put on a swimsuit and tell the girls to do the same.”

Cassian watched her as she left.

He, Azriel, and Rhysand threw beer into the cooler as they heard Thorn, Bennett, and Luna speed away in Cassian’s truck.

“They’re going to do something stupid,” Rhysand mumbled.

“Don’t drag Luna into this,” Azriel countered, carrying the cooler down the hill to the boat.

“She’s already been dragged, bud,” Cassian said, clapping a hand on Azriel’s shoulder. “Now we just pray that they return in one piece.”

*

“Where are they?” Elain sighed. “We’re not even going to get on the water before the sun goes down.”

“They were finishing their makeovers,” Feyre said, sipping from a glass of wine by the island. “Lily said they’ll be down soon.”

“Aunt Feyre,” Layla’s little voice called from the top of the stairs. ��Can you come here for a minute?”

As one, the sisters looked at each other.

“This can’t be good,” Feyre sighed, taking another drink from her wine glass and heading for the stairs.

Nesta and Elain followed, and they could all hear the frantic, panicked words before they even topped the stairs.

“It wasn’t supposed to look like that! You should have followed the tutorial.”

“I can’t. I couldn’t watch the TikTok to make sure I was doing it right.”

“What happened?” Feyre said, pushing the door open and freezing.

Layla and Scarlett were sitting on the couch against the far wall, caked makeup on both of their faces, but the twins were sitting at the desk, a mirror in front of them. A long strand of Lily’s hair laid on the desk in front of them, and she had a pair of safety scissors in her hands.

“Don’t be mad,” Lily said, locking eyes with Feyre in the mirror.

Crossing her arms and leaning on the door frame, Feyre smirked. “Why would I be mad, it’s not my hair that got chopped.”

True enough, Lily’s hair looked far differently than it had the last time her mother had seen her. A fourth of her head looked like it had received a very dreadful bowl cut, while the rest of her hair remained the same, hanging halfway down her back.

She stared in the mirror in horror as Olive tried her best to style her twin. “I mean, it’s not so…bad.”

“I’m going to start freshman year looking like…” Lily’s hands slowly covered her mouth as she stifled a quiet sob.

“It’s not so bad,” Olive repeated, a little more convincingly. “It just needs…some product…”

“It looks like I took a knife to my bangs!”

“Bangs?” Nesta repeated. “Is that what you were going for?”

“Yeah,” Scarlett said, answering her mother in favor of her cousin. “They told her to on Tik Tok.”

“Oh, Lily,” Elain breathed, trying to hide her quiet laughter.

“This is a disaster!” Lily said, covering her entire face.

Feyre sighed and stepped up behind her daughter, resting her hands on her shoulders. “We’ll go see Aunt Mor and get it fixed when we get home. There’s still some time before school starts for it to grow in, and I’m sure Aunt Mor can work her magic. Okay?”

Lily sniffled and nodded.

“Come on, girls,” Nesta said, holding a hand out for Scarlett and Layla. “Let’s go get ready to go on the boat for a bit before dinner.”

“And you, Lily. We’ll find you a hat to wear,” Feyre said, dropping a kiss to the top of Lily’s head. “You, too, Livy.”

“Olive,” she snapped. “It’s Olive.”

With a heavy sigh, Feyre said, “I’m sorry, you’re right. Olive, my apologies. You girls go get changed and meet us on the dock, please.”

Elain and Nesta headed down the stairs, Feyre on their heels, but they waited until they got onto the back porch before looking at her.

“What was that?” Elain asked, raising an eyebrow as she looked at her.

“That is new,” Feyre sighed. “For whatever reason, we can’t call her anything but Olive. Liv, Livy, she’s not having it. It’s immature.”

“So, if I call her Livy, the name that I’ve called her since birth, she’s going to snap at me?” Nesta asked. “Yeah, I’m not going to call her Olive. It’s weird.”

“Well, it is the name on her birth certificate,” Feyre said, laughing.

Nesta shrugged. “Details.”

Elain agreed that it was weird, and they were still talking about it as Scarlett and Layla ran onto the deck, ready in their swimsuits, then down to the docks where their dads and Lannan were waiting. The twins were close behind, Olive still moody and Lily covering her hair with a hat.

When Rhysand questioned why she was wearing a beanie with a swimsuit on a boat, they all told him to mind his own business.

“Where is Luna?” Lannan asked, looking towards the house, as if his big sister might appear out of nowhere.

“She went with Thorn and Bennett into town. They aren’t coming on the boat, but they’ll be home before dinner,” Elain promised, which earned a pout from Lannan. Even though they were years apart, the two were still extremely close and it warmed Elain’s heart.

After an hour or so on the boat, the sun had begun its slow descent, and they headed back in.

“Everyone go get washed up while we make dinner,” Rhys announced. With a smirk, he added, “No impromptu haircuts.”

Lily’s beanie had fallen off during one of their faster rides and Rhysand tried not to laugh.

He really did.

He did not succeed.

“Dad!” She cried, hurrying up the deck stairs and rushing towards the house. “It’s not funny!”

As soon as she was in the house, he muttered to Azriel, “It’s pretty damn funny.”

Elain went into the house to start the food, but came back out a few minutes later. “The kids aren’t back yet. They were supposed to be back by now.”

“I’ll try calling Bennett,” Rhys said, heading into the house and going to their room. A few minutes later, he joined them in the kitchen. “No answer. Have y’all heard from them?”

“No,” Elain said, shaking her head. She looked at Azriel, concern written on her face. “And it’s not like Luna to go so long without checking in.”

Azriel frowned. “I’m sure they’re fine, Lainy. I’m sure they’re just being teenagers.”

Even he didn’t believe himself.

Cassian swore. “I’m sure Thorn was leading the way. He’s-.”

They could hear a car pulling into the driveway, and all six adults turned their heads toward the sliding door, waiting.

Luna and Bennett appeared a moment later, looking sheepish and refusing to make eye contact with any of them.

“Luna,” Azriel began, starting with the one that was most likely to talk. “Where’ve you been?”

“In town,” she answered, without missing a beat.

Nesta was looking around. “Where’s Thorn?”

Neither of them answered.

Cassian crossed his arms, and repeated, “Where’s Thorn?”

Bennett was rubbing the back of his neck when he muttered, “Jail.”

Everyone froze. It was Nesta who said, “I’m sorry, what?”

“Thorn got arrested,” Luna whispered, staring at her feet.

“He— What do you—?” Nesta was shaking her head, clearly not processing what they were telling her.

“Luna, Ben, follow me,” Rhys said, pointing to the back hallway where the adults’ bedrooms were situated. He looked at Feyre. “Think y’all can start on dinner while we handle this?”

She nodded, but was moving towards Nesta, who looked like she was about to pass out. “Go. We’ve got this under control.”

Cassian looked inclined to disagree, but Rhys walked down the hall, Luna and Bennett a step behind, and he and Azriel followed. They sat down on the end of the bed and faced their fathers and uncle as Rhysand shut the door.

“What happened?”

Luna looked like she was going to be sick under the disapproving gaze of her father. “We got drinks and were hanging out in the park by the Square. There weren’t any kids around so we were just messing around on the swing set. And then Rion got there and—.”

“Marion?” Cassian interrupted. “Thorn’s girlfriend showed up?”

They both nodded and glanced at each other. “I guess she was planning to come up the whole time.”

“The drinks are in the bed of the truck,” Bennett interjected, clearing his throat.

“Ben, in the kindest way, I don’t give a damn about the drinks right now,” Rhys sighed. “What happened that was illegal? Why is Thorn in jail?”

“They went back to the truck,” Luna said, quietly. “We stayed on the playground and we figured we’d just leave when they were done.”

The men silently stared at them.

It was Azriel who awkwardly asked, “And when you say they went back to the truck…?”

“They were having sex,” Bennett replied, bluntly, while Luna’s cheeks were on fire.

“In my truck?” Cassian asked, outraged.

Again, they both nodded. Luna went on. “We noticed it was getting a little late and started heading back that way and when we got closer, we saw the cop putting them in handcuffs.”

“The cop at least let us take the keys, so we could bring the truck back,” Bennett shrugged. “I guess he let Rion off, cause he only put Thorn in the back of the cop car.”

“Are we in trouble?” Luna asked, her wide, hazel eyes filling with tears.

Rhys and Azriel looked at each other and sighed. “No,” Azriel said, at least. “But you should have called us immediately when something went wrong.”

“My phone was dead,” she defended, pulling it out and showing them.

Bennett looked at Rhys. “And you know I never have signal out here.”

Rhys nodded and sighed. “Go get cleaned up for dinner. Don’t tell your brothers and sisters about this. We need to talk to your mothers first.”

They nodded and headed for the door, but Luna looked up at Azriel and wrapped her arms around his waist. “I’m sorry, Dad.”

Taking a deep breath, he hugged her and said, “I know. We’ll get this taken care of.”

She nodded, and followed Bennett out of the room.

Azriel and Rhysand both looked at Cassian, who had his hands on his hips and was staring blankly at a spot on the carpet.

Without another word, he grabbed his truck keys from where Bennett had left them on the bed and was out the door. There were words going about behind him as he went, but no one stopped him. It wasn’t until he was outside unlocking the driver’s side door that someone called his name.

“Cass.” He turned around to find his wife on the porch, holding up a shirt and his wallet. “Forgetting something?”

With a defeated sigh, he slowly walked back up to the porch and pulled his t-shirt over his head. “He got arrested for public indecency, Nesta. Marion came up. He was fucking in the back of my truck-.”

“Don’t act like you and I weren’t doing the same thing at eighteen,” she interrupted, looking up at her husband and his grim, frustrated expression. “Sneaking your girlfriend somewhere, taking advantage of the short time you have together… It wasn’t that long ago it was you and me.”

Cassian crossed his arms. “That’s not the point. How the hell are you so calm right now?”

“Oh, don’t get me wrong.” Nesta scoffed, one brow raised. “I’m gonna kick his ass when he gets home. He’s grounded, which he’ll protest because he’s eighteen, which is gonna make me kick his ass even more. But, for me to do that, you need to go get his ass and bring him to me, which I know you’re not gonna wanna do, because you're stubborn and pissed off.”

Cassian’s jaw locked. He didn’t say she was wrong…because she wasn’t.

“How many times were you arrested when you were his age?” she asked, rubbing her hands up and down his crossed arms.

Cassian didn’t answer.

“We all do stupid stuff,” she continued, then reached up on her tiptoes and kissed him, softly, even though Cassian’s lips hardly moved in return. “Go get him, have a civil conversation, don’t yell…too much. Then bring him home, so I can make him cry with my disappointed stare.”

At that, Cassian cracked the smallest smile, knowing she was absolutely right.

He turned to head for the truck and she hollered, “I’ll save him a plate. I doubt the food is very good in prison.”

Pausing as he opened the truck door, Cassian scoffed, glancing back at his wife. “He’s been in jail for less than three hours. I’m sure he’s fine.”

She was smirking, but he could see the sadness and worry in her eyes. “Bring my baby home safe, please.”

Half an hour later, Cassian was parking the truck in the lot behind the police station of the small town. It was mostly a vacation spot, for people like his family, so they’d never needed a big police force. Crime was low here. The worst sort of thing that happened in this town had: teenagers being stupid teenagers.

After speaking with the woman at the front desk, signing a bunch of paperwork and posting his bail, Cassian was leaning against a wall near the front door, waiting for his eldest son. A sullen looking Thorn appeared a moment later, an officer behind him. After shaking the man’s hand, Cassian and Thorn were out the door and heading for the truck. They hopped in, the engine revved to life, and they were off, heading back towards the cabin and their family that waited for them. And still a single word hadn’t been spoken.

Thorn was the one to break the silence. “Well?”

His tone immediately set Cassian on edge and he had to remind himself that that was because it was often so much like his own and to calm down. But it didn’t stop his hand from tightening on the wheel. He took a deep breath before saying, “Well, what?”

Cassian’s eyes were still on the road, but he could feel Thorn looking at him. “Aren’t you going to yell at me?”

“Do you want me to yell at you?” Cassian asked. “Do you want me to tell you what a dumbass decision you made today, not only jeopardizing your future, but also Marion’s, and you could have gotten your cousins into serious trouble, too?”

“Luna and Ben would’ve been fine,” he grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest and slumping in the seat. “They weren’t even involved—.”

“And Marion?” Cassian interrupted. “I assume since I didn’t get to have a nice chat with her father in the lobby, they let her go, but she could’ve been in big trouble, too, Thorn.”

The truck cab filled with silence and Cassian took another deep, calming breath before he went on. “Do you know what my first arrest was for?”

Thorn looked over at his father, the man on the Velaris Police Force who never did anything wrong. “You’ve been arrested?”

“More times than I’m going to admit,” Cassian said, but glanced at Thorn before settling his eyes back on the road. “And the first time was for public indecency.”

The silence returned. “Were you having sex-.”

“No,” Cassian said, stopping him before he could finish his sentence. “I was at a party, eighteen years old, and I got drunk, then went streaking down the middle of the road. It was a nice neighborhood, too. Scared the shit out of an old woman sitting on her porch, reading a book. There was a police car sitting right around the corner.” Cassian nodded to Thorn. “At least you were arrested with your clothes on.”

For a moment, Thorn said nothing, but then he laughed, quietly. “Sounds stupid.”

“It was stupid,” Cassian agreed. “Almost as stupid as shagging your girlfriend in the back of a truck in broad daylight.” He gestured outside, to the setting sun.

“Shagging?” Thorn repeated.

“You’d prefer me use a different term?” Cassian shot back.

Thorn shook his head. “Look, I get it, alright? But there was no one else around-.”

“Yeah, which is why you didn’t get yourself in deeper shit. If there had been kids around, Thorn—.” Cassian snapped, then took a second to calm himself back down. “If that cop hadn’t driven by the parking lot and seen the truck off, but moving, I’m sure you wouldn’t have gotten caught. You’re right. But, that’s not the point. The point is-.”

“I know, dad,” Thorn said, his tone hardening. “I don’t need the lecture.”

