#it’s a december miracle i’m so jolly | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

pregnant-piggy · 3 years

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A little elf

Ron Weasley x reader

This is part of All I want for Christmas is fanfiction

Words: 2.5k

Warnings: pregnancy, slight mention of abortion

A/N: I’m back with a pregnancy-fic (gotta be true to my url in some way). This fic is all support and Ron’s soft and protective side

As the skies grew more pale outside, the rain and wind of the autumn made place for the cold and ice of the winter. Grass turned dry and died out, leafs had fallen of the trees and froze overnight. Icicles hung from the corners of buildings if it had frozen and the roads were getting slippery.

The shops had taken out their Christmas decorations and red and green adorned the streets. Fairy lights had been hung in trees and gardens flickered at night with colours shows in the shape of reindeers and fat Santa’s. At some houses Christmas trees were already standing in living rooms and cringe texts hung behind windows. Children dressed as angels went past streets, singing Christmas carols to whoever passed.

Normally you loved to walk outside at night and look at all the decorations. Countless of rounds you had made around the block with Ron every December. You knew which houses did what for Christmas, which ones were the first to put up the tree and which families always forgot and then put up the lights on Christmas Eve.

However, tonight none of the decorations were noticed by you as you walked home. With your hands in gloves in your pockets and your scarf tightly around your neck, you walked as slow and fast as possible; wanting to get home as fast as possible yet not wanting to get there at all.

Faint carols reached your ears as you turned around the corner to the street of your house. Halfway on the street stood the choir you hadn’t seen yet this December. You had gotten to know the leader a few years ago and feared you wouldn’t get out of a conversation when you walked by.

You took a halt in front of the choir and listened to the children together with some of your neighbours. Mrs and Mr Sanchez, the couple that lived next door, stood listening happily with their arms around each other. You watched them for a while as the choir sang ‘O Holy Night’.

And indeed as you had thought, the leader of the choir, Francis, walked over to you after she had told the children to continue to sing.

‘Hey, y/n, long time no see!’ Francis happily said.

‘Hello, Francis,’ you nodded. You weren’t exactly feeling as ‘jolly’ as one might be in such a scene, but you conjured a smile on your face for the woman in front of you. ‘How are you?’

‘Busy, busy, busy,’ Francis said. ‘We are booked full for December. I don’t think I have a day off. But that doesn’t matter!’ she quickly added. ‘I enjoy working with these children so much. I believe they truly are my Christmas miracle!’

A bit more genuine smile came to your face. Francis was someone who was grateful for everything that was going on in her life. She enjoyed every second of her life and made sure she did plenty of things that she could look back at when she was old and grey and stuck in a chair at a retirement home. You loved to listen to Francis’ enthusiasm. Though you didn’t see her very often, because she was indeed always busy, the times you did see her you always were happy.

‘Is Ron not here? You usually come together,’ Francis noticed and the smile fell off your face.

‘He was busy,’ you lied, putting the fake smile back on your lips. You glanced around. ‘Are you coming back here?’ you asked, hoping to change the subject.

‘One more time, on Christmas Eve,’ Francis said.

‘I’ll make sure to come and bring you some snacks.’

‘They would love that,’ Francis sighed. One of the children signed for her and she had to leave you alone. ‘I’ll talk to you soon, y/n.’

‘See you soon.’ Francis went back to the choir and you turned around and walked to your house.

The light in the kitchen was on and a yellowish glow shone on the bare bushes in your little front yard. In the spring and summer they would be full with flowers and green leafs, but in the autumn and winter they lost their beauty.

Taking a deep breath you put your key in the lock and opened the door. The hall was dark and the door to the kitchen closed, only a stripe of light coming from the crack between the door and the floor. When you closed the front door behind you and put on the light, something dropped in the kitchen and a moment later the door was opened to reveal Ron.

He was wearing the apron you had gotten from your great aunt, one with little flowers and bees. His cheeks were red and there was a smudge of flour on one of them. The red locks that needed a haircut, though you actually liked it better like this, were standing in all ways, like it looked when he woke from a rough night. On his lips played a relaxed smile, that soon dropped as he noticed your tense state and worried eyes.

‘What’s the matter, sweetheart?’ he asked and quickly walked over to you to help you take of your coat.

While he turned around to the coat rack, you answered. ‘I’m pregnant.’

Ron dropped your coat on the floor and he spun around. His eyes were big and his jaw dropped. He stared at you for a second, before a big grin formed on his face.

‘That’s amazing! You’re pregnant? We’re gonna have a baby?’

‘No, it’s not! We aren’t prepared! There’s no room in our lives for a baby! What about our jobs? And our friends? We can’t just come over with a baby! Our lives would change so much!’

Ron took your hands and tried to look you in the eye, but you kept your gaze at the ground. He pulled you in an embrace and a tear escaped your eye. His hand rubbed soothing circles on your back and his lips were pressed against the top of your head.

Ron brought you to the kitchen and sat you down on a chair. He turned the stove off and gave you a glass of water before he took place opposite of you. He waited until you had drank the water and then took your hand over the table, forcing you to look him in the eye.

‘Listen, I am not forcing you to have this baby. It is your body and your decision and I am no one to change that. But I also want you to realise that this could be a good thing. Can you imagine how our lives would be if we had a little one running around? A happy baby, part you, part me. And it won’t be so difficult with jobs, you could even just keep yours the way it is now if you want. I won’t mind working less, I actually was thinking of already doing so. It is scary, but we will make it work.’

Ron squeezed your hand and you chuckled softly while the tears were streaming down your face. Ron got up from his chair and sat down in his knees in front of you. He wiped away the tears from your face and pressed a kiss to both your hands.

‘I am not asking you to make a decision right now, sweetheart,’ he said. ‘But just think about it. I will be happy with whatever you decide, as long as I am with you.’

You smiled tilting your head as you watched Ron get up and continue with dinner. His words had put your mind to work, but you pushed it aside for now, feeling that your emotions would influence the decision.

For the rest of the evening you talked with Ron about other things. You told him about Francis and the choir and he talked about his work and the new invention George had made. Of course you couldn’t just forget you were pregnant, but you just didn’t pay much attention to it and you noticed neither did Ron.

A part of you felt guilty for the burden you had placed on his shoulders. He had seemed so excited when you told him you were pregnant and the look on his face when you told him that you weren’t ready was still fresh in your mind.

Ron had sensed how you were feeling, like he always could. At night as you lied in the dark in bed, his hand took yours and he gave a little squeeze.

‘Don’t feel guilty, sweets,’ he said. ‘I am happy with or without a baby. Really. I support you whatever you decide.’

‘Thank you,’ you said with a hoarse voice. ‘I love you.’

‘I love you more.’

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For a few days you and Ron didn’t talk about it. You both just went your normal ways, doing what you normally did. But that didn’t mean that you didn’t think about it. In contrary, it was all you could think about. You tried not to show it too much to Ron, but you knew he noticed. He was a little more gentle towards you, making sure there wasn’t anything to worry about at home or making sure you were comfortable.

Those days you barely slept. You ate little and felt nauseous with every smell. You were always cold, but whenever you put on a jumper you were hot. Your lips were cracked and your eyes dull. Your skin was breaking out and with every hand that you brushed through you hair, you pulled along hairs.

On the fourth day of all this, you had called in sick from work. After you had reassured Ron that you would be fine on your own and that he could just go to work, you were alone for the first time in a week.

Your plan was to just stay in bed all day, but an hour or so after Ron left you got antsy and wanted to do something. Your bed was uncomfortable and warm and you couldn’t lie in it for another second anymore. So you shuffled downstairs in a pair or leggings and one of Ron’s jumpers. You made some breakfast for yourself and after that sat in the living room staring at the TV for a while.

If you had watched TV the whole time or had fallen asleep, you didn’t know, but around lunch time you startled awake. You turned off the TV and decided to go for a walk.

It was snowing outside and the world glistened with little crystals. It wasn’t so cold that the streets were slippery; the snowflakes only lied on the ground for a second before they melted. Soon your hair was wet from the snow and your cheeks cold, but you didn’t mind. The cold, fresh air did you good.

In the park close to your house you sat down on a bench and watched the people around you. There was an elderly couple walking arm in arm with each other. Two businessmen sat on a bench not far from you. They were talking about something you didn’t understand and you frankly didn’t care about.

The park was fairly empty for the time of the day. Normally it was full of people that would take a little stroll at lunch time, especially in the holiday month. But today it was empty and you liked it so.

You sat on the bench for a while, just staring ahead of you, until you were started by a woman with a stroller.

‘Can I sit here?’ she asked and you nodded at her. The woman flashed you a smile and sat down next to you, turning the stroller around so the child in it was facing whom you assumed to be their mother.

You paid little attention to the people next to you. Or at least you tried to. The mother had started to talk to the baby while giving them little bites from a piece of bread. The baby giggled when the woman started to make funny faces and you couldn’t help but smile.

The baby looked at you, when their mother turned to take something from her bag, and made grabbing hands to you. You chuckled and stuck out your tongue to the child. They copied you and chirred with excitement.

‘She seems to like you. Usually she’s not like that with strangers,’ the woman said when she turned back. ‘Do you have kids?’

‘Uh, no…’ you said and flashed the woman a quick smile.

‘I’m not judging you!’ the mother said quickly. ‘It’s just usually mothers who make her feel comfortable. Maybe you just have a special talent.’

You laughed and shook your head. ‘No, I don’t think that is it.’

‘Well, at least you made her happy,’ the woman said while she got up. ‘It was nice to meet you.’

‘You too,’ you said and smiled at the mother and waved at the baby. You watched them walk away and then got up yourself. With renewed confidence you walked home and for the first time since you had heard that you were pregnant, you felt happy.

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That evening you had taken a hot bath, soaking off all the negativity you had been holding for the past days. You were standing in front of the mirror in your underwear and stared at your belly. Your finger was tracing your skin lightly, as if you were tickling the baby that was growing inside of you.

‘Sweets? Where are you?’ Ron yelled from downstairs as soon as the door had shut behind him.

‘Up here,’ you said with a distant voice as you kept staring at your mirror image.

Loud and fast footsteps were heard on the stairs and Ron came bursting into the bedroom. Worry stood on his face and he was panting lightly. You looked up confused to him.

‘Are you okay?’ he asked and the anxiety left his face as you nodded. ‘Why are you standing there?’

You shrugged as you looked at yourself in the mirror. Your hand had dropped from your stomach and was now hanging along your body. Ron took of his coat and stood behind you. He rested his cold hands on your shoulders and you hissed.

‘Oh, sorry,’ he muttered but when he tried to take his hands away you kept them there.

You looked at Ron through the mirror and smiled at him. ‘I made a decision.’

Ron froze and you turned around so you could look at him. He looked at you with big eyes and you took his hands, placing them around your waist. You wrapped your arms around his neck.

‘We’re having a baby,’ you whispered softly.

Ron stared and after a few seconds swallowed. ‘We’re having a baby?’

You nodded and giggled at Ron’s anxious face. He started to smile and pulled you close against his chest. His hands on your back were cold and his cheek in your neck too, but you held onto him. For minutes you stood like that, until Ron turned you back to the mirror and wrapped his arms around your waist from behind, resting his hands on your lower-stomach. His touch sent shivers down your spine and sparkles through your veins.

‘We’re gonna be parents,’ you said.

‘We’re gonna be the best parents,’ Ron said.

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Taglist:

General HP: @kitkatkl @girllety @yuptha-tsme @sleep-i-ness @iamak20 @thefuturelawyer @weasleydream @missmulti @deafgirltingz @moonstarrnghtsky @mytreec @lilulo-12fanfiction @emmaloo21 @kashishwrites @ananad1 @figlia--della--luna @kylosleftbuttcheek @mrs-malfoy-always @thefandomplace @magicwithaknife @mt2413 @aesthetically-hailey @superbturtlemakerathlete @the-natureofme @missswriter

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#all i want for christmas is fanfiction #ron weasley x reader #ron weasley imagine #ron weasley #harry potter #tw pregnancy #pregnancy

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fichtner-fics · 3 years

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Christmas Miracle (Alex Mahone)

Warnings: none (besides some spoilers in the context describing, mention about family problems (just a few words)), in contrary TOO MUCH FLUFF AND CUTENESS OMG my heart just can’t take that

Context: So this is a bit out of the PB storyline. Cameron, Alex’s son is alive, but Pam is not in the picture at all. I didn’t exactly clarified, where she is or what has happened to her (she’s not necessarily dead), and from the point of this fic it doesn’t matter. What does matter: Cameron is five (just like in the serie), living with his dad, spending so much time with Y/N (who isn’t from the office, not even working in law-enforcement). And the rest is down there, I just wanted to explain the basics. 😊

A/N: So I thought it would be nice to surprise you with a little Christmassy-Mahone, with so much fluff, cuteness, love, joy, gingerbread and sparkles. This is the end result. ✨ (2298 words??? sorry I was just typing and suddenly it happened) (I’m already visualising a secod part of this, help, things started to get out of my control)

Originally I wanted to post this on the 22nd, BUT I JUST COULDN’T WAIT YOUR REACTIONS so tell me tell me whatever you think about this. 😭😭

I know this is quite early to say, but I want y’all to have yourself a very happy, merry, holy, jolly, fun Christmas, take care yourselves, and rest as much as you can. We all have things to recover from, so let this period be that recovery’s time. Thank you all for making my 2020 whole, giving me some light during these shadowy times. It is such an adventure which started this year. ❤

I know I have 2 requests pending, I’ll start the next year with them. Pinky promise!

[yeah, that’s Carl Hickman on the gif, but as I realized there’s no footage in the wide Internet of Mahone smiling so I had to improvise😆; gif’s from here, thank you!]

Alex and I were friends for such a long time. Though during his marriage we hadn’t seen each other as frequently, our friendship remained. What’s more, since they split up with Pam and he was left alone with his son, I was the first person he came to. I usually cooked them and spent so much time with the little boy. We grew closer and closer – with both of the boys. With Cameron in the sense of a mother-son relationship and with his father… well, I fell in love with him, and I was quite sure that he felt almost the same way. There was nothing on Earth I would enjoy more than our long nights with deep conversations and a cup of tea, which happened pleasantly often. We could talk about anything and everything, he shared with me all his ups and downs, everything at the office, in his (ended) marriage, and vice versa. I didn’t have a failed marriage to talk about, but given my drunk father, I had some things to share about as well. Long story short, basically we would just have to say things out loud to become a couple.

Given Alex had to work late (unfortunately) on the 25th of December, he asked me to look after Cameron, which I took happily. I already planned our whole day during the night before, so I arrived with decided plans at their house.

First things first, we of course bake some gingerbread to build a house. When finally it wasn’t hot, I put everything on the table and called Cameron. While I was gathering some tools missing, he took the plate in front of him.

“We won’t have anything left to build the house if you keep eating all those gingerbreads” I said laughing and messing up little Cameron’s hair. He giggled but kept chewing a gingerbread man’s leg. “And tell me” I asked, sitting on the chair next to him “what did you wrote on your list?”

While I was waiting for him to answer, I started to prepare the frosting and the tubes with coloured icing in them.

“I asked a huge… truck…” he said excitedly. “With a remote controller. And a toolbox for myself, because daddy has his own, and I want to help him repair things. And some Lego!”

“That’s amazing. You will have so much fun with these” I smiled at him. “Give me two sidewalls, please” I said after finishing the preparation of the necessities. It wasn’t the funniest part of making the house for a five-year-old, but I hoped that by involving Cameron in the process would cheer him a bit. I put some frosting on the sides of the gingerbread, then glued two pieces together.

“And I asked a gun, too” he said suddenly, while we were holding the pieces to stick. I laughed in surprise.

“Like daddy’s” I presumed.

“Yes” the little boy chuckled again. “To fight the bad guys, so daddy don’t have to do it alone. And you know what else?” he whispered, leaning close to my ear. His huge, brown eyes sparkled in excitement, and I couldn’t help but smile.

“What else?” I whispered back, pecking his cute cheeks.

“I asked for you to be my mommy” he said out finally, scanning my face just to see my reaction.

