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crescenthoax · 1 year ago

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a nightmare before Christmas • pt2

🎄or an Annika, Floris, Willa and Targtowers Christmas tale🌟

Part One

Part two

Part three

Summary: Aemond, Daeron, Aegon and Helaena had different things planned for Christmas, but one same fate: their father’s old cabin.

Basically an i’m never gonna love again christmas modern AU because we need to spread some joy on these times and I wanted to write something fun. Mainly centred around Aegon x Female OC.

Part 2/3. Part 3.

🧣⋆.ೃ࿔*:･⍣ ೋ *ੈ🎄‧₊˚ . *ੈ✩‧₊˚ ೃ࿐🌟

“I can't believe you convinced me to do this,” says Aegon, shaking his head. “I don't need no game nor excuse to get wasted.”

“Oh, come on. We’re all going to play,” Helaena tells him, amused. “Even Aemond.”

It translates easily to: ‘You can't be more boring than him.’

It’s not that Aemond is the boring type, in fact, he's just so reserved and responsible that he's gotten used to having fun in other ways. But everyone has seen him drink whiskey as easily as soda and smile as if he had two hooks on his face and scarlet–flushed cheeks while dancing during Annika's New Year's party on the yacht in 2019.

Everyone sits in a circle around the coffee table in the huge living room. Logan stirs some logs in the fireplace, trying to revive the flames before sitting down between Helaena and Annika on the couch. Aegon is sprawled on one of the individual and comfy, green velveteen chairs, just like Aemond on the other, and Floris sits with Willa and Daeron on the other couch.

“So, does everyone know how this works?” Annika asks, finishing pouring herself a glass of white wine. On the table, there is an exaggerated amount of drinks to choose from. “Someone says something, and if you've done it, you drink. If you haven't, you don't. It's simple.”

“Never have I ever explained a game we all know just to seem smart,” Aegon laughs. “And now you drink.”

She sighs and takes a sip of wine after flipping him off. So much for the ‘truce.’

“Logan, why don't you start? That way, we can get to know you better,” Annika insists.

He feels a bit pressured with the number of new and curious looks around him, but he seems to handle it wonderfully. “Hmm. Never have I ever... been to a party I wasn't invited to.”

“Easy!” Aegon singsongs and drinks from his beer. Daeron, Logan himself, Annika, and Helaena follow suit. Surprisingly to everyone, Floris also drinks, drawing attention. “Are you kidding me?”

“Why do you sound surprised?” She shakes her head, pretending to be offended. “Never have I ever gone skinny dipping.”

“I love the new Floris,” Aegon mocks, drinking. “Singleness agrees with you.”

Everyone drinks this time, except for Annika and Daeron, and she gets some skeptical looks. She puts her feet up on the couch to get more comfortable, her black ballet flats shining even brighter than the Christmas tree. “What? I find it unhygienic.”

“Never have I ever creeped an ex on social media,” Willa dares to say this time. Helaena and she are the only ones who don't drink, and Floris joins them while she shifts uncomfortably, seeing that Aemond does drink.

Aegon sees the opportunity to create a tense moment and seizes it. “Never have I ever lost my virginity to someone in this group.”

“Are you serious?” Helaena sighs.

“Very.”

The only ones who drink are the broken–up couple and the one that sticks together like peaches and cream. Willa takes a long gulp of her fruit cocktail, probably trying to shake off the embarrassment. She has not yet understood that no one really cares.

“Never have I ever had a crush on my siblings’s friends or on my friends's siblings,” Aemond says, accusingly looking at Aegon.

“All hail Cassandra Baratheon,” Annika murmurs before drinking. Daeron and Logan follow her, and so does Aegon, without any problem. Helaena turns her head trying to make sense of the situation, but Annika quickly adds, “Never have I ever been with someone of the same sex.”

She drinks. It doesn't surprise anyone that Aegon also drinks. It surprises everyone that Floris does.

“What!?” Helaena demands, laughing. “When!?”

“Never have I ever had a threesome,” Aemond basically answers for her. Annika chokes on the water she's drinking, and Aegon bursts into laughter when he sees the ex-couple drink, along with Logan and himself.

“Well, I don't have to know everything,” Daeron complains, wrinkling his nose in disgust. He usually is the one who always lags behind when it comes to knowledge about his brothers's lives, and to be honest, sometimes he feels it's better that way.

“Never have I ever broken the law,” Willa says. It's not surprising that everyone drinks this time, except her and Logan. Rich people thing, apparently.

“Never have I ever gotten a piercing,” Logan offers.

Helaena is the only one who drinks, her navel and ears heavily jewelled. And then, Aegon looks at Annika and shakes his head.

“I can't believe it. After all this time, and you still are a fucking cheater,” he addresses her.

“Excuse me?” She chuckles, feigning ignorance.

“You just lied.”

“But she has no piercings,” Floris defends her. Annika tightens the glass in her right hand and shifts uncomfortably on the couch.

“She has her right nipple pierced!” Aegon growls.

“Aegon!” Annika shouts, annoyed. “That's not something yours to share.”

“God, you always do the same thing and cheat on this stupid game. Why did you want to play if you're not going to expose yourself?”

“I don’t need them to know what I have pierced and what I don't. It's not about that,” she grumbles, crossing her arms.

Daeron furrows his brow. “How do you know she has a nipple piercing?”

“And when did you pierce your nipple?” Helaena asks, confused.

Annika bites her lip for a moment, suddenly too aware of the piercing that now seems to be warming up, the sensitive, raw skin against her bra. She was supposed to get both nipples pierced, but she couldn't bear the pain, at least not sober. She would come back someday for the next one, of course.

Aegon had taken her to get it done when she visited him in San Francisco last spring. The last time they saw each other. He promised her it would feel good afterwards. It's not something she has experienced yet.

He notices what the memory does to her. Annika moves again, too uncomfortable under his accusing gaze.

“I saw her naked this afternoon. I found her in the shower when we arrived. It was accidental,” Aegon explains casually. Annika's cheeks flush, yet she's grateful that Aegon thought so quickly to cover his tracks.

Now, that’s kind of a lie.

He had seen her naked since Annika's 20th birthday. She spent some time at the Targaryens’s house in London during lockdown, and there came a moment when they were so bored that one night, after swimming and drinking by the indoor pool, she came out dripping from a dive and went into the changing rooms to dry off. He followed her and didn't say anything; he was so bored that he held her against the wall and ate her out until she cried. He always had a thing for her and knew she was as bored and lonely. That night, she sneaked into his room, and he fucked her until she begged him to stop. Earlier, she had told him not to stop when she asked, so they fucked until he passed, and she had trouble walking the next day.

She had never felt such connection with someone before. They got along so well inside the bedroom that it was almost addictive. When they were alone, they got along even better than they did when they were with the others. And it made sense. It made all the sense in the world for them, but not necessarily for the world.

So when they wanted to have fun, without explanations, they flew to see each other. Or they met in places where they couldn't be found, like the time he fingered her at the Eiffel Tower on a random Thursday night in March.

And no one ever suspected. Until...

“I can't believe you said that,” Annika clicks her tongue. “Okay, if that's how you want to play. Never have I ever used Aemond's toothbrush.”

“You did what?” Aemond grumbles, turning to his brother with unease. “Dude. What the actual fuck?”

“Well, thank you very much, you witch,” Aegon rolls his eyes and takes a sip of his beer. Then he smiles at the blonde sitting across from him and extends his can to her. “Never have I ever used Annika's toothbrush," he says, finishing the can with pride.

“God, you're such a pig!”

“Now I understand why Aegon's room is always a suite,” Daeron mocks, putting an arm around Willa's shoulders and leaning back on the sofa, pulling his girlfriend towards him. “You never used my toothbrush, right?”

“I once used dad's toothbrush to brush Sunfyre's teeth,” Helaena adds, tipsy as she could be. Everyone looks at her strangely, and they burst into laughter instantly. “I was really mad at him.”

“Why?” Willa laughs.

“I really don't remember. It must have been important for me to decide to brush Aegon's dog's teeth with his toothbrush,” she shrugs. Logan looks at her amused and shakes his head.

“It's such a Helaena thing to do,” Floris adds. “Remember the time Annika released Helaena’s spiders in the classroom and told Cressida they were poisonous?”

“Why would you do that?” Willa asks.

“Because I hated that bitch,” she replies simply. “She was sort of like my nemesis. She hated me too.”

“I fucked with her,” Aegon adds, “in her cabin when we went to that horrible camp with our school, during lunchtime.”

Floris grimaces in disgust. “But she was in our cabin.”

“I know. She insisted on doing it on Annika's bed,” he laughs, and her jaw drops. “She got back at you; you have to give her that.”

“And you participated in that?!” She screams. “Aegon, I can't believe you!”

“Oh, don't be so pristine. It was over the sheets. And hey, we could have put your toothbrush in the toilet of public bathrooms, but we didn't,” he replies.

“Okay. Never have I ever done it in someone else's bed,” Logan intervenes, somewhat familiar with the dynamics of distracting Annika and Aegon from tearing each other apart like wild dogs.

Everyone drinks, except Annika. “As I said, it's unhygienic.”

“What do you not find unhygienic?” Daeron teases her. “Okay, I want to know this, and I think it's the moment. Never have I ever been with a teacher.”

“You're still on that? I already told you I didn’t!” Aegon leans in to push his younger brother's arm playfully.

“You were sober when I asked you! I thought you were lying for my sake,” Daeron defends himself, laughter vibrating through the walls. “I had heard the rumours.”

And everyone's laughter accompanies his, except Aemond and Floris, who remain in a creeping silence, looking at each other.

“I mean, it's something he would do,” Helaena shrugs.

“No, I had heard that...-“ He stops speaking, the smile on his face turning from confusion to more confusion than grace when he looks at Aemond in deafening silence, just like Floris by his side. When everyone notices it, the atmosphere seems to dissipate. “I had heard that... Hum, one of my brothers... That...”

Helaena and Annika look at each other. Then Annika looks at Aegon, who keeps his mouth in an ‘O’ shape and remains motionless, trying not to add more fuel to the fire.

“C’mon,” Floris speaks for the first time. She and Aemond exchange glances, and the coffee table is not the only thing separating them because it feels like there are miles between them. Floris's voice is cold, just like her eyes. Annika knows her well enough to know that she's drunk. “Rules are rules. If you've done it, you drink.”

“I don't understand,” Logan murmurs, a bit lost.

“No? Well, let me try again. Never have I ever found my boyfriend fucking one of our high school teachers in my own bed, only to find out they had been screwing behind my back since we were in high school.”

Floris finishes her glass of red wine in three long gulps. Helaena stays silent, her hand resting on her mouth to hide the surprise. Logan and Willa shrink in their places, while Daeron scratches his head uncomfortably, and Annika bites her inside cheek.

Aegon takes a small sip of his drink with a loud noise. “Aemond… This is fucked up. Really, really bad. The kind of thing I would do.”

Floris leaves the empty glass on the table with so much accidental force that it breaks. Helaena startles, and Floris stands up, swaying. “This has been fun. Have a good time.”

She walks away without even looking back at Aemond, leaving everyone too bewildered to react quickly. He sighs, leaves his drink on the table, and tries to stand up.

“Floris, wait...”

“Haven't you done enough?” Annika spits venom, getting up and pushing him back into his seat. No one understands if Aemond doesn't resist her push or if she really used brute strength. Through gritted teeth, she points at him with her index finger. “No. Don’t you even dare.”

It's she who takes light steps and disappears upstairs, following Floris. Aemond shifts uncomfortably.

“I wouldn't do it if I were you,” Aegon warns.

“Man. What the hell?” Daeron sighs, running his hands over his face. “How long has this been going on?”

"I don't know. It happened a couple of times in our graduation year, and then we met each other last year, and... I don't know. It's been...”

“Aemond, right now, no one has a worse opinion of you than I do,” Helaena tells him, placing a hand over her heart. “Who did you screw?”

He puts his hand on the bridge of his nose. “Mrs. Rivers.”

“The health teacher? Seriously?” Aegon jokes.

“And you didn't think, I don't know, to break up with your long term girlfriend before doing it? Or after?” Logan intervenes. Aemond looks at him seriously.

“Who the hell do you think you are?”

“Hey,” Helaena tells him. “He's a friend.”

“He's not my friend,” Aemond hisses. “He's just a stranger who came to our door like a lost puppy.”

Aemond stands up and disappears, not up the stairs but towards the dining room, and Aegon is almost sure he hears him heading to the yard. Surely to smoke a cigarette secretly from all of them because God forbid he lets his friends and family know that he also feels and makes mistakes and drinks and smokes and is not the perfect child everyone thinks.

“Hm, Willa, do you want to eat something? Would you help me clean this up?” Helaena offers to the girl who looks terribly uncomfortable. At the same time, she signals Aegon to check on Aemond.

Aegon shakes his head, and Helaena stiffens her face. She has a look that's too demanding sometimes that reminds him of his mother's, and it gives him chills. It makes him get up from the couch and hit Daeron's shoulder to follow him to the yard.

He obeys, a bit confused. “Where are we going?”

“To see if Aemond is okay.”

“Of course he's okay. He's Aemond. And if we had to be checking if someone is okay, it should be Floris,” he says.

Aegon stops him in his tracks and grabs his shoulders. He looks at his brother, although he's taller than him, he still needs to learn a thing or two. He understands that the age difference between them is enough, but he also understands that Daeron is no longer a child.

“You're a man now, and that means you must learn something about this family. It's a twisted family of fucked–ups, and we screw up every day. I've messed up. Helaena has messed up. Mom and Dad specially, blah, blah. It happens, it's like it's encoded in our DNA. Aemond screws up too, and I'm sure you'll do it someday too. Not necessarily with Willa, it just will happen. And no one understands the feeling better than us,” Aegon explains. “This is what being part of this family is about. And we have an unspoken agreement; no matter what it is, we get through it. We don’t judge. Aemond is our brother, so we are not gonna judge him even though he deserves it.”

“Alright. I understand,” Daeron says and follows his older brother. As they suspected, Aemond is smoking, to the youngest’s impression. “I feel like I don't know you.”

“You don't,” Aemond mutters.

“Are you okay?” Daeron asks, resisting the urge to punch him or roll his eyes. “Why didn't you tell us what happened?”

“Yeah, like I would judge you for it,” Aegon laughs. “I hooked up with mom's pilates instructor while dating Alysanne.”

“Oh my God. I'm not like you, Aegon.”

“Realization sucks, right? It's tough. We've all been there. Fortunately for you, I'm the worst of us,” Aegon laughs. The two youngest ones remain silent, and the sound of crickets is the only thing heard for a moment. “Screw you both. You could try telling me otherwise.”

“Well...” Daeron hisses.

“Fuck you, seriously” Aegon flips them off. “Back to the important stuff. What happened with Floris?”

Aemond gets lost staring at a fixed point on the snow-covered ground, as if he's recalling all the events that led him to do what he did. But he can't. “I don't know,” he confesses sincerely. “I don't...”

“Do you love her?” Daeron asks.

“How could I not love her? She's been with me all my life. And I've been with her all her life. Since we were kids. School, my accident, high school. Birthdays, funerals, parties. She's always been there. We've always been me and her. Just like Helaena and Annika. Or Aegon and… Alcohol.”

“Oh, no. You’re making jokes now?” Daeron panics, and Aegon chuckles. “That doesn't mean you love her. It means you're used to her. And Floris doesn't deserve that. Neither do you.”

“I know she doesn't. She deserves something better,” Aemond says. “And I really care about her, and it hurts to have lost her, and it hurts to think about a life without her.”

Aegon rolls his eyes. “She'll always be there. You know, Helaena will never let go of those two girls. They've always been a pain in the ass for us and always will be. That's the fun part of being us.”

Aegon knows they would always be with them because their friendship with Helaena was not going to end. He knows Annika and Helaena would always be friends. But Aegon and Annika wouldn't always be together.

“I guess you're right.”

“Why didn't you invite me to come here with you?” Daeron asks suddenly. “I could have... I don't know. I understand you didn't want to spend Christmas at home, but I didn't think you wouldn't want to spend it with me.”

“Hey, you didn't want to spend it with us either. Otherwise, why did you come here with just your girlfriend?” Aegon questions. “We thought you'd get bored, and honestly... You are still not old enough to enter the casino or drink excessively.”

Daeron rolls his eyes. “You think I don't have a fake ID? I could have come with you.”

“And if you had come, we probably would have avoided this nightmare before Christmas situation,” Aemond says, scratching his good eye. “I don't know, I guess it’s hard for us to think you’re not longer a kid.”

“Sometimes it hurts being left out all the time, you know?”

“Welcome to being a Targaryen in the real world,” Aegon says, patting his shoulder. “You're officially invited to our Christmas getaway in 2024. And this time, it will be just the three of us.”

“No, I think I'll go home for Christmas next year,” Aemond shakes his head. “It's a pain in the ass, but not as much as being here in this situation.”

“I shouldn't have asked about the teacher thing,” Daeron laments.

“You had no idea. I didn't even know either,” Aegon sighs. “Did she tell the girls? Helaena seemed surprised. And I don't think Annika knew either.”

Aemond shrugs. “When it happened, she packed her things and didn't say a word to me. We know Floris; she's quiet, reserved, and she won't show what she doesn’t want you to find out. She wouldn't go with Helaena to tell her that her brother is a liar and a cheater, and she wouldn't tell Annika because she's also my friend. Was. Whatever.”