“No?” Cassian asked.

Thorn shook his head.

“You already know what I’m going to say, then?” Cassian pushed.

Thorn nodded.

Cassian snorted. “Then do tell. Please.”

“You already said it!” Thorn said, tossing his hands in the air. “I’m an idiot, alright? I made a dumbass decision because I can’t control myself. I almost got Marion and Ben and Luna in trouble, and I got my ass tossed into the back of a police car, alright? I know what I did wrong, dad. And I’m embarrassed enough, so…just…please. Save the lecture.” Near the end, his anger faded, and all Cassian could hear was defeat.

Cassian cleared his throat. “Why embarrassed?”

Thorn shot his dad an exasperated look. “Seriously? I just got my naked ass dragged off my girlfriend before getting handcuffed and thrown in the back of a cop car, and you want to ask me why I’m embarrassed?”

Cassian looked over the console at Thorn, then back to the road. “Worried she’ll dump you?”

Thorn thought for a second, then shook his head. “No, but it’s just…not how I wanted today to go.”

Cassian nodded, then thought carefully about how he would ask his next question. “When you two… I mean, I assume it’s not the first time you’ve… You’ve been together a while…” He sighed, then bluntly asked, “You’re careful, right?”

“She’s on the pill,” Thorn mumbled, and when Cassian glanced over as he pulled into the driveway and parked the truck, his son’s cheeks were bright red.

He smirked. “So you’re man enough to have sex, but not to talk about it?”

“Not with you,” he muttered, unbuckling his seatbelt and climbing out of the truck.

Cassian followed suit and clapped a hand firmly on his son’s shoulder. “Well, that’s too bad. Cause not only are you about to have to talk to me about it again, but your mother as well.”

Thorn’s eyes went wide and his feet stopped moving. In the moonlight, the color of his eyes weren’t visible and he looked like a mirror image of Cassian at that age. “Mom knows?”

“Oh, yeah,” Cassian replied, getting him moving again. “The only ones that don’t are your brother, sister, and cousins. But the three of us are about to have a conversation and I don’t know if you’ll enjoy it as much as you enjoyed ours.”

Cassian could see a fire going down by the docks and hear the laughter of his family. He knew there would be one person missing from the revelry and found her sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee and two plates of food on opposite sides of the table.

Nesta was rolling the coffee cup between her hands and her steely eyes flicked up to them the second they opened the sliding glass door.

Cassian didn’t say anything, just picked the plates of food up and took them to the microwave, heating them up, one by one.

Thorn lingered by the door, his hands shoved into his pockets. Finally, he started, “Mom, I—.”

Nesta held up a hand to stop him and pointed to the chair closest to her. “Sit.”

She stood and met Cassian in the kitchen, while Thorn did as he was told. She quietly asked him, “You talked?”

Cassian nodded, already diving into the plate of food. “Yeah.”

“You talked or you yelled?” She asked, raising an eyebrow.

With a shrug, Cassian ate another bite of steak. “Both. I’d say it was a productive conversation.”

“So should I be the good cop or the bad cop?” She asked, crossing her arms and leaning against the counter.

“I think he’s probably had enough of cops today,” Cassian said, and Nesta could see he was trying not to smile. “Probably best for you to be his mother instead.”

Pinching the bridge of her nose, Nesta sighed. “You know what I mean, Cass. Do I need to break him down more or should I start picking up the pieces?”

“I’d say a bit of both,” he admitted. “He’s embarrassed, and rightfully so, but I don’t think the ramifications of how bad this could have been have settled in yet.”

She nodded and picked up the second plate. Looking up at her husband, she wrinkled her nose. “Go take a shower after you eat. You smell like the lake.”

Nesta didn’t give him a chance to answer and instead carried the food back out to the dining area and set it down in front of Thorn, before taking her seat again.

“I’m not hungry,” he mumbled, staring at the food in front of him.

“Too bad.” She took a sip of her coffee. “Eat.”

He did as he was told, eating a few bites in silence until Cassian crossed through the living room, headed for their bedroom. “By the way Nes,” he called out. “Marion is on the pill, in case you wondered.”

Thorn dropped the fork he was holding and covered his face. “Dad.”

“Have a good talk!”

Nesta had closed her eyes and was taking deep, controlled breaths. When she opened them again, her blue-grey eyes met Thorn’s identical ones. “I’m too young to be a grandmother.”

Thorn looked away as he said, “I’m not… We’re being careful.”

“It takes more than her being on the pill to be careful,” Nesta said, calmly. “Accidents happen.”

“I really don’t want to talk about this,” Thorn whispered, staring at his plate.

“Then you shouldn’t have gotten arrested for not being able to keep your hands to yourself,” Nesta replied, simply. “Thorn-.”

“I love her,” he replied, finally looking back up at Nesta. “I love her, and when I’m around her, I can’t even…think straight. I know what we did was stupid, mom, but in that moment…” He shook his head. “You can blame it on stupid teen hormones or whatever, but that wasn’t what this is for me.”

Nesta sighed, setting her coffee down and laying a hand over his. “It’s not that you got caught having sex. It’s not even that you were arrested, but that is a part of it. It’s that you lied to us, Thorn. To me, and your father, and your aunts and uncles. You told us going into town had nothing to do with Marion, but in all reality, that was the whole reason you wanted to go. And you roped Bennett and Luna into it, which could have affected them.”

He nodded, not saying anything, just taking the reprimand.

“We’re upset with you because we’re disappointed. This could have ended much worse, and Marion is lucky they let her go.”

Nesta released his hand, but turned her own palm up, holding it out and waiting. Thorn looked at it for a moment, before glancing up at her face, and sighing. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and placed it in her hand. She placed it on the edge of the table and said, “You won’t be getting this back for the rest of the weekend. And when we get home, your father and I will discuss your full punishment.”

“I got thrown in jail,” he mumbled. “Isn’t that punishment enough?”

Her sharp laugh surprised even herself. “Absolutely not. But this weekend isn’t just about us. It’s about your cousins and your aunts and uncles and spending time with them. So finish eating and go join them around the fire.”

“And if they ask where I’ve been?” He asked as she stood and picked his phone up.

Pausing for a moment, she considered telling him to tell them anything but the truth. But they would all find out eventually. “That’s up to you. But keep the sex talk to a minimum. Scar, Lannan and Layla don’t need to hear about that yet.”

Thorn’s jaw locked, but he nodded, once. He stood and cleared his plate, even though anything had hardly been eaten off of it. He stopped before walking out the back door. “Can I at least text Rion to make sure she got home alright?”

“I’ll text her mom,” Nesta replied, simply.

Thorn hesitated. “Saying what?”

“Just making sure she got home safely,” she said, shrugging. “I’ll tell her to let Marion know you're grounded from your phone for the weekend so that she doesn’t worry.”

Thorn nodded, slowly. “And…the other stuff?”

Nesta watched him for a long moment before saying, “Even I think having your ass handed to you by Mr. Salvaterre for being caught with his daughter by the cops is too harsh a punishment. I won’t say a thing.”

All of the breath left Thorn’s body. “Thanks.”

The second Thorn was out the door, Cassian came around the corner, his plate cleaned.

“I should’ve known you were listening,” Nesta said, sipping from her mug as she watched her husband stride to the sink.

As he set his plate inside, he chuckled. “Oh, I wasn’t missing that. And I think you should reconsider. Watching Lorcan kick Thorn’s ass for defiling his daughter may be good for us all.”

Nesta rolled her eyes and looked out the back door, where Thorn was slowly walking down the hill toward the fire. “He means it. I can tell. He loves that girl.”

“You sound like that worries you,” Cassian said, sitting in the chair next to her before pulling her onto his lap.

“I don’t want his heart broken. That’s my baby,” Nesta said, simply.

“Ah, yes,” Cassian muttered, his lips on her shoulder. “Our little felon.”

“Don’t call him that,” she chastised. “He made a mistake. A big, stupid mistake, but I think he understands the consequences of his actions.”

“He better,” he murmured. “They each only get one get out of jail free card.”

Nesta’s quiet laughter shook her body. “I’m fairly sure neither John or Scarlett will need theirs.”

“You’re probably right,” he said, holding her tighter against him. “We can let this go until we get home. Let’s enjoy our time while we’re here, yeah?”

“Exactly.” Nesta turned and kissed him, but when he made a move to deepen the kiss, she put a hand to his chest and pushed him away. “I wasn’t kidding when I said you smelled like a lake. You need a shower.”

Rolling his eyes, he gave her another quick kiss before she stood. “Fine. I’ll go get in the shower. But only if you promise to make me a s’more when I get out.”

“Sounds like a fair trade,” she said, heading for their bedroom, Thorn’s phone in hand.

“I’m surprised he didn’t ask you not to go through his search history,” Cassian called from where he still sat at the table.

“You’re disgusting,” she hollered back.

“I’ve also been an eighteen-year-old boy,” he chuckled.

“Oh, I remember well,” Nesta laughed, turning off her son’s phone and placing it on the top of her dresser.

Thorn would be fine, reckless nature and all. He was his father’s son, after all, and Cassian had turned out pretty damn good, even if he was the cockiest, most reckless young man Nesta had ever had the pleasure of knowing.

Even if said man was sliding out the back door and not following her down the hall to take a shower like he’d said he would.

Exasperated, Nesta went onto the back porch to yell at him, but he was running down the hill, taking off his shirt as he did so. Once he reached the bonfire, he was throwing Thorn over his shoulder and running down the dock, toward the lake.

Nesta had no idea how he could still toss Thorn around like a sack of potatoes. They were nearly the same height, with those same broad shoulders.

She watched as Cassian jumped off the end of the dock, taking Thorn with him beneath the dark water, jeans, shoes, and all.

Nesta laughed quietly as Rhysand, Azriel, Bennett, and John all followed their lead, running down the dock and diving in.

“Nesta!”

Her eyes shifted to the fire, where everyone else sat. Feyre was waving for her to join them. “Come have a drink and help us laugh at these foolish boys!”

Nesta could hear the girls giggling as she walked down the hill to join them. Lannan was sound asleep on the ground in front of the fire, obviously having worn himself out from the day, and Scarlett and Layla weren’t far behind.

Nesta took the lawn chair that either Rhys or Az had vacated between her sisters, and took a deep breath in as she gazed up at the stars. They weren’t as beautiful as the ones she’d come to know and love in Velaris, but they were still a glorious sight.

“Everything okay?” Elain asked, taking Nesta’s hand.

She nodded, eyes still on the stars. “We’ll deal with it when we get home,” she replied, looking down at her sisters. “For now, we want to enjoy this weekend. Enjoy our time with our family.”

Feyre and Elain both smiled at that and Feyre rested her head on Nesta’s shoulder.

Tomorrow would be a new day. The sun would be bright and shining and they’d spend the day how they’d originally planned.

But that didn’t mean it wouldn’t be a day as crazy as today had been.

[kakashiswilloffire]

Congratulations on a 100! Can I request a female reader and a scenario where Kakashi discovers in a very shocking way that his s/o is pregnant? Please don't mind not writing if it bothers you. Stay hydrated and have a nice day regardless!🌸

thank you for the request!! hope you enjoy!!

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A Kunoichi's Suprise

ao3

words: 1.9k

kakashi x fem!reader, fluff, reader is pregnant

***

“I do hate to do this to you, but you’re the best choice. There’s not an Inuzuka available who has the security clearance necessary, which makes you the only ninken-user I can assign this to.”

Kakashi nodded and shrugged, brushing off the unspoken apology. “I understand, it’s no issue.”

Tsunade pursed her lips into a thin line, nodding solemnly. “If it wasn’t so time-sensitive, I’d put someone else on it, I swear.” She tucked a loose strand of her silvery blond hair behind her ear and shuffled the papers on her desk, bringing a personnel file to the top. “And to accompany you… Again, I’m really sorry, but she’s the only one who makes sense. She was in the area most recently out of all available jonin and her weapons expertise makes her the best candidate to accompany you.”

His eyebrows dipped together in mild confusion. He would have requested this partner if she hadn’t been assigned—he agreed fully that they would make the best team for this recovery mission. Shaking it off, he nodded again. “Sounds great, Lady Fifth. Anything else?”

Tsunade let out a breath she had been half holding and leaned back in her chair. Tonton gave a relieved squeak and Shizune pulled her closer to her chest. The Hokage dragged her hands across her eyes, then leaned forward on her elbows.

“Glad you’re taking this so well. I thought you’d at least argue about your fiancé going with you, if not objecting to being sent on a mission right now at all.”

Kakashi jerked his head backwards and to the side, scanning over the Sannin with his single vibrant, gray eye. “I’m sorry if I gave you the impression I like to argue with superiors, Tsunade-sama. That’s really more Naruto’s thing.” She snorted, and he took it as a good sign. “When would you like us to head out? Thirty minutes?”

Immediately, Tsunade shot him down. “She needs a medic to look her over before she can go into the field. I’m happy to do it myself. Her training with her team ends at noon, right?” She glanced at the clock, then gestured to Shizune. “Send Kotetsu or Izumo to pull her, we can’t wait that long.” With a quick nod, she ducked out of the room. “Meanwhile, you can go pack bags for you both. Be sure to grab her med pack, I’ll probably need to give her a bonus prescription or two for the journey.”

At this point, Kakahi’s confusion could no longer be dismissed. Why would his fiancé need extra medication for a mission? He had just seen you when you left to meet your team of genin, and you hadn’t mentioned anything. Maybe the stomach bug you had had a few weeks ago had been worse than you let on?

“Sorry, prescriptions? Are we facing potential poisoning?” He tried, looking for an explanation.

Tsunade shook her head firmly. “Anything is possible, but I’m not concerned about it.” She ran her hand backward through her hair, shaking it gently toward the ends and letting it fall out of the way. “More concerned with making sure she’s getting the correct nutrients. I’ve been working on the nutritional value of shinobi rations, but it’s hard to find something that’s shelf stable, lightweight, and compact without just being food pills.”

Kakashi agreed, a debate he had heard on nearly every long term mission. “So you’ll give us both supplements, fair. Should we do my physical now while we wait on my fiancé to arrive?” He relished the words in his mouth, the phrase “my fiancé” almost a dream to him, even still.

