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sserpente · 4 years

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A/N: Requests from two anons. No crying involved but definitely an anxiety-inducing situation for RC if that makes any sense. Enjoy! ♥

Words: 2118 Warnings: brief mention of past abusive relationship, attempted rape

“Honey, don’t you think you have enough candy by now? Who’s gonna eat all that?”

“Me!” Your niece stuck out her tongue as she half-walked, half-jumped through one of the many dimly-lit hallways. Her pumpkin basket was full to the brim already but, as you had suspected, there was no stopping her. You did not mind. You weren’t exactly keen on the annual Dauntless Halloween party in the pit. Lots of alcohol, sweaty bodies and so much fake blood it would take you weeks to get it all out of your clothes, off of your body and your hair. You didn’t hate Halloween, in fact you loved it. But you would rather curl up on the sofa in your tiny apartment reading a good book instead of drinking yourself into a coma.

Your niece looked unbelievably cute in her witch costume. Long ginger hair stuck out from under the pointy hat with the fluffy spider sitting on top. She’d had a little black broom as well—and you were not surprised you had had to keep carrying it after only three apartments already.

She was bound to get tired soon, so you kept telling yourself. You could already see yourself becoming a blanket burrito with a steaming mug full of hot chocolate and some of the leftover sweets you yourself had bought for the other children prior to trick or treating with your niece. You were so lost in thought that you only realised too late she had already started at the next apartment door and gave it a vigorous knock.

“Honey, no, not this one!” Shit. Only a few heartbeats later, the door opened.

“Trick or Treat!” She cried out. She was grinning as she held out her pumpkin basket, waiting patiently for her next victim to give her even more sweets. Only the person who had opened her hardly seemed impressed and instead raised an eyebrow at her. Eric used one of his muscly arms to lean against the threshold, his gaze wandering back and forth between your niece and you.

No one ever dared to knock on Eric’s door, presuming he would breathe down their neck for even considering he would give out candy to enthusiastic little children. Unfortunately, your niece did not know that.

Eventually, his gaze came to rest on you.

“I am so sorry, she was too fast.”

“What happened to your face?” He asked instead of reacting to your half-hearted apology. Oh, right. Embarrassed, you felt your cheeks turning crimson red. You had let your niece put some Halloween make-up on you. There was a giant spider with big orange eyes sitting on your right cheek while she had decorated the left with a black spider web. One thing was for sure, your niece would not become the next Picasso.

“Nothing… my niece thought we should match.” And perhaps next Halloween, she should turn you into a mouse so you could hide in a mouse hole to save yourself from Eric’s scrutinising—and now also downright amused—glance. There was a slight hint of mockery sparkling in his blue eyes as well, so you noticed when he stirred.

“Let me see if I can find something.” Oh. That was unexpected. As he disappeared, leaving his apartment door open, you just stood there dumbfounded all the while your niece tripped on the spot all carefree and blithe. This wasn’t really happening, was it? This was literally your nightmare before Christmas!

About a minute later, Eric returned. In his hands, he held a massive bar of Hershey’s chocolate. It was one of those treats only the leaders of Dauntless were privileged enough to receive every now and then. Your niece’s jaw dropped, eyes widening.

“There you go. You think you’ll be able to carry that?”

“Yes! I’m strong!” She pointed out, emphasising her words by making a muscle with her free arm. “Thank you!” As soon as she had accepted the chocolate, she was already off to the next apartment door. Only you still stood there, seemingly frozen in place.

“Uh… thank you.” You managed to choke out sheepishly.

“You’re welcome…” He mumbled in response. “I’ll see you at the party later.” And with that, he closed the door on you, once again leaving you standing there completely dumbfounded.

You had seen him around on Halloween. Eric never dressed up. Instead, he spent the night sitting at the bar all by himself, occasionally chatting to his fellow leaders and sipping some whiskey—completely unimpressed by his fellow Dauntless members’ craziness and excessive alcohol consumption. In that aspect, he was pretty much like you.

You spent the rest of your niece’s trick or treating pondering over his words. You were certainly overthinking it but what exactly had he meant by that? Did he expect you to show up? You had not planned on going. Would it be rude not to show up now? Jesus, it wasn’t like he had asked you out on a date. Eric was merely not as cold and condescending towards you than to others, perhaps because you always made an effort to be nice and polite to him, especially during your initiation.

And yet, once your niece was returned to your sister and you finally rid yourself of all that make-up on your face, you found yourself picking out something to wear to the party. It was almost like your hot chocolate, book and blanket sighed when you left your apartment and headed to the pit instead.

Halloween was on a full moon this year. Maybe you were going crazy. What were you even expecting? In the end, you settled for wanting to prove to Eric that you were a social person who would not curl up all alone on a day like Halloween—that you were tough; that you were Dauntless.

But you were beginning to regret your decision as soon as you reached the pit. Exuberant laughter and chatting along with loud music nearly blew your ears off, the smell of sweat and alcohol immediately numbing your senses. You coughed a little as you started fighting your way through the dancing crowd, your legs stirring you towards the bar almost automatically. Yep, definitely crazy, you thought to yourself.

At least your make-up was a little more on fleek now. You had gone for a mysterious vamp-look, with smoky eyes and dark-red lipstick, a black dress and your knee-high combat boots to complete your appearance. You felt quite sexy but then again, nothing could quite compete with some cosy pumpkin pyjamas.

“Hey, sweetheart… Can I buy you a drink?” Great. There went another reason for which you hated parties like that. Glancing to your left from the corner of your eye, you spotted an already tipsy man dressed up like a zombie approaching you.

“No, thank you. I can pay for it myself.”

“Don’t have to. I’ll pay for it if you’ll dance with me.”

“No, thank you.” You repeated, a little louder and sterner this time. But instead of letting it go, the man stepped right in front of you. He looked still young, probably among the new recruits who had recently passed initiation.

“What are you so scared of? It’s just a drink.” Only ‘just a drink’ was usually accompanied by the expectation of more than just dancing. You were not wary because of prejudice. You were wary because of personal experience in your old faction and an abusive ex-boyfriend.

“Come on, Drake.” The young man joining him was dressed like a zombie as well. They had done well with their make-up. They were nearly unrecognisable. “It’s not your fault you look like a troll. Allow me to buy the lady a drink.”

Annoyed, you rolled your eyes. “I appreciate it but I don’t want either of you to buy me a drink. Let me through, please.” Perhaps you should go find your friends.

Oh, it had been such a stupid idea to ditch hot chocolate and your warm blanket for this, for Eric. But whatever had gotten into you, you were too stubborn to accept the consequences. Only when you attempted to move past them, they cornered you. Two warm bodies pressed against you, one from the front, one from behind. You shuddered when their hands made a move to wander up and down your arms and waist, moving to the rhythm of the ear-piercing music—and even though everything inside of you screamed to lash out at them and make use of your combat skills, you forced yourself to keep calm.

“Let go of me, you scumbags.” You hissed. You’d give them ten seconds at most. If they did not let go of you until then you would kick the shit out of them. One, two, three…

“You’re in Dauntless, act like it.” They were not entirely wrong, so you hated to admit. The majority of men and women here in Dauntless made no secret out of their countless one-nightstands. Sneaking off and making out in semi-public places was risky, reckless and brave all at the same time—even your friends had told you about the adrenaline rush.