At first, I couldn’t find the words. Just in a half second all our shared little tender moments with Alex flew in front of my eyes and suddenly I was aching for his love even stronger. I was so in love with him, I would do anything to know he feels the same. And of course, I was fond of this little boy, too. I already imagined the tree of us being a real, whole family.

“Aww, you’re so sweet, darling” I hugged him finally. He put his little arms around my neck and hugged back tightly. Luckily the frosting between the two gingerbread parts was stiff enough now to stand alone. “That would be my best Christmas present, too” I said quietly.

After our little squeeze-session, Cam helped me piping frosting and icing, pouring sprinkles and gluing sweets on the gingerbread roof with some syrup. Of course, at the end he looked like he was the one who had been decorated, but it was nothing a solid wash wouldn’t fix.

Rest of the day passed by with playing, laughing, and while he had his daytime nap I rested too. When I noticed the snow started to fall, I got so excited for Cam to wake up and see it.

It was around 4pm when I heard some noise from his room, so I went to take a look. He was sitting up in his bed with cute messy hair and sleepy eyes.

“Good morning, my sweetheart” I whispered happily. I sat next to him on the bed, letting him to lay on my lap. I started to play with his soft hair. “Did you sleep well?” I murmured. He was to drowsy yet, but his waggish smile already sparkled on his face.

“Yes. And… I dreamt about stars and reindeers” he said after a yawn. “And you and daddy and I was playing in the snow, really.”

“I’m so happy you dreamt these nice things” I smiled at him, gently touching his nose. Talking about it reminded me the fact that it was actually snowing outside.

“Hey, you want to see something amazing?” I asked after some minutes, leaving him stretching a bit and playing with his plush rabbit. When he agreed in a quiet, husky little voice, I took him, and we left the room.

Cameron stayed in my arms as we stood in front of the window in the living room. We were watching the silently falling, huge snow-petals. I was surprised that he didn’t change his mind after a few minutes and wanted to play or do anything else – he was unusually cuddly that day. He just leant to my chest with his thumb in mouth, breathing quietly while I was slowly rocking him. There were no lights on in the house besides the light garland’s yellow twinkle on the Christmas tree, which gave such a warmness to the room. It was just the two of us, the snow and the spirit of Christmas around us.

“Are you awake, honey?” I whispered, because I thought he fell back asleep. Feeling him nodding made me smile. “Beautiful, isn’t it?”

“Can we go out for a walk?” he asked in a dreamy voice.

“We should wait for your dad to come home” I suggested. “If he arrives and it’s okay for him, we can go and check the Christmas lights in the street. How does it sound?” I placed a kiss in his hazel brown curls.

It was his first thing to ask when Alex entered the house a few hours later. He said yes of course, so we put on some warm clothes, and left. Cameron ran forward, leaving us slowly mooning behind him.

“Did your day went well?” Mahone asked quietly.

“Yeah” I looked at him. “We built a gingerbread house, which you could see only in its ruins, because Cam pretended to be a shark and… bite the roof off” I laughed. “We played hide and seek, drew some amazing pictures and while he took his nap, I finally finished my book.”

“I’m glad to hear” Alex nodded. As we walked, he suddenly offered me his arm. I glanced at him, and with cheeks turned into rose I accepted the gesture. “Thank you for being here for us” Alex whispered. “I have no idea what I would do without you. Truly.”

I smiled but remained silent, only fixing Cameron standing mesmerized in front of a huge, sparkling snowman statue. His words came up in my mind, and at that moment I decided not to let the moment go.

“Did he tell you what’s he wishing for?” I asked innocently.

“You mean the gun?” Alex burst out in laugh. “Yeah, well, he won’t get that one. Not yet” he shook his head. I refused the temptation of rolling my eyes.

“Mommy look” Cameron shouted when we finally reached where he stood. Timing is perfect, little guy, I thought myself.

“What did you say?” Alex asked immediately, astonished. I remained silent, curiously waiting for what was going to happen. “Since when do you call Y/N mom?”

“It’s a secret, dad” said the little boy. “Only Santa has to know, and mommy has to know” he added, while nodding seriously. Then he took my hand and started to pull me where he saw the thing he wanted to show me. Alex just frowned more, but this time looking at me, waiting for a proper answer.

“It’s on his list” I mouthed while smiling wide at the confused agent. I only hoped this is enough information him to understand the situation. Letting him go, I crouched next to Cameron, to look at a little sheep in a Nativity Scene he was excited about.

“Look at him, he’s so cute” I said kissing the little boy’s rosy, cold cheeks.

“Can we have one at home?” he looked at me. I chuckled and looked towards Mahone who stood a few steps behind us. His face surprised me. He was watching us so tenderly, with sparkling eye, slight smile glued on his lips. I felt my cheeks burn suddenly and I had to fall my eyes.

“I don’t think your dad would approve” I answered to Cam. “Go, have a look at Rudolph” I suggested, pointing towards an at least three metres tall, red reindeer-silhouette. The boy nodded, then he started running immediately.

“Don’t rush, son” Alex tried to calm him, without any effect at all of course. I stood up biting my lips, because I had no idea what the agent will say about what happened earlier. “So, what’s this between you two and Saint Nick?” he laughed as I took his arm again. We walked slow, so he could scan my face as I looked at him almost laughing in embarrassment.

“Cameron wants Santa to make me his mom” I replied shyly. “I think he wants him to be reminded. But as you heard, it’s a secret, so I shouldn’t have told this to you.”

“This means I have to wrap you and place under our tree?” he asked. I heard on his voice that he was playing. If it wasn’t for his arm, I’d fly away by happiness for sure.

“Why, do you think it’s a wish so easy to make come true?” I teased back.

“Well, this is Santa Claus we’re talking about. He can do anything” he looked at me, smiling wide.

Suddenly I felt myself ran out of words. These past three minutes made me fall for Mahone even harder, but I couldn’t imagine what was going to happen. I pulled him closer, and in the same moment he lifted his other hand to fold on mine. When I looked at him in surprise, I found his wondrously blue, sparkly eyes already fixing me. He smiled at me, and I suddenly got sure about the meaning of the word ‘Christmas miracle’.

We remained silent until finally reaching Cameron, who basically looked around in the whole street while we walked slowly after him. When he noticed us, hugged our legs.

“Hey baby” I ran through my fingers in the boy’s hair.

“Aren’t you cold, buddy? Can we go home now, you saw everything?” Alex asked.

“Yes” Cameron nodded looking up at his father, but he suddenly froze. “Look daddy, mistletoe!” he pointed above us. And he was right. We stood right under the huge reindeer, who has a great deal of mistletoe hanging in his neck. I laughed out loud, shaking my head. This only could happen in movies.

“Do you know what it means, Cam?” Alex asked his boy but smirking at me. He shook his head. “We all can wish something” Alex explained, awfully misinterpreting the whole thing. I curiously watched them, my eyes jumping from one to the other, and I couldn’t believe what Mahone was doing. “But we must close our eyes, otherwise it won’t come true” he warned his son. “I count to three, then everybody shuts their eye, okay?”

“Okay, daddy” Cameron replied, then he lifted his hands, ready to place them in front of his face. When Alex counted three and Cam covered his face, we looked at each other, and within a split second he placed his cold lips upon mines. I felt him cupping my cheeks and I pulled him closer by his waist. He let me go after a little while, but before he would completely pull away, he whispered just on my lips:

“I love you.”

“I love you too” I breathed back. Suddenly we heard Cameron bursting out in chuckling. When we looked at him, he stretched up his arms towards me, giving a sign he wants to be taken up.

“And I love you so much too” I squeezed him after lifting him in my arms, making Cam laugh even louder.

“What’s so funny, little man?” Alex asked smiling as well. He stood next to me so close, resting his hand on my waist. I looked aside at him, just to see the joy in his eyes.

“I peeked” Cameron giggled with his little hand in front of his mouth. He was so sweet I almost couldn’t bear.

“You were so fast making your wish” I said pretending some surprise. Alex laughed through his nose.

“Because I knew what I wanted to wish” the little boy rolled his eyes. “But you didn’t wish. I saw” he stated.

“What makes you think we didn’t wish?” his father asked.

“Bec…” he yawned just in the middle of his sentence. “Because you kissed Y/N, so you didn’t have time for… wishing” he grimaced by pulling up his nose impishly.

“Hey, I made one” I said while nodding. “Did you make one?” I looked at Alex.

“Of course, I did. And you know what? It came real immediately” he added, looking straight into my eyes. Cameron gasped in surprise, and Alex pressed a soft kiss on my temple.

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sprnklersplashes · 4 years

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work-love balance (rejanis one shot)

There are a number of reasons Regina wishes she didn’t have this job.

For one, the uniform is gross. And yeah the uniform is just an apron but it’s a gross apron. It’s navy, that’s all that needs to be said about it. Second, she’s realised she hates dealing with people. Not all people, there are a few that are okay, but some people are just so, so hard. And since she’s already on her second warning from her manager, she can’t tell someone to shove it whenever they snap their fingers at her, or don’t say thank you, or refuse to tip. She just has to swallow her pride, paint a smile on her face and complain when it’s quiet. Thirdly, it’s coming up to Christmas now which means she has to deal with Mariah Carey being played on a constant loop or six hours straight and not even Jolly St Nick himself could put up with that.

And fourth and most important; it eats into her Janis time.

Senior year is hard for both of them, especially now with finals coming up and work starting on their college applications. Janis is swamped with artwork, her hands constantly covered in paint, and Regina can barely breathe with all the assignments she has to get done. Where weekends were once for movie nights and coffee dates are now booked through with studying and projects and their conversations happening almost completely through the phone. They kept themselves busy enough earlier, with Regina’s lacrosse and Janis’ various extracurriculars, but now it seems that neither one can fit the other into their schedule. And believe it when they say they’re trying.

“Okay,” Janis sighs. They sit at an empty cafeteria table, a soft silence about the room at this early hour. Since the only time they see each other is in school, they agreed to come in early to try to work some sort of plan out. Regina was fine with it because she’d have been up anyway, Janis on the other hand was a little harder to persuade. A little begging, a lot of pleading, and a promise of a coffee on her swung it in the end. “Okay, so Monday is out, you have lacrosse training. Tuesday I have to study for my biology final. What about Wednesday?”

“I can’t,” she sighs. “Group project to work on. And then job-work after that. Thursday?”

“The talent show has their tech rehearsal. And they need the whole team down there.” Janis takes a long drink of her coffee, a scowl etched onto her face. Regina knows Janis loves doing the techy stuff for the school shows, and she outdoes herself every year, but she simply wishes that this year she’d have skipped it. Regardless of how good it looks on the college application. “Friday night?”

“More lacrosse practice,” Regina grumbles. “And I’m working.”

“Saturday and Sunday?”

“Work, work, work. Both in the school and the job.” Her head falls onto her arms, a low groan emitting from her and shaking the table. She feels Janis’ hand on her back making soft, reassuring pats and it makes her feel a little better, especially with her girlfriend mutters “there, there” in a half-joking, half-serious way that only Janis could pull off. A smile curls on her mouth, even if it’s muted by the rest of her frustrations.

“I just miss you,” she says, her head back up. “I miss how things used to be with us. You know…” She grins slyly, her finger tracing across the table until it reaches Janis’. “You and me. My room. Laptop between us.” Her fingers slowly interlink with Janis’ and she watches as the faintest hint of a blush creeps across her girlfriend’s cheeks. “Your head on my shoulder… us sharing the same blanket.”

“Stop,” she says softly, her voice so close to a plea. “You’re making me nostalgic.” She lets out a wistful sigh then, her thumb rubbing the back of Regina’s hand and sending goosebumps up her arms. “I miss you too. I mean who else is going to stop me from going crazy?”

“Thought that was Damian’s job.”

“Damian’s job is to keep me crazy.” She winks then and now it’s Regina’s turn to blush. “Your job is to keep me crazy.”

“My mistake,” she chuckles. Janis lifts her hand and presses a kiss to her fingers, her eyes never leaving hers, telling her she’s forgiven.

There’s a sort of breathless excitement she’s started feeling since dating Janis, and it comes in the small moments like this. Those moments have been so few and far between recently that Regina’s almost forgotten what that felt like, but here it is. The way her heart picks up just slightly, the way her veins seem to hum beneath her skin, the little soft feeling that unfurls in her stomach, all making her feel good-really, truly good-for the first time in a long, long time.

It doesn’t last long though, the bell ringing rudely and cutting into their alone time, and so they head off together, pinkie fingers linked, both hoping that somehow, they’ll find more time this week. She knows that it’s not likely, but if her relationship with Janis has taught Regina anything, it’s that miracles can happen. Sometimes they just need a little push.

Regina spies her opportunity for a ‘little push’ on Friday night. As per usual, the mall is absolutely packed with Christmas shoppers-parents buying for kids, teens getting Secret Santas and young men trying desperately to find a good gift for a girl who probably expects a ring. The mall is utterly flooded with people everywhere you look and that means that the line for Regina’s little milkshake shop is at least a mile long. She’s not been here an hour and both she and her colleague, a little wisp of a thing named Clara, both have headaches from the amount of screaming children and her cheeks sting from the smile plastered on her face. She’s been keeping score since she got here and so far there’s been three assholes telling them to hurry up and two Karens chastising her for her lack of customer service skills.

She wishes so badly she didn’t need this job, otherwise she’d flip each and every one of them off. Or, she would if she could remember their faces, but as she takes orders and turns around they all blend into one, and she doesn’t see them again until she’s shouted “small Skittles shake!” for the third time and the owner finally, finally comes forwards.

So all in all, she’s exhausted.

“Seriously,” she pants when she line dies down. “Who the heck wants milkshakes in December? Or ice cream? Why do we still sell that.”

“The kids,” Clara explains with a vague wave. “You know… kids like ice cream. And parents just want to shut them up.”

“Reminds me why I’m never having kids,” she scoffs and Clara actually laughs at that. She’s not so bad, not at all. She’s good fun and she’s nice, which is all you could want in a work buddy.

They serve the last few customers, and Regina wonders if she’ll actually be able to take a break, run down to the food court and get herself a sandwich, only to look up and find the manager appearing in front of them, carrying two cardboard boxes on his shoulder.

“You said you were running out of cones?” he asks.

“Did we?” She turns and looks and yep, their supply of cones has dwindled to almost nothing at all. Clara must have find a second, if even, to send him a text. “Oh yeah, thanks.”

“How have things been over here?”

“Well we’re alive,” Regina sighs. “Barely, but we’re alive. We made a lot of money if that’s what you’re interested in.”

“Oh, sounds good,” he says. “And Regina… you’re good to close up shop?”

“Yes I am,” she says through gritted teeth. He nods at that and gives her a brief, clipped thank you before asking her for the delivery receipts and heading on his merry way, back to his comfy office and his comfy office chair while they remain on their feet for the next few hours, serving customer after customer until they collapse. And then, with Clara leaving soon (she deserves it after all), Regina’s left to shut down all by herself…

Hang on. Lightbulb moment.

“Clara.” She grabs the other girl by the shoulder, her eyes wide and a smile tugging on the corners of her lips. “Can you hold the fort down while I go on my break?”

The girl hasn’t even finished saying ‘sure’ before Regina is gone, flying down the halls and pushing past people as fast her legs can carry her, her months of lacrosse training finally being useful. She makes a quick pitstop at the foodcourt and grabs herself some dinner before sitting down at an empty table and whipping her phone out, mistyping the number twice in her excitement.

Janis picks up on the second ring and that’s still not fast enough.

“Regina?”

“Hey,” she says through a mouthful of noodles, a small prick of anxiety in her gut. “Okay, so what are you doing tonight?”

“Um, nothing I guess,” she says. “Homework, art, watching Netflix. Why?”

“Because I have an idea,” she begins. “For us.”

“Oh do share.”

“It’s a surprise.” She can practically see Janis’ face falling. She hates surprises, and that’s what makes this fun. “I just need you to trust me on this.”

“Okay… I trust you,” she says in the least-convincing voice Regina has ever heard.

“Perfect,” she says. “Just get here late and hang around until 9 okay?”

“9? The mall closes at 9.”

