As Clear As Day
1200 words for 1200 followers #11
A/N: Hi friends! Welcome to the 12-A-Palooza! This event is my way of saying thank you for sticking with me. Your support and kindness toward me and my writing is out of this world and I’m grateful for every last one of you! This was actually the very first request that I got, and I have been sitting on it trying not to let it get too angsty... I might have dropped the ball on that one. Please don't hate me. The song chosen for this request is about a dream the singer had about her grandmother after her death, so I took that as inspiration for this piece. This is not connected to anything else I've written for Frankie and Reader and is meant to be read as stand alone.
Warnings: descriptions of a funeral, mention of death of a grandparent, fear, angst, language, nightmares
Requested by: Anonymous Song: Only If For A Night Character Choice: Frankie Morales - anon, I hope you can forgive me for this... but the song demanded it. Thank you for sending this in. <3
Summary: A terrible dream wakes you in the middle of the night and you're left to wonder if it was just that... or something darker.
Your dress is scratchy. It didn’t feel that way when you grabbed it off the rack at the store or when you tried it on in the fitting room. It’s been years since you bought it, though, and nearly as long since the last time you wore it, so maybe you’re misremembering. Maybe it’s always felt this way. Stiff. Like a canvas sack with a zipper along your spine.
Stepping up to the food table, you stare down at the array of casseroles and salads in mismatched dishes. You recognize Lori Miller’s yellow pyrex, and you’re pretty sure that’s Mariella Garcia’s blue one next to it. Some are still wrapped with foil or covered with lids. There’s too much to be eaten all at once so they’ll go into the freezer for the coming weeks. You’re not hungry and you can’t imagine many others are, either.
And that’s when it hits you - you’re not sure who this funeral is for. You haven’t even seen anyone yet. A pit opens in your stomach as your eyes fly around the room, searching for a face you know, heart pounding as you hope to find the one you love. But you don’t see Frankie anywhere.
In your peripheral you spot Benny. He’s talking to Pope, both of their expressions bleak, their eyes on the brink of vacancy before Santi notices you and starts to head in your direction. Faceless strangers populate the rest of the room - apart from Will, who you can see stepping out the back door with a beer in his hand.
Your heart slams against your ribs and your palms sweat and your goddamn dress is like sandpaper on your skin. And you still can’t find Frankie.
The walls start to spin as a wicked thought weasels its way into your brain. Maybe there’s a reason why you can’t find him. Maybe he’s -
“Hey. C’mere.”
Santiago reaches out and wraps you in a hug, his large hands pressing against the abrasive fabric covering your back. You hold onto him, unsure of yourself if you were to let go.
“Santi, where’s-”
The question never makes it past your lips. It’s replaced with a gasp as you bolt upright in the dark.
“Frankie!”
Chest heaving and cheeks wet, you reach for the lamp on your bedside. The walls of your bedroom come into view - deep forest green. Splotches of the paint still stain the oversized t-shirt you’re wearing in lieu of the black dress. It’s one of his and even though he’s been gone for a week, it smells like him. You clutch at it with shaking fingers, balling the worn material in your hands and letting it ground you.
It was a dream. Not real.
But that icy feeling doesn’t go away, even as your eyes land on the framed photo next to the lamp - the two of you at Murphy’s, Frankie’s arm around you. You had just stolen the hat right off his head to stick it on your own, leaving his curls in disarray and a laugh frozen on both of your faces. That was the first night Francisco Morales had told you that he loved you. It was the happiest you’d ever been.
Looking at it now, in the immediate aftermath of the dream, it does little to put you at ease. You’ve had a similar dream once before, long ago.
You were nine and had never been to a funeral before, but that hadn’t stopped your brain from conjuring up details like the color and texture of the stone marking your grandmother’s grave or the way the bright green grass in the cemetery looked against the brand new fabric of your dress. You’d had that dream three days before she died and had been too afraid to tell your parents. The night she passed away she’d come to you in another dream, her voice soft and warm, not weak or brittle anymore. “Everything will be alright, sweetpea,” she’d said. “Everything will be as it should be.”
You never had another dream like it. Until now. And you’d never told anyone about that dream. Except for Frankie.
You take a breath and sit back against the headboard. Bringing your hands up, you run them over your hair and grab the base of your neck, trying to steady yourself. You go over the details again.
Benny, Pope and Will were there. Tom and Frankie weren’t. You weren’t familiar enough with Tom’s ex-wife to know her casserole dishes but you noticed dishes belonging to Pope’s sister and Benny and Will’s mother. None of your own, though. And no one would expect a widow to bring food.
