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unreadpoppy · 2 months ago

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Buddy

Cousland Warden x Alistair (but the real focus is on Dog).

TW: death of animal

Summary: Ten years after the Fifth Blight ended, Anneliese must make a decision in regards to her mabari.

Read on AO3

Per royal custom, Anneliese and Alistair did not share a room. That did not mean, however, that the queen slept alone. Laying near her feet, Anneliese’s loyal mabari, Buddy, would be found.

When she was young, her mother would have never permitted such a thing, though, on particularly bad nights, she would sneak the dog in and cuddle him until morning.

“You can’t let him sleep here” her mother would say “you’ll get him badly accustomed to it. Look at the mess he made of your bed, Anneliese!”

But those days were long in the past and now, Buddy slept with Anneliese every night, curling into a ball at her feet.

Buddy had a tendency to move around a lot and scratch himself before finally settling down and sleeping. He faintly snored as he slept, and although that would have bothered others, Anneliese was used to the sound. It reminded her that he was there, that she wasn’t alone. Even during the Blight, sleeping next to him brought an odd sense of comfort that only a dog could provide.

So when she heard the sound of heavy breathing, Anneliese immediately woke up.

At first, still half asleep, she thought it could be some assassin in her room. But soon, she noticed the sound came from Buddy. Instead of curled up, he was splayed around, his mouth open as he struggled to breathe.

“Buddy?” She whispered, putting a hand on his head. He seemed tired, not even lifting his head. She put her head on his chest, and although she did not have medical expertise, it did not sound good.

Unsure of what to do, Anneliese lifted the dog in her arms and ran to Alistair’s room.

Alistair woke up with the sound of his door breaking down and his wife calling for his name. Without thinking, he shot up from the bed and grabbed a nearby sword, ready to spring into action.

“Are we being attacked?” He asked and only then realized that Anneliese was on the ground, with Buddy in her lap. He put his sword to the side and knelt beside her. “What’s happening?”

“I don’t know.” She said, and he could hear the worry in her voice. “I woke up and he was struggling to breathe and he looked so weak. I don’t know what’s wrong with him.” Anneliese looked at him, a few tears running down. “I didn’t know what to do.”

Alistair took a deep breath, turning his attention to the dog. “Hey, Buddy.” He said, petting the mabari’s head. “Are you feeling alright?”

Buddy whined and sucked in a breath, and it was Alistair’s turn to worry. He remembered the sick mabari hounds at Ostagar, the ones who died of the Blight, and how weak they looked, laying on the ground, whining in pain and struggling to breathe.

“Alistair…” His wife said, after a moment of silence.

“You stay here. I’ll go fetch someone.” He said, beginning to stand up. “And you-” he looked at Buddy “you stay strong.”

30 minutes had passed when Alistair came back, followed by the kennel master.

He examined Buddy and soon, he said “I believe I know what the problem is.” He turned to Anneliese. “Your Majesty, how long have you had this mabari?”

“I don’t remember the exact age, but maybe since I was ten or eleven. Why?” She asked, but she knew what he was going to say next.

The kennel master took a deep breath. “May I speak bluntly?” He asked and both Anneliese and Alistair nodded. “He is dying of old age. Just as we humans wither away, his body can no longer keep going on. This is why he is struggling to breathe. I am sorry.”

Anneliese took a deep breath, petting Buddy as he whined in her lap, seemingly aware of his condition. “Is he in pain?”

“He is most likely uncomfortable, yes.”

“Is there anything we can do to soothe it?” Alistair asked, his voice slightly cracking.

“There are a few herbs that might deal with the pain but there is something I’d like to suggest. I cannot predict how much longer your hound has, Your Majesty, but there are some herbs that can…speed up the process.”

“You mean to poison the dog?” Alistair said.

“No. These are not poisonous, but they would put him to sleep and eventually stop his heart.”

“So just like poison.”

“Alistair.” Anneliese huffed and he shut his mouth. She turned to the kennel master, trying to keep her voice still. “Would that…hurt him?”

“No, Your Majesty. I guarantee, it is completely painless. A quick and painless death.”

She closed her eyes and she brought her forehead to Buddy’s. She felt Alistair crouch down next to her, and rub her back as she whispered to her dog.

“Oh Buddy, I don’t wanna lose you too…but I can’t stand to watch you suffer.” Tears streamed down her face as she continued. “Will you forgive me if I let you go?”

With more effort than normal, Buddy lifted his head from her lap to lick her cheeks, bringing a small chuckle from her, but also an answer. She looked to the kennel master.

“Do it.”

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to.” Alistair whispered, putting a hand on her shoulder.

She grabbed his hand, squeezing it and shaking her head. “I don’t want to. But it’s the kinder option.” She turned to the kennel master. “I just ask...let me have one final night with him. We’ll do it in the morning.”

He nodded and stood up. “Of course.”

After he left, Anneliese picked up Buddy once again, and placed him in Alistair’s bed before joining him. She held him close to her, and the mabari was content to let her do so, even if it meant her crying in his fur. Alistair laid behind her, his chest to her back, as he held her too, petting her hair and trying to soothe her.

In the end, neither got much sleep.

When morning came, everything moved quickly.

Soon, Buddy was by the Maker’s side. They decided to bury him, next to a large tree in the garden where he liked to sit underneath.

Anneliese had cried more than Alistair had ever seen her cry before that day. For the few days, she barely spoke to anyone, keeping more to her room. It was only a week later that Alistair found her sitting on the bench that faced that tree, and he noticed she was embroidering something.

He said nothing as he sat besides her.

“Mother didn’t want him at first.” Anneliese said, not looking at him. “But I had asked father for a dog, and of course he was going to give me one. It took some convincing, but she eventually allowed it, on the condition that I would train him.”

She sniffed and then continued. “We used to run around the castle, and when father taught me to fight, Buddy would spar with me.” She shook her head and the beginning of a smile formed on her lips. “I remember Fergus teasing me about the name. He’s a mabari war hound, you can’t call him ‘Buddy’, he said. But I was a ten year old girl, so of course I was going to name my dog something like that.”

Alistair chuckled. “When we were in Ostagar, I kept thinking that if I managed to bond with one of the mabari there, I’d name him Barkspawn.” That got a laugh out of Anneliese. “So I think Buddy is better.”

“If we ever have children, remind me to let you pick the name.” She jested and shook her head.

“But he was that. He was my best friend. He was there for everything. I thought he was all I had left of my family, he helped us end the Blight and train the new Wardens. I can’t believe he’s gone.” She took a deep breath, as she covered her eyes with her hand, tears running down.

Alistair hugged her and she clung to him, sobbing into his chest before looking at him. “I don’t know if I did the right thing. In letting him go.”

Alistair looked at his wife, and he thought for a moment on what to say.

“A long time ago, someone once told me that there would be decisions in our life that had no good outcome. That no matter what we did, we couldn’t save everyone but we could try to choose the least worst option.”

She knew what he was talking about. it was what she told him after they left Redcliff, when Alistair confronted her about killing Connor. She did not expect for him to remember it after so long, even less for him to say it to her.

“Either Buddy was going to die a slow and painful death, that we could never predict when would happen, or we could put him to sleep, granting him more mercy than other dogs near death.” He referred to the mabari at Ostagar, whom the kennel master put down after they couldn’t be cured of the Blight. But back then, the method had been more bloody.

He wiped a few tears from her face, his finger lightly tracing the scar on her face, as she took a few deep breaths.

“He would have died either way.” She whispered and turned her head towards the tree. “I hope he forgives me.”

“He was a smart dog. I think he understood.” She nodded to what he said. “Maker, sometimes I think he was too smart. Maybe he was just some guy turned into a dog by some witch like Morrigan.”

Anneliese laughed at his silliness. “You think Morrigan would do that?”

“Think? Oh, I’m certain she has done so before. She kept threatening to turn me into a frog half the time we were camping.”

“She wouldn’t have done so.”

“You always put too much trust in her.”

“Even if she tried, I wouldn’t have let her.” Anneliese kissed his cheek and placed her head on his shoulder, bringing up the embroidery she had been working on before he arrived. “It’s not done yet, but it’s almost there.”

On the fabric, Anneliese had done the silhouette of a dog, and was in the process of filling it up. Underneath that, there was the phrase ‘Buddy - Loyal hound and friend.’

“When did you begin this?”

“The day after Buddy died. I needed to stab something, to put the pain somewhere else.”

“It looks lovely.” He handled her work back to her.

“Thank you.” She placed it on the bench, before standing up and walking to the tree. She touched the bark and looked to the ground. “Oh Buddy…I hope you’re running around mother and father and Oren and Orianna.” She said the name of her deceased family members. “And when my time comes, I know you’ll be there to see me.”

She walked back to Alistair and hand in hand, the two walked back to the castle.

Even years after his death, Anneliese would remember Buddy how he had been: playful, loyal, strong. She’d always remember him sitting by her bed, putting his head on her lap or when he begged for food she couldn’t give him.

Buddy had been almost 20 years old when he passed, a very long age for his breed, and he had been the best dog any girl could have asked for.

A/N: Two weeks ago, we had to put one of my dogs, Malta, to sleep. She was 8 years old and she was fighting both melanoma and tick disease and we didn't want her to suffer further. She was the best girl in the world and I'm still dealing with this grief and I wrote this to try and help it a bit. It's not perfect, and I don't know if it helped a hundred percent but I needed to put some of pain somewhere else.

#dragon age #dragon age origins #alistair x cousland #tw animal death #this is somewhat very personal but it's ok to reblog and interact with #for anyone who also lost a pet recently: i feel you #i'll post it on ao3 later but the internet is a bit bad now

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komoreangel · 4 years ago

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𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐡𝐜𝐬

pairings: childe, diluc, kaeya, albedo x f!reader (separate)

scenario: it’s reallyyyyy cold outside and you want your boyfriend to warm you up :) and maybe cuddle :) i mean what no its just soooo cold

genre: fluff so much fluff

wordcount: 1.6k (mostly albedo’s djkfsdjfnkd)

childe

ok so this guy

he’s from snezhnaya which is like russia

its always cold there so he’s used to the below 30 temperatures

you however

ARE NOT

like at all i mean you’re from mondstatd whens the last time it snowed here

so at first he might not notice that you are extremely cold

you two are walking around, being cute yk couple stuff

that is until you start shivering

“why are you shaking? are you scared of something???”

he’s not the brightest but we love him

“childe, im cold.” you bury your face in his chest to hide from the wind

“it’s not that cold out here, i don’t see why you’re being so dramatic.”

“it’s below 30 degrees! i’m going to get frostbite and die!”

ok so maybe you are a bit dramatic but YOU’RE FREEZING OKAY?

“hey ojou-chan, why are you so clingy all of a sudden-” you reached your hand inside his pocket to grab his hand.

holy crap your hands are cold

“hey wait don’t grab my- THAT’S MY SCARF!”

suddenly you were running away from him at top speed, his scarf in your hands

“come back here! what are you - oof-!” he had grabbed onto the edge of the scarf and pulled it back, you along with it.

you fell on top of him and you’re both wrapped in the scarf like every single christmas romance movie

“well now my hair is all full of snow.”

“you deserve it.” ��HEY!”

you get up and walk off to the side, taking his scarf with you

he follows after you, and catches up quite fast considering he’s got them long legs

oh to be tall

he wraps his arms around you in a hug

“still feeling cold?”

“yES!”

so you two head for home and he promises that he’ll cuddle you all day to keep you warm

which is what you wanted in the first place ;)

diluc

diluc doesn’t get cold

not because of where he’s from or anything

but because pyro vision

~natural body heat~

and unlike childe he would actually notice you withering away in the snow

“y/n, are you alright?”

“huh? yeah yeah im fine just a bit cold”

suddenly you are being cuddled

“diluc??”

“yes?”

“you’re hugging me?”

he doesn’t usually initiate pda often so it was a surprise

“you said you were cold. i’m simply warming you up.”

you lean into his hug and notice that he’s actually really warm

like so warm you get sleepy

you’re so sleepy now that you think about it

and bonk

congrats dear reader

you have fallen asleep in diluc’s arms

he continues to talk on about venti’s drinking problem and how annoying kaeya is

he looks down and notices you sweetly dozing off in his embrace

and he’s so lucky to have you isn’t he

he smiles softly and sweeps you into his arms

carries you bridal style upstairs

he’s about to tuck you into your bed when your arms begin to tightly wrap around his shoulders

almost like you dont want to let go

“darling, it’s more comfortable in the bed,” he says quietly

“noo...” your voice is muffled by his chest and you sound tired

he chuckles lightly

“just lay down for a bit i’ll be right with you in a minute”

you’re quiet, like you’re stopping to think

“if i lay down, will you cuddle with me?”

diluc sighs

“yes i’ll cuddle with you, just please lay down? for me?”

and who are you to resist that

so you lay down and while it’s not as warm as him

its still really soft and you fall asleep in no time

he comes back to you sleeping, and not one to break his promises, he cuddles with you anyway

at least you’re warm now

kaeya

believe it or not, kaeya actually does get cold

i mean yeah he has a cryo vision, but that just means he isn’t affected by his own abilities

or at least thats my headcanon

anyways

if you’re shivering...he will not help you at first

no, first he’ll tease you about it

like imagine you guys have a mission in dragonspine

“oh y/n~ did you fall for me so hard you got frostbite?”

“you’re looking mighty chilled over there, need a hand?”

you are this close to punching his arm

however because you want him to hug you and warm you up, you are going to stay on his good side

he might prolong the teasing for a while

and after that while, he may or may not let you hug him

if he goes on for a bit too long however, he’d feel bad

you aren’t laughing at his jokes anymore because you’re so cold

you just want to stop and sleep

your steps become slower and slower

your vision is getting blurrier by the second

and after a while you just stop moving

kaeya turns to look back at you bc he notices

“y/n?”

and then in a total cliche moment you collapse out of pure exhaustion

like the gentleman he is, he catches you before you land face-first in the snow

and in his mind hes like shit i let this go on too long

so he carries you around, looking for a cave you can rest in until you’re feeling better

after maybe five minutes of searching he finds one

and he knows albedo is up here somewhere but he doesn’t want to risk you being in the snow for too long

he starts a fire and tries to lay you down near it, but you aren’t getting any warmer

so he puts you in his arms and just cuddles you

the combination of body heat + fire is slowly warming you up

and in about an hour you’re awake again

but you can’t move, because his grip on you is very tight

“kaeya? where are we?”

he slowly opens his eyes

“oh, just a random cave in dragonspine” he laughs a bit as he says it

then ofc he remembers you’ve just woken up from collapsing and is like oh right serious time ok

“are you okay?” he asks and this time he has a hint of concern in his voice

“yeah, i’m fine. i’m warm now too” you say as the fire starts to die down a bit

kaeya moves his arm in front of you to shift the firewood a bit

“i’m sorry for letting you get that cold” he murmurs

you adjust your position so you’re facing his chest

“it’s alright, at least i can finally get some cuddles this way”

you both continue to rest by the fire and decide you’ll head back to mondstatd in the morning

albedo

because albedo is rather observant of most things

he notices your state right away

he immediately stops whatever he is doing and tends to you

“you’re cold, aren’t you?” he sits you on the table and feels your forehead

“albedo, its not a fever” you laugh.

