#WAIT I CAN ADD A BOTANICAL GARDEN IN THE BACK

[lordofthefeline]

HOW DO I MAKE A NEOCLASSICAL MUSEUM??????? AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

I am planning on having different "exhibitions" like an art section, jewels, paleontology, and probably archeology via jungle adventure. while raving in the tags I realized I could also make a botanical garden in the back too.

#sims 4 #the sims 4 #ts4 #neoclassical building #I am using so many references and have redone the facade like three times #I JUST WANT TO LIVE VICARIOUSLY THROUGH MY SIMS BY BEING A LITTLE MUSEUM NERD #I will probably use like EVERYTHING from jungle adventure #WAIT I CAN ADD A BOTANICAL GARDEN IN THE BACK

[kings-roar]

credit card: prologue

summary: Yuu gets invited on their first journey to one of their schoolmates’ hometowns! But with the meager allowance given by that stingy headmage, they don’t think they have enough to cover the travel. Luckily for them, they’re dating a super rich (and surprisingly generous) boyfriend. notes: this is part one of my series: credit card! details/warnings: gender-neutral pronouns, yuu instead of y/n, adult!yuu, established relationship, leoyuu, follows EN server

ao3 link: xxx

It was on a lazy Friday evening in the botanical gardens when Yuu was approached by an energetic ball of energy, otherwise known as Kalim Al-Asim, and his childhood companion Jamil. Yuu looks up just as Kalim barrels into them with a hug. They laugh as Jamil begins to scold Kalim, reminding the latter to be aware of boundaries, something that is hardly in the young heir’s vocabulary.

“How can I help you, Kalim?” The prefect moves their homework to the side as they reciprocate the second year’s hug.

“We’re going on a trip!” he exclaims excitedly. Yuu tilts their head to the side.

“Oh? Well, congrats! I hope you have fun.”

“What are you talking about? You’re coming with us!”

‘… Huh?’

“Kalim,” Jamil’s voice sounds tired as he places a hand on his classmate’s shoulder. “You can’t just tell someone they’re going somewhere. You have to ask them first.”

“Oh, right! Well, Yuu, do you wanna come home with us?”

Jamil smacks a hand to his forehead as Yuu continues to become more and more confused. What does he mean, “come home with us”? Is Crowley kicking them out of the campus? Did Grim do something whilst with the Heartslabyul duo? Yuu thought they could trust those two, but maybe they were wrong.”

“It’s nothing like that,” Jamil explains with a tired sigh. “Kalim and I are heading back home, to the Scalding Sands, for the Yasamina River Fireworks Fest.”

“And since you’re from another world, I’d love to show you my hometown, Yuu!” Kalim adds with a beaming smile. “We got six VIP seats, so you and Grim can both tag along! Oh, maybe I should hit up the guys from my Pop Music club too!”

“Wait a minute, you are one of the organizers of the event, Kalim, and as your attendant, I will also be at your side. Inviting Grim and Yuu last minute is one thing, but adding even MORE people whilst we’re busy is too much.”

“It’ll be fine, Jamil! The more the merrier, as they say. Besides, They can take care of their own, right?” Kalim looks towards Yuu with shining, puppy-dog eyes.

“Um, sure.” they nod hesitantly. “But what about the cost? As you can probably guess, Crowley isn’t really on the generous side…”

“Well, the seats for the festival are covered by your tickets. The street food is pretty cheap though! Maybe you could ask the headmage to lend you some more money?”

“Eh, I doubt he’d agree. Grim is also a really big eater.”

Suddenly, a figure jumps down from the tree Yuu was leaning against. The Scarabia duo jumps in surprise, whilst the prefect merely smiled. The figure, ignoring his two underclassmen, ruffles Yuu’s head lightly before sitting down beside them. His long tail curls around Yuu’s wrist as he yawns.

“Hey, Leona-senpai!” Kalim’s the first to recover from the unexpected guest. “Can’t believe I didn’t notice you up in that tree.”

“‘Course you didn’t,” the beastman smirks. “An herbivore like you would never be able to detect a beastman like me.” The comment doesn’t hold much malice in it, if any, and Kalim continues as if nothing happened.

“Well, anyway, were you able to hear everything? Do you wanna come with us?”

“Kalim!”

“What? Leona-senpai is a classmate of ours! Besides, it would be rude not to invite him after hearing us invite Yuu and Grim.”

Leona yawns again as he nestles himself closer to his favourite human, who also happens to be his partner. His eyes are only half open, a sign that he’s just about ready to fall asleep once again.

“A trip to the Scalding Sands? I’ll pass; not a huge fan of large crowds. But if you wanna go, Yuu…” He stares into his lover’s eyes, waiting for a response. The prefect gives it a thought before answering.

“Hm, well I would like to go, since the festival is a once-a-year event. After all, who knows if I’ll be here to experience it again.”

Leona ignores the twinge in his heart at the thought of his favourite herbivore leaving his side, opting instead to reach into his pocket. He takes out a leather wallet, opening it with one hand and expertly fishing out a thin object. The prince places it gently into Yuu’s hand and quickly tucks away his wallet.

“There, now you can enjoy yourself without worrying. Just don’t let that little weasel see it. He might think this means he can spend on whatever without thinking.”

Yuu’s eyes widen as they unfurl their hand, their gaze falling on a shiny black credit card embellished with gold printed words. LEONA KINGSCHOLAR bedazzles the front, and a shiny crown emblem is stamped at the end of his name. The name of some unknown bank, as well as other details, dot the rest of the card. They flip it over and over, studying it carefully to make sure it’s real. Kalim and Jamil’s faces are also aghast as they recognize the card.

“WOAH!” Kalim gasps. “Is that a black card?! I have one too!”

From the sounds of Kalim’s voice, a black card seems exceptionally rare. Perhaps only the rich and royalty could own one. Either way, Yuu remained quite shocked at the mere fact that Leona trusted them enough to loan them his card. After all, he’s a prince! If Yuu ended up misplacing the card, and it got into the wrong hands, then who knows what could happen to THE prince of Sunset Savanna if his royal funds were taken.

“See? You’re all set now. Now hurry up and leave. You’re digging into my date time.”

“All you’re doing is sleeping…” Jamil mumbles, though it still reaches the beastman’s ears. “Whatever. Let’s go, Kalim. Because of you, I have to rearrange a bunch of things.”

“I’ll pass the news onto Grim for ya, Yuu! Be sure to be at the Mirror in the morning!” Kalim waves to the prefect and beastman as he’s dragged off by Jamil.

Once they’re gone, Leona gently brings Yuu closer to him, nuzzling his face into the crook of their neck. The prefect smiles and softly begins to brush their fingers through the prince’s brown locks, eliciting a pleased noise from the back of his throat.

“Thanks for trusting me with your card, Leona. I’ll be sure to keep it safe and use it wisely.”

“‘s all good,” Leona’s words come out slurred, the familiar and comforting scent of the gardens and his love lulling him back into dreamland. “Just want you to enjoy yourself.”

Leona finally falls asleep, and Yuu joins him once they’ve packed all their things. Trying to do homework now would be futile, it seems. The two peacefully slumber in each other’s embrace for the next hour or so, until Grim and Ruggie came to bring them back to their dorms for curfew.

#credit card series #twisted wonderland #twst #leoyuu #twst leona #twst yuu #leona kingscholar #leona kingscholar x reader #leona kingscholar x yuu #jamil viper #kalim al-asim #al'ab nariya

[aettuddae]

It's me again, the person who said oh my gawd, Twink Serim and her plants with ningning and you being like cute! Okay now to why I am back... I had some ideas.. (May or may not be plant themed)

Plant Shopping Adventures: Serim and Ningning spend their weekends exploring local nurseries and botanical gardens, searching for unique and exotic plants to add to their collection. Ning and the twink (Serim) get closer by Serim showing her the ropes to being a plant whisper or wtvs, carefully selecting plants that would be in Serim's apartment.

Plant Care Rituals: Serim and Ningning chill every night by tending to their plants together (some were killed by serim but ning lets her still water the dead ones). They water, prune, and fertilize their green companions (all of the snsd ones first obv), all while sharing stories from their day and laughing over inside jokes.

Plant-themed Dates: Serim surprises Ningning with a homemade picnic among the flowers in a nearby botanical garden. They spend the afternoon lounging in the sun, surrounded by nature's beauty, and enjoying each other's company. Later, they attend a plant-themed art exhibit, marveling at the diverse ways artists interpret the natural world. OH WAIT I JUST THIOUGHT OF IDEAS BC NING IS NEW TO PLANTS OHHHHHHHHHH

Ningning's First Plant: Serim surprises Ningning with her first plant, a succulent known for its low maintenance. Ningning is hesitant at first worried she'll accidentally kill it. But with Serim's help, she learns the basics of plant care and soon develops a fondness for her little green companion. Serim is upset one day that Ning hasn't named it, so Ning names it something random, like unicorn sparkles. (In the end serim kills it and ning ignores her)

Plant Care Lessons: Serim becomes Ningning's personal plant care tutor, teaching her everything from watering schedules to proper sunlight exposure. They turn plant care into a fun and interactive activity, with Serim quizzing Ningning on plant trivia and encouraging her to get hands-on with repotting. (Ning becomes better then her lol)

Hopefully, this wasn't too much...

hi again, sweetheart ! let's review this 😌

1. ning and THE TWINK- i-, this one's so cute, like them going to different nursery gardens and showing each other plants they like, it's so day-to-day and home-y 🫂

2. WHY JUST WHY IS NINGNING LETTING SERIM WATER HER PLANTS' CORPSES 😭 i imagine her staring at delulu little serim like 😬 btw, do you think all plant snsd is alive and doing well? i know at least taeyeon is BREATHING

3. can we talk about how adorable ningning x serim having a picnic in a botanical garden would be? my heart just felt warm

4. i was about to say that it would be funny if ningning didn't succeed in taking care of a few first succulents serim gifted her, but then you made serim kill the plant 😭 IT WAS A PLOT HOLE, OKAY? but this one's really really cute, the idea of ning getting into gardening merely bc is something that makes serim happy, and also calling the plant something silly 😭 i love it

5. AND WHAT IF that was the first meeting? like, ning wanted a hobby and took gardening lessons (don't know if that's a thing), and there she meets her teacher serim AAAAAAA fanfics are getting written automatically in my head, next smau is gonna be called gardening with serim: a ningning story

it wasn't too much, don't worry, it was quite cute 🫶🏻

#aettuddae #answer #business matter

[polyamorouspunk]

Happy Friday!!

I have so many projects going on man I'm going crazy lol. I think some of the projects need put on hold until I save up for a decent sewing machine though.

But I've got my garden going again, and my coworkers gave me a deadline to write a childrens book based on doodles, and Im working on my zine that for some reason I can only open in chrome(???), and I wanna do a little research with my punk 101 posts, and also I need to do research that Im not really in the mood for so I can make that music map.

Oh and also I'm going to see Radium Girls (a play) tomorrow with a friend, and I'm debating if I'm going back to my college sunday for my friends graduation, but I dont really want to cause its gonna be raining. And also also, Some (different) co-workers wanna play dnd with me, but I dont think I'd like playing with them just from knowing them for a few months but I dont know how to be like 'no', but also Im on a HUGE dnd kick (I got new converse I need to show off btw) but have no one to play with and that makes me sad, but I dont want to play with people who will make it not fun for me :(

But how are you? How was your week? Any fun plans??? (side note: do you like dnd, just out of curiousity?)

I ain’t making people scroll though this

My week has been… better. Better than last week. Monday I took a day trip to Virginia Beach by myself to kind of clear my head and my soul, purge some of that pain and negative energy. Last night when you sent this though it kind of just… came back… which is why I didn’t answer this then.

Tomorrow I’m going out with my family to some botanical garden that only opens like 4 times a year or something to the public. We’re bringing lunch with us so I guess we’ll be eating together somewhere, maybe at the gardens.

I’m counting down the days until I fly back to CT to go see Electric Callboy with my friends, and then hopefully go to the aquarium with my gf + friends. Other than that I don’t have any plans for that trip. I still have to tell my brother + my other friend when I’ll be up, I just feel like any spare moment I have I use to recover some psychological HP.

I’m going from working 30+ hours a week to only 3 days a week soon because we’re getting self checkout on Monday. Hopefully I can use that time to work on some things for @prideful-things-shop, mainly the snowglobe tumblers (don’t worry, you’re getting one of the Eeveelution ones).

I’m still waiting to hear back if we can go to that concert and trying to book my tattoo appointment for that Friday.

I LOVE Radium Girls, I read the book, it’s one of my favorite books. I know they turned it into a play and a movie, but I haven’t seen either of them. I actually grew up near one of the locations in the book. They put a mall right next to it, so that’s where I used to go to the mall. I’ve never been to the clock factory, but it’s a museum now. Maybe I can add that to the list of things to do when I go back home. It’s also right across the highway from one of those defunct Jesus theme parks. I’ve wanted to visit that too.

I’ve never played DnD, but my friends made a game that’s similar and I was part of the pilot test group for that, and apparently they’re still playing all these years later. It’s been almost a decade.

My mom wants to make raised beds but we haven’t gotten that far yet. She wants a saw, just hasn’t been able to spare the money for it yet. I’ve offered to get it for her but she declined. We were looking at them while I was looking for the drill I bought for the tumblers. She has a lot of potted plants though lining the porch, including some herbs, and I think she’s planning on some carrots and cherry tomatoes.

I’ve been studying the sub-genres of metal music for a while, basically so that I can ID a song/band by it’s genre and guide people towards recommendations based on what they already listen to (country, pop, rap, etc.). The idea of making a music map sounds really exciting, I would love to do some research for something like that (like I said, I’m already using spare time to do that on my own anyway).

I’m really hoping once I have more free time I can also go back to working on my patch pants. My grandma bought us a sewing machine from the thrift store she works at, and she taught my mom how to use it, and my mom has used it to make pillow cases for outside pillows, but she didn’t buy outdoor fabric and they faded quickly. This year I paid for some outdoor fabric we picked out together along with some more fabric for my patches, so I’m turning our front porch into a fruit-themed area, which my mom isn’t really thrilled about but I’m the one paying for everything, so…

The other day there was a big snake on the front porch and my mom had to kill it. It was a pretty rough experience for both of us. We have a cat that lives on our front porch which is who found it, and then our neighbor has a cat who lives on her front porch, and we’ve had snakes get in the house before, and now we have indoor cats, so it’s just a risk we can’t take. It made me reflect a lot about city vs country life and a lot of things tied to that (poverty, race, queerness, etc.).

Here’s to hoping we can both have a relaxing but productive summer, and I’ll see you soon xoxo

#punk gets mail

[axelncharlie]

Here and now.

Chapter 6 of Chronically Anxious Chain Smoking.

*Anna refers to brother, and is commonly used to refer to an ELDER brother in Tamil. For younger brothers, it’s typically thampy.

For girls, if you’re curious, here:

Elder sister; Akka

Younger sister: Thanga/Thangachi

There’s no gender neutral term, at least not from what I know of 😔😔😔 but “Da” often refers to DUDE, which is TYPICALLY a gender neutral term! Use that as you will :3

You can also use these to refer to your friends!

— * * * * * * * —

Charlie had gotten up surprisingly early, at least, for HIM. Got ready and everything. His room actually WASN’T astray, and things looked…I dunno, pretty good.

{ping!!!!}

He picks up his phone as he sat on the couch, humming a bit.

AM: hi charlieee

AM: is it okay if I have my brother drop me off

AM: my car is no more 😔😔

AM: I mean not no more

AM: just not usable?? I dunno my friend crashed it when they said they’d only be a second somehow and anyway

AM: anyway is that okay

Charlie snorted. Axel could’ve stopped at “is it okay if my brother dropped me off” and he would’ve said yes, but what a nice story.

CR: 👍

CR: k

AM: thnx :) omw

CR: nice

And so, Charlie was left in his thoughts as he waited.

— * * * * * * * —

Theo loaded up the last box in his van. “I swear, I don’t understand you sometimes. If MY friend—let alone my WIFE—crashed MY car, they’re paying for it ENTIRELY. You’re too nice,” He snorts.

Axel scratched the back of his neck, chuckling as he got into the car alongside Theo. “Well…I-it wasn’t THAT bad-“ “My brother in Christ the front of your car became a botanical garden.”

“Well, they didn’t MEAN to! At least, I HOPE not..” Axel would let out a sigh. “Just…let’s not think about it, alright? Please?”

Theo paused for a moment, sighing and nodding. “Okay, anna*.”

“…I’m kinda proud of you,” Theo would say as he started the car. Driving off, he opened the windows a bit.

“I told you to-“ “NO, no, not that. I mean this whole…roomie-thing.”

“..Really?” Axel would tilt his head a bit. He tapped lazily on his knee, staring out into distance. “Why?”

“You know..” Theo would chuckle, turning on the radio. “You’ve always been a bit afraid of things you aren’t adjusted to. And now here you are, taking a leap with a stranger in a living space you’ve never lived in before,” He’d go on, eyes on the road.

“That..that’s something important. Especially for you. Means you’re getting out there. Doing stuff.”

Axel would stare back at Theo, a small smile creeping on his lips. “Man, you act like MY elder brother sometimes.” “What, can’t be proud of my anna? That’s crazy.”

“..Thanks,” Axel would say with a grateful laugh. “Your good, ‘na. Which way was it again?” “Left.” “My left?” “No!”

And so kicked in the comfortable yet awkward silence.

“..Hey,” Theo would stop at a red light. “Do you remember the first time we came here?”

“Came where?” “Came to the UK, for permanents.”

Axel would go silent, lost in thought. “Oh, I do! I remember the total FEAR on my face when Appa said we’d be flying without him, let alone NOT coming back!”

Theo laughs a bit. “Shit, I think you were 18, I was 17, and fucking ADAM was 15! God, it was terrifying.”

“Yeah, and our FIRST time going anywhere as…well, ADULTS! I mean, ADAM wasn’t, but..you know!” Axel would add, shaking his head. “I…still think about it. Sometimes.”

“We used to be tiny idiots trying to make our way through the country whilst not understanding a single word anyone said,” Theo would say, a bit fondly. “And now we’re pretty okay.”

“..Yeah. Yeah, we are.”

— * * * * * * * —

AM: I’m hereeeeee

AM: what was the buzzer again

CR: dw about that im coming down

CR: yk

CR: help with stuff

AM: oh I didn’t bring much but thank you

CR: mhm

— * * * * * * * —

Eventually, Axel bid Theo farewell and met up with Charlie. While arriving without a smile, he was still a bit welcoming.

The two got to work. Axel was right, he didn’t bring a lot. At least 5 boxes, all the same size.

“Jesus, how the fuck do you fold these fatass blankets?…”

“…I..really didn’t…”

Eventually, it was all set. All the posters, the bookshelf, that mini fridge-that-had-nothing-but-coconut-water, the clothes, the little figures, all of it.

“..Hm. Nice,” Charlie would pat Axels shoulder. “We could make a business of this,” He’d snort sarcastically.

Axel would laugh softly. “Yeah, maybe,” He’d say. He glanced about the room, pretty content with his work.

“You gonna paint it?”

“Paint what?”

“…The..the ROOM, Axel. The ROOM.”

“Oh! Oh, right, uh…maybe. Maybe I will.”

“Mhm? Okay, let me know colours. I have a shit ton of paint.”

“Can I-“

“No, you can not ask why.”

“Okay~..thanks, though. I’ll think about it.”

“Mhm.”

Charlie let out a sigh, uncrossing his arms. “Well, I’m heading to my room. Need anything, you know where to go. Mhm?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah, sure. Totally.” Axel would nod.

“Cool.”

“C-Cool!”

Charlie headed to the door, pausing in his tracks.

“..It’ll be nice living with you,” He’d say, unsure why he even said it. “I might call you dumbass here and there, but that’s not cause you ARE one. You’re cool.”

“..Ah-“

“Later, Axel.”

Charlie had shifted out the room, embarrassed. What the fuck? Since when was HE the cheesy, sappy lord.

Axel would stand where he stood, smiling a bit. He flopped back first on his bed, sighing in content.

“..It’ll be nice,” He repeated to himself. “It’ll be nice living with you too.”

#chronically anxious chain smoking #oc ask blog #axel and charlie #chronically anxious chain smoking chronicles #oc blog #guess who’s back #back again

[musecaravan-info]

Alejandro Manolo Ramírez Montoya

"A monster lies in wait in me, a stew of wounds and misery, but fiercer still in life and limb, the me that lies in wait in him." ~ Clive Barker ~

Basic Information

FACE/BODY CLAIM: Antonio Banderas

AGE: Approx. 2500 years old

EYES: Light Brown

HAIR: Dark Brown

HEIGHT: 5'9

PESANTA FORM STATS:

HEIGHT: 3.5’ (Nearly 8’ when standing on hind legs)

EYES: Bright Orange

HAIR: Deep Black, almost void-like

PRIMARY OUTFIT: Mostly dark/muted colors; long sleeves, sweaters, and jackets - even in summer; a little nicer than business casual; any patterns are also muted and 'tasteful'

Personality

Alejandro can often seem a little off-putting, but it's not intentional. He has a brooding sort of aura about him that's usually a little too intense for most people. He's soft-spoken under normal conditions, and has a, almost graceful appearance. All of his movements have an air of thoughtful intent.

