#My parents would just be surprised but grateful for more grandkids

[jungle-angel]

Little Drummer Boy (Bob Floyd x Reader)

Summary: An age old tradition makes the best memories for you, Bob and your family

Note: Inspired by the music video for King and Country’s version of one of my favorites. I’ll post the link for it here, guys this video absolutely blew my mind and all I could think of watching it was Lewis.

Tagging: @fanboygarcia @rhettabbotts @nobody7102 and @sebsxphia​ guys I really hope you like this, it’s been sitting in the back of my brain for a while now (Sebbie, I still owe you those asks which will be done in no time at all, lol). 

“Auggie!” Bob called from the top of the basement stairs. “August Robert, come on up here! Mimi and Papa have a surprise for you!” 

Auggie came bounding up the basement stairs from where he, Patrick and his cousins had been playing beanbag toss, nearly losing his tiny wireframe glasses in the process. Unfortunately, his footsteps were more akin to Rooster’s, loud and stomping as he ran up the stairs and into the kitchen. 

“Auggie, walking feet please,” you told him sternly. “Rudy just fell asleep.” 

“Sorry Momma,” Auggie whispered. 

“C’mere bud,” Joe told him before he and Mickey had finished re-arranging a few of the Christmas ornaments on the tree. “We got you something for tonight.” 

Auggie jumped and clapped his little hands together. It wasn’t often that Bob’s parents got to spoil the ever living shit out of their grandkids, but when they did, the kids were more than happy and grateful for it, especially around this time of year. 

Auggie gave his grandfather a huge hug before he opened the present, you, Bob and the rest of the Dagger Squad watching to see his reaction. 

Those big blue eyes behind his little glasses went even wider when he saw what lay within the shiny green and red paper. It was a little wood and canvas drum that was the perfect size for Auggie, complete with a set of sticks that weren’t too big or too small, made from birch wood that was nearly white. 

“THANK YOU PAPA!!!” Auggie nearly screamed as he hugged his grandfather again. 

“That’s from me, Momma, your dad, Mimi and Grandpa Birdy,” Joe chuckled. “And it’s for you to play tonight during the walk.” 

Auggie was excited beyond words as he ran to put his drum and drumsticks upstairs in his bedroom, his little feet thundering up the stairs along with Nicky, Pete, Tiago and TJ. 

“Man I have never seen a kid that excited before,” Payback laughed. 

“Oh believe me, if you gave him a banana for Christmas, he’d be just as happy,” you laughed. 

Bob kissed your cheek and gently scratched Rudy’s soft little hand with his fingertips. “I hope he comes back down soon,” Bob said. “We still have to make sure Nestor’s settled for tonight.” 

“He will be,” you told him. “There’s nothing the little guy can’t face.” 

A smile broke out on Bob’s face. “You’re right,” he chuckled. “I’ve seen him pull a plow three times his size and he’s still got enough energy in him to keep going.” 

You put Rudy upstairs in the crib where Rudy and Mickey’s daughter would be sleeping for the next few days, before you, Bob, Mickey and Joe headed out into the snow to the barn where all the critters had been sheltered from the freezing cold of the day and night.

Down the row of stables and pens you went until you came to one near where Thunder, Bob’s mustang, was munching away at the hay in his trough, until you found the one belonging to Nestor. 

The grey and brown donkey lay asleep in the hay, perking up his long, pointy ears when Bob whistled for him to come. Out of the pocket of his Carhardt jacket, he pulled a few sprigs of peppermint from Irene’s indoor garden box before Nestor munched it right from the palm of his hand. 

“He’s got a long walk ahead of him tonight,” you remarked, petting his short, fuzzy little snout. 

“That’s nothing,” Mickey said, laughing a little. “When Abuelo Pedro was growing up in Mexico, the whole town used to walk up the steep hills where the church was.” 

“Every year?” Bob asked him. 

“Every year on Christmas Eve and every Sunday,” Mickey explained. “Christmas Eve, they’d each light a candle and carry it with them while they walked up the hills with the rest of the group at midnight.” 

You and Bob listened with awe as Mickey told about the deep seeded family traditions of Mickey’s family, tracing them from the mountains of Colombia and eventually to Mexico City. Now that you and Bob would be experiencing it for yourselves, it lit a new fire of excitement in the both of you. 

***********************

Christmas Eve

Cheyenne Falls, OK

Floyd Ranch

“You gonna be warm (y/n)?” Bob asked as he placed Rudy in your warms, the newborn comfortably swaddled in Joe’s Indian blanket. 

“I’ll be perfectly fine,” you told him. “Besides, this little guy is the one I’m most worried about.” 

Bob smiled as he kissed Rudy’s delicate little head and placed his little blue pacifier in his mouth. “His first Christmas and he gets to rest in the little manger at the church,” Bob half laughed. “Lucky him.” 

“Hey you did it too, remember?” you chuckled. 

“Oh you’ve been listening to my mom and my gram’s horror stories again, haven’t you?” Bob laughed, unable to control the grin that broke out on his face. 

You kissed him sweetly on the lips, adjusting Rudy in your arms so that he would stay warm. “C’mon,” you said. “Everybody’s waiting.” 

You and Bob all went down to meet the rest of the family, each one of them prepared to play their part in the Christmas walk. Auggie stood in front of Hangman, bouncing on his heels with excitement and chattering away with his godfather. 

“Ya know Boob, every year since I was this kiddo’s age it’s the same,” Hangman remarked. “I always end up playing a wise man in the Christmas pageant.” 

“Wise ass is more like it,” Bob chuckled. 

Hangman blew him a raspberry and so didn’t Auggie. 

“Hey, you’d better behave yourself good sir,” Bob warned him. “Otherwise you’re going on Santa’s naughty list.” 

“Yes Daddy,” Auggie chirped, straightening himself up.

The chatter died down as soon as Mickey’s grandparents, Pedro and Alma, entered the room, motioning for everyone to come gather around, linking their hands as Abuelo Pedro said a quick Hail Mary for a safe journey. 

Outside everyone went where Joe had readied Nestor with his little saddle. Bob helped you up, making sure that Rudy was safe, the both of you quickly quieting the cry that escaped his throat. Pedro and Alma helped each person in the group light the fat tapers they held in their hands, some red, pink, blue, purple, gold and green. 

“Shall we go?” Alma asked. 

Auggie stood beside her and the others at the front, Bob holding Nestor’s bridle as the others followed close behind. Auggie began to play, unable to resist the thought of doing so. He looked up at Alma before she smiled down at him, laughing a little as she remembered Mickey doing the same thing when he had been Auggie’s age. 

It wasn’t long before you heard Bob’s voice singing those familiar words, the others joining in along with you, your voices becoming nearly one as they sang the tale of the little boy who had nothing to give, save for the beautiful music he made with his simple drum. 

Other families, many of them Joe and Irene’s neighbors, had come to join the group, shutting their doors with a candle or a lantern in their hands. The Changs and their four grown sons climbed over the fence, Ali and Noor El Bisi following behind them with a lantern that Ali’s father had brought with him from Egypt, the Whittaker’s and their brood of twelve, the eldest in college and the youngest barely a toddler. So many families from far corners of the world and all walks of life, joined you and the rest of the squad, journeying through the cold and snow to the edge of the town where St. Michael’s Church had stood since the early days of the wild west, built by the hands of the Irish, Italians, Germans and so many others who had come to find shelter in the prairie hills. 

Your eyes looked down at Rudy as you sang, yours and Bob’s precious newborn, fast asleep as the choir of voices sang along with yours. Your eyes soon met Bob’s, that same loving look that never left his eyes since the two of you had gotten married.

At last the huge stone church came into view, tall and looming, the lights visible in the stained glass windows as onlookers had gathered to watch and take pictures or short videos, all of them in awe of the voices that sang across the hills in the dark, your faces illuminated only by the light of the flames that flickered from the candle wicks. 

Near the doors of the church, you could see Father Gonzales, the grandfather of one of Auggie’s classmates, a huge smile on his face and yours growing broader knowing that you and Bob were surrounded by the people you loved the most. 

“Merry Christmas Bob,” you whispered to him. “I love you.” 

“I love you too sweetheart,” he whispered back. “Merry Christmas.” 

That night, you said a silent “thank you” for the family you had and the people who had made your life worth living. 

#top gun maverick #robert bob floyd #bob floyd x reader #bradley rooster bradshaw #natasha phoenix trace #reuben payback fitch #javy coyote machado #mickey fanboy garcia #pete maverick mitchell #dagger squad #dagger squad christmas fics

[therandomavenger]

Congratulations I'm Sorry

As the year ends, I find myself in a time of transition.

Some things are good. Great, even. On December 5th, which was the first anniversary of our first date, my boyfriend, Jimmy, and I had brunch at the same place we’d first met a year ago. He’d invited my mom and dad to join us. And after we’d eaten, he asked me to marry him. I said yes, of course. He was crying. I was crying. My mom was crying. It was a whole thing. So, now we’re planning a wedding, which we are thinking will be next fall.

It's been a long road to get here. Before a couple of years ago, I had never pictured myself in an actual relationship with a man, much less marrying one. It’s a complicated issue. I’ve been gay my entire life, but that was just physical, I thought. Also, I didn’t have a lot of examples either in media or my own life of happy gay couples. It never even occurred to me that it was possible. Over the course of the last couple of years, and especially since my previous marriage ended, I did imagine it. Dreamed of it, even. I spent four years on the dating apps, and let me tell you that was rough. I got ghosted so many times you wouldn’t even believe it. If not outright rejected. Also catfished, which was fun.

But I don’t regret any of that because it was how I ultimately found Jimmy. From the beginning, I knew that he was different. He texted back, for one thing. We took our relationship slow (although I did introduce him to my family after two weeks, which I have to admit was not slow). We got to know each other over time, neither of us pushing the other into anything we weren’t ready for. On March 3rd, I realized that I’d fallen in love with him. I didn’t tell him that for another couple of months because it was, frankly, none of his business. In April he moved in with me and we made plans to buy my house together. He gave me a promise ring in June. And we’ve been low-key planning our ‘hypothetical’ wedding ever since. So, when he asked me to marry him, I had only one response. ‘It would be the greatest honor of my life.’ And I mean that. I love him and I’m thrilled to be his, and that he is mine. I never thought I could have this. The fact that it’s happening at 50 is another surprise, but I’ll take it.

My parents and my kids love him, as do my grandkids, so that makes things easier. We’re not young, by any means, but we have a lot of good years in front of us, and it makes me happy knowing that I’m going to be spending them with him. I’m excited to get married, yes, but I’m more excited about the person I get to marry. I think that’s a good sign.

Also this month, I decided to go back to school. Our local community college offers a digital art and design certificate that can be completed in two semesters. It entails a great many things, including graphic design, and I would like to be able to do my own formatting and design work, as well as design my own book covers. If I get good at it, maybe I can even do it for other people. We’ll see how far my talents take me. So, next semester I will be taking between 11 and 14 units, depending on how some things shake out. This led me to a realization about some other things.

I have worked at the Cottonwood Community Library as a volunteer since 2009. It gave me a safe place to put myself black together after my former career fell apart, and I will always be grateful for that. Now, volunteering at the library is not like volunteering at other organizations. Volunteers are the staff. The only one who gets paid is the director. I’m not really certain that’s a good business model, but it is a community library, receiving no state or county money. So, really, it’s the only way they can run.

But I’ve long started to feel like my time at the library was coming to a close. I’m not interested in the same type of books our patrons are interested in, which is fine, but it made me feel like I just really wasn’t in sync with the people I was serving. Also, the library isn’t used by very many people. We would consider ourselves very busy if we had 12 people in a three-hour shift. So, I l had the sense I wasn’t really providing a vital community service. And while it is true that I will not be in school on Saturdays, and could conceivably still work my weekly shift, I feel that I’m going to need Saturday as a writing day. So, I told the director I needed a leave of absence while I was in school.

This was not well received. It got ugly. So, I quit effective immediately. They even called the police to make sure I returned my keys. It would have been nice if the people I had been working with would have thanked me for my fourteen years of service and wished me well in my new endeavor, but I guess that was too much to ask for.

I’m a little sad about the way things ended, but I am not sad that they ended. I was ready to do something else. I put a lot of time and energy into that place over the years. I thought it was appreciated, but I guess it really wasn’t, which is a little hard to deal with. But that’s just how things are sometimes. I’m not sure how much longer the library will keep going. Fundraising has been a problem as has recruiting and retaining volunteers. I wonder why. I think the community could be doing a lot more to support it if they really value it, but it is no longer any of my concern. I do wish them well, however. They’ll have to find someone else to call when the network goes down.

So, as 2023 winds down and I get ready for 2024, I’m looking forward to new challenges. I still plan on writing 30,000 words a month and I have my schedule set to do this. I don’t want to fall behind on my books. But another friend has cautioned me that I shouldn’t be too hard on myself if I find my transition back into being a full-time student a more difficult one than I am imagining. We’ll see. I should be done with the program next December if all goes well. I’m really looking forward to learning a new set of skills.

So right now, I’m happy about the future and a little sad about the way some things have ended. I think that adequately describes life. Congratulations I’m sorry. It’s better than a lot of the alternatives.

#blog post #life lessons

[prettiestvulcan]

pairing: enji todoroki x oc

rating: explicit

wc:

summary: a summer getaway gets heated, in more ways than one.

warnings: none

a/n: part of @delirieum's hot milf summer collab!

She’s always had a dislike for summer. The sticky, humid heat. The influx of tourists, which meant more crime. The increase in her number of patrols. Summer meant more work in near unbearable conditions.

There is one plus to summer, though. It means the kids are out of school, so she gets to spend more time with them. Sure, during the day she’s always on patrol, but then she gets to pick them up from her parents’ house and take them to pick out dinner. They don’t have to be in bed for school, so she can introduce them to her favorite childhood movies.

This summer is different, though. Her parents are taking their grandkids on a vacation and she can’t go with them. Work is having their own week-long mandatory ‘vacation’, which involves flying out to an island for team-building exercises disguised as fun. It’s the first time the agency has done something like this, but her guess as to why is as good as anyone else’s.

“Mommy, do you have to go?” Her youngest asks. She kneels before him, giving him a soft smile.

“I’m sorry, sweetie, but mommy has to go because of work.” He pouts, crossing his arms with a frown.

“I don’t want you to go.” Isaac looks close to tears. “I don’t want to go with Nanny and Pappy. I want to go with Mommy.”

“Isaac,” she brushes tears from his cheeks with a thumb. “Don’t cry, sweetheart. Mommy will be back. And I’ll call every night before bedtime.”

“Promise?” He sniffles. She nods, holding out her pinky. He grins, wrapping his much smaller pinky around hers.

“I pinky-promise,” she answers. His tears have started to dry up.

“Okay,” he finally relents. “I’ll go with Nanny and Pappy.”

“That’s my boy,” she ruffles his hair, the curls catching occasionally. He doesn’t seem to notice.

He runs off towards the front door, giggling the whole way. She stands, watching him go with a smile. He’s always been a cheerful kid, willing to do as she asks. She’s grateful for it. However, her eldest isn’t as agreeable. Perhaps being close to ten, she’s just going through a face. She was a fussy baby, though, so something tells her she just takes too much after her father.

“Why do I have to go?” Hazel starts. “I’m old enough to make my own decisions.”

“Hazel,” she reproaches. “I don’t have time to find you a babysitter. Nanny and Pappy already agreed to take you somewhere fun.”

“Ugh,” she groans. “Whatever, mom.” Hazel storms off without another word. She frowns, watching her go. If only there was some way she could make both of them happy. She hadn’t lied, though; the trip for work was very sudden and she didn’t have time to look for a babysitter. It was only through luck that her parents had agreed to take them on vacation with them this year. Perhaps because they were both old enough not to need as much supervision and constant care.

With a sigh, she grabs her suitcase once more and climbs into the taxi. She really wishes she could have given Hazel a goodbye hug, but she knows her daughter well enough to know that wouldn’t have gone down easily. There would have been a lot of yelling and pushing, possibly some kicking. She really hopes Hazel doesn’t regret not saying goodbye.

The taxi drops her off outside the entrance of the airport. She takes her suitcase from the trunk before heading inside. The layout is huge, but everything is clearly marked and mapped. She has no issues finding the check-in for the airline. Finding the gate is even easier, since each gate is in a specific order. She sits down to wait for their boarding time, taking her phone out to make sure there are no calls or texts from her parents. Thankfully, there are none so everything must be alright.

She decides to look around the area from her seat, spotting several familiar faces in the seats around her. They all seem absorbed in their own activities, so she leaves them be. She was never really familiar with any of the other sidekicks, anyway. Being a single parent meant she didn’t have much time for get-togethers, so she was always turning down invites after patrols. They’re always friendly towards her, however, so she thinks they’re all on good terms. They probably understand her hesitance to leave her kids at home with the babysitter longer than needed.

After a while, it’s time to board the plane. It’s her first time flying since before Isaac was born, but she still remembers the drill. Show your boarding pass, get it scanned, find your seat. It’s very straightforward. Everything about the trip so far has been, which is something she’s grateful for. She’s not a huge fan of surprises. Never has been. Although she supposes Isaac and Hazel are two surprises she absolutely couldn’t live without.

Soon, the pre-flight announcements are beginning. She’s surprised to see no one in the seat beside her. It’s nearly a full plane, though she’s not going to complain. It just means she has more room to stretch out. She listens to the pre-flight announcements, turning off her phone as instructed. She takes her in-flight bag off the floor, putting it in the empty seat beside her. She couldn’t quite reach the overhead bin and had been too embarrassed to ask for help.

The plane takes off, bringing with it a slew of emotions. She’s excited to be going somewhere, even if it’s for work, but she’s going to miss her kids. Not being able to see them for an entire week? It’s an entirely new experience for her. She’s been home with them basically since they were each born. She’s been there to kiss ouchies better, to read them stories before bed, tuck them in with a kiss on their foreheads. She’s been there to wipe their tears, to make them smile and laugh. Being away from them will be a new experience for all of them, but at least they won’t be completely alone. She trusts her parents to take care of them, just like they cared for her as a child.

She takes comfort in that thought, relaxing back against the seat. She hadn’t realized how tense she’d been the whole time, but once she relaxes the soreness of her muscles makes itself known. She rubs at her thigh, trying to soothe some of the pain. It works, to some degree. She’ll just have to remind herself to relax and take something for the pain once the plane lands.

She rests her head against the headrest, closing her eyes. Nothing wrong with a nap on the flight. Just as long as the turbulence of landing wakes her, she’ll be fine. She feels herself slipping into unconsciousness….

The island is beyond anything she could have imagined. It’s lush and tropical, palm trees dotted everywhere. The air smells like salt from the sea, but somehow still refreshing compared to city air. Even the hotel is magnificent. There’s an indoor spa! She’s never stayed anywhere with its own spa.

They arrive late the first day, so they’re told to find their rooms and get settled in. They’ll receive instructions the next day, according to Burnin who is giving the orders. She wonders if Endeavor will show or if this whole event is being organized by Burnin. She’s certainly capable of doing it.

She spends the first night unpacking and familiarizing herself with the hotel. There’s so many extra amenities and she hopes she has time to try out some of them. She takes photos of the view from her hotel window, sending it to her parents so they can show Isaac and Hazel. When she’s finished exploring, she retires to her room and makes the promised call.

Everyone is doing great, of course. They also made it to their hotel, which Isaac excitedly informs her has an indoor pool. Hazel is much less talkative, but seems to be in high spirits even if she doesn’t outright say it. She’s glad they’re enjoying their trip so far and hopes they keep up the momentum. When they finish swapping stories, she wishes them goodnight and tells them she’ll talk more tomorrow.

The next day, they all have breakfast in the hotel’s café before convening outside. It’s more upscale dining than what she’d have expected. Once outside, Burnin gathers everyone close before speaking.

“Hello, everyone!” Her voice easily carries across the crowd. “I hope you’re ready for a fun week!”

There are cheers from the other sidekicks.

“Well, have I got a surprise for all of you.” She’s close enough to see Burnin grin. “There’s no agenda for this week, aside from getting out there and having fun together!”

No agenda? She’s a little surprised by that. She thought this was a mandatory team-building trip, not just a vacation. She feels conflicted. On one hand, she’s glad for the opportunity. On the other, she had fully expected the week to be planned out for her so now she’s at a loss.

What does one even do on vacation? It’s been eighteen years since she’s done anything by herself. Sure, she’s taken weekend trips with Hazel and Isaac but never alone. And never somewhere so opulent or tropical. She doesn’t know what to do with herself now.

“Now get out there and have fun!” She snaps back to reality at the sound of everyone’s cheers, before shuffling back inside the hotel. Whatever she wants to do, huh?

She changes into something more comfortable, having expected there to be training. Thankfully, she had thought ahead and packed extra clothes on the off-chance there was any free time. It looks like her foresight had come in handy, as she takes out her bathing suit and coverup. Nothing like a trip to the beach.

She’s surprised that there’s no rigorous training. Endeavor is known for running a tight ship, so this whole trip seems out of character. Then again, ever since his last major fight, something had changed. He’s still just as strict, but he seems almost approachable now. A little more lenient. She’s certainly not as terrified of being called to his office anymore.

She wonders if he’s come on this trip, as well, or if he’s staying back at the office. He could use the trip, she feels. He’s always working so hard. Besides, she swears she saw his youngest in the crowd. If his son is here, surely he would’ve come as well.

Someone clears their throat behind her and she startles, realizing she’s just been staring at the open elevator doors. She shakes her head, murmuring an apology, and enters the elevator. The figure behind her enters, as well, and as she turns her eyes go wide.

“Endeavor, sir,” she hurries to greets, giving a polite bow. “Thank you for this opportunity.”

He doesn’t say anything, just looks at her with a grimace. She wonders if she’s said something wrong before he grumbles something under his breath, inclining his head in acknowledgment. He doesn’t say anything else, but she’s shocked to see him. She wants to comment on it, but the elevator arrives at the ground floor before she can figure it out.

“Ah, Endeavor, sir,” she calls out without thinking.

“Please call me Enji.” She can’t help the eyebrow that raises. “We’re on vacation. I’m not your boss right now.”

“Of course, Enji, sir.” He doesn’t look pleased with the added ‘sir’ so she tries again. “Alright. Enji.” It feels awkward coming out of her mouth. He’s been her boss for the better part of a decade and never once called him by name.

He seems pleased by the amendment on her part, though it’s hard to tell with him. She shifts her weight from foot to foot, trying to figure out why she even called out to him. He waits, turquoise eyes trained on her.

“Would you like to come to the beach with me?” She almost smacks herself with how bold she’s being. Sure, he’s been nice to her over the past few months, but that doesn’t mean he wants to be friendly.

He looks just as surprised by the offer, one eyebrow raised. She purses her lips to keep from saying anything more, waiting on an answer. Her heart pounds in her chest. Finally, he speaks.

“You’re going to the beach?” She nods. “I’ll accompany you. I was headed there regardless.”

She takes in his appearance for the first time, noting the swim shorts. He’s wearing a white t-shirt, a towel slung over his shoulders. She nods to show she understands, eyes moving back up his hulking frame, to find his eyes also looking over her.

Had she just been caught checking out her boss?

Had she just caught her boss checking her out?

The thought brings warmth to her cheeks. She ducks her head down, though she’s sure he’s already seen her blush. She decides to take the lead, brushing past him towards the door. She can feel him follow, after a few tense seconds.