“I don't think she'll stop talking to you; she'll just give you a hard time. You know Annika,” Daeron reassures. “By the way, is it true about the piercing?”

Aegon smirks. “It's true.”

“Did you see it?” Daeron asks, with a grin.

Aemond smacks him on the back of the head. “Have some respect.”

“Oh, I saw it,” and other things. Daeron wants to ask what he has always wanted to ask, but he bites his tongue, remembering the situation that unfolded because of his questions. Aegon notices and appreciates it. “Well, the party is obviously over. We should eat something and go to bed. If we're lucky, the storm won't be so bad, and you can leave tomorrow.”

“Oh, yeah,” Daeron says, suddenly a bit dejected. He actually wants to stay. “Right. That sounds good.”

🧣⋆.ೃ࿔*:･⍣ ೋ *ੈ🎄‧₊˚ . *ੈ✩‧₊˚ ೃ࿐🌟

Annika and Floris made no appearance while the rest had dinner watching a horror movie. The girl went downstairs for some food for Floris and then apologized to Willa and Logan for their absence, going back upstairs with her friend immediately.

Aegon drank more beer with dinner, and as soon as they finished eating, Aemond tried to wash some dishes, then went to his room alone without saying a word. Daeron had looked at Logan and Helaena, who were talking and laughing as if nothing had happened, with a strange expression and asked, “Where do you plan on sleeping?”

Helaena pinched his cheek as if he were a little kid. “You are adorable.”

It was her kind way of telling him to fuck off.

And although Daeron invited Willa to swim in the indoor pool, she claimed she wanted to go to bed, too tired to even breathe. If he had to be honest, all the drama had exhausted him too. So, the gang was reduced to Aegon, Helaena, and Logan. Aegon couldn't stand to third wheel with her little sister and a guy who dresses like some dude out of a Netflix Christmas rom–com , so he grabbed some beers and went up to his room with plans to drink until he passed out.

It doesn't happen.

He grunts and gets out of bed, exhausted from trying to sleep. The drunkenness already is part of his natural mental state.

The only lights on the house are the Christmas tree lights tinkling at a strange pace, and besides the muffled music echoing from the pool and the occasional laughter from Helaena, the only thing that can be heard is the squeaking wind. He makes his way to the kitchen feeling utterly cold; the heating in his room was so high that the change is brutal. He's not going to bother looking for the heating controls at this hour, and the fire in the living room fireplace has almost died down.

The refrigerator light beams on Annika's figure. She's sitting on the counter, with a glass of water, a pack of cigarettes, and staring at her dimly lit phone screen. She's wearing a black and pink satin pyjama set, tank top and shorts, and a somewhat warm robe, but she looks frozen. Her hair is wet.

“Late-night swim?” Aegon asks, startling her. “That brings back memories.”

Annika clicks her tongue. “No, I had to shower. Needed to get Floris's vomit off me.”

“Yikes,” he sticks out his tongue. “How's she doing?”

“Well... She... It's going to be tough.”

"You didn't know about…?”

She shakes her head, putting her phone aside. “No. She came to our flat one day with suitcases and teary eyes, and there was no need for her to say anything. We assumed that, well, she would tell us in her own time. She just said they wouldn't be coming back together, not like other times, and we figured it must be serious because she flew from Boston to New York,” she explains. “Did you know?”

“No, of course not,” he shakes his head. “Hey, don't give Aemond a hard time.”

“I couldn't care less about Aemond.”

“Did she fall asleep?”

“Passed out from crying too much, rather. I can't believe he did this to her. I mean... Ugh. It's something we might have expected from you, certainly not from him.”

“Oh, well,” he shrugs as he takes a seat on the bureau next to her. “I know my limitations, believe it or not. For starters, I would never be in such a closed relationship for so many years. They were in a cage, both of them.”

Annika rolls her eyes. “Can you believe they had a threesome?”

“I know, right?” Aegon laughs, and she joins in. “The kind of stuff I'd expect from you. Trying to revive a relationship that's clearly dead by adding a third party.”

She laughs. “Sounds like something I would do. You know how much I tend to cling to things even when the odds aren't in my favour.”

Aegon sighs. “So...”

“So...?”

“Can I see it?” Aegon suddenly asks, and Annika looks at him confused. “Your piercing.”

“I thought you said you saw it in the shower,” she says, placing the glass of water on the marble table. It makes a noise that feels louder than it actually is, and she squirms uncomfortably at the thought that someone might have heard it and finds them there, alone, together.

For someone who claims to be a loner, Aegon has a constant need for attention and contact, especially if it's from Annika. It's nothing new; he used to pull her braids when they were kids to attract her attention. Now he begs her to let him see her boobs. Normal.

He smiles. “I didn't. Everything was full of steam and foggy.”

“But you saw it. You were there when I got it done,” Annika reminds him, embarrassed. “You gave me the little piece of chocolate when my blood pressure dropped. You put a can of Coke on the back of my neck and helped me button my blouse.”

“First of all, it was Dr. Pepper. And second, it doesn't count because I didn't see it properly. And you left before we could do anything...” He shrugs. Annika squints her eyes. “I want to see it. Please.”

“You exposed me in front of everyone and almost got us caught. Why would I show it to you?”

“Because you're good at giving me what I want,” he says, devilishly smiling as he leans toward her.

“And what about what I want, huh? Not everyone can have what they want. I want a unicorn, for example.”

“I'll buy you a horse and pay to have a surgical pink horn put on it. Damn, I'd pay to have wings attached and teach it to fly if you want a freaking rainbow pegasus,” he roars, his voice deep.

Annika laughs and lowers the strap of her satin pajamas so Aegon can see. Not sure why she does it, but Annika loves to give him what he begs for. He doesn't ask for permission to stroke the side of her breast with his thumb, right at the curve. He moves her wet hair back and sighs as he feels the goosebumps on her skin.

“I like it. Although sometimes I catch it with the towel, and it's a little annoying,” she tries to ignore the fact that he's touching her after months and that when he touches her, her skin turns scarlet, just like everything around her. She looks up to find his gaze. “You were right, anyway.”

Annika never knew how, but it was he who had convinced her to get them because she was so sensitive in that area. Maybe she just wanted to please him, or maybe he knew that Aegon, even if he didn't admit it, knew her very well. He always knew better when it came to her.

“Have you tried it?” He asks.

“No, not really. I'm afraid it might still get infected. Besides...” She paraphrases, and Aegon lightly strokes the surface of her skin with his fingers. Another shiver runs through her, and she falls silent. “We shouldn't.”

“It's Christmas Eve. We're both alone...” He suggests, brushing the tip of his nose against hers. “I know you don't like being alone on holidays. You always have someone to warm your bed. And your options here are quite limited.”

“You're alone because you want to be alone,” Annika tells him, letting out a sigh. “I might have left, Aegon, but you let me go.”

“And you never tried hard enough either,” Aegon retorts. He pushes her swiftly, standing up and cornering her against the kitchen counter, slipping between her legs hanging from the high stool and placing his arms on the counter on either side of her body. Their breaths mix. “Please, let me do it.”

“I mourned you, Aegon,” Annika reminds him. “It hurt, what you did. How you laughed when that woman at the store mistook us for a couple. How you looked me in the eyes and said that what we had was all in my head. It was humiliating. That's why I left, because you hurt me. And after all that, you blame me for not reaching out for you? How can you say that?”

“I would have hurt you worse if you hadn't left, and you know it,” he says. He doesn't ask for permission either when he delicately strokes the tip of the jewelled nipple with care, and Annika hisses, hypersensitive as ever, melting in his hands. He smiles. “There it is. That’s my sweet girl. My favourite girl.”

She doesn't say anything and covers her mouth when he leans and catches her nipple between his teeth carefully. He knows how she likes it best, and the taste of the soft flesh mixed with the metallic aftertaste it’s exceedingly erotic. It's so intense that she has to close her legs together immediately as she feels that tingling sensation, although his body doesn't allow it. The way she feels stimulated inside and out is almost unbearable, and she unconsciously puts her hand through her shorts because she knows Aegon will spend a while playing with her before even doing anything.

When she tries to ease that discomfort, Aegon grabs her wrist and removes her hand from her shorts. She shivers when she loses contact, but he brings her fingers to his mouth to suck them clean, and Annika breathes heavily.

“Please,” she implores, grabbing him by the neck. He knows she's not asking him to fuck her exactly; she's asking for more. She tiptoes, grabs his cheeks, and tries to make him look into her eyes. “Aegon, please.”

He grunts with difficulty. He shoves his hand inside her shorts, pulls her underwear to a side and, without warning, shoves two fingers in; she's so wet that it offers no resistance.

“Isn't this enough?” He asks, moving the way he knows she likes. Annika opens her mouth and moans against his lips, and through the refrigerator light, he sees her wet eyes and a tear sliding down her cheek. “Why isn't this enough, huh?”

Why am I not enough for you? If I were, maybe we could be.

“I want...”

“No,” he hisses to silence her and prevent her from finishing that sentence. “You want to come on my fingers, that's all. You want my body. And I want yours. That's it.”

No, it's not.

She shakes her head. He doesn't stop, feeling Annika's heart beating against his own chest and how she tightens around his fingers as she struggles to stay still and not make any loud noises.

“I want you,” she tells him, quickly and muffled in a moan, against his lips when she orgasms. Aegon kisses her and swallows the pathetic declaration she utters, holding her with the other hand to feel her close before she goes away forever, but she seems to read his mind. “It's me, Aegon. Me. I'm not going to leave, and I want you. And I want everything from you.”

He wishes he could say yes to her, but he doesn't. He can't do that to Helaena, no matter how much he desires the same. He has to sort out his life first. He's not going to stop drinking. He can't see himself working in his father's company, marrying her, having children. He can't see himself disappointing her over and over when he turns out not to be what she wants.

She wasn't raised for the conventional either. She also has an intense fear of abandonment that would make her do anything for him to stay. This ends in two ways; either she leaves when she realizes she made a mistake and hates herself for letting herself be hurt by him, or she becomes an unknown version that assembles and disassembles for his entertainment.

In both scenarios, he loses her. Physically and emotionally. Two sides of the same coin.

Aemond couldn't stand a relationship of so many years and cheated on Floris. Aemond. The perfect son, Aemond. The perfect boyfriend, Aemond. The gentleman who would propose as soon as he graduated from college, buy an apartment, provide for his family, and have Alicent's first grandchildren...

“Say something,” Annika begs him, pulling him out of the thoughts that have fallen one after the other like a row of dominoes. She clings to him while with the other hand she runs it over his bare torso. He hasn't realized that he no longer feels cold. “Aegon. Anything. Anything, please.”

He can't.

“This is who I am. This is what I can offer you.”

“I'm not a child anymore. I don't want to fly to another country to see each other in secret and act like a couple for two weeks just for you to discard me like trash and go fuck someone else when you’re bored of me.”

He’s never bored of her, though. He just drinks her away. Smokes her away. Fucks her away.

And he knows it's been enough when she sobs.

He puts his hands over hers and separates her from his body. Now he feels the cold of Aspen again. If there was mistletoe above their heads, it's most likely withered. He gives her a kiss on the forehead and wipes away the tears falling down her cheeks.

“I'll leave my door open,” he warns her as he walks toward his room without looking back. But he knows it's useless; Annika won't come.

He leaves her crying in the kitchen, silently, on Christmas Eve. Because that's the kind of person he is. Annika knows. She has always known. She has seen the girls crying in the kitchen before; this time is no different. She has seen the girlfriends he brought on family trips. How he runs them dry. How he breaks their souls.

But Aegon knows that Annika is not like them. He knows that Annika means much more than anyone else. And he knows he can't. He would feel like a bird trapped in a box. He would make her miserable...

He promised to her mother he wouldn’t.

And he knows she deserves something better.

“At least admit it,” she asks him, from the other end of the kitchen when he's about to cross the door. He doesn't turn to look at her. “At least admit that it was real.”

But he leaves nonetheless.

🧣⋆.ೃ࿔*:･⍣ ೋ *ੈ🎄‧₊˚ . *ੈ✩‧₊˚ ೃ࿐🌟

Freya died when Annika was fifteen, and Aegon seventeen. She had been diagnosed with one of those strange and lethal diseases a few months earlier. Aegon couldn't remember the name, but they had told him. He still doesn't know why to this day.

Perhaps because he was the eldest. Because Alicent had pushed him out first, a measly two years before Helaena, and two measly years before Freya gave birth to her daughter. Annika only found out about her mother's illness a month before she passed away. And when it started to get ugly, her parents sent her away. She couldn't be with her when she died, couldn't say goodbye, couldn't ever come to terms with it...

And she never found out that Aegon knew all along.

Alicent had always told him that he had to take care of his younger siblings and, by extension, Annika, who seemed more like a sister to Helaena than he ever was. Annika wiped Helaena’s tears and Annika fought Helaena’s bullies and even Aemond’s at times. Freya said that Annika could take care of herself, but she wouldn't object to having Aegon around. At times, Aegon might have felt that Freya was the only person who still saw him as the golden child and not as the boy who fucked up everything he touched. Freya would entrust Aegon with her most precious possession without a second thought.

But one day, on one of those days when she was pretending to be okay for her daughter's sake, she saw Aegon drinking his third glass of the evening and shook her head. She put a hand on his shoulder and sighed. “I'm not going to ask you to take care of her once I’m gone; it's not your responsibility. But it would hurt me a lot if you were the one who ends up hurting her.”

Two years later, he went off to college and said he wanted nothing to do with that damn debutante ball, but he made the damn mistake of attending anyway.

The rest is a story not fit for Christmas.

🧣⋆.ೃ࿔*:･⍣ ೋ *ੈ🎄‧₊˚ . *ੈ✩‧₊˚ ೃ࿐🌟

The holidays should be a time of love and peace, and yet, in the Targaryen Aspen retreat cabin, the only festive thing is the fact the atmosphere is as bitter as the mistletoe. Helaena, Logan, and Willa, the designated cooks and the only ones who seem to know how to use the stove and microwave, are the ones preparing breakfast. Floris sits on the windowsill, watching as the snow falls heavily and sticking to the ground outside. The noise of the television and the crackling fire is all that can be heard.

Aemond and Daeron play a game of express chess after setting things on the coffee table for breakfast. Aegon watches them while smoking a cigarette inside, much to Helaena's dismay, as he has no desire to step onto the icy exterior.

Annika is the last to appear, wearing those ridiculous fur boots and a pink Chanel sweater with a Camellia logo. Her steps and the sound of the two huge suitcases being dragged down the stairs make everyone look towards the staircase, desperate for someone to break the ice. She shrinks under the attention, very uncharacteristic of her, and Aegon sees Helaena and Floris exchange worried glances.

“What are you doing?” She asks, watching them prepare pancakes for breakfast.

“Breakfast,” Willa says. “Do you want coffee?”

She shakes her head. “No, I don't want coffee. I want to leave. The night has passed. I thought everyone would be ready to leave. Usually, I'm always the last to be ready.”

“You can't leave. The roads are filled with snow that probably no one will clear until after Christmas. There was a storm last night. It's not safe,” Logan reminds her, pointing to the TV where the weatherman urges residents and visitors to stay indoors until further notice. “Even if you could cross the road, there are no flights available.”

Annika smiles and takes off the sunglasses she was wearing. “No, I'll ask my dad to send his pilot, duh. I'm not taking any commercial flights. I wanted to ski for Christmas, and that's what I'm going to do. I'm going to the nearest place with snow and a sauna.”

Daeron and Aemond look at each other, aware that the unpleasant part of Annika is speaking. Something is wrong.

“Well, I don't want to leave. We're here already, we can make it worthwhile,” Hel tells her. Annika rolls her eyes.

“Fine, you stay. Floris?”

She opens her mouth and sighs. “It's not that I want to stay, but flying in these conditions... I don't know. It's only two more days. Maybe even tomorrow we can leave. I'm not going to risk it.”

“Great. I guess it's just me,” Annika grumbles, grabbing her suitcases. “Well, have fun, I suppose. Au revoir. Arrivederci. Goodbye. Chau.”

“I'll go,” Floris says, resigned, and walks behind her. Daeron does the same, and Aegon follows them out of pure curiosity. “Annika, you can't leave!”

“She's right, it's not safe!” Daeron shouts from the door. She has started to drag her suitcases down the stairs with difficulty, the stupid boots slipping on the ice. The car is covered in snow, and it will take her a while to clear it, not to mention that the snow keeps falling.

“Watch me!” She says, reaching the bottom of the stairs with the first suitcase. She holds onto the railing and makes the ascent again, slipping several times. Then she grabs the other suitcase.

“At least let me help you,” Daeron offers. He shakes off the cold and takes Annika's suitcase. She struggles for a moment, insisting she can do it, but he prevails and lifts it.

“Be careful,” Floris says, putting a hand to her mouth. “Annika, would you call when...?”

“Fuck!” Annika yells when she slips down the stairs. Aegon sees her lose balance and fall to her ass, hitting herself several times before reaching the stone path.

If he weren't concerned because he heard her hit her head against a step, he definitely would have burst into laughter. Floris also screams, shocked, and Daeron drops the suitcase in the snow to rush to help her.

“Annika!”