Four, five, six…

“She said no.” A stern voice suddenly came to your rescue. You did not need to turn around to know who it belonged to. Eric stood like a particularly intimidating bouncer. You could practically feel the heat radiating off of his body as he positioned himself behind you with his arms crossed.

“Eric! Come join us. We should take this happy ensemble to a quieter place. Ever had a foursome, love?”

“She said no. Take your hands off her before I rip them out and throw them down the chasm. Don’t think you’re safe just because you’ve passed initiation now.”

“Geez, spoilsport. Come on, Drake.”

“I was about to handle this myself.” You hastened to explain when they finally staggered off, lifting your chin up in a proud and independent manner. Eric slightly raised his eyebrows. Well, at least the reason for your presence at this uncomfortable party was here now.

“I know.” Apparently, he’d been headed for the bar as well. With your heart in your mouth, you found yourself following him until you finally reached your destination and asked the barkeeper for a cold beer. Eric went with his traditional whiskey.

“You’re shaking.” He remarked, arms crossed on the counter.

“I’m cold.”

“Cold? This is a sauna. You were afraid of what they might do to you.” He said matter-of-factly and oddly, without any hint of scorn in his voice. The urge to react all defensive overwhelmed you nonetheless.

“So? I went through one abusive relationship, I’m not keen on going through that again because some arseholes believe I have to have one-nightstands for the sake of being Dauntless.”

Eric hummed; in silent agreement, probably. For a brief moment, he was still. You took the time to take a few eager sips from your beer. At least that compensated you a little for relinquishing Halloween night as a blanket burrito.

“Your face looks better than before.” He said then.

“Yeah… thanks. I told my niece begged me to do my make-up for her candy hunt. I didn’t have much choice in the matter.”

The Dauntless leader smirked. “I take it you did not intend for her to knock on my door.”

“No.” No one ever does, you added quietly.

“Well, she seems tough. She should stay in Dauntless once she’s old enough to choose.” He paused.

“I hope so too. ‘Faction before blood’ only sounds easy.”

“Tomorrow, nine o’clock in the training hall. I’m going for a run.” He suddenly commented out of the blue. Your eyes widened. Excuse me?

“Huh?” Frowning, you studied his face, searching for the joke you quite apparently did not understand. “Are you asking me out on a date?”

Eric raised his eyebrows once more. “Was I being unclear?”

“Well, no but—“ There was one thing you knew about Eric for certain. You did not defy him. Ever. There was a part of you which wanted to, simply out of spite but the other… the other had dragged you all the way to this party merely because Eric had suggested to ‘see you there’. Heavens, was this really happening? Was the most fearful Dauntless leader of them all actually taking an interest in you? Should you thank your niece for being the trigger… or damn her?

“Good,” He interrupted you harshly, “Tomorrow, nine o’clock in the training hall.” When you said nothing, too flabbergasted to even respond, he simply downed his whiskey and ordered a new one. Well, Happy Halloween to you. It honestly seemed like this was going to be a promising night after all.

A/N: If you enjoyed this story, I would appreciate it so much if you considered supporting me on Kofi! It’s either for caffeine or red wine, I’ll take both. ko-fi.com/sserpente ♥

#eric divergent #eric divergent imagine #eric divergent x you #eric divergent x reader #eric coulter #eric coulter imagine #eric coulter x you #eric coulter x reader #divergent #divergent imagine #dauntless #dauntless imagine #jai courtney

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moonbeambucky · 7 years

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Fallin’ for You

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Mutant!Reader Word Count: 3630 Warnings: light angst, fluff

Summary: The Avengers spend their day off at a farm near the compound where the leafs aren’t the only things that have fallen.

A/N: This is my submission for @nataliarxmanxva Sofi’s Season’s Change Writing Challenge. My prompt was “Don’t look at me like that, this was not my idea” Reblogs, comments and likes are always appreciated! gif source (x)

It was a beautiful day as the crisp wind blew, rustling the golden leaves of the surrounding trees. You were excited, walking with a little extra zest in your step as you crunched on the leaves that trailed up the entrance of to Lee Farms.

This past weekend had been their annual fair, kicking off your favorite season, fall. It’s the perfect weather; cool enough to snuggle up in a hoodie in the early mornings and evenings, with just the right amount of sun during the day, whose rays warmed you like your favorite hot drink.

This season had your favorite festivities like apple picking and finding the perfect pumpkin to carve for Halloween. You missed going to the farm near you. It had been a yearly tradition with your best friend Joe but life has changed for both of you and it’s not something you’ve been able to keep up on.

Tony knew how much you missed it so he arranged this outing as a treat for the team, a break from the nonstop missions you’re all exhausted from. He booked the farm for the day, offering a generous donation to the small family owned business to help them convert their power system into something clean and more sustainable. Not everyone wanted to come though. Clint left to see his family which was understandable and Wanda and Vision stayed in. You thought they would enjoy the farm, especially Vision who loved experiencing new things but they wanted time for themselves.

As the newest member of the team it took you a while to learn all about their different personalities. Tony felt most comfortable in the lab tinkering with something, Sam always found a way to liven up the room and Steve tried to include everyone, making sure each member knew how valuable they were to the team and to him. Bucky kept to himself mostly, often reading in his room and you were surprised he came along. Overall everyone made you feel welcome, well except for Bucky. To him you were invisible and it wasn’t just because that happened to be the strange gift you were born with.

You discovered your power in the worst possible way. You already felt like an outcast in school, having only a handful of friends but still never really fitting in. You were eating lunch with Joe when you heard some girls giggling from the table behind you, their voices increasing in volume and you just sensed it had something to do with you. Suddenly you felt something foreign smack against your back, slowly sliding down. You stood up in shock to see a cheeseburger on the floor. The girls wailed with laughter as someone else threw fries at you.

Before learning to control you power your emotions would set it off. Your eyes closed to stop the hot tears from escaping, your fists squeezed into tight balls until –poof– you vanished. You opened your eyes to see everyone’s mouth agape in shock and confusion. You didn’t understand until you looked down, being able to see through yourself save for the thin outline of your body only visible to your eyes. The shock you felt turned you visible again and you ran out of the cafeteria.

The whole school was talking about you, calling you an invisible freak. Joe stood by you, defending you against them and cheering you up as he raved about how cool you were. You love your powers, now more than ever, but at that time you’ve never felt like more of an outcast.

Here you were again, feeling out of place for the most part. Bucky just didn’t see you. Sometimes that was okay though, because every time you saw him your heart fluttered. You couldn’t help the crush you had on him, he was obviously very attractive but there was more to him than that. He was mostly quiet except around Steve, that’s when he blossomed with his beautiful smile shining through. And his laugh, oh how you loved that sound.

When you were around Bucky you were horribly clumsy except during a mission. Somehow in the midst of stress that’s when you were the most levelheaded. Enemies surrounding you, great, no problem. Pouring a glass of orange juice in front of him, complete disaster.