She feels a little silly. She’s too old to be checking out other men, let alone her boss. It doesn’t matter if he’s older; he has his own family. She knows he has at least three kids, though she’s never heard about their mother. He has to be married, though. There’s no way a man like him hasn’t been snatched up.

She tries to push those thoughts aside, instead focusing on walking down to the beach. It’s not far from the hotel; might as well consider it the backyard. The closer they get, the more of the ocean she can smell. She’s not sure it’s an entirely pleasant scent.

There isn’t much in the way of conversation. For her, it’s just too awkward to start one and he’s not exactly known for being chatty. She’s sure he doesn’t find it awkward at all, the silence. But she does.

As she scrambles to come up with something to say, they finally arrive at the beach. There’s a few others on the beach, rainbow color of towels spread along the sand. She tries to find a spot some distance from the main crowd, not wanting to interrupt or intrude.

She expects him to part once they reach the beach, but he keeps pace with her easily. She did invite him to come with, but she hadn’t actually expected him to follow through. Sure, they talk at work about work. But conversations about patrols are entirely different from conversations about life and the weather.

They lay their towels out, red and blue side by side. It’s a little closer than she’d been expecting, but still a respectable distance apart. She hesitates a brief moment before pulling her coverup off, folding it and setting it aside. She has nothing to be embarrassed about.

Hero work has been good to her. Even after two kids, her physique is still desirable. She’s not exactly slim, but she’s muscular enough to hide the chub from two kids. She has very few major scars, the most notable being the faded white scar on her right leg from a piece of metal out of a falling building. She’s lucky it didn’t take her entire leg.

“I’m going to swim,” she announces to her company. He inclines his head, again not saying anything. She leaves him where he’s reclining on his towel, heading down to the water.

She feels more comfortable in the water. It’s cool and refreshing, compared to the sticky heat on the beach. She takes her time in the water, swimming around and floating. She even rides a few waves to the shore before swimming back out. When she’s had enough, she returns to her towel.

Endeavor—Enji, she corrects herself. He’s still laid out on his towel, but his eyes open when he hears her approach. She flops down onto her towel, feeling energized after her swim. She turns her head to face Enji, having felt his eyes on her.

He’s wearing an inscrutable expression. He’s not exactly easy to read, but it looks as if he’s taking extra care not to express any emotion. She offers him a smile, not sure what to do or say. He doesn’t return it, but he does finally look away.

She peers up at the clear blue sky, wondering what kind of exchange that was. She rests her arms behind her head, closing her eyes. It’s a vacation. She’s going to get in as many naps as possible….

She wakes sometimes later, having been shaken awake. She blinks a few times to clear the sleep from her vision.

“The tide is coming in,” Enji tells her. She nods to show her understanding before sitting up. She stretches with a yawn. “Dinner?”

She’s not sure if it’s a question or a demand.

“Sure,” she agrees. “I could go for something to eat.” She stands, grabbing her towel. She shakes off as much sand as possible before slipping her coverup back on.

“We should change at the hotel,” he says.

“Good idea.” She looks down at herself. “A quick shower might be good, too.” She gives him a crooked smile. He nods and she swears she sees the ghost of a smile on his lips.

She feels significantly less uncomfortable on the walk back, perhaps because he’s actually not that scary. He’s just not very talkative. And if she doesn’t think about how he’s her boss, it’s almost like hanging out with a friend. A very new friend. Okay, maybe it’s still a little awkward.

Dinner is a quick and quiet affair. He doesn’t say much and she isn’t sure what to say. When they finish, they bid each other a good night and go their separate ways. She takes the time to call her parents so she can speak with Isaac and Hazel. They tell her all about their trip so far and she shares hers.

“You spoke with Mr. Endeavor?” Isaac seems in awe.

“Yeah, sweetie. I spoke with Mr. Endeavor.”

“Can you get his autograph for me?” She can hear the excitement in his voice.

“His autograph?” She repeats.

“Yes!” Isaac is definitely bouncing on the other end. “I saw him on the TV! He’s my new favorite Hero!” She chuckles.

“Sure thing, sweetie. I’ll get his autograph for you.” It shouldn’t be too difficult. He is her boss and she’s sure he’s used to being asked for it.

“You’re the best, Mommy!” She smiles at that.

“Love you, too, sweetie.”

“Okay, I’m gonna give the phone to Hazel now.” There’s a shuffling noise before she hears Hazel’s voice.

“How are things going, Mom?”

“They’re going well,” she answers. “How are you doing?”

“It’s okay.” She hears Hazel shrug. “Nanny took me to the museum, so I guess it’s alright.”

“The museum?” She prompts. “Which one?”

“The Hero Museum,” there’s a smile in her voice. “It was pretty cool.”

“I’m glad you enjoyed yourself.” She really is. Hazel is a difficult child sometimes, but her interests aren’t outside the realm of any other ten-year-old. “I love you, sweetheart.”

“Love you too, Mom,” Hazel huffs. “I’m giving you back to Nanny now.” More noise as the phone is swapped to another.

She talks to her mom for a few more minutes, just to be sure the kids are behaving. Her mom assures her that everything is fine and to enjoy her own vacation.

The next day is spent much the same: at the beach with her boss. Enji. She keeps having to remind herself. She does manage to get his autograph, explaining it’s for her youngest. He asks about him, and she’s more than happy to talk about her kids.

He speaks about his own children, much older than her own, but there’s pride in his voice as he speaks about them. She can’t help but smile, her laughter coming freely when he tells embarrassing stories about them. It feels like she’s getting to know him and she can’t help but like what she’s seeing.

It’s hard not to find him physically attractive, but she’s old enough to not be distracted by a pretty body. She’s worked for his agency for nearly ten years; she’s long gotten used to the way he looks. But something about their conversations has her reassessing him.

The third day on the island, something feels different between them. He feels warmer, somehow. It isn’t exactly anything particular he does. It’s in the way they lean towards each other when they speak, the way they keep bumping into each other, the way they keep finding ways to spend time together. It’s a combination of all these things that has her heart pounding when she sees him.

She decides to make a move. Either he ignores it or he reciprocates. Either way, there’s no harm done. They’re on vacation. Perhaps she’s feeling a little risky because of it. Away from work, away from her kids, she’s feeling a little more brave than usual.

It’s been years since she last was with anyone. After Isaac’s father left, she swore off dating and catching feelings in general. It was just too much of a hassle. Why now, after all these years, she isn’t sure. Something about it just feels different. Feels right.

They go out for dinner as usual, but she invites him to the hotel bar afterwards. She doesn’t fully expect him to agree, so when he does she’s feeling more confident. They sit next to each other at the near empty hotel bar, drinks in hand.

When she makes a joke, laughing at it while he gives a slight grin, she reaches out to put her hand on his arm. He looks surprised by it at first, eyes going slightly wider. She wonders for a brief moment if she’s overstepped, pulling her hand back, but he quickly grabs it before she can withdraw.

They stare at one another, neither saying anything. It’s like he’s waiting for a signal. She nods. He moves into action, pulling her up from her seat. He keeps their fingers entwined, tugging her along to the elevator.

It’s actually happening, she realizes, as she leads him to her hotel room. She didn’t think this would ever actually happen.

He presses her against the hotel door, mouth hot and heavy on hers. She grasps at his arms, his shirt, anything she can reach to keep herself afloat. She’s quickly giving in, sinking further into his desires. She doesn’t think she wants to fight them anymore.

His mouth moves down to her neck, biting and kissing. She can’t help the sounds spilling from her and just hopes no one in the rooms around can hear her. His hands—big, so big—tug at her dress until she’s slipping the straps from her shoulders and letting it fall to the ground.

His bright turquoise eyes stare at her, wearing nothing more than a pair of lacy underwear. She feels intimidated by that heavy gaze, feels the urge to cover herself.

“Don’t,” he growls as he grabs her hands, pulling them away. “Let me see you.”

She lets her hands fall to the side, trying not to feel so self-conscious. She tries not to think of all the stretch marks across her belly and thighs, on the tops of her breasts. She tries to remind herself that they wouldn’t be here if he didn’t see something desirable about her body.

“Beautiful,” he murmurs, cupping a breast. It fits perfectly in his hand, his thumb rubbing circles against her nipple. She squirms, a moan slipping from her parted lips.

“You too,” she tosses back. “I want to see you, too.” He grins, something crooked and slightly menacing. But he pulls away from her, tugging off his shirt and shorts. She reaches for the last piece separating them from each other, pulling them down.

She can’t help but stare. She knew he was a large man, but it couldn’t have prepared her for how proportionate that made him. Long and thick, red at the head. She wraps her hand around him as best she can, giving a few short tugs, and hears him groan. Will it even fit?

She doesn’t have much more room for thought as he pulls her in for another kiss, tugging her towards the bed. She goes willingly, wanting nothing more than to feel him against her. He nibbles at her bottom lip and she licks at his; soon their tongues tangle together. It’s been so long since she’s been with anyone like this. She hopes she can make it as good for him as it feels for her.

She lays on the bed, situating herself against the pillows. She beckons him, wanting to close the distance between them. He lays himself atop her, balanced by his hands on either side of her hips. He kisses her, sweeter this time. Not as desperate.

He kisses a path down her neck, across her shoulder, before dipping to take a nipple into his mouth. She shudders, pleasure welling within her. She runs a hand through his hair, red strands tickling between her fingers. He hums, licking and sucking her nipples.

“Enji,” she whines, pushing on his head. He chuckles, moving lower. He plants kisses across her stomach, still a little pudgy from her last pregnancy nearly eight years ago. She feels self-conscious about it, but the way he worships her body makes it a little better.

Finally, he’s exactly where she wants him. He wastes no time, diving right into his task. Her head knocks against the headboard, but the brief bloom of pain is nothing compared to the sensation between her legs.

He eats her out like a man starved. A little uncoordinated, but enthusiastic. His tongue circles her clit before flicking it, a single thick finger toying with her hole. She grips the blankets beneath them, unable to stop the noises slipping out of her kiss-swollen lips.

He slips a single finger in finally. It’s as thick as two of her own, but she knows she’s going to need the preparation if he’s going inside of her. She squirms, wanting to clamp her legs shut, but his shoulders keep her spread. She has no choice but to give in to the onslaught of sensations.

And give in she does. Head thrown back, mouth open and spilling profanity with his name mixed in. She couldn’t keep quiet if she wanted to and she can tell he definitely doesn’t want her to keep quiet. That single finger pumps in and out, stretching her, before he adds a second.

It’s almost too much, but she forces her body to relax. She’s soaking, giving him plenty to work with. His spit and her fluids ease the way for that second finger. She moans, pressing down against him. She feels his laughter, a gentle vibration through her cunt.

“Please,” she begs. “Want you inside.”

She’s ready for it. She can handle it. He pulls off, looking up at her, and she can’t help but flush at the sight of him. His chin is wet with her juices, his lips swollen. He shifts up, towering above her, and reaches down to line himself up.

Her mouth opens on a silent moan as he pushes in, stretching her beyond what she thought she was capable of. It’s painful at first, but as she has time to adjust it morphs into pleasure.

“Finally,” his voice rumbles through her. “Been wanting to do this.”

She whines, pushing her hips down and against him. She needs him to move already. It’s been ages since she last got fucked and she’s eager for it. She wants him to pound her into the mattress until she forgets who she is.

He delivers on those fantasies. He fucks into her roughly and with abandon, until she’s moaning his name and his name only. He shoves two of his fingers into her mouth and she sucks on them, drool seeping from the corner of her mouth. She doesn’t even care, too busy with the feel of him.

She doesn’t even care anymore when things changed between them. The only thing she cares about in that moment is coming around his cock. She can worry about feelings and emotions later. Right now, she’s only focused on reaching that high.

He reaches between them to roll his thumb against her clit and she can feel her eyes roll to the back of her head. Just a few circles and she’s cumming hard around his cock. He fucks her through it, fingers shoved deep in her mouth.

When she comes down, she takes a moment to appreciate the fucked out look on his face. The squinting of his eyes as he concentrates, the sweat beading on his temples, and the slack-jawed grunts and groans spilling from his lips.

“Inside,” she tells him. “Come inside me.” It’s a risky request, but she wants it. He does, too, judging by the way his thrusts speed up until he growls and spills inside of her.

When he pulls up, she feels his semen trickle down the inside of her thighs. He collapses onto the bed beside her, but searches for her hand among the sheets. He laces their fingers together and she smiles up at the ceiling.

The mood is ruined by the sound of her ringtone, however. She’s tempted not to answer, but it might be her parents calling about the kids. With a sigh and a silent promise to return, she gets out of the bed to answer.

“Mommy!” Her son, Isaac, shouts from the other side. “Are you coming home yet?”

“Not yet, sweetie,” she laughs. “In a few more days.”

“Awww,” he pouts. “You’re with Mr. Endeavor, right, mommy?”

“Yeah,” her voice is soft with affection as she gazes towards the bed, where Enji is lounging.

“Did you get his autograph for me?” She chuckles, but confirms she did.. “Yay! You’re the best, mommy!”

Isaac hands the phone off to her mother, who updates her on her eldest who refuses to come to the phone. It’s just like Hazel to be so stubborn. They’re doing fine, her mother assures her, and tells her to enjoy her only vacation in eight years. She just laughs, but promises to have as much fun as possible.

When she’s finished, she sets her phone back down on the desk and wanders back to the bed. Enji greets her with open arms and she rests her head on his chest. She listens to his heartbeat, letting it lull her to sleep.

Best getaway ever, is her final thought before she falls asleep.

#🖖🏻.writes #bnha #endeavor x oc

[desertno3]

Memories (John Shelby x female!reader)

You finally tell your granddaughter about John.

1300 words. Angst.

“Thank you, darling,” You say as your granddaughter takes the stack of plates from your hands and starts setting them down on your long dining table.

You had invited everyone over for a family dinner and she’d insisted on coming over early to help you set up. It was becoming a rare occasion, having everyone under the same roof. Your kids and your grandkids were getting older and, as a result, were a lot busier these days.

“How’s work, love?”

“Fucking awful,” Your granddaughter replies with a grimace. “The head of my department is still a bitch. I got in trouble last week for talking back to her but I’ll tell you what, she deserved it!”

You know you shouldn’t encourage her behaviour but you can’t help but chuckle at her tenaciousness.

“I know she’s horrible, darling, but be careful,” You tell her. “You talk back to her one more time and you might be out of a job.”

She shakes her head, “Not gonna happen, nan. She knows she can’t fire me, I’m the best bookkeeper they’ve got.”

There’s a certain look in her eye when she says it, one that looks so familiar it makes you smile wistfully as you lay out the cutlery.

“You are too much like your granddad, you know that?”

She stops what she’s doing and looks at you curiously. “Really?”

You hum in confirmation. Out of your seven kids and your countless grandsons and granddaughters, she was the one who had your John’s personality to a tee.

"What was he like?"

It takes her a few moments to ask you that, unsure if it was a question that was okay to ask. For as long as she could remember, John - her grandfather on her mother’s side - was rarely spoken of and she never knew why. It had always been a thing of mystery to her and her cousins - even now as grown adults. They’d never even seen any photos of him let alone his side of the family. You'd left it all behind in a whirlwind of anger and pain on the day of his funeral.

You pause for a second after she asks you that, hesitating to answer. It was true that you never spoke much about John. There wasn't a day that went by where you didn't think about him but talking about him usually stirred up emotions that felt much too raw for something that happened to you decades ago.

For such a long time after John died, you were determined not to dwell on it - if not for your own sanity, then for your children. With one parent gone, you knew you had to be there for them, to be present, and so it was just easier to not talk about it. But they were grown now, old enough to have their own children, and your heart breaks when you realise your grandkids had grown up without much knowledge of the man you loved with your entire heart.

"He was cocky." You don’t know why that’s the first thing that comes to mind, but it is. "Maybe too much for his own good."

Your granddaughter raises an eyebrow, noting the fond smile on your face.

"Something tells me you didn't mind that much," She teases and you laugh.

“You’re right, I didn’t. I loved him very much. He was charming and just… God, he was lovely. Stubborn, just like you, but he was sweet when he wanted to be.”

"Can I ask what happened to him?"

She’d always wondered. The first and only time she’d asked her mother about it, she simply said he was shot and that was that. She knew, though, from the look on her mother’s face that there was more to it. But there was something about that look that made her never dare ask again.

When you fall silent, she starts backtracking.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

“No, it’s okay,” You say, shaking your head. “You should know. He died in nineteen twenty-five. You see, he and his family… they were involved with a lot of people they should have never gotten involved with and he paid the price for it. Gunned down outside our own house on Christmas morning, right in front of me. He took about a dozen bullets... right through his chest.”

"God,” She whispers. “That’s horrible."

“I’m surprised your mum never told you about it.” You say to her, curious, because it wasn’t ever like what happened to John was to be kept a secret.

“I don’t think she likes talking about it.”

Oh. You feel a wave of sadness wash over you when she tells you that. Her mother - your’s and John’s eldest - was the only one of your seven who saw the gruesome aftermath of the shooting. She’d heard the commotion outside, heard her father’s voice yell out. She was the one who had corralled her siblings to the other side of the house right after the shots had rung out, making sure they didn’t have to see what she’d just seen - their father’s lifeless body bleeding out on the pavement.

“I don’t suppose she would,” You sigh. “She saw it all happen and it wasn’t a pretty sight. She was only a kid.”

You knew there was nothing you could have done in the moment to change how things unfolded but you did wish you could have somehow prevented her from seeing that. You remember the way she was afterwards. It was like the remaining years of her childhood were taken from her the moment her father was. She’d grown up quickly, stepping up to help you with the littler ones now that you didn’t have John around. You would see her trying to be strong, focusing on being there for her siblings, but then at night she’d crawl into your embrace and cry into your chest. And you’d hold her and cry, too.

“I’m sorry I brought it up,” Your granddaughter says sincerely, placing a hand on top of yours. She hated seeing you so forlorn.

You give her a grateful smile, moving to tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear. “Don’t be sorry, love. You deserve to know more about your own grandfather. I’m sorry I haven’t told you much about him over the years.”

“It’s understandable, nan. I… I can’t imagine what it must be like to lose someone like that,” She says softly. “Do you still miss him?”

You nod. “Always." ~

Later that night, after everyone had gone home, you rummage through your bedroom closet until you find a small wooden box - one you hadn’t touched in years.

You smile sadly when you open it to find an array of belongings nestled inside - your wedding ring, John’s rings, drawings and knick-knacks from when the kids were younger, and, finally, a small, framed portrait of John. The only photo you had left of him.

You take it out and lightly run your finger over his photographed face, looking as young as the day you last saw him.

Earlier, during dinner, you couldn’t help but look at all your children and all your grandchildren gathered together under one roof and think about how you wished John were alive to see the sight. It was the first time in a long time that you’d let yourself entertain that train of thought. You wanted him there, beside you, so you could turn to him with an awed smile on your face and say, Look what we made, John. An entire family and then some. He would have loved them all. That, you knew for sure.

Unshed tears stinging your eyes, you press your lips to the portrait before placing it back in its box.

“I’ll see you soon, love.”

#I may or may not have cried multiple times while writing this #and again while proofreading it #john shelby x reader #peaky blinders x reader #john shelby imagine #john shelby one shot #peaky blinders imagine #peaky blinders one shot #*writing #john shelby #peaky blinders

[xylem-sap]

Hcs for everyone realized their gifts in Encanto

(in timeline order)

Juileta: honeslty one of the hardest gifts to figure out, but one of the parts about the door is that it shows the gift to some extent, so I think they would have seen the food and herbs and rushed her to the kitchen. The first thing she made was simple and they had some people try it, and someone said their headache went away. The whole thing would have been really confusing cause she was the first one to get a gift and it was hard to figure it out

Pepa: she would have been next and like 10 mins after Juileta cause it took a while to figure out her hermana mayor's (older sister's) gift. Naturally she was a little annoyed, but as we know Pepa never feels things halfway, so the second the door appears a raincloud also appeared with it, Alma was grateful that was an easier gift to figure out, but concerned that there was now a raincloud in Casita

Bruno: I personally think he got a mini vision (not smth that required any focus) but he got a vision and his eyes flashed green and he told his mamá what he saw and not two seconds later it happened (Pepa tripped and caused thunder, exactly like Bruno predicted)

As for knowing how to do bigger visions, I think once his door appeared he just knew, kinda like how Camilo, later, would have just knew how to shape shift (that doesn't apply to Juileta, her cooking skills improved rápidamente (rapidly) but she still had to learn), but instead of it just popping in his head it was more like muscle memory so he had to know what his gift was first

--

Now the grandkids

(Note that unlike Camilo and Mirabel, Isabela and Dolores have no way of telling which is older so I'm using my hc)

--

Isabela: she is up next, she seems like she would be the eldest grandchild because being the eldest tends to mean you have a great deal of pressure on you, she is pressured the most even to the point of being pressured to marry while no one has mentioned anything like that to Dolores

I think that as Isabela touched the door she sensed her parents, the village, and even her Abuela's excitement. At 5 she didn't feel any pressure and was just happy, and her gift reflected that, she created a crown of roses on her head and so so excited that she covered the rails of the stairs in them (she only thought she could create roses and other pretty flowers until the cactus is because from the seocnd she got her gift that was all she made)

Dolores: I think Isabela and Dolores are around 8ish months apart, Isabela doesn't necessarily overshadow her, but they don't seem all that close

When it came time for Dolores's gift I think the door would have showed upa dne everyone would have clapped and cheered and it would have been really loud for her and she would have freaked out and covered her ears and Pepa was freaking out cause her hija (daughter) was screaming at the sound, and Félix was definitely shushing everyone

Luisa: Her's is like her mamá's because without her door it wouldn't be very obvious, but I hc that she was a big hugger as a kid, and as soon as her door appeared she just hugged the person closest to her (probably Alma) and they were all surprised when a 5 year old was able to pick up her Abuela in a bear hug (this one's really wholesome and I like it lol)

Camilo: His would have been one of the easier ones imo, we know he shapeshifts involuntarily when he feels strong emotion and the he shapeshifts to are people are related, so that would have happened. He probably thinking about his Abuela, maybe his Tío Bruno, Mirabel, and his parents, so it's easy to believe that the second his hand touched the door handle he switched between all of them, ending on Abuela, until he looked down at his hands, was shocked then changed back to himself (Alma almost fainted brcuase it was so quick and unexpected)

For Mirabel and Antonio, we know how theirs went

#Sorry for the random Spanish #My brain thinks in like 25% Spanish so I jsut went with it #encanto #Juileta Madrigal #pepa madrigal #bruno madrigal #isabela madrigal #dolores madrigal #luisa madrigal #camilo madrigal #mirabel madrigal #antonio madrigal #alma madrigal #encanto abuela #Thst was a lot to tag wow

