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sebthesnipe · 3 years

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Morality, Magic, and Chocolate Cows

Hi @logicalyfun!!

Storytime! I wasn’t apart of the @sanderssidesgiftxchange at all. So, the fact that you got me as a pinch hitter is kinda a miracle in its own right ;3 But I’m super glad you did! I’m so sorry you didn’t get your gift on time but now you get to chill with me! And I can be pretty awesome sometimes… Occasionally… Rarely but hey! Who keeps track of that kind of stuff anyways?

So, how did I become your pinch hitter? Well, you see. I’ve got this amazing best friend and beta reader @gilby-the-geek-girl. She actually /did/ participate in the exchange and because she’s just so amazing she offered to be a pinch hitter for it as well.

Anyways, You’re prompt got sent to her. This one right here:

“Your giftee: Fabi

Tumblr: Logicalyfun

Media to receive: Fan fiction, Fan art

Wish 1: Puppiesss

Wish 2: Fantasy world

Wish 3: Starry sky night

Topics to avoid: Remrom, no NSFW”

And it gave her pause. You see, I wrote this awesome fic called My Dearest Procyon (also on AO3) that checks almost all of these boxes (minus the puppiesss, but there is a REALLY awesome cat and dragons too!). So, she thought we’d be perfect for each other! So she sent your prompt to me and here we are!

Now for the bad news… I had every intention of checking off every one of your wishes, but the story got away from me and I’m pretty sure I struck out. However, I really think you’ll like it! Please forgive me for not sticking strictly with the prompts but I do mention each, and I highly recommend MDP if you really like those things.

I’ll also make you a deal! If you don’t like this ficlet, let me know and I’ll write you a new one that adheres to your prompts exactly! ;3

(Also... posting this on Patton’s B-day so it’s like double meant to be!)

So, without further adieu, I present Morality, Magic, and Chocolate Cows:

“Have at you!” Roman cried, his tiny form bounding off the small hill to swing at his brother, his cardboard sword bending at an odd angle.

“Actually,” Logan commented, hurrying along behind him, flowing blue cape flapping in the wind. “It would’ve been ‘ye’.”

Roman ignored him, adjusting the oversized ‘shining armor’ every time he took a step. The costume was far too large for Roman’s three foot, seven-and-a-half-inch tall body, though it was adorable to watch.

Remus, to his credit, laughed menacingly, the Sharpie mustache on his upper lip thinning from the effort as he parried his brother’s flopping cardboard blade with a small stick. His own costume consisted of a sheet, stained green, with what Patton hoped was paint (though he had never bothered to ask), wrapped around him like a toga.

“That's totally fair! Two against one!” Janus called from the safety of a tree branch; the yellow fabric of his shirt just visible through the leaves.

“I’m not fighting! I’m observing!” Logan called in his high-pitched voice, adjusting his glasses before the pointed wizard’s hat on his brow dipped forward, knocking them astray once more. His adorably pudgy form was wrapped in a shimmer fabric that reminded Patton of the stars Logan always seemed to want to tell him about.

“If you and V would help, your prince wouldn’t need an watcher-outer!” Roman whined, pausing in his attack to peer over at the older child and his companion, sitting in the shade below.

Remus took the opportunity to smack his twin across his butt with his stick, knocking Roman to the ground with a grunt.

A shrill cry filled the air, causing the other children to glance at Patton, who had been sitting on a blanket a few feet away.

Patton pushed to his feet, smiling softly as he approached the three boys, Janus and Virgil hurrying up to the crying child as well.

“It’s broken isn’t it!” Virgil rushed, his own tears threatening to fall. “Remus broke Roman’s leg! We’re all going to the hosp’al! I don’t want to go to the hosp’al! I don’t like doc’ors!” His words turned into a wail as he plopped on the grown next to Roman, waterworks in full force.

Patton examined the small scratch peaking through a tear in Roman’s jeans.

“Hm,” he sighed as if considering whether or not the wound was fatal. “We may have to amputate.”

“What?!” Remus gasped excitedly.

Janus moved over to Logan, attempting to whisper in his ear and failing. “What does ‘amputate’ mean?”

“Ample ate,” Logan attempted to repeat. “It means to eat a lot.”

“We’re going to eat him!” Remus gasped with a grin.

Patton couldn’t help but give a small chuckle at the exchange before sinking down on the lush grass and scooping Roman into his arms.

The pretend prince curled into the embrace, hiding his face in Patton’s chest as his wailing turned to sniffle.

“I don’t wanna be eaten,” he grumbled sullenly.

Patton felt Virgil curling into his side, tears soaking into his shirt. Patton glanced down, offering another small smile as he pulled him close as well.

“No one is getting eaten,” Patton chuckled softly. “Are they Remus?”

“Pft, no fair!” the mustached boy pouted, folding his arms over his chest and glaring down at his mismatched shoes.

“Why don’t we all come up with ways to make Roman’s boo-boo feel better?” Patton offered, motioning for everyone to move closer.

“I rather not,” Janus sighed softly. Still, the young boy scooted closer and sank down on the grass next to them.

Remus gave another ‘hmph’ before doing the same, though he made sure to sit far closer to Janus than anyone else.

“I can help!” Logan chirped excitedly, digging into his pockets with purpose.

Patton couldn’t help but allow his soft smile to turn even more fond. Logan was always the best helper.

Whatever Logan had in mind, it certainly got Roman’s attention. The sandy blond boy turned his head just enough that his cheek rested against Patton’s chest, eyes glued to the wizard.

A moment later, Logan produced a plastic wand. The pink shaft was a little too large for his tiny hands and the star at its end seemed to flash with tiny lights (no doubt running off of a few double A’s).

“I can cast a spell on him!” Logan offered confidently.

“But yes’rday you said magi’ wasn’t real,” Virgil whispered, still clinging to Patton’s shirt.

“Turn him into a frog!” Remus demanded eagerly; his pouting forgotten.

“Yeah, but I read it in one of my books today, so it has to be real! Right, Patton?” Logan asked, looking up at him expectantly, the others following his lead.

“Oh of course!” Patton reassured with a large grin. “Magic is very real.”

“It is?” Janus asked, suddenly invested in the conversation.

Virgil reacted in a very different manner, burying his face deeper into Patton’s side and giving a small cry. “Magi’ is scary! I dun wanna be turned into a frowg!”

“Oh sweetie,” Patton cooed, messing with the youngest child’s hair. “It’s not that type of magic,” he reassured.

“What other type of magic is there?!” Remus demanded, inching closer as he bounced with elation. “The type that can turn him into a giant squid?! Or make toilets talk?!”

“Ew!” Roman whined in response, once again earning a chuckle from Patton.

“I’m afraid not,” Patton admitted with no little amusement. “No, this kind of magic isn’t just reserved for very smart wizards.”

“It’s not?” Logan asked, moving closer and sinking down as well.

“Oh no. We all have magic of our very own that we can use whenever we want.”

“Nuh uh…” Janus breathed though he didn’t sound too convinced.

Patton nodded continuing. “Sure, we do.”

“What’s my power?!” Remus asked impatiently, “Can I make lasers come out my eyes?! Or maybe… maybe… um… summon a giant octopuspus to devour my enemies?!” He bounced to his feet roaring loudly as he stomped about.

“Your magic is something far greater,” Patton laughed.

“No way!” Remus breathed in awe; antics forgotten.

“Him?!” Roman gasped in disbelief.

Patton nodded. “Remus has the ability to see into other worlds!”

“Lame!” The boy in question huffed, falling back onto the grass.

“What do you mean?” Logan asked curiously.

“Well, Remus makes such a great villain because he sees things differently then we do,” Patton explained.

“So, he’s evil! I knew it!” Roman declared, shifting in Patton’s arms to simply sit in his lap, wound forgotten.

“Not at all,” Patton countered, acting as if he didn’t see the way Remus blew a raspberry at his brother. “Just because someone is different doesn’t make them evil.Though it can be scary, differences are what gives us our power. Take Logan for example.”

“Me?” Logan blinked in surprise, clinging to his wand a bit more self-consciously.

“Mm hmm,” Patton nodded. “Logan understands Remus better than anyone. He can understand how Remus sees the world.”

“So, he’s evil too?” Janus asked.

“I am not!” Logan cried.

“No one here is evil,” Patton laughed. “No, Logan’s magic power is that he can understand anything if given enough time.”

“So, you can figure out where chocolate milk comes from?!” Roman asked, pointedly staring at Logan who now sat a bit straighter.

“Well, if regular milk comes from a regular cow… and Patton says cows are just like oversized dogs… and there are a lot of different kinds of dogs… Then chocolate milk has to come from chocolate cows.” Logan explained in a matter-of-fact tone.

“Whoa! There are chocolate cows?! That’s so cool!” Roman gasped.

Patton was about to speak when his attention was pulled to the small hands tugging on his shirt in a patient persistence.

“Yes, Virgil?” Patton asked softly.

“Wha’s my magi’?” The youngest boy asked in a hushed whisper as the rest talked among themselves.

“You, my dear sweet shadowling,” Patton whispered, booping his nose. “have one of the strongest powers among us.”

“I do?” Virgil’s eyes grew wide, his hand lifting to his mouth to suck on his two fingers. It would be a few more years before Patton could manage to break him of the habit but it was cute nonetheless.

“Oh, yes. You have the power to protect. You tell us when something could hurt us or do damage in a way we haven’t noticed. In a way… You can see the future.” Patton’s allowed his voice to turn a bit wispy as if humbled by Virgil’s power.

“Sounds like a bunch of lies to me,” Janus interrupted, obviously eavesdropping.

“No one asked you!” Roman spat. “You didn’t even help protect your prince and now I’ve got a boo-boo! It’s not like you have any magic! ” He pointed at his knee, lifting it to put the scratch on display.

“Well, neither do you!” Janus argued.

“Oh, I think you both are pretty powerful when it comes to magic,” Patton offered.

“Well of course I am… I’m a prince!” Roman announced.

“Janus does too, Roman.” Patton mitigated.

“Like what?” Remus butted in, more curious that malicious.

“Well, Janus can work magic on people’s feelings,”

“I can?” Janus blinked in surprise.

“Well, of course Kiddo. You’re the best at it! You always know just what to say to make Remus feel better after he loses against the Prince’s armies,” Patton explained, “And you always know how to answer Roman’s questions about his costumes.” Naturally, Patton left out the fact that Janus used little white lies to work his magic and that he didn’t quite agree with the method, but the results were noteworthy.

“Boring!” Roman whined. “What about me?” Roman looked up at Patton expectantly.

“You, dear prince,” Patton replied, nuzzling him affectionately. “have the ability to change the world as we know it. You can push us to follow every passion our heart desires. You give us the very drive that will sustain us throughout our lives. ”

“What? That’s not fair! Why didn’t I get a cool power like that?” Remus huffed, sulking once more.

“’Cause I’m the Prince and I say so!” Roman answered, squirming in Patton’s arms. “Now, be quiet, Patton is talking about me!”

“Mneh!” Remus stuck out his tongue once more, but his brother ignored him.

“Now, now. I think all of your powers are cool,” Patton attempted.

“But Patton…” Logan mumbled, softly, as he stared up at the seemingly grown man. “What’s your power?”

Patton’s chest tightened at the question. Leave it to Logan to pull at the one string Patton wasn’t prepared for. What was Patton’s power? He manifested just as they all did, only he was the first. He grew faster than the rest of them, unable to keep up with Thomas growth, unable to keep up with his insecurity.

He was just Patton…. He had no magic… He wasn’t special. Not like the others.

He forced his smile to remain in place, trying not to let his voice crack as he answered. “Why would I ever need to be more than just happy pappy Patton when I get to spend time with all of you amazing magicians?”

“Patton?” Logan called, his voice distant and far too baritone to be coming from the pudgy boy before him. “Patton are you in here?” Logan called again causing the man to glance over his shoulder.