She gave a bemused chuckle, glancing the scarecrow of a man up and down. “Why, you have some kind of boo-boo you need me to kiss?” Tsunade returned to the paperwork on her desk, shuffling it again and pulling the shinobi copy of the mission details file out, holding it out to him. “I trust you to get whatever nutrients you need after all these years of life, Bakashi,” she teased.

He didn’t move to take the file. “What’s going on?” he demanded, as respectfully as absolutely necessary. “What’s going on that she needs a medical check and extra medication to travel on a mission? Why did you think I would object to being paired with her? It’s not our first mission together, not even since we got engaged. What am I forgetting?”

Tsunade didn’t react to his interrogation, continuing to organize paperwork and leaning down to pull open a drawer in her desk, sliding his and your personnel files inside. “The fetus, maybe?” She offered, waving a hand like it was obvious.

The what?

For a moment, Tsunade could almost hear the cogs grinding in the shinobi’s head. You passing him every drink that had been pushed on you in the last few weeks, the stomach bug that he had never caught, and the uptick in morning meetings you had.

Then the cogs were brought to a halt, and the whole world froze. The blood running through his body was ice cold, and he felt his fingertips and forehead tingling. Were you really pregnant?

Was he, Kami forbid, going to be a father?

Tsunade swore, knowing she shouldn’t have said anything violating medical confidentiality, but with the pregnancy already being in the second trimester, she had no idea that you hadn’t told Kakashi yet. “Listen, Kakashi… just sit down, okay?” She looked around, swearing again at the reminder that this damn office had no chairs outside of the one she occupied.

She jumped up, crossing over to Kakashi and pushing him forward into the chair behind the desk. “Breathe, Kakashi, come on.” She shook him gently, then lightly slapped his cheek. “Come on, soldier. You’re Kakashi of the Sharingan, master of a thousand jutsu, pull it together.”

He flatly refused.

The door to the Hokage’s office opened, Shizune and Tonton leading you in. You took a moment to take in the scene of your fiancé hyperventilating behind the desk, the Hokage herself swearing and trying to get him to make eye contact and pull air into his lungs. Then he saw you, and he paused, fear in his eyes.

“Is it true—I mean, are you—love, are you pregnant?” He choked out.

Your hand flew to your mouth as if to put the secret back inside. You knew you’d have to tell him eventually, but you had wanted the moment to be right and he had been so busy with his missions lately. He didn’t know it yet, but you had rented a room at a nearby onsen for next weekend, making sure to get a room with a private bath and windows high enough that no onlookers could see inside so that he could comfortably remove his mask. That would’ve been the way you preferred he find out, when rather than dessert, you slid the sonogram across the table after dinner. Instead, you nodded.

“Yes, my love,” you whispered. “I’m pregnant.” Instinctively, your hand rested over the part of your stomach that had begun showing this last week.

He seemed to melt into chair. “Kami… we’re going to be parents?”

You nodded, a small laugh breaking from your chest. “Yes, Kakashi, that’s the plan.”

Slowly, he gathered himself, standing up and delicately walking around the desk to the doorway where you remained. “I… You want this?” He sniffed hard, blinking twice and taking your hands. “You want to raise a child with me? This child?”

You tilted your head to the side, feeling hot tears sting your eyes. You knew he had issues with his self worth, and that would be something you would focus on for the next few months so he’d be ready for your child.

“Of course, ‘Kashi. There’s no one I trust more, no one I think would make a better father. I can’t imagine doing this with anyone else, and I’m thrilled that I get to do it with you.”

His wiry frame jolted as though he’d been shocked, and the threw himself into your arms, allowing his fears and shock to leave him through tears. Tsunade and Shizune averted their eyes, doing what they could to preserve your privacy. Tonton oinked in solidarity. After a couple of moments, he stood again, wiping dry the parts of his face not covered by salty, wet fabric. He then hooked a finger into the mask at the side of his nose, yanked it down, and brought you into a deep kiss, warm hands wrapping around you and pulling you close.

After the surprise, you let yourself dissolve into him, allowing yourself to be swept into his emotional display. He pulled his face back after a few beats and beamed, smiling as widely as you could remember seeing him grin. Then his mouth was back on yours, this time for just a second, then a firm kiss to your forehead before he secured the mask again. Turning to face the Hokage, he wrapped his arm around your back and held you close.

“Tsunade-sama, all due respect, can Pakkun handle this? I’ll send him with anyone you’d like. Naruto, even, I don’t think he’s doing anything tonight. I can send the whole pack. I can brief Gai, or Tenzo, anyone? And if you need a weapons expert, I’m sure Tenten is more than qualified.” You giggled, watching your fiancé ramble to the leader of the village. “It’s just, I’m going to be a father, and she’s pregnant with our child, and I’ve gotta say, I don’t think we’re going on any missions for the next, say, 18 years? Well, maybe some D ranks. We’ll see.”

As Tsunade opened her mouth, he cut her off with a pointed, “How’s the progress on the Konoha Orphanage coming along? They prepared for one more? Cause I’m not letting anything happen to either of us, for this child’s sake.”

Tsunade glared, but was startled out of the shouting match she was gearing up for by Shizune chuckling. Betrayed, she turned to her companion.

“I mean, this is the reaction you anticipated him having, Lady Fifth,” she giggled.

She slammed a fist on the desk, although with an intense amount of restraint given that the surface was not even dented. Finally, she looked up with a glint in her eye.

“I think Hana Inuzuka gets back this evening. I can give her twelve hours to rest and then she and Tenten, along with Gai, can probably handle it. This time.”

Kakashi was already on his way out the door, pulling you behind him in a firmly clasped hand, before she had finished. He called out a thanks over your shoulder as you left. Together, you giggled as you entered the streets of Konoha.

Your fiancé spun in circles, laughing freely and spreading his arms out. “We’re starting a family!” he shouted to the sky. You knew you would both continue to take missions with this child, and that was a conversation for another time. For now, though, you were content to spend eternity watching the love of your life giddily relish in this moment.

[ignitedbynatsu]

Are You Really That Dense?

A/N: sooo what we've learned is that when I say I will upload the next day, you should probably expect an update a day or two later 😅. Anyway this one is requested by @enchantingpeachherocreator I hope you like it as much as I loved writing it ❤️

Warnings: swearing

Genre: angst tot fluff

👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅

"So when are you going to confess your unconditional love for him?" The green-haired mage took a seat beside you as he caught you staring at his friend once again.

"I will once you admit your own feelings" you shot back, not taking any relationship advice from someone that wasn't even ready to accept their own feeling.

"I'm afraid that I do not know what you are talking about" he tried to play the dumb card which only earned him an eye roll from you.

"I doubt he even sees me that way" you mumbled, breaking your one-sided staring context, leaning your head on your crossed arms in front of you.

"Why don't you hint that you see him as more than just a friend?" Freed suggested at which you scoffed "if the obvious flirting isn't gonna do it, then I don't know what, I bet even Natsu has noticed how I feel, and he hasn't even noticed how Lucy looks at him like he has hung the stars in the sky"

"Yeah... Even I'm surprised that Bickslow hasn't caught on yet. It's almost getting painful" he agreed

"Maybe he's deliberately ignoring it like Gray's doing with Juvia" you mumbled. You'd rather have him straight out reject you than just stringing you along just 'cause he thinks it's fun. You weren't a toy he could play with and just throw away when he lost interest.

"How about one last big gesture? If he doesn't pick up on that then maybe it's indeed better to move on" your friend proposed. You finally lifted your head up from your arms to look at him. "Like what?"

"I don't know... Something personal" he pondered his own suggestions for a second before he suddenly snapped his fingers like an amazing idea just crossed his mind "isn't there a saying like the way through a man's heart is through his stomach?"

"Freed! You're a genius!" At that moment, your eyes got reignited with a sparkle of hope that you had lost over the past weeks.

You knew that you were probably settings yourself up for failure, but you didn't care because you had hope. Hope that Freed, his and your best friend, had given, and he wouldn't give you false hope if he knew you had no chance, right?

Due to the anticipation for Bickslow, you could hardly sleep that. Possible outcomes swirled through your mind that went from a picture-perfect scenario to the most heartbreaking rejection. You hoped with every cell in your body it would be the first.

"Hi Bickslow!" your usual cheerful self was amplified, and he didn't have the slightest clue as to why.

"Hey (Y/N), what you got there?" His eyes fell upon the box that you were carrying in your hands.

"Oh you know, I was a bit bored last night and thought I'd do something sweet to show how much I appreciate you" you explained as you opened the box to reveal his favourite cake.

"Just for me? If I didn't know better I would think you'd try to confess something" he gladly took a slice and let his teeth sink into the sweet dessert you had poured all your love in last night.

A nervous chuckle escaped your lips "about that..."

"(Y/N), this tastes horrible" he laughed as he placed the half-eaten piece back into the box "you trying to poison me or something?"

"I didn't think it tasted that bad" the hope left your eyes as soon as it came as you watched the man in front of you ridicule your baking skills.

"Then you should let your taste buds get checked out. No wonder you only wanted me to taste that garbage" he took the box and threw it into the nearest bin, along with your heart.

You were devastated, heartbroken and humiliated as the whole guild looked at what Bickslow was making such a fuss over. Perhaps he was just stringing you along. "Sorry"

Freed and Laxus sighed as they saw the heartbroken girl ran out of the guild and their clueless friend staring at her retrieving form "what's her problem?"

"Even you can't be that dense" Laxus scoffed in disbelief at his friend's question.

"What do you mean?" Freed was getting more and more fed up with his friends acts, especially since it was hurting his other best friend, so when that final question left his mouth he decided to draw the line.

"Stop it, Bickslow. Just stop it. I cannot believe you just did that to her. You really wanna keep playing the dumb card and act like you don't know how she feels about you? How she has been feeling about you for the last couple of months? You could have just turned her down softly, but no, you wanted to make a big deal out of it and humiliate her in the process. I hope you had a good laugh out of it, asshole" the green-haired mage didn't even wait for a reaction as he stormed out of the guild as well, determined to find his best friend.

"... She likes me?" He was doing his best to process Freed words. Words he had longed for so long to hear. He could have never imagined hearing them in this situation.

He didn't mean to hurt you. That was never his intention. He thought you had done something in the cake to mess with him. How could he have possibly known that it was part of your confession? Something he could've never hoped you'd do one day. After all, he always thought you were way out of his leak. He was certain that any chance of you reciprocating his feelings, was now completely out of the window. The worst part, he had nobody but himself to blame for that.

"You fucked up" Laxus also got up to leave him but Bickslow stopped "Laxus! You have to help me. I didn't mean to hurt her. I really didn't know. Please, I don't know what to do."

His pleas were to no avail as the blonde shook his head "I'm sorry, but, you're on your own for this one"

Some may say that it was unfair the way Laxus treated him, but he knew that if Bickslow wanted to make things right, he'll have to do it on his own. He had to show her he really meant it. Plus it was also a bit of payback for making his friend cry, but that was just a bonus.

He tried talking to you, he really did, but you were always busy. If you had no excuse, Freed was certain to step in and guide you away. It frustrated Bickslow, but he knew he had no right to feel that way. Not at your nor at Freed. He fucked it up.

You on the other hand were torn. You wanted to listen to him, have to hear what he had to say, but you couldn't. You wouldn't survive opening your heart back open to him only for it to be shattered moments later again. Yet, you still cared. Noticing every little thing that changed from his quietness to his slouched posture, nothing passed by you.

That's how you noticed the bandages around his fingers and the one covering his cheek, making him not able to put on his helmet.

"Where are you going?" You ignored Freed's questions as you made your way to where Bickslow was sitting alone.

You towered over him as you stopped right next to the table he was sitting at "what happened?"As soon as he heard your voice it felt like the wind got knocked out of him. He had practised the words he wanted to say to you countless times in his head, yet when you were standing here, next to him, all he could say was your name. "(Y/N)..."

You tilted your head a bit to the side as you waited for him to continue, but no words left his mouth. You nodded your head once as you understood that he didn't want to talk to you. Had you been reading the signs wrong again? You weren't surprised if you had.

But as you turned on your heels to leave again, Bickslow grabbed your wrist. He wasn't going to let you leave again. Not this time "wait!"

You stopped in your tracks and turned back around to face him. His pleading eyes looked at you, begging you to stay. Those dark red orbs you loved so much but didn't get to see very often. All of it was enough to make you stay put and just listen to what he had to say.

"I- uh- I'm sorry" he apologized as he awkwardly scratched the back of his neck. Once again you waited for him to continue, but nothing came "that's it?"

He was alerted by your reaction. You didn't sound mean or dismissive as he thought you would, no, you sounded tired and heartbroken, making his heartache all the more. He did this. He was the cause of your pain 

"No, that's not what I meant, I mean it is what I mean, I am really sorry for what I did, it's just..." Your eyes softened as he struggled to find the right words. You knew you should keep your walls up, but how could you when he still held your heart?

"Let's start with what happened" you suggested as you motioned to his hands.

A faint colour of red coloured his cheeks as he looked down on his hands as well "Well, funny story actually, well not that funny, but uh-" he cleared his throat and took a deep breath. He never had a problem talking to you before, so why did it seem so impossible now? "I was trying to make you a cake, and it didn't really go as planned"

Your heart swelled at thought of his gesture, but then you remembered the way he belittled your baking skills, making you narrow your eyes again slightly "what happened to your cheek?"

"The cake kind of blew up and burned my cheek" your eyes shot up at his explanation. How do you blow up a cake? Let alone burn your cheek with it in the process?

"Anyway that's not what's important" he dismissed the story as he once again sucked in a large breath. It was now or never "I am really sorry for the way I treated you that day. I never meant to hurt you. I know it's hard to believe, but I really didn't know that you liked me back. I guess I just placed myself in the friend zone from the moment I met you because I didn't think I had any chance with you, to begin with. Because of that the thought of you actually liking me never crossed my mind."