“9:15 actually.” She wolfs down some more noodles. “Just be subtle when you get in here, okay? Be sneaky.”

“And then you’ll reveal to me your mysterious plan?”

“I promise.” She hears Janis laughing then and oh what that sound does to her heart.

“Okay. I better get some studying done then before I get there.”

“And I need to finish my food. Oh and Janis-” she interjects. “Bring your laptop. And your charger. Just in case, you know?”

And it’s the long, confused ‘okay’ from Janis that makes this all so worthwhile.

The mall is practically deserted when Regina switches off the sign and gets out the brush and pan. Normally the clean-up process is painfully slow, what with the dozens of things that need doing and Regina feeling utterly drained by the end of the night. But tonight she’s found a source of energy she didn’t know she had, one that has everything to do with her girlfriend, and she wipes down surfaces and brushes the floors in double quick time and throws things in the fridge with no rhyme or reason. She sprints out to the dumpster with the trash and back again in less than ten seconds, determined that nothing and no-one cuts into her time with Janis. She’s so focussed on her mental to-do list that she doesn’t even notice a person coming up behind her, not until she hears those dreaded words-

“Hi can I get a large Reese’s milkshake?”

Oh for the love of-

But her rant is stopped entirely when she turns and sees only Janis, chuckling on the opposite side of the counter, hair slightly damp and her backpack on her shoulders, a self-satisfied gleam in her eyes.

“Asshole,” she sighs. “That’s what you are. An absolute asshole.” She waves her hand. “Come on in, asshole.”

“Oh someone’s been busy,” she comments. “You know, I did get a little worried when I didn’t receive one snapchat from you about how much you hate the closing shift.”

“Oh shut up.” She checks that the coast is clear and then pulls down the shutter, with them still inside. Thankfully she had the foresight to slip the stepstool underneath it, preventing them from being shut in completely, but Janis’ eyebrows still shoot up, her mouth hanging half-open in a silent scream of oh my god my girlfriend’s finally lost it.

“Regina…” she begins. “Please look me in the eyes and tell me you are not locking me in a milkshake store with you. Please, tell me that.”

“Don’t worry,” she says. “I’m not locking us in. What I am doing is having an amazing idea for a date night.”

“Which is…” Regina gestures around them.

“Look around,” she says. “We’re alone. We have all the ice cream we can eat. We have sparkly lights. And you have your laptop, so we can whack on something cute. Or something dark if you’re into it.” She shrugs. “I thought if my job interrupts our dates, maybe we could have a date at work.”

For two seconds, maybe less, a cold fear washes over her as she waits for Janis’ reaction. Maybe this is too far, maybe she already had plans, maybe she doesn’t want to sit on a dirty floor with her.

Or maybe, she’s throwing her arms around her and the force of her body is throwing them back. Maybe she’s giggling into her shoulder and rocking the two of them gently, her smile brighter than any of the lights and sweeter than any of the candy around them.

“This is amazing,” she whispers. “You’re amazing. Maddening and possibly crazy, but amazing.”

She kisses her then and Regina wonders how she can still get butterflies in her stomach, even now.

They sit down on the floor, using their jackets as impromptu blankets, and Regina grabs some ice cream from the freezer, settling on Rocky Road after some deliberation, while Janis opens up her laptop. The heat from the computer contrasts with the coldness of the ice cream, both balanced across their legs, and it’s an odd sensation to say the least, but Regina doesn’t care. They keep the ice cream close by and the toppings even closer; Janis has already covered her servings in chocolate sauce, and of course, rainbow sprinkles. The opening credits of To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before play onscreen, which Janis swears she only watches because Regina likes it so much, but she’s heard the muffled squeals behind her hand. She knows how she feels and one day she’ll get her to admit it.

But for now she just leans her head on Janis’ shoulder and snuggles into her. Janis presses a kiss to her head, slow and soft and so precious and Regina concludes that if they get trapped in here overnight, it won’t be so bad. Not if there’s Janis.

#rejanis #regina x janis #regina george #janis sarkisian #mean girls broadway #mean girls musical #just posted rejanis for the first time #*runs away into the night*

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evak-fic-rec-turtleanon · 3 years

Text

Evak Fics - Christmas 2017

Christmas fics posted for 2017

*** Non-English Fics *** Under 20k fics (Smutty, Angsty, Fluffy) *** Over 20k fics

***** NON-ENGLISH FICS *****

Deilig er jorden by pagnilagni (Norsk, 3k words) - Et lite bakteppe: Tida etter at Maria og Fredrik ble født høsten 2029 ble ikke som Even og Isak hadde tenkt. Ungene sov ikke, fedrene sov ikke, Even ble deprimert, Isak måtte ta seg av hele familien. Nå er det snart jul...

det kommer att regna på fredag, den tjugoandra december by vesperthine (Svenska, 4k words) - Isak har försökt säga att det inte är något att prata om ( – att mamma är dålig och pappa är feg, att han bara vill glömma allt vad förväntad familjelycka betyder och snylta på deras – ) men varje gång har Even bara tystnat och tittat ned; sett så sorgsen ut att konversationen helt har stannat av. Vilket han vet är en dödsstöt ( – en kommunikativ härdsmälta – ) som leder till allt det som han velat undvika; skrik och bråk som påminner för mycket om allting som han vill glömma.

En fantastisk julaften by pagnilagni (Norsk, 4k words) - God jul fra Maria og Fredrik og resten av familien Evak anno 2035

I midvintertid by champagneleftie (Svenska, 8k words) - En saga om en Even, en Isak, och en magisk snöglob.

En helt vanlig enkel dag by Always_and_ever (Svenska, 18k words) - Detta skulle bli den första dag, på länge, då han skulle känna sig ok. En dag spenderad med goda vänner på julmarknad. Han hade planerat och längtat. En helt vanlig enkel dag. Ja det var vad han föreställt sig i alla fall. Eller en historia om flera enkla dagar som inte blir så enkla som Isak hade hoppats på. ELLER en historia om att finna sin väg tillbaka.

den mørkeste tida by pagnilagni (Norsk, 45k words) - Vi er i 2025. Isak har jobbet på Svalbard det siste halvåret. Han holder på med doktorgraden sin i astrofysikk og jobber som forsker i Ny Ålesund. Even jobber med en filminnspilling og har reist mye de siste månedene. Nå skal de feire jul sammen på Svalbard.

Isak og Even -en julekalender by evakyaki, Frieda Echte (Plommesill), pagnilagni (Norsk, 55k words) - En Evak-fanfic-julekalender, fra oss til dere! God advent! Dette er en spesialskrevet desemberfic der vi følger Isak og Even dag for dag fram til julaften, desember 2017. Hver dag fram til jul poster vi et nytt kapittel her.

***** UNDER 20K FICS *****

SMUTTY

O Helga Natt by u_d (3k words) - It's Christmas Day. Isak and Even are far from holy.

santa, baby by empty_venom (SERIES, 14 fics) - Most of these are smutty fics but not all.

Mistletoe and Type O Negative by riyku (6k words) - Isak Valtersen: vampire hunter. Kinda has a nice ring to it.

Where the Lovelight Gleams by Sabeley (8k words) - The one where Even and Isak are stuck at different Christmas parties, but they're determined to have sex anyway.

Uncover Me by Maugurt (13k words) - Now, Isak’s had his fair share of moments that could possibly be considered kind of gay, but those moments could always be regarded as curiosity or something else not homosexual. But straight up making out with some guy at a party couldn’t. There was just no way he could no homo out of that one. It was very homo.

NOT ALL FLUFF / ANGSTY

Love Actually by evak1isak (684 words) - Isak is engaged to his high school boyfriend, Chris, until things change when Even, his high school friend, shows up one day at Christmas, with an important message to tell through some posters while "Silent Night" plays in the background.

Blue Nights by Evak2121 (1k words) - "Still, he missed him more than he thought he could on a Christmas Eve."

I'm not an asshole? by rumpelsnorcack (2k words) - Not Chrismassy. Jonas takes a few moments for himself to consider his reactions to his best friend being gay. It occurs to him that he maybe hasn't been the most supportive friend in the past.

I'll be there, baby by Wolle19 (3k words) - All Isak want is for his husband to be home for the holidays. Even works making documentaries, so being home for the important dates is not a easy task. Isak just want a miracle.

Oltre i confini del blu by Stria (Asia117) (3k words) - Five times Isak's Christmas is completely ruined and one time it goes completely right.

it's going to rain on friday, the twenty-second of december by vesperthine (4k words) - Isak has tried to tell him that there’s nothing to discuss ( – that mom isn’t well, that dad is a coward, that he just wants to forget everything about family and expected happiness and just leech off of theirs – ) but every time Even has gone quiet and looked down; looked so sad that the conversation has just died.

Soul Mates by orphan_account (5k words) - A misunderstanding before Christmas leads to a bit of angst and a whole lot of hurt/comfort. Then lots and lots of Christmas fluff!!!

The Disaster Christmas by tusktooth (6k words) - It's now Isak's turn to meet Even's extended family over the week of Christmas.

my heart held a ledger by cynical_optimist, strangetowns (8.6k words) - A hitmen AU, wherein Isak and Even hate their jobs but love each other.

i wrote you a song, hope that you sing along, and it goes: by traumatic (10k words) - Like a lot of seven year old boys, Even dreams of catching Santa Claus. He dreams of meeting him and shaking his hand, of asking him to show him how he does it, of thanking him for all he's done. When he actually does, Santa is exactly like he'd imagined. Both fortunately and unfortunately, by the time of Even's 23rd birthday, Santa no longer looks like that. He's no longer old or jolly; he doesn't have a large round belly or half-moon spectacles. This Santa is young, lean, and as beautiful as the world itself.

tell me it's a good start by teatrolley (12k words) - A sequel. Even's POV of It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, before during and beyond. And a New Year's Eve.

It's a Wonderful Life by kapplebougher (13k words) - t's a Wonderful Life AU, where Even believes the world would be better off without his existence. With the help of an angel though, he comes to realize that just maybe - that may not be entirely true.

Life is better with you by charlyflowers (16k words) - A oneshot of Isak and Even during several Christmas times together. Childhood friends.

I Just Want You For My Own by Twinklylightseverywhere (19k words) - Even loves the holidays, really. He loves spending time with his friends and family, drinking hot chocolate by the fire, exchanging gifts, the like. He loves leaving his apartment to see snow falling from the sky, children’s eyes lit up in excitement, and the general busy bustle of downtown Oslo in December. You know what he doesn’t love about Christmas time? Working in a fucking Post Office.

FLUFFY

the way your eyes sparkle by wyoheartsmusic (501 words) - Isak and Even celebrate Christmas apart and neither of them is very happy about it

Under the Mistletoe by evak1isak (952 words) - Isak has a crush on Eva's best friend, Even, but he's too stubborn to recognize it. With Christmas coming, Eva has a plan to set the two boys up.

dance with me by agarina (1k words) - There's always some room for anxiety. And cheesy Christmas music. And dancing. And kisses.

all i want for christmas is you by stringsinmelody (1k words) - Isak and Even enjoy their first Christmas together with their baby.

Slowly Starts Sinking In by bri_ness (1.4k words) - Christmas ish. After a Christmas party, Isak and Eva consider their feelings for their friends.

all the greenery is comin' down by colazitron (1.5k words) - Evilde fic. Vilde decides to try and make a move on Eva, and the mistletoe at the Kosegruppa Christmas Party would be the perfect pretext. If only she could actually get Eva underneath it!

Christmas Surprises by glbertblythes (1.5k words) - Isak and Even celebrate Christmas together by going to Even's house for dinner.

You And Me Here by TotallyTinkerbell (1.7k words) - A little Christmas-themed Evak fluff

I'm FALLing for you by Schedazzle (2k words) - Not actually a Christmas fic but it’s too cute not to include. … the little bell above the door went off and his favorite customer came in. Even couldn’t hide the smile spreading on his face as he spotted the by now familiar golden curls.

from such great heights by lizziemcguire (2k words) - Isak finds himself scared on a Ferris Wheel, and it's all Magnus' fault. Even is there to comfort him.

White Elephant by HazyCosmicJive (2k words) - Vilde turns the office Secret Santa into a White Elephant Secret Santa.

everyone hates christmas music by theyellowcurtains (2k words) - The boys plan a trip to a cabin for Christmas and a group Secret Santa.

Hope by bri_ness (2.4k words) - Isak and Even celebrate hope.

The Beginning of Believing by MacksDramaticShenanigans (2.5k words) - “Santa’s not even real,” Aleksander shouted, his voice so loud that it echoed down the hallway.“Yes he is! He brings us presents!” Elin whined, her bottom lip pushed out into an over exaggerated pout— something she had clearly picked up from Even. Aleksander scoffed and shook his head, blonde curls bouncing. “No! Daddy and Pappa bring us presents!” Elin’s eyes grew as wide as saucers, and a thin film of moisture clouded her pretty green irises. “No, Santa!” She argued.

i can't pretend (guess that's love) by wyoheartsmusic (2.5k words) - Even is tired of watching his friends kiss. So is Isak. The plan? Add more kissing to the mix to get them to stop kissing.Foolproof. Right?

Not so much of a Christmas miracle by Sassy3 (2.5k words) - Isak is trying to earn some money selling Christmas trees. He isn´t doing that well but suddenly the customers only ask for him, who is helping him out?

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas by colazitron (2.5k words) - Even knows Isak's a bit nervous about visiting his mother for Christmas, so he tries to lighten the mood with a joke.

but cause he really knows me by ourlovelybones (3k words) - Even just wants to plan a perfect surprise for Isak, one where it doesn't go quite as planned and one where he thinks he might have gotten it just right.

But the prettiest sight to see by imminentinertia (3k words) - Even deeply regrets doing Eva a favour for Christmas, but it turns out there’s a reward for his kindness.

You Forgot Cranberries Too? by ultimatelawrence (3k words) - "Isak was a romantic deep down in his heart. A fact he never let anyone know. But a fact that was there and seemed to be exacerbated by the festive season."4 Christmas Eve's in which Isak sees Even. 4 Christmas Eve's to get it right.

Bundle Up Tight! Flurries Tonight by MacksDramaticShenanigans (3.4k words) - Isak obliged and snatched up the first coat of his that his eyes landed on. It was more of a windbreaker than it was a real jacket, and Even quickly pointed that out. “If you wear that you're going to freeze, Is.” “It’s not that cold out, Even. Anyways we’re just walking to the tram stop, we’re not going to be outside very long.”

Ready to Jingle Your Bells by MacksDramaticShenanigans (3.5k words) - It was truly a testament to how drunk Isak was when rather than vehemently denying the request or furiously shaking his head and pushing everyone away, he set his glass down and determinately rose to his feet. And there was also the fact that Isak— sober or drunk— was never one to turn away from any sort of challenge, and Mikael’s wording certainly posed this as one. (Of course, there was also the fact that Even did sing him a song, and what kind of a boyfriend would he be if he didn’t serenade Even right back?)

The best Christmas you've ever had by hannakin (3.7k words) - “I don’t hate Christmas,” Isak sighed. “I just don’t like it.” Isak doesn't really like Christmas but Even does and he wants Isak to do too. “I’m going to make this Christmas the best Christmas you have ever had.” he whispered.

fucking finally by theyellowcurtains (4k words) - It was nearing Christmas and Isak had to do something. He really wanted Even to be in his life forever now.

Tis’ The Season To Be Grumpy by MacksDramaticShenanigans (4k words) - “Jeez,” Even started, giving Isak a pointed look. “Are you supposed to be using that kind of language around children?” He asked, though he didn’t sound mad— more amused than anything, really. Isak scrunched up his face at that. “What would Santa have to say about this?”

It's Lovely Weather for a Sleigh Ride Together with You by princeofnothingcharming (4k words) - It had been snowing all day in Oslo and as Christmas was drawing near they had been playing Christmas music in KB, putting Even in such a cosy and festive mood and he’d decided he didn’t want to lose this festive feeling and wanted to something fun and festive with Isak and knew exactly what he wanted to do.