The memory he had immersed himself in froze, the boys still staring up at him.

He wiped a tear from his eye quickly and waved his hand, the children disappearing, leaving him alone in the small field behind their childhood home.

“I’m over here!” Patton called, standing and dusting off his pants, trying not to feel the loss. They had needed him so thoroughly. Everything was so different now. The boys were all grown. They all faced Thomas’ problems with a maturity Patton never could seem to muster. No doubt they thought him the child now.

Logan strode up the small hill in his usual dark polo and striped tie adorning his broad shoulders.

“There you are,” Logan greeted with the same half smile he always did.

“Sorry, did you need something?” Patton asked softly, forcing his smile to turn warm.

“Yes, actually,” Logan admitted. “It seems Remus and Roman are fighting again, and Virgil and Janus are placing bets on who can make the most constructs in the imagination. It is truly a disaster. There are puppies and octopoda everywhere. No one will see reason. I could really use your help.”

Patton softened a bit at the words. Maybe they still needed him… just a tiny bit. He supposed he could live with that.

“Puppies?!” Patton squealed in excitement.

Logan’s gaze moved about the scene taking it in, obviously having expected Morality’s reaction. “Isn’t this…” he hesitated, turning on his heel. “Wasn’t this the field behind our home back in Orlando?”

“Oh…” Patton breathed, flushing slightly. “Is it?”

“It is! Thomas used to play out here all the time! We all did!” Logan mused, with a small huff of laughter. “Wow, it has been quite some time.”

Patton offered a melancholy smile as he glanced around. He missed it all. It was nice to have the memories though. At least he could relive it when ever he wanted. Though he doubted Logan would even bother to try to remember-

“You know 7% of Americans really do believe chocolate milk comes from chocolate cows,” Logan informed him, “And Roman is still one of them.” He laughed.

Patton’s heart fluttered at the fact that Logan remembered such a minute detail. He really was magic.

The sound of Logan’s deep chuckle had Patton joining him. “Best not spoil it for him,” Patton teased lightly as Logan offered out an arm for him to take as they headed out of the memory.

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Logan reassured.

La Fin.

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calpalirwin · 4 years

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Hair or Lungs

A/N: I’m all for giving credit where credit is due, so big thanks to @carebearofriddles for the idea. Hope you guys like it!

And away, and away we go!

~~~

Calum made sure you and Roy were out before he finally came home from his holiday abroad. He, never being an early riser, often caught you and Roy chatting in the kitchen whenever you were over. In eavesdropping on those conversations, he had learned a lot about you. Like how your parents had a rule that you were allowed to do whatever you wanted to your body basically, provided it was temporary, and that you had shamelessly tested those boundaries by coming home with wild streaks of colors in your hair or a new piercing because “it’s temporary!”

You had since grown out of that rebellious phase, only keeping the piercings in your ears and dying your hair less frequently and more normal colors when you did. But you had loved your parents for allowing you that freedom to be you in the most you way, and it was something you planned to do for your own kids when you got to that point in your life. Because “hey, as long as it’s not addictive or harming anyone, what’s the problem?”

Well, Calum had changed up his hair. When you last saw him he was still rocking his blackish fluff of a hairstyle. The length was still the same, but the color was now a silvery blonde. And he couldn’t wait to film your reaction. So, he set up the camera, hit record, and waited.

~~~

“Roy! He’s here!” Calum heard your voice call out happily as your keys unlocked the front door. “Cal?! Cal!” you screamed before running into his arms. “I missed you!”

“I missed you, too!” he said, dragging you into the kitchen where he had his camera still waiting.

He reached down to scoop up Duke who was barking happily at him. He mumbled some cute nonsense at the dog before setting him down. Then, he ran a hand through his hair, drawing your attention to it.

“Oh, my God!” you said, clapping a hand to your mouth. “Cal! Your hair!”

“Looks good, yeah?”

“It looks great!” you said, running your hands through it. Damn, your man looked good. “Upstairs?”

“Now.”

~~~

“So, if he quits smoking before the end of the year, you 2 can’t have sex for 2 weeks,” Roy grinned over at you. Your roommate was tired of your late night sexcapades with Calum keeping him up.

You weighed the options. It was only February. Was this a bet worth taking? Yes, you decided. Calum was about to have a busy year ahead of him which meant your boyfriend would be smoking up a hell of a storm. “You’re on!” you grinned, shaking Roy’s hand.

You and Calum had been dating for close to two years, a relationship only your closest friends knew about. You both had agreed in the beginning of the relationship to keep each other off of your social media accounts and to only be intimate with each other when you were out of the public eye. It was hard, not being able to so much as hold his hand in public, but you respected Calum’s right to keep his relationship with you between just you and him. And, if you were being completely honest, you were scared for the world to know about your relationship. You had seen the type of nasty comments Crystal and Sierra received. No, it was much better to let the world think you and Calum were just friends. Because you were. He was your best friend, and you were his- “girl best friend, Ash, you’re still his guy best friend, calm down”- you just also happened to be dating him.

Calum kept himself hidden as he listened in on the conversation, smirking to himself. He had never had a reason to quit smoking. Until you. And now with this bet hanging between you and Roy, he was more determined than ever to make quitting stick this time.

~~~

The next drastic change Calum did to his hair was he cropped it super short, dying it silver in the process.

Again, he set up the camera to film your reaction.

“Jesus!” you said running your hands through it. “What are you gonna do next? Shave your head?”

Now that there was an idea! He just grinned. “Look, now you can mess it up and I don’t have to fix it before shows,” he told you, running his own hands furiously through his hair. “See? Nothing!”

You pouted. “I liked messing up your hair…”

“And I like not having to fix it,” he said, tapping a finger to your nose.

“We want the curls, Cal.”

“We?”

“We. Me. The fans. The curls. Give them back,” you said, giving a playful tug of his short hair.

“So, you can tug more of my hair? No thanks.”

“You love it, don’t lie,” you smirked, giving his hair another tug.

His eyes closed and he held back a moan. “Upstairs. Now.”

~~~

When he did eventually shave his head, he was in Korea, and you were home with Duke. Recording your reaction was going to take a little more work.

“Oh, God damn it!” you giggled when he Facetimed you. “Your beautiful hair… it’s gone…”

“It’s not all gone,” he insisted, giving his hair a rub. “Ah, that feels weird.”

“Yeah, cuz you shaved your damn head!” you laughed at him. “Oh, Cal…”

He pouted. “You don’t like it, huh?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“So?”

You sighed. “You look great, Cal. You always do. Now, hurry up, and come home so I can not mess up your hair.”

“Just got Australia left, and then I’m coming home to you.”

“You better.”

“I’ll be home before you know it, baby.”

~~~

“Cal!” you shrieked, coming home to find him home.

“Baby!” he smiled, taking you in his arms.

“Damn it! You’re gonna kill me with these hair changes!” you laughed, running your hands through his hair. The shaved head had grown out into a super short buzz cut, and your boyfriend’s hair was silver again.

“Are you saying you don’t like it?”

“I’m saying you’re gonna give me a heart attack with all these looks you keep serving. Just when I think I can breathe easy again, you drag me back to square one with a new look.”

“So, you do like it!”

“Upstairs. Now.”

He smoked his last cigarette after that.

~~~

“So, you actually quit?” Ashton asked as both men sat in salon chairs. Calum was getting his hair dyed blue, while Ashton was reverting back to his natural brown.

“Yep. Haven’t had a smoke in a week.”

“Damn, you really like her, huh?” Ashton teased.

“Fuck you, mate,” Calum laughed.

“In all seriousness though, I’m proud of you for finally quitting.”

“Me too.”

“So, are you finally going to go public with your relationship with her, too? I mean, you’ve been together like what? 2 years? You live together. You quit smoking for her. You just gonna marry her and still keep her a secret or what?”

Calum let out his breath in a huff. “I dunno, Ash. I mean, I asked her to move in after a year of dating 1.) because I love her and shit and 2.) because I felt guilty she’s stayed by my side while I act like we’re just friends in public. Like she deserved for me to show that I’m serious about her, and that was the best I was able to give her.”

“But that was then. This is now. Are you able to give her more now?”

“I quit smoking…”

“Cal…”

“Look, I’ve been making these videos of her, right? Every time I change my hair, I record her reaction. Ryan’s helping me make it into a video to give to her for our anniversary. When I give it to her, I’m also gonna tell her that I quit smoking for good. She makes me want to be a better man, mate.”

“That’s sweet Cal. I’m happy for you, really I am. Y/N’s a sweetheart. But, aren’t you ready to stop hiding behind the anti-love act and own up that you’ve actually been in love with someone this whole time? I know you guys were both scared at first. But, it doesn’t look like she’s going anywhere anytime soon.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

“I know,” Ashton smirked. Then, “She’s gonna be pissed you made her lose her bet with Roy. No sex for 2 weeks? Damn…”

“Yeah, that’s gonna suck.”

“Is that why you’re changing your hair so much? To make not smoking easier?”

“Shit, maybe… Hair or lungs I guess.”

“I’m glad you’re going with hair.”

~~~

“Calum… Thomas… HOOD!” you screamed, running to put your hands through his bright blue hair. “What the fuck are you doing?!”

“Keeping you on your toes?”

“More like slowly killing me.”

“I take it you like it?”

“Always, bubs, always.”

“Upstairs?”