"Why'd you think you weren't good enough for me?" You asked confused. To you, he was perfect. Sure he had done some questionable things in the past, but he showed he was a man worthy of redemption. He was a man worthy of your heart.

"I can't even put in words how perfect you are. You're everything I wished my dream woman to be and more. I always thought you'd deserve someone better like me. Someone who could treat you the way you deserved to be treated. Someone like Laxus or Freed" he tried to explain.

A soft smile played along your lips as you heard the names of your friends, who were clearly in love with each other, fall from his mouth. He really was just incredibly dense. "So please, (Y/N). Give me a chance to prove myself. I'd love you unconditionally, I will treat you the way you deserve to be treated, I... I'd even worship the ground you walk upon-"

"How about we take things slow?" You stopped him before he'd spew even more nonsense.

"Wait! So you forgive me?" He couldn't contain his excitement at the thought of you agreeing to give him a second chance, and when you gave him a sheepish nod he couldn't help but pick you up and spin you around "How about we go on a date? I take you to the best restaurant in town!"

"I'd love to you" you agreed and placed your lips softly against his cheek, making him a stuttering mess once again.

[script-nef]

So why won’t you realise it '^' | Gojou Satoru

Category: fluff

1.9k words; Movie date [2/6]

Spoilers of Howl’s Moving Castle!! Beware!!

← Previous chapter | Masterlist

“Eh, Shouko! What do you mean you can’t make it?”

“I mean, another person is about to come in and they need me to heal them. By the time I’m done the movie will be finished.” Shouko’s voice over the phone is laced with annoyance and sadness coupled with lethargy. You don’t know how she pulls off such a unique combination of emotions but she somehow accomplishes it every time. “And I was looking forward to it…”

This would have been the first time you had a break with her since the trip to France. And while she enjoyed it a lot, the same couldn’t be said for the two males. Which was weird since Gojou is infatuated with sweets and Ken-chan agreed to come. So it was kind of weird when there was a tense atmosphere between them. You know your brother and Gojou are nearly polar opposites, but their animosity wasn’t usually that strong. 

They brushed it off as nothing when you asked if something was wrong, which was sort of dubious since you could kind of see the black cloud looming over the both of them, but you let it go. If it was something important, they would be able to handle it themselves or report it to you. You couldn’t sense any cursed spirits nearby so you guessed that they were just in a bad mood for some reason.

Still, you had a wonderful time and found some new snacks that everyone enjoyed. So a day well spent, all in all. 

And Ken-chan told you to tell him if Gojou ever offers overseas trips or anything similar, so he must have enjoyed it. Maybe you can ask Gojou to take all of you to Denmark one day.

“Ah… my dear Howl. Life and curses separate us again.” Her voice is full of sadness now, no doubt mourning over her chance of watching her favourite character on a huge screen with surround sound disappearing. 

“It’s okay! I’ll bring you the figurine and we can watch it again here in about… uh…”

“Ten years?” She sounds like she’s about to drop dead.

“Uh… yes… But maybe five years? Hopefully? You know, I shouldn’t watch it without you. I’ll come back to school.” 

“No, no. Watch the movie. At least you’ll get to see it. Ah, they’re coming now so I have to go.”

“Ah, okay. Bye, Shouko! Stay positive!”

A non-committal sigh accompanies a small “Bye” before the call clicks off. A frown takes over your face at the lost opportunity for her. She was looking forward to this for a long time and you leapt at the chance for another girls’ day out. Being able to watch a childhood favourite is an added bonus. But now you’re standing in the movie theatre, the ticket desk just across the room and an extra on your hand. 

It’s a shame because it cost quite a lot. Shouko is definitely going to mope about this when you get back and maybe start smoking again. She always has a pack on her even if she said she quit, and smokes one if she’s stressed or angry. You should call someone and make sure somebody takes it away from her.

You should probably hold onto the ticket and give it back. Or maybe that would make it worse for her, serving as a reminder of this day. Conflict rages inside your head. There’s a high possibility of either decision breaking her heart. Again. A buzz from your phone saves you the trouble of deciding.

Shouko: I sent someone as my replacement. 

A tap on the shoulder makes you turn as you type in a reply and you come face to face with a black jacket. Gojou’s head pops down.

“Hey there. I think you called for a replacement!” He seems to be in a ridiculously good mood, even more so than usual. Maybe his students successfully finished another mission. Which is great. It also means more paperwork for you. Which is not so great.

“How did you com—ah. Teleportation.”

“Ding ding ding! Correct!” He's been using the skill more frequently lately, popping in and out of places like one of those Whac-A-Mole games. . It gives you heart attacks all the time and you’re sure he gets a kick out of it. You saw how his smiles widen when you flinch or react. Thankfully it’s when you’re alone so other people never see you jump what feels like a metre into the air.

“Do you want popcorn?” He breaks you out of your thoughts. “I think they have the new caramel flavour. Apparently it’s way too sweet.” So perfect for Gojou. Even though he’s asking if you want it, there’s a spring in his step which definitely means he’s getting some. Probably the biggest option they have.

And you’re proven right because he comes back with two huge buckets which look impossible to finish. When you try to object, he cuts off with “I’ve eaten three buckets before. Alone.” With the smile he’s giving you, it really doesn’t sound like he’s joking. You try to take one to lighten the load but he says it’s alright. 

He signals the way to the theatre rooms with his head, walking beside you as you find your way.

“So what’s the movie?” Your head snaps to him in confusion.

“You don’t know?” A shake and a shrug. “It’s Howl’s Moving Castle. This was Shouko’s idea since she loves it and this year is Studio Ghibli’s 40 year anniversary. The cinema is having an exclusive showing of their movies this month. Only one session per movie, for some reason. Surely they would make more money if they played it over multiple days, but. I dunno. Executives make weird decisions.” A light scoff from him to tell he knows exactly what that’s like. His hatred for the higher-ups runs deep. You don’t push it.

“So she wanted to come but got held back at the last minute?”

“Yeah. Ah, here are our seats.”

You’re placed in the very middle of the room and you both make yourselves comfortable. Shouko went all out for this movie, upgrading the seats and making it a recliner. Your poor back, abused after sitting in chairs and hunched over computers for so long, practically melts into the plush cushion. It’s so comfortable that you might fall asleep in it if it isn’t Howl that’s about to start. 

Feet dangling in the air, you look over to Gojou to see him on his phone. It looks like he’s in a chatroom and you catch the words ‘Shouko’ and ‘favour’ before looking away. You didn’t mean to peek, but it’s not like you can consciously not read something. It was in your line of sight and you averted your eyes as soon as you realised what you were reading. Your brother brought you up better than to pry into other people’s businesses, even if it’s really, really tempting.

“Phones need to be placed on silent, you know.” The ads are coming on the screen. He smiles at you, slipping it into his pocket.

“Just talking to Shouko. She says she hasn’t even started properly.”

Disappointment fills you. Gojou is a good friend to watch this with but you hoped Shouko would somehow miraculously finish in time. She would be devastated.

“I’ll have to make this up to her when we get back. Give her the figurine and keep her hap—ah! I forgot! Gojou, I was supposed to ask someone to take her ciga—” He cuts you off with a light pat on your hand.  

“Don’t worry, I did it already. All of them are safe out of her reach and I gave her packets of hot chocolate instead. When we get back, she’ll have drunk at least half of them and be in a good mood.” What a Gojou-like replacement. He smiles like a child wanting pats on the head for a job well done. You just barely catch yourself from moving. 

Gojou gets a rep for being aloof and neglectful, but he does take care of the people he holds dear to him. His friends, members of the school, his students. You hope you’re included in the list. 

Actually, the more you think about it, the more you realise he’s different from initial perceptions. You learn more and more about him as time goes on, in the most delightful sense. He’s somewhat like an onion, new characteristics being revealed every time a layer is peeled. A snicker escapes at the thought of Gojou dressed up like an onion, just waddling around. He shoots you a questioning head tilt which you wave off.

In the years that you’ve known him, he made himself into a trustworthy friend. One full of laughs and ridiculousness. Maybe it’s his childishness that puts you at ease, but he’s incredibly comfortable and easy to relax around. Thoughts trail and the words fly out of your mouth before you even think.

“You know, I think you would make a wonderful boyfriend.”

He freezes completely, like somebody’s zapped him in place. You stare at him, wondering what’s wrong, but the lights dim and by the time he gathers coherence, your concentration is on the opening sequence.

“Ah, that was so good! Ugh, I love Howl. Isn’t he so cool?” You skip out of the room, remembering to take the figurines provided at the exit, with Gojou trailing behind you. “You know how she asks him to wait for her in the past? The first thing he says to her in the movie is ‘I’ve been looking everywhere for you.’ He searched for her the entire time! This is modern poetry. This.” 

“Do you think Howl would be a good boyfriend?” The question stops you. It’s different than usual for some reason, the voice asking the question and the intensity of it. He’s still his aloof self, all smiles and grins, but there’s something you can’t quite place that’s wrong. It’s unnerving, but you diligently answer his question.

“Um, I mean, yeah? Look at how cute he is with Sophie. See?” The figurine is a frozen shot of Howl and Sophie dancing in the rain with an umbrella that’s not being useful at all. They’re both incredibly detailed, so much so that you can see their clothes and skin drenching wet. Wow, this is actually a phenomenal job. Shouko will be so happy. It makes your heart lighter knowing that at least something might light up her day. 

“Why is he cool?” Gojou seems to be invested in Howl. It confuses you since he just watched the movie with you and he saw how awesome Howl is. 

“Hm, well for one he can do magic.” He opens his mouth but you shush him with a finger to his lips. “Yeah, I know, what we have is kind of like magic too. But theirs is just… different. He just makes it seem kind of elegant. And he overcame his fear just for Sophie. Remember the scene with Sulliman and in the cluttered bedroom? He still found the strength to protect her even though he was so scared before. It’s admirable. I guess I like strong guys.”

“Hmm~” His tone is contemplative. “You know I’m stronger than him, right?”

A question mark forms over your head. He’s being really weird today. “Yeah? You’re the strongest in the universe, silly. What’s up with you?” Gojou just chuckles and ruffles your head.

“Nothing, nothing. Just making sure you know.” He slings his arm around your shoulder, the intensity gone and the light spring in his step back. “Who else do you think is strong?”

Next chapter →

[chaoticpuff17]

When the Chips are Down

part 8

masterlist

Y/N hated bed rest. She’d taken a nap after Namjoon had cleaned them both up, only to wake up and find that he wasn’t allowing her out of bed. It would have been one thing if she was sick, but the contractions had stopped, and she knew better than to strain herself anymore than necessary. She wanted the baby to stay snug right where it was at least for another month. And unlike her ‘husband’, she knew how to keep herself in a relatively stress free environment, and it greatly involved keeping herself away from said husband. There was no hope of that though. 

The contractions had shaken him, she could see that well enough, but that didn’t make her any less pissed at him, for Iyla, for shooting the doctor. Did she like the doctor? No. Did she want the doctor dead? No. 

“Just stay in bed.” Namjoon pleaded, getting his hand slapped away as he tried to tuck a piece of hair behind her ear. “Just for a few days.” 

“I don’t need to stay in bed. Jin said I didn’t have to.” she huffed, shooting him an irritated glare. 

“Just for a few days.” 

She pursed her lips, considering her options. She was stuck here, but that didn’t mean she had to get something for nothing, and he had given her even more leverage in shooting the doctor. Another bonus was now Jin would be pissed at him as well. 

“No more shooting people in the house.” 

“Of course.” he was quick to agree, but Y/N wasn’t done yet. 

“Ever. There is a child. I don’t want this baby to grow up with dead bodies around every corner.” 

Namjoon at least had the decency to look sheepish. “Alright. No more shooting people at home. Now will you please stop trying to get out of bed?” 

“I want to see my sister.” 

“You just saw your sister, jagi.” 

“She gets free reign to visit the house.” she insisted. 

“That’s not up to me, jagi. Hoseok has some say over…”

“He has no say,” she scoffed. “Not after you gave my sister away. So, she gets to visit any time she wants.” she knew better than to bargain for her release from the estate, but she knew she could get visiting rights for Iyla. Guilt is a powerful thing, and Namjoon was harried in just the right way for her to get her way. 

“Jagi.” he sighed, but she could practically see him weighing the pros and cons of capitulating to her demands. 

“She’s my sister, Namjoon. I haven’t seen her in over a year.”’ 

“Alright. She can visit.” he relented, watching her warily. 

“You have to let Mark go.” 

He froze, staring at her with wide eyes. “No.” he growled, unwilling to even consider the idea. 

“You want a peaceful house?” she asked, quirking a brow. “You have to let Mark go. That’s the deal.” 

“No.” 

“Unharmed.” 

“I’m not letting that maggot go.” he hissed, sending her a glare of his own. 

“That’s your choice, but I thought you said you wanted a peaceful house.” 

“He stole you from me.” 

“I left you.” she cut in, tone calm and level. “You gave me a reason to go, and I did. You’re the one who wanted to renegotiate, so let’s renegotiate.” 

She had him there. He had proposed a new deal, and he should have known she would have asked for this. She had an annoying habit of protecting people he wanted gone. 

“I won’t let him go.” 

“Then there’s no reason to even consider a deal.” she shrugged, moving to get out of bed, but Namjoon was quick to stop her, pulling her back against the pillows again. 

“You have to rest.” 

“Which would be a lot easier to do if you weren’t actively causing me massive amounts of stress.” she shot back, taking a little bit of pleasure in the way he flinched, just slightly, at her words. “You want to make a new deal, let Mark go.” 

“Anything else.” he sighed. “I’ll give you anything else.” 

“No.” she shook her head, her expression deceptively innocent. “Of course if you would really like to keep Mark, you could always let Iyla and I go.” she suggested looking at him with eyes soft and wide as Namjoon tensed even further at her words. 

“Fine.” He growled, hating that he was agreeing to this, but she was a woman of her word. 