[thegreatestofheck]

warm //Fred Weasley\\

warnings - mentions of death, angst and a lot of it, really like there is nothing here except angst and also Fred dies again. also, I didn’t edit this.  synopsis - you and your husband survive the second wizarding war, but so do some of Voldemort’s old followers, and they are hell bent on revenge.  pairings - muggle!reader x Fred Weasley a/n - so this is based on a dream I had a long while ago and I just needed to get off my chest. I hope y’all enjoy it. Also, sorry, I’m not british and it feels weird typing Mum and not being british so I just used Mom. I apologize. And yes, the first part of this was an actual dream that I had once and it absolutely broke me to pieces. So, here I am sharing it with you so that you can all cry too. You’re welcome. 

~~~

You had spent many Christmases with the Weasleys, but this was your first Christmas celebrating as a Weasley. 

You twisted the simple copper bands around your fingers, as you always did when you were nervous. Fred Weasley, your husband, reached out to take your hand without even looking at your fidgetiness. He knw you well enough to know when you were nervous. 

“You already know everyone here,” he said in a low whisper. “There’s no need to be afraid.” 

“I’m not scared of your family!” You told him quietly with a smile before placing your other hand gently over your stomach. “I’m just...nervous about telling them.”

Fred looked over at you as if suddenly remembering that you were expecting your first kid, who would be the second of Molly and Arthur’s grandkids, right after Victoire. He smiled at you and then smiled down at your hand. 

“George and Angelina already know, what’s the difference from telling everyone else?” 

“Well, let’s think,” you hummed sarcastically, tapping your free hand against your chin. “Oh, right, there’s like a million people in your family and I have a paralyzing fear of public speaking.” 

Fred laughed and it sent your stomach rolling like it always did. Your dad had warned you about what would happen after your honeymoon period had ended, how the butterflies might go away, but it had been almost a year and every time Fred smiled, your entire body still burst with joy at the sight of it. 

“We’ll just go in and figure it out from there, yeah?” He said, with a side smile and his never fading confidence. You squeezed his hand and smiled back. 

“Yeah.” 

You sucked in one last calming breath as Fred lifted his hand to knock on the wooden door. It was your final chance at peace before the world decsended into the chaos that was the Weasley-Potter-Granger-Johnson-Delacour-y/l/n family. 

Arthur opened the door and barely had time to recognize that it was you and Fred before Molly let out a cry of joy and ran to greet you. 

“My dear y/n!” Molly Weasley wrapped you in a tight hug. “How are you? How was Spain? Didn’t run into any trouble I hope?” 

“Mom!” Ginny laughed, pulling her mother away from you. “Merlin’s Beard, let her breathe!” 

“Hey, Gin,” you whispered as she pulled you in for a short squeeze. 

“Hey, sis.” 

Ginny escorted you to the dining room where the others were waiting eagerly to greet you. George and Angelina stood back, watching you and Fred with knowing smiles. Hermione let out a squeal of excitement at the sight of you, tossing Ron’s arm from around her shoulders so she could run to embrace you. 

Throwing her arms around your neck almost threw you off balance, but Fred was right behind you to keep you steady. 

“The house looks amazing,” you said Hermione pulled away. You looked up at the tall ceilings, the crooked paintings on the wall, the charmed knitting needles doing their own thing in a vacant chair. “Just like it always has been.” 

Fred snaked an arm around your waist, but not before Hermione and Ginny pulled you away to chat. 

“And who is this lovely lady?” Fred asked, walking over to a brunette standing beside Percy. The girl blushed and extended a hand. 

“This is my friend, Aubrey,” Percy told, the same level of sobriety as always. 

“Friend,” Ginny mouthed to you with air quotes. You laughed, just as easily as you always had. 

“Are Bill and Fleur here yet?” You asked. “I haven’t had the chance to get my hands on that baby of theirs.” 

“Not yet,” Angelina said as she walked over to join the group of girls. You could see the smirk on her face as she settled in beside you near the fireplace. “You’re going to have to forcibly take Victoire from Bill. He doesn’t like to let her go.” 

“She’s gonna be a daddy’s girl I see,” you teased and the girl’s laughed. 

“If Bill has anything to say about it,” Ginny added. 

Fred and George fell quickly back into their usual antics, leaving you and Angelina to watch with amused smiles from the side. 

“So,” you said quietly once the two of you were alone. “When is he asking?” 

Angelina sighed. 

“He refuses to tell me. Said something about waiting for the right moment.” You rolled your eyes. Fred had said the same thing. “Have you seen the ring?” 

“Oh, definitely.”

“What does it look like?” 

“I can’t tell you, Ang! It’s a surprise!” 

Angelina nudged you gently with her elbow, but not too hard. 

“Have you told your parents about...?” She nodded down to your stomach, sure to keep her voice low. 

“Of course I did,” you said. “My mom is just excited that her little girl’s all grown up and my dad is hoping for another magical baby.” 

“Right. How is your sister doing?” 

“She’s good. Out there living her best magical life.” There was only the faintest trace of bitterness in your voice. 

Both of your parents were muggles. Your sister ended up being a witch, but you, unfortunately, did not. Still, you and your family had always been exposed to magic, having been family friend’s with Angelina and the rest of the Johnson’s for almost your entire life. It was Angelina who introduced you to the twins when you were nine, Angelina who forced all three of you to hang out until the twins actually started to like you, Angelina who convinced Fred to ask you out, and so, naturally, it was Angelina (and George) who was that first to know about your baby. 

“Have you picked out any names yet?” Angelina asked, leaning in even closer. Your eyes sparkled as you looked at her, the very subject making nearly burst with joy. You wanted to tell her, oh how you wanted to tell her, but you and Fred had promised to keep it a secret, even from Angelina and George. 

“I can’t say just yet,” you replied. Angelina raised an eyebrow. 

Not much later, Bill and Fleur arrived, baby Victoire in her daddy’s arms. You nearly jumped out of your seat with excitement. Bill took one look at your face and nearly hid Victoire behind his wife, who simply laughed. After another long round of greetings, Arthur finally called everyone to the table. 

“Our family grows every year,” he said, his eyes beginning to swim with tears. “Each and every one of us has lived through the unimaginable.” 

You shifted uncomfortably in your seat, knowing that everyone around you had fought in a war that you didn’t even know was going on. Once again, Fred reached out to grab your hand under the table without even looking at you. 

“I am so proud to get to call you my family,” Arthur said, choking up even more. Molly reached up a shaking hand and placed it over his. He looked down at her and she smiled. You pictured yourself there one day, surrounded by an enormous family, full of joy and happiness and memories despite all the pain the world would inevitably throw your way. You looked over at Fred and gave his hand a gentle squeeze. 

“We have an announcement,” you said suddenly, smiling as you stood. Angelina immediately blossomed into a grin, while Fred turned white. You looked around at all the expectant faces watching you. 

Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived. His lightning bolt scar had begun to fade in the last year and a half since the Dark Lord was defeated. His glasses were almost always broken, but Hermione had taught Ginny the spell to fix it. 

Ron Weasley. No longer was he Harry’s best friend or the last of the Weasley boys. He had made a name for himself. Hunting down dark wizards to every corner of the world, the world was safer with him in it. 

Hermione Granger, on her way to becoming the first, and youngest, female Minister of Magic. With all her studying and hard work and dedication, she never lost that childlike twinkle in her eye. 

Ginny Weasley, chaser for the Holyhead Harpies. No one could beat her. With an iron grit and nerves of steel, no one could stare her down and make it out on the other side. Yet she was still the kindest person you knew. 

Fleur Weasley, a kind and loving woman, despite all the pain she suffered. 

Angelina Johnson, a wickedly talented witch and the best friend a girl could ask for. 

Percy Weasley, a pain in the arse, but the constant voice of reason. 

Bill Weasley, always find the best in every situation, even when things are the most dire. 

George Weasley, who never had an end to all the jokes and smiles, even in the darkest of times. 

Molly Weasley, who gave everything she had to her kids and kept on giving. 

Arthur Weasley, who’s courage and loyalty to his family kept them all alive for this long. 

Aubrey....well, you didn’t know her that well, but she had a kind smile and a wicked sense of fashion. 

And Fred, your Freddie, who made you laugh even when you wanted to cry, who held your hair back as you violently vomited in the toilet, who would build forts with you in your tiny loft and remind you to water your plants and feed the cat, who was more than willing to give up his joke shop and travel the world with you if that was what you wanted. Your solid rock, your standing place, your hope when the world was nothing but bleak. Your everything. 

You looked at each one of their faces and remembered how much you loved them and how grateful you were to have them in your life. And you couldn’t hold your secret in any longer. 

“Fred and I are-”

The wall beside you exploded into a million pieces, sending you flying forward. You barely heard Fred scream your name over the sounds of the others shrieking and the ringing in your ears. 

You hit the stone ground hard, the air squeezing painfully from your lungs. Your squeezed your eyes shut, praying for the high pitched squeal in your ears to fade. Once it had, all you were left with was screaming. Your eyes refused to open quickly. All you could do was blink. Dust and ash floated around your vision. Bursts of blue and green and red light flew across the room before you could even recognize it. 

“Ang!” You heard a voice cry. 

“Here!” Someone replied. 

You stood as quickly as your trembling legs allowed you to, pulling yourself by the fireplace mantel. All around you, more spells were shot back and forth through the house. You pressed yourself as tightly against the wall as you could manage, hoping to not get hit by anything stray. 

“Aubrey!” Percy shouted, grabbing hold of her wrist from between the legs of a fallen chair. 

“Go!” Arthur shouted over the cackling of the intruders and the shattering of picture frames. “We’ll find you. Just go!” 

With a hiss and a pop, Percy and Aubrey disappeared from your sight. You wished you could Apparate now. But you wouldn’t leave until you found Fred.

Taking in a deep breath as if diving under water, you ducked and rolled into the fireplace where you were hoping it would be a little more safe. 

You searched through the chaos with your eyes, afraid to move from your spot, for any sign of your husband. Your heart soared as you thought you saw him, only to realize that it was George pulling Angelina into a tight hug before following in Percy’s footsteps. 

You met Angelina’s gaze just before George Apparated them away, her eyes going wide and her lips just beginning to form the shape of your name. Your heart jumped into your throat. 

“y/n!” You heard a familiar voice call. 

“I’m here!” You weren’t sure how far your voice carried over the sound of mini explosions, or if it was even safe to give away your position at all, but anything was better right now than being alone. 

Your heart pounded in your ears as you scanned the dining room for any sign of him, but the dust and the smoke was filling the room rather quickly and it was becoming difficult to see. You could hear someone screaming and for a moment you feared it was Victoire. 

The screaming became too much and you covered your ears with your hands, only to discover that it had been you that was screaming, not anyone else. Your voice echoed through the fireplace. 

Finally, through the haze Fred came barreling through. You let out a cry of joy, lurching forward at the sight of him, leaving the safety of your hiding place.. 

“Avada-” 

You reached forward with all your might, seeing a smile on his face as he reached out to grab hold of your arm. As soon as his skin met yours, there was a shout from someone else, almost like a warning cry, and your stomach lurched, the familiar feeling of Apparating. 

You squeezed your eyes tight, not wanting to watch the world spin out of control around you while you were taken to wherever it was the Fred wanted you to go. You thought of your trip to Spain, of the beautiful countryside where there was no one for miles. In the sleepless nights since you had returned and through the bouts of horrible morning sickness, that countryside was peaceful enough to calm you down. 

So, when the spinning sensation stopped and you finally opened your eyes, you were surprised to find yourself standing on those same countryside. Fred quickly pulled his hand from yours as he landed. Before you could even question why he brought you both here, your stomach churned again, but this time, it wasn’t magic. Your baby heavily disagreed with your husband’s quick way of travelling. 

After emptying your guts into the grass, you straightened and looked up at the blue sky. 

“It’s still so beautiful here, Freddie,” you said, letting your eyes close as the gentle breeze blew through your hair. “But why bring us here? Why not somewhere-”

Your heart dropped into your stomach as you turned around to face him. 

He lay on his back, arms out beside him as he stared up at the beautiful sky above him. Only, he wasn’t staring. His eyes weren’t seeing at all. 

“Freddie?” 

You walked over to him, your heart roaring to life, beating so wildly in your chest, you feared you might explode. 

Dropping to the ground beside him, you fought back the water that was rapidly obscuring your vision. 

“Freddie.” You reached out to take his hand, only to find him cold as stone. A horrified gasped came from your mouth. Nothing about Fred had ever been cold. He was light and life and everything warm under the sun. His soul burned like a thousand infernos, heating everything in his wake. His heart was a million suns beating in unison, to the same rhythm as yours. Nothing about Fred was ever cold. 

Except, now his hands. Now the distant, glazed over look in his eyes. Now the ghost of his last smile etched onto his lips. 

Leaning over him, you could have sworn you saw a flash of green reflected in those beautiful brown eyes of his and your mouth fell open in shock. 

“Freddie!” You cried, suddenly realizing what exactly had happened. “Fred!” 

You took his cold hand in yours, bringing it to your lips. You breathed against his knuckles, hoping to give him some of the warmth that you had left in you. 

“Come on,” you whispered, letting his hand fall into your lap as you placed your own hands on his face. “Come on, breathe!” 

Your lower jaw began to quiver as tears started to drip down your cheeks. 

“You can’t leave me yet,” you whispered to him, curling your body over his. You tucked one arm under his neck, pulling him into your lap. His eyes still did not move and his ghostly smile never wavered. “Don’t leave us.” 

But his body was still cold and growing colder with every passing second. 

“Help.” Your voice broke, your words drowned out by your owns tears. “Somebody, please, help us.” 

Even if you could get your voice above a whisper, there would be no one for miles. This was the place you had wanted to go, the place where you and Fred could be alone and safe from the wizards in the dark cloaks. You had brought the yourself here because Fred didn’t leave his house alive. 

Leaning down and pressing your forehead to his chest, you let out a sob and then another one, your fingers curling around his Weasley jumper. The golden ‘G’ darkened from your tears until the entire thing was soaked through. 

“I can’t do this alone,” you said, finally lifting your head to look at his face. 

“You’re not alone,” whispered the wind. You gasped and sat up straighter, looking around for the voice. There was no one in sight. “I’m right here.”

“Freddie?” You asked, barely trusting the word that left your lips. The wind was silent. You looked back down at Fred, at Fred’s body, and tightened your jaw. You brushed away what remained of your tears. 

“I’m getting us home,” you promised him, lifting your hand to shut his eyes. “Just you wait, I’m getting us home.” 

~~~

You looked up at the Burrow. Once again, the windows were shattered, the door was broken to splinters, one wall had caved in. You could hear voices from inside, whispering, talking. A laugh rang out. Your heart soared in your chest. 

It had been weeks since you saw them last, weeks that you had been carrying Fred’s body behind you. A kindly wizard you had met along the way froze him for you so he wouldn’t decay, which felt awfully morbid, but you were grateful. Your hair was a tangled mess, your face covered in dirt and sweat and sunburnt nearly beyond recognition. 

But you had finally made it home. 

You weren’t sure you would be able to drag Fred’s body the rest of the way up to the door, but you wouldn’t need to. Before you could take another step, Angelina stepped into view. 

For a moment, she just stared at you and you simply stared back. Her eyes didn’t even move to the rolled up carpet where you had hidden Fred’s body behind you. She just stared. And then, as if a gate had suddenly been opened, she came hurtling toward you at full speed. 

You let out a single laugh just before she collided with you, pulling you in for the tightest hug she could have given. You were crying again once you were in her arms. 

“It’s okay,” she whispered against your hair. “You’re safe.”

Your legs gave out beneath you and she helped you to the ground. Everyone else inside had heard your cry and came filing out one by one until they were all standing around you. You were surprised to see even Charlie was there, the prodigal son returned home. 

“Where’s-”

Ginny didn’t even need to finish your question. From the look on your face, they all knew. 

“He-” You struggled to keep your words from shaking. Angelina squeezed your hand and helped you onto your feet. “I couldn’t leave him there.” 

The words you spoke made Harry take a step backward, the first one to fully put things together. He looked at you and then he looked back at the rug you had been dragging and his face turned white as snow. 

Angelina had to keep you upright, one arm wrapped around your waist and the other holding onto your arm. 

“I tried,” you said, looking straight toward Molly, who still didn’t fully understand. 

“Oh, god,” Ginny breathed and then let out a shuddered gasp as she finally puzzled things out. Harry took her hand and pulled her into a hug and, as soon as he did, she dissolved into tears. One by one, they each began to realize what had happened. You watched in horror as that family slowly began to fall apart. Molly shrieked, falling to her knees and Arthur following after her. Hermione immediately put her arms around Ron to stop him from walking toward the rug that held his brother. Bill stared in wide-eyed horror at his wife, who had turned her body so the baby in her arms wouldn’t be able to see the rug at your feet. Percy was still as stone. 

And George, George stared at you and you stared back unable to see anything but your husband’s face. 

“George, I’m-” 

Before you could even try to apologize, he strode toward you and snatched you out of Angelina’s arms and into his, pulling you in for an even tighter hug. And like that, the two of you finally fell apart. 

~~~

You couldn’t stand at his funeral. Your body was still so exhausted from the journey home and from trying to keep the baby inside you alive that your legs would simply no longer hold you upright. 

You were glad they had you in a wheelchair. That way, they couldn’t see your knees shake. 

Your eyes never dried the entire time. You thought you might have cried every last tear you had in your body the day you returned home, but you apparently had more inside of you. 

Aside from your family (and Lee Jordan, who stood beside Angelina), there were so many people you did not recognize. An older woman with glasses and an emerald green dress. A rather large man with bushy hair and a long beard. A blond boy who stood off to the side, away from everyone else. Two boys, one shorter and one taller, holding hands as they both stifled tears. 

You wondered how many lives Fred had touched, how many people he had made laugh, that you would never get the privilege of meeting. 

Back at the Burrow later that day, you sat next to Molly and Arthur, each of you staring blankly at the floor. You twisted your rings around your fingers, but not out of worry. You slowly pulled them off before turning to Molly. 

She looked at you, a stream of tears running from her eyes. With trembling hands, you handed the rings out to her. 

“These belong to your family,” you said, chin shaking as you tried to fight back tears. Molly shook her head, eyes closing, but she was unable to say anything. 

“Just because you are no longer married to our son, does not make you any less our daughter,” Arthur told you with the only hint of a smile that he could manage. You gasped in shuddered breaths and Molly reached out to pull you into a tight hug. 

“I’m pregnant,” you sobbed as you clung to her jumper. She ran her fingernails over your back and you were pretty sure you could feel her smile. 

“I know. Fred told me.” 

You managed a laugh as you pulled away.

“If it’s a boy, we want to name him Gideon,” you said, wiping your tears with the back of your hand. Molly sucked in a shuddering breath. “Gideon Lee. And if it’s a girl, we want to name her Persephone, but, Percy, for short.” 

Somewhere across the living room, Percy Weasley lifted his head. Aubrey was no where to be seen. 

“You saved his life at the battle you fought,” you reminded him. Percy’s eyes swam with water. “He never forgot it. This is how we say thank you.” 

Percy nodded his head slowly, chewing on the inside of his cheek as he dropped his head back into his hands. 

~~~

You had a boy and a girl. 

You weren’t prepared for twins, but it didn’t matter. 

With so many of his kids moving out to start their own families, Molly prepared a room for you to stay with her and Arthur. Molly dotted on Gideon and Persephone, never wanting to put them down no matter how loudly they cried. 

“My twins were the same,” she said, smiling at the memory. Her face never turned sad. 

Some days you were perfectly fine. You could look at Persephone’s full head of bright orange hair and Gideon’s hazel eyes and see Fred and smile. And some days, you couldn’t even bare the thought of getting out of bed. But Molly and Arthur never left your side. Angelina and George were over all the time, to take care of you and the help with the kids. You couldn’t look at George for the first few weeks without breaking down completely. He understood. 

Bill and Fleur brought Victoire to play with Gideon and Persephone and Bill even let you hold her sometimes. She really was going to grow up to be a daddy’s girl. The others never failed to visit either. Even Charlie would stop by occasionally as the two grew. 

Your parents and even your wayward sister enjoyed spending time with them. You had never expected it, but the birth of your children had drawn you closer to your sister. After years of estrangement, the two of you were able to sit side by side and laugh together, as if not a day had gone by since you were ten and had no worries in the world. 

You missed Fred’s warmth every single day of your life, but you found his joy in Persephone’s laughter and Gideon’s proficiency for setting things on fire. You remembered what the wind had told you that day, that you were not alone. You were never going to be alone again, and you were grateful for it. 

You had spent many Christmases with the Weasleys and now you shared many Christmases as one of them. 

~~~

In this life, you had lost Fred after the war. In your life before, you had lost him during it. It was almost as if the universe and all it’s splinters had decided that you and Fred were not to be. You lost every game you played together, but you were willing to lose them all, so long as you got to bask for a few minutes in his light. 

~~~

tagging - @inaworldofwonder (aka the only person who liked the post I made about this story three days ago) @x-lulu (i’m not sure if you’re into harry potter, if not, im sorry) @bricksatanakinswindow (because you like harry potter and I like harry potter and you like angst and I like angst so here we are) 

none of you need to feel obligated to read this but it’s been in my head since 8th grade and i just needed to get it out. thank you. love you all.

#harry potter #fred weasley #this is gonna be so hard to tag #harry potter au #au #harry potter next gen? #is it next gen? #idk #fred weasley x reader #fred weasley x muggle!reader #muggle!reader #harry potter fic #harry potter imagine #fred weasley imagine #fred weasley fic #fred weasley angst #fred weasley fluff #angelina johnson is an icon #in this and on the big screen #she deserves more lovin #so ill give it to her and yall can fight me idc #anyway i think thats all i have for tags #thank you for listening to my ted talk #bricksatans

[pines-troz]

Animaniacs/Pinky and The Brain Cinderella AU

I’ve been playing around with this idea for a while, and I wanna share my ideas for a Cinderella AU involving the cast of Animaniacs. And since there’s been a great surge in fun Animaniacs/Pinky and The Brain AUs based off of Disney movies (The wonderful Brainladdin AU by @deez-art and the sweet Beauty and the Beast AU by @themurphyzone), I’d figure that I’d showcase my ideas for a Cinderella AU!

Pinky - Cinderella

Brain - Prince Charming (Has a lot more character and agency in this AU)

Dot - The Fairy Godmother 

CEO Norita - Lady Tremaine/The Wicked Stepmother

Katie Ka-Boom - Drizella/Stepsister #1

Elmyra - Anastasia/Stepsister #2 (I was originally gonna put Mindy in this role, but she’s just a toddler who doesn’t know any better. Elmyra, on the other hand, is the worst and she’s much better suited for the role)

Yakko and Wakko - The Grand Dukes (They’re essentially Brain’s support group in this AU, trying to cheer him up and doling out terrible romantic advice)

Plotz- The King

Bobby, Squit, Pesto  - Jacques and Gus (Since Pinky’s already a mouse, he takes care of the birds that fly by the house, feeding them leftover food and making them shirts and hats)

Rita, Runt, Buttons, Pharfignewton - Various animals that reside by the manor

Pinky’s early childhood were years of happiness spent with his mom, dad and sis. But his mom and sis perished, and his dad remarries to CEO Norita, who feigns affection for Pinky but treats him like dirt when his dad isn’t around. Her daughters, Katie and Elmyra aren’t much better, especially Elmyra who takes great joy in torturing Pinky. After his dad dies of an illness, Pinky is reduced to servant status, and is constantly tending to the needs of his stepmother and stepsisters. 

Despite the terrible circumstances, Pinky remains kind, optimistic and resiliently hopeful. He is very caring towards the animals he cares for, and even makes clothes for the birds who drop by his window. He also sings a lot while doing chores, which lifts his spirits and charms the animals.