“Now.”

~~~

“Oh, Cal…” you breathed, dabbing at your eyes as he showed you the video.

“Happy anniversary, baby.”

“Happy anniversary, bubs.”

“So, you like it?”

“I love it. Thank you.”

“Good, I thought you’d be mad I was filming you in secret.”

You laughed. “Is that why you were changing your hair so much? To make a video?”

“Well that and because it’s stopped me from smoking.”

“What?”

“Yeah, I quit two weeks ago.”

“Oh, Cal! That’s great!”

“I can’t take all the credit. You helped.”

“You quit for me?”

“Yeah. It was do crazy temporary things to my hair or keep damaging my lungs. And I need my lungs healthy because I plan on loving you for a long time.”

“Good, because I plan on loving you right back for just as long.”

“Now, sit, I want to show you something.”

“Show me what? Cal? What did you do now?”

He showed you how he posted the video to his social media accounts with the caption: “So, I’ve been keeping a secret. I’m in love with the amazing, beautiful, and incredibly smart @faby/n and today is our anniversary. She inspires me to be a better man, a better man who changes his hair instead of smoking. Happy 2 years, baby, and may we never stop counting the years together.”

“Oh, Cal…” you said, wiping at your eyes again. “I love you so much, bubs.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t ask first. But, I’m tired of hiding. I want the whole world to know how much I love you.”

“This is perfect.”

“And as much as I hate to break up this lovefest, you lose Y/N,” Roy said, snapping you and Calum out of your love daze.

“Damn it!” you groaned.

“Lose what?” Calum asked.

“Roy bet me that if you quit smoking this year then we couldn’t have sex for two weeks.”

“Oh, right.”

“What?”

“Yeah, I knew. I heard you guys make it.”

“You made me lose on purpose?! Calum!”

“You bet I wouldn’t quit!”

“Because I know how hard you’ve tried in the past!”

“I get to SLEEP!” Roy cheered.

You pulled a five dollar bill out of your pocket and tossed it at your roommate. “Buy some ear plugs, Roy.”

“What?! No sex! Two weeks! That was the bet!”

“Roy, lemme tell you how this is gonna go down. We all know it’s Cal keeping you up, not me. And you said no sex. There’s still plenty of other things I can do to Cal,” you told your roommate.

Calum cleared his throat as he knew exactly what you were talking about and tugged at his pants as they tightened at your words.

“That’s cheating!”

“It’s called a loophole, Roy. Now, I suggest you run, cuz I’m about to show the world how much I love me some Calum Hood.”

“Wait…? The world? Did you and Cal stop hiding?!”

“Yeah, mate,” Calum grinned at him, showing him the post that was blowing up with love for you both.

“I should’ve known Cal was whipped. Treat my brother right, Y/N. Have fun, you two,” Roy said, clapping a hand on Calum’s shoulder and leaving the house, a duffle bag slung over his shoulder.

“I’m not whipped…” Calum said, watching Roy leave you to enjoy each other in privacy.

“Cal?”

“Yeah, baby?”

“Upstairs.”

“Yes, baby.”

#hair or lungs #calum hood #calum blurb #galcal irwin

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livingthroughchoices-blog · 6 years

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The Marshmallow Chronicles (Ch. 19: Long Live the King)

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Author’s notes: THE LAST CHAPTER!! Sorry it’s a short one /: I don’t have the words to thank each and every one of you who have read my silly fanfic and who have left lovely, encouraging comments. It’s really not an exaggeration to say that I wouldn’t have made it this far if it wasn’t for you <3 so THANK YOU!!

@starstruckzonkoperatorbat, @notoriouscs, @simplyaiden-blog, @snyggflicka, @asprankle, @speedyoperarascalparty, @mirivalencia, @mymandrake, @asobigokoro2018, @krisnicjack and @fabi-en-ciel thank you so much for being so supportive of my writing. It means so so much!

That said, I’m happy to say I WILL be doing book 2! It’s actually my favorite, so I’m very excited!! Sorry to everyone who had asked earlier, I just wanted to be sure before I made the commitment. Plus, nothing wrong with a little suspense ;)

However, I’ll have to take a short break before starting so I can plan the story out. I mean, I know the plot is already laid out for me, but I still want my details to fit into the canon well. So thank you for your patience (:

As always, please let me know if you want to be tagged or untagged.

I seriously love all of you <3

Rating: T

Pairing: Drake x MC

Words: 2,541

He couldn’t tell how long he’d been sitting there, trying to gather the strength to stand up and pour himself another drink, when a raspy voice asked, “This seat taken?”

He looked up to see a familiar face. “Leo!”

He got up so he could shake hands with the handsome man, who clapped his back.

“Hey, Drake. It’s good to see you.”

“You too, man! I didn’t know you were coming but I guess I should’ve guessed.”

“Yeah, I may be the black sheep of the family but I got Liam’s back.”

Drake bit his tongue to keep himself from saying something rude. As much as he liked Leo – and he did; the man was as different from the other nobles as one could be – he couldn’t agree with that. Leo had always been... not selfish, exactly, but he definitely looked out for his own happiness before others’.

Come to think of it, Drake wasn’t sure whether to resent or admire him. One thing was certain, he could learn a thing or two from Leo’s certainty that he deserved to be happy.

Drake cast about for something to change the subject and landed on, “So where’s your wife? Liam told me you got married recently?”

A huge smile spread on Leo’s face. “I did. She couldn’t come, unfortunately. She’s in the middle of setting up her own home decor shop so this was a very inconvenient time for her.” He grimaced.

“Oh, cool. Well, you seem happy.”

“So happy. I can’t even explain what it’s like, knowing someone will be there for you no matter what, that they love you with all of your flaws and baggage, that they’ll make everyday an adventure...” he trailed off dreamily.

Drake was feeling more than a little uneasy at this sentimental monologue, not least because he could think of only one person he believed could fit that criteria. He cleared his throat and reached for his glass, taking an imaginary sip of his nonexistent drink.

“Forgive me, I tend to get emotional when I talk about Mia. I very much hope Liam finds the same thing for himself tonight.”

“Oh, he will,” muttered Drake.

Leo raised his eyebrows. “Do you mean that girl Riley I’ve been hearing so much about? What is she like?”

“She’s, uh, she’s something else.” He licked his lips. “She’s confident and fun, but she still knows when to be serious, and she can talk a lot, but is a fantastic listener–”

He cut himself off before he went on a full-on rant about Riley Addam’s many qualities.

“She’ll... make a great queen,” he finished weakly.

“Well, you make her sound delightful! I was already hoping to meet her tonight, but now you’ve made it my mission! But how is she with Liam? Do they make a good couple?”

“I-”

He hadn’t actually asked himself that. He’d been so busy assuming that Liam would pick Riley and vice versa, that he hadn’t stopped to think whether they made a good couple. He knew he’d be biased, but he tried his best to think about this coldly. What even makes a good couple?

One the one hand, both of them were harmonious, cooperative people – unlike him – so they probably wouldn’t have too many big fights. Not only that, but their different types of wisdom complemented each other and they were both highly empathetic people; he was sure they’d make for exceptional rulers.

And yet... It was painful to admit this to himself, given that Drake knew his feelings for Riley would never be anything other than a fool’s wish, but he didn’t think he’d ever seen her laugh or joke around with Liam as much as she did with him. It wasn’t Liam that she was sneaking off with during boring functions.

And then there was the grateful look on her face as she’d said, “it felt good to tell someone,” after sharing something so deeply personal...

But no, he wasn’t being fair. She’d surely been on countless dates with Liam by now and who was to say she hadn’t been even more affectionate with him than she’d ever been with Drake? Who was to say they hadn’t already–

His nostrils flared.

Hell no, please don’t go there.

In order to distract himself from the uncomfortable truth that he’d have to get used to the idea of Riley having sex with Liam soon – they’re getting engaged, you dickhead! – he returned to the conversation he had mentally left for a little too long.

“Yes,” he finally answered firmly. “They make a good couple.”

He was relieved to see that Leo seemed to be taking his weirdness in stride. He probably thought Drake was drunk and spaced out.

“I’m glad. I trust your opinion, Drake. And what about you? Wedding bells on the horizon?”

Drake snorted.

“Not quite.”

“Living that bachelor life, eh? That can be fun too!” Leo gave him a devilish grin. “But when you do settle down, make sure it’s with someone you enjoy spending the quiet moments in life with.”

In a flash, Drake saw himself drinking whiskey with Riley, celebrating the moments in between. He blinked several times rapidly, his eyes feeling watery.

“Uh, yeah.”

“Oh, and please give Liam noogies every now and then to remind him of me.”

“Ha! Only if you promise not to ask him the same thing!”

Leo shrugged. “I’m afraid I can’t promise that.”

They laughed and walked back into the ballroom together. Leo promptly asked Drake to point out Riley. He did so with a smile, watching her talk to Maxwell in that animated way of hers.

Once Leo had left him to go introduce himself, Drake ordered a drink from the bartender and went back to sulking in his corner. Before long, Hana found him.

“Are you ready?” she almost whispered.

They each avoided the other’s eyes, looking straight out at the ballroom, and probably at the same person.

“Not nearly. You?”

“I... think I’ve made my peace with it,” she answered, still quietly. “Telling her really helped, so thank you for your advice.”

Drake choked on his drink and whipped around to look at Hana open-mouthed. “You–you told her?

She gave a small nod.

Haltingly, Drake asked, “So... what did she, um, say?”

“Oh,” Hana shrugged carefully, but there was no keeping the hurt from her voice, “what you’d expect. She said...” her voice wavered, yet she didn’t cry. Drake felt his admiration for her grow.

“She said I’m her best friend and, although I can’t deny I’d hoped for more, that’s enough for me.”

Drake squeezed her hand.

“You’re a class act, Hana. And brave, too. I’m gonna miss you and I’m glad we’re... friends.”

Hana stared at him, her eyes and mouth equally wide. “You said it! Voluntarily!”

“Shh!” Drake elbowed her lightly. “I’ve got a reputation to maintain!”

Hana giggled and mimed zipping her mouth shut.

Across the room, somebody cleared their throat importantly. They turned to see King Constantine rising from his chair.

He said, “If I may have everyone’s attention, please...”

Hana and Drake shared a resigned look and started towards Riley, Maxwell and Bertrand, who were clustered near the dance floor.

“It’s finally happening...” said Hana, giving Riley a brief hug.

Drake balled his fists and set his jaw. “Here we go...”

A hush had settled over the room; all eyes were on the royal family.

King Constantine launched into what Drake thought to be a very self-aggrandizing speech about his reign, though he did pause on a sweet note, praising Liam by saying he couldn’t have wished for a better successor. Drake could not agree more; Cordonia had really lucked out, but he, the King, Riley and everyone who knew Liam personally had won the lottery.

The Prince smiled softly and put an arm on the King’s shoulder, bashful at the compliment. “Father...”

“It’s true,” Constantine continued. He looked over to Leo, who was standing next to the Queen. “I love your brother, but you will be the King that Cordonia needs. Reliable, steady, wise, just. Though you weren’t born to be my successor, it feels as though this outcome was inevitable.”

There was a pause during which King Constantine looked at each other smilingly. Drake felt like he was interrupting a personal moment.

“Liam, you are ever bit the King I always hoped you’d be. Today, I pass the royal signet ring to you.” The King took the signet off and slid it onto Liam’s finger. “Cordonia is yours, my son.”

Beside him, Riley cupped her hands and cheered, “Let’s hear it for Liam!” startling Drake into jumping.

Recovering from the scare, he chuckled and shook his head, clapping for Liam until his hands stung.

“Lady Riley, compose yourself,” chided Bertrand, which only made it funnier.

Liam looked like he was holding in laughter as he winked at Riley. The applause and cheers quickly faded so Liam could speak, “Thank you all for being here tonight. This is an incredible honor and a responsibility that I don’t take lightly. I only hope I can serve Cordonia with the distinction that my father did.”

Drake scoffed internally at that. Liam would be a far better king than his father ever was; he was already a better man.

Liam bowed at his father and hugged him formally.

Queen Regina came forward with her usual grace. “And now the time has come. Your Prince will choose his bride.”

Drake’s stomach leaped in a way that made him feel more hungover than he had all day.

Constantine and the Queen thanked the suitors for participating in the social season and spouted some – in Drake’s opinion – bullshit about how they could all make great queens.