A Grump for Christmas by Schedazzle (4k words) - Apparently he wasn't as great at hiding his emotions, because as he hastily wiped the table someone behind him said, “Why do you always frown when that one comes on?” Isak looked over his shoulder to where that deep voice had come from. Even. There was a fluttering in his stomach every time his coworker unexpectedly starting talking to him.He rolled his eyes. “It means the CD starts back up again.” Even who had been smiling at him grinned at that and chuckled. “You’re a Grinch.” Fake dating au.

Books by Aceteroid (4k words) - Even picks up a pre-ordered book for his mother and falls for the employee at the store.

Just Kids When We Fell In Love by wyoheartsmusic (5k words) - Isak and Even go to university 3000 km away from each other. Luckily, it's Christmas break and they had the brilliant idea to go on a cabin trip together.

Maybe what matters is being together by evakuality (5k words) - It's Isak's first ever anniversary and he can't imagine anything worse than being forced to spend it with his co-workers. Of course, when your anniversary happens to be around Christmas time, sometimes dates collide.

He Moves Me by warlocked_mundane (5k words) - A huge smile lights up Isak’s face and there is no trace of sleep to be found anymore. He bites his lower lip to contain the giggle that wants to escape. Even talking about their future like there is no way but for them to spend the rest of their lives together and build a family of their own, makes him giddy with so much joy. He’s never felt so happy in his life before.

All The Way Home I'll Be Warm by Alene (6k words) - Eva finds her way back to Jonas, but more importantly she finds her way back to herself. Isak just happens to find Even in the process. Also, it's almost Christmas, and they're snowed in.

(WIP) The Fools Who Dream by Janey_E (6k words) - A collection of moments from Isak and Even's family life, important and not-so-important. Kids, friends, mornings, evenings, weddings, birthdays, bad days, good days.

18 Secret Santa Horror Stories That'll Turn Anyone Into A Grinch by GayaIsANerd (6k words) - Some secret Santa, some unfortunate google results, a whole lot of complaining and a heart full of gratitude.

(Baby) It's Cold Outside by himmelsky (6k words) - December is approaching, but Isak isn’t feeling the Christmas spirit. Barista guy, aka Even, wants it differently.

Cuddle Monsters by sikily (8k words) - One spoke of true love and the other a critic, But Christmas would be the day to believe in magic, A wink of his eye and a tilt of his head, And Isak became a believer instead.

Make the Yuletide Gay by Sabeley (8.4k words) - Isak has been pining after Even for months. Jonas and Eva decide that a romantic getaway at the cabin is exactly what the two boys need to confess their feelings to each other.

helpful magic by everythingislove (straykid), puddingandpie (9k words) - Five times Even uses his magic because of Isak, and the one time he actually tells him about it. Or: the one where Even is a Santa’s Helper with special Christmas magic abilities, and Isak is a normal human who he's quickly falling for.

7 Places I Fell in Love With You by princeofnothingcharming, Victory4 (11k words) - Isak has a unique gift for Even this Christmas. In the form of letters

SKAM ADVENT CALENDAR by salengedusmiler (SilverySparks) (14k words) - Watch your favourite Skam characters open their advent calendars together with their friends. 24 days of more or less Christmassy friendship and couple fluff!

***** OVER 20K FICS *****

Just give me a reason, just a little bit’s enough by Amfelia (21k words) - Not sure if this is Christmas centric. Even discovers life is not always shiny and bright, sometimes it is just really hard. Angsty.

In A Week by allyasavedtheday (23k words) - Not a Christmas fic. But this sequel is a fav. “Fine. I’ll stay at Eskild’s on Friday night. And you can add your 1000kr to our wedding present,” he sniffs. “Or,” Jonas says and Isak doesn’t trust the glint in his eye. “We could make this a little more interesting. ”Isak narrows his eyes at him. “What are your terms?” “You and Even spend the five nights up to Saturday apart. If you do, we’ll pay for your honeymoon.”

Late December With My Heart In My Chest by LavenderWater (24k words) - In order to stop his mother's fussing since he left for college, Even tells her he's dating his roomate, Isak. They pretend to be a couple over the holiday weekend to convince his family.

The Secret Santa App by Crazyheart (25k words) - Secret Santa AU, Isak’s and Even’s altering POV. In this world, Isak and Even met at Nissen, but they were never brave enough to do anything. Isak (25) is a stressed-out salesman for playground equipment. Even (27) is a freshly educated, burned out and lonely children’s psychologist. They meet again when Sana, Eva and Vilde arrange a Secret Santa party. Without knowing it, Isak and Even end up as Secret Santas for each other and they chat with each other on the Secret Santa App.

My Very Personal Ski Trainer by Crazyheart (28k words) - This is before Christmas 2016. Even never transferred to Nissen, so he’s doing his last year at Bakka. He has just broken up with Sonja and is recovering from a manic and depressive episode. Sana has invited Even and her other friends to a Holiday cabin trip, and Even needs to get in shape so that he can beat his buddies in Sana’s planned ski race. He tries out a personal ski trainer app and meets the hot ski trainer Isak Valtersen. Even struggles to focus only on the training. On the cabin trip, when Even arrives early, a surprise guest turns up and a snowstorm threatens to snow them both in. Who knows what happens next?

Under the mistletoe by mazarin01 (30k words) - Isak (23) and Even (24) have been best friends since junior high. The holiday is upon them. Isak hates Christmas, having lots of bad memories attached to the holiday. Even on the other hand loves Christmas, but because of an appendix removal and a closed off mountain pass, he never gets home for Christmas. Being the best friend Isak is, he invites Even to celebrate Christmas with him. Circumstances have them kiss under a mistletoe and neither of them expected the kiss to feel that good...

(I’ll give it to) Someone Special by nofeartina (31k words) - The one where Isak is oblivious to Even’s true feelings about him, but fortunately it only takes the Christmas holidays to change that. Childhood friends. Fake dating.

A Thrill of Hope by mlbee (35k words) - “Yes,” Even breathed before pulling Isak in for another kiss. He pulled away and murmured, “This is so weird. I’m kissing a total stranger.” “Really?” Isak asked. “I do it all the time.” The Holiday AU

Five Dollars by folerdetdufoler (36k words) - You know that one book that changes your life? It just landed in Isak Valtersen's inbox.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas by teatrolley (49k words) - So, here’s the thing: Isak moves out of his parent’s house when he’s sixteen and it’s fine, really, most of the time it’s fine. It’s just Decembers. Goddamn Decembers. They’re not exactly his favourite time of the year.This time, though: this time he think there’s someone who has it worse than he does.On the first of December that year, Even moves in.

Around the Corner (My Very Personal Christmas Shopper) by Crazyheart (51k words) - Isak (22) works in a record shop for Jonas. Isak’s best colleague and friend is Eva, who works in the shop, too. Isak is still in the closet. He says things as he thinks, though. Doesn't like snowglobes. Even (24) comes and asks for a job. The two get off on the wrong foot, although Isak finds Even irritatingly attractive. To complicate things, Isak has just gotten a personal Christmas gift shopper, who turns out to be a very romantic gift shopper, and who doesn't shy away from a little flirting. Holiday movie AU.

In this bed of snowflakes we lie by MermaidsandMermen (58k words) - Follow Isak and Even in this University Dorm life AU, full of snowflakes, fluffy pillows, and people who are nothing like they seem on the outside. Because people keep secrets. Pretend to be people they are not. And secrets will wear you down if you don't let them out to air once in a while.

that’s all i really know by cammm (95k words) - Not exclusively a christmas fic. Even and Isak have been dating for a while now. They met at a young age and sort of grew up together. Even lives and goes to school a few hours away from Nissen, so there’s a lot of commuting for Isak to see his boyfriend. But what happens when Even says he moving? And then he shows up at Nissen a few weeks later, to start school?Only thing... Isak isn’t out, yet. And Even wasn’t ever told that his boyfriend was still in the closet.

717 Miles by MermaidsandMermen (114k words) - The epilogue is the Christmas heavy chapter. Even Bech Naesheim should not be here. Well it was not his plan to be here. Not at all. Even Bech Naesheim, age 19, is supposed to be on a beach in Bali. He is supposed to be on the first stop on his Asian backpacking trip of a lifetime. THAT was the plan. That is where he is supposed to be. Not here. Alone in a house in fucking London. Being paid to look after some troubled 17-year-old. Isak Valtersen has 3 weeks left of school. He has to survive 3 more weeks. Make it through 21 more days of hell. Then he is going to hide out in his room for the rest of the summer until he can figure out how to get his life back on track. Find a school far far away where he can start over. Not make mistakes. He doesn't need a fucking babysitter. He just doesn't. His life is fucked up enough as it is.

(WIP) You Are Not Alone by TotallyTinkerbell (130k words) - What happened after Isak told us that 'life is now'.

Family Ties by sadgrlsclub (215k words) - Set between Season 3 and 4. Even gets invited to his first Valtersen family event, and discovers things about Isak's past and his relationship with his parents. The story of how Even and Isak get to know each other's families and deepen their bond along the way.

#evak fic rec #skam fic rec #christmas #2017 #there's a lot

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tragicallywicked · 3 years

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Words: 1166 Genre: Romance/Fluff Rated: General Audiences Pairing: Alice + Jessamine Summary: Jessamine was not expecting to leave the torturous eternity she had been trapped on, let alone find happiness in little things like lighting up a tree.

Notes: I've said a billion times I won't do new things until I'm done with my WIPs and yet here I am again... This was very inspired on the fanfic Deep Within The Catacomb by @mtwalker and @salmoncenter (which are two writers I adore dearly) who write about a feral Jasper. I changed up a bit on the backstory to make a Jessamine version, but this inspiration is totally due to them, so thanks dears! Enjoy some feral Jessamine and Happy Holidays! ♡

READ ON AO3

Little things always had had the way of triggering Jessamine. It wasn’t simply that her upcoming as a vampire had been different from her siblings, having served vampire after vampire until her fate landed on Alice Cullen’s hands. Jess had been used to being uncontrollable, to be locked away, to speak very little and to follow orders. There were no orders with Alice, no cages and Jess was free to speak. But there were rules.

Dressing properly, going to regular human schools—even though with Jessamine they had tried that once before deciding it was best to have her pretend to be home schooled—and no humans. She had fed on them, for all they knew, during centuries. She was much older than Carlisle and yet her knowledge of some things was very scarce. Alice imagined because Jess would be constantly locked away from society. Jessamine never liked to speak of the past, and Alice didn’t her.

They had learned other ways to converse—looks, smiles, and their gifts—all aiding them to tune in their sync.

Edward could read their minds and he was always impressed of the unspoken, and their shared understanding of it all. It had been who told Alice that Jess liked her more than a master, but Alice already knew even before Jess could come to conclude it all—the psych one had seen the empath fall in love, and the mind reader just saw it all happen in surprise.

Their family was less surprised. They all their loved ones—Carlisle and Esme, Emmett and Rose—it was only Edward the lonesome one who didn’t grasp the appeal. The others had seen Jess fall for Alice, and the other way around too, always in the little things. How Jess hovered Alice protectively, the way Alice brought Jess trinkets from their school time away, how sometimes they just leaned in and basked on one another. They all had seen it, and all were happy they had found shelter.

Alice’s past was unclear, blinded from her past life as a human, and Jessamine’s life had been terrifyingly gruesome. Peace wasn’t common for their kind—especially not for those that served the Volturi in their worst arrays. It was good they had found love together.

She still remembered clearly the day she met Jessamine, in Italy when Carlisle took the family to meet them. Aro was infatuated by Alice’s gift to see the future and wanted to persuade her to join them when he gave her a servant—Jessamine. Alice was appalled. Jess dressed like a slave, nothing like the class of the Volturi. Aro had said she was picked up in the Southern Wars when her coven got killed, but they couldn’t waste her gift, so she kept on being used.

Alice wanted to scream at the Volturi, call them names and barge out of there with Jess, but instead she took the poor thing in, pretending to accept the servant and keep Aro’s offer in mind for a later time.

That night, when they were back at the hotel a few miles from Volterra, Alice helped her bathe, change and even properly feed—presenting for the first time the animal diet—and then she told Jessamine she was no longer a servant, she was free to go wherever she wanted to. It was Jess’s choice to stay. She had nowhere else to go, she knew no one anymore, and had never been treated with such immense kindness. The words hadn’t all been said, but the emotions were shared with Alice—who was for once impressed by something. Jess was their family now.

It took them long to get her used to things, to almost human like life, but progress had been made in the past eight months. She talked more, expressed a little better and even played wrestling with Emmett. But she still followed Alice around, protective like a feral animal.

December came fast, bringing snow and Jessamine’s first Christmas. Alice had been in charge of decorating to Esme’s taste—which recently was very red and gold—and she had dragged Jess along to help.

Some shopping, a little planning, soon enough the entire home was looking like Santa had puked in there. Rose would pass by the living room and see Jessamine lifting Alice to place a start somewhere or hand a string over the fireplace. It was a quirky but adorable sight. Alice was barely five feet and Jessamine was a whole six-foot-tall blonde goddess—Rose had almost felt jealous, had she not liked Jess joining their family so much. As dangerous as Jessamine was, Rosalie had her own reasons to not want a woman to be constantly under abuse of others, and she would defend Jess with her life if it ever became needed.

Jessamine liked everyone in the household, she just had her quiet ways of showing. With Alice she was more blunt, because their bound had grown strong enough for her to feel comfortable with that.

“I think this looks pretty good,” Alice told her quietly, her eyes taking a last look on the result of the decorations. “What do you think, Jess?”

Alice leaned in against her mate, pressing her head to the woman’s front for a moment. Jessamine wrapped an arm would her, pulling Alice closer just a smidge.

“It is perfect,” her voice was low, quiet. That was Jess’s regular, as she had lived so long serving in silence, it was still unusual for her to feel like it was all right to express herself.

“Are you ready to turn on the lights?” Alice jumped in excitement as Jess simply nodded and watched her skip to connect the plugs.

The entire room lit up in a second, the light above the fireplace and the ones they hung around the tree, all a bright sight of the jolly spirit. Jessamine jumped at first, in a state of alert. Alice immediately recalled Jess had never spent Christmas like humans did and possibly had never seen those lights. She felt so foolish, so silly, and worried that she was scaring Jessamine—it was often that new things scared the vampire—that she almost pulled the plug. But her golden eyes grew big as Jess watched the tree and that made her wait.

She looked like a fascinated cat, surprised at the beauty of the holidays.

“Do you like it?”

Jess didn’t move, so Alice came to her, holding her hand.

“Are you—magical too?” She inquired, eyes still wide in awe.

Alice giggled, shaking her head.

“We are, Jess,” she said with a smile. Jessamine gazed her in confusion. “We did this together, remember?”

Her shock was even more evident, making Alice chuckle again.

“I couldn’t have done it without you.”

“I’m magical, too,” she sounded happy, and her string of sublime bliss dripped and wrapped around Alice.

She leaned against her tall mate, nodding.

“Yes, you are, Jessie.” She was, after all, Alice’s magical Christmas miracle.

#jalice #jessamine hale #alice cullen #jessamine x alice #twilight #the twilight renaissance #twilight fanfiction #fanfiction #mine #gay twilight #lgbtq+#lgbtq #lgbt #lgbtq fanfiction #lesbian #lesbian twilight

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holidaywishes · 4 years

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Santa’s Pretend?

Requested: 🙅‍♀️

Summary: It’s Christmas time and the mall is packed. You take your daughter to the mall and Buck tags along because he wants in on the pictures.

Warning: Some fluff, but really just Buck with kids and saying Santa isn’t real.

Author’s Note: I saw this GIF set the other day of Buck + Kids and the last made me want to write a little thing about Buck saying Santa isn’t real to a kid and the mom trying to fix it. GIF NOT MINE! Don’t @ me.

masterlist

the other masterlist

Christmas was a major event for the entire month of December around your house. Your parents had made sure it would be that way when you were growing up and the traditions just kind of.. stuck when you had your daughter. She loved Christmas just as much as you did and she made sure to make as big of a deal of it as your parents did every year; often over-exaggerating certain details to her friends. But the last two Christmases had been difficult, after the divorce, and you could tell that your daughter was feeling the stress of it all.