Being invisible had its perks though because at least you could watch Bucky without the threat of embarrassing yourself. You never abused your power though, only pining for him silent and unseen while he cooked dinner or when he would sit on the grass after a nightmare, letting the gentle wind and the morning symphony of birds relax his mind.

A few days ago you went to watch him at the gym, Natasha unknowingly passed by you as you watched Bucky lifting an enormous amount of weight. He grunted, bringing up the barbell and you had to bite your lip hard to stifle the noises that threatened to escape. Steve hovered over him, encouraging his friend to finish his set. Bucky’s tongue slipped out to lick his lips as his face strained from the exertion.

“Hello Miss Y/N.” The tranquil voice of the android broke the silence.

You turned around with a look of horror, with eyes as wide as your mouth was open to see Vision, innocently standing there to greet you as his powers enabled him to see through your own.

“Y/N?” Bucky questioned, looking over towards where it was assumed you were standing. You smacked your head as you became visible, dragging your palm down your face in disbelief.

“Working out today?” Steve asked. From the corner of your eye you saw Natasha cock her head, smirking as she watched the embarrassed expression on your face grow. “Uhhhhhh, I’m not here,” you said, practically sprinting out of the gym.

I’m not here!? Ugh, you’re so stupid.

Natasha caught up with you after, forcing you to admit your feelings for Bucky. She vowed to help you though, trying many times to gauge Bucky’s interest but he was very protective of himself. It’s probably why he’s barely a word to you now.

Bucky may not be interested in you but at least you had an eager audience of animals. You walked to the open pens of the goats and sheep, attempting to pet them but they stuck their heads out, overzealously nudging your hands with their face as they were eager to be fed. Their tongues tickled your palm as they lapped up the food pellets you had, allowing you to finally pet them after a few rounds of feeding. You walked backwards, smiling as you said goodbye to those animals before slamming into something– no, someone.

“S-sorry,” you stammered, having backed up right into Bucky. You washed your hands in the outdoor sink, wishing you could rinse away your insecurities as well. Finding Natasha, you looped your arm through hers, telling her about your latest disaster.

Everyone made their way into the chicken barn, passing an incubator before huddling around baby chicks. You squealed in delight, gently cupping the pale yellow fuzz balls of cuteness. Natasha grabbed your phone at your behest, to take pictures of you holding one close, softly caressing its little head.

You placed the chick back gently and were about to pick up another one but something caught your eye. Looking over you saw Bucky standing against the wall watching you and your eyes flared with anxiety. He shifted his focus on Tony teasing Sam. That’s right, you knew he wasn’t just watching you, why would he?

The group laughed as Tony couldn’t stop his jokes, asking Sam if he feels at home in the chicken coop. Everyone was distracted by their back and forth, laughing as Sam told Tony he looked like a shiny metal chicken. You smiled but kept silent, not wanting to get yourself involved in this and turned back towards the baby chicks when you noticed Bucky was still up against the wall. He’s smiling at the chicks but he hasn’t gone near them at all.

You’re not sure what gave you the courage to speak up but you walked towards him and asked why he wasn’t holding them. He softly cleared his throat, “I don’t want to hurt them,” he said, waving his metal hand up.

His eyes held a fear you couldn’t understand. “Bucky you would never.” You said it confidently, knowing it was true in your heart despite Bucky’s apprehension.

You turned his metal palm over with your hand and placed the tiny chick in it. Grabbing his other hand you motioned for him to cradle the small animal against his chest. Your breath caught in your throat when you realized your hands were still touching his. The gaze of his beautiful blue eyes hypnotized you for a moment before you let go, nervously smiling and running back to Natasha.

After washing up again everyone stopped to eat. The farm had graciously put together a buffet of different offerings, cheeseburgers, pulled pork sandwiches, chicken wings (which you declined after spending so much time with the baby chicks) plus sides of fries, kettle chips and fresh corn. Natasha had wordless configured the seating arrangements so that Bucky was across from you. You caught Bucky’s gaze as you sat down on the bench, trying to control your shaky hands to avoid spilling your cup of apple cider. Smiling quickly you looked away before filling your plate with food.

You spaced out while eating until you hear a voice call your name. Looking up you see Bucky waiting for an answer to the question you didn’t hear.

“Huh?” you asked, wiping your mouth with the napkin.

“Is it good? The corn?”

You pondered his seemingly obvious question for a second and you were about to answer him but you stopped yourself, feeling pieces of corn all throughout your teeth. You shut your mouth tightly and nodded your head as you hummed your answer. You hated doing this but there was no choice, you went invisible, just for a few seconds to pick the corn out of your teeth in private.

“Hey Frodo, will you take the ring off and come tell us what you wanna do next?” Tony sarcastically said.

You reappeared, smiling at one of the many nicknames he’s given you. “Okay so is everyone ready for the corn maze?” you asked enthusiastically. You explained that you’ve done them more times than you can count.

“What’s the fastest time you’ve ever finished?” Sam asked.

“My record is twelve minutes.” It was the fastest time you and Joe had ever done the maze and Sam nodded approvingly.

Natasha split everyone into teams, she and Steve, Sam with Tony and of course you and Bucky. You made a mental note to buy her a churro when you get out of there as a thank you.

“No, no I’m sitting this one out,” Tony spoke up. “Getting lost in a field of vegetables, not my thing. You kids have fun.”

You were disappointed because you believed everyone should enjoy a good corn maze but now Sam insisted on joining your team thanks to your earlier bragging. “Twelve minutes huh? Well with me on your team we’re gonna get outta here in less than ten,” Sam laughed, throwing his arm around you.

Everyone waited for the farm employee to come over. The clearly intimidated kid squeaked out the rules of the maze, showing everyone an aerial map of the large field. He explained that the theme was based off of Charlotte’s Web.

“Ooooh I love Charlotte’s Web!” you interrupted.

Sam narrowed his eyes towards you and smirked, “Y/N will you let, uh what’s your name?”

“K-Kevin,” the boy sheepishly replied.

“Will you let my man Kevin here finish? I really don’t want to be stuck here all day.” You mimed zipping your mouth shut and throwing away the key as Sam rolled his eyes, missing the way Bucky cracked at smile at your gesture.

Kevin laughed and then stopped himself, unsure if he was allowed to laugh at an Avenger. He continued, flipping over the map to reveal a color coded version of the maze. He explained that the pathways have different color ribbon around them and that you need to find the black ribbon where Charlotte is depicted to cross the bridge of victory.

Steve looked over the map he handed each team, “It’s blank.”

Kevin explained there are nine mailboxes hidden within the maze, each provided a small piece of the map. You could look for them if you want or just try to get out on your own. “If you make the first nine moves correctly then you’ll be out in fifteen minutes, if not we clear the field at the end of the season so we’ll find you eventually,” he said, finding the courage to make a joke.

“Why am I doing this?” Sam questioned.

“Because it’s fun!” you replied with a beaming smile.

Making your way into the field you were given two options, right or left. Steve and Natasha went right and so Sam insisted you three turn left. You crossed under the bridge of victory but clearly you’re a long way from finding its entrance. Bucky stayed relatively silent, following behind as you and Sam tried to navigate the maze. You found one mailbox, taping the tiny section of the map to its corresponding location on your paper, but it didn’t help you. After thirty minutes of Sam’s increasing frustration he finally spoke up.