Meanwhile, at the royal castle, Brain returns home after graduating summa cum laude from a foreign university. Now that he competed his studies, he eagerly wants to get back to his plans of taking over the world, but his father, Plotz, decides to give him ‘the talk’ so to speak and berates him on why he doesn’t have a girlfriend or any grandkids. Brain dismisses this as trivial malarkey, reminds him that he’s bisexual, and states that his plans for world domination are more important, ending his rant with a good “I don’t owe you anything old man!” before storming off in a huff. Yakko and Wakko joke about how they’d have to drag Brain to a party should he want to date someone, which unwittingly inspires Plotz to hold a royal ball for all potential suitors for Brain.

Brain goes into his room, which is full of blueprints and potential plans for world domination. While he doesn’t want to get married, he wishes to find someone who is supportive of his vision and ambitions.

While completing his chores, Pinky answers the door to find Yakko and Wakko handing out invitations for a royal ball, calling for all eligible single people to attend. Pinky is absolutely thrilled at the idea of going to a ball and having a night off, and he plans his free time to make a dress for himself. Norita, Katie, and Elmyra catch wind of Pinky’s excitement for the ball and decide to do everything possible to prevent him from going.

Pinky is halfway done with his dress, but Norita piles on another batch of chores for him to complete, in addition to tending to Katie’s needs and ‘playing’ with Elmyra. The animals see this great injustice and have a group meeting, and decide to put in a team effort to finish the dress for Pinky to repay him for all the kindness he has given them. Bobby, Squit and Pesto rummage through the house to find jewelry for the dress while Rita, Runt, Buttons and Pharfignewton focus on sewing. When Pinky comes back to his room, he’s astounded to find his dress complete, with the animals standing by. Pinky stands there speechless and utterly grateful for their kindness. He eagerly thanks them for their help and quickly changes into the dress.

When it’s time to leave for the ball, Pinky comes down the stairs in his homemade dress, clearly excited to attend the ball. Norita stares at Pinky and mocks him for even thinking about attending the ball. She yanks off Pinky’s necklace, then Katie and Elmyra proceed to rip his dress to shreds until it’s nothing but rags. When Norita, Katie and Elmyra leave the manor, Pinky is absolutely devastated that all of his hopes for a fun night were so cruelly dashed in a single moment. He flees to the courtyard and starts sobbing, saying that he was a fool for even having dreams. The animals all look on forlornly, helpless to even try to comfort Pinky. 

During Pinky’s lowest point, Dot heeds his call, arriving in a ball of light before materializing into her physical form, comforting Pinky as he cries. When he realizes that he is being consoled, Pinky looks up and is surprised to see Dot hugging him. She explains that she’s his Fairy Godmother and that she will help him prepare for the ball. She first turns an empty spool into a carriage. She then turns Bobby, Squint, Pesto, and Buttons into horses, Pharfignewton into the driver, and Rita and Runt into footwoman and footman respectively. Dot finally turns Pinky’s ruined dress into a beautiful sparkling silver gown with glass slippers. Dot warns Pinky that the spell will be broken by midnight, and she then tells him to have a good time at the ball. 

When it’s time for the ball, Brain is already busy building his latest invention for his intricate plot for global conquest. Plotz interrupts his plans, demanding his presence at the ball, but Brain refuses to go to the party. Yakko and Wakko have to physically drag Brain to attend the ball, who is just clawing at the carpets like “I don’t wanna go, you can’t make me!” He takes his seat on the throne while all the eligible suitors drop by. Brain is bored out of his mind. And he doesn’t even try to hide it, he is like a bored kid whose parent just ran into a friend at the store and is like “can I go home now!?”. Brain even gives Plotz sour looks from time to time to express his disinterest in the ball. Yakko and Wakko try to encourage Brain to at least have fun at the ball. Rolling his eyes, Brain He excuses himself to get some drinks from the refreshments table. 

Pinky arrives at the ball and everyone is captivated by his beauty. He walks in the ballroom and is just spellbound by the pristine surroundings, and he bumps into Brain, not knowing that he’s the Prince. Brain takes one look at Pinky and is immediately enamored by him. The two talk for a while, and Brain looks over his shoulder and sees Yakko and Wakko gesturing that they should hit the dance floor, so he asks Pinky for a dance, and he eagerly accepts. 

Pinky and Brain dance around the ballroom, capturing the interest of everyone, including Plotz. Norita, Katie and Elmyra look at Pinky and they don’t recognize him due to Dot’s magic sparking from his dress. The mice then make their escape to the gardens and they get to know each other. Pinky talks about his home life (but downplays the abuse he endures), but talks about how he wants to live a simple life in a nice house surrounded by loved ones, which deeply humbles the Prince. Brain talks about his ambitions for taking over the world and how he could make things better under his rule, and Pinky admires him. Brain muses to himself that Pinky is the perfect person to have by his side when planning to take over the world. But before Brain could make a proposal, the clock strikes midnight. 

Pinky looks at the clock, remembering that the spell would be broken. Pinky apologizes to Brain and says that he has to return home. Brain follows him and sees Pinky rush down the stairs, losing one of his glass slippers. Brain tries to pursue Pinky as fast as he can, but he’s a total klutz and falls down the stairs. By the time Pinky returns home everything his dress is back in rags and the animals return to their original forms. But Pinky realizes that the glass slipper on his right foot is still on and keeps it as a souvenir.

When Brain wakes up, he suffers from short-term amnesia. He has memories of dancing and conversing with Pinky, but he forgot his name. The only evidence he has to go by is the glass slipper he found. Brain decides to launch an investigation to find his mystery date, but Plotz forbids him to leave. Brain re-enacts that one funny moment from Cinderella 3 by jumping out from the window and going off on his own. Yakko and Wakko decide to accompany him, but Plotz warns that if they don’t find Brain’s suitor he plans of executing them. While the three are off in town, Brain converses with Yakko and Wakko and realizes how flawed his plan is and says “wait a minute, anyone could fit into this shoe. what if the wrong person tries it one first?” And Yakko goes “well, then that’s your problem chief,”

Pinky returns to his usual routine of completing chores for his stepmother and stepsister. Norita sees Pinky singing a song and swaying around in a waltz. She realizes that Pinky was the one dancing with the Prince. Katie and Elmyra spot Brain, Yakko, and Wakko from the window, and Pinky is eager to see Brain again, thinking that he’s dropping by for a friendly visit. Norita grabs Pinky, shoves him into his room, locking him in. 

Brain sees the two stepsisters and realizes that they don’t fit the shoe, but they insist on trying it on anyways (which backfires).

Instead of trying to retrieve the key, The Goodfeathers decide to help out by flying Pinky down from his room out the window. After some slight issues trying to carry Pinky, they safely lower him to the ground. 

Brain, Yakko, and Wakko are about to leave, feeling hopeless over their fruitless search for Brain’s love interest. They open the door to find Pinky standing outside, who’s clearly happy to see Brain again. Norita scoffs at this, but Brain decides that Pinky would be a good fit for the shoe and asks him if he wants to try it on. Pinky eagerly accepts, thinking it’s some sort of game. Wakko runs in with the glass slipper on a satin pillow, but Norita trips him with her cane. Brain is heartbroken that the last evidence he has of his mystery date had been shattered. Pinky consoles him and offers him the other glass slipper like “I have a spare glass slipper if you want to have it.” and Brain puts two and two together and realizes that it was Pinky. Brain kneels down and offers Pinky his glass slipper, who graciously tries it on. The shoe fits.

After an unspecified amount of time, Pinky and Brain get married, and Plotz is happy that Brain is hitched so he could get grandkids. But instead of having human grandkids, Pinky brings along the animals from the manor to live with them in the castle.

The End

#animaniacs #pinky and the brain #brinky #patb au

[adarafaelbarba]

A Little White Lie

Pairing: Frederick Chilton x reader

Fandom: Hannibal

Requested by: @astoriablehh​

Warning: Poor self image. Family members talking down on reader. Vulgar language. Hints at sexual fantasies.

A/N: This covers the Fake Relationship When Visiting Family from the Holiday Bingo @thatesqcrush​ created! 🎄

You hated family get togethers. It was just another excuse for them to point out your flaws. You’re too big or You’re not going to get a man with the work you have. Honestly, it was too exhausting listening to them. Of course, you tried to not let them get under your skin. After all they claimed to be talking like this because they cared for your well being and wanted you to live your best life. But you felt suffocated by them.

So you weren’t too pleased when you walked into work, reading a text from your mother about how they were all looking forward to seeing you for the family Christmas dinner the following week. You were contemplating on telling them you couldn’t come, but you could already hear the things that they would say about that. Always so busy, never bothers to come visit her family. No thanks. Surely you could manage a few hours with them.

But then another text ticked in. Cannot wait to meet your boyfriend. Did she honestly think you had a boyfriend?! Shit! Fuck! Fucking NOPE! When would you have time to date with all the hours you had? Your patients were your life. Not to mention there were no guy that really caught your eye, weather in was outside of work or at work.

Well, there was one. Dr. Frederick Chilton. The man behind many of your late night fantasies. Not that you would ever tell him. But there had been many lonely nights where you had cried out his name. He could never know of course.

Those words your mother had uttered in her last text. You couldn’t focus at your job. Cannot wait to meet your boyfriend. You wanted to scream. Your mother always wanted you to find a nice man and settle down, When are you going to give me grandkids? All your cousins have given your aunts and some grandkids, I’m not gonna be around forever. You hated that she was almost forcing you to have kids, when you weren’t even sure you wanted any. With the job you saw the crazy in everyone. Even some of your colleagues had started going a bit crazy. You didn’t want to bring kids into that.

«Earth to Dr. (Y/L/N). Were you listening to what I said?» You shook your head and looked at Frederick, a worried look etched on his face. «Hmm? Sorry Doctor. What were you saying?» You asked, blushing as you looked at him. «I was asking you if you’re okay. you’ve been off all day», he said, a hand on your arm, making you blush even more. You could feel the heat radiating from his arm, even through your cardigan.

«Uh, yeah. Just a lot on my mind», you said, shrugging. Not wanting to go into too much detail, but you could see that he was curious and wanted to know more. It was the psychologist in him. «My mother wants me to bring a boyfriend home», you said, rolling your head as you heard yourself say it out loud. «That bad huh?» You nodded at that. «I don’t even want to go, but I’ll get more shit from them if I don’t show up, then if I do. Unless I show up alone of course», you rambled, before stopping yourself and looking at him, «Sorry. You don’t want to hear me talk about that.»

He gave you a warm smile, and you felt your heart stop. «I don’t mind you talking about it. We’re friends right?» That made you look at him. You had never really thought about it like that. Sure, you worked together, and on a few occasions you’d gone to each other for help. But to hear him say that, made you think that maybe you were. «Yeah», you replied, giving him a nervous smile.

«What if I go with you? I can pretend to be your date. To get your mother off your back», he suggested, making you choke on your tea. «What?» You asked, coughing. «I can be you fake boyfriend. If you want to», he said again. «You really don’t have to Dr. Chilton», you muttered, feeling heat rise in your cheeks. «I know, but I want to.»

…

And that’s how you found yourself standing outside your parents house with Frederick next to you, his hand on your waist, telling yourself that it was only play pretend. But you would be lying if you said you didn’t want it to be real.

«(Y/N) so good to see you again darling! And you must be Frederick?» You mother exclaimed as she opened the door for you. «Pleasure to meet you Mrs. (Y/L/N), I’ve heard great things about you», Frederick said, shaking your mothers hand. You wanted to laugh at that, nothing of what you had told him about your family was particularly great. But you were sure he was just acting, and you were grateful for it. She let you both in, calling for everyone to come say hello.

…

«So Frederick? How did you meet (Y/N)?» Your father asked. «We work together», Frederick responded, looking over at you with a small smile. «Oh. Well, if she was gonna find someone somewhere, where else», you father noted.

That made the whole room tense, until your mother spoke up, «At least she’s not dating one of those people.» One of those people meaning a patient. Your mother had always been vocal about how much she hated your workplace and your patients. But you didn’t want to listen to her. You loved your job.

«Meaning?» Frederick asked, and the room fell quiet again. «Oh, you know, those crazy people you have there», she said, sounding so confident it made you sick. Frederick could only look at her in surprise and shock. Shocked that she could talk like that.

…

The rest of the dinner went okay with only a few more rude comments here and there. It wasn’t until the end, when she was packing leftovers for everyone. «Oh, I think you forgot (Y/N)», Frederick noted, looking at you mother. «No. She doesn’t need too much of this. It’ll go right to her hips.» You had bit your tongue the whole night, but by the look in Frederick’s eyes, you could tell he would do something he regretted if you didn’t intervene.

Before you could say anything though, he jumped in. «How dare you talk about own daughter like that?! What gives you the right to treat her like you do?!» Your mother gasped, too in shock to respond. «(Y/N), is the sweetest woman I’ve ever come across, which should be a surprise given that you’re her mother. I’ve had patients kinder than the likes of you! You don’t deserve to have her in your life», He spat. Taking his hand in yours, you softly tugged at it, trying to get his attention.

Looking over at you, his face softened a bit. «I think it’s time we leave», you murmured, grabbing your things before pulling Frederick with you, «Bye guys.»

…

In the car back you could hear a pin drop at the silence that filled the small space. «I’m so sorry (Y/N), I don’t know what came over me», he murmured, looking at you. «Thank you Frederick. She really needed to hear that», you simply responded, looking at him from the drivers seat. «Why don’t you come over to my place tomorrow, and I’ll cook you a thank you dinner?» You suggested, getting a nod in return. «I’d like that», he replied, a smile etched on his lips.

taglist: @detective-giggles​ @outlawsassemblerh​​ @itsjustmyfantasyroom​ @delia26​ @dianilaws​ @meri-dawn​ @storiesofsvu​ @permanentlydizzy​ @welcometothemadxxhouse​ @cycat4077​ @incomplete-coincidence​ @kriegsverlobte​ @rafaheadcanons​ @rafivadafreddy​ @teamsladsandgents​ @beccabarba​ @mrsrafaelbarba​ @stardust-fray​ @caked-crusader​ @infiniteoddball​ @averyhotchner

#frederick chilton #frederick chilton x reader #frederick chilton imagine #frederick chilton one shot #thatesqcrush holiday bingo

[keanureevesisbae]

When in Amsterdam

A one shot in the universe of ‘The Alluring Charm of Henry Cavill’

Henry Cavill x Adelaide Park

Summary: Henry decides to surprise Adelaide with a trip to Amsterdam

Wordcount: 1k

Masterlist // January Masterlist

This is my first time in Amsterdam. I’m so grateful that Henry took me on this trip. We already went to his place in the UK, we spend some time in Jersey with his family. Since we were close by, he thought it would be a great idea to go to the Netherlands. We already visited the Hague and Rotterdam and now we spending the last few days here in Amsterdam, before we head to New York for filming my newest movie.

We went on an Amsterdam Canal Cruise, we visited Volendam for a picture in traditional costume (and laughed so hard when Henry walked in clogs) and ate way too many ‘stroopwafels’.

We are strolling over de Dam, but we quickly take a detour, because of the billion uncontrolled pigeons flapping around.

‘Henry,’ I say to him, when it’s a little less crowded.

‘Yes, my love.’

‘Thank you for this trip. I really like spending time with you, especially when we’re in another country.’

‘I love traveling with you,’ he says, squeezing comforting in my hand. ‘How about you and I travel the world together?’

Together… Being together with Henry, it’s time well spend. I love being around him and the time I’m not with him, I miss him so much. ‘Where do you want to go?’ I ask him.

‘I want to visit at least Australia, South-Africa and Brazil with you, but there are more places I want to go with you. How about you, sweetheart? Where do you want to go to?’

‘South Korea,’ I tell him. ‘With you and my parents, so you can meet some of my family. If you want to of course.’

‘I would love that.’ Henry stops walking, as we look out over a canal. ‘You know,’ he says, ‘I always enjoyed going to different places on my own or with friends, but traveling with you… It’s like a whole new world opened up for me. You are a great travel companion.’

My heart swells hearing those sweet words. ‘That’s oddly romantic.’

‘Why add the oddly?’ Henry asks, semi insulted. ‘I was being so insanely romantic and now you broke my heart with your oddly romantic.’

I roll my eyes. ‘Drama queen, you. But I do have to say… It’s sweet that you like traveling with me.’

‘Not just like. Love.’ He places on hand on the edge of the railing, as he wraps a strong arm around my shoulders. ‘I’m so lucky to have such a fun traveling partner with me.’

After our stroll through Amsterdam, Henry walks us to the hotel suite and plops on the bed, sprawled out, confiscating the entire bed with his large body. I take off my jacket and place it on the back of the chair. ‘Come here, Addy,’ Henry says, ‘I am cold, I want a hug.’

‘Liar,’ I chuckle, ‘you just want a hug.’ I jump on the bed and partially on top of him. Thankfully I know he can handle it, because he laughs and wraps his arms around me. ‘Henry,’ I say to him, my tone changing from playful to serious.

‘What’s wrong?’ he asks, pushing a strand of hair out of my face.

‘Did you see that couple?’ I ask him, ‘at the last cafe?’

He nods. ‘With those kids?’ he fills in.

I nod. ‘They were cute, weren’t they?’

‘They sure were,’ he admits.

‘You ever think about kids?’ I ask him. ‘Not right now, but later on in life?’

Henry smiles. ‘I do, honey. Specifically kids with you.’

My heart flutters as I bite my lower lip to prevent myself from squealing. ‘Really?’

‘Really. Can you even imagine how cute our kids would be? My curls, your eyes and they would probably be really tiny.’

I can’t help but laugh. ‘Shut up. I want my kids to be tall.’ I run my fingers through his soft curls and ask: ‘Where do you want to raise them?’

‘Is that why you’re worried?’ he asks me. There was a time that he didn’t know how what was going through my mind, but we passed those times a long time ago. He can look at me and know almost exactly what I’m thinking, even if it’s making a decision at a grocery store.

‘Maybe a little. I have been thinking about our future for awhile now.’

My mouth all of the sudden turns a lot drier. I wasn’t exactly sure where this conversation was going, but since it is happening right now, I feel like I cannot wiggle myself out of this.

Much to my dismay.

‘Sweetheart, you can tell me all about your thoughts about our future.’

‘Well,’ I start, ‘I don’t want kids right now, but maybe later on in our relationship. It’s just that I was wondering where you want to raise our children. I know it’s not something we should worry about now, but… Never mind.’

‘No, no, no.’ Henry turns around, so I slide from his chest and we’re both on our sides. ‘Not never mind. We’re gonna talk about this and I want you to be as honest as possible. Tell me, sweetheart, where do you want to raise our kids?’

I sigh. ‘You truly want to know about it? I thought about it long and hard.’

‘Of course I want to know,’ he says, a soft smile toying on his lips, while his rough finger tips graze over my cheek.

‘I kinda want to move to the UK.’

Henry’s eyes tell me he sure wasn’t expecting that. ‘Really?’

‘Together with my parents,’ I say. ‘LA is my hometown and forever will be, but I cannot raise my children there. Not after everything that happened there. I also want my parents to live close by, so they can see their grandkids grow up. I know they would love that. Besides, my dad would love it to move here.’

He smiles. ‘I totally understand it,’ he says. ‘How about… You and I find a nice house outside of London and we’ll look for a nice place for your parents close by?’

‘Are you sure?’ I ask. ‘I don’t even know where you want to raise our kids.’

‘You do,’ he says with a smile. ‘In a lovely place a little outside London with your parents close by.’

#the alluring charm of henry cavill #henry cavill #henry cavill x ofc #henry cavill x oc #henry cavill x actress #henry cavill x asian ofc #henry cavill fanfic #henry cavill x adelaide park #henry cavill one shot #henry cavill oneshot #adelaide park #asian ofc

[iamdunn]

 Miraculous Flash Forward part 9: A New Dynamic

A Miraculous Fan-Fic

Written by

AJ Dunn

Adrien couldn’t wait to get back home and start making preparations. The trip to Paris hadn’t gone as badly as he was afraid it would. In fact, maybe he and Marinette could put their past behind them finally and start a life together. He had agreed to stay for the wedding since Marinette had gone through the trouble of making his Tux for him, and Nino wouldn’t have let him leave, he would have released Alya on him and that was frightening enough considering she had Trixx to back her up. Plus, Luka had Sass and he really didn’t need that kind of drama in his life. Honestly, he was happy he went. Even Nino saved a place for him after 5 years, in this case, the place of best man. 

“I will.” She had said. The memory of her words played in his mind as they swayed around the dance floor. She had agreed to be his roommate in Shanghai. She swore she didn’t want him to leave her and that she truly did love him. Plus, losing her roommate meant she was looking for a new one. He was certain though that his studio condo wasn’t going to be sufficient for them. She would need her own room and considering how flustered he made her, he would need a private room so she didn’t lose herself whenever he walked around without a shirt on. 

“Yeah, no more hanging out in the seating area in nothing but a towel,” Plagg said to him as they prepared to leave for the airport. 

“Who knows, I might occasionally forget and well…”

“You’ll be quickly reminded when she walks through the walls to get away from you.” Plagg laughed. Adrien laughed too imagining her overdramatic reactions. Adrien’s phone rang. 

“Are you sure about this Adrien?” Felix said. He had told his cousin he would need to upgrade his suite and asked for him to get him in touch with the management company. 

“Absolutely,” Adrien smiled. “I wouldn’t want her getting a cheap apartment, that neighborhood is bad news, besides, she still doesn’t speak Mandarin and I can’t have her getting lost here again can I? OH, and I am going to tell her about us.” His words came out so quickly he hoped his cousin would agree and not snap at him. 

“Do you trust her that much?” Felix sounded shocked. “Having her move in with you is one thing, but this affects us both.” 

“Yes, I do. Besides, if this is going to work, her and I can’t have secrets between us.” 

“It’s a shame she didn’t have a twin sister.” Felix scoffed. 

“What?” Adrien teased. 

“Nothing, never mind�� shut up.” Felix snorted. “I’ll send them a message to call you.” He hung up. 

The flight back was a sleepless one as Adrien reeled over the idea that Marinette was coming to live with him. This will change everything. He tried to sleep but, listening to music, even tried doing some reading. Sleep didn’t come until he was back home in his own bed. He wasn’t sure how long he had been asleep when his phone rang.

“Mr. Graham De Vanily?” the voice came over. “Ah, Mr. Graham De Vanily called and said you wanted to renegotiate your lease.” Adrien refrained from laughing. 

“Adrien please.” he laughed, “And my cousin, he’s just Felix.” It is still funny when people see them together, and they have the same last name, but then call each other cousins. A thing that had always been fun. “Yes, I want a larger unit.” 

“I’m afraid the only unit we have available larger than the one you are in, is our 3 bedroom two bath unit at the opposite end of your floor.” 

“That’s perfect.” He refrained from using his cattish terminology with such a business call. Although the excitement in him wanted to so badly. 

“Fine, I shall send the paperwork over immediately, I assume you want to make the transition before the end of the month? As that is when your lease is due to renew.” 

“Yes of course.” 

“Please get the paperwork back to us promptly.” A ding came through his phone the second he hung up. It was an email from the property management containing the digital documents that he needed to Esign and return. He made haste to finish the paperwork before heading out to see Cheng Sifu and check on the temple. The sky was clear as Adrien made his way home from Cheng Sifu’s restaurant with a sack of leftovers and a few grocery items he had bought on the way. By grocery items that meant cheese for Plagg. While Camembert wasn’t available here, Manchego had become his replacement. 