“You ready for pictures?” you said enthusiastically to your daughter, who sat waiting for you on the couch while Miracle on 34th Street played on the screen.

“We’re going to see Santa!” she exclaimed

“And..” you started when there was a knock on the door, “Buck’s coming along for the day!”

“Hey kiddo!” He greeted your daughter when you opened the door, outstretching his arms to catch her in a hug

“BUCK!” she yelled out when she saw him, giggling when he picked her up.

“Do we have a game plan?” He asked your daughter, mocking a serious tone and raising his eyebrow at her

“We go in, stand in line, get the picture with Santa and then go skating!” She answered

“Wha-?” you gasped, laughing at your daughters response, “Miranda! Who said anything about skating? Buck and I might have some things to do today you know...”

“Skating won’t take long. Please!” your daughter whined and Evan joined her

“Pleeeaaaseeeee!” You rolled your eyes at them before finally giving in

“Fine. But only because it’s Christmas...” When the three of you got to the mall, Miranda immediately ran to line up to see Santa while you and Buck slowly followed behind her

“Thank you,” you said to Evan, holding his hand while you waited in line, “I know this isn’t exactly how you wanted to spend your day off”

“Are you kidding?” he countered with a smile, “I’d spend all of my days off like this. With you and Miranda.” You cuddled up next to him as the line moved slowly and kid after kid had their turn to tell Santa what they wanted for Christmas; you and Evan watch as Miranda got more excited with every step she took.

“We’ll be back in five minutes everyone!” the Elf-Clad volunteer said from the makeshift North Pole, “Santa’s gotta recharge with some Hot Chocolate! Stay put and we’ll see you soon!”

“What?!” A man yelled from the front of the line, “we’ve been waiting here for three hours and now that we’re at the front of the line you’re walking away?”

“Sir, please,” the volunteer said calmly, “Santa needs a break. I understand that the wait has been long but his break will be quick. Believe me, he’ll be back in a Jiffy!” You and Evan smiled at each other at the young Elf’s attempt at staying positive

“I don’t give a rats ass!” he yelled, leading you to cover Miranda’s ears before the man said anything worse, “if he knew he was going to get so tired so fast maybe there should’ve been a maximum for this line up. To prevent all of us wasting our god damn time while he sits in the back and gets drunk!”

“YEAH!” the people in the lineup reinforced the mans points but you just looked around anxiously

“I mean why should we let a drunk guy in a costume talk to our kids in the first place?! Have them sit on his lap?!”

“YEAH!” The crowd repeated

“I’ve got shit to do today and I don’t want to waste another three hours waiting for Jolly ‘Ol St, Nck to come back just as drunk as when he left!”

“Mommy?” Miranda asked you, turning to face you, “what’s going on?”

“Nothing sweetheart,” you answered, “a man is just upset that Santa went on a break.”

“Santa went away?”

“He was thirsty so he went to get some Hot Chocolate!”

“Are we going to see him?!” Miranda asked, panic starting in her voice

“Of course, baby,” you said, brushing her hair behind her ear, “we just have to wait a little bit longer.”

“THERE’S KIDS HERE WHO WANT TO SEE SANTA!” A lady from behind you yelled, presumably after listening to the conversation between you and your daughter

“Miss please” Evan started

“Santa will be back soon and all the children will be able to see him before the day is done!” The volunteer repeated

“LET THE KIDS SEE SANTA!“

“Miss” You and Evan tried to calm the lady down before things got too out of control

“BRING BACK SANTA!” She chanted and it wasn’t long before the entire line was chanting along with her

“BRING BACK SANTA! BRING BACK SANTA! BRING BACK SANTA! BRING BACK SANTA!”

“IF YOU DON’T BRING HIM BACK,” you heard the man at the front shout, “I’LL GO BACK THERE AND BRING HIM OUT MYSELF!”

“BRING BACK SANTA! BRING BACK SANTA!”

“Mommy!” Miranda’s voice was trembling with fear and you kept her close to you

“Evan maybe we should go,” you whispered, “I don’t like this.”

“Yeah, maybe you’re right.” He agreed but not before the angry man stormed behind the curtain and brought out the Mall Santa who let out a string of curse words leaving all the parents desperately trying to cover their children’s ears

“Santa said bad words!” Miranda stated before Evan picked her up and the three of you left the line and made your way to the skating rink

“Miranda,” Evan started, kneeling in front of your daughter to try to explain, “I know you heard Santa say some bad words but you don’t have to worry about that okay?”

“Why not?” Miranda asked and you listened intently, furrowing your brow as you were unsure of what he was going to say

“Because that wasn’t really Santa!”

“What?!” Miranda exclaimed and you hastily shook your head as your eyes grew wider at his confession, hoping he’d notice you

“No see. That guy was just pretending to be Santa!”

“EVAN!” You yelled in a whisper to him to get him to look at you

“Santa’s pretend?!” Miranda started to cry, “Mommy! Why is Buck saying that Santa isn’t real?!“ You knelt down in front of her, glaring at Evan before looking your daughter in her eyes

“Let’s go get some Hot Chocolate okay?”

When you got home, Evan lingered outside the door not wanting to overstep his bounds.

“Come in, Evan...” You smiled and he obliged

“So...” Miranda started, climbing up on the couch, “Santa’s not real?”

“I shou--” Evan began but you stopped him by putting a finger in front of his lips, smiling at him before shaking your head.

“Do you remember when I first told you the story of Santa Claus?” You asked and she nodded as Evan slowly sat on the adjacent couch, “Did you ever have any questions about how any of it was possible? Even when I told you it was magic?”

“I guess...” she replied

“Well here’s the truth. There isn’t one Santa. The Santa at the mall was one of many Santa's”

“So Santa is pretend..? How do the presents get under the tree and in the stockings?”

“Well.. Mommy does that.” Her eyes fell to the floor, “your grandparents did that for me and their parents did that for them and so on. That alone doesn’t make us Santa.”

“I don’t understand” she admitted and you smiled

“There is magic in Christmas. In the things that you cannot see and can only feel and believe in. Santa is that magic for so many of us, even if he’s not a real person. We’re all Santa. We keep Santa alive so that the magic and the spirit of Christmas can live on in you and me and Evan and Chris and Eddie and Bobby and Daddy and everyone we know and love. Daddy and I taught you to believe in Santa so you could believe in yourself too. In your ability to be kind and loving and gentle and jolly and hopeful and giving and strong and happy. So, no, there’s no one Santa and they don’t live at the North Pole. Santa lives in our hearts. I’m Santa, Buck is Santa and you will be too. We’re all apart of this wonderful, magical secret as long as we keep the spirit alive. Does that make sense?”

“I think so.” She said as you leaned in to hug her tightly, “so like. We’re part of a secret club but we can’t tell anyone?”

“Yeah. Kind of.” She smiled at you, “I love you sweetheart.”

“I love you, too, Mommy,” she jumped off the couch and started to run to her bedroom to get ready for bed, “I love you too Buck!”

“Love you kiddo!” He turned to you and smiled before dropping his head to the floor

“Hey” you laughed

“I’m sorry” he responded

“Don’t be. I think it’s good that we were able to talk about it. I mean, sure, maybe I would’ve liked it to happen differently but we were bound to have the conversation eventually.”

“You were great though” he smiled

“Trust me, I’ve been googling this stuff for years for fear that this day would come,” you confessed, “I found all these speeches on Pinterest. Thank Goodness for Pinterest.” You and Evan both laughed before you heard Miranda call out for him to tuck her in and you were left alone, realizing you know had to tell your ex that your daughter knew the truth about Santa.

#Evan Buckley #Evan Buck Buckley #911 #9-1-1 #911 on fox #9-1-1 on fox #master league #the other masterlist #Christmas #Christmas imagine #Christmas one shot #Christmas Blurb #Christmas Fic

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a-skirmish-of-wit-and-lit · 3 years

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Book Review: The Stupidest Angel by Christopher Moore

After the December I've had, I needed humor. Something light. Something festive. I wanted a story that was parked between obscure and absurd so that I needn't take anything or anyone too seriously, so I could bask in outlandish quirks and peculiarities that dangle right on the edge of ludicrous because sometimes it's imperative to check out of life's somber Real World Hotel so you can disappear into a Santa belly of laughs for a while. And honestly, nobody does that for me quite like Christopher Moore. Every time I step into one of his books I smile. I laugh. I grin like a damn Cheshire cat because I barely finish a sentence before his trademark wit and absurdist humor takes hold of me, whirling me down an Alice in Wonderland rabbit hole of escapism. I'm amused and invested in a snap. Happy to be distracted, which is precisely what the doctor ordered. It's wonderful! I thoroughly enjoyed this escapist venture from him, too. It lessened my burden, lifted my spirits. Not to spoof Fools Rush In or anything, but this year, this book was the Christmas satire "I never knew I always wanted." The plot, the premise, the characters--all were as full of stupidity as the title suggests. The story itself was the perfect blend of ridiculous hilarity, of holiday madness plus zombies. Yes, ZOMBIES. (Oh. Did I not emphasize enough that there were zombies? Because there were zombies! Better yet, they all came courtesy of trench-coat-wearing archangel and fuck-up extraordinaire, Raziel, who miracled little Joshua Barker a Holly Zombie Christmas instead of the holly "jolly" Christmas he wanted after he witnessed Santa take a fatal shovel to the face on Christmas Eve.) I triple dog dare you to try to withhold your giggling when you meet a pot-smoking "hippie" cop who almost always forgets his gun. When an off-her-meds Warrior Babe takes a man down with her broadsword--naked. When Roberto, a talking fruit bat, makes his grand winged entrance, or when the dead argue about the sexcapades they've witnessed in the graveyards of Pine Cove. I'm telling you, you won't be able to do it. The snorting laughter will come unbidden, lightening your mood until a holidazed smile stretches from ear to ear. Need a laugh this Christmas season like I did? Well, why not let Moore be the one to gift it you.

3.5/5 stars

*You also can follow me on Goodreads (HERE)

#ashlee bree's book reviews #the stupidest angel #christopher moore #humor #fantasy #holiday reads #recs: ashlee approved!#read december 2020 #bookblr #book reviews

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prettywordsyouleft · 4 years

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Mistletoe Manor - Part 5

Summary: Christmas is the most important time of year for all those who live within Mistletoe Manor. From the staff to the Hawthorne family themselves, everyone works hard to ensure that the festive season is a success every year! We invite you to see if everyone can pull off another magical Christmas at the manor this year.

Pairing: Park Seo Joon, Bang Yongguk, Brian Kang, Jung Daehyun, Jung Jaehyun, Lee Taeyong and OCs.

Genre: regency au / romance / christmas au

A/N: Becky ( @noona-clock ) and I wanted to create a magical Christmas for everyone and what better way to do that than at Mistletoe Manor! Because of the nature of having several idols, we chose to work with OCs and we hope you love them as much as we do.

Mistletoe Manor will be posted daily at 10am NZST / 4pm EST daily.

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10

For such an ordeal that it had been to get to this night, the opening of the Winter Festival had gone off without a single issue. And as Cassie walked around with Evie and Joey, she couldn’t stop smiling.

Everyone looked so happy.

This was what Christmas was all about for the Hawthorne’s. All the long hours had paid off to see those who made this area of land prosperous laughing and enjoying themselves. From ice-skating to hot cocoa and sitting on Santa’s knee, the market had something for everyone. It renewed hope that whatever hardships people faced could be overcome with the magic this season possessed.

Cassie was hopeful that even if she had to spend this Christmas without Daehyun, she would continue to smile just like this.

“Is that Anna and Taeyong holding hands over there?” Evie questioned and Cassie grinned as Joey clapped her own hands together.

“It’s truly about time they realised there was more to their arguing.”

“Do you think they won’t bicker so much anymore then?” Cassie wondered and the sisters watched on as Taeyong attempted to show Anna how to skate. She was soon frustrated and pushed him away. They couldn’t help but chuckle, some things never changed.

Cassie then spotted Jaehyun and Grace trying out handmade treats together and not far behind them was Lydia and Seo Joon. Her smile grew as their hands inched closer to one another inconspicuously. She hoped that in the New Year these couples – or those not yet together – would be proudly showing off their affections for one another.

“Do you think there is any hope for me to find love this Christmas?” Evie suddenly asked, and each sister on her side turned to look at her curiously. Evie blushed. “Just a thought!”

“I hope you both get what you want this Christmas,” Cassie encouraged and Joey let out a snort.

“It would take a special type of man to match me. I don’t have a desirable disposition.”

“Nonsense, someone will rise to the challenge!”

“Or die trying,” Evie added on, laughing with her older sister as Joey pouted.

“I pray Daehyun is back in time too,” Joey mentioned a moment later, eyeing Cassie cautiously.

Cassie waved her hands around herself. “I’m fine; please do not look at me waiting to see if I will cry again. I am done crying over it. I am his wife and he has to come back at some point.”

“Yes, but you love Christmas.”

“And he loves you.”

“How do you know that he does?” she questioned the pair and Evie shrugged whilst Joey inspected her nails. “Say, even if he loves me most ardently, it doesn’t mean he will magically appear for Christmas. He is serving our King and that has to come first.”

“Well, he has twenty-nine days to make it back in time and finally put you first. Anything could happen between now and then.”

December began and the manor was livelier than ever. Grace’s parents had arrived, much had other relatives. Cassie spent her days trying to get her own pursuits fulfilled or spent time with her sisters and Grace, before taking part in fancy dinners and get-togethers in the evening. There was an element to every Christmas she always seemed to forget until the jolly season was upon them.

It was utterly exhausting.

Still, on the fifth day of December, she rose to the sound of hooves upon the driveway. With the five inches of snow already settled upon the ground outside, using cars had been suspended until the roads were clear. And knowing all the expected guests, bar Daehyun and his company, were already lodged here at the manor, she sprung from her bed, dashing over to shift the drapes aside anxiously.

Her hopes were dashed when it was just the Vicar from the village stopping by to meet with her father.

Climbing back into her bed, Cassie thumped at the bedding in a very unladylike manner. A brief giggle from the doorway alerted her that this moment had not gone unwitnessed. Lydia grinned as she made her way to the bed. “My Lady, are we feeling alright?”

“Quite.”

“Well then, shall we prepare for your day? I am afraid it is another one that will keep you busy.”

“I shall rest for a month after December leaves us,” Cassie offered dramatically, heaving herself up and preparing for the day ahead.

She spent time reading with Evie and Grace in the library, sewing with her Mother and Joey in the parlour and played a game of cards with Lydia and Seo Joon when she was meant to be upstairs attending another dreadfully boring family meeting.

Seo Joon shot her a look. “This headache you claim to have is not preventing you from winning yet again, My Lady.”

“Perhaps it improves my skills greatly.”

“Actually Seo Joon, you’re just not the best at card games.”

“What?” the man questioned Lydia’s admission, his mouth falling apart incredulously. “Must I show you of my worth?”

“Will you be able to beat Cassie at all today?” Lydia wondered with an airy laugh.

“Just you wait; I will ensure you never utter such words about me again!”

“But not right now, I’m afraid.” Glancing up at Taeyong’s stricken expression, he came over to Cassie’s side. “Your mother just came to check on you and found you were not in your bed resting as you proclaimed. I told her that I saw you walking down to the conservatory, and so-”

“Of course, I must go.” Standing up, Cassie then smiled at her friends. “I task Lydia with the opportunity to challenge you instead, Seo Joon.”

“I accept!” Seo Joon replied heartedly, sweeping the cards up as his mood increased.

Whilst Cassie’s decreased. Thanking Taeyong for his help, she slipped into the main room, weakly taking hold of Grace’s hand. “Did I miss anything?”

“Nothing of importance. Aunt Jane has been projecting something of a song for about twenty minutes now.”

“That long?!” Cassie whispered, aghast. “Last year someone stopped her after ten.”

“It appears she is quite the force this year, sister,” Evie lamented and the girls all sighed in unison.

After another hour of family time, Cassie was released to freshen up for dinner, frowning when she heard a carriage out on the driveway again. She chastised her need to check out the window and yet she made her way there, realising guests from within town would be arriving for dinner.