A sob bubbles up at that thought and you stare down at the diamond Frankie put on your finger before leaving for Columbia. Is widow the right term if you’re not even married yet?
You don’t fall back to sleep that night. The next two are just as restless. In the middle of the third night, your phone rings. A quick glimpse at the screen shows the call is coming from a restricted number. But it’s the time that gives you pause - the numbers read the same as they did when the nightmare had woken you up.
“H-hello?”
Your brain goes numb when you hear your name. In Pope’s voice.
“Santi?” Your breath comes in gasps. “Why… why are you calling me?”
He sighs heavily, swearing under his breath. “Fish is okay. Fuck, I’m sorry I probably scared the shit outta you.” His words are an instant balm and they let you take another breath. “Took one to the shoulder, he’s gettin’ it looked at right now. Asked me to call you, let you know he’s…”
He’s alive. He’s okay. He’s coming home to me.
“W- what about… everyone else?”
There’s a pause and when Pope speaks again his voice is strangled. “Tom.” He swallows and you feel a weight drop into your gut. “Tom didn’t make it.” He clears his throat. “Listen, I should go. Home soon, yeah?”
“Yeah.” You whisper the word and the call ends.
Another three days pass before Frankie is at your front door. There’s a shallow cut across the crest of his cheek, two steri-strips holding it shut, and his right arm is in a sling. His eyes are wide and you know he’s only seconds away from losing it as they lock with yours. You’re already there, tears flowing like rivers from your lashes to your lips.
He steps inside and you wind your arm around his middle. For a long time it’s silent, the two of you holding one another, your hair growing damp where he rests his face against it. When he finally speaks, his words shock you.
“I had a dream, the night I got shot.” He sighs shakily. “You came to me. Told me to come home.” His one good arm tightens around you. “Told me to fight to get back to you and-”
That’s when he breaks and you both sink to the floor. You stroke his curls, pressing your lips wherever they land. “Shh, it’s okay, Frankie.” There’s too much to talk about but only one thing that matters. “You’re home.”
.
.
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tags: @something-tofightfor @paracosmenthusiast@cannedsoupsucks @dihra-vesa @disgruntledspacedad @littlemisspascalwrites @alraedesigns @mishasminion360 @stevie75 @nyctophiliiiiaaa @practicalghost @tanzthompson @amb11@harriedandharassed @woodlandmouth @thescarletfang @trickstersp8 @princessxkenobi @imtryingmybeskar @wildmoonflower @mswarriorbabe80 @theredwritingwitch @silverstarsandsuns @competentpotato @pedro-pedrito-pascalito @jedi-in-crocs @hannahkatharine @anoverwhelmingdin @chiyo13 @myloveistoolittle @spishsstuff @noisynightmarepoetry
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On the eighth day of Christmas...
ℑ𝔱’𝔰 𝔄 𝔅𝔢𝔞𝔲𝔱𝔦𝔣𝔲𝔩 𝔏𝔦𝔣𝔢
𝔭𝔞𝔦𝔯𝔦𝔫𝔤 ➛ Husband!Idris Elba x Black!Wife Reader
𝔯𝔞𝔱𝔦𝔫𝔤 ➛ Fluff
𝔴𝔬𝔯𝔡 𝔠𝔬𝔲𝔫𝔱 ➛ 2.3K
𝔰𝔶𝔫𝔬𝔭𝔰𝔦𝔰 ➛ It’s Christmas morning and your kids are more excited than ever for it. So excited, in fact, they decide to make you and your husband, Idris, a Christmas breakfast. However, you don’t let this minor hiccup ruin the day. You’re reminded just how much your family means to you.
𝔞/𝔫 ➛ Guys, someone please snap me outta my delusions, cuz this story had me imaginan my whole life with him. He’s such Daddy material😋 I really hope y’all like this one!
12 Days of Christmas Masterlist
It's early Christmas morning and the house is silent. I’m sleeping soundly, stealing most of the covers from Idris as he is sprawled across the majority of the bed. I begin to stir once I hear tiny footsteps approaching my room. I shift, hiding my head under the blanket when I hear the door burst open.
“IT’S CHRISTMAS! IT’S CHRISTMAS!” Our 5-year-old daughter, Heaven, shouts as she jumps on the bed, stepping on her father.
"Ah! Heaven, darling, please!" He grimaces as he's suddenly awoken from his slumber, shifting under the blanket and sitting up. He reaches out and grabs her mid-jump, pulling her into his lap. "Do you know what time it is, princess?" He questions groggily and Heaven beams brightly.