Come on, Penelope? Maybe if you wanted Poodle Day to become a national holiday. And I’m sure I’d be first in line to the guillotine if Olivia were queen.

He shuddered.

The Queen’s voice, which sounded more shaken than he’d ever heard her, took him out of his thoughts. “If you’ll excuse us one moment.”

The Queen and Constantine were whispering with a royal advisor. Constantine waved Liam over. His brow furrowed, Liam strode to them and joined the whispers.

It wouldn’t take long for the crowd to start murmuring among themselves, but as of that moment, you could have heard a pin drop. Which is why, when the first phone buzzed, everyone’s heads turned as one in the general direction of the sound. A few seconds later, however, two more went off, and then five, and then too many to keep track of.

He heard Madeleine’s prim voice exclaim, “Oh my!”

“Oh non,” said Kiara.

Penelope, a hand on her chest, said, “She wouldn’t...”

Maxwell’s phone buzzed and he snatched it out of his pocket. His eyes widened in horror. “Bertrand!”

It felt like a heavy rock had dropped inside Drake’s stomach. He had a bad feeling about this.

“What?” Bertrand snarled.

Maxwell showed him his phone and Drake leaned in to take a peek. It was a photo of Riley wearing a familiar pink bra and kissing – or rather, being kissed by – Tariq.

Drake felt his whole body grow hot and he clenched his fists even tighter than they already had been. “Those bastards!”

Riley turned to look at him, her eyes huge with fear. “Drake...” she said slowly, “I have a feeling I know exactly what this is. That night Tariq thought I walked into his room...”

She gulped and then carried on, her voice monotonous and defeated. “Someone got photos of it, didn’t they? And they’re using them to set me up.”

Hana’s hand was on her mouth. “It’s all over the news!”

She showed Riley her phone, which was covered in headlines of the same news: the “slutty” suitor who humiliated the prince by being caught hooking up with his friend.

Drake yanked the phone out of Hana’s hand.

What was she thinking, showing her that?!

Riley’s eyes were filling with tears. “But...”

Several guards came seemingly from out of nowhere and surrounded Riley. Drake could do nothing but stand there stupidly. In fact, he only realized one of them was Bastien when he heard him speak.

“I’m so sorry, Lady Riley, but I’ve been ordered to escort you out... immediately. Along with the representatives from House Beaumont.”

Drake gaped at him. Escort them out?! What the fuck?!

Bertrand seemed to agree with him, albeit more politely. “This is absurd!”

“You can’t do this to Riley!” cried out Maxwell.

A couple of guards grabbed the Beaumonts roughly, and Bastien and another guard seized Riley, dragging her to the door.

Drake’s brain finally kicked into action and he pushed his way to Bastien, roaring, “Get your hands off her!”

Without thinking, he punched Bastien, who doubled over, leaving Riley free on one side. Before she could take advantage though, another guard took Bastien’s place.

Drake’s friend slowly straightened up and he was surprised to see no anger in Bastien’s eyes, but rather a profound sadness. Not that he cared at the moment as he struggled helplessly, being held back by guards as his friends and one of his favorite people in the world were forced out the door.

“Riley!” He’d never heard Hana so out of control. She was being kept back as well and was fighting tooth and nail to get away.

From the dance floor, Liam’s voice boomed over the chaos that now dominated the room. “Where is Lady Riley? Riley!” He looked for her frantically.

Riley’s voice came in a shrill yell from the door as she still resisted security, “Liam!”

Despite the din, the Queen’s voice rang through the commotion, “Given the circumstances, I’m sure Lady Riley has withdrawn from consideration.”

The insensitive announcement was enough to stun him into giving up the fight.

Unbelievable. Unbe-fucking-lievable. These people have no shame.

“But...” Liam was saying desperately, still searching for Riley, “I need to speak with her.”

The Queen whispered something in Liam’s ear, which made his face harden, even as his eyes still were wide with shock and sadness.

Constantine cleared his throat. “And now, Prince Liam must make his choice.”

Liam sighed and came forward. Drake had never seen him scowl that much. “I choose... Lady Madeleine.”

There where a few scattered claps, but for the most part, the audience seemed too appalled to do much.

Madeleine, however, didn’t seem to mind as came forward with a grin from ear to ear. “I’m deeply, deeply honored to accept.”

She curtsied before Liam, then gripped his neck and pulled him down for a kiss.

As everyone stared, aghast, Drake looked to the door, where Riley had been enduring the guards’ efforts to force her out. He wasn’t expecting to find her looking at him instead of at Liam, her eyes brimming with tears.

The guards at last succeeded in ejecting Riley from the room, slamming the door after them. Drake fought to break free for a few seconds longer, until the futility of it really sunk in. He let his hands fall to his sides.

His eyes met Liam’s and he could see they were thinking the same thing: This isn’t over.

#trr #the royal romance #drake walker #drake x mc #prince liam #actually king liam in this chapter #maxwell beaumont #hana lee #pb #pixelberry #choices #playchoices #fanfic #ch 19 #the marshmallow chronicles #long post

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imjustthemechanic · 6 years

Photo

The Stone Knight

Part 1/? - Two Statues Part 2/? - A Curious Interview Part 3/? - John Doe Part 4/? - Escape Attempt Part 5/? - Making the News Part 6/? - Fallout Part 7/? - More Impossible Part 8/? - The Shield Thieves Part 9/? - Reality Sinks In Part 10/? - Preparing a Quest Part 11/? - The Marvelous History of Sir Stephen Part 12/? - Uninvited Guests Part 13/? - So That’s What It Does Part 14/? - The What and the Where Part 15/? - Gearing Up Part 16/? - Just Passing Through Part 17/? - Dinner with Druids Part 18/? - Kracness Henge Part 19/? - A Task Interrupted Part 20/? - The Red Death Part 21/? - Aphelion Part 22/? - The Stone Giants Part 23/? - Nat the Giant Killer Part 24/? - An Interrogation Part 25/? - Guilt Part 26/? - Rushman’s Brilliant Idea Part 27/? - Hunter in Hiding Part 28/? - Ridiculous Part 29/? - The Guy from Barton Part 30/? - Sherwood Forest Part 31/? - Buckeye’s Fall Part 32/? - Robin Hood Part 33/? - Fantasies and Consequences Part 34/? - Swords of Damocles Part 35/? - The Road to London

Sir Stephen is confused by democracy, Nat does more worrying, and Robin Hood thinks skyscrapers are cool.

They stopped for lunch in Leicester, and then Sharon took over driving while Nat moved to the back of the van, next to Robin, to eat a take-out sandwich. Robin Hood had been talkative before they’d stopped in Barton-in-Fabis, but now he was quiet, looking out the window at the countryside rolling by and chewing thoughtfully. Nat wondered what he was thinking. Was he imagining the life he could have with Marian? Wondering what had possessed his alternate self to abandon it? Pondering the nature of reality? She didn’t want to interrupt by asking him.

Besides, she had thoughts of her own to get lost in. Natasha had escaped the secret agent business and gone into hiding as a nobody academic at a university that wasn’t known for the field she’d chosen, because she wanted to be a normal person. It was a lie, of course – she had never been and would never be normal… but ‘truth’ and ‘lies’ were no longer meaningful categories. If she really wanted it, that kind of life was within her grasp. All she needed was another Grail fragment, and she could be Natalie Rushman or any other identity she wished to assume.

Really, Natalie Rushman would not be a bad person to be. She’d grown up in a suburb with parents who loved her and usually had enough money to get by. She had, as Allen had said, danced in ballet recitals and built snowmen and angsted over career choices. She’d probably done things she’d later regretted, because everybody did that at some point, but she was mostly pretty happy with her life – and, most importantly, she’d never tortured or killed anybody, or been locked up in the cold or forced to abandon a friend on the tundra. That had been the whole point of creating her: Natalie Allyson Rushman was perfectly, beautifully ordinary.

But she also wasn’t Natasha Romanov. The terrible things that Natasha had seen and done in her past had brought her to where she was today, and had taught her lessons that Natalie Rushman would never have had the opportunity to learn. Natalie Rushman wouldn’t have been able to fight her way through the mooks on Flotta, or knock out Robin Hood in Sherwood Forest, or work out how to destroy the Red Death’s golems. The situation Nat was in now needed Natasha Romanov.

Even after this was over, though… no, the thought of re-writing her past in such a literal fashion made Nat recoil as if she’d just found a tarantula crawling up her arm. There was a lot of ugly truth in her past, and she had told a lot of lies to cover it. In the future she would continue to tell lies, because it was the only way she could avoid being thrown in prison, but she preferred to remember the truth, even if nobody else did. Maybe that was another of the reasons she’d chosen archaeology – because you could learn from the truth. The ugly parts of it told you the worst that could happen, and you could look back on them and decide to do better in the future. Lies could not teach, they could only disguise, hiding the painful lessons so that you couldn’t learn or grow from them. They stuck you right back where you started and forced you to make the same mistakes all over again

“Those who fail to learn from the past are doomed to repeat it,” she murmured.

“Hmm?” Robin asked around his mouthful of sandwich.

“Nothing,” said Nat quickly. “I probably ought to warn you guys about London.” Robin Hood and Sir Stephen would have thought of the London of their own centuries as a teeming metropolis. They’d been absolutely astonished by the size of Inverness and Nottingham, but that wasn’t enough to prepare them. “The government doesn’t move around anymore, like it did in the Middle Ages. It stays in London. Sometimes the Queen stays in other places, but Parliament, which actually rules the country, is in London, and it’s also the economic centre of the country. It’s one of the biggest cities in the world, with a population of… I think eight million?” She was pretty sure she’d read that somewhere, but couldn’t recall where.

“Million?” asked Sir Stephen.

“Yes, million,” said Natasha. She took another bite of her sandwich, which she’d almost forgotten about as she pondered.

“How many is that?” he wanted to know.

Nat hadn’t realized he didn’t know what the word meant – she’d assumed he just didn’t believe the figure. She quickly chewed and swallowed so she could explain. “Oh. A million is a thousand thousands.”

Sir Stephen, sitting in the seat directly in front of her, didn’t answer.

“Do you know how many a thousand is?” asked Nat.

“Of course I do,” said Sir Stephen. “So if you were to divide all the inhabitants of London into cohorts of a thousand men…”

“Men, women, and children,” Nat said. “We count heads nowadays, not families.”

“A thousand people,” Sir Stephen corrected himself. “You could do so eight thousand times?”

Poor man, he probably thought a thousand was a large number – William had conquered England with only ten thousand men, and at the time that had been an almost unimaginably large army. As it turned out, an army was exactly what Sir Stephen was thinking about.

“If half of them are male,” he mused, “and a mere quarter of fighting age, your Queen could call up a force the like of which has never been seen on earth. That, from London alone!”

Nat shook her head. “It doesn’t work that way,” she said. “These people aren’t soldiers. The Queen can’t just order them to fight for her. If there were a battle in London, they would have to be evacuated.” She hadn’t thought of that yet, but if worst came to worst and the Red Death showed up to take the Grail by force, he would have no end of people to stab or buildings to knock down. Not to mention the unbelievable carnage if something like the golems got loose in a densely populated area.

“If she had enough weapons to arm them,” Sir Stephen insisted, “or even just asked them to take up their pitchforks and axes…”

“They don’t have pitchforks and axes, because they’re not farmers either!” said Nat. “They’re… they’re merchants and tradespeople and scholars and… and other things you won’t know what they are. The Queen can’t force people to fight when they’re not trained for it.”

“If your Queen cannot pardon a criminal nor raise an army, what can she do?” Sir Stephen asked, exasperated.

“She cuts a lot of ribbons,” said Sam.

“Shakes a lot of hands,” Sharon agreed. “Waves at crowds.”

“She’s on your money,” said Allen.

“Who makes the laws?” asked Sir Stephen. “Who leads you in battle?”

“We vote on that,” Nat explained. “Like the Romans did, but with less bribery.”

“But…” Sir Stephen began.

Sharon interrupted him. “We haven’t seen any sign of the bad guys in a while, have we?” she asked in a louder voice than necessary, to make the point that she was changing the subject on purpose.