“Daeron, don't throw my suitcase in the damn snow!” She reproaches him, holding her head with one hand.

“Yeah, she’s okay,” Aegon deduces, descending the porch steps carefully. Annika doesn't even acknowledge his existence.

“What happened?” Helaena asks, coming out with the rest through the front door. “Oh, God. Are you alright?”

“I'm fine. I tripped,” she admits, defeated. Daeron and Floris take one of each arm and help her to her feet. When she stands and puts her weight on her feet, she begins to whimper in pain and holds onto both. “Ouch, ouch!”

“What's happening?” Daeron asks.

“My ankle!” She complains. “It hurts, hurts! Oh, God. What if it’s broken? What if I can't walk ever again?”

“Calm down. I don't think it's broken; if it were, you'd be crying,” Logan tells her, quickly descending the stairs. He replaces Floris' grip on one side of her body. “Can you put weight on it?”

“No, it hurts like a son of a bitch. Shit,” Annika moans, and Logan lifts her into his arms to take her back into the house. “Daeron! Bring my suitcases!”

He sighs but obeys. The last thing he wants is to bother her more than she already seems. Everyone enters behind Logan, and he takes her to the living room while Floris cleans the melting snowflakes from her hair.

Logan leaves her on the couch and sits in front of her on the coffee table, resting her foot on his lap. Without asking for permission, he tries to untie the boot, but he doesn't understand much about its operation. He tries to remove it with pressure, but she screams and writhes in pain.

“No, no! Don't do that!” She scolds him. “Damn it. I can't believe it.”

“I don't want to say I told you so, but I told you so,” Floris says, arms crossed. “Those boots are the death of you.”

“Maybe we just need to cut the boot off,” suggests Aemond.

Annika throws a cushion at him for the brutal idea.

“Not the Moschino. No!”

“It's probably just a sprain. But either we cut it off, or I could still trying to take it off and hurt you even more,” Logan tells her.

“I would sacrifice the boot,” Helaena tries to reason. “We can get another pair. You can't get another foot; that's for sure.”

“Kill me. Kill me now,” she says, bringing a cushion to her face and screaming into it. “Fine. Cut them. Kill them. Just do it quickly. I don't want to see.”

Helaena squeezes her shoulder, standing behind the sofa where Annika has put her head on the backrest and taken the cushion to her face. Willa hands Logan a knife, who puts it through the boot and tries to cut the material with considerable difficulty while Annika whimpers. If one were to see the scene from a distance, they would probably think they were cutting off her foot.

When he removes the boot and the thermal sock, everyone analyses the extremely swollen ankle with disgust.

“Is it bad?” She asks, removing the cushion from her face but not daring to speak. Aegon puts it back on her face, wrinkling his nose, but she hits him. “Don't touch me. Logan. Is it really bad?”

“Well...”

She opens her eyes wide. “Oh, my God!”

“Hey, don't worry,” he tries to calm her, patting her knee gently when she starts to cry. “You'll be fine. Painkillers, rest, and lots of ice. Everything will be fine; you'll be walking in—“

“Give it to me,” she reaches out her arms.

“What?” Logan asks, confused.

Aemond lightly hits his arm. “She means the boot.”

“The... The boot?”

Aegon nods. “Yes, she's crying over the boot.”

“It was so beautiful!” She exclaims when Willa hands it to her, and she hugs it with distress. “It's not fair. I bought them on our trip to Milan. They were the last pair. Do you remember, Flo? Do you remember how we were walking, and I saw them in the shop window, and...?”

Logan looks around, not understanding how no one seems surprised or confused by the girl's attitude. It's Daeron who whispers in his ear, “She cries over trivial things to avoid crying about what she really has to cry about. The odds of her being incredibly sore are very high, but she won't admit it.”

“Oh, well,” he scratches his neck, uncomfortable. “Bring her some ice. Try not to put weight on your foot for a while and keep it elevated.”

“Hey, look on the bright side. At least you didn't ruin your cashmere sweater,” Helaena says cheerfully. Willa frowns, observing her pink sweater for a moment.

“I want to go home,” she protests. “Why does everything have to happen to me?”

“It'll be okay. We'll have breakfast so you don't take a painkiller on an empty stomach, and you can try to leave when the swelling goes down,” Logan reassures her, getting up from the table and walking to the kitchen. Then he turns to Floris. “Yeah, she's not going anywhere. Not today, at least.”

Floris bites her lip, a little amused, and shakes her head. “A Christmas Eve to remember,” she says, and then helps everyone set the table for breakfast.

By mid–afternoon, everyone has had a few drinks and taken a dip in the indoor pool. Floris and Aemond maintain an incredibly mature distance, astonishing Aegon as he discusses it with Willa. Daeron seems to have become very friendly with Logan.

Annika didn't want to move, and in a sour mood stayed on the couch watching some stupid Christmas movie.

“They are cute,” Willa says, referring to Helaena and Logan. Her red curls are dripping water, and she holds onto the edge of the pool while sipping a sip of a daiquiri Aegon made for her.

“Whatever,” he says, rolling his eyes.

“Don't you like someone making her laugh? Daeron always says she's a pretty lonely person and has a hard time getting along with others.”

“Aren't we all?” He chuckles. “I guess... It's always us who bring our girlfriends home. I mean, if we don't count the little friend Daeron brought home at seven years old who started crying when he showed her Aemond's snake, and his mother picked her up half an hour later, you would officially be the first girl Daeron brought. And Aemond and Floris have been together forever. And I...”

“Bring a different girl to every gathering?” Willa laughs.

“Yeah, as pathetic as that sounds,” he continues. “The point is, Helaena has never brought anyone else but Annika. She's her person. We got so used to it that now it's weird to see her with someone else. I don't think any of us realized that one day we would meet her partner.”

“It's weird. They seem to have that confidence that makes you think they've known each other forever,” she ponders. “Anyway, it's nice that they get along. She can't be with Annika all the time, I think. Eventually, they'll have to find a significant other.”

He dips his head in the pool to avoid hearing the last words and then emerges, leaning his elbows on the pool's edge, rubbing the water off his eyes.

“And that will be a great day for everyone,” he sighs ironically. Willa inspects him carefully. “What?”

“Nothing,” she shrugs. “I mean... I'm very observant.”

“Yeah, I remember. A very curious little mouse, I told Daeron.”

“When we went to your house in San Francisco, do you remember the day it got really cold, and the airline had lost my luggage?”

“Hm, vaguely.”

“You gave me a sweater to wear while Daeron and I replaced my clothes.”

“I did?”

“Yes. You told me to be careful not to ruin it,” Willa tries to make him remember. “It was a pink cashmere sweater with a Camellia. Like the one Annika's wearing.”

Aegon bites his cheek. He knew he shouldn't lend the clothes Annika had forgotten at his apartment. Man, Annika never lends her clothes. How could he be so stupid?

“Sure... It's… It was mine. We bought it on sale. You know, two for the price of one,” he says, nervously laughing. He’s more worried about Annika finding out he lend her sweater. “It's very soft, much softer than any other fabric. I like wearing it. Yes. And I love pink. I have that sweater at home, and a lot of other pink clothes. I'd show you...”

“Aegon,” she sighs amused. “I'm not going to say anything.”

“You're not going to say anything about what?” He asks, trying not to sound mortified.

“You and Annika,” she murmurs, so only he can hear.

Aegon laughs. “There's no me and Annika.”

“You knew about her piercing, and she looked too worried when you mentioned it, but not surprised. Come on. I think everyone knows; they're just waiting for you two to say it and pretending not to know,” Willa tells him.

“There's nothing to say. It was... Nothing. Just something physical. It didn't mean anything.”

“What didn't mean anything?” Daeron asks, appearing out of nowhere behind Willa and hugging her around the waist. “Is Aegon bothering you?”

“I think I'm bothering him,” she says playfully.

He climbs onto the pool's edge, coming out of the water dripping, and walks to grab a towel without saying a word. After almost completely drying himself, he goes to the living room where Annika watches the Grinch, sitting in the same position they left her, with a blanket over her lap and ice over her head.

“He looks like you,” he tells her, ignoring the fact that he left her crying in the kitchen the night before. He always does that.

“I'm not in the mood,” she says, not moving her eyes from the screen. He peeks behind her and shakes his head to wet her. “Bite me.”

“Aren’t you a delight,” he says, taking a seat next to her. “Are you in pain?”

“No,” she replies, arms crossed and clearly a bit drowsy from the painkillers, without even looking at him.

“I thought we called on a truce.”

“I think we shouldn't talk at all,” she tells him. The indifferent tone stirs something acidic in Aegon's chest, and he squirms with sadness. “Oh, sorry. Was I too harsh?”

“I don't understand why you're angry. I should be angry. You gave me the blue balls. At least you got to finish.”

She looks at him and lets out a laugh. “I can't stand you.”

“Where do you think you're going?” He asks when he sees her trying to get up.

“Far away from you,” she says, being careful not to put weight on her foot. Aegon takes her arm and throws her back on the couch. She lets out a groan and wriggles, trying to escape his grip, but he holds her by the waist and presses her to his chest. “Let me go.”

“There’s something you need to know. Willa knows about us,” he warns, putting his mouth to her ear. She shifts uncomfortably. “It's just a matter of time before everyone finds out.”

“Then you kill her to keep the secret. God forbid someone finds out you touched me, or even looked in my direction.”

“Do you think that's the problem?” He asks, his palm resting on her stomach, lips against her neck. “You think I care if anyone finds out?”

“You made it pretty clear.”

“Do you want me to make you come again in this sofa where anyone could walk in and see us?” He asks, kissing her under the ear as he moves his hand from her navel to her centre. “You might understand that’s not what I’m worrying about, then.”

Annika hits his hand off and lets go of his grip. “No. I want you to leave. I'm serious. I don't want you to talk to me, look at me, or breathe in my direction. I don't want you near.”

He smiles crookedly. “Definitely harsh.”

“Go away. I can't go up the stairs, so I'm asking you to leave.”

She leans back against the backrest and covers herself with the blanket, resting her cheek on her hand. Aegon sighs in defeat. He’s not used to being rejected by her, if she ever got complicated usually some sweet talking and his fingers worked like charm to remedy her.

“Annika...”

“I don't want to hear your pathetic excuses,” she says. “You can take your blue balls and shove them in the snow as far as I’m concerned. And if you feel lonely, you have two hands.”

He looks at his hands.

It would hurt me a lot if you hurt her.

If he stays, he'll hurt her. If he leaves, he'll hurt her.

Freya was wrong. His mother, too. He can’t take care of her.

“Can I stay here and watch the movie at least?” He sighs, noticeably tired. She looks at him sideways and doesn't answer, but gives him a piece of her blanket. He settles a bit closer to her and curls up in his place, feeling a bit cold. “Do you want something to drink?”

“I want you to shut up.”

He nods. “Okay. Deal. I'll shut up.”

But he can't. He glances at her certain times, focused on the movie and looking as unhappy as ever. He clicks his tongue.

“You know...”

“No. I don't want to know.”

“Fine,” he nods again. Moves his leg frantically and manages to keep quiet for two full minutes. “But, if you think about it...”

Annika puts the TV on mute and turns to look at him. He stays silent when those green eyes haunt him. “It was real. It wasn't a waste of time. I wasn't just another one of your girls. It was different. It always has been. You were there, and it was real.”

“Of course, it wasn't a waste of time,” he starts saying. Freya's voice drills into his head. It would hurt me a lot if you hurt her. “And it was real.”

“And why don't you admit it?”

“What do you want me to admit?” He sighs, tired, and rests his cheek on the back of the sofa. Silver hair wets the green fabric, but he doesn't care.

“That you want me.”

“I can show you how hard I am so that –“

“That you love me,” she corrects.

He tries to escape, almost panicked, but she takes his cheeks and forces him to look at her. Her eyes are hypnotic. Her cheeks. Her skin. Her hair. The nose and eyelids reddened from crying so much because of him.

Of course, he does.

She's so close that their lips almost touch. He has leaned over her, because he does love her. Because she's right. And she no longer wants to run away... But he can't say it. However, he finds another way to be honest.

“I knew when your mother got sick,” he says, delicate as if confessing a sin. “I always knew. And she told me I shouldn't take care of you because you could take care of yourself, but that the idea of me hurting you would sadden her. I can’t do that to her.”

She leans back even though he tries to kiss her. She moves back so much that it cuts through his chest.

“What?” She gasps, not understanding. “What... What are you talking about? What does that even mean?”

And there's more. And there's so much you don't know. Because I've loved you since we were kids. Because I've taken care of you since we were kids. You don't have the right to treat me like a villain. I've always taken care of you. This time is no different.

“Aegon,” she calls him, in a sob. But he doesn't react, so she hits him in the chest. “Are you fucking kidding me? Why would you say something like that? Why would you even –“

“Because it's the truth. You wanted to know the truth. There it is,” he says. “We can't be together, Annika. I've learned to live with that, and you should too.”

🧣⋆.ೃ࿔*:･⍣ ೋ *ੈ🎄‧₊˚ . *ੈ✩‧₊˚ ೃ࿐🌟

Floris pours herself a glass of water while Aemond looks at her with a dangerously careful gaze. He has always been tough, since they were kids, and it worsened after the incident with his eye. The sapphire only makes him appear tougher, ruthless, even.

But Floris cannot see anything other than his good side. His heart. The way he cares about his family, even Annika, with whom he always had a somewhat distant relationship. He cares.

That's why it was strange when she found him with their professor. It wasn't strange to have packed her things and taken the next flight to move from one state to another in less than six hours though.

He didn't object.

It's the first time they see each other, and there's a lot to say. He sent her things, and everyone moved on. She doesn't know what happened to the apartment or that damn snake of his that wouldn't let her have a puppy because it might eat it.

“Floris,” he finally calls her. She can't look at him. She can't see the person who cares and matters to her, who would never have hurt her. It's a different person standing beside her. “Please, look at me. We need to talk.”

She shakes her head. “We don't need to talk.”

“We need to clear things up.”

She smiles ironically. “What do you want to clarify? You slept with a teacher multiple times over these past few years and brought her to my house, to my bed. Do you have a valid reason? Other than the fact that you obviously no longer love me?”

Aemond weighs it for a moment. And then nods.

“I do love you.”

She laughs. “Sure.”

“You're my best friend. The best I've ever had in my life.”

“And then? Why did you do this to me?” She asks. There's no anger in her tone, as if the anger had dissipated after the exhaustive conversation with Annika, who she covered in snot and vomit. It's curiosity, no more, no less. It's intrigue.

“It has nothing to do with you.”

“I know I have my issues, but I firmly believe I've never done anything to hurt you. Not intentionally at least. I haven't been a bad girlfriend or a bad friend either. So, I ask you again, if you love me, why did you do this to me?”

“Because I love you,” he nods. “It's easy for me to love you, Flo. It's warm, and you feel like home to me. But I'm not a kid anymore, and neither are you. Adults have to leave their homes to create their own paths.”

Her eyes fill with tears. “I thought we were happy.”

“We were. I am. And I really don't want to lose you... But I cannot keep doing this,” he sighs, and gently takes her hand. “I'm sorry. It was stupid. And I don't think you can forgive me, but...”

“You're right, I can't,” she tells him, sniffing. “You should have told me what you felt when you felt it. You shouldn’t have let me waste all this past years. We could have found a solution; we did when, you know… Or we could have... –“

“Flo, there was nothing else to do. We tried everything,” Aemond tells her, a bit firmer now. “You don't love me in that way either. I know you, and I'm sorry. I've felt this distance between us for a while. You're not happy in Boston. You're happier with Annika and Helaena in New York. You would be happier if you had a dog instead of a snake. You would be happy if you explored a bit of who you are and what you want to be besides me.”

She sobs. “How am I supposed to go on after this?”

Aemond knows she might not, but maybe, after all, it's the only way for her to understand that between them, there's nothing but the love they've outgrown. Childish, puppy love.

“I'm sorry. It was stupid. And I'm not even seeing her. I guess I needed a getaway car, and that's the one I found... I guess you'll have to be the better person here and forgive me. It will take time, but I hope you know that I really mean it when I say I regret what I did to yoy.”

Floris clicks her tongue and rubs her face with her hands. “Well, you never apologized for anything. So I guess you are saying the truth. But it only makes me feel worse because this means you screwed up big time and you’re aware of it.”

He lets out a little laugh and leans in to kiss her on the forehead. “You taught me a lot. More than anyone else in my life. You gave me everything you could, and it's time for both of us to move on with what we taught to each other. When you're ready, when you're at peace... I hope I can be your friend again. Because I can't bear the thought of you not being in my life anymore.”

She understands what he means. Not in a romantic way, but they know each other too well. No one will ever know him so much, and vice versa. No one will ever live what they lived together.

“I’m always gonna love you,” she confesses. Again, not in a romantic way, but there's no need to clarify that.

Aemond tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. “I’m always gonna love you, too.”

“I need time. A lot. When I go back to New York, I'm going to transfer a university there. I fell behind a bit, but I'll catch up. I'll go to therapy, and I'll learn to forgive you. But I don't want to see you for a while.”

It hurts him almost as much as the pain that sometimes paralyzes half of his face.

But he knows he deserves it.

“You'll be fine,” he tells her. “You were always… Resilient. More so than me.”

“I know,” Flo smiles. “I’ll be fine. I got my girls with me.”