They leaped from rooftop to rooftop not worried about remaining unseen as he had before the reunion. It felt freeing to just be himself and not hide anymore. His students already called him Laoshi Mao, though they didn’t know why it wasn’t Laushi Adrien. Well, Mao sounded a lot better. He slipped through the balcony door and wondered what their new apartment would look like. He was sure all of the units on this floor had a balcony. His phone ran just as he entered the apartment and before he transformed. It was a video call. 

“Hello M’Lady,” he answered in his most cattish tone. She giggled then began swatting away at some unseen thing, most likely the Kwami’s. 

“They’re all excited to be moving and they have been trying to pack for me.” She giggled again. 

“Well, I am Pawsitively feeling clawssome about it too, M'Lady.” 

“You dork.” She laughed. “Detransform and feed Plagg.” She said playfully. 

“As you wish.” he let his transformation go as Plagg darted into the bag and began tearing at the plastic wrapper. “Hold on, this guy… “ he set the phone down and tried to wrestle the package from the nearly rabid creature. “Hold on, let me open the package at least, you’re going to kill yourself.” Marinette laughed at the ordeal. It was certainly going to be interesting having so many Kwami’s around. 

Adrien reached over, picking up the phone again as Plagg stole away the now open package. “You’d think I starve him.”

“So, how was your day?” she said in a melodic tune. 

“It would have been better if you were already here.” He said holding up a clear plastic container containing remnants of the Crab stew which had become one of his favorite dishes. The container had Cheng’s restaurant label on it.

“Did you tell him?” Her face went into a look of concern. 

“I’ll have you know I am a cat of my word,” he said nonchalantly. 

“Adrien?”

“Of course not.” A look of relief as she wanted to surprise him. She even insisted that her mother and father keep their tongue too. Threatening not to write or call for a week if they did. They were so happy for her to be moving to Shanghai, not to mention in with Adrien. Their faces lit up as they began discussing nicknames for grandkids. Adrien found the whole conversation unnerving at first but when he saw the looks on their faces, the pure joy, he felt grateful they were such wonderful people. 

He still hadn’t talked to Emelie despite her condition improving. Amalie maintained the radio silence as well after Felix had threatened to cut her out of his life completely if she didn’t give Adrien space. Though, Adrien hadn’t told Marinette about all of that mess yet. He was afraid it would scare her off and he wanted her to enjoy her time here before bombing her with it. 

Weeks had gone by as Adrien packed up his studio and shuffled all of his stuff into the new apartment. The Apartment opened up into the foyers, with a partial wall separating it from the living room. The kitchen to the right just like his old apartment had a counter divider with two bar stools on the living room side. The marble decor was the same as his old unit, taking into mind the carpeting in the living room stopped before the bar stools. The coat closet next to the front door was slightly deeper like a mini walk-in.  There was a small dining table situated by the windowed wall in the kitchen. It was twice the size of his last kitchen. 

He found the stairs to the loft in the same place however instead of an open bedroom area there were four doors. One was a bathroom and the other three bedrooms. The master bedroom, being nearly the size of his last unit, had its own bathroom with a walk-in shower and jet stream tub. The second and third bathrooms were on either side of the bathroom. Adrien decided to move his stuff into the smaller of the two rooms closest to the stairs so that Marinette could have the main room with her own bathroom. 

It only took him a week to clean out the old unit and clean it even though professional cleaners would be in to clean it properly. The unit was unfurnished but the furniture from the old unit was bought by Amelie so he had a few bell boys help him move it into the new unit. He had only to buy a bed for Marinette before she got there. He had Sabine pick out some furniture online and he ordered it. 

The two weeks flew by faster as he spent more time at the temple tutoring the youth. As well as his daily chores there.

A video call with Marinette came in very early in the morning, though it wasn’t that early where she was at. She had just arrived at the airport with her parents who were seeing her off. Her bags were checked and she was standing in front of the windows overlooking the runway. 

“I can’t wait to see you, Princess.” He said enthusiastically as he lay in his bed. He tried to not let her see he was in bed or that he didn’t have a shirt on, she’d be a mess and end up missing her flight. 

“Did I wake you?” She looked guilty 

“I wouldn’t have missed this call for anything Princess, you better get on that plane you let me down now.” he winked at her. 

“Don’t worry, that was her boarding call. We are putting her on the plane right now,” Tom said. Adrien chuckled as they hung up the phone. 

“I’m just surprised you love birds are going to be in separate rooms.” Plagg teased. “How long is that going to last?”

“Hey, you have your own room now, what are you harassing me for?” Adrien teased him.

“Actually that is going to be Marinette’s sewing room, right?” Plagg had a point. 

“I mean, when she gets here, you can start staying in the miracle box with the others.” 

“Too cramped. I need to stretch my legs and be free.” Plagg folded his arms behind his head as he hovered over the bed. Adrien copied him as he lay in his bed. His phone ran again, this time it was Felix.

“I’ll be coming to Shanghai today, I am at the airport now.” He sounded rushed.

“To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?” Adrien asked. It meant he would be on the same plane with Marinette. His stomach balled up. 

“A last minute showing of some new designs and they can’t seem to be able to agree on one.” Felix said something to the boarding clerk. “I need you to attend with me.” 

“I have classes, I can’t cancel them, plus I am now tutoring some of my students.” Adrien complained. It made things worse that he wouldn’t be able to spend time with Marinette. 

“I’m sure we can arrange the viewing for after your classes or before. What time is your fist class and last class….” He paused. “You know what, we can discuss that when I get there.” his voice had changed from rushed to pleasant and happy. Damn, did he see Marinette, is he sitting with her? Adrien’s anxiety tightened on his chest as he laid back against his pillow. 

After a long and nerve wracking day, Adrien stood at the airport waiting for both his cousin and his...friend? He hadn’t bothered to change his clothes after he finished at the temple, so he was still dressed in his yi-fu. He decided to wait near the baggage claim so he could help grab her luggage. Felix would likely have one bag and it was probably a carry on. Adrien saw her bags first and grabbed up. She had a lot as he had expected, they were pink with darker pink polka dots, no surprise there. As he finished loading them on a luggage cart he heard Felix’s voice. 

“Are you serious Marinette, that would be great.” Felix sounded excited, a tone he didn’t use very often. Adrien could feel the heat in his face as he tried to compose himself before turning around to greet them. 

“Adrien.” Marinette exclaimed as he turned around to catch her as she leaped into his arms. He spun her around holding her tightly and making a big show of it. “Look who found me on the plane, he wants me to come with you two to the fashion showing this afternoon.” Adrien feigned a smile. While Marinette was the fashion expert between the three of them, he wasn’t sure if his cousin’s intentions were pure, or if he was competition. 

“So, I hope you got that sare bedroom made up for me…” Felix leaned in to whisper. “Brother.” Adrien’s face burned even more now, said spare bedroom was right next to her room and well, was empty. 

“Sure, if you don’t mind sleeping on the floor.” Adrien laughed as they loaded up in the car. Felix pulled out his phone and made a call. 

“I need a spare bed set up in the Graham De Vanily room, you’ll know which room.” Adrien was amazed at how resourceful his cousin was. This is why he is the primary controlling party for the company.  The ride back to the apartment in the Taxi was cramped with Marinette wedged between Adrien and Felix. Adrien, being clearly larger than his twin, though not too much. Marinette let out a loud yawn so Adrien threw his arm over her shoulder and pulled her head into his chest casting a possessive glance to Felix, who simply smirked back to him. 

The Bus boys carried her bags to the suite. 

“I don’t know about you two, but I am famished.’ Felix said, “Shall we step out for dinner?”

“That sounds great, we should go to Thousand Delights?” Adrien smiled at her excitement. 

“Are you okay to go, Marinette,” Adrien asked “You were nearly falling asleep in the plane, you might need a nap.”

“Nonsense. She’s fine.” Felix swooped a hand over her shoulder and led her back to the curb. “Shall I call a driver to come get us, less cramped than a taxi.” Competition is then. Adrien scowled. 

“If my accommodations aren’t sufficient for you, COUSIN,” Adrien slid his arm around her waist tugging her to his side and out of Felix’s hands. “You are welcome to make your own. Felix’s smile was one of mischief as he let his arm fall from her shoulders. Her face froze in a ‘what just happened’ expression. A few minutes later a mini black limo arrived and the driver moved quickly to open the door.

“Lady’s first.” Felix insisted then slid in after her. Adrien ran to the other side to let himself in next to her. Once again, Marinette was trapped between the two, though Adrien focuses on the fact, she would be staying with him when Felix returned to Paris. 

“Where’s your ring?” Adrien finally asked, having noticed his hand free of it when his arm was around Marinette.

“I uh, Amalie,” he choked. “They want yours as well to get them refinished or something.” Adrien slipped the ring off his finger and handed it to Felix.

“I don’t know what Amalie and Emelie want with them, but they have no meaning to me.” Adrien turned to the window.

“Ooookay.” Marinette’s voice broke through the awkwardness. “Amalie? Emelie? Not mother?” 

“It’s a long story.” Felix said, patting her knee. 

“Well, tell me tonight, when we get back?” Marinette’s voice was so sweet. Adrien was glad didn’t didn’t stumble over her words like she did when they were younger, now he could have a real conversation with her and actually know the true intentions of her words. 

“We will have plenty of time to talk about that Marinette,’ Adrien smiled at her as he put his arm around her shoulders again, “But let’s just have some fun first,” He kissed her forehead, casting a glance to Felix. The thought of telling her made his stomach clench and he could tell it was difficult for Felix too. Not exactly something that comes up in casual conversation.

Cheng Sifu was excited to see him, but his confusion over the “Cousin” kept him constantly glancing back and forth between them. Felix and Adrien smiled at him, then they both laughed.

“Cheng Sifu, we get that all of the time, our mothers are identical twins as well.” Adrien didn’t mean to add that, but it was too late. 

“What he means is, we share the Graham De Vanily twin genes.” Felix to the rescue, casting a scowl at Adrien. “Which means.” smiling at Marinette, “When we have children, our wives will bear us twins.” Adrien caught the wink in his eye. 

“Well, I don’t think we need to worry about you having any children any time soon Felix,” Adrien leaned back in his seat as his empty bowl sat in front of him. He wrapped an arm around Marinette, “You have to have a girlfriend first.” He gave Marinette a gentle squeeze and a smile.

“Oh.” Felix said, putting his napkin down on the table. “And you do? I thought she was just a friend?”

“Yeah, she is.” Adrien smiled at her. “A girlfriend.” He placed a quick kiss on her startled lips. Making a show of it before Felix could question if he even had a chance. Adrien knew Marinette had loved him since day one, even though she only knew the facade his father created, but he loved her for her. 

“I see.” Felix’s tone seemed to have a playful melody to it. “I’m happy to hear that.” Cheng Sifu began to play his happiest of songs on his accordion. 

“I always knew the two of you would be together someday.” A joyful tear fell down his cheek. 

#miraculous fandom #miraculous chat noir #ladynoir #adrienette #miraculous ladybug #marichat #miraculous world #felix graham de vanily #Adrien Graham De Vanily #miraculous fanfic

[i-will-be-your-ace]

How a cruel live changes us.

Send me asks and prompts

Marinette always thought about her future. How she would be a famous designer, how her friends would always support her, about having a happy family.

Maybe being Ladybug, the hero of Paris, changed it a little, but it wasn't something drastic.

Marinette still imagined being a famous designer, having a beautiful family with Adrien, having her friends on her kids' birthdays, seeing her parents' proud faces, how they would play with their grandkids.

Right now, Marinette would only laugh at this thought. She was a kid back there. A young, naive kid.

Her life took a different path. More ruthless, more hollow for her own liking path.

Being Ladybug, having Lila, Hawkmoth and Mayura trying to break her, having a lot of responsibilities and, recently, being a guardian.

She couldn't talk with anyone about this. Telling Chat wouldn't help. How could he help her with her life without knowing her identity? She couldn't risk it.

She took two weeks off, hoping, praying that it would help her situation.

But Lila played dirty. Lila made Marinette's friends believe that she didn't want to see and talk to anyone because she didn't reply to Alya's, to her best friend's, question about wellbeing and offer of help after a whole day.

At first everyone brushed off italian's comments. But the seed of doubt was planted. And slowly it grew while Lila watered it with even more lies.

But that seed didn't grew in some hearts. It quickly died instead.

Alya, Adrien, Nino, Kim, Nathaniel, and Juleka knew that their blunette isn't like that.

They visited her as much as they could.

Hawkmoth was stronger each day. And each day Ladybug became even more afraid.

She was afraid to give out more than one miraculi. The fear that the same thing that happened with Master Fu will happen with her.

The pressure of her civilian life was too much. She needed one part of her life disappear.

Marinette talked with all of the kwamis. Including Plagg.

All of them argued, one louder than other. She calmly said that she won't disappear as human being, only as Marinette Dupain-Cheng. She reminded them that after defeating Hawkmoth she'll still be a guardian. She will still have a big responsibility.

"It will benefit me if Marinette Dupain-Cheng goes missing. I didn't designed in a long time, and it became more of a hobby than a dream by now. And while it's painful to leave my friends and parents in the dark but I can't risk losing them to Hawkmoth or anything else. I know what I'm doing is stupid, cowardly and it's the worst decision I could take, but I still want to. I will be alright as long as I will be with you guys.".

By the end of her dialogue she and kwamis were crying.

This is how, during the summer, Marinette Dupain-Cheng went missing. This is a beginning of a story when Renee Desvormunds appeared.

Marinette is grateful to Master Fu. For all the things he done, for how much he helped her calm down. And for leaving to her his massage parlor and big amount of money for her to use.

Marinette changed her look with the help of kwamis. Now her skin was more pale that made her freckles stand out, her became eyes brighter, and somehow she grew in height. Her hair, now was white and wavy.

She was grateful that as Ladybug her look didn't change.

On the second day, when eighteen year old Marinette Dupain-Cheng didn't return home, everyone close to her tried to find her.

On the third day, it was police that tried to find her. Chat Noir helped too.

On the first week, all of Paris was informed about the missing girl.

On the first month, Tom and Sabine didn't know what to do.

On the second month, Tom and Sabine lost faith.

Mari studied all places where akumas were. Looked through all the videos of them. Observed everyone who was suspicious. All of this with help and thoughts from kwamis.

Chat was more quiet and sad each battle. She couldn't blame him and offered comfort whenever she could.

Each day Marinette, Renee, Ladybug was closer to finding Hawkmoth. And she will succeed.

The girl crossed out the people who were akumatized on Heroes Day because Scarletmoth was present during that event.

She looked through all akumas that weren't present.

Maybe Hawkmoth wasn't akumatized, but she needed to cross out as much people as possible. And what a surprise it was when she found out that her first suspect, Gabriel Agreste, was on the list.

Each small copy of Multimouse stayed near suspects.

At first everything seemed okay. Until she saw how Gabriel pressed buttons on the painting of his wife. Either he had a secret lair or was insane. Maybe both.

And what a coincidence that after he disappeared under the floor an akuma appeared.

On the next day each mini Multimouse was in his room. Waiting for him to put the combination so she could remember it.

Mari waited all day and he didn't go to the painting. And the fact that today no akumas appeared only fueled her suspicion.

On the next day fortune was on her side.

Mari memorized the code, and waited until Gabriel went to sleep.

And it was so boring. All day just looking at busy man and listening his and Nathalie's talk about business. She hated it.

Right now Multimouse pressed all the buttons, doing just like Agreste did. She was glad that she almost immediately went lower after the code, because she wasn't sure if this thing had an alarm in case someone failed to do it right.

Lowering all way down she indeed was in some lair. Suddenly there were a lot of butterflies flying around her.

Gabriel Agreste is Hawkmoth there's no denying it. Just like Mari thought in the beginning.

Now it was time to make a plan of how to get his and Mayura's miraculous.

But there was another problem. She didn't know how to get out from here. Damn it, now she had to wait at least eight hours. Great. Just great.

Mari detransformed and went to sleep. She didn't know what else to do, plus she needs to sleep either way. Even if she'll have hard time falling asleep on this hard, cold floor.

But when Mari was almost asleep, she remembered something really bad.

Gabriel will go here only to transform into Hawkmoth. And if Hawkmoth is present that means that there will be akuma and she will have to deal with it. But she can't transform into Ladybug when he's here, and Gabriel definitely will notice if someone leaves his lair.

" Mullo, Tikki?"

Both kwamis looked at her with tired eyes.

" Yes, Mari?"

" Could one of you bring Pollen and her miraculous?"

" I'll be quick." And with that Tikki was gone.

After what felt like a minute, Tikki appeared with a hair comb.

" It's good to see you, Master. How can I help you?"

" Pollen, just call me Marinette or Renee. I'll need to paralyze Hawkmoth and take his miraculous, even if it will be harder for me to find Mayura."

" But what if both Mayura and Hawkmoth will be here?" Tikki asked.

" I don't know Tikki. I think I will paralyze Mayura and take her miraculous as unnoticeable as possible. Right now I just want to sleep. Good night everyone."

Sleep came to her fast after that.

---

Marinette heard annoying sound of her phone alarm. She wanted to ignore it but three kwamis thought differently.

" Marinette! You need to wake up!"

" Noooo, Tikki, I want to sleep."

" Mari, what if Hawkmoth appears."

With that Marinette's eyes snapped open and she reluctantly sat up. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes she looked at kwamis.

" Are you ready?"

All three nodded. She transformed in Multimouse and divided. One minimouse transformed with Pollen, other with Tikki. Now, the only thing that was left is to wait.

All of her parts were scattered throughout the lair near the walls, and all of them were bored as hell.

But the sound of lowering platform made them concentrate on their surroundings. They saw how Gabriel and his assistant, Nathalie, transformed and used their powers.

Multibee slowly walked to Mayura, who fortunately stood behind Hawkmoth. She whispered venom and quietly stung her. Multibee quickly climbed to the miraculous and without any second thought took it off. And when a bright blue light appeared Marinette cursed and jumped from paralyzed body and also separating from Pollen.

Hawkmoth turned around and when he saw detransformed Nathalie rushed to her not understanding what happened with her.

Seeing a possibility, Multibug quickly grabbed her yo-yo and tied him. She wasn't sure if she'll be able to hold him for long so others grabbed the string too. The nearest Multimouse sprinted to the captured man. Getting to his miraculous was hard when he angrily struggled. But Multimouse still got a hold of the brooch. And when he tried to shake her off, the miraculous went flying with her.

Every Multimouse that was left ran to those who held the yo-yo. Gathering into one, Marinette pulled the string and made him fall.

And without knowledge of how to escape she jumped to the big window, breaking it in process.

Marinette felt as glass cut her skin but right now it didn't matter. A lot of white butterflies could be seen as they flew behind her.

None of the passing Parisians knew what to think.

Marinette detransformed in her parlor and put on both butterfly's and peacock's miraculous. Both kwamis were overjoyed about finally being free. Other kwamis were happy about finally seeing their friends after so much time.

Marinette for a moment observed as kwamis interacted and begun treating her cuts. They noticed it and started helping her, insisting that she needed to rest. Nooroo and Duusu were hesitant but she reassured them that they are part of the family.

Now to complete her mission she needed to inform Chat Noir and Paris about Hawkmoth and to take black cat's miraculous.

Mari sent a message through her yo-yo about meeting at Eiffel tower to him after she transformed into Ladybug.

At their meeting place, Chat Noir was a little bit disappointed that she never told him her plan, but still happy. And while he was sad about giving Plagg back, he understood. When Adrien revealed himself he was expecting her to do the same.

" I'm sorry Chaton, as a guardian I can't do this. Do you need a ride to your home?"

Adrien gave a small sad nod.

After that Marinette informed all of Paris about Hawkmoth and Mayura. Later that day Mayor held a big celebration.

Renee observed the party on the nearby roof with all kwamis near her.

" Our mission is completed. What now? Anything you would like to do?"

And immediately all of them started talking. Everyone listed what they wanted to see and do.

Marinette wrote everything in her notebook. They had a lot of places to see.

During night Mari wondered what she will do. While she knew what her little friends wanted, but she never thought about her wishes. Other thing that worried her, is that she could be easily killed. And then there will be no more guardian to protect the kwamis. She'll ask about this when all of them will wake up.

" Well, if you need a temporary solution we could teach you how to make spells that will help out. But if you want a permanent one..." said Wayzz after some thinking.

" I'd like a permanent solution. I want all of you to be safe."

Tikki sighed and looked her in the eyes.

" We can make you a half kwami. You'll be able to change between human and kwami form and transform with our miraculouses, even with your own. You won't need water, air and other things that are necessary to humans. You'll still need to eat something to recharge energy like we do and you'll also stop aging." She said with a hint of happiness.

" But the chances of success are always different." Wayzz added casting a look towards ladybug kwami.

" Will I die if it fails?"

Theirs eyes widened.

" No no, you'll just be tired for some time. Nothing bad will happen, don't worry."

Mari nodded and with determination in her eyes she said.

" Then, I want to try it."

The process was long and tiring. All kwamis concentrated on Marinette's soul, rebuilding it in something different, something powerful. Their quiet murmuring filled the room where Marinette layed.

And when they were almost done, they saw as white glow slowly covered her body. It became brighter with each second until her body disappeared and something else appeared in the air. It was a silver feathered heart locket. Slowly it lowered to the floor.

All kwamis just stared at it, surprised that they managed after the first try. Duusu was the first to snap out of it. Without any hesitation she came closer and slowly touched it's surface.

Immediately after that a white orb emerged. And when it stopped a snowy owl kwami levitated in the air. Faster than ever, Duusu hugged a newborn god and other kwamis joined them.

" How should we call you."

" Well, Renee is my human name and I want it to stay like this. I'd like to honour my first name somehow. Also I noticed that all of you have double letters in your name. So perhaps Maari?"

Tikki looked proud "Then I, the ladybug kwami and kwami of creation, gladly accept you Maari, the snowy owl kwami, as one of us and wish you luck with finding and training your powers."

After that their journey began. Renee and kwamis traveled everywhere, they met a lot of friends, and escaped from not so friendly people.

And almost six years later they finally thought about settling somewhere.

A lonely figure appeared on one of Gotham's street during night.

A lady in white and black with a wooden box in hands stood on the highest building waiting for kwamis, who were looking for a long abandoned house. Soon, a small horse flied to her with a smug expression.

" I found a mansion that was abandoned for a long time and it isn't visited at all for some reason. Perhaps people are afraid of the stray dogs that are always near it."

" A mansion?"

" Only the best for my sister and guardian!" Said a cheerful Kaalki. She was obviously proud of herself for being able to find something incredible.

Renee smiled gently and mentally told her siblings about Kaalki's discovery.

" A mansion. A big, abandoned mansion. Why am I not surprised?" Plagg looked at the small horss with paws crossed over his chest.

" I don't see anything bad in it. Only the best for the best." He facepalmed but a fond smile could be seen on his face.

" So what all of you think? Should we look for something different or everyone agree?"

Different agreements went from kwamis. With a nod from Renee Kaalki opened the portal to their destination.

The building was definitely abandoned for a long time. Different plants, that formed cracks in place where they grew up, surrounded the first floor. Everything was coated in dust, the furniture was barely holding.

Every kwami went in different directions.