LIKES: books, quiet, stormy weather, sweets

DISLIKES: stupidity, cruelty, pettiness, excessive talking

HOBBIES: reading, collecting antique weaponry, collecting antique books

Powers & Weaknesses

To avoid repetitiveness, see this post.

Romance

When it comes to sex, Alejandro will often use this as a precursor to feeding off of someone. There's a lot of guilt he associates with what he does, so he often enjoys taking someone to his bed before giving them horrible nightmares (unless he thinks the person deserves those nightmares.) Essentially, he'll flirt (and sleep) with anyone who seems receptive to the idea.

Developing an actual relationship takes more time. There's a part of him that never recovered from being forced to kill his lover all those centuries ago. It makes him cautious about allowing the potential for that kind of pain into his life again.

Where to Find Him

For most RPs (unless we're doing an AU of some kind) i'll have Alejandro working as a librarian for an art or history museum. He maintains the collection, helps people with research, restores antique books, etc. To keep things open, I'm willing to have him working just about anywhere.

Random places to find him would be coffee shops, public libraries, botanical gardens, etc.

If you want something a little more 'exciting' he unintentionally can gravitate to places where there's fear/suffering - a battle, a natural disaster, a tragic accident, etc. If there's enough people in one place all feeling fear, he can feed without laying a hand on anyone.

Verses

Just because a verse isn't listed here doesn't mean I'm not interested in writing it. I adore all kinds of AUs, and welcome the chance to get creative with my muses. If you've seen a verse that another of my muses has, and you'd like to see this muse in something similar, let me know. You can also check out my 'Plot Ideas' tag, too. ^_^

Main Verse:

This takes place in the present day, and follows Alejandro's backstory. Often I have him searching for a way to protect himself from magic-users. After being captured and enslaved by a dark wizard back in the 15th century, Alejandro's constantly on the lookout for ways to make sure it never happens again.

Marvel Verse

This is basically the same as his Main verse, only set within the Marvel universe. The only difference being that Alejandro will acknowledge the existence of mutants and superheroes/supervillains. However, he isn't a mutant himself; he's still a mythological creature.

Werewolf Verse

This is currently a private verse, however if the idea of Alejandro as a werewolf appeals to you, let me know and we can come up with something different.

Current/Ongoing Threads

If your thread with Alejandro isn't listed here it's probably because it's been long enough since your last reply that I thought you'd dropped it. Message me to let me know you're still interested, and I'll happily add you to the list (with no pressure for a reply.) ♡

Arn:

Through the Woods (Werewolf!AU)

Cam:

Accidental Ties (Marvel!Verse)

Kurt:

With Waking Nightmares (Marvel!Verse)

Completed Threads

I don't have many of these on any of my blogs, but RPs I've actually completed deserve to be acknowledged, I think. ;)

Cam:

The Fire (Main Verse)

Maximus:

Now You See Me (Main Verse)

Stuff That's Good to Know Before Starting a Thread

The face and name he currently uses once belonged to his lover... a man he was forced to kill back during the 15th century. If you want an RP taking place somewhere before the 1400's, then Alejandro will become Matheo Compagni, and his faceclaim will be a 20-something Raoul Bova.

This isn't something you NEED to have you muse know, however, I'm going to tell y'all here so that if you think it's something your muse WOULD know, you can write it in. Alejandro's last name is Ramírez, NOT Montoya. If your muse addresses him as Mr. Montoya he will most likely correct them. If your muse addresses him as Mr. Ramírez he'll probably be pleasantly surprised that they knew enough about Spanish names to get it right.

There may be bits of Alejandro's past that are potentially triggering. I won't go into any gory/graphic details in an RP without warning you, but things are likely to be mentioned in passing, even if it's only in Alejandro's thoughts. He spent several centuries enslaved to someone who abused him in every way you might imagine. It wasn't pleasant, and those years have stayed with Alejandro even into the present day.

Links

Please keep in mind, this blog is an ongoing work in progress. Not all of these links may lead somewhere, but they're here because they link to potential tags for this muse.

All Things Alejandro

Headcanons

Drabbles

All Threads

Ask Replies

Meme Replies

Aesthetics

Face

Special Links

Original Blog

Alejandro's Canine Form

Alejandro's Car

Alejandro's Collection

Alejandro's Home

Alejandro's Magic

Return To Full Muse List

[merzelifestyle]

Garden Themed Table Design For Easter

I think that Easter has to be one of my favorite holidays. It has always been a laid-back afternoon celebration where we invited a few family or friends for a small intimate brunch. We set up a pretty table on our patio and enjoyed the weather if the weather was warm enough. It is a nice way to welcome Spring.

 On this day, I decided to create this outdoor garden themed table design for Easter using ideas from my trellis, garden roses, and other things I find in my yard. I like to start my designs using a theme since it helps me with the initial direction of my table.

This collection of spring flowers just is so sweet with the calla lilies, tulips, and roses.

"“don’t Wait For Someone To Bring You Flowers. Plant Your Own Garden And Decorate Your Own Soul.” "  -- Luther Burbank

I made this tablecloth using a lovely fabric with a pink/orange trellis design, and I found the material in a wholesale fabric warehouse in Massachusetts.

Hint: Designers love to rummage through antique stores, warehouses, and the like to find exciting things they can use for decorating.

I HAVE BEEN COLLECTING PORTMEIRION’S BOTANICAL GARDEN DISHES for years. They are perfect for a BOTANICAL garden party since they have flowers, butterflies, and other critters on them. I never get tired of them.

On top of my Botanical Garden dish, I’ve placed a linen napkin with gorgeous embroidered spring and summer flowers. The colors are just so sweet, adding to the texture and theme of my tablescape.

"“you Can Cut All The Flowers, But You Cannot Keep Spring From Coming.” "  -- Pablo Neruda "“I just love Easter. It’s just the best holiday ever. I love Peeps, and jelly beans, and I love chocolate covered bunnies, but I really love Peeps the best.”"  -- Reese Witherspoon

Pink Lemonade Mimosas

1 cup pink lemonade

2 cups of prosecco or any champagne or sparkling wine.

Just a few drops of Grenadine (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

Assemble time - 5 minutes.

Serves 2

Chill all of your ingredients

Pour pink lemonade into two coupe or flute glasses. (I used pre-made pink lemonade from the grocery store. It saved me time and was just as good as if I made it myself.)

Gently add prosecco to the lemonade.

Add Grenadine for additional color and a hint more flavor.

Garnish with fruit such as raspberries or strawberries. I added a few edible viola blooms for color.

As with everything I post on my blogs, please feel free to comment or if you have any questions, please email me through my contact page. I welcome it anytime!

Design with your heart™️

Happy entertaining, my friends!

Mary

"May your home be a place where friends meet, family gathers, and love grows. "  -- Anonymous

All photos by Merze Lifestyle

#liechtenstein #journey through liechtenstein #journeys through europe #the unspoken word #stories of humanity #communicating #how to communicate to each other #love one another #travel blog #blog #lemon rose and cardamom mousse #easter dessert #lemon mousse #lemon and rose mousse #easter lemon mousse

[our-neighbours-cat-is-a-menace]

Leona Kingscholar🦁

From the series :Asking dorm leaders to be your fake boyfriend for I week

@lovleyyuikomori here you go bhie❤️

(Credits goes fully to the owner of the pic, i just found it on Google and thought it looked nice)

Upon arriving at the school ground, you immediately made your way back to your dorm but Crewel had called for you

He made you sit through a bunch of things to be done and sorted out

By the time you were done, it was already dark

That damn crow

Sighing to yourself, you made your legs take you back to the dorm

Only to see a sleeping lion at the front of your door

"Go back to your sender, i didn't order a 185 foot tall lion"

"Very funny" Leona slowly opened his eyes only to find you looking at him with scrutinizing eyes

He immediately stood up and brushed himself off

You quickly opened the door and went in, with him trailing behind you

"Did you need something?" you asked

"Actually, i was here to annoy you, but seeing THAT (while pointing at your face) i rethinked my decision"

You could only sigh

Leona was quick on the uptake that you're not in the mood for any bullshit

And he thought he could finally have some time to mess with you

After all he did escape his responsibilities for the annual sports festival just to see you

Poor ruggie

Hell it's been too long since he last seen you

And you're here welcoming him not so enthusiastically

While he was busy mulling over his thoughts, you spoke up

"How do you kill a psycho?" you asked rather serious

Should he laugh or be concerned

"No that's wrong, i mean how do i get a boyfriend" you corrected

Is something clogging your brain, what's up with these questions

"Herbivore, did you take the wrong medication" he asked slightly messing around

"no, what do you take me for" just as you were about to add a sarcastic remark, a light bulb flashed in your head

Turning your now full attention to the lion, you slowly paced towards him with big sparkly eyes which he knew wasn't a good sign

"what...what is it" he immediately asked not wanting to hold that questionable gaze any longer

"Leona san, will you be my boyfriend?" you asked holding his hands rather affectionately

Were you serious

"s..sure, I'll humor you on that" he said trying to look composed but heck yeah

His herbivore just asked him out

And it's a lie if he said he didn't like the situation

He was feeling giddy inside not that he intend to let it show

"Only for a week tho"

You swear you could hear something shatter

Oh right, his heart

You looked at the poor lion and you swear you could see his eye twitch

"you damn herbivore, what game are you playing here" he huffed obviously irritated as he took his hands away from your hold

You sighed and explained to him the matters about the stalker

And just as you finished explaining, he's looking at you with an eyes that says "how dumb"

Why the heck did you keep it to yourself he could have just gettin rid of him if you just asked

"so why are you just asking me this now, oh wait right, you're backed against the wall, that's why you fed him a lie"

How badly you wanna toss him out for making that sly remark

Seeing your expression, it's best to let it end there before you lose your shit

He agreed, eventhough he thought it was dumb since he hopelessly bought his hopes up only for it to shatter, it impaled his ego he still liked the idea of you being his

At first leona wasn't treating you any different, so you whacked him and told him to act better

And he did

He started to make an effort

He always gets you after classes ends, he clings at your side whenever and wherever

He stopped going to the botanical garden and only went to wherever place you were at

Rumors was starting to go around how you're marrying the second prince of the savanna

You can't help but be flustered about it since how can they jump to marriage already

Leona was different though, he encouraged those rumors, the prospect of him and you marrying just seems right

Now you're out shopping for essentials, of course with your hubby lion at your side

It didn't take long for that stalker of yours to emerge

"You said you were only dating, how come you're getting married" your stalker seethed

You can't help but be flustered at the accusation

But the lion beside you was just grinning at the said accusation

"You're not invited tho" Leona said, seriously just adding fire

That definitely didn't sit right with the stalker since he tried to pounce on Leona, though the lion easily fended him off,, breaking a few bones while doing so

Knowing he had no chance of winning, he scurried off to who knows where

Life for you became peaceful again

Sike

You lost your stalker but now you're gaining a husband

Cause now you are face to face with the king of the Afterglow savanna Farena Kingscholar

The ever so energetic king was inquiring about the wedding lol

You eyes darted towards the other in question but he was just grinning and smirking at your state

"take it easy farena, we'll get there soon" he said coming towards you and hoisting you up, now completely in his arms

"i still have to make her mine, for real this time" he said placing a kiss on your forehead

Masterlist🌻

#disney twst #twst x you #twst wonderland #twst mc #leona kingscholar #leona x reader #leona x mc #twst x reader #twisted wonderland

[dazey-aceie]

Hihi! Can i request how ruggie act if he had a crush on someone? And how would he confess to them? (IM SORRY IF U'RE CONFUSED WITH MY GRAMMAR)

Savanaclaw having a crush on you.

✎ Characters: Ruggie Bucchi, Jack Howl, Leona Kingscholar

☁︎ Fluff

⚠︎ Warnings: nothing really

! Word count: 1.5k

ꕤ Notes: I hope you don't mind that I decided to add the rest of savanaclaw to this, i really liked the idea lol, so thanks!!

Ruggie

If you think he would keep you out of all his pranks, you are terribly mistaken. If anything, most of them become focused on you. It's how he shows he cares. :p Sure you’d be subject to more of his pranks, but he’ll also be prone to getting you more things, during his little “errand runs”.

He’d grab little things that remind him of you, especially from the botanical garden. No one would mind if 2 little flowers went missing…everyday…

Growing up he learned to be resourceful, and that gifts don’t have to be so expensive. It truly is the thought that counts.

He’d love to spend quality time with you, using all of his free time without Leona to be beside you. He’d be over at the Ramshackle dorm quite a lot, and he’d befriend the ghosts extremely easily, they bond over making fun of poor Grim.

There are a few occasions where Ruggie is the one who’s flustered, as I take him to be the kind of guy aniciating most of the flirting, but as soon as you decide to turn the tables, he’s a stuttering mess, acting as if his face isn’t as red as Riddle’s hair. He’ll try to act collected and cool about it but his body is betraying him, and he can’t stop laughing awkwardly.

After every sentence its “pshhhihihehehe!”

You find it adorable lol. Afterwards he’ll act as if nothing happened, and he’ll go back to his teasing self. Ruggie’s not one to trust others easily, and he doubts that you’ll ever feel the same as he’s never been in that sort of situation, so he’s pretty casual about it I guess. If someone from Savanaclaw asks if he likes you, he’ll just nod and be like, “mhm, yeah. now move outta the way, Leona wants his sandwich.”

This will lead to rumors spreading around pretty fast. So you being well, you. As well as a lot of pushing from Ace, Deuce, and Grim, decide to ask him if it’s true.

And to your surprise, it is.

“Oh… that, yeah eheheh. It’s true.” He’d chuckle, sticking his hands in his pocket. He’d seem kinda embarrassed, but not so much as to the point of passing out, his face is slightly red due to the confrontation however.

“Sorry if the guys have been bothering you about it, they’re idiots. And don’t feel pressured by them or me. I know you don’t feel the same-“

He was cut off by you latching onto him, burying your head in the crook of his neck, “…I like you too, you’re the idiot.”

“……….huh…?”

He’s so confused. “What? Why? When? How? WHAT?”

You’ll just smile and explain in whichever way you’d like, leading to laughs from the both of you. But to be honest, Ruggie’s probably not listening 100%, he’s just daydreaming about you. And how that you, his crush, likes him back.

Jack

He’s always flustered around you. It’s quite obvious that he likes you, but you don’t seem to notice, thinking that that’s just how he is. Everyone is visually facepalming.

He’d be totally normal, but then if you walked into the classroom, he’d just stop talking, his eyes fixed on you as a red hue seemed to spread across his face.

He'd never notice that he was staring, it just happened. It could be in the middle of spell drive practice, and he’d see you standing off to the side cheering for his team, and he’d just freeze, allowing the disk to hit him in the head, resulting in a trip to the nurse.

You’d be one of the first ones there, waiting from him to wake up, “Oh! Jack! Are you okay!? What happened-? AHH. JACK! GUYS HELP! HE PASSED OUT AGAIN!”

It would take a lot of Leona’s time to calm you down saying that he’s okay, rolling his eyes at how oblivious you were. After that whole incident, Jack would find the courage to talk to you and bow in front of your entire class apologizing for that day, and that he scared you.

“Oh, it’s fine, Jack, really! I’m just glad that you’re now okay!”

“Uh, yea- mhm, yes, thanks,” he’d quickly stutter out quietly, still in a bow position, face trained on the floor.

Now i’m not saying he wouldn’t be able to talk to you at all, quiet the opposite actually, he’d hang around Ramshackle with you, ace, deuce, and grim a lot, mainly cause he keeps getting dragged into things with y’all. But he doesn’t mind, it’s fun, and you get to see a much more calm side of Jack, that everyone else is familiar with.

You’d notice his tail wagging as you two were talking, but you decided not to bring it up as you didn’t want him to feel embarrassed from the guys. But they noticed too, they’d have their own inside joke about it-

Now as for how he’d finally confess, it’s more as he doesn’t. The guys just get so tired of y’all’s bs and just flat out say it one day while you’re hanging out at Ramshackle.

“Mhm, remember when we first found out that Jack likes y/n?” Ace teased.

“Oh yeeeeah…” Deuce smirked looking at the two of you.

Both of your faces were red.

Grim wasnt able to control his laughter, and Jack was too shy to even yell at them.

“I uh…” His palm was rubbing the back of his neck, as his ears were drooping.

Everyone was shocked to hear you laughing, smiling extremely brightly, leaving Jack in a daze.

“We’ll it’s a good thing I like you too!”

“FINALLY!” Ruggie yelled, popping out from who knows where.

“Took you long enough,” Leona sighed.

“Where the hell did you both come from?” Deuce questioned.

Ruggie smiled “Don’t worry about it~”

You were still laughing at the whole scene, and Jack had an actual smile on his face, fascinated by all that was you.

Leona

He’d let you get away with so much stuff, more so than Ruggie. It honestly scares everyone, but there’s certain students that use it for their advantage-

You’d cover for them if they needed help, mainly if Leona was gonna be close to killing them, you’re literally their ace in their sleeve. But they knew not to overdo it, as it would stop working after a while.

You and Ruggie were the only ones who could get close to Leona on certain occasions, man, even Ruggie needed your help sometimes though.

Like if Leona just would NOT get up, and there was an important test that was worth 50% of your grades, you were the only one who could wake him without being pummeled. He’d still be grouchy, but it’s nowhere near how bad it would be if it was someone else.

“Why the hell did you wake me up, Herbivore?”

“We have a quiz, Kitty.”

That nickname drove him crazy, but he didn’t exactly hate it… You could only say it when you were alone though, not even Ruggie could hear it. Leona’s made that part clear.

Just like Ruggie, he wouldn’t be all that secretive about how he felt, and he wouldn’t take any bs about it. If someone even mentioned it or asked, well, let’s just say they shouldn’t. But even though, at first he just denied it, he thought there was no way he could like a herbivore like you, romantically. But he kept dreaming about you, and your smile, and your laugh, and how you would scold people, unfazed by any size or age difference. That’s one of the things he liked about you, you didn’t back down.

Sure it was entertaining for him, but sometimes it was a pain in his ass. You didn’t let him get away with as many things as Leona did. But it was funny seeing you stop arguments between the Savanaclaw students, seeing there was no need for him to intervene.

The students knew not to mess with you, as one, you were hard headed, and two, they’d have to deal with Leona too.

Nobody knew if you were dating or not, cause it kinda seemed like you were… but like not?

You acted like an old married couple honestly, both of you just going back and forth angry, then pretending nothing happened and chilling together in the garden or in either the Ramshackle dorm or Savanaclaw. It wasn’t strange to see you both cuddling slightly, dead asleep. And everyone knew better than to question it. Even Ruggie, but you would sometimes catch him laughing about it, right before your mind went black and you’d fallen asleep under the same tree as the other prefect.

Leona’s never been one for labels, but Ruggie does mention how it would put you a bit more at ease if he’d at least had some sort of conversation about it.

And he did.

It wasn’t anything drastic, but it was just him letting you know that you mean a lot to him, those however weren’t his exact words. Nonetheless, he cared. And he would make sure that you knew it.

“Stupid, Herbivore.”

“Mhmmm, but you love meeee.” you dragged out every word slightly.

All he did was groan, as you fell asleep, seeing that, he chuckled, “Yeah. I do.”

thanks for reading!! and requests are open <3

#headcanon #disney twisted wonderland headcanons #disney twst headcanons #disney twst #disney twisted wonderland #leona kingscholar #ruggie bucchi #jack howl #leona x reader #ruggie x reader #jack x reader #leona headcanons #ruggie headcanons #jack howl headcanons #disney #headcanons #otome #disney twst x reader #disney twisted wonderland x reader

[dearbaji]

hi hi! for your Valentine’s Day event, can you write romantic valentine’s day date with Shigaraki? I don’t mind smut, feel free to add. thank so much in advance <3

Shigaraki Tomura

The day starts off with his arms draped around you, lips pressed against your arm

When you start to stir around he smiles and moves his hands further down to your hips

"Morning, are you up now?" he asks, kissing up from your shoulder to your neck

"Not really but we can't right now hun, I made plans for us today," you answer, feeling his desire for you pressed against your back

"Babe please, it'll be really quick, I promise," he begs

"We both know that's a lie," you chuckle. "What time is it anyway?"

You turn to look at the time on your phone, "it's already 10am? Come on let's get dressed-" "how about in the shower then?" "no, we have to go! But I do have something exciting for you later tonight"

Grinning, you finally turn to look at his face before getting up

He groans and sits up, moving his hair out of his face

"How cheesy are we being this year?" "Moderate cheese, don't worry about it, let's just go," you answer him, leaning over the bed to kiss him

"Happy Valentine's Day my love," you say, holding on to his face

He holds onto your wrist and strokes your cheek with the other "mhmm, I love you"

You take him to breakfast at a local diner, then go for a walk in the park. It wasn't long because you still had to go to the next thing on your list: a botanical garden

During the garden tour he holds your hand, seemingly uninterested in his surroundings

Little did you know, he was taking pictures of you the whole time

Before the tour ends he picks a flower from an exhibit and gives it to you, luckily no one noticed

At the end of the day he eagerly waits for his suprise

You reserved a hotel for the night, just for a little change in scenery

Walking out of the bathroom and in to the room where he's laying down, you clear your throat

He looks up toward you and his eyes go wide; there you are, standing in front of him with thigh-highs, the skimpiest pair of underwear he's ever seen, and a red bow barely covering your chest

"For me?" he asks, sitting up reaching for you

His hands roam around your back before stopping right under your tailbone

"All for you, and because you've been so patient all day, we can try that thing you've been asking me for," you lean down to whisper in his ear

His eyes light up as he stares up at you to see if you're serious

"I actually wouldn't mind every day being Valentine's day," "I'm sure you wouldn't, pretty boy," you say while undoing his pants

thanks for requesting!