She told herself to stop hoping her Christmas miracle would come true tonight.

Cassie focused on smiling more. She didn’t wish for the questions to come from nosy relatives of why she felt particularly disheartened today and so she put on a brave face and actively threw herself into conversation with her cousin Severus about his recent purchase of some run-down estate up north. She nodded when she needed to and she laughed at the right times, Severus none the wiser that Cassie was completely bored.

And thankfully, Grace came to her aid, rescuing her with an excuse to need to stretch her legs with a companion.

“You miss him tonight, don’t you?”

“How do you miss someone you barely spent time with?” Cassie wondered, still nodding in answer. “It is odd, today I felt as if he would arrive.”

“Maybe he will, there is still time, the night is young,” her cousin encouraged and Cassie smiled at Grace.

“Where will I be in this world if I did not have you to make me hopeful?”

“Perhaps in the arms of a man who has waited almost a year to take you back within them?”

Turning hastily, Cassie gasped, her knees growing weak at the person before her. He caught her just in time and smiled broadly. “Why, you even fall at my feet! I did not expect that until some time into our relationship, Cassandra.”

“Daehyun.”

“Oh you have other companions with you,” Grace announced, moving away from the pair staring at one another longingly. “Earl Yongguk is it? And who might you be? Come with me, surely you must be famished from your travels.”

Cassie slowly smiled, lifting a hand up to his face. Daehyun grinned when she became delighted, laughing with her. “I am here.”

“I half expect this to be a dream, I’ll have you know.”

“Shall I go back out the door and then come in again?” he suggested and she shook her head, gripping him tighter.

“I fear if you go out again, I will have to wait another year to see you.”

“So you did miss me!” Her cheeks coloured and Daehyun caressed them tenderly. “So beautiful.”

“What is?”

“You.”

“I was concerned that your words would just be that, words,” she admitted, taking his hand and leading him over to the library, shutting the door behind them. Once seated on a chaise, she soaked him in quietly. “It feels those words make this moment easier for us both.”

“I did worry you would be less inclined to take my hand once I was back,” Daehyun told her and she instantly took it in hers, making him laugh, his smile brighter than any she had ever seen. “It appears my wife is just as enchanted as I.”

“We do have a lot to learn about each other,” Cassie pointed out and Daehyun nodded. “However, I am all too pleased to see you.”

“Not as much as I am.”

“You made it back in time for Christmas,” she murmured, taking his cheek in her hand again. It amazed her by how natural this felt to do. And she giggled when he nuzzled into her hand affectionately. “Thank you.”

“You waited so long for me; I was not prepared to miss spending this time of year with you.”

“Just like last year?” Daehyun chuckled, taking her hand from his cheek and burying it into his chest. “Last year, we barely spoke to one another. Did you not wish to marry me?”

“No, I did not,” she answered and his hand faltered on hers. Cassie then smiled. “But I am relieved I did.”

“I wanted to marry you as soon as I saw you,” Daehyun expressed, surprising his wife. “You were exactly who I dreamed of marrying. Someone who had a mind of her own, who was intelligent and caring. You were so selfless whenever I watched over you. I wanted to offer you the world.”

“I never knew you felt this way.”

Daehyun nodded. “Because you would barely stop to have time for me. I did not wish to intrude.”

“I thought you were standoffish because of the arrangement.”

“I was enamoured by your beauty.”

Cassie attempted to settle her emotions, her lip wobbling as she asked, “And now?”

“Now I want to kiss my wife that I have missed since the day I left her behind. May I?”

“Will you ask every time?” she wondered, her mouth now hovering around his.

“I hope in time, I can just kiss you without my heart thudding and giving me away like this.”

“Are you nervous?”

“Yes.”

“Don’t be, I already gave you my heart,” she told him as she pressed her lips to his, her mind and soul soaring. This is what she had always dreamed of. The prince of her fairytales was right before her, holding onto her as he kissed her passionately, months lost between them to establish such a physical love.

And yet, had it not been for their separation, for all the letters, Cassie was unsure if she would have reached such an easy conclusion that she loved Daehyun as much as she already did. She was grateful for the lessons she learned, and the time to grow and fall in love with the man she had married at the start of the year. She was also excited for where their future would carry them, and what her life could amount to. Until then, it was Christmas time and she had received her present early. Cassie was certain this year the festive season would be her favourite so far.

“I am sorry I was late, I wanted to be here for your festival,” Daehyun murmured when he pulled back and Cassie shook her head, dismissing his claim with a smile.

“You were right on time, my love.”

_________________

Part 6

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pastelwitchling · 4 years

Text

25 Days of Fluff Day 8

Ship: Malex

If you enjoyed reading even a little bit, please reblog instead of just liking (and comment if you can!), it helps so much 🎅🏻

***

Michael hated Christmas. Why? Because it gave people the idea that they could come into his airstream, without warning, in the early morning so long as they yelled the words, “MERRY CHRISTMAS!” and every time, Michael barely resisted the urge to shoot them back out into the desert. But Michael had been through one hell of a year, and he wasn’t having it this December.

When Max had come in, Michael had grabbed the bowl of uneaten cookie dough he’d had on the floor beside him, and launched it at his brother. Max ended up with the stuff in his hair for a week, but as far as Michael was concerned, he had warned them. No jolly, no cheer, no Christmas. Too much had happened, and Michael just didn’t want it.

After the whole Isobel and bucket of snow incident, Michael figured they had understood not to bother him. That was why, when he woke up one morning to someone opening his front door, he hadn’t bothered with the tricks or the batter, but he nearly pulled himself out of bed.

“If you say Merry Christmas, I swear –”

Michael froze, his words caught in his throat as a startled Alex Manes stood, his brow raised. “You’ll yell ‘humbug?’”

“Alex,” Michael breathed, and realized too late that he was not wearing a shirt. He quickly grabbed one off the floor, and pulled it over his head. “What – uh – what’re you doing here?”

“Sorry,” Alex said, holding a plastic bag. “I know it’s early, but I’m going to be at the soup kitchen for breakfast, so I wouldn’t have been able to get these to you fresh.”

Michael took the bag, trying to ignore the way electricity shot up his arm as his fingers brushed the airman’s. He cleared his throat. “The soup kitchen, huh?”

“Oh, yeah,” he scratched the back of his head awkwardly. “It’s Christmas, you know?”

“Yeah,” he huffed a chuckle, his eyes on Alex. “My favorite holiday.”

Alex glanced at his messy bed, a smirk tugging at his lips. “Uh huh.”

Michael tried very hard not to stare, but it was Alex, and Alex didn’t really come to his airstream much anymore, didn’t really bring him fresh waffles in the morning, didn’t stand there as Michael took his first bite and smile when Michael moaned at the taste.

“I love you,” he said before he could help it, and looked to see Alex’s reaction. He didn’t know what he’d been hoping for, but as Alex looked away as if he hadn’t heard the words at all, Michael realized he’d wanted a little acknowledgment to what he’d said. Then Alex coughed, and Michael noticed his cheeks were tinted red. He smiled.

“The others told me you weren’t letting them in,” Alex finally said, and Michael stilled midbite. “They wanted to make sure you were eating.”

Michael set the plastic fork down. “So you’re here because Max asked you to come?”

Alex stared, then softly said, “No.”

He looked at Michael as if asking if he was really questioning whether or not Alex would’ve wanted to come regardless of anyone’s requests.

“No?” he said, aware of the hitch in his throat.

Alex blinked several times and looked away. “Uh, s-so, have you given any thought to what you want? You know, for Christmas?”

Michael scoffed. “You,” he muttered so quietly that even Alex’s trained senses couldn’t catch it.

“Hm?”

Michael shook his head, stuffing a large piece of waffle down his throat. “I said you don’t actually believe in that stuff, do you? Christmas miracles, Santa, gifts under the tree –”

“Of course I believe in it,” Alex said, leaning against the counter, his hands in his pockets. Michael realized he hadn’t considered what the cold was doing to his airman’s leg.

“Huh,” he said. “That’s not very rational and military-like of you.”

“They didn’t suck my entire soul out, you know,” Alex said, though his voice was free of any malice or bitterness. “If Christmas doesn’t make you happy, then nothing will.”

Michael scoffed, reaching across Alex for the napkins. His lips were barely an inch or two from Alex’s when he said, his voice low, “Don’t be so sure.”

When he pulled back, Alex was shaking his head, a smile at his lips despite how hard he seemed to be trying to keep it hidden. Michael’s heart fluttered. “I hate you.”

“No, you don’t.”

“No, I do. You’re insufferably charming, and I hate you for it.”

Michael bit his lower lip, grinning. His and Alex’s relationship hadn’t been great, it hadn’t been what he wanted, but it was better than it had been in a very long time, and sometimes, just sometimes, Alex let slip a few choice words that turned Michael’s neck and cheeks hot. Words that Michael suspected the airman had often forced himself not to say. Or maybe Michael just never deserved to hear them. But when he did, he heard them. Loud and clear.

He dared inch closer, one hand gripping the counter on Alex’s other side. “You know,” he swallowed. “If you have time, we can… do something better than waffles for breakfast.”

It was a bold question to ask nowadays. Do you want to? It had never been easy, but Michael used to be almost certain of the answer. Alex had always given him access first. Michael had rarely started. But he could think of nothing he wanted more now, with Alex so close and the scent of sugar in the air. Michael was incredibly careful, incredibly gentle as he moved to cage Alex against the counter, his eyes falling to the airman’s lips.

His eyes fluttered halfway shut as he leaned in, and his lips barely brushed Alex’s before the airman pulled away. “I – er – I can’t,” he said. “I promised I’d get there early to help set up.”

“Oh,” Michael said. “O-okay.”

Alex’s expression softened. “I really did promise.”

Michael waved his concern off, but the gesture felt half-hearted. “No, yeah, I know.”

Alex’s shoulders slumped, and he looked to the door, then to Michael, and muttered, “Damnit, Guerin,” before he took Michael’s face in his hands, and crashed their lips together.

Michael gasped against Alex’s mouth, his eyes fluttering shut as he felt the airman’s tongue against his. He wrapped his arms around Alex’s waist, holding him closely to him.

It felt like the kiss had barely started before a loud ringing went off, and Alex pulled away with a light groan. Michael only hesitantly let him move far enough to pull his phone out of his pocket. Michael saw an alarm for ‘KITCHEN SET UP’ blaring on the screen. He looked up at Alex. He really had planned on going early, and had even set an alarm, so he was worried he’d lose track of time with Michael.

“Sorry, Guerin, I really should get –”

But Alex’s words were cut short as Michael pulled him in again, pressing his lips roughly against Alex’s. When he pulled back, their foreheads were pressed together, and Michael was grinning, his eyes closed.

“Come right back when you’re done, okay? We’ll go together tomorrow.” He opened his eyes to see Alex watching him with curious but amused eyes. He shrugged. “It’s the holidays.”

Alex’s smile softened. “Uh huh. Oh, and,” he turned at the door, his eyes kind. “Merry Christmas, Grinch.”

And with that, Alex left. Michael touched his fingers to his lips, remembering Alex’s taste, his touch, his warmth – and he smiled. His heart, though he’d never confess it, beat three times as fast at the thought of the airman.

“Merry Christmas, Alex,” he said in the silence of his airstream. He supposed that Christmas wasn’t so bad after all.

***

BAH! HUMBUG! 👴🏻💚

#25DaysofFluff #MerryChristmasRNM #alex manes #michael guerin #malex #malex one shot #malex fanfic #malex fic #malex fanfiction #roswell new mexico #roswell nm #malex fluff #tyler blackburn #michael vlamis

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cheesewithchips · 5 years

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ho ho ho, and a bottle of rum: a forever hold your peace christmas drabble

long time, huh? i know i suck in every way possible but i thought i’d grant a little christmas miracle with a christmas drabble that i started a very long time ago. after a little tweaking i was finally able to make it work and am ready to share it with you all now! so without further ado, here is a little 5k+ non-canon christmas drabble full of santa, booze, and the lovely fhyp gang. hope you all missed them as much as i have, and happy holidays!

Christmastime was meant to be the most wonderful time of the year – there were only hundreds of songs written in its honor. This was when happiness was meant to linger in the air along with that hint of holiday magic that couldn’t bring anyone down. Birdy Thomas liked to believe that she could feel that magic of the holidays whenever December finally rolled around, when she finally got to see the people she loved at their most festive. But despite the joy and jubilance of Christmas, there was nothing that could have gotten the scowl off her face at that very moment. Why was it there one might have asked? None other than the holly, jolly Santa Claus himself.

(Well, the one at the Westfield Shopping Centre anyway.)

She was too nice of a person, she thought. Her day could’ve been filled with Christmas films and heated blankets in her flat, but instead she was watching her neighbors’ twins while her neighbors spent long hours at the hospital treating trauma patients. While a day of watching movies might have sufficed for Birdy when it came to Mia and Tommy Winchester, who were some of the most restless kids that she knew, they needed more stimulating activities to pass their time.

With the combination of doe eyed looks and more ‘please Birdy?’s than she could take, they’d ended up right where they were currently; waiting for the shopping centre’s Santa to finally see them. Birdy only wished she’d opted for some more sensible shoes as opposed to the heeled booties she’d decided on at the last minute.

“Birdy, I’m tired,” Birdy’s eyes averted from the long queue ahead of her, glancing down to catch the look of discomfort on Tommy’s face. “When are we going to see Santa?”

Birdy sighed, ruffling the top of Tommy’s curls. “You’d have to tell me that, mate.”

“This isn’t Santa,” Mia declared, folding her arms across her chest. Tommy turned towards her, his eyebrows furrowed deeply.

“What are you talking about?” Tommy inquired, taking on a defensive look almost immediately. “Of course it’s Santa. He’s got the beard and everything.”

“So? You think that every man with a white beard is Santa?” Mia retorted swiftly. “Santa doesn’t exist.”

Birdy’s eyes widened just as Tommy’s mouth dropped widely. “You don’t know what you’re talking about! Santa exists! How do you think we get those presents under the tree?”

“Mummy and Daddy.”

Tommy scoffed. “They do not give us Christmas presents. Only presents we get from them are on our birthday.”

Now it was Mia’s turn to scoff, her hands going onto her hips before her head tilted upwards. “Birdy, could you please tell Tommy that Santa doesn’t exist? Because I’m pretty sure that I overheard my teacher say something to my mum about how he doesn’t and my teacher doesn’t lie.”

“Birdy, could you please tell her that Santa does exist?” Tommy countered with a hard glare in his sister’s direction. “Because Mum and Dad have said that he does and I’m pretty sure that they wouldn’t lie either!”

“You think that someone as fat as Santa can really squeeze into every chimney in the world? Or knows what every kid in the world is doing enough to put them on a naughty or nice list?”

“He’s magical! He can do what normal people can’t!”

“Oh yeah? What about people who don’t have chimneys? Do you think he just skips them? And how can reindeer carry a huge man all across earth? Does that make sense to you?”

“He’s magic. Magic people can do magical things. That’s the whole point of them being magical in the first place!”

The twins ended up silent, both peering towards Birdy for a confirming statement that she knew very well she couldn’t give. She instead let out an awkward chuckle, scratching the back of her neck before pointing forward.

“Lookie there! Queue’s moving! Who would have thought?” She decided to use as her cop out, taking this opportunity to skitter ahead. Mia and Tommy continued to bicker behind her and all she could do was let out a sigh in relief. Though she did have a drama background and the ability to do improv like a champ, there was a difference between being able to conjure up replies for a stage and conjuring up an answer for whether a childhood character was real or not.

The wait was proving to be even more unbearable than Birdy first thought, fifteen more minutes going by before she was ready to kick her shoes off and sit down on the assortment of presents that had been stacked high beside her. Mia and Tommy were even worse than she was, outright voicing their complaints and whines until Birdy was close to pulling her hair out.

They were almost at the front of the queue when a tall body wedged their way between Birdy and the kids, at least six foot of person standing right in front of Birdy while whistling ‘It’s Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas’. She glanced at the man up and down, a scoff leaving the back of her throat as her eyes narrowed on him dangerously. If there was one thing Birdy Thomas didn’t tolerate it was being jumped in a queue – especially one she’d spent so much time to get to the front of.