Renee found a lot of strange, interesting, old things. Every room had something like that. One in particular had a beautiful table in front of fireplace. It looked like an office room as far as she could guess. Many books, plants and small animal statues adored the shelves along the walls.

The half-kwami liked the room. With another mental message she waited for everybody to fly over here.

The interior was adored by many kwamis. Others enjoyed that this room was hard to find.

In the end, the decision was made. The box would stay here with everyone, including Maari, inside the room. The protection spell, that will protect the box from someone with bad intentions, would be casted.

---

Somewhere in the Gotham

A lonely mansion stood

For a long time forgotten

But still looking good

Somewhere inside there was a place

That looked like a boredom

Where a lot of small gods rest

Waiting for the worthy person

---

One red vigilante was moving from roof to roof, searching for anything suspicious. The silence was interrupted by his comms.

" Red Robin, the patrol is over. Return to the cave."

" Be there in few."

With that, Tim jumped in the direction of his destination. After quite a lot of roofs he found himself at the unknown to him place. He stopped and started looking around hoping to spot anything familiar. Tim's eyes landed on the tall building of the Wayne Foundation.

But something else caught his eye. A lonely mansion. Tim felt as if something was pulling him there. Quickly looking around for anybody or anything strange, he made his mind and started crossing the distance.

The old looking gates were open, same with the front door. Stepping inside Red Robin noticed that this house was abandoned when he saw how ruined it was in some places. But the need to go somewhere still was present.

Tim found a lot of old things and paintings while walking through the hall. He continued exploring until he found a door. Unlike other doors this one was closed. The vigilante opened it and found a room filled with books, plants, small statues, a sofa, fireplace and an eye-catching table with a strange wooden box on it. Tim moved closer and saw a silver necklace shaped as a heart made from two wings near the box. Picking it up he examined it and found out that it was a locket. Tim hesitated to open it at first, but his curiosity won. He opened the two halves of a heart. Inside in the middle there was a small mirror, inside the right half was a miniature compass that looked like it actually worked. In the left half of the heart he saw a picture of a beautiful smiling woman. She had a midnight blue hair, that reached to her shoulders, freckles and blue eyes. Tim stared at her until his comms sounded again.

" Red Robin, we are waiting for you in the cave. Do you need help? Or is everything okay?"

" Yeah, don't worry. I just... got distracted. I'll be there soon."

Tim took a picture of the lady in order to research her and after putting the locket down he exited the mansion.

A white orb slowly emerged from the locket...

tag list:    @vixen-uchiha

Locket inspiration (tap me)

#maribat #timari #timinette #ml x dc #mlb x dc #timmari #kwami mari

[ajfanfic]

The Golden Room - A 70s Lesbians Witcher Fic

Part four of Snow and Dirty Rain

Read it on Ao3

We were in the gold room where everyone finally gets what they want, so I said What do you want, sweetheart? and you said Kiss me. Here I am leaving you clues. I am singing now while Rome burns. We are all just trying to be holy. My applejack, my silent night, just mash your lips against me. We are all going forward. None of us are going back.

Richard Siken, "Snow and Dirty Rain"

The dykes are always the first to go. That was a fact Geralt had gotten used to. It doesn’t surprise her, and it hadn’t upset her much before. This time, though, her eyes burn as she walks in the door, a pink slip in her pocket. She drops her coat on a chair.

Jaskier looks up from where she’s scribbling in her notebook and before even saying hello, asks, “What’s wrong, baby?"

“Got laid off,” she says roughly.

Jaskier rounds the table and pulls her close. Between their two incomes, supporting the three of them had been a close thing. She says, “I’ll work more nights.”

Geralt wants to say no but bites her tongue. Jaskier knows how she feels about the risks her work poses. She breathes in the sweet smell of Jaskier’s shampoo. “I don’t want you to.”

“I don’t want to either, but what else are we going to do?”

“We’ll figure something out. I’ll find another job.”

“The rent is due soon.”

“I know.”

There isn’t much more to say.

Vesemir calls the next day and Geralt swears the old woman has a psychic ability to tell when something is wrong, no matter the distance between them. The longer Ciri is with them, the more she thinks it might be a parent thing. Jaskier sits leaning against Geralt’s shoulder to listen in.

“There’s always work for you here,” Vesemir says.

Jaskier raises her eyebrows in a question at Geralt, who shakes her head and answers both of them.

“I couldn’t leave Ciri and Jaskier for that long.”

“I meant all of you.” Geralt can hear the look on Vesemir’s face that asks are you stupid, kid?

“We wouldn’t want to impose,” Jaskier says, pressing close to join the conversation.

“No imposition, you’re family. Get that Yennefer to bring y’all down Monday, she can have the guest room for the night.”

And just like that, it’s more or less figured out.

Yennefer jumps at the chance to see Vesemir again. They pack themselves into her battered purple car with bags of groceries and a bottle of Vesemir’s favorite whiskey. Jaskier and Yennefer fight over control of the tape deck before letting Ciri pick. They speed down the highway, “Mercedes Benz” blaring. Geralt can’t help smile as the noise of the city fades away, replaced by the shout of the wind and her little family singing along.

The old farmhouse is much like its owner, weathered and grey in a way that would be imposing if not for the brightness of the life within. Vesemir is waiting for them on the front porch, arms crossed and grinning. Ciri looks between her and Geralt as they climb out of the car, then down at herself.

“I see what you meant, Yen,” she laughs. Between their hair, faded jeans, work boots, and muted flannels, the three look uncannily similar.

“Told you,” Yennefer says. “You were meant to end up here.”

Geralt drops their bags on the step and tackles Vesemir in a bear hug.

“It’s good to see you too, kid.”

“Been too long.”

Vesemir pulls away and smacks Geralt upside the head. “Now, who’s fault is that?” She holds her hand up before Geralt can protest. “Introduce me to my grandkid.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Geralt beckons her up. “This is Ciri.”

Ciri squares her shoulders and tips her chin up. “Good to meet you.”

Vesemir looks her up and down appraisingly. “Can you ride?”

“No, ma’am.”

“Then that’s our first order of business.” Vesemir throws an arm around her shoulder and pulls her into her side. “Why don’t we let Geralt put y’all’s stuff away and I’ll show you around. The ladies can put their feet up for a bit.”

“Hey!” Geralt protests even as she picks the bags up again.

“Vesemir is absolutely right, that long drive was just exhausting.” Jaskier fans herself dramatically.

“And you didn’t even do anything,” says Yennefer.

“Nothing but enjoy your company, darling.”

“You-!”

Jaskier darts up the steps, giggling, with Yennefer hot on her heels. She pauses to drop a kiss on Vesemir’s cheek before heading into the house.

It doesn’t take long for them to decide to stay. They hadn’t talked about what they were going to do next, too grateful to want to ask too much but the next morning over breakfast Vesemir looks up from her coffee and says, “I’m not sure how attached y’all are to the furniture you got in the city, but you’re welcome to the truck if you want to bring anything else down.”

“Honestly, a coat of paint and this place would be nicer than anywhere else I’ve ever lived,” says Jaskier, “furniture included.”

Vesemir smiles. “Then we’ve got our first task. Ciri, what color’d you like?”

She thinks about it for a long moment. “Yellow. Bright yellow.”

“Yellow it is, then.”

Vesemir introduces Ciri to the horses when Geralt goes into town to buy paint. Ciri decides that Applejack is her horse. Applejack has yet to agree, but with time and sugar cubes, Ciri is determined to win him over.

Geralt comes back with paint, and brushes, and a package of seeds that promise to someday be a feast. Jaskier’s eyes light up and she claims a plot by the porch as her garden.

“So I can sit in the shade and keep an eye on it,” she explains. She’s got a wide-brimmed hat on and her hair tied up, a pair of Ciri’s jeans too short at her ankles, and Geralt has to push the hat back and kiss her.

Vesemir kneels in the dirt beside her and shows her how to build a mound and press the squash seeds into the middle, how to make furrows for the carrots, and put marigolds around the edge to keep off the bugs. Together, they plant the seeds.

“Good work,” Vesemir says. “It’s been a long time since I’ve kept a garden here. It’s too much work for one person.”

“Most things are,” says Jaskier. “Most things are, honey.”

They don’t end up using the truck. Yennefer drives down again the next weekend, the rest of Jaskier’s clothes, her records and record player, and Geralt’s few books in the trunk. Jaskier runs an extension cord out the kitchen window and sets the record player up on the porch. Geralt and Vesemir argue over their plan of attack, but settle on taking the week to do the work, one side of the house at a time, top and bottom. Ciri ends up with soap in her hair and Jaskier’s top is soaked through by the time the walls are clean, and they have to take a break for lemonade. They tape off the window trim and pull the chairs away from the wall. Vesemir starts at the top with Geralt, claiming her knees are too old to get on the ground. Ciri obliges and lays on her belly to paint the edge where the porch meets the wall.

The project grows, as projects are wont to do. The house’s bright color makes the trim look dirty, so white joins the yellow splatters on their jeans. A rainy weekend leaves the kitchen bright green, cans of blue waiting at the foot of the stairs for the bedrooms and the next storm. Summer is beginning to frizz Jaskier’s hair by the time they finish and the house matches the riot of color outside.

Vesemir teases them for their taste and Ciri says, “That’s what you get for inviting a bunch of queers into your house.”

There is a glint of victory in the smile Geralt and Jaskier share at that, satisfied in the knowledge that they have done well. After dinner, Ciri and Vesemir do the washing up and Geralt follows Jaskier onto the porch.

Fireflies flicker over the dirt road. They stand for a long moment at the rail, a breeze keeping the night from unpleasant heat.

“Thank you. For coming here.” Geralt doesn’t say for me but Jaskier knows her well enough to hear it.

Jaskier leans back against Geralt’s chest. She sighs, looking out past the small garden she’s planted beside the porch and the wide fields beyond. Geralt’s arms wrap around her and she feels very peacefully small.

“I knew I’d be happy here because you and Ciri are happy. And I am, but I’m happy here for me, too. All of this isn’t what I thought I wanted but it’s good in a way I couldn’t have predicted, putting down roots. I’ve never been in one place long enough to do that before.”

“What do you want, sweetheart?” Geralt says.

She smiles softly and says, “Kiss me.”

#witcher fanfic #geraskier #witcher #mine

[simonxriley]

Fall Family Fun

Pairing: Alexsandr “Tachanka” Senaviev x Skylar “Phoenix” Jackson 

Summary: Tachanka, Skylar, the kids and some of the family go out to an orchard for some much needed fall family bonding time. 

Words: 4,501

Russian: Kotyonok = kitten. Moya sladost’ = My sweetness. Da = yes. Printessa = Princess

Ao3

The air was crisp, the weather was perfect and Skylar was looking forward to this much needed family trip to Treworgy Family Orchards. It was only an eighteen minute drive from Bangor and she was looking forward to seeing the twins explore the orchard and pick out pumpkins since they were now almost two and much more alert and less scared than they were last year. Last year's pumpkin picking was a mix of fun and a disaster.  

“Did you really go here every year?”

Skylar looked into the rearview mirror seeing Grace sitting in the middle between her younger siblings. “I did, it was a family tradition even before I was born.”

“Cool. Are there any animals?”

“Yes there is.” She laughed. “There’s also a corn maze, and you can pick your own fruits and veggies along with cutting your own flowers.”

“Can we do that? Are we going to do that?”

“Absolutely, I’ll see if anyone can take the twins for a bit so we can pick the flowers in peace.”

“Yay!”

Skylar chuckled and glanced over at Alex who was driving, giving him a small smile. This was their first Halloween back in Maine since the twins were born, last year work was too hectic to find time to fly out so this year they decided to take a few weeks off and spend some time with her family and for her parents to spend more time with their grandkids. And she knows her sisters’ would love to spend time with their nieces and nephews.

Both of them were actually happy with how well the twins were doing in the car, surprisingly not getting restless and instead looking out the window at the colorful trees passing by. Maybe it was a good idea to have Grace sit in the middle, so the twins couldn’t try to fight one another sitting side by side. They never really fought until you placed them next to each other in their carseats. Neither Skylar nor Alex understood why.

It also just felt nice to be back in Maine for a little bit, seeing her family again and catching up, as much as she loved living in England and making a home with Alex she still missed Bangor from time to time.

Another ten minutes passed by and they finally made it to the orchard. Skylar got out of the car and stretched, hearing her shoulders crack in the process then went to go get Konstantin out of his carseat while Alex got Marianna out of hers.

“There’s my handsome lil man.” Konstantin smiled and leaned forward so she could pick him up. “Are you ready to pick a pumpkin?”

He nodded his head and she placed him on her hip as she shut the door, walking over to the other side of the car where Alex and the other two kids were. Just in time to see her parents pull into the parking lot, followed by her sisters Chloe and her husband Jack, unfortunately her other sister Valary and her husband Evan couldn’t make it due to work, but she’ll see them tomorrow. They all waved over at them, minus the twins who were too busy giving each other funny faces and laughing.

“Hi mom and dad!” She walked over to their car, followed by Grace, Alex and Marianna. “It’s nice to be doing this again. It seems like forever ago.”

“It has, the last time you were here you were sixteen and now look at you, married and have a family of your own.” said her dad “And oh Grace I have a present for you!”

“Really?”

Grace walked over to where Carl was on the other side of the car so Skylar nor Alex could see what he was giving her.

“Hi Sarah, it’s nice to see you again!”

“It’s nice to see you again too Alex.” She went in for a hug and couldn’t help but smile. “My how the kids have grown.”

“I know, the last few years have flown by.”

Alex handed Marianna over to Sarah with a smile. Skylar loved watching her parents be grandparents and how much love they gave the kids. She never thought she would have children first, expecting at least Chloe to have one before she did, but the universe had other plans for her and she’s grateful for that.

“Oh my God, look how big they’ve gotten.” said Chloe as she walked over to them, her husband Jack trailing close behind. “Okay you were right, Marianna is a spitting image of her dad.”

“Da, she is!”

Chloe scoffed and went to hug Skylar. “I missed you, I’m glad you could get some time off.”

“I am too, it was much needed anyways.”

Konstantin was looking up at his aunt with his stuffed bunny in his hands, not being too sure of who she was. Skylar looked down to see him in a daze and laughed. “That’s your aunt Konstantin. I know, it’s been a while since you’ve seen her.”

Chloe held out her hands to see if he wanted her to hold him, when he turned away from her, clinging more to his mom she let her hands drop to the side. “It’s okay, I’ll let him warm up to me first.”

“It shouldn’t take long, he is the more shy of the two but he does warm up to people quite quickly.”

“Mom, look what grandpa got me.” Grace jogged over to the other side of the car showing her the brand new skateboard she has. It was the ATM Galaxy Wing one that she’s been dying for since she broke her other one a few months ago. “I love it!”

Skylar and Alex were planning on taking Grace to the nearby sporting goods store for her to buy it but work always got in the way. That she hated, she knew work could potentially get in the way, that was something she was expecting. She wasn’t expecting to be called or for Alex to be called for work almost every time there was a mission. Rainbow is filled with plenty of other operators, why couldn’t Six call them? She was just happy that her dad bought the skateboard for her.

“I knew you would love it! Since Alex and I couldn’t take you ourselves to buy it due to work, we thought we’d surprise you here.” She gave Grace a smile, glancing down at the skateboarding deck that fit her personality well. “At least you’ll have some time to use it before winter gets here.”

“Seriously? Thank you!” She went to hug Skylar, a smile spreading across her face, then she went to go hug Alex and thanked him as well. “Can we put the wheels on when we get home?”

“Of course! Now why don’t you put it in the car and we go pick some pumpkins?”

                                                        xXx

All nine of them were walking through the pumpkin patch looking for the perfect pumpkin. Grace was with her aunt and uncle talking about her skateboarding mishaps that happened over the summer and the twins were with their grandparents not too far up ahead. Skylar and Alex were slowly strolling behind everyone hand-in-hand, taking in the view of the family being together.

“I’m glad we took the time to come out here, the kids seem happy.”

“I am too, and your parents deserve to see them anyways.”

She looked up at him with a small smile, the sun shining perfectly behind him in the pumpkin patch. “Yes they do.” she chuckled. “It’s nice to come back here anyways, brings back a lot of memories.”

“What kind of memories, kotyonok?”

Skylar let go of his hand to link their arms together, pulling herself a tad closer to him. In the distance she could see Grace and Chloe laughing and the twins climbing on a big pumpkin, it made her smile.

“Running down this same pumpkin patch, climbing on the biggest one I could find, like what our children are doing right now. Picking flowers with my mom, apples with my dad. This place holds a lot of good memories.”

Alex chuckled, a smile spreading across his face. “It’s cute picturing a little kotyonok running down these pumpkin patches.”

“I’m sure there’s pictures.” she laughs. “As much as I love the old memories, I’m more excited for the new ones moya sladost’!”

“As am I, kotyonok!”

They walked over to where her parents and the twins were, just watching them in silence as they climbed on a pretty massive pumpkin. Skylar was only waiting for them to ask to bring it home with them, in their limited speaking voices. For nearing two years old they could talk in short sentences, but they did always find a way to make what they wanted understandable. Even if it was by pointing.

“Mama, cunkin!”

“Yeah it is a pumpkin. A big one.”

“Like me.” Marianna gave a big smile and began climbing on it again, making everyone laugh.

“No printsessa, I think the pumpkin is a bit bigger than you.”

“No papa, I bigger.”

Alex laughed at the mad look on Marianna’s face and her arms crossed against her chest. “Okay, da printessa you are bigger than the pumpkin.”

Her demeanor changed and she let her arms fall to her side. “Da, I am.”

Skylar chuckled, turning to him. “Please don’t make her upset, I don’t need her throwing a tantrum.”

“Sorry kotyonok, she’s just so cute when she’s mad.”

“No argument there. It’s a good thing she can’t stay mad long.”

Alex wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him, a small chuckle coming from his lips. “That’s true. I’m positive she forgets a few moments later, such an easy life being a toddler.”

“Oh yeah, they get to be carried, they have nap time. No responsibilities, just fun.”

Skylar watched the twins in silence, they were both joined at the hip and never left each other’s side. It’s been that way since the day they were born, they couldn’t even keep them in different cribs because one or both would cry if they were separated. Now their cribs are side by side in their shared room, and when either her or Alex goes to get them in the morning they are always in the same crib together. She would be lying if she didn’t say she loved it.

This was one of the things she was looking forward to once she had kids, doing all the family traditions she did as a kid with hers. And knowing the more the kids grow the more stuff they’ll be able to do in the future.

“I found a pumpkin.”

Skylar and Alex turned towards Grace who was holding a medium sized pumpkin that looked quite perfect. No bumps or bruises, she has a keen eye for things like that.

“That’s a nice looking one.”

“I think so too Alex, I’m going to carve a scary face into it or maybe a cat. I don’t know yet.” She placed the pumpkin into the wheelbarrow nearby and sighed. “Chloe and Jack wanted to know if they could take the twins for ice cream?”

“Yeah I’m fine with that.” She looked up at Alex to see what he thought, and all he did was nod in agreement. “I think it’ll be good for them to spend some time with their aunt and uncle.”

Not a moment later Chloe and Jack came over to them with their pumpkins, placing them into the wheelbarrow. Chloe walked over to Skylar’s side, linking their arms together.

“Grace said you wanted to take the twins for ice cream?”

“If that’s alright with you guys? We could take them for some ice cream while you, Alex and Grace go pick out some flowers.”

“I’m fine with it. Alex?”

“Same. I’m sure they’ll enjoy it.”

“Oh yeah, they do love ice cream. Chocolate is their favorite.”

Chloe let go of Skylar’s arm, watching the twins play around the pumpkins. After all that her little sister has gone through she was abundantly happy that she found happiness and a man that truly loves her. Skylar deserved every single ounce of happiness she could get, and she has a beautiful family to show for it.

“I’m proud of you!”

“Huh?” She looked up at her sister, slightly confused. “Why are you proud of me?”

“That you’re a good mother and a good person! Grace wouldn’t have this life right now if you didn’t adopt her. You took her in because you didn’t want to see her go into the foster care system, knowing you and Alex could give her a good and loving home. The twins are sweet and caring, well behaved most of the time. That tells a lot Skylar. After everything you’ve been through, I’m happy about the woman you’ve become!”

Skylar wiped a few tears from her eyes and laughed. “Thanks Chloe, but don’t make me cry.”

“Da, please don’t make my kotyonok cry. I do agree with your sister, I’m proud of the woman you’ve become after the horrors we dealt with. Not that I wasn’t proud of you beforehand, it just shows how strong you are.”

“Okay both of you, I don’t want to cry.” She chuckled as she wiped more tears from her eyes. “Thank you though, both of you!”

They both chuckled and squashed Skylar in a hug, making her laugh. “I love you guys!”

“We love you too!” said Chloe.

They both let her go and she felt quite happy and content, more so than she was when she got there. She just felt happy.

“Hey Grace, do you want to go pick some flowers?”  

“Yes please.”

Skylar nodded and turned her head back to Chloe. “The twins are all yours.”

                                                                  xXx

After they got their vases and clippers they went out into the field of flowers. There were sunflowers, amaranthus, cosmos, bachelor buttons, snapdragons, zinnias, and even eucalyptus and wheat. Skylar already knew what she was going to make. A few sunflowers in the middle with a bunch of cosmos and bachelor buttons surrounding them.

“Are you sure you want to get some flowers, kotyonok? You’re not that good at taking care of plants.”

She gasped. “I may not be good at taking care of plants, but they’re pretty. What do you have against flowers Alexsandr?”

“Nothing.” he laughed. “You’re the one that gets sad when they die.”

“God you’re such a married couple.” said Grace from nearby.

Skylar and Alex looked at each other, both of their mouths going into a thin line. She chuckled and walked over to where Grace was. “That’s because we are a married couple, Grace. You know that.”

“Really? I never knew.” she laughed. “It never crossed my mind that the ring on your left hand was a wedding ring.”

Skylar laughed and shook her head. “Sometimes I think you’re too sarcastic for your own good.”

“I know!”

She chuckled, a smile spreading across her face. “I’ll be in the sunflowers.”

“Okay.”

Skylar walked over to the sunflowers with Alex trailing behind her. He wasn’t much for flower picking but he’ll take anything to spend time with her.

She looked through the sunflowers, trying to spot the perfect one. “When do you want to carve the pumpkins?”

“Whenever you want.”

“I was thinking about tomorrow.” She clipped one of the sunflowers and placed it in the vase. “Grace will want to play around with her skateboard and the pumpkins will last a bit longer.”

“That seems good. The twins will forget about their pumpkins once they’re out of sight anyways.”

“Oh yeah.” She chuckled, clipping another flower. “They’ll forget about the pumpkins but they won’t forget about the chocolate we keep hidden on top of the cupboards after they’ve had enough.”

“That’s because it’s chocolate, kotyonok. Every kid loves chocolate.”

“That’s very true.”

She went back to picking her flowers, moving from the sunflowers over to the bachelor buttons. She loved how pretty they looked, the lighter purple mixed with the darker purple, wishing she could plant some back home. The next were the cosmos. They were a light pink flower with a yellow middle, she used to find them when riding her horse Midnight through her aunt's farm. She always thought they were pretty and would pick some on the way back.

“Oooh those are pretty. I’m done.” said Grace

Skylar glanced over at her as she placed the last two cosmos into the vase, finishing her bouquet. “Thank you! And so are yours, I see you even added a bit of greenery.”