“no, if it was a fever you’d be burning up” he says matter-of-factly

he walks to the other side of the lab and grabs his coat

“here, put this on.”

you wrap the coat around yourself and start to get off the table

he rushes back and grabs your hands

they’re cold (duh)

so then he thinks what can he do to make your hands warm

usually some mittens would do the trick

but he doesnt have any except for his own

well

he’ll do what he has to

anything for you

so he slides his gloves off and offers them to you

“put these on, your hands are probably freezing”

when you hesitate (because arent his hands cold now? you dont want him to be cold) he takes the initative and takes your hands to put the gloves on

he stands back and says “there. tell me if you get colder, okay?”

and tries to hide his flustered face because

you look so cute in his gloves!!!

they’re his gloves and you’re wearing them !

he turns back to his work for a bit

after maybe half an hour he looks back

and you aren’t sitting on the table anymore??

he looks around

you aren’t anywhere??

thats not good

not good at all

he makes his way outside and doesn’t see you there either

“y/n?” he calls out into the snow

unknowingly to him, you had headed out about ten minutes after he turned around

you went to go search for some starsilver, as you heard him muttering about it under his breath

you were happily heading back to the lab, arms full of the stuff, when you heard someone shout in surprise

it sounded like albedo

something must have happened to one of his experiments

you quickly hurried towards the lab only to find

nothing?? not even the man himself

there were footsteps in the snow leading away from the room, but you couldn’t be sure if it was yours or his

you decide to wait for him to come back, and set the starsilver near his workspace

after a while, he comes back in, looking stressed and worried

“albedo?” he looks up and breathes in relief

“where were you, i came back and- mMf!” he rushes towards you and wraps you in a tight hug

“please don’t do that again” he says

“i got you some starsilver..”

he breaks the hug and looks back at his desk

“you went to get starsilver...for me?”

you bury your face in his neck

“yeah..i heard you muttering about it so i thought you needed some. it was colder out there than i thought, though”

he pats your back soothingly, rubbing his hand in circles around your shoulder

“let’s start a fire, that’ll warm us both up”

a/n: hi! wooh my first headcanon :) sorry if it was a little long, and i know some were a bit angsty and im honestly sorry about that! albedo’s got away from me sdkhjf but i hope you enjoy! and feel free to request a fic if you’d like :)

#albedo x reader #diluc x reader #kaeya x reader #childe x reader #albedo x y/n #diluc x y/n #kaeya x y/n #childe x y/n #genshin x reader #genshin headcanons #genshin imagine #genshin story #genshin stuff #genshin impact x reader #kit.writings

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toosicktoocare · 5 years ago

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like father, like son

Spoilers for 911 Lone Star below!

A fic no one asked for: TK winds up sick because he’s not sleeping well since learning about his dad’s diagnosis and because he’s pushing himself too hard to be a better son. (Also, Carlos doesn’t really vibe with fever sex.)

The dreams don’t actually start until a few days after his talk with his dad, after a moment of pure, unfiltered vulnerability spanning from one to the other, but when they do finally start to plague his sleep, they’re terrifying, encompassing his every fear into twisted images of dirty hospitals, blood splashing against walls from violent coughs, two large, decaying organs pressing against him, suffocating him, and his father, withering away before his eyes.

After jerking awake in a cold sweat two nights in a row, TK forgoes sleep because he would much rather take fatigue any day over the spoiled visuals that seem to stain his thoughts, even when he’s awake. He, instead, takes to the internet when he should be resting, researching the side effects of chemo, what to look out for, what dialogue could cause potential triggers, and the most important, the one he’s most determined to achieve by any means necessary, how to care for a cancer patient.

He sleeps only a little, catching one to three hours a day but subconsciously not allowing his body to slip into REM, and his growing exhaustion goes relatively unnoticed until he wakes at three am after nodding off in a chair in his room with a medical book on his lap to a scratchy throat and a slight hint of pressure pushing behind his eyes.

He slips to his feet, quietly resting the book on the chair, and he pads softly across his room to the bathroom, flicking the lights on with a wide yawn. His reflection leaves much to be desired, a pale, drawn man with deep purple bags under his eyes staring back at him.

“Shit,” he mutters, a low whistle, almost impressed with how terrible he’s managed to look, but then he’s turning to cough lightly into the crook of his arm until he’s wincing from the uncomfortable tingle that almost burns against his throat. He hunches over the sink, splashing cool water on his face, and then he’s reaching for the ibuprofen, but when he can hear gagging from his dad’s bedroom, he drops the pill bottle, the loud clattering and rolling fading in the distance as he races out his room.

“Dad?” He shoves his dad’s bathroom door open to see him curled around the toilet, shoulders shaking slightly. The panic in his eyes fades to sympathetic concern, a look he’s been sporting far too much over the last few days, and he crouches beside his dad, dropping a hand to his back to feel his muscles convulsing under his palm. Wincing, he smooths his palm up and down his dad’s back, repeating the action, just as his dad would do for him, until Owen’s finally reaching up to flush the toilet with a groan.

“Sorry I woke you,” Owen rasps out, and TK’s eyes fall just a little.

“You didn’t,” he reassures, spitting out a quick lie when Owen frowns at him. “I was already up. Had to piss.”

“Creepy timing,” Owen says around a weak laugh. “Didn’t realize my stomach and your bladder were in sync.”

Rolling his eyes, TK gets to his feet, reaching a hand out toward Owen. “You’re so weird,” he mutters when Owen’s hand finds his. He pulls him to his feet, a frown threatening to pull at his lips at the ease. His dad’s been dropping weight, and for just a moment, he’s almost pulled back to too-vivid images, but he shakes his head, willing the fear away.

“You done?”

He keeps close to his dad when he sidesteps around him to the sink to rinse his mouth out, eyes trained to the slight tremor in his dad’s steps.

“Yeah,” Owen groans, frowning at his reflection, and TK meets his eyes through the mirror. They share a silent conversation. They’ve been doing that a lot since they talked, neither knowing how to verbally convey what their eyes are practically screaming.

“Are you alright?” Owen finally asks, turning from TK’s pale reflection to see if it’s merely a trick of the light or if his son truly looks ill. His frown deepens, concern taking over his forehead in deep worry lines, when TK’s poor image appears to not be just a trick of the mirror. “You look exhausted.”

“I’m fine,” TK says easily, and he doesn’t fight it when Owen reaches the back of his hand to his forehead, only watching with a gaze that’s almost struggling to be patient.

“You don’t feel feverish,” Owen mutters, stepping back to asses his son with a long, studious gaze, taking in the dark circles colored under his eyes, his slumped posture, and his almost sunken face. “Have you been sleeping?”

TK makes to answer, to reassure his dad that he’s completely fine, but Owen continues, not letting him sneak a word in.

“I know it can be hard to shut your mind off, especially after learning about all of this.” He gestures weakly toward himself. “But, we can tell your therapist--”

“Dad,” TK groans, turning toward the door. “I said I’m fine.” ‘I’m not the one with cancer’ is what he wants to follow with, but the mere thought stabs at his chest like a dagger that’s on fire, so, instead, he looks over his shoulder, smiling softly. “Stop worrying about me and go get more rest, old man.”

The smile grows wide and genuine at Owen’s mock dismay, the latter even going so far as to slap a hand to his chest. “Tyler Kennedy Strand, you take that back right this second!”

“The number doesn’t lie,” TK laughs out, running when Owen shoots after him, and he takes the light punches to his back, stopping only when Owen turns away to cough harshly. Tension flicks across TK’s muscles, and he spins around, frowning. “You okay?”

“Yes,” Owen breathes out, catching his breath. “Stop looking at me like that. You’re going to wrinkle.”

“You are unbelievable,” TK spits out around a huff of a laugh as he turns to leave the room, calling out his goodnight as he shuffles back into his room. It’s almost 3:30 now, and his alarm is set for 6. His muscles are aching for his bed, but his heart’s been the only one allowed to make decisions as of late. He bypasses his bed and slips his sneakers on, waiting until he hears Owen’s soft snores before he slips out of the house for a run.

*****

“Not to be an asshole or anything, but you look like shit.”

TK’s hand freezes mid rub at his helmet, and he drags a narrow gaze up to Judd. “Good morning to you, too.” He frowns a little, the crack in his voice betraying him, and he pulls his gaze back to his helmet, ignoring Judd when the latter takes a seat beside him.

“TK, man, what’s going on? You’ve been looking like a zombie for a week now, and you’re starting to sound like one, too.”

“I’m fine,” TK grumbles, but the few coughs that slip past his pursed lips say otherwise, and he can see Judd tense slightly beside him through his peripherals.

“It’s your dad, isn’t it?” Judd leans toward TK, keeping his voice low, and TK twists his gaze over until he’s meeting Judd’s surprisingly soft eyes. The look alone has his shoulders slumping, and he sighs lowly.

“It’s just a lot to take in, and I’m trying to do better.” If he’s not dissecting each google page or medical book, he’s catering to his dad’s every need, cooking for him, supporting him as much as possible while out on the line, and being at his side through the nightly coughing fits and bouts of nausea. “I’m trying to take care of him,” he adds, voice almost a whisper, and Judd claps a hand to his shoulder.

“You aren’t going to be any good to him if you drive yourself into the ground. You need a little break.”

“I can’t--”

“--sorry to interrupt this little pow-wow, boys,” Owen cuts in, talking loud enough to gather the attention of his entire team. “But I’ve just received an invitation to the bar tonight, so make sure you bring your dancing shoes!”

TK doesn’t miss the way Michelle stops to roll her eyes before she hoists herself up into the back of an ambulance, but then his dad’s talking directly to him, voice carrying over the hollers from the others.

“You’ll come, right?” He leans forward, whispering. “Michelle said Carlos will be there--”

“--Dad!” TK hisses out sharply, and the heat that creeps to his cheeks is evident, enough so to have Judd bellowing out a laugh beside him.

*****

TK excuses himself to the bathroom, leaving his mineral water with Carlos as he maneuvers around bar-goers until he’s shoving the bathroom door open just as his lungs burst. He buries his face into the crook of his arm, coughing harshly. He’s been getting worse as the day’s dragged on, and it’s been getting harder to keep it to himself. He started spiking a low-grade fever toward the end of his shift, and if the chill clinging to him is anything to go by, he’d say it’s definitely spiking.

He feels like shit, point blank utter shit. His muscles are aching, but not like they do after a particularly hard shift. They’re almost throbbing, feeling oddly restless, and his head’s pounding, behind his eyes, across his forehead, all the way to drum at his temples. Worse, though, he can’t seem to shut his mind off, not even with Carlos and his unfair muscles by his side.

He takes just a few moments to splash cold water over his burning face, sniffling lightly when he dries his face, and then he leaves, coughing weakly into his fist as he moves back around drunks and dancing until he’s bumping Carlos’ shoulder.

“Your dad just yee-hawed half the people off the dance floor,” Carlos shouts over the music, and TK shoots a gaze to see his dad moving through some weirdly graceful mock lasso toss.

“Marjan got the entire thing on video,” Carlos adds, nodding across the room, and TK follows his gaze with a half-hearted laugh.

“Hey,” Carlos’ voice is softer this time, almost gentle, and TK pulls his eyes to his, frowning slightly as he tilts his head.

“Do you want to get out of here?” He leans in close to TK’s ear, and TK shudders against his hot breath.

“I don’t know about you, but this place is kind of blowing my vibe, and my couch is really lonely--”

A quick distraction that TK smiles at, lips curling up almost deviously, and he nods quickly, allowing Carlos to pull him toward the exit. He spares a glance over his shoulder, fear suddenly gripping at his heart, but then he sees Michelle laughing as Owen spins her around the dance floor. It’s fine, he tells himself. He’s with the EMT Captain.

He doesn’t mean to catch Judd’s eyes, but he does, and Judd nods once, an almost silent reassurance that TK clings to as Carlos all but drags him out of the bar.

*****

TK’s melting against Carlos’ forceful touch, his body moving in sync with Carlos’ smooth movements. Their lips are molding to each other, their tongues battling, and when Carlos pulls away, dragging his bottom lip with him in a gentle bite for just a moment, he groans, back arching when Carlos drags sharp kisses down his neck. He’s almost lost completely to Carlos, but then Carlos is mumbling against his neck.

“God, you’re on fire.” He nips at TK’s neck, almost drinking in the heat pouring off of him, and TK huffs around a small shiver, still feeling oddly cold despite being swallowed by the heat of Carlos’ muscles.

“Weird,” he grunts, a light moan slipping past his lips when Carlos’ hand trails down his stomach. “I’m actually freezing.” It’s a small slip-up, lost briefly in a moment of pure honesty, and then Carlos is pulling away quickly, a frown plastered to his lips.

He’s hovering just above TK, hands pressed to the couch beside TK’s head, and his eyes are working over TK’s face. “You’re cold?”

TK doesn’t really see the big deal because it’s probably just cold in Carlos’ apartment with the AC purring quietly in the background, so he nods, and then Carlos is rolling off of him and starting out of the room.

“Carlos, what the fuck?” He shouts, his throat burning with each word until he turns to cough into the crook of his arm harshly. When he catches his breath, he turns his gaze to see Carlos walking toward him with a digital thermometer in his hand.

“Doctor kink?” he starts, both brows raised, “I mean, if that’s your thing, I can get behind that--”

“TK, shut the fuck up and put this under your tongue.”

TK opens his mouth to argue, but Carlos shoves the tip of the thermometer into his mouth, and he can’t do anything but oblige, slipping it under his tongue as he keeps a steady gaze to Carlos’ almost angry one. When the thermometer beeps, he moves to grab it, but Carlos is faster by a long shot, more so against TK’s sore muscles, and he frowns at the 102.2 degree reading, dropping it to TK’s hand as he presses a palm to TK’s forehead.