#aegon ii targaryen #fanfic #hotd #christmas au #aemond targaryen #aegon ii fanfic #aemond x fem!reader #team green #aegon targaryen fanfic #Aegon Targaryen smut #im never gonna love again #hotd modern au #daeron targaryen #daeron the daring #helaena targaryen #asoiaf #got #aegon x oc #annika lannister

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atopvisenyashill · 2 years ago

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my asoiaf crack ships

Jon/Sam/Gilly i KNOW the forced baby switching makes this uncomfortable i don't care they have my heart!!

Jon/Aegon Vi listen, beyond my jokey "jon finally finds a hot single twink to smush only to find out they're brothers" take, i think given all of jon's bastard baby brother issues re: robb colliding with general targ gender & sexuality fuckery AND aegon's short fuse + raised by a proud gay dad + is dornish and they're less uptight about that shit has the ability to give me a homoerotic toxic spiral to rival visaemon and throbb and i will hold onto this until i'm dead and buried

Jon/Arianne i just want my faves to smush + "we were both in love with the same man" bicon duos are my favorites

Aegon IlI/Gaemon Palehair i know there's a wonky age difference but it's bc george is a coward and he knew if they were the same age they would have kissed on the mouth

Willas/Ellaria they bond over both being lovers of Oberyn and missing him (Willas/Oberyn isn't a crackship they're friends in canon i’m justified in having a crackship offshoot for a non canon ship alright!!!)

Baela/Cregan my opinion on the pact of ice and fire is that instead of being this vague thing where Jace's theoretical first born daughter goes North, Baela has to marry Cregan even tho the regents hate the idea of this and she winds up defying them, which gets her cut out of politics, the succession, and generally pariah-ed in the South. Then she never has a living child with Cregan after all that. It just makes way more sense to me that Cregan would want a Targ now and not in the theoretical future (plus you still have the pact thing re: the main series bc they never have a living child, and Jace doesn't actually get to crown Sara)

Black Aly/Alyn Oakenfist they both love a war crime, they're opposites aesthetically so it would look hot, plus I think "i left my culture, my religion, and my home to be with you only for you to constantly cheat on me including with your incredibly young Valyrian relative" is less aggravating and more tragic if its Black Aly instead of Baela "is vastly superior to everyone yet is constantly cheated on by her shit ass, mid lovers" Targaryen

Grey Worm/Jeyne Poole i had a dream where Grey Worm and a large band of unsullied decided to stay in the North after the war for the dawn and they fell in love due to shared history of extreme trauma and Sansa gave Jeyne away and helped Grey Worm design a coat of arms for the marriage cloak and now I’m attached to this idea.

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topazadine · 10 months ago

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Writerly Questionnaire

Thanks to @the-golden-comet for the tag! I enjoyed reading your answers, especially the part about your characters!

Alright, here goes.

About Me

When did you first start writing?

I wrote my first story at age 7, started my first book at age 12 (no you can't read it, it's terrible) and published my first poem at age 15.

Are the genres/themes you enjoy reading different from the ones you write?

Despite writing fantasy, I actually don't read much of it myself. My undergrad career focused most on British literature (specializing in Victorian lit) so that's what I'm most familiar with and what I like the most.

Is there an author (or just a fellow writer!) you want to emulate, or one to whom you’re often compared?

I don't really seek to emulate anyone because I have my own unique voice, and I don't really get compared to anyone else either. If you have suggestions of what I might sound like, fire away lmao, because I don't really know who I emulate. However, I take a lot of inspiration from Willa Cather for atmosphere and Emile Zola for realism.

Can you tell me a little about your writing space(s)? (Room, coffee shop, desk, etc.)

I exclusively write at my desk. My setup looks like this:

I need my little guys and my Emotional Support Stuffed Cow (her name is Bluebell the Moobell because she has a little bell in her). Note the knitting I'm procrastinating on at the bottom right lmao.

What’s your most effective way to muster up some muse?

Funnily enough, I often get inspiration from my day job as an SEO writer, even though it has absolutely nothing to do with the types of stuff I write. Sometimes I'll just be hammering away at a Construction Accident Personal Injury Lawyer page and it strikes me that I need to kill one of my characters.

Did the place(s) you grew up in influence the people and places you write about?

Sort of. I have this thing I do where I like to mentally walk through buildings I used to visit as a relaxation activity, like my childhood elementary school, so that's given me a good memory of how places are laid out. As for actual settings? No, most of those are just made up of pictures I've seen of different places that I've never visited.

Are there any recurring themes in your writing, and if so, do they surprise you at all?

Some of my recurring themes include: Degradation/transformation of memory Struggling against fate/the unknowability of fate Found family Abusive relationships Moral relativism Satisficing (choosing between multiple suboptimal outcomes to pick the least harmful option) None of them surprise me; I recognize where they come from. For example, my obsession with the degradation and transformation of memory comes from my own struggles with dissociative amnesia, and my interest in satisficing comes from my International Relations degree. My concerns about the unknowability of fate come from the fact that I had a premonition that I'd die of a heart attack at 42. And I'm 32 right now. You can imagine that this influences my process lmao.

My Characters

Would you please tell me about your current favorite character? (Current WIP, past WIP, never used, etc.)

As a lesbian, I am not ashamed to say that I am deeply and passionately horny for Uileac (who you can meet in "Cachaille" or read about in 9 Years Yearning). Like how can you not go crazy for a man who thinks this is the perfect declaration of love?

He's so scary and so devoted, yet also very chill and laid-back? And funny? And athletic? And protective of his lil sis? He's just ... (screams into pillow)

Which of your characters do you think you’d be friends with in real life?

Ono. He's a Sinan royal guard who is just so sweet but also kinda dumb.

There's a scene where he has to ask Cerie what kind of menstrual products she needs for their trip, which is both mortifying and really adorable. He's just a really gentle and nice guy who I think would get along with damn near everyone.

Which of your characters would you dislike the most if you met them?

I think Mordrek would scare the absolute shit out of me ngl. Like ... bro just ... does this kind of shit on the regular

Tell me about the process of coming up with of one, all, or any of your characters.

Uileac, Orrinir, and Ono were heavily inspired by Uguisumaru, Ookanehira, and Omokage from Touken Ranbu and I don't apologize for that. Obviously they are a bit different, but their personalities are quite similar. Cerie was developed from a roleplay where I was playing as Uguisumaru's made-up sister, so that's why she's Uileac's sister in Poesyverse. Haniya, Cerie's love interest, was made up by using personality testing and astrology to come up with Cerie's Perfect Match. No one knows where Mordrek came from. He just kinda showed up.

Do you notice any recurring themes/traits among your characters?

They all have daddy issues. Every single fucking one of them.

How do you picture them? (As real people you imagined, as models/actors who exist in real life, as imaginary artwork, as artwork you made or commissioned, anime style, etc.)

All the art I have for my characters was made with AI before I realized AI was absolute garbage shit, so I'm not showing it, but I did commission a painting of Cerie from the amazing artist Caleb over on Twitter:

My Writing

What’s your reason for writing?

For me, that's kind of like asking why a bird sings. It's just what I do and what I have always done.

Is there a specific comment or type of comment you find particularly motivating coming from your readers?

Definitely when someone says that my writing helped them or resonated with them. My writing gives me catharsis and it feels really good when other people say they got that same sense of catharsis.

How do you want to be thought of by those who read your work? (For example: as a literary genius, or as a writer who “gets” the human condition; as a talented worldbuilder, as a role model, etc.)

As someone who takes risks that pay off.

What do you feel is your greatest strength as a writer?

Depicting trauma without being melodramatic.

What have you been frequently told your greatest writing strength is by others?

People have told me they like how meticulous and carefully set up my stories are without infodumping or being boring. They appreciate the work that goes into planning things, how it all pays off in the end and comes together nicely without plot holes.

How do you feel about your own writing? (Answer in whatever way you interpret this question.)

I think I've come a long way and continue to improve, which is what is most important.

If you were the last person on earth and knew your writing would never be read by another human, would you still write?

The last Kauaʻi ʻōʻō still sang until the end. So yes.

When you write, are you influenced by what others might enjoy reading, or do you write purely what you enjoy? If it’s a mix of the two, which holds the most influence?

I write whatever the hell I feel like when I feel like it. People tend to like it, but if they don't, I enjoyed making it anyway.

Open tag!

#writers on tumblr #creative writing #writing #writing community #writing game #oc game #oc character #my ocs #tag game #tagging game #tag meme #my writing #literature #writeblr #writerscommunity

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writing-rat · 2 years ago

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Enid's Changes

Pairing: Wednesday x Enid

Warnings: None

Summary: Enid presents. Wednesday wants to know as what but knows it's rude to ask so she doesn't

It was a week after Nevermore started again after the incident with the hyde, where Bianca and Wednesday killed the pilgrim, where Enid changed into a werewolf and where Weems nearly died. She survived thankfully. It was different this semester however. Enid’s group of friends and herself were more respected, which Wednesday didn’t like. They were still threatened at least.

Wednesday wasn’t concerned about that however. She was more concerned about Enid because she was different. She was acting different and she was definitely taller. That was what lead wednesday to making a new page in a locked book so that Enid didn’t know she was conducting research. The first notes were how tall she had gotten from 5’5 to 5’8. The shorter girl had noticed it because she was looking up at Enid more than usual. That bugged her, but she also found it quite hot. She would never admit it however, that would ruin her reputation. That’s when she went to the library at night and snuck out some werewolf books.

Enid was asleep when Wendesday came back so Wednesday had time to hide the book. She was thankful for that admittedly as she didn’t want to tell Enid what she was doing due to it involving her. She went to sleep after that. The next night Wednesday would be alone, Yoko and Enid were having a sleepover after all. Currently Wednesday was laid back in her bed with a book. It was ‘Frankenstein’, one of her favourites, when she glanced over at Enid grabbing a shirt out that she had never seen before. “New shirt?” she asked, raising an eyebrow. “Yep! Do you like it?” Enid wondered, a bit self conscious admittedly. It was a pink shirt with a dog playing ball on it after all.

“I don’t like it personally,” Wednesday responded. Enid looked dejected. “But it suits you,” Wednesday reassured. If Enid had her tail out right at that moment, it would be wagging.

“Really Willa? Thank you!” She exclaimed and jumped before she was starting to change. Wednesday meanwhile continued to read before Enid said bye. Wednesday went to respond but Enid was already gone. Wednesday sighed in relief before she was grabbing the werewolf book and was looking at the sections. She slowly started to read it.

Another change that Wednesday noticed was how Enid was with other wolves and even her friends. She seemed to have more control over them, and wasn’t teased as much. This unnerved Wednesday due to how the wolves treated her when she first came. Sure she punished a few wolves, but not enough for everyone to fear her yet. Currently Enid was passing the wolves table when a wolf got up immediately and went over. Wednesday, watching from the fountain, started to make notes quickly as she was knowing she’d remember hat happened already btu she wanted to write it while it was happening. She was wanting to hear but knew she couldn’t, which made her infuriated. She instead watched the body language as that would be deemed good enough. Enid looked uncomfortable. Just as she was about to help, the other wolf looked down and quickly left before Enid was walking to her friends, her confidence rising.

Meanwhile the wolf that had talked to her looked dejected, which made Wednesday curious. She would have to watch more. She soon went over to Enid’s table, and sat down next to her ignoring the others. She was sat there peacefully, staying still and just listening. Bianca then decided to tease her rival, smirking. “So the mighty Addams finally decided to join us,” Bianca teased, flashing her teeth. Wednesday snapped back. “I don’t believe myself to be better than anybody unlike you,” she responded, looking at Bianca deeply. Bianca just glared back, smirking.

“Oh really? Remember when you sa-” Bianca was about to retort when Enid cut in.

“Stop fighting both of you, you can both get along,” Enid growled out. Growling? That’s new. Both of them did shut up immediately, Wednesday looking normal while Bianca was feeling guilty. “Now apologise and make up,” Enid added on.

“I am sorry Wednesday. I won’t tease Wednesday anymore unless we are fencing,” Bianca apologised immediately. Wednesday just glared, before Enid was looking at Wednesday and quirked an eyebrow. Wednesday rolled her eyes. “Wednesday,” Enid warned out. She heard the danger in Enid’s voice. “I am sorry Bianca. I shall retort to your petty comments while fencing,” Wednesday apologised.

She saw how everyone was respecting Enid much more. Enid was quick to lighten up, but Wednesday was a flustered mess.

Enid had been having voice cracks for a few weeks halfway into the term, and Wednesday couldn’t help be shocked. She kept listening however to Enid whenever she spoke, noticing how her voice would be soft then it would crack and go deeper, sounding more like a growl at times. Wednesday would shiver each time, but then the voice would become soft again. She was also noticing how Enid was quickly becoming more muscly. Enid actually had to get new shirts, to which Wednesday helped pay with. The taller wolf had tried to reject originally until she realised that Wednesday would not budge.

Wednesday meanwhile had kept notes of how she had to get new shirts and also the voice cracks and how she was growing muscle easily. She looked back at the werewolf book and it kept showing towards alpha. The only problem was that she couldn’t check if she was actually an alpha because she would have to check for a bulge, and she didn’t want to make her best friend turned crush uncomfortable. She also wasn’t wanting Enid to think she was a creep. She was currently at her desk, writing when Thing popped up. ‘I followed Enid around. She went to the shop and got some boxers for some reason. Can I have my hand lotion now?’ Thing tapped out. Sighing, Wednesday handed it over before she was writing down ‘getting boxers’ in her notes. That was enough proof, right? No, it couldn’t be. She knew how Yoko wore boxers because they were more comfortable apparently. She was soon starting to look up when she heard the doorhandle and quickly chucked her notebook under the floor before she was starting to write again.

“Hey Willa,” Enid greeted, yawning as she threw her bag down and flopped on her bed. “Sinclair,” she greeted back with her usual tone. She was blushing red however, her voice fully turning deeper. Enid just smiled as she stared at the back of the smaller girl. Soon, Wednesday stood up and cracked her neck then stretched before she stared back at Enid, jumping once she saw Enid in a shirt and a pair of boxers. “Sorry, I’m just so hot. I swear the AC better be fixed soon,” Enid apologised profusely. What caught Wednesday’s attention however was a bulge. Enid was unaware, before she glanced down and immediately covered it. “You are ok with that right?” she asked.

“You are an alpha,” Wednesday breathed out. Enid blinked in surprise but nodded. “Yeah… Willa, are you ok?” she asked confused. Wednesday nodded.

“I have been watching you since the start of term wondering if you was an alpha. That just proves it,” Wednesday explained. Enid just chuckled.

“No wonder I saw you staring in wonder and awe sometimes,” Enid hummed out before she was looking at the smaller girl. “I thought you just had a crush on me,” Enid teased. Wednesday blinked in shock. “And how would you react?” she asked, hiding her nervousness as much as possible.

“I would accept. You are my mate after all, and I know you like me,” Enid remarked, standing up and going to the short girl. Wednesday looked up, before she was suddenly picked up. Enid had a wolfish smirk. “So, what do you say? Be my mate?” Enid asked. Wednesday nodded, before she leaned in and kissed her gently. Enid was holding her easily as she kissed her, before slowly pulling away. “Want to go on date in the forest tomorrow night? It is a full moon and I wonder if you want to go on a picnic before it then allow me to study your wolf form,” Wednesday asked. Enid grinned and nodded.

“My little researcher,” Enid teased, kissing Wednesday on the nose. Wednesday blushed hard. She could get used to this.

#wenclair #ratboy writing #wednesday #wednesday x enid

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hallwayxxchronicles · 1 month ago

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Well…here we go..

September 12th:

I’m supposed to keep a journal (or a diary) for the school year. Our history teacher, Mrs. Whitmore, has us do it for some project. We’re learning about Anne Frank and The Holocaust this semester. We have to write three times a week, which is a lot (If anyone will remember), but we can write about anything - our day-to-day life, school, thoughts - just like Anne. She said journaling will help us “connect with history personally.” Kinda like an 8th grade when you write a letter to yourself at the beginning of the school year and open it at the end of the year. “Just effort and consistency” is all Mrs. Whitmore wants (Thank god because my spelling and grammar needs a lot of work)

Our journals will be used to create an exhibit about personal storytelling and history. That makes sense, but I don’t think documenting my life is thrilling. Writing about my life is a huge commitment. Does she think I have that much to say? (I don’t)

Anne wrote about the war, her life when she was hiding with her, and important moments she went through. She wasn’t just a name in a textbook. She was a teenager, just like us. I had no idea Anne was younger than me, and she had no idea what was coming. My biggest struggle was picking what outfit to wear, jeans or a skirt (I wore jeans. I’m sweating now, so mistakes were made). We get extra credit if you give your diary a name. Should I give this a name? Anne called her diary “kitty” (cute name) as if she were writing letters to a friend, but naming it would make it more personal. I don't know if I want this to be personal. Not yet, at least.

Today was typical (annoying, mostly dull, and way too long). Rachel gave me a ride and wouldn’t stop singing along with the radio, so I was off to a bad start this morning. I love my older sister, but she’s so loud in the morning. I was already in a mood by the time she dropped me off. Willa was ranting about something that happened between Ester and Sylvia. I wasn’t listening; I was too busy inhaling my breakfast cereal before the bell rang (Note to self: Check the school milk). Laurel almost fell asleep in English; we were listening to a book on audio, and the reader was putting everyone to sleep. School went on as usual - I spent most of my class time staring at the clock (It didn’t make the day go faster). At least history was fascinating.