“Hey!” She exclaimed to the back of the man’s beanie clad head. “We’ve been here for a great amount of time and you think it’s alright to cut ahead like that? I don’t know where you were raised exactly but surely you were taught better manners than that.”

“I dunno, I was pretty bad back in primary school,” Birdy’s temper immediately eased upon hearing the responding voice, a crooked smile on Harry’s face as he turned around to face her. “Must’ve never been corrected.”

Birdy rolled her eyes. “Liar. You were a prince in primary.”

“I know I was,” He replied smugly, leaning down to leave a kiss on her lips.

“How nice of you to join us, Dimps,” She said with a shake of her head, glancing down to take in the red sweater that Harry was wearing that had a cute Christmas tree dead center. Mia and Tommy immediately rushed towards him afterwards, their arms wrapping around his waist to give him a squeeze. “Oi, don’t act so happy to see him. It’s just Harry.”

“Yes, but they love and appreciate ‘Just Harry’. Apparently more than you do,” Harry gave her a pointed glance as he hugged the twins back. “How are you lot? Ready to see Santa?”

“So ready!” Tommy exclaimed, grinning. “But Mia thinks that Santa isn’t real. Isn’t that weird?”

“You’re weird for believing in that old man in the first place!” Mia retorted. “You’re just weird in general.”

“You’re weird!”

“No, you are!”

Harry chuckled as he watched the two of them, giving Birdy time to roll onto her tiptoes and whisper into his ear. “I was about to go insane.”

“Trust me, I could tell,” Harry said, laughing slightly. “Did you know that your texts show what kind of mood you’re in? You’ve been emoji-less all day. I was about to ring the police.”

“I am floundering,” She said through grit teeth. “I can’t be the one to break a little boy’s heart, Harry. In fact, I won’t. I already did it to Izzy when she was younger and I swear to god she’s held the biggest grudge over my head ever since then so I’m not going to be the one to do it here. Might as well go ahead and tell him about the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny if I did and there’s no way I’m going to ruin anything that–”

“Bird,” Harry said simply, the simple utterance of her name causing her to shut up on sight.

She wet her lips, nodding slowly. “Sorry.”

“Don’t apologize, just.. breathe,” Harry suggested, cheeky half smile on his face. “Don’t worry about it. It’ll be fine. Even if he did figure out that Santa doesn’t exist, it happens to everyone eventually. But he won’t, alright?”

Birdy blinked once. “I just want to go Zara.”

“It won’t be more than five minutes, muppet. Be patient,” He said, giving her shoulder a squeeze.

“You’re right, I suppose,” Birdy muttered, shaking her head. “Times like this remind me how I am the overreacting melodrama whilst you are the calmer and levelheaded one of the two of us. Maybe I should start listening to what you say.”

“Mm, both you and I know that’s not going to happen,” Harry said, slipping an arm around Birdy’s waist and drawing her close enough to kiss her once more. “I actually wanted to talk about something–”

“Queue’s moving!” Tommy exclaimed, tugging on Birdy’s arm and jumping ahead excitedly.

“A babysitter’s job is never done,” Birdy sighed, escaping Harry’s grip and following behind the twins. There was a single family left stopping them from finally meeting the centre’s Santa Claus and it couldn’t have come soon enough. Tommy was bouncing on his heels at the thought of seeing Santa while Mia was standing idly by looking all but enthusiastic at what was ahead. The varying personalities in the two were apparent, it was almost intriguing for Birdy to watch.

She glanced back in Harry’s direction, catching his hands going into his back pockets while he bit down on his bottom lip. “Have you got plans tonight?”

“Was planning on packing,” He replied. “I’ve barely made any headway and I leave tomorrow afternoon.”

“Gang’s all meeting at Stanza tonight and I was hoping for a fun little hangout before we all go our separate ways,” Birdy replied, taking out her phone and briefly flashing her and Liam’s text log in Harry’s direction before stuffing it away again. “Besides, how much do you really need to pack for Punta Cana anyway? Some swim trunks? Sunglasses? Tequila?”

Harry let out a small breath, looking displeased. “Another year without snow. You know how I feel about that.”

“Yes, but not all of us can be so fortunate,” Birdy countered. “I know you don’t like hot Christmases but just know that there are some people who would die to be suntanning on a beach after unwrapping presents.”

“You’re of a different breed, Birdy Thomas,” Harry declared, bringing a smile to Birdy’s lips. “But if you are so keen on suntanning then you could always–”

“Oh my god,” Birdy cut him off, a gasp sounding as her hand clapped over her mouth.

“What?” Harry asked, furrowing his brows. “Is everything alright?”

“I know that I’m the overreacting melodrama and everything so please confirm if I’m going mad or not,” She started, already starting to snicker. “But does Santa look familiar to you or is it just me?”

Harry subtly averted his gaze from Birdy to the bearded man only a few steps away from them, his eyes squinting before his mouth dropped as well. There wasn’t a chance that the chuckles from either of them would have ceased, especially when the family ahead of them finally dispersed and Tommy and Mia began walking in Santa’s direction.

“Ho, ho, ho, happy Christmas little man!” Santa said, voice deep and throaty. “And is this your sister here? How are you doing me little peach?”

Tommy hadn’t moved any further, a frown beginning to settle on his lips. “Niall?”

“Told you he wasn’t real,” Mia said in a snooty tone, her nose going into the air. “Birdy, Harry, didn’t I tell him so?”

“Yeah… I’ll be coming to Stanza tonight,” Harry said through his laughs, watching as Niall glanced towards him and Birdy in absolute horror. “Hey mate!”

Birdy waved at Niall afterwards, watching as his gaze dropped to his lap. “It’ll definitely a night you don’t want to miss.”

Birdy couldn’t remember the last time she’d laughed as hard as she had been for the past five minutes. She didn’t need to tell more than a sentence of her ‘Niall is the Shopping Centre Santa’ tale for the whole bar to burst into belly grabbing, tear wiping laughter. Even Samson had to pause from making drinks to laugh at that new bit of knowledge.

“I’m sorry, but there’s just no way,” Darcy said, sputtering up a laugh before collecting herself. “Niall’s really Santa? Like Kris Kringle, joy to the world, ‘merry Christmas to all and to all a goodnight’ Santa?”

“Yes Darce, I don’t know how many times I have to confirm this. I saw it with my own two eyes,” Birdy said, her body turned in Darcy’s direction. “He was miffed once he saw we were there. Thought he wouldn’t see anyone he knew all day but somehow me and H were lucky enough. Weren’t we, Dimps?”

“We certainly were,” Harry chimed in with a smirk. “But hey, let’s not give him a hard time. He’s just trying to make his Christmas money like all the rest of us.”

“Hmm, yeah. I’m still going to make fun of him. I’m going to destroy him actually!” Darcy announced happily. “Where is the little leprechaun anyway? I’ve never been happier to see him in my entire life.”

“I don’t know if I’ve ever met someone as cruel as you are, Darcy,” Liam said, a hand going through his hair. “It’s scary but also a little admirable.”

“I think we should listen to Harry,” Anastasia said, sounding as sweet as Anastasia usually did. “We all know Niall. He could be out there prostituting or selling parts for money, but instead he decided to do something to make the kids happy! Can’t we all appreciate that?”

“Absolutely not!” Louis scoffed, poking his head from behind Darcy. “Can we all grasp that this is probably one of the funniest things that any of us has heard all year? I can understand if Harry and Ana want to be on Santa’s nice list by giving Horan the benefit of the doubt, but this is just plain hilarious!”

“Niall is Santa so he could definitely put them there,” Darcy joked, sending herself back into laughter. She and Louis high fived, rising giggles from Liam and Birdy as well. “I swear; this is never going to get old.”

“You lot are mean,” Ana mumbled as she turned the drink in front of her with the candy cane printed straw she had been sipping out of.

A jingling of bells filled the room shortly afterwards, the shuffling of heavy boots following as a flash of red darted into the pub. Almost on cue, the heavy sniggers began again. Niall had finally arrived, and he hadn’t even bothered to shed his costume before entering.

“Yeah alright. Laugh it up,” Niall rolled his blue eyes, pulling the hat off his head and brushing the snow off his jacket. “I don’t care what you wankers say – if it weren’t for the suit, I definitely would have caught pneumonia by now.”

“I didn’t think it could get any better than it already was,” Liam got out, though his laughter was prominent enough. “Happy Christmas to us all, truly.”

“You’re a right dickhead for telling them all,” Niall shot at Birdy, who hid behind Harry as soon as Niall started to address her. “But then again, what else is new?”

“Oi, they would have found out anyway, wouldn’t they?” She replied, holding up her hands in defense. “Besides, I think you make quite the Old Saint Nick. Even though you nearly made Tommy cry.”

“Dickhead,” Niall reiterated slowly, turning towards Samson. “Get me something strong and peppermint please.”

“Say no more, mate,” Samson nodded. “Would you like me to add something in there for your reindeer or will they be servicing themselves this evening?”

“Come on,” Darcy cackled, her head resting down on the bartop. “I’m trying to be nice here and you’re all not helping one bit.”

“Oh no need Red, go ahead and hit me with everything you have,” Niall told her, shrugging his shoulders. “I can take your weak insults any day.”

“I’ll let you get some liquor in your system first. Might make it easier for you to take them,” Darcy mocked a kiss his way, prompting his eyes to roll. “But seriously, how is the job? How many kids did you promise ponies and functioning families today?”

Niall waited until he had taken down a good amount of the drink Samson handed him before deciding to reply. “You know what? Being Santa really isn’t as easy a job as you all might think it is. It takes a certain skill and finesse that not everyone has. You really have to get into character for something like. None of you would understand.”

Birdy held up a hand. “I act. I think I would understand that better than anyone.”

“Touché,” Ana nodded in agreement.

“Well then why don’t you and your smart mouth try doing what I do then?” Niall inquired, his mouth on the rim of his glass as he took another swig.

“Are you challenging me Niall? Is this a challenge? Is this really what you want to get into? Cause my Santa could wipe the floor with yours, I promise you,” Birdy inquired straight into Niall’s ear, his face scrunching up in reply.

“You’re like an annoying fly that I can’t kill,” He muttered, waving a dismissing hand Birdy’s way.

“You love me,” She said, giving him a knowing glance before grinning at him. “Please continue. Being Santa is a hard feat. Tell us more.”

Though he rolled his eyes beforehand, he did end up continuing. “You have to convince these kids that you know exactly what you’re doing. Personally, I like to throw meself into the job, make the kids feel like I’m their friend before promising them that toy or service they want.”

“I love how you’re talking about it like it’s a real job, that’s probably the most interesting part of all of this,” Harry deduced, looking genuinely interested.

“Even though it’s not and by the time Boxing Day rolls around, you’re looking for employment once again,” Louis pointed out, giving Niall a look of sympathy.

“Maybe so, but at least I can pay my rent for the next two months. Was I able to say that before this job?” Niall asked.

“Hell no,” Darcy held up her own glass as she shook her head.

“Think that was meant to be rhetorical,” Ana whispered to Darcy.

“Trust me, I know,” Darcy said with a smirk.

“Your arse would be the first one on my naughty list, Red. Be lucky I’m not actually Santa Claus or else you’d be getting straight coal this year,” Niall grumbled. “Could I get another glass?”

Birdy tutted, watching as her friend received a new drink. “How can you promise things to little kids when you can’t even get your life together in the first place, Ni?”

“How can you talk to me about children like you aren’t wearing a skimpy pair of Christmas themed knickers right now for everyone to see?” Niall shot back, getting everyone’s eyes wide. Birdy scoffed, shifting awkwardly in her chair and pulling the hem of her shirt down which were slightly ridden up before. “Are those the ones that light up or the ones that sing?”

“You’re literally the most abominable creature I know.”

“You want coal too?” Niall questioned. “Annoying bint.”

“I was trying to be nice!” Birdy exclaimed with a scoff. “The whole reason I came here was to make sure no one made fun of you as bad as they could. I could be helping Harry pack for Punta Cana right now but I wanted to make sure that these people let you live.”

“They wouldn’t have known about it if it weren’t for you! You strategically planned this, don’t try and act innocent,” Niall shot back at her. “And if you’d rather be packing than seeing me, not only are you annoying but you’re mad too.”

Birdy stuck her tongue out at him before settling her elbow onto the countertop, peering to her left to catch Harry’s eye contact. “And you. What do you want? You’re giving me a look.’

“What look?” Harry asked innocently.

“That look,” She said with a tap to his slightly pouted lips. “The look you give when you want something.”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“You’re not the only one who can read people around here, Dimps,” Birdy remarked, a smile playing on her lips.

Birdy’s smile drew one out of Harry almost too easily, his tongue running over his bottom lip before he leaned closer to her. “Well, I would like to see these Christmas knickers Niall was going on about.”

Birdy’s eyebrows went up in surprise. “Oh really?”

“Yes ma’am.”

She hummed, nodding slowly. “If you end up on the nice list you might be able to. Or if I end up on the naughty list. Either or, your chances are looking pretty nice right now.”

Harry laughed, his green eyes flashing up before they went back down. “I’ve also got this Christmas wish of mine that you could very possibly grant for me.”

“Little old me?”

“Yes, you,” He confirmed playfully. “I’ve been wondering – hoping actually – if, uh, if it was possible for you to maybe–”

He hadn’t finished his sentence before a loud whistle cut him off, followed by Louis’ voice. “Do you lot want to join our drinking game? Or would you rather gaze lovingly into each other’s eyes while we’re all pissed out of our minds?”

Harry laughed awkwardly. “We were actually–”

“A drinking game?” Birdy repeated, her attention piqued. “What kind?”

“It’s called ’All I Want For Christmas Is You,’” Liam said slowly, waving his hand in the air like the words were hovering above his head. “We go around and we all say what we want someone else to do for Christmas – a risqué, grown up version of course. If that person doesn’t do what they’re asked of then they take a shot.”

“It’s like truth or dare but without the truth, and Christmas-y,” Anastasia explained further. “But no worries, embarrassment is definitely still a part of it.”

“I’m gonna end up really drunk by the end of this, aren’t I?” Birdy asked candidly.

“There’s a very, very high possibility,” Darcy replied.

“Count me in then,” Birdy smiled, taking the shot glass that Niall slid her way. “You playing, Harry?”

Harry sighed, shaking his head before smiling half heartedly. “I’ll pass. I drove.”

“You could sleep at mine! Come on,” She insisted, shaking her boyfriend’s arm repeatedly. “Pleaseeeeee?”

“I’m alright, I promise,” He said, giving her hand a squeeze before leaning against the counter. “Besides, it’s been awhile since I saw you all make arses of yourselves.”

“Say no more, Styles!” Louis exclaimed. “I’ll go first. All I want for Christmas is for Santa Claus Horan to take me on his sleigh.”

More laughter followed, along with the clatter of Niall’s shot glass once he drained it in one go.

“Oh my god,” Birdy said, running a hand over her face as she moved closer to her bathroom mirror. “I am so drunk right now.”

She staggered backwards, accidentally running into Harry who grabbed her by the waist and steadied her. Birdy had been drunk enough times to know how to handle herself whenever she was, but she couldn’t deny that having an extra set of eyes to keep track of her didn’t hurt. Especially on nights when she was feeling as wasted as she was right then. Harry always took care of her, most times more than she felt she needed to be. But that’s how he had always been, constantly making sure that she was alright.

“I should have dropped out sometime after the eighth. The ninth one was that big holy grail moment. The whole ‘you should stop now but you know you won’t’ kind of thing,” She rambled on, shutting the lights off in the bathroom before beginning to stalk towards her bedroom. “But I’m much too stubborn. You know I don’t like backing down from a challenge.”

“I know, baby,” Harry indulged her with a laugh, following behind her. “It’s one of your best and worst qualities.”

“It’s definitely one of my worst,” She said before flopping onto her bed and closing her eyes. “I’m giving up drinking.”