“I thought you were good at this!”

“Yeah, well each maze is different Sam,” you said as you pondered a crossroads between green or red ribbon.

“What’s the longest you’ve ever been in one of these?” he asked.

“Hmmm,” you thought about it, “Close to two hours.”

Sam practically shrieked, “Why didn’t you tell me that before?”

“You didn’t ask,” you said, holding in your bubbling laughter as you stared at his frowning face. You turned around at the sound of Bucky laughing and it made your heart swell. There it was, that sound you seldom heard but loved so much.

Sam shook his head, “Nah, nope. I’m getting out of here.”

He went through his backpack and put on his goggles. Both you and Bucky stared at him in confusion. When he took out his drone you had to question him. “Sam what are you doing?”

Redwing flew up above the field scanning the pathways.

“Sam you can’t, that’s cheating!” you tried to plead with him.

“Don’t look at me like that, this was not my idea!” he said, touching his goggles and presumably deciphering his way out. “I did not sign up to be stuck in a corn maze all day. I’m gettin’ outta here the easy way.”

Sam turned the corner, focused on leaving the maze. You and Bucky stared at each other, sharing a knowing look before bursting out with laughter.

“Shut up!” you heard a distance voice shout.

You wiped tears away that formed from laughing too much. “I guess it’s just us,” you smiled at Bucky. “Uh… unless you want to follow him out,” you said, regretting that you gave him an opportunity to leave.

“No I’ll stay. I just hope it doesn’t take two hours.” Your smile faded for a moment before he continued speaking, “I’m still hungry.”

“Oh! I have some almonds in my bag if you want,” you scrambled to search inside your bag to pull out the small packet.

It slipped from your hand before you gave it to him and you both bent down at the same time to get it, bumping heads in the process. The force of Bucky’s strong body knocked you to the ground.

“Ow,” you hissed, rubbing your forehead.

“I’m so sorry!” Bucky apologized, helping you up to your feet. You brushed off the dirt from your backside, clearing your throat and offering Bucky to lead the way.

You and Bucky continued, finding another map near red colored string. You pulled up your incomplete map and looked over it with Bucky.

“So we’re here but we need to get to Charlotte,” you pointed to the blank space on the map where you knew the exit was.

“Charlotte’s the spider?” Bucky asked.

“You don’t know Charlotte’s Web!?” Your question came off a bit snappier than you intended.

Bucky rubbed the back of his neck and laughed, “I wasn’t around for it, doll.”

You froze for a moment before spewing out your words entirely too fast in response to the name he called you, “Oh well you should watch it. I mean it’s a children’s book you could read it, but there was a movie too.” You took a deep breath after that mouthful, reminding yourself that he calls everyone doll and it didn’t mean anything.

Bucky smiled in response to your flustering as you continue through the maze. More time has passed now and although you’re enjoying spending the time alone with Bucky the insecure part of you can’t help but to wonder if he’s regretting his decision to stay. You wondered if Natasha & Steve got out of the maze. You hadn’t seen Redwing flying over head in some time so you assumed Sam did. Even though you’re enjoying yourself with Bucky you felt very disappointed in your lack of skills.

“I swear I’m really good at these normally, or maybe I’m not. Maybe it was all Joe,” you thought.

“Joe?” Bucky questioned with a hint of sadness in his inflection.

“Yeah he’s been my best friend since we were thirteen. He was the only person I could trust. Everybody else judged me or tried to use me because of my powers but not Joe.”

Bucky’s mouth opened to speak but you continued, frowning as you expressed how much you missed Joe. He shut his own mouth, feeling his whole body sink at your confession.

“But I get it,” you continued, “Our lives a very different now. Me with all of this world saving stuff and now that his wife is pregnant I think our corn maze days are over.”

You heard Bucky sigh in what seemed like relief but again you doubted it. He was probably just catching his breath from all the walking you’ve been doing in the hot sun together.

The farm was oddly quiet except for the distant sound of a tractor. Your mind drifted as you passed the pink ribbon representing Wilbur the pig.

“There were two movies actually,” you said looking up at Bucky, continuing the conversation about Charlotte’s Web that had finished long ago. “The original is my favorite, better music.”

“Oh yeah?” he replied.

You began to softly sing under your breath as you referenced the map for a possible route out, “Oh we’ve got lots in common where it really counts, where it really counts, we’ve got large amounts. What we look like doesn’t count an ounce. We’ve got lots in common where it really it counts.” You felt Bucky’s eyes on you which made you smile nervously.

“Is that from the movie?” he asked. You nodded quickly, feeling embarrassed for singing at all. “Will you watch it with me?”

You turned your head up, brows furrowing in confusion and shock. “Um, yeah sure.” Your face began to heat up and you didn’t think it was from the sun.

“Back at red again! Bucky I don’t think we’re ever getting out of here. I’m afraid I’m not a good corn maze partner,” you said, holding your head in your hands in frustration.

“It’s fine, I’m having a really nice time.”

“Can I ask you something?” You swallowed hard before continuing, holding on to some form of false courage. “This is the first time you’ve talked to me… like ever, outside of a mission. Now you want to hang out. I mean, I want to but I’m…” you stammered on before realizing you had spoken over Bucky.

He repeated his words, “I like you Y/N.”

“What?” you screamed. “I mean, sorry, it’s just this came out of nowhere…”

Bucky cleared his throat, “Yeah, I’m not good at letting people in after everything… I put up walls to protect myself.”

You smiled at his admission. “When Steve told me you liked me…”

“Natasha!” you jokingly hissed her name.

He chuckled, “I never thought you saw me as anything more than a teammate but when I found out I was trying to find the right way to tell you.”

You sighed heavily, “Well we can thank them both if we ever get out of here.”

Bucky laughed, that sweet sound that you’ve been hearing more and more as the day went on. “Oh it’s just this way.” Your brows furrowed as you stared at him waiting for an explanation.

“Yeah, I saw the black string a long time ago but I made us go the other way.”

“Why?”

His smile softened. “Because I wanted to spend more time with you doll.”

“Bucky Barnes I’m going to beat you over the head with this corn!” you joked, playfully shoving him. Your hands lingered on his muscular chest as you stared into his blue eyes, the corners crinkled as he smiled from ear to ear.

He wrapped his arms around you and you felt yourself growing warmer under his stare. Your eyes focused on the way his tongue slipped out to lick his lips as he leaned in towards you and you closed the gap. You whimpered as his soft lips molded perfectly with your own, stealing the breath from your lungs.

Overcome with emotion you had unintentionally disappeared. Redwing was flying overhead as Sam watched Bucky awkwardly kissing the air.

“Yeah, they’re falling for each other,” he smirked, telling the rest of the team.