She wasn’t exactly wrong when she said that he’d given her a reason to go. She’d kept her end of the bargain before he’d ruined things. If they made a new deal, he was sure she would keep her end of things. It wasn’t just her life or Jackson’s life this time. Iyla, the baby, Mark. they were all dependent on her for security, and he knew her enough to know that she would do whatever it took to protect them. Was it the most idyllic way to patch their marriage? No, but it would be an excellent stepping stone.

 “But you have to agree to my conditions as well.” 

“That’s how a negotiation works.” she tutted, her jaw clenched slightly as she stared him down. She was ready for war, and Namjoon would have been lying if he said it wasn’t hot. 

“You can’t leave. Ever.” she didn’t flinch at the request. It was to be expected. “No more running. No more escapes. You stay here, with me. You will be the wife you promised to be when you agreed to marry me. I won’t lose you again.” 

“Fine,” he hadn’t expected her to cave in so quickly, but he could see she wasn’t done yet either. “But you never lay a hand on me again. You never lay a hand on this child, and no one lays a hand on my sister. I want to be able to leave this house.” 

“Fine,” It was her turn to be surprised. She hadn’t expected him to agree to that. “But you will be under house arrest until I deem you ready to leave the house, and you won’t be allowed out without my permission and a guard by your side.” 

She exhaled deeply, trying to keep her calm. It wasn’t the freedom she wanted, but it was something, and it wasn’t as though she was going to be able to escape him again. She had had help the first time, and everyone who had helped her was either dead or imprisoned. “But I will be allowed to leave this house?” 

He nodded, gaze calculating. “I reserve the right to take away that privilege based on your behavior. Actions have consequences, my love.” 

“Except when they’re yours.” she muttered under her breath, earning her a sharp look from Namjoon. 

“I’ve been kind, jagi.” he reminded her, eyes dark, menacing. “I’ve been forgiving. I won’t be so kind next time.” 

“Then don’t lay a hand on me or my family again.” 

“And Mark is your family?” he scoffed, a dark cloud hanging over his head at the thought. 

“More than you’ve ever been. I want him released, unharmed.” 

“If I release him, he leaves Korea. He doesn’t return. I’ll kill him if he does.” he warned, still seething at the thought of having to let the other man go. 

“That’s between the two of you. I don’t control Mark, but if you want me to stay here and be your pawn, you’ll let him go.”  

Namjoon scoffed at that. “You’ve never been a pawn, jagi. After all this time, you still can’t see that you’re the queen.” she rolled her eyes, but Namjoon continued anyway, cupping her face between slender fingers as he spoke, his voice soft and urgent. “You are my queen, and I would burn the world to the ground to keep you by my side.”

She knocked his hands away, sending him a dark look of her own. “I don’t care about your kingdom. I care about my family, which you seem quite intent on ruining.” 

“I am your family.” He growled, placing a hand over her belly. “You, me, and this baby. We are a family.” 

“Then act like it.” she snapped. “If we’re your family, so is Iyla. She is my family. Mark is my family, just like Jackson was. You don’t get to threaten my family.” 

“Then you don’t get to run away.” he shot back. “We’ll have a son.” 

She rolled her eyes huffing out a laugh. “You don’t know that. Neither of us know what the baby is.” 

Namjoon smirked, thumb gently rubbing over her bump. “We will have a son.” he repeated. “I need an heir, and as my wife, it’s your duty to give me one. If this baby isn’t a boy, we try again.” 

She froze, stiffening as the implications sank in. If she had a girl, they’d try again and again and again, until he had his heir. She had no intention of being a broodmare, but the look in his eye told her this was nonnegotiable. She didn’t want to give him a son, but she had to if she wanted her family to be safe. She’d have to pray that this baby was a boy, and if it wasn’t, that a boy would come swiftly. 

“I’m not a broodmare.” she hissed, glaring at him even though she knew this wasn’t a fight she could win. She didn’t have to be happy about it though. 

“I know that.”  he was quick to reassure her, understanding how his words had caused her hackles to rise. “I would never treat you as one, but I need an heir.” 

“You could always get one from one of your other women.” 

“There are no other women.” he growled, trying to keep his frustration in check. “How could there ever be another woman when you are by my side?” He waited a moment, hoping she would respond, but she only stared at him, stony silence hanging between them. “No other women. Never again.” he promised, leaning down to press a kiss to her belly despite the way she tensed. “I don’t want anyone but you.” 

“I don’t care if you have other women.” she scoffed, watching how his eyes lit up excited fascination as the baby kicked against him. 

“No other women.” he insisted, staring at her belly in wonder. “And no other men.” he added looking up at her, eyes dark and serious. “You are my wife, the mother of my child. I won’t let anyone else touch you.” 

“And where would I find a lover with you hanging over my head?” 

“I would eviscerate anyone who even tried.” he warned, his attention quickly turning back to her belly as the baby kicked again. “They’re active.” 

“That’s good.” she sighed, relaxing back into the pillows. “They’re healthy, and staying right where they are.” 

“You’re still going on bed rest.” Namjoon muttered, shooting her a stern look. “Just for a few days, just so we know you’re both okay.” 

“You keep saying I need to stay calm and stress free. Stop giving me a reason to be stressed.” 

“She insulted you.” 

“You can’t go shooting every doctor that insults me.” she chided, pushing him away from her belly. “You should apologize to Jin as well.” 

“I suppose we have a deal then.” he grinned, his excitement clear. 

“I want to see Iyla.” she said ignoring him completely. 

“You can see her tomorrow, jagi. You’ve had a busy day.” she huffed, rolling her eyes again, much to Namjoon’s amusement. They both knew that they had a deal. She got to protect herself and her family, and he got his wife and child. “Rest, jagi.” 

He had them back, and no one was going to take them away again.

part 9

[jamielea81]

Conversations

Bonus Chapter: Colorado

Description: Takes place a year and a half after the first bonus chapter Back to the Beginning. The reader and Chris are married with life changes ahead. Original description for the series Conversations: You accompany your friends on a day trip to Animal Kingdom Theme Park where you meet Scott Evans by chance. This one afternoon leads to a year long friendship with both Chris and Scott over text messages and phone calls.

Pairing: Chris Evans x Reader, Scott Evans

Warning: Slightly NSFW (18+ only!), cursing, talk of pregnancy, fluff, Grumpy and Sassy shenanigans. 

A/N: Look who finally wrote a bonus chapter for Conversations! This girl, right here! Just a little timestamp in the reader and Chris’ life. And of course we needed some Scott time. You do not have to read the series to read this one shot, but it doesn’t hurt. Reblogs, comments, asks, what have you, I enjoy. 

Italics are internal thoughts

**

“Honestly, love, it’s fine,” you spoke softly into the phone, trying your best to keep your voice even. The last thing you want is for him to feel worse than he already does.

“I don’t know…” Chris trailed off. “Usually, when women say the word fine, they really don’t mean, fine.”

“Such a guy,” you chuckle. “I promise, Scott and I are going to have a terrific time. He’s taking care of me and promised not to get us into any trouble.” You raise an eyebrow at your travel companion seated next to you in the hired car.

Chris laughed and then followed it up with a groan. “That does not make me feel better. Put me on speaker.”

You rolled your eyes but did as he asked or rather demanded. “Okay, you’re on speaker.”

“Scott, you better take care of my wife. She’s precious cargo. And she’s carrying precious cargo. So, it’s extra precious cargo.”

You laughed; hand automatically going to your stomach. You were four months along and just starting to show. Family and close friends knew the two of you were expecting your first child, but the tabloids had not caught wind. The two of you had been going back and forth on whether to let People Magazine do an exclusive cover shoot when baby Evans is born. The money earned from People would be donated to charity which was the only reason you were even considering it. Plus, the whole you two breaking the news rather than the public finding out when you weren’t ready. Chris wanted to be the one to introduce his child to the world rather than having paparazzi sneaking into your backyard to get a picture. You couldn’t argue with him there.

“Would you relax! You’re going to give yourself a coronary and then I’d have to take care of both precious cargos and you don’t want that.” Scott shouted.

I really hope the driver doesn’t recognize Scott.

You smacked his arm, taking the call off speaker and bringing it back to your ear. “Chris, we are both going to be just fine. The plane ride was as relaxing as any plane ride can be and we are almost to the hotel. Scott and I are going to pamper ourselves and eat lots of great food. Work is important and I completely understand.”

Chris got called back to Los Angeles for reshoots that he couldn’t get out of. He planned a couple of mini babymoons and this was going to be the first one. Because of your advanced age – insert eyeroll – your doctor had mentioned it may not be safe to travel a lot once you were six months along. Chris took this seriously and booked a trip to Colorado at a gorgeous snowy mountain resort. There wouldn’t be any skiing, just loads of alone time and cuddling by the fireplace. When Chris had to cancel, Scott stepped in and volunteered the cuddles.

“This is one of the many reasons I love you. I’m just disappointed our romantic getaway is now being shared with Scott. My brother,” he said, voice in mock disgust.

“It’s fine. Scott and I haven’t hung out just the two of us in forever.” Scott reached for your hand and gave it a squeeze. “I’ll see you next week.”

“Alright, sweetheart. Have a great time and rest please.”

“You know I will. I love you, babe. Say hi to Pedro for me,” you said, smile evident in your voice.

“I will. Love you too.”

**

“Mr. and Mrs. Evans?” The check in clerk, Barbara according to her nametag asked.

“That’s right,” Scott chimed in, wrapping an arm around your waist. “Newlyweds.”

You forced a smile and bit the inside of your cheek so that you wouldn’t laugh.

“Congratulations!” she replied with a sweet smile on her face.

She tapped her chin with her index finger before going back to her keyboard. “Let’s see what I can do here,” Barbara replied, typing away on the computer in front of her. “We have you in a one-bedroom suite with a mountain view, but,” she paused for dramatic effect. “I’m moving the two of you to one of our honeymoon suites.”

Scott gasped and slapped his hand on the countertop. “That’s mighty nice of you,” he spoke in a fake southern accent.

Where did that come from?

“Me and the misses really appreciate it. Don’t we honey?” he asked, turning his attention back to you.

“My pleasure,” Barbara said before you could reply, laying two room keycards on the counter next to Scott’s hand.

You smiled brightly but kept your mouth closed, so afraid of letting a chuckle out or saying the wrong thing. Scott steered you away from the counter, placing a hand on your bottom.

Once you turned the corner to the bank of elevators, you yanked Scott’s hand off your behind.

“Newlyweds. Really?”

“It got us an upgrade, didn’t it dear?”

**

The first night you were fine. Scott kept you occupied with stories of the single life and the wonders of online dating. You weren’t sure how he did it. Or rather, how he didn’t. After he told you about the guy who wore Barney the dinosaur underwear in a child’s size husky, you laughed until you cried.

“But did you still sleep with him?” you asked wiping the tears from your cheeks.

“Sassy! Of course not. Barneeeeyyyy,” he drawled out.

Shrugging your shoulders, you got up to grab yourself a tissue from the bathroom. Coming back in the room, Scott was on his phone, fingers swiping feverously. You plopped down on the couch, tucking one leg under yourself.

“Here,” Scott said, handing you his phone. On screen was what you would refer to as tall, dark, and handsome.

“He’s hot,” you said, passing the phone back to him.

“Barney.”

“No,” you gasped.

Scott sighed before he started to laugh which got you going once again.

**

The second day you weren’t so fine. The two of you ordered breakfast in the suite. Pancakes dripping with syrup, crispy thick cut bacon, sausage links, a bowl of mixed fruit, and decaf coffee because Scott was in solidarity with you on your caffeine hiatus.

“Let’s go for a walk. There are tons of trails that the resort clears of snow. I need to work off this breakfast,” Scott said patting his stomach.

“You and me both,” you said, getting up to put on actual clothes instead of the pajamas you were still wearing.

“You are so lucky. Get to eat whatever you want and can just blame it on the baby.”

Stopping in your tracks, you turned around to face him, lower lip slightly wobbling. Since the minute you found out you were pregnant, you found it really hard to control your emotions. You knew Scott didn’t mean anything by the commit, but your brain couldn’t help itself.

“I have to work really hard to be healthy. It’s bad enough the doctor said I’m old.” A sob escapes your lips. The tears already starting to roll down your cheeks. “I can’t have any caffeine, can’t eat a lot of my favorite foods, have to cut back on my salt. My salt! You know fries are my jam. Doesn’t help that my husband is built like a fucking Greek God. I’m not a model or an actress. I already feel like Dodger’s poo compared to him.”

Scott was out of his seat before you could utter another word. Strong arm pulling you to his chest while one hand cradled your head.

“Stop that. You are fucking beautiful and frankly my bonehead brother is lucky you agreed to marry him. Do you even know how many times I have had to leave the room in the last two months when he starts talking about you growing his child inside you and that it turns him on?” Scott pulls away slightly an emulates puking.

“Stop,” you said, burying your head in his neck.

“Why is my neck wet, Sassy.”

“It’s snot,” you said with a chuckle, wrapping your arm around him and holding on tight.

“You two are meant for each other.”

After a minute he pulled away and grasped both of your hands. “I’m with you in any way you need. If you need a healthy eating buddy, I am your man. If you want to say ‘to hell with it’, I’ll pick up McDonalds for the two of us every day if you like.”

You wiped at your eyes and leaned in to kiss his cheek. “I love you Grumpy.”

“Love you too,” he replied and then clapped his hands together. “So, are we napping or are we walking?”

“Walking,” you stated, making your way into the bedroom to finally get changed.

That evening, the two of you got dressed up and went to your dinner reservation at the hotel where you were addressed as Mr. and Mrs. Evans. Scott stuck to sparkling water even though you encouraged him to get an alcoholic beverage.

“I don’t need to drink to be the life of the party. You know that.”

He wasn’t wrong. He’d kept you entertained even without the raspberry liquor he force fed you years ago.

“I think we need a dance party when we get back to the room. For old time sakes. Before I am too big to shake it.”

“Done and done.”

The night ended in a bubble bath with both you and Scott in your swimsuits in an oversized soaking tub. Dozens of pictures were taken with many going to your husband. Rather than a text in return, he called.

“What is this? My brother movin’ in on my wife?”

“Babe! You know that it was me and Scott from the start,” you teased.