“No, we haven’t,” Nat agreed – which was odd, now that she thought of it. Up until they’d left Inverness, Zola and the Red Death had been in step with them the whole time. They’d gotten to Dr. Hughes and stolen the map, they’d arrived at the henge on Flotta at about the same time, and they’d terrified Darren O’Herlihy. Now, however, Natasha and the others had been to Barton, to Sherwood Forest, and were on their way to London, and hadn’t encountered any opposition even once. “What do you think that means?” she asked. Should they be worried?

“Perhaps it only means that the ivy and horseshoes are working,” Sir Stephen suggested. “I never thought I would say such a thing, but bless the witches who sold them to us. Clearly they know their work well.”

“Or it could mean they’re doing something important while we’re distracted by things they figure are irrelevant,” Nat said. “If they already knew that Francis had used up his fragment, they might have gone to America or the Continent to look for some that are still active. Or even directly to the druids, who knows?”

“Or they know that we’re going directly to the Grail, and they’re following us on the down-low,” said Sam.

“They don’t seem like down-low types of people,” Sharon observed.

Having been raised in Russia and worked mostly in America, Natasha was still occasionally startled by just how small Britain was. Driving the length of a country sounded like something that ought to take a long time, but a determined person could go from Durness to Dover within twenty-four hours. It had been around ten in the morning when they’d left Barton, and they reached the suburbs of London before two.

It took the two time travellers a while to realize they were already in the city, and then, as Nat had predicted, they were absolutely astonished by this urban landscape that seemed to go on forever in all directions.

“A man could live his whole life within the confines of such a city,” Sir Stephen said quietly, “and never know anything existed beyond it.”

“I think a lot of people do,” Nat said.

Driving through London, where traffic was thick, almost seemed to take longer than driving to it, especially when they got into the city centre near the Thames. Natasha started to feel a little shaky when she spotted the outline of the White Tower above the buildings ahead of them. This was it – they were about to find out whether her theory were correct, or whether she’d wasted everybody’s time.

At the time it was built, the Tower keep had been the tallest building in London, and it had stayed that way for centuries. It would probably still be impressive to Robin and Sir Stephen if they saw it up close, but for the moment they didn’t even seem to notice it. Instead, their eyes went past it and up, to something that towered over it by nearly a thousand feet.

“What is that?” asked Sir Stephen.

“That’s the Shard,” said Sharon. “It’s the tallest building in the United Kingdom.”

“The Tower of London is coming up on our right,” Nat added. “That’s where I think William the Conqueror hid the Grail.” It did look rather insignificant with downtown Southwark all around it. Even the Tower Bridge was over a hundred feet taller. Time had rendered it nearly impossible to imagine the impact this giant stone keep would have had on a Saxon world, used to timber buildings and defensive ditches. William’s ambitions now seemed modest indeed.

Robin and Sir Stephen, however, were still focused on the Shard. “Do they let people climb it?” Robin asked. He’d figured out how the windows worked, and now rolled his down so he could stick his head out like a dog for a better look. “From up there you’d be able to shoot almost anyone in the city!”

“There’s glass in the windows,” said Sam.

“Actually, they’ve got an open-air platform at the top, I think,” Sharon said.

“But they wouldn’t let you take your bow up there anyway,” Nat added. She was starting to think… Zola couldn’t see or hear what they were doing in the van because of the ivy they’d sellotaped around the windows, but if he were following them he’d definitely know where they stopped. Why clue him in before absolutely necessary. “But yeah, you can pay admission and go up, like in the Willis Tower.” Not that they knew what that was.

“Can we do that?” asked Robin eagerly.

“We’re not here to sightsee,” said Sharon.

“Actually…” Nat glanced up at the building again, then shut off her turn signal and headed for the Tower Bridge instead of turning off to the castle itself. “He’s right – that’s a good vantage point. If we get some binoculars, we can scope out the whole castle grounds without ever setting foot in them. It’ll keep the Red Death in the dark a few hours longer.”

The Shard was even more impressive standing at the base of it looking up. Everybody craned their necks to see if they could make out the top of it, which was almost lost in the low fog. They must look, Nat thought, like a bunch of gawking tourists.

“It looks as if it were built out of air,” said Sir Stephen, taking in the shining steel and glass of the structure. “I’m not sure I trust it not to fall out from under me.”

“It’s stayed up so far,” said Nat. “Let’s see what we can see.”

#fanfic #natasha romanov #black widow #steve rogers #captain america #sharon carter #agent 13 #sam wilson #falcon #clint barton #hawkeye

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sassytimemachine · 7 years

Text

I was tagged by the amazing

@wanttodrawmothsfrommemory

Thanks Cas!

Rules: answer these 85 statements & tag 20 people

the last:

1. drink: Coffee?

2. phone call: Lemme check. I called my grandfather.

3. text message: National Emergency Comission warning everyone to be beware of rain, lmao told you we’re turning Altantis.

4. song:

5. time you cried: Uh, a few days ago.

have you ever:

6. dated someone twice: Nah, what?

7. kissed someone and regretted it: Yeah.

8. been cheated on: Nah.

9. lost someone special: Well not in the romantic sense if that’s what you mean. But otherwise yeah.

10. been depressed: Yeah

11. gotten drunk and thrown up: No, have never get drunk in fact. Ironically dad owns a bar, and I work at a liqueur store.

favorite colors:

12. Silver and Gold (yeah I know that’s two. Specially in pens or pilots, they’re so nice and magical)

13. Red

14. Purple

15. Yellow? I also like black shirts.

16. Tornasol? Lol I was once told my soul was that color, and that’s not even a color, but I loved it.

in the last year have you:

17. laughed until you cried: Yeah, can’t remember why but definetly.

18. found out someone was talking about you: Maybe.

19. met someone who changed you: Well, not drastically, more like people involved in experiences that gradually change you.

20. found out who your friends are: Hm, I think so.

21. kissed someone on your facebook list: Nah, I haven’t kissed anyone since I was like sixteen lmao.

22. made friends: Oh I think I became friends with Pri last year, so definetly!

23. fallen out of love: Nah

general:

25. what did you do for your last birthday: I didn’t wanted a celebration, but I got like five. I went to drink coffee with Ma to a nice place the day before, tried out the Creme Brulé which wasn’t bad but definetly not worth the price. Also ate Baileys cake which was awesome. Dad took my siblings and me to eat Thai Food. And a few days later my friends threw me a sleepover, we ate chinese, watched movies and they made me a cake with a little edible figure of my kitty.

26. how many of your facebook friends do you know in real life: Most of them.

27. do you have any pets: Yeah. Mamoshka a fierce nice kitty and a tortoise, Matildo. I’m very sad to inform that Luna (my fifteen year old cat) never returned home. :(

28. what time did you wake up: Ugh like ten, but that’s unusual.

29. what were you doing at midnight last night: I was on the internet.

30. name something you can’t wait for: Finishing my thesis ugh!

31: what are you listening to right now: cars pass by?

32: have you ever talked to a person named tom: Not that I remember.

33: something that’s getting on your nerves: The thesis. >:(

34. do you want to change your name: Not particularly.

35. hair color: Purple and a bit brown

36. long or short hair: Long, not super long though.

37. piercings: Nah. Ears count?

38. tattoos: Nope.

39. blood type: A+

40. nicknames: Mer, Merce, Mee, Meche, Cosi, Co. I really like Co, usually just called that by family that loves me though, but feel free to use it.

41. relationship status: Single

42. zodiac: Taurus

43. pronouns: I’m okay with anything. They/Them usually.

44. most visited website: Tumblr? Youtube?

45. right or left handed: Right-handed.

46. surgeries: Yeah, I opened my head once.

47. sports: No, though got a soccer group, lets see how that plays out.

48. favorite tv show: Uh, idk, I really like cooking shows, and comptetive shows. So top chef, bake off, and all of those are my jam.

49. vacations: I wish to be in the mountain or something.

50. sneakers: This made me think in snickers. I’ll really like a chocolate rn.

more general:

52. eating: This is so vague. Haha. Yeah man I eat.

53. fave drink: Coffee? Lemonade otherwise? Sprite if it’s soda.

54. what you’re up to: Gotta do some homework.

55. waiting for: Divine inspiration to start my homework?

56. want: Coffee, and something sweet.

57. get married: I don’t want to get married ever, don’t believe in it for me.

58. career: Oh man, I’m a Social Worker, and also working towards being an Anthropologist, idk.

which is better:

60. hugs or kisses: Hugs? I’m not very physical, but I do like them when it’s people I’m close with.

61. lips or eyes: Eyes

62. shorter or taller: It depends on what, if it’s a cake I’ll imagine taller, if it’s an attacking bear then probably shorter.

63. older or younger: What? People?

64. nice arms or stomach: What hahaha, idk ill like to draw nice stomachs and arms.

65. hook up or relationship: Relationships, i’m likely aro/ ace , so definetly hook ups are not my thing. But I can see the charm in them.

66. troublemaker or hesitant: Who? Me? Other people?

have you ever:

67. kissed a stranger: No.

68. drank hard liquor: I think so? As I said, dad owns a bar and a casino, and he’s very educated when it cames to liquor, and he has tried to educate me, so yeah I’ve tasted lots of stuff. Never quite drank it though. When I drink is usually smirnoff or mohito or some sweet shit.

69. lost glasses/contacts: So many times.

70. turned someone down: Yeah.

71. sex on the first date: Nah.

72. broken someone’s heart: I think so.

73. had your heart broken: Romantically? No. Otherwise, yeah.

74. been arrested: No haha

75. cried when someone died: Yeah, try not to in front of others though.

76. fallen for a friend: No.

do you believe in:

77. yourself: I’m with Cas here, lol, pretty sure I exist. Then I think.

78. miracles: I'm not sure.

79. love at first sight: No, I think love is something you build. That’s why I didn’t liked Marius and Cosette’s part first time I saw Les Mis.

80. santa claus: No lol, well, I mean, I think there was a dude that might’ve started the whole leyend, but the figure? No.

81. kiss on the first date: Wtf, I mean if they want to go for it.

82. angels: Not quite.

other:

83. current best friend’s name(s): Idk man, I’ve not been very close to my friends latetly. Kris, if who I’ve always called best friend, but we hardly ever speak or see each other.. Also maybe Yoshi*, Fabi, Shir, the squad you know?

Santiago, but idk if best friend is the word we would use, he’s more like the friend that comes uninvited whether I’m home or not, and calls my mom Ma.

*Special mention to thesis partner, it’s like training to drive a jagger.

84. eye color: Brown

85. favorite movie: Pan’s laberynth? How to train your dragon? Fifth element?

If they want to do it I’m tagging idk, not twenty probably lmao @draco-rys @montparnasse-the-arse @actualplanetpluto @sunny-day-sky @just-a-colour-bandit @bahorelly

@todaysgonebi @courfeyracs-swordcane @courf-the-goof @aflamethatneverdies @soliloquies-and-sweets

idk I’m surerly missing people.Feel tagged by me if you want to do it!

#stuff i was tagged in #cas #personal stuff

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incorrectdwkquotes · 7 years

Note

DerDickeMichi: You will bow down before me! - Leon: Sorry, the floor's kind of dirty. - source: digimon 2. Leon: Remember that time you dared me to lick the swing set? - Marlon: No, I said, "Leon, don't lick the swing set," and you said, "Don't tell me what to do, Marlon." And then you licked the swing set. - source: icarly 3. Don’t get me wrong, my father loved me, he just didn’t really care about my general happiness or self-esteem." - Maxi source: john mulaney

(an outtake from writing the love letter) Deniz: “So let’s start by talking about the emotions you are feeling right now.” Leon: “Stabbing.” Julie: “Stabbing isn’t really an emotion. It’s more of an activity, which I hope you don’t do rigth now. See, an emotion is more of a feeling.” Leon: “Well maybe I feel stabby.” source: icarly

Look, I know Nessi. She’s not the useless type. She doesn’t just stand there and scream helplessly, she makes other people do that.“-from Jingo (Discworld) 2) Maxis Dad when they walk in to get the money: Thank you for coming to see me. Don’t hesitate to leave.-source: discworld 3) don’t get afraid, get angry.-Leon - source: discworld

Leon: “You guys want a miracle to happen or not?” Fabi: “Yeah,okay. Miracles require a little faith. Scared, Leon?” Leon: “No, not at all. How about you, Fabi?” Fabi: “Course not. Piece of cake. But, maybe I’ll just hang on to you to make sure you don’t chicken out or anything” (holds Leon’s had as they stand together) Leon: “Yeah, right. I’ll do the same for you, buddy.” source: digimon - hey that scene was a influcening childhood moment for me.