"It's Christmas time, Daddy!" She says excitedly and jumps on his lap. I hear footsteps approaching me and then the blanket is pulled away from my face. I squint as the light hits my eyes and bury my face in the pillow.
"Mommy, get up! We made you guys breakfast." Our oldest son Jason tells me, before pulling the rest of the blankets off, causing me to shiver.
"JJ, please just give us five minutes, okay?" I ask, but he shakes his head.
"The food will be cold by then, Mommy!" My heart drops at the realization and Idris and I make eye contact. He sees the stressed look forming on my face and gives me a reassuring one back, turning to the kids.
"Right, Heaven, Jason, it's still early. Why don't you give your mum and me a few more minutes to get ready and then we will be down." He offers, but they don't relent. Heaven continues to bounce up and down and Jason can't seem to contain his excitement.
"We can't, Daddy! It's Christmas! We shouldn't have to wait." His smile is wider as he can't wait to go downstairs and show us what they made. Idris groans and I bury my face again.
"Alright, alright, you monsters. Calm down for a minute." He starts as he stands up and tosses Heaven over his shoulder, making her giggle. "What exactly have you three been up to, huh? Don't tell me you've been cookin' on the stove." He peers at Jason, who smiles and shakes his head again.
"We didn't use the stove, we used the microwave! We made our own special cookies and even decorated them! Come on!" He grabs my hands, pulling me out of bed and leading us both out of the room. We exchange a horrified look, imagining the mess in the kitchen. And we've still not seen our youngest yet. Hopefully, he's asleep.
Upon entering the kitchen, the smell of burnt cookies hits us. I sigh nervously as we round the corner. The kitchen is a mess, with flour and butter everywhere! There's frosting and sprinkles smeared on the counter and an incriminating stepping stool beneath the area. Behind the island, I see two little feet sticking out. I walk over, careful to avoid any mess on the floor and see our youngest son, Luke, on the floor eating frosting from the tube. He smiles as he looks up at me.
"Mommy! Mommy!" He shouts as he stands up and hugs my legs. I begin to regret wearing shorts as his sticky fingers come in contact with my skin.
"Oh, sweetie..." I say, groaning a bit as I take everything in.
"We made a little mess... But aren't the cookies pretty?" Heaven asks, presenting a plate of holiday mush. It seems as if they'd mixed up flour, sugar, and water, and threw it in the microwave, topping it off with green and red frosting and snowflake sprinkles. Heaven and Luke look so proud of their creation and Jason is giggling to himself, obviously the ringleader and brains behind this whole operation. I try to control my temper, after all, it's too early and it's Christmas. Idris chuckles and lifts Luke up into his arms, careful not to get any icing on himself. He turns to Heaven and takes the plate from her, placing it on the counter.
"Those cookies are incredible, princess!" He says, causing all of the kids to smile. I shake my head gently and put on a smile. This was bound to happen at some point. They're kids and it's Christmas. And I can't be mad at them, they all look so proud of themselves.
"They're absolutely amazing, you guys. But..." I bend down to look Jason and Heaven in the eye. "Remember, you need to ask Mommy and Daddy if you can use the kitchen. It's not safe to do it by yourself. Okay?" They both smile and nod.
"Okay, Mommy, we'll make sure to ask next time," Jason says with a happy smile. I give them both a kiss and pat their backs.
"Now," Idris starts, "why don't you two clean up in here while I clean up your brother?" He says to our older kids. They frown a bit, groaning.
"Hey, none of that. You guys did a nice thing for Mommy and Daddy by making these pretty cookies, but you need to clean up after yourselves as well." I explain to them.
"Yes ma'am." They reply in unison. Jason grabs a broom from the closet and Heaven goes under the sink to find a sponge to clean the counters with, using her stepping stool to reach the mess. Before wiping the mess away, she drags her finger through the frosting and licks it, causing me to grimace as I watch her enjoy her work. I turn to Idris and he chuckles, before kissing my cheek.
"Be right back, love." He says, giving me a charming smile, before propping Luke up on his side. "Come here, buddy. We gotta get you cleaned off." He says as he walks up the stairs with our youngest.
I walk over to Heaven and help her wipe the counter, helping her put away the baking tray. She still tries to sneak some frosting, licking it off her fingers before wiping her hands on the kitchen towel. I shake my head at her and she giggles. Jason catches everything that was wiped off of the counter with the broom, sweeping it into the dustpan and trashing it.
"Okay, you two. You're doing such a great job at cleaning up, thank you." I say to them both, smiling down at them. "Once we're done here, how about we open some presents?" I suggest and they both cheer at the mention of presents.