That’s enough for my first entry. This is probably going to get boring fast. Maybe by the end of the year, I’ll like writing in my journal…or I’ll get better at complaining.

- Rosie

#highschoolstories #studentlife #yastory #meetrosie #diary #journal #shortstory #writers community #fictionwriting

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cleverhottubmiracle · 3 months ago

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38 Anna Delvey‘s latest gig? Dinner hostess! Since rising to fame for previous scams, Delvey’s been on strict house arrest in NYC’s West Village—that is, until now. With renewed access to the city, she kicked off 2025 by throwing a sleek dinner party with Selleb‘s Chloe and Claire Lee at The Seagram Building’s The Grill. Ahead of the event, Delvey—and bestie and business partner Kelly Cutrone—sat down with The Daily Front Row to chat about Delvey’s hosting era, New York Fashion Week plans, and her upcoming fashion brand! How did you ring in the new year?Anna Delvey: It’s been great. We stayed in the city. We went to Kelly [Cutrone]’s daughter Ava’s house party in her boyfriend’s cute apartment. Then we went out to The Standard to other friends’ penthouse party. It was my first New Year not being on house arrest in a couple of years. New Year’s is overrated. Kelly Cutrone, Ivy Getty, Chloe Lee, Anna Delvey, Claire Lee, and Justin Moran You’re no longer under strict house arrest, and you’ve been out in NYC more! What are some of your favorite hotspots, restaurants, or shops you’ve visited in the city recently?Delvey: I’ve been going to Via Carota quite a lot. It’s a cute Italian spot, [and] just happens to be close to the courthouse I’ve been going to. Shuko is a nice omakase spot. So many of my friends don’t like sushi, so it’s hard to find people to go with. Westville for lunch and everyday stuff. I don’t really shop in-person anymore. I’ve been shopping more in LA than I did here in New York City. I just buy stuff online. I did go to What Goes Around Comes Around. Kelly [Cutrone] is here, too, so you get two for the price of one! Timo Weiland, Ivy Getty, and Anna Delvey Speaking of dining, Anna, you’re hosting a private dinner with Selleb at The Grill—chic! How did that collaboration come about?Delvey: It’s one of the first dinners I’ll be hosting without being on house arrest. The sisters [Chloe and Claire Lee] have been in touch. They were trying to reach out for a while, [but] it was never a good time; I was on house arrest, I was upstate. The timing is right now, and [I’m] excited to do something together. Justin Moran, Ivy Getty, Claire Lee, Willa Bennett, Chloe Lee, Anna Delvey What will you serve your guests?Delvey: I’ll be cooking myself! [Laughs] We’ll have crab or salad. For entrées, people will be able to choose between sea bass and filet mignon. Sides [are] cottage fries, wild rice, and grilled broccoli. For dessert, there’s going to be a berry tart. The Grill When you’re hosting events in the city versus at home, how do you choose what to wear?Delvey: When I’m out, I can wear a coat and boots. You don’t get to wear that inside. I’m excited about that, because I love coats. I’m glad I have a chance to wear all my coats out, now that I’m out and about. Going out is a lot more about outerwear and shoes, and you don’t get to do that inside of an apartment—because eventually, you take your shoes off. Justin Moran, Anna Delvey, Kelly Cutrone Let’s talk fashion. Is it true you’re releasing your own clothing line—and what would that look like?Delvey: It would look like nothing [Laughs]. That’s the punchline [from Dancing with the Stars]. I’ve been toying with the name “Nothing.” There’s a lot that can be done with that word play. I don’t want to say too much yet. We’re exploring a couple of options. We planning on releasing a little drop. We have those cute tote bags that we designed. We’re going to be releasing a very shortly, and maybe T-shirts. We’re working on a bigger thing that’s too early to talk about yet. Winter’s here, and spring is coming up. What are some pieces in your wishlists right now, or any winter must-haves?Delvey: I’m into coats. I’ve been like buying lots of coats recently. I am looking at a couple of pieces from Alexander McQueen. I used to have a lot of stuff by him—but now, all of that is old. Burgundy is a color I’m trying to get into. I had a shoot recently, [where] everyone kept saying how great it looked. I have so much black and gray, so I’m trying to diversify my color palette, and people insist I look good in burgundy—so I’m looking at some burgundy pieces. Are there any specific coats you’re loving?Delvey: I like Max Mara. They’re a staple, they have great quality. COS for more fast fashion vibes. Fabiani Filippi—I’ve got the short coat I might be wearing. I like Rick Owens, but that’s more for jackets. Max Mara Spring 2025 COS Spring 2025 Will you be out at New York Fashion Week this season? You seem runway ready!Delvey: Yes! I’m going to be with a collective show by four Thai designers. [It’s] called One Night in Bangkok, [with] Matter Makers, Merge, VICKTEERUT, and Vinn Patararin. I am in talks with some other brands to walk for them. Everyone is deciding on the schedule, so I can’t commit to anything where it’s going to be a conflict. You have a close friendship with Kelly Cutrone, who you’ve also hosted 3 fashion shows with in the past. How did you two meet?Delvey: I was on Call Her Daddy, and Alex Cooper asked me, “What made you move to New York?” I was like, “Off the top of my head, I was watching The City and Kell On Earth and I thought fashion PR was so cool. I guess Ava heard it, and she told Kelly, and then we started this back and forth on people’s podcasts. Cutrone: My daughter is almost 23 now, so she was probably 20 at the time. I came downstairs, and she goes, “Oh my god, mom, you’re on Call Her Daddy.” I was like, “For what? What am I doing on Call Her Daddy? Then she’s like, “Anna Delvey said that you’re the reason she moved to New York.” A couple months later, Leah McSweeney, she [was on] Married to the Mob and RHONY, I did her podcast. In between that time, Anna had thrown a party on her rooftop when she was on house arrest, and I wasn’t invited. We hadn’t talked yet. I just knew that she had said that on Call Her Daddy. I’m on Leah’s podcast, and she said, “Oh my god, I heard that you’re the reason why Anna Delvey moved to New York—but meanwhile, she didn’t even invite you to her birthday party!” I thought it would be funny to pay homage to [entertainer] Al Goldstein on Leah McSweeney’s podcast, and I said, “F-ck you, Anna Deley, f-ck you!” Delvey: Then Cat Marnell forwarded me the clip. Cutrone: We met a month later, and then we decided to do that iconic show together with Outlaw Agency. After that, we became friends, and I had a lot of love and respect for her. We accomplished something even greater than we thought it would be. From there, a friendship developed. I was like, “What are you doing here? Why don’t you just move upstate to my house?” because she was still in house arrest. I thought it was shit to be on house arrest in New York City, in the East Village, and you can’t leave, and we have a lot of property up here. I was like, “You can be in nature, and it would be cool, and you can walk around outside and see animals.” So, she came up, and what was going to be a short stay developed into this partnership and friendship, and at this point it’s family. I’m a social person, but I’m pretty part of it, and Anna’s part of our family. The good thing is, I get to be a good guy next to her! I’m just using her so I look like this sweet little thing, finally, after all these years! Anna, what’s the best advice Kelly’s given you?Delvey: To stay true to myself and not let people define who you are, and not let negativity put me in a new prison. If you listen to everyone and you keep looking over your shoulder, it’s so easy to get stuck and not do anything. Cutrone: Not to let the negativity put her in a new prison, and to stay strong. She’s smart, she’s great. That, and don’t hang out with posers! I’ve taught her how to set a table, and her cooking skills have increased dramatically since knowing me. And she helps me figure out tech! Anna Delvey and Kelly Cutrone You had a memorable exit from Dancing with the Stars last fall. Do you have plans to return to reality TV anytime soon?Delvey: I don’t think I’m gonna be asked back [to Dancing with the Stars]. Cutrone: First of all, we would have to do it in order. We would have to kidnap Julianne Hough, and then we would have to get rid of Carrie [Ann Inaba]. It would be too much work for her to do that! [Laughs] We’re starting a media project that we’re taking out. We’ve been developing it slowly here at the house, and we have hundreds of hours of footage, and we’ve been putting it together. We’re working with a pretty established production company, where we will co-executive produce our project. It’s like Green Acres for people in Gucci boots. You have many creative outlets—we’ve heard you have a memoir in the works, and you also sell your artwork as well. What are some projects you have coming up in 2025?Delvey: I’m still working on my art. I am working on a new collection now. We’re launching photography prints with some of the photographers I’ve been working with, like Oliver Halfin and and Jasper [Soloff]. I’m going to customize them. That’s going to launch early next week, the first batch. I’m working on my book. It didn’t feel like the right time; I wanted to do something after I got out of prison. I didn’t want to write about the crimes or the past, because it’s really hard to move on when people keep asking you [about it]. I needed a healthy distance, and having done something else in my life rather than just talking about the past. I have a lot written, it’s just disconnected. I’m starting to work with a new agency; we’re probably going to release the news shortly. I’m trying to focus on one big project, which is hopefully going to be the brand. All images: Cobrasnake Subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date on all the latest fashion news and juicy industry gossip. // Allow detecting when fb api is loaded. function Deferred() var self = this; this.promise = new Promise( function( resolve, reject ) self.reject = reject; self.resolve = resolve; ); window.fbLoaded = new Deferred(); window.fbAsyncInit = function() FB.init( appId : '374762726405868', autoLogAppEvents : true, xfbml : true, version : 'v3.0' ); window.fbLoaded.resolve(); ; (function(d, s, id) var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = " fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); (document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk')); Source link

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norajworld · 3 months ago

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chilimili212 · 3 months ago

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the-morningstar-family · 3 months ago

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Alright, I am sad and angry and have one last desperate idea to save Willa:

Oh Sera...

Hi, yeah, thanks for landing an ear. Who am I? A friend of Lucifer's, one you can't just shut up and send back to hell so open your ears and listen!

Diwn there in the hotel YOUR exorcists tried to destroy is currently a little boy who is watching his mother slowly die! A strong woman who is dear to so many people and whose impending death is ripping them apart.

Lucifer can't heal her. He can't even ease her suffering because he hasn't been able to access his healing powers since he came up to Heaven to safe one of YOUR souls from suffering.

And you thought yourself just and in the right for this because she has proven herself worthy of heaven and therefore doesn't deserve to suffer.

But Willa doesn't have that possibility! She is a hell hound, she can never ascend to Heaven, she will simply cease to exist.

Heaven has brought nothing but pain and suffering to Hell.

Is that what you have become, Sera?

An agent of torment and doom?

And before you start, it doesn't matter that the exorcists didn't target Hellborn. Do you really think that they were able to live their lives like nothing was happening during your slaughter?

I was once told that Heaven was about loving gof first and foremost. And second, before all else, to love each other.

For one little boy you could be a beacon of hope and love.

You could show them Heaven's mercy and light.

One life might not seem much in the grand scheme of things, but for Willa, for her son, for her friends, it would mean all.

And for your brother as well.

Suddenly a portal opens into the middle of the lobby. And three angelic beings step out. Much to the dropping jaws of everyone there.

One, a rather aggressive exorcist with only one arm that makes Vaggie frown deeply. Lute. Then a Seraphim, standing tall and regal. Sera. And finally, a woman with ears, looking slightly worse for wear, yet still graced with a kind smile. Neither Vaggie or Charlie know her, not to mention Angel and Husk.

Husker, mumbling: "The fuck...?"

Angel: "Fucking - not ta be pissin' on ya parade but we kinda have no patience for blood-thirsty angels-"

Sera: "I assure you, angel dust, we are not here to bring trouble"

Angel: "Well ya- wait wait, why-"

Charlie: "Sera! I'm so sorry, we're just really - really swamped with some stuff-"

The seraphim regards her. The Princess needed a few moments to intervene, likely to try and make her tear stained face and puffy red eyes less obvious. With little success.

Sera: "I have some idea. We became a rather strange message from an outside source. Would you be so kind and point us to your father?"

Charlie: "I.... Please be I mean - please knock, and wait if he asks you to-"

Lute: "Do you think we don't know manners?!"

Vaggie, stepping between: "Some might."

Sera: "Lute"

With a huff the soldier goes back in line. But the other angel looks quite tired.

Charlie: "Well. He's on the top floor, the last bedroom from the stairs..."

Sera: "May Lute and Theodora wait here?"

Charlie: "Oh! Of course! Do you want something to drink or-"

The Princess continues being an over enthusiastic host, as Sera walks to were she got pointed to.

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t1oui · 2 years ago

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An official introduction to the Galactica wip

Hey everyone! So I've finally gotten my notebook with all the Galactica character & magic system information in it back, which means I can now make an official intro for this wip! I don't know if I'm going to take down the original post yet, but take the information in there with a grain of salt. Enjoy!

In a nutshell....

Galactica is like my tWoA wip in that it takes place in a universe where humanoids live on more planets than just Earth. In Galactica, this is on a smaller scale (for reference, in tWoA, the beings on planets from many solar systems are focused on), with the focus being only on our solar system (known as the Copernican system). The planets are Venus, Mercury, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, Uranus, Pluto, and Dea Tacita. (In this universe, the moons of gas giants are inhabited, and there is a ninth planet which is not a gas giant.) Galactica focuses mostly on the lives of the rulers of these planets/the kingdoms on these planets, particularly the lives of rulers on Earth and Tacita.

Characters & their purposes/roles

The characters that are focused on most are Ayden Kalper, Louis Hynes, Zach & Etta Jettlan, and Jayden Morrown, but there are quite a few more supporting characters.

Ayden Kalper is the king of the only kingdom on Earth not part of the Green Ships, an alliance somewhat like the United Nations. He never wanted to rule Archeon, but now that his dad has suddenly disappeared, he's forced to. Louis Hynes is Ayden's best friend and the general of Archeon's army. He's also my first aroace character. Zachary "Zach" Jettlan has only recently been released from juvie after nearly killing a teacher at his old school in an altercation. No one knows much about him other than the fact that he's Etta's older brother. Rosetta "Etta" Jettlan is a timid person that everybody knows, for whatever reason. They aren't mean to her, exactly, but they definitely pushed her around more than they should've - that is, right up until Zach started going to school with them. Jayden Morrown has been the king of Tacita since his parents died in an incident while returning to their home planet when he was 12. Everyone knows him, but they don't know much.

Some side characters include:

Isabella "Izzie" Raith, Etta's best friend Ada Bell, Archeon School of Magic's star student Willow "Willa" Morrown, Jayden's younger sister Cloud Rooney, another one of Etta and Izzie's friends.

There are a lot of characters listed in my character sheet, and while I have already decided to remove some of them from this story (to give them their own story that they fit into better), I honestly can't remember where most of these characters fit in which means they will most likely be abandoned or repurposed later.

A basic guide to the magic system

In Galactica, there are many different magic types, with angels being the default. Here's a list of all the types below:

→ Angels ↪ Angels are the most basic/common magic type in the Galactica universe. Their color is sky blue. ↪ Izzie and Cloud are both angels. → Demons ↪ Demons are no longer really found outside of Archeon, which is made up by a majority demon population. By now, most demons have had kids with non-demons, making other magic types such as fallen angels. Their color is red. ↪ Ayden is a demon. → Fallen angels ↪ Fallen angels are one of the most common magic types, with one angel and one demon parent. They used to not be accepted by society, but now that they're more common this doesn't really happen. Their color is black. ↪ Louis, Jayden, Willa, and Ada are fallen angels. → Shadows/dark angels ↪ Shadows have largely undocumented powers and are considered dangerous and unpredictable. They have one fallen angel parent and one demon or blue angel parent. Their color is maroon. ↪ Etta and Zach are shadows. → Green angels ↪ Green angels are somewhat rare but harmless people who have power over nature &, usually, animals. (As in they can speak to them, not that they can control them.) Their color is green. → Light angels ↪ Light angels, like green angels, are uncommon but harmless. They have power over light. Their color is yellow. → Blue/dark light angels ↪ Blue (or dark) light angels have powers over light you see at night, such as moon and starlight. They also have control over creatures that emit light, such as fireflies. They are close with a society of light creatures known as the Valo. (Valo means light in Finnish.) → Blue angels ↪ Blue angels are similar to fallen angels, though much more rare. They have one angel and one fallen angel parent. ↪ Etta's mom, Gina, is a blue angel.

(A possible) book one synopsis

On planet Earth, two opposing forces have reigned for as long as anyone can remember: one being the Green Ships, an alliance of hundreds of kingdoms notorious for their hatred of anything evil, and two being the "anything evil" found in the small, secluded kingdom of Archeon. 19-year-old Ayden has never hated his home, exactly, but he's never wanted to rule it. But it's been two months since his dad has disappeared without a trace, and Archeon's people are getting restless. Ayden's their only option, no matter how much he wishes he wasn't. Then, in the last place he expects, he finds a friend: Louis Hynes, a student at the local college in the very much Green Ship owned kingdom of Spry. Louis is normal and completely unlike anyone Ayden's met at the same time - and he might just be the answer to Archeon's unbalanced leadership.