Valentine’s Event

#valentine's day event #shigaraki x reader #tomura shigaraki x reader #shigaraki x reader smut #shigaraki smut #mha x reader smut #mha smut #shigaraki tomura x reader #tomura x reader #shigaraki headcanons

[astaroth1357]

Demigod MC Series: Demeter

Have I been using this series to vicariously punish Belphie for the events of Season 1? I cannot confirm nor deny that statement.

Demigod MC Series: Intro, Aphrodite, Hermes, Hades, Dionysus, Demeter

Lucifer

Didn't think too much of the "human" when they popped out of the portal. Sure they had a straw hat and a huge basket full of produce but it wasn’t like they were… Wait… No… Were they…?

Oh no. Oh nonononono, this is not good…!!

Demeter is notoriously doting and protective of her children (see her freakout and breakdown after Hades abducted of Persephone as proof) and they've pretty much done the EXACT. SAME. THING. here!!

It was a mad scramble by him and Diavolo to contact and appease their godly Mother Bear before she came roaring down to Devildom herself to turn them all into barley. Thankfully, Zeus must have intervened at some point because though she was indeed PISSED, she didn't threaten to barge in… yet.

She made one thing very clear. Bend so much as a single hair on her precious child's head and there would be WAR…

The MC received a 24 hour security detail after that. Just Mammon wasn't going to cut it, he needed NO chances. It was a full rotation of Mammon, him and Beel for the entirety of their stay (Asmo and Levi both threw hissy fits at the prospect of babysitting, Satan couldn’t be trusted not to kill them just to irritate him, and Belphie was out for… obvious reasons).

In some ways, it wasn’t so bad. The MC was a very mild sort of person, rather even tempered. He’d dare say they were pleasant, mostly content to just tend to their gardens and be out in the moonlight…

But the problem was, he just could not convince them to stay OUT of nature. Including the forests, which were full of hellish beasts fully intent on gnawing their flesh from their bones… and their specialty was plants, not animals, sooo…

Their habit of sneaking out to wander the woods got so bad that he very nearly considered pulling a Belphie 2 and locking them in the basement for their own good. But Devil knows what damage their mother would do if she found out…

At least they make for pleasant company… And Diavolo seems to like them quite a bit himself so the mortal gets a pass from him. Now if they’d only consider their own safety for a change…

Mammon

They make him a KILLING.

Like, no seriously. Their produce is insane!! He’s never tasted food so good, especially stuff that’s come fresh from the ground! It only took a few berries for Mammon to throw on a straw hat himself and start harvesting! He’s a farmer now, baby!!

Weeellll not quite. He’s still absolutely only in it for the money, but anything he brings to a farmer’s market goes so fast that he can hardly care about the labor! He’s never made this much Grimm in his life!! And it’s totally legit for a change!

He bought himself another car, paid off half of his debt, and even got Levi back that 2 or 3 grand he leant him centuries ago. Really, Mammon’s living his best life and it’s all thanks to MC!

It’s a good thing his blatant grifting doesn’t hurt his relationship with them at all, in fact they seem to enjoy having his help regardless. They bring him drinks on hot days or invite him on picnics and stuff, it’s… it’s really sweet. They’re very nice to him and he appreciates it…

But… COULD YA JUST STAY PUT ALREADY???

It drives him INSANE that they won’t stay out of dangerous places!! After he started caring about them for more than just a meal ticket it only got even worse!!

He’s not usually one for monitoring someone’s every move (that kind of control freak behavior is more a Lucifer thing) but he eventually had to set up familiars around the House just to keep them from sneaking out at night...

What was so interesting out there anyway?? There wasn’t any kind of plant that he could bring them himself! They didn’t have any need to be out there!! 

They’d keep telling him they’d be fine but it’s not like he’s going to actually buy that. They were too… nice to be dangerous or anything so why would he believe them?

No more running off, MC! Please, he’s beggin’ ya!!

Leviathan 

Wait, gardening? Like, being outdoors and stuff? Ew. No thanks, he’ll pass.

That was more or less his first reaction when they showed up and it never really got much better than that…

He admits that they’re friendly and it’s not like he dislikes them or anything, but their thing so far from his thing that they just don’t have a lot in common… you know?

For starters, they get So. Antsy. when they’re inside for too long! He tried to invite them to a marathon once, but they could hardly keep still and kept looking around like they were searching for a window… He said, “to jump out of.” They insisted just for some fresh air, but he didn’t buy it...

They’re nice enough to listen to his rants, but they’re barely ever inside for him to do so and like HELL is he going to leave his room and stand around out there for that long. Ranting is at least a one to two hour engagement! What if he gets hot out there? And have you SEEN Devildom bees?? Hell no!!

He has, however, asked them on multiple occasions to reproduce flowers he’s seen in different anime, especially ones that have a very unique look and they’ve done some real wonders with that!

He can now claim to be the only person to ever own a Ruby-Jade Vine plant, straight from the pages of TSL when it was used to brew tea for the Lord of Lechery during his brief illness and-is anyone even still listening anymore?

The point is, it’s a flower so rare it was imaginary but now HE has it!... or had it for about a week until his utter incompetence of all things plant killed it…

He begged the MC for another but they were out of the plants they needed to make it and would have to go back to the human world to find more… He’s still mourning his loss… Poor Henry 4.0…

Satan

Well… He’s called this MC “salt of the Earth” and he does truly mean it. Take of that what you will.

He doesn’t get much in the way of intellectual conversation out of this mortal UNLESS he’s talking about plants, farming, or botany… Interesting topics and complex in their own right to be sure, but that’s pretty much their wheelhouse and they like it there.

That being said, the feats that they can perform are genuinely mind-blowing! They are the ONLY person he has ever met who can cultivate the Devildom’s own ultra-rare Phantom Orchid, a plant only blooms when it reaches a perfect state of undeath (i.e. both taken care of and neglected just enough so that it's only barely alive. The balance is so tricky to master that one hasn’t bloomed down there for centuries!)

There’s also something just genuinely relaxing about watching them work or helping them in the gardens… More so than he’d ever expected from such a simple activity.

He admits that he’s taken quite a few strolls through the flower-filled courtyard of the Demon Lord’s Castle just to admire its beauty... But anything that they can grow just blows all of that out of the water!

They even taught him several magic botanical techniques so now he can grow some pretty mad plants himself. Lucifer never expected to find that giant Venus Flytrap in his closet, but one was there regardless. 😏

Just… out of curiosity one day, he asked the MC if they could make him a new kind of catnip. Not for any nefarious reason! You know… just for research purposes…

The nip they made was so effective that the House grounds were FILLED with nipped-up cats for a whole month! He was in Heaven!! (and Lucifer practically wiped those plants from existence so he couldn’t get any more… asshole...)

That must have inspired them because they apparently made a demons-only version that they told him about WELL after the fact. Had he known, he probably would have burned the stuff on principle... Do you know how dangerous demon-nip could be to them? Experiment responsibly, MC!

Asmodeus 

Ehhhh, gardening SOUNDS like one of those things that should be super Devilgram-able, but then you realize how sweaty and dirty you get in the process and it’s a huge turn off… Sorry MC.

When they first came down to the Devildom, he thought two things: 1) Such a sweet little flower child, as adorable as they were, would never survive; and 2) even if they could, he would never ever see eye-to-eye with them on the “wonders” of getting all up in the dirt.

Well, he was right about 2, but certainly not 1. Personally, he thinks his brothers worry about them too much, they ARE still a demigod.

At one point he saw a pack of hellhounds almost trample one of their vegetable gardens and they lost it. Word to the wise, never try to take on a child of Demeter in their own garden. Those hounds were wrapped up in rose vines before they could even yelp...

Yeah, the MC would be fine.

That being said, while everybody else clamors over their produce, he thinks that their flowers are really where it’s at!

Taking just five minutes in one of their gardens is something else... He’s never seen blossoms as healthy and immaculate in all the Devildom before! Their beauty could (almost) rivals his own! What they do isn’t just a hobby, it’s an art.

He’s taken multiple pictures with their blossoms and they go viral every time. It’s so rare to actually see gorgeous, petal-filled flowers in the Devildom, most of the native plants are of the man-eating variety.

His only complaint about this MC is that they seem to feel much more at home in work clothes and dirt than they do in any sort of party-look he tries to give them… Cute as they are, they can afford to gussy up sometimes can’t they? Mud and grass stains don’t make for a good look, sorry.

Beelzebub 

Beel gardens and the MC gardens as well. Add on that they seem to be able to grow all manner of fruits and veggies and he likes this one. A lot.

They had just finished apple-picking when the portal nabbed them so they had a massive basket of apples at the time. Naturally, Beel more or less stole the thing on sight, but the apples inside were so juicy and good that he almost shook them down for more on the spot!

Imagine his surprise when they, half pleadingly, explained to him that if he got them some seeds they could just grow more… and it wouldn’t even take that long.

To be clear, the formula he saw was this: Get seeds > bring seeds to mortal > mortal grows seeds > mortal makes endless supply of food….

Congratulations MC, you’ve now earned the sixthborn’s eternal loyalty after a grand total of… two minutes. He didn’t even know their name, but he was willing to take a bullet for them (provided he got more of those apples).

The next several months were spent with Beel attached to them to the hip in some way, but honestly? It was just so wholesome anyway…

If he’s helping in the garden, he never complains. He does most of the heavy lifting and actually likes being out there with them (unlike others...)

Many afternoons were spent sitting under fruit trees and talking. Sometimes, they go to the trouble of preparing a picnic or something but it would always inevitably end with Beel plucking the whole tree clean of whatever ripe (or unripe) fruit he can get his hands on with a smile. 

The MC never minded though. That’s just another excuse to grow more, right?

His only problem was when the MC would sneak out to the forest… especially when they get too antsy and just go alone. 

He HATES it when they do that! How is he supposed to keep them safe if they just wander off?? He knows that they have a special connection to nature and all, but it isn’t safe…

He’s flown in and scooped them back up to the House on numerous occasions and his “talking tos” get sterner after every rescue... Please stay put, MC! He’d have so many reasons to be sad if you were eaten… 😔

Belphegor 

Okay, he was looking for a capable, if not gullible, human. Not a shoeless flower hippy!

He honestly wasn't expecting much out of this one... Damn their little heart because they did genuinely believed his lies, it’s just that they weren't… well… They were really good at gardening.

… And it grew kind of hard to keep hating them whenever they'd show up just to give him fresh berries or a bouquet to see him smile… He may claim that his heart is made of nightmares and orphan tears, but who doesn’t enjoy being given a batch of flowers? 

Damn their sweetness too… Right to here.

When it came time to kill them he had a heavier heart than he thought he would, but kind of saw it like putting down the sacrificial lamb. Gotta be done to reach better goals... Stiff upper lip and all that.

Unfortunately for him, they had taken to carrying packets of demon-nip with them as a self-defense measure…

He wasn’t exactly sure what he expected when they shouted “Get nipped!” at him mid-attack, but it wasn’t a face full of some smelly herb! Like, really smelly…! Actually, that smelt kind of good… Hold on.

Turns out murderous rage really doesn’t last long after you get what is effectively ultra-strong catnip thrown in your face. They ended up having to go and tell Lucifer what happened themselves because Belphie was way too blissed out on the floor to do anything... They were legitimately worried they might have fried his brain...

He’s told the effects of the demon-nip lasted three days. He doesn’t know, because he hardly remembers any of it... They described him as like he was high on “weed” and “ecstasy” at the same time but he doesn’t know what either of those are either so it wasn’t helpful…

Truthfully, they were so nice to him while he was recovering that he couldn’t even be mad afterwards so all's well that ends well? Either way, he’s sleeping under their orchard trees from now on. It’s peaceful out there...

They burnt all that nip though. It’s some strong stuff...

#obey me #obey me shall we date #shall-we-date-obey-me #obey me lucifer #obey me mammon #obey me leviathan #obey me satan #obey me asmodeus #obey me beelzebub #obey me belphegor #obey me demigods #obey me headcanons #obey me scenarios

[alice-beaumont-ravenclaw]

Até mais, Rio!

A/N #1: Finally! The final fic of the Brazilian series! Here are all the other fics of the series:

Ola do Rio! | Hottest Spot South of Havana (Part 1) | Hottest Spot South of Havana (Part 2) | A Wonderful Surprise | História | Feliz Ano Novo! | Gone Garotas | Sempre Aqui | Corcovado e Samba

Alice's outfits -> HERE

Let's go!

“Make sure you don’t leave anything behind,” said Alice as she packed her suitcase on the bed.

“More importantly, make sure you don’t leave any dungbombs behind,” shouted Penny, taking a look at Tulip and Tonks in the living room.

“I would never!” exclaimed Tulip, hugging the small supply of dungbombs she had brought with her.

“I’m still trying to figure out what to wear today! If I dress for Rio, I’ll freeze in London. If I dress for London, I’ll combust in Rio,” said Tonks, scratching her head as she stared at the clothes piled up in her suitcase.

“Do what Alice is doing! Wait, unless it’s Andre who thought of this?” said Penny.

“I’m not completely inept in the fashion department!” exclaimed Alice as she made her way to the living room. “Just adapt what you are wearing for today to fit London’s weather once we are at the airport. See, while I’m currently wearing a dress with short sleeves and sandals, at the airport, I’ll add tights, switch the sandals for ankle boots, put on a jean jacket over my dress and change my sunhat for a winter hat.”

“But where am I suppose to put those extra items? I was planning to close my suitcase and not open it until I’m back home as I’m pretty sure all my clothes will come outpouring the moment I open it.”

“Don’t you have a carry-on suitcase?” asked Penny.

“No… and I don’t think my combat boots and my jeans will fit into my backpack. Not to mention my jacket,” said Tonks looking at Alice with puppy dog eyes.

“Ugh, fine, you can put them in my carry-on,” said Alice, shaking her head as she went back into the bedroom.

“Thank you!” said Tonks, dropping unfolded clothes and her boots on the bed Alice and Penny had been sharing.

Penny picked up the boots and placed them on the floor. “So, you and Charlie have a date today, huh?” she asked, looking at Alice with a knowing smile.

“Hmmm? Oh, I mean, I guess. We are the only ones going to the botanical garden. Why did you want to go to the Maracanã Stadium again?” asked Alice, eyebrow raised.

“My father wants me to bring him back a souvenir from it. He’s a big football fan,” said Penny, shrugging.

“Right… What about Tulip and Tonks?”

“Well, let’s just say they had no interest in the botanical garden and that there’s no way we’re leaving them without supervision,” replied Penny as she remembered threatening her two friends if they even hinted at being interested in the botanical garden.

“I see,” said Alice, staring straight at Penny.

“Anyway, aren’t you happy to have some alone time with Charlie before we head back to Hogwarts?”

“Yes, of course, but it’s not like we had zero alone time while in Rio. When we went to eat at the Garota da Ipanema bar, for example.”

“Which was cut short when you came back because Tulip and Tonks were missing.”

“What about that time we spent alone on that trail on Sugarloaf Mountain?”

“Didn’t Tonks and Tulip also interrupt that moment?”

“Ok, what about the moment we had alone at the museum?”

“Because museums are sooo romantic.”

“Oh! What about when he brought me to that gorgeous library? We were not interrupted by the dynamic duo in the other room, and it was really romantic, even if a library may not fit your idea of romance.”

“Ok, so you had one uninterrupted romantic moment. Aren’t you glad you’re getting another one?”

“Sure, of course…” said Alice, looking at the sea over Penny’s shoulder.

“But?”

“It’s just… There’s something I…” started saying Alice.

“Oi! Alice! Andre wants to know if you’re ready because Charlie is done,” shouted Tonks from across the living room.

Alice gave a flick of her wand, making all her clothes, as well as Tonks’, neatly fold themselves into her suitcases. “Tell him I’m coming,” shouted Alice as she grabbed her bag and her hat.

“She’s coming!” shouted Tonks.

“I’m standing right in front of you,” grumbled Andre, rubbing his ears.

“Oops, sorry,” said Tonks, letting out an embarrassed laugh just as Alice passed her.

“Looking good, Alice!” said Andre as he took her hand to spin her around. “Maybe not as good as if I’d prepared your outfit…”

“Andre…” Alice said through gritted teeth.

“But good nonetheless. I’m clearly having a positive influence on you,” he said with a smile. “Now go have fun with your Dragon Boy. He’s waiting for you by the elevator.”

“Thanks! See you both later!” said Alice as she ran to join Charlie before they both entered the elevator.

“I wish I were going to the botanical garden with them,” said Tonks as she watched the elevator’s doors close.

“Didn’t Penny convince you to leave them alone or something?” asked Andre.

“Convinced us? You mean she threatened us!” exclaimed Tonks.

“She said she would make us confess all our pranks to our Heads of House. Though I’m not sure how she could do that,” chimed in Tulip.

“Veritaserum,” said Penny, appearing behind the two girls.

“Gah!” exclaimed Tulip.

“Damn, she can be scary,” whispered Andre as Penny walked away.

“And you don’t even share a dorm with her,” added Tonks.

As Charlie and Alice arrived in the lobby, they saw Alanza walking toward them, two tickets in hand.

“Here you go: two tickets for the botanical garden,” said Alanza, handing both tickets to Alice as well as some money.

“Wow, they were cheaper than I thought,” said Alice as she put everything inside her bag. “You didn’t have to do that, you know.”

“Oh, it was my pleasure. Not to mention, residents of Rio get a better price for those tickets.”

“Wait, but won’t they check at the entrance to make sure we are residents?”

“Nah, you should be fine. Now, go! Go enjoy your last day in the marvellous city,” said Alanza, pushing toward the door.

The young couple got inside a taxi and spent their ride looking out the windows, soaking up the atmosphere and rhythm of Rio. Alice looked out toward the beach as their taxi drove down Avenida Atlântica, while Charlie looked at all the tall buildings on the other side. A lot of people were outside enjoying the beautiful temperature. The beach crowd was so big that Alice couldn’t even see the sea, just a sea of people, with little kids running around. Charlie had a better sight of the buildings, as no matter the number of people on the sidewalk, they couldn’t hide those tall buildings.

They could hear music playing outside from the various kiosks along the beach. Alice thought that the hustle and bustle of Rio was very different from the one in London. Rio’s was more laidback and fun, while in London, it was… grey. Oh, how she would miss the sunshine, the blue sky, and the ocean. No N.E.W.T.s to worry about here. No reputation to live up to. Just life to enjoy…

Lost in those thoughts, she hadn’t noticed that they were now driving on a small street with trees before going on a turnpike. Charlie looked in awe at the sudden open space that contrasted with the narrow streets they had just left. A big lake stood in the middle of buildings and mountains as if they had entered a completely different city.

“Look!” he said, nudging Alice out of her daydreaming.

“Hmmm?” she blinked as she looked toward what Charlie was pointing. “Oh, that’s the Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon.”

“You think we could walk around it after we visit the botanical garden?” asked Charlie.

“Sure, I don’t see why not,” she said with a weak smile before looking out her window.

“Hey, is everything okay?” asked Charlie, noticing her far-off look.

Alice cleared her throat before turning toward Charlie with a bright smile. “Of course, everything is perfectly fine.”

Charlie stared at her face. While her smile seemed to confirm she was fine, her eyes betrayed the turmoil inside her head. “Alice, what’s going on? Did something happen?”

Alice shook her head. “It just hit me that this is our last day, and, I don’t know… I just don’t want this to end. Sunday, we go back to Hogwarts, back to studying for our N.E.W.T.s, back to dealing with R, back to trying to figure out my future, back to living up to everyone’s expectations…”

“You’re living up to mine already,” said Charlie, smirking.

“Oh, shut up, Weasley,” replied Alice, letting out a small laugh.

“There’s that laugh. Ok, let’s make a deal. Today may be our last day, but it’s just starting, so let’s enjoy it to the max,” said Charlie, lifting Alice’s chin with his index. “Let’s make some amazing memories so that we can get through that Scottish winter we have to go back to and face our N.E.W.T. preparation. Truth be told, just thinking about those exams makes me want to cry.” Charlie slightly pouted.

Alice looked at Charlie with a playful smirk. “Alright. Let’s enjoy today and not think about the future. Deal?” asked Alice, holding out her hand.

“Deal!” replied Charlie, shaking her hand as he smiled that big smile of his she loved so much. “And just in time as it seems we have arrived.”

Their taxi had indeed crossed a pair of intricate metal gates before stopping in front of the entrance. After paying the driver, they headed toward the gate where an employee checked their tickets. To Alice’s relief, the employee just let them in after briefly looking at their tickets. Either there was no indication on the ticket that it was paid using the price for the residents of Rio, or the employee simply didn’t care. The moment they crossed the gates, they were surrounded by trees and various plants, much to their delight.

“This is quite different from the Forbidden Forest,” pointed out Charlie as they walked down a path.

“I hope so! I don’t want to bump into an Acromantula,” replied Alice, shivering at the idea.