Maxi: “If I’m going to die anyway, I’d rather die like this. Heroically.” - Blossom: “Is it heroic to die like this?” - Maxi: “*I* think it is, and when it comes to dying, there’s only one opinion that matters.” -Discworld (Blossom asking Maxi when they are close to losing if he still thinks he is standing on the right side and he answers yes - is for me a very important scene for shipping them the way i do)

Raban: Uh… hey, Fabi , can i ask you a question? - Fabi: Yes. -Raban: Why are we knocked out lying on the ground? - Fabi: You fainted, so I laid down next to you so people would just think we were chilling. source scrubs (i always loved their friendship. what a bunch of losers)

Thank you so much! I’m gonna put all of these on queue, they’re amazing!

The entirety of Digimon was a influencing childhood moment for me! And that scene… that scene!! Oh my god, I’m tearing up. I’m always here for Digimon references and quotes ;)

And oh my, Raban and Fabi’s friendship, Fabi protecting and caring for Raban, Raban looking up to Fabi, damn I love those two so much, it’s a shame their friendship wasn’t much addressed in the movies :(

#seriously guys thank you so much for the support you're giving me #it means a lot to me #and i'm happy you're enjoying this blog as much as i do!#suggestions #ask #anonymous

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livingthroughchoices-blog · 6 years

Text

The Marshmallow Chronicles (Ch. 15: The Brothers Beaumont)

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Author’s notes: Sorry this took so long! This is such an important chapter I was pretty nervous about writing it. I really hope it lives up to everyone’s expectations!

Thanks to everyone who likes, reblogs and/or comments. It truly means a lot! And especially to @starstruckzonkoperatorbat, @notoriouscs, @simplyaiden-blog, @snyggflicka, @asprankle, @speedyoperarascalparty, @mirivalencia, @mymandrake, @asobigokoro2018, @krisnicjack and @fabi-en-ciel for asking me to tag them! Please let me know if you want to be tagged or untagged (:

I love y'all!

Rating: T

Pairing: Drake x MC

Words: 6,903

Although he’d intended to stay up all night, Drake eventually fell into a fitful sleep from which he awoke with a start. He’d slept for longer than he would’ve thought; judging by how tired he felt, he would’ve guessed he’d slept maybe 4 hours, yet it had been more than twice that long.

Despite the fact that he could barely open his bleary eyes, he was glad for the late hour, as he was sure to avoid Riley. She had undoubtedly been woken up by Maxwell at an ungodly hour, and had possibly even made it to the Beaumonts’ estate by now.

He, along with Liam and Bastien, would not be making their way there until the next day. He was glad for one more day at the manor, knowing he would not be seeing Riley. Or worse, Riley and Liam together.

He tried to rub the sleep out of his eyes, but in closing them only succeeded in making himself sleepier.

Cold shower it is, then.

He hopped in and let out a gasp full of regret as soon as the freezing water hit his back, not just because of how unpleasant it was, but also because being more awake only meant more inner turmoil.

What the hell happened last night? Addams, she... the things she said... Could she actually feel the same way?

The arguing little voice was back.

Don’t be ridiculous. We’ve been through this. Her other choice is Liam. It’s cute that the thought even crossed your mind. Or maybe just pathetic.

He shook his head, washing his body at a furious speed, eager to be out of the shower and drown his thoughts out somehow.

One thing is clear, he thought as he wrapped a towel around his waist, I can’t trust myself around her. I have to avoid her until this crush goes away or until... she’s engaged to Liam, then I’ll have no choice but to accept it.

Seems like half the court’s gonna be heartbroken.

He gave a wry smile at that.

Hell, even Tariq!

He was grateful when that train of thought led him back to Riley’s odd door. He thought it was probably nothing, but he’d rather be safe than sorry. Moreover, reporting it to Bastien gave him something to do, other than agonizing over a crush like a dumb teenager.

He found Bastien at the manor’s small archery range, practicing. As he came into view, he loosed an arrow, which flew wildly over the target. Bastien threw his bow down to the dirt in frustration and kicked at it.

“Whoa, what’s that poor bow done to you? It’s not its fault you suck.”

Bastien wheeled around with a glare so fierce, Drake put his hands up and backtracked, “Hey, hey, you know I’m kidding! Besides, who would I be to say that? I’m the worst at archery.”

“That you are,” replied Bastien drily, turning around to pick his bow up.

“Bastien, I have to tell you something.”

The man only grunted in response, already nocking another arrow.

Someone’s cooperative.

Drake cleared his throat and moved closer, determined to make himself heard.

“Right. So last night, I was in Addam’s room–”

He cut himself off as Bastien let the arrow go, hitting the target square in the middle. He whistled, impressed.

“That was one hell of a shot. I definitely take back what I said earlier.”

A tense silence followed and somehow, although Bastien still had his back to him, he could tell he’d arched a judgmental eyebrow.

“What?” Drake said defensively. “I had a good reason to be there, okay? I’m not gonna get into it but I did...”

The silence continued until he could no longer bear it.

“Look! Whatever, okay?! Nothing happened so you can stop with the third degree!”

Bastien scoffed softly at that and finally turned to look at him, a small smile on his face.

“All right, I’ll stop. You were saying? You were in Lady Riley’s room and then what happened?”

“Nothing happened!” he exploded. Bastien looked strangely at him and Drake felt his neck grow hot. “Oh, uh, you meant what did I want to tell you,” he said in a smaller voice.

Bastien nodded.

“There was no lock on her door.”

There was another silence and then Bastien shrugged.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Drake asked, incensed at not being taken seriously.

“It means I’m sure it’s nothing.”

Drake had reached the same conclusion on his own from the start, but he was so irritated by Bastien’s nonchalance about the whole thing that he was suddenly arguing passionately; it was almost involuntary.

“How the hell do you figure? Hers was the only door without a lock, okay? Don’t you think that’s weird?!”

Bastien shrugged again and Drake resisted the urge to shove him.

“Evidently, that is not how it should be and I’ll bring it to the staff’s attention, but I’m certain it’s not important. Come to think of it, they remodeled the manor recently, they might have simply forgotten to change that door handle.”

Bastien’s reasonable tone penetrated Drake’s layers of annoyance and calmed him. But he wasn’t going down without a fight.

“I still think you should check on it.”

“Drake, you know I will,” said Bastien, picking up his bow and arrow. Once again, his shot missed by a wide margin.

Drake snorted.

“Well, then, I’ll let you get back to practice. You clearly need it.”

He narrowly avoided being whacked by the bow Bastien swung at him and, still chuckling, he strolled back to the manor. A whole Riley-free and thus, jealousy-free day stretched ahead of him and he didn’t yet know what to do with it. He felt a twinge of sadness at the prospect of not seeing her today and mentally smacked himself.

So you’re upset if your see her, upset if you don’t? Stop whining, idiot. Maybe you could find Lady Kiara and pick up where you left off...

With more of a destination in mind – even if it was a person rather than a place – he strode towards the manor. Almost at the threshold, his phone went off in his pocket. He picked it out and saw “Maxwell” on the screen. He groaned.

“Dude. I get one day to rest from you. One. D–”

“Drake! Shut up for a second!”

He was so shocked that Maxwell had told him to shut up, that he did.

“Didn’t you get my texts? I need you, it’s an emergency!”

Drake pinched his forehead. “Maxwell, if this is in any way party related–”

“It’s not! I mean, it is, but it’s important, I promise!”

“Well, spit it out!”

He heard Maxwell sigh on the other end. “The... the caterers quit on us. The whole staff, in fact.”

Drake gaped at his phone. “Shit. Is it, um, because of the money thing?”

Maxwell took a second to answer, “Yes.”

“Damn, Maxwell, I’m sorry. So how many people have you recruited?”

His question was met with more silence.

“I’m the only one, huh?”

“Yeah, I asked Tariq and a couple of other guys but...”

Maxwell sounded sick with worry and Drake felt hot anger rise in his throat.

Those fucking nobles. Won’t move a finger to help even one of their own.

Perhaps sensing what Drake’s reaction would be, Maxwell hurried to say, “It’s okay, though, don’t worry! I’m confident we’ll get this done between you, Riley and I! We’ll be unstoppable! We just need a team name and–”

“If you say secret identities I won’t go.”

“Right. I’ll see you here then? There’s a whiskey with your name on it!”

He hadn’t really needed the whiskey to convince him – his friend needed help and that was enough for him – but it was a nice bonus.

“Yeah, be there in like 2 hours.”

“Thank youuuu! Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!”

“I’m gonna hang up now.”

He did so and raced up the stairs. Halfway to his room, a realization stopped him short.

Just me, Maxwell and Addams. Shit. Goddamn it. If nobles weren’t the fucking worst I wouldn’t have to go, but I can’t leave Maxwell hanging.

He threw all his stuff into his bag and hurried to one of the Jeeps that were always available for the royal family and its inner circle.

Before backing out of the manor, he quickly texted Liam, “Heading down today. Tell Bastien”

He knew Liam would be too busy to reply any time soon, so he put his phone down and sped to House Beaumont. He blasted music all the way there, hoping to quiet his conflicting thoughts, torn between excitement and dread.

He parked outside the magnificent estate and was going to text Maxwell that he had arrived, when the doors swung open. Bertrand stood there with his arms crossed and beckoned him with a move of his head.

At your service, he thought, rolling his eyes. He slammed the door of the Jeep and sauntered over to Bertrand, taking his time once he noticed the noble tapping his foot impatiently.

“Drake,” he said curtly, making a decent attempt at hiding his irritation.

Drake had been about to answer with a short, “Bertrand,” until he noticed the dark shadows under Bertrand’s eyes. His face looked pale and drawn; it was obvious he was under a lot of stress.

Okay, okay, I’ll throw him a bone.

“Duke Ramsford,” he bowed his head. He thought he caught a glimpse of Bertrand looking pleasantly surprised before he rearranged his features into a neutral – if exhausted – expression.

“Thank you for coming. Truly. I hope we can trust you to be discreet.”

Drake’s nostrils flared.

Who does he think I am? A noble?

He answered, “Of course,” and pushed his way into the house before he lost his temper.

He went straight into the kitchen, the setting for many a drunken midnight snack with Liam and Maxwell during the latter’s legendary parties. He pushed the door open calling, “Hello? Anyone in here?”

Riley looked up from the counter, where she’d been arranging ingredients and exclaimed, “Drake!” her eyes shining.

Drake’s heart leapt to his throat.

Holy shit, she still looks happy to see me.

The fact was, after last night’s events he hadn’t been sure how she would react. Would she regret everything? Was it just a moment of temporary vulnerability?

Maxwell, meanwhile, and to no one’s surprise, was chanting, “Drake! Drake! Drake! You came!”

Warmth swelled in his chest but he played it down, “Yeah, yeah. Calm down, it’s not that big of a deal.”

“Yes, it is! We are friends!” Maxwell bounded up to him and crushed him in hug.

Cheek to cheek, Drake groaned, “You promised me whiskey.”

“Friendship whiskey!”

Maxwell finally let him go and got him a glass of whiskey, which Drake waved away for the moment.

From the counter, Riley said, “Drake, you made it!”

I wish she’d stop sounding so excited. It’s almost enough to make me think...

He raised his eyebrows, “Yeah, yeah, behold your knight in shining armor. Alright, I’m here now. What needs to be done?”

“Riley and I are plating some fancy appetizers,” explained Maxwell, gesturing to a row of neatly plated hors d’oeuvres. “Come join us...”

Avoiding Riley’s gaze, he went to stand next to Maxwell, who quickly demonstrated the steps to prepare their invention. After making a few, Drake went into autopilot. Knowing his mind would drift to places he’d rather not visit, he resorted to something he normally despised: small talk.

“So how was the jamboree yesterday?”

“So fun!” provided Maxwell.

Thank God you can always count on good ol’ Maxwell for a distraction.

Not needing much prompting at all, Maxwell had launched into a full and detailed account of his previous day.

“–so close to winning! But then Liam was called away because of the reporter, so I went with him. Still, my apple-bobbing skills are unrivaled.”

Drake whipped around to look at Maxwell. “What did you say?”

“Oh, come on, Drake, you know you could never beat me! I’m amazing at bobbing–”

“No, before that.”

“Oh, a guard came looking for Liam to tell him about the reporter who snuck in.”

“That’s impossible. No one ever sneaks in!”