Grace made a beautiful bouquet of most of the flowers, on the rim were a bunch of equalyptus, and filled in the middle was a bunch of snapdragon’s, amaranthus and zinnias. With a touch of bachelor buttons and cosmos for more color.

“Thanks! Yeah I thought the greenery would look nice with it.”

“It does!”

“Kotyonok, can I use those clippers for a second?”

“Yeah.”

She handed him the clippers and they both watched him walk away for a moment, back towards where the bachelor buttons were. He looked over them for a moment until he clipped one, jogging back to them and placed the flower in Skylar’s top knot she was wearing.

She chuckled and smiled up at him, even though she knows it won’t stay in her hair much longer once Marianna sees it. “Thank you, moya sladost’!”

“You’re welcome, kotyonok!”

They began to make their way back to the café where the rest of the family was, Grace occasionally sniffing her flowers with a proud smile on her face. For Skylar she was just happy to have the family together and make memories.

As they walked to the café they could see the twins by the window, eating their ice cream. They walked up, placing the flowers on the table and sat down with a sigh.

Marianna pointed at her mama, ice cream covering her face. “Flower.”

“It is a flower, your papa put it there.”

“Why?”

Skylar shrugged her shoulders and looked over at Alex. “That’s a good question, why did you put a flower in my hair?”

“I just wanted to!”

“Fair point.” she laughs. “Are you guys hungry?”

“I’m starving.” said Grace

“Me too.” She glanced over to her family, seeing that they’ve already eaten. “We’ll be back.”

All three of them got up and headed towards the line of other people trying to get their food. As they stood in line, reading the menu up on the board Skylar glanced over at the pizza’s hoping they had what she wanted on display since she didn’t want to buy a whole pizza just yet.

“Apple bacon barbeque, have you had that? It sounds interesting.” asked Grace

“That’s what I’m getting, it sounds odd but it’s good.” She looked up at Alex who was still looking at the menu. “What are you getting moya sladost’?”

“Probably pepperoni, unless there’s a meat one available?” He glanced over to where the pizza display was. “Okay there is one, I’m getting that.”

The line was pretty long and moving at a snail's pace, that didn’t bother them. It was lunch time after all and walking around a big orchard can make anyone hungry.

After looking at the menu some more Grace turned around to face them. “I know what I’m getting, plain cheese. I can’t wait until I can break in that new skateboard.”

Alex chuckled, a small smile spreading across his face. “I’m sure you are milaya, now try not to break this one.”

“I will. And hey it wasn’t my fault I broke the first one, I wasn’t the one to run over my own skateboard.”

He went quiet for a moment, looking down at the floor, it made both of them laugh. The whole incident was an accident, Konstantin was playing with it in the front yard and decided to push it right at the moment Alex drove into the driveway, running right over it. It did freak him out for a moment until he realized what he ran over.

“Technically it was Konstantin, but he’s a baby and didn’t know better.” said Skylar “To him he was just playing. However, someone should have been watching the road a bit better.”

“Da, kotyonok. To be fair I didn’t see it go in front of the car.”

“I’m aware, you were busy waving at Marianna.”

They finally got to the front and ordered their food, returning to the table with the rest of the family. The twins were still eating away at their ice cream, with some of their own pieces of pizza nearby.

Skylar took a bite of hers, satisfying her growling stomach. “I’m surprised you got them to eat before giving them the ice cream. What’d you bribe them with?”

She chuckled when she saw the blank stairs looking back at her. She knows her children and knows that if there’s ice cream in play they’ll need a lot of bribing to make them eat their normal food beforehand.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about Sky, we would never do such a thing.”

“Sure Chloe.” She chuckled. “I know my kids, it takes us a few bribes just for them to eat before dessert is served.”

“She bribed them with buying them a new toy.” said Evan

“Ah.”

Chloe gave Evan a glaring stair, making everyone chuckle. It wouldn’t be the first time Alex had to bribe them with a new toy to make them do something or eat something. For the most part all they have to do is tell them they have to eat their food before they can have dessert, sometimes it might be a toy if it’s important.

“Thanks Evan.”

“Hey it’s alright, wouldn’t be the first time we had to bribe them with a toy. However it was for that one appointment to make sure Konstantin wasn’t deaf and he wasn’t having it. Mostly we just tell them they have to eat their food or they don’t get dessert.”

“You never mentioned that, Sky.” said Sarah.

“There wasn’t much to mention.” She took a bit of her pizza, speaking a moment later. “We all know he’s a bit shyer than his sister and doesn’t talk that much. His doctor thought he might be deaf and wanted to run a few tests.”

Skylar glanced over at Konstantin eating a piece of his pizza, ignoring everything around him at the table. They all knew he could hear because he would look over if someone dropped something or if his name was mentioned. All because he was a little bit underdeveloped than his sister.

“All of that was a load of crap, he could hear us whenever we said his name or he looked over when something was dropped. No matter how much we told them they still wanted to do the tests.” said Alex

She reached over to grab his hand, giving it a small squeeze. “At least the tests weren’t bad, he just needed to sit in a room and look over at the speaker that made a sound. Being alone was the thing that made him cry and freak out. After talking with the doctor I could go in there with him.”

“What did you get him?”

“A horse he could ride in the house.”

She grabbed her phone from the table, searching through her videos until she found what she was looking for, then handed it to her mom. The video shows Konstantin on his horse, powered by him to make it move. The feet of the horse instead of hooves were wheels, making for a fun activity. It was also easy for him to navigate and use even for his young age.

“Awe that’s so cute!” said Chloe

“If only they had them when you were a child.” said her mom as she handed back the phone. “You would’ve loved that.”

“I’m sure I would have!”

                                                                  xXx

A few hours passed and they were now home, with a few hours of daylight to spare so Grace could break in her new skateboard. And while Grace placed the wheels on the new skateboarding deck in the living room, Skylar was in the kitchen putting the apples that they picked into the fruit bowl, minus a few she was going to use to make some apple pie.

She was happy the day went well, the twins never had a tantrum and they got to spend some much needed time with the family.

A tug on her pant leg forced her to look down, seeing Marianna standing beside her. “Apple?”

“You want an apple?”

Marianna nodded her head and let go of her pant leg.

“Okay, I’ll get you an apple.”

Marianna ran back into the living room while she grabbed an apple and a knife. From her peripheral she could see Alex walk into the kitchen and over to her, leaning against the counter. She looked up, giving him a soft smile that he mirrored.

“I think today went rather well.”

“I do too, kotyonok.”

She began to cut the apple, placing it on a plate. “I was thinking we should go costume shopping tomorrow for the kids, it’s already pretty close to Halloween and they need costumes.”

“Okay, what were you thinking for the twins?”

He grabbed the plate with the apples on it for Marianna, waiting for Skylar to throw away the pit and place the knife in the sink before heading back into the living room with everyone else.

“I’m not sure yet. Do you have any ideas?”

“Ideas for what?”

“What costume the twins should wear for Halloween.”

Grace placed the screwdriver on the coffee table, finally done with putting the wheels on her skateboard. “Since Konstantin has the horse he should dress up as a cowboy, maybe Woody from Toy Story?”

Skylar sat down on the couch next to her with a sigh. “That is a good idea. Konstantin do you want to be Woody for Halloween?”

He looked up from the car he was playing with and nodded his head. Toy Story was one of his favorite movies, it would only be right for him to dress up as Woody.

“Well we figured out one, what about the other?”

They all went quiet for a moment, thinking up what to dress Marianna as. She was a bit more tricky on picking out a costume for, being much more picky on what she likes. One moment she can like something, and another she hates it. But the one thing she’ll always like are butterflies.

“What about a butterfly, kotyonok?”

“Oh, good idea moya sladost’. She does love butterflies.”

The rest of the night was followed by watching Grace break in her skateboard, followed by watching a few horror movies with some popcorn after the twins went to bed. All in all it was a good day!

#otp: the tachanka and his kotyonok #oc skylar jackson #alexsandr senaviev #tachanka #rainbow six siege #r6s #y'all better reblog this asdfghjkl

[ecoutez-moi]

part 4, here’s some more

Day 20 -  Monday,  March 8

Amber

I’m grateful for

1. My mom

2. My dad

3. All the amazing women in my life (you included😇)

4. My grandma

5. The rest of my family that we don’t talk to lol

6. Having heat and air conditioning

7. Grateful to afford things and not lacking

8. Having and abundance of food and water

9. Health

10. America ( given you know, all the shittiest of shitty things) I am really grateful I don’t live in a third world country or anything like that rn

Day 21 - Tuesday March 9

Daniel B

1) God

2) Family (especially after they’ve really started to support my dream

Of music)

3) new city

4) artists way book

5) quitting weed

6) leaving LA

7) grateful I’m able to pursue my dream of being a producer

8) Learning guitar

9) mental health + mindfulness

10) cold showers

Sarah S

Hi sorry, I forgot to respond. I’m still so sad about teddy. It’s hard to think about this but I know i’m grateful for things. Like for my friendship with you. For clarence. For my job. For my friends. My house. My family. But 10 things?? Lol that’s hard. What are you grateful for?

Day 22 Wednesday  March 10

Tobias D

My spiritual journey, my family, my health, My puppies, The ability to laugh at myself, finding joy in random things, my creativity, my tenacity, music, magic

Day 23 Thursday - March 11

Victoria Petrovsky

My health, my child, my husband, my job, my family, my friends, my job, my colleagues, Starbucks,pinterest,

Day  24 Friday - March 12

Keith F

1.My health

2.My Family & Friends

3. My job

4. My apt

5. My car

6. My sanity

7. Living in a city I love

8. My freedom

9. Being able to advocate for my community

10. My lack of going without.

Michael N.

My friends like you.

Melia

Melias wonderful family and friends

Everyone’s health particularly after the pandemic

The luxury of a job

Being able to work from home and spend less time traveling and commuting

Being able to be in the same city as my family

Good genes that keeps me thin without working out

A second home!

Interesting work that is keeping me engaged

Brenna K

yes!

1. my health

2. my dog

3. the trip I just took to Joshua Tree

4. surprises

5. waves of hopefulness

6. natural beauty

7. working w my career coach

8. music and movement

9. my relationship with myself

10. friends

DAY 25 SATURDAY

Landon M

Would love to! Grateful for a ton, including:

1. My marriage

2. My dog, and the fact he has never chewed any of my shoes up

3. Our homes are in good shape

4. My job is awesome, and I have an extremely patient boss who shares his knowledge with me constantly

5. Family is healthy; my cousin was really sick, but she started doing better today.

6. We're going through Foster Parent training and in a position where we can be caring adults for kids in need

7. Low stress life

8. I'm not in the Netflix test group, so I can keep using my mom's password for now

9. Meredith is about to sign a licensing/sync deal and has some really cool traction, so I'm on track to be a kept man

10. Friends like you, that we stay in touch with even though we don't get to see each other often

♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️

Maxwell J

Well...

-my family for sure

-Health (although I could hit the gym more often)

-I’m blessed to still have a job

-I’m grateful for you! I bet a smile that’s way too big when I receive a text from you

-My new apartment I just moved into (it’s nicer and cheaper than my other place)

-I’ve been able to really get closer to my best friend thru awesome convos lately

-I did get to travel to Santa Barbara for my brothers mini Covid safe wedding

-I’ve seen a buddy of mine start an IG food account that’s been getting a lot of love

-work has started to shift a bit to include more of my ideas on POC focused initiatives

-and you (again)

DAY 26 SUNDAY

Mike G

My life ! LOL

Waking up every morning is all I’m grateful for ! 🙏🏼🤗

Joyce G

That’s pretty cool. Here’s my list:

1. Having shelter

2. Food in my belly

3. My family and friends

4. Getting a paycheck

5. Fur babies

6. My health

7. Days off-weekends, holidays, PTOs

8. Internet

9. Clean water

10. Ability to buy what I need/like

I was thinking about other things I’m grateful for. I should have added to my list for my great grandfather’s courage to immigrate to the U.S. then eventually bringing over his kids and grandkids. He still had his long ponytail when he came over

#grateful #love #lent #lent2021

[nickelkeep]

Slice of Your Pie

Pairings: Dean/Cas, Naomi/Zachariah Rating: Mature Word Count: 6900 Warnings: Homophobic Language, Sexism, Dean going off.  On Ao3

It wasn't like Gabe to call before noon. Usually, because Castiel was working and Gabe knew better, but also because Gabe would be in the middle of a busy shift at one of his bakeries. Castiel hesitantly picked up the phone, grateful for the week off from his job.

"Gabe, are you in prison?"

"Come on, Cassie. Is that the only reason I would call you?" Gabe's voice was boisterous yet nervous. "I'm just checking in on my favorite baby brother."

"I'm your only baby brother." Castiel pulled the phone away from his ear to confirm the time. "Shouldn't you be elbow deep in flour or something, right now?"

"Nope. All three shops are under control, and I took the week off to fly in. Staying with Mom and Dad, you know?" Gabe's happy charade was faltering, and Castiel had a feeling of what was coming. "It's always great being home. Especially when I get to spend time with my favorite brother."

"Still, your only brother. Did Anna say no to you crashing at her place?" Castiel leaned back in his couch and kicked his legs up on the coffee table, careful to not disturb the stack of papers he had been grading.

"Anna's out of town until Thanksgiving, and something about she doesn't trust me to not burn down her house."

Castiel laughed. "That's a legitimate concern. Are you asking to crash here?"

"Actually, no. Mom and Dad have left me alone, for the most part." Gabe let out a heavy sigh, as though he had been burdened with the most laborious task on the planet. "Are you coming for Thanksgiving?"Castiel pulled the phone away and looked at the clock on it for the third time. "Gabe, have you been drinking?"

"Look, I told them it would be pointless, but they didn't listen. They want all three of us there for the holiday. Dad said he's getting up there in age, and he wants to be surrounded by his children and non-existent grandchildren."

"Like he's getting grandchildren from any of us." Castiel rolled his eyes. "No. I'm not coming."

"You know that's not going to fly." Gabe suddenly sounded exhausted. "Me and Anna will be here."

"Great, then he's got his two kids, happy marriage and white picket fence. Make sure you pick up a dog for him before you leave."

"Castiel, please. Don't make me beg. Or sic Anna on you."

Castiel pinched the bridge of his nose and squeezed his eyes shut. "Anna's smart enough to not call or to tell our parents to piss off."

"It's just a couple hours on one day. You can cold shoulder them and give them the good old silent treatment." Gabe's voice took on a subtle hint of pleading. "Help me get them off my case and yours."

"I'm much happier spending my Thanksgiving at home with take out and a movie marathon. I might be alone, but at least I'm not getting attacked every other word out of their mouths." Castiel rubbed his forehead, trying to erase the thought of going to his parents for the holiday.

"That was one year, Cassie."

"Excuse me? What fiasco have you been watching?" Castiel stood up and moved to the kitchen to get a beer. "'Why are you single, Castiel?' 'Are you over your phase, Castiel?' 'Castiel, are you going to find a nice woman and give us grandkids?'" Castiel scoffed. "Don't even get me started on the digs they take at my job."

Gabe took in a suction of air, indicating that he was working on an idea. After a pause, he spoke up. "Bring a date."

"Right, like I'm going to find a guy to date me in less than a week." Castiel rolled his eyes.

"There are escort services, Cassie." Gabe paused. "Wait, that's it. There's also Craig's List. See if you can find a date for the day."

"That's ridiculous."

"I'm serious, hop on, look in the area, and check out casual encounters. That's got to be someone else looking for someone to spend the day with."

Castiel rolled his eyes and grabbed his laptop off the coffee table. "I thought that was for more... intimate encounters."

"HA! Like I'd send you to that part of the website. I certainly don't want to picture my baby bro doing the do with a dude."

"But, you just want me to bring a random person to Mom and Dad's to keep them off your back and mine." Castiel cradled the phone between his ear and shoulder as he typed in the address for Craig's List. "Look, I make no promises. If I don't make it, you can tell them that their worst fear came to fruition."

Gabe laughed. "That you married some random guy behind their backs, and you're moving to Venice to be Gondolier Captains."

"Maybe that one would push father over the edge." Castiel laughed. "Maybe this isn't a bad idea. I'll call you tomorrow with a definite answer. You and I both know either are good."

"That's my Castiel." The warm affection caused Castiel to smile. "Please give it a sincere look over, ok?"

Castiel promised to give it the old college try and disconnected his call with Gabe.

He pulled up the Casual Encounters section of Craig's List and was surprised to find out how right Gabe was. Many people were offering their services for Thanksgiving company. As he scrolled through the ads, one with an interesting title caught his attention.

Alone on Thanksgiving? Want to stop the ‘Why are you still single?’ questions?

I’m a 35-year-old guy with a GED and a loud, beautiful muscle car that’s older than I am. When people try to guess my age, I get anywhere from 32-38 depending on if I’ve taken the time to put on clothes that aren’t holey jeans and flannel shirts and do my hair. I work as a cook in my friend’s restaurant and tend bar for an aunt when I need extra cash. So if you’re looking for a platonic person to be your SO for a day, I can do it.

I am bisexual, so I don’t care if you’re male or female.

At your request, I can:

Hit on family members (including your parents).

Start an argument over politics and religion (I’m a liberal atheist).

and/or

Propose to you (I have a ring that works perfectly for this).

I can also act drunk as a skunk, but I personally don’t drink. I’ve been sober for a few years now. Need a ‘drunken’ fistfight started? I’m your guy.

I’m not looking for payment other than the free meal that comes from accompanying you.

Castiel smiled. This was perfect. It was a guy, he would appear to be less than to his folks, and he promised that he could cause a ruckus. Castiel quickly clicked the contact link and got their number to text them.

[1:00 PM Castiel:] Hi, I just found your add on Craig's List. Is your thanksgiving dinner date offer still open?

He waited several minutes, scrolling through a few more adds, just in case, when his phone's notification for a text message went off.

[1:07 PM 555-555-6767:] Hey, yeah. I didn't think anyone was interested, or it got buried. Name's Dean. You?

Castiel smiled, this crazy idea might actually work.

[1:09 PM Castiel:] My name is Castiel, and I am very interested in you pissing off my parents.

Castiel hit send and realized he needed more information about the random stranger he invited to Thanksgiving with him. As he got ready to send a request to meet in public, Dean beat him to it.

[1:12 PM Dean:] Interesting name there. You free in about an hour to meet? Would kinda like to see you and talk to you before I conform. It also sells the dating thing better. [1:15 PM Dean:] Any particular place where we can meet?

Castiel sighed out a breath of relief before sucking in a breath of panic. Where could they meet?

[1:17 PM Castiel:] A cup of coffee or tea, maybe? I only know of Right Ground, but they're good.

[1:19 PM Dean:] Oh hell yeah! My friend is the owner. The petite redhead?

[1:20 PM Castiel:] Charlie, right? I've seen her a couple of times.

[1:22 PM Dean:] Perfect! I get off soon and can head right over.

[1:24 Castiel:] Sounds good. What should I look for?

[1:30 Dean] Black Impala. She's my pride and joy. If you're looking for me, Sandy Brown hair, Green Eyes, lots of freckles, and uh...

[1:31 Castiel:] What?

Castiel tilted his head in confusion as he waited for Dean's reply. Was this going to be where he mentioned he had a humpback?

[1:36 Dean:] I'm a bit bowlegged. I've been told it's a bit of a turnoff, but I figured I'd be honest upfront.

Castiel let out a laugh of relief.

[1:38 Castiel:] There is nothing wrong with bowlegs. I've heard they make some things easier. 😘

As soon as Castiel sent the message, he instantly wished he could take it back. Instead, he quickly sent a follow-up message.

[1:39 Castiel:] I'm going to go get ready. See you in about 25 minutes.

Castiel let out a huff of air while waiting for lighting to strike, or a boulder to be dropped on him.

[1:41 Dean:] LOL! See you soon, dude. (Dude, right?)

Castiel didn't get a chance to respond as he quickly hopped in the shower and got ready to meet Dean for the first time.

…

Castiel had arrived slightly ahead of his and Dean's arranged meeting time. He didn't see a black Impala anywhere, and when he walked inside, there were no men that matched Dean's initial description. Castiel headed to a corner seat that he normally tried to grab when he went to get coffee and found it surprisingly empty.

He sat down, facing the entrance with his back against the wall. A little kernel of self-doubt starting to grow in the back of his mind. Charlie was behind the counter, and he briefly wondered if Dean texted her to tell him to keep an eye for him.

Castiel went to grab his phone to check the time when the low rumble of a muscle car stopped him. He stole another glance at Charlie, and a huge smile crept upon her face. Castiel looked out the front windows. Dean's black Chevy Impala pulled into a spot, and out exited Adonis himself.

Dean didn't give himself enough credit when he described himself. The sandy brown hair was styled short and looked as though it would be soft for Cas to run his fingers through. And the freckles! Dean was a walking star map, and Cas wanted to trace his fingers along the freckles he could see. The only thing he couldn't see were Dean's self-proclaimed green eyes.

Once Dean entered the cafe, Charlie yelled to him and ran out from behind the counter. She wrapped her arms around him and started animatedly yelling at him for not checking in often enough. Dean graciously accepted her punishment and walked further into the shop. Castiel could finally make out the bowlegs that Dean appeared to be self-conscience about. If anything, the legs emphasized everything perfectly.

Castiel shook his head once, twice, and a third time for good measure. This was supposed to be a professional business interaction. He stood up while sliding out of the booth and walked over to Dean and Charlie. "Hello, I'm sorry for interrupting, but are you Dean?"

Charlie looked at Castiel and smiled before looking back at Dean. "You come to my shop for a date, Winchester? Not to see me? I'm offended. Now you don't get that slice of pie." She punched Dean in the shoulder.

"Hey! It wasn't my idea, it was Cas'. He said he liked your coffee." Dean looked at Castiel.

"He is right, I can show you the text message." Castiel reached for his phone in his pocket before finding his hand being swatted away. 

"I believe him, and you. Gotta give the old man shit, though."

"Old man?" Dean blinked in shock. "I'm offended."

Charlie shrugged and walked back around the counter. "If you two want drinks, get up here and order before we have the final rush of the day."

"After you, Cas." Dean gestured. "Also, is Cas ok? Not sure how to pronounce your full name."

"Cas - Tee - Ell. But Cas is fine. If anything, it would infuriate my mother and father more." Cas smiled. "My brother calls me Cassie, I hate it, but I let him get away with it."

"Okay, one brother. Any other siblings?" Dean smiled at Cas.

Cas blushed from Dean's smile, "I have my brother Gabriel and my sister Anna."

"Are they part of the deal? Or are they off-limits?" Dean asked. "I mean, I clearly know you want me to go after your pops at the very least."

"You can jab at them if they jab at you." Cas conceded. "Looking for someone to come with me was actually Gabe's idea. So he may not appreciate being a part of the prank."

"Okay. We can play that by ear."

Cas tilted his head. "You said you wanted to see if we clicked before you agreed to the whole thing."

"What do you think I'm doing?" Dean winked. "So, tell me about your parents?"

The pair got up to the counter before Cas could answer, and Charlie sat down two cups in front of them. "Dean, black americano with room for cream. Cas, if I remember correctly, spiced chai latte."

"Thank you, Charlie," Cas responded as he went to grab his wallet.