“Even with all those trees, I don’t think they could hide anywhere here,” said Charlie as he looked at all the trees surrounding them. “Truth be told, I always imagined botanical gardens to have more flowers than trees.”

“I guess it depends on the botanical garden. But the actual sight to see here is a row of imperial palm trees.”

“A row of trees is the thing to see here? Can it be distinguished from the other rows of trees?”

“I’ve seen pictures, and it’s truly gorgeous!” exclaimed Alice as she quickened her pace.

“Oi! Wait up, Beaumont!” said Charlie as he tried to catch up to her.

At the end of the path they were walking stood a building, another entrance to the park that gave onto the street. Next to it was a row of palm trees, which, while it did have a certain charm to it, did not impress Charlie. But Alice completely ignored it and instead turned onto the alley facing the building.

“Alice, wait, I think the row of…” started saying Charlie as he caught up to her before looking at what she was facing. “Wow…”

“Told you,” said Alice, holding onto his arm as she looked at the imperial palms perfectly aligned along a path that didn’t seem to end. “Oh! We should ask those tourists over there to take our picture!” she added as she ran toward a couple of tourists.

“Wait, Alice, we don’t have a camera,” said Charlie as he ran after her.

Alice stopped and took out a camera from her bag. “You were saying?”

“Since when did you have a camera on this trip? I don’t think I saw you take one picture this week.”

Alice smiled sheepishly. “Oh, I found it this morning while I was packing. Completely forgot I had brought it with me. That’s why I want someone to take a picture of us here. I want at least one souvenir from this memorable trip.”

Charlie smiled as he shook his head, looking at her talk to those tourists. While Alice was usually the most prepared person he knew, there were times like these when she would completely forget about something and not realize it until the last minute. That was Alice. As much as some of her characteristics contradicted others, that’s what made her so unique in his eyes. He never really knew what to expect from her…

“Charlie!” yelled Alice, gesturing for him to come closer.

Charlie briskly walked to join her. “So, did they accept to take our picture?”

“No, I just decided to give my camera to a random tourist. Of course, they accepted. Now, put your arm around my shoulder, and I’ll put mine around your waist. There!” she said before looking at the tourist holding her camera and giving him a thumbs up. “Ok, we’re ready!”

The man of the couple took a few pictures before handing the camera back to Alice. “Where are you guys from?”

“The UK,” said Alice as she put the camera back into her bag. “What about you two?”

“I thought I recognized the accent! We’re from Georgia,” said the woman with a southern drawl.

“I hear it’s a lovely place. Well, thank you for the pictures and enjoy the rest of your trip,” said Alice before walking away with Charlie.

After walking a few feet away, Charlie turned to Alice and said, “I honestly didn’t think people from Georgia sounded like that.”

“Well, I guess that, even if a country is close to Russia, and was part of the Russian empire and the Soviet Union, doesn’t mean people will speak with a Russian accent.”

“True. I guess it’s something one should be more mindful about.”

With that, they turned onto a minor pathway, still surrounded by trees. Every time they turned onto a new path, they only saw more trees. Despite the lack of flowers, the young couple was still enjoying their time as the trees were of different shapes and sizes, not to mention hiding birds that provided a lovely background noise to their promenade. With the sun rising in the sky, the trees also provided a nice amount of shade, something to not overlook in the Brazilian summer heat.

They eventually arrived at the Japanese garden, which had a dark wood gazebo, a bright red traditional Japanese bridge, as well as a small zen garden and a pond.

“Oh, isn’t it peaceful here,” said Alice, leaning on the bridge’s railing.

“Sure is…” replied Charlie, taking in his surroundings.

“I would love to see a Japanese garden in Japan,” mused Alice.

“Already planning your next vacation?” asked Charlie, smirking.

“So what if I am?” she said as she took his hand, walking out of the Japanese garden.

“I feel you will go from Alice Beaumont, Curse-Breaker to Alice Beaumont, World Traveller,” said Charlie, smirking as he followed her.

“Why not both?”

“Why not both, indeed.”

They walked along another path aligned with palm trees parallel to the street right on the other side of the fence. The traffic noise and the sight of cars felt out of place after all the time they had spent surrounded by trees. Alice and Charlie were happy to turn onto a path that would take them away from the city noises. They were once again surrounded by trees and plants, eventually seeing a small pond with the statue of a fisherman.

They continued walking, getting deeper into the forest of the botanical garden, the diversity of the plants quite more impressive than in the area they were in at the beginning of their walk. While there were still plenty of trees, there were also bushes of various shapes and shades of green. There was also a pleasant smell surrounding them. While not the sweet aroma of flowers, it was nevertheless fresh and clean, a smell that reminded Charlie of the Forbidden Forest, but perhaps more tropical than the one from the forest in northern Scotland.

They arrived at an opening with more grass than trees, allowing for a great view of one of the many mountains surrounding Rio. They hurried their pace, trying to get back under the protective shadows of the tree as the sun was getting higher in the sky. In the cooling shade, they slowed down, trying to absorb as much of that coolness as they could.

They arrived at a large marble basin with a fountain that stood on a pile of artificial stones, in the center, surrounded by myrtles and between marble vases with ferns. There were four diametrically opposed boys at the base who, with vases, poured water into the basin and connected it to the central body by a curved ornament that formed the bottom of a large cup.

“How beautiful!” exclaimed Alice as she approached it.

Charlie wiped the sweat from his forehead. “I wish we could jump in it.”

“A very tempting idea, but I don’t want to spend the rest of my time in Rio being kicked out of the botanical garden,” replied Alice, laughing.

Charlie took a step closer, squinting at the fountain. “Wait, are these old men with long beards spitting water into that large cup in the middle? How odd!”

“Perhaps, but just above there are four statues representing the arts: Music, Fine Art, Poetry, and Drama. It’s those four statues that gave the fountain its name: Fountain of the Muses.”

“And how do you know all that?” asked Charlie, turning toward her.

Alice waved a small booklet. “From the small guide I took at the entrance.”

Charlie chuckled. “Of course.”

They returned to the imperial palm alley, getting deeper inside the botanical garden. Alice used her little guide to fan herself as the tall palm tree provided little shade. They eventually found their way back to a shadier part of the garden with low tropical trees and bushes. They enjoyed the breeze they could feel, the peacefulness, and the birds singing around them. It truly felt like a tropical paradise, even if Alice wished there had been flowers. Perhaps they were elsewhere in the garden, but part of her couldn’t wait for their visit to be over so that they could take refuge inside a restaurant, away from the heat of the Brazilian sun.

They eventually arrived at a pond full of giant Victoria amazonica water lilies. Some had their big white flowers opened, much to Alice’s delight.

“Finally! Flowers!” she said, clapping her hands. “I honestly would have been a bit disappointed if I hadn’t seen any.”

“I’ve seen a flower everywhere we’ve been,” said Charlie, winking at her.

Alice wrinkled her nose. “Charlie…”

“Too much?”

“Definitely. You sounded like Diego.”

“Yeah… I guess it was a bit corny. Just wanted to say that I’ve enjoyed my time with you here.”

Alice kissed his cheek. “That’s sweet and much more like you. By the way, did you know that there’s a legend about those flowers?” she said, pointing to her small booklet.

“No, but I have a feeling you’re going to tell it to me.”

“Right you are. So, the Tupi-Guarani tribe has a legend about the origins of that water lily flower. According to them, the moon, which they called Jaci, was a god that came down to Earth every night. One day, Naia, a young Native girl, fell in love with Jaci. The elders warned her that all the girls taken by the god were turned into stars, but Naia didn’t listen to them and went out looking for him. Night and day, she looked for Jaci, climbing hills to try and catch him, to the point where she became ill. One day, feeling weak, she decided to walk around a lake. In its reflection, she saw Jaci, and giving in to madness, she tried to catch him. She fell in the lake and drowned. Jaci saw her and transformed her into an extraordinary star: she became the flower of those giant water lilies.”

“It is beautiful and sad all at the same time,” pondered Charlie.

“Right? It gives those flowers an air of melancholy,” she concurred, taking Charlie’s hand as they walked away.

Much to their relief, the rest of their visit was primarily done in the shades of the tree. Trees were perhaps not as colourful as flowers, but they did provide more cooling shade, which was a massive advantage in this heat. They eventually reached a small cafe on the edge of the garden, which had plenty of shade, thanks to parasols, an awning, and a big tree looming over it. With the sun at its zenith, they decided now was a good time to take a break and eat lunch.

After they had eaten, Alice made a quick stop at the souvenir shop to buy souvenirs and two bottles of water.

“If we are going to walk around the lagoon in this heat, better to stay hydrated,” she said as they left the botanical garden and headed for the pathway that went around the Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon.

They walked past a playground with children playing, both of them wondering how children could play in this heat. But said children were more used to the heat than those two Brits who were more accustomed to the ever-present drizzle of the British Isles.

Finally, the lagoon revealed itself, along with a magnificent view of the mountains, including the Corcovado, on top of which stood…

“Christ the Redeemer!” exclaimed Alice as she pointed at the cross-shaped statue at the top of the mountain.

“It does look small from here,” said Charlie, holding his hand over his eyes to protect them from the sunlight as he stared at the monument.

“It’s hard to believe that the giant statue we saw yesterday is the same tiny statue that we see here. I guess we must look minuscule to the people to the people that are up there if Jesus looks so small to us.”

“They probably can’t even see us,” noted Charlie as they kept on walking.

“True. Still, it’s nice to see it again. Oh! I’ll take a picture,” said Alice, taking out her camera.

“Will we even see it in the picture?” asked Charlie as Alice took some photos.

“Eh, even if we don’t, we can still see the mountain very well.”

With that, they kept on walking, their path crossing the ones of joggers and cyclists. Charlie couldn’t help but smile as he saw people exercising around the lagoon. It was no different than some of his fellow Quidditch players doing the same thing around the Black Lake. It seems like people, no matter where they were from, had a thing for training near a body of water.

Alice closed her eyes every so often to enjoy the slight breeze coming from the lagoon. She’d always felt at peace near water. Maybe it was because her own house was right in front of the Thames, or because her grandmother’s house in Ireland was by the sea, but whatever the reason, it always made her feel calm.

They eventually arrived at a little park surrounded by a low stone wall on which they sat to take a small break. As they drank from their water bottles and enjoyed the shade provided by the trees, they took in the view that stood in front of them: the lagoon, the buildings, the mountains, including the Dois Irmãos hill, the forest covering them, the blue sky with nary a cloud to be seen. Alice let out a sigh as she removed her hat.

“Are you ok?” asked Charlie, looking over at his girlfriend.

“Yeah, I guess so. I never really liked the end of vacations and the idea of returning to reality, but I guess it feels worse this time because it also means that I’m closer to the end of Hogwarts and an uncertain future.”

Charlie wrapped an arm around her shoulders, side-hugging her. "I wouldn’t call your future uncertain. Just one with too many options. But whichever you choose, I’m sure your future will be extraordinary."

“I feel like whichever path I choose, I’ll always end up disappointing someone.”

Charlie kissed the side of her head. “You’ll never disappoint me.”

Alice rested her head on his shoulder. “I hope not,” she sighed.

“I might have something to cheer you up a bit,” he said, taking a little box from his pocket.

Alice’s eyes widened. “It’s not…?”

“What? Oh, no! No, definitely not a marriage proposal. It’s actually what I wanted to give you for Christmas, but I knew what it might look like, and I didn’t want our mothers to get the wrong idea, so I decided to keep it for later.”

“Good thinking. Especially since my mom was convinced you would give me an engagement ring and was utterly disappointed when you ended up giving me The Labours of Hercules.”

“You should have heard what my mother said when I showed it to her. Anyway, remember when we went to that street market last summer?”

“Portobello?”

“That’s the one. There was a stall with a display of antique rings, including…”

“Posie rings! Oh, Charlie, but they were all too big for my fingers, and I didn’t feel right modifying such precious items.”

“I know, that’s why,” he opened the box, “I put it on a chain so that you can wear it as a necklace, close to your heart.”

Alice looked at the ring, the interior engraved with “Forget not he who loveth thee.” She turned around, lifting her braid so that Charlie could attach it around her neck. “I absolutely love it.”

“Glad you do.”

Alice turned around and kissed him on his lips, wrapping her arms around his neck. Charlie wrapped his arms around her waist, ready to deepen the kiss when they heard someone clearing their throat behind them. They broke away, looking behind them, to see an old woman glaring at them and saying something angrily to them in Portuguese.

“Desculpe,” said Alice, her cheeks a bright shade of pink.

The old lady walked away, still grumbling. Once she was clearly out of earshot, the young couple burst out laughing.

“Merlin! I can’t believe an old Brazilian grandma scolded us,” said Alice.

“I know! Now I kinda regret we don’t have that suite anymore,” replied Charlie, wiggling his eyebrows as he smirked.

“Charlie!” giggled Alice, shoving Charlie slightly away. “I think you’ve spent too much time with Diego.”

“He would say that, wouldn’t he? I was joking, though…” he said, grinning.

Alice laughed. “Come on, let’s keep walking,” she said, pulling her boyfriend up to his feet before they kept walking around the lagoon.

Once they were back at the hotel, they saw their friends hanging out in the lobby.

“Look! Our lovebirds are back!” exclaimed Penny, getting up from the sofa she shared with Andre. “How was the botanical garden?”

“It was nice, though not that many flowers,” said Alice.

“But you were the flower in the garden,” said Diego from his armchair.

Alice bit her lower lip, stifling a laugh as Charlie chuckled. “Yes, well, it was nice nonetheless, and then we went on a walk around the lagoon,” said the Curse-Breaker.

“That’s why it took you so long to come back! I was starting to wonder if we should organize a search-and-rescue party to go look for the both of you in the botanical garden,” said Tonks, kneeling on the chair as she leaned forward on the its back to look at them.

“I thought you had abandoned us to elope and live a blissful life in the tropical paradise that is Rio,” said Tulip, petting Dennis.

“Alice is leaving us?” asked Barnaby.

“No, no, but I do think she had a very nice last day here,” said Andre as he eyed Alice’s new necklace, a sly smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

“Very nice, indeed,” replied Alice, pleading with her eyes for Andre not to say a word about the necklace. “How was your time at the stadium?”

“Oh, I’ll tell you all about it. Now, why don’t we go and pick up our luggage at the reception,” said Andre, linking his arm with hers as they started walking away.

A few minutes later, all their suitcases were at the hotel's entrance being stuffed in the trunks of two taxis as they said their goodbyes to Alanza.

“If you ever need dungbombs, just let me know,” said Tulip before sliding into the back of a taxi.

“And if you ever need the service of a Metamorphmagus, I’m available,” said Tonks as she followed her best friend inside the taxi.

“Thanks,” said Alanza, chuckling before turning toward Barnaby. “I had a marvellous time with you,” she said, kissing him on the cheek.

Barnaby’s cheeks turned a light shade of pink. “Hum, me too,” he said quickly before getting into the second taxi.

“Isn’t he adorable,” said Alanza as she turned to Alice. “I hope you enjoyed your time in Rio.”

“Oh, I sure did. I wish it weren’t already time to say goodbye,” replied Alice.

“Not goodbye, but até mais,” said Alanza as Alice looked at her quizzically. “It means ‘see you later’, as I am sure you will come back to Rio,” she explained.

Alice looked around her. The beautiful hotel, the beach, the blue sky, the sea… “Yes, I’ll definitely come back,” she said, hugging her friend.

Andre pulled her toward the other cab as she was about to enter the taxi in which Tulip and Tonks were. “Don’t think you can escape me, Curse-Breaker,” he whispered, still eyeing her new necklace.

“Wait, why is Alice going into your cab? That means we’ll be stuck with Diego!” said Penny as she hugged Alanza.

“We can make the most of it,” said Diego, wiggling his eyebrows.

“You sit at the front!” replied Penny, pushing him toward the front seat of the girls’ taxi.

After they had all said their goodbyes, they waved at Alanza as their taxis left the hotel, heading toward the airport. Andre was sitting between Alice and Charlie, asking questions about the ring on a chain around Alice’s neck. Alice and Charlie simply glanced at each other and remained silent while Barnaby sat in the front looking outside the window pensively, his cheeks still pink.

Even with Andre’s constant questioning, Alice was glad she shared a taxi with him and not with Penny. Even if the Hufflepuff girl hadn’t noticed the necklace yet, she knew it was only a question of time before she would, and she would not be as discreet about it as Andre. In fact, she found it odd that Andre had noticed it straight away. Sure, he was always aware of what she wore, but he didn’t look surprised when he saw it. He looked more like he was expecting it. She was about to ask about it when their taxi stopped in front of their terminal.

Everyone got out of their cabs and took out their suitcases, placing them on trolleys. Once they had passed security, they went to the bathroom to change and be ready for the English weather awaiting them. Alice stuffed her beanie in her bag, her jean jacket hanging over her arm as she left the bathroom. She joined her friends in the waiting area near their boarding gate, being the last one ready. Alice pointed to her tights when Tonks pointed out how long it had taken her.

“Try to put these on in a tiny toilet cubicle,” grumbled Alice.

“The price of looking cute,” replied Andre.

“At least you approve of my outfit,” said Alice, smirking.

After eating dinner, they were soon called to board the plane, and the flight went without a hitch, most of them sleeping throughout. They arrived in London at noon, most of them feeling a bit groggy from the jetlag. After picking up their luggage, the group divided itself into two: Penny, Diego, Tulip, and Barnaby were heading home, except Barnaby, who was going to stay with Diego, and Alice, Charlie, Tonks, and Andre, who were all going to stay at Alice’s house until the next day, when they would take the Hogwarts Express to head back to school.

As the latter group waited for a taxi, Alice leaned toward Charlie. “Did Andre know about this?” she whispered, touching the ring on her chest.

Charlie bit his lower lip, looking down. “I may have asked for his help when I didn’t know how to give it to you since I knew it was too big for your fingers and that you wouldn’t want to alter it,” he admitted.

Alice nodded. “Explains that knowing smile he had when he saw it.”

“You’re not mad?”

“Why would I be? I would have done the same thing in your stead. He is Andre Egwu: Style Wizard, after all,” she said, a smile slightly tugging at the corner of her lips.

“Speaking of Style Wizard,” said Andre, popping his head between them, “I will use the time I have at your place to plan some fabulous outfits for your final months at Hogwarts. I have missed your closet so much.”

And just like that, Alice’s vacation was over.

A/N #2: And it's goodbye, Rio (for now). Thank you to everyone who has helped me when I was still in the planning stage. Thank you to everyone who came on this journey south of Havana with me, even if it took a million years. Thank you to everyone who has reblogged and commented on the fics of this series, it means the world.

My next series will be about Alice's short Quidditch career, which takes place in her fifth year, so after the Celestial Ball series, but before she starts dating Charlie. Well, at least at the beginning. I will make an announcement on my main as I might need characters to fill out Quidditch teams, so stay tuned!

#hogwarts mystery #brazil series #brazilian fics #alice beaumont #charlie weasley x mc #hphm mc #hogwarts mystery fanfic #hogwarts mystery mc #jacob’s sibling #penny haywood #hphm fanfic #charlie weasley #andre egwu #barnaby lee #diego caplan #nymphadora tonks #tulip karasu #rio de janeiro #hphm #charlie weasley x alice beaumont

[littlewinter1917]

ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴀꜱᴛ ᴅᴀʏꜱ ᴏꜰ ꜱᴜᴍᴍᴇʀ

𝔸 𝔻𝕒𝕪 𝕒𝕥 𝕥𝕙𝕖 ℤ𝕠𝕠

My blog is 18+ only. Minors DNI. 🔞 Don’t repost my work anywhere.

Series Masterlist

Words: 8.7k

Pairing: Steve Roger x Fem!Reader

Summary: You and Steve make the most out of the last days of summer and decide to visit the local zoo. But as fun and romantic as the activity is, you also have to face the fact that dating a well-known Super Soldier isn't always easy.

Warnings: It's pretty much just pure fluff, with the tiniest sparks of angst. Pet names (mostly Sweetheart & Angel) and some teasing. Maybe an undetected swearword or two.

If there are any warnings, that you think are missing, please don‘t hesitate to reach out and tell me, so I can add them accordingly.

A/N: This is my first time writing and sharing a story, so if you're reading this, I hope you enjoy!

“Sweetheart, are you ready yet?”

Steve calls out from the bedroom, hoping you’ll hear him while you’re getting ready a few doors down in the bathroom.

“Yes! I’m almost done!” you shout back, straightening your t-shirt and taking one last look in the mirror.

The excitement you feel is clearly written on your face, and you can’t help but let out a small squeal at the thought of all the animals you’ll be going to see and pet.

You are so caught up in your little daydream, that you don’t notice Steve’s approaching footsteps or the soft opening of the bathroom door.

With your mind still occupied, you turn around to leave the bathroom, only to be met with the sudden and unsuspected sight of Steve leaning casually against the door frame, smiling down at you lovingly.

“Good God, Steve!” you exclaim startled, clutching your hand to your chest, trying to calm down your now rapid heartbeat. Steve’s adoring gaze quickly turns into a more apologetic one, once he realizes that he accidentally scared you.

“Sorry Angel, I didn’t mean to frighten you.” he concedes, while gently pulling you closer and placing a soft kiss on your lips. “Hm,‘s not your fault.” you whisper against them whilst playing with the soft strands of hair at the back of his neck. Steve just hums at that, before tightening his arms around you and gently kissing your shoulder.