“I know! It would have been more impressive if she hadn’t been caught and thrown out though...”

Drake’s mind was reeling. How had a reporter snuck in? Even more importantly, why hadn’t Bastien told him when he’d talked to him this morning? He always informed him of these things.

His thoughts were interrupted by Maxwell’s delighted, “Oooh, these are shaping up! I think we need a good name for these though. Maybe ‘Jewels of the Sea’...”

He looked at their creations lovingly.

“Why not name it the Charade of the Season?” jumped in Riley.

"Heh,” Drake couldn’t help chuckling at that.

Such a dork.

"Oh, snarky. I like it.” Maxwell nodded his approval and took their full trays to the fridge.

He dusted off his hands. “There, that should be enough to get us started. Now then, on to the main course!”

Drake raised a skeptical eyebrow, “Do you even know how to cook from scratch?”

“Well...” Maxwell stalled. His hand suddenly went to his pocket and he checked his phone. He let out a sigh of relief.

“Oh, thank heavens. Bertrand found another company to handle the main courses. Let me tell you, nobody would’ve wanted the science experiments I was about to produce.”

Drake wiped imaginary sweat from his forehead, “Dodged a bullet there.”

“What’s next on the ‘We’re in Panic Mode’ list?” asked Riley, hands on her hips.

Maxwell scratched his chin, “Hmm... I should stay here and clean the kitchen, but Bertrand might need help in the main hall. Last I saw of him, he was looking for cleaning supplies...”

“Oh boy.” Riley tried to make eye contact with Drake, presumably so they could make fun of Bertrand’s helplessness together, but he refused. In fact, this was the perfect opportunity to make sure they didn’t spend more time together than was strictly necessary.

“I’ll stay here and help Maxwell. We’ll come find you once we finish down here.”

Riley’s shoulders slumped, but she nodded and left the kitchen.

Drake and Maxwell got to work in – I can’t believe this! – silence. He couldn’t remember the last time Maxwell had been quiet for this long... not counting chewing time, and even then, not always.

He looked at his friend more closely and saw shadows under his eyes deeper even than his high-strung brother’s. His brow furrowed.

“Hey, man, you okay?”

“Of course! Why do you ask?”

“Well, for one thing, you look like shit.” Maxwell glared daggers at him. Drake shrugged and carried on, “For another, you’ve been wiping that spotless cabinet for the last 5 minutes.”

Maxwell looked down at his circling hand, only now becoming aware of it. He stopped, put the rag over his shoulder and sighed.

“Don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine. It’s funny; we really are in a tight spot money-wise, but I’m more worried about Bertrand.”

“I can see why; he looks like shit, too.”

Maxwell snapped his rag at him, barely brushing his back just enough to sting.

“Ow! You dick! What was that for?”

“Beaumonts never look like shit.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, you’re right! Us commoners look like shit; you nobles look like feces. Is that better?”

Judging by Maxwell chasing him around trying to hit him again, it wasn’t. Drake was embarrassed by how much he enjoyed just being a guy, doing stupid guy things with his friend. Of course, it took them twice as long as it should have to clean the kitchen, between fits of laughter and rag snapping battles, but they eventually got it done.

"Bertrand just texted me to go help Riley dust a few things. He says you should go to the ballroom and start setting the tables.”

“Aye, aye, captain,” grumbled Drake.

As before, the work was not distracting enough and he was dangerously close to thinking about a certain someone, wearing a certain undergarment. He didn’t think he’d ever been thankful for Bertrand’s presence before. As soon as he stepped into the ballroom, he inspected his work, nitpicked a few things here and there, and chided him for not going fast enough. It was just was Drake needed.

For the next 20 minutes, he worked diligently under Bertrand’s watchful eyes; he couldn’t have spared a moment to think about Riley if he’d wanted to.

That is, until, “It’s looking great!”

The doors opened and in stepped Riley and Maxwell. Drake felt his face muscles twitch and fought the stupid smile that seemed to accompany her into every room she entered.

Dammit, it’s like I forget how beautiful she is and then every time it hits me like sucker punch.

He busied himself with the floral arrangement he was working on when they’d arrived and distantly heard Bertrand assigning activities.

“Lady Riley, if you could assist Drake?”

No!

“Sure!” Riley said brightly and headed over to his table.

She admired his arrangement and teased, “Why, Drake, I never knew you had such flair with peonies...”

Drake shook his head “The things I do for you people...”

He thought of Maxwell’s tired face and decided to voice his concern.

Well, since we’re stuck together, I might as well ask her opinion. Plus it gives us something harmless to talk about.

He lowered his voice. “Hey... anything about any of this seem off to you?”

“Huh?”

From across the ballroom, they heard the brothers arguing.

“What I don’t get is that the money was in our account yesterday!” Bertrand was whisper-shouting.

“I... I don’t know anything about our finances, Bertrand! You know that!”

Maxwell’s eyes were glued to his feet as Bertrand continued to rail on him, “You might not know anything, but you’re still causing me problems! You’re the only other person with access to that account!”

“I...” Maxwell stammered.

“This better not be to pay off one of your idiotic credit card purchases. Last month you said you spent three thousand on a jet ski. What is it this time?”

“I told you, I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Maxwell looked like he was barely holding it together.

You have to feel for the guy.

“You’re lucky I don’t have time to deal with you right now,” huffed Bertrand, then turned on his heel and left. Maxwell stood, dazed and alone for a second, before following Bertrand out.

Drake raised an eyebrow at Riley. “Well? Doesn’t it seem like something weird is going on?”

She pursed her lips. “It seemed like there’s something suspicious going on in House Beaumont.”

“Exactly.”

“I wonder what’s actually going on with their money issues...” Her lips were still pursed and her brow furrowed. He’d never seen her look so pensive.

Thank God! Something to focus on!

“I’m going to find out what it is. Besides, it sounds like Maxwell might be in over his head this time. I think he really needs my help... But knowing him, he’d never ask.”

Riley stared, confused, “I didn’t realize you and Maxwell were that close.”

“After all the time I’ve spent with him in the past weeks, I’m starting to find him less annoying,” he smiled.

“High praise,” she replied sarcastically.

“Besides, we scrubbed the kitchen cabinets together. I think I’m invested now.”

Okay, this is fine. We can have silly, meaningless conversations like this. Yes. It’s gonna be fine.

Riley chuckled, “Sure...” Her face abruptly sobered and he noticed she was wringing her hands. She licked her lips and mumbled, “Actually, Drake... there’s something else we should talk about. About last night...”

Nope. No no no, we’re not doing this. I mean, come on, she has to realize how wrong this is, right? I have to give her an out.

He chose to play dumb, “Last night?”

Riley licked her lips once again and spoke so softly, Drake had to strain to hear what she said, “What you said... about how you feel...”

“Riley,” he cut her off, using her first name so she’d know he was serious, “I don’t think we should talk about this here.”

“Then somewhere private?” She looked at him, crushing hope in her eyes.

He swallowed, shaking his head frantically, “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”

“Why not?” she looked so hurt, self-hatred rose up like lava inside him.

He ran a hand down his face. “The way you look at me sometimes, Addams...” His voice caught.

It’s now or never. Tell the truth for once, if only so you won’t hurt her.

“If we’re alone again together, I’m not sure I’ll be able to stop myself from doing something stupid.”

And I would never forgive myself. Liam deserves better.

“Drake...”

She moved her hand towards his on the table when, “Drake! Riley!”

She was so startled, when she put her hand down she knocked her fingers against the table.

“Eep! Er, I mean, yes?”

“Why are you two standing around chatting like ladies at an afternoon tea?” barked Bertrand. “You both said you’d help, so help!”

Drake was torn between relief at having been interrupted and wanting to bite Bertrand’s pompous head off.

What a prick.

“Right away, Duke Ramsford,” said Drake with disdain.

“Yeah. Of course.”

Okay, that’s it. I didn’t come here to be cornered by Addams or to be ordered around by Bertrand. I’m gonna find out what the hell is going on.

He waited for Bertrand to leave the room and the slinked off to where he knew the study was.

He had just started rummaging through a drawer when Riley crept in and asked, “Drake, what are you doing back here?”

He managed to refrain from jumping, but he did shut the drawer closed immediately, scared it might be one of the brothers.

He turned to her. “Addams! So, you followed me, huh?” At this point Drake felt like maybe he was literally turning into two people, as he hadn’t been able to have only one feeling at a time all day. Right now, he was pleased she had followed him and worried about the conversation that might ensue.

He gestured around the room. “This is the Beaumont study.”

“How’d you even know this was here?”

“I used to come to this house a lot, back in the day. We ran in the same circles, being friends with Liam and all that...” explained Drake.

“My sister, Savannah,” goddamn, it’s hard to talk about her, ��used to think the Beaumont brothers were the epitome of courtly life. She practically worshipped them.” He rolled his eyes.

“And you didn’t,” said Riley knowingly, moving closer.

Drake allowed himself a small smile. “I found them to be more of an acquired taste.”

“You mean they both annoyed the hell out of you,” laughed Riley.

“Yup. Pretty much,” he chuckled. “Whenever I got tired of their antics, I’d sneak off and come here to their study.”

“So you were the life of the party even back then?” she elbowed him.

“Ha ha. Whenever Savannah found me here, she would try to get me to join in on the fun.” He smiled more, reminiscing about the girl his little sister had been, always eager to see the best in people, to get along with everyone; the exact opposite of him, basically. He sighed. “I don’t even know where she is now.”

“You don’t have any way of finding her?” Riley’s voice was thick with concern.

He shook his head. “She stopped answering my calls and deleted all of her social media. Wherever she is... all I know is that she doesn’t want to be found. Even by me. And you know what?”

He swallowed against the knot in his throat and spoke what he knew to be true, “I don’t blame her. I failed her. I don’t even know how, but I know that I failed her. I didn’t protect her from... from whatever it was that made her leave.”

He gripped the back of a chair until his knuckles were white, willing himself to get it together. He felt a hand rubbing soothing circles on his back. He didn’t think it would make him feel as much better as it did.

Riley murmured, “Drake, maybe she just needs to deal with this on her own.”

“Maybe. But she’s my little sister...” His voice cracked, “I helped her learn how to tie her shoes. It kills me to think there’s something she didn’t think she could trust me with.”

“Do you have any idea what it was about?”

Again, he shook his head.

There’s so much I don’t know.

“She was so happy... and then one day, after one of these Beaumont parties, she wasn’t. She locked herself in her room, and I could hear her crying. A couple days later, all of her things were packed, and she was just... gone.” His eyes felt dangerously wet, so he decided that was plenty of soul-baring for today. “But... that’s enough about that...”

He unclenched his hands and straightened up. Riley dropped her hand. There was an uncomfortable silence. The first time he hadn’t enjoyed a quiet moment with her. There was too much unspoken on his side; trying to make small talk with her would be like swimming through molasses.

Luckily, Riley didn’t seem to feel that way. “So, this is the Beaumont study...” She looked around. “I expected more party hats. I mean, Maxwell lives here, so I figured...” she trailed off.

Drake knew his best bet was to follow this innocent lane of conversation. “It is more on the serious side, isn’t it? I don’t think they changed it after their father passed away. The former Duke Ramsford made it a point to decorate it with the family’s accomplishments.”

He pointed at the walls, covered as they were in first place ribbons and photos of beaming teams holding trophies; and the shelves, which could not have borne the weight of another trophy or medal.

“As you can see, the Beaumont family has a lot to brag about.” He nodded to a prominent picture of Maxwell and Bertrand on horseback.

“I guess Bertrand and Maxwell had a habit of winning.”

“A family tradition.”

Riley grimaced, “I can see why Bertrand is always so worried about upholding the Beaumont name.”

“Their house goes back a long way. I could never pity a rich kid like Bertrand, but I come very close to it sometimes,” Drake agreed. “He’s got a lot of pressure on him. I think his parents gave him a lot of talks about his heritage and Cordonia... And it’s not like Maxwell’s much help with anything.”