Thanks for reading! This wip definitely has a long way to go before it's an actual story, but I think it has potential, especially if I keep working on it in the background. More coming soon :)

Credits: ⋆ sun divider by @firefly-graphics ⋆ stars & dots divider by @cafekitsune

#fantasy wip #character introductions #fantasy #scifi #writeblr #writers of tumblr #wip introduction #magic system

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juliandev0rak · 4 years ago

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Friends 🐑 🧶

Six: Friends – who was their best friend when they were younger? Did they have a friend group? Were their siblings their friends?

echoes of the past event

@arcana-echoes

Willa Clary, she/ her

Armara, a village in the south

18 years before the events of The Arcana, Willa is 9

Words: 1740

Warnings: none

It’s been a dreary morning, the rain nearly constant as it often is this time of year. Willa’s been stuck inside all day, helping her mother wind yarn into skeins. The wool is itchy against her hands and Willa is bored but it’s not like there’s much else to do on a day like this in Armara.

Willa decides to play around with her magic while she works, she knows she’s not supposed to but it’s too fun to resist. With a flick of her finger the entire pile of yarn by her feet winds into a neat ball. She smiles at her work proudly but her mother’s disapproving look has her back to winding the next skein by hand.

When she’d first started showing signs of magical abilities her parents had been frightened. As far as they know there isn’t anyone in the family who can do magic, and it was quite the surprise. In their village, magic is regarded as dangerous and her parents had told her to hide her powers. The people who live in Armara are superstitious, and though they used to believe in magic it had been many years since a magician had lived there and feelings had changed.

Her brothers are upstairs in the loft playing, and she tries not to feel bitter that she’s doing chores while they play. When the yarn is done her mother moves to the kitchen and Willa is put to work canning preserves and salted fish to put aside for the winter. The work never stops, her mother likes to be prepared and as the only daughter it’s up to Willa to help.

The rain finally stops around midday and her brothers immediately run outside to enjoy the sun, joining the growing group of neighbor children in the village square. Willa looks out the window somewhat wistfully, she knows there’s too much work to do for her to be able to join them.

Her mother notices her at the window and says “Well go on then, go play.” Willa turns around in surprise and stares at her mother.

“Really?” She says, not waiting for an answer, she’s already halfway out the door. She runs out to join the rest of the kids. They’re busy playing a game with a ball, two teams each trying to kick the ball through their team’s goal post. She watches her brothers and a dozen other children play, and no one asks her to join. Willa decides she isn’t one for games like this anyways so she takes a seat on the still damp ground, pulling at the daisies that grow in the grass.

Her hands start to weave the stems into a chain and she busies herself with the process, trying to ignore the laughter and loud chatter from the other children. She’s always enjoyed alone time, but she has to admit it would be nice to feel included. Any chance of that had been quelled when word of her magical abilities got around. Parents had forbidden their children from playing with her, and even her brothers had been on thin ice until it was deemed safe enough to play with the non-magical Clary children.

Armara is small and tightly knit, only around six dozen families live there. One of the neighbors had learned of her magic and soon enough the whole village knew that Willa was a “witch”. When she first heard the name, Willa was excited, being a witch sounded like great fun, but she soon learned that they meant it only in cruelty.

The few village girls she’d been close to had swiftly stopped asking her to play, and her mother had been more than happy to keep Willa inside to help with the work. Her only friends these days are the sheep and the other animals she finds in the forest. Deciding she’s had enough of watching the other children play, Willa decides to go in search of these friends.

Armara is situated on a cliffside above the sea and most people are shepherds or fishermen. Willa’s family are the former, their small flock of sheep graze in the meadow behind her house. Behind the meadow lies the forest, a cheery place that seems diffused with light even on gloomy days. Amara is a safe place to grow up but it’s boring and, Willa thinks, stifling.

The only place she’s able to practice her magic is in the forest, with the odd wandering sheep for company. She’s always understood how animals feel better than most, but in the last few months she’s been able to actually understand them. At first she thought she might be making it up, but when the animals started replying to her she knew it was just another magical ability, another thing she’d have to hide.

“Niamh?” She calls as she approaches the meadow, searching through the grazing sheep to find her favorite. Her parents think she’s silly for naming the sheep, but the sheep seem to like having names. None of the animals she’s talked to seem particularly bothered that she can understand them, and most of the time they don’t respond even though Willa knows they can hear her. She doesn’t hear full words, more vague ideas and emotions.

“Friend!” Willa hears as the sheep who most frequently talks to her makes her way through the crowd of other sheep. Willa immediately leans down to pet her, Niamh affectionately nuzzles back.

“I know all of you hate the rain, I’m glad it’s stopped for a bit!” Willa smiles, thinking of all the sheeps’ complaints she’d been privy to over the last few weeks. She continues to babble on about her day, and though Niamh doesn’t say anything back she can feel her understanding and contentment. Some might think it rather sad that Willa’s only friend is an old sheep, but Willa couldn’t ask for better company, even if she is mostly silent.

After catching Niamh up on the village gossip and promising to come back tomorrow she heads into the forest to practice a few spells she’s been working on. Willa’s magic is intuitive, she can make things happen but she can’t always replicate the action, she’s been dying for a sunny day to practice outside.

A few steps into the forest she grins and walks over to a pile of leaves, time to practice. She’s been trying to levitate objects whenever she has the chance, but anything heavier than a leaf just wobbles and stays put. She sits down on the ground again, suddenly remembering how muddy it is and that her mother won’t be happy that she’s stained her dress. But the damage is already done, she turns to her magic instead.

She stares intently at the pile of leaves, willing any of the leaves to move. Just when she thinks she might be almost there a voice behind her startles her.

“What are you doing?”

Willa turns around to see Isolde, a shy girl about her age who she hasn’t talked to much before. Isolde lives alone with her grandfather down by the cliffs on the outskirts of the village. They usually keep to themselves. The other children in the village pay no attention to her because she isn’t often around, and she doesn’t talk much when she is.

“Oh, hello Isolde, you startled me!” Willa says, hoping Isolde will drop her question.

“Are you doing magic?” Isolde asks, tilting her head to the side. She has dark hair and dark eyes, an uncommon trait in Armara where most people are blond or red haired, it’s another reason she’s treated as a bit of an anomaly. Not quite an outcast like Willa, but someone different than the rest.

“Uh.. yes?” Willa responds, unsure how the girl will react.

“Well let’s see it then.” Isolde says, sitting down next to her. Willa takes a deep breath, she’s even less confident with an audience now, and wills her magic to her hands. She can feel the rush of tingling warmth that always accompanies her magic and tries to focus on just one leaf.

Her eyes lock on the bright red leaf and she exhales and imagines it lifting into the air. To her delight, the leaf does just that. She turns to grin at Isolde, forgetting that she’s supposed to be afraid that someone just watched her perform magic. Isolde is smiling back just as big though. Something in Willa sighs in relief, finally someone who isn’t afraid of her.

“Can you do it again?” Isolde asks, so Willa does.

From that day on the two of them are inseparable. After her daily chores Willa practically runs to Isolde’s house on the cliffs. She finds that Isolde’s grandfather is much kinder than he seems from the times she’s seen him in the market. He makes the girls cups of cocoa and tells them stories of his hometown in the north, regaling them with the time he saw a kraken or when he accidentally insulted a pirate and narrowly escaped with his life.

The girls play together as children do, creating stories of their own and making daisy chains for the sheep. Isolde doesn’t think that Willa’s magic is weird or scary and Willa thinks that Isolde is an excellent listener, even if she doesn’t talk much. She even tries to teach Isolde a bit of magic, Isolde doesn’t seem to have much talent for it but she’s always excited to try.

Willa’s mother is relieved to see her daughter finally coming out of her shell and talking to people instead of sheep. For the winter solstice she even knits Isolde and WIlla matching sweaters with their initials on it. The girls wear them nearly every day when they meet up to play. The spot they meet at in the forest becomes their clubhouse, they use tree branches to make a fort and it’s their castle, their pirate ship, their playground.

Best of all, Isolde and Niamh get along and it even seems like Isolde can understand the sheep sometimes. Willa counts herself the luckiest girl in Armara to have magic and two friends to call her own. As the seasons change and the rain turns to deep snow Willa still feels warmer inside than she has in a long time, the stares and whispers don’t matter to her as much when she knows that someone is finally on her side.

#arcana eotp #apprentice willa #willa just wants to be friends with everyone- and yet #i was eating toast when i wrote this lol #idk why i felt the need to mention that but- setting the scene #it was really good toast...#laura leech there i left the toast tag in lol

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heliads · 2 years ago

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Family Woes

Based on this request: "Willa has a younger sister y/n and her and the wolf pack are overprotective and y/n can't leave their sight. So y/n runs away and the pack finds her and they make up and live happily ever after"

masterlist

Willa Lykensen is at her wit’s end trying to get this pack in order. She was never supposed to take it this far. Willa was nominated temporary leader of the werewolves when their moonstones were at an all time power shortage and everyone was sick. Sure, she did a decent job of getting everyone back in order, but they came pretty close to not coming out on top.

Willa always assumed that once things were better, responsibility would leave her shoulders. The problem is that such a time has come again and again, and passed by just as quickly. Willa still remains in this position, slightly separated from everyone else yet unaware of how to get back to whoever she had been before all this. Willa tries to relinquish power, but no one takes it, and so she keeps on going anyway.

Sometimes she feels like a train that’s lost control, a great mass of steel and destruction hurtling at a thousand miles per hour towards the rocky unknown. Willa keeps slamming the brakes but nothing ever happens to stop her. At some point, she’s going to make a bad call and the pack is going to suffer, but until that moment, all Willa can do is keep pulling one Hail Mary after another to make sure her people stay alive and relatively unharmed.

So far, all is mostly well. They managed to find the moonstone and the werewolves were able to recharge their necklaces. They could even all take up homes in Seabrook and finally stop living on the outskirts of a place that had once been theirs. Willa goes to school, she makes friends, she learns enough in her books to realize that a kid like her shouldn’t have the job that she does.

At the same time, Willa has to admit that she sort of likes feeling important. Belonging is important to any werewolf, and she is no exception. It is something wonderful to feel wanted, needed even, but the stress is starting to tear her asunder. Willa looks in the mirror and swears a thousand times that she can do this. The reflection, a girl who could probably be her, mouths the same words back, but it’s far less believable when she’s looking herself in the eyes.

Willa’s friends seem to have confidence in her, which is nice. Willa would never dare show a single sign of weakness, but having her friends and family desert her might be her last straw. Wyatt stays by Willa’s side, and even the zombies and humans are able to offer up willing shoulders to lean on if she needs it.

There is one person that’s not entirely on Willa’s side, though. Although Willa does her best to run both the pack and her family, one of her closer relatives seems to stifle under Willa’s leadership instead of growing by it. Y/N, Willa’s younger sister, becomes more and more troublesome by the hour.

That’s what it feels like, at least. Willa asks Zed time and time again if it seems like she’s being too harsh on her younger sister, seeing as Zed is used to having a supernatural younger sister, but he assures her otherwise every time. Willa treats Y/N the same way as the rest of the pack, he sees no concern there.

Still, Willa feels differently. Willa tries to talk to Y/N almost every day, maybe even every hour, but Y/N shuts her down every time. Sometimes the missed connections just result in a sort of awkwardness that isn’t supposed to happen between siblings, other times it leads to fights that lead in one or both of the girls storming out until they pretend nothing happened for a temporary truce.

Willa tries, she really does. It’s just hard when Willa remembers what it had been like when they were younger. Willa swears there was a time in which the sisters actually did get along. It was them against the world, playmates and schoolmates and friends who could tell each other anything. It seems the changing of the times has split them apart as surely as only a difference in years truly can.

Previously, Willa had not been aware of the fact that she was getting older. The knowledge came incrementally, of course; new shoes were outgrown, jeans rose above her ankles, but all those signs could be ignored if one tried hard enough. It took more solid proof for her to come to grips with the fact that she was no longer quite so young and naive as she once had been.

Willa rereads old books that had been her favorites and scoffs at the juvenile attitudes of the characters. Her sister tells Willa that she no longer acts the same way, even though Willa has no idea what would have been different in her attitude nor how to fix it.

The only thing Willa can do is try to watch out for her sister. Willa doubles her focus, hoping that maybe making her sister feel important will build more bridges than it burns. The opposite happens; every time Willa shows a clear indication of trying to watch out for Y/N, the other girl recoils from Willa’s every move.

It all comes to a head about six months after the werewolves find the moonstone and move into Seabrook for good. Y/N came home several hours later after school without telling anyone that she wouldn’t be on time. Willa was pacing around the house when Y/N finally showed up.

Although Y/N tried to act like nothing was the matter, the guilty duck of her head when she opened the door to find Willa waiting for her was as sure a sign as any that she knew something was wrong.

Willa doesn’t wait for pleasantries, she never has. “Where were you?”

“Good to see you too,” Y/N mumbles, clearly annoyed, “Thanks for asking about my day, it was wonderful. How was yours?”

“Don’t try and play around,” Willa fires back, “you’re late. What happened?”

Y/N shrugs. “I was talking to a friend and we stayed late to study. No big deal.”

Y/N tries to move past, but Willa blocks her way. “Not so fast. You have to tell me about these sorts of things, you know. I had no idea where you were. For all I knew, you could have been hurt somewhere and in need of help.”

“Or I could have been just fine,” Y/N counters, “which is what happened. Seriously, calm down. I’m what, a couple of hours late? It’s not even dark outside yet.”

“You should be happy it’s not dark,” Willa argues, “if it was, I would have sent out some of the pack to search for you. You have to realize that this isn’t okay.”

Y/N scoffs. “That’s crazy. I’m allowed to have some freedom, you know.”

Willa folds her arms across her chest. “That freedom doesn’t involve giving me a heart attack every other day because you decide to do stuff like this. Come on, how hard is it to just text me?”

Y/N groans. “It shouldn’t even matter. You’re so overprotective, same as the rest of the pack. Just let me have a little bit of breathing room.”

Willa arches a brow. “Overprotective? We’re trying to watch out for you. You’re still a kid, Y/N.”

“And you aren’t?” Y/N asks pointedly, “I’m just trying to live my life. I’m sure you did the same thing as me when you were my age.”

“You shouldn’t have to do the same things as me, because I’m trying to protect you from all that,” Willa counters, “I want you to have a normal life.”

“If you want me to be normal, you have to stop being such a helicopter parent,” Y/N replies, clearly frustrated. “Just leave me alone.”

Willa isn’t willing to let this go quite so easily. “Not a chance. You’re too young to be doing all this. We’re not done until we can agree on a solution to that.”

Y/N lets out an angry breath. “You really can’t let that go?”

“No, I can’t,” Willa says, “Not until you realize that your bad choices are going to get you killed.”

“At least then I wouldn’t be as ridiculously uptight as you,” Y/N spits out, “you’re a pain to be around. I’m sick of being in this house.”

This time, instead of trying to escape to a different room, Y/N turns around and leaves again. Willa moves to stop her, but it’s too late, her sister’s already hurrying back away into the street. In seconds, she’s turned a corner and is out of sight.

Wyatt appears down the hall. “I heard shouting, what was that about?”

Willa groans. “I’ve messed things up with Y/N. She says we’re too overprotective.”

Wyatt grimaces. “She might be right there. I know you’re just trying to keep her safe, but everyone needs a little bit of space to grow into their own person.”

“I wish you’d told me that a little earlier,” Willa sighs, “she looked mad.”

Willa holds out hope that Y/N will realize she overreacted and come home, but even after night falls, there’s no sign of her younger sister. To make herself feel better, Willa pretends that Y/N’s just spending the night with a friend, but after a few discreet texts to Addison and Bree, she finds out otherwise. Wherever she is, Y/N is with no friends of theirs.

That does it. Willa rallies a few sympathetic werewolves and sets out as a search party. The wolves have always been good hunters, and within the span of about an hour or so of stalking through the woods surrounding Seabrook, Wyatt tugs gently on Willa’s arm.

“Over there,” he whispers.

Willa nods gratefully at him and sets over. Out of the corner of her eyes, she can see Wyatt quietly alerting the other werewolves that it’s alright. The others start to leave, but Wyatt lingers in the background just in case.

Y/N is walking through the forest, either heedless of the surrounding darkness or just choosing to ignore it. She doesn’t flinch when Willa calls out her name, just squares her shoulders and keeps walking.

“I don’t want to talk to you,” she says.

Willa sighs. “But I want to talk to you. I’m sorry, Y/N. Really, I am. I was wrong to try to be so overprotective. You deserve your space. I was just scared that you’d get hurt.”

Y/N laughs bitterly. “You’re just saying that to try and get me to go back to the house.”

“Partially,” Willa admits, “but also it’s true. If you want to go have a sleepover at a friend’s house to get away from me, fine. I just don’t want you to be mad at me the whole time.”

Y/N stops walking, which Willa takes as a small victory. “Really?” She asks doubtfully.

“Really,” Willa says. “Of course, I’m hoping you will just come home, but if you’re with a friend, that still means someone’s watching out for you. It doesn’t always have to be me.”

An irritated look flashes over Y/N’s face. “See, that’s the same thing. You’re still overprotective.”

“I probably always will be,” Willa confesses, “that’s the problem. Do you remember when everyone was so sick because we couldn’t find the moonstone? I was so terrified of losing you that it never really left me. I know I can be annoying, but it’s all I really know. You keep running off and it freaks me out for the same reason.”

Y/N’s expression softens. “Willa, I had no idea,” she begins.