“So, you’re ready to go?” he murmurs against your skin, leaving goosebumps in its wake.

You only manage to nod in approval, not wanting to disturb the little moment of tenderness that engulfs the two of you. But once Steve starts to draw soft patterns on your back, you can’t help but let out a small sigh of content, snuggling closer to his chest and basking in the feeling of his gentle embrace.

The moment is short-lived though, as Steve decides to break the otherwise comfortable silence. “We should get going soon,” he mumbles, voice low, as he gently untangles himself from you.

Even though you try not to, you let out a soft whine, voicing your displeasure at the loss of his touch, making Steve coo.

“You can get all the cuddles you want Sweetheart, when we’re back from our little trip.” A small huff escapes your lips before you demonstratively hold out your pinky finger to him.

The sight of your stubborn determination makes Steve laugh, and the warmth of its sound fills both the room and your heart, making you smile.

“I pinky promise that you can get all the cuddles you want, Sweetheart.” Steve adoringly whispers, intertwining your little fingers, before pulling you into him again, gently kissing your forehead.

Your hands instinctively grab and hold on to him, trying to get him closer, and your honest display of affection and longing for him makes his heart flutter.

“Oh, Sweetheart,” he coos, “I thought you were excited about going to the zoo, hm?”

Oh god, the zoo!

You almost forgot about that completely, and by your wide-eyed reaction, Steve can clearly tell.

“So, you want to keep the penguins waiting, or… ?” he teases, and you playfully slap his side before reluctantly letting go and trying to move past him.

“You know, if you’d rather stay in today and have the zoo-date another time, we can always reschedule.” He says, his eyes searching yours, trying to communicate the same reassurance that his voice transports.

“No.” you chirp. The excitement from earlier is already back in your eyes, and you shake your head to emphasize your stand. “I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to keep the penguins waiting.” you add.

“Alright, then let’s get our things and get going. There is only so little time, and so many animals to see.”

“And plants!” you add enthusiastically, being almost equally excited about the small botanical garden that’s incorporated in the more tropical segment of the zoo.

“And the plants.” Steve agrees, while following you down the hallway, smiling.

🍋 🍋 🍋 🍋 🍋 🍋 🍋 🍋 🍋 🍋

While you were getting ready earlier, Steve had packed everything you two could possibly need into a big, sturdy backpack.

“I think we have everything.” Steve mumbles, more to himself than to you, while briefly going through its content again. “We have some sunscreen, sunglasses, water bottles and those sandwiches you helped me make, some snacks and fruits, money for the tickets, keys …”

He trails off, looking over the room once more, trying to think of anything he might have forgotten.

When he spots his baseball cap near the entrance, he speaks up again.

“Sweetheart, do you want to take a hat with you? The weather is supposed to get even hotter, and I don’t want you to get a heatstroke or something.”

“I think I’ll be fine, Stevie.” your voice is a little bit mumbled, since you’re currently kneeling on the ground, preoccupied with trying to tie up your sneakers.

“Alright! Well, I’ll be wearing mine, at least at the beginning …”

Steve doesn’t finish his sentence; he doesn’t need to – you already know what he is trying to say.

He’ll be wearing the cap not as a prevention for a possible heatstroke, but for the simple sake of at least some sense of anonymity, trying to lessen the chances of him being recognized.

It’s not like Steve hates the attention he often gets from the public. There are times when he is more than happy to stop for a quick photo or a handshake, but when he is out and about with you by his side, he does desire a certain sense of privacy, and so do you.

When you two first started dating, that was the hardest thing to get used to, and truth be told, you still struggle with it.

Obviously, you’d been aware of Steve’s public persona as Captain America, and the responsibility that the title entailed, long before you even started dating, but the visibility and public scrutiny that came with his occupation, was rather new to you.

Especially once the word got out, that the two of you were dating. Suddenly parts of the public interest that were initially focused on him also shifted on to you.

You used to joke, that if you’d get a dollar every time Steve and you get approached by people in public, you’d easily be able to compete with Tony’s net worth. And while you were obliviously exaggerating and making fun of the situation, Steve could also tell that it was taking somewhat of a toll on you.

To be fair, it wasn’t like you hated those encounters across the board. There were, and still are, a lot of times where Steve’s interactions with the public are nice to watch and take part of.

The number of times, for example, that random children would approach him, starstruck and starry-eyed, are as countless as they are endearing, which is to say, very - and, subsequently, many.

It always makes your heart gleam with a mixture of pride and joy when you get to witness those interactions.

You’re not quite sure if it is because Steve is naturally good with kids, or kids are naturally good with Steve, but each encounter is filled with a warmth and a gentleness, that makes your heart both melt and pop.

And so, you tend to stand there with your heart in a puddle, while Steve talks and engages with the children in such a carefree yet gentle way.

But there are also some encounters, that don’t spark as much joy.

Or none at all, if you’re being honest.

Those are usually the ones whose timing couldn’t be worse. Like getting approached while the two of you are having small romantic dates out in the park or in cozy coffee shops. Even your cute little trips to museums and art galleries once in a while aren’t spared from the casual interference of others.

There’s almost always someone, somewhere, shouting in both a mixture of disbelief and joy:“Is this Captain America?”

And then the heads start to turn, and the murmur starts, and your previous little date idea gets turned into a live meet-and-greet Captain America event.

And it sucks.

It’s not like you want to keep Steve all to yourself; it’s just that you don’t want to share him every single time you two go out in public together. Especially when it’s supposed to be a fun and romantic activity just between the two of you.

And so, because of that, Steve often tries to keep his recognizability somewhat more subtle and limited by wearing his baseball cap and some sunglasses, but there’s only so much that that supposed ‘transformation’ can do.

Tony once kindly offered that the department responsible for the Avengers suits and apparel could probably help, and come up with a more cohesive incognito look, but that didn’t work out too well either. Not for a lack of trying on their part, though.

You two had taken them up on that offer once, and they managed to turn Steve into someone so completely unrecognizable, that you almost walked past him when you’d come to pick him up.

Apart from his clothing, plaid trousers and a simple button-down shirt that emitted more the vibe of a hip history professor, the thing that threw you off the most was the 16 inches-long wig he was wearing. It made him look like Thor’s long-lost twin brother, and you could hardly take his appearance seriously.

When you finally managed to stop laughing, you pulled him into the living quarters of the compound, where the laughing continued, once everybody realized who they were looking at.

The Date to the planetarium that followed went great; not a single person recognized and approached the two of you. The only downside was that the date with Steve didn’t really feel like a date with Steve.

Apart from the reason that Steve’s long-haired wig made you feel like you were out and about with a beefier version of Jesus, rather than your treasured Super Soldier, the wig was also highly unpractical in a more tangible sense. Every time you turned to him and leaned in for a kiss, your hands and jewelry would easily get tangled up in his long strands of synthetic hair.

Neither of you were used to the hairy mess the Avenger’s apparel department provided you with – and it showed.

It did make for a fun date tough.

Steve was highly amused about the amount of double takes you had to do when you were looking for him.

You, on the other hand, had the time off your life once the two of you exited the planetarium, only to be greeted with a pleasant afternoon breeze, that took Steve – and his hair – by surprise. It looked like an unsuspected hair commercial in the making, and you almost tripped down the stairs laughing while trying to take a photo of Steve’s glorious mane in the wind.

All in all, it was a good time, but at the end of it, you both decided that it was neither worth the trouble nor a sustainable solution to your problem. And so, Steve traded his wig for his beloved baseball cap again, even if it heightened the possibility of him being recognized.

You knew that Steve was trying his best to give you some sense of normality in your experience of dating a super-famous Super Soldier, and you appreciated his efforts, even when they didn’t always work out.

Once you and Steve step outside of the Avenger’s Tower, you’re hit with both: The sudden brightness of the sun, and the common busyness and noise of New York City’s bustling streets.

One single ray of sunshine manages to find its way between the tall skyscrapers in front of you, making you squint. Instinctively you raise one hand in an attempt to shield your eyes from its blazing gaze.

Steve, who is already wearing his sunglasses, quickly gets out your pair for you and you gratefully take them. His attentiveness is something you’ll never get tired of; even when he sometimes has the tendency to dote over you, it’s rather endearing.

You make your way down the street. Hand in hand, because the craze of the city can otherwise easily separate the two of you.

Even without the frantic mass of people, that hastily bustles about the avenues, in a city that big, you will always seek out the shelter of your beloved Super Soldier, who still knows this place in a way you probably never will.

So, in an attempt to not get lost, or trampled, or abducted, your hand reaches out for his, and his hand does the same.

🍋 🍋 🍋 🍋 🍋 🍋 🍋 🍋 🍋 🍋

Steve navigates himself and you through the city like he’s done it a million times before, and it never fails to amaze you how good his sense of direction is. It’s something you’re obviously lacking, and Steve can’t help but teasingly bring it up every now and then.

This time around though, he doesn’t. Instead, he keeps talking about the little, newly opened Italian restaurant that you two just passed by.

“It looked really cozy and busy – that’s always a good sign, right? Maybe we can check it out this weekend.” Steve offers, while gently swinging your joined hands back and forth.

You hum in agreement, more focused on not getting jostled by the oncoming businessmen and -women.

Gripping his hand tighter, you curl up more into Steve’s side, seeking out the protection and safety of his tall statue.

Once Steve realizes what’s going on, he immediately pulls you close to him, wrapping his arm protectively around your smaller frame and making sure you’re okay.

“I can always give you a piggyback ride.” he offers, and you shake your head, laughing.

As inviting as that proposal sounds, the fear of the potential attention it might garner makes you decline his offer. You’d rather be subjected to the ongoing pushing and shoving of some careless pedestrians, than the unwanted attention and possibility of recognition.

“We’re nearly there, Sweetheart.” Steve gently encourages you, while keeping you as close to him as possible, leading you down the busy streets of New York.

You must have picked a good time to visit the zoo, because the line in front of the ticket booth is almost non-existent.

It doesn’t take long for it to be your turn, and Steve immediately takes charge, getting the tickets. The woman at the counter also hands him some pamphlets with certain attractions, and a small map, which he gratefully takes.

You softly tug on his arm, trying to get his attention, before pointing at the small bags with dry food, that are arranged on a shelf behind the vendor.

“Can we buy some of that food for the animals in the petting zoo?” you ask, eyes bright.

Steve instantly agrees, and the small squeal of joy that escapes your lips is like music to his ears. “There you go, Sweetheart.” he says, as he hands you your ticket and the small paper cone, filled with little pellets of dry food.

“Thanks, Stevie!” The way you beam up at him has his heart doing flips.

God, you’re adorable.

“So, where do you want to go first?” he asks, while looking down at the open map in his hands.

“The petting zoo!” you chime while clapping your hands in delight. You have to suppress the urge to just grab Steve's hand and drag him to the enclosure, so instead you softly bounce on the spot.

Looking up from his map, Steve’s eyes soften once he sees how you’re barely able to contain your excitement. It radiates off of you in a way that’s contagious.

Well, contagious to him anyway.

“Alright.” he approves, and that’s all the agreement you need, before sprinting into action, grabbing Steve’s hand, and tugging him along.

You only come to a brief halt at the doors of the enclosure, while you read the small signs that introduce some of the animals inside of it.

The petting zoo contains mostly goats, bunnies, guinea pigs and some piglets, but there are also two donkeys and one of them is called …

“Steve!” you joyfully exclaim.

“The donkey is named after you!”

The man in question furrows his brow, and you point him to the part on the metal sign, where the donkeys get introduced.

“See, Steve and Sally. Aww, he even looks a little bit like you!” you coo, looking at the small picture they provide next to the profile.

“I don’t quite see it.” Steve says dryly, and you huff.

“He even has similar interests to yours. It says here that he likes sunshine, early morning runs, pets behind his ears and bananas!

Biting your lip to keep yourself from laughing, you innocently look up at Steve, who regards you with a fake scowl.

“You’re being awfully bratty today, Angel.” he chides, yet his words don’t have any bite to them.

“Me? Never!” your fake indignation is riddled with the giggles you’re desperately trying to hold in. That mission fails completely though, once you read the Interesting Fact they provide next to each introduced animal.

“Oh my god, Steve!” you croak out between laughter. “He even tried to eat an American flag once. God, I love him already!”

Before Steve has the chance to reply, you’re dragging him into the enclosure. “Come on, let’s meet my newfound hero!”

🍋 🍋 🍋 🍋 🍋 🍋 🍋 🍋 🍋 🍋

The donkey is just as cute as in the picture, and even friendlier than you imagined. After you introduced yourself and Steve - you couldn’t help yourself from saying “Steve, meet Steve,” while pointing between the tall Super Soldier and the rather small pony-sized creature – you slowly started petting the animal.

The happy brays he lets out make you laugh softly, and your smile only widens once your eyes find Steve’s.

“Don’t you dare say he sounds like me too!” Steve exclaims, and that comment only fuels your giggles.

“I wouldn’t dream of it!” you say, while stroking the fur behind the donkey’s ears. “But you have to admit, he’s adorable!” you coo, before quickly adding: “Not as cute as you, of course, but it’s a close second.”

“Well, that’s certainly comforting to hear.” Steve retorts. “So, you’re not gonna leave me for one of those gray-haired fellas?”

“I already have my gray-haired fella at home, old man,” you counter, before whispering a small “almost.”

Steve still picks it up, and his reaction is instant. His strong hands reach out to you, playfully poking your sides.

“You take that back! You take that back right now!” he urges, laughing, as you try to squirm away from his grasp, the sweet sound of your giggles filling the air. Your antics only come to a halt once you’re breathlessly begging for mercy, and Steve pulls you in for a hug.

“You still have a lot of energy for a 103-year-old.” you whisper.

“Oh Sweetheart, you know, I can be relentless.” he counters, and you hum in agreement.

“You don’t actually look like a donkey.” you try to clarify. “It’s just that the donkey somehow looks like you.”

Before Steve can rekindle his attacks, you’re already apologizing again. “I’m joking! I’m joking!” you exclaim, as soon as you feel the tiniest brush of his fingertips poking your sides.

Hugging him closer once more, you whisper: “I’m sorry. I’m being mean. You’re still the prettiest man on the planet, and you always will be.”

Brushing your hands softly through his hair and gently cupping his cheek, you notice the small red tint that adorns them.

“Aww you’re blushing!” you quietly tease. “I guess I don’t call you pretty enough. I need to tell you that more, I think.” you observe.

His blush only deepens, and you coo again.

He really is the prettiest man alive. And the sweetest, and kindest, and bravest.

As you softly tell him all about your thoughts, his grip around you tightens, and he burrows his face in your neck.

“I love you so much.” you mumble against his shoulder, and even though you can’t see him right now, you know that he’s smiling.

“I love you too.” he whispers back, voice low, before gently kissing your forehead.

His lips lingers there for a moment before he speaks up again.

“I think we need to stop; there’s an older lady, who’s already giving us the stink-eye.”

“Oh, let her stare. If they look at you funny, you just look right back at them funny, that normally does the trick for me.”

“I’m not going to glare down a grandma!” Steve whispers exasperated.

“Well, you might not, but I certainly will, if she's making you uncomfortable.” you announce, and Steve just shakes his head, laughing.

🍋 🍋 🍋 🍋 🍋 🍋 🍋 🍋 🍋 🍋

After moving on from the donkeys, you spend some time with the goats. Even Steve has to admit that they are rather endearing.

“Maybe we should bring Bucky with us next time. You know how he still gushes about the goats he had in Wakanda. I’m sure he’d enjoy some time here.” you suggest, while feeding a small brown doeling.

She softly munches the food right out of the palm of your hand, and the feeling of her rough tongue on your skin makes you giggle.

“If we would bring Buck, that’s going to be your liability, because I’m pretty sure he would never leave the goat enclosure again.” Steve observes.

“Can’t really blame him. I might have my donkey at home, but those goats certainly have character.” you tease.

Instead of answering, Steve decides to just throw some pellets your way.

“Hey!” you whine playfully, before making a counter strike. When you don’t hit your target, Steve just grins at you cheekily.

It’s that boyish smile you love so much, and it fills your heart with a joy that’s carefree and content. It feels just like the soft sunrays that are currently caressing your skin: Warm, light, and golden.

Your thoughts are only interrupted once another pellet flies your way, barely missing your face.

“Hey!” you exclaim once more, laughing, yet Steve’s eyes turn instantly apologetic when he realizes he almost struck your pretty face. You quickly reassure him that it’s alright, before walking over to the rabbits and guinea pigs, patiently sitting down next to them.

Rather than just grabbing one, you wait for one of the timid rodents to approach you instead. A small – and presumably younger – bunny seems curious enough, as he hops your way, and you manage to coax him with some food and a very gentle voice. His fluffy fur is in an off-white color with gray specks and his floppy ears twitch every now and then.

“Hey little friend.” you whisper once his wiggly nose brushes your open palm. It takes some more coaxing before he starts eating out of it, and you beam at that development.

Steve watches the interaction with a soft, adoring gaze.

God, Wanda was right. He really is head over heels for you.

But then again, how could he not be.

There’s a gentleness and kindness in the way you approach the world, and the fact that you’ve chosen him out of all people to trust the most, fills his heart with an endless amount of pride and happiness, that’s hard to put into words.

You’ve come into his life like a whirlwind, turning everything upside down and taking over his heart by storm.

Without your knowing, you made all of his previous priorities flip, until you were the only and most important thing on his mind. You still are, of course, and Steve is sure that this is something that will never change.

You’re the one.

The one who’s voice and laughter he’ll never grow tired of hearing.

The one who he comes home to after a rough mission, taking up the biggest space in his bed and in his heart – and he wouldn’t want to have it any other way.

You’re the most precious thing on the planet, and he’d burn it all down if he had to, just to keep you safe.

“Steve!” you softly call out to him, and his focus shifts back on you.

The small bunny is now sitting contently in your lap, while you’re sporting the proudest look.

“His fur is so soft!” you quietly mouth to him, and he smiles before making his way to you, gently kneeling down by your side. “Here! Feel!” you chirp, as you carefully guide his hands towards the small bunny.

“Do you think we could get some of those?” you carefully ask.

“Of course.” Steve agrees without really thinking - he doesn’t need to. If you want it, you’ll get it; no questions asked. He’ll even fight Tony on it if he has to, or anyone else for that matter.

“Really?” you beam.

“I pinky promise, Sweetheart.” he whispers before kissing the top of your head and standing back up. You follow suit, after carefully moving the bunny from your lap.

“Let’s just visit the piglets, and then we can move on to the bigger animals!” you proclaim, while reaching for Steve’s hand again, gently tugging him towards the small, baby pink piggies.

🍋 🍋 🍋 🍋 🍋 🍋 🍋 🍋 🍋 🍋

Once you’ve finished cooing over the small piglets while simultaneously feeding and petting them, you and Steve make your way back towards the regular path of the zoo.

Steve had just gotten out his map again, trying to visualize the vicinity, when you spot the panda enclosure.

Nice!

“Steve, do we have to consider the map? Can’t we just walk around and go wherever our curiosity takes us?” you ask.

“You mean, wherever your curiosity takes you.” Steve teases and you let out a small huff while folding your arms over your chest, defensively.

“Not true.” you whine, before adding: “I can’t help it if I’m younger and pick up more things, you know.”

“Uh-huh” Steve hums. “And patience is a virtue that …”

“I’ve never met once in my life.” you finish the sentence for him.

“That is not the quote I was going for, but it certainly rings true too.” Steve agrees, before folding his map up again. “Alright, so where’s your curiosity leading you to, this time.” he concedes with a warm smile and your eyes light up at that.

“Easy, this way!” you say, before grabbing his hand, dragging him along once more.

“Steve, look!” you exclaim, while excitedly pointing at the wild cat enclosure. There’s a tiger that’s currently taking a bath, and it completely seizes your attention.

At the risk of sounding like a total lovesick fool, Steve has to admit that he’s way more encaptured by your endearing reactions to everything, than the actual attractions and animals themselves.

You two already visited the panda and bear enclosure, looked at some monkeys, zebras, hippos, and foxes, and now you’re leading him towards the area with the wildcats.

Lynx, lions, pumas, cheetahs, and some tigers are what’s initially advertised; still, he’s barely able to focus on that.

With your hands closely intertwined, and your soft voice that calls out to him, his attention has a hard time staying away from you.

You’re especially excited by the cheetahs, and you enthusiastically tell him all the facts you know about them.

How they’re incredibly fast and powerful, yet often also anxious and shy. You tell him how some of the cheetahs living in captivity often need emotional support dogs, to help them cope with their high levels of stress.

They’re the true scaredy cat-cats.

After your ramblings about the wildcats, you start gushing over their emotional support dogs. “They must be so proud!” you tell him. “Imagine being a dog, who ends up working with those cheetahs. How badass it that? Like a mouse who’s a therapist for a housecat, or a sparrow that takes care of an alligator…”

Steve smiles at your excitement, while listening attentively to everything you’re saying.

How did he ever get this lucky?

But as your speech slowly comes to an end, another sound appears. It’s faint, but Steve’s Super Soldier hearing still picks it up. He’s heard it enough times to be able to identify it – It’s the sound of your tummy rumbling.

“Sweetheart, are you hungry?” he questions, and you look up at him like a deer caught in the headlights.

“Dammit, I had hoped you didn’t catch that.” you mumble embarrassed, and Steve laughs.