Chris chuckled. “You go away for a couple of days and it’s like that.”

“You know you are my one and only. Scott’s just making me smile.”

“I know baby. I miss you.”

“I miss you too,” you said.

**

The next day you were weepy. As much as you tried to put on a happy face, you were missing Chris. Pregnancy hormones or not, Chris had been working a lot and you had barely seen each other. This romantic babymoon wasn’t what you had in mind. Yes, spending it with your best friend was great, but it wasn’t the same.

The fire place was roaring while Magic Mike was queued up on the flat screen. You and Scott were dressed in jeans and cable knit sweaters with fuzzy socks on your feet. The snow was coming down heavy which was fine with you since neither of you had any place to be.

Pop in hand, though you wouldn’t let Scott hear you call soda that, diet for you, regular for him, the only thing you were needing was Dodger’s wet nose on your stomach and Chris.

“You know, Chris can do that,” you said pointing at the screen where one of the dancers picked up an audience member like she weighed a pound.

“No. Stop. Do not ruin this movie for me. I do not need to picture what you and my brother do.”

“Scott, you do know where babies come from, right?”

“Gross.”

You chuckled, standing up to excuse yourself to the bathroom. Why you brought up Chris when you already cried twice this morning was beyond you. After using the bathroom, you cleaned up your face and stepped back into the living room of your suite.

Scott draped himself over the couch, phone in hand, eyes shifting between the screen of his phone and the TV.

“I think I’m going to take another bath. Need to relax a little bit.”

Scott looked up. “Not too hot.”

“Yes, dad,” you said, offering him a mock salute.

You kept the bath water warm, but added extra oils and bubbles to make it feel more luxurious. The lights were off but a few candles were lit and your phone played 90s R&B. You snapped a pic of your soapy legs and sent it to Chris. Within a few minutes you had a reply.

Chris: My brother better not be in there

Y/N: I’m all alone

Chris: We can’t have that

You heard the door open and you scolded yourself for not locking the door. This text conversation seemed to be heading into rated R territory. You did not need Scott to witness that.

“Scott,” you drawled out. “I’m not wearing my suit tonight. Get out of here.”

When you heard the distinct sound of a belt buckle, you turned around. Rather than Scott dropping his pants, it was Chris.

You gasped, mouth hanging open.

“Room for one more sweetheart?”

You nodded your head unable to form words but those tears had no trouble forming.

Chris continued to undress while you tried your best to compose yourself. He joined you a moment later slipping in behind you.

“How? I thought you were working.”

“I put in some long hours so that I could get to you. I was miserable without you.”

“I know that feeling,” you replied, leaning your head against his chest. Chris lightly rubbing your stomach before sliding his hands up to your breasts, fingers tips rubbing against your nipples. “Babe, did you lock the door?” you asked.

“Don’t worry, I got Scott another room.”

You reached your left hand behind you grabbing on to Chris’ head bringing his mouth to yours. Chris kissed you deeply, your back automatically arching at the taste of his tongue.

“Was he mad?” you asked.

“I don’t even care,” he replied, rubbing his nose against yours.

“Neither do I.”

Tagging: @tanelle83 @pinknerdpanda @allaboutthebooz @estillion14 @panicfob @patzammit @xoxabs88xox @heartislubbingdubbing @twittytelly @linki-locks11 @ab-baybay @impalaimages @jesseswartzwelder @rainbowkisses31 @xostephanie @smoothdogsgirl @mrsambroserollinsacklesmgk @xxloki81xx @firstangeldragonranch @soitmightgetweird @maeleeme @denisemarieangelina @rvgrsbrns @icanfeelastormbrewing @kitkat1690 @smilexcaptainx @dangerouslovefanfic@kelbabyblue @sweetlittlegingy @dont-need-another-fandom @chrisevansforever @evansxxx @southerngracela @bitterstar88 @squirrelnotsam @kitkatd7 @marvelislove10 @the-doctors-fallen-angel @hista-girl @cocomel0613 @also-fangirlinsweden @mustangshelby04 @bellaireland1981 @carolina-thiell @straightforwardly @torntaltos @denise1605 @mcuclintasha @iam-cj @trynnabemultifandom @chrisevansforever @kelbabyblue @broadwayandnetflix @kyjey @thevelvetseries​ @i-just-feel-like @daddieslittlefangirl @stankface @im-not-an-armrest-im-short @whymalu @mariswritingforfun @tessabb7​ @lakamaa12​ @deidrashouseofpain @the-murder-strut-murdered-me @greyeyedsmile14 @dangerouslovefanfic @ripvandrinkle @bitterstar88 @zestygingergirl @hidden-behind-the-fourth-wall @onceuponathreetwoone @supraveng @michelehansel @fanfictionaffair @agirlcanstilldream @what-is-your-plan-today @jessyballet @capstopavenger @wiczer @titty-teetee

[dickwheelie]

@godshaper asked for jonsasha flower gifting, so here is a fic about jon giving sasha some flowers for her bday :)

______________

Jon leaned up against the wall and took a deep breath, reminding himself that it wasn't too late to change his mind, and then ignoring that reminder, before turning the corner to Sasha's cubicle. She was hunched over her computer, eyes fixed on the screen and keyboard clacking, and didn't notice him. Jon tapped his knuckle on the wall of the cubicle, carefully keeping his other hand behind his back.

"Yes?" Sasha said, not looking up. Her glasses had almost slipped down the front of her nose; she must really have been working hard on something. When she wasn't busy she'd adjust her glasses every couple of minutes, but when she really got into her work, it wasn't uncommon for her glasses to slide right off her face. Jon had caught them for her a couple of times.

"It's, uh, it's me," Jon said, shifting his feet. The thing he was hiding behind his back rustled slightly.

At last Sasha glanced up, and her face, which had been pinched in concentration, broke into a smile. "Hi, Jon."

"Hi." He smiled back at her; he couldn't help it even if he wanted to. Sasha's smiles were infectious. "Do you, um, do you have a minute?"

"Depends," Sasha said, swiveling her chair away from the screen and crossing her legs in front of her. "Is this a coworker minute, or a boyfriend minute?"

Jon's face grew warm. "Ah, a boyfriend minute. Definitely."

"Hmm," Sasha said, squinting dramatically down at her phone. "I dunno, I'm pretty booked up today with coworker minutes." She winked at him. "But I think I can squeeze you in."

Jon laughed. "I appreciate it. I'm sure you time is very valuable, Ms. James."

"Damn right it is. So what's up?" She titled her head at him, spotting that he was hiding something behind his back. "What d'you have there?"

No use delaying it any longer. "Ah--these are for you," Jon said, brandishing the bouquet of roses. They were mostly white roses, with a few red ones dotted in between. Jon didn't know much about flower arrangements, but the colors reminded him of the polka-dot dress Sasha wore to one of their first proper dates, which she'd looked very beautiful in. He hoped the roses looked nice enough to match it.

Sasha's mouth dropped open, and she took the bouquet with surprise. "Oh, wow, Jon, these are lovely! Thank you . . ." She smiled as she examined the flowers. "What's the occasion?"

That was odd, Jon thought. Was she making a joke? It didn't seem like it, but sometimes it was hard for him to tell. "It's for your birthday," he said, smiling. "Happy birthday, Sasha."

"Oh," Sasha said, and she looked . . . confused. Not at all like someone who was being surprised on their birthday ought to look. "Jon, this is really sweet, but . . ."

Jon's mind raced. Had he done something wrong? Did he overstep, somehow? Were roses too much? They'd only been dating for about three months, maybe that wasn't long enough for roses.

". . . it isn't my birthday," Sasha finished.

"Oh," said Jon.

Sasha hefted the bouquet in her hands. "But I will gladly take this anyway. It's a beautiful gift, Jon, thank you, really."

"Wait, but--your birthday is June 12th, right?" Jon said. He checked his phone and, yes, that was today.

Sasha shook her head, smiling apologetically. "July 12th, love. Still another thirty days."

July. Of course. Leave it to him to put the wrong birth month in his calendar. "God, Sasha, I'm so sorry--"

"What for?" Sasha hugged the bouquet. "You wanted to surprise me, right? This was a complete surprise. And now I have a bonus early birthday present."

"I guess . . ." Jon still felt rather embarrassed. Birthdays were important in romantic relationships, and he'd already blown this one. "I'm glad you like it, anyway."

"I love it. C'mere." Sasha gestured for him to lean down, and gave him a kiss, leaving Jon red and clearing his throat.

"There's, um, a card," he said, gesturing at the bouquet. "If you didn't want to wait another month to read it."

Sasha was already picking it out from between the roses. Jon had made the card himself. It was just colored pen on a piece of cardstock, but he thought it looked rather nice. He'd broken out his neatest cursive for the occasion.

" 'Happy Birthday, Sasha James,' " Sasha read aloud, " 'from your long-suffering coworker and loving boyfriend. I hope you have an excellent birthday. PS: Redeem this card for one mint chocolate chip ice cream.' And then there's a heart and a little doodle of an ice cream cone. Jon, this is so sweet. Thank you."

Sasha got up to give him a crushing hug, and for a moment Jon was entirely at peace, all birthday-related anxiety vanished in the curls of Sasha's hair and the feeling of her cheek resting against his. He loved how soft Sasha always was, from her clothes to her body to her hands, which were somehow always smooth and cool, like stones on a beach. He wished they were at home instead of standing in Sasha's cubicle, so they could lie on the sofa together and watch whatever history documentary Sasha was into that week, and he could fall asleep on top of her. Yes, Jon thought, that sounded wonderful right about now . . .

Soon enough, of course, they pulled apart and Jon found himself back in the present. "I really do love the roses," Sasha said. "I can't even remember the last time someone got me flowers." She thought for a moment. "I'll put them on the desk back at my flat. They'll look nice there, in the sunlight."

"I'm glad you like them," Jon said, smiling. He'd been trying to think of a good gift for Sasha's birthday for weeks now, and all attempts to find a copy of an obscure journal of medical anomalies from 1934 that he knew she'd been looking for were met with failure, so he had to think of an alternative.

"So . . ." Sasha said, "about that mint chocolate chip ice cream . . ."

Jon grinned. "I'll take you after work. We can make a date out of it."

"Why not now?" Sasha said.

Jon glanced at the clock on the far wall. "It's two in the afternoon."

"It's a Friday! And anyway, it's my birthday," Sasha said, hefting the bouquet demonstratively. "You wouldn't tell your girlfriend no on her birthday, Jon."

"I wouldn't. But Elias might," Jon said. "And it isn't actually your birthday."

"It's my early birthday. And what Elias doesn't know won't hurt him. Here," Sasha said, handing Jon the bouquet and turning back to her computer, "I'll just finish up this statement followup and I'll be done for the day. I've got plenty of overtime to use, and god knows you do too, Jon."

"I--haven't been staying late as much," Jon said, feebly.

"Good! You can still spare three hours," Sasha said, clicking a couple of things on her screen and then shutting off the computer. She grabbed her bag and took back the bouquet. "Okay, let's go."

"Right now?" Jon mentally went through the list of all the work things he had yet to finish for the week, even as Sasha steered him bodily out of her cubicle and towards the stairwell. He couldn't just leave with so much left to do. Could he?

"Yes, right now," Sasha said. "You're going to take me out on a lovely mid-afternoon early-birthday date with ice cream. And I am going to sit there and admire the lovely bouquet my lovely boyfriend bought for me and be thankful that I don't have to spend my early-birthday sitting in a stuffy basement. Even if one of the people I'm sharing that basement with is my lovely boyfriend. I'd much rather spend my time with him outside of work, where he rarely is."

Jon had to agree, that sounded rather nice. That daydream of lying on the sofa seemed very much within reach now. "If you insist," he said, taking her hand with no small measure of relief. Relief that Sasha had liked the flowers, relief that she was going to have a good birthday, and relief that Jon hadn't managed to screw this up after all.

He'd have to come up with something even better for Sasha's actual birthday next month--he wondered if he might try another crack at eBay to find that book--but for now, seeing her smugly order a large cone of mint chocolate chip, holding up her bouquet of roses proudly, was the best present Jon could ask for.

[uwuwriting]

How they propose w/ Oikawa, Iwaizumi and Kuroo

Request: Oikawa, kuro and iwa proposing to their long term girlfriend??? -anonymous

Hi it’s me back again. *if anyone knows from which song this is I’m gonna give them a cookie no cap*. I’m back with another one and this one is just the cutest thing ever. Oikawas’ is a little dumb and goofy but I believe he would do something like that. Love ya. 💖💖💖

masterlist

rules 

warning: fluff and some dorkiness. 

Oikawa Toru

-Okay so he is obsessed with tik tok....and his proposal kinda made it on tik tok. 

-Its a nice cutesy proposal I swear he’s just overly proud of himself. 

-You had just moved in with him in Argentina. 

-Somehow you managed to get a job in your field in the town next to his place so when you told him that well you were moving to Argentina he didn’t hesitate to ask you to move in with him. 

-He misses you way too much, the distance makes it hard for him to feel your comfort. 

-He would never dream of breaking up with you; he would make it work even if it killed him.

-So it’s been a month and a half of living together and he is in heaven. 

-He knew that he wanted to marry you for some time now. 

-Since that moment at the airport the day he was leaving. 

-Iwaizumi was there along side Matsu and Hanamaki. 

-The three dumbasses were bawling their eyes out while you were semi chocking him. 

- “Call me when you land okay? I wanna know how jet lagged you feel.” 

-The sad smile on your face was enough to make him spill them tears, a sad smile of his own taking its seat on his face. 

- “You’ll make fun of me again.”

- “It’s part of my duties as your girlfriend you beautiful dumbass.” 

-And right there with you hands on either of his cheeks and tears in your eyes he knew that he would wife you up. 

-Now he has been planning this for some time. 

-He went all the way to California to find Iwa so they could pick a ring together.

-Both of them needed a ring but anyways.

-After obtaining the ring....he hid it for a few weeks. 

-He would wake up everyday ten minutes earlier than usual and just ask you to marry him while you were still asleep. 