“Woah,” TK breathes out at the reading, frowning deeply. He knew he had been running a low-grade, but this is way higher than he expected. “Shit,” he curses, eyes flying from the device to Carlos. “I’m sorry,” he spits out, but then his lungs quake with a need to cough, and he turns away from Carlos, coughing harshly into the crook of his arm.

When he can suck in a deep breath without the burning need to cough more, he spares a hesitant glance back to see pure, dripping worry coloring Carlos’ eyes.

“In the SUV earlier,” Carlos mutters, almost more to himself, “when you were coughing and said you accidentally inhaled some smoke on a call earlier. I should have known then.” He reaches over TK’s shoulder for a blanket folded on the back of his couch and drapes it over TK’s slightly trembling shoulders, and TK watches his every move.

“Why didn’t you say earlier? I wouldn’t have pushed you--”

“--I wanted the distraction,” TK admits, surprising even himself. With the gig up, with Carlos staring at him with such consuming worry, he sinks back against the couch, allowing his illness to fully sweep over his body. He shivers, pulling the blanket tighter around himself, and he tilts his head against the back of the couch, eyes finding the ceiling.

“A distraction from what?” Carlos pushes gently, careful to not tiptoe over into boyfriend territory.

“Everything,” TK mutters around a weak cough, and he rolls his head to the side when Carlos lays a gentle hand to his covered knee, a small sign of encouragement that he’s listening but not forcing.

“If I say I’m not ready to talk about it right now, will you not ask about it?”

Carlos considers this, and while the urge to push past TK’s wall is as hot as the latter’s fever, he nods slowly. “You can stay the night,” he says instead, moving with the need to see TK through what he’s sure is either a really bad cold or maybe the flu.

“I can’t,” TK starts, and he pushes the blanket away, making to stand, but his vision wavers, gray dots dancing across his eyes, and Carlos is quick on his feet, snaking a strong arm around TK’s waist and guiding him back down to the couch.

“Why not? You can’t even walk.”

“My dad,” TK mutters, leaning heavily against Carlos. “I need to be with him... He needs someone with him to make sure he’s okay.” The panic from before, from leaving his father alone, hits him like a bucket of ice water being tossed over his head, and he’s shaking hard in Carlos’ grip, both from fever and fear, but Carlos’ only tightens his hold, a beacon of steady warmth he’s almost afraid to get too close to.

Carlos really wants to ask about this because Owen seems fine, but the desperation clinging to TK’s tone has him considering his words. “I can call Michelle--”

“--no,” TK mutters, coughing against Carlos’ shoulder. “Judd. He’s the only other one who knows.”

Carlos eases TK back against the couch, worry pulling at his heart as TK coughs and shivers and curls in on himself. “I’ll call Judd,” he starts, gaze drifting to the door for a moment. “Promise you won’t run?”

“Couldn’t even if I tried,” TK chatters out, teeth clacking together, and Carlos makes quick work of calling Judd, rattling off what he knows.

Judd’s worry on the other line of the phone apparently stretches back to a few days prior, and when he mentions he’s not sure that TK’s been sleeping, a pit grows in Carlos’ stomach, uncomfortable against the heavy weight of concern.

Their conversation isn’t long, ending when Judd reassures him that he’ll keep an eye on Owen and will even make an excuse for TK’s absence. After, Carlos makes quick work of guiding TK to his bedroom. TK’s frighteningly compliant, only fighting him when he tries to pull an “Austin Police Department” hoodie over his head, snagging it from the back of a chair in his bedroom.

“You’ll overheat,” Carlos tries, but TK somehow manages to pull the hoodie over his bare torso, and Carlos can’t say no when TK looks at him, cheeks flushed, hair sticking up at different ends, the sleeves of his hoodie pulled over his shaking hands, and the hem just covering a small part of TK’s bare thighs.

“Fine,” he mutters, breathing through a few curses as he helps TK into bed. He turns to get medicine for the fever, but TK’s hand is suddenly latching onto his wrist, surprisingly strong, and when he turns around, TK’s eyes, though glassy, are bright and aware.

“Don’t.”

“I’m just going to get some medicine--”

“--I can’t sleep,” TK admits, fingers digging into Carlos wrists as he coughs harshly. “I haven’t slept in a week.”

“Jesus, TK,” Carlos breathes out. He’s getting more and more pieces of the puzzle that is Tyler Kennedy Strand, but the borders, the ones that support the picture, are still missing, as well as some middle chunks. “Why--”

“--you said you wouldn’t ask.”

“Sorry,” Carlos mutters. “I’m just going to get medicine, and then I’ll come right back.” TK’s hand drops to the bed, eyes momentarily flicking to a color of fear that has Carlos rushing to the bathroom for ibuprofen and water.

TK takes the medicine without question, wanting to rid his body of this shitty feeling just as much as Carlos does, and then Carlos slips some pants on and climbs into the bed, resting his back against the headboard, and TK watches him, eyes impossibly tired.

“Do you think you can try to sleep? I’ll stay awake if you need me.”

“Judd’s with my dad?” TK asks, and when Carlos nods, he nods back, curling around Carlos’ hips, head resting against his thigh. He’s a little afraid to let his eyes slip closed, aware that he won’t have the control to not slip into REM, but when Carlos drops a careful hand to his hair, fingers carding softly through it, the fear eases a little, and he hums softly.

“Is this okay? Have I gone too far into boyfriend territory?”

“You have,” TK mutters around a yawn that’s followed by a few weak coughs. “But it’s okay for tonight.”

655 notes · View notes

lia-jones · 4 years ago

Text

Growing Together - Chapter Fourteen - Learning to Fly

6:00 AM

When I wake up in the morning, love

And the sunlight hurts my eyes

And something without warning, love

Bears heavy on my mind

Then I look at you

And the world's alright with me

Just one look at you

And I know it's gonna be

A lovely day-

My hand flew blindly to my phone, shutting up Bill Withers for good. Victor stirred beside me.

“Why do you have your alarm set for so early?” He asked sleepily as he pulled me closer.

“It’s time to get up.” I kissed his closed eyelids. “Chop-chop, Mr. Lee!”

Victor turned to grab his phone.

“It’s six AM.” He squinted at his screen.

“Exactly. Time for your morning run.” I beamed at him, uncharacteristically full of energy. “I’ll get things ready, you don’t need to worry.”

“I’m not running today.” He grabbed my waist, trapping me in bed. “Sleep a little longer, we’ll get ready together.”

“No, I woke up early so you could run, and you are going to run.” I squirmed in his arms. “It’s something you like and it’s good for you, you shouldn’t give up on that just because you are a father now. Besides…” I pinched his stomach. “I don’t want a chubby hubby.”

“Ouch, quit it!” He grabbed both my wrists, trying to keep me still. “I’m not chubby!”

“You will be if you don’t run!” I started pushing him out of bed with my body. “Come on, Victor, it’s sunny outside, we’re both up, there is no excuse for you not to go-”

I heard my husband suddenly leave the bed with a thump. I looked over the edge of the bed, finding him lying on the floor, an annoyed expression on his face.

“Happy now?”

7:30 AM

“We’re ready for breakfast!” I announced as I entered the kitchen with a fully dressed Owen, who was giggling with my shenanigans. “What’s for the menu, chef?”

“French toast for the beautiful lady and the short gentleman.” Victor played along, ceremoniously presenting a large plate with golden steamy french toast. “Let me get the syrup and the sliced fruit.”

“What are you having?” I grabbed the plate from his hands.

“Egg whites and fruit.” He got his plate of egg whites and sat on the table to eat. “My wife says I’m gaining weight.”

“I was joking! Have some french toast with us.” I motioned to serve him some.

“Absolutely not!” He frowned, covering his plate. “My wife is unsatisfied, I need to please her.”

“Fine, have it your way then.” I started eating, feeling somewhat guilty about my joke.

“How is your breakfast, Owen?” Victor asked. “Do you want more strawberries? Or syrup?”

“No, Sir.” Owen blushed. “It’s good. Thank you, Sir.”

“You don’t have to call me Sir, Owen.” Victor spoke gently. “Just Victor. Or Vic, like Andy does.”

“I’m sorry, Sir.” Owen looked down, uncomfortable. “I mean, I’m sorry, Victor.”

Victor pursed his lips, letting out a heavy sigh. I held his hand under the table. It was clearly still hard for Owen to be comfortable with him.

8:30 AM

“Do you have everything you need?” I asked Owen as we stood by the school door. “Your lunch? Your sculpture?”

“Yes, I do.” Owen beamed at me, his red curls bouncing as he looked up. “I put my playdoh ant in the plastic box you gave me, so it won’t break.”

“Well done.” I brushed his curls slightly. “Have a good day at school. Don’t forget to eat your snack.”

“I will!” He wrapped his arms around my waist. “Have a good day at work, Andy!” He turned to leave.

I noticed Victor fidget slightly by my side.

“Hey, what about Victor?” I teased. “Doesn’t he deserve a good day at work too?”

“Yes.” Owen slowly came back, extending his small hand for Victor to shake. “Have a good day.” He looked down. The look on Victor’s face at that moment broke my heart.

“You too, Owen.” Victor hesitated for a moment, wondering if he could hug his son. He touched his shoulder instead. “I’m sure your teacher will love your ant sculpture.”

“Thank you, Sir.”

The car ride to work was a silent one, as I watched my husband lost in thought, his jaw clenching occasionally.

“Vic-”

“I don’t know how to get through to him.” Victor blurted out. “It’s been a month, and he still doesn't like me. I don’t know what to do anymore.”

“Hey, you know what Miss Dillon said.” I caressed his shoulder. “It’s normal for adopted kids to be suspicious, especially if they had a negative experience before. Give him time, he will see the wonderful man you are, I’m sure.”

“Maybe you’re right.” He sighed. “I just need to be patient.”

“Do you want me to talk to him?”

“No, I will do this.” He shook his head. “I am his father, it’s my job to build a connection. I will find a way.”

10:40 AM

“Ok, guys, what else do we have today?” I asked my management team.

“I got the new report from Parker Company today.” Diane handed me a file. “I still have to check those numbers, but the profit is way below expected.”

I opened the file, reading it carefully. I couldn’t believe my eyes.

“No, this is significantly below the stipulated in the contract. They are going to lose the investment.” I flipped through the pages of the report. “They invested in new machinery last month, they have clients, they should have made a lot more than what’s in here!”

“I’ll call them today, inquiring about these values.” Diane offered.

“No.” I got up from my chair, closing my laptop. “I’ll call Mr. Stone right away. They need to file a correct report in two days, LFG will reevaluate the contract by then. Last month was already terrible for them. I need to set this straight.” I walked to the door, addressing my team again. “You guys take a break. We’ll talk later. Kenny, bring me some coffee to my office. I need all the caffeine I can have.”

The call to Parker Company took longer than expected. Mr Stone was away on business and would only return the following day, so he left his wife taking care of the company affairs. She knew very little about the investment, let alone the software we were using to report the results. His assistant was even worse, taking forever to get me simple pieces of information. Twenty minutes later, and after a lot of time on hold, my patience was wearing thin. Something wasn’t right. I hoped it wasn’t what I thought it was.

I heard a knock. It was Kenny, my assistant.

“Mr. Lee just called to see if you were ready for the Cooper meeting.” He announced, nervously.

“Crap!” I jumped in my chair. “Tell him I need five minutes more, just finishing a call.”

With this new ordeal, I had totally forgotten about the meeting with Cooper and Sons at LFG. Yet again, despite whatever progress Goldman had made before, the negotiations were at an impasse. Jason Cooper was a very traditional man, and saw these new fancy robotic companies, as he called them, as the enemy. So naturally, when Victor told him what he had to do to secure the investment, Cooper backed away. The CEO then asked me if I could present the investment project myself, to see if I could get through the old man.

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Lee, I can’t find the file you asked for…” Stone’s assistant came on the phone again.

“It’s alright, I’ll call later.” I hung up, checking the notification on my phone. A text from my dear husband saying You’re 10 minutes late .

I bolted to the elevator. Ten minutes was enough to have one of those grumpy men fuming and leaving the room. If I wanted to even have a chance of discussing the investment, I’d have to be quick.

The elevator opened with a ding. Goldman was already waiting for me.

“You are-”

“Late!” I interrupted as I ran to the conference room door, Goldman following me. “I know, I know. Plug this into the screen, will you?” I handed him my laptop as I knocked briefly, opening the door. My husband threw me a deadly stare.

“Mr. Cooper!” I extended my hand for him to shake. “I’m sorry for the delay, I was caught up in a meeting. I’m Andrea Lee, pleased to meet you.”

“Likewise. Jason Cooper, ma’am.” He shook my hand with a smile. “Let’s hear what you have to say, your husband says you’ll explain things better. Although I have to say I’m not senile, I understood it correctly the first time.” He gave Victor a sour look.

I turned on my laptop and began a more interactive presentation, allowing Mr. Cooper to pose questions as I spoke, keeping an open and amicable attitude. It seemed to work, as the old man lost the frown on his face, and started speaking more openly as well, even daring to ask how someone like Victor had nailed a sweet girl like me. Victor kept his poker face the entire time, only a wife’s trained eye like mine could see he was outraged.

“You know, my sons are the ones insisting on this, telling me this is an opportunity for growth. But I built this company with my own two hands, and the final say is mine. This is a family company, some people have been working with us for decades. I will say yes if you come and visit us, feel the spirit, see if your indications are really appropriate for us.”

“Andrea is a very busy woman, she-” Victor chimed in.

“I would love to.” I interrupted Victor. “I will check my schedule and make room to visit you this week.”

Pleased, Mr. Cooper shook my hand.

“Then it looks like we may have a deal. Bring the contract with you. I will sign it on the day of your visit.”

12:30 PM

“Mr. Lee asked for you to go to his office.” Kenny announced, panicked.

I was up to my neck in files. Not only did I have to study strategies for the incoming companies, I also had the Parker ordeal to figure out.

“Did he tell you what he wanted?” I asked, my eyes still glued to the file in front of me.

“No, I didn’t dare ask him.” He confessed. “Could you just call him? If you don't, he’ll call again and get angry at me.”

“Why are you so scared of him? He’s not that bad.” I took my phone, noticing I had several missed calls from Victor. “Damn it, I forgot to unmute it.”

“I know he is your husband, but he is scary.” Kenny gasped, suddenly realizing how honest he had been. “I’m sorry, this was out of line, please don’t tell him I said that.”

“It’s ok, Kenny, relax.” I chuckled as I pressed call on my phone. “Go have lunch.”