“How about we look for a more quiet space, where we can eat some of our sandwiches and snacks.” he proposes, and you agree.

This time, Steve takes your hand, leading the way.

After some searching, the two of you managed to find a little bench, shaded by a rather sturdy oak. The tree doesn’t just shield you from the blazing sun, but also from the curious gaze of others.

It’s a romantic little space, as you look out onto a small park area, not too far off from the peacock enclosure. You’d stopped there briefly, fascinated by their colorful display of shimmering feathers, before moving on.

And now, you're sitting here, next to Steve, eating your little sandwich and sharing some small snacks. It's calm and peacefully quiet, apart from some faint bird-chirping and the remote sound of children’s laughter, carried over to you by a soft summer breeze.

“This was such a lovely idea, Steve.” you comment quietly once you’ve finished your sandwich.

The man in question smiles at that. “I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself, Angel.”

You hum in agreement, before popping some fresh berries into your mouth.

The satisfied sigh you let out is making Steve laugh. “Are those berries that good?” he questions playfully.

“No, but the view right now is to die for.” you say, while locking eyes with him.

“Hm, I guess you’re right. This little park area certainly has some flair.” Steve agrees, and if it wasn’t for the blueberries in your hand, you’d face-palm right now.

“I’m not taking about the park, Steve.” you clarify, while giving him a pointed look, and he blushes.

“Oh, I see … “ he mumbles, red-tinted embarrassment tainting his cheeks and migrating up to his ears. Who knew a Super Soldier could get that flustered – and look so endearing while doing it.

You weren’t lying though – even with Steve just sitting there, wearing a light gray t-shirt and some washed-out jeans, he looks like a god; Completely out of this world.

And it’s not just his sturdy arms and muscles.

It’s in the way his kind eyes light up, framed by those rich eyelashes.

It’s in the way he looks at you; looks at the world with such benevolence, such compassion, even after everything he’s been through.

Maybe it’s also in the way that those small rays of sunlight, currently shining through the tree crown, illuminate his skin, giving him a golden glow.

But whatever the reason may be, he certainly looks good. Especially, when he’s blushing like that, you think, smiling.

Once you two finished your small lunch, you’re eager to get back to the animals.

The giraffes and elephants are next, followed by the penguins and some wombats.

You and Steve have also established a small game by now.

One of you steps up to the informational sign of the enclosure first and reads it, before letting the other person guess what the Interesting Fact about the animal is.

It’s currently Steve’s turn at guessing, as you two are standing in front of the flamingo area.

“Okay!” you chime, as you turn away from the metal sign, focusing back on Steve. Your eyes are sparkling with excitement, letting Steve know that this fact is going to be good.

“So, flamingos are known for their pink color and dorky looks, but there is something else that makes this animal quite badass. What could that possibly be?” you challenge Steve gleefully.

He ponders your question for a moment, looking over at the pink birds. “Hm, maybe they can stand on one leg for over 24 hours.” he contemplates.

“Is that your final answer?” you question, and the playful glimmer in your eyes lets him already know that he’s wrong.

Still, he stays with his entry and nods.

“Well, that is incorrect!” you announce. “Or at least, that’s not the fact they have written down.” you clarify.

“Okay, I’ll give you three options instead, and only one of them is the correct one.” you offer.

“So, once more, what makes the flamingo so badass? Is it a) they all have pink belts in karate; b) they can drink boiling water; or is it c) they can hold their breath for half an hour when diving for food.” you question, expectantly looking at Steve, who’s scratching his head, laughing.

“Well, it’s either b or c, but they both sound so unbelievable, I might as well go with answer a.” He jokes.

“Sir, I need an answer from you now, the time is running up.” you playfully chide and it’s making him laugh even more.

“Alright, show host, you can log in answer b for me.”

“B? Are you sure?” Steve just nods, and it makes your smile grow wider.

“Well, contestant, you won’t believe me when I say this, but your answer is …. ding, ding, ding – correct!” you exclaim excited, while wrapping your arms around his neck

“Wait, really?” Steve looks at you, dumbfounded. “Uh-huh. Flamingos can apparently drink boiling water.” you reiterate, before pulling him closer.

“Congratulations, soldier, you’ve won the main price!” you whisper against his lips before softly kissing him, and the sweet action makes Steve smile into the kiss, as his heart melts in the blazing sun.

🍋 🍋 🍋 🍋 🍋 🍋 🍋 🍋 🍋 🍋

Moving from enclosure to enclosure, your little game continues. There are wolves, deer, beavers, and burrowing owls, and each stop at the gates is filled with your playful antics and shared laughter.

You only come to a short pause, once you notice a small ice cream parlor in the distance, and it doesn’t take much convincing to get Steve to go there with you.

Actually, it doesn’t take any convincing at all.

The shop is small and features only a select number of ice cream flavors. You order 3 scoops each, before happily making your way over to the American bison enclosure.

The area is less crowded and actually quite peaceful. The scenery of the meadow with the occasional grazing bull emitting a sense of tranquility.

While sharing your ice cream, you two watch these seemingly serene creatures, who are just standing there, munching on grass, and lazily gazing at the landscape around them.

There’s a timelessness to them, you think. The way they just stand there, unbothered, like they’ve seen it all.

And maybe they have.

Steve gently pulls you out of your thoughts, when he offers you his last bit of cherry ice cream, holding out his cone to you. You gratefully take him up on his offer, while simultaneously holding your cone out for him.

Sharing is caring after all.

Once your ice cream is done, you and Steve continue sitting there, just talking until Steve suddenly leans closer.

He gently brushes some lingering ice-cream stains from the corner of your mouth with his thumb before licking it off. He keeps his eyes locked on you, and the action leaves your cheeks feeling heated, and your heartrate in a frenzy.

“Two can play this game, Angel.” Steve whispers, giving you a knowing smile.

You let out a small whine, before burrowing your face in his chest, trying to hide your embarrassment.

Steve just coos at your flustered state.

“Steve, stop. You’re giving me heart palpitations,” you mumble into his chest.

“No can do, Sweetheart. It’s only fair that you get a taste of your own medicine.”

You bite back your reply to that; otherwise, you two might end up doing something entirely different.

Unaware of the questionable thoughts in your head; Steve changes the topic, reminding you of the activities you still have planned.

“Do you want to go to the meerkat and prairie dog enclosure, now? Their feeding should start soon.”

You’re still curled up into his chest, basking in the feeling of his strong embrace, and the gentle smell of his cologne. “Can we just stay here a little longer.” you request, voice mumbled, and soft.

Steve lets out a small laugh, that makes his chest rumble and vibrate. “Of course, if that’s what you prefer. You just sounded so excited earlier when you heard about the public feeding.” Steve tries to clarify, making sure that’s what you really want.

Steve’s right. When he told you about the attraction earlier, you could barely contain your excitement at the idea of watching the small animals nibble on some food. But in that very moment, you didn’t really think things through.

It was only sometime later, when your excitement had cooled down a bit, that you realized that this endeavor might not be the best idea.

There’s obviously going to be a crowd watching the spectacle, and those are something to avoid when you’re with your beloved Super Soldier. The chances of getting recognized there, are just a bit too high, yet you’re hesitant to tell those thoughts to Steve.

You don’t want him to feel bad, and you know that he’ll try to convince you that it’s no big deal. You already feel selfish for feeling so protective of your relationship, and the fear that he might think you’re overreacting lingers in your mind, even though he has never given you a reason to do so.

“Sweetheart, what’s going on? You’re being awfully quiet right now.” Steve pries. He can tell something is wrong; he just knows you too damn well.

“Nothing!” you chirp, but the sound is off. It’s too high and anxious.

“Angel.” his tone is stern.

Steve doesn’t often use his Captain America voice with you, but when he does, it works every time.

Just like now.

Playing with the fabric of his gray t-shirt and looking anywhere but his eyes, you quietly mumble: “There’s going to be lots of people, Steve. Lots of people to recognize you…”

“Oh, Sweetheart,” he knows what you’re getting at, and it makes his heart twist in guilt.

“You know, we can still …”

“No, Steve,” you interrupt him. “We can’t, and I don’t want to. This day has been nothing, but a dream come true. We haven’t been approached once, and I’d like to keep it that way. If I have to sacrifice a meerkat feeding for that, I’ll happily do it.” You state, and Steve sighs.

“I’m sorry, Angel.” he whispers, voice low and tainted with regret. “Maybe you could go there by yourself, while I stay somewhere in the background?” he offers, but you just shake your head.

“Steve, it’s okay. I’d rather see all the other animals with you, then one meerkat feeding without you.”

He smiles at that, but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes.

“I’m still sorry about this.” he mutters, guilt clear in his voice. You sigh. That’s exactly what you were trying to avoid.

“Steve,” you whisper, gently cupping his cheek, making him look at you. “This isn’t your fault. Stop feeling sorry about something that you have no control over, whatsoever. If anything, I’m sorry for being so sensitive about this.” you state.

“No, you have every right to be!” Steve defends, and the conviction in his eyes makes some of your worry ease away.

“Well, if I’m not allowed to feel guilty about that, neither are you.” you assert matter-of-factly, and this time the smile that adorns Steve’s face reaches his bright blue eyes.

“Alright, deal.” he affirms, before taking your hand, sweeping you up from your seat. “Let’s continue. There’s still a lot to explore.”

You’re about to walk into the reptile house when you spot one more open enclosure.

“Oh my God Steve, look!” you call out, while pointing at one of the llamas. “Aww, he looks just like Kuzco!” you observe, and it makes Steve frown in confusion.

“Sweetheart, that’s a rude thing to say about someone.” he softly chides, and you give him a puzzled look.

“What? Are you telling me you don’t know who Kuzco is?” you ask, dumbfounded, and Steve just shakes his head.

“Is he a work friend of yours? I don’t think you’ve ever mentioned someone with that name?" he questions, brows still furrowed in confusion.

“Steve!” you laugh, “have you not seen The Emperor’s New Groove?”

“No, I don’t think I have.” he confesses, and you look at him in disbelief.

“Oh my God! I thought Tony introduced you to the best works of this century’s cinema.”

“Yes, but I don’t remember a movie named like that.”

“This is outrageous. I can’t believe you’ve never seen this masterpiece! We’ll have to change that once we’re home!” you proclaim playfully, before taking his hand and walking towards the reptile house.

🍋 🍋 🍋 🍋 🍋 🍋 🍋 🍋 🍋 🍋

Stepping into the building, you’re immediately greeted by a sudden temperature drop.

The rooms are a lot darker and cooler then the outside premise, and you can’t help but shiver as goosebumps form on your skin.

Instinctively, you pull Steve closer, grabbing his hand tighter.

The animals that follow vary from adorable to absolutely frightening. The small turtles and geckos make you coo, but the bigger lizards and snakes already sport a more intimidating look.

There are boas, pythons, and mambas, and you have to remind yourself that you’re protected by both the Plexiglas as well as your trusted Super Soldier.

🍋 🍋 🍋 🍋 🍋 🍋 🍋 🍋 🍋 🍋

Once you’ve finished exploring every room, you make your way to the small botanical garden. Its atmosphere stands in stark contrast to that of the dark reptile house.

There are colorful flowers and bright green plants and palm trees.

There’s light coming through the ceiling, illuminating the stone path before you, and the temperature is warmer and a little bit more humid.

After walking through the vicinity, hand in hand, the two of you spot a small, secluded bench. It’s placed next to a little pond, and a small bush of plumerias.

Sitting down, you sigh in content as you breathe in the sweet smell of the little white and yellow flowers. Steve gets out some left-over fruits, and you share a second, small meal. You can hear the soft splatter of water in the background, and it’s as relaxing as can be.

Looking at the man in front of you adoringly, your expression falters when you see the small furrow etched between his brows. He’s thinking about something, and it’s not a pleasant thought.

“What’s wrong?” you whisper, having learned the small signs of worry that sometimes cloud the face of your beautiful man.

Steve just sighs, before pulling you closer. So close, you might as well just sit in his lap.

“Was just thinking.” he mumbles, voice low, and still preoccupied with whatever’s going through his mind right now. “About?” you inquire, and the silence that follows makes you sigh in return.

“Steve, we talked about this. Don’t shut me out.” you whisper, knowing that your beloved soldier still has a tendency to keep his worries hidden from your view, trying not to burden you with it.

“I was thinking about the meerkat-thing.” he says, and you groan.

“No, hear me out, Sweetheart,” he continues. “You deserve the world, you truly do, and it pains me to know that everywhere we go, you have to sacrifice something, just because you’re with me. The meerkat-thing is just one of the many examples that reiterate that.”

“Okay,” you assess slowly, “what are you trying to say?” you carefully ask.

“I don’t know.” he whispers.

“I just keep thinking that you have to sacrifice so much, just in order to be with me. I wish I could give you more than that. I wish I could take you out on dates without us having to worry about being recognized, approached and disturbed.”

He looks at you with such turmoil and pain in his eyes, it makes your heart clench and curl up into a ball and cry.

“Oh, Stevie.” you murmur, before gently cupping his face and straddling his lap.

“Steve honey, listen. This whole getting-approached-by-strangers-thing sucks; I’m not gonna lie about that, but do you know what would suck a million times more? Not having you in my life! I could live without going out on anymore dates for the rest of my days, but do you know what I cannot live without? You!” you declare passionately, while looking into Steve’s eyes, which are somewhat glossy.

“Sweetheart.” he mumbles, voice thick with emotions, and you just pull him closer, nuzzling your face into the side of his neck.

“I love you, Steve. I love you even when we’re surrounded by what feels like hundreds of people, who all want a piece of you, and take over our dates.”

You feel a light wetness at the nape of your neck, and you gently brush your hand through Steve’s hair. Blinking away your own tears, you make a soft shushing sound, trying to calm him down.

“I love you. Don’t ever doubt me on that!” you whisper softly, and you feel Steve nod against your skin before whispering a small, timid “Sorry.”

“It’s okay. I love you, and as long as you love me back, that’s all I need. That’s enough for me.” you try to clarify, before gently adding: “I know you feel a close kinship and obligation towards people, and you’re too polite to call them out when they approach us at the worst possible timing, but you’re allowed to tell some people off. The shield might be public property, Steve, but you aren’t. You’re allowed to have boundaries too.”

Your kind words fill Steve with a warm, fuzzy feeling, and it spreads on his face in the form of a soft smile. The love he feels for you keeps blooming and expanding, like the fragrant flowers growing all around you.

He’s not sure if he’ll ever be able to put it into words just how much you mean to him exactly, but he knows that he’ll try his damn best to show you every single day.

He hopes that that’s enough, hopes that it’s good enough for you. Losing you would be worse than dying, he’s sure of that. But all he manages to mumble out is a soft: “I love you so much.”

His words and voice are filled with such honesty, such devotion and conviction, you fear your heart might pound straight out of your chest, and into his lap.

“I know,” you whisper. “I love you just as much!”

He hums in content, and the silence that follows is the most comfortable silence you’ve ever experienced.

The two of you stay there, curled up in each other’s embrace, basking in one of the best feelings ever. Loving and feeling loved.

🍋 🍋 🍋 🍋 🍋 🍋 🍋 🍋 🍋 🍋

You’re not sure how much time has passed, when Steve speaks up again, but the sun is slowly starting to set, and it fills the garden with a golden glow.

“You’re ready to go home, Sweetheart?” he questions softly, voice full of affection.

No. You just want to stay in his loving embrace forever, but instead of articulating that, you let out a small whine, while shaking your head demonstratively.

The laugh that rumbles out of Steve’s chest is warm and hearty, and he softly smiles down at you.

“Come on.” he coaxes.

There’s something he’s sure he can beckon you with.

“I think they have a small souvenir shop near the exit with lots of stuffed animals.” he offers, and it makes you look up at him, wide-eyed and excited.

Gotcha. Steve thinks, a satisfied smile on his lips. The promise of stuffed animals works every time.

You slowly untangle yourself from him, before standing up and taking his hand.

“What are you waiting for, old man.” You playfully provoke him while he’s adjusting his backpack.

“Careful Sweetheart, or I might accidentally lose you in the middle of New York.” he says, yet you know it’s an empty threat. He would never even dream of doing something like that, not in a million years.

“Don’t underestimate the grasp I have on you.” you joke, referring to the way you’d normally cling to his arm and hand, but Steve thinks about how true those words are in a broader sense.

How you have the strongest possible grasp on his heart, in the gentlest way.

Unaware of his adoring thoughts, you drag him to the exit of the botanical garden, and he watches you with the warmest smile.

Once you step out of the garden your eyes instantly find, and fixate on the small souvenir shop, walking straight towards it.

The place is spacious and there are a couple of kids running around, shoving stuffed animals in their parents faces. The selection of stuffies is broad, but you already know what you want.

Steve thinks you’ll be going over to the cheetahs, yet he finds himself surprised, when he watches you walk towards… the donkeys?

He observes you carefully picking up a medium-sized stuffie and clutching it tightly to your chest, a satisfied smile on your lips.

“Stevie! Look!” you exclaim, as you turn your attention to him, holding the stuffie up proudly.

Little did you know, he was already looking at you the whole time.

Eyes soft and smile warm.

“Sweetheart, are you sure? Don’t you want something more… exciting?” he questions, as he points to the array of wild cats and panda bears.

“Nope!” you chirp, the look of content on your face clear as day.

He always wants to see you like this - happy, content, satisfied.

“Wait, Stevie! You should get one too!” you exclaim when you see him slowly make his way toward the checkout.

“The donkey will remind me of you when you’re gone on missions, but you need a stuffie that reminds you of me, too!”

“Sweetheart, you’re in the back of my mind 24/7. I don’t need a …”

“Not the point.” you interrupt him.

“You occupy my mind almost all the time as well, but it’s nice to have something tangible to remind you and to keep close sometimes.”

“Alright.” Steve concedes, before looking at the countless shelves of stuffed animals.

Which one should he even pick?

He thinks back to your interactions earlier, thinks about how soft you looked, with that small bunny comfortably sitting in your lap.

He thinks about how excited you were, when you told him everything you knew about cheetahs, eyes sparkling bright.

He thinks about how softly you’d kissed him at the flamingo enclosure, and how serene you looked while you were watching the American bisons - a dreamy look on your face, and ice cream in hand.

God, is picking your own stuffie always that hard?

His eyes continue to wander along the shelves when he spots it.

There’s a medium-sized cheetah stuffie wearing sunglasses and a Hawaiian shirt with little plumerias printed on it.

That’s you.

Cool, adorable, and with a questionable fashion sense.

Thinking back at how you were holding him close in the botanical garden, the sight of the small flowers instantly fills him with the memories of your comforting words and touch.

That’s the one.

Steve makes his way over to the stuffed animal, and it’s even softer than he’d imagined.

“Oh! It’s adorable!” you coo when you see his choice, and Steve smiles.

That’s the one.

He thinks, as he watches you.

The one, who has complete reign over his heart.

You made yourself quite at home in there, filled it with your sweet laughter and your little smiles, the softness of your touch and the kindness in your eyes.

He keeps all these memories of you safely tugged away, underneath his rib cage, in that little treasure chest he calls his heart.

You’re both, his most prized possession, and the strong protector that watches over it all.

The guardian angel of his heart.

“Steve!” you call out to him, from the checkout.

“They say they have a 10 % senior discount for people over 60! Come over here, and figure this out, please!”

It makes him laugh, and there’s only one thought in his mind:

God, how he adores you.

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

Ahhh, that's it! Thanks you so much for reading!

#steve rogers x reader #steve rogers x you #steve rogers x y/n #steve rogers fanfiction #steve rogers fluff #steve rogers

[twstdreams]

A Bouquet to Share: Flower Foraging

CYOA: Chronic Hanahaki AU

Length: 2K | ao3 link

Warnings: fluff, mentions of flu/cold

next

You’re waiting in front of the mirror for your turn to pass, behind the infamous first years. No one in NRC isn’t aware of the prefect and their friends, mostly how they perpetually get themselves in all sorts of trouble. 

“Hey, wasn’t the prefect going to be in our group?” Jack asks

“Oh, they couldn’t make it because they got sick,” Deuce answers. There’s a pause as the unasked question lingers in the air. If they’re just suffering from a passing virus or if it’s that illness.

“With a normal cold,” Ace clarifies, “Grim’s been complaining about having to take care of them.”

You think you’ve heard ten different iterations of this conversation before. Some with Octa A-kun, another with a Pomefiore duo, the same rumours and inquiries always start flying when winter is broken by spring’s warm touch. Everyone wants to know who has hanahaki and chronic sufferers are always the first suspect. People attempt to deduce who’s sick because of pollen or because of the flowers blooming in their lungs. It’s not a lethal disease with modern magic and technology, but you swear enough drama follows it to make up for the lack of imminent doom.

“Hand!” the ghost before you demands once you’re at the front of the line. You offer the back of your hand and immediately a rose is stamped on it, proof that you’re a student who has access to the Great Seven botanical gardens. Then you step through the mirror and are greeted by the site of a massive glass structure. You’re excited to explore the grounds. Each area is its own biome with unique flora and fauna which flourish in that environment. Personally, you’re hoping to see the aquatics section for fun, but you need to ensure that you complete your assignment first.

“Meet each other in the tropical region in two hours!” you text to Jamil and he responds with an affirmation. You two had already agreed to this prior to the project. Most people are wandering the gardens with their partner, but you know Jamil has his hands full with Kalim. You just hope Jamil will actually get to appreciate a couple flowers too.