Willa nods mechanically. “You weren’t supposed to know. Guess I wanted you to keep seeing me as a totally cool older sister. Problem is, that can get pretty frustrating. I know that now.”

Y/N stays silent for what could be just a few minutes, but feels more like an eternity or two. “Alright,” she says at last, “I’ll go back. Just promise that you’ll back off more.”

“I’ll try,” Willa promises. She thinks she might stick by it, too.

Only on securing that compromise does Y/N turn around and begin heading back towards home. Willa falls in behind her, but not before flashing Wyatt a thumbs up so he can go too. It might be crazy hard trying to run this pack, but at least Willa can count on her family. That is everything.

requested by @nev20, hope you enjoy!

disney tag list: @rogueanschel, @lovesanimals0000, @thatfangirl42, @amortensie

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mxlti-fand0m-imaginess · 3 years ago

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New Student // Willa Lykensen

request: could you do Willa from Zombies x female reader (if you’re not comfortable then gn reader), a really cute fic where Willa has a crush for the first time and she’s quite nervous around the reader which is out of character for her, but Addison and Wynter assure her that it’s okay and Willa flirts with reader?

prompts: none!

summary: you’ve just moved to seabrook, and everything has been going great! except for the fact that one of your new “friends” is pretty much ignoring you. what happens when the two of you are tricked into spending time together?

warnings: god used as a curse word?, also a kinda abrupt ending :/

word count: 2k

a/n: gn!reader

Your hands clenched tightly against the straps of your backpack as you looked up at the building in front of you. Seabrook High. It was yet another first day of school for you. After having spent the majority of your life moving from city to city, your parents decided they wanted to move back to their hometown. And while you were excited at first due to the chance of finally having a somewhat normal highschool experience, Seabrook wasn’t anything like you thought it would be.

Before even walking into the building, you looked around in shock at everyone walking beside you. And just when you thought you were finally going to have a normal high school experience. But no, you just had to go to a school that had monsters attending.

Now you were never one to judge. You knew how it felt to be hated for reasons you couldn’t control. But just the thought of having to spend the rest of the year sharing classrooms with zombies, werewolves, and aliens made you a bit uneasy.

Your parents assured you they were all very nice and that you had nothing to be afraid of. And while you believed that none of the other students would ever actually harm you, you still couldn’t shake your anxiety.

But nonetheless, you had to walk inside. It wasn’t like you could just turn around and hide in your room for the rest of the year. People would notice. And it was your senior year, so not graduating didn’t seem like a very pleasant idea.

Taking a deep breath, you started walking into the building. The perfect white walls accented with pink and green filled your view as you took in your new surroundings. A group of cheerleaders walked by, looking as peppy as ever. You could easily tell apart the cliques based on the outfits alone. And looking down at yourself, you realized you didn’t really fit into any of them.

The humans wore pink and blue, looking perfectly well put together. Cheerleaders were all wearing their bright pink and green uniforms. The zombies wore clothes that looked like they were handmade, patches of fabric and uneven stitching catching your eye. The aliens stood out too, all shiny and futuristic looking. And even the werewolves had their own look, purple and brown, with faux fur accenting their looks.

Meanwhile you wore an old band tee and ripped jeans. You stuck out like a sore thumb. A few people looked at you weirdly. None of the stares were mean, rather just curious or confused. You didn’t have a clique, or a group of people like you. No one even looked remotely similar. You felt your anxiety beginning to build up again. Maybe you really weren’t going to find any friends. Maybe there was no common ground between you and anyone else in this town.

You carefully squeezed your way through the crowd of teenagers, occasionally glancing down at the paper in your hand that held both your schedule and your locker number. After wandering through the halls aimlessly, you found the locker that would be yours for the rest of the year. You walked up towards it, and entered the combination on your paper, but the lock wouldn’t budge. You tried again and again, but it still wouldn’t open.

You let out a frustrated huff, punching the locker as you did so.

“Need some help with that?”

You turned around to find a girl, with bright blue hair standing behind you. Her hair was a stark contrast to the green and pink dress she wore. She held both her pom poms in one hand, the other was pointing towards the locked behind you.

“Uhm yeah. I’ve been trying the combination but it just won’t open.”

“Mind hold these?” She extended her pom poms out towards you, her smile never fading

You nodded and grabbed them, moving aside so she could try her luck at opening your locker. Somehow she managed to bust it open on the second try.

“One of the numbers in your combo was wrong. It was a 10, not a 1.” She smiled yet again, grabbing her pom poms back from your hands.

“Thank you so much! You’re a lifesaver.”

“Oh, it was nothing. You’re new here, right? I’m Addison!”

“Y/n. Nice to meet you!”

“You too! I guess I’ll see you around.”

And with that she headed off down the hallway, practically bouncing with each step.

“Y/n! Over here!”

Your head turned at the call of your name, and you saw Addison waving you over to the table she was sitting out. You instantly felt relief wash over you knowing that you wouldn’t have to deal with finding a place to eat lunch.

You walked over to her table, and took a seat next to her, not wanting to sit next to someone you didn’t know.

“Hi,” you said as you waved nervously at everyone else sitting at the table.

“Everyone, meet y/n! They’re new here! Y/n this is Zed, Bree, Eliza, Bonzo, Willa, Wyatt, and Wynter,” she said as she pointed towards everyone sitting around you.

They all greeted you, and talked excitedly, happy to have met someone new. All of them except for Willa that is. She kept glancing at you and then looking away, not saying anything and instead focusing on the lunch tray in front of her. No one else seemed to notice her silence, or if they did they didn’t say anything about it. Maybe she was just like this. You didn’t want to say anything or draw attention to it, especially since you had just met. But a small part of you felt a bit sad that she had ignored you.

“What was all that about Willa?” Wynter asked, walking up beside her.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Will replied, attempting to brush off Wynter's comments.

“Don’t think you don’t know what you were doing. You barely said anything at lunch! And you’re always chatty!”

“You know I’m not that friendly around new people.”

“Well yeah, but I mean you didn’t say anything at all! You could barely even look at y/n.”

Willa’s eyes widened and she felt her face grow hot at the mention of you. Wynter almost immediately noticed the change in Willa’s demeanor, and managed to put two and two together.

“Wait a minute. Were you ignoring y/n because they make you nervous?” Wynter asked, a teasing smile growing on her face.

“What? No! I don’t get nervous.”

“You are so lying right now!”

“I am not!”

“Mhm, yeah sure. Whatever you say.”

“Addison!” Wynter yelled, speed walking down the hallway to catch up with the cheerleader.

“What?” Addison asked, laughing slightly at the excitement on Wynter’s face.

“I think Willa has a crush on y/n!”

“Wait seriously?” Addison said, a smile beginning to grow on her face.

“Yeah! I mean think about it, why else would Willa just completely ignore them? And whenever I mention their name, Willa gets all squirmy.”

“Oh my gosh! Ok we have to do something!”

“Like what?”

“We have to figure out a way to get them to talk!”

“Ok! But how?”

“I have an idea!” Addison said, smiling even wider.

You tapped your fingers on the table in front of you, attempting to find something to keep you stimulated while you sat in wait. Earlier that day Addison had asked you to meet up with her and some of her friends at the library to study for the biology test coming up at the end of the week. Of course you had accepted, both wanting to spend time with your new friends and desperately wanting to not fail your first test at a new school.

She said she was going to meet you at 3:30, but it was now 3:45 and Addison wasn’t anywhere in sight. None of them were. You were beginning to think maybe you had gotten the time wrong, or maybe everyone else was at some other library even though you were pretty sure this was the only library in Seabrook.

Another ten minutes passed, and you were about to leave when your phone buzzed. You picked it up to see a text from Addison.

Cheer practice is running really late today, I’m not sure I’m gonna be able to make it :(

Hope the study group goes well!

Well that explains where Addison was. But what about everyone else? You waited another five minutes, deciding to stick it out a little longer, just in case they were all running late. When no one else showed up, you decided to head home. Maybe you really were at the wrong place.

Just as you began putting your books back into your bag, someone walked over to the table you were sitting at, placing their bag down beside them. You looked up to see Willa standing in front of you, her signature scowl present on her face. You felt your cheeks heat up at the sight of her. Even if she always seemed grumpy, you still found her absolutely breathtaking.

“Hey Willa. You here for the study group?” you asked, not quite brave enough to meet her eyes.

“Yeah. Where’s everyone else?” Her voice was so monotone that you couldn’t tell if she was angry or not.

“I don’t think they’re coming. I’ve been here for over half an hour, and you’re the first person to show up.”

Willa paused, something that looked like confusion flashing across her face, before returning to her normal, expressionless self.

“Addison told me to get here at four.”

“That’s weird, she told me 3:30.”

Willa’s eyes widened, a look of realization followed by annoyance. She groaned, burying her face into her hands.

“Uhm, you ok?” you asked, confused by her reaction.

“Addison did this on purpose. She wanted us to be alone together. Wynter must’ve told her.”

“Told her what?”

As soon as the words left your mouth, Willa froze. An unreadable expression crossed her face, and you felt nerves building up inside of you, panicking that you had said something wrong.

After almost a minute passed, you tried to ease the ever building tension.

“Did I say something wrong?” you said softly, not wanting to anger Willa any more.

But to your surprise, when she looked up at you her expression softened.

“No. No, you didn’t say anything wrong. Sorry about that. It’s kinda my fault that this happened. You see- god this is so awkward,” she trailed off, bringing her hands up to her face again.

You reached over and gently pulled them away, smiling when your eyes met once more.

“You can tell me if you want. I won’t judge if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“No, it’s not that. It’s just- I like you. Like really like you. And Wynter figured that out. So she probably told Addison who set up this whole fake study group plan to get me to actually talk to you instead of just ignoring you.”

You felt a million butterflies beginning to flow through you as your face lit up at Willa’s confession. Even though you had only known her a few days, you felt this pull towards her. It was unlike anything you’ve ever felt before. And to know that she felt the same way! It was indescribable. You felt like you were floating.

“I really like you too Willa.”

For the first time ever, you saw Willa smile. You could feel your heart racing as you interlocked her hands with yours. Her touch was electric. Everything felt magical. So what if she was a werewolf and you were a human. None of that mattered. Especially not in Seabrook. This was the most freeing town you’ve ever lived in. And you had a really strong feeling that you were going to love it here.

taglist: @rottenstyx

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keegan-dolsen · 2 years ago

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"I'm so glad that you could join us, everyone's having a pretty swell time." Louise let her know, as she got comfortable on top of her best friend. "Oh, you just have me the best incentive, I'll make sure to find the power off switch by morning." She joked, happy to be getting Willa out of her head. "I can only imagine how hard that is, I just had to pry myself away from J. I felt things moving to an NC-17 rating and I couldn't give in until I had some Willa time." She teased, before her best friend's arms were wrapped around her. "Drinking, yes. Smoking, yet another yes. Snorting, what they don't know– won't kill them." She said, looking around at their peers. "Come, come. I want to dance actually."

"I'm here, I'm here!" Willa laughed as Louise fell into her lap and she finally set her phone on top of her bag. "If you could find the power off switch to my mega brain, I will give you all the riches in the land. Truly. This is what happens when Grace isn't at a party for me to climb all over her," she joked but wrapped her arms around Louise. "Okay, no work, just you and me and..what are we drinking? Smoking? Taking? ..Snorting? No, no we're not in college more, we couldn't" Willa said with a wiggle of her eyebrows before she broke out laughing. "Joking, I am in your hands oh wise one."

#c: willa

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joe9cool · 2 years ago

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Collide-Justin Herbert-38

This is all fanfiction purposes I do not own or know the Chargers. Thank you! Also TW: A tiny hint of reference to suicide.

"Baby I need to get on the plane." Justin moaned as he broke the kiss for a second before Sara pulled him back to her. They were parked on the upper level parking garage away from everyone. Locked in an intense makeout session for the past ten minutes, Justin still had another twenty minutes before he had to be in the terminal. Sara thought that was more than enough time for some activities.

While Justin was enjoying himself, he also was a little nervous. While he was more understanding of the paps, he didn't want photos of them making out published everywhere for everyone to see. Sara finally pulled away, but to work on his neck and her lips found his spot. "Sara what if we get caught.. oh god" He trailed off in a moan.

She laughed against his neck. "Baby, you really don't think these windows aren't tinted? We could fuck like we did after Bella's party and no one would know."

"Umm well the car would be rocking, someone would call the cops." Sara rolled her eyes. "You fucking nerd." He laughed. "I just don't want our first time to be in a car."

"Damn you're a virgin?" She joked. He rolled his eyes. "You know what I mean." She laughed and kissed him. "I'll miss you." She pouted. "It's only for a week, then you will be back in California and I can hold you hostage in bed." Sara smiled, but Justin knew it wasn't her full smile. "What's wrong?"

"I guess that means I'm going to have to confront Erika?" He nodded. The past week Sara came to terms that Erika was no longer to be trusted, and that she would have to cut her off as a member of her team and a friend. Justin found her crying a couple of times in the night and comforted her. He couldn't imagine the level of betrayal she felt.

"I don't want you to be alone with her okay? I just don't trust her." She nodded. "Bella said the same thing. I'm surprised she hasn't flown out to LA to rip her head off." She laughed, remembering what her friend said when she told her the news.

It had been a hectic week since Mike was released from the hospital. He couldn't do the usual activities just yet, as he was confined to a wheelchair 24/7 the first few days. He could stand and walk around with therapy, but he got winded easily, as the physical therapist told him it would take months to be back to his old self.

In a video meeting with his board and colleagues. Mike announced his retirement, saying this was his second chance to enjoy the rest of his life. The board was in shambles. A few, including Barry, supported the decision. The thirty seven years Mike put into the company were some of the toughest, craziest, hectic known to man but Michael Wozniak was going to leave on a high note.

It seemed he was enjoying his time off. Trying to do as much as he could in his condition. Justin and Sara would go by the house after he had his therapy and spend time with the family. While Mike and Sara's relationship wasn't perfect, it was on the mend. As for Willa she was on bail waiting to go before a judge. The family blocked her number, and thanks to the restraining order that her team put in place she wasn't allowed to go near her.

Unfortunately, The Chargers wanted Justin back in Los Angeles. Contract negotiations and they wanted to be rehab by their trainers. He decided to go back reluctantly, and thanked the Pittsburgh trainers for everything.

Justin was disappointed in going back. He didn't get to spend too much alone time with Sara. Between running back and forth with Mike, everyone attempts to go back to their normal routine, they were constantly on the run.

"Your family is great but wow. You were right, they are tiring." He told her one night as she was getting ready for bed. Snuggling up to him, she hummed. "Yeah, and when my parents were working and all the sports my sisters were in. Constant running around, probably why I spent so much time in my room. It gave me peace and quiet." She laughed and Justin smiled.

Lost in the memories, Justin looked down at his watch. "Okay, I got to go." She nodded and kissed him. "Call me when you land. I love you."

"I love you, tell Charlie I'm sorry for missing his party." Sara would be staying in Pittsburgh for another week for her nephews birthday. He was disappointed that Justin couldn't make it. But he understood from an early age about work. One of the things Mike promised to make up for. "My dad has a lot of lost time to make up for, not just me but for his grandkids." She told Justin.

Once he was situated on the plane, he let his mind wander off. Sara grew up a lot differently than him. While his family was middle class, they were close and would never put work above each other. Her family had tons of money, and to some degree they were close, but they had all been affected by the mistakes Mike and Cathy made. That much was evident when she took him on a tour of the large childhood home she grew up in. She told him how many nights she cried on the balcony when her parents fought, when they missed shows of hers. How guilty she felt crying over this when her classmates like Erika were struggling and she had everything at her fingertips.

"I always felt like a failure. All of the parties we had here, everytime people would look at me and say, "Oh Mike, she's going to be the one living with you til she's 30 with that silly little dream of hers. Where did you go wrong with this one?"

"I can only imagine how hurtful that was hearing that." She looked at him. "If we have children, I will not allow anyone to talk about them like that." He nodded. "I agree."

He couldn't imagine having your own friend's and family as your worst critic. His family had always expressed their support, even when things didn't go their way. His only criticism came from scouting and the NFL analysts. Even then, he had support from friends and family. She told him. "I couldn't love myself out of my world shitting on me."

He fell asleep on the rest of the plane ride. He landed in Los Angeles where Mike was waiting for him. As much as he was happy to be with his girlfriend on the east coast he missed Los Angeles. He was ready to get back to football. Justin kept up with the news and knew the guys they gained and lost. Losing Drew hurt alot, especially to Kansas City but that was business. Getting off the plane, he spotted his wide receiver with a big smile on his face. After doing their bro hug they went to Mike's car making small conversation. It wasn't until they got into Mike's car that the questions came.

"So you and Sara are good?" Justin smiled and nodded. "Aye! That's my boy, finally got your head out of your ass." He slapped his hand on Justin's shoulder as they hit the Los Angeles traffic. Justin didn't miss this. He laughed before turning serious, Mike was one of his best friends on the team and wouldn't tell a soul. "We know who the leak is."

Mike didn't take his eyes off the road. "Oh yeah who?"

"Her best friend slash assistant Erika." Mike did take his eyes off the road for that news. "No way, the redhead that always has a pout on her face?" Justin nodded. "She has access to Sara's phone, and we recognized the pictures of us at a party. Erika took those, and she was tagged at the photographers dinner."