“Maxwell tries,” Riley defended him. “Sometimes.”

“Heh. Maxwell’s always been more interested in having fun. He couldn’t care less about prestige and honor. That’s one of the things I like about him, actually.” He smiled at that and forgot about his resolve to avoid eye contact.

Once he made that fatal mistake, he couldn’t tear his eyes from her.

Oh God, I missed the fucking sight of her! I’ve reached peak pathetic.

He was so busy berating himself, he hadn’t registered that her gaze was lingering just as much. When he did, he found it was more than he could bear and he looked down.

She stretched out her hand and touched his arm. He kept his eyes fixed on the hardwood floor.

“Drake, we need to talk about ‘us,’” she said, nervous but firm.

Still staring down, Drake answered in monotone, “There is no ‘us.’”

It felt like someone was squeezing his heart. He knew that, but saying it out loud somehow made it more real... and final.

“I don’t think you mean that,” she near-whispered.

Drake finally looked at her and steeled himself to say everything that had been churning in his head for months. All his guilt, his resentment, his jealousy, his love, all of it.

“The truth is that my best friend is head over heels for you. So it doesn’t really matter how I feel. Because that’s where it has to end. Liam is the only one who’s ever looked out for me. The only one who gave a damn about me after my dad... After he was gone,” his voice trembled embarrassingly.

He took a deep breath and held on to his anger instead, “The rest of the court was ready to cast us out, never mind that he died protecting the royal family.”

Riley’s hand was still on his arm. When he paused she caressed him soothingly, “Drake... I’m sorry. That’s terrible.”

“I didn’t care much,” he shrugged, “but my mom and Savannah... it would’ve devastated them. Liam made sure we had a place at the palace as long as we wanted one. I could never betray him by falling for his girl.”

A little late for that. But I could never do something about it.

“So that’s what it all comes down to, Addams.” He moved away from her and her warm touch. “Whatever I feel... it doesn’t matter.”

The corners of his mouth pulled down and he rubbed his hand against it, hoping to at least get through this with his dignity.

Riley stepped close to him once more.

Damn, she’s stubborn.

“Drake, what about how I feel?”

Drake inhaled so sharply it was almost a gasp.

How she–? Can she mean–?

He couldn’t form coherent thoughts so he wasn’t sure why he decided speaking would be any better. “How you feel... of course I care how you feel. I just didn’t think... I mean... what are you saying, Addams?”

She looked him straight in the eyes and with merely hint of her previous nervousness, said, “I’m saying, I want you.”

Drake’s heart had already been beating faster than usual, but at those words it positively hammered in his chest.

What the fuck do I do? How do I resist that?

He balled his fists and clamped his jaw, trying to force himself to become ice.

“Oh, Addams...” he groaned through his clenched jaw, “you shouldn’t have said that.”

Her eyes were so intense that his jaw went slack. His fists still closed, he took in a ragged breath; every fiber of his being in contradiction between not moving a muscle, or closing the short distance between them now.

“Drake...”

As it turned out, his internal battle was useless; he’d forgotten to take one very important thing into account: Riley did whatever she wanted. Before he could so much as take a breath, she was standing closer than she’d ever been.

And then she was even closer, impossibly so. He could have counted her eyelashes. It took him an instant to understand she was standing on her tiptoes. Then she pressed her lips to his softly and he knew he was lost.

He was too startled to kiss her back, so she withdrew and searched his face, obviously worried that he hadn’t wanted to kiss her. Looking back, Drake would find that absolutely hilarious.

He raised his hand – his fists seemed to have loosened of their own accord – and traced her jawline with his thumb.

He uttered the only word he could possibly think of, “Addams...”

“Yes?” she smiled up at him and the tiny part of his defense that was still up, crumbled then and there.

He let himself want her the way his whole being had been urging him to since practically the day they met.

“I’ve wanted this for so long...” He could barely get the words out through the surge of desire that rushed through him.

She was still standing close, but now that she’d kissed him, he didn’t think anything would be close enough. He pulled her to him tightly and kissed her hungrily, blessedly not thinking for the first time in months.

Her mouth opened and then her tongue was on his and he was so far gone. His hands roamed her back before settling on her hips, which he gripped hard. She’d been running her hands through his hair but now she moved them to his chest. She grabbed and bunched up the fabric of his shirt, trying to get him closer than physics would allow.

Drake broke the kiss, feeling like he had to come up for air. He was breathing as heavily as if he’d just run a marathon.

Riley touched his cheek tenderly. “Drake...”

He had never loved his name more than when he heard it coming out of her swollen lips. Swollen from kissing him.

He leaned down, his lips brushing her ear – he noted with pleasure that she shivered – and whispered, “I didn’t think this would ever be more than a fantasy...”

She looked up again and their lips were almost brushing. With a smile, she asked, “Are you saying that you’ve thought about this before?”

If it hadn’t been for fear of ruining the moment, Drake would have laughed, “More than I’d like to admit.”

He kissed her again, only by now, his thoughts had had time to catch up to him.

This is the last time you ever do this, asshole, so make it count.

He kissed her with the desperate certainty that comes with wanting something you definitely cannot and should not have. He gripped the back of her head tightly, crashing their mouths together. Then he pulled back and held her at arm’s length.

Her eyebrows knitted together. “What’s wrong?”

Where do I start?

“Someone could come in here... One of them might come looking for us... We shouldn’t just...”

It was clear his thoughts hadn’t completely come back to him.

He shook his head. “Even without a drop of whiskey, why do I feel drunk when I’m around you, Addams?”

The kind of drunk you get addicted to. You are fucking intoxicating.

A slow smile spread on her face and there was so much affection in her eyes as she said, “Drake...” and started stepping forward again.

Drake stopped her and then dropped his arms. “Don’t smile at me like that. I don’t deserve it. We shouldn’t be doing this. I don’t know what I was thinking.”

He rubbed his face roughly, as if that could wipe out what he’d done. His mind, in the meantime, was chanting, You’re a piece of shit, you’re a piece of shit, over and over again.

Riley chewed on her cheek, her eyes downcast. “Should we leave?”

He stared at her, only this time she was the one who would not meet his eye.

Can you blame her? You blew her off seconds after betraying your best friend. Why wouldn’t she want to leave?

Fuck. I have to tell Liam.

Perhaps wanting to delay that moment, he remembered the reason why he’d originally come into the study. “Soon... but we came in here with a mission, didn’t we?”

She raised her eyes, still avoiding his and gave a hesitant smile. “Something about searching for clues to the Beaumont mystery, I think?”

“Right.”

She turned to the drawers Drake had been inspecting when she’d arrived, while Drake searched through the papers on a smaller desk. He felt it before he saw it: a thick envelope.

“Whoa!” he let out once he’d thumbed through the contents.

“What is it?”

“If I’m not mistaken, this is a fat envelope full of cash!”

He showed it to Riley, whose eyes widened as she saw the stack of bills inside it.

“That’s... that’s what that is, all right. But why is it just here in the study?”

Drake turned it over. “There’s an address on the back... a French address! It looks like someone was going to mail this today.”

She grabbed his arm with urgency. He tried to suppress his body’s ridiculous reactions to her touch. “Drake... This has got to be the missing money that Bertrand was talking about! We’ve got to take it to Maxwell.”

He turned to her, surprised. “Really? You want to trust Maxwell Beaumont with an envelope of cash?”

“Let’s just say I trust him more than I trust Bertrand right now. I’ll text him to meet us here.”

It only took Maxwell a few seconds to burst into the room; he must have been nearby. His face was full of unease.

“What’s up? Your text sounded serious.”

“This is serious,” Riley said. “Drake and I were in here, and we found this envelope full of cash!”

Maxwell’s mouth fell open. “Oh, uh, wow! That... that must be the money that Bertrand was looking for. Thank you. You guys saved my life. Bertrand was ready to kill me over this.”

“No problem.”

Riley shoved the envelope into Maxwell’s hands, which were trembling.

“I think it’s too late to get the staff back, but at least we found it!” His voice sounded more high-pitched than usual.

Riley frowned. “But... how do you think the money ended up here?”

Maxwell gave an elaborate shrug. “Oh, you know, it’s been so crazy lately... Bertrand probably put it here to give to the staff and then forgot about it or something.”

Bullshit. What the hell.

“I don’t think that Bertrand would forget something like that...” He narrowed his eyes at Maxwell who was studiously ignoring his stare.

“Yeah, I’ll have to talk to him about it.”

Drake reached out and put a hand on his shoulder.

“You know, you can always tell us if you’re in some kind of trouble.”

“Oh, no more than usual.” He started backing out of the room. “Anyway, thanks for finding it! I owe you guys! But now we better get back to work before Bertrand realizes we’ve stopped cleaning!”

He pocketed the envelope and hurried out of the room.

Drake immediately turned to Riley- “Something is off. You getting that feeling too?”

She had that thoughtful look on her face again, the one that made him want to kiss her.

Well, to be fair, that’s just her face in general.

“Yeah... It seems like Maxwell might be hiding something.”

“And I want to know what it is.”

“Maybe we’ll find more clues while we’re prepping the house?”

“We’ll see. Keep an eye out, but try not to be obvious about it.” He was already going to the door as he said this. He couldn’t be alone with her again.

He heard a faint, “Right,” as he left.

He found Bertrand polishing the banisters. He assigned Drake to one of dining room’s – never mind that they wouldn’t be using it tomorrow. He was glad for the distraction anyway. For the next couple of hours, all he was focused on was getting everything to look immaculate.

He was occasionally interrupted by thoughts of Liam; how he would react when he told him what he did tomorrow, whether it was their end of their friendship...

Every time that happened he threw himself into the work even more vehemently so that by the time he was done, the two rooms he’d tackled looked new.

He thought he’d earned himself a rest – though in his current state it was unlikely to be restful – so he headed to his room.

He’d only just begun his downward spiral with despairing thoughts about himself and his loyalty as he walked down the hallway, when he heard two male voices in Maxwell’s room.

He stopped, trying to decide if the second voice belonged to whom he thought it did. He knocked and opened the door to find Liam talking to Maxwell.

“Liam? What the–?”

“Drake! I got your text, I’m sorry I forgot to respond to it.”

Drake waved his apology off. “S’okay. What are you doing here?” Before Liam could answer, he continued, “Actually, can I speak to you in private?”

“Of course. I was just arranging for Maxwell’s help, but I believe we’re all set?”

“Yep! I will be your waiter for this evening, Your Majesty.” Maxwell gave Liam a sweeping bow.

“Wait, what? Waiter? What do you mean?” Drake looked from one man to the other, totally nonplussed.

Liam gave him a radiant smile and explained, “Oh, Maxwell is being kind enough to help me on my date with Riley tonight. He’ll be our waiter.”

“On your... date?” Drake choked.

“Yes. I realized we’d skipped that part of courting, so I came here early to ask her and she said yes!” Liam’s smile was only getting bigger.

“You already asked her and everything. Cool. Very cool, so fun! Well, I’m gonna go to my room now.”

Liam tilted his head. “Didn’t you want to talk about something Drake?”

“Right. Er, no, not anymore. As it turns out, it’s not as important as I thought it was.”

He hastened off to his room and slammed the door. He threw himself down on his bed.

You coward.

I’m not a coward!

Yeah, right. You know you should have told Liam.

What for?! He’d only be hurt and it’s not worth it! It’s clear Addams is choosing him anyway; why else would she be going on dates? Maybe she was bored and she didn’t think she’d be seeing Liam until tomorrow. Whatever it was, let’s face it: it was only a kiss to her. I’m not going to ruin my friendship with Liam and their relationship just ‘cause it meant more to me.

Fuck this.

#trr #the royal romance #drake walker #drake x mc #prince liam #maxwell beaumont #hana lee #playchoices #choices #pb #pixelberry #fanfic #ch 15 #the marshmallow chronicles #long post

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