Officially, the headmaster says this is a field trip for all grades because botany is useful in several fields of magic. You think it’s because a massive amount of students visiting from a prestigious school gets him some sort of discount, but those aren’t thoughts you voice out loud. Not that you care, the Great Seven Botanical gardens hosts some unique and deadly plants, even more so than the poisonous flowers allowed to bloom on campus. You can't choose a lot of them for your assignment but nothing is stopping you from visiting them if you have extra time. Plus, activities amongst different classes aren’t that common, let alone those in various years. If you’re lucky, you might see Malleus amongst the flowers.

You’ve only met Malleus at night, on late walks while perhaps avoiding a guard or two. The daffodils at the entrance remind you of your first meeting with Malleus. But you can’t recall clearly, was there only one daffodil at the spot where you met or several?

-

Staying up late the night before to cram for a test, only to crash and take a nap afterwards completely messed up your sleep schedule. No amount of staring at your ceiling was going to make you drowsy. Besides, you want to explore the campus and check out some night-blooming flowers. You spotted several during the day but hadn’t gotten the chance to see them underneath the moonlight. 

You slip out of your dorm to enjoy the slight breeze and fresh air entering your lungs. Exploring the campus at night feels a little liminal. Not to say that it was silent, some nocturnal familiars scurry around, a ghost or two floating, and more than a couple of students here and there creating background noise. But it's interesting to see a campus normally overflowing with life morph into something restful and quiet. The closer you get to the Ramshackle dorm, the more this effect becomes more pronounced.

You spot plenty of random vegetation growing on the lawns of the dorm. You’d be willing to bet a week’s worth of lunches that dorm hasn’t had real maintenance for at least a decade. Horrid for the prefect living there, you really do feel bad for them, but lots of fun for your midnight flower foraging trip. Your phone battery is dying fast with the flashlight so you test out a new spell you’ve recently learned. You murmur the incantation and a ball of light forms in the palm of your hand. You try to extend it so it acts as a familiar but the light begins to flicker so you’re stuck with having it illuminate the area around your hand. A little testing, a failure or two, and you’re able to create a soft light to guide you. Your hand is nothing but a glorified flashlight, but you can see your surroundings so it’s not a total fail. Unfortunately, what you thought was some pretty evening primrose is actually daffodils.

“How odd. You’re not one of the Ramshackle inhabitants,” a voice notes. You’re certain a ghost has come to lecture you, but you let out a gasp when you realize a living being is behind you.

“I’m, uh, yeah I don’t live here,” you admit, “Just wanted some fresh air. I couldn’t sleep.” You were honestly hoping to avoid all dorm leaders, you know some don’t take kindly to students leaving their dorm after hours, and you think some greater force must be laughing at you because somehow you’ve stumbled upon the most mysterious and powerful one.

“And you came to this abandoned building to do that?” His voice is even. You’re not sure if there’s an accusation laced in his statement or if his regal airs just make him always seem confident and a bit unfriendly.

“I thought it’d be cool to see the night-blooming flowers too,” you add, “There’s supposed to be some evening primrose and moonflowers beneath a gargoyle but I can’t figure out which one it is.” 

“I can introduce you to the correct gargoyle,” Malleus comments. Your head, which is frantically processing information and doing its best to be logical, tells you that’s probably a social cue to ask him to show you where the gargoyle is. Your mind, however, is still trying to comprehend how the heck you ended up meeting the Malleus Draconia on a weedy lawn.

“I am part of the gargoyle appreciation society,” he continues but the way his lips were pressed into a thin line indicates that you’ve spent a little too long coming up with a response.

“Oh! That’s impressive,”—now isn’t a good time to admit you didn’t know that club existed—“if you don’t mind, then I’d really appreciate it!” He nods once in acknowledgement and you begin trailing after the dragon fae. 

“Do you know about each of the gargoyles?” you ask; you ought to express interest in his passions when he’s doing you a favour. You’re not sure what to expect, but it was most definitely not an encyclopedic infodump about Ramshackle’s gargoyles.

“This is the first gargoyle, located on the entrance to the east building. Are you able to see it?” Before you had a chance to answer, Malleus casts a spell of light that creates fake fireflies which illuminate your surroundings. 

“Now I can. It kind of looks like a crow,” you answer. The gargoyle is easy to see but you think Malleus’ elegant magic is more beautiful. Your lightbulb of a hand is almost embarrassing and you quickly stop the spell.

“It is a crow, which is extremely rare for a gargoyle. This is the only one I’ve ever seen. Its quality means it must have been made by a famous craftsman. It looks like it could take flight at any moment.” He goes on about the history of the gargoyles here; you’ve never really been interested in them but the way Malleus talks about them with such excitement makes you engaged. It’s the way that extensive knowledge is intertwined with informed hypotheses while the excitement in his tone never leaves. Hearing Malleus talk about something he loves feels enchanting and endearing. His bubbling enthusiasm is cute.

“This is the gargoyle with the evening primrose and moonflowers,” Malleus announces. Once he finishes his little spiel about its history, you begin to take pictures of the flowers. You want to ask if you can take a picture of him; there’s something so odd about this experience that you want a picture to prove it is real. However, the fresh air has awaken your brain cells and they let you know that perhaps asking someone you just met for a photo in the dead of night is not the best idea. But well, Malleus has been pretty accommodating so you decide to ask for another favour.

“If you don’t mind, could you teach me that light spell?” you inquire. The surprise is evident in his expression and you wonder if you’re being too selfish.

“Is that so? You want me to help you with your spell? Interesting,” he comments and honestly, the pause makes you so nervous you regret ever opening your mouth, “Very well. Show me what you can do.” Even though you're the one who asked, you're a little surprised that the Malleus Draconia has agreed to some impromptu tutoring.

“I can summon a light but I’m having trouble making it steady after it stops making contact with my body,” you explain while taking out your wand. You murmur the incantation and a soft light envelopes your hand while illuminating your surroundings. As the light starts to float away, its shape begins to morph and looks like a blob of light which never stays a consistent shape, akin to a lava lamp. 

“You have enough magic to power the spell. The changing shape suggests that you’re having trouble imagining the outcome,” Malleus sumrises, “Why don’t you try mimicking the shape of mine?” Malleus adjusts the shape of his firefly lights into simple spheres. Unfortunately, it does not go so smoothly for you. First the light looks like a balloon, then it shrinks to the size of a marble, but when you have it at a reasonable size then the edges of the ball begin to quiver.

“I’m sorry it’s taking me so long,” you mutter. Sure, you don’t expect to be on the same level as someone as infamous as the Diasomnia dorm leader, but this feels embarrassing.

“You aren’t expected to master everything at the beginning. Don’t be shy,” he reassures. His comforting words encourage you to calm down. You take in a deep breath and start again. The light transforms into a uniform sphere—your own little sun for this corner of the world the two of you are tucked away in.

“I did it!” you exclaim, “It’s all thanks to your advice!” You toss the light between your hands before extending it to float beside Malleus’.

“You already completed the basics. I only offered some advice,” he gently protests but a smile remains on his face all the same.

“What’s the incantation to change its colour again?” you ask, and Malleus says it aloud for you to repeat. You alter your spell, dying it in your favourite colour, then allow it to dance in the sky. His luminescent green light merges with yours, and the spells twine with each other.

-

Since then you’ve taken to late-night walks for exercise and hopes of meeting Malleus. You haven’t exactly been charming—

“Are you here to admire gargoyles?” Malleus inquires when the two of you meet in the dead of night yet again.

“No, but I can,” you offer. Admitting to the ruler of the valley of thorns that you have been wandering around at night to see him again because you’re very intrigued and a little enamoured is not ideal. Luckily Malleus never questions your intent.

— but the two of you are on friendly terms now. So far no flowers were blooming in your lungs, but you’d be lying if you said a crush wasn’t taking root in your heart. But before you could linger on any hypothetical flowers, you have to pick an actual flower for your assignment! As a second year, you will have to grow whichever flower you pick back at school. 

Which flower will you choose? Vote here

White and pink carnations

Crimson astilbe (feather flowers)

Purple snapdragons

Orange tiger lilies

#twst x reader #malleus draconia x reader #twst CYOA #twisted wonderland x reader #malleus x reader #More options will be added based on the previous poll #currently at 3 characters #twstdreams #Be warned that platonic and bad ending are available

[kissinginkitchens]

You Bring Me Home — Chapter One: Flightless Bird, American Mouth

a/n: I've been working on this story for mooonths now and I'm so excited to finally share it with the world! It's heavily inspired by Harry's Behind the Album mini doc, except I changed the setting to Hawai'i because I've personally spent some time there and as they say, write what you know! YBMH takes place in the period between One Direction's hiatus and Harry's first album/tour, but with that being said, this is entirely a work of fiction and some events don't follow the true timeline. Thank you so much for taking the time to read my little story, I hope you love it as much as I do! It will be updated every Friday at 5 PM PST. My inbox is open, so feel free to talk to me once you've finished reading! I'd love to hear from you :) Much love, Mel <3

Pairing: Hawai'i!Harry x Original Character

Warnings: swearing

Word Count: 5.5k

May, 2016

Harry watches LAX get smaller through the airplane window and visualizes all of his worries stuck at the terminal gate, their magnitude also diminishing as he takes flight. He sinks lower in his seat and skims through playlists on his phone when a nagging feeling at the back of his mind pulls his attention away from the screen. Looking up from the song choices, he spots a cell phone quickly lowered from his line of vision and a girl with flushed cheeks who quickly averts her gaze. Harry shoots a tight-lipped smile in her direction and goes back to his phone with a sigh. The days when he could roam the streets freely without fear of recognition—or worse, harassment—feel like an entirely different lifetime. He sometimes imagines that he’ll wake up back in his childhood bed as if the past five years had all been a dream, but he never does. In fact, his privacy and anonymity seem to dwindle with each minute of radio play that One Direction receives. It’s a bittersweet pill to swallow, but one he hopes will go down easier with some time in the Hawaiian sun.

His close friend and new manager, Jeff Azoff, had suggested the vacation as soon as the band privately agreed to take a hiatus.

“You’ll go home for a few weeks,” his voice had crackled through the speakers of Harry’s phone. “Visit your mom and Gem, lay low for a while until the smoke blows over,”

Harry mulled it over in his mind, eyes flickering over the rolling landscape outside of the tour bus window.

“Then what?”

“Then you go for a little vacation. The label offered to cover a house in Hawaii so you can start working on the album,”

“Alone?”

Jeff chuckled lightly on the other end before responding. “I mean, if that’s what you want,”

“No,” Harry corrected. “You and Tom should come. Mitch and Bhasker, too,”

“The dream team,”

“And there’ll be a studio there?”

“Yes,” Jeff started, almost hesitant. “But I don’t want you to think about that too much,”

“But you said the label—"

“I also said vacation. Look, Rob said ‘it will all happen in due time,' did he not?”

Harry twisted the rose ring around his finger, tracing over the silver petals and thinking back to his conversation with the CEO of Sony Music, Rob Stringer. Upon the proposal of his debut solo album, Rob had told him that the most important ingredient for a successful debut would be patience. The singer had agreed in the moment, but every day not spent in the studio felt like a test he hadn’t studied hard enough for.

“Yeah.”

“So you take the free vacation,” Jeff suggested. “You go out, live, get some writing material. Maybe mess around with some tunes. And then we come back to L.A. and get to work. But until then, I just want you to focus on taking it easy.”

So take it easy he had. Or at least he had tried to when he was back home in England. Harry quickly grew restless after what felt like the millionth awkward conversation with past friends and acquaintances, all of which eventually led to the topic of One Direction and it’s unexpected hiatus. After one month at home, his mind and journal were full of ideas for songs, things that he wanted to say before he lost his nerve. One night as he tossed and turned in bed, he shot Jeff a text, just two words that would kick off a three month getaway to the Big Island of Hawai'i:

I’m ready.

********

“Sounds great, I'll go put in your order.” Alani offers sweetly, trying not to overdo it with the customer service voice. After waiting on the family at her designated table, she heads back to the kitchen and finds her younger sister, Pua, crouched in the corner taking what appears to be a serious phone call.

“I don’t know, I just saw it!” Her sister cries in a hushed tone. “Where do you think he’s going?”

“Is everything okay?” Alani cuts in with concern.

Pua whispers into the speaker before bringing the phone to her shoulder.

“Harry Styles was just spotted on a plane this morning,”

“Who?”

“The guy from One Direction,” her sister explains with a hint of irritation in her voice. “The band who sings that song you secretly like, ‘Fireproof,'”

Alani vaguely recalls the melody, but she waits expectantly for Pua to elaborate. “And this is news because…”

“Because the band just broke up, so where could he possibly be going?”

"The unemployment office?”

Pua rolls her eyes and returns to her phone call while Alani envelops her in a tight hug.

“I’m just kidding!” Alani apologizes, squeezing tighter despite her sister’s attempts to break free. “I’m sure he’ll be living off of royalty checks until he’s, like, eighty,”

“Get off me, freak!” Pua cries out, finally breaking the embrace.

Alani clutches her chest and pulls out an invisible knife. “Ouch. I’m telling Harry you said that,”

“This is exactly why I don’t tell you things.” the younger sister huffs, storming out of the kitchen through the employee entrance where Alani’s best friend, Maleah, has just arrived.

“Looks like someone forgot to eat their Cheerios today,” she remarks, tying her curls into a high ponytail.

Alani shrugs and leans against the counter. “She’s going through something. Just discovered that boys in pop bands are, in fact, just regular boys.”

“Poor thing,” Maleah frowns. “We all have to learn eventually.”

********

The sky is a blend of cotton candy pink and burnt orange when Alani returns home from the café with a strawberry smoothie in tow. She empties the mailbox and sorts through the various bills and advertisements, but her stomach drops when she sees a familiar return address label. After a quick greeting to her excited dog who waits at the door, Alani bolts up the stairs and quietly shuts the bedroom door behind her. Breathe, she reminds herself before tearing into the envelope and discarding it onto the wooden floor.

Dear Ms. Hale,

We are very grateful to have received your submission to Rolling Stone magazine. However, we regret to inform you—

She doesn’t read the rest, slumping to the floor in defeat. The sixth rejection letter from Rolling Stone lies crumpled at Alani’s feet and she kicks it across the room with a frustrated grunt. She had worked for over two months perfecting her analysis of Joni Mitchell’s Big Yellow Taxi and its allusions to the environmental impact of urban development in Hawaii. As part of her initial research, Alani had even traveled to both the Royal Hawaiian hotel in Honolulu, which is the famous Pink Hotel mentioned in the song, and Foster Botanical Garden that Mitchell referred to as “the tree museum.” She was certain that her effort and persistence would result in at least a consideration. The second third time's the charm! Maleah had joked watching Alani submit the piece. Six articles in the span of two years, each one facing the same rejection despite the increased effort Alani had put in over time. The fact that the rejection letter hadn’t changed over the course of the two years brings an incredulous smile to her face, and her stomach turns when she considers that the editors probably hadn’t even read her work, anyway. All that effort, she thinks to herself, all that time, for nothing.

“It will take time,” her favorite professor, Dr. Hudson, had reassured her three months after the Joni Mitchell article was submitted. “Every great writer faced countless rejection until that one piece. Yours will come. Keep your eyes open and your pen ready.”

Alani sighs and lifts herself off the floor, choosing to crawl into her unmade bed instead of slumping onto the hardwood. She hears a soft scratching at the door before her King Charles Spaniel, Freddie, pads into the room.

“Come here, bubs,” Alani whispers. He obeys and burrows into the duvet, giving her temple a gentle lick before nuzzling into the nape of her neck.

“You still love me, right?” she asks, voice cracking. “Even if I’m a failure?”

Freddie sniffs her ear in response.

********

“Right,” Harry says, his tongue peeking from the corner of his mouth as he reads the map. “No, left, sorry,”

“Do you actually know how to read a map?” Jeff teases, correcting the turn.

Harry pouts in response, his brows furrowing. “In my defense, we’re literally in the middle of fucking nowhere,”

“There are worse places to be,” Mitch pipes up from the back seat. “England, for example, where they say things like ‘litchrally’,”

“Very well said, Mitchell,” Jeff Bhasker adds with a fake British accent of his own.

Harry turns to his friends in the back seat with a finger pointed like an agitated mother. “If you lot don’t shut up, I’m gonna lead us to a volcano and push you in,”

“Where are we even going? I forgot,” Tom complains.

“To get food,” his manager responds from the driver’s seat. “I think,”

“Why can’t we just stop there?” Mitch asks pointing to a café pulling up on their right.

Jeff merges into the turning lane quickly without a second thought. “Good enough for me, I’m starving.”

“Sorry, H.” Mitch pats his friend on the shoulder.

Harry scoffs. “You’re the one who wanted poke.”

The Aloha Nui Loa Café is much more spacious than the exterior suggests, yet it still feels cozy. The walls are painted sage green and adorned with various local art pieces, as described by the plaques that accompany them. A skylight fills the center of the room with plenty of warm lighting, leaving the space along the walls in a bit more shade for an intimate feel. In one corner, a hanging disco ball leaves freckles of sparkling light along the walls where the sunlight hits, making the whole image very idyllic in Harry’s mind. As if he couldn’t enjoy the setting more, he hears the beginning of an Otis Redding song that he’s had stuck in his head drift through the restaurant speakers.

“Welcome in!” a voice calls, which pulls him from his survey of the room. His head whips to the source—a girl around his age with wavy, dark hair and honey skin. “For here or to go?”

Harry takes a hesitant step up to the counter. “For here,”

She smiles warmly and pulls some menus from under the counter. “How many in your party?”

“Five.”

“Great, follow me.”

Harry and his friends follow the waitress to the corner of the room under the disco ball and take their seats at the round table.

“My name is Alani,” she introduces herself, setting the menus down. “I’ll be serving you today. Can I get you started with some drinks?”

Harry continues scanning the restaurant while his group orders. His eyes land on the shirt that Alani is wearing, a white tee with the words “Enjoy Health, Eat Your Honey” in blue lettering that surrounds a picture of a cartoon bee.

“Harry,” Jeff says gently, catching his drifting attention.

The singer turns to his manager, who nods to Alani waiting with a pen pressed to her notepad. Harry feels a rush of embarrassment creep across his cheeks and he clears his throat to cover it.

“Just water,” he says, eyes glued to the menu. “Thanks.”

“You got it.” Alani nods, flashing a toothy grin at the rest of the group before turning back to the kitchen. Harry. Her mind repeats, finding a hint of familiarity, though she doesn’t know why.

When Alani arrives at the drink station, she finds her sister staring at her, mouth agape, while Maleah unsuccessfully conceals her laughter.

“What?” she questions, checking herself for any embarrassing stains or smells.

“You were—and he—” Pua stammers. “He was—and then he—”

“That’s Harry Styles,” Maleah translates, her voice hushed as she peers over her friend's shoulder.

Alani turns to steal a glance at the table she just seated, but Pua and Maleah latch onto her and shake their heads frantically.

“Don’t look!” her sister hisses.

Alani smirks, amused at their reactions. “No shit. That’s One Direction?”

Maleah snorts, clasping a hand over her mouth as Pua huffs. “No, dumbass! It’s just Harry. I don’t know who the other guys are,”

“But the blonde guy? That’s not—?”

“No!” Pua and Maleah giggle in unison.

“Okay, geez,” Alani relents. She manages to steal a quick glance at the table over her shoulder, immediately searching for Harry. Her eyes scan over the long, curly hair kept out of his face by a pair of white sunglasses that she had seen on Kurt Cobain once. All of his features are sharp and striking, from his pointed nose and defined jawline to the bright blue eyes. Or maybe they were grey? Alani wonders, trying to remember the exact shade. He doesn’t look anything like the fresh-faced teeny bopper she’d had in mind, the one from a music video her sister had shown her a long time ago. She would have never guessed that the What Makes You Beautiful singer had so much dark ink trailing down his bicep and forearm, though her knowledge of One Direction was very limited.

“What did he order?” Pua questions, her eyes wide.

Alani quickly snaps back to reality and resumes filling the drinks. “A water,”

“Oh my god,” Maleah swoons. “I’m never drinking anything else ever again,”

“I didn’t even know you liked him,” Alani teases with an eyebrow raised.

Maleah sneaks another peek at the table and catches her lower lip between her teeth. “I mean, I didn’t really think so either but look at him. What a fucking dream,”

Harry was objectively handsome, this Alani could admit, but she personally didn’t see the appeal and had a strong feeling that he was just like every other male celebrity. The fact that he hadn’t even bothered to make eye contact with her only served as further proof of what she knew to be true.

“Okay, well, your dreamboat is waiting for his water. So excuse me,” Alani winks, making her way back to the table.

The singer spots Alani returning out of the corner of his eye and the sight of her causes a strange flutter in the pit of his stomach that makes him want to duck for cover. Instead, he pulls his phone from his back pocket and pretends to be occupied with something on the screen.

“Okay,” she greets, setting the drink tray down. “I have a Blue Hawaii, a Mango Mama, two Loco Cocos, and a water,”

The group graciously accepts their drinks with a chorus of “thank you," but the only one under Alani’s scrutiny is Harry. He still doesn’t meet her almond eyes, and though she figured he wouldn’t, she can’t help the inkling of disappointment that washes over her. After taking their meal orders, Alani heads back to the kitchen, checking on her other customers along the way. Harry’s eyes follow her and he observes the way customers light up at her presence, indulging her conversation with laughter. He watches as she lingers by the jukebox in one corner of the room, a detail he had missed in his initial scan, and waits anxiously to see what song she chooses. Baby I’m-a Want You begins softly and Harry feels the corner of his lip curl ever so slightly. Good choice, he thinks.