"Let's open them now! Pleaseeee!" Heaven begs and I laugh to myself.
"No, we gotta wait until Dad's done cleaning up Luke, duh!" Jason says back to her, causing her to pout. She crosses her arms and frowns. I shake my head at them.
"Let's just finish cleaning up. I'm sure Daddy will be done by then and then we can start, okay?" I offer them a warm smile.
"Okay, Mommy," Heaven says, going back to cleaning. Idris soon returns with Luke following after him, in a new set of pajamas and looking squeaky clean.
"Yay! Daddy's here! Can we start now, Mommy?" She asks as she turns to me. I laugh a bit and nod.
"Yes, sweetie, we can start," I say and all three of the kids rush to the living room and sit on the floor around the tree. Idris grabs my hand and I smile at him as we both take our seats on the couch, his arm wrapping around my shoulder. Heaven spots a present with her name on it and squeals happily, turning to us with bright eyes.
"You ready to open, princess?" He asks and she nods rapidly, tearing the paper away. She gasps as underneath the wrapping paper is a black Barbie doll with a beautiful pink dress and sparkling shoes. She looks up at us with a grin, thrilled with her gift. Heaven jumps up and kisses me and her dad on the cheeks.
"Thank you, Mommy! Thank you, Daddy!" She says, hugging the gift close.
"You're welcome, baby," I say with a content smile.
"Take good care of her," Idris adds, smiling as well. Jason and Luke look at us with hopeful eyes, waiting for their turn. "Well, what are you guys waiting for? Jump in!" He says and the boys excitedly grab gifts of their own, ripping them open. Luke squeals happily as he gets a fire engine with colorful blocks that snap together and Jason gets a brand new Lego set.
The room is filled with the childish sounds of laughter and excitement as the kids open more Christmas gifts. Idris and I exchange glances, basking in the warmth of the joyous moment unfolding before us. The chaotic morning, filled with mishaps and messes, now seems like a distant memory, replaced by the pure happiness on our children's faces.
As the Christmas frenzy dies down, Idris turns to me with a mischievous glint in his eyes. He reaches under the tree and pulls out a beautifully wrapped box that was hidden at the back, topped off with a bow that sparkles like freshly fallen snow.
"For my beautiful wife," He says with a warm smile, handing me the gift. I look at him with surprise, not expecting this, but accepting the gift anyway. I grin as I carefully unwrap the present. Inside, I find a stunning necklace, a beautiful chain accompanied by a pendant shaped like a snowflake, glistening with tiny diamonds. I gasp, overwhelmed by the thoughtful gesture.
"Idris!" I cover my mouth in shock and his smile grows wider as he sees my reaction. "It's so beautiful!" I exclaim, my fingers gently tracing the intricate details of the pendant. Idris beams with satisfaction, his eyes never leaving mine.
"I saw it and I thought it would be perfect for you. Like each snowflake is unique, so is my love for you." Touched by his words, I lean in and press a tender kiss to his lips. The kids all collectively cringe at us.
"Ewwww!" They shout at our display of affection, but we don't let it stop us. He puts the necklace around my neck and I move my hair out of the way to show it better.
"How does it look?" I ask, doing a little pose. Idris chuckles and takes my hand, kissing it lightly.
"Perfect, just like you." He says, causing me to blush at his words. However, not being one to be outdone, I reach under the tree and hand Idris a carefully wrapped gift of his own.
"Darling, you shouldn't have." He winks playfully. He grins like a child, tearing the paper away with eagerness. Inside, he sees a brand new watch, something he's been eyeing for a while now. He inspects the watch closely, looking both pleased and surprised. "This is incredible, Y/N. I love it."
"And I made sure the band was in your exact size, so no need to get it fitted either," I add and he looks at me adoringly. He puts the watch on, giving it a thorough look over.
"Just in the nick of time." He smiles cheekily and I roll my eyes.
"You're so cheesy sometimes, you know that?" I laugh.
"Guilty as charged, my love." He grins sheepishly. He wraps his arm back around my shoulder and gives me a kiss. After taking a break from toys and getting some breakfast, everyone does their own thing. The kids are now playing, occupied with their own little world. The only sounds that fill the room are the laughter and joy of the kids, along with the quiet murmur of Idris and my voice as we chat and relax. It's a content and cozy day.
Idris and I are still on the couch, cuddled up and watching a Christmas movie under a blanket. Eventually, Jason comes and sits next to us and Luke climbs up on Idris's lap, leaning against him. Heaven sits on the other couch, still playing with the new accessories she got with her new doll.