“Really?” Harry asked with a clear tone of disbelief. He sat down beside her, his fingers pushing the hair out of the way so he could see her face. “Now that would be the day.”

“I mean it, Harry,” She tried to say adamantly, trying not to slip over her words. “From this moment forward I am done with liquor. I’m a new woman.”

“New Years is right around the corner, Bird.”

She paused, swearing under her breath once she realized he was correct. “It’ll have to be after that then because New Year’s is always best when you’re a little bit drunk.”

“Just a little bit?”

“…A lotta bit.”

Birdy wasn’t sure if Harry’s doubt annoyed her due to his lack of faith or just showed how much her boyfriend truly knew her drunken ways. Either way, she was far too inebriated to worry about it.

“The room’s spinning a bit,” Birdy confessed, her words muffled by her duvet. She was sure that Harry had heard her regardless though, considering how he kicked off his shoes and slid further up the bed, pulling her into his lap afterwards. She closed her eyes, breathing in the familiar scent of his cologne and body wash. No matter how far away she might have felt mentally, he always brought her back to some semblance of reality.

“If you throw up on me, I’m leaving,” Harry remarked with a poke to Birdy’s side.

“I wasn’t planning that but it could always be arranged,” She muttered into the crook of his neck with a smirk on her face. “Anyway, you can’t leave. Cause I won’t see you again until after New Years and I’d like a bit more time with you.”

“You’ve been with me most of the day. That’s not enough for you?”

Birdy shook her head slowly. “I’d be around you all the time if you’d let me. Unfortunately, you find me irritating and call me mental all the time so that doesn’t happen.”

“But am I lying?”

“’Tis the season to be a dick, I guess,” Birdy scoffed while Harry chuckled right against her forehead, stopping only to press a kiss against her skin, making her even warmer than she already was. “M’gonna miss you. Truly. I’ll be in Leeds eating Yorkshire puddings and missing the hell out of you. Meanwhile you’ll be in an island paradise. Life is not fair.”

She’d expected a declaration of the same caliber from Harry’s end, one where he went on about just how much he would be thinking about her in the sunny weather or how he would avert his eyes every time he saw a woman slicked down in oil, but instead there was silence. Just Harry combing through her hair in a way gentle enough to put her asleep right there and then.

“You know, I’ve been trying to ask you something all day,” He finally spoke after another long bout of silence. Birdy was so beside herself that she couldn’t even pinpoint what he was talking about. “Should have been asking you this a long time ago actually.”

“Asking me what?” Birdy asked quietly, opening one of her eyes up. “Is it about my knickers? Cause you can see them if you want to. All you have to do is ask nicely.”

Harry chuckled, looking at Birdy like she was the most endearing thing in the world. “No, not your knickers. I’m sure they’re very nice though.”

“Are you sure? They light up.”

“Yes, Birdy. I’m sure.”

“Then what?”

He shrugged his shoulders. “I was gonna ask if you wanted to come.”

Birdy’s eyebrows went up in an inconspicuous fashion. “So you don’t want to see my knickers but you’re asking me if I want to come? Because the answer will always be yes.”

“Jesus, Bird,” Harry ran a hand over his face, looking at her incredulously. “I meant if you wanted to come on holiday with me.”

Birdy couldn’t help but widen both of her eyes, pushing herself up so she could look at him properly. “To Punta Cana?” She asked for clarification.

“Yeah,” Harry said. “If you wanted to.”

“‘If I wanted to?’ Harry, do you know the level of that request? That’s at least six Christmas presents all in one,” She scoffed, shaking her head. “Mad, that.”

“I should’ve asked you earlier but I kept getting cut off,” He continued. “I also didn’t know how you’d feel about it, considering how last minute the request was. Plus, you always do Leeds and I know that your mum’s Christmas dinners could have stories written about them and it’s all very last minute but–”

Birdy shushed him before he could finish, putting a finger up to his lips. She wasn’t in a place where she could comprehend his long winded sentences. “You’re inviting me to Punta Cana and you think my mother’s roast is going to hold me back?”

“You say that like her roasts aren’t out of this world,” Harry replied before biting at Birdy’s finger, which she responded to with a frown. “I figure it’s too late for you to reconsider now.”

“Says who?” She questioned with a laugh. “If I wasn’t completely smashed I would be packing right now.”

“Your family wouldn’t hate me if I whisked you away?”

“Would take a lot for them to do that. I guarantee they’ll manage just fine without me,” She said with assurance in her muffled tone. “Mum might have something to say but she’ll get over it. Win and Finn will be able to take third and fourth servings of food without a side eye and Izzy will just ask me to pick her up something. A t-shirt or a man, one or the other.”

“I am not at all surprised,” Harry said, looking pleased. “We can give it another day or two. Time for the both of us to pack and for you to sober up.”

“You don’t think this would be the perfect way to link with your family in the DR? Heavily under the influence?” Birdy asked sarcastically, prompting Harry to let out a loud cackle.

“Your choice, love. Might loosen you up a bit,” He retorted with a shrug.

“Don’t tempt me,” Birdy waggled her eyebrows, nuzzling back into Harry’s neck and letting her eyes fall back closed. “I just have one question for you.”

Harry went back to combing through her hair, his milky tone replying back, “Anything.”

“Are you packing the tequila or should I?”

#im not shit you don't have to tell me #but whyyyyy nottttt post a little something for old times sake #yes i have been seeing the messages #and i love y'all forever #also pls excuse any mistakes you may see lols #fhyp drabble #fhyp #1dff

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rustic-space-fiddle · 6 years

Text

Ava Paige and the Immuni (Pt. 2)

Taggin’ peeps: @esthercantdraw @castielcaswatson @c-taylor-wanna-be-a-glader @newtieparker

2. In Which the McQuarrie Children Join the Crew

Months pass. The children, instead of getting off at the next port, had decided to keep their ship, which they found was dubbed The Shining Gladius, and to one day exact revenge upon the pirates that had taken their childhoods and families from them. They taught themselves to sail, with Minho’s help, and soon, they became like a band of pirates themselves. They found weapons, and they raided tiny pirate vessels of their goods. Over time, they became rather proficient in the art of plundering and pillaging. Ever so often, they would pick up another orphan. Similarly, they lost a few. The sea is not for everyone. The children never did see the red sailed ship again, but they kept a watchful eye.

Now, on the twelfth of December, they arrived a tiny village off the coast of Scotland. It was snowing.

The sight that greeted them stung the soul, a burning reminder of their home. The village had been pillaged, and recently, by the look of it. While the rest of the children stared over the handrail, Anne was looking in the opposite direction. She grabbed Ellie’s arm.

“Look!” she exclaimed, pointing at the horizon.

“What?” Ellie asked, turning her head.

“A ship!”

“Where?!”

“There!” Anne jostled her, pointing excitedly. “Over there, near that bird! Do you see it?”

Ellie scrunched up her face, peering across the bright water. “I don’t see anything. Just snow.”

“It’s right there! A ship…” Anne continued to insist. “Just— use your eyes!”

“I am,” Ellie frowned. “And I don’t see anything. Are you sure you’re not going crazy?”

“I’m not,” Anne said, discouraged. Her hand fell; the ship had disappeared over the horizon. “Well, it’s gone now.”

Ellie glanced at her. She did seem serious. Besides, Anne had never been wrong in the past — she had very good eyes.

“Maybe we should tell Albert.”

Anne perked up at that, faith restored. “I think we’d better.”

They hurried to Albert, who was having a rather serious conversation wth Minho.

“…Who knows, but we probably shouldn’t risk it,” he was saying. “They likely didn’t leave any survivors.”

“If it’s the same guys, then why wouldn’t they? They left us, didn’t they?” Minho argued.

“Even if they did, who’s to say they’re alive now? Wouldn’t we see them?”

“Well, it sure would be easier to see them if you’d just let me steer us in—“

“Albert!” Ellie whispered loudly. “Alby!”

“Hold that thought,” Albert held up a hand to shut Minho up — the latter looking rather insulted — and turned to the two girls. “What is it?”

“Anne thinks she saw a ship,” Ellie whispered, not wanting to draw the other children’s attention.

Albert’s eyes snapped to Ellie. “That so?”

“Yes,” Anne nodded. “It disappeared, and it was pretty far away, but it was a ship.”

“Did it have a red sail?” Albert asked, so deathly serious that Anne was almost unable to answer.

“No,” she said. “Well, that is, I couldn’t see. It was too far, and the snow wasn’t helping much.”

Albert searched her face a moment more, then turned back to Minho, stoned faced.

“That settles it. We’re leaving.”

Minho seemed incredulous. “What about the kid?”

“We’ve got plenty of kids to worry about right here,” Albert stated. “We’re leaving.”

Minho stood his ground. “Alby, I’m going ashore.”

Albert looked him in the eye with face that said he would be saying much more if there weren’t so many little ears staring at them. ”No, you’re not.”

“I heard something, and I’m not leaving until—“

Just then, a small cry rose from the village. All heads spun around to see a little girl with dirty blonde hair, around ten or twelve years old, running up the pier. She tripped, picked herself up, and kept running, waving her arms over her head and screaming for all she was worth. Perhaps she was trying call for help, but all that left her mouth was shrill incoherency.

Minho ran to the side of the ship, leaped into one of the jolly boats, and lowered it into the water before Albert could say “Minho, no!”

Albert cursed as Minho rowed toward the pier as fast as he could. A few of the children cheered; one started crying, but most simply stood there, stiff as boards and dreading that pirates would rise from the water at any moment.

The girl quickly eased herself off the edge of the dock and dropped into the icy water, paddling to meet the rowboat. Minho grabbed her under the arms and dragged her aboard, then grabbed the oars and made for safety.

Albert seethed as Minho steered the alongside their vessel and was hefted back on deck. Minho carefully stepped free of the craft, cradling the girl close and gently setting her down on a wooden step. Anne and Charlie rushed forward with blankets and swiftly wrapped her as the rest of the children gathered around. Minho was breathing heavily, but that didn’t stop him from throwing Albert a self-satisfied leer.

Albert glared at him. “Wipe smug look off your face,” he growled, then knelt down in front of the little girl, resting a comforting hand on both of her tiny, shaking shoulders.

“Hey, little miss, it’s alright,” he said soothingly. “Hush now, we’ve got you.”

The girl looked at him, terror and desperation burning in her dark eyes.

“My— my brother,” she gasped in a small voice. “My brother— he’s trapped. He’s trapped in the well. I couldn’— I couldn’—“

She lapsed into silence.

“Your brother?” Albert prodded. “He’s alive?”

The girl nodded spasmodically.

“He’s alive and he’s trapped.”

The girl nodded again, then suddenly began to sob.

“I been tryin’ to get him out for hours!” she cried. “They came and killed mother and father— he was out back— gettin’ water for breakfast— they came and I tried to warm him— but— but when I went to him they’d shoved him down— and I tried to get him out! I did! I did! For hours— but I couldn’! And he can’t get out himself, he’s got—“

“Calm down, calm down!” Alby shushed. “Slowly now. How long has he been down there?”

“Hours and hours, I told ya, he—“

“Was he awake when you left?”

“I don’ know,” the girl remained. “I don’ know…”

She appeared to collect herself, her sudden burst of panic dying down and being replaced with a look of adamancy.

“You ‘ave to get him,” she conceded. “You’d be able to pull him out.”

“Us?” Albert hesitated. “I’m sorry, but that’s not possible. We cannot stay here. Those pirates could decide to come back at any minute. If they spot us, we’re as good as dead.”

The little girl, instead of melting back into tears, stood up, the blankets slipping to the floor. Her fists clenched at her sides, she stood fast as she stared the boy in the face.

“Get him,” she gritted.

“Miss—“ Albert paused. “What’s your name?”

“Elizabeth,” the girl informed him.

“Miss Elizabeth,” he sighed, beginning to lose his patience. “We can’t. I don’t mean to sound completely and utterly horrible, but your brother is most likely dead.”

Elizabeth’s face grew stony.

“I’m sorry,” Albert said earnestly, and he was. More sorry than he could say. “I wish we could help more, but with the pirates so close, it’s best if we—“

“Minho’s off again!” a child shouted.

Albert whipped around to see that yes, Minho has indeed stolen the dingy for the second time, and was once again rowing furiously for shore. It took every ounce of Albert’s willpower to not curse like a sailor in front of little Elizabeth.

“Bloody hell!” she shouted. “He’s going for him!”

Albert turned to look at the still-soaked girl in surprise. She reddened with embarrassment.

“Pardon,” she said.

Albert stared blankly at her, then reverted his gaze back to the shrinking rowboat and its thief, eager for Minho to return so he could punch him right in his ridiculous, reckless, stupid face. It’d be a miracle if they lived to see the end of the day. Granted, he’d thought that many times in the past, and yet here they were.

* * *

Minho leapt free of the dingy and pulled it ashore. In the distance, he could see The Shining Gladius, and knew Albert was planning the ways he was going to skin him when he returned. He’d deal with that in a bit. For now, he needed to find that little girl’s brother.

He ran up the beach, working his way past some burning barrels and scattered driftwood, into the remains of the village. It was tiny: two rows of crudely built houses on either side of a simple dirt road. It was quaint, and under better circumstances, Minho would have very much liked to live there. But now, with the smoking thatch roofs, debris strewn across the ground, doors torn off their hinges, and half dozen bodies lying, freezing in the road, it looked far less pleasant.

“Hello?” Minho shouted. “Aye!”

He realized that he had no idea what the boy’s name was. He probably should’ve asked the girl about that before he had jumped ship. Not that he would ever admit that to Albert.

A well! But a quick glance down told him that this wasn’t the one.

Keep looking. No more dead kids.

After tiptoeing around a few fallen logs, he reached the end of the main road, and still had not yet seen another well. He kept going; maybe there was another house beyond, a farm or some such. His theory was proved correct: there was one more house, or at least the remnants of one. The roof was burned away, and all that stood now was the stone chimney and the charred logs that stood as support in the corners. Minho‘s stomach turned. According to the girl, her parents were still inside. They were probably nothing more than blackened skeletons now. The thought of it reminded Minho of his own father, shot in the face with a pistol and kicked off the the dock into the water as if he were nothing more than a small pebble in their path.

Hush it, Minho reprimanded himself. Not the time.

Stowing his thoughts and moving around the house — to what had been the backyard — he found the well in question.

“Ey!” he exclaimed. He hurried to the edge, looking down the cold, slimy stone walls. “Hello?” he called down. “Anyone down there!”

A pair of dark brown eyes glanced upward. Exhausted, hopeless eyes set deep in a pale, gaunt face; forehead webbed with limp, wet hair. The boy, clinging the the wooden bucket and doing his very best to stay afloat. His face brightened when he saw his rescuer.

“O—“ the boy rasped, voice trembling with cold. “Oi! I’m here!”

“Just hang on!” Minho shouted down to him.

The boy winced at the deafening echo, then suddenly slipped into the dark water and out of sight. Any longer and he could drown.

No more dead kids.

Minho jumped into action, finding the end of the rope and wrapping it around his hands. He leaned over the well again; the boy had resurfaced, sucking in a breath of air and groaning through gritted teeth.

“Grab the bucket!” Minho ordered. No time to ask questions.

A tug on the rope, and Minho yanked, pulling the rope up as fast as he could. His arms burned with the effort but he kept pulling, until it felt as though he were pulling up up a calf instead of a boy.

After pulling for what seemed like hours, the boy’s head breached the top of the well — Minho let go of the rope and grabbed him by the shirt with both hands, bracing his feet and legs against the stone as the bucket fell back down, all without skipping a beat. He lifted him clear, and then his muscles gave out, just about dropping the sopping boy into the dirt. He leaned against the well, breathing hard. The boy just lay on the ground, shivering, eyes shut.

“Well, that worked,” Minho muttered.

The boy coughed. “Ta.”

Minho wasn’t sure what that meant, but he assumed it was an expression of gratitude.

“Anytime.”

~To be continued...

#glader pack #the maze runner #tmr gladers #tmr au #pirate au #tmr minho #tmr alby #tmr lizzy #tmr sonya #tmr fanfiction #pirate aesthetic #oof #its 1 am #kill me #i hope you like

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