Victor answered on the first ring.

“I have lunch for you. Come up.”

“It’s ok, I’ll have something later, I’m really busy.” I took another file, opening it. “Thanks anyway.”

“You’ll forget to eat, I know. Fifteen minutes, that’s all I ask. Then you’ll resume work with fresher eyes.”

1:00 PM

“You need to go easy on Kenny. I think you scare him.” I mentioned, poking a piece of steak with my fork.

“I merely told him to do his job. What’s so scary about that?” Victor didn’t even look up from his salad.

“Maybe try not to sound so… Imperative.” I pointed the piece of steak towards my husband’s mouth. “Do you want to try it?”

“I can’t.” He moved away from my fork. “I’m on a diet.”

“Still with that?” I gave him an annoyed look. “I was only joking! You look fine!”

“If it was me telling you to lose some weight, even jokingly, how would you react?” He leaned back in his chair, folding his hands on his lap.

Damn. He got me there.

“I would have your head.” I admitted. “I’m sorry.”

“Since your head is still very much intact, can we agree that I am nicer than you?” He smiled mischievously.

“No, we can’t.” I closed the box containing my food and put it aside. “Because, despite my poor choice of words, all I wanted was for my husband to resume an old habit he enjoys. My intentions were good.”

“The road to hell is paved with good intentions.” He teased, setting his salad box aside as well.

“I said I’m sorry already. I didn’t mean it, you are still very attractive to me.” I got up from my chair, sitting on his lap. His arms immediately circled around me.

“Is that so?” His tone lowered, reading my expression.

“You know, sometimes it’s difficult for me to focus on meetings, looking at you in this impeccable suit, knowing exactly what’s underneath it.” My hands roamed his chest and abs through his shirt. He took a sharp breath, his grey eyes darkening. “Makes me want to do things.”

“And what things would you like to do?” He pulled me closer, his nose touching my neck as he breathed in my perfume.

“Right now?” I used my bedroom voice.

“Mhm.” His lips were already on my skin, making me shiver in delight.

“Nothing. I only have 15 minutes for lunch and I already spared thirty.” I suddenly got up from his lap, leaving him disoriented for a moment. “Thanks for lunch, handsome.” I pecked a very confused Victor on the lips.

“You are evil.” He smiled, even more enticed. “I’ll make you pay for that later.”

“Stop being petty with the diet thing and I’ll pay you double.” I winked as I left.

6:40 PM

“So there’s no explanation for the low profit?” I skimmed through the files again.

“Not one that I can find.” Diane sat across from me, looking tired. “And Stone is only returning tomorrow, his assistant-”

“Is useless, I know.” I threw the files on the table. “That’s it, I’m going over tomorrow to check it out myself. Kenny, book a flight to Creekwood for first thing in the morning.”

“What do you think is happening?” Diane questioned. “Embezzlement?”

“Or some debt they didn’t report and are trying to pay off with LFG money.” I sighed. “I don’t know. I’ll find out tomorrow.”

Someone knocked on the conference room door.

“Sorry to interrupt, Andrea. Mr. Lee is outside, waiting for you.”

“Go home, I’ll stay behind and try to make sense of this for a little longer.” I got up from my chair. “I just need to tell my husband I’ll be home late. See you tomorrow.”

8:20 PM

No matter how many times I looked at those files, I couldn’t find the mistake. In the meantime, Mr. Stone had returned my many calls, and I informed him I would be at his company first thing in the morning. Despite his confusion, he agreed. Giving up on the problem momentarily, I took an Uber home.

I found Victor in the kitchen cooking as Owen set the table.

“Andy!” Owen came to hug me, looking relieved to see me.

“Hello, my little bug, how was your day?” I hugged him back. “Did your teacher like your sculpture?”

“She loved it! She said it was the best presentation she’s ever seen! I even got a smiley face!” Owen answered enthusiastically. “I’ll show you, it’s in my room! I’ll go get it!”

I chuckled, seeing him so excited. Victor left the pots and plates and came to me, hugging me from behind.

“Don’t I get a kiss?” He whispered in my ear.

“I’m sorry.” I turned to him. “Yes, you get a kiss.” Our lips touched for a moment. “How was it with Owen?”

“He spent the rest of the afternoon in his room, playing.” Victor frowned. “I got him to come out to set the table.”

“Give it time, you’ll grow on him.” I caressed his chest over the black apron he was wearing. ��You grew on me.”

“It took me months to grow on you.” Victor returned to plating the food. “So, did you find what’s happening with the Parker Company?”

“Yes, about that.” I grimaced, knowing Victor wouldn’t like what I had to say one bit. “I need to fly to Creekwood tomorrow, first thing in the morning. I need to figure out what’s happening exactly. And I’ll take the chance and drive to Ferriston the very next day, to visit the Cooper’s.”

“You’re travelling to Creekwood?” He tensed. “We need you here, send someone else.”

“The only person I trust to do the job is Diane, and I can’t ask that of her. She has a newborn.” I filled the glasses on the table with water. “I have to go myself.”

“You just adopted a child.” Victor retorted. “They need you at the company. Besides, I don’t like you travelling by yourself, there has to be a better way.”

“It’s only for two days, I’ll be back the day after tomorrow in time for dinner.” I looked my husband in the eyes, only to find concern in them.

“At least get that teenager assistant of yours to go with you. You shouldn’t travel alone.”

“He’s twenty-five.” I shot him a flat face.

“Yet he gets all flustered whenever I call him.” He shook his head. “No, Andrea, find another way. I don't want you to go.”

“I don’t remember asking you.” Victor’s disapproval was starting to annoy me. He flew on business every time. Why couldn’t I do the same? “It’s my job, it’s what needs to be done.”

“You’ll still go, knowing that I don’t want you to?” Victor’s disbelief couldn’t conceal the hurt in his eyes.

“I wish you were on board with this, but yes.” I said in a firm voice. “When you hired me as your CEO, it wasn’t for me to act like it only when it’s convenient to you. This is my job, my responsibility, and I think it’s the right thing to do. I’m going.”

10 PM

“You’re leaving tomorrow?” Owen shyly asked as I put his clothes for the next day on the dresser.

“Yes, and coming back the day after tomorrow before dinner.” I explained, refolding a sweater, and placing it in the drawer. “Victor will be with you.”

“For two whole days?” He seemed to panic, clearly displeased with this new turn of events.

“Come on, Bug.” I sat on his bed, ruffling his curls as he sat beside me. “Victor is not that bad. He’s a good guy.”

“I don’t know.” Owen looked down. “He looks angry all the time. He was angry at you at dinner, I could tell.”

“That’s grownup stuff you don’t need to worry about. Trust me, he will get over it soon. He’s very nice, really. Now, time to go to sleep.”

Owen climbed into bed, careful not to untuck his comforter.

“Do you want a bedtime story?” I asked.

“I can read one myself.” He made a face at me, his cute dimples showing.

“This story is not in any books we own.” I spoke theatrically. “Two years ago, I met this girl, she was roughly your age, her name was Molly. She was the one that told me this very special story about an ogre.”

“An ogre?” Owen was suddenly interested. “How big was he?”

“He was huge!” I played along, happy that I caught his interest. “He was so big he couldn’t walk straight, he always had to mind the houses and the trees beneath him, or else he would crush them all with a single step. And he had this deep voice that sounded through the entire valley and scared the animals, making birds fly off in a frenzy and bunnies return to their holes. The villagers were also terrified of him, and they would scurry into their homes as they felt the earth shake with the ogre’s footsteps. Sometimes the ogre would go to the village’s school and scare the children.”

“He liked to eat children?” The little boy’s eyes went wide.

“He never ate any of them, but they were really afraid of him!” I opened my eyes wide for dramatic effect. “Until one day, when the ogre showed up at the school’s playground. His deep voice scared every child there, except for one. A four-year-old red-haired boy, named Owen.”

“What did he do?” Owen gasped.

“Well, all the children went back inside crying, but Owen stood strong. He said, ‘An ogre will not bully me! I will show him I am not afraid, and then he will see that it’s useless to scare us with his heavy footsteps and deep voice!’ The boy stood in the playground, facing the ogre with incredible bravery. Then something amazing happened.”

“What happened?” Owen jumped in his bed, completely engrossed in my story. “Did he fight the ogre with his sword?”

“No, he didn't need to.” I shrugged. “The ogre kneeled before the boy, and puddles of water appeared by the boy’s feet. The ogre was crying.”

“He was sad?” Owen’s face fell, sadness taking over.

“Well, although the ogre was scary, he wasn’t mean at all.” I spoke in a sad voice as well. “Every time he would leave his gigantic cave, it was hoping to make a new friend. But he could never do it, because everyone would run away from him. The boy understood the gigantic creature and offered to be his friend. They played together, and the ogre taught him the secrets of the world, how to tame dragons and how the world looked beautiful and small from above. They remained friends, and when the boy grew up to be a man, the ogre followed him in many adventures, defeating evil creatures, and finding hidden treasures.”

Owen stared at me with wide eyes, the story sinking into him.

“Victor is like that ogre, isn’t he?” He looked down. “I’m that little boy, all I need to do is give him a chance to show that he’s nice.”

“Such a smart young man we have here!” I tickled his tummy, making him laugh. “Ok, make yourself comfortable, I’m going to tell Victor you are ready for bed.”

10:45 PM

The silence filled our bedroom as I packed the bag for my impromptu two-day trip. My husband was in bed, reading his book, obviously still upset with me, not dignifying my presence with a single word.

“Are you going to give me the silent treatment until I leave?” I leaned on the doorframe leading to the closet. “I don’t want to leave you in the middle of a fight.”

Victor placed his book on the nightstand with a sigh.

“I’m not giving you the silent treatment.”

“I don’t understand, you travel on business all the time.” I sat beside him, pushing the glasses up on his nose. “Why is it so bad that I do the same?”

“I don’t like to have you this far from me.” He sighed. “I’ll reschedule my appointments and go with you.” He grabbed his phone, ready to call Goldman.

“ You can’t go, who will take care of Owen?” I held his hand lovingly. “Besides, when I send you the signed contract, you need to make sure everything is in order and put it in motion before Cooper decides otherwise. Not to mention it’s investment revaluation week. Goldman can’t do it all on his own. I know it and you know it.”

“What if something happens? What if you have some kind of setback and I’m not there to help?” He squeezed my hands tight, pulling me closer. “I’ll worry.”

“There’s nothing to worry about!” I looked into his eyes, pleading. “It’s just for two days. What could possibly go wrong?”

Victor pulled me into a tight hug.

“Two days, not a second more.” He spoke firmly into my year. “In two days, I have you back in my arms.”

“You have my word.” I kissed his chest. “Two days.”

#Growing Pains - Series #growingtogether #victor x oc #victor mlqc #mldd victor #li zeyan #mister love dream date #mister love queens choice #love and producer #hubbyvic #marriedvictor

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daminettes · 5 years ago

Text

New Years Eve

y'all guess who got their shit together

Daminette December Day 31 : New Years Eve

@daminette-december2019

Alright folks! Thirty more minutes till midnight! What are your new year's resolution? The host said in the background.

“To never get into a relationship again.” Marinette murmured to herself while taking a sip of her champagne.

The holidays suck, Marinette thought to herself.

Marinette used to love the holidays. She loved the idea of spending time with her significant other and going out on a late evening stroll huddling together to gather up some warmth. She loved baking holiday cookies and getting into a heated food fight with them that ended with sweet kisses. But that all changed when she finally broke away from her toxic relationship with Adrien Agreste.

She thought Adrien was the one for her. She was in for it deep. But I guess Adrien didn’t feel the same way about her. Their relationship was sweet at first but took a great turn for the worst. When they first started to date they were inseparable but they slowly started to drift.

“Adrien! Im home!” Marinette yelled from the doorway.

There was no response. Maybe he's busy, Marinette thought to herself. She quickly placed her bags on their kitchen counter when she noticed his keys were missing. Well that's weird. She made her way to their shared room, she opened her closet to change into something more comfortable when she noticed all of his belongings were gone.

Now she was worried.

She quickly ran out of the room and searched their apartment. Every single thing Adrien owned was missing. Finally she looked at the dining room table and their sat a letter and his engagement ring. Marinette slowly reached for the letter.

She quickly shriveled to the ground trying to silence her sobs. On the letter in cursive were the words :

I'm sorry.

After a few hours of crying a knock was heard from the door. Marinette quickly wiped off the dry tears from her face and quickly opened the door.

There stood Damian Wayne. Marinette's best friend.

“D-Dami.” Marinette said while jumping into his arms.

“Angel? What's wrong?”

“A-Adrien! H-he left!” She cried out. “I knew our relationship has been bumpy but I didn't think he would actually leave!”

“It's going to be ok Angel.” Damian said while rubbing her back. “Why don't we head back into the apartment ok? I'll help you get cleaned up and we can talk.”

“O-Ok.”

Damian told Marinette countless of times to leave Adrien. He had seen this coming and prepared. Well he thought he was prepared but when he saw his angel break down in his arms he completely lost it. How could a selfish person like Adrien hurt Marinette?

Damian was going to skin the stingy cat.

“What did you say Angel?” Damian questioned.

“Oh! Damian I didn't hear you come in! Nothing! I said nothing!” She said while chugging her champagne.

“To never get into a relationship again. I heard you Mari. And why is that?” Damian teased.

“What! I didn't say that!” Marinette screamed while once again chugging down her drink.

“Calm down Mari. I don't want you drowning.” Damian said while pushing away the glass.

“Sorry… Its just that Adrien… I still think about what he did to me. I don't know if I'll be able to handle that again.”

“How do you know that you'll have to go through that again?” He questioned.

“I… I don't know? I just don't want to be in love again… even though I am falling hard right now for you....” Marinette said while whispering the last part.

After the Adrien incident Marinette and Damian were inseparable. Damian did not leave his best friends side once after the break up. He just wanted to be nice and show his love for his best friend. He didn't mean to fall head over heels for her. I mean who wouldn't love Marinette. She was the sweetest little thing you could ever meet! She had the cutest button nose and her freckles. God her freckles they were adorable. But he wouldn't regret falling for her, and it seems like he wasn't the only person falling either.

“Falling for me hard huh?” Damian said while moving closer. “I didn't know you felt like that Mari.”

“I-I didn't say that!” Marinette said while pushing him away and turning around so he couldn't see her blushing crazily.

“Calm down Mari. I'm sorry I was teasing! But you wouldn't be the only one to be falling wither…” Damian trailed off and began to rub his neck.

“I'm sorry?”