********

“He’s still here,” Pua muses, peering through the tiny window in the kitchen door. It had been nearly two hours and the five men were still seated around their table cracking jokes and doing a lot of talking with their hands.

Alani doesn’t look up from her bowl of sliced kiwis, offering a hum in response. “And what do you want me to do about that?”

“Nothing,” Pua shoots back. “Don’t bother him,”

“What kind of girls do you think he’s into?” Maleah asks, attempting to peek through the window.

Alani shrugs, bored of the conversation and of thinking about Harry. “I don’t know, but I’ll bet he’s a real sucker for the ones who stalk him while he’s eating,”

“How does he make eating a salad look hot?”

“Can we talk about something else now?” Alani whines, poking holes in a lone kiwi with her fork.

Pua tosses a wet dish rag in her sister’s direction and cheers when it lands in her face. “Go see if he wants more water, he looks thirsty.”

“I already refilled it,” Alani defends. “Twenty minutes ago. I’ve refilled it a hundred times, I’m surprised he hasn’t peed his pants.”

I’m gonna piss myself. Harry thinks, his right leg bouncing to distract himself. He really wasn’t all that thirsty, but he couldn’t stop himself from finishing each glass of water that Alani placed in front of him. He really wasn’t all that thirsty, but he couldn’t stop himself from finishing each glass of water that Alani placed in front of him. Like clockwork, she would return to fill his glass almost as soon as the last drop had been drained, and so what began as a little experiment slowly turned into a bladder hazard. But if the trend was to be trusted, she would be back any minute and he wasn’t going to miss it; afterall, there were only so many ways to casually linger in a small café without making it weird. Unable to bear it any longer, he heads to the restroom and hopes that Alani doesn’t clear their table before he has a chance to see her again.

Harry pads down the back hallway with his eyes cast down at the floor, which proves to be a mistake when he walks directly into another person.

“Sorry!” they both apologize quickly, Harry’s palm taking purchase on the other person’s upper arm.

“I wasn’t paying attention,” he offers, finally meeting the dark, mocha eyes already looking back at him.

Alani presses her lips into a tight smile. “Me either,”

Harry’s heartbeat picks up when he realizes it’s her, and he isn’t aware of how close they’re standing until he detects the faint scent of kiwi on her breath. He takes a step back and rakes a hand through his hair.

“So I guess I’ll just—”

“Yeah, sure.”

Green. Alani notes to herself. His eyes are green.

********

Shortly after Harry returned from the restroom, him and his friends settled their bill and headed out. Alani cleared their table and her eyes nearly fell out of her head when she saw the hefty tip left behind. The word mahalo was also left behind on the receipt, underlined twice, and she wondered if it was his handwriting.

Later that night, she settled into bed with her laptop and hesitantly typed his name into Google. As she expected, countless articles about the split of One Direction emerged, most of them speculating what was next for each member. To her surprise, however, Harry’s name seemed to be mentioned more than his fellow bandmates as various sources labeled him “the next Justin Timberlake” and rising star of the group. Upon further investigation, she learned that the demand for information about the elusive Harry Styles was high, especially concerning any possible solo music. No news had yet been confirmed by Styles himself, nor anyone claiming to represent him, but she still wondered if his presence in Hawaii had anything to do with a possible solo project. Almost as soon as she thought it, Alani dismissed the theory in favor of the idea that he was most likely just taking a vacation. And from the buzz that she saw surrounding the news about One Direction, she couldn’t blame him.

The more Alani read, the more she wanted to know, and something deep down told her that his was a story worth telling. Of course, the only problem was that she had hardly talked to him, and there were only so many things she could say about the fifteen glasses of water he downed. There was no way of knowing if she would ever see him again, either, or if he was merely stopping in Hilo on his way to another island or somewhere else entirely. Alani sighed, thinking back to her most recent rejection from Rolling Stone. She knew that there was no possible way she would ever see or talk to Harry ever again, and even if she did, why would he bare his entire soul to a stranger? Still, she let her mind wander through the possibility.

Dear Ms. Hale, the letter would read, we are very grateful to have received your submission to Rolling Stone magazine and are pleased to inform you that your piece on Harry Styles will be featured in next month’s issue. Additionally, we would be honored to have you on staff, effective immediately.

It was far-fetched, Alani knew this, but she dozed off that night with endless ideas swimming in her head.

********

By the third day after his visit, the only trace of Harry is in Alani’s search history. She would have completely forgotten about him if it weren’t for her sister’s constant reminiscing and multiple attempts to rename the house salad to the “Harry Special.” As a result, a part of Alani’s thoughts periodically linger back to that day and the subsequent hours spent on Google that she’d rationalized as research instead of stalking. Somehow the knowledge that she’ll never see him again only adds fuel to the questions still burning in her mind, but a customer clearing their throat while she sorts menus below the hostess podium interrupts her thoughts.

“Welcome in!” She calls, standing. “What can I—”

She stops in her tracks, unable to believe her eyes. Harry blinks and waits for her to continue.

“What can I get started for you?” Alani tries again, hoping that he hadn’t noticed her shock. Luckily for her, Harry had been too focused on choosing his next words to register her mistake.

“What’s in the Honu smoothie?” he asks, mentally kicking himself for asking such a stupid question when the menu just inches above her head clearly spells it out.

Alani hums, thinking back to the times she had made the smoothie herself. “Kiwis, spinach, mango, avocado, and a hint of lime,”

“I’ll take one of those,” Harry says, reaching for his wallet.

Alani punches in the order with trembling fingers and nods. “For here or to go?”

“To go,”

Disappointment fills her chest. Sure, she hadn’t planned on seeing him ever again, but the fact that she did felt like a sign. If she wanted to take the chance, she’d have to do it fast.

“Anything else?” she asks, weighing her options while he skims the menu.

“No thanks.”

Alani makes the smoothie quickly, head spinning. She had spent most of the night after their initial meeting planning out exactly the type of questions she hoped to ask him and what kind of article she would write. She was used to writing about what she knew—artists and music she’d admired for years— but she figured that starting fresh with someone she hardly knew would be a good challenge. Not to mention that it seemed like just the thing Rolling Stone would jump for. Alani finally works up the courage as she finishes his smoothie, but when she returns to hand it to him and hopefully strike up a conversation, his ear is pressed to his cell phone. She holds out the drink and he graciously accepts, giving her a small nod as a “thank you” and rushing out of the restaurant.

Two days later he returns and is seated at the counter, typing away on his phone. Alani feels both a rush of optimism and annoyance at the universe for dangling his presence so unexpectedly. She starts heading over to him, but Maleah cuts in.

“Trade me?” she proposes, eyes wide.

Alani blinks. “Oh, I would but I—”

“Please,” her best friend pouts. “I’m leaving to see my grandparents in stupid California for two months. Who knows when I’ll get the chance to see him again?”

Alani sighs, but gives in, reluctantly exchanging Harry for the family of four seated by the window. A strange feeling settles into the pit of his stomach when he sees that she heads in the opposite direction after a hushed conversation with another waitress. He doesn’t know why she traded him for a different customer, but he takes the hint.

A week goes by without another sighting of Harry and Alani has permanently taken on the role of greeting hostess in hopes of seeing him again. Her heartbeat temporarily speeds up when she sees a long haired customer approach the door, but her spirits quickly fall when the face doesn’t match his.

Another week brings another disappointing realization that Harry might be gone for good. One rainy morning when the restaurant is quiet and only two customers huddle together in a booth near the back, Alani hunches over the hostess podium and doodles on a stray receipt— a sunflower, a crescent moon, and two hearts. The bell above the door jingles but she doesn’t look up, too absorbed in her scribbles.

“Do you serve coffee?”

The familiar accented voice stops Alani’s pen dead in its tracks. She lifts her eyes first to confirm, and then straightens up when she sees that her ears haven’t deceived her.

“Yes,” she swallows.

“Great. I’ll take it to go,”

She slightly deflates, but Harry thinks he’s reading too much into it.

“Actually,” he corrects anyway, just in case he isn’t. “I think I’ll stay for a while,”

Alani flashes a warm smile and nods in the direction of the counter. “Right this way,”

Harry sheds his windbreaker onto the back of the seat, revealing a black and white Rolling Stones t-shirt that makes Alani’s blood pressure rise. A sign, she thinks.

“What do you want in your coffee?” she questions carefully.

“Nothing,” he responds, shaking out his damp hair gently. “Or actually, uh, butter...if you have some,”

Alani blinks, not sure if she’d heard correctly or if there had been some transatlantic miscommunication.

“Butter?”

“Yeah,”

“Like the—”

“Spread, yeah,” Harry confirms. “It’s weird, I know,”

She lets out a light-hearted laugh and nods. “It’s a...unique request,”

“I thought the same thing at first,” Harry confides. “It’s not bad, actually. But maybe I’ve just been in L.A. for too long.”

“I’ll take your word for it.”

She offers a polite smile and heads to the kitchen where the cook and two other waiters talk amongst each other. Alani is grateful that the restaurant is slow this morning because she knows that it means minimal interruptions to her time with Harry. To ensure this, though, she asks one of the other waiters to cover the podium and returns to Harry with his coffee.

“One butter coffee, free of judgement,” the waitress announces, setting it down.

Harry grins softly, stirring the drink with the spoon Alani provided. “You can judge, it’s alright,”

“I just wanna know why,”

The coffee had been part of a fad diet while on tour in order to boost Harry’s energy on stage and stay trim for the hundreds of photo-ops he would be a part of. He doesn’t know how to communicate all of this to Alani, however, not sure how much she knows about that part of him, so he shrugs and tells a simplified version of the truth.

“I read about this trend a while back, it's called bulletproof coffee. Supposed to get your energy up and I needed it for my job,”

“Which is…” Alani trails off, downplaying the knowledge that she had acquired from Google.

“I make music,” is all Harry says and he takes a sip of the drink to avoid elaborating.

“Anything I would have heard?”

He swallows hard and listens to the faint rumbling of thunder outside before replying. “Possibly,”

“Try me,” Alani challenges.

He narrows his eyes and takes another sip of coffee. “Why don’t you tell me something about yourself first?”

“What do you wanna know?”

Everything, Harry responds internally, though he reigns it in. “How you got into waitressing,”

Alani sighs, resting her elbows on the counter across from him. “There’s not much to tell, it’s a family business. What I really wanna do is write,”

“Music?”

“Articles. I’m studying Journalism at UH,”

Harry hums in response, filing the detail away in the back of his mind. “Sounds interesting. You ever publish anything?”

“Not yet,” Alani shakes her head gently, toying with the sleeves of her green University of Hawaii crewneck. “Hopefully soon, though,”

Harry racks his brain for something else to say, but before he can, Alani speaks up again.

“Is it my turn to ask something now?”

He offers a curt nod and stirs his coffee.

“What kind of music do you write?”

Harry chooses to be vague again. “Different stuff. Pop, usually. Been messing with some classic rock, though,”

“Explains the shirt,”

He peers down at the design on his tee and agrees. “Yeah, I guess so,”

“Do you like it?” Alani asks, her eyes begging to make contact with his again. “Writing music, I mean,”

“Yeah,” Harry confirms, tapping his spoon against the rim of the mug. “I really do,”

Alani’s heart pounds. This is her chance, a moment to finally secure her breakthrough piece. She doesn’t know how to approach it, so she opts to dive right in without looking back. The worst he can say is no.

“Can I ask you something else?”

“That’s cheating,” Harry teases lightly. “It's my turn,”

She pouts playfully, but obliges. “Fire away,”

Harry doesn’t know which question to ask first, but when he glances down at the crescent moon inked on her wrist, he decides to start there.

“What’s with the moon tattoo?”

Alani isn’t sure what she expected him to ask and wonders what purpose such a detail could possibly serve him, but she answers anyway.

“Oh, well,” she begins, tracing her index finger over the outline. “It’s kinda the meaning of my full name. It’s Mahealani, Hawaiian for ‘heavenly moon,'”

Fitting, Harry comments to himself. Every detail he learns about her makes him want to learn that much more, from her favorite foods to the last thing she thinks about before falling asleep. Studying her expectant eyes, he suddenly remembers that it’s his turn to respond.

“That’s cool,” is all he says.

Alani doesn’t know what to make of the faraway look in his eye, but she decides to pose her most burning question while he appears to be in good spirits.

“I know this is gonna sound totally out of the blue,” she starts, working past the lump in her throat. “But when you mentioned how you write music, I was just reminded of this assignment I’m working on in my class,”

Harry waits for her to continue, nursing his now lukewarm coffee.

“I’m supposed to write a piece about someone who I don’t know that well,” she continues. “You know, to practice our interviewing skills. And, well, I was just kind of wondering if you might be interested in helping me out—being the subject, I mean,”

Alani had every intention of telling Harry the truth, about how she really planned to submit the article to Rolling Stone in hopes of securing an internship before her college graduation next Spring. But as she started speaking, she quickly realized how it would come off: a complete stranger asking for personal information to submit to a well-known publication. She knew that there was a chance he would shut down and never return, so she lowered the stakes and hoped that this route would be less risky. Was it ethical? Alani hadn’t decided yet, but she would work out the details later. After six failed articles and two years of rejection, she saw a ray of hope and wasn’t going to let it slip away.

Harry ponders her offer for a moment, which confirms that she had recognized him. Normally he would be off-put by such a request, and to a certain extent he is, but there is something sincere in her voice that he trusts deep down. Before he agrees, however, he decides to fish around a bit to test her reaction.

“You know who I am,” he says gently. “Don’t you?”

Alani’s heart drops into the pit of her stomach, not sure what to say next. She hopes with every fiber of her being that she hasn’t upset him, or worse, ruined her chances, so she decides to offer some truth to throw him off her scent.

“My sister recognized you,” she explains. “That day you came in with your friends. I thought they were your bandmates at first,”

This lets Harry know that she isn’t a total stalker, which is comforting, but he wouldn’t have been minded if she were a fan simply engaging in conversation.

“Oh,” he laughs weakly.

“I totally understand if you say no,” Alani offers quickly, trying to smooth things over. “I just thought it was worth a shot. And that it might be more interesting than interviewing our produce guy,”

Harry decides to give her one last scan for any sign of insincerity. He’d always felt that his gut instinct was strong and it hadn’t led him astray thus far.

“An interview?” he clarifies.

“Just one,” Alani promises. “An hour, tops. And you can proofread all of it once I’ve finished, too.”

Harry waits a beat, already knowing his reply, but he wants to see how she will react to his silence. She doesn’t budge, almond eyes set and determined.

“Okay.”

next chapter

#harry styles #harry styles fanfiction #harry styles writing #harry styles x oc #harry styles fluff #harry styles fanfic #harry styles fic #ybmh #she's here she's here she's here!!!!!

[thosebrookfieldgirls]

I didn’t know weather to ask this here or on your other blog but what do you think the girls would give their respective “boyfriends” for their birthdays (or vice versa)

You came to the right blog as far as the girls go (I think my crowd on the other blog might strangle me if I post more about OC’s at this point XD) 

What would the girls get the guys? Well some of them definitely had an easier time then others that was for sure. 

Val: She’s on a limited budget when it comes to Deuce and so while she would love to get him tickets to see some Magicwheel races and such she can’t really do that. So she compromises and either gets him new running shoes, a leather jacket she thrifted and Kim helped her clean up, or even a helmet for when he goes riding (seriously if she sees him or Epel without a helmet one more time--) 

Kris: She has a hell of a time trying to find something for Leona. He’s a prince and can pretty much just buy what ever he wants when he wants it. Plus she knows how he treats his family’s gifts when he doesn’t like what they give him (read: unless Cheka gave it, all of it). Finally, she caves and just asks him what he wants... which is just a day in with her where he doesn’t have to fight the other girls or her athletic clubs for her attention. Well, that is was easily arranged enough. Still, she felt bad showing up empty handed so she jokingly got him a pretty rock from the botanical gardens where they hang out... he got that thing placed in a wire cage necklace and treats it like the most precious thing he owns. 

Anne: It’s like pulling teeth to get Azul to accept gifts from her without him wanting to give her something else in return or feeling like he owes her. No matter how many times she assures him that isn’t the point of birthday presents or that if it bothers him that much he can just get her something on her birthday he isn’t budging. Finally, she just gets sneaky and invites him over for dinner that she puts together with his favorites and kicks the other girls and Grim out for the night. She has a few coins that ended up coming with them to this world she wants to give him but she knows she’s probably going to have to wait a little bit before he’ll trust her enough to accept them. 

Jude: She knows exactly what Jamil would really want more then anything, a day where Kalim stayed out of trouble and they didn’t have to worry about him third wheeling if they went out into town for the day. But she already knows she’s not going to win that fight against Jamil’s self-proclaimed best friend and the party he wants to throw, so she compromises. She tends to be a practical gift giver like Val, so she just commissions Gula for some hair accessories to add to his collection and some tour guide books for places he mentioned he would want to go. She also generally kicks up the doting on him to like ten, but stops after he gets too flustered XD 

Kim: She’s a pretty crafty person like Epel, so she likes to make her gifts as they tend to mean more to her then things that are store bought. Still, that isn’t to say she won’t purchase a base. She bought a cloth bomber jacket second-hand and then spent ages prepping for the big day as she embroidered a tiger on the back of it in the far-east art style he mentioned was pretty cool once. She got some pointers from Toile on how, and even though they offered to give her the friend discount to just commission them-- Kim declined because she wanted to say she did it all on her own. 

Eva: She didn’t have to put much thought into Idia. Just merch from what ever series or game he’s into at the moment as well as his favorite idol group. Her issue is putting him on a buying ban before his birthday so he doesn’t get something she’s already gotten him. Ortho typically helps with that buy intercepting his brother. Idia’s figured out the pattern at this point but he’ll still act surprised when he gets it. 

Fiona: Silver is only annoying for her to buy for because he will accept anything she gives him without any fuss or mess. She offered once to bake a cake in Lilia’s place but the entirety of Ramshackle vetoed that idea after the last time she attempted to bake and nearly set their kitchen on fire. Finally, she listened to everyone and stopped trying to do anything with food and just ended up getting a locket for him with a picture of her and him on one side and then Lilia, Sebek, and Malleus on the other. 

As for the guys with the girls....

Deuce: He probably has it the second easiest with Val... if he didn’t overthink everything. After much teasing from his dorm and assurance from his seniors, he finally just gets her a few more headbands to wear with different outfits, as well as some stud earrings with spades. 

Leona: Ruggie was about to keel over when he found out Leona wanted to do the shopping for Kris himself. He made sure to get her all new gear to play volleyball and run with the track team so she doesn’t have to use second hand stuff anymore. He pretends that he made Ruggie get it though, as well as it being coincidence that it happened to be breakfast for dinner that night and had nothing to do with he fact it was her favorite. 

Azul: Poor guy nearly gave himself an anxiety attack as he tried to come up with something to get Anne, and the twins were absolutely no help with their suggestions. Azul wanted to give her the world, but knew she was way too kind and sweet to ever ask for much from him. When he had asked the only thing she had said she wanted was him all to herself for the night. But like he was about to let that be the only thing. So he finally manages to snag some tickets to a musical in town and takes her for a nice date as well as gifting her some shells from the Coral Sea to restart her sea shell collection. 

Jamil: He hates shopping for Jude because she never asks for anything. Thankfully he’s rather observant and can see when something catches her eyes or she makes an off-hand comment. So he manages to bribe Kalim into hanging out with Silver and Fiona without him and plans a nice night in with just him and her. He makes her dinner and they go on a walk together get back inside Kalim and the rest of you  before presenting her with a necklace he commissioned from Gula that was a replica of the necklace from her aunt that she lost in the transition between world. It wasn’t fancy or expensive but it had meant a lot to her and she had mentioned it a few times when talking to Gula and Toile or he was looking at stuff for him and Kalim. 

Epel: Like is sweetheart, he’s a crafty person through and through. So he’s definitely carved several apple roses for her and his family has sent her a ton of quilts they made. But he also wanted some other stuff for her that would last longer and was from him, so he asked Vil to help him pick out some fabric for her. Some are luxury, some are just cute printed fabrics (Vil chipped in to help with the luxury ones), and just things to help her make clothes like she’s passionate about. 

Idia: He gets her nerd merch for sure. He has hands down the easiest person to buy for in that regard. But he also gets her a drawing tablet so she can go back to making digital art and not just traditional as well as a highly recommended drawing program so she wouldn’t have to worry about getting the software (he didn’t like any of the software on the market so he ended up programming one himself for her, no big deal) 

Silver: He also gets mildly annoyed shopping for Fiona because she also will just accept anything given to her and be happy about it. But after talking with his father and lord Malleus, he settles on a book of constellations from this world and taking her out stargazing to see what the two of them could find together. 

#twisted wonderland #twst #twst oc #twst mc #canon x oc #Valentina Corey #kristina kaiser #anne marie ryland #judith wieck #kimberlee daniels #eva frost #fiona alagona #deuce x oc #leona x oc #azul x oc #jamil x oc #epel x oc #idia x oc #silver x oc