"How's Sara handling it?"

"She's hurt, and feels violated. She doesn't understand why she would do this. It isn't a money issue, she's helped her and her family with money. I just don't understand why she would betray her like that."

"Well they live together? How is that going to work."

Justin shrugged. "She is going to have a legal team draw up a NDA and some other stuff. We can't trust her, she's going to go to the press no matter what we say and try to spin the narrative."

"And how are you dealing with this? I know you are so concerned about your privacy."

"I love Sara, and we are a team. Our relationship isn't a secret, but it's going to be private. We aren't going to be posting each other constantly. Little glimpses and stuff." Justin smiled as he thought about what he and Sara talked about. "Sort of like a Taylor swift and Joe Alwyn thing."

Mike smiled. "I know nothing about that, but I'm glad you figured everything out. You guys work so well together."

There was silence for a bit until Mike spoke again. "I'm sorry, I have to ask, what is going to happen with Taylor? She's been at the stadium asking questions."

Justin rolled his eyes. He went into the whole story about Taylor lying to Sara and the pictures she used. Mike was in awe. "Wow, I knew she was insane, but to go that far."

"I don't even know what I should even say to her. I don't want her around me and especially Sara. But she works for the damn network. I'm going to have to deal with her once camp starts."

Justin pondered over his options and talked with Mike about upcoming workouts and team meetings. The fact that Kansas City won the superbowl just made the team more determined.

Mike and Justin pulled up to his place in Irvine. It was nice to be home, it would be even nicer if his girlfriend agreed to move in with him. She hadn't given him a sure answer yet.

Once Mike left, he walked around imagining all of the feminine touches Sara would bring to his place. He looked over at the cat wheel that Nova got for Christmas. He texted Pat that he was home and was free to fly out with Carly and bring Nova home. He remembered she also got a Bengal cat; he wasn't sure how Nova would react to Eugene. Maybe in some way the name of the cat was a sign that they were always meant to be.

As he walked around the almost empty house, he made a list of food and household essentials he needed. He was almost gone for a month and a half and he needed a lot of things. Also he wanted to prepare for Sara's arrival. As he went through his closet to grab his laundry basket he found the calander she made him. He grabbed and began looking through it. When they broke up he forgot to give it back, and he didn't just want to throw it out in case it landed in the wrong hands. He wasn't that much of an ass.

He found himself getting hard as he flipped through it, and as much as he wanted to give into his desires, he wanted to wait until he had the real thing.

He got out his phone and messaged her

I'm home, found your calendar.

A few seconds later he heard a ding

I'm glad you have it. I have a gyno appointment tomorrow. I'm going on the shot. It takes two weeks

He groaned. I'm about to say fuck it and risk our chances. I'm going to get you pregnant one day.

Lmfaooo. One DAY. Right now it's fuck them kids.

A photo was attached and he opened it expecting a sexy image. But instead it was a selfie with spit up on her shirt.

Wow that killed the mood 😂 let me guess Kenzie with her reflux?

Yes, lucky she's turning one tomorrow and she's cute.

He laughed. He couldn't deny seeing Sara interact with her nieces and nephew's got him in major baby fever. Justin remembered the dream he had very early on in their relationship. He had a wedding band on his finger and she had a band with a swollen belly. Fuck

Patrick texted that he and Carly would be in the next morning with Nova in tow. On that note he decided to call it an early evening and just watch some television. He could do all of his errands tomorrow.

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

Sara wasn't sure whether she wanted to scream or cry.

She was facetiming Erika who didn't have the slightest idea of her best friend's knowledge of her betrayal. The red head updated her on the cat, some dates she went on.

"I'm glad Erika. So I should be in town next week." Her friend's smile dropped. "With Justin?"

"Well he's in Los Angeles already so no." She knew what Erika meant, she didn't want to say it out loud.

"But you guys are back together?"

"We're working on it." Erika rolled her eyes. "Seriously? What about Harry?"

"Ill talk to him when I get back. But I don't think he's too upset. He was making out with Emily Ratajkowski. That's not a guy serious about getting married."

"Well you can't keep him waiting forever." Sara wanted to scream. Why because you need to report back to Jack?

"Look, I'll take care of him when I get back. Just keep doing what you are doing. I'll be back next week."

"Okay. Hey, maybe we can have a spa day. AnnSophie will be back in town, and you have some break before Filming the show starts."

Sara nodded. "Yes I will see if I can fit it in." She hung up on Erika. If she stayed on the phone any longer guaranteed there would be a fight, and she wanted to confront her face to face and not alone.

She tried to push the thoughts out of her head. She had to help Alyssa prepare for Kenzie's small first birthday. This was due to Mike and being careful that he didn't get sick. Same with Charlie, Mike and Sara were only attending the family party, but not for the party with school friends. She did it last year and had to leave, as all of the parents kept coming up to her and asking for autographs and photos.

She was tasked with picking up the cake and some last minute decorations. They had to switch to some healthier options for food since their dad came home. It was funny, of all things he was upset about food was the last thing they thought would cause a problem. Granted, their dad drank and smoked Cigars, but he enjoyed a home cooked meal, and her mother always sent him leftovers which were mostly healthy options.

She ran all of the requested errands and drove back to her sister and Brother in law's Pennsylvania home. Upon arriving she saw Ryan and Michelle, as well as Brent's parents. After giving them greetings Mrs. Smith spoke. "Oh hunny, is it true you have a man in your life? Alyssa told me you are seeing a fine young man."

Sara smiled. "The rumors are true. I'm seeing someone." Mrs. Smith pulled her into a big hug. "Oh that's wonderful! Is he still here?"

"No, he had to go back to Los Angeles."

Pretty soon everyone's attention was on setting the decorations up so Alyssa didn't have to stress herself out the next day. As Sara was working on the Balloon arch Michelle came up to her. "Need help with that?"

Sara laughed. "Please. I should have just paid for someone to set this up." Michelle laughed as she started to help blowing up the pink balloons on the machine. Once she finished five she looked at Sara. "How many do we have to blow up?"

Standing on the ladder working on the arch, she looked around. "Well I did fifteen so far and with your five. It looks like we got about fifty more at least." Michelle groaned and Sara laughed. "Yeah when Justin and I have kids, remind me not to do this, no matter how cute the final product looks."

Michelle paused, thinking of what her sister in law just said. "So you think this is it?"

Sara stopped assorting the colors and looked down at Michelle. "What do you mean?"

"I mean you've never talked about having kids before. You said you wanted them before but you never brought up a name with it." Michelle smiled, and Sara matched it. "Yeah, I know this is crazy, I mean god we haven't even been together for a full year but I'm in love with him. It's just a feeling I've never felt before. The first thing I want to see when I wake up is his face, or hear his voice. When he calls me baby it's just the greatest thing. I know we had a bump but I feel sure that he feels the same way about me."

"I was talking to George and Brent. Brent really likes Justin. He's very protective of you, since he views you as a sister." Sara playfully rolled her eyes. "Well he is the pain in the ass older brother that I never had." Michelle laughed before speaking.

"We are all so happy for you Sara, you deserve it. There is nothing more beautiful than seeing someone unlucky in love finally being loved by the right person." Sara had tears come to her eyes. "Stop, I'm gonna cry." They giggled. "So I have to ask. Is this the end of all of the endings?"

Sara laughed at the Swift song reference. Sara thought about it, but not for long.

"Yes it is."

—----‐—-----------------------------------------------------------

"Taylor!"

The blonde reporter turned around and lit up when she saw the tall quarterback; however she quickly realized that he wasn't approaching her with good intentions. With his long strides he was caught up to her in no time. "We need to talk."

"You can come into my office." They went silently into a private room where she closed the door. Turning towards him, she maintained her smile. "Hi! How is your off-season going?"

He didn't meet her smile. "What did you say to Sara?" He knew, but he wanted to hear it from her mouth, and wanted to see if she'd lie.

Of course she chose the latter. "What are you talking about?"

"I know you ran into her, and I know what you said. Why on earth would you lie about that?"

She turned her back towards him and didn't say anything for several seconds. "Why her?"

He was confused, not expecting that response. "Huh?"

She turned towards him. "The entire time we were together you were so adamant about us being secretive. Hell when someone posted they saw us out you freaked out and didn't talk to me for a week. You stood me up at the airport because it looked too crowded. Now this girl you've been seeing less than a year comes along and you're all about flaunting this relationship? Why wasn't I good enough?"

Justin understood what she meant. He acknowledged that he wasn't the greatest partner, and even though he and Taylor were just hooking up, there were moments where he acted and treated her like shit. He sighed. "I'm sorry, I know that I wasn't the greatest person to you, and for that I regret. But Sara… I'm in love with her, and I should have told you about her when things started to get serious. I'm not flaunting this relationship. I'm just being normal for the first time in my life."

"But again. Why her? She's the total opposite of you. She isn't going to stop her career for you. You guys are going to be Tom and Gisele 2.0"

He shook his head. "I don't need to explain anything to you. What you did was wrong and uncalled for. I don't understand how you thought that was going to benefit you, you do realize me or Sara could have gotten you fired!"

Taylor shook her head. "So that's it? You love her." Justin nodded. Taylor rolled her eyes and opened the door. "Get out."

He walked out the door but he turned to look at her. "I hope that we can be professional."

She waved her hand "yeah, you're not worth my career." He went to leave again.

"Justin?"

"Yes?"

"When you and Sara fail. Don't come looking for me, cause I won't be here." She shut the door

He laughed

—--------------------------------------------------------‐—-----------

"What do you mean it's going to be another week before i see you?" Justin groaned. He was in bed with Nova while on the phone with Sara. Her flight was supposed to arrive the next day. He was looking forward to seeing her after a week but now she had other plans.

She told him that her manager needed her to make a couple of appearances in New York and Vegas. Selena Gomez was hosting a party for some product launch, then Bella was having an event for her drink, then she was filming an episode of hot ones.

Basically it would be another week before he saw her.

"I'm not happy about it either. I promise I'll take the first private flight home once filming has wrapped up, then I have a whole month off before the show starts filming. I'm all yours."

"We are not leaving my bedroom for days when you get here." He heard her giggle at that. "I'm serious."

"I know you are, baby. Trust me I'm going to need it."

It was silent before Justin spoke. "Is Erika going to be with you?"

"No, she's still at my house. I don't trust myself to not say something, and I don't need an issue."

"So you're going to confront her when you get home?"

She nodded, then realized that he couldn't see her over the phone. "Yes. I don't even know what to say to her. I'm getting nervous to the point of a panic attack just thinking about it."

"Hey hey hey." He witnessed her have a panic attack once, and it hurt him to see her go through that. "Listen, we will do this together. I'll be there when you do."

"I needed that."

—-------------------------------------------------------------------

"Sara! I'm so glad you came!" Selena hugged her and greeted Alex. They had just arrived at the hotel only hours after getting off the plane to the big apple. Sara was immediately rushed into hair and makeup. Her team made a tiktok of her getting ready with rare beauty products and of course Sara was dubbed as a 'Queen' for being team Selena and there was excitement that she would be there.

Sara had a fun time, she met and took photos and videos with influencers and fans. It was the end of the night and her social battery was fading. She was having a glass of champagne with a couple of social media stars. To be honest, she didn't really view them as stars. They really didn't have any talents, or really worked hard or faced rejection. They were just pretty and turned on a camera. She felt bad saying that, but so far while some were nice, the ones she was speaking to gave off a bad, fake vibe.

"So Sara, what can you tell us about this upcoming season?" One of the guys said. All eyes turned to her, eager to see if she would reveal any spoilers.

She thought about it for a moment, wanting to give fans something, but not trying to reveal too much. Finally she said, with a sly smile on her face "Just expect the unexpected."

They all groaned, knowing that was all they were going to get from the star. The event ended at around midnight, and Sara and Selena went to a really late dinner to catch up on things. They spoke about their relationships and the drama with the Jenners and Kardashians. It was nice catching up with her, but eventually Sara had to leave to catch another flight to Vegas for Bella's party. AnnSophie was going to be there as well as Samira, so at least she wouldn't only know one person.

She was messaging Justin back and forth the next day. She was again back in hair and makeup with her friends before the car came. AnnSophie and Bella were filling her in on the Met Gala. "I wish you were there. It was so much fun." Sara wished that she could have attended the first Met, but her family was more important. "Yes, but there is always next year."

"Don't let Anna hear that. This is a prestigious event. If she heard you say that, you would probably be banned from attending." Sara had to roll her eyes at that. It was funny, when she was younger it was all about the exposure and trying to attend all of these high profile events. Now she didn't care, she just wanted to act and be left alone.

They took silly photos and tik tok videos before heading down to the car to go to the party. Outside there were paps everywhere. Kendall Jenner was there and Sara rolled her eyes, it was no secret that the tall model would go out of her way to be nasty to her. Kendall even tried to throw shade at Sara on instagram a few years ago. No one pointed it out until Kylie got dragged for the whole Selena fiasco.

"Sara!" She turned towards the voice and her eyebrows lifted in surprise as she saw the woman in question heading towards her. Photographers clicked away as Kendall threw her arms around her. She was sure the photographers caught her being stunned at the action. Surely it was going to be a hot topic the next day. "How are you? It's so nice to see you!"

As much as Sara wanted to say something nasty to Kendall, she didn't want to cause a fight at her best friend's party so she remained neutral. "I'm doing well, how about yourself?"

Kendall smiled. "Oh good, you know I've been preoccupied with Benito." The way she couldn't even pronounce the Spanish name. "Oh it's been so long since we caught up! Next time we are in town, you and Justin should double date with us!"

Sara smiled tightly. "Yeah, we will see. Our schedules are both busy."

"Sara!" She turned her head to see AnnSophie waving her down. "Oh look I got to go. It was nice talking with you!" She quickly walked away and joined her friends, who had a questioning look on their faces. She explained the story and everyone had the same conclusion. She was doing it to save face in the public eye. It was no secret that their reputation took a nosedive.

Once again, she found herself at a really late dinner with Bella after everything wrapped up. They were filling each other in on everything that happened in each other's lives. When Sara was done telling Bella about everything that happened with Justin she saw a smile on her friends face.

"Sara, I'm so happy for you. I'll admit that I had a lot of doubts about Justin. But he really grew up, and he did grow on me. He's not a stone cold Herman munster like I originally said." Sara snorted, remembering the first time the model gave him the moniker. "He really does love you, and that's all I ask from him, and that he doesn't hurt you again, otherwise I can't promise I wouldn't kick his ass."

Sara laughed. "I'm trying to imagine you taking him." Bella laughed. "Hey we kickbox you know. Also I'd enlist Gigi and AnnSophie."

Sara giggled again. "Yeah he could enlist Bosa and we'd be all fucked" Bella smiled into her drink. "Yeah but that Bosa wants to fight AnnSophie another way if you catch my drift." Sara nearly spit out her drink and the girls both combusted in a fit of giggles. "Hey If I'm ever single can you hook me up with Garoppolo?"

Sara rolled her eyes. "Oh please."

—--------------------------------------------------------------------

For some reason, it was like the universe hated Justin and Sara.

By the time she got back to Los Angeles he was gone in Eugene. He had a wedding to attend that he totally forgot about. He felt bad because it was one of his closest friends, after the wedding he had to be on a plane to New Jersey to attend a signing at a sporting expo with Derwin.

She got off the plane, not telling Erika that she was back home, however her best friend and employee wasn't stupid. The show was starting pre production and there were meetings. Sara spent her time at Justin's house rehearsing her lines, or went over to her co-star's house.

Finally after a week, she knew it was time to face the music. AnnSophie volunteered to be with her. Joey was back in Fort Lauderdale for a few weeks and Lexi's dad finally made time in his "super busy" calendar to spend time with his child.

As they pulled up to her house, AnnSophie could tell Sara was nervous. Her breath and her hands were so shaky she couldn't even drive. Grabbing her hand she rubbed it, hoping to calm her down a little bit. "Hey, it's going to be okay. She will know she is in the wrong." She nodded. "I just wish Justin was here, but I can't avoid her forever. We've closed the chapters of our pasts. I need to close this one."

They both got out of the car, each grabbing one of Sara's bags. Taking one last deep breath they entered the house. Eugene ran towards them, and despite Sara's hurt and anger she couldn't help but melt at the sight of the gray Bengal. "Hi baby." She cooed as she picked him up, pecking his face with kisses and she cuddled him. "I missed you so much. I'm sorry mommy had to leave you." She looked around while still carrying the cat. She turned towards the blonde supermodel. "She's not here." She took a deep breath, relieved that she still had some time to prepare a speech.

As she put everything away she messaged her sisters. They knew what was going on, and even unfriended Erika on all the platforms, surprisingly she never mentioned it on the phone.

Once she was done and clothes were in the washer she heard AnnSophie call her name. Walking over to her friend's voice in the kitchen she found AnnSophie starring with her mouth open in shock. Erika's work laptop that Sara bought her was open. That must have meant she ran out for a quick errand or food. She never left it open and unattended.

It happened in slow motion, AnnSophie turned the laptop around to face her. The first thing she saw was a document.

It was a medical document.

It was a record of a hospitalization

Sara's hospitalization in 2011 of her attempt.

A/N: Alright, just a smidge of drama one last time! Getting down to final chapters! Thank you to everyone who messaged me and read and stayed with me

#Justin Herbert #Alexa writes collide #nfl imagine

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