“Well.. Marinette. I like you. Heck I have always liked you. You're so sweet and nice. You're absolutely stunning and cute. You see the bright side in everything even if there's none! You're amazing.” Damian said gathering her hands in his.

“You- You really think that?” Marinette questioned.

“I do Marinette. I really do.”

“Wow.. Dami. I- I like you too. Ever since the Adrien incident I have been on the edge but whenever I think about getting into a new relationship, all I could think about was you. You are so caring towards me. You're gentle and easy to talk to. You have always been there for me when no one else was. You were there for me when Lila lies got out of hand and when no one believed me or even defended me. I never properly thanked you for that so.. Thank you Dami.”

“i-I don't know what to say. I'm so glad you feel the same way Angel. I thought this could ruin our relationship.”

“I'm glad too...:”

Alright folks in about 30 seconds the ball will be dropping and the start of the new year will begin! Gather your loved ones and get ready!

“Wow time sure does fly by.” Marinette said.

“Ya. It really does.” “Marinette?” Damian questioned.

“Yes Dami?” Marinette turned towards him.

“Can I try something?” He said while moving closer to hold her face in his hands.

“Ya..” She said while moving closer.

Happy New Year!

Their lips met.

The kiss was sweet and slow. They slowly pulled away from each other while keeping eye contact.

Maybe having a romance with Damian Wayne wouldn't be half bad.

tag list : @fsketchart @luciferge @mycupidisbroken @kceedraws@bluerosette23 @slytherinqueen2432 @shaismall @zalladane @s0ramen@thepeacetea @loysydark @st0rmy-w1th1n @theshadownbesideyou @dast218@officiallyathiana @royalchaoticfangirl @maya-custodios-dionach @kris-pines04 @cravethosecrazysquares

#daminette #daminette december #daminette december day 31 #New Years eve #maribat #dc x mlb #mlb x dc

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notalone91 · 5 years ago

Photo

“You disgust me, werewolf baby!” - Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter (Harry Potter Series)

After much planning, and dread on the part of Draco Malfoy, Christmas morning rolled around. He awoke in bed alone. With a frown, he looked at his watch, batting sleep from his eyes. Nearly half nine. He groaned and rolled out of bed and jolted a bit when his feet reached the cold wood before sliding into his slippers.

He headed downstairs and poked his head around the corner, hearing some commotion from the kitchen. ”Dwa-ooooo!!” Teddy squealed.

Shaking his head, before making his way around to kiss the baby and his boyfriend, he asked, “What are you feeding my child?”

"Chocolate pudding," Harry laughed, watching a dollop nearly miss his head.

Since We’ve No Place To Go - Kurt Hummel/Blaine Anderson (Glee)

Finn had gone off to Rachel’s for the day. Burt and Carole had gone to visit Kurt’s grandmother, leaving Kurt all alone with Blaine. Blaine closed the drawer for the DVD player, after inserting How The Grinch Stole Christmas, and plopped down on the couch. Kurt entered the room carrying a tray with two mugs of hot chocolate and a plate of Christmas cookies. Despite Kurt’s adamant protestation that they make homemade chocolate chip, Blaine insisted that they make the pre-made sugar cookies with the trees in the middle. "Here we go,“ he said, placing the platter on the coffee table, "And there go your feet.” He pointed absently to a spot on the floor as he pulled two coasters from the stack on the table and placed the mugs on them.

Nothing But The Best - Mercedes Jones/Sam Evans (Glee)

Trying to ease his mind, he plugged his iPod back in and pressed play. Moments later, he realized that he had let Stacey use it when she went Christmas shopping with his parents, so needless to say, she had dumped all of his music off and in its place left Christmas music. He groaned a bit as he skipped through the stuff that was exceedingly bubblegum and had to wonder if she even knew who Mariah Carey was, when he finally hit a song that wasn't too bad.

Sam smiled a bittersweet smile as he thought about Mercedes. She was always on his mind, but this was definitely putting the girl's brilliant brown eyes in the forefront of his memory. He thought about how delighted she was when he Skyped her to say that they were on for the week; that he would be all hers until New Year's Day. It was surreal to be heading back, only to turn back around a couple of days later. As much as he really loved Mercedes, it was going to be so much harder to keep coming back and then leaving again.

Reading The Signs - Katniss Everdeen/Peeta Mellark (The Hunger Games Trilogy)

"Then what? What are you suggesting, boy-o?" he asked.

"Against the Peacekeepers." The entire room gasped. Well, there was no denying it now- Peeta certainly had brass ones. The Peacekeepers were the Mockingjays' biggest rival. Their biggest local supporter that we knew? Chaff. "That's your team, isn't it?"

"That's exactly who his team is and we all know it," I said.

Peeta smiled at me, snaking his arm around my shoulder and leaning on me. "I know." I knew it was bravado, but the fact was that I was really grateful for it. Even if he was still mad at me, he wasn't going to be gone. I laced my fingers with his, presenting us as a united front.

"When?" Chaff asked, as though that made a difference.

"December 28," he answered. "Last game of the regular season. Same day as the dance competition Katniss and I have been working toward; the Flickerman Freestyle Footlight Foray." He cringed a little at the ridiculous title.

So I Learned From You - Katniss Everdeen/Peeta Mellark (The Hunger Games Trilogy)

24 December: It's Christmas Eve. Gale isn't answering his phone. He may have gone to his mom's. But he didn't tell me, so I didn't even get to ask Prim if she wanted to come up. Finnick and Annie went to be with her family. Johanna was "going to find someone to stuff her stocking good." Her words, not mine. So, she suggested I invite Peeta up. He brought wassail and cookies. We played board games and I played guitar for him. And we kissed. And I don't know what any of that means.

SnowBabies - Rumplestiltskin/Belle (Once Upon A Time)

When they finally reached the house, Rumplestiltskin tried to climb the front steps, but instead, Belle gave his hand another quick yank and led him around the side of the house. Perplexed, he asked “Belle, are you alright?”

She gave a little laugh and clasped his hands between hers, skipping backward excitedly. “I am. I just wanted a moment with you first.” They reached the gate and she stopped, pulling him in closer, as though he might disappear before her very eyes if she let go for even the slightest moment. "I’ve missed you,” she said, leaning her head on his chest, “so much.”

“And I you," Rumplestiltskin replied, resting his cheek atop her head. "But what’s this about, dearie?” he queried, straightening the pair of them out.

Belle reached for the gate and swung it open. “I suppose there was a tradition that needed to be kept.” She gave him a slight push into the back yard.

He stood in reverent silence. Before him stood uncanny snow sculptures of the group of people he’d just spent an unbelievably long week with. He let out a quiet gasp. “Belle. You made all of these?”

Warm To The Bones - Rumplestilstkin/Belle (Once Upon A Time)

As she made her way to the innermost wall of the space, she lingered over a bubbling brew in a deep scarlet tone. The withered old woman behind the table of boiling pots smiled a crooked smile and proffered her one. "For warmth. Something to get the chill from your bones, your blood rising, and inspire heat all around. Just the thing for a girl like you, I shouldn't wonder," she croaked.

"Thank you," Belle said. "That's exactly what I need." She inhaled deeply over the mug while digging the coins from her satchel to pay for the drink. "Apple, Cinnamon, and…?" she hesitated.

The old woman wouldn't bite. "Old family secret," she said with a wink. "You drink that all up and I'd bet you'll be sweating by mid-day."

Love Forever True - Rumplestiltskin/Belle (Once Upon A Time)

A Christmas wedding was no easy feat, but miracles can happen if you've got enough money and influence, something Adam was in no way lacking. Everything either one of them mentioned happened with no questions asked. The whole wedding was pristine white, with cranberry, evergreen, and gold touches. The whole thing was to be held in the rose garden, of course, under a large white tent. Heat was proving to be an issue, but they brought in enough heat lamps to make it near tropical.

On the morning of, the residence was a flurry of activity. Belle was locked away in her room with her closest friend getting their hair and makeup done just right and dressing away from the prying eyes of the groom.

The one thing that the groom was missing was his son. He'd said that he would be back by Christmas, so where was he? Neal was always a man of his word. He'd dressed alone, even down to tying his own tie. He'd always imagined that, if he were to remarry, all of these things were to be done with Neal by his side. The king sat alone in the dining room where he was being held away from the girls, with it being bad luck to see the bride before the wedding, and reread the letter once more.

"When I said don't be alone, I didn't expect you to marry her on the schedule you'd set for me. You're not turning 30 next month," he heard, accrediting the familiarity of the voice to wishful thinking.

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allie1804-fan · 4 years ago

Text

A Doorway Has Opened (Chapter 6)

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Hannah stirred in at around 7, disoriented at first given she was in a strange house and another new bed and she was not alone.

Keanu lay behind her, his left arm around her and his large hand cupping her left breast. His gentle sleeping breaths tickled on her neck and his knees were tucked in against the back of hers. It felt right and she smiled. She’d worried the night before about being overwhelmed by memories of Mark. You don’t forget 30 years of togetherness in an instant after all. Her assurance that this felt right gave her the confidence to squeeze his arm and push her body gently back into his in attempt to stir him from his slumber. He shifted and squeezed her lightly, mumbling a ‘good morning’.

“Good morning to you”

“Guess I became big spoon after all huh?”

“Mmmmmm and it feels so good you’ll be glad to know”

“Good”

He squeezed her tighter and kissed the back of her neck eliciting a groan from her. She eased over onto her back and he loomed over her stroking her face with the back of his hand before dipping down to kiss her, catching her lower lip with his. She closed her eyes and the kiss lingered until he broke away.

“Sorry to say, I have meetings this morning – some costume fittings and a briefing about safe shooting practices. When I get back this afternoon, we could go for another ride if you like. I got the impression you liked it yesterday”

“That sounds great – you’re right I did love it, especially the holding you tight part”

They grinned at each other and kissed again.

Groaning, Keanu pulled away as he needed to get ready. Hannah would work on the script and her sour dough project until his return.

When afternoon came, they headed up on the bike to the hills and through Topanga Canyon. He’d pulled over and showed her where he spilled off his bike in the dark over 30 years ago, leaving him with his famous scar from sternum to belly. Hannah had hugged him tight, thankful that he was much more careful these days.

All the way back to his house as the sun was setting, Hannah’s hands were placed firmly on Keanu’s midriff, occasionally stroking up, occasionally lower and she could feel him moan when she did. It made her smile to think of giving pleasure to him now and maybe also when they arrived home. They hadn’t talked specifically about what they each wanted - she wished she could stop overthinking everything but realised it was just a consequence of age. She knew what the intimacy of sex would entail - how it might cement things if they did it before he left but also leave them deprived whilst he was gone. And if they waited, maybe it would build anticipation or perhaps desire might fade, wither on the vine. Her gut said to just go for it despite all her worries. She wanted him, he certainly seemed to want her and, the pandemic had led to her having a more ‘seize the day’ mentality than ever before. She hoped he’d feel the same way.

When they got home they went straight to the kitchen and he grabbed some bottles of water from the fridge - they each took a long draught, hot from the ride. Keanu suggested they sit out a while on the terrace where he had a lovely swing seat for 2 where they could snuggle. Feeling grubby from the ride she asked if she could take another shower first

“or we could just take a dip in the pool” he offered.

“I don’t have a costume”

“and?”

“and so I’d have to swim in my underwear or …..”

“or skinny dip” he grinned boyishly at her and she laughed.

“Look” he said walking round the granite counter to stand in front of her “You know I wanna make love to you don’t you?”

“well I do now” she laughed blushing a little.

“and I think, well I hope that I’m right, that you want that too.” She nodded her acquiescence

“Now I know we could wait til I get back from Germany, but you know I kind of think in these …… “unprecedented times”, that maybe we should just you know ….”

“seize the day?” she finished for him.

“Yes seize the day ……………. So why don’t we just go to my room, get naked and run out of those doors and jump in the pool OK?”

“OK” she whispered looking up into his soft brown eyes as he leaned down to plant a gentle kiss on her lips.

He grabbed her arm and pulled her down the hallway to his room laughing. Once there he stripped off quickly stopping at his boxers since she was lagging behind him

“come on slow coach” he teased but saw she was frozen, her jacket, shoes and jeans removed but everything else still in place “hey don’t be shy”

“sorry” she said sitting on the bed looking a bit crestfallen”

“hey what is it?”

“Keanu …………. Am I…………”

“What?”

“Am I the oldest woman you’ve ever seen naked?”

“Well technically I haven’t seen you naked have I?”

“You know what I mean, I just feel, god, insecure I guess. I mean I’m old”

“Younger than me!” he said

“Yes but you didn’t answer my question, am I the oldest? The only one with a Caesarean scar ………”

“Hannah, Hannah, Hannah don’t do this, I don’t know and I certainly don’t care if you’re the oldest and I’ve definitely been with a woman who’s had kids before if not a Caesarean. Anyway check out my scar!”

He walked up to her, placing his stomach up close to her face. She traced the long scar from his sternum down to the top of his boxers then laid her cheek against his stomach, her breathing, that had become erratic in her panic, gradually slowing.

“I’m sorry I’m being an idiot”

“Yes you are - but I get it. Please, just trust me. Let’s take off your clothes and go enjoy the pool”

Hannah nodded and smiled up at him.

He took her hands and lifted them up above her head then lifted the hem of her t- shirt, pulling it up over her head and off before laying it on the chair next to the bed. Then he pushed the straps of her bra, first off one shoulder then the next before reaching round and undoing the clasp. He didn’t pull it off but tugged at her arms to make her stand up. As the bra fell he crouched down in front of her, kissing her stomach just above the caesarean scar and looked up at her. Her breath hitched in her throat. She stared down at him, holding his eyes, feeling like he was worshipping her.

“What”

“Your eyes are so beautiful” she whispered

“Thank you” he said without a trace of conceit.

He planted a wet kiss on her stomach and then tugged on her panties, sliding them down to her ankles so she could step out of them. He lay is face against her soft thatch of dark blonde hair and breathed in her scent as he felt her shiver.

She chuckled

“I don’t know why I’m shivering as you’re making me very hot!”

“Time for the pool then – before we both spontaneously combust!”

He stood quickly, shucked his boxers and turned before she could even glimpse the part of his body she was most curious to see. Then he opened the patio doors and ran with a yelp, jumping into the pool. She followed suit, plunging into the water before bobbing up spluttering at the sudden chill on her skin. She trod water gently for a moment and he swam up to her a broad grin on his face

“Alright?”

“Yes, it’s wonderful once you get used to it”

She turned to take in the view which she’d not focussed on much thus far. It was breath-taking.