-Once he was satisfied with the amount of times he has said it he gets up and is out the door. 

-He took you to meet his team.

-he wanted to do it then but he chickened out. 

-So what does he do? 

-He sulks on tik tok. 

-Until he comes across a video of a girl stepping into the shower with her boyfriend and pretends that she wants to ask him something important. 

-Of course that was a very dumb way to ask you something so big but he got an adrenaline jump and five minutes of dumb courage. 

-He sets up his phone right outside the shower curtain and just walks in with you. 

- “Hi?!”

- “Hi”

-*giggles* “Can I help you mister?”

-And here is where things take a turn because doubts start to make their way into his head and his palms are getting sweaty-

- “Toru love are you alright?”

- “Marry me.”

-The video went viral, the squad clowned him until your first child was born and your kids laugh with the story till this day. 

Iwaizumi Hajime 

-Unlike his best friend he took this wayyyy to chill. 

-It popped up in his head one night before one of your visits. 

-His roommate had asked him why he stayed in a long distance relationship. 

- “Is she really so worth it man? You could have a chick in your bed every night and not wait for her visits every three months.” 

- “You cannot imagine how worth it she is.”

 - “You sound like you wanna marry her dude.” 

-And from that point on he couldn’t get it out of his head. 

-Sure he had imagined your future before.

-The house you’ll have and where he would like to go on your honeymoon, what your kids might look like and what kind of mom you would be. 

-But all of it was pure speculation. 

-He just wanted to see how it would feel to be so domestic. 

-So here he is almost a whole year after that night, choosing a ring along side Oikawa. 

-This dumbass had taken the decision to get married too quickly and had called Iwa very VERY panicky and in need of some comfort.

-They both picked their respective rings and hid the velvety boxes deep in their pockets, the two best friends saying their goodbyes and heading off to their missions. 

-Now Iwa wanted this to be as lass forced and too thought out as possible. 

-He believes that these things are best  done in privacy and only netween the two partners. 

-So he doesn’t plan anything out. 

-He waits for the moment when it feels right. 

-And that’s why it took him over a year to actually ask you. 

-Of course it wasn’t such an improptu move like Oikawas’, he was a little less tik tok-y??? 

-You had ordered tak out and were eating in your shared apartment. 

-After graduation you got transferred to the USA and were placed near Iwa so now just like Oikawa you lived together. 

-It has been a nice calm year of just domesticated fluff. 

-You were telling him about your day, how one of your co-workers ate your boss’s pretchel and they flipped.

-Or how you saw a dog dressed as a hotdog right next to a hotdog stand. 

-And that’s when he just drops the bomb. 

-He has been keeping the small velevt box in his pocket ever since he bought it. 

-Wordlessly standing up he makes his way to your side of the table and drops to one knee. 

- “I’m pretty sure you know already that I believe you are my soulmate. My other half and I couldn’t begin to imagine my life without you in it. Not even a month without you. That being said, it would make me the happiest man in the world if you would give me the honor of calling you Ms. Iwaizumi. For the rest of our lives; until we are old and wrinkly with our family running around us. Y/N L/N, will you marry me?”

-You were crying at this point, nodding your head since the moment he called you his other half. 

-Of course you said yes and some bomb sex followed.

-Oikawa and his now wife, were so happy to hear that Iwa finally gathered the courage to ask you.

Kuroo Tetsuro 

-Baby!!!!

-He may be nasty but he is my og husband. 

-Actually my second og husband. 

-The first one is Akaashi. 

-He bought the ring the same day he decided to ask you. 

-He had been in a meeting and he was bored out of his mind so he texted you. 

-You two started off by making fun of each other and ended up playing one of those dumb facebook games. 

-He was letting out small giggles here and there which mind you were barely audible but the guy next to him heard them alrtight. 

- “Talking with the missus eh?”

-Kuroo couldn’t control himself when he answered. 

- “Yeah.”

-His coworker let out a chuckle at the sight of Kuroo’s face of surprise at his own words. 

- “It was about time you wifed her. You two are so in love it almost makes me jealous.”

- “Jealous that you don’t have a beating heart Kai?” 

-He got slapped....moving on. 

-So with that he called you once the meeting was over and informed you of his plans for tonight. 

- “Get dressed baby I’m taking you out for dinner tonight.”

- “What’s the occassion mister?”

- “It’s something special. Be ready by 9 I’ll pick you up from our apartment. Oh and could you please wear that gorgeous red dress of yours?”

- “The satin one? The one I can’t wear a bra with?”

- “You without a bra is just a bonus baby.” 

- “You are a horny idiot Tetsu.”

-Now he was out on a mission. 

-The mission of the ring. 

-So he needed to call on the fellowship. 

-Thirty minutes later Kenma, Yaku and Daichi were waiting for him at the local Starbucks. 

-Alas the fellowship of the ring. 

-These four idiots could barely agree on a single thing. 

-Gave the shopkeepers a headache. 

-But finally FINALLY they decided on one. 

-Patting their friend on the back they were off, hoping that you would say yes. 

-Apart from Kenma who prayed to the rain gods that you finally open your eyes and see what you are dating. 

-While at the restaurant he was quieter than usual. 

-He would let you talk and talk and talk about everything and anything with giving you only small nods or hums. 

-He was so caught up in his head that he couldn’t see th worry in your eyes. 

-  “Tetsu, is everything okay? “

-And there was his oportunity. 

- “Actually something is kinda bothering me and you are the only one who can help.” 

-He slowly got up and made his way to your side. 

- “You remember a few months back when you joked about us getting married? Or that other time when you said that I would make a great dad? Well I guess tonight will determine all of that.”

-He kneeled down and opened the small box rubbing your knee with his other hand. 

- “Y/N L/N will you help me make those dreams reality?”

-Kenma disapproves. 

TAG TEAM AY:

@iwaqchan​ @the-arcana-fan-fic​ @angelwritings​ @reinyrei​ @bemorefiction​ @axerrri​ @dnarez​

[magalidragon]

it must be puppy love | Bonus Chapter! | teaser

I wanted to do this for Mother’s Day but got busy and then it turned into something bigger than a drabble OF COURSE. Here’s a tease.

It was mass chaos, Dany barely managed to think, finishing off cleaning her son and hoisting Aemon onto her hip, giving Jon the table for Aly's changing. She ignored Aemon ripping at her hair, dodged three dogs, and exited the nursery.

Right into more chaos.

Aemon stuffed his face into her neck, sobbing out at the piercing drill noise, coming from what used to be Jon's dining room and would soon become a massive kitchen-dining room-breakfast nook-breakfast room "extravaganza"-- according to her husband. She made a mental note to kill him for this project, while also wondering how exactly she had even agreed to it.

She suspected it had something to do with agreeing when he asked, after he'd rocked her world, blown her mind, and she'd been in a sex coma, mumbling "okay." The next morning her brother-in-law Gendry was already there with blueprints and measuring tapes, marking off where they would be combining her house with Jon's for their "super home." Why Jon, a military man who was accustomed to creating war games, plans, etc. all of which hinged on very precise and calculated moments and actions, thought it was a good idea to start this while she was pregnant with twins, forced Dany to seriously question the Westeros Army's qualifications for the Night's Watch.

They were well over ten months into the project. It was slow going, since they had bloody twins and four dogs to manage. Also careers. And Tyrion biching about how htey were violating HOA regulations at every turn-- no one cared about that.

"Oi! Knock it off!" she bellowed over the sound of the drill. It powered down, some plastic sheeting flicking aside and Gendry's apologetic face appearing. She sighed; he was so sweet, she absolutely adored him, and could never be mad at him. "Sorry Gendry, but you know, Aemon can't stand that noise. Can it wait until tomorrow? I'm taking him to work with me."

Gendry saluted. "Yes ma'am, perfectly fine to wait. Um, is Jon around?" He looked nervous, eyes immediately cast downward. He mumbled something about "excess cost." Red blinked into her vision and she started to hum nonsensically, to calm her nerves or else Gendry's sweet face might get smashed into the drywall. He wrinkled his nose and frowned. "Um, did one of the dogs need to go out? I think I smell..."

"You smell nothing," she interrupted. She'd change her shirt soon. Or never. She went into the somewhat functioning kitchen, rummaging for a banana, which sent Aemon into fits of ecstasy. He began to babble, smacking her and huffing, his fat feet kicking hard to get to the banana she managed to open one-handed. "Here, here, goodness, you're such a little dragon." She pressed a kiss to his cheek, sighing dramatically.

Jon danced in a second later, bouncing Aly-- now clean and giggling-- in his arms, all four dogs running in after him.

Darys was right at his feet, never wanting Aly out of his sight; Perzys happened to be barking and trying to chew on Drogon's ear; Drogon was sliding out of the way and ducking around Jon to avoid her daughter; and Ghost brought up the rear, almost on his hind legs, his tongue out and swiping at anything, clearly pleased thye were all there to be with him.

It was exhausting, but it was her family. She smiled, shoulders lsumped, so tired she was sure she'd pass out right then and there. "Hey," she began, about to ask him about the ongoing house project, but he had other plans, cutting her off.

He spun on his heel, gray eyes bright. "Hey Dany. Did I tell you that you look positively gorgeous today?"

Liar, she thought, but smiled anyway because he was too sweet. "What do you want?"

"Nothing, just wanted to say it."

"You want something."

"Nope." He moved over to her and took Aemon, who had smashed most of hte banana into his face, his sister starting to pick at pieces from it and put them into her mouth. He held both babies, and grinned wide. Dany took a moment to apprecaite the look; he had his dark hair in one of the stupid manbuns she detested, his beard slightly unkempt, in a pair of black gym shorts and a Night's Watch t-shirt, one sock red and the other black. The bags under his eyes matched hers, as did his smile. His glasses were smudged, falling off his nose. He was a very fine man, she noted, and her heart skipped-- as did other parts-- at the sight of him holding their children.

So sexy, she thought, idly brushing her fingers through whatever dog came up to her side. A glance ouf ot he corner of her eye confirmed it was Ghost. "what do you want?" she repeated.

He grinned even wider. "I don't want anything. You guys can you believe it? She thinks I want something." He leaned in and dropped a kiss to her lips.

She wrinkled her nose, kissing him quickly back. "You forgot to brush your teeth."

"Dany I'm not sure I'm even wearing underwear, of course I forgot to brush my teeth."

Come to think of it, she wasn't sure she remembered to put on underwear either.

[shadowturtlesstuff]

Enchanted

finally finished this!!! im so happy with it, and will be writing it in thomas’s pov as soon as possible and perhaps part 2? 

Sleep evades me. My mind keeps returning to last night, specifically to a certain person I had met last night. I pull the covers higher, burying my head as I finally gave into my wandering mind.

~

I stand alone, needing a break from my aunt Amelia. The music was beautiful, a soft sound that filled the entire room. The party itself was decorated in a magical way, the columns in the building encompassed in vines, the tables with floral centrepieces. It was a mixture of whimsy and magic, yet no one seemed happy to be here. Everyone I spoke to was forcing smiles, men faked laughter as they believed this was not a party but a way to make business deals and enforce their own reputation. It was absurd how no one was just admiring the effort people put into making this perfect. It was the same every month, I'd walk to the edge of the room and watch. To calm my nerves, to explore the different flower pieces, the musicians and the flickering candles from the chandelier. The gowns women wore only once to try and show their wealth, whilst I tended to wear the same, as it fit the magical atmosphere this room desperately tried to make people see, yet they were too blind by their greed, the need to prove themselves to everyone to just simply stand back and enjoy themselves.

My cousin Liza seemed to be in conversation with Dacina, the host of the party, someone I had spoken to a few times, each being more enjoyable. Her calming demeanour and charm always lifted my spirits. Her family organizes this ball once a month, her father hates it but makes a lot of business so it is always left to her to plan and design it. With the help of Illeana and lots of their servants they always make this place ethereal. Her brother, Thomas Cresswell, only ever shows up for a few hours then leaves, only being able to handle the faking niceties for so long. Dacina told me of his tolerance, or lack thereof, to society. She speaks highly of her brother, as I once did, yet I have never met Mr.Cresswell. 

The varnished wooden floor slowly gathers marks as couples danced. How I longed to be one of those dancers, being swivelled by someone I loved. They would look at me as if I was the most magical thing in the room, with a soft smile and adoration in every word he whispers to me. I would be his equal as we spun around, the world fading into nothing as we held each other. Alas, those dreams are not likely for someone cruel enough to carve the dead. 

I snap out of my fantasy as a group of older men walk towards the buffet near me. They talk loud enough so everyone can hear, shockingly talking about work. I roll my eyes at them and look away back to the dance floor. The lights above cast shadows, making the scene feel like my imagination as I sit by a fireplace to read a romance novel. If this was a novel, there would be my love interest here, watching and finding the courage to say something. There are families at the table, children clinging to mothers as the men sit and discuss whatever. My father, uncle and aunt sit together in a seemingly civil conversation. I look for Liza again, deciding I should probably stop brooding in the corner but as I look for her my attention keeps going back to the men at the buffet. Not by choice, but by their obnoxious decision to shout their conversation. 

“A woman led the strike, ridiculous, she had to go,” I heard an oldish man say, followed by murmurs of agreement, “these strikes are out of hand, demanding we pay more, absurd notions.” The man is none other than Mr. Birling, a notoriously cold hearted man, much like dacianas father apparently, both of whom value money rather than people. Even their own families. The group of men who looked the same as him, slightly wrinkled face, greyish hair, miserable faces with hints of conniving schemes being plotted against each other. Friends until one of them was earning more money and was more successful, then they were enemies again. 

The men were in a heated discussion about their business and from what I can dissect from their ramblings is that they fully believe themselves to be hard working men, a rarity these days, and they must do what is necessary for their companies. Meaning, budget cuts, strikes from workers, firing people, and any horrible decision in the name of money.  I refrain from rolling my eyes, or going over to berate them. 

“Mr. Birling would not know what a hard day's work is.” someone says quietly behind me. His voice is smooth, confident, and whilst I agree due to what I have learnt about the birling family and the conversation I had just overheard, I still wouldn't say it aloud with him being this close. Not that he pays any attention to anyone but ‘hard working men’. 