#sofi’s scwc #bucky barnes x reader #bucky x reader #bucky barnes fanfiction #bucky barnes fluff

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maggieisalarrie · 7 years

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Happy almost Halloween! There’s only one week left until the big day so here’s a little something to get us in the spirit (ha, spirit. get it?) 👻 Anyway, please enjoy these fics and happy reading! - M

a long way down (to the bottom of the river) by MediaWhore (24k)

“ Most people would call Harry silly for believing in curses. Childish would also be a probable insult thrown his way. In their little town full of little people, Harry’s whimsical nature and beliefs mean that he’s subjected to frequent judgemental looks and whispers. It doesn’t usually bother him. Most people don’t know about the magic thrumming through his veins or about how powerful words can truly be. Most people don’t carry around their ancestors grief like a burden. They don’t have to pay for deeds hundreds of years old like Harry and his family have. They get to love freely without fear.

Harry and his kin aren’t so lucky.”

a practical magic au in which Harry and his sister accidentally kill her abusive boyfriend with magic and Louis is the D.I working the case.

All you can eat. by harrysprostate (18k)

“You didn’t deny thinking about me while watching porn either, though.” Harry smiled and brushed his curls to the side before leaning over the desk so he was closer to Louis. “Do you stroke your big cock to those corny student teacher porn videos? Do you get mad when you watch? Because god, it’s so fucking cheesy. But you can’t help the way you start to come when the student starts moaning, ‘Ugh fuck professor fuck me.’ Because somehow it’s hot, and maybe it’s hot because you want to hear a certain student moaning professor while you fuck them over your desk. Now isn’t that right, Professor Tomlinson?”

~ or the one where human harry seduces his hot teacher professor tomlinson, who happens to be a vampire ~

amaryllis by hattalove (148k)

"Where are we?" "Um. A little while out of London?" Niall tries, seemingly the only one willing to not be mysterious and provide Harry with information, and. Oh. "London London? As in, the capital of England London?" he asks, just in case he'd misheard. "No, the other London," Louis laughs, low and biting. He comes closer finally, the moonlight just enough to reveal a sharp-cut jaw and pale skin. "Sorry, Pup." Nobody's ever called Harry a "pup". Frankly, he finds it quite insulting, but he lets it slide to try and comprehend his current crisis.

or the one where harry gets bitten by a werewolf. louis is the mysterious not-quite alpha, liam and zayn have Things going on, niall is their token human, and together, they watch a lot of TV.

Among the Humans by thecheshirepussycat (129k)

A gothic, modern day vampire romance between a young human named Louis Tomlinson, and Harry Styles, ancient vampire and gentleman.

Creatures of the night come with more trouble than they wish to make it seem.

domestic monsters series by g_uttertrash (234k+) *THIS IS MY ALL TIME FAVORITE FIC/SERIES. Literally. My favorite. Please, please, please read this. It’s perfect.

Harry is a witch from a long line of power, an ancient line that’s one of the strongest left alive in their hemisphere. He can cast spells without a word if need be, fly on a broomstick, and has a black cat (a kitten, really) named Felix that is his animal familiar. He can shape galaxies in his cupped hands and can destroy them just as easily. He can choose exactly how to use his power, for encouragement and support, or for more nefarious causes if he wishes to.

And as fate would have it, he’s scared of haunted houses.

(Harry is a witch who carries around a stuffed pumpkin, Louis is a vampire with too much time on his hands, and their best mates Zayn & Niall aren't exactly what they seem...)

feel the chemicals burn in my bloodstream by togetherwecouldbealright (123k)

“Alright, alright. No need to bite,” Harry says, holding his hands above his head in a general gesture of surrender.

Louis quirks an eyebrow and his foot nudges Harry’s as he moves to sit straight. “If that’s what you think biting is, you’ve got another thing coming, Styles.”

Harry blinks at him before he feels his face flush and inside the marrows of his bones there’s pulses of heat, pulses of fire spreading through him. “Is that a threat, your Highness?”

“That’s a promise,” Louis answers just as the car halts to a stop. “One I intend to keep.”

Harry is a journalist with a lot of secrets and Louis is the future king of the United Kingdom; they live together for 60 days.

Float Down Like Autumn Leaves (Stay Now) by hopelesswriter (17k)

Sometimes life plays more tricks than treats on us. Sometimes we plan our future and hope for the best but our world is turned upside down. Sometimes the crispy air of October brings the smell of pumpkin spice candles instead of dead things- and sometimes, when it’s meant to be, there’s absolutely nothing we can do about it.

The AU in which Louis has a 6 year old daughter with a costume emergency that puts her school's annual Halloween party at risk, Halloween decorated cupcakes are hard to find and tall men look absolutely ridiculously cute in giant vegetables costumes. Co-starring Harry, who makes really good food for the kids. Featuring Niall, who works in a bakery but has a part time job as a babysitter. And as much as he doesn't believe in love at first (or second) sight, Louis is really infatuated and really wouldn't mind seeing Harry again.

I Would Follow You (To the Moon and Back) by Dick (20k)

Everyone has baggage, some people sleepwalk, some have obsessive exes, and others turn into anthropomorphic wolf-like monsters that destroy furniture and run rampant in the forest. Perfectly normal.

Or the one where Harry and Louis have been dating for six months, Harry is a werewolf, and it's a full moon. This time they're going to get it right.

it’s only you that matters by togetherwecouldbealright (11k)

“I never used to care for Halloween, but now it’s my favorite holiday and, fuck, there’s no one else to blame except for you. You’ve made not only Halloween, but every day of the year better for me because I get to spend each and every one of them with you.”

The one where Harry and Louis meet on Halloween and Halloween somehow becomes their thing.

like how your hands feel me up and down by ballsdeepinjesus (8k)

“How do I look?” Harry asks lowly. He turns around and gestures towards the unzipped back of his skirt for him to help. Louis stumbles forward and places a cold hand on the exposed side of Harry’s stomach, steadying him while he pulls the zipper up the rest of the way. He pushes Harry back into the dressing room and stands behind him in front of the mirror. “It’s -- you’re tight,” Louis chokes. “It’s tight, I mean. It’s. Yes.” His hand is curved around his hip now, squeezing lightly.

“Tight’s good, right?” Harry murmurs, batting his eyelashes. He almost can’t believe himself.

“Very good,” Louis grunts.

[louis works in a halloween shop and harry needs a costume]

lightning before the thunder by delsicle (29k)

Harry came from one of the most powerful lines of fire mages in the country. He was supposed to be a natural at magic, a prodigy, even.

But instead he was in the X-Factor contestant house kitchen at two in the morning, wearing only his pants, and he had just set the stove on fire while making snacks for his bandmates and the boy he was in love with.

Or, just another X Factor fic featuring dumb boys with dumber crushes, growing pains, random fires, and a dragon.

Messtival by FullOnLarrie (4k)

Just a bit of fluff for Halloween!

Harry is a history teacher, Liam is the assistant principal, Niall teaches something unspecified, Louis is the new drama teacher. Story takes place at the school's annual fall festival.

The Importance of Body Language by zimriya (12k)

Harry really has no idea how he’s going to get out of this one. After the little incident with the fishing wire, he’d been told that under no circumstances was he to visit the surface of the water, as he is the heir to the throne and his safety is essential to the continued existence of their underwater society. Or something. Harry loves his mum, but there’s really only so much talk of royal duty a prince can take before he does something drastic. Like purposefully disobey her strict instructions to stay under the sea for the rest of his natural life, and instead swim too close to a human ship and get himself spotted by none other than the unfairly attractive Prince Louis Tomlinson, for example.