“Like it?”

“It’s really amazing, I love it”

“Well we can take our fill in the swing seat after our swim OK? I’ve got an idea for what we should talk about before we make love”

“You do?” she said not able to resist looking down to see his erection waving gently in the water.

“Yes!” he grinned at her looking at him so hotly. “I want you to tell me what you like, what you want me to do to you and with you. Let’s get inhibitions out of the way and be honest. I want this to be right and I know hearing you say those things will turn me on and hopefully you too”

She grabbed onto his shoulders and pulled him to her for a kiss, wrapping her legs around his waist. They dunked briefly under the water, lips still locked for a moment until she released him, both rising up and laughing.

“OK, OK it’s a deal. Just let me swim a few lengths and then we’ll get out OK.

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#keanu #keanu reeves fanfic #keanu reeves fanfiction #romance #fluff #miscarriage #stillbirth #grief #friends to lovers

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buriednurbckyrd · 6 years ago

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Necessary Paradox (4)

***I am so sorry this took so long, I really intended to have this done and posted last week but...bad depression funk. I have a lot of personal stuff going on and even though I have the best intentions to write much faster, I just don’t have the energy to do much some days. Thank you to everyone that’s been reading/reblogging/commenting. I love you all***

As it turned out, Y/N didn't need to do anything to find Steve. A few days after Jeremiah confronted her, Bucky came back into the shop, his best friend with him once again. When they walked in, Steve was disappointed that Y/N was no where to be seen. Ever since meeting her he couldn't get the woman out of his head, so despite her turning down his suggestion of a date he jumped on the chance to see her again.

He assumed the tall, heavily tattooed Alpha was Will, the other artist. The other man was slightly shorter, and dressed fairly conservatively in dark jeans and a short sleeved button up. The Alpha had his arms around the other man, and looked up to greet them when they walked in.

“Oh hey, Bucky, right?”

“Yeah, hey Will.” Bucky shrugged his shoulder in Steve's direction. “This is Steve.” The shorter man's eyes zoomed in on him, and he suddenly felt like he was being heavily scrutinized.

“Nice to meet ya, this is Jeremiah.” Will pressed a kiss to his Omega's temple. Bucky and Steve nodded.

“I uh, came in so Y/N could get a picture of my tattoo. It's pretty much healed.”

“Nice, fast healer, huh?” Will came around the counter. “Can I see it? I've been dying to see the finished product since she drew it up.” Bucky hesitated briefly before shrugging out of his jacket and rolling up his sleeve. Neither man said anything about his metal arm. Will let out a low whistle as he looked the tattoo over. “Damn she does great work,” he said. “Those eyes are sick. Jer, look at this.” The Omega came over to see, but he was still studying Steve.

“Our Y/N is very talented,” he said quietly. “I think she might be better than you.” Will grumbled at the friendly jab.

“Love you too, babe.” He laughed.

“Speaking of Y/N,” Steve blurted out. “Where is she?”

“Real smooth, punk.” Bucky muttered under his breath.

“It was her turn to pick up lunch,” Jeremiah answered with a wide grin. “Good thing too, she's been mooning around here like Hollywood ingenue all day.” Will shot him a confused look. “Come on, you haven't noticed?” Jeremiah met Steve's eyes. “I think she met someone.”

“I think she would have told me if she had,” Will said dismissively. “I am Y/N's best friend.”

“Who's my best friend?” The sound of her voice startled all four of them. She was pushing into the shop backwards, her arms full of bags of food and her purse. “Most of this food is yours, Will, come help me.” He rushed over to assist her. “Next time you want Chinese, you can go yourself, I don't care if it's my turn.” She laughed, turning around. When her eyes fell on the pair of visitors she froze. “Steve.”

Time for him seemed to stop. For nearly two weeks all he had done was think about her, unable to shake her face from his mind. The shutting door sent a gentle gust of air towards him, her scent hitting his nose and sending him reeling all over again. Everything about her seemed to be designed to pull him in, to entice him. When she finally snapped out of her trance, she blinked and turned her face towards his friend and he felt it like a slap.

“Bucky,” she said with a bright smile. “I'm dying to see your tattoo all healed.” Steve clenched his fists, his blunt finger nails digging into his palms. Bucky swallowed and tugged his sleeve up to show her, eying Steve warily.

“It's still a masterpiece, Y/N. It's hard to believe it's gonna be there forever.” She examined his skin, running her finger tip gently over the inked lines.

“You healed amazingly well, was it hard to keep yourself from picking at it?” Bucky chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck with his vibranium hand.

“Hell yes, it itched like crazy for a few days.”

“You're a model client. I don't think I need to touch anything up.” She rolled his sleeve down and patted his arm. “If you ever think you want another one, I hope you'll come back to see me.”

“Definitely.” He grinned and nodded.

Will was still standing with his hands full of take out, watching the interaction between Y/N and the two men. Bucky was passive; his body language friendly, but obviously slightly uncomfortable. When he glanced over at Steve he immediately knew why. The blond man was rigid with tension, staring at her like she was his salvation. It put him on edge, throwing his protective instincts into high gear. He could smell arousal and the bitter sting of distressed Alpha. Before he could say or do anything Jeremiah was tugging on his arm.

“Move it, babe, I'm starving. Let's go eat.” Will shot his Omega a withering look, but it was ignored. “Come on. I want some noodles.” Y/N squeezed his other arm.

“Go on, I'll come eat with you in a few minutes.” Between the two Omegas he had no choice and let himself be pulled away. Once out of ear shot he dropped the bags of food and rounded on his Omega.

“She shouldn't be left alone with them!” He hissed. Jeremiah rolled his eyes and pulled out a to go container full of lo mein.

“She was left alone with them for several hours when she did Bucky's tattoo.” He dug into the noodles with a pair of chop sticks. “You need to take several chill pills. Y/N can handle the situation with a love sick Alpha.” He took a healthy bite and grinned after he swallowed. “I mean, she's half love sick herself, she just hasn't figured it out quite yet.”

“What? No she's not!” Will sputtered. “You don't know anything!” He started to pace. “She isn't ready to deal with something like this, it's only been-”

“Four years. It's been four years, Will.” Jeremiah let his food down and leaned forward, his face serious. “And over the last year she's come really far with her recovery. She's nearly the old Y/N again.”

“If he hurts one hair on her head-”

“He won't.”

“Stop interrupting me!” Will shouted. Jeremiah stood up and poked him in the chest.

“Don't you raise your voice at me, just because you know you're wrong.” His eyes flashed with anger. “Listen, just because you've known her since you were pups, it doesn't mean that I don't know her. I was there too. I sat with her for hours in that hospital room. I cried with her, I supported her, I worried, and raged, and suffered just as hard as you did. You two are siblings for all intents and purposes, but I'm part of her family too.” The fight went out of Will and he slumped against the wall.

“I'm sorry,” he croaked. “I know. I just can't...” Jeremiah wrapped his arms around his waist.

“She deserves this chance, Will. I talked to her the other day and I know in my heart that this is a chance at something real. Like you and me, real. As difficult as it is, we need to stand back and let whatever happens, happen. If she gets hurt, she will handle it. If she needs us, we'll be there, but it's time to stop trying to protect her from the entire world. It's time for her to start living, really living again.”

…

Y/N took several pictures of Bucky's tattoo, chatting with him while she snapped from a few different angles.

“Okay, I've got plenty for my book, thank you so much.”

“No, thank you, seriously. This tattoo means a lot to me.” He laid his hand on her shoulder and gave it a friendly squeeze. “Well, we should get going so you can eat your lunch.”

“Actually,” she paused and bit her lip. “Steve? Could you stay behind for a few minutes?” Steve's eyes widened in surprise.

“Uh, yeah, sh-sure.” He cleared his throat. “I'll catch up with you, Buck.”

“Alright, see ya later, Y/N.” Bucky waved at her and left the shop. Steve felt his heartbeat pick up as soon as his friend left him alone with Y/N.

“I'm really sorry if I made you uncomfortable last time I was here.” He blurted out. “Asking you out like that.” She shook her head.

“No, you didn't. I...” She trailed off. “It's been a while since I was 'asked out', and I kind of panicked.” Steve felt some of his nerves ease.

“I thought maybe I had come off too strong,” he hung his head. “You just… And I couldn't control my reaction, it was inappropriate.” He startled when she slipped her hand over his, running her thumb over his knuckles.

“Honestly, I was having a pretty similar reaction.”

“Really? I couldn't, um, tell.” She sighed.

“It's a long story.” She moved closer to him and her scent seemed to wrap around him like a cloak. “Believe me, I wasn't unaffected. But there are some things you need to know, things I need to tell you before you think you want to…” She stopped again, closing her eyes. “Pursue anything with me.”

“Okay,” Steve agreed without hesitation, and then cringed. “Sorry, that sounded way too eager.” She smiled at him, a real smile for the first time.

“Don't apologize, I like your enthusiasm. Are you free on Sunday? It's one of my days off, and you could come here for breakfast or something and we can talk. It's not really a conversation I want to have in the middle of a restaurant or public place.”

“I don't think I have any pressing engagements.” She smiled again.

“Great. Here, I'll put my number in your phone so you can text me.” She paused. “Um, you do know how to text right?” He laughed.

“Yes, I know how to text. Too many people refuse to communicate any other way so I had no choice but to learn.” He handed her his phone and she typed in her information.

“Will and Jeremiah usually leave around 10:30 to go grocery shopping so we can have some privacy. I hope that's not too late in the morning for you.”

“It's perfect.” He said it so sincerely it made her breath hitch.

“I guess I'll see you then.”

#plus sized reader #omega!reader #Alpha!Steve #A/B/O verse #marvel au #steve rogers x plus size reader

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wilderwestqueen · 7 years ago

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30 Day Fic Challenge - Day Five

I picked thirty words from a random word generator, and I’m going to write a hiccstrid fic based on each every day.

Notes: I’ve been playing way too much Night In The Woods, and it shows.

island, warm, chief, scheme, halloween, kissing, heist, song, zoo, birthday, winter, gift, lovesick, honeymoon, ocean, love, dancing, playground, kitten, colours, protection, abandoned, helpless, flowers, young, fire, lethal, anger, gossip, daydreamer

Previous | Next

Day Five: Halloween

The leaves were withered, crunching underfoot. Astrid was a few paces ahead, a torch in hand as she ducked under branches and climbed over tree roots, as nimble as a dear. Hiccup lagged behind, arms folded over his chest. He’d already tripped three times.

“Come home for reading week,” he was muttering to himself. “It’ll be fun. You’ll get to see all your old friends again. Nothing bad will happen.”

In front, Astrid’s jaw clicked. “Are you gonna keep whining?”

“I didn’t sign up to die in some dumb Halloween dare.”

“You’re not going to ruin this for me,” she said, twisting back to glare at him.

Even by the dim light of the torch, Hiccup could make out Astrid’s face, streaked with Halloween make up, her blonde hair loose down her shoulders. Even now, even in the dark, it made his tongue go dry and his brain a little fuzzy.

Get it together, he told himself, firmly. You’re supposed to be over this.

“It’s not going to be my fault when we both die of exposure,” he said.

Astrid sighed, turning on her heel. “We’re not going to die.”

“Do you even know where you’re going?”

She didn’t answer.

“Great,” Hiccup mumbled, wrapping his arms tighter around himself and shivering.

“Have I ever done you wrong, Hiccup?” she said.

“I’m not sure you want me to answer that.”

There was pause, and then Astrid grinned. “I missed your sarcasm,” she said. “Hell, I missed you.”

Hiccup blinked. “You did?”

Astrid stilled, turning back to look at him again. “Yeah. ‘Course I did,” she said. “It’s not the same without you here.”

Hiccup was glad it was dark, so she couldn’t see him blush. “I...” he began, and then trailed away. “I didn’t really want to come back.”

“I don’t blame you,” she said, flatly.

She went on trudging through the woods, the grip on her torch firmer. He had to scurry to catch up.

“I missed you too,” he said, but it was too late, the words fell flat in the air.

They kept on in silence for a few metres before Hiccup spoke again.

“It’s strange how much things have changed,” he said.

“Have they?” She paused to move a few branches out of the way of the path. “Seems like nothing’s changed.”

Hiccup gingerly followed her footsteps. “It feels like nothing’s changed and everything’s changed at the same time.”

“How so?”

“I mean...” Hiccup began, and then trailed off, as if thinking of the exact right words to say. “Everything looks exactly the same, but it’s like... I don’t belong anymore. Like the town moved on without me while I was away, and now I can’t keep up with it. Sometimes I feel like a guest in my own home. The people I used to know look at me differently now, like I’m not allowed to be here anymore.”

“Well, you did leave,” Astrid said, crisply. Her torch flickered, and she bashed it against a tree trunk until it was working properly. “Town’s always been very sensitive about that.”

“It’s not my fault I wanted to go to university,” he said.

“And I didn’t?” she said, her teeth gritting together. The leaves underfoot cracked louder than before as she stomped her way through the greenery. “You act as if you’re the only one who decided to get the hell out. Believe me, Hiccup, I’d jump at the chance if I could.”

“That’s not what I meant,” he said, quickly.

“That’s what it sounded like.”

Hiccup kicked a pile of leaves up in the air. “You’ve changed too.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Hanging out in a whole new crowd,” he said. “Disappearing off into woods in the middle of the night. Poking at murder trees.”

“Enough,” she snapped.

“What are you trying to prove?” he said.

“Nothing.”

“Bullshit,” Hiccup said.

Astrid’s head snapped up, and Hiccup felt a wave of guilt rise up in him. He rarely swore, and he certainly hadn’t mean to lose his temper, not with Astrid of all people.

“I just meant...” he began, his voice taking a softer tone. “Why are we going to this length to impress them? Can’t we just like, take them out for a drink or something? Seems simpler.”

“Ssh,” she said, holding a hand up to his chest for him to be quiet. “We’re here.”

She shuffled forward and Hiccup saw the how the trees thinned, opening up into a clearing, where, dead centre, was the tree.

“Oh good,” Hiccup muttered. “It’s somehow more terrifying than I imagined.”

It was an elm, larger than the other trees they’d been navigating, built out of twisted pieces of gnarled bark. It was hard to see in the dark, but with enough squinting and Astrid’s torch, they could make out the hollowed centre of the tree.

“That’s... that’s where the body was found?”

“Yes,” Astrid said, her voice grim. “With a red cloth shoved down her throat.”

“Okay. Good. Right,” Hiccup said. “Y’know, we could just leave, right? We don’t have to do this.”