Luke starts to yawn adorably and Idris kisses him playfully on the head, before yawning himself. He looks at me and I stretch, yawning as well. We look over at Jason, who's fast asleep with the TV remote in his hand. I yawn again and then glance over at Heaven, who is also asleep, her head resting against the back of the couch. I smile and lean my head on Idris's shoulder, wrapping the blanket around us. The house is filled with silence, except for the soft sound of the movie on the TV.
I close my eyes, letting the sounds of the movie fill my ears. Idris's arm wraps around my waist, pulling me closer to him, and with his other hand, he cradles Luke gently as he sleeps. With all the children peacefully snoozing, it's just me and him for this moment. It's calm, soothing and comfortable.
"I love you," Idris whispers, kissing my head softly. I smile and nuzzle into his neck.
"I love you too, sweetheart," I whisper back, before letting my eyes fall shut. I take in the warm and comfortable silence, not thinking about anything else besides the peaceful ambiance we seem to bask in right now. I know we should probably get up and put the kids in their rooms, but I don't want to disturb the peace. We've had a wonderful Christmas and I'm reminded, once again, how much I love my family.
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I hope you have a lovely day with lots of snacks
Tl;dr the day was not lovely but there might be snacks
I actually didn't have many snacks today but I'm about to make up with it with a couple of churros and dark chocolate dipped strawberries.
Today I...woke up and showered and replied to comments on AO3 for a while, and then I spent about 4 hours formatting documents into PDFs of varying sizes for Patreon and Ream and uploading chapter commentaries into compilations. And then I did more formatting stuff behind the scenes while I stared at all the other behind the scenes stuff I need to do and thought 'writing is a hard job' quietly and intensely.
I ate lunch while I was working. I also made some memes about how overwhelmed I felt, and then made some for my readers too, lol.
And then I laid down for about 4 hours because I also have chronic illness (whee) and I am constantly in pain and varying degrees of fatigue and I literally must lie down every afternoon so I don't collapse in the evening (literally) - and I did a tiny bit of reading (webtoon: Shutline (which I immediately realised I'd read before and didn't fondly remember), webtoon: December (didn't mind this)) and then dozed restlessly because it was 40C/104F today. I also edited a Tiktok art video in Adobe Premier Rush, but I haven't put it up yet, and I should really do that.
Got up and made ham and cucumber sandwiches for dinner, and watched Girl with the Dogs on YouTube while I ate, and a Smosh video.
Then did some more work and helped a friend with her work stuff, and then I watered the garden for 1.5 hours because *points tiredly to the heatwave* and stared balefully at the dark sky (you can't water during the day - it's literally a heatwave but also it's illegal here to water during the day) with its few stars because they'd set up a severe weather warning due to extreme winds in our specific area and it was dead AF and oppressive out there and it was just hot instead.
I watched a few Tiktoks while I watered.
When I hung the hose up back on the holder thingo, I sang to my plants: 'I hope you make the best out of the water I just gave you, you little fucks' like a sweet lullaby, and a person who I didn't know was outside next door because it was like 9pm and pitch black laughed softly and sweetly, like they didn't expect it, and felt kind of fond. I didn't know I had any nice neighbours on that side of the house, so I mostly just thought 'WHOOPS SHIT' and then felt too embarrassed to say anything.
And then I came back inside and replied to some asks (hi!) and am hopefully going to eat churro's soon and it's 10pm and so I'm probably going to do some more work and then I'm going to go to bed while I feel stressed about the work I haven't done (currently Palmarosa is the heart beating beneath my floorboards). I will probably keep reading December. It's okayish.
I don't know if I'd call today lovely, because I'm burnt out and I want to put up the Christmas decorations but it's 10pm and idk if I should start that because it tends to make me severely ill to do it for a few days.
I'm a little sad, a lot lonely, a little melancholic, a little grumpy, and a little very excited about churros and chocolate dipped strawberries. I resent days that are 'work and sleep' sometimes, especially during November. That's my fault. That's on me. I'm a mean and shitty boss to myself.
Gotta do something about this burnout at some point, because December is the worst month for my PTSD, but I also need to keep getting paid, because medical bills and food and stuff. So like...finding the balance there is a constant work in progress.
There were some lovely moments today:
That little laugh from the neighbour in the dark
The first yellow peach of the season
Doing tricks with my cat (who is trained) for treats
Making silly little memes
Helping a friend with work stuff
Replying to some amazing comments
Watching cute dogs
Feeling pretty accomplished at putting up those compilations on Patreon/Ream even if I'm not done yet.
I hope you're having a lovely day too, anon, with many snacks.
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