Needless to say, Harry is fucked.

A Little Mermaid AU. Sort of.

the kitten’s got your tongue tied in knots by ballsdeepinjesus (4k)

“Oi, you alright?” Louis asks, stepping closer to the tree and craning his neck upwards painfully as he looks at the boy fifteen feet up in the branches. “Could you please climb down before you hurt yourself?”

“You’re supposed to save me,” the boy answers, his voice slow and molten in a way Louis isn’t sure is just from the alcohol. “Come save me, please.”

[it's halloween, harry is a kitten in a tree and louis is a (fake) firefighter.]

The Sweetest Incantation by smittenwithlouis (41k)

Harry has been alive for decades, and yet he's never been as confused and dumbfounded. He's a witch, for God's sake. Can't get much weirder than all the magical things he's experienced throughout his lifetime. Never in a million years, however, would he have expected to be mere inches away from a hybrid.

Or: Harry is a witch who's still working on developing his powers and Louis is a werecat who falls into his life and turns it upside down.

You Are the Moon That Breaks the Night by supernope (4k)

Harry doesn’t realize he’s been squeezing Louis’ hand until Louis nudges him in the hip and laughs, “They’re just pumpkins, Harry, calm down. Let’s go have a look.”

Harry lets Louis drag him off toward the closest pile of decorative gourds, then tugs him down into a crouch so they can begin to search through them all. He wants carving pumpkins, but he also wants little ones for decoration and a couple of ripe ones to bake with.

Louis does not understand the art of selecting a pumpkin, Harry discovers, and he has to give him a hands-on tutorial that involves way too much touching for such a public, kid-friendly place. Harry wants so many pumpkins that they end up making it into a contest to see who can choose the best ones, both drifting from pumpkin pile to hay bale, turning pumpkins over and pressing on the bottoms like they’re pumpkin experts.

And here are lists other people have made!

Friday the 13th Fic Rec by @domestic-harry

Halloween Fic Rec by @alarriefantasy

Halloween Fic Rec by @nottooldforthisship

Halloween Fic Rec by @softhie

Halloween Fic Rec by @writing-about-larry

Halloween Fics by @blouisparadise

Magical Realism by @nottooldforthisship

Magical/Superpower/Supernatural Fics by @nottooldforthisship

Sci-Fi Fics by @softhie

Supernatural/Fantasy Fics by @lads-laddylads

Vampires by @hrrytomlinson

Vampires by @nottooldforthisship

Vampires by @thelarryficrecplace

Witches by @hrrytomlinson

Witches by @nottooldforthisship

Witches by @writing-about-larry

Disclaimer: I don’t own any of these lists or fics! If you own one of these lists and don’t want it to be included here, please let me know so I can take it down! Alternatively, if you’d like me to include a list you’ve made or a fic you wrote, please let me know!

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scaredofrobots · 7 years

Text

Nightmare Before Christmas

Shout out to @petalstofish for BETAing and explaining Tumblr and @beks21 for telling me it didn’t totally suck.

Prompt for Jily October: It’s Halloween at Hogwarts but Lily’s already humming Christmas music on rounds and James wants to kill her.

also on FFN

It is a fact universally acknowledged that come October, people can be divided into two factions.

Those who live for leaf piles, pumpkin patches and Halloween.

And those who turn the calendar to October 1 and begin the 84 day countdown to Christmas.

Now, James Potter always paid particular attention to Lily Evans. Somehow though, October had always been an exception to this rule. Because James Potter lived for the bliss of cooler weather, the beginning of quidditch and planning the annual Halloween prank. In the month of October, James had other things on his mind thankyouverymuch and couldn’t be bothered to know what kind of October person Lily Evans was.

He knew, of course that her eyes sparked the most in the winter. She practically glowed in January, especially on her birthday week. He knew she was melancholy in March, whimsical in April and that she would take any dare she was given and make you regret it in July.

Through no fault of his own, James had missed the inaugural pronouncement of “84 Days until Christmas” on October 1st in their first year due to an unfortunate accident with the giant squid; missed the distribution of “pre pre Christmas cookie taste test” on October 11th their second year (detention); the Christmas tree catastrophe of their third year (quidditch); the Christmas knitting party in fourth year (quidditch); the mistletoe mishap of fifth year (holding a leaf in your mouth for a month sucks); and he was unaware of the failed 84 day advent calendar of sixth year (the giant squid really needed to give a man a break).

So when James picked Lily up for rounds he was taken aback when he heard her singing “Good King Wenceslas” in their office.

“Lily… are you ready? It’s time for rounds!”

As she flung the door open James swore he smelled pine, gingerbread and plum.

She responded with too much enthusiasm for a Tuesday, “Oh yes sorry! Lost track of time. Tis the season, you know?”

“Right. Well shall we take the usual route?”

“Of course!” She said with a overly cheery laugh and off they went.

Rounds were the usual banter and discussion of quidditch, classes and gossip. Near the end of the second hour however, Lily began to hum. Now, Lily always started humming when they’d run out of typical conversation and normally James enjoyed it. She’d introduced him to at least five new bands in the few months they’d been dating. But tonight, tonight surprised him. He swore he must be having some sort of auditory hallucination. At first it was “Good King Wenceslas” which he figured could be a tune that had a variety of lyrics. By the time they got to astronomy tower though, James was positive Lily was humming “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas.”

He racked his brain on how to approach this. They’d entered a tentative friendship at the beginning of sixth year and had fallen easily into something more than friends over the summer (a man can only stand being bested in Muggle poker for so long before he has to make a move). They hadn’t had a fight since they started dating and he didn’t want to start now.

“Hey Lils…what’s today?”

The humming stopped. “October 3rd- only..”

“28 days until Halloween I know”

“Right! I forgot! I was going to say only…”

But they were interrupted as was typical of rounds by an excited couple and the conversation was cut short. After losing rock-paper-scissors (14/25) James had to fill the appropriate paperwork, owl the heads of house and create the rounds schedule for the next two weeks.

He was halfway to the kitchens for a pick me up when he decided he needed to seek the advice of one Remus John Lupin.

The dorm was a mess as usual and he was unsurprised to find Remus studying, Sirius braiding his hair and Peter trying to beat himself in Wizard Chess.

“Ah ha!” Exclaimed Sirius “The prodigal Prongs returns”

“Did we have a meeting planned?” squeaked Peter as his knight destroyed his other knight.

“No, no. I just finished rounds.”

“And how were rounds?”

“Interesting”

Sirius twisted his expression, “Interesting, what did you and Evans catch Filch and McGonagall in the astronomy tower or something and felt the need to tell us all the gory details?”

“No! God No…I just….” He can’t quite define why he is so bothered by the events that transpired so he starts, “Well rounds were great as usual… but then Lily starting humming”

“alas-“ exclaimed Sirius “not the humming! Not the waxing poetic ‘Pads I swear it feels like home’ humming!”

“How shall you survive the humming?” Peter agreed dramatically, following Sirius’ playful jest.

“I never thought humming could be beautiful until rounds with Lily Evans.” Sirius mimicked James’ voice and James frown deepened.