“I’m doing this.”

“Good. Excellent.”

He watched as she took out a length of white fabric from a pocket, opening up to reveal, ‘Astrid Was Here,’ scrawled on in sharpie, some rope attached to the end. She put one end in the mouth, handed the torch to Hiccup, and then heaved herself up onto a lower branch of the tree.

She took it out, and looked down at Hiccup. “You not coming up?”

“Bad leg, remember.”

“Oh. Sorry.”

But he followed her up anyway. There was something about standing in this clearing alone, surrounded by darkness. It felt like the trees were watching him. Something about being close to Astrid made him feel safer; she’d always acted as if she wasn’t scared of anything, and even if that wasn’t true, it was comforting.

She offered him her hand, and with her help, he hoisted himself up onto the tree next to her.

“You alright?” she said.

“No,” he said. “I’m sitting in a murder tree. What’s next?”

“Next, we tie this up.”

“Y’know, none of them are actually ever going to come out here,” Hiccup said. “They’re too scared, otherwise they’d have come with us. We could just leave and say we did.”

“We’re here now, aren’t we? Besides, they asked for evidence.” She flashed her phone at him. “Take a picture. Make it a good one.”

He took a picture of her sitting on the branch, flag brandished high in her hands. Then his eyes focused on something behind her head, and he froze.

“Astrid,” he breathed. “Don’t turn around.”

“What?”

“There’s someone here.”

She tilted her head the barest inch, and sure enough, she could see the figure, down below them in the darkness, face covered and staring at the tree.

“Do you think he sees us?” Astrid’s voice was so quiet, Hiccup could barely hear it, even with her lips next to his ear.

“Leaves might cover us.”

“Might?”

“Ssh.”

He edged closer, his arm wrapping tight around her waist, pulling her back against the tree branch, using his other hand to move a branch over them, shielding them from view.

Down below, voices trickled through the trees.

One was panicked, snivelling and gasping for air between words: “Please! It wasn’t my fault!” and when Hiccup and Astrid peaked through the trees, they saw two more figures, dragging a struggling man, wrists bound by rope. He jerked his hands this way and that, desperately trying to get himself free, but to no avail. The two that held him tight, locked in place. He screamed and writhed, his face bright red.

“Please!” he sobbed, his body shaking. “It was a mistake. You don’t have to do this. I won’t say anything. I promise. I promise. Please!”

Hiccup’s entire body froze, his limbs quivering against the tree. Astrid pressed a palm over her mouth.

Another voice sliced through the air, cold like ice. “How can we be certain?”

His struggles grew more frantic. “You have my word, I promise!”

His captor leaned close, and even this high in the tree, the two of them could see the smile that spread across the man’s face. Something about it sent chills all through Hiccup’s body.

“Not good enough.”

Neither Hiccup and Astrid saw anything. At that point, Astrid had pressed her head tight into Hiccup’s shoulder. Hiccup had squeezed his eyes shut. At some point, without realising, the two had linked their hands together, holding on tight.

They heard it, though.

The screams ripped through the woods, and Astrid’s hold on Hiccup grew tighter, the two of them clutching at each other in stone cold fear. Neither of them dared move, or look up at one other, they just held tight, their eyes squeezed shut as the screams continued.

Finally, painfully, the screams stopped, and the woods fell into silence again.

A few long seconds passed. And then: “Make it quick. I wanna get out of here as soon as possible.”

Neither Hiccup or Astrid braved a look, but they could hear something moving down below, and the grunts of two of the men, as if they were picking up a heavy object.

“Wait—” the sounds stopped— “what was that?”

The branch had creaked under their weight. A panicked look passed between the two of them. Astrid pointed at another tree branch. Together, they tried to move, as silently as possible, to safety. The branch creaked even more as they moved, a loud and long one.

Hiccup froze, half way between branches. He locked eyes with the figure down below.

The branch broke. Hiccup and Astrid fell.

#hiccstrid #httyd #How To Train Your Dragon #this isn't as good as i want it to be #but that's how you learn to write yo #by writing not so good stuff until it gets better #this is different from what i'd usually post #it's more in line with what my original fiction would be like

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thefatnoona · 7 years ago

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Monster Woo: 261 (pt. 2/5)

She could not ignore the incessant vibration under her pillow anymore. She had tried to pretend that it was just part of her dream but its rising intensity forced her to grab her handphone and answer the call. “Hi mum,” she greeted sleepily, her voice coming out rough from having just woken up.

“____, were you sleeping?” chirped her mother rather too brightly.

She cleared her throat. “Mmmhhmm. It’s…” she looked at the time on the phone. “…7.10 in the morning on a Saturday. I don’t have school today and it’s too early to wake up.”

“Ooops! Sorry sorry! How are you? How is everything so far? Is the apartment alright? Are you eating well? Are you having a hangover now?” her mother gabbled on cheerfully.

“Mum, I’m fine. Everything’s fine,” she groaned. “And no mum, I’m not having a hangover. I don’t even drink much.”

“Alright, alright. I know you’re a good girl. How is school so far? Have you made any friends?” her mother went on, anxiety creeping into her voice.

“Mum, I’m not 12! I’m almost 30!” she whined with exasperation. “I’m only here for a year, mum. I don’t need to make friends. It’s not high school.”

“____, I know you’re only there for a year but you’ll need someone to be there in case you need help. What if you fall sick and you need to see the doctor? What if you get drunk and you need someone to send you home? What if someone decides to stalk you from school?” her mother theorized.

“Mum, are you cursing me right now? This early in the morning? I cannot believe this,” she groaned. “Mum, I’ll be fine. I have a friend in my department. And I told you, I don’t drink much. I’ll probably skip all the Korean drinking parties.”

After spending ten minutes trying to convince her mother that she was smart and independent enough to take care of herself, they both said their goodbyes and ended the conversation. She crashed back onto her pillow, trying to return to sweet surrender, without much success. She kept tossing and turning every now and then, after which she rolled to her right and left her bed unwillingly, heading for the bathroom.

Half an hour later, a towel around her neck and her hair dripping wet, she was rummaging in the refrigerator for anything that could be considered as breakfast. Realising that there were only two bottles of water, a carton of nearly-expired milk and a packet of withered greens, she decided to get out to explore the neighbourhood and shop for groceries at the same time.

Starting from her apartment building, she crossed the street, eyeing a little coffee shop with its contrasting white-and-brown signboard and pretty red cups in the window. She stepped in, taking in the cosy table arrangement with rustic, country-style interior. There was no one else in the shop other than her and a young man at the counter. Spying her favourite caffeinated concoction on the menu, she marched up, mentally arranging her intended dialogue.

“어서오세요!” the barista greeted her cheerfully with bright eyes and dimpled cheeks. “뭐 드릴까요?”

“아이스 바닐라 라떼 한잔 주세요,” she said, pulling out some cash from her wallet.

“네, 3,500원 주세요,” he quoted the price of her iced vanilla latte. Receiving a crisp ₩10,000 note, he handed over the change and asked her politely to wait while he made her requested drink. “고객님, 여기 아이스 바닐라 라떼가 있습니다!” he called out five minutes later, handing over a full cup with an eye smile.

“감사합니다,” she responded gratefully, grabbing a straw and a napkin before settling down at a cosy corner for two. She decided to chill out with her drink and some music prior to her neighbourhood exploration.

Having secured her headphones firmly over her ears, she sipped her latte and switched on Google Maps on her phone. Her fingers worked their magic while Dean’s melodious voice worked its way to her soul. Her keen eyes behind the black rectangular frames, scanned and read the various locations that popped up on the screen. Soon, she was totally immersed in memorising certain shop locations and their directions.

She was so absorbed in music and map-reading that she did not notice a tall, muscular figure passing in front of her, taking a seat at an adjacent table. A steaming white cup before him, he peered at her from behind his trademark shades. Smirking, he edged closer and leaned towards her. “Hey,” his voice came out in a husky drawl. “Hey, Reading Girl.” And then he poked her shoulder with a ridiculously long finger.

“Huh?!” was all that she said when she looked up, startled to see his face with its chiseled features. She removed her headphones instantly. “아저씨! The driver for bus 261!”

“Yeah, yeah it’s me. I have a name, you know? Do you even remember it?“ he raised an eyebrow. “So, did you get home safe last night?” he asked lazily, changing the subject.

“Yes I did. Why wouldn’t I?” she retorted. She pushed back her glasses since they slipped a little.

“Why are you always so snappy? Geez,” he frowned. “Chill, will ya? I was just making small-talk.”

She looked away and cleared her throat. “Sorry,” she muttered. “I get cranky when I’m tired or hungry.”

“I guess you haven’t eaten yet, huh?” he said, nodding at her coffee. “Wanna grab some breakfast with me? Their pancakes are pretty good.”

“Is it your treat?” she eyed him suspiciously. “Nevermind, don’t answer that. I was just getting a caffeine boost before I get some groceries and make myself some breakfast at home. Thanks anyway.” She pressed her lips tightly together. Why did she just explain herself to him?

“Okay, right,” he nodded his head. “So you’re going to the mart after this?”

“Th-the mart?” she stuttered involuntarily, unsure of its name nor location despite having just studied the area.

“I can show you around if you like,” he offered, his voice coming out deep but sincere. “I know this area like the back of my hand since my mum lives around here.”

“Oh,” she just about managed. “Thank you…” How did he manage to make her feel guilty just like that?

“No problem about it. It’s not hard to see you’re new around here.” He took a long sip of his hot Americano. “Where are you from? How long have you been in Korea?”

She stirred her latte and answered his first question. “And I’ve been here about two weeks? I just started school this week.”

“So you’re a student?” He smirked. “Figures, you look young.”

“Well, thanks…I guess.” And for the first time in the course of their interaction, she grinned. “I’m actually pretty old. Who knows, I’m probably older than you are.”

He gave a voracious laugh. “What year were you born in? You’re a 90s kid, right? Come on now, ‘95? ‘96? ‘97? Yah, you probably have to call me 오빠.”

“Excuse me? I hardly know you so I don’t think I need to call you that, no matter how much older you may be, 버스 아저씨,” she snapped, upping her attitude.

He did not seem to mind being called Bus Uncle in Korean. In fact, he simply laughed it off heartily. “Call me whatever you like. I think I’m still older than you though, so it’s fine,” he said with a smile, making him look more genial. “But seriously, you’re a 90s kid right? Which year is it? Early 90s?”

“What is the obsession with my birth year?” she groaned. “I don’t even know you Bus Uncle!”

“Well, you know my name,” he said quietly. “I’m just asking your birth year so I know how to address you properly.”

She glanced sideways at him, took a quick breath and muttered swiftly, “I was born in ‘87.”

He spluttered his coffee. “Say that again??”

“I’m an ‘80s kid. I was born in ‘87. There, are you happy now?” she rolled her eyes.

His eyes glinted in the morning sun and a slow smile was spreading slyly over his angular face. “Right, so you are younger than I am. You have to address me appropriately! Calling me 오빠 would be nice,” he added childishly.

She rolled her eyes again. “I think I’ll stick to 버스 아저씨 for now,” she replied, gathering her things and getting up.

He got up too, in a flash. “Where are you going? Are you leaving already?”

“Of course. I can’t hang around here all day. I still have to buy groceries and it’s already later than I expected,” she retorted.

“You’re going to the mart, right? I’ll take you there,” he offered, his left hand holding his cup while his right hand grabbed her wrist. “I don’t have anything on today.”

“아저씨!” she yanked her hand away, glaring at him. “Keep your hands to yourself!”

“Okay, okay, my bad,” he apologised, raising his right hand. “Don’t be mad. And smile a bit more. You look better when you smile.” He ran his free hand through his hair. “Can I take you there?”

“What? Is this a date?” she sneered as she threw her empty cup into the rubbish bin.

“Would you like it to be?” he grinned, following her out of the coffee shop.

“Look, 아저씨,” she stopped in her tracks and faced him. “I don’t know what you’re playing at but I’m not interested, okay? I have too much work to do and too little time. It’s my first week of school and I still have a year more to go until I finish my thesis. I don’t have time to do anything else. I don’t have time to make friends. I-I…” She stopped talking, feeling as if everything was spinning around her. The phone in her hand fell to the ground as she clutched at her heart, feeling it pounding violently in her chest. The air felt stuck in her throat, making her feel like vomiting. The world started to look as dark as night.

The last words she heard before she crashed, belonged to the muscular, tattooed man, who kept calling out to her. “Reading Girl! Reading Girl!”

#fiction #fic #monster woo #kim young woo

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moonlit-jig · 8 years ago

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I finally finished a piece that I wrote for a creative writing class that I’m taking for fun this term, and I figured I would post it here! Sam and Brooke return once more! As always, feel free to comment with feedback if you so desire :)

(fair warning, it’s ~3.5k words)

“She always does this.” Sam flopped onto the couch and leaned her head back as far as it would go. “I hate it.”

Brooke glanced up from the book he had been reading. “Does what?”

“She makes everything about her. Every tiny thing that I do is apparently somehow related to her. It’s so frustrating. I just feel like I can’t be my own person around her, you know?”

Brooke’s heart lurched a bit, the way it always did when Sam talked about her mom. He set the book down on the coffee table and picked up his still-steaming mug of cocoa. “Well, I don’t really, but I can sympathize at least.” He frowned at the steam and placed the mug back on the table. “Wanna talk about it?”

“It’s just, I don’t know, it’s like she takes credit for every aspect of my life. If I do well on something it’s because she motivated me and ‘always believed in me.’ If I decide to make a change in my life that she happens to like, it’s apparently only because she told me to. And if I do something that she doesn’t approve of she thinks that the only reason I’m doing it is to spite her. Like right now! She thinks that the only reason I keep hanging out with you is because she doesn’t like you!” Sam took a deep breath and rolled over, burying her face in the back of the couch.

Brooke picked up his mug again and cupped it in his hands. “I feel like I should be offended, but I’m not really a fan of your mom either. Sorry,” he added quickly, just in case.

“No need to apologize. I don’t blame you,” came the muffled reply.

“Anyway, I’m sorry she’s like that.” Brooke reached over and rubbed Sam’s back sympathetically. “I know we’ve talked about this before, but is there any chance you’ll be able to move out soon?”

“Actually,” Sam said, emerging from the cushions, “maybe! I have an interview next week, and I’m determined not to cancel this time. It’s not incredible pay, but it’s thirty-plus hours a week, maybe even full-time, so it’ll be enough to cover rent and bills and whatnot.”

Brooke grinned widely. “Nice! Is it something you want to do?”