"I threw it on Dean's tab. You two have a fun date." Charlie winked at them and shooed them so she could get to the next customer.

Dean blushed and looked at Cas and mouthed Sorry before picking up his cup and walking over to where they kept the cream.

Cas took the opportunity to grab his booth back and waited for Dean to join him. "So, you asked about my parents?"

"They're the targets, right?"

"Yeah." Cas nodded and took a sip of his drink. "My mother is Naomi, my father is Zachariah."

Dean held a finger up as he finished taking a drink. "Your family highly religious?"

"What gave that away?" Cas tried to hide his disdain, but by the look on Dean's face, he wasn't doing a good job.

"Gabriel, Castiel, Zachariah... Pretty sure there's a Naomi in the bible too." Dean placed a finger on his lips. "Not too sure about Anna."

"Prophetess in Luke's Gospel," Castiel responded.

Dean nodded in quiet contemplation. He paused a moment, and Castiel could see the gears turning. "Safe to assume you're gay or bi?"

"Very much Gay. I've been told it's a phase my whole life. My parents keep asking when I'm going to bring a girlfriend home. You're the first 'boyfriend' I'm bringing home." Castiel took another sip of his drink.

"Got it. What do you do for a living?"

"High School English Teacher." Cas scoffed. "Reason number two hundred fifty-one I'm a disappointment."

"Being a teacher is a disappointment?" Dean shook his head. "Well, I'll make sure that they know I'm a cook by day, bartender by night. I'm sure they'll love that."

"Your sarcasm is perfect. They both hate sarcasm, despite it being their first form of communication." Cas leaned back in his chair. "They definitely look down their noses at people too."

"Well, I'm sold. Food, chaos, and spending time with an attractive man?" Dean rested his elbows on the table and rest his chin on his knuckles. "This may be one of my best Thanksgiving in years." Dean winked. "What time should I pick you up?"

…

Over the next few days, Cas found himself texting back and forth with Dean frequently. He kept trying to remind himself that it was just so they could get to know each other so they could pass off as a couple on Thanksgiving. However, with the way that Dean flirted, it was harder and harder to keep that line from blurring.

[Wednesday 3:47 PM Dean:] Hey Cas, I know I'm supposed to be an asshole, but should I attempt to bring something with me?

Cas laughed, picturing how his mother would react if she were brought a gift from Dean.

[3:49 PM Cas:] You don't have to bring anything at all, although the image of my mother turning up her nose is both amusing and disappointing.

[3:51 PM Dean:] So, bring a six-pack of cheap beer. Got it.

[3:52 PM Cas:] You're incorrigible.

Cas found himself setting a special notification for Dean's text messages. He fought hard against doing it, as they were going to go their separate ways after Thanksgiving. Still, it seemed like something you would do for a significant other.

He heard the notification go off, and he picked his phone up again.

[4:00 PM Dean:] If I were a betting man, I'd bet that you liked it though.

Cas found that he couldn't disagree.

…

Cas' parents, completely surprised that he was coming and bringing a date, asked Cas to arrive around 3 PM on Thanksgiving.

Dean showed up at 1:30 PM.

"Hey, Cas." Dean stood in the doorway to Cas' apartment and leaned against the doorframe.

Cas couldn't help the smile that grew across his face. Dean was dressed up in a nice pair of jeans with a black tee-shirt and an open deep red button-up. "Hello, Dean." He stepped back to let Dean in. "You're early."

"I hope you don't mind. I was a little nervous." Dean smiled sheepishly. "Meeting the parents is kind of a big deal."

"That was the whole deal, Dean. You join me, free dinner, you make them regret telling me to come to dinner."

Dean's smile dropped a little, so slight that Cas almost missed it. "Right. I knew that."

"Everything okay, Dean?" Cas stepped closer and placed his hand gently on Dean's shoulder.

"Yeah, of course." Dean's face betrayed his words, but Cas let it go. "I figured I could also come over and help you load anything that might need to go with us in the car."

Cas frowned, unhappy at seeing this side of Dean. "Want to take a seat? We have some time to kill."

"Actually, can I hit the head? Then we can pack up Baby. You said it takes about 45 minutes to get there on a good day, and there is some traffic."

"Yeah," Cas responded as he pointed to the hallway. "First door on the left." He watched as Dean stepped away, wondering what changed so drastically.

Dean quickly finished up in the bathroom and found Cas in the kitchen, juggling a casserole and a couple of pies. "Dude, please tell me your pies are good."

"As long as they don't hit the floor, they should be." Cas smiled and allowed Dean to take them off his pile. "I remember Charlie teasing you about pie, so I stopped in special to ask what kind you like."

"Pecan?" Dean asked, a huge grin coming back across his face when Cas nodded. "Dude, you went to Charlie to ask her? Why didn't you just ask me?"

"I wanted it to be a surprise, to thank you for this week." The next words escaped Cas' lips before he could stop them. "I'm glad that at the very least, I got to make a new friend out of this."

"Well yeah, Charlie's awesome," Dean responded without missing a beat.

Cas rolled his eyes. "I mean you, Dean."

"I, uh..." Dean's cheeks flushed scarlet as he stuttered over his words. "You're awesome too, Cas."

"Come on, then, let's go load up your car." Cas held up the casserole dish and nodded his head towards the front door. "Sooner we get there, the sooner we can leave."

The pair of them quickly loaded up the car, and Dean handed Cas his phone to punch in his parent's address. The first few minutes of the drive were quiet, as Cas appreciated the roar of the engine. 

"So, uh, Cas." Dean broke the silence once they got on the highway. "Question for you."

"I'm listening." Cas looked over at Dean and took a moment to admire his outline, highlighted by the sun. 

"Well, we determined that we've been together for a few months and that we met when you came by my place of work. But, uh, are you ok with a little PDA to sell it?" Dean's cheeks turned bright red again, as though he were embarrassed to ask.

Cas slid a little closer to Dean to be able to reach his hand and hold it. When his skin brushed against Dean's, it was as though sparks of electricity shot through his body, and Cas shivered involuntarily.

"Okay there, Cas?" Dean stole a glance at Cas and smirked, before returning his eyes to the road.

Cas nodded as he found his words lacking. They enjoyed the rest of the ride in comfortable silence, only the music and the occasional hum from Dean filling the car.

Once they arrived, Cas took a moment to look at Dean and give him a final once over. The shade of red he was wearing was enticing and made his freckles and eyes pop more than Cas would have thought possible. It had taken all of Cas' willpower to not trace over them with his finger.

"Ready, Cas?"

"I am." Cas nodded before looking up at their dreaded destination.

The pair got out of the car, and Dean took Cas' hand before going to the trunk. Cas looked down at their hands and felt a soft warmth against his cheek. He turned to find that Dean had kissed his cheek.

"Sorry, I should have asked first." Dean apologized, running his free hand through his hair.

"Dean, you already asked, and I had given you permission." Cas smiled and let out a little sigh. "Let's grab the stuff and get this over with."

Dean popped the trunk and handed the pies to Cas, grabbing the casserole, before closing it back up and following Cas to the house. Cas had shifted the pies to one arm and rang the doorbell. His hand immediately went back to Dean's, and he tried his hardest to not let his nerves show.

"You don't just walk into your parent's place?" Dean tilted his head in confusion. "Even if you don't get along, isn't it home?"

"This place has never been home, Dean," Cas replied, clipping his response as the door opened.

A stoic, cold woman answered the door, looking down at them, despite the pair being taller than her. "Castiel. You came." She scrutinized Dean more thoroughly. "And you brought a friend."

"Mother, I told you I was bringing my boyfriend." He turned to look at Dean and smiled. "This is my significant other, Dean."

Naomi's lips pulled in to a tighter pout. "That term wouldn't be correct, Castiel. Come in. You know where to set them up." She stepped back into the house, allowing them entrance.

"I make two pies and your favorite cheese and spinach casserole," Cas mentioned as he walked past. "I'll need to borrow the oven for five minutes once the turkey is done."

"I don't know, Castiel." Naomi picked up her pace to walk in front of them. "You should have asked if the oven would be available to cook things in."

Dean stared in disbelief at the way Naomi was talking down to Cas. "You mean you can't spare five minutes to make the cheese gooey again? I didn't realize heat was a limited resource."

"Excuse you?" Naomi placed her hand on her chest in shock. "Castiel, you will keep your friend in line."

"Boyfriend, Mother. But he's right. This is your favorite dish. I made it just for you. You don't want it warm?"

Naomi rolled her eyes as the pair set down their food offerings. "I'll figure it out." She glared at Dean. "Why don't you go find your father? He should be in the TV Room watching the game."

"Football. Sure. Let's go, Cas." Dean watched as Naomi cringed at the shortened version of her youngest son's name.

Cas tried to not laugh as he led Dean to the TV Room. He leaned in close to Dean to whisper about Zachariah. "Dean, he absolutely hates his name being shortened to Zach, and he hates the Eagles."

"Oh, I am all over this." Dean winked and wrapped his arm around Cas' shoulder.

"Father?" Cas inquired as they entered the room. 

"Castiel. You came." His eyes traveled to Dean. "And you brought a friend."

"This is my boyfriend, Dean." Cas felt the words falling easier from his lips. "Dean, this is my father, Zachariah."

Dean unwrapped his arm off Cas' shoulder and extended his hand to Zachariah. "Please to meet you, Zach."

Zachariah stiffened, and his eyes became cold as ice. "Zachariah, please." He took Dean's hand and shook it.

"Of course, sorry about that, Zachariah. I'm just a nickname kind of person, ain't that right, Cas?" Dean took his hand back and wrapped his arm around Cas' shoulders again, leaning in to touch their foreheads together.

Cas could see the vein in his father's forehead start to throb. "Castiel, do you have no respect for your name?"

"I do, as does Dean. But my name is archaic, and sometimes it's just easier to shorten it." Cas looked at his father and stood his ground.

"Hey, I'm sorry, Zachariah." Dean stepped between the two. "Cowboys vs. Eagles, right?" He pointed at the TV.

"You watch sports?" Zachariah asked, his doubt not hidden at all.

"Hell yeah!" Dean hopped over the back of the couch and landed next to Zachariah on the sofa. "Just cause I like to suck a dick every now and then, doesn't mean I can't like sports." He leaned forward and grabbed some crackers off a platter on the coffee table. "Oh shit, Eagles up, 21-3! Fly Eagles, Fly!"

"Castiel, a word!" Zachariah demanded, scrambling out of his seat. Dean looked at Cas in worry, not relaxing even when Cas gave him a gesture indicating he'd be fine.

Cas followed Zachariah into the kitchen, where Naomi was mashing potatoes. "Who is this bastard friend of yours?" Zachariah hissed, grabbing Naomi's attention to join in.

"He's not a bastard, and he is my boyfriend," Cas emphasized the word boyfriend for the umpteenth time since arriving. 

"You are in a phase, Castiel. We've found some nice girls who are very interested in you." Naomi added. Before she could continue; however, the front door opened, Gabe and Anna walking in.

"CASSIE!" Gabe called out, causing both of their parents to cringe. "You came home!" He dropped Anna's duffle bag in the foyer and bolted into the kitchen, trying to pick up his younger brother in a bear hug. "You seriously need to stop growing!"

Anna walked up behind Gabe and pushed him to the side, wrapping her arms around her younger brother. "Hello, Castiel. I've missed you." She pulled back and offered an apologetic smile. "Gabriel told me you were bringing your boyfriend to dinner. Is he here?"

"Castiel's friend is in the TV Room," Zachariah responded before Cas could. "And he is a rude, ungrateful, little prick."

"I can assure you it's not little." Dean walked into the kitchen. "Sorry, I heard the commotion, and I just wanted to make sure Cas was ok." Dean walked over to Cas and wrapped his arms around Cas's waist. "Gonna introduce me, babe?"

Cas melted into Dean's embrace, allowing their actions to cross into new territory. "Dean, this is my older brother Gabe and my older sister Anna."

"I've heard all about you two." Dean lets go of Cas long enough to shake their hands before holding Cas again.

"Well, why don't you all go into the TV Room. Your father and I will finish up dinner." Naomi responded coldly, clearly annoyed by Dean's presence.

"That sounds like a plan. Get that damn football off the TV." Gabe responded.

"But the Eagles are winning. They're hands down the best team in the NFL this year, wouldn't you agree, Zach?"

If looks could kill, Zachariah would have killed not only Dean but all three of his children as well. Gabe, sensing his father's temper rising, herded Dean and his siblings out of the kitchen. "Jesus, Cassie, where did you find this one?"

"Took your advice." Cas shrugged.

"Word to the wise?" Gabe looked at Dean. "Keep him."

"Dean, you don't happen to have any siblings, do you?" Anna asked.

"Brother, half-brother, and an adopted sister. I'm the oldest." Dean tilted his head. "Why?"

Gabe and Anna exchanged looks before Anna followed up with another question. "They single?"

Dean laughed, a rich, warm sound that made Cas melt. "Sammy's not. I don't know with Adam, but he's the youngest of us all, barely legal. Charlie's single, and flaming lesbian."

Anna looked at Gabe. "Sorry, guess I win this round."

"Wait, Anna, you too?" Cas' head tilted in shock and confusion.

She looked over Cas' shoulder to see if their parents were listening. "Bi, Castiel. I'm Bi."

Castiel looked in shock at Anna, then turned to Gabriel. "Are you going to drop a bombshell on me too?"

"I don't care about gender?" Gabe responded.

"What? When?" Cas palmed his forehead and sat on the sofa.

Both Gabe and Anna had the decency to blush. Anna responded first. "I figured it out in college."

"I've dated many people over the years, Cassie. I just didn't always bring them home to mom and pops." Gabriel added.

"You're so much braver than the both of us," Anna whispered. "You brought Dean home with you."

Dean sat on the sofa next to Cas and wrapped his arm around him. He leaned in and quietly spoke into Cas' ear. "Want me to prank them, too?"

Cas burst out laughing, shaking his head and throwing his arms around Dean's neck. "I know why you two did it," Cas stated while hugging Dean tight. "I don't even think I can be mad."

"Dinner time," Naomi announced, appearing in the doorway to the TV Room. "We would appreciate no hanging all over each other at the table, Castiel." Naomi turned her nose up and walked back towards the kitchen.

"Let's go knock out this wonderful holiday, shall we?" Gabe clapped his hands together.

The dining room was awkwardly quiet as the all entered and took their seats. Naomi stood at her place and looked at Zachariah. "Grace, Dear?"

Zachariah nodded and clasped his hands together.

Lord, bless this food and grant that we May thankful for thy mercies be; Teach us to know by whom we're fed; Bless us with Christ, the living bread. Lord, make us thankful for our food, Bless us with faith in Jesus' blood; With the bread of life our soul's supply, That we may live with Christ on high. Amen.

When none of his children nor Dean responded, Amen, Zachariah cleared his throat. "I said, Amen."

Gabe and Anna quickly said it, and Castiel murmured it, but Dean refused to say it.

"Dean, is there something wrong with your voice all of a sudden?" Zachariah shot another deathly stare at Dean.

"Nope, my voice works just fine. I just don't do religion." Dean shrugged. "Guess you could say I'm an Atheist."

Cas flinched as he heard his mother gasp and prepare to yell at him. However, before she could get a word out, Dean spoke up.

"Are you about to yell at Cas? Cause Cas says Grace before every meal. I respect that he does. You know why?" Dean picked up the bowl of mashed potatoes and scooped a heap onto his plate. "Cause Cas doesn't force me to believe something I don't. He's kind, he's caring, and he's understanding. Clearly, you two didn't teach him that." Dean scooped a heap of potatoes on Cas' plate then passed the bow to Anna.

"How dare you!" Naomi spat. "You are a guest in this home."

"Yeah, let me tell you how guestly it's felt since I entered your house." Dean stabbed at the plate of turkey on the table and grabbed a few slices for himself and a few for Cas. "You both refuse to acknowledge my relationship with your son. You both have looked down on me for being a man who is attracted to men and women. God forbid I slip that I work two jobs." Dean smiled sarcastically. "Oops."

Dean passed the fork to Anna, who was staring at her mother as though she would explode. "You know, Naomi. How would you feel if I told you the farce between you and Zachariah here were invalid and not real?"

"We are one man, one woman. That's how it was created. You don't find any instances of your perversion in nature." Naomi gripped the edge of the table.

"Actually, Mom," Anna spoke up. "This last trip for NatGeo? I told you where they sent me. I was in the Savannah. I saw gay and lesbian animals everywhere."

"And the rangers released a document saying that the animals learned it from homosexual humans." Zachariah pointed sharply at his daughter. "You will speak when spoken to."

"You're going to tell the smartest person at the table to shut up?" Dean let out a low whistle and took a bite of a roll he had grabbed. "Man, I'd listen to everything she has to say. She works for National Fucking Geographic." He turned to Cas. "I'll still talk books with you all the time, though, sweetheart." He leaned in and kissed Cas' cheek.

"I said there would be no hanging over each other!" Naomi slammed her hands down on the table.

Dean snorted. "Me, kissing Cas' cheek, is not hanging all over him." He rested his hand on the small of Cas' back. "I bet a hundred dollars if Anna had brought along a boyfriend, or Gabe a girlfriend, you'd call a kiss on the cheek cute."

"Leave." Zachariah's voice sent a chill through the room. "Gabriel can take Castiel home."

"Like I'm going to leave Cas here to take more of your abuse. How long have you been telling him that he's wrong?" Dean whipped his head to Naomi. "How long have you been calling him a pervert?"

"We've never called him that." Naomi defended.

"Mom, you literally just did." Gabriel finally spoke. "You just called being Gay a perversion." 

"Castiel isn't gay," Zachariah spoke up.

"Yeah, he is, Dad." Anna stared at her father. "And I'm bisexual. When I told you two about my boyfriend, Rupert? I was actually talking about my girlfriend, Ruby. Ruby and I broke up, and I couldn't properly mourn that relationship because I didn't have a mother who understood me."

"Well, if we're all coming out. I have slept with more dudes than I have fingers." Gabe added. "I've also slept with as many women. I've slept with as many non-binary people. And you know what? I've also slept with Trans people. Love is love, and attraction is attraction."

Naomi looked as though she were about to faint, and Zachariah pointed a knife at Dean. "This is your fault."

"MY FAULT?" Dean yelled, finally raising his voice. "I just met Gabe and Anna today. They were queer long before I met them. I'm dating Cas, who came to me and asked me out. Tell me how this is my fault."

"You made them think it was ok to share this information."

"And you made them feel like they were less than nothing. You're the problem here. Not me, not a single one of your children."

Cas stared at Dean in awe. No one had ever come to his defense so quickly, and here Dean was also defending his siblings. "Dean, I think we should go."

"That's the first smart thing you've said all night, Castiel." Naomi snapped.

"Oh no, you did not." Dean turned to face the Ice Queen at the end of the table. "Did you seriously just call my boyfriend stupid? You know, your youngest son? The person I fall for more and more each time I talk to him?"

"You know nothing about this family, and you came in here and–"

"Ok, Boomer." Dean cut Naomi off, and Gabe spat out his drink laughing. "Cas, let's grab the food you brought and head back."

"Get out of my house!" Zachariah shouted.

"Already working on it." Dean shot off a one-fingered salute and stood up with Cas and followed him to the kitchen.

Dean quickly found the two pies, while Cas found his casserole hidden in the fridge. He pulled it out and frowned, showing Dean. "She was never going share."

"Cas," Dean set down the pies and took the casserole, setting it down as well. He pulled Cas into his arms and held him tightly. "I'm sorry if I did too much."

"I think you could have kept going." Gabriel entered the kitchen. "Cassie, you brought pies? Trying to one-up me?"

"Dean likes pecan pie. You usually bring pumpkin." Cas melted into Dean's embrace, determined to make sure it wouldn't be the last time Dean held him like that.

"Touché." Gabriel let out a sigh. "Got room for two at your place?"Anna entered the kitchen. "Go pack your things, Gabe." She looked at Cas. "Your address still the same? We're not staying here."

"You're just going to crash with me? How do you know I don't have a roommate?"

Anna cut Cas a look. "You two are a new couple, you haven't moved in together yet."

Gabe called to them from the foyer. "Let's roll before they figure out how to trap us here."

"Coming, Gabe," Anna replied. "Meet you at your place, Cassie?"

Cas' face lit up at his sister calling him a nickname - even if it was one he wasn't particularly fond of - and not Castiel. "Yeah. Same address." He reluctantly pulled out of Dean's arms and grabbed the casserole, placing it in Dean's hands. "We should escape too." Cas picked up the pies and followed Anna out of the kitchen.

"Yes, sir." Dean smiled and followed the siblings out of the house.

…

Once back at Cas' apartment, this time with two siblings in tow, Dean helped Cas get the food in the house and prepared to leave.

"Where do you think you're going?" Gabe tilted his head in confusion, a trait all three siblings shared.

"I messed up a lot for you guys today. I'll let the three of you have your Thanksgiving together."

Gabe and Anna looked at Cas, who took Dean's hand into his. "I know we haven't been together long."

"Yeah, when did you find him, Monday, after we hung up?" Gabe smirked.

"Shut up, Gabe." Cas, Anna, and Dean said in unison.

Cas waited to see if Gabe would say anything else before continuing. "When I did this, I didn't think it would be more than a business arrangement. But I want this to be more. Please, Dean?"

"I'm not sure why, you still want that after today, but I would be lying if I said I didn't want more with you." Dean pressed his forehead against Cas'.

"Well, that settles it." Anna smiled. "Welcome to the family, Dean."

While Gabe and Anna set up in the guest room, Dean called up Charlie, and Cas ordered some Chinese food. Within a few minutes, Charlie was banging on Cas' door, bringing gifts of rolls and croissants and coffee from the Cafe. The two fiery redheads were introduced and instantly hit it off.

Their dinner arrived shortly after, and they all curled up on the various chairs and sofas together. They took turns picking movies to watch and created their own Thanksgiving.

As the night crept upon them, Charlie apologized but reminded them that she had to get up early for Black Friday shoppers who would hit up her cafe for coffee and breakfast. She exchanged numbers with Anna and told them to not be strangers.

Dean got up to go, and Cas grabbed his hand. "You said you're not working tomorrow. That the restaurant was closed for a long weekend."

"I did." Dean smiled at Cas. "I also don't want to impose. You have a full house right now, and I'm not sure if Gabe or Anna are claiming the couch."

Cas tilted his head in exasperation. "Did you think I wanted you to sleep on the couch?" He looked around, Anna had run to the restroom, and Gabe went to go grab a couple more of the chocolate croissants Charlie had brought. "I want you to stay with me tonight."

"You do?" Dean swallowed - hard. "Are you sure?"

"I wouldn't have asked if I didn't want you to." Cas stood up and led Dean back to his bedroom. "We don't have to go that far tonight," Cas added as they entered the room. "I'd actually prefer that we didn't.

"This is new, but it feels like forever at the same time." Cas continued, "Did you mean what you said?"

Dean wrapped his arms over Cas' shoulders. "I've meant every word I said today, but what phrase comes specifically to mind?"

"That you fall for me more and more each time we talk?"

 Dean leaned forward and pressed his lips against Cas', a soft caress that left them breathless. "One-hundred percent, Cas."

#profoundnet #spncreatorsdaily #writersofdestiel #destiel #spn fanfic #nickel's story time #tw: homophobia #tw: sexism #tw: sassy Dean #nickel writes