Peter clasped his hands like he was praying and said through snorts of laughter, “And I just keep thinking I could hear that humming to our child as she puts them to sleep.”

“Oi! I never said the bit about rocking a kid to sleep”

“Yes you did” was the chorused reply

“Right, well normally I enjoy her humming. But tonight she bloody well went through every Christmas tune known to man.”

The response was not what James had expected. He had expected protesting, outrage at the blasphemy and Sirius dramatically storming toward the head suite to have one of his “chats with Evans”.

He did not expect Remus to simply pick his book back up, Peter to laugh and Sirius to say “Right. Well- you know how Evans gets”

“No I do not know “how she gets”. It’s October 3rd. We are nowhere near the reasonable time to begin singing Christmas songs”

Remus shrugged, “I’m with you mate, but for Lily that timeline is different. I mean the girl begins knitting Christmas jumpers in July”

“I think the worst was in third year when she tried to teach me how to knit”

“Honestly Wormtail it isn’t that hard to cast off. Evans did turn your monstrosity into a lovely scarf”

“I do love that scarf” Peter said wistfully.

“Personally I think her worst attempt was last years advent calendar” Remus added, unhelpfully.

Just as the conversation was about to spin totally out of control James countered “What. The. Bloody. Hell. Are. You. Lot. On. About. I know everything about Lily Evans. I would know- I would have to know if she was a - a- “

He couldn’t finish his sentence so Sirius finished it for him, “Pumpkin abusing, Halloween skipping, heinous pre Christmasophile?”

“YES! How could I miss such a glaring flaw?”

“Lilytober” they chorused again

“Stop speaking all at once!”

“Remus you tell him” Peter motioned pathetically to James.

Calmly, Remus set down his book and started “Lilytober is the great and time honored tradition where one James Potter does not mention Lily Evans for 31 days because he is manically preparing for quidditch, the annual pumpkin carving contest and the Halloween prank. In his absence, Lily Evans pushes her pre Christmas agenda on all of us but we do not mention it because it’s a fair trade to have 31 days of rant free bliss”

“We, of course, knew that this year would be different since you finally got Lily to agree to go out with you” Sirius said, “Lilytober- may it live in our hearts forever and ever”

Ignoring this James said “So, you mean to tell me….everyone…..everyone in Gryffindor tower knows that Lily Evans is an absolute Christmas nutter who ignores the sacred month of October and all that autumn holds except me?”

“All of Hogwarts knows Prongs”, Peter added unhelpfully.

James pressed his fingers to his temples, “I need a drink. Or 5. Or to reevaluate the kind of woman I fall for.”

How there always seemed to be a stockpile of Firewhiskey in the dorm, James would never know but he was appreciative of Sirius and his ability to keep a constant and much needed supply.

On the 5th shot James had an epiphany , “I’ll just convert her!”

On shot number 6 Sirius responded “Convert her to what? You’re talking crazy mate”

“No, no, listen. I converted Lily from borderline hating me to being my girlfriend. Making her see that October is for spooky things and not Christmas should be easy. I just have to show her all that October can offer. Pumpkin carving, setting off explosives, scaring first years. Come October 31st we will never remember Lily unnecessarily singing ‘Good King Wenceslas’ on October Third Again”

“Good luck with that mate” Sirius said into shot number 7.

The next morning dawned bright and early and although they had planned a lie in to deal with their hangovers they were awoken by the smell of coffee and someone singing

“Good Christian men rejoice

With heart and soul and voice!

Give ye heed to what we say

News! News!

Jesus Christ is born today!

Ox and ass before Him bow

And He is in the manger now

Christ is born today!

Christ is born today!”

Amidst the groans and complaints of “Fuck, Evans, it’s only Wednesday” James heard the love of his life respond “Wake up gents, I’ve got coffee and hangover potion and Minnie is already looking for you Sirius so you better get up and at them” before she kissed him on the head told him “see you in potions” and whisked out the door.

“How does Lily always know when we’ve been drinking?” Peter asked, pulling pumpkin pasty from nowhere and taking a large bite

“James never tells her goodnight on our drinking nights so she always prepares a ‘Hangover Cart’” replied Remus grabbing the sole cup of tea.

Sirius’ grey eyes looked at the hangover cure lovingly, “Moony, if I ever leave you for someone it will be that mad Christmas bird. We’d be dead without her”

James chucked his sock at Sirius playfully, “Oi! That’s my mad Christmas bird”

After a day of too many loud noises, bright lights and general discomfort, James decided that Operation Spooky Lily could wait until the weekend. He had much too much homework, his quidditch team was looking like rubbish and they didn’t even have a draft of the big Halloween prank. So it was on the way to Hogsmeade on October 7th that operation October went into effect.

As they walked down the path to the village James took Lily on a detour to Hagrid’s pumpkin patch.

“I thought we could skip Hogsmeade today and celebrate the beginning of October properly, by carving pumpkins and roasting seeds” James told her as he pulled her from the usual path.

“But James, I wanted to go to Madame Puddifoots and snuggle- we haven’t been to Hogsmeade since we became official” Lily whined, but with a twinkle in her eyes that made him retaliate with a slight pinch on her side.

“I don’t know why I started dating someone as sarcastic as my best mate.”

“Because your best mate was already dating your other best mate and Peter is just there as a cute accessory?” Lily guessed.

“I’ll have you know Peter brings a lot to our group dynamic.”

Lily just rolled her eyes, let go of his hand yelling “race you” before running to the pumpkin patch.

James Potter learned that afternoon that Lily Evans had never carved a pumpkin or eaten pumpkin seeds. After recovering from this shock, he promptly showed her “the proper way” to cut and gut her pumpkin (he was glad Sirius wasn’t around or there would’ve been a 4 hour debate). After two hours of carving, throwing slime on each other and catching roasted pumpkin seeds; they revealed their masterpieces to each other.

James had carved an elaborate black cat wearing a witches hat that looked suspiciously like McGonagall. Lily had carved a shape that looked suspiciously like Santa Clause.

“Lil- is that”

“Santa? You know him? I wasn’t sure if it was just a Muggle thing or-why are you looking at me like that? I know his beard is a little off but I think the hat is clear enough”

She looked so pleased with herself and worried about his approval, the rant bubbling up from his core died on his lips.

“It looks brilliant. Now let’s go drop them on some Slytherin’s heads”

After thoroughly checking off “pumpkin carving prank” on the Operation October checklist, James knocked out “haunted house” , “leaf piles”, “dying Mrs. Norris black” and “charming all the cauldrons into jack o lanterns” with Lily at his side in no less than two weeks.

Things were going so splendidly James often forgot there was an operation unless one of the boys asked. It was October, he was pretty sure he was in love and his Quidditch team had never looked better. Nothing could take James Potter down.

That was of course until the morning of October 21, the day of the Gryffindor/Slytherin match when his beautiful girlfriend came to breakfast, not in the agreed upon James Potter quidditch jumper she had worn to matches since February 6th year after an unfortunate accident at breakfast but a blinking twinkling jumper that had a red nosed deer embellished on it.