I turn my head slightly, the man behind me is tall, a smirk playing at his lips. His suit is finely tailored in a dark grey, with a peach tie. He takes a step forwards and stands at my side, staring out into the crowd, a glass of half drunk champagne in his hand. I return my gaze to the crowd. “Whatever makes you think that, surely you heard him talk about how much he works,” I try to suppress my own smirk and I also sneak a glance at the strange man. He merely takes a sip of his champagne. 

“Right of course, his words, I shall listen more closely next time.”

“As you should. You wouldn't want to misinterpret someone's work ethic and make a fool of yourself in front of a stranger.” 

“You consider me a fool now?” he turns to me now, hands pressed against his chest in fake offence. His brown eyes meet mine as I face him. His sharp cheekbones feel familiar, but I can't place where from. 

“Yes. how could you consider someone such as Mr Birling, a man with such talent and tolerance of others, a man who clearly built his company and was not handed it by his father, how could you with a straight face imply he doesn’t know hard work.”  we stare at each other for a few seconds, then burst out laughing. He has such a pure laugh, we seem to be the only sound in the room. People around us stop and stare, upset two people are having fun at a party. The stranger leans against one of the columns, disrupting the vines slightly. Yet he doesn't seem to care, as he slowly starts to regain his composure from our outburst. 

Mr. Birling is one of the men looking at us with full disdain. He perceives us as two kids who do not understand life, he specifically tells his accountant that there is something wrong with us if the rumours are to be believed. Children of science. Outrageous. Especially a girl. A girl, not a woman. I ignore his pathetic whining, intent on not letting him ruin my night and return my focus to the stranger. Who, I realise, is someone who enjoys science. His face is more solemn now, having also overheard Mr.Birling. He quickly recovers and plasters a smirk on his face, a spark shines in his eye and I can already tell this won't be good.

“I want to meet this ‘girl’ who led the strike, perhaps she could use some help. I mean, all they ask is fair pay,”

“But fair pay is absurd. Completely and utterly absurd. Why should the wealthy share their wealth to those who ensure it.” he finishes for me. The men that run this world will end up being the reason it fails. We share a look, full of understanding and he lets out a sigh. Now we're talking about work and politics at a party. 

“Aside from those charming men, how are you enjoying the party?” He gestures to the men around us and I snort. Charming was one word for them. Being with him and trading remarks felt like passing notes to each other, telling secrets during class even though we are meant to be listening to the teacher. I can't help but think I know him, and by the look in his own face he knows me. Perhaps we met but didn't have time for a full conversation like we are now. 

“Mostly entertaining, the place is spectacular as always, the people are..” I searched for a word to describe the people, as well as my family. I love them dearly but they can be insufferable. “An interesting mix. My family is dramatic, so I escaped to the edge to peace and quiet, which apparently isn't possible. "I give him a pointed look but he takes no notice. 

“My family is also dramatic, and I came for peace myself but found myself captivated by you, specifically how you watched the crowd, listening, and how you curled your fists in an attempt not to go and publicly humiliate the poor man. Which, by the way, I think you should've. Would've made the whole thing worth it.” He takes a sip of his champagne and I nearly roll my eyes at him. Of course he'd want that. From what I can tell he isn't someone who enjoys society and has no problem saying it. I also think about the families in attendance and which of those are dramatic. The only person I can think of is Darci's brother, whom I've not met but heard about his nature over wine with her. 

“If I was merely standing here minding my business would you still have found me captivating enough to talk to me? Or is my appeal in my anger?”

He downs the rest of the drink and straightens himself taking a step towards me. I cross my arms, impatient but he gives me a soft smile. “I've been trying to get the courage to talk to you for months, I always see you here at the edge, always. My eyes find you instantly in any crowd. Transfixed, captivating. It was an added bonus to me when I saw the fierce nature in your eyes up close, I knew I was right to want to befriend you.” 

Silence falls as we both take in his words. I feel bad, not being able to figure out who he is. His honesty is admirable and makes me smile, as well as blush. I can feel heat rise to my cheeks. Just as I begin to rectify the situation by asking for his name, a man comes behind 

me, he’s around 40 probably, and looks at me horrendously in an attempt at a smile. I recognised him from earlier, he's one of the men that spoke with Mr Birling and that alone makes me instantly want to recoil. 

“Can I help you sir?” I asked and I can hear my own clipped words, yet somehow he does not. The smile widens and he looks me up and down. Then he offers his hand to me and I realise he wants to dance. With a woman half his age, that he has never met. 

“Miss Wadsworth, dance with me?” more of a common than a question. Since I am already highly aware he doesn’t like when females have opinions or say no, I refrain from rolling my eyes and just walking off from him. Instead I take a step back, so I'm by my new friend’s side and smile widely. 

“I'm afraid I already promised the darling Wadsworth a dance, we are just finishing our drinks first.” As if to prove my point he drinks the last of his drink, mostly to hide his smirk. Something else the man doesn't seem to notice. His face drops, but his pride makes him believe he can stand there, waiting for me to run to him. There is an awkward silence until I feel hands reach down and take mine, they are warm and make me jump slightly at the contact. Not in a bad way, not in the way I would have if it had been the man in front of me with his gaze like fire as he looks at our joined hands as though he has a right to be mad about it. I feel my own fire burn as he stares, so I tug his hand away from the man. I need to just escape into the dreamlike nature of the dancefloor, as well as thank my saviour and learn his name.

He leads me to the dance floor, nearer the edge and his hands slip down to my waist as I find his shoulders. His touch is hesitant but reassuring. Somehow he looks calm and terrified, as though he never expected to dance with me but never wants to stop. I can't help but feel the same as we begin to move. My skirt swirls around us and we say nothing for a while as we both calm ourselves and let the music envelope us. In a way, this is as close to my daydreaming as I might ever get. Being here on the dance floor with someone who isn't twice my age and the definition of misogyny. We dance as equals, neither of us truly leading but letting each other float around each other. We're sure of our movements and demand nothing from each other. It is a weird calmness that settles. We are strangers as far as i know, and yet we dance as though we have known each other our entire lives. 

“You are a delight, miss Wadsworth.” he breaks the silence, somehow louder than the music for me, yet it's quiet. Almost like he didn't mean to say it aloud. 

“How do you know me?” my voice matches and i feel bad asking, but i need to know. My tone is not accusing, and his face only burrows in confusion for a second before he smirks at me. A smirk I'm seeming to become familiar with.

“My sister Dacina speaks highly of you.” my eyes must expand as he laughs softly. That's why I recognized him. He has the same structure as Dacina, sharp cheekbone and soft skin. Perfect complexion. 

“So you are the infamous Thomas cresswell?” this time I smirk and his eyes widen. 

“Infamous? What on earth have you heard of me?”

“Your sister has lots of opinions on you.”

“Of course she does. Whatever she has said is most likely not true.” He blurts out and I laugh at his relationship with his sister and him wanting to impress me. “Unless she told you I am utterly irresistible, charming, quick witted and incredibly smart.” winking at me he sends me into a surprising spin and my hands land on his chest. We've sped up slightly, yet our heartbeats are both faster than necessary and I can see a hint of a blush creeping up on his cheeks. 

“She did mention you have an overly large ego. She'll be happy to know I agree with her.” I feel his hands tighten at my waist slightly and I watch his curls fall down in his face as he shakes his head. I'm delighted by this turn of events. Daci is wonderful, and if this is the Thomas that I get to see, not his reputation, then I shall try and keep this in my life for as long as possible. His spark in his eyes shows how he may think the same. Also, if daci, liza and ileana are with Thomas, then i might have the most fun I've ever had in my life.

His voice slides through my thoughts, but also reinforces them. “I am sure she failed to mention how big of an ego she has. Honestly, Darci is worse than I. Have you met Illeana? She will surely agree with me on this.” 

“I'm sure she would, I've also heard you are a scientist, what do you study?”

“The dead. Much like you and your uncle.” There is so much certainty in his voice, no resentment or the usual tone I hear so I gift him an earnest smile. 

The song ends, and we stand, hands still on each other for a second longer than we should. Just as I go to remove my hands from his chest I feel him pinch my sides lightly. Then his warm hands slip from my waist and I wish more than anything to dance again. 

We go to return back to the column near the buffet, where we first spoke, and as I take a step I feel him move so he's pressed at my back, his hands finding mine. Even though we are gloved, even though no one can see our hands due to how close we are, and how many people are moving about, my heart pounds at his bold nature. I adore it, so I squeeze him and keep my head facing forward as I lead him off the dance floor. We settle back, Thomas letting go of my hand to pick up two glasses of champagne and hands me one. We both take a long sip, perhaps settling our brains or making it worse. Well see. 

“You look,” he pauses, as if trying to find the right words, brows furrowed slightly as if he was reading a dictionary, “enchanting.” he finally finishes, gifting me a rare smile it seems. No longer does he smirk at me, but shows me a genuine look that I want to have painted as it is the best thing I have witnessed. Heat rises to my cheeks as I look down at my dress. Someone at least understood what I was going for, with a pale peach colour, sparkling bodice that runs along the length of the skirt. The long sleeves adorned with tiny gemstones, golden to match the accented colours of the hall. In response to Thomas I look back up at him with my own genuine smile, perhaps some of the only true smiles to be shared this evening. His suit fits him perfectly, showing off his defined features, his tie a pale peach as well. I assume Dacina helps him, as her dresses always astound me with the details. There are tiny, miniscule gems on his tie, that snake down and remind me of vines.

“You look,” I act the way he did, scanning my brain for something that fits, handsome or charming doesn't do justice but I'm sure whatever I use will only boost his ego and be used against me, so I settle with: “bedazzling.” 

“Bedazzling?”

“Thomas, I study the dead, I have to look closer than one should at things, so of course I noticed your tie. Henceforth: bedazzling.” The air shifts back to our teasing tone and he smirks once again.

“You are the only one to notice, except Daci of course, nothing gets past her. Am I correct in assuming you like the tie?” Despite his teasing I feel a hint of worry as if I wouldn’t like his tie. 

“I adore the tie cresswell, everyone here should be weaning ties with tiny jewels.”

His face falls as he scans the crowd, eyes narrowing slightly as he takes in the groups of men. “I cannot tell if you are being serious with me or not, but I agree nonetheless. The men here are awfully drab, boring, plain. It's insulting to us really. Daci puts so much time into making this beautiful and these people do not see it.” He is shaking his head. I agree, I have heard how much work goes in and despite my effort to help she insists that I do nothing but enjoy the party. I have a sneaking suspicion though that Liza helps. The flower centrepieces are her favourite, and whilst that might be a coincidence I know how stubborn and convincing she can be. 

“I do. I love her parties. I always find myself standing here, watching and noticing all the changes from the month prior. Like, last month she went for more of a red theme, with red roses as the centrepieces, little red accented chairs and carpets. Whereas this month is more of a forestry vine, hence the vines around the column.” I point as though they are a secret thing you need to search for even though they are obvious. Yet he turns anyway and runs his finger down the length of it with his adorable face set at a soft smile. Thomas might have been there when she got the idea, or placed them or he might have placed them himself and is now remembering it. 

My gaze finds Thomas and he looks at me, baffled, and I feel the blush creeping back up. It is not the same confused look that I get when I tell people my love of science, but one of intrigue. As if he could listen to me talk forever and not get bored. It's as if he has never thought anyone would notice such things about his family's party. “Enchanting.” is all he whispers to me. Then he clears his throat, an ever so soft shake of his head as though once again the words were meant for him and not us both. 

I stare out at the crowd again. I'm sure my family will want to know where I've disappeared to, I normally do not leave them this long. Liza I'm sure will want to know why I danced with Thomas. Yet the thought of leaving him makes my legs leaden and my heart sink and anchor me right next to him. Im completely wonderstruck, and feel ill have a permanent blush, especially when i look at his stupidly handsome face, his quick smirk and small smiles that feel special. It is odd, I've only heard stories, spoken to him briefly and danced, yet I have enjoyed his company immensely and hope this never ends. I want more dances and to steal more smiles to keep forever. I want to make fun of people together, and dance. 

I go to steal a glimpse of him, expecting to find him staring at the crowd like I was but his eyes are on me. “I have to leave,” his abrupt words anchor me in an entirely different way, “I mean,  I want to stay and I'm sure you want my amazing presence always now Wadsworth but I have to wake early. New job. So, my darling, I shall see you tomorrow.” Thomas hesitates for half a second and begins to walk away. I watch him go and say goodnight to his sister and then leave. His words fill my head. It’s reassuring to know he enjoys my company as much as I do.

~

I bolt upright in my bed, the lights, music and memories falling away as I focus on the last words he said to me.

I'll see you tomorrow. 

What does tomorrow mean? Does it mean he has a job where he thinks I visit? Will he be making an effort to befriend me? Does he know my family? I am so confused. How had I not caught these words sooner? Perhaps he wants to tell me he had a terrible time, that he doesn't like my presence. I'm on my feet without realising, pacing back and forth, the cold air hugging me close. I wish he was in front of me now. I wish he would whisper the words enchanting again. I wish I knew what was happening in a few hours that warranted him saying those four words. I run my hands over my face, untie my hair and let my curls fall over my shoulder, brushing away the colder ever so slightly. I'm ridiculous. Four tiny words sent me spiralling. I climb back into bed, my hair fanning out around me and the blanket returning warmth back into my system. Immediately my mind returns to Thomas, his face forever in my mind. Even if tomorrow could be the last time I see him, there is a chance that it is just the start. 

Enchanting…

Those words fill me with confidence that yes, Thomas might become someone special to me. That perhaps our dance sparked something and now all I wish is that I can tell him how enchanting he is.

@fangirling-again @kittycat2187 @goatahoan @city-of-fae @purplecreatorhorsewagon @boredbookwormgirl @goddess-of-writing-wars @loveyatopluto @lovecakeandmore @yikesitsmaddie @bookscressworth @androgynousdeputylawyershoe @fandomtakeover @throneoftsc @the-hoofflepooff