“It’s a barista position for this new café that’s opening soon. I mean, it’s not like my dream job or anything, but I think it’ll be fun.”

“That’s awesome!” Now that the steam had subsided, Brooke took a careful sip.

“Yeah.” Sam smiled a bit wistfully. “I really hope I get it. The longer I stay at my mom’s place the more I realize how much I need to get away.”

Brooke watched her over the rim of his mug. She looked like she was going to say more, so he slowly sipped at his cocoa and waited.

Sam was turning her hands over each other in her lap. Eventually she sighed. “I really honestly believe that leaving my dad was the best decision for her to make. And I think she does seem happier now, or at least calmer. She’s not quite as bad as she used to be, at least.” Sam’s fingers picked at each other. “But… I think she’s also lonelier now. And I’m her way of dealing with it.”

She lifted her head and her eyes searched out Brooke’s. “I’m not a bad person, am I? For wanting to get away from her? Even though I know that she’d be even lonelier without me?”

Brooke set his mug down again and turned to face Sam fully. “You’re not,” he said firmly. “You being her daughter doesn’t make you responsible for her. She’s absolutely capable of finding ways to deal with her loneliness that don’t involve essentially trapping you.” His voice softened. “And if you want more proof that you’re definitely not a bad person, just think of everything you’ve done for her so far.” Sam looked confused. “Sam, you took a semester off from school to help her through the divorce! And even now you haven’t been working – even though I know how much you want to – because she wants you to help her with her personal projects.” Brooke paused for a breath. “Honestly… you’ve given her a lot.” And she doesn’t deserve it, he didn’t say.

Sam held his gaze for a moment longer and then nodded. “You’re right. I really need to do this for myself.” Her expression brightened. “And maybe this will be good for her! It should encourage her to make new friends!”

Blowing her bangs out of her face, Sam bounced up from the couch and headed over to Brooke’s kitchenette.

“Hmm… Mind if I steal some of that really good loose-leaf tea you have?”

“No! I only have a little bit left!”

“Sorry, too late,” was the cheerfully unapologetic response.

Brooke picked up his book again. “I take it back,” he said, trying to find where he had left off, “you’re a terrible person.”

Sam’s voice sounded genuinely happy on the other end of the phone.

“I got the job!! And I started looking for apartments a few days ago and already found one that seems really good! I’m going to go see it later today to make sure, but I’m pretty much sold on it already.”

Brooke’s smile threatened to overwhelm his face.

“That’s amazing! Congrats!”

Sam sighed happily. “I’m actually doing this. I can’t believe I’m actually doing this.”

“It’ll be great, Sam. You’ve been wanting this for a long time, and you really deserve it.” Brooke hoped she could sense the smile he was attempting to project through the phone.

“I hope so.” There was a contented pause, then Sam added, “Anyway, I think I’m gonna start packing and planning and stuff. You’ll help me move, right?”

“I’m tempted to say no, but we both know I’m too nice for that.”

“If you say so.” A snort of laughter crackled through the line. “Thanks though, for real.”

“Of course.” They had known each other for years, and been friends for most of that time. Brooke was familiar enough with what Sam had had to deal with that there wasn’t much he wouldn’t do to help her at this point.

“Kay, I gotta go now, my mom’s car is pulling in. Thanks again, Brooke! I’ll see you Friday!”

“See ya!”

Brooke’s phone rang again on Tuesday afternoon as he sat at his desk reading through insurance papers.

“Okay, so I’ve pretty much finished packing and everything. My mom is going to be out most of the day on Friday, so we should be able to move then. I had someone take a look at my car the other day and I think we found both of the GPS trackers she put in, so I’ll take those out right before we go.” Sam paused. “Mmm, do you think I should leave a note or just call her after I finish moving?”

Brooke grimaced. “Well, she probably won’t be too happy either way, so I guess it’s up to you.”

“Hm, then, I think I’ll leave a note with the basics and also mention that I’ll call her later. Do you think that will be fine?”

“Sounds like a plan to me.”

“Cool, so, she should be gone by 8am, I think. I’ll text you when she leaves and then you can meet me here? With both of our cars it should only be one trip. The apartment comes mostly furnished, thank god, so I don’t have to worry about bringing too much stuff.”

“Alright, I’ll see you Friday morning! Let me know if you need my help with anything else before then.”

“Will do! Thanks, Brooke. You’re the best.”

“Oh, I know, but thanks anyway.” Brooke couldn’t contain a smile as he hung up the phone. Sam needed this move. He remembered how relieved she had been when the divorce finally happened, hoping that now that her parents were separated they wouldn’t need her to be a scapegoat any longer. How strongly she had believed that she and her mom would finally be able to get along the way she desperately wanted to. That belief had been withering ever since Sam had moved back home after graduating three years ago, and Brooke was afraid that Sam was withering with it, despite how well she purported to be doing.

He would have to do his absolute best to make sure everything went smoothly.

Brooke’s smile faded as he looked at the paperwork strewn across the desktop in front of him. If he was going to help Sam move on Friday, he would need to get all this done earlier than he had planned. Stretching, he rose from his chair and headed over to the kitchen counter, flicking on the light. This called for coffee.

Brooke was awake at 6:30 on Friday morning. He felt almost guilty for being so nervous, since he knew Sam would have the worst time of it if they got caught, but the anxious fluttering in his stomach refused to stop. He paced back and forth for a while, treading lines into his carpet, before finally settling at his desk. He would just have to wait.

His phone chirped at 8:07.

“All clear! I’ll be waiting downstairs with my stuff; just let me know when you get here!”

Brooke was out the door before he had finished reading the text. There was always a chance that Sam’s mom would return early, and he wanted to get her out of there before that could happen.

On Sunday afternoon the two of them were sitting on the floor of Sam’s new apartment. Sunlight filtered through the half-open blinds, painting streaks of warmth across the room. Sam was brighter than Brooke had seen her in a long time, chattering nonstop about the new coworkers she had met already (they were all so nice!) and the ones she would meet when she officially started tomorrow. She narrowly missed the mug of tea sitting on the carpet next to her as she brandished her arms wildly.

“And just look at this place! It’s huge!” (It wasn’t.) “And it’s all mine! I can decorate it however I want! Oh my god, Brooke – I can play music out loud. And I can paint whenever I want and I don’t have to worry about trying to hide them in a hurry! I can let them sit out to dry for hours if I want to!”

She beamed and Brooke let the warmth in his chest bubble out in a laugh. He couldn’t think of anything else to say other than, “I’m really happy for you, Sam. Really really happy.”

“Me too.” Sam’s smile was real and content.

Brooke cleared his throat.

“By the way, um, not to kill the mood, but how did the call with your mom go?”

Sam’s hands went to her mug. Brooke’s heart squeezed too tightly for a beat.

“Oh, you know…” Sam shrugged. Her fingers whitened as they wrapped around the mug and she picked at the tea tag. “She spent a good half hour trying to guilt-trip me into coming back, and said I only ever think about myself, and that I’m probably one of the most selfish people she’s ever met. Oh, and she started crying at one point. But she didn’t scream at me like she probably would have if I’d tried to do something like this a few years ago! So that’s progress!” She went back to toying with the tag dangling from her mug, watching ribbons of steam curl into nothing. “I do feel bad, but I think living on my own away from her will be really good for me. Even in college I didn’t really get to do that because she insisted on driving out to visit me every weekend. I need this.”

“You don’t have to justify yourself to me, you know,” Brooke said softly, painfully regretting his decision to ask. “I’m sorry for bringing it up.”

“It’s fine.” The tag tore from the string.

Sam looked up. “Anyway, you want a tour of the place?”

“You gave me a tour on Friday, remember?”

“Yeah, but I’ve unpacked since then. It looks different now.” Sam’s eyes were hovering on the edge of excitement, but there was a pleading look in them too.

“Alright, fine.” Brooke laughed in an attempt to resurrect the mood from earlier. “Want to go shopping for decorations and stuff afterwards?”

“Uh, I kinda spent the vast majority of my savings on the rent and deposit and everything. I probably shouldn’t be spending too much right now…”

“Eh, you can pay me back when you start getting paychecks.”

Sam brightened at that. “Awesome! Then to the nursery! I need succulents.”

A few weeks passed, and it was Sunday afternoon again. Brooke decided that a nap was well-deserved after his Netflix binge the night before, and settled into the couch, feeling unusually peaceful. Sam loved her job, and she was looking happier than she had in years. Her mom called often, but the calls were becoming less frequent and the more Sam adapted to her new life the less they seemed to bother her. For once, things were going well…

A loud knock on the door startled Brooke out of his nap. With his eyes still mostly closed, he reached out and groped along the nearby table for his phone. His fingers brushed the edge and he stretched out farther to reach it, only to find himself slipping off the couch. Landing on the floor in a grumbling tangle of limbs and blanket, he grabbed his phone, finding a few texts from Sam; that was probably her at the door, then. He didn’t get many visitors besides her anyways.

Tossing the blanket back on the couch, he stumbled to the door and opened it before Sam could bang again.

“Houston, we have a problem!”

“Wrong apartment. Houston lives a few doors down.” Brooke started to shut the door.

Sam stuck her foot in. “Wow, hilarious. Anyway, can I come in or what?”

“Well, I’ve never not let you come in before, but now’s a good a time as any to start.”

“Hey!” Sam peered at Brooke’s face. “Oh, sorry, I woke you up, didn’t I? If I promise to make you coffee can I still come in?”

“…Fine.”

Brooke flopped back down on the couch and wound the blanket around himself while Sam busied herself at the counter. He was mostly awake now, but he would never turn down an offer for someone else to make him coffee.

A few minutes later, Sam danced over, almost spilling the coffee as she shoved the mug at Brooke. He had barely a second to place it on a side table before Sam launched herself onto the couch, bouncing on her knees as she turned to face him.

“Brooke. I need your advice. I know you give terrible advice but I need it anyway.”

“Flattery will get you nowhere.”

Sam ignored him with practiced ease. “There’s this girl who comes to the café every day. Every. Day. She’s always there first thing in the morning and she’s always bright and chipper and smiley.”

“So?” Brooke knew where this was going.

“So she’s got the deepest brown eyes I’ve every fuckin seen, and they get all crinkly when she smiles – which is always – and she has this snorty little laugh and Brooke.” Sam pressed her hands into her knees and leaned forward, balancing precariously. “She calls me by my name. She actually read my nametag and now she calls me by my name when she comes in every morning and she tells me to have a beautiful day. Not a nice day. A beautiful one.”

Sam let out a sound that seemed suspiciously like the sort of squeal a middle-schooler might emit after speaking to a crush, and pressed her face into the back of the couch.

“…Wow. I don’t think I’ve ever heard you make that noise before. She must be really cute.” Brooke grinned at the back of Sam’s head. “What’s her name?”

“So. Cute. And her name is Iris.”

“Well, are you going to do anything about it? Have you talked to her at all beyond the standard greetings?”

“A little bit? Sometimes if there’s no one else in line we’ll chat for a bit, but I feel bad flirting when I’m at work.”

“You mean trying to flirt,” Brooke smirked.

“Oh, shut up.” Sam managed to reach over and punch him despite still having her face half-buried in the couch. “Anyway, what should I dooooo?”

“Well, you should probably start by talking to her more.” Brooke picked up his coffee and sipped it sagely.

“Gee, thanks. Great advice.”

“Hey, you knew what you were getting into when you asked for my advice in the first place. I don’t exactly have much experience in the whole dating department, nor do I want to.”

Sam grumbled indistinctly.

“Okay, wait, I have a brilliant idea.”

Sam looked up at that, raising an eyebrow.

“Don’t give me that! It’s actually brilliant.”

Sam’s eyebrow climbed higher.

“Put that eyebrow down and hear me out. Okay, so you’ve been working on your art more, right?” Brooke freed a hand from the mug to gesture excitedly. “Why don’t you put together an exhibition and invite her! I know this great little bookstore that puts on displays by local artists, I’m sure you could talk to the owners!”

Sam stared at him as Brooke beamed proudly.

“That’s… actually kind of a good idea. Except I’ve never actually shared my work with anyone before. Are you sure it’s good enough to actually make an exhibition out of?” Sam looked thoughtful. “I feel like my metric is kind of skewed since the only people who have seen it besides you are my parents, and they just laughed. Though, that might be more of a ‘my parents’ thing and less of an ‘I suck’ thing, but it’s hard to tell.”

Brooke was reminded once again of just how glad he was that Sam had gotten out. “Your art is definitely good enough. Trust me. And you’ve improved a lot in just the past few weeks now that you’ve actually been able to spend more time on it.”

“Really?”

“Would I lie to you?”

“Well, you told me you were out of my favorite tea last time I came over just because you wanted to keep it for yourself.”

“Okay yeah, but would I lie to you about something serious?”

“Tea is a serious matter, Brooke.” Sam attempted a glare before succumbing to a smile. “…But I’ll trust you on this, as long as you promise to come with me to talk to the bookstore owners.”

Brooke grinned. “Will do.”

Early on Wednesday morning Brooke was pulled abruptly from sleep by the ringing of his phone. He fumbled for it blearily, squinting at the caller ID. It was Sam.

“What’s up?” he mumbled.

Sam’s voice was trembling. “Brooke? Can you come pick me up and take me somewhere? I- I don’t think I can drive right now…”

“Are you okay?” Brooke was fully awake now. He put the phone on speaker and began changing quickly.

“I’m fine, sorry. I just got a call and… my mom’s in the hospital.”

Brooke felt that familiar sensation in his chest. He grabbed his keys and shoved his feet into the nearest pair of shoes.

“I think she’s stable, but-- I’m not really sure what happened. My ears were having a hard time hearing things.” Sam laughed shakily.

“Don’t worry, I’m on my way.” The door slammed shut behind him as he ran out.

In one of the myriad waiting rooms at the hospital, Brooke’s leg danced up and down uncontrollably. Sam was with her mother, and there was nothing he could do but sit there and wait.

Just when his leg was beginning to tire, Sam appeared at the entrance to the room. Her face was blank. Brooke’s heart tightened even more and he could feel his stomach sinking.

“Her hip is fractured. She slipped on the stairs apparently. She’s going to have surgery tomorrow and then she’ll need help getting around for at least a few months after that. Probably longer. I have to move back in with her.”

Brooke wanted to ask about the job, about her art, about Iris. But Sam’s expression told him that she had already decided.

So he sat there and hugged her as Sam finally let herself cry.

#long post #really really long it's 3.5k words #emotional abuse tw #short story #original fiction #abuse tw #my writing

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