Taking a deep breath, counting to ten and trying to not curse James prompted “Lily, dearest…what are you wearing?”

“My October 21 jumper. It’s Rudolph the red nosed reindeer’s birthday and I wear it every year”

“Lily” James said through gritted teeth, “It’s a Quidditch day”

“You’ll survive one game without me wearing your ‘lucky jumper’”

“Rudolph will survive one year without you wearing a bloody Christmas jumper in October!!!”

Lily drew back, “James Potter I do not like your tone.”

This, for some reason was the last straw, “Look- if you’re not going to wear my jumper and insist upon wearing that blasphemy in October then don’t even come to the match, alright?”

“Fine” Lily said coolly, “but don’t expect me to show up to the post match party either”

And then she left. James watched her go.

Miraculously and despite his girlfriend’s absence and refusal to wear the proper attire- Gryffindor won. James was so thrilled (and trashed) he had completely forgotten why and what they had fought about until he asked Marlene “where’s Lily?” and Marlene started shouting about reindeer and birthdays and “if you can’t love October Lily you don’t deserve Summer Lily” and shouting until his head hurt.

His only response was “It’s bloody October and no reasonable person should even look at a Christmas jumper until November 1 and you can tell her that.”

The party died down soon after and James did not emerge from his room the next day. He was doing what any reasonable bloke in a fight with his girlfriend would do, hide and avoid.

This was going remarkably well. He only ate in the kitchens, arrived to all classes at the last possible second and left as soon as the bell rang. He even switched with Remus to do

Wednesday night rounds so he wouldn’t have to be alone with Lily that Friday. He was sure he could successfully avoid her until graduation even instead of Benji Fenwick waiting for him in the great hall, there in a hideous Christmas jumper stood one Lily Evans.

“I thought Remus had rounds” she said in her Best Head Girl voice.

“He did. We switched”

“If I was going to be stuck with one of your lot for rounds I wanted Remus”

“Your lot again, is it?”

“Let’s just do rounds I’m too tired to do this now.”

“Nice jumper.”

“Thanks. It’s my ‘two months till Christmas’ jumper”

Rounds had never been so awkward. Their interactions had never been so awkward. Total silence. So when Lily started humming James was almost relieved. That is until he realized what it was.

“Can you stop humming please?”

She did. Two minutes later however she started singing “Oh the weather outside is frightful”

“Lily”

“But the fire is so delightful”

“Evans”

“And since we’ve no place to go”

“Please.” he asked weakly.

“LET IT SNOW. LET IT SNOW. LET IT SNOW!”

“WOULD YOU BLOODY STOP. I don’t understand how the girl I’m dating could possibly sing that song on October 25.”

Lily crossed her arms and smirked, “The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud to all to hear!”

“ITS OCTOBER.”

“it’s only -“

“I don’t care how many days it is till Christmas. I don’t care about your ruddy jumpers. I just care that Halloween is in a week and for no discernible reason you have decided that my favorite holiday should be besmirched with Santa and Rudolph!”

Lily tossed her red hair over one shoulder, “I just love Christmas. Christmas is my favorite”

“Christmas has enough! It has a whole church season! Halloween doesn’t have anything.”

Lily scoffed, “IT’S THE BIRTHDAY OF JESUS!”

Taking a step back, James said “maybe we should just- take a break until November”

“No,” Lily stated, “if we can’t even resolve this fight we should just end it. It was good while it lasted but maybe this is a sign.”

For the second time in less than a week, Lily left and James let her.

The next 7 days were transformative. It felt like 5th year again. Lily and James existing in separate bubbles. She was as good (if not better) than James at avoidance a fact he was more aware of because Sirius kept complaining of “that red-headed banshee trying to get out of our much needed ‘Chat with Evans’”

On Halloween morning, James couldn’t even be encouraged by their impending Best Prank Ever when the final nail in his coffin was delivered by Lily Evans flirting with Some Ravenclaw Bloke. Lily Evans who was a vision in some Christmas jumper that he was sure she called “her Halloween Christmas jumper”. Some Ravenclaw Bloke has just made her laugh and she was leaning over his shoulder to look at something. James realized he hadn’t looked at her in over a week and he had forgotten how lovely she was.

“That is it!” Sirius exclaimed.

Sirius threw down his bacon and stalked over to Lily, told Some Ravenclaw Bloke to “get bent” and dragged the redhead from the dining hall to what James was sure would be the most terrible “Chat with Evans” of all time.

As he started to imagine the lecture Lily was sure to get regarding Some Ravenclaw Bloke his thoughts were interrupted by Remus

“You know I hate to meddle Prongs but maybe you need to rethink this whole argument”

“It’s October Remus”

“I know but maybe this is Lily’s Thing.”

“Thing?”

“The Thing you have to accept and then maybe try and understand. Lily didn’t get quidditch and was against it until she became our friend. She doesn’t like that you broke the law to help with my furry little problem but she respects it. You’ve got Things that she accepts about you.”

“She never told me she had a problem with any of that.”

Remus stared at James pointedly, “Because she loves you, you idiot, and didn’t want you to feel guiltier than you do.”

James swallowed deeply, “I’ve fucked up.”

Returning to his crossword, Remus said “I’d dare say you have.”

“What do I do Remus?”

“A grand dramatic gesture should do the trick.”

“But when?”

“The post feast party tonight. I’d say the actual feast but Lily is taking Samuel’s shift for rounds.”

“Who the bloody hell is Samuel?”

“The Ravenclaw she was talking to- he’s a prefect and wants to enjoy the feast with his boyfriend. Honestly, I thought you were head boy?”

After the realization that Some Ravenclaw Bloke was alright, James and Remus started plotting. Peter joined them after divination and at their lunch break in the kitchens Sirius arrived looking grim but smug.

“How was the ‘Chat with Evans’” Remus asked

“Bird is bloody stubborn. I also told Some Ravenclaw Bloke to leave my mates girl alone”

“who?” Asked Peter the same time James said “she’s not my girl”

“Samuel” Remus responded and there was a firm “Yes she is” from Sirius

“She won’t be if we don’t get the fuck to work” mumbled James.

The feast was excellent, the Best Prank Ever went off without a hitch and got a standing ovation from all the houses and professors. The fireworks were successful and didn’t catch anyone on fire. In the Gryffindor Common Room the Halloween Costume Party was in full swing. The Grand Romantic Gesture was all set up but the lady to woo was nowhere to be found. James felt absolutely ridiculous in his costume but Remus assured him it was the right choice. He was ready to abandon all hope when he heard a “trick or treat” from behind him.

He turned around to see the sexiest pumpkin of all time. Lily was wearing green tights and a ridiculous pumpkin costume. She was perfect and all James could say was “Ho ho ho, Merry Christmas” through his pull on beard. With these words all the floating pumpkins began to sing

“We wish you a Merry Christmas

We wish you a Merry Christmas

And a Happy Halloween!”

“I’m sorry” they said together

then, “I love you”

Lily said with a laugh, “Happy Halloween, Potter”

“Happy Christmas, Lily”

And then they kissed.

Once James took off the beard.

#jilyfanfic #jily fanfiction #jilytober #imoldandconfused ittookme23times #robots writes

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